Monster Party

MONSTER PARTY PRESENTS: A HORROR HOST, WITH THE HORROR MOST!

JAMES GONIS, SHAWN SHERIDAN, LARRY STROTHE, and MATT WEINHOLD, are no strangers to celebrating the almost endless varieties of the late night horror movie host. From the 50's to the present, these ghoulish guardians, have shaped the lives of monster kids from every walk of life. But there's one host in particular who has made a special impact, that continues to reverberate in our dark souls. MONSTER PARTY is proud and humbled to present... JOHN STANLEY & THE LEGACY OF CREATURE FEATURES!!!

In 1971, Oakland based televison station, KTVU, premiered a spooky, Saturday night movie show, featuring a very different kind of horror host. Passing on the traditional monster garb for a leisure suit and thick-rimmed glasses, Bob Wilkins sat in a yellow rocking chair, and aimed his dry, deadpan wit at the dreadful B-grade fare he was enlisted to show. But this mix of humor, genre flicks (some good ones too), guests, amatuer films, and assorted non-conventional merriment, proved to be a fan and ratings success.

In 1978, Wilkins decided to leave the show, leaving Bob and KTVU to find a replacement. The man they found had been a recurring guest of Creature Features over the years, and had a far greater interest in horror and science fiction films than Bob. That man was San Francisco Chronicle reporter, JOHN STANLEY, and it was lightning in a bottle! For a second time!

John managed to take the basic format of Creatures Features, and expand it into something that was fresh, fun, informative, and all his own. John interviewed numerous celebrities, ranging from actors like Christopher Lee and Leonard Nimoy, to writers like Ray Bradbury and Robert Bloch. He also produced and starred in a series of satirical films called "Mini-Movies," that parodied various film genres, as well as a few time-honored cinematic classics. Casablanca anyone?

Before the Mini-Movies, John Stanley produced, directed, and co-wrote the film, NIGHTMARE IN BLOOD: a thought provoking vampire film that is love letter to all horror movie fans. He's also written and collaborated on several books, including THE GREAT COMICS GAME (Stanley is an avid comic book fan), WORLD WAR III, THE MONSTER MOVIE GAME, THE DARK SIDE, BOGART '48, six editions of THE CREATURE FEATURES MOVIE GUIDE, and the autobiographical... I WAS A TV HORROR HOST!

We once again want to thank JOHN STANLEY, for being gracious enough to share his personal insights, behind the scenes experiences, and undeniable charm. It was an absolute delight!

WATCH HORROR FILMS! KEEP AMERICA STRONG!

Direct download: Monster_Party_John_Stanley_and_The_Legacy_of_Creature_Features.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 6:14pm PDT