Horror Host Icon: Jeepers

Posted on October 2, 2025 by bloodlinematt

Welcome back to Rotten Ink. Have you ever sat and wondered what other Horror Hosts have graced the airwaves of California besides Vampira? Well I am here to tell you that state has had a great amount of hosts who all brought their own style and flare to late night moving hosting, and one of the best and earliest to follow in her footsteps was Jeepers, who was the host of Jeepers Creepers Theatre that haunted the airwaves in the 1960’s. Jeepers also had a slew of hosts that not only followed him in becoming the host of Jeepers Creepers Theatre but also inspired others for generations to come in becoming a horror host themselves. It’s with great honor this Halloween season that I bring to you Horror Host Icon Jeepers! So sit back and get ready to not only get scared but also have a few laughs.

Jeepers is a strange ghoul who has a pale face, wears a top hat and cape and would wander around his dark set and host spooky movies all the while having a good silly sinister sense of humor and would have a very memorable laugh that would fill the air. He claimed that he worked in Hollywood and on horror films and was connected, well that was before he was a Ghoul! Jeepers would also always play up on how famous he was and how people loved his work in film and on the show. He was the original host for Jeepers Creepers Theatre and was the most well loved one as viewers just could not get enough of him! Jeepers would also became a hit on radio when he would team up with musician Frank Zappa in 1963 to release a 45 that had two strange and fun songs called “Dear Jeepers” and “Letter From Jeepers,” and they would be popular on the radio stations around his market in Los Angeles. While his time as the host of Jeepers Creepers Theatre was short lived, his impact and connection with the fans was very strong, and this made him a true icon of the art of Horror Hosting and is one that is still remembered to this day for those who grew up watching him. Jeepers was played by Bob Guy, who was a local actor and personality who sadly passed away on September 10, 1984 at the age of 64.

Jeepers Creepers Theatre started in 1962 and aired on KCOP-TV, Channel 13 out of Los Angeles and was a super popular show that aired at 10pm and showed the Shock Packages of classic Universal Monster films. The show was a hit from the start, and viewers loved seeing the classic monster movies on TV. It became a popular topic at schools for kids who stayed up late to watch the antics of Jeepers as well as the horrors of the film. The show would lose its original Host Jeepers in 1963 and others would take over the show including Ghoulita who started and ended in 1963, Jeepers’ Keeper from 1963-1965 and The Creeper the final host who lasted from 1965-1966. So Jeepers Creepers Theatre would last for a total of around four years and remained a very popular show on TV up to its final episode. Even once off the air the show’s legacy remained as even to this day for people who grew up watching it and the new fans who discovered it thanks to the internet chat about its legacy and impact on the pop culture in the state of California and beyond. Sadly, much like all the other hosts from the 60’s and even 70’s many of the shows were shot live or the master tapes tapped over to save money as the tapes were way to expensive, and this make most of the shows lost to time.

On September 10, 2022 at HorrorHound Weekend, the legendary Jeepers made his way into the Horror Host Hall Of Fame! This classic host was inducted by Halloween Jack and was a Legacy Host to be inducted in that year. It was very cool to see Jeepers get the respect he deserves, and it was also cool to hear people laugh and chuckle at the clip shown of him doing what he did best. Halloween Jack did a great job of inducting him in. Jeepers going in has been long overdue and I was glad to see him get this honor. Jeepers was joined in the Class Of 2022 by names like Scarewolf, Sinister Minister, Spooky Spectre and the cast of Midnight Movies to name a few.

As you can see, Jeepers is a true legend of Horror Hosting and one of the biggest hosts from California and his legacy still lives strong to this day and his impact can still be felt in the state. We are now at the point of this Horror Host Icon update that we take a look at the episodes I have, and lucky for the world some footage of Jeepers has survived and way back when a fan made a reproduction of the show and that is what we will be taking a look at here, just seeing this footage is amazing and is a great way to showcase his talents. There are no star ratings for these Horror Host shows. I will be writing about what the host does in the episode and the film’s plot will be taken from our friends at IMDB. So with that, let’s see what Jeepers is up to and bask in this classic hosts glory.

Jeepers Creepers Theatre: Mummy’s Curse

Host: Jeepers has gotten himself some tanna leaves in order to get himself a Mummy, and he places them into some sort of liquid and says the magic words. After a few moments Jeepers thinks the leaves have failed and takes us to the movie as a Mummy is creeping up behind him. We next join Jeepers who is unaware of The Mummy behind him and he is very down thinking he failed, but when he turns around he sees The Mummy who is coming every closer and Jeepers lets out a very nervous laugh before we are back to the film. We next join Jeepers as he his being choked by The Mummy who lets him go for a moment in order to go to a commercial break, once back from the commercials Jeepers shows The Mummy his weird family members that consist of a boars head, a white rat and a rubber snake before the monster starts choking him again as we go back to the movie. Jeepers next is making The Mummy some tanna leaf tea and then reads the Mummy’s fortune in the tanna leaves before being choked again after making a joke about a museum…and then back to the movie. Next Jeepers wants to call Hollywood to get The Mummy in some movies, and Jeepers strikes out time after time as the Film Producers shoot down the idea of making a movie with The Mummy…but soon The Mummy finds out Jeepers was faking the calls as the phone bill was not paid and the phone was not plugged in and as he goes back to choking we go to the movie. Next Jeepers reads a fan letter that he got from a fan about loving the show before going into the final part of the nights film. In the end Jeepers puts The Mummy into a coffin for some sleep and then tells the viewers you can not get a Mummy using tanna leaves, but The Mummy shows back up with a noose and attacks Jeepers as the end credits roll.

Movie: An irrigation project in the rural bayous of Louisiana unearths living mummy Kharis, who was buried in quicksand twenty-five years earlier.

Note From Matt: This is a fan reproduction and takes the only known footage of the show to make this episode for the fans.

Horror Hosts like Jeepers are very important to local culture and help inspire creative minds in the field of Horror Media, and it’s a shame that so many markets at this time do not have a local made Horror Host on the airwaves and that is why it’s important to support your local Public Access stations as they allow a outlet for many local hosted programs. And of course so do websites and streaming stations like YouTube, The Monster Channel, The Vortexx and Shudder all who deliver Horror Hosts to the masses. While Jeepers’ time on TV was short, his impact on Horror Hosting is long lasting. But I think that it is time to wrap up this Horror Host Icon update as we have more scary updates to come as we countdown to Halloween 2025 and our next update will be a “From Horror Movie To Horror Comic” that will be about The Conjuring 3 and the DC Comic mini series based around it. So until next tim,e read a Horror Comic or three, watch a Horror Film or two and as always support your local Horror Host! See you next update as we explore the world of The Conjuring 3.

From Horror Movie To Horror Comic: Arachnophobia (1990)

Posted on September 3, 2025 by bloodlinematt

Welcome back to Rotten Ink and to another “From Horror Movie To Horror Comic” update that is part of our countdown to Halloween 2025. For this one I think we will be taking a look at a classic PG-13 fright flick that is all about killer spiders and is produced by Steven Spielberg. That film of course is Arachnophobia! This film sparks fear in many who truly do fear spiders as this film has hundreds of them running around homes and yards and even crawling up sink pipes and under doors…I am sure for many this is one of the scariest films of the 1990’s, those who truly have arachnophobia that is. So if you are ready, get your bug suits on as it’s time to check out these deadly spiders and the film that spawned them.

Let’s first take a look at the Spiders who are the human killers of this film and their ways of deal death to them. The Spiders are a mix of a new species from Venezuela and an American female House Spider that mate and create a very sinister short-lived species. These new spiders are fast as well as sneaky and can quickly descend on a person that is their prey. Their appearance as well can shock and scare people and can even cause major panic among those with a fear of spiders. The Spiders’ main way of dealing death is the poison they inject into a person after biting them with their fangs, and death comes quickly and painfully and triggers seizures and heart failure. They are deadly by themselves as well as in packs and can sneak into places via cracks as well as drains. They also have a Queen that can lay lots of eggs and cause them to spread fast, and if they are not stopped, they will kill and take over towns and cities causing death with every bite. They are also able to survive basic insecticide as they are immune to its effects and will also kill other insects and animals around in order to protect the eggs of their unborn. While they are very deadly, they can be killed and destroyed as they can be stepped on and crushed, they can be killed by highly toxic powerful insecticide, they can be burned with fire, or shot with a nail gun, electrocuted via a power box…but mostly father time is not on their side as they quickly die of age. This new species Of Spiders are super dangerous as one bite will kill you instantly and while they can be stopped they remain a major threat to humans and are very deadly.

So now that we have looked at these deadly spiders and their ways of killing humans, I think we should take a look at the 1990 film they are from, Arachnophobia! Like before I will be taking the film’s write up from our friends at IMDB and then I will write about the film’s production as well as my thoughts on the film. So if you are ready, let’s stay out of the webs and away from the spiders and take a look at this cult classic family horror film.

Arachnophobia (1990)

“A large spider from the jungles of South America is accidentally transported in a crate with a dead body to America where it mates with a local spider. Soon after, the residents of a small California town disappear as the result of spider bites from the deadly spider offspring. It’s up to a couple of doctors aided by an insect exterminator to annihilate these eight-legged freaks before they take over the entire town.”

Horror movies were very popular at the cinemas and drive-in theaters even into the early 90’s and lots of kids enjoyed heading to the theater to watch them. That’s why there was a rash of PG and PG-13 horror films being released and wanting in on this horror action was Disney as well as Steven Spielberg who got on board with the idea of a horror comedy film that circled around killer spiders loose in a small town and with first time director Frank Marshall leading the film and Don Jakoby and Wesley Strick writing the screenplay. They new that this film would be a hit with the youngsters as well as adults as it was intended to both scare and make you laugh. The film was given a budget of $22 million and hired on for cast were names like Jeff Daniels, John Goodman, Julian Sands, Harley Jane Kozak, Brian McNamara and Kathy Kinney to name a few, and most of the filming took place in California with the jungle shots being filmed in Venezuela. The film had over 300 Avondale Spiders on set, and their safety was taken very seriously as actors and crew had to make sure to not hurt any of them. In certain scenes they used dummy spiders as well as made the actors wear special shoes to pull off scenes that involved crushing them. In order to make the crunch and squash sounds of spiders under boots they would step on potato chips and mustard packs. The film was heavily marketed with trailers, print ads and TV spots as Disney, who was distributing the film thought that they had a hit on their hands, and they were right as the film would be released in theaters on July 18, 1990 as a big summer release and would bring in a total of $53.2million dollars and was a hit also with viewers and critics with the film winning the Best Horror Film award at the Saturn Awards. The film would also be a huge success when released on home media both in rental and home sales, and this only helped build the film’s cult following. The film also proved to studios that PG-13 horror films could work if done right and many compare the films mood and tone to such films as The Birds and Jaws. The film was released in 1990 alongside such other Horror Films as Basket Case 2, Bride Of Re-Animator, Child’s Play 2, The Exorcist III, Gremlins 2: The New Batch, Maniac Cop 2, Nightbreed, Predator 2 and Tremors to name a few. And still to this day the film has a major cult following and is even rumored to be getting remade by James Wan’s production company.

The first time I saw Arachnophobia was when my Dad rented it for a family movie night at home while we lived in Waynesville, as while my brother and I wanted to see it in the theater we just never got to as our theater trip around that time was seeing Gremlins 2: The New Batch for us, and seeing how Gremlins was a favorite watch in our house it made only sense for us to see Part 2 over other films at the time. I think my Dad rented it not only because my brother and I were always into horror movies, but because he was a fan of John Goodman who at the time was very popular due to his role as Dan Connor on the hit sitcom “Roseanne”. I really enjoyed Arachnophobia and can remember the kids at school talking about it as the small town we lived in had tons of spiders around with lots of them being Wolf Spiders and we would all do the “What If” that one had a poisonous bite. And like all good films I bought much of the merchandise released like the soundtrack on cassette tape and even the book based on it that was at my school’s book fair. What makes this film work is that it plays on the fear of spiders and the threat of being bitten by one that will kill you instantly, and when you are a kid creepy crawlies were a big part of Halloween time and it was put into your mind that spiders are to be feared! The film was very well cast with it being really cool to see actor Julian Sands in a good guy role as I always knew him as The Warlock, and I think he is a very underrated actor in general. At times the film is very over acted and that is very fitting as it gives it that true B-Movie feel and makes it feel like it would have been at home during the 1950’s playing alongside such films as The Deadly Mantis and Tarantula at the drive-in as apart of a double feature. While the film is not overly violent or bloody, the scares truly come from the spiders themselves as well as some of the effects that show spiders crawling out of the mouth of one of their victims…just gross. And I should also point out that actress Kathy Kinney who plays Blaire Kendall, the wife of the town’s mortician, is known for her role as Mimi Bobeck on the sitcom The Drew Carey Show and she also had a small role in the Christmas film Scrooged. Over all if you are looking for a good, spooky, family friendly horror film to give Arachnophobia a shot as it’s an entertaining watch. Also John Goodman is awesome and is lots of fun in this film as the weirdo exterminator.

So now that we have chatted about the killer spiders and the film they are from, I think it’s the time on this update that we take a look at the comic book adaptation that was released by Disney Comics to help promote the film when it was in the cinemas. And I really do like that this PG-13 family friendly horror film got the comic book treatment as I think the film lent itself to be a comic with all the creepy crawlies and weird characters. And I would like to thank Bell Book And Comic for having this comic in stock and making the update possible. And I would also like to remind you that I grade these comics on a star scale of 1 to 4 and am looking for how well the comics stay to the source material, their entertainment value and their art and story. So if you are ready, let’s head to Canaima, California and avoid these spiders!

Arachnophobia # 1 ***
Released in 1990 Cover Price $2.95 Disney # 1 of 1

In the jungles of Venezuela goofy photographer Jerry Manley has joined a expedition to document spiders that are found deep in the wild, they group finds a new species of Spiders and Jerry gets bitten by one and ends up dying and is flown back to America with one of the spiders in the casket! His body arrives in Canaima, California and once the coffin is open the spider escapes and is now loose in the town. Meanwhile Dr. Ross Jennings and his wife Molly have just bought a new home with a old barn that is filled with spiders, and Ross is terrified of them all cause of a childhood trauma. The spider finds a mate and creates a very deadly new species, and worse for Ross the doctor he was replacing has decided to not retire yet causing him to have to wait around before he takes over the practice in the small town he didn’t want to move to, and worse the old doctor is out of touch on how to treat peoples illness. The new breed of spiders are spreading out in the town and are biting people and causing them to pass away from their poison and the two doctors have different theories on what is happing, but while this is going on Molly meets the town exterminator named Delbert McClintock who hates bugs and loves to kill them. More and more people are dying and including the old doctor from the spider bites, and Ross is doing his best to try and figure out what is happening as the new spiders has yet to be figured out to be the killers. Ross ends up calling Dr. James Atherton, a spider specialist, for help who is the man that lead the expedition in Venezuela when Jerry was killed and he and one of his helpers head to Canaima to investigate these deaths. The town is starting to be over ran with these killers spiders and Dr. Jennings, Dr. Atherton and Delbert McClintock go on a quest to try and find the new species queen to stop the species growth and along the way find more and more people dead as well as more and more aggressive spiders. The queen ends up killing Dr. Atherton as the nest is in the barn of Dr. Ross and when they all show up at the Ross home they find it is over ran and Ross must get his wife and kids out of the home and Delbert McClintock tries to hold the spider back. In the end Dr. Jennings has a showdown with the spider queen in his cellar and ends up killing her using fire and a nail gun, and with that the new species of spider dies off and Dr. Ross Jennings is a hero and finds that he loves living in Canaima.

This comic adaptation is lots of fun and is able to play up the horrors of the spiders as well as the silliness of the characters very well, and while some moments seem to come out of left field like them suddenly showing that Ross Jennings had kids it somehow just kind of works for this comic as it plays up on the more b-movie feel of the story. The plot is this a new very poisonous spider species is invading a small town and the local Doctor along with the towns Exterminator must find a way to bring the horror to a stop by finding the queen of the species before she hatches more eggs. The main hero of the story is Dr. Ross Jennings, a city doctor who finds himself in a small town who must battle the old ways of the out dated town doctor, get over his fear of spiders and has to be the hero that brings down the queen in a blaze of fire. A very unlikely hero but one who does what he must to protect his family and town from being killed. Delbert McClintock is a heavyset goof ball who is the towns exterminator, and his main goal in life is to kill bugs as he just hates them and he is a good guy to have on your side during a infestation like this. Dr. James Atherton is kind of a mystery as while I think he wants to help skill the spiders, I also think he wants to study them as his main interest in in new spider species. The Spiders are killing machines as they bite and kill all types of people from town and seem to do so even when not provoked and that makes them so dangerous and shows why the people of Canaima should be scared to death of them. The comic is not bloody at all but does have lots of death as people are being killed by spiders all over the comic, and it plays the creepy horror and not for bloody horror for the scares. The cover is cool but is kind of lazy as it is just the movie poser with comic logos added, the interior art is done by Dan Spiegle and is good stuff even if the character look nothing like the actors who played them. If you are a fan of the film or like more of a kid friendly type of Horror give this one a read as it will surely entertain you. Check out the artwork below to see the style used by Spiegle for this adaptation comic.

As you can see, Arachnophobia is a super fun family friendly Horror film that made for a very fun comic book read thanks to Disney Comics. And I for one would like to see what James Wan and his production company does when they get around to filming the remake, though I would like to see it done as a reboot or sequel personally myself. I have to also point out you can never go wrong with a movie that has a spider on fire being killed by a nail gun, just classic B-Movie stuff. And with that this update has came to an end, but do not worry we have more horror-themed updates coming your way as for this month I am going to stick with PG-13 horror movies that got the comic book treatment and our next one will be House II: The Second Story and the Marvel Comics adaptation of it! So until next time, read a horror comic or three, watch a horror film or two an as always support your local horror host. See you next update for a travel through dimensions and time in order to protect a Crystal Skull.

From Horror Movie To Horror Comic: To Die For (1988)

Posted on August 24, 2025 by bloodlinematt

Welcome back to Rotten Ink as we continue our countdown to Halloween 2025, and as you can see, we are about to dive deep into another “From Horror Movie To Horror Comic” update as I am sure many of you readers are like me and really enjoy reading Horror Comics and really enjoy them when they are based on a film. Today’s topic is an odd one as we will be looking at the 1989 erotic horror film To Die For and the comic adaptation done by Blackthorne Publishing to promote it, yeah it’s an odd one for them to make into a comic for sure but I feel it’s very cool that they did as I love when comic companies take chances on these smaller indie Horror Films to make comics based on them. But with that, let’s get ready to see what this version of Dracula is all about and what makes him different from the pack.

Let’s first start by taking a look at Vlad Tepish, the killer vampire from this film that not only drinks blood but also breaks hearts. Vlad, who is also known as Dracula, is a vampire so his main way of killing his victims is using his mind control and then drinking their blood by biting them on the neck with his razor sharp teeth that he can also use to rip flesh. His charm is also very dangerous as he can use it to bring his victims in closer and give them a sense of safety. He can also use it to make them spill their life story to him in order to use it to manipulate them. Vlad also has telepathic abilities and can lift and throw people around with but a glance. When a full vampire he takes on more of a monster appearance compete with demonic eyes, lots of long sharp teeth, claws and he makes animalistic growls and this as well can freeze his victims in fear. He is also strong and can manhandle those humans he wishes to. With Vlad Tepish as well comes lots of wealth and power over females that he charms who fall for his spell and will do whatever he wants, and let’s also not forget with him also comes Tom, a fellow Vampire that hates him and will kill people that are near Vlad in order to be a pain in his neck makes him even more dangerous to humans. Also let’s not forget that Vlad can turn humans into fellow vampires! But Vlad Tepish while immortal is not truly un-killable as a stake to his heart and sunlight can seal his doom, making him scary strong but can be defeated. I also feel that Vlad has a weakness for love as when he falls for a woman he kind of can turn into a softy and this can lead to his own death by leaving himself open for attacks or even with thoughts of suicide. Over all Vlad Tepish is a very deadly vampire and can deal death to those who cross him, but I will also say that he might not be the deadliest monster we have talked about on a From Horror Movie To Horror Comic update, he still is very powerful and can kill with speed if he chooses.

So as you can see, Vlad Tepish is a vampire who has charm but can also turn into a monster in order to get what he wants from the mere mortals of the world. And now that we have taken a look at Vlad and his death dealing ways, I think we should take a look at the film he is from To Die For! Like always we will be taking the film’s plot from IMDB and then I will write a little about the films production as well as my thoughts about the film. So if you are ready, let’s head to L.A. and see what is causing this vampire outbreak.

To Die For (1988)

“L.A. real estate agent Kate Wooten gets a new lease on life when she learns that her new client, a mysterious and handsome man named Vlad, is looking for a house isolated in the Hollywood Hills where he wants to live and doesn’t want to be disturbed. It doesn’t take long for Kate to fall in love with her new client and to learn that he’s a real vampire.”

Back in the 1980’s the video rental market was booming as were paid cable movie stations like HBO, Showtime, Movie Channel and Cinemax that were popular for movie lovers. And during this time erotic films were very popular in both ways of enjoying movies and ones with a dash of Horror were very much in demand and from this the world got To Die For, a Dracula film that was part horror and part erotic and was made fast and cheap. To Die For was produced by Brian Kumar and Lee Caplin as they wanted to make a profit off the Erotic Horror genre and they focused on Dracula and vampires and hired Leslie King to do the script and brought on Deran Sarafian who would go on to direct the film Death Warrant in 1990 and Terminal Velocity in 1994. When casting started they hired Brendan Hughes to play Vald Tepes aka Dracula and other actors hired included Sydney Walsh, Scott Jacoby, Amanda Wyss and Duane Jones of Night Of The Living Dead fame in his final film role. The film would be shot quickly with some cool practical special effects and would be distributed by Skouras Pictures and Cliff Eidelman was brought in to score it. When done the film had to be trimmed as it was on the verge of getting a X rating and this would have derailed the film from playing in theaters and even could have caused some issues with it airing on the paid cable movie stations. When completed the film would end up getting a very limited theatrical run in 1989 and would find its cult fan base on home media and cable. The film was released along side such other Horror Films in 1989 as Halloween 5, A Nightmare On Elm Street 5: The Dream Child, Puppet Master, Warlock, Friday The 13^th Part 8: Jason Takes Manhattan, The Dead Next Door and Silent Night Deadly Night 3 to name a few. While over the years this film is pretty much been forgotten by most, it still does have a small following and even spawned a sequel in 1991 that was called “Son Of Darkness: To Die For II”. I should also say that for some reason To Die For has other titles it goes by like “Bram Stoker’s To Die For” and “Dracula The Love Story To Die For” to name a few.

I want to start off by saying To Die For is one of those sleazy horror films that I feel like housewives in the late 1980’s would watch on late night cable and then tell their friends that they like horror and would use it as an example of the type of horror they like. And keep in mind, there is nothing wrong with that as erotic horror has its place on the Horror Family Tree. I first saw this film as a teenager when I bought a copy of it on VHS from a second hand store called Replay Media and was expecting a Dracula tale and got more of a Vlad in love with a real estate agent and a odd vampire fight between two long time enemies. While the film tries to be erotic, it’s pretty tame by today’s standards and it’s crazy to think that it was on the verge of getting a X-Rating. The film is very cheesy and I have to say that when Vlad Tepish is in human form, he is the most un-intimidating vampire I have seen in cinema! The film has great monster effects by the late great John Carl Buechler are great and kind of out of place for this style of film, but are very much a big welcome to add some spice to it. The film’s plot of having two vampires for over a hundred years fighting over the same woman every time she comes back to life is an interesting concept, it just is not fleshed out all that well here in this film. Most people who have seen this film gives big praise to actress Amanda Wyss that plays the character of Celia Kett as she is prefect in her roll, but I also feel that actor Steve Bond who plays Tom, the other vampire, is really good as he plays himself charming and also very cold blooded when needed. The odd thing about this film as well as it’s sequel is that in the modern age they kind of have disappeared with the first film having a very small release on DVD that is long out of print and now can only be found on a bootleg double feature release that is a terrible print, and the sequel I have yet to find on DVD or Blu-Ray besides copies on the grey market. Over all I have to say that I enjoy this film and while it’s very cheesy and fails at all levels at being erotic it does make for a good b-movie vampire film. If you like Dracula films, try and track this down and give it a watch as it will not change your life, but you might find yourself enjoying it.

To Die For is a interesting vampire film from the late 80’s that since released has gained a fan base from its limited theatrical run, home media release and of course cable airings. And now that we have talked about Vlad and the film he is from To Die For its time that we now take a look at the comic book based on the film that was released to help promote it. And I would like to thank Lone Star Comics for having this comic in stock and making this update possible. I also would like to remind you all that I grade these comics on a star scale of 1 to 4 and am looking for how well the comics stay to the source material, it’s entertainment value and it’s art and story. So if you are ready, let’s head to the castle of Vlad and see what horrors he has in store for us.

To Die For # 1 ***
Released in 1989 Cover Price $2.50 Blackthorne # 1 of 1

Katie is at a boat party in L.A with her friend Martin when she notices a man with long black hair that catches her eye, but he is gone just as fast. As Katie leaves the party for the night a friend of hers and Martin’s goes to his car to do a little drugs but instead is killed by a vampire. The next morning Katie goes to work, as she is a realtor and she finds out from her best friend and roommate Celia that she has a late night how showing scheduled for her and that Celia’s boyfriend Mike as asked her to marry him. As Katie leaves to the castle that she will be showing for sale, a homeless man asks her for change only for her to not have any and after she pulls out that homeless man is killed by a crazed vampire. Once at the castle Katie meets Vlad Tepish who is the man from the boat party she seen who ends up buying the castle, and seduces her and almost bites her as he is a vampire but because he feels a connection to her he does not drink her blood. Katie heads home and breaks the heart of Martin who has a crush on her, and alerts Celia that Vlad is buying the house and is looking for a security, and Celia takes the job and is quickly charmed by Vlad who bites her and has sex with her. Vlad also finds out that Tom a fellow vampire is in town and has his eyes set on Katie as well she looks like a woman the two have fought over on the past. Days later Vlad is holding a party at his castle and sends Katie a dress and an invite and this makes Celia jealous who has as well fallen in love with Vlad, and while at the party Tom appears and tries to scare Katie and argues with Vlad over who will turn her into one of them, Tom also bites and kills Celia and leaves her body to be found in a park and Martin who attends the party finds and steals a book from Vlad that tells of his history and that he is a vampire….and Katie is unaware of all of this and all she knows is that she is in love with Vlad. The next day the body of Celia is found and Katie meets with Mike and Martin to mourn the loss of their friend, and when Martin starts talking of Vlad being a vampire Katie storms out as Martin and Mike head to the morgue and have to fight and then kill Celia who is now a vampire with a wooden stake. Katie heads to Vlad’s castle and he alerts her to his true nature and she wants to become one of his so the pair have sex and he bites her, just as they finish Tom appears and the two vampires fight and Tom is killed when Vlad drops him onto a wooden spear bedpost. In the end Vlad takes Katie down the stairs and to end he nightmare and not make her become of the undead he walks out into the sun and dies just as Martin and Mike come to their friends side as she is heartbroken.

The Horror Comic version of To Die For is a pretty great read and while most of the elements of the film are there it also makes some changes to speed up the read and even removes some of the characters and scenes from the issue to achieve it. Like sadly I feel the comic downplays Celia who is one of the best side characters in the film as they have her die and turned by the hands of Tom way to early and they remove her venom laced speech that she gives to Katie and Mike when she feels she has lost the love of Vlad. Also it would have been nice to see Simon, the owner of the real estate company that Katie works for as in the film that was Duane Jones, the actor who played Ben in Night Of The Living Dead. The comic also at times moves past the gruesome kills and violence to fast and the final fight between Vlad and Tom is way to quick. The plot can be summed up really quickly as its this two vampires continue their blood feud in L.A during the 80’s when they both fall for the same woman who looks like a female from both of their pasts. Vlad while a vampire is fighting the urge to turn a mortal woman he has fallen for, he does however still has his killer and cold instincts as he kills Tom and plays with the heart and mind of Celia and when he gets closed to Katie he throws her to the side that leads to her death and turn. Katie seems lost through the whole issue as she is looking for love and falls for a stranger and once she meets him falls even more for him and even wants to be turned into a vampire in order to be with him, even after what he and his foe have done to her friends (Rich and Celia). Tom is super evil in this one and loves killing humans to drink their blood, has fun messing with Vlad and does his best to try and be the one to get Katie as a way for revenge. Martin and Mike are around and pretty much are used in the issue to kill Celia as well as figure out that Vlad is a vampire. The comic is filled with blood and nudity and my favorite kill of the issue has to be the death of Rich, who was their friend who is killed in his car after sniffing cocaine. The cover for this issue is really cool and eye catching for the time as it has that Indie Horror Comic appeal. The interior art is done by Edgar Martiarena and is really cool as I like the way he draws the vampires when they take their more monster looks. Over all this is a pretty quick and fun read and while it does change lots from the film it makes it feel kind of like a new tale for those characters, I would say if you enjoy the film its based on or just like vampire comics give this one a read. Check out the art below to see the style of Edgar Martiarena used for this comic.

To Die For is a late 80’s vampire film that is not a ground breaking and has a very micro cult following and it’s crazy to think that a publisher like Blackthorne Publishing that was a pretty big player in those days took the chance to make this comic in both 2D and 3D! That’s right, you can also find this comic in 3D as that was one of Blackthorne’s big gimmicks back then as they loved being the ones to do comics in 3D. But as you can see, this From Horror Movie To Horror Comic update is over and that means it’s time for me to tell you that out next update will be as it will continue in the Horror theme as we will be taking a look at the film Arachnophobia and the comic adaptation based around it. So until next time ,read a Horror Comic or three, watch a Horror Film or two and as always support your local Horror Host. See you next update as I hope you don’t have a fear of spiders as they are the creepy crawly baddies that are looking for a quick bite.

From Horror Movie To Horror Comic: Predator 2 (1990)

Posted on March 12, 2025 by bloodlinematt

Welcome back to Rotten Ink and to another “From Horror Movie To Horror Comic” update as this is one that has been on my list to cover for a while now as it is a film that I grew up a fan of and even had these comics shortly after it was released in my collection. The topic is Predator 2, the cool sequel that takes our alien hunter out of the jungle and into the concrete jungle of a big city! And in this one he takes on a strong willed cop and not a mercenary. Predator 2 is one of those films that got a comic that could have also been covered on a “Alien Invasion” update, but I feel it’s more fitting for a “From Horror Movie To Horror Comic” on as this film brings on the kills, blood and scares as The Predator stalks the streets and makes anyone armed the prey, and that means good guys and not just the bad guys! So if you are ready, let’s head out into the city heat and not only avoid the everyday criminals but also one that has came from outer space and wants to collect skulls as trophies.

Let’s take a look at The Predator from Predator 2 ,and his ways of dealing death to those he is hunting! The Predator is a massive alien from outer space who is using the city of LA, California as his hunting ground and he has the means and weapons to make many people dead. First he has the ability to cloak and become invisible to the human eye, making it possible for him to stalk and kill you without even seeing him. And when you do see him, his massive monstrous appearance strikes fear into the hearts of those unlucky to lay eyes on him as he is one ugly creature. He also is very smart and wears armor and a helmet with the helmet making him able to see body heat, bright lights as well as mimic the voices of humans, making his helmet a very important part of his arsenal. The weapons he has are his arm blades, two razor sharp blades that are on his wrist that can shred human skin and cut through bone, Combistick a spear with a blade at the end of it, Netgun a gun that fires a net at high speed that can capture as well as kill as it cuts through skin, Energy Flechette a missile that he can fire from his wrist, Smart Disc a circle blade weapon that he can throw and it finds its target can cut a person in half, Self-Destruct Device that he wears on his write that once activated and goes off is like a mini nuclear bomb, and finally he also has his Plasmacaster a shoulder cannon that locks on a target and can blow a massive hole through them. As you can see, his weapons are all tools to kill and can make short work out of almost all he comes across. The Predator stands well over 7 feet tall and is also very strong as he can kill a person with his bare hands in seconds; he is also skilled at hunting and messing with his prey in other words The Predator is one mean killing machine who if he wants you dead…you are. While the Predator is an alien, he can be hurt and killed like any other living being as guns, sharp objects, extreme cold and falls can kill or injure him and make his green blood spill. His pride in hunting can also do him in as even when hurt his passion to keep going kicks in and can cause him to make some mistakes that could lead to his death. But while he has weaknesses luck is the only thing that will help you if you come face to face with The Predator as he is one dangerous killer and is one of the more dangerous killers we have showcased on a From Horror Movie To Horror Comic update.

So now that we looked at The Predator from the second film in the series, I think it’s now time that we take a look at the film itself. I would like to remind you that I will be taking the film’s write up from our friends at IMDB and then will write about the film’s production as well as my thoughts. So let’s try and avoid being hunted and chat about Predator 2.

Predator 2 (1990)

“LAPD lieutenant Mike Harrigan and his cocky detective partner Jerry Lambert (soon realize that what seemed a bloody feud between voodoo high priest King Willie’s Jamaican gangs and Ramon Vega’s Colombian drug gang is actually the work of a scary third party. Peter Keyes’s federal team shields the crime scene even for the LAPD, but after forensics proves it must be an alien, who keeps making victims, the chase brings them all together.”

The 1987 film Predator was a big hit for 20^th Century Fox and this sparked them having interest in doing a sequel and had screenwriters Jim & John Thomas to come up with ideas and after many failed pitches it was the idea of having The Predator hunting in a urban setting that got the green light. The producer of the film was Joel Silver and his first action was to bring Stephen Hopkins to direct, and he worked closely with the Thomas Brothers to try and get the film as epic as they could, and Hopkins was no stranger to horror as in 1989 he was the director for “A Nightmare On Elm Street 5: The Dream Child” and he was a good choice to helm this film. When casting the lead role of Lieutenant Mike Harrigan names like Steven Seagal and Patrick Swayze was brought up but Danny Glover ended up with the role, others actors brought in for key parts included Gary Busey, Bill Paxton, Maria Conchita Alonso, Adam Baldwin, Ruben Blades and Robert Davi and Kevin Peter Hall returned to play The Predator and in small cameo rolls was TV talk show host Morton Downey Jr. and adult film actress Teri Weigel. And while Arnold Schwarzenegger was supposed to return as Dutch, a pay dispute seen him leaving the film but Elpidia Carrillo returned in a very small cameo as Anna Gonsalves from the first film. The look and suit of The Predator had some minor changes and they even made the decision to have a skull from a Xenomorph as s set piece. The film has a normal stressful production and was released in theaters on November 21, 1990 and did well at the box office in American brining in $30,669,413.00 on a budget of around $20 million, placing in at # 38 for the year and beat out such other Horror Films as Child’s Play 2, Jacob’s Ladder, The Exorcist III, The First Power, The Guardian, Tales From The Darkside The Movie and Tremors. The film was also scored by Alan Silvestri and is a great follow up to the original and over the years has built up a cult following.

I am going to say this first thing I am a fan of Predator 2 and have been since it was released and behind the original film, it is my second favorite in the series! I had not only the film on VHS but also had the comic adaptation, the novel adaptation and had the video game for the Sega Genesis and I have never understood why this film over the years has gotten so much hate from critics and fans of the series. The film has an amazing cast with Danny Glover being fantastic as the badass cop Lieutenant Harrigan who is a great hero for as he really goes after and takes the fight to the Predator. I also like his fellow officers and team Danny Boy, Leona and Jerry as they all make such a great team and are played by some topnotch actors Ruben Blades, Maria Conchita Alonso and Bill Paxton. Plus it stars Gary Busey who was an actor I liked at the time and before he truly became all crazy and touchy to female fans at Horror and Comic Conventions. Plus I really liked that the second film took The Predator out of the jungle and dropped him into a big city and having it take place during a heat wave was a smart move as the hot climate mirrored the jungle, and doing like this made it not seem like a rehash of the first film. I also think that the film had some really cool and impactful kills as the deaths of both Jerry and Danny Boy are sad and the brutal killings of the drug pushers have you cheering as the Predator shows no mercy. Also the film is very quotable as I cannot count how many times I have done the speech given by one of King Willies men to one of their victims about voodoo and taking souls. It’s truly a great line, and I have also done the “Want Some Candy” line with a robotic sounding voice. The film when released as well I can remember the TV ads, the poster in the paper for screening times at the local theaters as well as it being on the cover and covered in Fangoria Magazine. Again to sum it up, I am a fan of Predator 2 and do not understand the hate the film gets and I think that if you are one of those who hate it and have not watched it in awhile, go back and re-watch it and remove the “its not like the first film” from your mind and I think you just might enjoy it.

So now that we have talked about The Predator as well as the film Predator 2, I think we are now at the point of this update that we review the comic based around said film! And to be honest, this is one that I have had on the list of comics that I wanted to do an update about and it has taken me way too long to get to it so I am really glad that the time has come for me to do so. I want to thank Mavericks Cards And Comics for having these comics in stock and making this update possible. I want to also remind you all that I grade these comics on a star scale of 1 to 4 and am looking for how well the comics stay to the source material, their entertainment value and their art and story. So if you are ready, let’s head to L.A. as I hear they are having a bad heat wave and that The Predator has returned as he really has developed a taste for fresh beef straight out of the slaughterhouse here on Earth.

Predator 2 # 1 ***
Released in 1991 Cover Price $2.50 Dark Horse # 1 of 2

The year is 1997 and with the temperature reaching 109 degrees, a shoot out between the cops and some of the El Scorpios drug gang has broken out in the street leaving a cop bleeding to death and both sides exchanging gunfire. But when Lieutenant Harrigan shows up he is able to use his own car as a battering ram and gets the officers a chance to save the dying officer as well as take out a few of the gangs members. But Harrigan and his team that consists of Danny Boy and Leona are told to stay out of the building that the rest of the gang is hiding in as a special unit team has been called in, but Harrigan and his men don’t listen and go in and end up finding the bodies of many of the gangsters as they have been slaughtered and one member even falls from the roof to his death after seeing the outline of The Predator who was in the building and killed all the gang members. Back at the station Harrigan and his men are in trouble for disobeying orders, learns that a Federal Task Force has been called in to tackle the drug war and it will be run by an Agent Peter Keyes and he also gets a new part of his team with Jerry Lambert. Later that night the Predator attacks a group of the rival gangs member that are lead by King Willie who is a voodoo priest, and once more Harrigan and his men don’t listen to orders and get in big trouble when after Danny Boy is killed while looking into the murder scene. And Keyes and his men threaten Harrigan if he keeps interfering in their crime scenes. But after Danny’s funeral, Harrigan is on a personal mission to find the killer and even lets Keye’s know that his words mean nothing to him as Leona and Jerry stay with Harrigan and come up with a plan to find out who Keyes really is, what he knows about this killer on the loose and to find and track said killer to pay him back for taking out their fellow officer and friend. Later that night Harrigan meets with the drug lord King Willie to find out if he knows who this killer of his men as well as all the others is, and Willie tells him that the killer is from the other side before they part ways. The Predator then comes for Willie and ends the voodoo man’s life.

This is really a fun read, and if you are a fan of Predator 2 like I am this comic adaptation does the film justice as well as adds its own touch to the story as it takes away element from the film in order to speed up the story and make it fit into two issues. Like while much of the violence is around it is not as bloody as the film, the comic also has the events pretty much taken from the side of Harrigan as he acts as the narrator and moves the story along and moments that are cut from the panels are showcased in his words. The one part that I wish that was not cut from the story so much was Jerry Lambert joining the team as in the film it’s a really cool scene as they all kind of bust his balls, but in the comic he just kind of joins. The plot is very simple and has the city of L.A. in big trouble as a drug war is going on and the temperature is so high that tempers are out of control, and worse the cops are now having to find a killer who is killing people on all sides and that means the drug dealers as well as the officers…and things get worse when the government send a team in to take control and they are full of secrets and are hiding the truth from the cops. Lieutenant Harrigan is the hero of our story and is a cop who does not take crap from anyone, he breaks the rules all the time but it cause he wants to bring down the bad guys and do his job right and that is to serve and protect the innocent as well as watch the backs of his fellow officers. He is super skilled when it comes to shooting and his never back down attitude is what makes him the target of The Predator as he see’s Harrigan as the ultimate hunt in L.A. and he ain’t wrong. Harrigan’s team are much like him great cops who break the rules but get the job done and they are all very great characters and make a great team as Danny Boy, Leona and Jerry are the kind of partners you would want on your side if you were a cop. Keyes and his team are slimey as they threaten and use intimidation to try and get people to fall in line to what they want them to do. And while the feuding drug pushers are around they are a non-factor once The Predator enters the city as he makes quick work of them all including King Willie, who is a very powerful boss as well as a voodoo priest. I do wish that the comic was a little more bloody but I do think fans of the red stuff will not be let down by this comic. The cover is pretty cool and is a still from the movie and shows The Predator in all his glory, and the interior artwork is done by Dan Barry and is great stuff as he was working on many of Dark Horse Comics Predator series around this time. This is a great read and leaves us on the cliffhanger of King Willie being killed by the alien hunter, and makes me want to see what the second issue has in store.

Predator 2 # 2 ***
Released in 1991 Cover Price $2.50 Dark Horse # 2 of 2

Lieutenant Harrigan is visiting the grave of his friend Danny Boy when he finds apart of his friends necklace hanging from the tree and he knows that the killer is playing games with him. Once back at the station Harrigan meets up with Leona and Jerry who he tells to take the subway towards the slaughterhouse as a tip found on the body of Danny Boy leads them to the killer might be using it as a hideout and at one point Jerry confirms that while tracking Keyes he lost him around that area. But while on the train the Predator attacks and kills many of the civilians as well as kills Jerry and steals his skull as a trophy. And the Predator only let Leona live because she was pregnant, but when Harrigan arrives on the scene he see’s the Predator and gives chase for the alien through the streets of L.A. but losses him. As Harrigan keeps tracking The Predator he runs into Keyes and his men who finally inform the officer that the killer he is looking for is an alien who is the ultimate hunter and he is killing people in the city due to the high heat and the high crime rate as this is the perfect hunting ground for him. Harrigan then watches and Keyes and some of his men head into the slaughter house with the idea to capture the Predator in order to study its technology…they fail and are all killed by him. But Harrigan once more goes after the Predator and even is able to cut off one of the aliens hands! Harrigan tracks the Predator to his own ship and the two have a final showdown and Harrigan is able to kill it with his own Smart Disc, and as the Predator dies more of his kind appear on the ship and take their fallen friend away as one gives Harrigan a dueling pistol and allows him to leave the ship alive. The Predator’s ship takes off back to space as Harrigan looks to the sky and knows that they will return someday.

The second issue in this adaptation of Predator 2 does the film justice as well and is a great read for fans of the film as the plot of this second issue has Harrigan and the remaining members of his team going on the hunt for the one who killed their friend only for them to be the ones being hunted and Harrigan must come face to face with The Predator and have a showdown that will leave only one of them alive and the alien hunter learns he messed with the wrong cop! Lieutenant Harrigan in this issue has had enough as he totally goes against orders and even stands up to Keyes and his men letting them know that they don’t scare him and that he will do what he has to do to bring down the killer, and he does just that as even after finding out the killer is a massive alien he still goes after it full force and is able to cut the alien down to size using the hunters own weapon to end it’s life! Poor Jerry ends up getting killed in this issue and his skull and spine removed as Leona is left alive but is very much left in shock on what she has seen. The Predator himself is very skilled and also a little cruel as he seems to enjoy trying to bait and anger Harrigan throughout as he leaves Danny Boy’s necklace for Harrigan to find as well as removes Jerry’s skull right in front of him, but while The Predator is skilled I think he was also a little to cocky and that is why he ends up getting taken down in the end. Keyes and his men as well are way to cocky and think that they can just freeze and capture the Predator and they learn very quickly they are out skilled and out smarted and are left as dead as the meat hanging in the slaughterhouse! The second issue has some blood and cool kills and I have to say both human and alien blood is spilled. The cover for this issue as well is a still from the movie and is pretty great as its one of the most iconic images from the film, and like before Dan Barry is the interior artist and his work is great stuff and has the early Dark Horse Comics style and those who grew up reading such comics as Terminator, Pumpkinhead and Aliens from them will know what I mean. This is a very cool adaptation and while as I said moments from the film are missing or are condensed down it still is a very solid read and one I enjoyed back then and still do now. Checkout the artwork below to see they style of Dan Barry as I really do like the way he draws The Predator. Oh and I should also say for those wondering, the characters in the comic do not look like the actors from the film so those wanting to see Danny Glover, Gary Busey and Bill Paxton might be a little disappointed.

The film Predator 2 made for a great comic adaptation as the film is filled with lots of action and some great kills that are just perfect for pages in a comic book. The one thing is the first film from 1987 never did get the comic book treatment and that’s crazy as it really should have, as imagine seeing a drawn Dutch doing battle against the Predator in the jungle…that would have been awesome. And what is cool for fans of the Predator films is that over the years many different comic series have been made featuring them, and while Dark Horse Comics has the most released, even Marvel Comics more recently has released some issues. But as you can see, this “From Horror Movie To Horror Comic” update has come to an end as we have survived the heat as well as the Predator, and I think that it’s time for me to tell you that our next update will take us to the Rotten Ink Arena as we take a look at another Indie Luchador File! So until next time, read a horror comic or three, watch a horror film or two and as always support your local Horror Host! See you next update as this Luchador was a true legend on the indies and really likes the color Blue!

From Horror Movie To Horror Comic: Blacula (1972)

Posted on September 3, 2024 by bloodlinematt

Welcome back to Rotten Ink and to another From Horror Movie To Horror Comic update and this is also the start of our countdown to Halloween 2024! This one is going to be a truly spooky update as we will be chatting about the 1972 fright flick Blacula and the 2023 graphic novel based around it. It’s a great thing that Blacula has finally made his way to comic books as this is truly long overdue and he really should have gotten a comic series or at least an adaptation in the 70’s via Marvel, Dell or Charlton. I am really loving seeing so many classic horror films and even modern ones lately getting the comic book treatment as these comics help these characters live on in entertainment as well as give fans more of their favorites. I will never understand why indie filmmakers doing crowd funding never offer a comic book perk, it is just silly to me. So if you are ready, let’s travel to Los Angeles and see what Blacula has in store for us all.

To start off this update, let’s take a look at Blacula himself and his way of dealing death to the living! Blacula, who’s human name was Prince Mamuwalde was an African Prince around 1780 who was tricked and bitten by Count Dracula after a meeting at his castle. Dracula and turns Mamuwalde into a vampire and he’s given the name Blacula and is sealed in a coffin and his wife Luva is locked in a room with the coffin. It would be not until 1972 that Blacula would be discovered and he and his coffin sent to L.A. and his rise as a vampire king would start. Blacula has many ways of dealing death to his victims as first he is very charming and can use this charm to lure in females in order to drain their blood or make them into a vampire bride. He can also almost hypnotize you into trusting him and following his every word. While when looking normal he is a handsome man, but when he shows his vampire side his appearance shocks and scares those he comes in contact with. Blacula is stronger than a normal man and is able to shake off assault attacks, gunshots as well as even being hit by cars. He can also turn into a bat and fly away or faster to his targeted victim, not to even mention he can speak to people through their minds. He can also use his bare hands to kill a person but his main way of killing is his sharp teeth that he uses to drain the blood out of his victims or turn them into one of his mindless minions. But while Blacula is immortal for the most part he can still be killed by a stake to the heart, fire and of course sunlight like all vampires, and he can also be distracted by love as when a female reminds him of his deceased wife, he tends to make mistakes. Blacula’s anger as well as his need to cover his trail and what he is can also lead him to make mistakes that can lead to his true death. Blacula is a very powerful vampire with only maybe Dracula being more powerful than he, and that is why he is one of the most deadly undead monsters we have covered this far.

So as you can see, Blacula is a very powerful vampire and is one that is not only looking for his lost love but also to claim the throne of being the new King Of The Vampires. But now I think it’s time that we take a look at the 1972 film that he is from. And like always, we will be taking the film’s plot from our pals at IMDB and then I will write about the film’s production as well as my thoughts on the film. So if you are ready, let’s see what horrors Prince Mamuwalde has in store for us.

Blacula (1972)

“An 18th century African statesman is transformed into a vampire, cursed with the name Blacula, and entombed in Dracula’s Castle after he fails to convince the Count to support him in his cause to end the slave trade. Two hundred years later, a pair of interior decorators transport his coffin to L.A. where he awakes with an unquenchable thirst for human blood. As Blacula pursues a woman who resembles his long dead wife, her brother-in-law, a pathologist, investigates the string of carnage that follows in the vampire’s wake.”

The 1970’s were a time for horror, cult, sci-fi and Blaxploitation films to shine at theaters and drive-in’s as they would show them and moviegoers seemed to not to be able to get enough. And one of the biggest producers of these type of films was Samuel Z. Arkoff who was another “King Of The B-Movies” along the likes of Roger Corman and Al Adamson and was known for such films as Teenage Caveman, Reptilicus, Fury Of Archilles, Die Monster Die, The Dunwich Horror, Abominable Dr. Phibes and so many more, and he teamed with Joseph T. Naar to create the film Blacula in 1972. The team of Joan Torres, Raymond Koenig and Richard Glouner were the script writers, and William Crain was brought in to direct and this was his first feature film as he had only worked on one episode of the TV Show Mod Squad before it. The producers then would hire such actors as Vonetta McGee, Denise Nicolas, Charles Macaulay, Emily Yancy and The Hues Corporation with William Marshall being hired to play Blacula, who is the world of cinema’s first Black vampire! Marshall as well worked along with the producers and crew to make sure Blacula was a powerful and respectable character. The film was shot in Los Angeles and filmed early in 1972 and once done Gene Page did the score that had a funk sound. Once done the film was released by American International Pictures (owned by Arkoff & James H. Nicholson) and hit theaters on July 26, 1972 and was meet with mixed reviews from critics but moviegoers liked it as the film would make over a million dollars and be one of 1972’s big hits. The film would spawn a sequel in 1973 called “Scream Blacula Scream” and would also start a rash of Blaxploitation Horror Films like “Blackenstein (1973)”,“Abby (1974)”, “Dr. Black And Mr. White (1976)”, “Black Devil Doll From Hell (1984)” and “Bones (2001)” to name a few, showing just how important Blacula is to the world of horror cinema. The film was released along side such other horror films as Tales From The Crypt, The Red Queen Kills Seven Times, Ben, Dracula A.D. 1972, Fury Of The Wolfman, Frogs, Children Shouldn’t Play With Dead Things, Last House On The Left, Horror Express, Vampire Circus, Rats Are Coming The Werewolves Are Here, Baron Blood, Moon Of The Wolf and Don’t Torture Duckling in 1972 and this is just a small amount released that year. The film is a cult classic and found even more fans via Cable TV and Home Media when released on those formats.

I am going to say it, I really do think that Blacula is one of the most underrated horror films of the 1970’s as it is often over looked and tossed aside mostly because people judge it by it’s name and not the quality of the film and that’s a shame as it is a very solid Horror film with a very cool vampire who has a hatred for his own creator Count Dracula. I saw this film when I was a very young kid as I believe it was playing on TBS and both my brother and I had to watch it, I am pretty sure my Dad as well watched it with us, and when the film was done I can remember playing with G.I. Joes and saying Roadblock was Blacula and he was on the prowl for some blood. The film is filled with some great classic style creepy moments and has a very 70’s feel and take on the Dracula story in general. The film’s score was also very different from the others at the time as Gene Page went more for a Funk sound over your normal eerie one, and this helped add to the L.A. feel of the fright flick. William Marshall was a very wise choice to play Prince Mamuwalde aka Blacula, as he is a fantastic actor and really did take the role seriously and delivers a powerful performance, as Marshall had been acting since the mid 1950’s and is known for his roles in such films and shows as Tarzan (1967), The Boston Strangler (1968), Abby (1974), Amazon Women On The Moon (1987) and Pee-Wee’s Playhouse (1993) where he was The King Of Cartoons! I have always had mad respect for William Marshall and he was truly an iconic actor and was truly apart of my childhood growing up as I had seen him in so many movies and shows. I also think that the film packs a few good scares as well as a very new take on the vampire folklore as it did a great job of bringing the classic monster into the 70’s setting. I also think that Blacula should have gotten more sequels as there were plenty of more tales they could have told with the character, and I do need to say that there is a rumor going around the a reboot to the series is in the works and while I wish William Marshall was still alive so he could have taken a role in the film I am interested to see what this film is like if it ever gets made. Say what you will about Blacula but for me it truly is one of 70’s best Horror Films and should be respected by fans just as much as Halloween, Texas Chainsaw Massacre and Dawn Of The Dead to name a few.

So as you can see, Blacula is a film that you should check out and it was great that finally in 2023 he got his own comic book after all these decades of it truly being long overdue. And while I wish that the comic had been single issues and not a Graphic Novel, I am still happy to be reading it any way I can, and I truly hope that it is a great read as I have been looking forward to this since it was announced by Zombie Love. I would also like to thank Game Swap Kettering for ordering this GN for me and making this update possible. I would also like to remind you that I grade these comics on a star scale of 1 to 4 and am looking for how well the comics stay to the source material, its entertainment value and its art and story. So with that, let’s see what Blacula has in store for us in his first terror filled comic.

Blacula: Return Of The King GN ***
Released in 2023 Cover Price $19.99 Zombie Love # 1 of 1

In modern Los Angeles people have gone missing as vampires are stalking the streets at night and the name Blacula is being spray-painted around town. Tina Thomas is a blogger who is heading to the area that the disappearances are taking place and meets Kross, a man who is on the hunt for vampires! Meanwhile in Hell, Blacula is trying to get Lucifer to grant his request of returning to Earth and the ruler of Hell not granting his request. Kross informs Tina that he is the grandson of taxi driver and Blacula victim Juanita Jones and that he is now looking after young kids affected by the vampire attacks and his goal is to kill Blacula once and for all. Meanwhile Blacula has escaped Hell and is walking the Earth once more and even kills a group of gang members who try and hold him up. While Count Dracula is also around and lures a single mom working at a diner into his trap and drinks her blood even as she pleads for her life, and while draining all of the woman’s blood a news report about Blacula peeks his interest and he ends up calling in two redneck vampires to track down his vampire spawn and bring him back to him. While Kross along with his gang and Tina head to a graveyard looking for Blacula to kill, they only the find the vampire Juanita and they are forced to stake her, and worse Kross is shaken by this and this allows his grandfather who was also a vampire to escape. Meanwhile Blacula is stalking the streets on his quest to find Dracula and even kills a bunch of cops and when he finds safety he is thinks back to why he his killing his own race after he was always protecting them in his time as a Prince. As the two redneck vampires drive around asking fellow vampires if they have any clues to where Blacula is, he has been discovered by Tina, Kross and The Kids who end up listening to his tale of being turned into a vampire by Dracula and wants revenge…and the kids decide to help him! Blacula takes out the two redneck vampires that are tracking him and the kids stake Kross’s vampire grandfather and the group then heads to the location of Count Dracula and after taking out some of Dracula’s minions, Blacula finally gets his chance to fight with Dracula and after going back and fourth it’s Blacula that wins with a silver sword to the heart of Dracula! And after that Blacula leaves with Tina, Kross and the other kids with his future unknown. Meanwhile in Hell Lucifer is very mad about Blacula’s escape and with the help of a demon and Count Dracula himself they decide to send back a werewolf to Earth to get him back…and so this Graphic Novel ends on a cliffhanger.

First thing I have to say is that this Graphic Novel is pretty awesome and is a fantastic read and really does read like a sequel to the classic 1972 film and does so with respect for the character and his legacy and helps bring the Horror and complex nature of Blacula to the readers. The plot has Blacula escaping Hell in order to finally get his revenge on Count Dracula who is the one responsible for turning him into a vampire as well as taking his wife away from him. Also Count Dracula has lost all his wealth and is now hiding out in California and waiting for his spawn Blacula to attack now that he has returned…throw in some young adults who are hunting the vampire legends as well as Lucifer who is mad about the escape from Hell, and you have one heck of a great horror comic read! Blacula while a vampire, a killer and even a spreader of turning others into bloodsuckers feels bad about having to drain the blood of his own race in order to survive and truly hates what he has become as well as the name of Blacula as he would rather be called by his real name Prince Mamuwalde and not the name Dracula forced on him. Blacula also knows that he has angered Hell but does not care as he wants his revenge and even controls his anger and hunger when he meets a group of kids that are hunting him and other vampires down, and these kids are all effected by vampires as their families had been killed or turned by one causing them to want revenge of their own. Tina Thomas however is along for the ride as she is a blogger about the unknown and wanted to get to the bottom of the legend of Blacula and soon finds that the legend is true and she ends up helping him on his quest for revenge. Kross is also a interesting character as he is the grandson of the woman taxi driver that was bitten in turned in 1972 (as seen in the movie) and has made it his life goal to kill Blacula as well as bring together and watch over all the kids that have been effected by vampire attacks, and he ends up having a change of heart when he finally meets Blacula and soon decides to help him against Dracula’s horde. Speaking of Count Dracula, he is no longer surrounded by wealth and power and is now living in a trailer harvesting his own blood from victims and very bored with his immortal life, and is very much looking forward to a fight to the death against Blacula. And the final fight between Blacula and Dracula is fast paced it very much is a fun battle that leaves The Count dead and The Prince still feeling empty. The Graphic Novel does have some blood and violence and fans of Horror Comics will enjoy many of the kills that include lots of blood drinking and some stakes to the hearts of the undead. The cover is pretty dang great and creepy and has a raging Blacula showing his fangs of fright! The interior artwork is done by Jason Shawn Alexander and is great stuff and captures the mood of the film series as well as even the actors who played the characters. Over all this is a very cool and entertaining horror graphic novel read, and I cannot wait for the second volume as this one leaves us on a cliffhanger and we all want to see Blacula fight a werewolf and even possibly Lucifer himself who is pretty annoyed with the Vampire Prince who escaped the tortures of Hell! Do yourself a favor and if you like the film or just like vampire comics, give this a read as I am sure you will enjoy it. Checkout the artwork bellow to see the style of Alexander used in this comic.

Blacula: Return Of The King is a really great horror graphic novel that gave new media life to this classic iconic horror character from the 70’s. And with a new reboot sequel in the works (or so it’s said) I just wish William Marshall was still with us as it would have been great for him to see this rebirth and respect the character brought to life by him is now getting from modern horror fans. With that this From Horror Movie To Horror Comic update is over, but our time with horror is still going as our next update will take us to the Rotten Ink Arena as a “R.I.W Legend” update event will be taking place and will feature The ECW Zombie, so make sure to comeback for that one. So until next time, read a Horror Comic or three, watch a Horror Movie or two and as always support your local Horror Host. See you next update as I wonder if The Zombie will cut one of his iconic moaning and groaning promos?

Horror Host Icon: USA Up All Night

Posted on November 15, 2021 by bloodlinematt

Growing up my favorite TV Station hands down was the USA Network as they had all the must-watch shows. They aired Commander USA’s Groovie Movies, my all time favorite Horror Host, and they also had USA Saturday Nightmares, USA Kung-Fu Theater, Duckman, Werewolf, The Hitchhiker, Alfred Hitchcock Presents, Silk Stalkings, WWF Monday Night Raw and USA Up All Night, with that latter being a must watch for not only the cheesy or sleazy movie but for Rhonda Shear who was and still is one of the most beautiful Horror Hostess to grace a TV screen! Rhonda was one of my major celebrity crushes, and I can even remember kids at school talking about her. Plus no one can say Up All Night like she can! Up All Night also introduced me to the comedy antics of Gilbert Gottfried, who became one of my favorite comedians and later would become the host of one of my favorite podcasts called “Gilbert Gottfried’s Amazing Colossal Podcast” that’s about classic Hollywood. Plus I cannot forget Caroline Schlitt, who was the original co-host with Gilbert on the show. She had her own style of hosting and is underrated and too often overlooked by fans when they speak of this classic show. USA Up All Night was a true staple of my childhood, and my brother and I would watch Friday and Saturday nights for the longest time. This show also introduced me to many horror movies as well as martial arts and sex comedies that I am still a fan of to this day. So it’s with great honor and glee that I bring to you readers Horror Host Icon: Gilbert Gottfried, Caroline Schlitt & Rhonda Shear! So if you’re ready, let’s hit the streets of New York and talk about one of the most iconic late night Horror Host shows in the whole USA.

USA Up All Night started airing on USA Network on January 7, 1989 and was a way for the station to air really bad B-movies, horror and sexploitation films to late night TV watchers in double features. The show aired on Friday nights at 11pm with host comedian Gilbert Gottfried and was set in New York. Midway through the first season, a Friday night version of the show was added and comedian Caroline Schlitt would host from Los Angeles, showing three films. In late 1990, hostess Schlitt left Up All Night, and she was quickly replaced with comedian and B-Movie actress Rhonda Shear who would take over the Friday night show as well as be the host for LA. The pair of Shear and Gottfried would even cross over from time to time for special episodes like New Year’s Eve, and the show would remain very popular for the USA Network and was must see late night TV for that generation’s monster kids. In 1994, the animated original show Duckman was also added into the show’s lineup of features, changing the pacing of the start of the show slightly. At one point the California show and host Rhonda Shear was moved to New York and both Friday and Saturday night shows moved timeslots from 11pm to 12am and back and fourth again. Sadly USA Up All Night was cancelled in 1998 after 10 seasons and over 900 episodes when new management to USA Network Barry Diller took over and canceled many programs as he wanted to make the station more upscale and felt like shows like this did not fit his boring and stale vision for the network. The cancelation of Up All Night marked the true end of the USA Network for me as Commander USA’s Groovie Movies ended in 1989 and USA Saturday Nightmares was no more in 1994….and now the station is a shell of what it was with most of the day devoted to terrible reruns of Law And Order. It’s crazy to me that USA Network did not do a 30^th Anniversary Up All Night Reunion show in 2019 and bring back all three classic hosts to host three films…a missed opportunity for sure…but I guess they could not spare the time as they really needed to play those crappy rerun episodes of Modern Family.

Growing up, Saturday nights were a great time to be a horror movie fan as USA Network was your hookup for a good night of frights. You could start your night with USA Saturday Nightmares and watch a spooky movie as well as some thriller themed TV Shows and to end the night, you would join Gilbert Gottfried as he would keep you Up All Night with a dose of sleazy cinema. My brother and I would watch the show on both Friday and Saturday nights and I can remember us both being torn sometimes when TNT started MonsterVision with host Joe Bob Briggs on Friday nights at 11pm starting in 1996 as it was the same time Rhonda Shear was on! Now that really was a battle as both hosts are some of my all time favorites and both showed the films I enjoyed! I can also remember, as I stated before, kids at school talking about Up All Night and all the boys talking about Rhonda and how beautiful she was and many of us doing really bad impersonations of Gilbert Gottfried saying Up All Night to each other. It’s crazy that major broadcast TV has dropped the ball on bringing the kids of today a good classic Horror Host, and we all must really thank MeTV for having Svengoolie on to be that gateway for many young kids into the world of horror, sci-fi and thriller films. That’s also why I think Public Access and online stations like Eerie Late Night and The Vortexx are very important in keeping local and national Horror Hosts alive for viewers. It’s crazy as Rhonda Shear, Gilbert Gottfried and Caroline Schlitt will never know just how much they helped shape my creative life and my love for the art of Horror Hosting alongside names like Commander USA, Grampa Munster, Joe Bob Briggs, Dr. Creep, A. Ghastlee Ghoul, Mystery Science Theater 3000, Elvira Mistress Of The Dark and The Creeper. They meant something to me and seemed like crazy friends who went along for the ride as we watched a movie or two. While I doubt they will ever read this update, I still need to say thank you to them for keeping me Up All Night and introducing me to so many sleazy, cheesy and just plan weird movies!

Gilbert Gottfried is a comedian and was the first host hired for USA Up All Night when it was a Saturday night show. Gilbert Gottfried was born on February 28, 1955 in Brooklyn, New York and comedy was in his blood as he started his stand up career at the age of 15. This helped the people dub him “The Comedian’s Comedian,” and in 1980 this helped him become a cast member on the 6^th season of Saturday Night Live and sadly the writers used him very rarely during his 12-episode stint. In 1983 he would become a character actor for the show “Thicke Of The Night” that only lasted one season and was over in 1984…but this helped him land a role in the film “The House Of God” as a paramedic and more roles in TV and movies would follow over the years with some of his most popular TV Shows being the cartoon “Aladdin”, “Duckman”, “Wings”, “Night Court” and “USA Up All Night” to name a few. His film roles include “Problem Child 1-3”, “Highway To Hell”, “Double Dragon” and his most popular “Aladdin” where he voiced Iago The Parrot! He also would be the voice of the Aflac duck mascot for commercials for the insurance company, but was let go when he made some bad taste jokes about the earthquake and tsunami that devastated Japan in 2011. He would also go on to do more stand up comedy, lend his voice to video games and cartoons, host his own podcast and even in 2019 starred as Fred Fuchs in an episode of The Angry Video Game Nerd. Gilbert is married to his wife Dara Kravitz who he met in the late 90’s and wed in 2007; the couple have two children. His comedy style is that of his own and he is well respected by his peers as they see that he is a trendsetter with his comedy. His hosting style for USA Up All Night is more of a crude humor mixed with some sarcasm making him very entertaining to watch. While I could go on and on about how great Gilbert is as a comedian and a Horror Host, I think that you should check out the 2017 documentary “Gilbert” that is about his life and career. One thing is for sure, Gilbert is a true Icon of Horror Hosting for this blogger.

Update: Sadly Gilbert Gottfried would pass away on April 12, 2022 at the age of 67 after battling a long illness. This is sad and heartbreaking news.

Comedian Caroline Schlitt was the California host and was a stand up comedian and actress who was the second host of USA Up All Night as she handled Friday night hosting duties. Caroline would remain on the show from 1989-1990 and was very entertaining and funny. Caroline Schlitt was hired for Up All Night after she had a run on another USA Network show called Camp Midnite that was a talk show/variety show that only lasted 26 episodes. Caroline Schlitt’s hosting style was more of basic comedy with a dash of mature themes that were not in your face. After her run on Up All Night, Caroline went on to be on such TV shows as “The Last Laugh”, “The Father Dowling Mysteries” and in 1991 “Matlock”, “On The Television” and later in the 90’s “Diagnosis Murder” that was Caroline’s last major acting role. She was born on September 4, 1963 and while she only lasted about a year as the host for Friday nights Up All Nights, she very much was entertaining and helped lock the series as must-see TV.

Model and B-Movie goddess Rhonda Shear would become the third host to join the show, and she quickly became the most popular host. Not only did viewers find her sexy, they also found her to be very funny and was fantastic at hosting as she had a very steamy and silly way of hosting. Rhonda was born on November 12, 1954 in New Orleans, Louisiana and had a normal childhood and graduated from Loyola University with a bachelor in arts and communications in 1977 and even won many beauty pageants as Miss Louisiana and later would moved to Hollywood to make it as a star. In 1979 she became a contestant on the TV show The Gong Show and even took work in some B-Movies like “J.D.’s Revenge” in 1976, “Galaxina” from 1980, the 1987 film “Spaceballs” and “Return To Frogtown” from 1993 to name a few. She also had lots of work on TV with roles on shows like “Happy Days”, “Dallas”, “CHiPs”, “Married With Children”, “Full House”, “Silk Stalkings”, “Duckman” and of course “USA Up All Night”! She also recorded a comedy CD called “Your Bedtime Buddy” that was released in 1996, and she even posed for Playboy Magazine twice. Rhonda in 2001 started Shear Enterprises and started her own intimates line of clothing for women of all sizes that is still going strong to this day with her most popular item being the Ahh Bra. Over the years she has also done many charity events as well as appearances at conventions as she is always happy to meet her fans. But there is so much more to Rhonda Shear than I have written here, and if you want to learn more about her make sure to read her autobiography called “Up All Night: From Hollywood Bombshell To Lingerie Mogul, Life Lessons From An Accidental Feminist” that was released in 2017.

The fourth unofficial and yet still very important “Host” for this series was the show’s logo that later in the series would bring us in and out of the movie for commercials. The logo would be joined by the show’s theme and jingles and was a great way for viewers to still remain Up All Night with the third movie of the evening. The Logo as we shall call this fourth host of the show was mostly used in the twilight years of the show and was used to replace both Gilbert and Rhonda when the official show came to an end. The Logo’s official end came in 2002 when USA Network dumped all things Up All Night form their late night lineup when they removed the logo and brand from all shown late night movies shown on the weekend.

On March 21, 2015 at Horrorhound Weekend the class of 2015 was inducted into the Horror Host Hall Of Fame and many great names got the honor like Sir Cecil Creape, Superhost, Joel Robinson (MST3K), Baron Von Wolfstein and also both Rhonda Shear and Gilbert Gottfried! The great guys at Atomic Age Cinema got to induct Gilbert, and Sigmund Zoid got the honor of putting Rhonda in. Sadly that year Gilbert did not come to Horrorhound, and while Rhonda was slated, she was unable to attend at the last minute due to a prior engagement, and this was sad news as I very much was looking forward to meeting her. It’s amazing when you look at all the names that have been inducted into the Horror Host Hall Of Fame as many of them were hosts that made my childhood awesome! On a side note I have heard that its possible that Caroline Schlitt might be on a future ballot for the Horror Host Hall Of Fame.

Did you readers know that in 1996 Rhonda Shear released her first and only stand up comedy CD called “Your Bedtime Buddy,” a nickname she gave herself on Up All Night! The CD is one track and has her whole routine on it that even includes a little chat about USA Up All Night. Her comedy has lots to do with shopping, and sex and she has the crowd laughing and leaves them entertained. I got the CD a few years back and listened to it many times in my car driving to and from work and found myself amused by her style of stand up comedy. Also inside the CD booklet fans of Rhonda are treated to some topless photos of her. Check out this CD if you are a fan of Rhonda Shear and like risqué silly stand up humor from the 90’s.

So let’s get to the part of this Horror Host Icon update where I share what episodes I have of the hosts as this is going to be a fun one! As always, I will not be giving these episodes a star rating and the film’s write up will be taken from our friends at IMDB, with me writing about the Host segments. I would like to thank Bryan Brassfield, Stumpy Discs, Dr. Pureblood, Trade Lists, the late great Andy Copp and Ebay for helping me get these episodes over the years. So if you are ready for some late night movie watching with Gilbert, Rhonda, Caroline and the Up All Night Logo….it’s time to stay UP….All Night. Oh and I will review these shows by Host with Gilbert being first, then Caroline, Rhonda and the Up All Night Logo, with the movies for each host appearing in alphabetical order.

USA Up All Night: Barbarian Queen
Starring – Lana Clarkson & Katt Shea Rated R 1985

Host: Gilbert Gottfried ushers us in and out of the film over the show’s logo and title cards. No actual host segments.

Movie: Set during the days of the Roman Empire. A simple village is raided by Roman troops, and most of the people are whisked off to be slaves or killed. Three women survive and set off to liberate their people. When they arrive at the Roman city, they team up with the local underground to seek vengeance and liberation of the slaves.

Note From Matt: This episode is missing the opening segment.

USA Up All Night: Class Of Nuke’em High
Starring – Janelle Brady & Gil Brenton Rated R 1986

Host: Gilbert opens the show on a balcony in The Limelight Club in New York and talks to us about the night’s first film, the Troma classic Class Of Nuke’em High, and all the while we are getting flashes of sideshow performers. He then takes us to the first part of the film. We join Gilbert who tells us before commercial that they have to show the film cause it was printed in TV Guide and it would be breaking the law if they didn’t. When we come back Gilbert makes jokes about the film and the acting and ushers us back in. We next see Gilbert who tells us coming up that the main actress will be wearing a blue bikini and dares us to change the channel. Next Gilbert reads a fan letter where the person tells him he is better than Rhonda, and then says things she does not like about his show…he is confused by this letter. Gilbert after a commercial break talks in an echo as he describes one of the gruesome things about to happen in the movie and shares that he has had that experience before taking us back to the film. The next few breaks has Gilbert still at Limelight making fun of the night’s film. Finally Gilbert ushers us to the end of the night’s first film.

Movie: When Warren and Chrissy notice some strange things happening around their high school, they begin to suspect that something is going on at the nuclear plant next door. Though the plant officials deny that there are any problems, Crissy gives birth to a bloodthirsty mutant who immediately begins eating everyone in the school. Will Warren and Chrissy be able to stop their killer kid?

Note From Matt: This is the first movie of the night with the second one being Class Of Nuke’em High Part 2. This also is missing Gilbert’s bumper after the film ends.

USA Up All Night: Dinosaur Valley Girls
Starring – William Marshall & Karen Black Unrated 1996

Host: Gilbert is in his Bachelor Go-Go Pad along with two very lovely ladies who are go-go dancing and introduces this second film of the night to the viewers and take shots at how cheesy the film is as well as picks on actress Karen Black, who is in the film. As we keep coming back to Gilbert, the women keep dancing and Gilbert makes jokes about the ladies in the film. Gilbert is enjoying the ladies dancing as well as mocking the night’s film and once more goes for teasing Karen Black. In the end Gilbert thanks us for watching as the ladies just keep on dancing.

Movie: Haunted by recurring dreams of Hea-Thor a gorgeous cavegirl,and a menacing Allosaurus, action-movie star Tony Markham soon finds himself transported, by means of a magic Icon, back through time to Dinosaur Valley. Now trapped in a world of dangerous dinosaurs, grunting cavemen and a tribe of exotic, love-starved cavegirls, Tony must put his modern-days skills to extreme tests in order to survive prehistoric perils, win the cavegirl of his dreams and (maybe) return to his own time?

Note From Matt: This is the second film of the night with the other being “Jurassic Women” see its review in the “J” section of the films hosted by Gilbert.

USA Up All Night: Everything You Always..
Starring – Woody Allen & Gene Wilder Rated R 1972

Host: Gilbert is playing pool at a club with Doctor Ruth, the famed sex therapist. Gilbert asks questions at the start, but she just wants to play the game. Next the two make a bet on playing the game, and Gilbert says that she is a cheater and a fraud. The two shoot pool and chat about the film, sex, pool and crack jokes. Gilbert at one point goes off about his “friend” who is a weirdo…and it’s clear the friend is himself. After a few segments Doctor Ruth is away, and Gilbert at the pool table talks about the film and the segments. At the end of the movie Gilbert is taking a nap on the pool table as someone keeps knocking balls into the pocket. As the credits roll Gilbert yawns and gets more relaxed.

Movie: Seven segments related to one another only in that they all purport to be based on sections of the book by David Reuben. The segments range from “Do Aphrodisiacs Work?” in which a court jester gives an aphrodisiac to the Queen and is, in the end, beheaded to “What Happens During Ejaculation?” in which we watch “control central” during a successful seduction.

Note From Matt: This is the second film of the night, with the first being “Play It Again Sam” see that review a little down this list of Gilbert hosted films.

USA Up All Night: Evil Dead
Starring – Bruce Campbell & Ellen Sandweiss Rated R 1981

Host: Gilbert is on the streets of New York giving out $5.00 to people who answer his questions. Gilbert closes the show giving out more $5.00 prizes and keeps yelling at people on the streets giving out prizes of money, t-shirts and posters. And next Gilbert does a voice over the show’s logo and theme and ushers in Evil Dead. The rest of the show has Gilberts voice ushering us back to the movie.

Movie: Five college students take time off to spend a peaceful vacation in a remote cabin. A book and audiotape is discovered, and its evil is found to be powerful once the incantations are read out loud. The friends find themselves helpless to stop the evil as it takes them one by one, with only one survivor left with the evil dead and desperately tries to fight to live until morning.

Note From Matt: This episode starts with the last part of the movie before it called “New York’s Finest” and this episode is missing the end credits of Evil Dead as well as Gilbert’s closing segment.

USA Up All Night: Flesh Eating Mothers
Starring – Robert Lee Oliver & Donatella Hecht Rated R 1988

Host: This episode has the classic 90’s USA Up All Night logo and has Gilbert Gottfried talking over top it ushering us in and out of the film.

Movie: For some strange reason, never explained, a few of the local PTA-going mom’s suddenly turn on their offspring. For much of the film they walk around town, looking mutated and making unfunny wisecracks.

USA Up All Night: Fright Night Part II
Starring – William Ragsdale & Roddy McDowall Rated R 1988

Host: We first join Gilbert as he has a roomful of paranormal investigators in his home who are looking for ghosts and spirits. We next join Gilbert while he is with the ghost hunters trying to talk to ghosts and the only message they are getting is that his apartment is saying “clean me” as it’s a mess! Next the host of the Paranormal show “Wild Speculation” welcomes us back and alerts us that there is a foul smell in the area and its shown that it’s a rotted mouse in a trap! We next see Gilbert at his apartment with Larry Lomax and his crew and Gilbert is getting mad at them and wants them to leave as they are harassing his flies that live on his windows. Gilbert ushers us next into the last part of Fright Night Part 2 as a paranormal cast member uses a heat lamp on him. Gilbert then closes the show in his shower by screaming help me as if he is stuck in another dimension!

Movie: Reluctantly, three troubled years after the blood-soaked events in Fright Night (1985), the now twenty-year-old survivor, Charley Brewster, comes to terms with the freakishly improbable incident that scarred his adolescence. Still struggling to convince himself after countless sessions of therapy that the undead creatures of the night were only figments of his imagination, Charley carefully stays away from his former vampire-slaying companion, Peter Vincent. However, when the cryptic and mysteriously alluring actress, Regine Dandrige, and her motley crew of oddballs arrive in town, suddenly, Charley’s past creeps up on him to haunt him. Is history repeating itself?

Note From Matt: This episode is missing the opening segment, and the tape starts to mess up by the middle of the tape and this is not the first time I got a tape off Ebay from a seller that has been messed up! So in other words when ordering a cool VHS Tape with a Horror Host show off it from Ebay make sure to beware as many terrible sellers with bad quality control and lying descriptions walk among the good sellers.

USA Up All Night: Hot Chili
Starring – Charles Schillaci & Flo Lawrence Rated R 1985

Host: Gilbert is on top of a building in New York and is taking advantage of his new assistant who must do and get whatever he wants that includes a dominatrix, bagpipe player, a priest, keys to the USA Network office, transvestites, street musicians and even Rhonda Shear shows up! In the end Gilbert introduces the next film and this episode comes to an end.

Movie: A group of American teenage boys goes south of the border to work for the summer at a Mexican resort. There they encounter many wacky guests and have zany adventures involving a German dominatrix, a music teacher that gets hot when giving lessons, a buxom cook, and an uptight socialite that eventually thaws. More often than not they end up in bed with someone, but one of the teens is holding out for True Love.

Note From Matt: This episode is missing the opening segment and credits

USA Up All Night: Hot Times At Montclair High
Starring – Kim Valentine & Troy Donahue Rated R 1989

Host: Gilbert starts off telling us about the night’s movie and compares it to a modern retelling of the Br’er Rabbit story and then tells us the actors who star in the film. We next join Gilbert as he gives a little preview of the boring next part of the movie as he says “More Talk And No Action”. Gilbert then takes a moment to read a viewers letter and then orders his assistant who is on the street to bring up a contortionist to the top of the building were Gilbert is. Next time we see Gilbert he once more makes fun of the film and what’s coming up in it! Gilbert ushers us into the last part of the movie and it’s clear he thinks this film is a real stinker. In the end Gilbert is yelling at his assistant again and ends the show making orders and watching as the young man is hit by a bus.

Movie: At Montclair High School, three different students bond with one another through a variety of comic, dramatic and episodic circumstances. Sean is a popular football jock who struggles to keep his grades up to stay on the school’s team. Sean’s girlfriend, Jenny, struggles with her outgoing friend Susan who hooks her up with a local rock band life of drugs and debauchery. Ziggy is a terminal nerd whom tries to find the right woman to be with despite his lack of social skills. Jason is a tough punk and resident bad boy who struggles to get by and takes out his aggression on others to get away from his abusive home life. Despite having nothing in common, Sean, Ziggy, and Jason’s lives take a turn during a stay in detention which leads to them trying to help one other in their own life problems and learn that all of them have a lot more in common with one another than they knew.

Note From Matt: This episode is the second film of the night as Gilbert alerts us that Hot Chili was the first film of the evening. Hot Splash was the third movie of the night.

USA Up All Night: Jurassic Women
Starring – Jan-Michael Vincent & Grace Del Rey Not Rated 1996

Host: Gilbert is hanging out with some pretty go-go dancers and introduces the film and even takes a shot at the film’s star Jan-Michael Vincent, you see he says he is in his Go-Go Bachelor Pad for the night. And when we see him and the ladies again he once more takes a shot at Jan-Michael before we get back to the movie. Throughout this film Gilbert enjoys the lovely ladies dancing as well as takes shots at the film and many are still being directed at Jan-Michael Vincent.

Movie: A meteor shower causes a spaceship crash on a remote planet populated by beautiful and dangerous women as well as cavemen. All procreation has been forbidden as there is a war between man and woman. But when a woman and an astronaut falls in love, the spaceships jealous captain joins the cavemen and a fight ensues.

Note From Matt: This is the first film of the night with the other being “Dinosaur Valley Girls” see its review in the “D” section of the films hosted by Gilbert.

USA Up All Night: Murder 101
Starring – Pierce Brosnan & Dey Young Rated PG-13 1991

Host: A young girl sits down at a microscope and on her slide is the floating head of Gilbert Gottfried who talks about the night’s movies and ushers us into Murder 101! We next get a quick look at Gilbert as he is standing in between a machine that is reading people and he once more brings us back to the movie.

Movie: Charles Lattimore, an author of a book about a famous murder trial, meets up with his ex-wife Laura, at her college, where he is due to give a series of lectures, on how to write a successful novel. When one of his students, asks to meet him later that night, to discuss the course, and is found murdered. Lattimore has no alibi, and he begins to suspect, that the subject of his book, has arranged the killing, to get back at him, for the evidence, Lattimore gave during the trial.

Note From Matt: This episode has many of the segments but they are cut up and edited by the original recorder, and others sadly have been cut fully. Sadly also the end segment is missing.

USA Up All Night: Play It Again Sam
Starring – Woody Allen & Diane Keaton Rated PG 1972

Host: Gilbert is at a New York billiard club and is loaded and calling customers wrong names as he thinks some of them look like famous people. We join him next and he is doing test trick shots with pool balls lined up as he waits for his celebrity friends. We next join Gilbert who is getting tips from a pro pool player, and he is confused and she tries her best to help him. And finally he is playing pool with “Tony Roberts” who starred in the film. Gilbert also tries to do his best Humphrey Bogart while leaning on a pool table. Gilbert and his pool friend keep playing and it made clear that Gilbert is not good. He ends with just starting at the table filled with the pool balls and knows it’s impossible.

Movie: A mild mannered film critic is dumped by his wife and his ego is crushed. His hero persona is the tough guy played by Humphrey Bogart in many of his movies and the apparition of Bogart begins showing up to give him advice. With the encouragement of his two married friends, he actually tries dating again, with less than satisfactory results, until he relaxes.

Note From Matt: This is the first film or the night with the second one being “Everything You Always Wanted To Know About Sex* But Were Afraid To Ask”.

USA Up All Night: Return Of The Killer Tomatoes
Starring – George Clooney & John Astin Rated PG 1988

Host: Gilbert is spray painting on a city wall and claims he is the best street artist. And then tells us about the nights movies and riffs on the Return Of the Killer Tomatoes. When we next join Gilbert he is still doing street art and riffs a little more on the film and how bad it is and how the makers only cared about profit. And Gilbert from here on is standing near walls with graffiti and painting on walls and just makes fun of the film, as it’s clear he is not a fan. He also takes shots at the then Friday night Up All Night host Caroline Schlitt in a playful sexual way! Gilbert has more fun painting and cracking jokes at the film expense.

Movie: Mad scientist Professor Gangreen is cooking up the second coming of the Great Tomato Uprising, in which music converted tomatoes into human form to war against mankind. Pizza delivery man Chad Finletter must save the world and beautiful tomato-girl Tara.

Note From Matt: Sadly the last part of the films credits as well as Gilbert’s final segment are missing for this one.

USA Up All Night: Sweet Sugar
Starring – Phyllis Davis & Ellaraino Rated R 1972

Host: Gilbert Gottfried is having a celebrity auction in New York to sell off some of his junk that he has gotten as gifts over the years, and the bidders are all tourist who are tied up and being forced to be there! And he is very angry about how bad some of the gifts he gets are and wants the world to come together to stop bad gift giving! He starts selling off the junk at high crazy prices to people who are not even bidding, and of course also rifts on the movie while doing so. He even takes shots once more at Caroline Schlitt as he tries to sell her phone number and no one bids…even when he offers to pay them to take it. Gilbert is pushing hard to sell his junk and in the end builds up the next movie “Peggy Sue Gets Married”.

Movie: Prostitute Sugar is set up by a corrupt politician. She is convinced of the futility of appealing her case in the courts and signs on to a chain gang run by the notorious Dr. John who performs cruel medical experiments on the people who work for him.

Note From Matt: This episodes issue is that the audio is slightly off making every one seemed dubbed.

USA Up All Night: Toxic Avenger 1-3
Starring – Bruce Campbell & Ellen Sandweiss Rated R 1981

Host: The show opens at Gilbert’s new New York night club that is called “Club Loveman” that is a tacky looking disco and just looks very cheap. Gilbert has a cheesy mustache and tells us that tonight’s films are the first and second film in the Toxic Avenger film series. We next join Gilbert who is behind a DJ table with a lovely woman who he is trying to teach how to be a DJ for his club, he then makes fun of the acting in the film. Every time we see Gilbert his club is empty minus some employees and all of them seem to be bored and really bad at their jobs minus the Janitor, he also has a few sports bar dudes standing around. Gilbert ends up reading a fan letter that praises movies like Howling III and then Gilbert gets mad as his female DJ who is really bad and yells at her as more men show up to the club and no females. The males request show tunes to be played and will dance with each other but not the pretty female DJ and Gilbert is getting sad that his club is not attracting women. Gilbert then finds out a mess up in the clubs phone book listing has made people think that it is a Gay Club, and he just rolls with it. As the second movie starts Gilbert is hit on by one of the guys who has crude request, and Gilbert sends him away and takes us back to the movie. Each time we join Gilbert he is at his club that is filled with more men and he takes a few moments to make fun of the film. Gilbert and his female DJ have the club cleared out and they are planning more events as they have made lots of money. The third film has the shows logo and shots of New York with just Gilbert’s voice bringing us in and out of the movie from time to time.

Movie: Toxic Avenger: Tromaville has a monstrous new hero. The Toxic Avenger is born when meek mop boy Melvin falls into a vat of toxic waste. Now evildoers will have a lot to lose. Toxic Avenger Part 2: The Toxic Avenger is tricked into traveling to Tokyo to search for his estranged father, leaving Tromaville open to complete domination by an evil corporation. Toxic Avenger Part 3: Toxie finds he has nothing to do as a superhero, as he has ridden his city of evil. He decides to go to work for a major corporation, which he discovers may be the evilest of all his adversaries.

USA Up All Night: The Vals
Starring – Jill Carroll & Chuck Connors Rated R 1983

Host: Gilbert is hanging out in a New York clothing shop Appendix: A and is making fun of some of the styles and while in the shop he also takes a moment to read viewer letters as well as try on some of the shops fetish collars plus looks at some of the other naughty things the store stocks. Its clear Gilbert is having a blast in this store! At one point Gilbert decides to wear a female thong on his face and play fake doctor! Gilbert also puts on a blonde wig and acts like he is a valley girl! In the end he wraps up the show and so ends another episode of USA Up All Night.

Movie: Sam, Trish, Beth, and Annie are four Valley Girls bored with shopping and frat parties. They come across kind Mr. Stanton, who is running a home for orphaned boys. Mr. Stanton and his charges are in danger of being evicted from their home if they don’t come up with the rent money that is due, and one of the boys has taken to selling drugs for a couple of sleazy dealers. When Trish’s prized “TUBUL R” Mercedes convertible is lost in a bet in which their Beverly Hills rivals have cheated, mayhem ensues as the Vals, with the help of their frat boy boyfriends, save Mr. Stanton and his boys from being evicted, give the drug dealers their just desserts, and exact revenge on the Beverly Hills brats in a rematch.

Note From Matt: The opening segment is missing as The Vals was the second feature of the night.

USA Up All Night: Vampire On Bikini Beach
Starring – Jennifer Badham & Nancy Rogers Not Rated 1988

Host: When we first join Gilbert he is in his apartment and it seems to have been robbed and he had a good showed planned that is now ruined. He spends time cracking jokes about being robbed and being annoyed by it as well as the night’s film.

Movie: Two teenagers find a book called “The Book of the Dead,” and soon they discover that a vampire cult, which needs the book to raise the dead so they can take over the world, is after them.

Note From Matt: This was the second film of the night so it’s missing the opening credits, film and sadly as well most of the closing segment.

USA Up All Night: Vixens Of Bandelero
Starring – Lisa Butaud & Nicole Dernenberger Not Rated 1993

Host: Gilbert’s spends all his segments reading crazy fan letters that are of course over the top in nature, and he has snarky and funny responses to all of them!

Movie: Three sisters search for treasure to save their ranch.

Note From Matt: Sadly this episode is missing the opening credits and segment.

USA Up All Night: Waitress
Starring – Jim Harris & Carol Drake Rated R 1981

Host: Gilbert Gottfried is in a triangle and is trying to find his inner peace…well and cause he meet a pair a cute new age girls and he wants to impress them! The first movie of the night is the Troma cheesy sexy classic film Waitress! Gilbert is trying his best to find his road to enter enlightenment and as well is making fun of the night’s movie. He also takes a moment to read a letter from a fan that he says is from Mother Theresa, and then a he also spends some times with crystals and tries to eat it. And while in his triangle he also is eating some cheap fast food cheeseburgers and pokes fun more at the film and even pokes fun at USA for cutting the film down for content. Gilbert while practicing breathing techniques ushers us into the end of the film. Gilbert also eats a dishrag to clean out his body…and it’s both nice and painful.

Movie: Three lovely waitresses contend with a drunken, slovenly chef and mutinous patrons.

USA Up All Night: Northern Kicks Southern Fist
Starring – John Liu & Alexander Rei Lo Not Rated 1981

Host: Caroline Schlitt is celebrating a birthday with her crew at a table with a cake and decorations all around. She then tells us to enjoy the next movie of the night that is the martial arts film Northern Kicks Southern Fist. The rest of her segments are Caroline talking over images of her party table. In the end as the intro replays Caroline ends the show and tells the viewers to go to bed!

Movie: Rivals in public, allies in private: The now-legendary “Northern Kick” Shao Yi-Fei has been framed for the murder of “Southern Fist” Shen Yin-Wai’s younger brother. Once again joining forces, they uncover the mastermind behind the setup to prove Shao’s innocence.

USA Up All Night: Raiders Of The Living Dead
Starring – Scott Schwartz & Zita Johann Rated PG-13 1986

Host: In this episode we get the voice of Caroline Schlitt over the logo, shots of the streets of LA and classic show jingle! And this is throughout the episode.

Movie: A newspaper reporter hears of strange goings-on on a remote island. He travels there and finds that a mad scientist lives there and he is creating zombies.

Note From Matt: This was the third film of the night!

USA Up All Night: School For Sex
Starring – Derek Aylward & Rose Alda Not Rated 1969

Host: Caroline Schlitt and her mother are getting ready for a dinner party while watching the night’s films. And they wait for their guests to show up as Caroline chats about the film as well as some of the snacks they will be serving. During the show Caroline’s blind date David Hirsch who was the host of USA’s American Bandstand shows up for the dinner along with friends. The party is going well and the guests seem to even be happy about the night’s film and David is clearly trying to get Caroline drunk and worse Caroline’s mom keeps embarrassing her. But over all the dinner party is going well and David is clearly trying to get something out of Caroline as he keeps pouring her more and more wine. Caroline Schlitt ushers us to the next film after School Fro Sex ends that is Vampire Of Bikini Beach, we next join the dinner party who asks about the next film and her mom puts David on the spot asking if he can really step in the shoes of Dick Clark!….and because this is only the one episode we do now know how Caroline’s date ends with David.

Movie: British Sexploitation/Sex Comedy. Lord Wingate, aquitted after appearing in court for fraud, starts up a ‘finishing school’ to teach girls how to extract money from rich men, in return for a percentage of their gains. He enlists the help of the Duchess of Burwood (Alcoholic Aristocrat played by Rose Alba) as a teacher and Hector (Cockney Geezer played by Nosher Powell) as fitness instructor. A probation officer friend supplies the first batch of pupils fresh from Holloway prison via a clapped out old mini bus. Suspicious neighbours and police together with newspaper reports naming the prison girls now hobnobbing in high society results in a raid and new court appearance for Lord Wingate. The Judge sentences him but plots to start up his own ‘school for sex’.

Note From Matt: This episode is missing the opening show credits and host segment.

Up All Night: Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band
Starring – Bee Gees & Peter Frampton PG 1978

Host: Caroline Schlitt talks over the show’s logo as well as shots of the city and really cool is they show clips of her! She also tells the viewers that she went and seen this film in the theater when released and also during breaks gives facts and says funny things about the film.

Movie: A small-town band hits it big, but they must battle a nefarious plot in the music industry.

Note From Matt: This was the third film of the evening so it’s just Caroline’s voice over the shows logo.

USA Up All Night: Attack Of The Killer Tomatoes
Starring – David Miller & George Wilson Rated PG 1978

Host: Rhonda Shear in her red dress is going to a Monster Truck Madness showdown, and after changing she heads out to watch the trucks. Rhonda next gets a monster truck to run over a box of tomatoes and even chats with some of the fans in the crowd. All the while Rhonda is hosting she is having to scream over the massive trucks engines and sounds. She also talks to the only female truck driver at the time and they take jabs at the night’s film. She then goes around and talks to more of the drivers of the Monster Trucks as well as the dirt bikers. In the end Rhonda ushers us to the second film and shows a toy Monster Truck that she has run over mini tomatoes.

Movie: A group of scientists band together to save the world from mutated killer tomatoes.

Note From Matt: This episode is a Fan Reproduction, and while these are cool to see they just do not feel like watching the show from broadcast.

USA Up All Night: Beach Balls
Starring – Phillip Paley & Heidi Helmer Rated R 1988

Host: Rhonda Shear is at a very loud bar and introduces the nights second film Beach Balls, as a waitress clearly is checking her out in the background. We next join Rhonda who makes a joke about Tom and Roseanne Arnold at the beach and then Rhonda has a hidden camera in her cleavage to see if guys are looking or being gentlemen, and the first guy passes but still comes off creepy. The second guy passes but talks about taking her to Hawaii with some creepy sex puns. Rhonda is still at the bar and talks to her friend Michael who shows a pool trick that he is doing just for Rhonda and fails in his attempt to impress her. Rhonda admits that she has been cheating at pool all night and introduces the viewers to the man who was doing all the trick shots she has been taking credit for. Rhonda ends the show in the bar with a sexy pose and sends them to the third and final films of the night as the shows credits role and a Van Halen song plays.

Movie: Charlie Harrison dreams of being a rock star and, with the help of friends and a gang of local toughs, he arranges a concert in his house for a big time record producer, or at least that is what Charlie thought he was arranging.

USA Up All Night: Big Top Pee-Wee
Starring – Paul Reubens & Valeria Golino Rated PG 1988

Host: Rhonda starts the show in her apartment saying she misses the comedy of Eddie Murphy and then plays a small about of his song “Party All The Time” and then talks about the next movie and then makes fun of Pee-Wee in movie theaters. We then get a bunch of bumpers of Rhonda dancing around for our segments with the USA Up All Night logo! We next join Rhonda who is still relaxing in her room and takes us to the last part of the film. In the end Rhonda ends the episode and wishes us all a good night.

Movie: Pee-wee Herman is now a small-town farmer with a fiancée, but when a traveling circus comes to town, he finds himself falling for the trapeze artist.

Note From Matt: This is sadly a fan reproduction and is missing the opening credits, the first movie, all the commercials and over all is just an average reproduction.

USA Up All Night: Cannibal Women
Starring – Shannon Tweed & Bill Maher Rated PG-13 1989

Host: Rhonda Shear is in New Orleans and brings us to the second film of the night the cheesy cult classic Cannibal Women In The Avocado Jungle Of Death! Rhonda then goes to the voodoo museum and sees some strange and dark stuff. She also chats with Chicken Man, a voodoo priest about curses and the fact its Rhonda Shear Day in New Orleans! Rhonda then goes back to a club to listen to some blues music. In the end Rhonda thanks all the people of New Orleans and ends this episode of Up All Night…well at least the second movie.

Movie: The government hires a feminist at the local university to track down the Piranha Women living in the uncharted Avocado Jungle (westernmost outpost is San Bernardino) to convince them to move to a reservation condo in Malibu. She hires a guide at the edge of the jungle, a male chauvinist pig, and they have many arguments about men and women as they work their way in, and eventually confront the Piranha Women.

Note From Matt: This episode is the second movie shown for the night with the first being Reform School Girls that is also covered here on this epic Horror Host Icon Update.

USA Up All Night: Cemetery High
Starring – Debi Thibeault & Karen Nielsen Rated R 1988

Host: Rhonda tries to give your tips on what wear to The Super Bowl and is hanging out with cheerleaders. And she is in fact at the Rose Bowl and is having a tailgate party thanks to beer company Coors. All the while Rhonda rips on the cheesy film she is hosting as the cheerleaders seem to be having a blast as they all bound over comedy, sports, men and a bad movie.

Movie: A group of High School girls with guns go on a killing spree. They are intent on ridding the world of scummy men.

Note From Matt: This sadly is a fan reproduction and is even missing the films opening credits and segment…disappointed for sure.

USA Up All Night: Cheerleaders Wild Weekend
Starring – Kristine DeBell & Jason Williams Rated R 1979

Host: Rhonda Shear goes to LA hot spot Tatou and goes into the clothing boutique in the middle of the club and tries on some amazing clothes and speaks to the owner. While trying stuff on Rhonda is knocked out by Beverly Center who takes over hosting duties and shares tips on how to cheat stores to get cloths cheaper and gets caught changing prices. Beverly ends up going to the club proper as well and enjoys the singers on stage. And later joins them all on stage for a song were she is out of tune, and later takes the stage for a solo. And as well goes to the art gallery in Tatou and chats with some people and just hangs out.

Movie: A bus-load of cheerleaders is hijacked and held for a $2 million ransom. After several comic and arousing interactions, eventually the girls are forced by their captors to participate in a topless “beauty pageant” in which they must pose before their captor-“judges” in nothing but their underwear.

Note From Matt: The end host segment from Rhonda is missing which also means that the opening for the second film is also missing in action.

USA Up All Night: Class Of Nuke’em High
Starring – Janelle Brady & Gil Brenton Rated R 1986

Host: Rhonda in this episode Rhonda is shopping for Valentines Day and wearing sexy outfits and dancing around. Rhonda next talks to a worker at the show Playmates about what was the best gift she has ever gotten on Valentines Day. Rhonda keeps pushing Valentines Day and how if you are with someone you should do something special for them on the day. Rhonda and Miller Beer pick’s the moment of the movie and gives a hint by coughing through her segment. Rhonda nexts looks at jewelry and tries to get viewers so send videos of themselves reenacting scenes from movies shown on Up All Night. Rhonda next reads some mail from fans one that has a fan wanting her to walk on his back and then talks to another business owner for a flower shop, and ends the show taking a tour of the flower shop.

Note From Matt: This episode is a fan reproduction and sadly at times the disc acts up and freezes. Not to even mention the segments are placed in wrong. And as always Rhonda looks super stunning in her outfit!

USA Up All Night: Dialing For Dingbats
Starring – John Caponera & Johnny Mask Rated R 1989

Host: Rhonda hosts this film in voice only over the shows logo and shots of LA and the shows classic theme.

Movie: A lonely man finds love through a party line.

Note From Matt: This is the third film of the night and was during the Holiday season in 1992.

USA Up All Night: Dream A Little Evil
Starring – Tom Alexander & Michelle Gaudreau Not Rated 1990

Host: We join Rhonda, as she is relaxing on a bed looking as lovely as ever and talks about a trivia challenge where the winner could win a very cool Up All Night ball cap. She then takes us to the first part of the film. Rhonda when we join her again pushes the contest some more and give the first question and from there Rhonda gives out the questions and pushes for the contest hard. Later in the show Rhonda is joined by Playboy Playmates and they chat about them being the first mother and daughters team up to be in the pages of the magazine and later the son also shows up and they all chat about modeling and Playboy, she also takes a few shots at the nights film and its cheesy acting.

Movie: An unsuccessful electronics technician builds a machine in the shared home of he and his brother he later shows his friend who creates wishes from from their subconscious into reality. Little do they know that they’ve summoned darkness to wreak havoc within the home by a demonic lustful witch of twisted imagination the technician must find a way to destroy.

Note From Matt: Sadly the end of the movie as well as Rhonda’s end segment for the episode is missing, as the end of the movie and such was tapped over for an episode of Bonanza.

USA Up All Night: The Fly II
Starring – Eric Stoltz & Daphne Zuniga Rated R 1989

Host: Rhonda is dressed as a sexy vampire and is attempting to bite her first victim, and it’s not going well as she takes us to the first part of the film. We next join Rhonda as she has bitten her victim, but one of her fangs falls out and she needs a wet nap and breath spray and sends us back to the movie. Rhonda then bites her victim more and more, and tells him to get over it and goes back to the night’s film, and from their her and the victim share cheesy jokes and puns.

Movie: Seth Brundle was a renowned scientist whose warped experiments with teleportation transformed him into a man/fly hybrid called BrundleFly. A few months after the BrundleFly insect met its demise by his lover’s, Veronica, shotgun, she dies while giving birth to their son, Martin. Seth’s corrupt employer, Bartok, adopts Martin, only so Martin can solve the new problems that the still-functioning TelePods present and to use him as a science project because of the dormant insect genes. Martin is now fully grown, even though he is five, and the fly genes begin to awaken and make him just like dear, dead dad. With the help of his girlfriend, Beth, they go to wherever they can find a possible cure before Bartok finds them and brings them back, but not before Martin finishes his transformation into MartinFly, the deadliest of the BrundleFly species.

Note From Matt: This episode sadly has a bad hiss and pops to the audio throughout and is missing the last part of the film as well as Rhonda’s segments…sucks as I would have loved to see more of Rhonda as the vampire!

USA Up All Night: Friday The 13^th Part 7
Starring – Kane Hodder & Lar Park-Lincoln Rated R 1988

Host: Rhonda Shear is at LA clothing store Dressing For Pleasure and shopping with her snooty friend Robear her artsy sleek friend who is her fashion coordinator and they seem to be having fun looking at the fetish cloths and are enjoying the styles. At one point he puts on a horned masks as charges Rhonda and as he tell him to stop he is confused as he says he thought this was her favorite. Rhonda soon finds out that they are there not for her fashion but for his fetishes! Rhonda also interviews the owner of the shop who plugs a fashion show she has coming up and Rhonda even takes a stroll through the erotic movies the store has in stock. In the end Rhonda asks Robear if she should buy the whip or the handcuffs!

Movie: After Jason Vorhees was chained to the Bottom of Camp Crystal Lake by Tommy Jarvis. A Young Telekinetic Girl known as Tina Shepherd accidentally killed her Father with her Powers at Crystal Lake. Years Later, Tina and Her Mother return to Camp Crystal Lake, Where Tina’s Doctor trys to manipulate her powers for his own evil plans. Tina then trys to ressurect Her Father but Accidentally Awakens Jason Instead. It’s now up to Tina to use her Powers to Stop Jason and Her Evil Doctor.

Note From Matt: This episode is missing the opening segment. Side note Friday The 13^th Part 8 is the second part of this episode.

USA Up All Night: Friday The 13^th Part 8
Starring – Kane Hodder & Jensen Daggett Rated R 1989

Host: Rhonda and Robear are still at Dressing For Pleasure and are still trying on weird fetish items and Rhonda is getting more and more annoyed when he keeps clearly shopping for himself and his weird fetishes. With most of Rhonda’s segments being over items and pictures at the store for the remainder of the episode. At one point Rhonda and Robear are once more in the adult film room making fun of some of the titles. In the end Rhonda and Robear leave the store.

Movie: A whole high senior class is finally graduating. For that, they get into a luxury cruise called ”Lazarus”. At the beginning they are all having fun, including our main heroine ”Rennie” who has a serious problem with the water because of past traumatic events ” Almost got drowned when she was little”. When we get to see all the young teenagers our friend Jason who got on board the ship starts with his killing rampage until we get to see only the main characters of the movie.. After that, they decide to look for the killer and kill him… Unfortunately, Jason got them first… After only a few of them escaped and got off the ship reached N.Y where they now have a bigger problem. Jason managed to get there too! He’s cashing the survivors so he can kill them. Now the young teenager couple must escape or die in the dark waters of New York.

USA Up All Night: Fright Night
Starring – Chris Sarandon & Roddy McDowall Rated R 1985

Host: In this second part (see Shocker for first) Rhonda is meeting the women that could be her Mother In-Law when she makes he choice between two men with the winner being her husband. First she meets Artie’s who is very mean and has no manners. We next join Rhonda on the dance floor and meets Tex’s mom who is pure country and even brings a banjo player for people to dance along to. We next see Rhonda dancing again and she has not made up her mind on who to marry yet and she is feeling pleasure from the mother in laws. Rhonda snaps and trashes both mothers as they she dislikes the way they view her. In the end Rhonda has to make the choice of husband and she asks her own Mom for advice and they decide to choose no one! Rhonda ends the show loving being single and enjoys all the gifts that was for her wedding.

Movie: For young Charley Brewster, nothing could be better than an old horror movie late at night. Two men move in next door, and for Charley with his horror movie experience, there can be no doubt that their strange behavior is explained by the fact that they are a vampire and his undead day guardian. The only one who can help him hunt them down is a washed-up actor, Peter Vincent, who hosts Charley’s favorite TV show, Fright Night. Vincent doesn’t really believe that vampires exist, but does it for the money.

Note From Matt: This is the second movie of the night with Shocker being the first I want to say see below for that one.

USA Up All Night: The Girl I Want
Starring – Linnea Quigley & Burt Ward Not Rated 1990

Host: Rhonda has a pair of shoes that are not broke in and she calls Mr. Bruce who for $5.95 will break in any pair of shoes for you! And after running the shoes around he is able to break them in for her. She next decides to read a letter from a viewer about her missing father who is rumored to be a cook, and as always Rhonda has a comedic answer for them. Rhonda also just chills in her studio room and gives jokes about the night’s movie as well as just seems to be enjoying the night at “home”.

Movie: A brainy girl turns bimbo and a football star turns brainy in order to attract each other’s attention, only to discover that they liked each other the way they were in the first place.

Note From Matt: This episode is missing the opening credits as well as Rhonda’s first segment as well as the opening credits. This episode as well has no closing segment.

USA Up All Night: The Howling III
Starring – Barry Otto & Imogen Annesley Rated PG-13 1987

Host: In this episode USA Network salutes Rhonda Shear as this is her final episode of being the Host of Up All Night and they show some quick clips of her with celebrities on the show over the years like Alan Thicke. They once more show a classic Rhonda Shear moment that has people acting like Sonny and Cher singing a song to each other that is taking shots at their relationship. Next is Rhonda in a Gilligan’s Island skit dressed as Ginger singing like Betty Boop! Next is Rhonda as Genie from I Dream Of Genie and turns her master into meatloaf! Then we have Rhonda doing a skit based on the Honeymooners as she threatens to smash Ralph over the head with a pan while he sleeps. Next they show a few quick clips and as a song about Rhonda plays they show a tombstone that’s simple says R.I.P. and then its white noise on the marker as the credits role.

Movie: A strange race of human-like marsupials appear suddenly in Australia, and a sociologist who studies these creatures falls in love with a female one. Is this a dangerous combination?

USA Up All Night: Jocks
Starring – Christopher Lee & Richard Roundtree Rated R 1986

Host: Rhonda is getting ready as she is going to take us to the California landmark Roosevelt Hotel! And before she goes to the movie she also says at the next break they will pick a movie mogul that will be going on a date with her. Rhonda is now at the Hollywood Hotel and teases after the next commercial they will meet the winner of the date contest but he shows up early and really quick she introduces them to Daryl who looks like a deer in the headlights! Daryl when we come back tells Rhonda that he made a film pitch to Paramount Pictures that starred Gilbert Gottfried and this upsets her. Next she and Daryl are by poolside and she is given him tips on being important in Hollywood. The next time we join Rhonda she gives a history lesson on the Hotel as well as Hollywood nightlife. Rhonda is now with Kelly Green getting ready to have dinner at the hotel as Kelly is a historian of the hotel and she once more shares history of it, and from there Rhonda just has a blast at the hotel showing off all the glamour’s sights to see if you stay there. In the end Rhonda is locked out of her room and is stuck on the hotels roof until a security guard shows up and picks her up and takes her back inside.

Movie: The coach of a college tennis team is given an ultimatum: put together a winning team, or else.

Note From Matt: This is the first film of the night and the second would have been The Van. This one also does not have the end segment as the tape ends at the films end credits. Also Ebay Seller Lied and this was not a broadcast version and was a fan reproduction, man so many fan reproductions.

USA Up All Night: Lifeforce
Starring – Steve Railsback & Peter Firth Rated R 1985

Host: Rhonda Shear starts this film standing in front of an American flag background and makes an TV show E.R. joke before taking us to the film. We then just have random Up All Night Bumpers played throughout the movie. The next time we join Rhonda she alerts us that the next part of the movie is the final part of the film. In the end Rhonda ends the show in front of her flag background and hopes we will join her again for the next weeks show.

Movie: The space shuttle Churchill is assigned to observe Halley’s Comet under the command of Colonel Tom Carlsen. They see a strange form attached to the comet and Carlsen goes with a team to investigate. They find three humanoid life forms in caskets and they bring them to the Churchill. However, Earth loses contact with the shuttle and the Space Research Center sends another spacecraft to search the Churchill. They find the crew dead and the shuttle burnt and one rescue pod missing. They bring the humanoids to Earth and soon Dr. Hans Fallada and his team discover that the Space Girl is a sort of vampire and drains the life force from people, transforming them into zombies. When the authorities find that Colonel Tom Carlsen has survived, they summon him to explain what happened in the Churchill. Carlsen tells an incredible story about the three aliens and he teams up with Colonel Colin Caine trying to save mankind from the evil vampires from space.

Note From Matt: This is the second movie of the night with the first being Night Shift and sadly this episode is a Fan Reproduction. And I should not just like the Night Shift Fan repro this one is not well done.

USA Up All Night: Lovers’ Lovers
Starring – Jennifer Barker & Jennifer Ciesar Rated R 1994

Host: Rhonda is outside a hotel door at Caesars Palace with a man whose wife of six hours has locked him out and says the marriage was a sham, and worse, it’s Valentines Day and Rhonda seems bored. And now must sit around and hear the man speak about the love of his dog and all around her are weird people. You see Rhonda has had a fight with her boyfriend and that’s why she is in the lobby watching the nights movie with the others who have been kicked out of their rooms by their mates and she is kind of upset by it. Rhonda’s next plan is to try and patch up the two guys in the lobby’s dates so they will stop hanging out with her, and she has her work cut out for her as they are real goofy. But Rhonda succeeds in getting them all back together and now must try and do the same for herself and her boyfriend. And of course she patches things up with her boyfriend who shows up to the Hotel with flowers and all the couples stay up and watch the end of the film.

Movie: A man at a party discovers a woman on the floor eating from the fridge. After a brief sexual encounter the man thinks he will never see her again. That is until he finds her eating from the fridge at his house, which he shares with his girlfriend. Soon an affair develops. Meanwhile the audience learns that the girlfriend is having an affair with the fridge girl’s boyfriend. The plot follows the couples as they narrowly miss discovering what’s going on.

Note From Matt: This episode sadly is missing the opening skit and is the second film of the evening, and worse the end segment is also missing.

USA Up All Night: Lunch Box
Starring – Ava Cadell & Warren Farina Rated R 1992

Host: Rhonda Shear starts off in her apartment and says she is going to take the viewers to Hollywood Hits a female boxing review, and while she gets ready she sends viewers to the movie! We next join Rhonda who is at the bar watching the girls box as the grease men watching the fight seems annoyed by her. They show some clips from matches and talk to promoter Hal Stone who just yells and screams and Rhonda says his loud mouth is kind of like Gilbert’s! Rhonda is still hanging around watching the fights and even talks to some of the fighting girls as well as some of the fans in the crowd. Rhonda then talks to the ref and asks him if he thinks she could be a fighter, and then spends more time around ringside and then makes up a story about boxing the champ who gave up when Rhonda told her about all the fights she has had with USA Network censors. And to end the episode Rhonda with one punch knocks out all the ladies and she ends up back at her apartment in a tight pink body suit and introduces the next movie.

Movie: High school graduates CC and Waldo get a job in a warehouse for the summer. On the first day on the job, CC’s lunchbox gets mixed up with a lunchbox full of cocaine. Hijinx and stupidity follow as the drug dealers try to get the lunchbox back.

Note From Matt: This episode sadly is another fan reproduction, while it’s great to see Rhonda in all her beautiful glory…it’s just not the same feeling with the unedited film.

USA Up All Night: Mankillers
Starring – Gail Fisher & Edy Williams Rated R 1987

Host: Rhonda Shear is climbing a rope in her apartment and introduces the nights movies, but she might be stuck on the rope upside down! We next join Rhonda who is still stuck on the rope, but her trainer comes and saves her…he was part of Circus Of The Stars. She then shows some video of behind the scenes and interviews of the circus, for many of the segments. She then shows a clip of her doing the rope trick at the circus and even gives a sneak peek at her outfit, and then more chatting with celebrities from the circus. And of course in-between all this she also talks a little about the film Mankillers and they cheesy action of it. She even gets a visit in her apartment from a horn honking clown who Rhonda says reminds her of Gilbert! Rhonda ends the first film by relaxing in bed in a sexy leopard outfit with long black boots, and before the next movie gets a visit from a peanut seller straight from a circus.

Movie: A female CIA agent is assigned to train and lead an all-female squad to Colombia to stop a renegade agent who has hired himself out to a drug cartel.

Note From Matt: This episode sadly is another fan reproduction and it has the uncut versions of the movie making it not feel like an old school watch on the USA Network, but as always it’s nice seeing Rhonda Shear in all her beautiful glory.

USA Up All Night: Night Of The Comet
Starring – Robert Beltran & Kelli Maroney Rated PG-13 1984

Host: Rhonda opens the show making some jokes about news headlines in 1993, and then sends us to the movie. Rhonda in her apartment set talks to the shows hairdressing who claims something is loose in Rhonda’s foot and starts “working” on it, and working on it through out the episode. All the while Rhonda is both enjoying and being creeped out by it, and is still telling jokes the whole time about the night’s first film and he rubs and makes her feet feel good.

Movie: It’s the first comet to buzz our planet Earth in 65 million years, and everyone seems to be celebrating its imminent arrival. Everyone except Regina Belmont, and her younger sister Samantha, two Valley Girls who care more about fashion trends than celestial phenomena. But upon daybreak, when the girls discover that they are the only residents of Los Angeles whom the comet hasn’t vaporized or turned into a zombie, they would do what all Valley Girls do – they go shopping. However, with the help of a friendly truck driver, the girls save Earth and escape from flesh-eating zombies and blood-seeking scientists in hot pursuit.

Note From Matt: This is the first movie of the night and is followed by Private Benjamin.

USA Up All Night: Night Shift
Starring – Michael Keaton & Henry Winkler Rated R 1982

Host: Rhonda is standing in front of an American flag background and welcomes us to Up All Night and then introduces us to the night’s films as well as an episode of Duckman! We then go to the night’s first film. We then go to a short black and white film of Rhonda driving around town. And the rest of the segments as well has Rhonda in black and white short films and fake trailers. Rhonda ends with showing a clip for the next episode of ER and then takes is to the start of the second film Lifeforce by Tobe Hooper.

Movie: A nebbish of a morgue attendant gets shunted back to the night shift where he is shackled with an obnoxious neophyte partner who dreams of the “one great idea” for success. His life takes a bizarre turn when a prostitute neighbor complains about the loss of her pimp. His partner, upon hearing the situation, suggests that they fill that opening themselves using the morgue at night as their brothel. Against his better judgement, he gets talked into the idea, only to find that it’s more than his boss that has objections to this bit of entrepreneurship.

Note From Matt: This sadly is a fan reproduction of the episode and is missing the Duckman episode as well as commercials and second movie. The movie is a crisp widescreen version and makes it so that it does not feel like watching it during broadcast…disappointing indeed!

Up All Night: Nightmare Sisters/Rollerblade Warriors
Starring – Brinke Stevens & Kathleen Kinmont Unrated/Rated R 1988/1989

Host: Rhonda is in a patriotic mood cause out troops are coming home from war while hanging out at her apartment set, she ushers us to the first film of the night. We next join Rhonda as she is looking through her closet to find something to wear as she wants to have a night out on the town, and when she changes her dresses she gets a phone call from Bev who is upset about the nights movies and just keeps Rhonda on the phone for awhile and once off the phone Rhonda has to change dresses again! Once dressed she looks for something to do in L.A. for the night and even checks the ads. Rhonda then gets a visit from her sister who judges her for they way she lives and dresses. With her sister gone Rhonda takes a moment to read a few fan letters. She then takes us to the second film of the night and is going crazy as she wants to go out for the evening and gets a visit from Noodles who has broken in to steal some of her dolls and panties, and she spends tome trying to help Noodles who is clearly an odd person and then kicks him out. Next an old cowboy shows up to hang out with Rhonda and talks about sheep before he leaves, and she is loosing her mind. Rhonda shares a home video that a fan sent in that had her acting like Rhonda and then she once again changes dresses, and the gets a visit from a NFL Football Player who played for the Kansas City Chiefs. Rhonda changes into a nightgown and decides that she is just going to stay in for the night and her phone rings again and it’s from her grandfather! And in the end she gets ready for bed as Bev calls the USA Network.

Movie: Nightmare Sisters: Melody, Marci, and Mickey are three geeky college girls who can’t get a date. One night, they invite some geeky college guys over and have a seance that results in the girls becoming possessed and turning into sex starved vamps. Will the geek hero guys be able to stop the horrible (?) possession? Rollerblade Warriors: In the future, a warrior nun on roller skates must rescue a seer, who is to be sacrificed by a band of mutants.

USA Up All Night: Porkys II
Starring – Dan Monahan & Wyatt Knight Rated R 1983

Host: Rhonda is at her studio apartment and is surrounded by her artwork that she is giving away to lucky viewers! Rhonda then shows off each art piece and tells a little about them. Rhonda also shares a fact about oil that turns into a joke about Jerry Lee Lewis’s hair! She continues the rest of this episode to give away her art to lucky random selected winners.

Movie: When the students of Angel Beach High decide to stage “An Evening With Shakespeare,” their efforts are threatened by Miss Balbricker, who views the works of Shakespeare as obscene. She enlists the help of Reverend Bubba Flavel, a religious fanatic who brings along his flock of followers to pressure the school into shutting down the production. When they succeed with the help of corrupt city officials seeking re-election, the gang don’t get mad… they get even!

Note From Matt: This is missing the second film as well as the end segment.

USA Up All Night: Princess Warrior
Starring – Sharon Lee Jones & Dana Fredsti Rated R 1989

Host: Rhonda is going Mayan Club, a very cool nightclub in California and she is taking us along with her. Before the club she interviews a Mayan dancer who are getting her in the mood for the club. Once at the club Rhonda she has a blast dancing and having a good time with club goers and showcasing some of the people at the club. Rhonda returns to the studio and decides she wants to learn a little about history…comedy history that is. She also talks a little about the film and in the end she gets a phone call from her sister and then talks about the next movie “Vals”.

Movie: Sisters from the planet Vulkaria teleport themselves to Earth to investigate and report back in order to prove to their mother, the planet’s ruler, that they are worth of becoming Queen.

Note From Matt: Sadly this episode is a fan reproduction so has the uncut film as well as no commercials.

USA Up All Night: Private Benjamin
Starring – Goldie Hawn & Eileen Brennan Rated R 1980

Host: Rhonda at the start of the episode calls actor Albert Brooks and tries to get him to show up on the show and talk about acting, and he acts all weird on the phone and does not show up as Rhonda takes us to the movie. Rhonda just hangs around her apartment set and cracks some jokes, looks sexy and talks up the film. At one point Rhonda is sitting around with a baby chimpanzee that she claims is the producer’s new born baby! Rhonda ends the show relaxing thanking us for staying Up All Night!

Movie: When her husband dies on their wedding night, Judy decides to join the United States Army. She realizes that she has never been independent in her entire life. What looks like a bad decision at first, turns out not so bad at all. That is, until her superior officer makes sexual advances on her. She has been transferred to NATO headquarters in Europe and (re)meets the Frenchman Henri Tremont. Judy and Henri decide to marry, but will they?

Note From Matt: This is the second movie of the night with the first being “Night Of The Comet”.

USA Up All Night: Reform School Girls
Starring – Wendy O. Williams & Linda Carol Rated R 1986

Host: Rhonda is walking around the streets of New Orleans talking to locals and enjoying the sights of the nightlife including jazz clubs like Jelly Rolls to try and score free drinks, as she has no money. She gets homecoming welcome and even dances on stage for a crowd as the people love her. Next she talks to Pete Fountain a famous Jazz Musician in his own bar.

Movie: Jenny is sent to a women’s reform school. It is run by evil warden Sutter and her henchwoman Edna. Jenny will stop at nothing to escape but she also has to deal with Charlie the bully.

Note From Matt: Sadly the start of this episode has some major tracking issues that causes the sound to be super speed up.

USA Up All Night: Return To Horror High
Starring – Maureen McCormick & George Clooney Rated R 1987

Host: Start this episode with Rhonda Shear on the streets at night taking a break from an auction and she quickly ushers us to the night’s second film. The rest of the bumpers through out the episode are Rhonda’s voice over the shows logo.

Movie: A few years ago, a mysterious serial-killer caused panic on Crippen High School. The killer was never caught. A movie company, Cosmic Pictures, has decided to make a feature movie about these events – on location, at the now abandoned school. Since members of cast and crew disappear without a trace, it seems as if history is repeating itself.

Note From Matt: Sadly the end credits for the film and the last segment from Rhonda are missing.

USA Up All Night: Screwball Academy
Starring – Collen Camp & Kenneth Welsh Rated R 1986

Host: Rhonda Shear is at the Rose Bowl and is in a trailer gearing up to have a tailgate party and also host two movies with the first being Screwball Academy! While Rhonda waits for her friends, she gives pointers on snacks you should have for football parties as well as shares her grilling skills and Coors Light shows up and brings some beer to her party and she has the truck driver join the party! And you find out that the driver is really Brick Bronsky, actor of Troma Movies like Class Of Nuke’Em High Part II & Part III to name a few. Later she is joined by Raiders Cheerleaders! While Brick hangs out, the ladies all gossip about football players and more.

Movie: Foxy filmmaker Liberty Jean and her movie company arrive at Wagatno Beach to film a torrid movie called “Say Cheese”, going against the wishes of the puritanical Church of the Divine Light, leading all hell to break loose. The church’s phony leader Bishop Wally plans to lead a holy war of the highly religious against the trashy film. That’s when a bumbling gang of thugs are hired to sabotage the production whenever they can. How will the film crew get out of this one?

Note From Matt: This is a fan reproduction episode and goes alongside Cemetery High as this is the first movie of the night.

USA Up All Night: Shocker
Starring – Mitch Pileggi & Peter Berg Rated R 1989

Host: Rhonda is in the Bronx and has decided to finally get married and she has her pick of grooms with one being Tex who wants her to quite hosting and shopping and have a ton of kids with him! Rhonda is more exited for the wedding gifts and is not sure who she should marry and her two main options is Tex and Artie and neither are a good fit for her as they are both annoying people! And in the end she meets Artie’s mom who is mean and Rhonda ushers us to the second film of the night “Fright Night”.

Movie: A murderous TV repairman, Horace Pinker is killing people in a small town left, right and center. He eventually finds the home of Lt. Parker, who is investigating his crimes, and savagely murders Parker’s wife, son and daughter. His other son, Jonathan has a strange connection to Pinker through his dreams, and he directs his father to Pinker’s business, where a small group of officers enter. Pinker escapes in a horrific spree, killing four officers and then targeting Jonathan’s girlfriend, Alison. Another dream leads Jonathan and his dad to a residence where they catch Pinker in in the act of kidnapping. Pinker is arrested after a fight with Jonathan and sentenced to die in the electric chair. When executed, Pinker – who supposedly had given his soul to the devil in exchange for the power to come back as an energy source – takes over people’s bodies and continues committing murders, until Jonathan devises a plan to bring Pinker into the real world, and then cut off his power source.

Note From Matt: This episode is missing its opening segment as well as show credits.

USA Up All Night: Slammer Girls
Starring – Devon Jenkin & Samantha Fox Rated R 1987

Host: Rhonda Shear welcomes us to Up All Night and is at Tatou, a famous Beverly Hills Night Club where she will help a drag troop get ready for a show. Rhonda next meets Gypsy the head Drag Queen and the pair goes back and fourth and they both help prepare each other to swap genders. She then talks to more of the Drag Queens about how she can become more man like for her performance at the club. Rhonda dressed as a man shows us Mojo Nixon weird short “Shut Up And Drive”. And hangs around the club as her friends perform. And after the first film she still dressed as a man introduces the nights next film Beach Girls.

Movie: A young girl is framed for a crime she didn’t commit and sent to the state penitentiary, which is run by a crooked warden and a corrupt staff. A reporter manages to get herself sent to the prison so she can expose the brutal conditions and prove the girl’s innocence.

USA Up All Night: Tender Loving Care
Starring – Rhonda Shear & Pamela Manning Rated R 1994

Host: A parade is being thrown in New Orleans for Rhonda Shear and little does she know the event is in celebration of her leaving town as they find her to be annoying! Jeb Morris is doing the bulletins on her whereabouts at the parade as the late night hostess is on her way from LA to New York…and the Big Easy don’t want her in town a moment longer. They call the bulletins Up All News and they not only talk about what Rhonda is doing in the parade but also facts about her and why they find her annoying. During the parade the crowd also are throwing bead necklaces at Rhonda as she does her best to host and play it off.

Movie: Generous young women will do (almost) anything to save a public service from destruction by greedy town developers.

Note From Matt: Sadly this movie is missing the opening segment also this episode acts as when they moved Rhonda’s show from California to New York.

USA Up All Night: Toxic Avenger
Starring – Mitch Cohen & Pat Ryan Rated R 1984

Host: We join Rhonda in her room as she tells us viewers that Toxic Avenger will be stopping by and she is also getting ready to visit The Shark Club. We next see Rhonda who says she feels bad for Melvin from the film and ushers us into a commercial break. Rhonda arrives at Shark Club in a sexy dress and talks to people at the club as well as dances and flirts. Rhonda is looking amazing as always and the guys at the club are clearly drooling over her. Rhonda cages dances as well as has a quick bite to eat at the club as well. Rhonda leaves the Shark Club and heads back home, and she as a visit from Toxic Avenger who ends up cleaning her apartment! Rhonda ends with dancing with a blow up shark.

Movie: Tromaville has a monstrous new hero. The Toxic Avenger is born when meek mop boy Melvin falls into a vat of toxic waste. Now evildoers will have a lot to lose.

Note From Matt: This is the first film of the night and is missing the opening credits as well as a small part of the opening segment. The second film is Toxic Avenger Part II and see its review below.

USA Up All Night: Toxic Avenger II
Starring – Ron Fazio & Phoebe Legere Rated R 1989

Host: Rhonda starts the show dancing with a blow up shark and takes a budget and story writing shot at the second movie of the night Toxic Avenger II, she then kisses the shark and takes us to the movie. Rhonda next is wearing a shark nose and her room seems to be over flowing with blow up sharks. We then see very quick shots of Rhonda screaming at toy sharks as most of her segments had been cut by the person who originally taped this.

Movie: The Toxic Avenger is tricked into traveling to Tokyo to search for his estranged father, leaving Tromaville open to complete domination by an evil corporation.

Note From Matt: This second film of the night has some of the commercials cut out and it also seems like they might have cut out some of Rhonda’s segments. And then sadly after a little under an hour the recording stops making the episode not complete.

USA Up All Night: Vice Academy 4
Starring – Julia Parton & Elizabeth Kaitan Rated R 1995

Host: Rhonda’s cameraman is passing a stone and has to film the episode from the floor so its Rhonda’s feet in heels opening the show. Next we join Rhonda’s bare feet that get cramps when she tries to call for help on the phone, and then she puts on bigger black heels and her injured cameraman likes that. Rhonda also says that she is working on breaking in her heels as her cameraman tries to pass the stone and he can be heard in pain. Rhonda also uses her feet on a banana that becomes a mess, picks her toes, talks about web toes, has her feet glued together, mocks her cameraman, waves at the viewers with them, has the cameraman tickle them and in the end Rhonda ends the show and the camera man passes the stone.

Movie: “To Protect and Serve” takes on a whole new meaning when the Vice Academy girls are on the case. Candy and her new partner Samantha are back in an all new wild adventure! The wicked nymphomaniac, Malathion, has broken out of prison again and is on the rampage. The vice girls must bust her before she can seduce the Commissioner and destroy his wedding plans. Malathion, with the help of her new boy-toy, wreaks havoc and sexual hi-jinks as only she knows how. Will Candy and Samantha be triumphant, or will Malathion succeed with her dastardly plot?

Note From Matt: Sadly this episode is another fan reproduction that has all the cussing and nudity intact. And that also means no commercials or USA Network bumpers are shown.

USA Up All Night: Virgin High
Starring – Burt Ward & Linnea Quigley Rated R 1991

Host: Rhonda Shear is hanging out with her girlfriends from a miniature golf course in LA that also has arcades and more! And Rhonda and her friends first start playing miniature golf as Rhonda seems to be loving the nights film. During the golf game of her friends get her foot stuck in the hole as Rhonda decides that her injured friend get a point as the others disagree. As the episode goes on it’s clear the women do not know how to play as they are all cheating to try and win. All the while Rhonda gives tips and such on playing miniature golf and the ladies all seem to be having fun. At one point the ladies are using their golf clubs as baseball bats!

Movie: A girl gets in trouble with her parents for allegedly fooling around with her boyfriend, and they send her to a catholic girls’ high school. There she finds that one of the students is “in charge,” and makes demands on the other girls because she has unofficial connections with the faculty.

Note From Matt: This episode has some issues toward the end of the film as some issues from the master source that would freeze up and skip seconds of the film and some skits. And also has no closing segment.

Up All Night: Wild Malibu Weekend
Starring – Barbara Moore & Kathy Pasmore Rated R 1995

Host: Rhonda is sitting alone waiting for her guests that have not shown up and is disappointed that Rodney Dangerfield has not even showed up. And as well they show some of Rhonda’s best of moments over the years as she continues to wait. In the end no one shows up and Rhonda seems fine with it as she wishes the viewers a good night.

Movie: National beauties compete in a TV game show.

USA Up All Night: Killer Clowns
Starring – Grant Cramer & Suzanne Snyder Rated PG-13 1988

Host: This episode only features the 2000’s version of the Up All Night Logo and is used only sometimes in-between commercial breaks with a very generic jingle that holds none of the charm of the original.

Movie: When a small town is invaded by aliens from outer space who are capturing and killing the townspeople, no one takes them seriously. Why? The aliens all look like circus clowns, use weapons that look clown like, and all have painted on smiles. Only a few of the young people in the town realize the danger and of course no one believes them. Armed with an ice cream truck they try and rescue their friends.

Note From Matt: This episode is one of the very late in the series when both Rhonda and Gilbert had been let go and the “Up All Night” logo was generically used for their films that aired during weekend nights.

USA Up All Night: NOTLD
Starring – Duane Jones & Judith O’Dea Not Rated 1968

Host: The segments are the shows logo as well as the shows iconic theme.

Movie: A ragtag group of Pennsylvanians barricade themselves in an old farmhouse to remain safe from a bloodthirsty, flesh-eating breed of monsters who are ravaging the East Coast of the United States.

Note From Matt: The sound on this episode is really rough by the end and crackles and hums. And I am not 100% sure but I think this was the third movie of the night after Rhonda hosted Shocker and Fright Night.

Up All Night: Nightmare On Elm St. 5
Starring – Robert Englund & Lisa Wilcox Rated R 1989

Host: The segments are the shows logo as well as the shows iconic theme.

Movie: Alice, having survived the previous installment of the Nightmare series, finds the deadly dreams of Freddy Krueger starting once again. This time, the taunting murderer is striking through the sleeping mind of Alice’s unborn child. His intention is to be “born again” into the real world. The only one who can stop Freddy is his dead mother, but can Alice free her spirit in time to save her own son?

I truly miss USA Up All Night being on Friday and Saturday nights as the humor of Gilbert and Rhonda helped make bad weeks better! Plus I just miss seeing Rhonda on my TV Screen every week, but I must say she does a fun Facebook Live show so I am able to get my Rhonda fix and she still is a great Host! When I was a kid USA, TNT and TBS were the kings of cable Horror Hosts and now I would say Shudder has taken all their places in modern times as they have given Joe Bob Briggs and even Elvira The Mistress Of The Dark new shows. But truly I want to really say THANK YOU to Rhonda Shear, Gilbert Gottfried and Caroline Schlitt for keeping me Up All Night and introduced me to many cheesy, sleazy and creepy films over the years they graced out TV Series. For the next update I will be walking away from the world of Horror Hosting and into the world of Jack Kirby as we will be looking at his characters The Satan’s Six that was released and developed by Topps Comics back in the 90’s. So as you can see, it will be a perfect Thanksgiving Day update! So until next time, read a Horror Comic or three, watch a Horror Movie or two and as always support your local Horror Host. See you next update for Turkey Day and a Hellish good time.

Malibu Comics Ultraverse Memories: Exiles

Posted on April 16, 2020 by bloodlinematt

Remember back in the 1990’s when both Marvel and DC had some competition when it came to superhero comics with companies like Image and more important to me Malibu, who had some amazing heroes like Prime, Mantra, Prototype, Sludge and Night Man to name a few fighting for readers’ attention. Malibu also had many superhero teams like Freex, The Strangers and Exiles with the latter being the topic of this update. It’s sad that in modern times the comic industry is struggling to gain readers and most fans of superheroes don’t read the issues and only know the character from the movies or TV shows based on them. Now that I am thinking about it, I do believe that Sparkle Comics is trying to keep the world of Indie Superheroes alive with such comics as Black Jack, Silver Bullet, Black Lion and Spring Heeled Jack…so I feel good that the company I own with my friends is doing its part! Also this update really did make me miss the days of when comic companies took chances and comic shops had way more variety for readers to choose from. Around here in Dayton, I would say Bell, Book And Comic and Super-Fly Comics do the best job of offering more indies and even locally made comics to their customers and are inviting to readers. So if you are ready, let’s take a quick look at Exiles from Malibu Comics.

Malibu Comics was struggling in late 1993 as sales had dipped. The comic market was being flooded with comics and gimmicks that were hurting many of the independent companies as buyers just were not buying as many comics; the interest was fading as big events and foil covers started to annoy. And going into 1994, things got worse for Malibu as they did what they could to stay afloat and even started to cancel lower selling series as a way to cut costs and stay around in the industry. But like all mega money sharks, both DC and Marvel smelled blood in the water and opened up their checkbooks and both made bids on buying out Malibu to own their characters, logos, back issues and their coloring style and most importantly, so that the other company didn’t own it! And on November 3, 1994, Malibu was sold to Marvel Comics who became the owner of so many great superhero characters. Marvel wasted no time canceling all of the Ultraverse titles and re-launching some of the more popular ones and even crossing them over with such Marvel Characters like Spider-Man, Incredible Hulk and Wolverine all through 1995. But by 1996, Marvel Comics pretty much walked away from the Ultraverse and cancelled all their titles and just stopped using the characters sending them to the long box in the sky and leaving readers and fans of the characters wondering if they ever would return. Over the years rumors have always been talked about in comic shops, comic podcasts as well as websites about the return of the Ultraverse as well as what Marvel could do with the characters to add them into the Marvel Universe.

So before we get into the comic reviews, I am going to take a few moments and give my opinion on how they could add The Exiles into Marvel and where they would fit in. So let’s use the core original group of Exiles that includes the likes of Trax, Deadeye, Tinsel, Dr. Rachel Deming, Mustang, Catapult, Amber Hunt and Ghoul and say that events of the original comic series change when the worlds of Malibu and Marvel meet in modern times. We will also say that all of Marvel’s past Exiles teams were around, just in namesake only and had nothing to do with the original team made by Deming. I would love to see The Exiles be mixed in the world of X-Men with many of the members being mutants – they fit it really well, and to start I would love to see Dr. Rachel Deming use her team as the alternative to the X-Men and allow them to be more flashy in order to make citizens see them as stars and heroes. I would have it that Dr. Rachel Deming and Professor X have a respect for each other, they just have different ideas on how to get things done with their mutant teams. I would also have it that Dr. Rachel Deming and her Exiles open their own school of gifted students as a way to recruit for Exiles. This of course would cause friction between the two mutant groups, and while their respective leaders respect each other, the teams themselves do not and do what they can to outshine the others. I would play up on Wolverine and Mustang really disliking each other and clashing lots. While rivals, I would also make sure to have The Exiles come off as good guys who just are the Pepsi to X-Men’s Coke and are more flash as they have decided to not hide in the shadows in a world filled with super beings. The Exiles could not only be a team in Uncanny X-Men and other X-Men titles but could also spin off into their own series. One thing that would be great for The Exiles is that many of their team members are powerful and could hold their own against the likes of evil mutants like Magneto, Sabertooth and Black Tom to name a few. Just a thought of mine to bring them back, and sadly the way things look for Malibu is that Marvel and Disney have zero plans for them and if the rumors are real, the deal Marvel made when buying them was so bad that the fate of these characters are forever sealed in limbo. That’s right, the story goes that if Marvel does any new comics with characters created by Malibu they have to pay a percentage to the former owner of Malibu as well as the creators of said characters leaving the profits very low for comics being sold and not worth the time and resources Marvel would put into them…or so Comic Store Urban Legend goes.

As you can see, Malibu Comics is a company over the years I find myself thinking about what could have been if they could have survived the Comic Book Crash of the 1990’s and even what they could be if Marvel would do anything with the characters. But we are now at the point of the update for the reviews, and I want to remind all you readers that I grade these issues on a standard 1-4 star system and am looking for how well the comic stays to the source material, its entertainment value and its art and story. I want to thank Bell, Book And Comic and Game Swap Kettering for having these comics in stock and making this update possible. So if you are ready, let’s gear up and hangout with The Exiles.

Exiles # 1 **1/2
Released in 1993 Cover Price $1.95 Malibu Comics # 1 of 4

Amber Hunt is a high school student who one day is bored in class when an explosion rocks the school, and she sees that bad guy Supreme Soviet along with his Cybernoids are fighting with members of the superhero team Exiles (Trax, Deadeye & Tinsel) all over her! The battle leaves many of the Cybernoids destroyed, Supreme Soviet tricked and defeated, and Trax injured and having to be rushed back to their base. They also take Amber Hunt who still is confused and angry on why she is being targeted. Once at the island base, Amber meets Dr. Rachel Deming who is the keeper of the team as well as the one who has cured them all of the Theta Virus and soon will also cure Amber Hunt who is infected and has special powers she just doesn’t know about yet. While there, Amber is acting like a brat and even meets team member Ghoul who she also treats terribly! Meanwhile in L.A. Supreme Soviet visits his boss Mr. Malcolm Kort who wanted Amber Hunt killed and for his failure Supreme Soviet is forced into a tube and injected with a virus that kills him and shows that Kort wants to really use this virus as a bio weapon! Meanwhile in a neighborhood in San Diego a young man named Timmy is taking out the trash when he is surrounded by Bloodbath and Bruut who have been sent by Mr. Kort and thankfully Exiles members Catapult and Mustang are near by and step in to help the kid from meeting his maker. The heroes get the upper hand but when Bruut attacks Timmy’s mom an accident happens and Mustang with his electric powers falls into the water from the broken sink and fries and kills Timmy’s Mom as well as Bruut! Bloodbath knocks out Catapult and escapes with Timmy.

This first issue of Exiles is a very good solid read that showcases the style and world of the Ultraverse. It also sets up that our heroes the Exiles are a team of powered beings who are brought together to do the right thing and are watched by after Dr. Rachel Deming going against entertainment tycoon and evildoer Mr. Malcolm Kort and his band of super powered hired guns. The story while it is your normal superhero fare the main plot of the issue is the Theta Virus and one side wanting to cure it and the other side wanting to use it to gain power as a weapon. The Exiles are a rag tag team that has many members who all have special powers and in this issue we meet Trax, Deadeye, Tinsel, Ghoul, Catapult and Mustang all who work well together and have one goal and that’s to save the youngsters who are virus carriers. This far I think my two favorite members are Tinsel as I dig her look and she can fly and fire energy from her hands, I also like Catapult who comes off as a surfer metal head guy who has the power to easily lift and throw things. I also like Ghoul as he is a green skinned zombie who we gather can talk to the dead…but he has not done much yet to make him a favorite. Dr. Rachel Deming who is the watcher of all the team is a very wise and smart woman as she has the cure for the Theta Virus and I am going to guess she as well has some sort of powers. Amber Hunt is a terrible young lady who is self centered, rude and mouthy who treats not only the Exiles like crap even after they saved her life but also fellow classmates as she calls one young lady a “cow” as they are trying to get away from the opening battle! Mr. Malcolm Kort is cold blooded and has no loyalties to even his own hired super powered beings as he will kill them if they fail him! Speaking of his hired guns Bruut, Bloodbath, Hot Rox and Supreme Soviet all are trained killers who don’t mind killing women and children as long as they get paid! This far I like the story that is being set up and it makes me wonder what the outcome will be once the Exiles and the Kort side clash all over a virus. The cover for this first issue is totally 90’s and for me not very eye catching as it looks super cheesy. The interior art is done by R.R. Phipps and is really good and embodies the art of the 90’s superhero titles. So with this lets see what happens next in issue two and see if Mustang can get his revenge for accidentally murdering a young man’s mom.

Exiles # 2 **1/2
Released in 1993 Cover Price $1.95 Malibu Comics # 2 of 4

Mustang and Catapult are standing in the home of Timmy with the bodies of his mom and super villain Bruut when they are surrounded by the cops who want to take them in for questions, but Bruut is not dead and awakens and goes on a rampage that leave many cops hurt and dead and both Mustang and Catapult can not stop him from escaping by stealing a helicopter. And before the remaining cops can regroup our heroes escape and head back to their island base with news of their failed mission. While back at the base news is spreading of the fight at the house and Dr. Rachel Deming tells Amber Hunt it’s her choice on if she wants to be cured of the virus as it will cause change and Amber learns she has the power of fire. While Malcolm Kort and his team of scientist are trying to force Timmy into letting them “cure” him so his pain will stop as his hand keeps growing and shrinking back to normal. Rachel Deming now calls on the Exiles team and the order is to do a full attack on Kort’s entertainment building and get Timmy back before he can be turned into a henchman tool for evil. Before the Exiles leave Amber informs Rachel that she will take the treatments once the team is back from the rescue mission. In the end young Timmy is being treated by Kort’s science team and things go wrong as Timmy turns into a massive beat man with tusks and breaks free and knocks even the Exiles out of his way as he escapes into the city.

In this second issue the Exiles are forced to face lots of difficult things from one of their members accidentally killing a woman, being caught on camera and now the world knows that they are in town as well as must face a failed mission that clearly looks like is going to cause them major problems in the very near future. The Exiles try so hard to keep their existence low-key, as the world is not keen on the super powered humans walking among them. And worse is the team itself is torn about if they should come out and be seen or hide in the shadows and save the world. Dr. Rachel Deming is clearly in charge of the group and she also knows that they must do all they can in order to save as many of those infected by the virus as they can and do so before Kort and his goons turn them into raging monsters. Mustang in this issue feels terrible and he blames himself for the death of Timmy’s Mom and his powers of electricity is what lead to her neck being crushed by the unstoppable Bruut, even though he played a part in the death he is over taken with guilt. Meanwhile the rest of the team are ready to go to war and try and get the kidnapped kid back and cure him before he is mutated by the bad guys or killed by the virus. Kort once more shows he is an evil man as he forces a young man to be experimented on and all he cares about is power and control. Meanwhile his goons Bloodbath and Bruut one time partners are at odds as it’s clear within their group its all about the money and every super powered man for themselves. Poor Timmy in one day looses his mom, learns he has a deadly virus, is kidnapped and then forced to be turned into a raging monster. And man I cannot see this hulking tusked monster tangle with the Exiles in a battle that I am sure is going to be epic. The one thing that does stink about this issue is that one of my favorite characters Tinsel is just a background team member, and it’s a shame as I would have loved to seen her kick some butt. The cover for this second issue is way better and eye catching as it showcases our team looking like they are ready for action. The interior art is done by R.R. Phipps again and is good stuff. Over all this second issue is very entertaining and has locked me in as a fan of this team this far, and I cannot wait to read the next issue.

Exiles # 3 **1/2
Released in 1993 Cover Price $1.95 Malibu Comics # 3 of 4

Timmy lands on the street below and is confused and just wants to be left alone, but also landing on the ground is Tinsel as well as Ghoul who try and talk to the enraged teenage monster who don’t want to hear it and just our heroes luck they are attacked by Hot Rox who takes them both prisoner as Timmy escapes deeper into the city. The remain Exiles team chase down Timmy who hides in a closed mall and they try to talk to him, but he attacks causing destruction and injuries before turning back into a young man and running off into the night. Meanwhile back at the lab Amber Hunt is trying to push Rachel Deming’s assistant into given her the treatment as she don’t wanna die from the virus and has no faith in the Exiles returning, the assistant refuses. While back at Kort’s building Ghoul has been thrown into a waste bin and barely escapes as they set it on fire with the hopes of killing him. Meanwhile Bloodbath has Tinsel in his room and is about to sexual assault her, but she is able to use her power and blind him (as she is blind as well) and he grabs his guns and fires wildly into the air and sadly kills her as Ghoul gets to her way to late and this sets him off for revenge!

Well Malibu Comics and Exiles gone and done it they killed off my favorite hero on the team and did so very brutally! You see Tinsel in this issue is taken prisoner and we learn she is also blind and needs her visor in order to see and when she wakes up she is in the room of Bloodbath who wants to rape her….and when she fights back and tries to get away he shoots her a dozen times ending her life! Why would they let a hero die like this? Don’t get me wrong it was very effective and wants me as the reader want to see Bloodbath get his, but it also makes you a little mad at the rest of the Exiles besides Ghoul as they left her in the hands of the baddies in order to save a teen who is now a monster who just wants to be left alone. That is pretty much the major plot of this issue is the Exiles trying to reach a scared Timmy who is now a massive wooly mammoth monster man who don’t trust anyone. Kort and his goons pretty much stay out of the hunt for Timmy as they figure they will just attack and get him back once the Exiles do all the hard work and get him to a safe place. Bloodbath is enemy # 1 for this comic reader as I am glad he is blind now and hopes it permit and that Ghoul once he catches up with him is able to eat his heart out! I must also say I do also really like the look of Timmy as the monster who is called Mastodon because he seems like he could be a villain for the Incredible Hulk and is well designed. The cover for this issue is also very eye catching and is a perfect cover for a 90’s superhero comic. The interior art once more is done by R.R. Phipps and is great stuff and has the 90’s look but yet also still holds a very 80’s style as well. This third issue is a great read and I cannot wait to read issue four that is the final in this very good series.

Exiles # 4 **1/2
Released in 1993 Cover Price $1.95 Malibu Comics # 4 of 4

The Exiles decide to give up tracking down Timmy and return to the base so they can regroup and figure out a better plan. While at the lab Amber Hunt decides that she is going to just sneak and give herself the treatment so that she can survive the virus. Meanwhile Ghoul makes contact with the soul of Tinsel and gets the name of her killer Bloodbath and sets his sights to really get revenge and massacre the super powered hitman. As Bloodbath gets painkillers and head back to his room he is attacked by Ghoul who is crazed with anger and after a brief fight he is able to kill Bloodbath and not only end his life but also his soul! And once he drained him Ghoul grabs some guns and starts his one-man war against Kort and his people. While at the lab Amber has done the treatment wrong and the machine is over loading and the Exiles and Rachel Deming are rushing back to try to stop the explosion as well as save Amber from dying. Ghoul blows up the generator at the Kort building and the explosion seems to have killed anyone in it. While back at the Exiles Lab the tank and machines explode and kills many of the Exiles in the process as Heather the Assistant, Trax and Mustang are all killed with Catapult, Deadeye and Rachel Deming are all severely injured. In the end, Amber Hunt is now a flying flaming super powered woman who’s selfish nature has killed many.

This comic series had guts as many of the team members meet their maker by the end with most being killed by the hands of a terrible narcissistic spoiled teenage girl that they were helping who ended up dooming anyone around her when she decided to treat herself. This issue’s plot brings everything together for the most part but also leaves lots of things unanswered as this was a lead in to a series called “Break-Thru” that they wanted readers to buy next…and that was always one thing that annoyed me about Malibu Comics and their Ultraverse as they tied in all their comics together so in order to finish stories you would have to buy another title in order to do so, and that was some of the silly stuff Marvel Comics also did very badly in the 80’s and still do it somewhat to this day. Amber Hunt is a terrible person who becomes even more terrible when she gets power beyond most other heroes in the Ultraverse. When you really think about it all the true evil villain of this comic series is Amber Hunt as she is narcissistic and does not seem to care about others or how her actions effect anyone around her. Rachel Deming is a woman who does want to help those with powers, but also slightly seems to be doing so to stroke her own ego as some of her decisions help lead to the teams downfall. Ghoul in this issue is a true badass as he goes for revenge of the death of his friend in the last issue and does so in a brutal way…Ghoul is very cool and a great character that walks the line of superhero mutant and horror character. This series really is a great read and shows why Malibu Comics was a great alternative to Marvel and DC as they delivered good solid stories about interesting characters who had a vast world. The cover on this fourth issue is not as eye catching nor as cool as the three issues that came before it, but while a little plan it still ok. The interior art is once more done by R.R. Phipps and is good and has a very 90’s comic look and to be honest has what I would say is the Malibu Comic house style. For me Exiles is a great series and one that fans of X-Men and all their clones should check out as these characters and stories could fit in very nicely with the Universe that Marvel Comics created for their readers. Check out the artwork below to see the style of R.R. Phipps and see what I mean when I say this looks like Malibu Comics house style.

Exiles is a great team from Malibu Comics who never got the respect from Marvel Comics when they bought the characters rights way back in 1994 and even when they did use the team they only did so in name only. It’s a shame as I do not think comic readers ever will see new adventures of the Exiles as I do feel they had many more in them, but truly only time will tell if Rachel Deming’s team will see a new series. For my next update, I will be stepping away from comic books and will be once more taking a look at a Horror Host from the Dayton area as I take a look at Rayne of Studio Cinema! So until next time read a Malibu Comic or three, watch a movie or two and as always support your local Horror Host! See you next update for a spooky good time.

Who The Heck Is Drastik? I Mean Really Who Is He?

Posted on November 10, 2017 by bloodlinematt

Welcome back to Rotten Ink and to our first update in the countdown to Thanksgiving! Just like covering a Hercules comic series on Thanksgiving, covering a Forgotten Hero is now a tradition for November, and for this one I am picking a hero from 2004 that seems to really be lost with time as finding information on him has been dang near impossible and I am talking about Drastik! As I said his name, I can hear the crickets from you readers as many of you I am sure just said out loud “Who?” and maybe, just maybe, this update will inform you a little about he is and what he is about. So sit back, relax and enjoy this fine November as we take a journey into the comic world of Drastik….and I will say this will be a very short journey!

The company who made Drastik was called Critical Element, and they appear to have had their home base in California. The company was owned and run by Robert Rowe and by all research and accounts that I could find, this is their only comic release! When looking up Robert Lowe to see what he has done in the world of comics, it as well turned up to be a dead end unless he is one of the following people with the same name: Robert Rowe the writer of music and audio research, or Robert Rowe who is a real estate agent for RE/MAX in Columbus, Ohio, or he could even be Robert Rowe the actor in such films as The Living And The Dying and The Stone House! So I am going to guess that it’s none of the above and that this Robert Rowe is just a normal independent comic writer and creator who believed in his comic and character and opened up a comic company to try and get his vision out into the world and into the hands of comic readers! The comic artist on this book is James E. Lyle, who is an independent artist who has done work for such companies as Solson Publications, IDW and Zenescope and is a journeyman of comics. But I have heard that artist Fred Carrillo also is said to have done the art for this comic…so who knows, but I’ll soon find out once I read this comic for the first time. And it appears that comic legend Gil Kane did the cover art, and all classic comic readers will know him from his work with Marvel and DC. So that’s about all I could dig up on the folks who brought this comic alive and again I have to praise the fact that this small company tried to make a mark on the comic world and did so no matter how small it was.

This update for some reason also reminds me of an odd piece of superhero merchandise that was released in 1975 and was a rock opera based around Spider-Man! This musical release was called “Spider-Man: Rock Reflections Of A Superhero” and shows that Stan Lee would whore out the mighty Marvel characters to anyone who had cash and would offer him a place on the project – of course Lee narrates this musical journey of Spider-Man. This rock opera is about Peter Parker’s struggle of being a college student and a web slinger superhero and is a mixed bag of singers and musical artists making this come alive with such names as Marty Nelson, William Kirkland and Terence P. Minogue and characters that make appearances include Green Goblin and Doctor Octopus. And I should also note that one of the funniest things about this is they act as if other Marvel Superheroes are playing the instruments as they have Incredible Hulk on drums, Luke Cage on bass, Silver Surfer on keyboards, Conan The Barbarian on strings and many of the other heroes lending their talents. That’s what I love about the good old days of comics, so many off the wall merchandise was made in order to spread the heroes to new set of eyes and try and bring in new readers. This weird Rock Opera was released on vinyl and late on CD, and after hearing about it I made sure to track down a CD copy of it and I must say this is one weird and wild ride and it should be turned into a stage musical play as I would 100% pay to see it! Do yourself a favor, if you enjoy Spider-Man and cheesy 70’s Rock N Roll, find this CD and give it a listen.

So here we are at the point of looking at the comic Drastik showing that this character made a very small mark on the world of comic heroes. So with a chill in the air this cold November day, I would like to think my pal Jason Young for getting me this comic from the Gem City Comic Con and would like to once more remind you that I grade this on a star scale of 1 to 4 and am looking for how well the comic stays to the source material, its entertainment value and its art and story! So if you readers are ready, I am as well as this will be the first time I read this comic, and I am looking forward to seeing what its really about!

Drastik # 1 **
Released in 2004 Cover Price $2.95 Critical Element # 1 of 1

Drastik busts into a lab where an evil doctor was hatching an evil scheme and kills him for his soon to be crimes. We then cut to Los Angeles where a bank is being robbed, and the robbers decide to kill the security guard on duty! Meanwhile, while on a walk, Drastik hears the gun shots as well as the ambulance on its way to the bank and rushes there to make the robbers pay for their crime. As the robbers try and get away, our robot hero Drastik stops their getaway car and blows it up with one of the robbers still inside! As the others run away, he goes and checks and finds that the guard is in fact dead. The police want the robbers badly, as does Drastik who is hoping to track the others down as well as the person who hired them to rob the bank. The robbers decide to set up Drastik and try to smash him in-between cars and this goes south when the robot jumps out of the way and is able to kill the robbers as well as get the name of their boss who he kills with a shotgun! Next Drastik swears that he is going to kill a serial killer calling himself the Ape-Mask Strangler and finds him and knocks him out with one punch!

This is a weird superhero comic that is very much pro vigilante justice as our robotic hero goes on a one bot killing spree of criminals! The plot of this comic is simple: Drastik has zero tolerance for criminals and goes into a rage when robbers kill a guard during a bank robbery and spends little time hunting them down and killing them and even finding their boss and murdering him all the while he also kills a mad doctor and a killer! It’s a very simple plot with not much depth to it as it was very cheesy stuff and feels very dated for 2004 when it was released with such a simple story. Drastik is a robot who acts like a human but has an ego that will not allow him to fail in his quest to stop crime for good, he is super powerful and smart and seems to have no emotions for those he kills but does for the victims of their crimes. He also is very much a smart ass as he has puns and jokes for the evil doers he is killing and for the most part is a pretty likable hero if you like vigilante justice! His friend in this comic who only is seen walking with him down the streets of LA is Valori Vane a woman he saved from a crime scene who know acts as his closest friend, she is not flushed out at all and is just kind of a background player. The bank crooks are just normal gangster looking criminals who are being lead by a homeless guy and none of them really put up a fight and all meet their end in the name of justice. The Mad Doctor and Ape-Mask Strangler are barely in it and we get no feel for who they are and how bad they were! That’s the main downside to this comic, NONE of the bad guys seem like they even stand a chance against this killing machine of a hero, and with no threat comes no suspense and that leads to an average independent hero comic adventure. The cover is pretty plan and is clearly just a sketch done by iconic comic artist Gil Kane set over a yellow background, but while simple it is eye catching due to the bright color and cool character design. The interior art is done by another iconic comic artist Fred Carrillo and is great classic comic book art and I really dig it as it reminded me of the comics I grew up reading. The story and character creation was by Robert Rowe and it makes me if he or some one he loved was the victim of a crime and this kill all the bad guys character was created as a way to deal with it…makes me wonder. But over all this was a fun average comic book that was a fun read and a great one to share with you readers as he really is a forgotten hero! Check out the art below to see the style of Carrillo and the classic look of it.

While Drastik is not a household name and is not ever going to get a big budget movie based on him, he still made is tiny mark in the world of comics and added his own brand of justice for readers to enjoy. It’s very weird to think that this character never got a second issue, and in fact, I don’t think he ever appeared again after this issue! But thanks again goes to Jason Young for giving me this comic as it was a fun one to cover on this countdown to Thanksgiving update and introduced me to a new character I would have never know was created. For our next update, we are walking away from a Forgotten Hero and back into the world of From Horror Movie To Horror Comic as we will be talking about the horror, comedy musical Attack Of The Killer Tomatoes! So make sure to join me back here for that one. Until next time, read a comic or three, call a friend or two and as always support your local Horror Host! Oh yeah and until next time avoid tomatoes ’cause who knows, maybe they are trying to eat you!

From Horror Movie To Horror Comic: The Legend Of Diablo (2003)

Posted on August 25, 2017 by bloodlinematt

The Aztec culture has contributed many great monsters to films based around their ancient legends and practices including The Aztec Mummy and the evil demon Azar, who is the main movie monster from today’s film and comic, The Legend Of Diablo! In the last 10 years Hollywood has filled the cinemas with films about ghosts and possessions, and independent labels have flooded the DVD, Blu-Ray and streaming market with lower budget films of the same kind filling the horror genre with lots of films that carry a PG-13 rating and deal with the spirits of evil. The Legend Of Diablo is a possession film that pre-dates the big boom and was, instead, riding the coattails of The Exorcist, Stigmata and The Blair Witch Project making it a low budget clone of its own time. Also The Legend Of Diablo shows that no matter how big or small your horror film is, it could be made into a comic book and people will buy it as one things for sure, Horror Comic readers love what they love! So get ready to open the box and free the evil Azar and learn about the film and the comic and enjoy another “From Horror Film To Horror Comic” update.

So let’s take a look at what Azar is and what it’s capable of! Back in the time when the Aztec’s were still sacrificing humans and ruled the land an evil demon was among them that had the ability to raise the dead as well as brainwash the living. It was up to the Aztec Chief to defeat the demon who had claimed many lives and with this defeat he was imprisoned in a box for centuries. When in 2003 he is freed from the box thanks to a noisy researcher, he once more is on the prowl, this time in California, and possesses innocent people and have them kill one another and this is his mission as death and destruction is what it craves. Azar’s main power comes from creating zombies who will do his evil will and allowing his followers to defend him and cause their victims to become slaves as well. He craves human flesh and by consuming it his powers become greater. He also seems to enjoy playing mind games with his intended victims by using possessed loved ones against them as well as speaking to them via their mind. He can also teleport and jump from body to body when needed in order to avoid being defeated. The main body he takes in the film is that of a preacher who was trying to stop him and his spirit form has the view of seeing red. While in his ancient times he looks like a huge demon with horns and even a long sinister tongue. His weakness is the box and artifact that his being was trapped in for years, as he fears being trapped again and loosing his grip on his plan to infest the world with his slaves. He also has an ego and is on a power trip that leaves him open for defeat as spreading his work of possession clouds his judgment to truly win. While only a spirit, his evil body jumping ways makes his a true evil demon who can cause major havoc and destruction to any one and place that he sets his sight on.

So as you can see, Azar is pure evil and if unleashed could easily bring the world as we know it to an end! Plus besides the change in appearance as far as the eyes and voice, the demon Azar could be walking among us. But now that we understand who and what Azar is, I think we now should learn a little about the movie. As always, the description will be taken from our pals at IMDB and after I will share my memories and thoughts about the movie, so let’s see what this Horror flick is all about.

The Legend Of Diablo (2003)

“The small California town of Diablo is plagued with mysterious deaths after Sheriff Roberts Lopez unearths an ancient box. Legend has it that the box holds the sixteenth-century Mexican demon named Azar.”

This is a movie that I can remember being on the shelves at Blockbuster Video when I worked for them. It was what was commonly called shelf filler by my manager who would always laugh at the cheesy horror films that filled our new release wall. I never rented The Legend Of Diablo from work which is kind of shocking as I watched all the horror films I could get my hands on. Plus I have always been into Latina Women and this flick has its share of them. Many years had passed and this film slipped from my mind and I forgot it even was made until one day working at Game Swap in 2017 it crossed my path again when a regular customer named Steve who loves horror films as much as I do thought about buying it but didn’t. This lead to me seeing that it had a comic based on it and made it a perfect fit for a “From Horror Movie To Horror Comic” update. On a cold February in 2017 via a new DVD I bought for only $1.67 on Amazon. I watched this film for the first time and was amazed at just how low budget yet kind of charming it was, but while charming it is by no means a good. Azar for most of the film is just the POV of the camera with a red filter and when taking over bodies, the effects are nothing more than contacts and make-up and this is slightly disappointing as seeing a creature/demon version would have been pretty cool! The plus to the film was actress Calvi Pabon who played Mary Lopez who dressed in alternative Goth cloths, and this rocked! The film was released on DVD and VHS on March 2, 2004 and was lost in the shuffle for most horror fans as other films released that year were Seed Of Chucky, Dawn Of The Dead, Ginger Snaps 2-3, Tremors 4, Bone Sickness, Dracula 3000 and Puppet Master vs. Demonic Toys to name a few and they all gained their cult status over this film. The Legend Of Diablo was directed by Robert Napton and stars Fred Estrada, Lindsey Lofaso, Mario Soto and Calvi Padon all who try their best with what they had to work with and that’s a very small budget with the DVD I have being released by Trinity. Over all this film may not be an amazing piece of horror cinema but no matter how small it still added to the genre as a whole.

So now that we have an understanding of Azar and the film that spawned him, The Legend Of Diablo, I think it’s time to go from the movie to the comic book that was released by Image Comics. The only reason I knew this comic book was made was again thanks to Game Swap and the customer who brought up the DVD that boldly states “based on the popular comic character!” And that sparked a hunt for what comic this film was based on and with the help of Todd The Fox we found it, but only after asking many comic reading friends of mine if they knew like Jason Young and Jeremy Hoyt and none of them knew…so Azar must not have been that popular of a comic character. I want to thank Lone Star Comics for having this issue in stock as that made this update possible. The Aztec spirits are wanting me to remind you all that I grade these on a star scale of 1 to 4 and am looking for how well the comic stays to the source material, it’s entertainment value and it’s art and story. So beware of the stalking red light that lurks outside as it could be Azar, and let’s dive right into this comic that helped spawn the film or is that they spawned each other!

Knights Of The Jaguar # 1 **
Released in 2004 Cover Price $0.00 Image Comics # 1 of 1

The year is 1819, and the Aztec’s have called upon their warriors called Knights Of The Jaguar who, when wearing their helmets, become Jaguar men who’s main goal is to fight the evil of demons like Azar who tried to take over their land. With their tribe’s chief they tried their best to defeat the evil demon and were able to trap him but not fully defeat him. Now in modern times Agent Vega takes the trial of the Jaguar and becomes a modern member of this secret order of warriors and heads to the city of Diablo in order to try and bring the war back to Azar and end his evil ways once and for all.

This short ashcan comic acts as a way to try and explain the legend and lore of Azar and the men who spend their lives trying to stop his evil rampage known as the Knights Of The Jaguar. The plot goes back in time when the Aztec people fought against the demon Azar who would corrupt many and that only brave warriors who would dawn the jaguar helmets are the ones who can save mankind form the evil. We then show modern times and a good Agent takes the trial to become a member of the order of the Jaguar and when he passes, he heads to a town that is rumored to house the spirit of Azar. Really the plot is that faced paced and really just acts as a tool for readers to rent or buy the film The Legend Of Diablo. The downside is besides the fact you know the Knights Of The Jaguar and Agent Vega are good guys and that Azar is an evil demon so you get no real time to bond with the characters or fully get to know them, and that’s the weakness of this comic as you really don’t get to care about any of them! The comic has little amounts of blood and is not really all that scary making it feel like it’s a horror comic that’s spinning its wheels and not living up to the demon possessed comic it could be. The art is pretty good and has a true 90’s feel to it and is done by Mike Choi who does a good job of making the story seem more epic. The cover is cool but really does not represent the film and the characters in it at all and that’s odd as this comic was meant to be a tool to get readers to become viewers. Over all not much can be said about this comic besides Aazar is evil, the art is good and its way to short for its own good. Fans of the film might want to give this a read as it gives more back history to the demon Azar as well as Agent Vega. Your average horror comic reader who has zero clues that the movie was even made will probably want to stay clear, as it offers nothing for you besides more questions than entertainment. Below is art from this mini comic and shows Azar in all his glory.

So as you can see The Legend Of Diablo might not have set the horror movie world on fire it still got the comic book treatment, and I wish more smaller horror films and companies producing and releasing these films would take note and make comics based on their films as there are readers out there like me. While we leave Azar behind, we are starting our countdown to Halloween with out next update and I feel like we should take a look at another “From Horror Movie To Horror Comic” so I decided to take a look at the comic and slasher film The Orphan Killer! What better way to kick off a Halloween countdown than with a gory slasher comic and film…am I right? Well until next time, read a comic or three, watch a Horror film or two and as always support your local Horror Host! See you next update for a very bloody good time!