One of the saddest things about TV today is that a lot of local programming has been phased out by syndicated reruns and infomercials. The great tradition of horror movie hosts has been hit especially hard by this. For something that was a staple on local stations for decades, horror hosts have been in serious decline since the late-1980's/early-1990's. If you didn't grow up with them, the idea of someone dressed in a "scary" costume and presenting a terrible old monster movie along with corny comedy skits may sound a little pointless, especially in this age where nearly any movie can be had on DVD or at the click of a button after a short internet search. But, to chalk horror hosts up as irrelevant and/or something of the past is to miss out on an important (and entertaining!) part of TV history. This makes the few that have soldiered on (Svengoolie), or those that have popped up in recent years to carry the torch (Wolfman Mac) all the more vital.
One guy still on the air (continuously since 1986!) is Keven Scarpino's Son of Ghoul. He's a successor to the Cleveland legend Ghoulardi (Ghoulardi being, arguably, THE greatest horror host of them all), and the fact that he's still out there doing his thing is fantastic. At the time of this writing, he's been on the air for a staggering 26 years! Not many shows, local or otherwise, can boast that. Even a station change in 1995 (from Canton's WOAC TV-67 to Cleveland & Akron's WAOH TV-29/WAX TV-35) didn't slow him down. In the dark days of the early-2000's, when most of these guys were lonnnng gone, SOG not only hosted a movie, but also had a separate, live call-in game show! The game show's not on anymore, but every Saturday night, SOG can been found, hosting cheesy horror and science fiction films and giving us delightfully goofy skits - just the way it should be!
Dressed like an undertaker but sporting the iconic fake beard & mustache of Ghoulardi, SOG shows some of the best worst movies made. The flicks run the gamut from terrible horror/sci-fi films such as The Wasp Woman and The Phantom Planet to actual genuinely good films like the original Night Of The Living Dead and Little Shop of Horrors. Even films from other genres such as the original Man Who Knew Too Much and The Flying Deuces have been presented, and it was thanks to SOG that I became a fan of The East Side Kids/Bowery Boys series. And, in the classic horror host fashion, humorous sound clips and drop-ins will often (but not always) be inserted into the movie for added entertainment! This is great, sit-back-with-a-beer TV and a terrific way to spend a weekend night.
Northeast Ohioans that haven't seen the show owe it to themselves to check it out, especially if they love old horror and sci-fi films. For those outside of the area, well, SOG can be viewed online (his official website will lead you there). It's worth it.
After all these years, I still love the show. It's the kind of thing that really has become too rare on television these days. And, just like when I started watching the show at 11 years old, I still get excited to see what any given night's film will be. There's not many shows that I can say give me the same feeling.
Long live Son Of Ghoul!
One guy still on the air (continuously since 1986!) is Keven Scarpino's Son of Ghoul. He's a successor to the Cleveland legend Ghoulardi (Ghoulardi being, arguably, THE greatest horror host of them all), and the fact that he's still out there doing his thing is fantastic. At the time of this writing, he's been on the air for a staggering 26 years! Not many shows, local or otherwise, can boast that. Even a station change in 1995 (from Canton's WOAC TV-67 to Cleveland & Akron's WAOH TV-29/WAX TV-35) didn't slow him down. In the dark days of the early-2000's, when most of these guys were lonnnng gone, SOG not only hosted a movie, but also had a separate, live call-in game show! The game show's not on anymore, but every Saturday night, SOG can been found, hosting cheesy horror and science fiction films and giving us delightfully goofy skits - just the way it should be!
Dressed like an undertaker but sporting the iconic fake beard & mustache of Ghoulardi, SOG shows some of the best worst movies made. The flicks run the gamut from terrible horror/sci-fi films such as The Wasp Woman and The Phantom Planet to actual genuinely good films like the original Night Of The Living Dead and Little Shop of Horrors. Even films from other genres such as the original Man Who Knew Too Much and The Flying Deuces have been presented, and it was thanks to SOG that I became a fan of The East Side Kids/Bowery Boys series. And, in the classic horror host fashion, humorous sound clips and drop-ins will often (but not always) be inserted into the movie for added entertainment! This is great, sit-back-with-a-beer TV and a terrific way to spend a weekend night.
Northeast Ohioans that haven't seen the show owe it to themselves to check it out, especially if they love old horror and sci-fi films. For those outside of the area, well, SOG can be viewed online (his official website will lead you there). It's worth it.
After all these years, I still love the show. It's the kind of thing that really has become too rare on television these days. And, just like when I started watching the show at 11 years old, I still get excited to see what any given night's film will be. There's not many shows that I can say give me the same feeling.
Long live Son Of Ghoul!
