We were honored last week when Jason Hignite from HORRORHOUND WEEKEND asked us to induct The Universal Shock Theater Package into the Hall of Fame this coming weekend at the big event! This historic collection of 52 films (one for each week of the year) given to commercial TV stations in 1957 featured Universal’s classic collection of monsters and led to both the proliferation of horror hosts as well as monster fans across the country!
Horror hosts come from all walks of life and from all corners of the United States (and beyond). America’s heartland is no exception and it is here, tucked down in his basement, where Gunther Dedmund lurks. Gunther has been entertaining folks in his native Kansas for ten years now and, if you’ve never heard of him, consider this an introduction of sorts. The Daves met Gunther at Horrorhound Weekend Indianapolis last March. The quiet and assuming host would later prove to be quite versatile – even creating a host group photo of those present at the event in lieu of one not actually being taken. He honored us by giving our site the honor of distributing the photo and even further by including The Daves in his special Horror Host collector card set!
TERROR FROM BEYOND THE DAVES is pleased to welcome Sean Kotz as a guest blogger! Sean is co-founder of Horse Archer Productions. He and his partner, Chris Valluzzo, produced, directed and released their second horror host documentary in 2011 called HI THERE HORROR MOVIE FANS about legendary host, The Bowman Body. The film has been nominated for Rondo Award for Best Documentary of 2011.
This past Saturday, the FIRST major Svengoolie appearance of 2012 was “out of the gate!” Yes, I’m one of those lucky fans from Chicago who not only is able to STILL enjoy his childhood host as an adult, but saw him proliferate this past year by going national. Since TERROR FROM BEYOND THE DAVES is a horror host friendly site, created by two childhood fans of Sven, its become a great excuse to stalk the man’s appearances without raising two many eyebrows (except on Facebook where I seem to get called out on it all the time).
“Beware the 14th!” hisses a cantankerous bartender working in the small mining community of “Valentine Bluffs”…and not just because you’re about to get fleeced by The Hallmark Greeting Card company! The 1980’s were, without question, the golden age of the “slasher movie”; with particular emphasis on any special day on the calendar that could provide an excuse for some maniacal killer to start hacking away at horny young people. HALLOWEEN, FRIDAY the 13th, and GRADUATION DAY were just a few of those special occasions when you’d be better off locking your doors and hiding under your bed as opposed to going out and being festive.
Terror from Beyond the Dave 