‘Everything Everywhere,’ ‘Cabinet of Curiosities,’ ‘Invaders from Mars’ take top Rondo honors
‘Masters of Make-up Effects’ is Book of the Year;
Sam Irvin top writer; Mick Garris best podcast;
Penny Dreadful, Joe Bob Briggs inducted into Hall of Fame
By David Colton
ARLINGTON, VA. – Voters rallied around the multiverse, anthologies and classic horror and science fiction as winners of the (Gasp!) 21st Annual Rondo Hatton Classic Horror Awards were announced after a year of genre dominance.
Among top winners of the fan-based Rondo Awards, a global online ballot honoring the best in classic horror, science fiction and fantasy, were the Oscar-winning EVERYTHING EVERYWHERE ALL AT ONCE (voted Best Film), Guillermo Del Toro’s CABINET OF CURIOSITIES (Best Television Presentation), and the stunning restoration of the 1953 classic INVADERS FROM MARS (Best Blu-Ray and Best Restoration), which left every child who saw it frightened for life.
MASTERS OF MAKE-UP EFFECTS, a look behind the scenes of “practical effects,” by Howard Berger of KNB EFX Group, and Marshall Julius, was voted Book of the Year, and THE LEGEND OF KING KONG, a three-part documentary directed by Tom Grove covering all Kong films, was voted Best Documentary.
In individual categories, Antonia Carlotta, the 34-year-old grand niece of Universal Studios founder Carl Laemmle, who has produced documentaries about her family’s monster legacy, was named Monster Kid of the Year (Rondo’s highest honor). Sam Irvin, author of the nominated memoir, I WAS A TEENAGE MONSTER HUNTER, was voted Best Writer, Mark Maddox was voted Best Artist, Noufaux was voted Best Fan Artist, and Tim Lucas was tagged as Best Blu-Ray commentator.
Two Special Recognition Rondos were awarded: To Robert Zier, also known as Bobby Lugosi, a young online influencer who uses his sites on TikTok and YouTube to explain classic horror films to his million-plus followers; and to Simon Fitzjohn, who battled studios for seven years to get the Mia Farrow thriller, THE HAUNTING OF JULIA, released and restored on Blu-Ray.
Newest entries to Rondo’s Monster Kid Hall of Fame are longtime horror historian Buddy Barnett, who helped found Cult Movies, one of the earliest fan magazines; writer Frank J. Dello Stritto; Amanda Reyes, the chronicler of obscure made-for-TV horror films; the late director Dan Curtis; and horror hosts Penny Dreadful and Joe Bob Briggs (Joe’s co-host Darcy the Mail Girl will also receive an award as his Last Drive-In folding chair mate).
More than 5,250 fans and pros voted online this spring, the second largest turnout in the award’s 21 years and a bounce back from the pandemic years. The Rondo Awards remain the largest annual survey of the classic horror electorate in history.
The Rondo Awards, named after Rondo Hatton, an obscure B-movie villain of the 1940s, honor the best in classic horror research, creativity and film preservation. This year’s e-mail vote was conducted by the Classic Horror Film Board, a 28-year old online community. The 2023 Rondos are dedicated to Donna Lucas, who died suddenly last year after being one of the Monster Kid community’s biggest supporters.
Below you’ll find all the winners, along with runners-up and honorable mentions. Many categories were very competitive, and numerous nominees not listed here nonetheless drew significant votes.
Here is a photo of Hatton in the 1946 film, HOUSE OF HORRORS, which was an inspiration for the distinctive bust given to winners.
HERE ARE THE WINNERS IN THE
(GASP!) 21st ANNUAL
RONDO HATTON CLASSIC HORROR AWARDS
— This year’s awards are dedicated to Donna Lucas —
EVERYTHING EVERYWHERE ALL AT ONCE, directed by
Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert
Runners-up: THE BATMAN; THE MUNSTERS
Honorable mentions: AVATAR: THE WAY OF WATER;
NOPE; THE BLACK PHONE; HALLOWEEN ENDS
BEST TV PRESENTATION
Guillermo Del Toro’s CABINET OF CURIOSITIES (Netflix)
Runners-up: WEDNESDAY; STRANGER THINGS
Honorable mentions: WHAT WE DO IN THE SHADOWS;
THE SANDMAN; WEREWOLF BY NIGHT;
INTERVIEW WITH THE VAMPIRE; OBI-WAN KENOBI
INVADERS FROM MARS (1953; Ignite)
Runners-up: DR. JEKYLL AND MR HYDE (1931; WB)
CANDYMAN COLLECTOR’S EDITION (1992; Scream Factory)
Honorable mentions: THE DUNWICH HORROR (1970; Arrow);
MARK OF THE VAMPIRE (1935; WB); TOUCH OF EVIL (1958; Kino)
BEST BLU-RAY COLLECTION
UNIVERSAL CLASSIC MONSTERS
Icons of Horror Collection Vol. 2 (4K; Universal)
Runners-up: NIGHT GALLERY: Seasons Two and Three (1969-71; Kino);
THE EUROCRYPT OF CHRISTOPHER LEE: Vol. 1 (Severin);
COUNT YORGA COLLECTION (Arrow)
Honorable mentions: INCREDIBLE STRANGE FILMS
OF RAY DENNIS STECKLER (Severin)
BEST RESTORATION
INVADERS FROM MARS (1953; Ignite)
Runner-up: DR. JEKYLL AND MR HYDE (1931; WB)
Honorable mentions: NIGHT GALLERY Season Two (Kino);
THE AMUSEMENT PARK (1975; RLJ)
FAVORITE COMMENTARIES
Tim Lucas
Runners-up: Tom Weaver with David Schecter, Larry Blamire, Joyce Meadows
Honorable mentions: Stephen Bissette; Amanda Reyes; Steve Haberman;
Constantin Nasr; Kat Eillinger; Gary Gerani
BORIS KARLOFF: THE MAN BEHIND THE MONSTER (Voltage),
includes two hours on extra interviews and content.
Directed by Thomas Hamilton, written by Ron MacCloskey
Runners-up: INVADERS FROM MARS (documentary, restoration feature
by Scott MacQueen); NIGHT GALLERY (Syndication Conundrum documentary by Craig Beam)
Honorable mention: ALLIGATOR (1980; Theatrical and TV version; interview with production assistant Bryan Cranston)
MAD GOD, directed by Phil Tippett
Runners-up: PEARL; TROLL
Honorable mentions: SOMETHING IS OUT THERE;
STUDIO 666
BEST SHORT FILM
13 MINUTES OF HORROR,
a compilation of short films from NYX
Runners-up: ULALUME; AMITYVILLE CHRISTMAS VACATION
Honorable mentions: BOOK OF DREAMS; DEATH IN A BOX
BEST DOCUMENTARY
THE LEGEND OF KING KONG, directed by Tom Grove
Runners-up: IN SEARCH OF DARKNESS, Pts. 1-3 (David Weiner);
UP LATE WITH BOB WILKINS (Tom Wyrsch)
Honorable mention: HISTORY OF HEAVY METAL & HORROR
(Mike Schiff); HOLLYWOOD DREAMS & NIGHTMARES: The Robert Englund story
(Smart & Griffiths); QUEER FOR FEAR (Bryan Fuller)
MASTERS OF MAKE-UP EFFECTS:
A Century of Practical Magic
by Howard Berger & Marshall Julius
Runners-up: ITALIAN GIALLLO IN FILM AND TELEVISION,
by Robert Curti; I WAS A TEENAGE MONSTER HUNTER: How I Met
Vincent Price, Christopher Lee, Peter Cushing & More, by Sam Irvin
Honorable Mentions: GODZILLA: The Ultimate Illustrated Guide, by Skipper Graham;
WITCHES, BITCHES AND BANSHEES: The British Films of AIP, by John Hamilton;
DR. WHO & THE DALEKS: The Official Story of the Films, by John Walsh
BEST CLASSIC HORROR FICTION
(Fiction that uses classic horror icons as jumping off points)
CLASSIC MONSTERS UNLEASHED, edited by James Aquilone
Runners-ups: IT’S ALIVE, by Julian David Stone;
ANNO DRACULA by Kim Newman
Honorable mentions: THE MAN WITH KALEIDOSCOPE EYES,
by Tim Lucas; BLOOD ON SATAN’S CLAW, by Robert Wynn
Simmons; DRACULA BEYOND STOKER (literary journal);
HOUSE OF YGOR by Brad Braddock
BEST MAGAZINE (Classic)
SCARY MONSTERS
Runners-up: LITTLE SHOPPE OF HORRORS; CLASSIC MONSTERS OF THE MOVIES
Honorable mentions: THE DARK SIDE; WE BELONG DEAD; SCREEM;
FANGORIA
Runners-up: RUE MORGUE, HORRORHOUND
Honorable mention: DELIRIUM, SCREAM
‘Hex of the Century,’ by Dejan Ognjanovic, RUE MORGUE #205
Runners-up: ‘Nosferatu: 100 Years of Terror,’ by Dacre Stoker, SCREEM #40;
‘House of Seven Gables,’ by Rod Labbe, SCARY MONSTERS #128;
‘Hammer’s Ripping Yarns,’ by the late Denis Mekle, THE DARK SIDE #230;
‘The Chaneys: Horror’s Incomparable Dynasty,’ by Alex Hopkins,
CLASSIC MONSTERS OF THE MOVIES ANNUAL 2022;
Honorable Mentions: ‘A-Haunting They Will Go: Laurel & Hardy, Golden Age Horror Stars?’
by Darrell Buxton, WE BELONG DEAD #31; ‘Robert Bloch: More Than Just the Author of Psycho,’
by Jim Nemeth, MIDNIGHT MARQUEE #81; ‘Jack Kerouac Does Faro-La, Faro-Li’,
by George Humenik, CASTLE OF FRANKENSTEIN #36.
BEST INTERVIEW
Adrienne Barbeau, by Andrew J. Rausch, SHOCK CINEMA #62
Runner-up: Jordan Peele (about Nope), by Phil Nobile Jr, FANGORIA #16;
Caroline Munro by Anthony Taylor, RETROFAN #19; John Carpenter
by Bryan Clark, SCREAM #74; Guillermo Del Toro by Chris Alexander,
DELIRIUM #32; Elizabeth Shepard by Ernie Magnotta, THE DARK SIDE #234
Honorable Mentions: Steve Vertlieb by Mark Mawston, WE BELONG DEAD #31;
Alice Krige by Carly Maga, RUE MORGUE #207; Sandra Niemi by Don Smeraldi
SCARY MONSTERS #128
Scene Queen, by Barbara Crampton (FANGORIA)
Runners-up: Rondo Remembers by Ron Adams, MONSTER BASH; Kaiju Korner,
by Mike Bogue, SCARY MONSTERS; DEVIL’S IN THE DETAILS by Stacie Ponder,
RUE MORGUE
Honorable mentions: Kim Newman’s Dungeon, THE DARK SIDE; The Rochon Report,
by Debbie Rochon, VIDEOSCOPE
BEST COVER
SCARY MONSTERS #128 by Scott Jackson
Runners-up: CLASSIC MONSTERS OF THE MOVIES #28
by Daniel Horne; DELIRIUM #31 by Suspiria Vilchez;
LITTLE SHOPPE OF HORRORS #48 by Mark Maddox
Honorable mentions: FANGORIA #14 by Jason Kauzlarich;
SHUDDER #7 by Sanjulian; MONSTER BASH #46 by Robert Kokai
BEST WEBSITE
BLOODY DISGUSTING
Runner-up: Collinsport Historical Society; Trailers From Hell
Honorable mentions: Dread Central; The Monster Channel;
Dana Gould’s Hanging with Dr. Z; Video Watchblog
BEST PODCAST
MICK GARRIS’ POST-MORTEM
Runners-up: Terror at Collinwood;
Colors of the Dark
Honorable mentions: Monster Party;
Faculty of Horror; Frankenstein Mobster;
Frankenstein Minute; Monster Kid Radio
FAVORITE HORROR HOST OF 2022
SVENGOOLIE
Runners-up: Elvira; Joe Bob Briggs
Honorable mentions: Vincent Van Dahl; Mummy & the Monkey;
Mr. Lobo; Penny Dreadful; Lamia; Capt. Calico Drake
BEST EVENT
SCARES THAT CARE, conventions have raised $300,000
for breast cancer, childhood diseases
Runners-up: Dario Argento appearance NYC;
Blobfest returns to street outside Colonial Theater in Phoenixville, Pa.;
Honorable mentions: Original Monster Kids (Sara Karloff, Bela Jr., Ron Chaney)
appear at Midsummer Scream; G-Fest tribute to late Akira Takarada
BEST GRAPHIC NOVEL OR COLLECTION
KOLCHAK THE NIGHT STALKER 50TH ANNIVERSARY
edited by James Aquilone
Runner-up: BERNIE WRIGHTSON ARTBOOK: A Tribute
Honorable mentions: JOHN CARPENTER’S TALES FOR A HALLOWEEN NIGHT (Vol. 8); COUNT CROWLEY: Amateur Midnight Monster Hunter; HALF-TONE HORRORS;
SHUDDER Magazine
INDIVIDUAL RONDO AWARDS
SPECIAL RECOGNITION
ROBERT ZIER
In a world of AI and “screen time”, the pleasures of movies from almost 100 years ago seem increasingly lost on the young. But that hasn’t stopped Robert Zier, the proprietor of YouTube’s “Lugosi Theater,” where he talks knowledgeably and directly about horror movies old and older.
“Hi, I’m Bobby,” he says in one video. “I play Dracula in the classic Bela Lugosi style on YouTube and my TikTok videos, and at my friend’s haunted house. And I know my autism makes me a better Dracula.”
That kind of honesty helps explain why his YouTube page has more than one million views. A Monster Kid influencer has long been needed! “I never imagined these movies existed,” one of his many fans said in her write-in vote. “He makes them come alive!”
For opening our old world to new audiences, Robert Zier receives a Special Recognition Rondo.
SPECIAL RECOGNITION
SIMON FITZJOHN
A barely remembered thriller from 1977, THE HAUNTING OF JULIA with Mia Farrow, became something of a personal cause for film fan Simon Fitzjohn, who spent seven years trying to convince studios and overcome legal obstacles to get the movie, also known as FULL CIRCLE, restored and released on Blu-Ray. His efforts included negotiations with reluctant studio bureaucracy, some of whom were nervous about being sued. He even hired what he called a”fixer” to help clear rights problems.
“The re-release is on,” he announced in October. “I didn’t think I would ever say those words.”
Fitzjohn is a journalism tutor in London who has written three books, including one on the history of the character Norman Bates. Now the film is out from Imprint in a 4K version with numerous special features, and new attention on a film few thought would ever emerge again.
WRITER OF THE YEAR
SAM IRVIN
Sam Irvin has done just about everything in show business, a director of more than 50 films, including one with Elvira, a biographer, a horror journalist, a consistent online presence and a supporter of the genre in every way.
But his recent book. I WAS A TEENAGE MONSTER HUNTER, has become an instant classic, a memoir ranging from his days helping with the family movie theatre business, to meeting Brian DePalma, and encounters of the close or awkward kind with stars such as Vincent Price, Christopher Lee and Peter Cushing.
Rondo voters responded with support for the multi-Rondo winner for his writing and his seemingly endless storytelling prowess.
Runners-up: Rod Labbe, Owl Goingback, Alexandra Heller-Nicholas, George Humenik, Tim Lucas, Gregory Mank, Kat Ellinger, Gary D. Rhodes, Grady Hendrix.
ARTIST OF THE YEAR
MARK MADDOX
Mark Maddox continues his historic run as Best Artist, captivating voters with his vibrant takes on some of horror’s most unusual scenes. One example: The crawling eye from the movie of the same name on the cover of LITTLE SHOPPE OF HORRORS. You cannot look away.
Mark’s work now includes Blu-Ray and books in addition to black-and-white portraits and the numerous magazine covers he produces each year. He has a near-Wiki grasp of movie history, and is a popular personality at various conventions and festivals.
Runners-up included Mitch O’Connell, Daniel Horne, Dixie Dellacorte, Scott Jackson, Rick Melton, Bob Eggleton, Frederick Cooper, LJ Dopp, Rich Davis.
FAN ARTIST OF THE YEAR
NOUFAUX
For a third year, Britain’s Adele Veness, also known as Noufaux, has topped the growing world of fan artists. Noufaux stands out by experimenting with a variety of media, producing an art nouveau look that is both frightening but somehow comforting. Her subjects range from Bela Lugosi to more modern personalities, but always enveloped in an gilded cage of flowers and swirls.
Runners-up included Josh Ryals, John Febonio, Jerrod Brown, Bob Lizzarraga, Lee Hartnup; Eric Puckett.
MONSTER KID OF THE YEAR
ANTONIA CARLOTTA
Nearly a century after Carl Laemmle Sr. founded Universal Pictures, his great great niece, Antonia Carlotta, has helped keep his studio’s legacy alive. A 34-year-old actress, Antonia has produced and narrated several documentaries about Universal, its monsters, and the impact her great uncle’s studio still holds on entertainment today.
Her Universally Me videos and Universally Mini podcasts have taken on topics ranging from How the Classic Monsters Saved Universal Studios, as well as How Her Family Lost Universal, in addition to profiles of Jack Pierce, Laemmle, and Why It’s OK to Call the Monster Frankenstein. Many of her videos are available on the Classic Horror Film Board.
Antonia has become a young and media savvy ambassador for the classic black-and-white monsters. And given her bloodline, she is a true Monster Kid for the 21st Century. We hope her influence and career continues to flourish.
THE MONSTER KID HALL OF FAME
New inductees
Buddy Barnett
Few horror fans have been as influential as Buddy Barnett, who with West Coast
colleagues in the 1990s transformed his love of monsters and Bela Lugosi into a lifelong search for the origins of horror films and their offshoots.
A one-shot Bela Lugosi magazine soon became the long-running CULT MOVIES publication, a home for some of classic horror’s most important writers and historians. In addition, Barnett co-hosted CULT MOVIES TV, produced low-budget monster spoofs such as THE VAMPIRE HUNTERS CLUB (with Forrest J Ackerman among others), oversaw cult film conventions. and a collectible store. A stickler for accuracy, Barnett once said erroneous claims about Lugosi “always make me mad.”
Frank J. Dello Stritto
Many writers these days come up with genre “mash-ups,” where Tarzan, for example, meets Sherlock Holmes, but no one does it as brilliantly as Frank J. Dello Stritto. In three can’t-put-down novels, he has woven together the untold histories of various movie werewolves and wolf men, untangled the wanderings of Universal and Hammer’s mummies, and explored with Carl Denham the many lost worlds and giant monsters of the Pacific.
All this in addition to his trailblazing work on the real-life history of Bela Lugosi, shedding light on the unknown corners of classic horror history, and providing entertaining looks at the genre’s many totems and themes. Dello Stritto’s work always delivers, and he has changed horror scholarship for the better.
Amanda Reyes
Horror has many tantalizing blank spots — lost films, alternate endings, deleted scenes, and mysteries of casting and auditions. Surprisingly, another part of genre history is missing as well. Many of the made-for-TV horror and science fiction movies from the 1970s and 80s are lost or forgotten.
Enter television historian Amanda Reyes, who has chosen to accept her mission to reveal the many TV thrillers that showed up in living rooms and then vanished. In books such as “Are You in the House Alone? A TV Movie Compendium, 1964-1999,” her lectures, commentaries, and Made for TV Mayhem blog, Reyes has renewed interest in these one-and-done movies, many of which were not considered part of horror history.
And she brings these “lost” movies back to life with wit, research and engaging writing. We get the feeling she has only just begun.
DAN CURTIS
One TV producer and director who did leave a mark was the late Dan Curtis, who revived the horror myths with TV shows such as Dark Shadows, and Jack Palance as Dracula, and Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, and the classic Night Stalker TV movies.
Curtis was able to modernize the monsters, mixing love and romance with gothic settings, or showing ghouls and beasts scrambling along rain-swept city streets, or a vicious Zuni doll terrorizing a kitchen. Horror wasn’t his only gift, producing numerous mini-series and theatrical movies.
Curtis, who died in 2006, left entertainment better than he found it, and showed how horror films could stay relevant even in changing times.
PENNY DREADFUL
From the earliest days of Vampira and Zacherley, horror hosts have used the movies they aired for laughs, visuals, and time fillers. But few realized the monster lode of possibilities like Penny Dreadful (Danielle Gelehrter), and her creative crew in Massachusetts. No more only joking from the commercial breaks; she and her co-stars, including her late wolfman husband Garou, would insert their faces and shadows into videos and clips.
Her show, Shilling Shockers, was way ahead of its time, and Penny Dreadful’s reach has grown far beyond her Massachusetts mandrake roots.
Penny has also brought research and performing skills to her Terror at Collinwood podcast, methodically retracing the saga of Barnabas Collins episode by episode. In a world of sometimes cookie cutter hosts and hostesses, Penny Dreadful remains one of a kind.
JOE BOB BRIGGS
(and Darcy)
Deeply knowledgeable and whiplash fast, Joe Bob Briggs has had a Texas-sized impact on the world of horror appreciation. Even the grisliest films — and he shows them all on his five-year Shudder series, Joe Bob’s Last Drive-In — have redeeming values in his twinkling eyes. Before each showing he uses a sketchboard to tally the kills, including whether a movie has “hatchet fu,” “scalding fu,” or “choking fu.”
It’s all in good fun. A journalist and sportswriter, Joe Bob switched to films of mayhem in the 1980s and has been a constant presence, even when he disappeared for awhile, for almost half a century. Recently joined by Diana Prince, also known as the take no guff Darcy the Mail Girl, their efforts are ensuring that the often absurd world of splatter fu will live on!
Joe Bob, for his long career, will receive the Hall of Fame plaque. Darcy will get a Drive-In Co-Host statuette. Or as we call it, “Rondo fu.”
———-
As we always say, if you’ve gotten this far, you are a true Monster Kid.
Again, remember that winning is fun but the true value is in all the nominees and all their work. And thanks for being a part of the Rondo experience.
Rondo Awards copyright 2023 by David Colton
—– POLLS CLOSED POLLS CLOSED —–
HERE WAS THE OFFICIAL BALLOT FOR THE (Gasp!)
21st ANNUAL RONDO HATTON CLASSIC HORROR AWARDS
— This year’s awards are dedicated to Donna Lucas —
1) BEST FILM OF 2022
Includes wide release, video-on-demand and streaming
—- AVATAR: THE WAY OF WATER
—- BARBARIAN
—- THE BATMAN
—- THE BLACK PHONE
—- BLACK PANTHER: WAKANDA FOREVER
—- BONES AND ALL
—- CRIMES OF THE FUTURE
—- EVERYTHING EVERYWHERE ALL AT ONCE
—- HALLOWEEN ENDS
—- MEN
—- THE MENU
—- THE MUNSTERS
—- NOPE
—- THE NORTHMAN
—- ORPHAN: FIRST KILL
—- PINOCCHIO (Del Toro)
—- PREY
—- SCREAM
—- SMILE
—- TERRIFIER 2
—- VIOLENT NIGHT
—- Or write in another choice:
2) BEST TV PRESENTATION
—- GUILLERMO DEL TORO’S CABINET OF CURIOSITIES, Netflix. Eight episodes of unsettling horrors. ‘The darkness has a way of catching me.’
—- CHUCKY, Bravo. Can ‘Good Chucky’ be trusted? ‘I am so not dealing with this today.’
—- FROM, Epix. A creepy forest keeps a town trapped. ‘You got kids, you nail the windows shut.’
—- INTERVIEW WITH THE VAMPIRE, AMC. A reworking of Anne Rice’s universe. ‘So, Mr. du Lac, How long have you been dead?’
—- THE MIDNIGHT CLUB, Netflix. Terminally ill teens share stories of desire and death. ‘That’s what any of us are at the end. Stories.’
—- OBI-WAN KENOBI, Disney+. Jedi legend encounters young Skywalkers. ‘When the time comes, he must be trained.’
—- RISE OF EMPIRES: OTTOMAN, Netflix. In the 15th Century, Mehmed takes on Vlad the Impaler. ‘The city was gripped by hysteria, as if the world was about to end.’
—- THE SANDMAN, HBO. Neil Gaiman’s melancholy ruler of The Dreaming. ‘What power would Hell have if those imprisoned here were not able to dream of Heaven?’
—- SEVERANCE, AppleTV+. A workplace enforces its own reality. ‘Quitting would effectively end your life. I mean, in so much as you’ve come to know it.’
—- STRANGER THINGS, Netflix. Eleven helps defeat the Upside Down, for now. ‘If you touch her again, I will kill you again.’
—- THE WALKING DEAD, AMC. Final season poses new questions and spinoffs. ‘This isn’t the future my brother wanted. Not what my my mother and dad fought for.’
—- WEDNESDAY, Netflix. Tim Burton’s take on The Addams Family. ‘Anytime I grow nauseous at the sight of a rainbow, or hear a pop song that makes my ears bleed, I’ll think of you.’
—- WEREWOLF BY NIGHT, Disney+. Marvel melds comic book hero with classic horror. ‘Tonight it is every hunter for themselves.’
—- WHAT WE DO IN THE SHADOWS, FX. The vampires say farewell to one of their own. ‘How am I gonna eat if I don’t prey on people, dummy?’
— Or write-in another choice:
3) BEST BLU-RAY OF 2022:
—- THE BAT (1959; Film Detective)
—- THE BRAIN FROM PLANET AROUS (1957; Film Detective)
—- CANDYMAN COLLECTOR’S EDITION (1992; Scream Factory)
—- CONQUEST OF SPACE (1955; Imprint)
—- DR. JEKYLL AND MR. HYDE (1931; Warners Archive)
—- THE DUNWICH HORROR (1970; Arrow)
—- THE FLESH EATERS (1964; Shout)
—- HOUSE OF TERRORS (Japan, 1965; Mondo Macabro)
—- INVADERS FROM MARS (1953; Ignite)
—- JACK AND THE BEANSTALK (1952; ClassicFlix)
—- MARK OF THE VAMPIRE (1935; Warners Archive)
—- MOON OF THE WOLF (1972; Vinegar Syndrome)
—- TOMBS OF THE BLIND DEAD (1972; Synapse)
—- TOUCH OF EVIL (1958; Kino)
—- THE UFO INCIDENT (1975; Kino)
—- Or write in another choice:
4) BEST BLU-RAY COLLECTION
—- COUNT YORGA COLLECTION (Arrow) Robert Quarry’s vampire and sequel.
—- EDGAR G. ULMER SCI-FI COLLECTION (Kino) Man from Planet X; Amazing Transparent Man; Beyond the Time Barrier.
—- EUROCRYPT OF CHRISTOPHER LEE Vol. 2 (Severin) Five films including Dracula and Son, Uncle Was a Vampire.
—- FU MANCHU DOUBLE FEATURE (Kino) Mysterious Dr. Fu Manchu (1929), Return of Dr. Fu Manchu (1930).
—- GIALLO ESSENTIALS: Black Box (Arrow): Smile Before Death; The Weapon, Hour, Motive; Killer Reserved Nine Seats.
—- GOTHIC FANTASTICO: Four Italian Tales (Arrow) Lady Morgan’s Vengeance; Blancheville Monster; Third Eye; The Witch.
—- HOUSE OF PSYCHOTIC WOMEN: Rarities Collection (Severin) Kier-La Janisse presents four explorations of female neurosis (Identikit, I Like Bats, Footprints, Other Side of the Underneath)
—- THE INCREDIBLY STRANGE FILMS OF RAY DENNIS STECKLER Collector’s Set (Severin) From Rat Phink to Mixed Up Zombies, 20 films on 10 discs.
—- MAGIC, MYTH, & MUTILATION: The Micro-Budget Cinema of Michael J. Murphy 1967-2015 (Indicator) Ten discs, 26 films of obscure British director.
—- NIGHT GALLERY: Seasons Two & Three (1969-71; Kino) 43 episodes; 57 commentaries; more.
—- TALES TO KEEP YOU AWAKE (1964-66; Severin) 31 episodes of the Spanish series.
—- THE TARZAN VAULT (Film Detective) Tarzan 1918, 1921, and New Adventures of Tarzan from 1935.
—- UNIVERSAL CLASSIC MONSTERS: Icons of Horror Collection in 4K, Vol. 2: Mummy, Bride of Frankenstein, 1943 Phantom, Creature from Black Lagoon.
— Or write in another choice:
5) BEST RESTORATION OR UPGRADE
—- THE AMUSEMENT PARK (1975; RLJ) Restoration of George A. Romero film from 16mm print and other sources.
—- BANNED (1985; Media Blasters). Director Roberta Findlay’s never released saga of punk, horror and rock and roll.
–— DR. JEKYLL AND MR. HYDE (1931; Warners Archive). 17 minutes of censored footage better integrated into film.
—- FU MANCHU DOUBLE FEATURE (Kino) 2K Mysterious Dr. Fu Manchu (1929); Return of Dr. Fu Manchu (1930).
—- ILYA MORAMETS (1956; Deaf Crocodile). First U.S. release of Russian original Sword & Dragon.
—- INVADERS FROM MARS (Ignite; 1953). Extensive restoration in 4K by Scott MacQueen, plus 2K restorations of alternate scenes.
—- JACK AND THE BEANSTALK (1952, ClassicFlix). Bob Furmanek and 3D Archive restoration of Abbott & Costello film from SuperCinecolor elements; sepia opening and closing restored.
—- NIGHT GALLERY Season 2 (1969; Kino) Four lost episodes reconstructed from Season Two.
—- VAMPYRE (1932; Eureka) 90th anniversary restoration from various European sources.
—- THE WEREWOLF VS THE VAMPIRE WOMAN (1971; Vinegar Syndrome). Three versions of Paul Naschy classic.
—-Or write in another choice:
6) BEST DVD EXTRAS
—- ALLIGATOR Collector’s Edition (1980; Shout). Theatrical and TV versions; interview with then-production assistant Bryan Cranston.
—- THE AMUSEMENT PARK (1975; RLJ) ‘Re-opening the Park’ interview with Romero’s wife, and other extras from Red Shirt Productions.
—- THE BAT (1959; Film Detective) Nine Vincent Price radio dramas; featurette on director Crane Wilbur.
—- THE BRAIN FROM PLANET AROUS (1958; Film Detective) On-location introduction with star Joyce Meadows, directed by David Schecter; full-frame version included.
—- BORIS KARLOFF: The Man Behind the Monster (Voltage)Along with documentary, two hours of additional interviews and content.
—- CONQUEST OF SPACE (1955; Imprint) ‘From the Book to the Screen,’ and ‘Byron Haskin’ featurettes by Daniel Griffith’s Ballyhoo Pictures.
—- THE DUNWICH HORROR (1970; Arrow): ‘The Door Into Dunwich,’ with Stephen R. Bissette and Stephen Laws.
—- EUROCRYPT OF CHRISTOPHER LEE Vol. 2 (Severin). 100-page book by Jonathan Rigby.
—- HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ME (Anolis) ‘Dead Teenagers: Moral Panic and Canadian Panic,’ by Kat Ellinger, Dima Balin.
—- INCREDIBLY STRANGE FILMS RAY DENNIS STECKLER (Severin) ‘Incredibly Strange Film Show with Jonathan Ross,’ documentary.
—- INVADERS FROM MARS (Ignite). New documentary with Joe Dante, John Landis, Scott MacQueen, and others; John Sayles introduction at TCM Festival.
—- JACK AND THE BEANSTALK (ClassicFlix). Deleted scenes, numerous promotional and vintage TV bits; explaining Cinecolor by Jack Theakston.
—- NIGHT GALLERY, Seasons Two & Three (Kino): ‘Syndication Conundrum’, 3-part documentary by Craig Beam.
—- TOUCH OF EVIL (1958; Kino) Includes three versions of Orson Welles film..
—- VAULT OF TARZAN (Film Detective) Three features by Ballyhoo Films, archival interview with Elmo Lincoln.
— Or write in another choice:
>>REMINDER: To vote, send your choices to taraco@aol.com by Sunday night at midnight, April 23.<<
7) FAVORITE COMMENTATOR OF 2022 (Below is a representative sample, but feel free to WRITE IN your favorite).
—- Guy Adams, Alexandra Benedict (The Dunwich Horror)
—- Stephen Bissette (Count Yorga; Ilya Moramets)
—- David DelValle (Amazing Transparent Man)
—- Kat Ellinger (Killer Reserved Nine Seats; Dracula and Son)
—- Gary Gerani (Night Gallery; UFO Incident)
—- Troy Guinn, Rod Barnett (Black Candles)
—- Steve Haberman (Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde)
—- Bruce G. Hallenbeck (Nightmare; Night Creatures)
—- Alexandra Heller-Nicholas (The Weapon, the Hour, the Motive)
—- Justin Humphreys (Conquest of Space)
—- Troy Howarth (Four Flies on Grey Velvet)
—- C Courtney Joiner (Count Yorga Collection)
—- Tim Lucas (Early Fu Manchus; Touch of Evil; Night Gallery)
—- Constantine Nasr (Dr. Jekyll & Mr Hyde; Night Gallery)
—- Kim Newman, Barry Forshaw (Conquest of Space; Silent Running)
—- Ron Palumbo (Jack and the Beanstalk)
—- Amanda Reyes (Night Gallery)
—- Kelly Robinson (The Mummy 1959)
—- Jonathan Rigby & Kevin Lyons (Uncle Was a Vampire)
—- Nathaniel Thompson & Bruce Holecheck (Living Dead at Manchester Morgue)
—- Imogen Sara Smith (Touch of Evil; Devil Strikes at Night)
—- Richard Harland Smith (Man From Planet X)
—– Tom Weaver, David Schecter, Larry Blamire, Joyce Meadows (Brain Planet Arous)
—- Taylor White (Night Gallery)
— Or write in another choice:
8) BEST INDEPENDENT/LIMITED RELEASE FILM OF 2022
Includes festivals and streaming channels,
—- THE BREACH, directed by Rodrigo Gudino. Mangled body leads to monstrous suspicions.
See trailer here
—- THE EYES BELOW, directed by Alexis Bruchon. From France, a reporter is trapped by a nighttime demon.
See trailer here
—-
FREEZE, directed by Charlie Steele. Lovecraftian tale of ice-trapped ship beset by fish creatures.
See trailer here
—- IT CAME FROM SOMEWHERE, directed by Ashley Hefner and Steve Hermann. Send-up of 1950s sci-fi paranoia. See trailer here
—- MAD GOD, directed by Phil Tippett. An animated journey through madness.
See trailer here
—- MASTER, directed by Mariama Diallo. First black headmaster of prestigious college must confront the supernatural.
See trailer here
—- PEARL, directed by Ti West. Stardom comes with a price for young woman in 1918.
See trailer here.
—- RESURRECTION, directed by Andrew Semans. A former relationship haunts a successful woman. See trailer here
—- SATURNALIA: CAVE GIRL FROM OUTER SPACE, directed by Joshua Kennedy. A cartoonist’s drawing comes to life.
See trailer here.
—- STUDIO 666, directed by BJ McDonnell. Starring Foo Fighters and late Taylor Hawkins.
See trailer here
—-TROLL, directed by Roar Uthaug. Norwegian movie expands on monsters in the mountains.
See trailer here
—- WATCHER, directed by Chloe Okunu. Woman in Budapest suspects neighbor may be serial killer. See trailer here
—- A WOUNDED FAWN, directed by Travis Stevens. Serial killer lures a new victim to a retreat.
See trailer here
—- YOU ARE NOT MY MOTHER, directed by Kate Dolan. Disappearance rocks a Dublin family.
See trailer here
—-YOU WON’T BE ALONE, directed by Goran Stolevski. Peasant girl transformed by a jealous witch.
See trailer here
— Or write in another choice:
—- AMITYVILLE CHRISTMAS VACATION, directed by Steve Rudzinski (47 mins). A ghostly holiday vacation … in Amityville?
See trailer here
—- BLINK, directed by Spenser Cohen (30 mins). Woman wakes up in a hospital.
See trailer here
—- BOOK OF DREAMS, directed by Alex Proyas. Three short sci-fi and fantasy films.
See trailer here
—- CLOSE YOUR EYES, directed by Andy Chen (4 mins). Nightmare of a sleepwalk.
See film here
—- DEATH IN A BOX, directed by Simeon Gregory. Two young girls dare to open a box.
See trailer here
—- KING CHONG, directed by Tim Smyth (10 mins). Stop-motion stops a couple in their tracks.
See film here
—- 13 MINUTES OF HORROR: Anthology of 60-seconds or less films from women filmmakers.
See trailer here.
—- ULALUME, directed by Gary Don Rhodes (7 mins.) Animated version of Poe’s poem, with Caroline Munro, Mark Redfield, Barbara Steele.
See website here
— Or write in another choice:
—- HISTORY OF HEAVY METAL AND HORROR, directed by Mike Schiff. Music and film creators trace the union of two extreme genres.
See trailer here
—- HOLLYWOOD DREAMS & NIGHTMARES: The Robert Englund Story, directed by Gary Smart & Chris Griffiths. The man behind Freddie Krueger.
See preview here
—- IN SEARCH OF DARKNESS Pts. 1-3, directed by David Weiner. Three-part look at 80s horror’s special place in video history.
See trailer here
—- LEGEND OF KING KONG, directed by Tom Grove. Three-hour documentary looks at all versions of the iconic ape. See trailer here
—- LIVING WITH CHUCKY, directed by Kyra Elise Gardner. Interviews with those involved in every franchise film.
See preview here
—- QUEER FOR FEAR, executive producer Bryan Fuller. Four-episode look at gay horror themes from Mary Shelley through the AIDS epidemic and lesbian awakenings.
See trailer here.
—- ORCHESTRATOR OF STORMS: The Fantastique World of Jean Rollin, directed by Dima Ballin and Kat Ellinger. Tracking the French director’s world of vampires and erotica.
See trailer here
—- ROMANTIC MYSTICISM: The Music of Billy Goldenburg, directed by Gary Gerani. Composer for Spielberg TV projects, THE UFO INCIDENT and more.
See trailer here
—- UP LATE WITH BOB WILKINS, directed by Tom Wyrsch. The impact of Bay Area horror host.
See film here.
— Or write in another choice:
11) BOOK OF THE YEAR (non-fiction)
Note: List prices are often discounted.
—- ANGELS AND MINISTERS OF GRACE DEFEND US! More Dark Alleys of Classic Horror Cinema, by Gregory William Mank (McFarland, softcover, 458 pages, $49.95). Insights on films including Murders in the Rue Morgue, Mad Love, and tragic career of Acquanetta.
—- CHOPPED MEAT: British Horror of the 1970s, edited by Eric McNaughton and Darrell Buxton (We Belong Dead, softcover, 330 pages, £35). More than 180 films analyzed and reviewed.
—- CHRISTOPHER LEE: The Loneliness of Evil, by Stephen Mosley (Midnight Marquee, softcover, 278 pages, $30). Overview of horror star’s career and influence. Includes new interviews with co-workers.
—- CLAUDE RAINS: An Invisible Man, by Toby I. Cohen (BearManor Media, softcover, 366 pages, $38). In search of the man behind the character actor, including interviews with those who knew him.
—- CLAUDE RAINS: Magic, Madness & Mayhem, by John T. Soister, Jessica Rains, JoAnna Jones, Donna Tattle (BearManor Media, softcover, 492 pages, $35). The actor’s films, family memories and encounters.
—- CRAZY OLD LADIES: The Story of Hag Horror, by Caroline Young (BearManor Media, softcover, 390 pages, $30). From Sunset Boulevard and Baby Jane to career-stretching thrillers for acting legends.
—- DR. WHO & THE DALEKS: The Official Story of the Films, by John Walsh (Titan, hardcover, 160 pages $50). Exploring the two Peter Cushing takes on the Doctor.
—- FANTASTIC SERIAL SITES OF CALIFORNIA: Science Fiction, Horror and Fantasy Locations, 1919-1955, by Gail and Raymond Orwig (McFarland, softcover, 309 pages, $49.95). Where the cliffhangers were filmed.
—- THE FRANKENSTEIN LEGEND: A Tribute to Mary Shelley and Boris Karloff, by Donald F. Glut (Strange Particle Press, softcover, 428 pages, $15.99).Updated from 1973 with 70 new pages.
—- GIANT BUG CINEMA: A Monster Kid’s Guide, edited by Mark Bailey (BearManor Media, softcover, 128 pages, $22). A hive of contributors survey giant spiders, flies, and all manners of insect fear of the 1950s.
—- GODZILLA: The Ultimate Illustrated Guide, by Skipper Graham (Welbeck, hardcover, 256 pages, $34.95). Toho authorized collection covering 60 years of Godzilla.
—- HALLOWEEN 3: Where the Hell Is Michael Myers? by Tommy Lee Wallace (BearManor Media, softcover, 282 pages, $52). A history of horror’s ‘most misunderstood film.’
—- THE HOUSE THAT HAMMER BUILT: The Complete Carreras Years, Vol. 1 (1934-1949), by Wayne Kinsey. (Peveril, 352 pages, £87). First of five volumes tracing the history of Hammer.
—- INVASION ’51: The Birth of Alien Cinema, by Sean Kotz (BearManor Media, softcover, 240 pages, $25). The three films — The Thing, Day the Earth Stood Still, and Man from Planet X — that inspired a genre.
—- ITALIAN GIALLO IN FILM AND TELEVISION, by Roberto Curti (McFarland, softcover. 509 pages, $75). From the 1920s to 1999, Bava, Argento, and the genre’s influences.
—– I WAS A TEENAGE MONSTER HUNTER: How I Met Vincent Price, Christopher Lee, Peter Cushing & More, by Sam Irvin (Independent, softcover, 352 pages, $45). Director’s memories, 1970s fanzine, and encounters with icons.
—- JACK PIERCE: Hollywood’s Makeup Master, by Christopher Lock (Independent, softcover, 336 pages, $21.95). A look at his work, his life and his personal struggles.
—- KARL FREUND: The Life and Films, by Gavin Schmitt (McFarland, softcover, 232 pages, $39.95). Metropolis, Dracula, The Mummy, I Love Lucy. The cinematographer who did it all.
—- LONDON AFTER MIDNIGHT: The Lost Film, by Daniel Titley (Keyreads, hardcover, 452 pages,) Tracking the history of Lon Chaney’s missing ‘vampire’ film, includes never-before-seen frame blowups.
—- MAKE THEM DIE SLOWLY: The Kinetic Cinema of Umberto Lenzi, by Troy Howarth (Independent, softcover, 487 pages, $34.95). Italian director’s controversial and uncompromising works.
—- MASTERS OF MAKE-UP EFFECTS: A Century of Practical Magic, by Howard Berger and Marshall Julius (Welbeck, hardcover, 320 pages, $39.95). Explores over 175 productions, 60 interviews, more than 500 images.
—- THE PALGRAVE ENCYCLOPEDIA OF AMERICAN HORROR FILM SHORTS 1915-2076, by Gary Don Rhodes and David J. Hogan (Palgrave MacMillan, hardcover, 723 pages, $199.99). Chronicling 1,500 short subjects of horror.
—- QUEER SCREAMS: A History of LGBTQ+ Survival Through the Lens of American Horror Cinema, by Abigail Waldron (McFarland, softcover, 237 pages, $39.95). How gay sensibilities battled an image as ‘the other.’
—- REIGN OF CHUCKY: The True Hollywood Story of a Not So Good Guy, by Dustin McNeill and Travis Mullins (Harker, softcover, 470 pages, $24.96). Behind the scenes of all seven films in the franchise.
—- ROD SERLING’S NIGHT GALLERY: An After Hours Tour (Expanded 2nd edition), by Scott Skelton and Jim Benson (Syracuse, hardcover, 824 pages, $250). 400 new pages, new interviews, intro by Guillermo Del Toro.
—- RUNNING HOME TO SHADOWS: Memories of TV’s First Supernatural Soap, edited by Jim Beard (Independent, softcover, 150 pages, $8.99). Essays on the impact Dark Shadows had on kids in the 60s.
—- SUSPENDING MY DISBELIEF: Televised Terrors 1950-1959, by Peter H. Brothers (Independent, softcover, 476 pages, $24.95). The impact and anxiety of 60 sci-fi and horror films of the 1950s.
—- THIS TIME IT’S PERSONAL: A Monster Kid’s History of Horror Memories, by B. Harrison Smith (BearManor Media, softcover, 414 pages, $30). Tales of growing up with the monsters on TV and at the movies.
—- TOD BROWNING’S THE REVOLT OF THE DEAD (Tom Weaver’s Scripts from the Crypt #12), compiled and co-written by Gary Don Rhodes (BearManor Media, softcover, 266 pages, $34). Unfilmed 1932 script sparks new appraisal of Browning.
—- WHERE DOES IMAGINATION END AND REALITY BEGIN? Re-Examining the Horror Classic, by Matthew E. Banks (BearManor Media, softcover, 252 pages, $25). The makings of 1930s and 40s classics.
—- WITCHES, BITCHES AND BANSHEES: The British Films of American International Pictures, by John Hamilton (Little Shoppe of Horrors, hardcover, 345 pages, $55). Dozens of films in the 1960s/70s made with English filmmakers.
— Or write in another choice:
12) BEST CLASSIC HORROR FICTION (Fiction that uses classic horror as jumping off points)
—- ANNO DRACULA: 30th Anniversary Edition, by Kim Newman (Titan, hardcover, 528 pages, $24.95) The gothic legend reimagined, spawning several sequels. This edition includes a new 14,500-word novella.
—- BLOOD ON SATAN’S CLAW, or The Devil’s Skin, by Robert Wynne-Simmons (Unbound, hardcover, 224 pages, $24.95). Novelization of 1971 film that helped launch rebirth in folk horror.
—- CLASSIC MONSTERS UNLEASHED, edited by James Aquilone (Black Spot, hardcover, 443 pages, $31.99). From Dracula to Jekyll, 29 new takes on monsters by authors including Ramsey Campbell and Dacre Stoker.
—- DRACULA BEYOND STOKER (DBS, softcover, 148 pages, $14.99). Fiction journal continues the adventures of Mina, Renfield and others.
—- DRACULAS (Gauntlet Press, hardcover, $60). Expanded version of anti-sparkle vampire novel by Paul F. Wilson, Blake Crouch, Joe Konrath and Jeff Strand. Includes extras and new stories.
—- FRANKENSTEIN’S WITCH: St. Lizzie, Pray For Us, by Gregory William Mank (BearManor Media, hardcover, 400 pages, $38.30). Sleuth Porter Down tracks witch who began haunting Hollywood in 1931.
—- HAVOC SWIMS JADED, by David J. Schow (Cimarron Street, softcover, 332 pages, $15.95). Thirteen short stories and more includes ‘lagoony’ creatures and horrors in the twilight.
—- HOUSE OF YGOR, by Brad A. Braddock (Independent, hardcover, 232 pages, $20). The crook-necked graverobber’s untold story started before Son of Frankenstein.
—- IT’S ALIVE, by Julian David Stone (Greenleaf, hardcover, 232 pages, $22.95). A fictionalized take on young Carl Laemmle Jr.’s struggle to make Frankenstein in 1931.
—- THE MAN WITH KALEIDOSCOPE EYES, by Tim Lucas (PS Publishing, hardcover, 160 pages, $28). A fanciful yet fact-based novelization of Roger Corman’s making of the psychedelic classic, THE TRIP.
—- SCREAMS FROM THE DARK, edited by Ellen Datlow (Tor, softcover, 496 pages, $29.99), Twenty-nine horror writers tell tales of all manners of monsters.
—- THE VAMPIRE; or, Detective Brand’s Greatest Case, edited by Gary Don Rhodes and John Edgar Browning (Strangers from Nowhere, softcover, 268 pages, $12.95). Discovery of ‘America’s first vampire novel’ from 1885.
— Or write in another choice:
>>REMINDER: To vote, send your choices to taraco@aol.com by Sunday night at midnight, April 23.<<
13) BEST MAGAZINE OF 2022
— Bare*Bones
— Castle of Frankenstein
— Cinema Retro (UK)
— Classic Monsters of the Movies (UK)
— The Dark Side (UK)
— Delirium
— Filmfax
— Freaky Monsters
— G-Fan
— HorrorHound
— Infinity (UK)
— Little Shoppe of Horrors
— Midnight Marquee
— Monster Bash
— Retro Fan
— Scary Monsters
— Scream (UK)
— Screem
— Shock Cinema
— Videoscope
— We Belong Dead (UK)
— Or write in another choice:
14) BEST ARTICLE (Please select two; one will win)
—- ‘A-Haunting They Will Go: Laurel & Hardy, Golden Age Horror Stars?’ by Darrell Buxton, WE BELONG DEAD #31. Yes, the boys did encounter ghosts and other scary messes.
—- ‘The Black Scorpion: He’ll Get You Scared Stiff,’ by Gregory Kulon, INFINITY #48. The troubled making of Willis O’Brien’s monster fest.
—- ‘The Black Room: Boris Karloff as Victim and Villain,’ by Nathalie Yafet, MIDNIGHT MARQUEE #81. Karloff’s memorable dual roles.
—- ‘The Chaneys: Horror’s Incomparable Dynasty,’ by Alex Hopkins, CLASSIC MONSTERS OF THE MOVIES ANNUAL 2022. Similarities and differences of the roles played by father and son.
—- ‘Check Tag for Washing Instructions — Gremlins,’ by Kevin Hoxsey, WE BELONG DEAD #33. Exploring the Joe Dante films.
—- ‘Down Among the ‘B’ People,’ by John Hamilton, LITTLE SHOPPE OF HORRORS #48. A look at Robert S. Baker and Monte Berman’s Tempean Films.
—- ‘Down for the Count, Yorga That Is,’ by Stephen R. Bissette, SCREEM #41.How Robert Quarry was greeted by fans and critics in the 1970s.
—- ‘Dreams or Nightmares,’ by Kat Ellinger, SCREAM #70. Unraveling the mystery of Let’s Scare Jessica to Death.
—- ’45 Years of Star Wars’ Extended Universe,‘ by Jay Shepard, BARE*BONES #10. How the books work with films.
—- ‘Godzilla: A French Cultural Exception,’ by Jean-Baptiste Pujolle and Jordan Guichaux, G-FAN #138. How the French mixed the Japanese and American versions with a dash of French.
—- ‘Hammer’s Ripping Yarns,’ by the late Denis Meikle, THE DARK SIDE #23. The studio’s many sides of Jack.
—- ‘Hex of the Century,’ by Dejan Ognjanovic, RUE MORGUE #205. The lasting impact of HAXAN at 100.
—- ‘The Horror of Who,’ by Andrew Graves, SCREAM #74. The monsters of Doctor Who, old and new,
—- ‘House of Seven Gables,’ by Rod Labbe, SCARY MONSTERS #128. A visit to the real Salem’s grim past.
—- ‘Jack Kerouac Does Faro-La, Faro-Li’, by George Humenik, CASTLE OF FRANKENSTEIN #36. A beat take on the wine song.
—- ‘The Labs of Lugosi,’ by Mark C. Glassy, Ph.D, SCARY MONSTERS #129. Assaying Bela’s experiments..
—- ‘London Town: Big City Screams that Prowl the English Capital,’ by Jamie Jones, CLASSIC MONSTERS OF THE MOVIES #27. From the Tower of London to the Ripper’s backstreets and Hyde’s dark pubs.
—- ‘Look Back in Ecstasy,’ by Jeremy R. Richey, DELIRIUM #31. The backdrop of Sylvia Kristel’s Emmanuelle.
—- ‘The Monster in Dressing Room No. 5,’ by John Navroth, SCARY MONSTERS #127. A recreation of Jack Pierce’s early days at Universal.
—- ‘Mushroom Clouds on the Cover,’ by Michael Bonesteel, FILMFAX #161-162. How atomic bomb paranoia was fueled by comic books.
—- ‘NECA: 20 Years of Reel Toys,’ by Nathan Hannemann, HORRORHOUND #94. The company’s movie figures.
—- ‘Nosferatu: 100 Years of Terror,‘ by Dacre Stoker, SCREEM #40. The legal battles that surrounded the unauthorized silent ‘Dracula.’
—- ‘Pal’s Puppet Ancestors,’ by Mike Hankin, INFINITY #49. Behind the scenes with George Pal’s special effects.
—- ‘Remembering Veronica,’ by Allan Bryce, THE DARK SIDE #229. Tribute to the late actress Veronica Carlson.
—- ‘Revisiting A Nightmare on Elm Street,’ by Dave J. Wilson, SCREAM #67-71, The horrors of the subconscious and its sequels.
—- ‘Robert Bloch: More Than Just the Author of Psycho,’ by Jim Nemeth, MIDNIGHT MARQUEE #81. Tracking the horror writer’s bodies of work on screen and television.
—- ‘Remembering Akira Takarada,’ G-FAN #136. Twenty pages of photos, memories, three vintage interviews combined, and more on the late original Godzilla star.
—- ‘Send in the Clown,’ by Andrea Subissati, RUE MORGUE #208. Behind the scenes of Terrifier 2.
—- ‘These Are the Damned, and Children of Night’ by Tim Lucas, BARE*BONES #11. Film and novel compared
—- ‘Those Lucky Gorillas and Their Jungle Girls,’ by Deborah Painter, SCARY MONSTERS #126. Fearless women who never cried ape.
— Or write in another choice:
(You can vote for two in the above category)
—- David Arquette about Scream by Jessica Dwyer, HORRORHOUND #92
—- Adrienne Barbeau, by Andrew J. Rausch, SHOCK CINEMA #62
—- Martine Beswicke by Daniel Burnett, THE DARK SIDE #232.
—- Guillermo Del Toro about Blade II, by Chris Alexander. DELIRIUM #32
—- John Carpenter (about Vampires), by Bryan Clark, SCREAM #74.
—- Raphael Engel (Zandor Vorkov in Dracula vs Frankenstein), by Terry and Tiffany Dufoe, VIDEOSCOPE #119.
—- Alice Krige by Carly Maga, RUE MORGUE #207.
—- Kier-La Janisse (director, author), by John Martin, THE DARK SIDE #236.
—- Chris Matheson, novelist’s son by John Scoleri, BARE*BONES #10
—- Caroline Munro, by Anthony Taylor, RETROFAN #19
—- Sandra Niemi (Vampira’s daughter), by Don Smeraldi, SCARY MONSTERS #128.
—- Jordan Peele (about Nope), by Phil Nobile Jr, FANGORIA #16
—- Elizabeth Shepard about Tomb of Ligeia, by Ernie Magnotta, THE DARK SIDE #234
—- Laura Truffaut (director’s daughter), by Mark Clark, SCREEM #41.
—- Steve Vertlieb, by Mark Mawston, WE BELONG DEAD #31
—- David Wickes (Jack the Ripper, Jekyll/Hyde), by Matthew Edwards, LITTLE SHOPPE OF HORRORS #48.
—- Or write in another choice:
16) Best Magazine Column of 2022
—- Asylum for the Psychotronic, by Ansel Faraj in WE BELONG DEAD
—- Emma Dark’s Dark Corner, WE BELONG DEAD
—- Deep Focus, by John-Paul Checkett, SCREEM
—- Devil’s in the Details, by Stacie Ponder, RUE MORGUE
—- Exordium, by Michael Gingold, FANGORIA
—- Files from the Black Museum, by Paul Corupe, RUE MORGUE
—- It Came from Bowen’s Basement, John Bowen, RUE MORGUE
—- Kaiju Korner, by Mike Bogue, SCARY MONSTERS
—- Mutterings at Midnight, by Gary Svehla, MIDNIGHT MARQUEE
—- Kim Newman’s Dungeon, THE DARK SIDE
—- Overlooked in Hollywood by Laura Wagner, FILMS OF THE GOLDEN AGE
—- Ralph’s One & Only Traveling Reviews, by Richard Klemensen, LITTLE SHOPPE OF HORRORS
—- R&D, by David J. Schow, BARE*BONES
—- The Rochon Report, by Debbie Rochon, VIDEOSCOPE.
—- Rondo Remembers, by Ron Adams, MONSTER BASH
—- Scene Queen, by Barbara Crampton, FANGORIA
—- Strange Days by Jason Strangis, SCARY MONSTERS
—- They Came from the Krypt, by Jon Kitley. HORRORHOUND
—- Or write in another choice:
Castle of Frankenstein #36, by Scott Jackson
Fangoria #14
by Jason
Kauzlarich |
Filmfax #162
by Allen Anderson,
Planet Stories (1951) |
Freaky Monsters #35
by Arliss |
G-Fan #136
by Bob Eggleton |
HorrorHound #93
by Frederick Cooper |
Little Shoppe of Horrors #48
by Mark Maddox |
Midnight Marquee #81
by Susan Svelha |
Monster Bash #46
by Robert Kokai |
Rue Morgue #206
by Matthew Therrien
|
Scream #76
by Imram
Kelly
|
Screem #40
by Mark Maddox
|
Shock Cinema #62
Adrienne Barbeau, Cliff De Young, Wendy Schaal |
Scary Monsters #128, by Scott Jackson
|
Shudder #7
by Sanjulian
|
Videoscope #119
Rod Serling from
Night Gallery (Kino) |
We Belong Dead #30
by Brux |
Or write in another
choice… |
—-
Diabolique Online magazine includes The Bloody Chamber.
—-
Final Girl Stacie Ponder’s cinema survival guide.
—- Gorey Bits Reviews, ‘kindertrauma’ and ‘best parts’ clips.
—-
Morbid Planet YouTube channel features dark tourism and ‘Dracula Project’.
—-
OSI74 Homebase for horror hosts old and new.
—-
Scared Silly Paul Castiglia’s tribute to classic horror comedies.
— Or write in another choice:
—-
Aughtsterion Delving deep on films ‘around the turn of the millennium.’
—-
Bone & Sickle Multi-media celebration of intersection of horror and folklore.
—-
Monster Party Always something different when it comes to horror talk.
—-
Naschycast Troy Guinn, Rod Barnett discuss the films of Paul Naschy.
—-
Octoberpod AM For discerning listeners, tales of suspense and horror.
—- Pod Mortem Discussions, dissections and riffs on horrors old and new.
— Or write in another choice:
>>REMINDER: To vote, send your choices to taraco@aol.com by Sunday night at midnight, April 23.<<
—- BEWARE OF DARIO ARGENTO: 20-film festival at NYC’s Lincoln Center, co-sponsored by Italy’s Cinecitta. Argento, 82, interviewed by Maitland McDonagh.
—- BLOBFEST RETURNS TO STREET: First runout at Blob theatre since 2019; Blob art director Bill Jersey appears.
—- BUSY MONSTER MAN: David J. Skal speaks on Frankenstein, Wolf Man, Mummy, Browning at various locales, including a Napa vineyard.
—- CHILDREN OF THE NIGHT INTERNATIONAL DRACULA CONGRESS. Numerous panels hosted by universities in Romania and elsewhere. Speakers included Dacre Stoker.
—- INVADING BOTH COASTS: Invaders from Mars restoration at Turner Classic Film Festival and MoMA.
—- LISA LORING AT CHILLER: Late actress (‘Wednesday’ on Addams Family), made one of last appearances.
—- LIVE AT THE BASH: Greg Mank (Mask Fu Manchu/Rasputin), Frank Dello Stritto (tracing the Mummys), at Monster Bash.
—- MISKATONIC INSTITUTE OF HORROR STUDIES: Online studies of horror, its influences and more.
—- MONSTERS VS MADNESS: Online auction of artists’ creatures for Planned Parenthood.
—- MONSTRUM: Montreal-based collective of scholars offered online courses, film showings and lectures.
—- ORIGINAL MONSTER KIDS: Metallica’s Kirk Hammett hosts panel with Sara Karloff, Lynne Lugosi Sparks, and Ron Chaney at Midsummer Scream in Long Beach, Ca.
—- REMEMBERING GODZILLA LEGEND: Author Martin Arlt, others pay tribute at G-Fest to late Akira Takarada.
—- SCARES THAT CARE: Convention has raised $300,000 over the years for childhood diseases, breast cancer.
—- SCRIPTS GONE WILD PRESENTS CREEPSHOW: Charity reading of film’s script by Barbara Crampton, Kirk Thatcher, Rico Anderson, Frank Dietz and many others.
—- TRUTH BEHIND HORROR HOSTING: Talk by Count Gore De Vol at Preserve Halloween Fest in Irving, Texas.
—- UNNAMED FOOTAGE FESTIVAL: Found footage unspooled in San Francisco.
— Or write in another choice:
21) FAVORITE HORROR HOSTS OF 2022
—- Al Omega (Creature Features)
—- Arachna of the Spider People (Beware Theatre)
—- Big Chuck and Lil John (Cleveland)
—- Bobby Gammonster (MonsterMovieNight)
—- Bone Jangler and Nocturna (The Monster Show)
—- Captain Calico Drake (Dead & Buried Treasures)
—- Count Gore DeVol (Creature Feature)
—- Doctor Sarcofiguy (John Dimes)
—- Don O’Malley (Morning Breakfast Serials)
—- Drac and Countess Carita (Transylvania Tonight)
—- Dr. Dread (John Murray)
—- Dr. Fearless (David Dastmalchian)
—- Dr. Gangrene (Cinetarium)
—- Elvira (Shudder)
—- Eulogy Mortem (Tingler Television)
—- Gruesome Graves (Haunted Hotel)
—- Hack (Hack’s Horror Show)
—- Halloween Jack (The Monster Channel)
—- Hexen Arcane (The Parker Sisters)
—- Igorro (The Igorro Show)
—- Ivonna Cadaver (Macabre Theatre)
—- Joe Bob Briggs and Darcy the Mail Girl (Last Drive-In on Shudder)
—- Karlos Borloff (Monster Madhouse)
—- Lamia, Queen of the Dark (Horror Hotel)
—- Lenora (Midnight Rental)
—- Lord Blood-Rah (Nerve Wrackin’ Theatre)
—- Marlena Midnight (Midnight Mausoleum)
—- Mistress Malicious (Mistress Peace Theatre)
—- Mr. Lobo (Cinema Insomnia)
—- Penny Dreadful (Shilling Shockers)
—- The Mummy and the Monkey (Hairy Scary Hangout)
—- Ritch & Triv (The Midnight Movie)
—- Sally the Zombie Cheerleader (Tingler Television)
—- Slash (Graveyard Tales)
—- Son of Ghoul (Ohio)
—- Stan the Mechanic (Brooklyn)
—- Svengoolie (Me-TV)
—- Vincent Van Dahl, Tangella, and Mr. Livingston (Creature Features)
—- Zelda, Bird & Theo (Off-Beat Cinema)
— Or write in another choice:
22) Best Graphic Presentations of 2022
—- ASK FOR MERCY, by Richard Starkings, Abigail Harding (Comixology). Time is a circle, Mercy as a guide.
—- BERNIE WRIGHTSON ARTBOOK: A Tribute (Monster Forge/Printed in Blood): Artists and writers pay tribute to late illustrator.
—- BLACK’S MYTH, by Eric Palicki and Wendell Cavalcanti (Ahoy). He’s a P.I., and a werewolf.
—- COUNT CROWLEY: Amateur Midnight Monster Hunter #1-4, by David Dastmalchian, Lukas Ketner (Dark Horse). The Count returns, but a Mad Monster is the greater peril.
—- HALF TONE HORRORS: The History of Horror Movie Comic Books, by Nathan Hannemann (HorrorHound Publishing, hardcover, 240 pages, $34.99) Hundreds of covers and illustrations from movie adaptations.
—- HALLOWEEN GIRL: Book One, by Richard T. Wilson (Mad Shelley Comics). The adventures of a teen ghost girl in the In-Between.
—- HOME TO STAY: The Complete Ray Bradbury EC Stories (Fantagraphics). Artists include Wood, Krigstein, Frazetta; plus unauthorized tales.
—- THE ICE CREAM MAN, Vol. 8: Subjects & Objects, by W. Maxwell Prince, Martin Morazzo (Image) Creepy tales come with the neighborhood treats.
—- JOHN CARPENTER’S TALES FOR A HALLOWEEN NIGHT, VOL. 8, edited by Sandy King. (Storm King, softcover). Variety of creators offer chilling stories.
—- KOLCHAK: THE NIGHT STALKER 50th Anniversary Graphic Novel, edited by James Aquilone (Monstrous Books). 12 new stories by various creators.
—- NIGHT OF THE GHOUL, by Scott Snyder, Francesco Francavilla (Dark Horse). Trouble follows finding a lost horror film from 1936.
—- PETE VON SHOLLY’S VAULT OF HUMOR, by Pete Von Sholly (Independent). Detailed parodies of vintage monster and comic book magazines.
—- RISE OF DRACULA, by Rich Davis, Puis Calzada (Source Point). Sequel to Cult of Dracula, the Count is a cure for worldwide plague.
—- SHUDDER (Warrant). The magazine carries on the tradition of EC and Warren horror, including some Warren writers/artists.
—- A TOWN CALLED TERROR (Image), by Steve Niles and Szymon Kudranski. Six-issue tale of a kidnapping into another realm.
— Or write in another choice:
WRITE-IN CATEGORIES
23) WRITER OF THE YEAR (Whose work stood out in 2022?)
24) BEST ARTIST OF 2022
25) BEST FAN ARTIST OF 2022 (The Linda Miller Award)
SPECIAL CATEGORIES: Your votes will help Rondo organizers determine who receives these special awards:
26) MONSTER KID OF THE YEAR
This is Rondo’s highest honor: Who did the most in 2022 to advance the cause of classic horror scholarship, film preservation or genre creativity?
27) SPECIAL RECOGNITION
Who deserves recognition for achievements that may have been overlooked or don’t fit into other categories?
28) THE MONSTER KID HALL OF FAME
Name as many as six fans, pros, writers, artists, researchers, horror hosts or others who over the years have made a permanent mark on the world of classic horror appreciation.[/url]
