Hey there, y'all! This here is Petronella Nightshade, what am called Punkin, welcomin you back to The MonsterGrrls' Thir13en For Halloween! Today I am doin another Tales From The Monster Shop interview, 
and speakin to another one of them horror hosts. He is Mr. Eerie Lee Shivers, what is from Portland, Oregon and hosts Uncle Eerie's Shiver Show. The Shiver Show has got all kind of classic horror and science-fiction movin pictures, plus Mr. Shivers and a bunch of other monster folk come in between and do funny stuff and such.Mr. Shivers himself is an old-fashioned gentleman what is a little bit undead, but I don't hold that against him and you won't neither. Sometimes them what becomes undead can retain some of theirself because they was real strong personalities when they was alive, and Mr. Shivers is just full of all kind of personality, as you will see from this here interview. So here is me and Mr. Shivers talkin.
Howdy do, sir, and blessings be on you! Welcome to The MonsterGrrls' Thir13en For Halloween, and thank you for joinin us! Would you please tell us somethin about yourself and what you do?
Well, that's a great question! As for who I am, Eerie Lee Shiver's the name, but most folks just call me Uncle Eerie! As for the doin', I've been a lot of things over the last century or so; grave digger, carny, snake-oil salesman, moonshiner, medical cadaver. I've also done some things I'm not so proud of... but any-howl, most folks would probably know me best by most recent career choice - as the host of Uncle Eerie's Shiver Show, Portland, HORROREGON'S premiere late-night Shock Theater show!
Well, it takes all sorts to make the world. But what inspired you to become a horror host?
Well, take a look at me! Bein' a horror host just made sense for a dashin' creature of the night, such as myself! But it was seein' all those great hosts before me that truly helped me find my calling in...ahem, "life". It was horror hosts like the great Zacherley, Ghoulardi, Commander USA, Joe Bob Briggs, Elvira, Svengoolie, and many, many more! They taught me that a life full of bad movies, bad jokes, and a heapin' helpin' of monsters could be a profession! Turned out my third grade teacher was wrong, after all. Take that, Ms. Schimmelman!
You might have somethin there, sir. But where can we see your show, in and out of Portland?
Well, you can catch me on the TVs here in Portland on TVCTV Channel 21, on Comcast Channel 22, and on Verizon Channel 11! You can also find me online on Youtube and on Blip.tv! And there will be even more opportunities to watch yours ghouly, very soon! Stay tuned, boils and ghouls!
We sure will! What's your favorite kind of horror picture to show?
My favorite kinds of films to show... well, I like to mix it up, you know. Keep it freshly rotten. Particularly any kind of monster movies! But if'n I had to pick one specific type, I guess I really dig the truly wild, off-the-wall films; the weirder, the better--movies like Jesse James Meets Frankenstein's Daughter or I Drink Your Blood. Those rare kinds o' movies that make ya question the sanity of the filmmakers for making it, and your own sanity for watchin' it. In fact, I guess ya could say that I like my movies like I like my women: crazy!
Well, since you're a horror host and you see a whole bunch of them movin pictures all the time, I want to ask you somethin. How do you think horror pictures have changed over the years? Do you think modern horror is better than classic horror?Hmmm - intriguing question, indeed! No, I don't think modern horror is better, just different. Horror's a genre of film that rather overtly depends upon changing with with the times, in some ways. What was scary to folks 100 years ago isn't what's scary to them today. But the good ones always work, are timeless, because the themes are universal. James Whale's Frankenstein may not be as terrifying as it once seemed to audiences, but it's still a great movie because the Monster is still a tragic figure, and because it's a great story. Same with a movie like Texas Chainsaw Massacre. It's still going to be scary 20 years from now, because we're also going to be wary of going into the wrong house and never coming out. Plus, big guys in flesh masks throwing around chainsaws is pretty unnerving, to most folks. I would just call it my next-door neighbor, but heck, that's why I'm a professional.
I think horror is rather cyclical, in some ways. Trends come and go, only to come back again. Right now vampires and zombies are big. A while ago it was ghosts and slasher films. Alien invasions and giant monsters seem to be on the rise again. And throughout it all, people always seem to find new ways to touch upon the fears of the ol' Collective Unconscious.
There's a few trends I'd like to see come back, though, personally. I miss the good ol' Satanic Cult stories, full of awesome men's jewelry and nubile, naked virgins--talk about yer good clean fun! And I would also like to see more mummies. Ya can just never go wrong with a good Mummy's Curse story!
That there was real thoughty, and I for one appreciate your ideas. But what would you tell anybody who wanted to become a horror host?
What would I tell 'em? Don't! I don't need the competition! But if'n they were really dyin' to do so, I'd say just go for it. Have fun with it, and also be prepared for a lot of hard work. Just remember to enjoy being as zany and silly as you can possibly be. Oh, and of corpse: be prepared to watch a lot of really, really bad movies!
Well sir, we've asked a bunch of other folk we talked to about Halloween, since it is the season. What's your best Halloween story?
Well, well! I still remember watching Night Of The Living Dead for the first time on Halloween, while a thunderstorm raged outside, and almost half a bag of Reese's Peanut Butter Cups all to myself. Hard to get better than that.
Mighty true indeed! What's your plans for Halloween this year?
Well, to see what Everybody's Favorite Uncle is up to, you'll have to watch Uncle Eerie's Shiver Show Howlin' Halloween Special! But I can tell you it'll involve a lot of good fiends, some horror-themed highjinks, and equal parts trick and treat! Tune in, turn on, Drop Dead!
And as you can see from this here video above, Mr. Shivers is always up to somethin interestin. If you will click on our title link, you can find his Myspace page, which will tell you all about Mr. Shivers and his show. It was real fun talkin to Mr. Shivers, and I am hopin that you will go look him up on that Youtube because it is all a right smart.
So I am done here, and may blessings be on you and yours this Halloween. Don't forget to come back round for the next postin in The MonsterGrrls' Thir13en For Halloween, and may you and yours have the happiest Halloween ever! Blessings be on all of you!
Sincerely,
Petronella "Punkin" Nightshade
