Most of the fans of this film seem to be folks who remember Dick Dryszel from their youth. As someone who grew up in Canada with limited TV access after the golden-age of cable horror hosts, I had never heard of him. I still really enjoyed this film, including the second half about the explosion of internet horror hosts inspired by Dryszel (which some other reviewers seem to dislike). The doc itself is very low budget, with somewhat choppy editing and grainy interviews, but even that aesthetic quality plays into the low budget camp and independent spirit of its subjects. It won't be for everyone, but fans of community broadcast history and classic horror movies should definitely check it out.
2 Reviews
Excellent film documenting the horror host tradition
trevor88-125 October 2010
I loved this film, but should admit that I'm a bit biased. I grew up in the DC area, and was strongly influenced by Count Gore de Vol. My first exposure to horror films and kaiju shows was watching Captain 20 in the afternoons and Creature Feature on Saturday nights. I was instantly fascinated by Ultraman, Godzilla, and horror films in general; and have kept that love of the genres for more than 35 years now.
I can honestly say that I might not be the person I am today, for what that's worth, if it wasn't for WDCA showing that programming and the way that Dick Dyszel presented it.
Trying to eliminate my bias, which I imagine would be impossible in this particular case, I think Every Other Day is Halloween is a very well done documentary. It does a great job is communicating not only Dick's life, but the horror host tradition in general and, most importantly, what it was like to grow up in the DC area in that era with channel 20 as your babysitter. The editing is fantastic, and a wide range of information is incorporated into a quick and entertaining 90 minutes. An amazing amount of footage and great selection of fans and other horror talent make for an interesting and diverse presentation.
I wish I had known the filmmaker and some of the interviewees when we were kids, because I think we could have been best buddies.
I can honestly say that I might not be the person I am today, for what that's worth, if it wasn't for WDCA showing that programming and the way that Dick Dyszel presented it.
Trying to eliminate my bias, which I imagine would be impossible in this particular case, I think Every Other Day is Halloween is a very well done documentary. It does a great job is communicating not only Dick's life, but the horror host tradition in general and, most importantly, what it was like to grow up in the DC area in that era with channel 20 as your babysitter. The editing is fantastic, and a wide range of information is incorporated into a quick and entertaining 90 minutes. An amazing amount of footage and great selection of fans and other horror talent make for an interesting and diverse presentation.
I wish I had known the filmmaker and some of the interviewees when we were kids, because I think we could have been best buddies.
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