SirGravesGhastly.com | Media Crypt

Emcee 'Sir Graves Ghastly' Spotlights Latest TV Trend

The Lima News
By Dick West - Washington (UPI)
Tuesday, January 13, 1970

Speaking of cultural trends, a local television station, WTOP-TV, recently gave a little party in honor of its new resident ghoul, Sir Graves Ghastly, an actor who specializes in introducing horror films.Sir Graves began plying his trade at WJBK-TV in Detroit and is now branching out to help meet the growing demand for macabre emcees.Beginning this weekend, he will be on the air here twice a week, presiding over a midnight horror film plus hosting a Saturday afternoon comic chiller for the kiddies.

''Do you have any feeling that this may be a case of overexposure." I asked a station executive. "Not at all." he replied. "Television is in the midst of a horror film renaissance that has yet to reach full f1ower. "Films that we wouldn't have programmed seriously five years ago now draw huge audiences and pictures that already have been shown in this area 10 times now cost more than when they had their TV premiere 10 years ago. "In addition, there are about a half dozen books on the subject, all treating the horror film as a genuine art form. It definitely appears that we are on the threshold of the golden age of horror films." I said, "How do you square this with the complaints about violence on television?" "Actually, there is very little violence in the classical horror film format" he explained. "The thrill is more in the suspense than in the commission of horrifying deeds." "Such violence as does occur usually is highly stylized so that the audience does not relate it to reality. Nobody is ever shot with a gun, for instance. Rather, the victims are run down with an eccentric millionaire's toy train, or something of the sort." He went on to say that he regarded the horror film renaissance primarily as an offshoot of "camp," which is the humorous appreciation of things once taken seriously but now considered outlandish or banal.

Very well. As the vampires say, "I'll drink to that." Camp may indeed be one factor. But I doubt it's the whole story. "I'm convinced that horror films are in vogue mainly because they arouse in the audience a sense of familiarity, or identification. I mean, we no longer look upon the freakish characters as something sinister. Now they remind us of the kid next door.

Article respectfully shared under the Fair Use Doctrine of International Copyright Law as educational material without benefit of financial gain.

<Back

	Media Crypt: Interviews & Articles
		Emcee 'Sir Graves Ghastly' Spotlights Latest TV Trend The Lima News By Dick West - Washington (UPI) Tuesday, January 13, 1970 Speaking of cultural trends, a local television station, WTOP-TV, recently gave a little party in honor of its new resident ghoul, Sir Graves Ghastly, an actor who specializes in introducing horror films.Sir Graves began plying his trade at WJBK-TV in Detroit and is now branching out to help meet the growing demand for macabre emcees.Beginning this weekend, he will be on the air here twice a week, presiding over a midnight horror film plus hosting a Saturday afternoon comic chiller for the kiddies. ''Do you have any feeling that this may be a case of overexposure." I asked a station executive. "Not at all." he replied. "Television is in the midst of a horror film renaissance that has yet to reach full f1ower. "Films that we wouldn't have programmed seriously five years ago now draw huge audiences and pictures that already have been shown in this area 10 times now cost more than when they had their TV premiere 10 years ago. "In addition, there are about a half dozen books on the subject, all treating the horror film as a genuine art form. It definitely appears that we are on the threshold of the golden age of horror films." I said, "How do you square this with the complaints about violence on television?" "Actually, there is very little violence in the classical horror film format" he explained. "The thrill is more in the suspense than in the commission of horrifying deeds." "Such violence as does occur usually is highly stylized so that the audience does not relate it to reality. Nobody is ever shot with a gun, for instance. Rather, the victims are run down with an eccentric millionaire's toy train, or something of the sort." He went on to say that he regarded the horror film renaissance primarily as an offshoot of "camp," which is the humorous appreciation of things once taken seriously but now considered outlandish or banal. Very well. As the vampires say, "I'll drink to that." Camp may indeed be one factor. But I doubt it's the whole story. "I'm convinced that horror films are in vogue mainly because they arouse in the audience a sense of familiarity, or identification. I mean, we no longer look upon the freakish characters as something sinister. Now they remind us of the kid next door. Copyright ©1970 Dick West, UPI. All rights reserved. Article respectfully shared under the Fair Use Doctrine of International Copyright Law as educational material without benefit of financial gain. <Back Website ©2002-2005 Keith Milford. All Rights Reserved.