Countdown to Halloween - Alfred Hitchcock's Ghostly Gallery

The other Halloween treat from my childhood I'm happy to share with y'all tonight is one of my all-time favorite collections of stories, Alfred Hitchcock's Ghostly Gallery. I definitely recommend seeking out the actual book to read some great tales by such masters as Walter Brooks, Robert Arthur, H.G. Wells, Robert Louis Stevenson and others. Here are some of the eerie illustrations by Fred Banbury.

Once again, thanks to Mom & Dad for finding and sending me the book and Kat for her scanning skills!

Countdown to Halloween - The Haunted Mansion

Now that Halloween is here, I present you with one of two treats from my childhood! I have almost as many fine memories of the book and record set for Disney's The Haunted Mansion as I do for the ride itself! The audio (featuring a young "Ronny" Howard) is entertaining with great music and the illustrations by Collin Campbell are fantastically haunting. So enjoy this tour through the Haunted Mansion!

Many thanks to Mom & Dad for finding and sending me the album and Kat for her scanning skills!

Countdown to Halloween - Monster Mike's Mini Marathon Movie #5

The last film on this year's selection of classic horror is a little-known early effort by Steven Spielberg called Something Evil (1972). Not only is this made-for-tv movie appropriate for Halloween, but next week we will be reviewing Spielberg's career for an upcoming episode of the Earth Station One podcast. I'm sure another master movie maker would approve of my "killing two birds with one stone." The movie stars Kolchak/The Old Man himself, Darren McGavin.

(click on poster to view trailer)

Countdown to Halloween - 2011 Mini Comics!

Here's what Trick-or-Treaters can expect to get when they ring our doorbell this Halloween!

More details on the books can be found at Previews website. If you would like to give out comic treats, visit your local comic shop!

Countdown to Halloween - Monster Mike's Mini Marathon Movie #4

Every year's selection of classic movies includes a Hammer film and this Halloween, I decided on Dracula: Prince of Darkness (1966). It is the next in the series starring Christopher Lee in the title role. I'm not one for spoilers, but I do happen to know that Dracula has no dialog in the entire film. When asked about his silence in the picture, Lee said, "The reason was very simple. I read the script and saw the dialogue! I said to Hammer, if you think I’m going to say any of these lines, you’re very much mistaken." Here's hoping the rest of the movie is better than the lines would have been! If you would like to find out as well, TCM has it scheduled for Halloween day.

(click on poster to view trailer)

ESO Podcast - Episode 83

The Countdown to Halloween continues as we our favorite dead and undead characters! We also visit the Hellmouth and chat about the first season of Buffy the Vampire Slayer. But wait! That’s not all! We also talk to a "fiend of the show" about Netherworld, one of the largest haunted houses in the South.

Join us for an episode we like to call Episode 83: Our Favorite Dead and Undead Characters

Table of Contents
0:00:00 Intro / Welcome
0:05:03 Rants & Raves
0:24:36 The Geek Seat w/ Nancy Holder
0:52:18 Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season 1
1:37:48 Our Favorite Dead and Undead Characters
2:24:58 Khan Report
2:37:38 Countdown to Halloween - Netherworld
2:52:05 Shout Outs
2:56:45 Show Close

Listen to ESO #83 here, or download this podcast from iTunes.

Comics Coast to Coast Episode #129

I met Brian Dunaway at Dragon*Con and he was nice enough to invite me to be on an episode of the Comics Coast to Coast podcast. It was a blast chatting with Brian and his co-hosts Joel Duggan and Matthew Ducharme! All three are talented creators and they served me some interesting questions that were about craft as much as they were about fun.

It was a TIKI-RIFFIC time and I suggest everyone check out their show, and not just the one featuring me!

Countdown to Halloween - Monster Mike's Mini Marathon Movie #3

There are a number of actors who personify the "classic horror" movie - Boris Karloff, Vincent Price, Lon Chaney, Peter Lorre, Peter Cushing, Christopher Lee - to name but a few. But IMHO, none exemplify more than Bela Lugosi. Perhaps it is because he was the star of one of the first Universal monster movies. Perhaps, unlike many of those other names, he did very little outside the genre to distance himself. It has been argued that Lugosi was not as talented as many of his collegues, but I've been told that his performance in The Human Monster (1939) is one of his best outside of Count Dracula. I am eager to find out!

(click on poster to view trailer)

ESO Podcast - Episode 82

Good Evening...You are about to embark on an episode of Earth Station One so exciting, so dark and mysterious we had to gather a group of brave individuals to discuss this weeks topic: The films of Alfred Hitchcock. Also, we travel again into the world of The Walking Dead and talk about the Season 2 premiere. And if that’s not enough, we chat with John Hartness about the upcoming RoundCon in Columbia, South Carolina.

Join us for an episode we like to call Episode 82: ESO’s Look at Alfred Hitchcock

Table of Contents
0:00:00 Intro / Welcome
0:03:06 Rants & Raves
0:21:16 The Geek Seat w/ Joel Gunz
0:45:13 Alfred Hitchcock
1:34:12 The Walking Dead Series 2 Premiere
1:54:52 Khan Report (w/ John Hartness of the RoundCon in Columbia, SC)
2:13:12 Shout Outs
2:19:58 Show Close

Listen to ESO #82 here, or download this podcast from iTunes.