Talking TV at the Miskatonic Institute of Horror Studies: The Films

For those of you interested in what I discussed whilst I was in London last week attempting to sound scholarly (see how I used "whilst"... I've become so British!), or if you came and were interested in checking out some of the titles I mentioned, here is a list of what I discussed, or screened, along with the topic I placed them under (some titles linked to my reviews or episodes of podcasts where we featured that title):

Topic: TV Movies as an Event

Opening Bumper Reel:
Deliver Us From Evil
KISS Meets the Phantom of the Park
Trackdown: Finding the Goodbar Killer
Midnight Hour

Topic: An Overview of the History of the TV Movie
Maybe I’ll Come Home in the Spring
Strange Possession of Mrs. Oliver
See How they Run
Seven in Darkness

Topic: Popularity of the TV Movie (Nielsens)
Dr. Cook's Garden
Crowhaven Farm
The Girl Most Likely To...
Cry in the Wilderness

Topic: Important Filmmakers:
Dan Curtis
Richard Matheson
John Llewellyn Moxey
Aaron Spelling

Movies discussed (very briefly):
Duel
Satan’s School for Girls
Trilogy of Terror
The Night Stalker

Topic: Marketing the Horror Telefilm
Savages
Look What Happened to Rosemary’s Baby

Promo clip reel:
Born Innocent
Deadly Lessons
The Intruder Within
Someone’s Watching Me!
Invitation to Hell
Bad Seed
Look What Happened to Rosemary’s Baby

TV Guide Section:
The Babysitter
Fantasies
Dying Room Only
This House Possessed
Bridge Across Time (aka Terror at London Bridge)
Midnight Hour
No Place to Hide
Are You in the House Alone?

Topic: So Many Subgenres!
Invitation to Hell (Satanic Panic)
Legend of Lizzie Borden (True Crime)
The Stranger Within (Sci-Fi)
Five Desperate Women (proto-slasher)
Ants! (Nature Runs Amok)
Bad Ronald (Evil Kids)
Mazes and Monsters (Propaganda)
Killjoy (Thriller)

Topic: Popular Subgenre - Supernatural
Subtopic: The Haunted House/Ghost Story Telefilm, and the Intimacy of Grief:
Fear No Evil
Daughter of the Mind
The House that Would Not Die
Don’t Go to Sleep
This House Possessed
She Waits
(*all of the above had companion clips, with the exception of The House that Wouldn't Die)

 
Subtopic: The Paranormal TVM and Second Wave Feminism
The Spell
Midnight Offerings (included clip)
Initiation of Sarah
Night Cries

Subtopic: Tiny Monsters and the Domestic Space

Tiny Monster reel:
Dead of Night segment: Bobby
Don’t Be Afraid of the Dark
Devil Dog: The Hound of Hell
The Intruder Within
Trilogy of Terror

A clip reel I didn't get to show: Big Monsters!

Conclusion: The TV Horror Film from 1985 to Present:
Kicks (revamp of ABC Movie of the Week)
Bad Seed (revamp of ABC Movie of the Week)
The Haunting of Sarah Hardy (USA Original)
Murder by Night (USA Original)
Tainted Blood (USA Original)
The Haunted (included clip)
Grave Secrets: The Legacy of Hilltop Drive
Mark of the Devil (re-purposed Hammer House of Mystery and Suspense)
Spring Break Shark Attack (revival of the horror movie of the week)
Locusts (revivial of the horror movie of the week)
Rosemary's Baby miniseries remake (the telefilm as an "event" continues)

The End!

I'd like to thank Kier-La Janisse and Jennifer Wallis, as well as my publisher, David Kerekes of Headpress, and the Miskatonic Institute of Horror Studies for hosting such an incredible event (the folks at the Horse Hospital were pretty great too). We almost sold out of the book I edited, Are You in the House Alone? A TV Movie Compendium: 1964-1999 (which is now available through Amazon), and I've had some wonderful feedback. Also, two new real life friends, Tom Elliot from The Strange and Deadly Show and Chris Brown from The Last Horror Podcast (along with his gorgeous wife) made the trek from Liverpool to ensure the whole thing was even more memorable. I am so grateful for the last few months, and I hope you continue to join me on this little small screen adventure!

Oh my gosh! Will I ever have time to blog again... is the name of this blog post

Here I am, again, writing a post about why I can't write a post. It's a little annoying on this end. But only a little. I have a lot of really great stuff happening, and just wanted to update anyone who doesn't travel along my social medias, in case you are so inclined.

As many of you know, I have edited and contributed to a book coming out May 1st through Headpress titled Are You in the House Alone? A TV Movie Compendium: 1964-1999. This has given me a little bit of street cred and I find I've been very busy on the promotion trail. Here's what's up:

I will be discussing TV horror movies at the Miskatonic Institute of Horror Studies in London on April 20th at the Horse Hospital. My talk is titled Tele-terrors: The Real and Imagined Horrors Inside the Made for Television Movie, and it's inexpensive and should be fun! I'll be speaking with Kier-La Janisse and Jennifer Wallis, who are two amazing people. So do it for them, if not for me.

To promote this talk, I recently did a couple of podcast interviews and appearances:

You can listen to me on the Last Horror Podcast
website | iTunes

The Kolchak Tapes Episode 2 (interview with me about TV movies)
website | iTunes

The Kolchak Tapes Episode 3 (I discuss The Norliss Tapes)
website | iTunes

Supporting Characters (an interview with me about my writing career and my life in general!)
website | iTunes

Compañeros (discussion of 1990s horror film The Borrower)
website | iTunes

Just One More Thing (talking about the later entry Columbo episode No Time To Die)
website | iTunes


I'm very honored to be featured on all of these shows, as I adore each of them endlessly. Everyone has been so great about supporting my TV movie love! I want to hug the world! Big shout out to Bill Ackerman from Supporting Characters who informed me that I was quoted on Shout Factory's DVD double feature TV movie release of Are You in the House Alone and The Initiation of Sarah! I've owned this double disc since it was released... How did I not know this?

I also had a short academic piece featured on Georgia State University's In Media Res page. I spoke a bit about female agency in The Initiation of Sarah's 2006 remake.

I will also be in the upcoming book from Spectacular Optical titled Yuletide Terror: Christmas Horror on Film and Television (check out Dread Central's article about it here). There's a lot of amazing people featured in the book and I'm beside myself with excitement! Check out Spectacular Optical's dedicated page on their website for more info!

And my good friend Lee Gambin recently announced that he's putting together a new film journal. TV movies will be included and I'll be in the first issue. Will give more deets as this project moves forward. He's also working on a book that I'm contributing too. Again, more info as I get it.

So, it's been quite busy. I suspect when I return from London it will quiet down a bit and I can get back to podcasting/blogging and the like. I've been watching tons of fun telefilms to prep for my talk, so I'm ready! But until then, come find me on facebook or twitter, or check out the blog's companion podcast if you haven't. Our latest double feature is a Tori Spelling Twofer featuring Death of Cheerleader (1994) and Co-ed Call Girl. It's currently on the website and iTunes! Hooray!