Hump-Day Harangue: Weighing in on the GoreZone Controversy

I realize I'm a bit late to the dance on this one, so bear with me. But this has been a situation I've been watching for some weeks now, with great concern. Specifically because it ties into something I ranted at length about some time ago--namely, bloggers getting pushed around by those who can't handle a bad review.

By now, most of you know the story. I first was made aware of it by the blogger Cyberschizoid. Write-ups on the matter followed at Chuck Norris Ate My Baby and Zombos' Closet of Horror. It seems that one Dangerous Jamie of the blog Let's Get Dangerous posted an open letter to Britain's GoreZone magazine in January, detailing his various problems with the current state of the publication, and how it might improve.

The letter seemed innocuous enough. It was carefully worded, constructive and rational in its criticism. It was by no means what anyone would call an unfair attack. Yet, it wasn't long before Jamie's blog was being inundated by troll commenters leaving hateful, obscene and vicious remarks. One of them even claimed to be Bryn Hammond, Editor-in-Chief of GoreZone. However, this was proven to be false--as were the identities of some 14 other commenters. The kicker is that all these comments were coming from the same IP address, which allegedly was located within GoreZone magazine itself.

From there, legal action was taken against Jamie for the post in question. I'm no expert on freedom of the press in the UK, or UK laws regarding libel, defamation and such, but there's no way that a magazine can sue a critic for writing a negative review of said magazine. If so, what kind of insane door would that open? As has been pointed out, GoreZone itself reviews movies and other things--could they conceivably be sued for writing a bad review?

Jamie (pictured, left) was accused of libeling GoreZone with his open letter, of attempting to harm the magazine's sales. This, when Jamie himself was libeled outright by some of the most heinous comments I've ever seen on any blog, all the while remaining civil in all his responses. It's also interesting that one of Jamie's main points in his post was that GoreZone is riddled with spelling and grammatical errors--and then, you guessed it, almost every comment bashing Jamie and supporting GZ was also riddled with the same.

He was forced to remove a GoreZone cover image from the post, when, to my knowledge, using an image like that for review purposes is completely kosher. Thankfully, this seems to have been all they've been able to coerce him to do. Ever since the IP address controversy, the GoreZone folks seem to have mysteriously backed off, and Jamie himself has not heard a word from the lawyers or anyone else in weeks.

Thankfully, lots of readers and bloggers have shown Jamie support in this unfortunate situation, including the aforementioned, as well as Robert Ring of The Sci-Fi Block, who helped get the story covered on Techdirt, a website which covers technology-based legal issues. The situation even caught the attention of Roger Ebert, who mentioned it on Twitter.

And speaking of Ebert, the legendary film critic was lambasted, along with Jamie, in an interview given by the real Bryn Hammond with the website Screen Jabber. Hammond denied the claim that the phony negative comments were coming from within GoreZone itself. But in defending himself, he really did himself no favors, describing Jamie's responses to him as "naively spouting off about freedom of speech and all that bullshit." Hammond also warns both Jamie and Ebert (who never came down on either side of the issue, by the way), to "really watch that kind of bullshit they're writing and talking about."

It's very unfortunate that a blogger could be so thoroughly bullied by a corporate entity, but sadly, it doesn't surprise me. As was stated in the CNAMB write-up, this would definitely not be happening if it had been a major website or other entity that published the critique. But because it's someone they consider unimportant and defenseless, they try to pressure him into retracting his criticism. Thankfully, the situation seems to have calmed down a bit, as someone must've informed GoreZone that they don't have a legal leg to stand on.

I had not been all that familiar with GoreZone before this debacle (I do remember a Fangoria satellite mag with the same name in the '90s, but I don't think they're related), but the whole thing has pretty much ensured I will not be picking up my first issue anytime soon. If this is the way they operate, I want nothing to do with them. In fact, I won't even entertain the notion of buying an issue until Jamie gets an apology, and I encourage anyone disturbed by the matter to do the same. I doubt that apology will ever come about, but so be it. Judging by what's been spewed onto Jamie's blog and elsewhere, I don't think I'm missing much.

It's very important that companies like GoreZone not be simply permitted to get away with bullying small, independent bloggers and other journalists. If we allow it to happen once, it's just going to keep happening, and getting worse every time. Folks like that shouldn't be emboldened--it should be made clear to them that such behavior cannot be tolerated in a free society.

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The Tuesday Top 10: Horror TV Hosts

Ah, for the days of those groovy ghouls who welcomed us each week to their cheaply decorated and garishly lit studio sets, introducing classic horror films while cramming as many hackneyed puns as possible into every sentence... The TV "horror host" phenomenon was once a big part of local television, particularly in the 1960s, '70s and '80s--before the days of infomercials, when many networks and syndicated channels populated their program lineup with old movies and such.

Alas, although a handful do still operate, the horror host is largely a thing of the past. It seems, in these days when "content" is so compartmentalized on TV into a myriad of specialized channels, and movies are readily available on home video or computers, that those folks who traipsed around in Halloween-store garb while doing Boris Karloff impressions with varying degrees of success, have become moot. Yet for many of us, and many more who came before, these were the people who sparked our interest in horror, introducing us to movies we might never have otherwise seen.

And so, this week, I give you a look at some of the most memorable of the TV horror hosts...

10. Rhonda Shear
Ms. Shear was the host of "Up All Night" on the USA Network in the 1990s, and even though some of the films she hosted were not horror, the late-night program she hosted was very much a basic cable version of the old-school, late-night movie showcases. And the voluptuous Shear, although less goth than many of her female predecessors, nevertheless embodied much of the same vampy aesthetic.

9. Count Gore de Vol
A true renaissance man amongst horror hosts, the Count is best known for his Washington D.C.-area show from the 1970s and 1980s. But in 1998, he truly broke new ground and crossed over into a brand new medium by becoming the first classic horror host to kick off a weekly Internet show. He is also the man behind the Horror Host Underground, whose official website is this year nominated for a Rondo Award.

8. Dr. Morgus
One of the most widely syndicated of the classic horror hosts, Morgus' programming was most prominent in the New Orleans and Detroit areas during the 1960s and '70s. In the 1980s he became exposed to a wide array of markets across the nation, including New York, where I remember seeing him as a kid. For the past five years, Morgus has been back on the air with a cable show in New Orleans.

7. Ghoulardi
One of the most high-profile and beloved of the "golden age" horror hosts, Ron "Ghoulardi" Anderson was an icon for monster kids growing up in the Midwest in the 1960s. His character was more of a groovy hipster than the typical "mad scientist" type, and remains a camp favorite to this day. He left his home base of Ohio in the late '60s and went on to become the major ABC voice-over man of the 1970s. His son is film director Paul Thomas Anderson.

6. Svengoolie
A Chicago institution, the original Svengoolie, Jerry Bishop, hosted a very popular show during the 1970s. His protege, Rich Koz, started carrying on the tradition in the 1980s, and continues to do so to this day--first as "Son of Svengoolie", and now simply as the new Svengoolie. Ironically, he has played the character for much longer than his mentor.

5. Joe Bob Briggs
One of the most recent individuals to keep the horror host format alive, Briggs--a.k.a. John Bloom--is a bit more down-to-earth than his funkier and creepier predecessors. He gathered a rabid fan following as a genre aficionado thanks to his shows on The Movie Channel and TNT in the 1990s, and today works mainly as a straight-up critic, with many books on genre cinema under his belt.

4. Elvira
The Mistress of the Dark, and quite possibly the most famous of all horror hosts. Cassandra "Elvira" Peterson most certainly was the one who became the most mainstream, even getting a motion picture dedicated to her on-screen character. She also had her very own line of VHS horror releases, that predated and prefigured the MST3K phenomenon. She loses a point or two for originality, since her entire persona was largely cribbed from an earlier female horror host soon to be mentioned...

3. Chilly Billy
Chilly Billy Cardille was a Pittsburgh fixture for a couple of reasons. Not only was he the immensely popular host of the Steel City's version of Chiller Theater from the 1960s to the 1980s, but he was also one of the premiere TV announcers in the 1960s and '70s for the WWWF (now known as WWE). He can be seen in Night of the Living Dead as the on-the-spot TV reporter, and his daughter is Day of the Dead's Lori Cardille.

2. Zacherley
Yes, I'm probably biased for having grown up in the Northeast, but Zacherley--a.k.a. The Cool Ghoul--is considered by many as something of a patron saint of horror fandom. He hosted a variety of horror movie showcases on TV in Pennsylvania, New York and New Jersey in the 1950s and '60s, and even inspired a young boy in Brooklyn who would one day become the father of the writer of this blog. He is also something of an honorary master of ceremonies for the bi-annual Chiller Theatre convention.

1. Vampira
Perhaps the allure of mystery is a big part of Maila "Vampira" Nurmi's continued appeal. Although she only appeared on the air in California during the mid 1950s and almost no footage survives, she is generally credited with being the first true horror host, and the character she crafted has almost become something of a Jungian archetype. She famously appeared in Ed Wood's Plan 9 from Outer Space, and has inspired a look which endures to this day (most notoriously co-opted by the aforementioned Peterson). Simply put, Vampira is more than a person, she is a pop culture entity.


* I'm indebted to the Rondo-nominated E-Gor's Chamber of TV Horror Hosts for being such an invaluable source of precious info in putting this list together.

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TRAILER TRASH: Jekyll & Hyde Edition!

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Random Ramblings from the Vault...

• In this day and age, there really is no excuse for referring to the monster created in Dr. Frankenstein's laboratory as "Frankenstein". I'm officially declaring a zero-tolerance policy on that. What are you, five?

• Turner Classic Movies has been breaking out some horror gems as of late, so I would definitely keep that channel on the radar. The other night, I checked out It Came from Beneath the Sea, The Monster that Challenged the World, and Them! all in one sitting. Glorious.

• And the one thing I learned from watching The Monster that Challenged the World? There is probably no more disturbing visual in all of nature than a close-up of a snail eating. "Yuck" does not begin to do it justice.

• I love introducing my little kids to horror, but the problem I face is that they totally love zombies--yet most of the zombie flicks fall into the "not cool for little kids" category. What to do?

• On the kids and zombies front, I did happen to show them Michael Jackson's Thriller video for the first time. Forgot what a damn entertaining 15 minutes that was! Did John Landis and Rick Baker really pull out all the stops, or what? After all these years, it truly does deserve its reputation as the greatest music video of all time.

• Just watched Hammer's The Two Faces of Dr. Jekyll, a sorely underrated take on the classic tale. Very different from previous versions, it portrays Hyde not as a hideous brute, but rather a more suave and beguiling version of the doctor. Wonder if this inspired Jerry Lewis' The Nutty Professor three years later?

• A heads-up to those whose interest was piqued by my review of the last Kevin Geeks Out event at the 92Y Tribeca in NYC. There's a new one coming up this Friday--Kevin Geeks About Sharks! I'll most likely be on hand, and I hope some of you will come out, as well. Fair warning, though: If I see you out front, sitting on the sidewalk and reading a copy of Catcher in the Rye, I'm going back to my car.

• Speaking of, one of the special guests at that event will be Ritch Duncan, author of The Werewolf's Guide to Life, a very amusing little tome I happen to be currently reading. Highly recommended--expect a review as soon as I'm done. Basically, it's what The Zombie Survival Guide wishes it could be.

• VOH contributor and sister blogger BJ-C of Day of the Woman has officially joined the Bloody-Disgusting family as a movie critic, so please take a minute to check out her very first review over at B-D.

• If you haven't checked out the Cyber Horror Awards site recently, I got an amazing response from the legendary Christopher Young, winner of the Bernard Herrmann Award for Best Score:

  “I cannot successfully find the words that can express how truly honored I am that you decided to select my score for Drag Me To Hell for the Bernard Hermann Best Score Award. Especially since it is because of my love of Bernard Hermann's film music that I decided to become a film composer. God, this is a dream come true. Thank you, thank you, thank you from the bottom of my heart!"

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VAULTCAST: Exclusive Interview with Horror Rockers CALABRESE!

Judging by my other blog, you might be under the impression that ol' B-Sol really doesn't go in for any music recorded after 1960... Allow me to shatter your expectation! Yes, it may be true that I've leaned quite heavily toward the grandpa music in recent years--but that doesn't mean I've no love for anything electric. I may have given up on much of the rock scene at some point in the second Clinton administration, but that doesn't mean I still don't go in for rock n' roll--especially when, ya know, the band is actually really good.

And Calabrese is one of those really good bands. Actually, scratch that--they're a damn fine rock band, and best of all, their music is all about something I/we really love: Horror! Brothers Davey, Bobby and Jimmy joined me earlier this week to talk about their amazing throwback horror punk, as well as the new album, Calabrese III: They Call Us Death--which "drops" as the kids say, on March 20.

Listen below, or proceed to the Vaultcast page, where you can download the interview in its entirety!

Interview with Horror Punk Rockers Calabrese!

The Vaultcast!

• Find out more album info and tour dates at Calabreserock.com!
• Follow the boys on Twitter!
• Bask in their horrifying YouTube page!
• And hey, remember MySpace? Yeah, you can check them out there too!

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Psycho Semi-Centennial: A Fella Named Arbogast

"I still don't feel whatever change you're supposed to feel when your name goes up above the title. I think that's because this star thing has never been the first consideration with me. Never. The work has always come first."

Marty Balsam was one of those actors who would get a little ticked off when fans would only remember him from one particular role, which might have been his most famous, but in reality was only one part among so many. Yet unlike the far crankier Sir Alec Guinness, who would famously make little children cry when they would ask for his autograph due to Star Wars, Balsam would still genially sign his name and be friendly to the countless fans who knew him first and foremost as the detective Norman Bates pushed down a flight of stairs in Psycho.

When one looks at the breadth of his prolific career, it becomes easier to understand why Balsam may have had mixed feelings about Psycho. The role of Det. Arbogast may have made him a household name, but there was far more to Martin Balsam than just that gruff, ill-fated private investigator.

Balsam was many things. Oscar winner. Method actor. Student of monkey kung fu. George Clooney's father-in-law...

He was born Martin Henry Balsam on November 4, 1919 in the Bronx, the eldest child of a women's sportswear manufacturer. Acting was an interest from very early on, with young Martin joining the drama club in high school, and going on in 1938 to enroll in Manhattan's progressive New School, where he studied dramatics. As with many who aspired to great things in those days, Balsam's aspirations were put on hold after graduation, when he served out a stint in the Army Air Corps during World War II.

After the war, Balsam got down to the business of making some headway in the New York acting world. While working as an usher at Radio City Music Hall, he managed in 1947 to land a spot in Elia Kazan and Lee Strasberg's prestigious Actor's Studio, where he would be instructed in the Stanislavsky method. Balsam would eventually be one of a veritable legion of method actors to wash over Hollywood in the following decade.

But first he had to prove himself. He suffered through a string of Broadway flops in the late 1940s, before finally scoring a hit in 1951 with Tennessee Williams' The Rose Tattoo, in which he appeared alongside Maureen Stapleton, Eli Wallach and Sal Mineo. This led to a number of TV appearances, until in 1954 Balsam made his big-screen debut in Kazan's On the Waterfront, co-starring with fellow method disciples Rod Steiger and Marlon Brando.

Throughout the 1950s, Balsam appeared in many television productions, a lot of those being the live, theatrical-style one-offs that were very popular at the time. But there were also other film roles following his On the Waterfront breakthrough. Many still remember Balsam as one of the jurors in Sidney Lumet's 12 Angry Men, in which he was part of a stellar cast that included the likes of Henry Fonda, Ed Begley Sr., Lee J. Cobb, E.G. Marshall, Jack Klugman, John Fiedler and Jack Warden. He was also reunited with Steiger for the 1959 biopic Al Capone.

But it was one of those TV roles in particular that may have made all the difference for Balsam's career. In 1958, he starred in an episode of the mystery series Alfred Hitchcock Presents, in which he plays a cuckolded husband who seeks a violent revenge. Balsam was officially on the radar of the series' famous creator, and when it came time to cast one of the crucial supporting roles in his next thriller, the director remembered his earlier TV star.

And so Martin Balsam took on the part of Det. Milton Arbogast in Hitchcock's most well-known film, Psycho (1960). In his largest screen role up to that point, Balsam plays the detective with a tough, working-man charm. It's not an easy performance, as the character of Arbogast must come off in part as a bit of a bully--remember, first-time audiences believed Norman to be nothing more than a sweet, innocent motel caretaker--and yet, we must also feel a sense of shock and tragedy when he's finally offed by Norman's "mother".

Balsam was pretty much the most established actor in the film, and his character is notably the only other victim of Norman Bates aside from Janet Leigh herself. And in the end, there is a powerful sense of loss created when we watch him meet his doom after so closely following him along every step of his meticulous investigation. In a way, it reminds me very much of this poor gentleman:


Psycho made "the Bronx Barrymore" a much more recognizable star, and during the 1960s, the movie roles came more frequently. He followed up Hitch's picture with an appearance alongside Audrey Hepburn and George Peppard in the beloved Breakfast at Tiffany's (1961). He appeared with Robert Mitchum and Gregory Peck in the original Cape Fear (1961)--the trio would all turn up some 30 years later in Martin Scorsese's remake. The Carpetbaggers (1964) brought him major critical acclaim. Then, in 1965 his turn in the screen adaptation of A Thousand Clowns earned him not just acclaim, but also the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor. It would be the critical highlight of his career.

Balsam certainly kept busy in the wake of Psycho and his new-found popularity during the '60s. The TV work continued, including two appearances on The Twilight Zone. In one of Hollywood's bizarre and largely unknown twists, he recorded the voice for the computer HAL in Stanley Kubrick's 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968), only to be later replaced by Douglas Rain, the actor whose voice was used in the finished film.

It would also be during this decade that Balsam began taking roles overseas in Italy. For whatever reason, he came to be in demand by Italian filmmakers, and would continue traveling there to take on film roles for the remainder of his film career. It engendered a true love for the country that would also continue for the remainder of his life.

In fact, a dozen Italian films followed in the 1970s. Balsam was also one of Hollywood's favorite supporting players by this point, and he turned up in numerous iconic '70s movies, like Tora! Tora! Tora! (1970), The Taking of Pelham One Two Three (1974), Murder on the Orient Express (1974) and All the President's Men (1976).

In his later years, Balsam continued to work prodigiously. By the 1980s, he was in his 60s, yet continued to be a frequent supporting player in many films, both American and Italian. His most high-profile of the era might have been the brat pack opus St. Elmo's Fire (1985). Not only that, but after more than three decades of TV work, he finally took a recurring role on an ongoing series, playing the bigoted Archie Bunker's Jewish business partner on four seasons of Archie Bunker's Place (the sequel series to All in the Family).

In 1990, Balsam returned to the horror genre with an appearance in the George Romero/Dario Argento collaboration Two Evil Eyes. The film was originally intended to be a TV series based on the works of Edgar Allan Poe, but the production was canceled after only two episodes were made, and so it was re-edited into a feature film. Balsam starred in the second, the Argento-directed The Black Cat, in which he appeared with Harvey Keitel, John Amos and Kim Hunter.

On February 13, 1996, while vacationing in his beloved Italy, Marty Balsam suffered a fatal heart attack at the Residenza di Repetta in Rome, near the banks of the Tiber River. He died at the age of 76, survived by his third wife Irene Miller, two ex-wives Joyce Van Patten (sister of Dick) and Pearl Somner, and three children--son Adam, and daughters Zoe and Talia (Clooney's ex-wife).

Despite all the years since Psycho, and all the countless other parts, it would still be Det. Arbogast for which he was best known, right to the end. One of his final roles, in fact, had come in the abysmal 1994 spoof The Silence of the Hams, in which he played "Det. Martin Balsam", an obvious parody of the Arbogast character.

Balsam's contribution to Hitchcock's classic film is a large one. It may have been just one job in a sprawling career in theater, cinema and television--but what a job it was. If you're going to be remembered for a single role, you can do a lot worse than have it come from one of the most popular and important motion pictures ever made.

So in honor of the Psycho Semi-Centennial, The Vault of Horror salutes you, Martin Balsam--and for the record, we're very glad you fell down those stairs.


For more Hitchcock goodness, check out yesterday's post on Hitch cameos. Plus, go take a look at a damn fine blog whose very title was inspired by the good detective--Arbogast on Film!

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The Many Faces of Alfred Hitchcock

"Where's Alfred?": Hitch Cameo Edition!

The 39 Steps (1935)

The Lady Vanishes (1938)

Lifeboat (1944)

Stage Fright (1950)

The Trouble with Harry (1955)

Psycho (1960)

The Birds (1963)

Marnie (1964)

Torn Curtain (1966)

Topaz (1969)

Frenzy (1972)

Family Plot (1976)

Immense thanks go out to Andre "Don't Call Me Alexandre" Dumas of The Horror Digest for both suggesting this idea, and arduously collecting all the DVD screen grabs! Please visit her blog immediately and often, and comment vigorously.

* * * * * * * * * *

And on a side note, Day of the Woman's BJ-C and myself were featured guests last night on the premiere edition of Heidi Martinuzzi & Stacie Ponder's new podcast, The Scare-ening! Take a listen here and partake in the hilarity.

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Corey Haim 1971-2010

A last fire will rise behind those eyes,

Black house will rock, blind boys don't lie.
Immortal fear, that voice so clear,
Through broken walls, that scream I hear.

Cry, little sister - Thou shall not fall.
Come to your brother - Thou shall not die.
Unchain me, sister - Thou shall not fear.
Love is with your brother - Thou shall not kill.

Blue masquerade, strangers look on,
When will they learn this loneliness?
Temptation heat beats like a drum,
Deep in your veins, I will not lie.

Deeply tragic news this morning, particularly for children of the '80s. Corey Haim, one of the most popular Generation X teen heartthrobs, has died of an apparent drug overdose. Sadly, Haim's life seemed to be one of suffering, both from the damage of the substances he put into his body, and also the catastrophic effects of the well-worn path trod by so many child stars whose light fades as they pass into full adulthood.

Corey is best known to horror fans for his roles in Silver Bullet (1985) and especially The Lost Boys (1987), in which he co-starred with fellow '80s teen idol Corey Feldman. That latter film was perhaps the highlight of his entire career--an edgy vampire comedy adored by virtually anyone who enjoys '80s horror. For a certain generation, that movie is legendary--and because of it, Haim will always be fondly remembered.

The sad part of this is that, despite his well-publicized personal problems, Haim appeared to working hard to get his career back on track. Following some recent reality TV appearances that raised him back into the public spotlight, he had begun working more often again, and according to IMDb, currently has an astounding nine projects either in the can or in pre-production, waiting to be released.

On a personal note, there was a certain period in the late 1980s and early 1990s, during which Corey Haim's smiling baby-face was an ever-present image in my home. You see, my little sister was one of those girls with the Tiger Beat and Bop posters all over the wall. In fact, if memory serves, Corey Haim was her very first celebrity crush. And so, in some weird way, hearing the news of his passing this morning felt like a bit of my youth being ripped away.

Like so many child stars before him, Corey Haim has finally found the peace that eluded him for so long in life. What a horrible pity.



Some others mourning the loss of Corey Haim this morning:
Basement Screams
Bloody-Disgusting
Brutal as Hell
Cinematical
Day of the Woman
HorrorBid
Horror Society
I Like Horror Movies
Slammed & Damned

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TRAILER TRASH: Roger Corman Edition!

In honor of last night's Lifetime Achievement Oscar winner!

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Random Ramblings from the Vault...

• Must say I greatly enjoyed seeing a horror movie tribute at the Oscars. Could I have done without the Twilight kids introducing it? Yeah, but that was made up for by The Shining, Nosferatu, A Nightmare on Elm Street, Dracula, Frankenstein, The Wolf Man, The Blob, Alien, Jaws, Rosemary's Baby--*inhale*--The Exorcist, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, The Silence of the Lambs, Saw, Psycho, Carrie, Night of the Living Dead, Little Shop of Horrors, Misery, The Omen...OK, I'll stop. Yeah, it was pretty cool.

• Speaking of the Oscars, how about the director of Near Dark winning for Best Director? Congratulations, Ms. Bigelow. Somewhere, your brother Bam Bam is smiling down on you.

• So I had a lot of fun with Alice in Narnia--or rather, Alice in Wonderland, excuse me. It was indeed a visual feast and a pleasure, even if Lewis Carroll probably would've been left scratching his head at the sheer direness of it all.

• I get sad when I think of all the great horror character actors of the past, guys like Peter Lorre and Dwight Frye, who would've had even more notoriety today in my opinion, in a time when character-style actors without marquee good looks are allowed to shine in big-time starring roles.

• Not to sound precious or trite, but I don't know if I saw a horror movie in 2009 as horrifying or upsetting to me as the documentary film The Cove, which deservedly won the Oscar.

• Thank you, Calabrese, for keeping horror rock alive. These guys are really outstanding. I have an interview lined up with the band later this week, so stay tuned.

• How weird is it to think that George Romero has made just as many zombie movies in the last five years of his career as he made in the first 20?

• Coolest Universal werewolf: Henry Hull or Lon Chaney Jr.?

• So Leprechaun, Pinhead and Jason have all gone to space. Which one was the worst disaster? I say Leprechaun by far. In fact, I contend the other two are somewhat salvageable. But Leppy? No way.

• If you haven't had a chance yet, check out the winners of the 2009 Cyber Horror Awards. Thanks again to all who voted!

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