As you may know, I’ve been a horror fan for many, many years. Most of my memories from high school revolve around browsing the shelves at the local video store and trying to decide which crazy ass Wizard Video release to rent next. This love for horror continued through college where I’d make the most of the “5 movies for 5 dollars for 5 days” rental option at the rental store near the school. Even after graduation, I continued my obsession, adding many miles to my Kia driving to and from Exhumed Films showings in New Jersey.
In recent years, my interest didn’t wane, but my time spent viewing horror movies and keeping up on the “scene” certainly did. I eventually realized that, wow, I had seen only three or four horror movies from the last five years. So, I started renting more and more horror films again through Greencine (and, later, Netflix).
But now, I feel like I’m getting back into the swing of things again after having stumbled across the excellent Dead Pit podcast. When I saw the name, I immediately remembered the late 80s low-budget zombie film whose box had a zombie with flashing eyes. The podcast is run by a couple of hardcore horror fans from Kentucky. And, boy, are they ever from Kentucky. The first time I heard the show, it took me a few minutes to realize that their accents were real.
The podcast is the perfect example of how great a show can be when it’s put together by intensely obsessed fans with no pretenses about being famous or rich. The Creepy Kentuckian and Uncle Bill seme like two guys you’d bump into at a horror convention getting their April Fool’s Day poster signed by the third key grip, completing their collection. Sure, their show occasionally slips into the juvenile, but once you get past that, you can’t help but appreciate their depth and breadth of their coverage of (primarily) US and Euro-horror.
Honestly, I don’t know how they find the time to do everything they do. In addition to their weekly podcast, which often runs 2-3 hours including a live call-in portion, they do a MySpace show, do YouTube videos, maintain the web site, and write DVD reviews. It’s insansity. And, yet, they still don’t seem like they’re going to burn out anytime soon.
For the three Ping visitors that are still reading, definitely look through the Dead Pit archives and find a show that interests you. There are lots of great themed shows and interviews with actors and directors to choose from. I’d recommend starting with either the Troll 2 episode (mp3) or the recent 80s slasher theme show (mp3). There’s also a good two-part interview with John Carpenter from September that’s well worth checking out.
Posted in Television, Movies, and Music