Dear David Boyer,

I hope you’ll forgive an unexpected message from someone who was genuinely intrigued by Cinemassacres: A Tribute to Forrest J Ackerman.

Every so often, a book does more than preserve information about a cultural figure it captures an entire community and the passion that figure inspired. Cinemassacres immediately caught my attention for that reason.

What stayed with me most was the decision to celebrate Forrest J. Ackerman not simply through biography, but through the voices of people connected to the world he helped cultivate. The collection of interviews creates a fascinating portrait of the people who encountered, admired, and participated in the culture surrounding science fiction, horror, monsters, and genre cinema.

That immediately made me think about the possibilities for film and television.

Rather than adapting Cinemassacres as a traditional narrative, I could imagine it becoming a richly archival documentary or limited documentary series exploring Ackerman’s influence and the evolution of monster and science-fiction fandom through the people who lived it.

The interviews with figures such as Joe Moe, Dr. Mangor, Fred Olen Ray, Count Gore De Vol, Lucy Hell, Don Calfa, Jason Paul Collum, and Sara Karloff provide something particularly valuable: multiple personal perspectives on a cultural world that could otherwise be difficult to capture on screen.

The project could explore not only who Ackerman was, but why his passion mattered.

How does a fan become a cultural force? How does a magazine, a community, or a shared obsession help inspire generations of filmmakers, performers, writers, collectors, and audiences? And what happens to that culture as the entertainment landscape changes?

I could imagine archival photographs, magazine covers, film clips, memorabilia, interviews, and personal recollections coming together to recreate an era when discovering a strange monster movie or science-fiction story could feel like discovering an entirely new universe.

That is what makes the material particularly interesting to me. The story is ultimately about more than one person. It is about the birth and preservation of fandom itself—the people who refused to treat genre entertainment as disposable and instead recognized the artistry, imagination, and community contained within it.

My name is Kristie Macosko Krieger, and I am a film and television producer at Amblin Entertainment. I’m always interested in distinctive nonfiction projects that preserve important cultural histories while giving audiences a compelling reason to rediscover them.

I couldn’t help but wonder whether there might be an opportunity to explore the screen potential of Cinemassacres as a documentary feature or limited series. I would genuinely enjoy hearing your thoughts about what an audiovisual tribute to Ackerman and the wider world he helped inspire might look like.

There is no pressure or expectation attached to my message. I simply wanted to reach out because the book appears to contain something particularly valuable for the screen: firsthand voices, a remarkable cultural legacy, and a world of genre history that can be brought vividly to life through interviews and archival material.

Thank you for preserving these voices and for paying tribute to someone whose passion helped give an entire generation of genre fans a sense of community and belonging.

I sincerely hope we have the opportunity to connect.

Warm regards,

[Ben again. I wish this was a real email. If you’re getting things like this for the things you’re writing, don’t respond. Hopefully someday we’ll all make our big break with our writing. But these things - obviously sent to sell us a service - are as bad as asking old people for their bank account info, in my opinion.]

First off, CONGRATS to Jeff Heise - you won a free paperback for answering those 3 questions! Email me at ben@bearmanormedia.com and let me know what title you want and where to send it.

I’ll pick another random person on this list next time too - so watch out for your name being called! Next time it will be a free ebook - ANY title you want.

And now…

NEW BOOKS!

Martial Arts in Cinema, Volume 3 — Q&A with the author, David Da Silva

1. What does Volume 3 cover, and how does it fit within the series?

Volume 3 focuses on the period from 1997 to 2010, a pivotal era when martial arts cinema went truly global. It explores three major dynamics: the arrival of Chinese stars like Jackie Chan and Jet Li in Hollywood, the fusion of martial arts with comedy and with arthouse cinema, and the explosion of both blockbusters and direct-to-video productions. That said, the volume is organized thematically rather than strictly chronologically, so it follows certain ideas wherever the films lead, sometimes reaching beyond 2010 when the subject demands it.

2. How is this volume different from the first two?

The first two volumes followed a largely chronological path, from the origins of the genre to its golden age. Volume 3 breaks with that approach and adopts a thematic architecture. Each chapter defines its own territory, whether it is the Chinese conquest of Hollywood, martial arts comedy, arthouse experiments, or the direct-to-video world. This structure allows me to trace the evolution of ideas and conventions across the years rather than simply listing films decade by decade.

3. Why did you choose to include so many first-hand interviews?

Because they are the heart of the book and its greatest value. Volume 3 contains an exceptional number of original interviews with actors, stunt performers, choreographers, directors, editors, cinematographers, and composers. These are voices you rarely find gathered in one place, and they give the reader a genuine insider’s understanding of how martial arts films are actually made.

4. Which interviews are you most proud of in this volume?

There are so many, but a few stand out. The conversations with members of the Jackie Chan Stunt Team, such as Paul Andreovski and Vi-Dan Tran, offer a rare window into that legendary group. The interviews tied to the John Wick franchise, with fight choreographer Laurent Demianoff and editor Evan Schiff, illuminate one of the most influential action sagas of our time. And speaking with figures like Jesse Johnson, Joey Ansah, Max Huang or Dimitri Logothetis gave me material that simply does not exist elsewhere.

5. How do you approach the phenomenon of Chinese stars in Hollywood?

I examine how Jackie Chan and Jet Li redefined the Hollywood action hero, each in his own way, and at what cost. Their crossover was a triumph, but it also raised questions of cultural translation, typecasting and artistic compromise. This is one of the central threads of the volume, and it connects directly to broader questions of globalization and identity.

6. Why devote attention to martial arts comedy and arthouse cinema?

Because they are too often overlooked. Comedy, frequently dismissed as frivolous, actually helped preserve and renew the very essence of martial arts choreography. And arthouse cinema, when visionary directors turn to the genre, transforms the fight into a vehicle for metaphysics and emotion. Ignoring these dimensions would impoverish any serious history of the genre.

7. What place does the direct-to-video world hold in this volume?

A significant one. The DTV market is where a great deal of martial arts talent survived and flourished, far from the spotlight of major productions. I speak with directors, screenwriters and choreographers who worked in this world, and I try to show why these low-budget films continue to cultivate an almost mythical aura among fans of the genre. And that is why I chose a photo of Scott Adkins for the cover of this Volume 3, because he has truly been the iconic actor of martial arts direct-to-video films since the early 2000s.

8. Who wrote the foreword, and why?

The foreword is written by Isaac Florentine, the acclaimed director of the Undisputed sequels and a filmmaker deeply respected within the martial arts action community. His voice sets the tone perfectly, because he embodies exactly the kind of craftsmanship and passion that this volume celebrates.

9. Who is this book for?

For anyone who loves martial arts and action cinema, from the casual enthusiast to the serious scholar. The interviews make it accessible and lively, while the analysis gives it depth. My hope is that even readers unfamiliar with many of these films will be inspired to discover them, because they form a fascinating and significant part of film history.

10. What do you hope readers take away from Volume 3, and what does the next book have in store?

That martial arts cinema is far more than spectacle. It is a universal language that speaks of globalization, identity, and the human body confronting the limits of the digital age. Every blow, every acrobatic leap, every silence between two adversaries tells us something about ourselves. If readers close this book seeing the genre with new eyes, and reaching for films they had never considered, then I will have succeeded. And the journey does not end there, since the fourth and final volume, subtitled Donnie Yen, MMA, Women and the Rest of the World (2010-2026), will bring the series to a close. It will explore the rise of MMA on screen with Donnie Yen as its central figure, the long-overdue recognition of women in martial arts cinema, and an original mapping of the genre across the globe, from Europe to Africa to South America. A way of reminding us that this cinema, more alive than ever, continues to reinvent itself all around the world.

THANK YOU for feeding the Bear!

Just drop me a line at ben@bearmanormedia.com. Especially if you work for a podcast, magazine, etc.

And for you readers: want to Win a free paperback? Just answer me these 3 questions please:

1. Who would win in a fight: Ed Wood or Stephen King?

2. Is it hot enough for you?

3. If you could change one film ending, what film, and how would you change it?

Just answer here or email to ben@bearmanormedia.com. A random winner will be announced in the next newsletter!

Okay, a few more books I’m personally proud of.

Did you know that Kung Fu, The Legend Continues is FINALLY available to buy as a set on Apple? I only discovered it by accident. It’s one of the few shows I watched in the ‘90s and I Loved it. In fact, I’ve currently started rewatching the original Kung Fu, to get ready to watch the whole sequel series again. And because I loved the show, I asked Michael Sloan, the creator of the sequel series, to write a book on it. And he did!

And speaking of the 90s, I LOVE Cube. The 2 sequels too. We’ve got the only book on it, buddy!

I was fortunate to have published a couple books by the screenwriter of Emperor of the North, one of my favorite action films. It’s so different. And I can’t recall if I asked Chris to write this book or if he suggested it. But he wrote it!

Okay, I wrote this. My only published novel so far. Might be a clever premise: Vlad the Impaler is bored so makes himself known as the man Dracula was based on, so he can sue Universal, etc. for Right of Publicity. Hadn’t seen that hook done before, so I wrote it.

One of the greatest, funniest men EVER to walk this planet. I’m proud as hell to have published his autobiography.

And of course, the greatest comedy team on record?

Thanks for reading!

Ben

First off, gang, if you’re a fan of Disneyland/world or theme parks, please join

ThemeParkPress's Substack

All about all our Theme Park books!

By BearManor Media

I JUST started it within the hour, and will post on it when there are a few eyes to look at it. I’d love to have many TPP authors join in and talk about old or upcoming books!

Meantime, some new BearManor Media books:

Yes, my own book of poetry about where I grew up, Albany, GA. One of about 50 books of poems, stories, scripts, etc. I’ll be putting out as time goes by. This is actually a reprint of something my friend John Teehan - a great guy - put out via his publishing company a decade or so ago. First time anyone ever asked Me for writings!

This is a GREAT book, with a foreword by the super (and successful!) Lee Goldberg (the only person to ever visit me in Japan!) who worked on the show.

Excellent book - part 3! With a guy on the cover who should be a superstar. Ever see Undisputed 2? If you like action films, you have. If you Haven’t, and like seeing butt kicked, you Need to see it.

How’s that for a cover? I WISH I were offered more great classic Hollywood biographies like this these days, but alas…

I’ve been a British comedy fan since I was a kid. I’m SUPER proud to have This book and the Goon Show Society book both in my catalog. Dreams DO come true.

Q&A with Nicholas Anez, author of Cinema’s Lost Treasures: Celebrating Forgotten Movies

Q. Why did you write this book?

A. The movies that I write about were either box-office failures, received terrible reviews. are forgotten today or all of the above. I hope to bring some belated recognition to them.

Q. How did you choose these particular movies to write about?

A. I think they are all good movies for one reason or another. Admittedly, I chose some for personal reasons. For instance, I first saw Attack when I was 14 years old and the scene of the tank crushing Jack Palance’s arm gave me nightmares. I had a similarly visceral reaction to other movies in this book.

Q. What are some other examples?

A. I was drafted during the Vietnam War and fortunately remained stateside but I served with soldiers who were sent over. Go Tell the Spartans shows how and why so many Americans needlessly died. Many scenes from this movie remain embedded in my mind, not the least of which is Burt Lancaster’s naked body lying in the mud.

Q. You write about another Lancaster movie, The Swimmer. Why did you choose this movie?

A. When I first saw The Swimmer, I found it somewhat bewildering but yet intriguing enough to make me want to see it a second and third time, liking it more each time. Lancaster’s final scene is haunting. It is difficult to forget him, withered into a fetal position and sobbing uncontrollably upon realizing that he destroyed his family and his life.

Q. You also discuss two Sean Connery movies. Was that a coincidence?

A. Yes, but they are totally different kinds of movies. The Offence is a very difficult movie to watch even once because it concerns a child rapist while Robin and Marian is a beautiful love story that invites repeated viewings.

Q. It is obvious from your chapter on Elvis Presley that you disapprove of his manager. Why is that?

A. Tom Parker destroyed Elvis’ film career and I tried to show how and why he did this. Elvis would have had a totally different career and life if he only had fired the leech.

Q. Were you always an Elvis fan?

A. No. I was never into rock ‘n’ roll so when Elvis burst upon the scene in 1955, I wasn’t interested. I became an Elvis fan in the 1960s. My favorite Elvis album is “From Elvis in Memphis” which was released in 1969. By the way, back in the 70s, I did a memorable Elvis impression in a Boston karaoke club. I was booed off the stage.

Q. Why did you choose to write about The Born Losers? Isn’t that a trashy movie?

A. Yes, but it’s a good trashy movie. Tom Laughlin’s subsequent movie wasn’t trashy but it wasn’t good. Its immense success led to his rise and his fall.

Q. You write about three movies that have been criticized for their violence: Rolling Thunder, Sitting Target and The Grissom Gang. Does that bother you?

A. They contain scenes of violence but these scenes are not overly graphic. What appealed to me perhaps is the fact that all three movies concern protagonists who are suffering intense emotional pain that is worse than their physical pain.

Q. Your choices of Darker Than Amber, Warning Shot and P.J. seem questionable. Aren’t these simply conventional genre movies?

A. Conventional in some ways but distinctive in other ways. They also illustrate the benefits of the studio system that had collapsed the precious decade. If Rod Taylor, David Janssen and George Peppard had been managed by studios, I think they would have had totally different film careers.

Q. Why did True Confessions appeal to you?

A. Though it concerns an atrocious murder, the story’s focus is on the relationship between two brothers - a priest and a cop. And yet perhaps the most memorable scene involves the parents of the murdered girl.

Q. Why did you choose two obscure movies - No Love for Johnnie and The Night Visitor?

A. One is a political drama and the other is a thriller. The main character of both movies is a shrewd, self-centered, unscrupulous man. One is a politician and the other is a criminal. But I repeat myself.

I just felt like showing you a famous actor signing a BearManor contract. :) Can you guess who it is?

Clue:

While I have your attention, I’d also like to show off a couple books I’m personally proud of having in the catalog, for one reason or another.

I. LOVE. THIS. MAN. Not just because of Alice in Wonderland. But because - he’s Jerry Colonna!! And I really need to revise the cover because, because of me, it has a foreword by John (Star Wars) Williams, which not enough people know.

When I sleep at night, I listen to radio shows to slow my brain down; to listen to something Else to switch off my regular thoughts. For the last year, it’s been This great radio show. I wish I had the power to make it a bigger hit book.

Written by a saint. My irreplaceable secretary, Sandra Grabman. I think of her often.

More next time…………………………..

THANK YOU FOR READING.

Ben Ohmart

Hey Ben! I got this picture yesterday from director Adam Marcus! Adam directed JASON GOES TO HELL and many other films. He contributed a great essay in this book and original art pieces. Here is what he said on his post on FB:

'It is my absolute pleasure to let the whole damn world know that this insanely cool book, The Stephen King Dollar Baby Encore is out now! Proud to have contributed an essay and some art to this awesome, comprehensive tome by the masterful Anthony Northup ! Seriously, this thing is hard to carry with one hand. I’m not kidding. Get yours today!'

And if THAT’s not enough:

Hey Ben! I got this photo the other day. This is director Tommy McLoughlin (director of many films including FRIDAY THE 13th PART 6: JASON LIVES! and Stephen King's SOMETIMES THEY COME BACK). Tommy wrote a great essay in the new book, but has contributed to all 3 Dollar Baby books. Pretty cool, huh!

Anthony is one of the best writers and FANS of Stephen King around. If I were King for a Day, I’d hire AN on the spot to promote the hell outa my books.

Oh, and just because I have your attention, I have to show this again:

Both written by the amazingly talented, dear departed Lee Gambin. He also wrote the definitive Carrie book:

I sure miss this guy…

A few more Kings to mention:

I’ve been a SK fan for Years. First book I ever read of his was Christine - and I picked it because it was hefty! I actually think he’s best in the novella range, but that’s just one man’s opinion.

Thanks for reading!

Ben Ohmart

By the way, folks. Any artists here? I’m looking for a classy piece of art - maybe minamalist, maybe modern - to adorn a pet project of mine: a book of my fiction, poems, etc. No money, but you’d be on a book cover! It’ll be a series of books that I’d like to put out of my old and new writing, with a different piece of art for each cover. And the only words on the cover are my name and the book title - so it’s elegant and not cluttered. Shout out to ben@bearmanormedia.com if you have something!

Thanks.

Ben Ohmart

Q&A with Robert Kroll, author of Orson Welles’ Commercial Break

What surprised you most during the research process?

There is a lot more material out there than I expected. For sure I came across boxes and boxes of material for Citizen Kane, The Magnificent Ambersons, and Touch of Evil. But I also found many files about Paul Masson, G&G Nikka Whiskey, and even a bank in Shreveport, Louisiana. So it was great to find so much that I could use to write an entire book.

Which advertisement tells us the most about Orson Welles as a person?

I’d argue that the ones closest to his own interests would either be the G&G Nikka ad that he turned into a Marlene Dietrich tribute or the Nashua copiers ad where he got to perform magic tricks. Those felt like 60 second short films covering his own interests while still advertising other products.

How did Welles’ attitude toward advertising change over the course of his life?

Because of the sponsorship nature of old time radio, Welles and other actors would have to participate in advertisements on their respective programs. It wasn’t exactly something they could opt out of. But over time actors were able to distance themselves from directly participating in advertisements. Welles was able to do this, but he returned to television commercials with some ease. So I don’t think his attitude changed so much as the cultural circumstances.

Was there a particular discovery that made you think, “This has to go in the book”?

The First National Bank Shreveport ads. These are regional and relatively obscure ads when compared to a national campaign like Paul Masson or even the Dark Tower board game. The bank ads came right after Welles’ Paul Masson campaign ended. Welles was such a different person behind the scenes on these ads than he was with Paul Masson that the campaign had to get its own chapter in the book.

Did you encounter any myths about Welles that the book helped correct?

The infamous Paul Masson Champagne spot and its associated outtakes are nothing like one would expect from the outtakes alone. Uncovering what happened that day was my own personal Rashomon.

What attracted you to overlooked subjects like Welles’ commercials?

There’s so many commercials and television works from Welles out there. It is a major portion of his life but it is often mentioned in passing in biographies or outright ignored. But there are so many great stories out there about the makings of these ads. I got to talk to people who were never interviewed about their experiences with Welles. I think it is a major void in his scholarship that I wanted to fix.

Were there any commercials or campaigns you wanted to cover but couldn’t fully document?

There are still some commercials I’ve heard about but have yet to find. I’d love to find the cement ad he did along with a commercial he did for Texas radio advertisers. The book is finished, but the research continues!

Did any commercial campaign turn out to be more significant than it initially appeared?

Probably the G&G Nikka Whiskey ads. There was an extreme interest in Welles in Japan after a roadshow rerelease of The Third Man, to which the Jima Dentsu company capitalized on as best as they could. They released a year’s worth of ads in a matter of months, tried finding more Welles films and programs to import, and even gave him creative control over other ads. It might have been the closest he got in the commercial realm as he did in making any feature film.

Which decade produced the most interesting commercial work from Welles?

The eighties! Not only because he did the most ads in the five years before he passed away in 1985, but some commercials were made with nascent blue screen and splitscreen technology. So there were some actual technical achievements in these ads before he passed away.

Many people know Welles as a filmmaker, but far fewer know the extent of his commercial work. What part of that story tends to surprise readers the most?

There are real people who worked on these ads. Many of them started their careers working with Orson Welles on commercials. Many are retired but there are still people out there today working who can say that they worked with Orson Welles. The makings of these commercials could be as intense as any story from Welles’ RKO days.

What is the most “Orson Welles” moment you encountered while researching the book?

On the shoot for the first First National Bank Shreveport ad, there’s a moment where Welles asks who the ad’s copy writer is. He does so seriously, to which Judy Williams shyly raises her hand and says, “I did!” Welles immediately goes from severe to gentle, telling her how much he loved it. It disarmed people on set and showed that he isn’t some primadonna.

What do you hope readers take away from the book?

That Welles wasn’t just some sellout at the end of his life trying to make a buck or that he was so humiliated doing commercials that he had to perform them while drunk. This is a part of his life that may not be as artistically important as Citizen Kane, but it is a significant portion of his life that shouldn’t be overlooked or orphaned.

MORE GREAT BOOKS!

(Someday we’ll put out Ted Key’s autobiography…………… Also a book of letters between Ted and myself, Ben Ohmart.)

(June took the wife and I to the Magic Castle in 2008. Highlight of my life.)

(Seriously thinking of continuing this series again. Any interest??)

(What did you think of the new Supergirl film? I didn’t see it. Didn’t look like a likeable character to me…)

(I adore radio. Still my favorite medium.)

Leave a comment

a CD by my friend Brian Gari, author/composer and grandson of Eddie Cantor. The opening song is like something The Monkees would do. Brian has that way of writing Tunes that I’m afraid stay in my ears easier than the modern hip hop movement.

I want to Thank You ALL for being here and reading stuff.

My great fear however is that my newsletter is going to be too esoteric for a general audience, since BearManor Media alone has 2000+ titles and that doesn’t even count all the Theme Park Press and Midnight Marquee stuff. I could fill a Substack daily with info, pictures, videos and Q&As and more and never do anything else and never miss a day of the year! WHAT SHOULD I DO? HELP ME!

Really, gang. What do you want to see?

Until the responses start coming:

An Interview with Lewis J Stadlen (see Benson & Mel Brooks’ To Be Or Not To Be)

1- This is your first novel after two theatrical memoirs. How much does LOVE AND SECOND ACTS, rely on biographical events?

Stadlen: I believe Philip Roth said the novel is the purist form of biography.

2- You tell the story of a group of ex-acting students and their elderly university professor who meet by chance in a small midwestern city after a twenty-five-year absence. Fact or fiction?

Stadlen: Fact to a point. I did teach acting at the North Carolina School of the Arts in 1999. It was one of the most fulfilling experiences of my career. The students were all in their early twenties and passionate it in their desire to make their mark in the professional theatre. Several would have successful careers as writers and producers, but for the most part, the most talented actors in the class were too easily discouraged and moved on to different occupations.

3- In the novel you are sent an email from a long-lost student who invites you to come to Flint, Michigan to see her perform for the first time in twenty-five years. Did that actually happen?

Stadlen: Yes, and that became the foundation of the novel. After making an eventful seven-hundred-mile road trip to Flint, I was reunited with five ex-students that in the novel I reduce to three. Having endured a fifty-five-year acting career myself, I was fascinated by the choices made by these women and saddened at their robbing the theatre of their prodigious talents. That pretty much ends the biographical content of LOVE AND SECOND ACTS. The rest is pure fiction.

4- You are obviously a stand in for the professor. Are the women you write about pure invention?

Stadlen: I have imagined the inner lives of all the characters so vividly that they sometimes feel more real than people I interact with. I have also added an entirely fictitious female character, the mother of one of the women, a celebrity TV journalist, to spice up the love interest with the elderly professor. A woman I might add who I sometimes say good night to before falling off to sleep.

5- Donald Trump appears in your novel. Why is that?

Stadlen: The story takes place during the 2024 presidential campaign. The possibility of Trump being reelected president lies heavy on the hearts and minds of all the characters. Both pro and con. Mostly con.

6- You have dedicated your book to Kate Atkinson the British novelist. Are you friends?”

Stadlen: I can only wish. I am a great admirer having read all her published fiction. Several more than once. I have done more than dedicated the book to her. I have reimagined her as one of the professor’s students. A writer of award-winning historical fiction as well as the author of a series of best-selling detective novels. My loving revenge for her not answering any of my adoring letters.

7- You have interjected the ghost of Anton Chekhov into your narrative. How did that come about?

Stadlen: I have often wondered what it would be like to cast a group of retired actors in age-inappropriate roles. A mid-seventies baritone playing Curly in Oklahoma. A forty-eight-year-old woman playing Nina in Chekhov’s masterpiece, “The Seagull.” How interesting it would be to mirror the personalities of my characters with those in Chekhov’s play. It also gave me the opportunity to not only explore Chekhov’s narrative, but to break down the process of putting on a play. Something I know a great deal about.

8- How difficult was it to abandon the first-person in your memoirs for the omniscient voice in your novel?

Stadlen: Bloody challenging. At one point I decided to experiment by going back and forth between the two. I’m not nearly accomplished enough to carry that one off.

9- Did you find yourself imitating another novelist’s style? Say, a novelist you greatly admire?

Stadlen: The great novelist Elizabeth Strout said she found her voice by not attempting to write like a writer. Humility was my co-pilot. Not that I was aware of it at the time, but one of my first readers, director Doug Hughes, said my storytelling has everything to do with cognitive dissonance. People behaving in contradictory ways to their original intentions. It makes for a spicy relationship.

10- So, what’s the book about?

Stadlen: LOVE AND SECOND ACTS!

I guess the theme of this newsletter is Broadway. I write plays myself (I had a one-act accepted into a surreal play magazine just yesterday!) and a couple musicals and if I lived in NYC I’d be going to plays and musicals daily.

Oh, I have too many interests! That’s why I took this book too. And here’s the leader of this book to introduce it:

“Cinderellas of West 53^rd Street” is a book of theatrical memoirs from women who lived at The Rehearsal Club, a uniquely special safe haven for young theater women created in 1913. Somewhere in the early 20’s and subsidized by The Rockefellers, it continued sheltering young women in two brownstones at 45-47 West 53^rd Street — until it was destroyed in 1979. The Rehearsal Club was my first home in New York.

Looking back I realize now, I never would have had the Broadway and television career reflected in my “Greenhorn Texan” story, if it hadn’t been for my accidental idea to study for 6 weeks in NYC. My husband of 50+ years and I were immortalized as “Al” and “Kristine” in A Chorus Line. I then went on to create “Katie Parker,” two-time Best Supporting Actress Nominee on The Guiding Light. A unique and special life happened to each of our Cinderellas — changing the trajectory of our lives. The following excerpt is the beginning of mine.

Greenhorn Texan

By Denise Pence Boockvor (RC 1970)

“I felt special. I felt wanted. I felt the father I never knew
would be sorry he never knew me.”

This is it? This is the Rehearsal Club? It’s sooo old! And small! And dirty! Feeling slightly lost and not at all sure this summer adventure to study dance at the Martha Graham School in New York was such a good idea, I stepped hesitantly from the cab. The driver, of course, seemed to have as little patience with me as he’d had for every other driver on the road into Manhattan and, quite rudely I thought, acted like I was trying to get away without paying! Jeez. I’m from Texas— they don’t do things like that in Texas.

“How much is it from LaGuardia to 53rd & Sixth Avenue?” $20!! That’s half a week’s rent in this place and they’re giving me two meals a day!

Are you kidding me? Well . . . not much left for a tip—got a really tight budget while I’m here. . . . “Thank you . . . for such a pleasant ride.” The driver just gunned the gas and dismissed me and my precious tip in a squeal of tires—great way to begin my life in New York City.

My letter from college to Mrs. Clayton, keeper of the keys and Godmother to all the girls in the Club, professing “I’m a really good girl . . . I don’t even have a traffic ticket!” helped me gain entry to what I learned later was quite an exclusive environment in the heart of Manhattan. The warm and motherly woman greeted me at the door, welcoming me into a very high-ceilinged entryway facing a lopsided grand staircase. Wow. I felt energy and electricity in the very air. She then registered me and took my one suitcase to a (temporary) cot in one of the huge—really huge—pre-war building rooms holding four other beds. I was only supposed to stay for a month or so and then return to finish my BFA at the North Carolina School of the Arts. At least that was the initial plan.

At first I was just plain scared. I knew nobody in New York. NOBODY. And I had this real pet peeve about anything dirty. It seemed that everything in New York that summer of 1970 was totally filthy—and old—and graffitied up one side and down the other. It sure wasn’t what I was used to at home. My mother was a “libber” before anyone knew what that meant. Growing up during the Great Depression taught her to live frugally and creatively, finding solutions to repair instead of replace whatever was needed. After walking out on my dad when I was four, she worked 9 to 5 keeping an orderly, exceptionally clean, modest home for me—even finding enough cash to pay for weekly dance lessons -- a great bargaining chip my mother used to discipline me.

But that first New York night, when it seemed like everyone in the Club camped out in my room to meet “the new girl,” all of a sudden, the filth and rudeness of the city disappeared and I suddenly felt totally at home. Everyone gathered around my cot and shared their dreams and drama of auditions, all of which sounded terribly exciting to someone who’d never been outside a dance class. I immediately wanted to find a way to stay in this amazing, energized environment. The Rehearsal Club, a broken-down brownstone in the middle of the universe, would prove to be a haven of inspiration, support and friendships that would, unknown to me at the time, last a lifetime.

You’ve authored or co-authored books on the 1930s (Golden Horrors), the 1940s (Forties Frights, soon to be released) and the 1960s (Sixties Shockers). Why the 1980s?

Well, I hadn’t covered that decade yet [laughs]. The Eighties was truly a touchstone decade for the horror genre, with droves of films breaking taboos, presenting groundbreaking practical effects, and taking storytelling in wild new directions. The 1980s gave birth to the immensely popular slasher subgenre, the cult of the horror director, the effects artist as rock star, and such outrageous sights as a man cutting off his own hand with a chainsaw and then attaching said saw to his bloody stump; a detached fetus-sucking witch head flying through the night with internal organs dangling from its gory neck; and a reanimated disembodied head giving head! Besides all the batshit-craziness, modern horror moviemakers—like Neil (Descent) Marshall, Leigh (The Invisible Man) Whannell, and Alec (Werewolves) Gillis—still reference and take inspiration from the ‘80s time and again, making its relevance something well worth exploring even four decades later.

Another reason I chose to do a book on the ‘80s is that I lived it. I graduated high school in 1980, so I was in the sticky-floored, gum-coated trenches watching the good, the bad and the outrageous as they arrived on theater and drive-in screens, viewing with wide eyes and slack jaw everything from Demons and Re-Animator to A Chinese Ghost Story and Killer Klowns from Outer Space. So with this book I can bring a more direct—and personal—frame of reference to bear while still aiming for an objective critical perspective.

In your other decade-focused books you provide essays on every single horror film from that decade. Why don’t you cover the ‘80s in the same comprehensive manner?

Well, with over seventeen hundred genre films released from 1980 to 1989, I quickly realized that an all-inclusive approach to Eighties horror was impossible. Such an undertaking would require three-to-four million words, a ten-volume set, and a lifetime to research and write. That left a pick-and-choose approach. So I whittled the list down to a representative sample. Me being me (a completist), however, I do include a hefty, 142-page appendix that not only lists all 1700-plus features by year but provides a brief description/assessment of every ‘80s genre movie.

So you narrowed it down to 88 movies for your essays. Why 88 rather than, say, 75 or 100?

Well, it was the Eighties, you know [laughs], so 88 just seemed a natural. But I really just wanted to give the films I chose the deep-dive coverage they deserved—which meant essays of two-to-three thousand words each. But even with that, the book turned out to be a big one, at over 800 pages and some 270,000 words (most novels are a third that size). So I hope readers will feel they’ve gotten their money’s worth.

With so many to choose from, how on earth did you pick those 88 movies?

It wasn’t easy [laughs], as there are so many great ‘80s horrors. I wanted to offer a representative sampling of the best and most outrageous, and so provide an incisive overview as to how the genre evolved over that innovative and entertaining decade. Accordingly, I include not only the expected heavy hitters like A Nightmare on Elm Street, Poltergeist and The Thing, but lesser known but still creditable efforts like Alligator, The Changeling and Dead & Buried, as well as unique obscurities like The Children, The Strangeness and Tales from the Third Dimension that comprise the most engaging the ‘80s had to offer.

Your title claims you cover “The Good, the Bad and the Outrageous.” Why would you include “the Bad?”

As I indicate in the book, my feeling is that the only truly “bad” movie is a boring one. Here I use the term “Bad” (cue the air quotes) to denote those that maybe don’t have the best objective qualities—production values, acting, and so forth—but bring to the table some unique sensibilities that make it not only stand out from the cinematic crowd but make it highly entertaining. This would include films like Boardinghouse, Forbidden World, and Microwave Massacre.

Do you focus mainly on American films, or do you go global?

It’s a big world out there, with a number of different nations boasting thriving film industries. I love to travel, to explore, and to learn about other cultures, so it’s only natural that I do the same with cinema. I include movies from a variety of far-flung lands—from England to Egypt, from Holland to Hong Kong, from Italy to Indonesia—right alongside the myriad American productions.

So are these essays mostly synopsis, critique, history, or anecdotes?

All of the above, though with focus on the latter three. I keep my synopses brief (about a paragraph) and don’t give away the plot’s surprises—I hate that—so that readers who haven’t seen the film can fully enjoy the element of discovery. I realize that most everyone interested in the book will be familiar with the likes of An American Werewolf in London, Friday the 13th and The Fly, but perhaps not Attack of the Beast Creatures, Lady Terminator, or even Motel Hell. But the bulk of each essay covers the film’s production, historical context and personnel, usually with direct quotes from same. And, of course, it’ll offer an in-depth critique of the movie’s thematics and artistic merits, not to mention its WTF quotient. I tried hard to focus on the ‘fun factor’ since, let’s face it, 1980s horror is simply loaded with fun.

Fun is great, but do you also tackle the weightier issues and themes of the decade?

Oh yes. I’m a big proponent of the notion that cinema reflects the values and anxieties of its time, with horror often focusing on the latter. The 1980s has been labeled the “Greed Is Good” decade, and I explore this concept and how “Reaganomics” was reflected in the horror genre (the poster child being John Carpenter’s They Live). Also, the decade’s backwards-looking “Family Values” movement and its dichotomous nature—conservatism vs. excess—was a great influencer on cinema in general and the horror genre in particular.

What else that’s specific to the 1980s do you focus on?

Well, the ‘80s saw the advent of home video, which affected the industry as a whole, and greatly expanded and changed the trajectory of the horror genre. Likewise, the ‘80s saw the changing of the guard regarding its horror icons, when Dracula, Frankenstein’s Monster, the Mummy and the Wolfman gave way to the likes of Michael, Jason, Freddy and Pinhead. Also, horror had historically fixated on its primary actors (Karloff, Lugosi, Cushing, Lee, etc.), whereas by the ‘80s the genre’s stars were now the directors (Romero, Carpenter, Cronenberg, Fulci, etc.). This proved a more comprehensive focus that fascinatingly played right into the auteur theory of filmmaking.

You mentioned the “fun factor”—what about ‘80s horror makes it so enjoyable?

Many things. You’ll have to read the book to discover all of them [laughs]. But the decade saw a number of mainstream comedy hits like Airplane!, Caddyshack and Porky’s strike box-office gold. Horror makers took notice and successfully grafted comedy (sometimes blacker-than-pitch) onto their horror scenarios in movies like Gremlins, Night of the Creeps, Return of the Living Dead and Toxic Avenger—all exceedingly fun films. Additionally, a lot of features—particularly American independents and foreign horrors—went for sheer outrageousness, bolstered by innovations in special effects. Indeed, it’s all about “the Good, the Bad and the Outrageous”!

New Books!

Come on - tell me what You want to see in this newsletter!

A random winner of a Free paperback will be revealed next time!

Thanks for reading!

Ben Ohmart

A few of our newest books to consider:

I’d LOVE to hear your feedback about this new look/newsletter. Please email me at ben@bearmanormedia.com anytime. I’m still learning it!

And let me know what you want to see here too!

Thanks for reading.

Ben Ohmart

Subscribe now