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thelatewinslowleach wrote:

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Best Independent Film: I wish to nominate "Virginia Creeper"

I finally got a chance to see VIRGINIA CREEPERS this week, and I second this nomination. It's not only an entertaining film with lots of good moments with well-known hosts like Count Gore De Vol, Sir Graves Ghastly, The Bowman Body, Dr. Madblood and Karlos Borloff, but an excellent job of research as well. Sean Kotz discovered a LOT of information about the horror host history of the Old Dominion, and dug up about half a dozen nearly-forgotten TV characters for whom little or no information was previously known -- most of them still around to be interviewed and share their stories (and rare show clips)!

The whole film is shockful of charming, lovable characters like The Bowman Body (who richly deserved the entire chapter devoted to him in Elena Watson's pioneering McFarland book on horror hosts) -- Bill Bowman is not only a very funny guy, but his host persona is almost certainly the only one who had a bluegrass themesong written for him...



There's ANOTHER terrific host-related documentary that's currently being shown at conventions and AFI theaters, and I hope an official DVD will be released soon enough to be considered in this category as well: Curtis Prather's EVERY OTHER DAY IS HALLOWEEN, about the career of broadcasting (and webcasting) legend Dick Dyszel, who started his horrendous TV career as M.T. GRAVES (#2) in Paducah KY but went on to greater glory as COUNT GORE DE VOL in Washington DC and later on the Internet. But like most of the old-school hosts, Dick also paid his dues doing all sorts of things appropriate to his station(s), including long service as BOZO THE CLOWN and the fondly-remembered CAPTAIN 20. When he left television he brought his Count Gore character to the Internet and established a CREATURE FEATURE website where he has faithfully hosted a highly-entertaining weekly web show for more than 11 years (and 500 shows) so far. Early on he also started a horror host mailing list and discussion group that deserves much of the credit for spawning the Horror Host Underground movement that's still proliferating coast-to-coast and host-to-host, keeping a grand old tradition alive. Dick Dyszel's story is loads of fun, so watch for this one too.



Come to think of it, did AMERICAN SCARY ever get nominated or did it's long-awaited "official" release slip through the cracks?