Monday, December 18, 2006

THE PERFECT HOLIDAY GIFT: THE WITCH'S DUNGEON DVD!
Well, my very favourite DVD of the moment is the wonderful monsterific documentary "THE WITCH'S DUNGEON: 40 YEARS OF CHILLS" which celebrated Cortlandt Hull's terrific non-profit wax museum of classic monsters which is only open a few weeks every October and has become a mecca for Halloweenies everywhere! Hull (great nephew of actor Henry Hull who starred in Universal's very first werewolf movie 1935's "Werewolf of London") has been sculpting breathtaking wax figures of classic monsters and displaying them to the public for 40 years now. Hull also was instrumental in banding together with Sara Karloff, Bela Lugosi Jr. and Ron Chaney to get those US Post Office Stamps of Boris Karloff, Bela Lugosi, Lon Chaney Sr. and Jr. back in the 90's. Here's a link to the Witch Dungeon Website! Hull's genuine love and affection for classic horror is shared by a galaxy of horror stars in this wonderful, nostalgic DVD which celebrates not only Hull's Witch's Dungeon Museum but also many of the most treasured monster memories shared by all of us who love horror. The DVD takes a look at everything from TV horror host Zacherley "The Cool Ghoul", Forrest J. Ackerman's Famous Monsters of Filmland magazine, classic FM cover artist Basil Gogos, The Creature from the Black Lagoon, Peter Cushing, the special effects work of Dick Smith and Tom Savini, voice artist June Foray (who voiced Rocky the Flying Squirrel and Witch Hazel), Vincent Price (who personally recorded entrance and exit patter played at the actual Witch's Dungeon) and scads more. The generous two hour documentary is more bursting with fun than John Hurt's chest in "Alien". The disc includes appearances and interviews with Tom Savini, Dick Smith, Forrest J. Ackerman, Dan Roebuck, Basil Gogos, Christopher Lee, Elvira, Sara Karloff, Bela Lugosi Jr, Ron Chaney, June Foray, and more than I can even name here. This DVD is a joy to behold and I literally started watching it all over again from the beginning once the end credits finished running. This DVD gives me that warm, nostalgic glow (like Barbara Steele burned at the stake in "Black Sunday") and reminds me why I love the horror genre so much. It brings it ALL back to me! You're gonna see Aurora monster models and Bobby "Boris" Pickett's Monster Mash! There's clips from scores of monster movies and movie posters from coffinloads more! Frankenstein's Monster! Count Dracula! The Wolf Man! The Mummy! And don't forget Cortlandt Hull's own creation: Zenobia the Gypsy Witch! Everybody's in this DVD, fiends! This DVD isn't so much a documentary as it is a MONSTER PARTY!!!!

Here's what world-renowned special effects wizard Tom "Dawn of the Dead" Savini said about his copy of this DVD (which he also appears in, natch) on the Creepy Classics website:

"You know how sometimes you want to be drenched in a old fashioned horror mode and mood that sometimes one movie doesn't satisfy, and you want that old fashioned kiddie horror high that made you want to get into all of this when you were in your early teens, and that you miss so much....well all you have to do is put on this DVD and be transported back to the early days of your interest in the greatest movies, the old ones, the classic ones, with your favorite stars and just plain people who share the love of this stuff and show it."

So there you have it, monster kids! If you can't believe Uncle Tom Savini, then who CAN you believe?!?!? He stuck a machete in a zombie's head once so don't give him no sass!!! Just hurry up and buy your own copy of "The Witch's Dungeon" DVD; all proceeds go towards supporting the non-profit Witch's Dungeon Museum. And besides, I haven't had this much fun in centuries!

5 comments:

Cheeks DaBelly said...

That's it next October we are going to Connecticut even if you are in an iron lung and on life support, you ain't gettin out of it i don't care how sick you are

Cerpts said...

I'll hold you to that doddly doo

Cerpts said...

And if you're good, i MAY even let you watch the Witch's Dungeon DVD ... wee HOO it's SOME PARTY!!!

Pax Romano said...

Now THAT is a Sunday Night DVD I'd stay awake to watch!

Cerpts said...

Yeah, well if we could just get all those losers to watch it with us!!!! Tee hee tee hee!!!