Horrorlust Radio Episode #011

In episode #011 of Horrorlust Radio, I’m joined by Chop Shop creator, Steve Colwell.

In this installment of Horrorlust Radio, Steve and I held an in-depth discussion about Tod Browning’s Freaks. We also recounted details from our trip to the Motor City Haunt Club’s Haunted Garage Sale, observed the passing of horror icon Wes Craven and laid to rest an old favorite in Lost to Time.

I’m actively seeking sponsors for Horrorlust Radio, if you own or operate a haunted attraction or are otherwise involved or connected to the haunt industry and are interested in such an opportunity you can contact me at the following email address: horrorlust@bluestarproductions.net

Email any questions or comments to the address above or feel welcome to post any reactions to this podcast in the comments section below.

HORRORLUST RADIO: EPISODE 011

SHOW NOTES

Corrections: While Steve and I discussed the career of Tod Browning I accidentally stated that he was born in 1818 — that would make Browning a whopping 144 years old at the time of his death in 1962 which was obviously not the case. Tod Browning was actually born in 1880 and was 82 years old when he passed away.

This photo doesn’t include every member of the cast of Freaks but it was the most complete example I was able to find on the Internet. The mustachioed man center, back row is director Tod Browning to his right is Olga Baclanova who portrayed the villainous Cleopatra. The tall man in the back row is Henry Victor who played Cleopatra’s co-conspirator, the strongman Hercules. Front row, center is the Half-Boy Johnny Eck, not to be confused with the limbless Prince Randian who is pictured next to Eck on the floor.

The Hilton Siamese Twins also loom prominent in this photo, standing behind Prince Randian. To the twins’ immediate left is Daisy Earles who played the role of Frieda in the film but that does beg the question of who it is that is pictured on the opposite side of the photo standing in front of the pinheads, Elvira and Jenny Lee Snow. Harry Earles who was cast as Hans, one of the central characters of Freaks, cannot be found in this photograph. That is either Harry Earles in drag (which I doubt) or another member of the Earles’ Dancing Doll family.

A one of a kind photo for a one of a kind film.

From the Freak Show attraction at Terror Town, circa 2008.

The dried-up husk of a Fiji Mermaid.

The songs and audio clips featured in this episode are listed below in chronological order:

“A Nightmare on Elm Street” theme song by Charles Bernstein, 1984

A Nightmare on Elm Street Theatrical Trailer, 1984

“Carousel Ride” by The Midnight Syndicate (Carnival Arcane, 2011)

Nancy in the Bathtub from A Nightmare on Elm Street, 1984

“Freakshow” by Midnight Syndicate (Carnival Arcane, 2011)

Horrorlust Radio Episode #007

In episode #007 of Horrorlust Radio I’m joined by my frequent partner in crime, Mud Puppet Ryan. Ryan and I will discuss comedy in horror and also relive some of our most cherished, and not so cherished, Halloween memories.

Also in this episode of Horrorlust Radio we have new entries for the segments Cauldron Questions and Nightmare Fuel. In the former Ryan and I will answer three burning questions and then during the latter Ryan will recount a personal tale of the macabre, strange and surreal.

We’ll also discuss the results of the garage haunt, The CikNis and then detail my involvement with the Wyandotte Jaycees 2014 haunted house, Fo-be-e.

I’m actively seeking sponsors for Horrorlust Radio, if you own or operate a haunted attraction or are otherwise involved or connected to the haunt industry and are interested in such an opportunity you can contact me at the following email address: horrorlust@bluestarproductions.net

Email any questions or comments to the address above or feel welcome to post any reactions to this podcast in the comments section below.

HORRORLUST RADIO EPISODE: 007

SHOW NOTES

The Great Horrorlust Sharing was mentioned several times during this podcast; this Facebook event is to promote the Horrorlust page on the social network. You can view the event here: The Great Horrorlust Sharing.

You can even share the event itself or invite your own circle of friends which is great, but the end game to all of this is to direct folks to the Horrorlust Facebook page so that they too can like and share it. So, here’s the link, like and share away: Horrorlust on Facebook

Below is the VHS cover art for the 1990 film Troll 2 — nothing I can type here can accurately summarize this film. Stop reading. Go watch Troll 2.

Even the VHS cover art struggled with continuity — that’s a werewolf on the box art of a film called Troll 2 which featured goblins…not trolls.

One of the most entertaining documentaries ever produced; Best Worst Movie highlights the oddball cast and crew who brought Troll 2 into its now infamous existence and chronicles the cult following this cinematic train wreck has inspired.

A truer title the world does not know.

In this podcast Ryan and I discussed at length our sketch comedy troupe the Mud Puppets. Primarily, we produce videos on YouTube but also have a presence on Facebook, Twitter and WordPress. Last spring we began a comedy based podcast as well. The best starting point for all things Mud Puppets is our website: The Mud Puppets

Our channel features over 130 videos including all of the horror and Halloween themed sketches and specials discussed in the podcast such as 2012’s Our Muddy Nightmare and our recent public access episode Cabinet of Curiosities.

The songs and audio clips featured in this episode are listed below in chronological order:

1. “Halloween” by Aqua (Aquarius, 2000)

2. Trick ‘r Treat Theatrical Trailer, 2007

3. “Astro Zombies” by The Misfits (Walk Among Us, 1982)

4. Halloween Bus Massacre from Trick ‘r Treat, 2007

5. “Halloween” by The Misfits (Legacy of Brutality, 1981)

2011 Star Ratings

As my small but faithful group of readers know I write a review for each haunt that I visit during the fall. In addition to that at the end of the review I assign the attraction a 1-5 star rating. It’s just my way of summing up the overall effectiveness/enjoyability of that particular haunted attraction. I take a lot of factors into consideration when I determine the rating things like — actors, theme, props, special effects, originality, and level of excitement — just to name a few but at the end of the night the rating comes down to my raw gut feeling for the overall experience. Below is a complete list of the haunted attractions I visited during the 2011 Halloween season ranked by their corresponding star rating. It’s important to note that the star rating isn’t meant to serve as a way to compare one attraction to another rather it’s a reflection of how well each individual haunt executed what it set out to accomplish.

A quick aside before we get to all those goodies though — once more I’ve had a dream about haunted attractions and the beloved Fear Finder. In this dream I was riding around Lincoln Park in a car with my dad and my two sisters when I suddenly realized that it was Halloween. I began to sweat knowing that I hadn’t yet participated in any seasonal activities and then I reached a full blown panic when it dawned on me that it wasn’t just October 31 but also kids were out trick r’ treating! My sisters were dropped off at a friend’s house or something else similarly boring. I apparently was going to do something with my dad (unrelated to Halloween) and that simply could not stand. My dad tried to calm me down but his words mattered not! How in the blue hell had I forgotten about Halloween?! I opened the door to the car, jumped from the vehicle, and ran into the night in search of Halloween fun.

Next thing I knew I had entered the lobby of a haunt which was strangely situated on the grassy median of what seemed to be Electric Street. I found a stack of Fear Finder and greedily thumbed through one to see what haunts I could possibly hit. I quickly decided their was no time for such planning, I would merely run about feverishly looking for the next available haunt once I’d finished at my current location. On the cover of the Fear Finder was a depiction of a hooded character similar to Ghostface from Scream. The hooded phantom had strings attached to its’ fingers as if it were puppeteering the letters that comprised the phrase ‘Fear Finder’ below. The background of the cover was strikingly designed as stained glass windows; all things considered I think something in this vein would make a pretty damn cool cover for the actual Fear Finder.

Suddenly I was joined by my fellow haunters, John and Jason but before we could enter the attraction I wandered into a bathroom. The walls separating the stalls were comically short and in no way provided a sense of privacy. The stall next to me was completely filthy with feces and toilet paper spilling over the sides of the porcelain throne. I ignored the mess and began to urinate and then I noticed a large window in front of me. I peered out the window and discovered the turret of a castle mere yards from my current position. I took it to be a second haunted attraction and for the first time in this dream I started to feel as if I could salvage the night. I was brought out of my reverie by the arrival of my cohorts and a man I assumed ran the haunted attraction. He made some comment about the filthy stall next to me and then proceeded to jam his hands into the disgusting mess. He yanked a jagged block of ice out of toilet — excrement and used toilet paper jutted out at odd angles. As John and Jason stood by watching the man then acted as if he was going to heave frozen fecal bomb in my direction. After a few moments of  anger and disgust the man relented and began to laugh, turned out that the turdsicle was merely a prank he used to rile up haunters. An odd and tasteless tactic perhaps but now I was excited to see what this haunt had to offer to its customers.

However, as is the case with cool dreams, that’s when I woke up. Does anybody find it strange that as a grown man I’m having a recurring nightmare about missing out on the haunt season? What an awful prospect that would be!

2011 STAR RATINGS

Krazy Hilda’s Barn of Doom – 4.25 (Saline, MI.)

The Catacombs/Rusthole – 4 (Darksyde Acres/Jonesville, MI.)

Chelsea Feargrounds – 4 (Chelsea, MI.)

Tent of Terror – 4 (The Boneyard/Stockbridge, MI.)

13 Feet Under – 4 (Grand Blanc, MI.)

The Haunting – 3.75 (Adrian, MI.)

The Deadland – 3.75 (Warren, MI.)

House of the Dead – 3.75 (Terror Town/Maumee, OH.)

St. Lucifer’s Haunted Asylum – 3.75 (Grand Blanc, MI.)

The Crypt – 3.75 (Burton, MI.)

Realm of Haunted Minds – 3.25 (Romulus, MI.)

The Dark Abyss – 3.25 (Darksyde Acres/Jonesville, MI.)

Scarecrow Hollow – 3 (The Boneyard/Stockbridge, MI.)

Barn of Blood -3 (New Boston, MI.)

Scream Machine – 2.75 (Taylor, MI.)

Deadwood Forest – 2.75 (The Boneyard/Stockbridge, MI.)

Papp Park Trailer – 2.75 (Taylor, MI.)

The Funeral Home – 2.5 (Inkster, MI.)

Woods of Darkness – 2.25 (South Rockwood, MI.)

Lockdown – 2.25 (Wyandotte, MI.)

Papp Park Hayride – 2.25 (Taylor, MI.)

Big Top Terror – 1.5 (Terror Town/Maumee, OH.)

Anxiety Alley – 1 (Lincoln Park, MI.)