Greetings, ladies and gentlemen, and welcome to another induction to the Happy Horror Hall of Fame.  Tonight’s induction is no less than one of the truly great men of the horror genre, the actor who portrayed one of the three patron saints of modern day horror films, the one, the only Robert Englund!

Born in Glendale, California on June 6, 1947, the son of an engineer who helped create the Lockheed U-2 aircraft, Mr. Englund is a classically trained actor of Swedish descent.  After his acting education (starting at age 12, no less), he debuted in the 1974 film Buster and Billie as the character of Whitey, Buster’s best friend.  Over the next ten years, he acted in 39 movies and television shows, including 1977’s Eaten Alive (with the Addams Family’s Carolyn Jones), 1981’s Dead & Buried and Galaxy of Terror, and 1983’s V (and it’s follow-up movie and television series).  In 1984, Mr. Englund’s already impressive career broke out in a big way with his debut as Frederick Krueger in A Nightmare on Elm Street.  The next year, he reprised his role in A Nightmare on Elm Street Part 2: Freddy’s Revenge, which was followed by several more sequels.  His career took him to other corners of the horror genre besides as Freddy, of course.  He also starred as the Phantom in Phantom of the Opera (which I just reviewed last Monday), he made an uncredited cameo in C.H.U.D. II: Bud the Chud, and starred in Danse Macabre.

The 1990s brought a spinoff of the Nightmare series, a television series called Freddy’s Nightmares.  I never got a chance to see the show, myself (never got the channel it was on when it was on), but I’ve heard good things about it.  Most of his roles throughout the early 1990s seemed to center around the horror genre: Night Terrors, where he played the Marquis de Sade; The Mangler, where he played the owner of the laundry where the titular Mangler was kept, Bill Gartley; The Vampyre Wars; and many others.  I believe it was during the early 1990s that the Shadow Theater series he hosted aired.  This series, more than anything else, more likely molded me into the horror movie fan I am today.

It is because of this that I’m very honored to induct Mr. Englund into the Happy Horror Hall of Fame.  To me, he is one of my personal heroes and one of the best actors of my time.  And so, when I see a new Robert Englund film, either starring or directed by him, I know that I’ll enjoy it immensely.  Until next time, this is Red Hawk signing out.

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Welcome, friends, to another edition of the Happy Horror Hall of Fame.  I am your host, Red Hawk, and it pleases me to bring you another legendary figure of the horror field, the Candyman himself, Tony Todd!

Born Timothy Henry Todd in Washington, D.C., Mr. Todd started out his career on the stage, after going to college for two years at the University of Connecticut and the Eugene O’Neill National Theatre Institute.  Not only an actor, he also taught playwriting to high school students.  In 1986, he made his film debut in Sleepwalk, a film that, according to the Internet Movie Database, is about an ancient Chinese manuscript that starts taking over the life of the woman translating it.  Also during the 1980s, he played in Platoon as Sgt. Warren, Colors, and Lean on Me, as well as guest spots on Night Court, 21 Jump Street and MacGyver.

During the 1990s, Mr. Todd started making his entrance into the horror genre, with films like Voodoo Dawn and Night of the Living Dead in 1990, as well as a guest stint on Star Trek: The Next Generation as Klingon Worf’s brother Kurn.  In 1992, he starred in what seems to have been his most famous role, Candyman, which led to two sequels: Candyman: Farewell to the Flesh, and Candyman: Day of the Dead.  Following Candyman and Candyman 2, Tony Todd played in two films with the word Master in them… Beastmaster: The Eye of Braxus and Wes Craven’s Wishmaster.  In 1999, in addition to Candyman 3, he also provided FMV narration to Sony’s hit video game Legend of Dragoon.

The year 2000 saw him making a cameo appearance in Final Destination as William Bludworth, the mortician who seems to know more than he should about Death’s workings, a role that he carried on into Final Destination 2.  In Final Destination 3, the Bludworth character doesn’t appear, but you can hear Mr. Todd’s voice at the beginning and end of the film: once, as the voice of the Demon outside the doomed roller coaster, and once as the conductor’s voice on the subway at the end.  He also put in guest appearances on Angel, Smallville, Crossing Jordan and Andromeda.  In 2003, he both played Caleb Kilgore in Scarecrow Slayer, the second film in the Scarecrow trilogy, but also acted as associate producer.  In 2006, he did his voice stint in Final Destination 3, played the duel roles of Jekyll and Hyde in The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, and played Reverend Zombie in Hatchet, a role he’s rumored to be reprising for Hatchet 2.  Recently, he’s played in The Graves and The Thirst: Blood War, as well as having a recurring role on NBC’s spy spoof Chuck as CIA Director Graham.

What does the future hold for Mr. Todd?  Well, according to the IMDb, he has no less than nine films lined up for this year and next, including Nite Tales: The Movie, Vampire in Vegas, Black Friday, Escape of the Living Dead, (possibly) Hatchet 2, and 2001 Maniacs: Beverly Hellbillys, and let me assure you, I’m looking forward to all of them!  And so, it is with great honor that I induct Mr. Todd into the hallowed halls of the Happy Horror Hall of Fame, for everything he’s done in, and for, the horror genre.  I salute you, Mr. Todd, and wish all the luck in the world on your career.  And so, until next time, this is Red Hawk signing out!

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Today, we open the dusty halls of the Happy Horror Hall of Fame to a new inductee, and what an inductee he is.  Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, monsters and madmen, I present to you the man, the myth, the master of the low budget film, Roger Corman!

Mr. Corman has had a long, distinguished career in the movie industry.  He’s helped start the careers of such legendary directors as Martin Scorsese, Francis Ford Coppolla, Ron Howard, Joe Dante, and James Cameron, and that’s just a handful of the names I could mention.  His film directing career has spanned over 50 films, with over 300 films produced.

Mr. Corman started life as the son of Anne and William Corman in Detroit, Michigan in 1926.  After receiving an industrial engineering degree from Stanford University, Corman became a producer and screenwriter in 1953, with directing soon to follow in 1955.  One of the first films he directed was Swamp Women, aka Swamp Diamonds (the title under which the guys on Mystery Science Theater 3000 showed it).  Other notable films are The Day the World Ended, It Conquered the World, Not of This Earth, Attack of the Crab Monsters, The Undead, Teenage Caveman, a series of films based off of the works of Edgar Allen Poe, Gas-s-s-s, and the last film he’s directed, 1990’s Frankenstein Unbound.  On the production side of things, a small sampling of his films include Rock ‘n’ Roll High School, Death Race 2000, Raptor, the Carnosaur series, and the recent Death Race remake.

This man clearly deserves a place of honor here at the Happy Horror Hall of Fame, and it is an honor to induct him here today.  I’ll continue to bring you more of his films as the months go past, and I hope that this will inspire you to go out and search for more of his work.  Tomorrow, I’ll be bringing you something unrelated to Mr. Corman or next week’s featured horror personality, so be sure to keep your eyes on the site!  And so, as always, until next time, this is Red Hawk signing out!

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Ladies and gentlemen, I’d like to introduce you to Johnny Johnson of Darkstone Entertainment, the man who’s making the Plan 9 from Outer Space re-make happen! He’s been generous enough to offer the Happy Horror team an interview. We struggled to reduce our questions to an appropriate nine and we’re pleased to bring you a blow-by-blow account of how the interview went down.

 
Without further commentary, here’s the interview!
 
 
Red Hawk asks:
Has some of the dialog that’s been mocked over the years been fixed for the upcoming movie? If so how did you handle that, but if not what made you decide to keep it the same?
 

The film is a remake to be treated seriously so there is only so far you can go with the
original dialogue. 99% of the dialogue is new, however some of the key lines are being mixed in to keep those moments alive…Couldn’t go forward without them.

How did you guys cast the Tor Johnson character? Did you go with another professional wrestler or some other actor?

Actually most of the film is not cast at the moment. The role of Inspector Clay (Tor Johnson) however was one of the first filled. I have a man within our crew that has by all means “the look” so that was a no brainer. JOHN R. PRICE II will be portraying the role.

Are you planning any merchandise to go along with the movie? If so, what is (or will be)
available and how can we fans get our hands on it?
 

That’s funny. I haven’t thought about that. Most likely whoever the distributor is will have
the control on that play. I just hope I can get a few things myself.

Glittersoul asks:

When did you first see Ed Wood’s original Plan 9 from Outer Space and how did it impact you then?
 

I had seen Plan 9 From Outer Space back when I was a kid on SUPER SCARY SATURDAY hosted by Grandpa from the Munsters. I was horribly addicted to the show and that happened to be one of my favorite episodes. It was Plan 9 from outer space and my first introduction to Godzilla right after as a double feature. It was a hell of a day. That night I was fighting aliens and giant lizards with my laser tag guns…I won.

While filming this movie can you tell us about any barriers you guys had to overcome or maybe some interesting moments during the filming?
 

Well, we haven’t gone into production yet. It is slated for March 2009. We will face many of the same obstacles that old Eddie faced in 1959. Budget, casting, time restraints, the main factor being to tell a story that is about aliens resurrecting the dead to destroy the world.

It’s still a hard sell. I’d be happy to update you as we go though. I am sure there will be
more problems to yap about.

It’s crazy idea time! Let’s pretend you’ve got an unlimited budget for marketing the movie, what would you do to get the world’s attention and draw the biggest crowds for 09/09/09?
 

First, I’d resurrect the dead. Have them hand out flyers. Second, wrestle William Shatner for charity, giving out free tickets for the premiere every time the man knocks me on my ass.

Third, learn how to fly…Just because. And lastly, build a space ship and land it on Tom
Cruise’s house. That could be really exciting. 

GlowStormLion asks:
 
When it comes to special effects for Plan 9, are you guys going with traditional means or CGI?
 

I am more of a fan of the traditional methods. When it comes to the zombies and aliens expect a lot of that. Now, on the lasers and space ships…Well…CGI kinda makes that happen without spending a fortune. So I would guess a healthy mix.

Can you tell us about any favorite effects you had fun shooting or are particularly proud of?

I am looking forward to seeing the inside of the space ship. From the designs I have been viewing it looks to be quite cool.

What particular scenes or moments in the movie are you most concerned with portraying as close as possible to the original by altering them as little as possible?
 

Ooh, can’t give that one away. There are a few, and I hope you guys will dig them as much as I do.

 
If Ed Wood were alive today and you could direct alongside him, but you had to re-make a ‘cult classic movie’ that wasn’t one of Mr. Wood’s, which project would you want to take on with him and why? (Of course, you’re not allowed to pick Plan 9! lol)
 

Wow! That’s a nifty question…Hmmm…I would have to say I would want to remake the V series from the 1980’s. I loved that show as a kid and would love to see a sequel series or remake. And I think there is enough length in the story for Eddie and me to have our moments in the directing department. Although, I’d give anything to have a dinner with the man, and hear his stories of relentless filmmaking. If he were still kickin’ today I am sure he would knock me over the head and make the remake himself. And rightly so. I just hope I can do what he originally wanted to do with the film and at the same time remember him and his legacy well. 

 
That’s a wrap! Don’t forget to visit check our article on the upcoming
re-make of this cult classic at: www.plan9movie.com

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