 |
The 6th AnnualRONDO HATTON CLASSIC HORROR AWARDS! 'Long live the Rondos!' - Ain't It Cool News 'I love Rondo!' - Guillermo del Toro |
-------------------------------------------------
Here are the
WINNERS!
-------------------------------------------------
Zombiewalk photo by Shawn Wall (Shawnwall.com)
More than 2,900 fans voted in this year's Rondo balloting -- an all-time record. Below are the winners for the best work of 2007. An awards ceremony will be held at Wonderfest in Louisville this July. Join us there! And thanks again to everyone who made this year's voting possible.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE NOSFERATU, BAVA AND HALLOWEEN TAKE TOP HONORS IN SIXTH RONDO AWARDS Penny Dreadful is voted favorite horror host; Rue Morgue best magazine; Tim Lucas, Frank Dietz repeat; Sony's Mike Schlesinger is Monster Kid of the Year March 12, 2008 ARLINGTON, VA -- The worlds of vintage horror and modern shock found common ground this week as winners were announced in the Sixth Annual Rondo Hatton Classic Horror Awards, an online survey of the horror community that drew a record 2,912 votes. Winners included a DVD restoration of the silent vampire film, Nosferatu, a mammoth biography of Italian director Mario Bava, a collection of obscure 1940s horror films and a grisly updating of Halloween by director Rob Zombie. Vampira The Movie, a documentary about the first TV horror host, also came away a winner as Best Independent Production, just weeks after the horror pioneer passed away. This year's Rondos were in fact dedicated to the late Maila Nurmi, who played the ghostly siren in the 1950s on Los Angeles television. The Rondos, named after 1940s character actor Rondo Hatton, are a fan-based survey of the classic horror community sponsored by the Classic Horror Film Board website. The email-only vote was the biggest classic horror fan survey in online history. Underscoring the awards' emphasis on vintage horror, voters named the five-film Universal Horror Classic Movie Archive, starring Lon Chaney Jr., Bela Lugosi and other horror veterans from the 1940s, as the Best DVD Collection of 2007. The Kino Collection's stunning restoration of the 1922 silent classic, Nosferatu, was a clear choice for Best DVD and Best Restoration.
At the same time, more modern horrors prevailed. -- Rob Zombie's blood-filled remake of the Halloween franchise took Best Film in an unprecedented landslide, overwhelming films such as Grindhouse, Sweeney Todd, 300, The Host and I Am Legend. Support for the remake, propelled by Zombie's rabid fan base, drew more than 550 votes, the most ever in the six-year history of the Rondos. -- A five-year winning streak for Best Magazine by Video Watchdog, a sophisticated journal of horror and cult film studies, was snapped with a win by the often gore-soaked Rue Morgue, a Canada-based magazine that combines the latest in shock films with savvy looks back at the classic origins of the genre. -- And in vigorous voting for the nation's favorite active horror host, Penny Dreadful, the New England-based host behind the cable-access show, Shilling Shockers, drew the most votes, topping popular personalities such as Chicago's Svengoolie, the Washington-Baltimore area's Count Gore De Vol and Nashville's Dr. Gangrene. The horror host category -- 13 hosts were listed and numerous others drew write-in votes -- was highly competitive, another factor in this year's vote total, which was double any previous year. Fans of all the hosts turned out in big numbers, underscoring the comeback of the horror host genre. Penny Dreadful's win had a special poignancy, coming just a month after the death of Maila Nurmi at the age of 86. Dreadful, aka Danielle Gelehrter, says her character "is definitely in the tradition of the dark mysterious lady you don't want to mess with — Vampira."
Vampira's passing also touched Kevin Sean Michaels, producer and director of Vampira the Movie, the 70-minute documentary that won the Rondo for Best Independent Production. "It's great that the Rondo awards were dedicated to Maila Nurmi this year, and it's on her behalf I accept this award,'' said Michaels. "It's an amazing honor. There would be no Vampira The Movie without Maila's collaboration and insight. ... After Maila's passing, we feel at VAMP Productions that it's our responsibility to keep Vampira's flame alive. The Rondo Award stands as tribute to the fact that Vampira will never die." The Rondo vote was also satisfying for Video Watchdog editor Tim Lucas, who did not come away empty-handed. Lucas was named Best Writer for a second straight year. In addition, Lucas' epic 1,130-page biography, Mario Bava: All the Colors of the Dark, was voted Best Book of 2007. The Bava book, designed by his wife Donna Lucas, narrowly topped Bela Lugosi: Dreams and Nightmares, a new biography by scholar Gary Don Rhodes and Lugosi friend Richard Sheffield. "Donna and I couldn't be happier to learn that Rondo and his voters have smiled on the Bava book,'' Lucas said. "When we look at the finished work, our pleasure cannot help but mingle with the memory of a very long and arduous process. Our other Rondos all represent the accomplishments of past years; this one will always represent for us the year we worked toward for so much of our lives.'' On the fan front, the Monster Bash, a family-friendly and classic horror convention held outside Pittsburgh, was voted Best Convention for the fifth time in six years. Zombie-power proved an irresistible force. 'Zombiewalks' -- a modern form of meet-up in ripped clothes and hollowed cheeks -- are increasingly popular. At the Monroeville Mall Zombiewalk (held where Dawn of the Dead was filmed), a record 1,028 zombies shambled to victory, and was voted Best Fan Event. Other winners included Cult Radio a Go-Go, first winner of the Best Audio horror category; the soundtrack for Mysterious Island took Best CD honors; a bonus disc on a reissue of a documentary about local scareshows, Halloween: The Happy Haunting of America was voted Best DVD Extra. A portrait of the Mummy by Terry Beatty for Scary Monsters Magazine was voted Best Cover; and a career retrospective of Hammer's Terence Fisher by Neal Barrow for Little Shoppe of Horrors won Best Article. A new website, Trailers from Hell, which features Joe Dante and various Hollywood professionals commenting on vintage movie coming attractions, took honors as Best Website or Blog. Fan favorite Frank Dietz, whose devastatingly accurate caricatures of classic horror icons remain hot items at conventions and online, was voted Best Artist for a second straight year. In the honorary categories, Michael Schlesinger, a Sony Pictures executive who has worked behind the scenes to bring modern Godzilla films to American audiences, and who most recently helped push Sony to release The Sam Katzman Collection, including such films as The Giant Claw and Creature with the Atom Brain, was named Monster Kid of the Year.
-- Cortlandt Hull and Dennis Vincent of the Witch's Dungeon Classic Movie Museum in Bristol, Ct., who for years have recreated the classic monsters in loving and often chilling detail. -- Artist Bernie Wrightson, the master of line and shadow who brought Swamp Thing to life, restitched the Frankenstein monster and helped create the modern mystery comic. -- The late Ed 'Big Daddy' Roth, whose ghoulish dragsters and Rat Fink imagery helped bring eternal fun to the world of monsters. -- The late Archie Goodwin, whose wise editing pencil got the best out of every artist and writer, and helped make Creepy, Eerie and Vampirella more than just magazines. -- The late Ghoulardi, who from the airwaves of Cleveland brought a zany wink to the world of horror hosts and late night TV. -- And finally, the late Ben Chapman, who graced fans with his charm and wisdom. He was far bigger than the Creature he portrayed. Many of the Rondo winners will receive the coveted Rondo statuettes, sculpted by Kerry Gammill (monsterkid.com), and cast by Tim M. Lindsey (tmlindsey.com) at an awards ceremony at the Wonderfest convention in Louisville on July 19. For more information about the Rondo award program, please visit rondoaward.com
Voting for next year's winners will take place in January 2009. More information can be found at www.rondoaward.com, the official home of the Rondo awards.
Special Awards
MONSTER KID HALL OF FAME
|
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
|
| Cortlandt Hull, Dennis Vincent | Ed 'Big Daddy' Roth |
Bernie Wrightson |
Archie Goodwin |
Ghoulardi |
Ben Chapman |
Curators of a classic legacy, Cortlandt Hull and Dennis Vincent breathe life into their monster replicas, so real they seem to inhabit the Witch's Dungeon Classic Movie Museum in Connecticut, or on the road. Makers of memories.
Ed 'Big Daddy' Roth mashed up beatniks, creeps and dragsters to invent a whole new category of monster madness. His crazed vision will endure as long as there are kids, gearshifts and wheelies.
The ink and shadow of Bernie Wrightson raised a Swamp Thing from the bayou, stitched a new Frankenstein monster and all but invented the modern mystery comic.
He worked at every comic book company, but Archie Goodwin made his mark by bringing the industry's best to Creepy and Eerie magazine, leaving a legacy of graphic horror and chills.
From out of Cleveland came the be-bop horror host with a Shock Theater vocabulary all his own. Ernie Anderson's Ghoulardi later became the voice of ABC, but fans knew a polka beat was only a commercial away.
Ben Chapman was warm, wistful and wise, gracing monster conventions with his gentle style and love of his fans. He was larger in life than the Creature he played, and now that he's gone, the Lagoon seems very empty indeed. He will always be part of the monster experience.
These new inductees join these members, already in the Monster Kid Hall of Fame:
Forrest J Ackerman, James Warren, Bob and Kathy Burns, Vampira, Zacherley, Ray Bradbury, Ray Harryhausen, Richard Gordon, the late Alex Gordon, Rick Baker, the late William K. Everson, James Bama, Roger Corman, Basil Gogos, Bobby 'Boris' Pickett, Dick Klemensen and Gary and Sue Svehla, Paul and Jackie Blaisdell, Joe Dante, Frank Frazetta, Jack Davis, Don Glut and German Robles.
Want more information about the Rondos?
Email David Colton at taraco@aol.com
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
HERE WAS THE OFFICIAL BALLOT
FOR THE SIXTH ANNUAL RONDO HATTON
CLASSIC HORROR AWARDS
This year's awards are dedicated to Maila Nurmi, who will be eternally remembered as Vampira
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1. Best Movie of 2007 (Pick one)
-- BEOWULF
-- '1408'
-- GHOST RIDER
-- GRINDHOUSE
-- HARRY POTTER AND THE ORDER OF THE PHOENIX
-- THE HITCHER
-- THE HOST
-- I AM LEGEND
-- THE INVASION
-- THE LAST MIMZY
-- THE MESSENGERS
-- THE MIST
-- THE ORPHANAGE
-- PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN: WORLD'S END
-- ROB ZOMBIE'S HALLOWEEN
-- 30 DAYS OF NIGHT
-- 300
-- 28 WEEKS LATER
-- SPIDER-MAN III
-- STARDUST
-- SWEENEY TODD
-- Or write in another choice:
2. Best Television Presentation
-- BATTLESTAR GALACTICA, 'Razor,' Sci Fi Channel, 7.10.07. Flashback special returns to start of the Cylon war. 'By your command.'
-- DOCTOR WHO, 'Blink,' BBC, 6.9.07. An old abandoned house and a message from 1969 haunt this Hammeresque episode. 'Beware the weeping angels.'
-- THE 4400, 'The Great Leap Forward,' USA Network, 9.16.07. Season-ender finds mutation drug causing hundreds of deaths in Seattle. 'I think I killed people.'
-- HEROES, 'Five Years Gone,' NBC, 4.30.07. Hiro jumps into the future and sees the catastrophe that awaits. 'Now the hard part ...'
-- LOST, 'Through the Looking Glass,' ABC, 5.23.07. A survivor dies, along with a time-bending shock ending. 'We have to go back!'
-- MASTERPIECE THEATRE, 'Dracula,' PBS, 2.11.07. New version of Dracula drew praise, and howls, for injecting syphilus into the legend. 'Then you will be cured of your fate.'
-- SMALLVILLE, 'Justice,' WB. 1.18.07. A junior Justice League forms, including Green Arrow, Flash and a young Aquaman. 'Game on.'
-- SUPERNATURAL. WB. 'Bad Day at Black Rock. 10.18.07. A rabbit's foot brings bad luck as Sam is hunted for source of his powers. 'Bela Lugosi? Oh, that's cute.'
-- TIN MAN, Sci Fi Channel, 12.2.07. Miniseries reimagines the Wizard of Oz as a parallel universe adventure. 'If you want to stay alive in the O.Z., trust no one.'
-- TORCHWOOD: 'End of Days,' 1.1.07. UFOs over the Taj Mahal as the Rift shatters. 'Something's taken him.'
-- Or write in another choice:
3. Best Classic DVD
-- COUNT DRACULA (BBC Louis Jourdan version)
-- FLASH GORDON (DeLaurentiis version)
-- FRANKENSTEIN CONQUERS THE WORLD (includes three versions)
-- HORROR RISES FROM THE TOMB (Paul Naschy)
-- HUNCHBACK OF NOTRE DAME ULTIMATE EDITION (1923)
-- LOST WORLD (1960 and 1925)
-- THE MONSTER SQUAD
-- NOSFERATU (Ultimate edition)
-- ROBINSON CRUSOE ON MARS
-- SHE (Colorized and b/w)
-- SPIDER BABY
-- 20 MILLION MILES TO EARTH (Colorized and B/W)
-- WITCHFINDER GENERAL
-- Or write in another choice:
4. Best Classic DVD Collection (new category)
-- AZTEC MUMMY COLLECTION (Attack of Aztec Mummy, Curse of Aztec Mummy, Robot vs. Aztec Mummy)
-- CHARLIE CHAN VOL. 3 (Includes Behind That Curtain, with Karloff, and The Black Camel, with Lugosi)
-- CLASSIC SCI-FI ULTIMATE COLLECTION 2 (Deadly Mantis, Dr. Cyclops, Cult of Cobra, Leech Woman, Land Unknown)
-- CULT CAMP SCI-FI (Attack of the 50-Foot Woman, Giant Behemoth, Queen of Outer Space)
-- THE FLY COLLECTION (Fly, Return of Fly and debut of Curse of the Fly)
-- FOX HORROR CLASSICS (The Lodger, Hangover Square, Undying Monster)
-- GODZILLA COLLECTION (10-movie set from Classic Media)
-- ICONS OF HORROR: THE SAM KATZMAN COLLECTION (Werewolf, Giant Claw, Creature with Atom Brain, Zombies of Mora Tau)
-- MARIO BAVA COLLECTION (Vol. 1 and 2) 14 films
-- MONSTERS AND MADMEN (Haunted Strangler, Corridors of Blood, First Man into Space, Atomic Submarine)
-- MR. MOTO COLLECTION Vol 2 (five films)
-- UNIVERSAL HORROR CLASSIC MOVIE ARCHIVE (1941 Black Cat, Man-Made Monster, Horror Island, Night Monster, Captive Wild Woman)
-- Or write in another selection:
5. Best Restoration
-- BBC COUNT DRACULA (Restores infant scene)
-- FRANKENSTEIN CONQUERS THE WORLD (Includes cut giant octopus finale)
-- THE GIANT BEHEMOTH (complete ferry boat scene, which has been cut in some versions)
-- THE GIANT CLAW (widescreen print)
-- HORROR RISES FROM THE TOMB (Paul Naschy, restored to unexpurgated widescreen)
-- HUNCHBACK OF NOTRE DAME (20 minutes added, sharper print)
-- NOSFERATU (high-def print, includes original intertitles)
-- POPEYE THE SAILOR 1933-1938 (Fleischer cartoons brought back to life)
-- QUEEN OF OUTER SPACE (Finally in widescreen)
-- RETURN OF DRACULA (Includes color scene)
-- ROBINSON CRUSOE ON MARS (New transfer)
-- SPIDER BABY (Opening restored)
-- WITCHFINDER GENERAL (Uncut version; original score reinstated)
-- Or write in another choice:
6. Best DVD Extra
-- BRAM STOKER'S DRACULA: 30 minutes of deleted scenes.
-- CORRIDORS OF BLOOD: Censored footage available as bonus.
-- CHARLIE CHAN VOL. 3: Audio and stills recreate the lost film, Charlie Chan's Last Chance.
-- FANTASTIC FOUR EXTENDED EDITION: Jack Kirby Storyteller, hour documentary on the King.
-- FLY COLLECTION: Fly Trap: Catching a Classic, documentary.
-- HALLOWEEN: THE HAPPY HAUNTING OF AMERICA 10th Anniversary Edition: Reissue of Williams/Roebuck/Burns documentary includes second disc of new features about monster collecting.
-- HUNCHBACK OF NOTRE DAME (1923): 3-D production stills, glasses included.
-- ILLUSTRATED MAN: Vintage promo piece, Tattooed Steiger.
-- JESS FRANCO'S COUNT DRACULA: Dracula, 82-minute audio presentation by Christopher Lee.
-- MOTHRA VS. GODZILLA (Godzilla vs. the Thing): Akira Ifukube biography with tribute by Shogo Tomiyama
-- MR. MOTO COLLECTION VOL. 2: Mr. Moto Meets Charlie Chan: The Making of Mr. Moto's Gamble
-- NOSFERATU (52-minute documentary)
-- VINCENT PRICE SCREEN LEGENDS: Art of Fear featurette discusses each of the films.
-- Or write in another choice:
7. Best DVD Commentary
-- A CLOCKWORK ORANGE, Malcolm McDowell
-- FRANKENSTEIN CONQUERS THE WORLD, special effects director Sadamasa Arikawa.
-- GHIDORAH, THE THREE-HEADED MONSTER, David Kalat.
-- GODZILLA RAIDS AGAIN, Steve Ryfle, with Ed Godziszewski and Stuart Galbraith IV.
-- HUNCHBACK OF NOTRE DAME (1923), Michael F. Blake.
-- INVASION OF THE ASTRO-MONSTER (Monster Zero), Stuart Galbraith IV
-- MARIO BAVA COLLECTION, five commentaries by Tim Lucas
-- MONSTERS AND MADMEN, fourcommentaries by Tom Weaver, with Richard and Alex Gordon, Yvonne Romain.
-- SPIDER BABY, Jack Hill and Sid Haig
-- 2001 A SPACE ODYSSEY, Keir Dullea, Gary Lockwood
-- Or write in another choice:
8. Best Independent Production
-- CHAINSAW SALLY: Gunnar Hansen and H.G. Lewis show up in this Mark Redfield-produced independent horror.
-- FESTIVAL OF FRIGHT: 35 trailers in 70 minutes in this classic horror collection from themonsterclub.com
-- FRANKENSTEIN'S BLOODY NIGHTMARE: John R. Hand's hallucinatory take on the legend.
-- H.P. LOVECRAFT COLLECTION: PICKMAN'S MODEL: Latest in Lurker Films' collections of gothic film adaptations, shorts and interviews.
-- LOST ON ADVENTURE ISLAND: Animated monsters and female victims coexist in this recut of Super Simian island by Yancey Hendreith.
-- PENNY DREADFUL'S SHILLING SHOCKERS: Season Four of Penny's horror host show in New England.
-- TALES FROM THE PUB: Series of short weird tales on Youtube by writer/director Larry Blamire.
-- THE UNDYING MONSTERS: A Youtube offering from Robert Leininger, featuring appearances by Ron Borst, Forrest J Ackerman and Paul Davids.
-- VAMPIRA THE MOVIE: A loving career-retrospective of the late Maila Nurmi by filmmaker Kevin Sean Michaels.
-- Or write in another choice:
9. Best Book of 2007
-- AMERICAN GOTHIC: SIXTY YEARS OF HORROR CINEMA, by Jonathan Rigby. Follow-up to ENGLISH GOTHIC ponders the aesthetics of American horror films.
-- BELA LUGOSI: DREAMS AND NIGHTMARES, by Gary Don Rhodes and Richard Sheffield. Based on fresh research, interviews and remembrances, here are new revelations about the man behind the cape.
-- THE DEAD TRAVEL FAST, by Eric Nuzum. A sardonic true-life adventure retracing the vampire legend from Romania to bloodsucking clubs in Manhattan.
-- EIJI TSUBURAYA: MASTER OF MONSTERS, by August Ragone. The definitive biography of the man behind Godzilla, Ultraman and Japanese science fiction films.
-- FORGOTTEN HORRORS, Vol. 4, by Michael H. Price and John Wooley. Another look at films we must never forget.
-- FRANKENSTEIN, A CULTURAL HISTORY by Susan Tyler Hitchcock. A scholar's fresh look at the legend, from Mary Shelley to today's patchworks.
-- HAMMER FILMS: THE ELSTREE STUDIO YEARS, by Wayne Kinsey. How the horror studio rebounded from bankruptcy with a new blend of nudity and blood.
-- IT CAME FROM THE KITCHEN, by Geoff Isaac and Gordon Reid. Actual recipes from horror and fantasy -- Lugosi's cabbage roll, Bradbury's peach kuchen, and more.
-- I WAS A TV HORROR HOST, by John Stanley. Recollections and celebrity anecdotes from San Francisco's iconic host of Creature Features.
-- MARIO BAVA ALL THE COLORS OF THE DARK, by Tim Lucas. A lifetime of research produces the ultimate examination of the cinema and worldview of Mario Bava.
-- NIGHTMARE USA: THE UNTOLD STORY OF THE EXPLOITATION INDEPENDENTS, by Stephen Thrower. A look at the grindhouse legacy of America's underground film industry.
-- UNIVERSAL HORRORS, Revised edition by Tom Weaver, Michael and John Brunas. The essential compendium of the Golden Age of Universal horror films.
-- WHO FRAMED BORIS KARLOFF? by Dwight Kemper. Although fiction, this fun mystery highlights a wealth of horror personalities, including a gleeful Bela Lugosi..
-- A YEAR OF FEAR, by Bryan Senn. A different horror or scifi milestone for every day of the year, even Leap Year.
-- Or write in another choice:
10. Best Magazine of 2007
-- Amazing Figure Modeler
-- Big Ole Face Full of Monsters
-- Famous Monsters of Filmland
-- Fangoria
-- Filmfax
-- G-FAN
-- Horror Hound
-- Little Shoppe of Horrors
-- Mad About Movies
-- Mad Scientist
-- Mondo Cult
-- Monster Bash
-- Monsters from the Vault
-- Phantom of the Movies VideoScope
-- Rue Morgue
-- Shock Cinema
-- Scary Monsters Magazine
-- Screem
-- Starlog
-- Van Helsing's Journal
-- Video Watchdog
-- Or write in another choice:
11. Best Article of 2007 (PLEASE PICK TWO)
-- 'Adult Fairy Tales & Frustrated Love Stories: The Cinematic Legacy of Terence Fisher,' by Neal Barrow, LITTLE SHOPPE OF HORRORS #19. A career retrospective in an issue totally devoted to Hammer's legendary director.
-- 'Ape Fiends of the Silent Era,' Part II, by Gary Prange, MONSTERS FROM THE VAULT #23. More movie archeology on the forgotten gorilla men and movies of the silents.
-- 'Directing Big, with Desmond Davis,' by Mark. F. Berry, FILMFAX #114. Interview with the man behind the camera for The Giant Behemoth, The Crawling Eye and the director of Clash of the Titans.
-- 'Edgar Wallace: Your Pocket Guide to the Rialto Krimi Series,' by Kim Newman, VIDEO WATCHDOG #134. A film by film, 30-page look at the German crime mysteries (krimi), from 1959-71.
-- 'Fred Olen Ray,' by Brad Linaweaver, MONDO CULT #2. Interview with one of cult films' most outspoken creators.
-- 'Gigantic Frankenstein: Now the Story Can Be Told,' by Thomas Graham, AMAZING FIGURE MODELER #38. A behind-the-scenes look at Aurora's failed experiment with a two-foot tall monster model.
-- 'Honoring Horror at the Oscars,' by 'Tall Paul' Davis, HORROR HOUND #6. In one place, every horrific winner and nominee, from 1932 to 2006.
-- 'In Remembrance of Freddie Francis,' by Ted Newsom, VIDEO WATCHDOG #130. A eulogy for the Hammer director.
-- 'In Search of the Abominable Snowman,' by Joe Winters, SCARY MONSTERS #61. A survey of every snow creature film, amazingly complete.
-- 'I Was a Teenage Werewolf: Still Fab and Furry After All These Years,' by Don Vaughan, FILMFAX #116. A retrospective, including remembrances of Michael Landon.
-- 'Jack Klugman's Twilight Times,' by Tony Albarella, FILMFAX #113-114. A career-spanning look at the Twilight Zone and horror's perennial everyman.
-- 'Kids vs. Monsters,' by Chris Alexander and Jovanka Vuckovic, RUE MORGUE #69. Interviews with the director of the director and 'monsters' of The Monster Squad.
-- 'The Lost Voyage of Sinbad,' by Tom Weaver, STARLOG #362. Uncovering the history of Ray Harryhausen's sequel that would have taken Sinbad to Mars. Included are sketches, and interview with screenwriter Ken Kolb.
-- 'A Magical Tribute to Bernard Herrmann,' by Steve Vertlieb, THE THUNDER CHILD webzine. Commentary of Mysterious Island and more.
-- 'Model Citizens,' by Mitchell Smith, BIG OLE FACE FULL OF MONSTERS #3. Eleven pages on the history of Aurora and the garage kits it begat.
-- 'The Mummy Turns 75,' by Tom Triman, SCARY MONSTERS #64. Retracing every step of Karloff's Im-Ho-Tep to the screen, all those years ago.
-- 'Personal Appearances of Karloff and Lugosi,' by Gregory Mank, MONSTERS FROM THE VAULT #23. From a Black Cat parade to the famous 'Film Stars Frolic,' new information and photos about PR, Universal style.
-- 'Roll for Your Life: Three Decades of Horror-Themed Board Games,' by 'Last Chance Lance,' RUE MORGUE #73. Dracula, the Munsters, even Barnabas Collins, all monsters seemed to have a game.
-- 'The Strange Creatures of Topanga Canyon: The Life and Times of Special effects Pioneer Paul Blaisdell,' by Vincent Di Fate (assisted by Bob Burns), FILMFAX #116. Tales from the creation and shooting of some of scifi's cheapest, and most memorable, monsters.
-- 'These are the Damned: The Restored Director's Cut Examined,' by Tim Lucas, VIDEO WATCHDOG #133. 'Old school' VW approach dissects every excised scene, shows what was restored and makes a new case for this once-butchered film.
-- 'The Tingler,' by Christopher Schaefer, MONDO CULT #2. Retrospective on the Vincent Price favorite, with a sidebar on what was known about LSD at the time.
-- 'Treasures from a Monster Club,' by Richard and Angie Olsen, MONSTERS FROM THE VAULT #23. An amazing look at the monster premiums made and shared by visitors to the Old Dark Clubhouse at the Monster Bash and WonderFest over the years.
-- 'Urban Renewal: The Americanization of Godzilla 1985,' by Brett Homenick, G-FAN #80. A look at how the first modern G-film was revised for the U.S. market.
-- 'Visit the Santa Monica Pier -- If You Dare,' by Deborah Painter and David Hawk, SCARY MONSTERS #62. Recalls films using the pier as a backdrop, including Son of Kong.
-- 'The Wild Wild West: Second Season,' by David J. Schow, VIDEO WATCHDOG #132. Karloff and Victor Buono are among the guest stars in this episode by episode recap.
-- Or write in another choice:
Remember, please pick TWO articles from the list above. One will win.
12. Best Magazine Cover
AMAZING FIGURE MODELER #39 Photo by Jeff Camp; sculpt by Howard Senft. |
FILMFAX #116 By Harley Brown |
G-FAN #79 By Gabe McIntosh |
LITTLE SHOPPE OF HORRORS #19 By Steve Karchin |
MAD SCIENTIST #15 By Pete Von Sholly |
MONDO CULT #2 By Jim Knell, Jessie Lilley, L.J. Dopp, John Deall |
MONSTER BASH #7 By Lorraine Bush |
MONSTERS FROM THE VAULT #23 By Joe Schovitz |
RUE MORGUE #64 |
SCREEM #14 By Bill Chancellor |
SCARY MONSTERS MAGAZINE #64 Wraparound cover by Terry Beatty |
VIDEOSCOPE #64 Designed by Kevin Hein |
VIDEO WATCHDOG #134 By Charlie Largent |
13. Best Website or Blog
Classic Horror Film Board, sponsor of Rondos, is not eligible
-- Arbogast on Film (Blog for the love of film)
-- Britishhorrorfilms.co.uk (If CHFB was in England ... )
-- Cinefantastique Online (The magazine continues)
-- Cinema Dave (Quick-footed movie blog)
-- Creepy Classics (Monster Bash and latest product news)
-- The Drunken Severed Head (Max Cheney's unique blog about it all)
-- DVD Beaver (DVD comparisons, shot by shot)
-- DVD Drive-In (news and DVD views)
-- DVD Maniacs (news and DVD views)
-- DVD Savant (news and DVD views)
-- Eccentric-cinema (One of earliest cult sites)
-- E-gor's Chamber of TV Horror Hosts (amazingly complete)
-- Film Noir Foundation (For fans of long inky shadows)
-- Frankensteinia (If it didn't exist it would have to be invented)
-- G-Fan.com (John Lees' giant monster army)
-- Groovy Age of Horror (Not for faint-hearted)
-- Horrorhosts.com (Home of the horror host rebirth)
-- Kreepsville Industries (blogs, sounds, guest art)
-- Latarnia: Fantastique International (all things Euro and more)
-- Lugosiphilia Yahoo Group (Bela. Just Bela)
-- The Many Faces of the Frankenstein Monster (like it says)
-- Midnight Marquee online (Editor Gary Svehla's new blog)
-- Mobius Home Video Forum (No detail too small)
-- Monsterama.blogspot.com (Friendly creeps from Jay Stevens)
-- Monster-Maniacs Forum (discussions of monster conventions)
-- Movie Morlocks (TCM blog, many contributors)
-- Scarlet Street (message board to continue)
-- SciFilm.org (Home of Dave Sindelar archives)
-- Secret Fun Spot (Home of Flip! -- and your childhood)
-- Serialsquadron.com (Cliffhangers, restored serials and talk)
-- Solar Guard Academy (Calling all space rangers!)
-- Themonsterclub.com (Still excited about monsters and thrills)
-- Thethunderchild.com (Scifi, fantasy web magazine)
-- Trailers from Hell (Joe Dante, pros comment on trailers)
-- Unimonster's Crypt (Web pioneer John Stevenson reborn)
-- Universal Monster Army (Now a full-fledged message board)
-- Video Watchblog (Tim Lucas goes deeper than even his magazine dares)
-- Zombos' Closet of Horror Blog (John Cozzoli new generation blog)
-- Or write in another website or blog:
14. Best Convention of 2007
-- BLOBFEST (Pennsylvania)
-- B-MOVIE CELEBRATION (72 films, guests in Franklin, Ind.)
-- CHILLER (Meadowlands)
-- CINEMA WASTELAND (Cleveland)
-- DRAGONCON (Atlanta)
-- FANGORIA WEEKEND OF HORRORS (Meadowlands)
-- FEAR FEST (Texas)
-- G-FEST (Chicago)
-- HORROR-FIND (Baltimore)
-- HORROR HOUND WEEKEND (Indianapolis)
-- IT'S ALIVE ZOMBIEFEST (Pittsburgh)
-- MONSTER BASH (Pittsburgh)
-- MONSTER-MANIA (Cherry Hill, N.J.)
-- RUE MORGUE'S FESTIVAL OF FEAR (Canada)
-- SERIAL FEST (Pennsylvania)
-- SCREAMFEST (Orlando)
-- WONDERFEST (Louisville)
-- Or write in another choice:
15. Best Fan Event
-- Blob panic reenactment of moviegoers fleeing, held at actual theater where movie was filmed in Phoenixville, Pa. (Blobfest)
-- Dr. Gangrene's Chiller Theater Live! at WonderFest features a Monster on the Campus send-up with Bob Burns, John Goodwin, Frank Dietz and Nurse Moan-Eek!
-- The Frankenstein Soliloquy. Actor and makeup artist Timothy Herron performs portions of Mary Shelley's Frankenstein in the auditorium at Monster Bash.
-- Mexican horror star German Robles appears at the Monster Bash and is feted by Lugosiphilia yahoo group as well.
-- Jonathan Haze's 78th birthday party with Jackie Joseph, and a rare appearance by Little Shop of Horrors screenwriter Charles Griffith ay Cinema Wasteland.
-- Monroeville Mall Zombie Walk. A record 1,028 fans -- submitted to Guinness! -- dress as the undead at the original site of Dawn of the Dead, as part of the It's Alive Zombiefest.
-- Monster Squad reunion (director and cast), at February Monster-Mania.
-- Universal Monster Army monster toy exhibit, including rare toys from 50s and 60s, at Wonderfest and Monster Bash.
-- Witches' Dungeon Classic Movie Museum. Startling recreations of full-sized classic monsters, open at Halloween in Bristol, Conn.
-- Zacherley Disc-O-Teen Reunion. Zacherley hosts a dance event in New Jersey featuring some of the original teen-agers featured on his UHF dance show in the 1960s.
-- Or write in another choice:
16. Best Horror Host (active) of 2007 (New category)
In the spirit of the late Maila Nurmi, the very alive Zacherley and Elvira (who are not eligible), here's a chance to vote for the best of the new generation of horror hosts. It is of course impossible to list them all, but here are 13 Hosts to choose from. If your favorite is missing, please write them in.
-- A. GHASTLEE GHOUL (Bob Hinton). One of the founders of the Horror Host Underground, his radio and TV shows still run in Dayton, Ohio.
-- THE BONE JANGLER. Airing in Illinois for six years, he's on 38 stations in 21 states and even has an afternoon show.
-- COUNT GORE DE VOL (Dick Dyszel). A Washington, D.C. fixture for years, his Creature Feature weekly web program has kept the spirit alive. He's also a driving force behind the Horror Host Underground movement.
-- DR. GANGRENE (Larry Underwood). His live shows are legendary at WonderFest, and he appears on TV in Nashville, hosting films the old-fashioned way. His website is Dr. Gangrene's Chiller Cinema.
-- GHOUL A GO GO (Long Island). This 'monster kid' show by Vlad, Creighton and the Invisible Man recalls the best of Disc-O-Teen and appears on DVD. They are convention favorites.
-- GRAVELY MacCABRE and GRIZELDA. They run a regional cable in Pennsylvania and West Virginia, built around a haunted attraction.
-- MORGUS THE MAGNIFICENT. Sid Noel Rideau's shows still play in New Orleans, where he started in 1959.
-- ORMON GRIMSBY (Craig Vance). His Monster Creature Feature plays on RTN 10 in Raleigh, N.C.
-- PENNY DREADFUL the 13th (Danielle Gelehrter). Her show airs throughout the New England region on cable access channels, featuring films and skits.
-- PROFESSOR ANTON GRIFFIN (Joseph Fotinos). The professor's Midnight Shadow Show has helped keep the horror host community alive.
-- PROFESSOR EMCEE SQUARE (Mark Menold). His It's Alive show includes movies and skits and appears on WBGN in Pittsburgh.
-- SON OF GHOUL (Kevin Scarpino). Still on the air after 21 years on 2 channels in Akron/Cleveland and in California.
-- SVENGOOLIE (Rich Koz). The successor to Chicago's original, Svengoolie has been playing Universal classics in the past year, including Dracula and the Mummy.
-- There are plenty of others, so if your's isn't listed, write in another choice:
17. Best Audio Horror Site or Podcast (New category)
-- Cult Radio a Go-Go. Monster talk, music, interviews.
-- Forbidden Crypts of Haunted Music. Monster muisc to the max.
-- Headless Spectre Radio. One of highlights at Kreepsville Industries.
-- The Monster Club's Old Time Horror Radio with the Tombcreeper features horror stories and more.
-- Monsterconradio.com. News from the convention circuit.
-- Old Time Radio Network at Podshow; Includes Horror Stories, Old Time Radio Sci Fi, and Old Time Radio Adventures.
-- Reallyscary.com. Podcasts about horror and more.
-- Rotting Flesh Radio: The Haunt Industry's Top Podcast
-- Rue Morgue Radio. Latest from the splatter world.
-- Science Monster Radio Library. Downloadable horror and scifi shows.
-- Universal Horror Sounds. Some essentials are here.
-- Voices in the Dark: Devoted to audio from Price, Lorre, Karloff, Lugosi and others.
-- Without Your Head Horror Radio: genre talk shows and more.
-- Or write in another choice:
18. Best CD
-- THE GHASTLY ONES, Unearthed. Past hits re-recorded, with an undertaker cover.
-- GODZILLA 98. David Arnold's dynamic score to the Tri-Star disappointment. This is out of print, from La-La Land.
-- LIFEFORCE (Expanded). Henry Mancini original plus music added to the film by Michael Kamen.
-- LURKING CORPSES, Lust for Blood. Dangerous punk death sounds.
-- MYSTERIOUS ISLAND. William Stromberg conducts Moscow Orchestra; restoration by Stromberg, John Morgan and Anna Bonn.
-- RADIO SPOT APOCALYPSE. 225 radio commercials for horror and things.
-- Or write in another choice:
19. Best Horror Comic Book
-- ASTOUNDING WOLF-MAN. Robert Kirkman's fresh take on lycanthropy.
-- BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER, Season 8. A new season, but in a comic, by Joss Whedon.
-- CITY OF OTHERS. Shudders from Steve Niles and Bernie Wrightson.
-- DC ULTIMATE HALLOWEEN! DC super heroes enter horror zone in stories by Steve Niles, Kelley Jones, others.
-- FALL OF CTHULHU. Michael Alan Nelson gives Lovecraft's horror a modern feel.
-- THE GOON. Eric Powell's monstrous tough guy.
-- GRAPHIC CLASSICS: BRAM STOKER. Revised edition includes new, 47-page adaptation of Dracula by Rich Rainey and Joe Ollmann.
-- THE TRAP-DOOR MAKER: A PREQUEL TO THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA, Book Three. The finale of Peter Bregman's look at Erik's early years.
-- Or write in another choice:
20. Best Toy, Model or Collectible
Nominees developed with help from the Universal Monster Army!
-- 'Beulah' from It Conquered the World, by Ultratumba.
-- Frankenstein giant PEZ.
-- King Kong working armature, by Sideshow.
-- Monarch Nosferatu model
-- Mr. Hyde Aurora reissue, by Moebius
-- Universal Monsters action figures by Toy Island
-- Or write in another choice:
21. Count Alucard's Controversy of the Year
-- Do I have to buy that one, too? Wave of collected box sets, such as Godzilla, force fans to buy duplicate copies of movies to pick up new films.
-- Was that in the original? From Harryhausen colorization of his classics to new effects for Star Trek episodes, how far should technology go?
-- Where 's my magazine? Online, probably, as publishers find fewer outlets for print sales.
-- Whose art is it? Duplicates of art posted online and then resold raise questions about artists rights in era of the Web.
-- Or write in another squabble:
22. DVD Company of the Year
-- Alpha Video: Great cover art for poverties and independents
-- Anchor Bay: Continues to champion horror's forgotten.
-- BCI/Deimos: Released Naschy and more.
-- Blue Underground: Euro horror.
-- Classic Media: Restocking the Godzilla catalog.
-- Criterion: A class act
-- Dark Sky Films: From Amicus to Humanoids.
-- Fox: Chan, Moto and the Fly.
-- Image: Steady and reliable.
-- Kino: Keeping silents alive.
-- MGM: Midnight Movies return!
-- RetroMedia: Unexpected delights.
-- Universal: Repackaging the classics.
-- VCI: Targets classics and obscure serials.
-- Warner Bros: Searches archives.
-- Or write in another choice:
23. Classic Most in Need of Restoration
Which classic horror film, either released or unreleased, do you think most deserves a restoration?
24. Writer of the Year (for 2007)
Who do you think did the best published (or online) work in 2007 to advance the state of classic horror research?
25. Artist of the Year (for 2007)
Not your favorite all-time artist (although they might be the same), but which painter, illustrator, model-maker or designer did the best published (or online), work in 2007?
26. Monster Kid of the Year
Who deserves to be named 'Monster Kid of the Year' for efforts beyond the call of duty to build a better world of gods and monsters?
27. Monster Kid Hall of Fame
Who should be this year's inductees into the Monster Kid Hall of Fame?
Past inductees: Bob and Kathy Burns, Forrest J Ackerman and James Warren, Zacherley and Vampira, Ray Harryhausen, Ray Bradbury, Alex and Richard Gordon, William K. Everson, Rick Baker, Basil Gogos, Roger Corman, Dick Klemensen, Gary and Sue Svehla, James Bama, Bobby 'Boris' Pickett, Paul and Jackie Blaisdell, Joe Dante, Don Glut, Jack Davis, German Robles and Frank Frazetta.
Tell us your suggestions. We'll pick six more.
Whew! That's it!!!
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
VOTING IS CLOSED
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
And remember, even the Creeper himself can't stop Rondo! Thanx everyone -- david colton
Want more information about the Rondos?
Email david colton at taraco@aol.com
