The Rondo Hatton Classic Horror Awards

Runner-up: CLASSIC MONSTERS OF THE MOVIES #29

by Daniel Horne

Honorable mentions: HORRORHOUND #96 by Jason Edmiston;

THE DARK SIDE #249 by Rick Melton; RUE MORGUE #214,

by David Seidman; G-FAN #140 by Chris Scalf;

FANGORIA #18 by Gary Pullin; SCREEM #42 by Mark Maddox

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Runner-up: Collinsport Historical Society; Trailers From Hell

Honorable mentions: Dread Central; Dinosaur Dracula;
Monster Kid Central; Robert Bloch Official Website

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GRIMM LIFE COLLECTIVE
(Regular visits to film locations and more)

Runners-up: Terror at Collinwood;

Movie Dumpster

Honorable mentions: Are You Scared of These Stories;

Harryhausen Podcast; Frankenstein Minute;

Colors of the Dark

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Runners-up: Elvira; Joe Bob Briggs

Honorable mentions: Mummy & the Monkey; Mr. Lobo;

Vincent Van Dahl, Tangella & Mr. Livingston; Lamia

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Runners-up: A Deeper Look 3-D Robot Monster in NYC;

Tod Browning Festival, NYC; King Kong at 90 exhibit,

Eastern Michigan University;

Honorable mentions:  Bettie Page Day, Nashville;

Mick Garris Final Post Mortem Podcast

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Runner-up: THE VXX BOOK OF MASKS

Honorable mentions: NIGHTMARE ON ONE-SHEET;

COUNT CROWLEY: Vol. 2; MONSTERS TRADING CARDS;

SHUDDER; AMAZING MOVIE POSTERS OF THAILAND

   Sam Irvin has become one  of the horror film community’s most vocal boosters, along with consistently producing new work in film, online, and in print. For a second year in a row, Sam has been voted the Best Writer of the Year based on his expanded hardcover book, THE EPIC SAGA BEHIND FRANKENSTEIN THE TRUE STORY. Sam’s history of the 1974 NBC TV movie originally appeared in the magazine, LITTLE SHOPPE OF HORRORS. but was greatly expanded and revised for the book with new art, photos and interviews.

    Rondo voters voiced continued support for the multi-Rondo winner for his writing and embrace of storytelling through directing films, scholarship, appearances on panels and digital footprint.

   Runners-up: Rod Labbe, Tim Lucas, Gregory Mank,  Alexandra Heller-Nicholas, George Humenik, Kat Ellinger, Frank Dello Stritto, Gary D. Rhodes, Tom Weaver, and Grady Hendrix.

 

   Mark Maddox’ mastery of composition, color, and what makes horror, science fiction and fantasy compelling, has landed him yet another spot at the top of the Best Artist category.

   Mark’s distinctive work now includes magazines, posters, Blu-Rays and books in addition to black-and-white portraits. He has a scary grasp of movie history, and is a popular personality at various conventions and festivals.

 Runners-up included Daniel Horne, Scott Jackson, Rick Melton, Mark Spears, Bob Eggleton, Frederick Cooper, LJ Dopp.

 

     Artist Lee Hartnup. who often goes by ‘Goatboy,’ has spent years painting detailed renditions of everyone’s favorite shockers, from comic book villains to King Kong, Dracula, and an imaginary poster for The Old Dark House. A former fork-lift driver, he lives on the south coast of England. “My favourite thing about doing a good Dracula or Frankenstein pic, or any other monster,” he told interviewer Joel Eisenberg on Medium, “is adding highlights to the eyes! Gotta love a good glint.”

   Hartnup fondly recalls getting an email from makeup genius Greg Nicotero, and says he is still trying to figure out licensing and looks forward to expanding his artistic footprint.

  Runners-up included Josh Ryals, John Murray, Adele Noufaux, John Febonio, Audrey Rose, and Eric Puckett.

    Once again the power of young digital social media has impacted the Rondos. For a second year, Bobby Zier, the proprietor of YouTube’s “Lugosi Theater,” where he talks knowledgeably about classic horror movies, attracted a torrent of votes. The result was proof that the films of Bela and Boris and the rest of the 1930s and 40s can be embraced by young people, if presented on their terms.

    Zier does that, using the leverage of YouTube, Instagram and TikTok to bang the drum for classic horror films. And he says, “I know my autism makes me a better Dracula.”

   His TikTok page alone has more than 90,000 followers and 3.2 million “likes,” and many fans respond to his openness about autism, and his ability to explain the legacy of films almost 100 years old. “I’ve learned so much from Robert,” said one voter. A fearless man doing great work.

    A memorial service will be held at USC on May 17. We hope to have his Special Recognition Rondo to his family. 

 

    The offspring of fantasy film stars often devote their time to keeping the legacy of their relatives alive, but few have been as energetic and involved as Vanessa Harryhausen, daughter of the stop-motion king. Vanessa is a trustee of the Ray and Diana Harryhausen Foundation, which travels the world exhibiting Harryhausen’s models, paintings, and storyboards.

Vanessa’s book, RAY HARRYHAUSEN: TITAN OF CINEMA, includes personal histories centered on her 100 favorite Harryhausen artifacts. A lecturer and active archivist, Vanessa embodies the attention to detail and emotion that characterized  her father’s work.

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   For decades, animator Dave Allen’s film THE PRIMEVALS has been a holy grail for fans of stop-motion effects. Allen, who died in 1999, had worked on films like THE HOWLING and YOUNG SHERLOCK HOLMES and commercials with the Pillsbury Doughboy. But he had not finished his adventure film about Yeti in the Himalayas, which he had pitched as early as the 1960s..

The project fell to friends and other effects people, but it was not until recently that THE PRIMEVALS, with the help of Allen protege Chris Endicott and producer Charles Band, finally emerged from its long hibernation, playing at festivals in 2023. We honor both Allen and Endicott for not letting a fantasy film be forgotten before its time.

TO HONOR DAVID J. SKAL, A NEW AWARD

 

As most fans know, the death this year of horror historian David J. Skal in a car accident on New Year’s Day sent shock waves through the film and literary community.  This year’s Rondo Awards were dedicated to David J. Skal, and he was also a member of the Monster Kid Hall of Fame.

So we have decided to inaugurate a new Rondo Award, the DAVID J. SKAL HORROR RESEARCH AWARD, intended to honor those who perform exceptional scholarship. The first winner of the David J. Skal Horror Research Award is …

   Jim Coughlin’s 14-page exploration of little known film extra Ted Billings in MIDNIGHT MARQUEE #82 exemplifies the benefits of deep research and endless effort. Billings is best known for playing Ludwig, Dwight Frye’s helper in the lab in BRIDE OF FRANKENSTEIN, one of his only on-screen credits.

But he appeared in hundreds of films, usually in the background, in crowds, in westerns,  at the table at the inn in THE INVISIBLE MAN, and many more. Accompanied by 22 photos and plot summaries of obscure or lost films,. Coughlin chronicles Billings’ movie career. He has been written about before, but rarely in this kind of detail. Coughlin will receive the inaugural David J. Skal Horror Research Award.

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    A fan of many genres, a writer, biographer, screenwriter, modeler, a trusted host and a convention impresario. Anthony Taylor has been a steadying force in the monster community for decades. His conventions, Monsterama and Spy Con in Atlanta, celebrate the smartest aspects of fandom, from the men and women behind the scenes of fantasy films to the cars and gadgets of James Bond and his many imitators.

   His writings include an official Thunderbirds novel, based on the Gerry Anderson series, and books and articles about the secrets behind Anderson shows such as UFO and Captain Scarlet.  When the pandemic hit, Anthony was among the first to pivot from in-person conventions to online presentations of panels and celebrities. Anthony Taylor joins the Monster Kid Hall of Fame with these and numerous other achievements and accolades.

     One of publishing’s most durable and creative duos, Don and Vicki, like many of the mad scientists they cover, have revived and reanimated magazines such as SCARY MONSTERS and CASTLE OF FRANKENSTEIN, going far beyond reprints. Both are now vital parts of the Monster Kid newsstand, appearing regularly and with all-new content. SCARY MONSTERS has been awarded Best Classic Magazine Rondos six times, in addition to numerous other categories.

   The Smeraldis are super attentive to fans, soliciting articles and remembrances from readers whose copy sometimes needs editing and fact-checking. Despite this, the magazines read professionally, with dynamic layouts, and wrap-around covers by popular artist Scott Jackson. Building on the legacies of publisher/editors who came before (Scary’s Dennis Druktanis and  Castle’s Calvin T. Beck), the Smeraldi couple have been one of the main forces keeping monster fandom alive and growing.

   One of horror’s original “scream queens,” Barbara Crampton has moved far beyond, forging a career as a first-class actress, producer and fan favorite. In everything from early soap operas to films such as BODY DOUBLE, RE-ANIMATOR, JAKOB’S WIFE (which she also produced), and the cult favorite FROM BEYOND, Crampton captured the audience’s sympathies with her intelligence even as she screamed and squirmed her way out of peril.

   In recent years, she has won multiple Rondos for “Screen Queen,” her column in FANGORIA, and is especially appreciated for her easy interactions with fans and the industry.

Walt Lee

    It is difficult to overestimate the influence of the earliest “horror historians” on what was to become today’s thriving world of scholarship and appreciation of fantastic films. Two of the best, who we are pairing here, were the late Walt Lee, and the still-active Donald C. Willis.

Walt Lee (1931-2014), produced three volumes in the 1970s called REFERENCE GUIDE TO FANTASTIC FILMS from silents to 1974. Pored over by fans page by page, many of them dog-eared, the alphabetical listings provided one of the earliest guides to the best and worst of imaginative cinema. Many “arguments” began in its pages.

Don C. Willis
Donald C. Willis’ work dates back to the 1970s as well. His books HORROR AND SCIENCE FICTION FILMS and CLASSIC HORROR FILMS OF THE 1930s and later volumes produced deeper explorations of fantastic cinema, continuing into the 1980s and beyond. He was not alone as the film genre exploded with guidebooks to classic horror, science fiction and more. He can still be found on the Classic Horror Film Board.

   The works of both men remain relevant as we induct both into the Monster Kid Hall of Fame.

DAVID J. SCHOW

Novelist, screenwriter, bon vivant in leather and and disruptive columnist David J. Schow has been chronicling the worlds of the fantastic since his work on THE CROW film and his mash-ups of noir and tech birthed the splatterpunk movement. Thoughtful and witty, intellectually generous and stubbornly prolific, Schow has been a prime force in keeping the legacy of THE OUTER LIMITS, CREATURE FROM THE BLACK LAGOON, among many other enthusiasms,  alive on disc and in books.

Beyond THE CROW, his screenplays include CRITTERS 3 & 4, LEATHERFACE, TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE: THE BEGINNING, and numerous episodes of MASTERS OF HORROR and CREEPSHOW. He has also compiled collections of Robert Bloch’s work. David has been a vocal and valued part of fandom for decades, and remains an influencer (before that was even a thing!)

   And that’s it for Rondo 22. Thanks to everyone who voted, and for your patience and support. Til next year!

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Rondo Awards copyright 2024 by David Colton

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BELOW WAS THE BALLOT;
VOTING HAS CLOSED

OFFICIAL BALLOT FOR THE (Gasp!) 22nd ANNUAL RONDO HATTON CLASSIC HORROR AWARDS
— This year’s awards are dedicated to the work
and memory of David J. Skal —

1) BEST FILM OF 2023
Includes wide release, video-on-demand and streaming

–THE CREATOR
— EVIL DEAD RISE
— THE EXORCIST: BELIEVER
— FIVE NIGHTS AT FREDDY’S
— GODZILLA MINUS ONE

— INDIANA JONES AND THE DIAL OF DESTINY
— KNOCK AT THE CABIN
— LAST VOYAGE OF THE DEMETER
— LEAVING THE WORLD BEHIND
— M3GAN

— NO ONE WILL SAVE YOU
— THE NUN II
— POOR THINGS
— RENFIELD
— SCREAM VI
— TALK TO ME
— Or write in another choice:

2) BEST TV PRESENTATION (only seasons from 2023)

— AHSOKA, Disney+ Reluctant Jedi encounters the ghost of Anakin Skywalker. ‘Let’s just say I didn’t follow standard Jedi protocol.’
— CHUCKY, SyFy. There’s a new visitor to 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue. ‘How do we get into the White House?’
— CREEPSHOW, Shudder. Anthology series in its fourth season. ‘See you around the graveyard, kid.’

— DOCTOR WHO BBC/Disney+ In series of specials, the 13^th Doctor regenerates into a familiar 14^th, and then a 15^th. ‘I know these teeth.’
— THE FALLOF THE HOUSE OF USHER, Netflix. Mike Flanagan connects a modern world of Poe adaptations.  ‘In this little pill is a world without pain. This world needs changing.’
— FOUNDATION, Apple+ Isaac Asimov’s epic trilogy brought to life, with psychohistory twists. ‘I’ve met Hari Seldon. I’m used to fame.’

— THE LAST OF US, HBO. A young girl is immune to the violent infection that has decimated the world. ‘Bomb this city and everyone in it.’
— MONARCH: Legacy of Monsters. AppleTV+. Prequel series with Godzilla and the Titans. ‘If you want to save millions of lives, we can use some help.’
— STAR TREK: PICARD Paramount+. Every crew member of Next Generation unites against the Borg. ‘What began over 35 years ago ends tonight.’

— THE WALKING DEAD: Daryl Dixon, AMC. Fifth spinoff takes Daryl to Paris where zombie virus began. ‘If I don’t make it back, I want them to know I tried.’
 — WHAT WE DO IN THE SHADOWS, FX. The misadventures of four vampires who live on Staten Island. ’Being a vampire is no different than being a human. We’re all just doing what it takes to survive.’
— Or write-in another choice:

3) BEST BLU-RAY OF 2023:

— BARBARELLA (1968; Arrow)
— BURN, WITCH, BURN aka NIGHT OF THE EAGLE (Imprint; 1962)
— THE CAT CREEPS (1946; Vinegar Syndrome)
— CURUCU, BEAST OF THE AMAZON (1956; Vinegar Syndrome)

— FLESH AND FANTASY (1943; Vinegar Syndrome)
— GORGO 4K (1962; Vinegar Syndrome)
— THE HORRIBLE DR. HICHCOCK (1962; Radiance)
— IT! THE TERROR FROM BEYOND SPACE  (1958; Kino)
— NIGHT OF THE HUNTER 4K (1955; Kino)

— ROBOT MONSTER 3-D (1953; Bayview)
— SHIVER OF THE VAMPIRES (Jean Rollin, 1971; Indicator)
— TARGETS (1968; BFI)
— THE TERROR (1963; Filmmasters)
— Or write in another choice:

4) BEST BLU-RAY COLLECTION

— BOLLYWOOD HORROR COLLECTION (Mondo Macabro) Six frightening monster films by India’s Ramsay brothers
— BORIS KARLOFF: Mr. Wong Collection (Kino), Mr. Wong, Detective, Mystery of Mr. Wong, In Chinatown, Fatal Hour, Doomed to Die.
— THE CHUCKY COLLECTION LIMITED EDITION (Arrow), all 7 films, plus a documentary.
— THE CRIMINAL ACTS OF TOD SLAUGHTER (Powerhouse), Sweeney Todd, Murder in Red Barn, Stephen Hawke, Face at Window, Crimes at Dark House, Never Too Late to Mend, Ticket of Leave Man, Sexton Blake
— CUSHING CURIOSITIES (Severin): Suspect, Man Who Finally Died, Cone of Silence, Bloodsuckers, Tender Dracula, plus 6 teleplays.

— DANZA MACABRA Vol. 1, Italian Gothic Collection (Severin), Monster of Opera, Seventh Grave, Scream of Demon Lover, Lady Frankenstein.
— MEXICO MACABRE. 1959-1963 (Indicator), Black Pit of Dr. M, Witch’s Mirror, Curse, Brainiac, Curse of the Crying Woman.
— THE PSYCHO COLLECTION 4K LIMITED EDITION (Arrow). All four films and extras on five discs
— THE PUPPETOON MOVIE Vol. 3 (Puppetoon Productions). Arnold Leibovit presents 28 more of George Pal’s animated shorts.
— THRILLERS FROM THE VAULT (Mill Creek). Black Room, Man They Could Not Hang, Before I Hang, Man with Nine Lives, Devil Commands, Boogie Man Will Get You, Return of Vampire, Five. Ballyhoo documentary.
— TOD BROWNINGS SIDESHOW SHOCKERS (Criterion). Freaks, The Unknown, The Mystic.
— VILLAGES OF THE DAMNED: Three horrors from Spain (Vinegar Syndrome): Beatriz, Forest of the Wolf, Flowers of Vice)
— Or write in another choice:

5) BEST RESTORATION OR UPGRADE

— BARBARELLA (Arrow) Colors emphasized in 4K; alternate opening and closing credits.
— BEAST FROM HAUNTED CAVE (FilmMasters) Includes longer television version.
— BLACK SUNDAY (Kino) Upgraded release of AIP American version.
— COUNT DRACULA (Severin). Franco film restored from uncut negative.

— THE DEVIL DOLL (Warners). Restored from original elements.
— GORGO (Vinegar Syndrome). 4K makes film and colors shine.
— GOTHIC (BFI). Upgrade to high-definition of Ken Russell’s 1986 film.
— THE LEGEND OF BOGGY CREEK 4K (Boggy Creek; 1972) Quasi-documentary from a new print.
— NIGHTMARE (Severin). Restored version of 1981 shocker.

— ROBOT MONSTER (Bayview) 35 mm construct of complete 3-D feature.
— SPACE MONSTER WANGMAGWI (Srs Cinema) Long-thought lost 1967 Korean kaiju.
— TARGETS (Criterion). Upgrade supervised by Bogdanovich.
— THE TERROR Special Edition (FilmMasters). Best elements help the storyline emerge.
— Or write in another choice:

 6) BEST DVD EXTRAS

— BARBARELLA (Arrow): ‘Dress to Kill’ discussion with fashion scholar Elizabeth Castaldo Lundén.
— THE CAT CREEPS (Vinegar Syndrome): Kim Newman on cats in cinema.
— CATMAN OF PARIS (Imprint): ‘Mark of the Beast: Myth Making and Masculinity,” video by Kat Ellinger.
— COUNT YORGA (Arrow): ‘I Remember Yorga,’ interview with Frank Darabont.
— CRIMINAL ACTS OF TOD SLAUGHTER: Eight commentaries, remastered radio plays, Stephen Thrower on his villain roles, 120 page book.

— CURSE OF SCREAMING DEAD/NIGHT OF HORROR (Vinegar Syndrome): Separate ‘makings of’ both films.
— CUSHING CURIOSITIES: A 200-page book,  ‘Cushing: A Portrait in Six Sketches,’ by Jonathan Rigby.
— DARK POWER (1985), ‘The Terror of the Tar Heel State,’ directed by Heather Buckley. The making of Phil Smoot’s film.
— THE DUNWICH HORROR (Arrow): ‘Door into ‘Dunwich,’ w/ Stephen Bissette, Stephen Laws; ‘Sound of Cosmic Terror.’ David Huckvale on Les Baxter score.
 — FASCINATION (Indicator): ‘Rituals’ updated documentary on the making of Jean Rollin film.

— GIANT GILA MONSTER/THE KILLER SHREWS (Film Masters): Ray Kellogg documentary by Daniel Griffith’s Ballyhoo Films.
— IT! THE TERROR FROM BEYOND SPACE (Kino), ‘Tidbits: Ephemera from Beyond Space,’ feature by Craig Beam.
— JACOB’S LADDER (Imprint) ‘Hidden in Plain Sight: Spirituality in Jacob’s Ladder,’ video essay by Alexandra Heller-Nicholas.
— MAUSOLEUM (1983; Treasured Films). John Harrison profiles Marjoe Gortner.
— SWAMP THING (88 Films). International cut with nudity.
— TWO ORPHAN VAMPIRES (Indicator): expanded documentary on 1997 Jean Rollin film.
— Or write in another choice:
 
 >>VOTING HAS ENDED<<
 
7) FAVORITE COMMENTATOR OF 2023 (Below is a representative sample, but feel free to WRITE IN your favorite).

— Rod Barnett, Adrian Smith (Danza Macabra/Castle of Blood)
— Craig Beam (It! Terror from Beyond Space)
— Heather Buckley, director Monte Markham (Neon City)
— Stephen Bissette (Gorgo, Return of Count Yorga)
— David DelValle, David DeCocteau (Appointment with a Shadow)
— Kat Ellinger (Monster of Opera; Dr. Hichcock w/ Annie Rose Malamet)

— Gary Gerani (The Martian Chronicles; Quatermass Xperiment).
— Dr. Steve Haberman, Constantine Nasr (The Devil Doll)
— Justin Humphreys w/ Jonathan Haze (Little Shop of Horrors)
— C Courtney Joyner, Steve Haberman (The Terror)
— Tim Lucas (Barbarella; Black Sunday AIP; Count Yorga)
— Greg Moffett, Mike Ballew, Eric Kurland, Lawrence Kaufman (Robot Monster)

— Kim Newman, Barry Forshaw (Flesh and Fantasy; Curucu)
— Amanda Reyes, Bill Ackerman (Texas Chainsaw Massacre)
— Debbie Rochon, director Jon Keeyes (American Nightmare; 2002)
— David J. Skal (Freaks)
— Tom Weaver  (Beast from Haunted Cave w/ Larry Blamire; Devil Commands; It! Terror from Beyond Space)
— Or write in another choice:

8 ) BEST INDEPENDENT/STREAMING FILM
Includes festivals and streaming channels.

— THE ANGRY BLACK GIRL AND HER MONSTER, directed by Bomani J. Story. A teenage girl resurrects her brother. See trailer here
— APPENDAGE, directed by Anna Zlokovic. Anxiety is not just a feeling. See trailer here
— BIRTH/REBIRTH, directed by Laura Moss.  Morgue technician reanimates a young girl. See trailer here
— THE BLACKENING, directed by Tim Story. Seven friends rely on horror street smarts to thwart killer at a cabin.  See trailer here.
 
— DELIVER US, directed by Lee Roy, Kane Kunz. Troubled pregnancy delivers Messiah and the Antichrist. See trailer here.
— HUESERA: The Bone Woman, directed by Michelle Garza Cervera. Soon-to-be mother must turn to witches to ward off evil. See trailer here
— INFLUENCER, directed by Kurtis David Harder. Social media star takes her influence too far. See trailer here
— THE INNSMOUTH SCHOOL FOR GIRLS, directed by Joshua Kennedy. A mysterious school lives up to its name. See trailer here

— NEFARIOUS, directed by Chuck Konzelman, Cary Solomon. Is a death row inmate haunted by a demon? See trailer here
— ONYX THE FORTUITIST AND THE TALISMAN OF SOULS, directed by Andrew Bowser. Satanist hosts meeting with demonic icon. See trailer here
— PARASOMNIA, directed by William Malone. New director’s cut follows a terrorized woman with a sleep disorder. See trailer here
— THE SACRIFICE GAME, directed by Jennifer Wexler. Holiday at a boarding school turns deadly. See trailer here

— SICK, directed by John Hyams. Family finds no safety as they rent a beach house during Covid. See trailer here
— TODD TARANTULA, directed by Ansel Faraj. A psychedelic mystery set in L.A. – and beyond!  See trailer here
— WHEN EVIL LURKS, directed by Demian Rugna. Demons called the Rotten possess a family in a rural town. See trailer here
— Or write in another choice:
 
 9) BEST SHORT FILM

— ICONIC, directed by Konstantin Pivovar, Lillia Le Dieu. (43 mins.) Praying to the Column leaves worshipers unsatisfied. See teaser here
— I, MONSTER, directed by Don Fearney (15 mins.) Documentary on 1971 film. See film here
— MAD SCIENTISTS: A.I. Maxima, directed by Antonia Tong (18 mins.) Synthetic intelligence clones those out to control it. See trailer here
— THE MAN IN THE GREEN SUIT, directed by John Goodwin (15 mins.) What really goes on behind the scenes of a giant monster movie. See film here

— TIP, directed by Anthony Rory Tran. (23 mins.) Always remember to leave a tip. See trailer here
— PAREIDOLIA, directed by Aaron Truss (13 mins.). Woman sees danger in random patterns. See trailer here
— THE PERFECT PLACE TO CRY, directed by Shane Bannon (7 mins.) A woman in a car as a stranger approaches. See teaser here
— UNDERBELLY, directed by Frank Dietz (8 mins.) Preview for proposed animated TV series. See film here
— Or write in another choice:

10) BEST DOCUMENTARY

— AGAINST THE GRAIN, directed by Elijah Drenner (Lost Picture Show box set from Vinegar Syndrome). How film archivists such as Mike Vraney and others have preserved a cinema legacy.
— ATTACK OF THE KILLER TOMATO RETROSPECTIVE, directed by Dan Fowler. Screaming Soup presents a look at the rolling vegetable franchise.
— BACK TO THE DRIVE-IN, directed by April Wright. The delights and challenges of running modern-day drive-ins.
— DARIO ARGENTO PANICO, directed by Simone Scafidi. In-depth retrospective of Italian director’s career.
— HOLLYWOOD INTRUDERS: The Filmgroup Story, directed by Daniel Griffith. Three-part look at Roger Corman’s production company on Beast from Haunted Sea, The Terror, and Creature from Haunted Cave.

— KING ON SCREEN, directed by Daphne Baiwir. Surveying more than 80 films and series based on the master of horror.
— SHARKSPLOITATION, directed by Stephen Scarlata. Tracking the subgenre launched by JAWS.
— SPOOKTACULAR, directed by Quinn Monahan. Creation of Spooky World, the first horror theme park.
— THRILLER 40, directed by Nelson George. Looking at the Michael Jackson video that brought together John Landis, Quincy Jones and Vincent Price.
— Or write in another choice:

11) BOOK OF THE YEAR (non-fiction)
Note: List prices are often discounted.

— THE BLACK GUY DIES FIRST, Black Horror Cinema from Fodder to Oscar, by Robin R. Means Coleman and Mark H. Harris (S&S/Saga Press, softcover, 336 pages, $15.99). Hundreds of films, from stereotypical silents to recent award-winners, trace the progression of Black characters in horror.
— BRIDE OF FRANKENSTEIN, edited by Emma Westwood (PS Publishing, hardcover, 194 pages, $28). A deep dive by various authors into the James Whale classic.
— THE CARD KING CHRONICLES: Vol. 1 The 70s, by Gary Gerani (Fantastic Press, softcover, 184 pages, $30). How Mars Attacks and other cards sparked the onslaught of monster and TV cards.
— CHRONOLOGY OF CLASSIC HORROR FILMS: The 1940s, by Donald C. Willis (Midnight Marquee, softcover, 328 pages, $30). From Universal sequels to Val Lewton horror noirs.
— CITIZEN KONG: A 90^th Anniversary Appreciation, by Peter H. Brothers (Independent, softcover, 298 pages, $19.95). A fresh overview of every aspect of the all-time classic.

— CLASSIC MOVIE MONSTERS, by Donald F. Glut (Strange Particle, softcover, 527 pages, $16.25). Expanded look at nine original monsters.
— CORMAN/POE: Interviews and Essays Exploring the Making of Roger Corman Edgar Allan Poe Films, by Chris Alexander (Headpress, softcover, 150 pages, $27.95).
— CRYPTID CINEMA: A Boggy Creek Primer, by Stephen Bissette (Independent. Softcover, 114 pages, $29.95). Making of the 1972 cult favorite.
— THE DARK SHADOWS DAYBOOK, by Patrick McCray (Independent, softcover, 368 pages, $19.99). One hundred reviews and insights.
— DIE LAUGHING!, edited by Allan Bryce (Dark Side Books, softcover, 33.50 pounds). Dark Side’s guide to horror-comedies through the ages.

— THE EPIC SAGA BEHIND FRANKENSTEIN, THE TRUE STORY, by Sam Irvin (Independent, softcover, 406 pages, $45). Greatly expanded look at the making of the 1973 NBC TV movie.
— EURO HORROR, by Eric McNaughton, Darrell Buxton (We Belong Dead, softcover, 350 pages, $45). Survey of genre includes posters, illustrations.
— FACT, FICTIONS, AND THE FORBIDDEN PREDICTIONS OF THE AMAZING CRISWELL, by Edwin Canfield (Headpress, softcover, 326 pages, $25.21). Punishing the guilty, rewarding the innocent.
— GEORGE PAL: Man of Tomorrow, by Justin Humphreys (BearManor Media, softcover, 672 pages, $52).  Authorized biography of the director’s life and influential fantasy career.
— GIANT BEAST CINEMA, edited by Steven Peros and Mark Bailey (BearManor Media, softcover, 142 pages, $22). Contributors survey 33 classic giants, from apes to colossal men and women.

— HAMMER FILMS 1907-2023: The Whole Story, by the late Denis Meikle (Hemlock Books, hardcover, 440 pages, 32.95 pounds) Horror is only part of the story.
— THE HORROR! THE HORROR! A Film Fanatic’s Obsession with Cinema of the Macabre, by Dennis Daniel (Deep Red, softcover, 296 pages, $29.95).
— THE INCREDIBLY STRANGE FEATURES OF RAY DENNIS STECKLER, by Christopher Wayne Curry (McFarland, softcover. 263 pages, $39.95). Examining the filmmaker’s life and 50 underground films.
— I WALKED WITH A ZOMBIE, by Clive Dawson (Liverpool University Press, hardcover, 120 pages, $86). Deep analysis and stubborn mysteries solved.
— KING KONG: The ‘Lost’ 1933 Radio Scripts, compiled by Martin Grams. (Softcover, 15 scripts, $33.95)

— KONG: An Original Screenplay by Edgar Wallace, bio and introduction by Stephen Jones (PS Publishing, hardcover, 254 pages, $39). Early draft shows Wallace introduced many concepts to the Kong myth.
— MOONLIGHT MARQUEE: The Werewolf Film Encyclopedia, edited by David C. Hayes (Slipway Cinema Press, hardcover, 458 pages, $89). Interviews and behind the scenes of filmdom’s wolves.
— A MYSTERY OF MYSTERIES: The Death and Life of Edgar Allan Poe, by Mark Dawidziak (St. Martin’s Press, hardcover, 288 pages, $28). Contrasting the poet’s life with revelations and myths about his death.

— THE OUTER LIMITS AT 60, by David J. Schow (Cimarron Street Books, softcover, 130 pages, $20). Expanded look at trailblazing sci-fi series.
— THE ROAD TO DRACULA: From Gothic Novel to Horror Classic, by Christopher Lock (Independent, softcover, 312 pages, $21.95)
— SCRIPTS FROM THE CRYPT 13, 14, 15: Mummy’s Hand, Mummy’s Ghost, Mummy’s Tomb, by Tom Weaver, Gregory Mank, other contributors (BearManor Media, softcover, 262-350 pages, $32-$45). Tracking the slow travels and rapid filming of Universal’s Kharis series.
— SOLDIER: From Script to Screen, by Danny Stewart (BearManor Media, softcover, 144 pages, $22). Behind-the-scenes, essays and interviews about the 1998 sci-fi film.
— TERROR DOWN UNDER: A History of Horror Film in Australia 1897-1973, by Daniel Best (McFarland, softcover, 309 pages, $39.95). How horror films confronted bans and censorship.
— THE THING: History of a Franchise, by Phil Hore (Markosia, softcover, 202 pages, $16.99). From ‘Who Goes There’ to thr 1951 classic, Carpenter and beyond.
— THE WICKER MAN: Official Story of the Film, by John Walsh (Titan, hardcover, 192 pages, $50). Christopher Lee and others remember the 1973 classic.
— Or write in another choice:
 
12) BEST CLASSIC MONSTER FICTION
(Fiction that uses classic horror as jumping off points)
 
— BEASTS OF 42^nd STREET, by Preston Fassel (Cemetery Dance, softcover, 250 pages, $17.99). A grindhouse film projectionist roams the sleazy side streets of 1977 Manhattan.
— THE BOOK OF RENFIELD, by Tim Lucas (Riverdale Press, hardcover, 340 pages, $29.99). Revised and expanded tale of Dracula’s disciple.
— DEAD MONKEY RUM, by Robert Guffey (Planet Bizarro, softcover, 192 pages, $12.99). Cryptozoic beasts race adventurers in Los Angeles.
— THE DEVIL’S PLAYGROUND, by Craig Russell (Doubleday, hardcover. 368 pages, $28). A search for the only copy of a famed horror film from 1927 is key to this thriller set in Hollywood.
— DRACULA OF TRANSYLVANIA, written and illustrated by Ricardo Delgado (Clover Press, softcover, 536 pages, $33.30). New take on the legend.

— GODZILLA AND GODZILLA RAIDS AGAIN, by Shigeru Kayama, translated by Jeffrey Angles (University of Minnesota Press, softcover, 256 pages, $19.95). First English translations of the kaiju novellas from the 1950s.
— IN THE SHADOW OF THE SKULL, by Amanda Desiree (Independent, softcover, 716 pages, $24.99). An island. A wall. Sacrifices. The legend of a Kong-like creature told from the islanders’ point of view.
— MARY AND THE BIRTH OF FRANKENSTEIN, by Anne Eekhout (HarperVia, hardcover, 320 pages, $16.75). Mary Shelley’s hallucinatory weekend at Lake Geneva, retold.
— PATRON SAINTS OF THE LIVING DEAD, by Frank Dello Stritto (Cult Movies Press, hardcover, 548, $31). Fact haunts fiction as classic film zombies roam the Caribbean and Pacific.
— PLATINUM WIDOW: Who Killed Jean Harlow’s Husband, by Gregory William Mank (BearManor Media, softcover, 358 pages, $33). Film luminaries appear in this latest  ‘Porter Down Hollywood Mystery.’

— SHAKESPEARE UNLEASHED, edited by James Aquilone (Monstrous, softcover, 380 pages, $19.99). Authors contribute 42 stories and sonnets based on the Bard’s ghostly plays and characters.
— Or write in another choice:

13) Best Magazine of 2023

— Bare*Bones
— Blood and Roses (Latarnia)
— Castle of Frankenstein
— Cinema Retro (UK)
— Classic Monsters of the Movies (UK)
— The Dark Side (UK)

— Deep Red
— Delirium
— Fangoria
— Filmfax
— Freaky Monsters
— G-Fan
— HorrorHound
— Infinity (UK)

— Little Shoppe of Horrors
— Midnight Marquee
— Monster Bash
— Phantasmagoria (UK)
— Retro Fan
— Rue Morgue

— Scary Monsters
— Scream (UK)
— Screem
— Shock Cinema
— Videoscope
— We Belong Dead (UK)
— Wonder
— Or write in another choice:

14) BEST ARTICLE (You can pick two)

— ‘Another Forgotten Face,’ by Jim Coughlin, MIDNIGHT MARQUEE #82. Revealing the lengthy career of actor Ted Billings.
— ‘Basil Rathbone, From Sherlock to Frankenstein,’ by Brian J. Robb, THE DARK SIDE #249.
— ‘Black Sabbath: 60 Years of Nightmares,’ by Ernie Rockelman, HORRORHOUND #99. A Mario Bava retrospective.
— ‘Blazing the Trail of Blaxploitation,’ by Kevin Nickelson, WE BELONG DEAD #38. A look at Blacula’s influence.

— ‘Cedric Hardwicke: Horror’s Knight of the Realm,’ by Alex Hopkins, CLASSIC MONSTERS OF THE MOVIES #28
— ‘Dwight Frye and the Curse of Renfield,’ by Greg Mank, FANGORIA #19
— “Elizabeth Montgomery’s Darkest Role,” by Jim Nemeth, SCARY MONSTERS #132. Bringing Lizzie Borden to life.
— ‘The End Is Fear,’ a special report by Rue Morgue editors and writers on A.I.’s coming impact on horror, RUE MORGUE #214.
— ‘Finding Lost Horizon,’ by Mike Hankin, INFINITY #58. The making of Frank Capra’s 1937 classic.

— ‘Freaks, Tod Browning, and Me,’ by David J. Skal, SCREEM #42. How the works of Browning launched the late scholar’s horror career.
— ‘The History of Fireside Science Fiction, Part One’ by Rod Bennett, WONDER #17. Tracing the roots of science fiction through classic films of Verne and Wells.
— ‘How the Success of Abbott & Costello Meet Frankenstein’ Ended Glenn Strange’s Tenure as the Monster,’ by Ryan Vandergriff, SCREEM #42
— ‘The Ghost of Frankenstein,’ by Tom Weaver, CLASSIC IMAGES #574 (Oct 2023).
— ‘Hellraiser: A HorrorHound Retrrospective,’ by Paul Kane, HORRORHOUND #97. 20 pages.

— ‘The High Point of Hagsploitation,’ by Rod Labbe, SCARY MONSTERS #132. The highs and lows of aging actresses in horror.
— ‘House of the Macabre: The Enduring Legacy of William Castle,’ by Kat Ellinger, SCREAM #79.
— ‘Leatherface: How the Legendary Trailer Came to Be,’ by Amanda Reyes, FANGORIA #18.
— ‘The Lost World,’ by John Navroth, PREHISTORIC TIMES #147. Revisiting the 1925 stop-motion classic.
— ‘Nosferatu: 100 Years of the Immortal Classic,’ by Jon Kitley, HORRORHOUND #96. 14 pages.

— ‘100 Weird Years,’ by Dejan Ognjanovic, RUE MORGUE #210. Retracing Weird Tales, including interviews with Ramsey Campbell and S.T. Joshi.
— ‘Painting a Portrait of Jennie’ by Gregory Kulon, INFINITY #62. Remembering the ghostly film of 1948.
— ‘The Plague of the Zombies,’ by Nige Burton, CLASSIC MONSTERS OF THE MOVIES #28. The staying power of Hammer’s undead.
— ‘Poe to Go,’ by John Hamilton, THE DARK SIDE #242. A deep dive into The Oblong Box.
— ‘Professor Quatermass in Films and on TV,’ by William Schoell, bare*bones #16.

— ‘Reflections After Dark: Drive-In Memories,’ by John Gilbert, MONSTER MEMORIES: Scary Monsters #130.
— ‘Remembering Mantan Moreland and Willie Best,’ by Steven West, WE BELONG DEAD #38. Dignity and talent despite the stereotypes.
— ‘The Road to Hill House: The Making of Robert Wise’s The Haunting,’ by Anthony McKay, LITTLE SHOPPE OF HORRORS #49
— ‘Subversion of Innocence: Reflections on The Black Cat,’ by Steve Vertlieb, FILE 770.
— ‘Terence Fisher and the Vampire Mythology,’ by Gary J. Svehla, MIDNIGHT MARQUEE #82. Exploring the first three Hammer Dracula films.

— ‘The Terror (1928): Hollywood’s First Background Score in a Talking Picture,’ by Gary D. Rhodes, JOURNAL OF FILM MUSIC 11.1. Vitaphone featured first background music heard along with dialogue.
— ‘A Toast to Old Hollywood,’ by Greg Mank, MONSTER BASH #50. Rare true stories about classic horror stars.
— ‘Why Can’t They Leave Me Alone: The Making of Evil of Frankenstein,’ by Constantin Nasr, LITTLE SHOPPE OF HORRORS #49.
— Or write in another choice:

15) BEST INTERVIEW

— Dan Haggerty by Terry & Tiffany DuFoe, VIDEOSCOPE #121
— Daniel Roebuck by Lint Hatcher, WONDER #17
— Debbie Harry on Videodrome by Ernie Magnotta, RUE MORGUE #212
— Doug Jones, star of Nosferatu, by Jessica Dwyer, HORRORHOUND #96
— Elizabeth Shepherd on almost playing Emma Peel, by Anthony Taylor, RETRO FAN #26.

— Greg Cammon, makeup master by Ve Neill, FANGORIA #18
— Guillermo Del Toro (Parts 1-8), by Alan Jones, THE DARK SIDE
— J.D. Lees, G-Fan editor, by Nicholas Driscoll, G-FAN #140
— Jeffrey Konvits, author of The Sentinel, by Don Kaye, DELIRIUM #35
— Joe Bob Briggs by Rob Freese, VIDEOSCOPE #123

— Kevin Williamson, Scream writer, by James Vanderbilt, FANGORIA #19.
— Lambert Bava, by Eugenio Ercolani, SCREAM #77
— Lewis Teague, director of Cujo, by Andrew J. Rausch, SCREEM #42
— Mara Corday by Brian R. Young, FILMFAX #163-164
— Shaun Hutson, horror novelist, by Emma Dark, WE BELONG DEAD #35.
— Simone Scafidi, director of DARIO ARGENTO PANICO, by Maitland McDonagh, Alliance of Women Film Journalists
— Or write in another choice:

16) BEST COLUMN

—- 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

—- It Came from Bowen’s Basement, John Bowen, RUE MORGUE
—- Kaiju Korner, by Mike Bogue, SCARY MONSTERS
—- 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: