Hoy Cow! Sweet Hostage is on DVD!!!

Where have I been and what has happened to my excellent TV movie radar? Time to take it into the shop for fine tuning because I totally missed that Sweet Hostage became available through Warner Archives last week!

This is a somewhat controversial movie featuring an escaped asylum inmate (Martin Sheen looking pretty fine) kidnapping a young teen (Linda Blair looking adorable), only to have her fall in love with him. Only in the 70s guys. This movie aired on ABC on October 10th, 1975 and is based on Nathaniel Benchley's book Welcome to Xanadu (which I own but have not read).

It's great to see that Warner Archives is continuing their excellent TV movie output, and for the record, the non-TVM Killer Party also came out last week. I'm gonna have to quote KP's excellent theme song here... These are the best times of our lives.

Prom Night! Everything is Alright!

OK guys, it's here. The book Butcher Knives and Body Counts is now available through Amazon! My article on Prom Night is just one of the many featured essays which reflect on the slasher genre. You will find lots of your fave bloggers and some famous folks too! C'mon everyone, it's the right thing to do and the tasty way to do it!

The Phantom of Hollywood is on DVD!

I know I've been MIA lately (thanks college!), but wild horses couldn't prevent me from letting you all know that The Phantom of Hollywood is now available on DVD thanks to Warner Archives! It's been quite a few years since I've seen this odd but fun little TVM, but I can tell you that Peter Haskell is adorable and the bad guy is cah-reepy! Much of the film takes place on a dilapidated back lot which was actually the famous MGM Lot 2 where several classic films were shot, including The Canterbury Ghost, starring Peter Lawford. By the way, he also appears in Phantom! Coinkydink? The lot was in the process of being demolished when someone decided to shoot a horror film amongst its remaining creepy bones, which practically serve as another character. That makes the Phantom a scarily awesome artifact!

The DVD just became available today, and the print looks dandy. So please support your TVM and pick up a copy. Tell 'em Amanda By Night sent ya!

Remembering John Ritter

I remembered that it was eight years ago yesterday that we lost John Ritter. I have never been shy about my love for him, and I was truly saddened by his passing. I was flipping through an old TV Guide (the June 20 - 26, 1987 issue to be exact) and I saw a short piece on a tribute concert Ritter helped to organize for the Vietnam veterans. The event was called Welcome Home, and it aired on July 4th, 1987 on HBO. TV Guide quoted Ritter as saying, "I feel something like this on a national level can be almost a catharsis. There's something bigger than being a hawk or dove. The one thing we can all do is embrace the Vietnam veterans. This is an opportunity for real healing."

That article pretty much sums up everything I have loved about Mr. Ritter... well, except for his wonderful sense of humor (and pratfalls)! I miss him every day.

Here is John Fogerty doing a pretty kickass performance of Born on the Bayou at the Welcome Home concert:



And here's John doing what he did best, making us laugh: