A nostalgic homage to the glory days of the late night horror shows, AMERICAN SCARY, features interviews and archival footage of the most famous hosts from the 1950s to present day. John E. Hudgens and Sandy Clark offer an affectionate tribute to horror show hosting, which will be available on DVD February 17, 2009 at an SRP of $19.95.
The birth of TV horror in the late 1950s also marked the rise of a new American folk art form: horror show hosting. Before syndicated programming and cable were introduced, hosts of locally produced shows were a staple of television. Local programs, such as “Creature Feature” and “Mystery Science Theatre 3000,” launched a spectacle of beloved kooky TV personalities, who will forever belong in the horror “crypt of fame” with their unforgettable farcical make-up, grimy costumes, grotesque props, and even freakishly altered bodies. AMERICAN SCARY features extensive interviews with both celebrity fans and the hosts themselves on the genre’s beginnings, the ups and downs of `60s and `70s, and modern revivals. AMERICAN SCARY is a wistful memento of that once significant local television programming and a yearning for its resurrection.

AMERICAN SCARY premiered at the Hollywood Film Festival, and has played in multiple film festivals across the nation, including Austin Film Festival, Ohio Independent Film Festival, Longbaugh Film Festival, and others.

AMERICAN SCARY is a tribute to the popular hosts of the golden age of television. They transcended their local stations to became icons. Today, they continue to garner respect, admiration and fondness from fans all over the country.

Across the nation, people remember their local hosts fondly: from Bob Wilkins and John Stanley in the San Francisco Bay area, Chicago’s Svengoolie, to Sir Cecil Creepe in Nashville. Follow this American art form from its glamorous beginnings, through repeated waves of popularity and get re-acquainted with those who are a part of television history, featuring interviews with the most notable, including:

-ZACHERLEY(John Zacherle) began his horror hosting career in the late 1950’s in Philadelphia as “Roland” and became one of the most iconic nationally recognized figures in the genre.
-GHOULARDI (Ernie Anderson) – anarchic hipster creation exploded on Cleveland television in the winter of 1962, and proceeded to excite and warp the minds of his fanatic followers until 1966.
-VAMPIRA (Maila Nurmi) and her record small waist, was created from elements of Charles Addams cartoons, screen glamour queens and bondage magazines. Vampira was featured in many national magazines, including Life and Newsweek.