Cinema Insomnia host Mr. Lobo discussed the world of television horror hosts and genre movies. He stressed the importance of artists like himself having a presence on different platforms, like his Cinema Insomnia show which broadcasts live on Twitch, and is featured on YouTube and Roku channel OSI 74 as well. "You just can't be in one place anymore," he said. Mr. Lobo traced the grand tradition of horror hosting to the 1950s when local television affiliates needed a way to package classic genre movies from the '30s and '40s. The first horror hosts were witches, ghouls, and mad scientists, he explained, pointing out having a host was a way to build an audience and set advertising rates.
Mr. Lobo spoke about Morgus the Magnificent, a horror host portrayed by actor Sidney Noel and one of George's childhood heroes. "[Noel] did it in character, no one knew who he was even his family didn't know he was Dr. Morgus," he revealed. Ghoulardi, played by Ernie Anderson, hosted a wild show that was "way out, way, way out," Mr. Lobo continued, adding Anderson was the first voice actor to make over a million dollars a year. The rise of cable television limited local station access to classic genre movies and, coupled with the need for more commercials, dramatically changed the landscape for horror hosts, Mr. Lobo noted.
He commented on how horror movie audiences have changed throughout the decades. According to Mr. Lobo, the classics (such as Dracula and Frankenstein) were mostly made for a young audience, then by the 1960s horror films were created to appeal to teenagers at drive-ins, and in the 1070s genre titles got much darker and were produced for a more mature audience. Mr. Lobo lamented the loss of atmosphere in modern horror movies. "Nowadays a lot of the stories are so rushed that there's no suspension of disbelief... there aren't a lot of modern movies with great atmosphere," he said. Mr. Lobo also announced the premiere of "Up Late With Bob Wilkins," a film about his mentor, horror host Bob Wilkins. The film will play at the Orinda Theatre in Orinda, California, on April 24, 2022 (more info).
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Open Lines followed in the latter half of the program. Charlie in Chester, New Jersey, talked about the concept of spirit marriage. "I believe the great goddess is not for spirit marriage," he said. According to Charlie, a spirit marriage can be performed while still alive but also in the afterlife. "There's a lot of pressure in the spirit world to get married," he suggested. Ronald from Toledo, Ohio, told George about a local horror show he watched in Peoria, Illinois, called Chuck Avery's Creature Feature. He credited horror films with building up one's defenses against the world. "You knew you were going to go out there and things weren't always going to be good," Ronald said. Ross in Port Huron, Michigan commented on It's a Wonderful Life as well as A Christmas Carol (1984) with George C. Scott portraying Ebenezer Scrooge. "I think George C. Scott did a fantastic job," he offered. He also mentioned Creature from the Black Lagoon. "That was just a creepy, scary movie — one that made you think after... gave you nightmares," Ross noted.
The final half hour featured a replay from 2/3/2021 of psychic empath Michelle Welch.
News segment guests: Sandra Champlain / Kevin Randle