Hello all!
If you are reading this, then we know two things: 1 - You took the time to check out our show and 2 - You are digging deeper into our supplemental blog. Both of these facts bring a huge smile to my face as well as my two cohorts. Whether we garner a million listeners or just a few; the goal is the same. Enrich our hobby a little more through the enjoyment of talking horror movies with each-other and you.
It is that simple, I promise.
My show-name, Professor Wagstaff, is not because I think highly of my own intellect. It is rather an homage to the Marx Brothers, as it is Groucho's character name in Horse Feathers. Rob Zombie has done the same with characters like Otis Firefly and Captain Spaulding. It just seemed fitting under the circumstances.
It is that simple, I promise.
My show-name, Professor Wagstaff, is not because I think highly of my own intellect. It is rather an homage to the Marx Brothers, as it is Groucho's character name in Horse Feathers. Rob Zombie has done the same with characters like Otis Firefly and Captain Spaulding. It just seemed fitting under the circumstances.
As mentioned in the show, I saw my first horror movie when I was 4 with my father. I knew even then at that age, there was something special there. We watched House of Frankenstein and then we dug out monster figures from his childhood which he gave to me (which still reside near me at all times). I was mesmerized by what it did with my imagination with that first viewing; and that dynamic has been running almost 3 decades since. I am a fan of all film but horror is my heart. The horror genre has it's own unique charm, community, and world for that matter; that has always maintained a grip on me. My film criticism is always reasonable and far from elitist. I could easily pick apart any movie I see like some eventually grow into doing; but why? I watch these movies for fun and to critique it alongside art-house cinema or established classics is just silly. Horror films have striven from day one to put butts in the seats and entertain said butts in seats. Horror can: inspire your imagination, addict you to franchise series that will stay honest to your fandom (and wallet), let you live vicariously through behavior you would not participate in (violence, drug use, vicarious sex, etc.), or it can simply scare you and leave you talking/thinking about it the whole way home. So while many jump-start their own podcasts to prove their self-appointed important reviews; I will not be doing that. Myself and the other two guys who love the horror genre and are more fanboys than like the film elitists (I wont use the term film-buff because that term needs to die soon) who set out for an hour of self-aggrandizing banter each episode. Do not get it twisted though because if a movie is garbage we will not shy away from pointing that out. The point is that we enjoy our hobby instead of turning it into something androgynous and completely void of fun. I cannot count how many podcasts I have heard where if its not independent, underground, or classic camp then it is not worth a shit to that host. That is not only ridiculous but also insulting to the listeners. While indie, underground, or camp classics can be great; that does not warrant discounting the value of many other areas in the genre that are big budget, successful, or slow-cooking films. I value all areas of Horror because I am a FAN. However, this diatribe must end sooner or later; so let me say this: I look forward to a lot of fun discussion with my fellow hosts and all listeners who take an interest in interacting with us. It should be a great time!
Our first episode is on Remakes, which we found to be an easy topic to fill an hour with and you by now are already aware that we will be doing at least a Part 2 on the matter. Remakes are a touchy subject in the horror world; which I find rather amusing. I say this because horror films have always been remade since, well, films began. Sometimes they are a waste of time and sometimes they wash the original away from the public conscience. A genre that finds its roots in Dracula, Frankenstein, and Jekyll & Hyde is all too aware of remakes. Youngsters who have only experienced one generational wave of film are offended by the notion when they encounter it. However, upon digging a little deeper as the years go on watching horror movies, one eventually realizes this is nothing new, just like a remake.
Remakes are a good thing because they rejuvenate the genre as well as the franchise it's taking from. Is The Texas Chainsaw Massacre a classic after 40 years? Obviously the answer is yes, whether you enjoy it personally or not. It was a watershed moment for movie-making in general, especially in the horror world. It was brutal, dirty, visceral, and most importantly independent. However, the remake of this did nothing to the legacy of the classic; it merely built upon it and turned a ton of newcomers onto the story. Money and technology were definitely not rampant through the first one. Yes, that does not matter in terms of the original's greatness; but it certainly demonstrates the validity of a remake. Years since the re-imagining we have had multiple films because of that. Old-school offended fans should really take offense to the original sequels. One that included a comedy and a fourth (with not only the terrible Renee Zellweger, but also Matthew McConaughey) that all but hammered the door shut on the franchise. Picking apart remakes without seeing them would deprive us of many great horror efforts over the years. If Alfred Hitchcock was okay with remaking one of his own films; shouldn't you be?
Remakes are a good thing because they rejuvenate the genre as well as the franchise it's taking from. Is The Texas Chainsaw Massacre a classic after 40 years? Obviously the answer is yes, whether you enjoy it personally or not. It was a watershed moment for movie-making in general, especially in the horror world. It was brutal, dirty, visceral, and most importantly independent. However, the remake of this did nothing to the legacy of the classic; it merely built upon it and turned a ton of newcomers onto the story. Money and technology were definitely not rampant through the first one. Yes, that does not matter in terms of the original's greatness; but it certainly demonstrates the validity of a remake. Years since the re-imagining we have had multiple films because of that. Old-school offended fans should really take offense to the original sequels. One that included a comedy and a fourth (with not only the terrible Renee Zellweger, but also Matthew McConaughey) that all but hammered the door shut on the franchise. Picking apart remakes without seeing them would deprive us of many great horror efforts over the years. If Alfred Hitchcock was okay with remaking one of his own films; shouldn't you be?That is all for our inaugural podcast episode/blog and I want to thank you sincerely for joining us. I hope that you enjoyed some or most of it and will stick with us. Our audio quality will continue to improve along with our mad hosting skills. Until next episode......
Beware of the moon
The Professor
The Professor
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