For a lot of people, when they think of horror hosts, they think of characters such as vampires, ghouls, werewolves or even mistresses of the dark. They don’t think of horror hosts as being someone basically dressed in a suit and being themselves, a fan of monster movies. This actually doesn’t happen very often…in the past we had Bob Wilkins and John Stanley. Today we have Mr. Lobo!
Being a fan of horror hosts I initially just didn’t know what to make of Mr. Lobo. I was used to hosts such as Zomboo, Svengoolie, Elvira, Penny Dreadful and Wolfman Mac. I always felt a horror host should be a ghoulish character of some kind…not some guy in a suit. I will be honest, it took alot for me to put one of his DVD’s in…I just wasn’t feeling it. C’mon – how good could a horror host be whose co-host was a houseplant named Miss Mittens? Thankfully I was wrong! In my blog on Zomboo I mentioned that some hosts are a step above the rest…Mr. Lobo is one of these hosts!
From the moment the opening credits started I loved this show and his catchphrase of “They’re not bad movies – just misunderstood” really hit home. I have been a fan on monster/horror/sci-fi films since I was a kid and I always enjoyed cheesy movies such as INVASION OF THE SAUCER-MEN (1957) as much as the classics, like John Carpenter’s HALLOWEEN (1978). Alot of friends and family didn’t understand how I could spend an afternoon watching Godzilla films, loving every minute of it. It was obvious from the start that Mr. Lobo was my kind of guy and that he has the same appreciation for z-grade films as I do.
I love the whole premise of the show. On those sleepless nights what are you going to do? Watch cheesy movies…that’s what! And what better way to do it then with Mr. Lobo who is staying up watching the movie with you?!? He talks to you, the viewer, like he is right there with you, providing insights into the movie, regardless of how ridiculous the movie is. He doesn’t insert himself into the movies and he doesn’t add sound effects but he doesn’t have to…what he does during commercial breaks is all the show needs. Sometimes he provides phony commercials, sometimes he talks about how bad the movie is and sometimes he will do little skits. Then, halfway through the movie, one of my favorite things happens…it’s intermission time!
Intermission time brings me back to the days of the drive-in movie…with commercials for food at the snack bar and coming attractions. This is a really nice touch. At times Mr. Lobo also includes interviews that he has done at various conventions across the United States. All in all Cinema Insomnia is a very entertaining show and highly recommended by this viewer! Unfortunately his nationally syndicated show is not available on my cable system but I do get to enjoy his shows on DVD, thanks to his website (http://cinemainsomnia.com/). So, if you were hesitant in any way to watch this show my advice to you is: don’t be. Mr Lobo is just like us…a fan and a great person to have around late at night.
Please stay tuned for part 2 of this article: 10 Questions With Mr. Lobo!
David Albaugh~
Terror from Beyond the Dave 
This is a wonderful article! I have to admit that I felt the same way about Mr. Lobo when I first started getting into horror hosts. My first hosts (aside from Elvira and MST3K) were Ghoul A-Go-Go and I didn’t really want to give anyone else the time of day. Well I watched Cinema Insomnia and I never went back — I even moved 3000 miles to California to help with the show! Thanks so much for writing this and I can’t wait to see the interview.
Thank you for the kind words Dixie!
Bravo! I love reading about myself. I very much enjoyed your thoughtful treatment of Rom the Space Knight and the bit you did about Cinema Insomnia was pretty good too. Your articles on Penny Dreadful and other hosts are fun to read and provide insight not found elsewhere. Keep up the ghoul work!
Horror Host
Mr. Lobo
Thanks Mr. Lobo! It was a pleasure working with you and hopefully we can do more for you in the future! If you ever need to promote anything don’t hesitate to let us know!
David A.
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Kudos David A. for a very well-written send up on Mr. Lobo – America’s Favorite Horror Host! Looking forward to reading more about him in the future (“for that is where we will spend the rest of our lives!”).
To me, Mr. Lobo embodies what was best about Bob Wilkins and Rod Serling, and then some. He possesses a much more sophisticated sense of humor and very big heart. My son and I became fans of Mr. Lobo and Cinema Insomnia in the early ’00s, when the show was carried by KTEH, in the southern Bay Area; Mr. Lobo’s show made it worth it to stay up late, and it is always great to meet up with him at the various conventions and film fests he frequents in the Bay Area!
Thanks again!
-Josh Reader
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