Fan Links

That's right, today we celebrate the birth of one of the great pioneers of both horror and sci-fi: Mr. Ray Harryhausen. His work is legendary and undeniably signature. I am sorry to say that I did not discover Harryhausen as a child but rather when I moved to Austin and began watching a new film every day. However the reason behind my youthful ignorance of Harryhausen is as much a compliment to the artist as one can pay: I was scared stiff of his monsters. Fleeting glimpses of his beasts as my father would channel surf on a lazy Saturday would send me running from the room in desperate retreat. Given that horror films are now akin to the air I breathe or the Hostess snack cakes I devour, this man can definitely be credited with leaving an impression on me.

So in honor of the birth of this genius, I will do my best, meager though it may be, to pay him adequate tribute. Jump past the bump to hear me gush about the man and some of my favorite Harryhausen films. Warning, I may spoil some unseen fare. Further warning, a kraken may or may not jump out of a birthday cake.

A few months back I, a horror-lovin' film fan sequestered in the Mile High City, was lucky enough to attend Fantastic Fest in Austin, an eight-day event filled with nothing but crazy horror films, tense thrillers, and all manner of obscure something or others designed to confuse, confound and, of course, entertain. Sadly, Fantastic Fest is a once-a-year event, so for those who live outside the realm of the mecca of film that is Austin, us Denver-ites have to seek our dose of obscure indie thrillers and cult classics from other avenues.

Enter Keith Garcia and The Watching Hour.

The Watching Hour, which had its start at the 29th Starz Denver Film Festival in 2006 with films such as Pan's Labyrinth and The Host, is a block of programming devoted to showcasing "films that other theaters are too afraid to show." With first showings airing at midnight and subsequent showings cropping up throughout the festival, recent showings included the horror comedy The Revenant, esoteric sci-fi thriller Truffles, and the fantastic documentaries Cropsey and Best Worst Movie (review). This small block of programming serves as a wonderful way to introduce the masses, especially those who wouldn't otherwise see a horror film, to unique films from across the world.

Although beginning in 2006, Keith has been promoting horror and other obscure films for years before The Watching Hour became a regular fixture of the Starz Denver Film Festival. Getting his start in the local scene at the Landmark Mayan Theater, he began a program during the summer of 1997 aptly titled 'Midnights at the Mayan.' A dual summer series, appropriately titled 'The Terror Train' and 'The Orient Express,' brought classic horror and Asian films to the masses, allowing fans to watch on the big screen films they could once only enjoy from home. A year later the program expanded and became a year-long fare, branching out from these two genres and hosting thematic series' every month, ranging from blaxploitation films to comic-book adaptations and everything in between.

Having trouble finding that special someone? Is there no one out there in the big, scary world that will share with you your love of obscure Italian horror films of the eighties? Fret not, my macabre compatriot, for the internet gods have smiled upon us and unleashed Horror Crush, a free online dating site designed to bring together horror fans worldwide.

From the website:

Horror Crush is the premiere Internet dating network dedicated to uniting horror fans worldwide. Join our community to find that certain someone with the same passions as yours.

Horror Crush is part of the "Fan Crush" network, which counts among its ranks three other free niche dating sites devoted to bringing together fans of Science Fiction, Fantasy, and Otaku, which is apparently Japanese animation and manga. Unfortunately, the number of available singles is relatively thin on account of it focusing on a specific group of individuals, so those living in minor cities might be out of luck.

This is seen in the testimony of The Dive Mistress, the proprietor of the outstanding horror blog Zombots!, who signed up for Horror Crush as a sort of social experiment. In the few weeks her profile has been active, it has been viewed approximately 128 people, which is approximately 22% of the entire site.

But don't let this hold you back! In addition to serving as a matchmaking site, Horror Crush features interviews, reviews and original articles on the horror industry. So despite the relative scarcity of members, there's still plenty of goodies with which to whet your horror appetite.