Buffy the Vampire Slayer’s Xander, Nicholas Brendon, dishes on The Scooby Gang!

Posted on by

Last summer I wrote about Sarah Michelle Gellar and one of my all time favorite TV shows, “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” (story HERE). Despite the allure of that show’s main powerhouse, Buffy, it was the supporting characters and their interactions with one another that was tantamount to the show’s success. The character I related to the most was Xander Harris (Nicholas Brendon) the nerdy, comic-book reading guy who didn’t quite fit into any clique (including the nerds) and usually, in terms of the opposite sex, found himself the “best friend” rather than the boyfriend. This frustration, along with the usual teenage fear of being insignificant, was masked with a quick sardonic wit, usually at his own expense. If there was one lesson that Xander and I both knew full well, it was that its better to make fun of yourself before someone else does it for you.

Continue reading →

Face to Leatherface with “The Texas Chainsaw Massacre’s” Gunnar Hansen!

Posted on by

img_4423

Throughout horror movie history, there are few films that have been able to grab viewers with the sheer raw intensity as the original THE TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE.  Tobe Hooper (who both produced and directed) took a handful of unknown actors, a scant $300,000 budget and created a film that plays with such gritty intensity you almost feel like a voyeur watching one of those infamous “loop” films many believe exist despite none having officially surfaced.

Continue reading →

Meeting Julie Adams: “The Creature from the Black Lagoon” had good taste!

Posted on by

img_4487

When I was in Junior High School, I had an amazing art teacher named Mr. Ray. He was known for his quick wit, hilarious commentary, and a penchant for dropping unruly kids into an industrial-sized waste basket (Ah…the good ole days!). Mr. Ray also was a fan of horror films and, aside from boasting a 1979 ALIEN figure on his classroom shelf, would also host a “Horror Video Club” after school. If there was ever a good reason to be kept after class, this would be it! Our parents had to all sign a consent form as he’d be playing scenes from Rated R horror films, and it was he who introduced me to the prom night vengeance of CARRIE, the genius directing of Hitchcock, and other great examples of horror/sci-fi/suspense treasures.

Continue reading →

Tippi Hedren gives Alfred Hitchcock “The Bird(s)!”

Posted on by

img_44291

One of the celebrity encounters I was most looking forward to was Tippi Hedren. Ms Hedren, of course, will be forever remembered for her role in Alfred Hitchcock’s THE BIRDS. While this film is often panned by critics in lieu of The Master of Suspense’s other achievements (eg.PSYCHO, VERTIGO, REAR WINDOW) this has always been the film I find myself re-watching the most. I’m sure that is, no doubt, due to my love of animals as well as a good “man vs. nature” flick (of which there are few).

Continue reading →

Tom Atkins & The Masks of Halloween III: Season of the Witch!

Posted on by

silver_shamrock_novelties_button-p145370134457789816z745k_400

Celebrity encounters, while usually pleasant, are rarely as enjoyable when one meets the legendary Tom Atkins! The 2011 Indianapolis Horrorhound Weekend along with Mask-Fest was the perfect venue for featuring Atkins along with some alumni from one of his films. HALLOWEEN III. The film’s director, Tommy Lee Wallace, Atkins, along with his co-star, Stacey Nelkin were all on hand at this event – sitting side by side.

Continue reading →