Jason and I arrived at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Rosemont around 2 PM that Friday afternoon. He’d flown in from Rhode Island the day before and my local friends, Ron and Angie, were already waiting in the lobby. Everyone had their vaccines (this blog brought to you by the good people at Pfizer!) and were looking forward to a gathering. I did have some trepidation about doing this show but it was less about catching the virus than it was my being inside too long. My job became a permanent ‘work from home’ position last June and, with respect to one brutal Chicago winter, there’d literally be entire weeks I’d spend inside my apartment. Apparently, the longer you stay in, the harder it is to rejoin society. Seeing the happy, albeit masked, faces of my friends immediately signaled I’d made the right choice. The only person missing today was the hotel’s gregarious Don Johnston. His palpable absence made the entire weekend seem “off” as the once familiar Crowne Plaza suddenly didn’t seem itself anymore. Likewise, Days of the Dead didn’t seem like Days of the Dead either with so many of its missing familiar faces.

Award season is upon us and while most folks think of the Golden Globes or Academy Awards, our eyes are firmly placed on the Rondo Hatton‘s a.k.a. the Oscars for Monsters. Not only do they celebrate the genre we love but also allow for active participation in choosing its winners. It was 10 years ago when my former co-blogger, David Albaugh, and I won the statue ourselves for this site. I’ll never forget the excitement of waking up the morning after the winners were announced and seeing my Facebook feed full of congratulatory messages. Now that I work full-time at home, I’m happy to see that statue sitting prominently at my workstation where I can gaze at its bald-headed beauty amidst my daily grind. I’ve also had the privilege of seeing many of my friends bring home the honors, too; including MeTV’s national horror host, Rich Koz’s Svengoolie numerous times. In fact, it’s safe to say he’s earned himself a Lifetime Achievement Award which, in the Rondo-verse, we refer to as the “Monster Kid of the Year.” And today, I’m urging everyone to consider voting for him in this category. I feel it’s not only well-deserved but long overdue. And here are ten reasons to support my case…

I was scrolling social media and noticed a post from Creator VC looking for reviewers to discuss their latest documentary, In Search of Darkness Part Two. This four-hour and twenty-three-minute opus, delves even deeper into ‘80s horror films, running only slightly longer than its predecessor. You’d think nearly nine hours of retrospective would be overkill but, then again, this is the big ‘80s we’re talking about. It was a magical time for a young horror fan, like myself, thanks to the proliferation of VHS tapes, video stores, and a gang of creative filmmakers influenced by the classic monsters they’d grown up with. In addition to that, the success of the low-budget phenomenon Halloween (1978) all but ensured the new decade become a golden age of slashers. Once those floodgates were opened, my world would be dominated by iconic killers who used just about every holiday on the calendar as an excuse to hack up groups of lascivious teenagers. I’d just watched both documentaries and that aforementioned social media request inspired me to come out of hibernation. Part Two had arrived in my mailbox the previous Saturday afternoon which was ironic since I’d just spent that morning visiting our local video store for the last time, taking advantage of their “Going out of Business Sale.” In truth, it’s a testament of stamina that our Family Video – which has stood for over thirty years in my hometown – had lasted even this long. They’d fought the good fight; merging with the pizza place next door (patrons could have their movies and pizza delivered together) and later becoming the local Mecca of CBD oil. In the end, streaming services would drive the last nail into their coffin as it had done so many others before.