A: Though it would have made an excellent name for a host, Virginia Creepers is the name of a movie about the hosts of the Commonwealth from 1958 forward.  It is documentary that covers the history, the personalities and the common threads of this subject.

It is also the name of this website, of course, and we hope the site can become a great spot to get info on VA hosts for the long term.

Q:  What does the movie cover? 

A:  Virginia Creepers explores three basic aspects of the horror host tradition (including contemporary hosts) in Virginia:

• The History and Traditions

• The Personalities and Characters

• The Fan Experience

Beyond this, we are also trying to get at why these shows matter to people, how they inspire and affect viewers and how the Virginia tradition has contributed to pop culture.

Q: Who will be in the film?  What shows will be in the documentary?

A:  The quick answer is pretty much everyone!  We have interviewed all the living hosts who did shows in over the Virginia airwaves including Washington, D.C.  We have also spoken with producers and other performers as well as the fans.

Here's a quick look at what we have been up to:

• Nightmare Theater--Roanoke (1958-1959).  This was the first horror film show hosted in the Commonwealth, on WSLS TV10.  It featured Jonathan (John Willet) with an Addams Family look to the set.   We talked to the original producer, Dick Burton for this.

• Shock Theater--Richmond (1958-1961).  This version of Shock featured two different hosts, both female:  Ghoulda and Hazel Witch.  Both are interviewed for this film.
   

• Shock Theater--Hampton/Norfolk (1959-1962).   Jerry Sandford hosted this program as "Ronald," a response to "Roland," and was wildly popular.  We have extensively interviewed him.
   

• Saturday Theater--Roanoke (1962-1964).  Hosted by Tiny Thompson, this show ran on the Saturday afternoons.  This features the ONLY interview with Thompson ever.
   

• Shock Theater/Cobweb Theater/Monsterpiece Theater--Richmond (1970-1982).  Otherwise known as The Bowman Body show!  Bill Bowman and several of the Bowman Body's cohorts from this period are in this film.
   

• Sir Graves Ghastly--Washington, D. C. (1970).  Graves was best known as a Detroit host, but he actually traveled to DC for a year to do a separate show in studio.  We've got some lost audio and video footage.
   

• Creature Feature--DC/Northern Virginia/World Wide Web (1973-present).  Rising from his coffin for over 30 years, ground breaking host Count Gore DeVol (Dick Dyszel) was the last on DC airwaves and the first ever on the internet!  Footage and stories abound.
   

• Slime Theatre--Charlottesville (1973-1978).  Both  Mr. Slime (Howard Meagle) and Dr. Sludge (Pat Bauley) as well as artists Tom Blaylock and Marc Cline who contributed to the show's freaky design.  Virginia Creepers features the only known footage of this show.
   

• Dr. Madblood's Movie/Dr. Madblood's Night Visions/Madblood Presents--Norfolk/Elizabeth City (1975-2007).  Various members of the Madblood gang plus the good doctor (Jerry Harrell) himself appears in the film, with lots of clips.
   

• Chamber Theater--Hampton/Norfolk (1984-1986).   The Keeper (Rick Clark) hosted scary movies for two years in the chamber with a great finale in a real graveyard.  The film features an interview with Clark and others and footage from this show.
   

• Dr. Gruesome's Movie Morgue--Richmond (1987-1996).  Dr. Gruesome (Mark Bartholomew) and Skeeter (Matt Pak) hosted monster films largely on Fox 35 in Richmond.  We have visited their lab and have some great video.
   

• Dr. Sarcofiguy's Spooky Movie--Northern Virginia.  (1995-present).  Still churning out episodes as well as hosting original horror film fests, Dr. Sarcofiguy (John Dimes) is a riot, and the documentary features some of the only footage available of his show.

• Monster Madhouse--Northern Virginia. (2004-present).  Karlos Borloff, monster hunter (and apparently monster collector!) has one of the most energetic shows today and has even appeared on the Tonight Show.  We worked extensively with Borloff for this film.
   

Q.   Will this movie be in theaters?  

A.  Yes . . . here and there.  It was featured in the Virginia Film festival and has been invited to the James River Film Festival and the Vampira Tribute in Indianapolis, both in March of 2010.  For other screenings, check here.

Q.   How much is the DVD and how can I order it?

A.  The DVD, which will include special features as well as the film itself, will retail for $20 each and can be purchased through this website right now  or through Amazon.com. 

If you have any other questions or would like to help us out, just email us at info@horsearcherproductions.com.

Q:  Who made this film?

A:  The film comes to you from Horse Archer Productions, the same people who brought you Hokie Nation (about Virginia Tech's fan experience) and Why Old Time?  (a documentary about Old Time music and its devotees).  Horse Archer is located in Christiansburg, Virginia and in addition to producing documentaries, they are also a commercial video production house.

Virginia Creepers is produced and directed by Sean Kotz and Chris Valluzzo.