The Basement Sublet of Horror
Encyclopedia
The Basement Sublet of Horror is a self-produced Public-access television
cable TV show by Joel Sanderson. The show uses a tongue-in-cheek
approach to screen altered feature films intercut with cartoons, educational and instructional videos in such a way to create a new condensed feature that collages visual puns and humorous subplots. The host of the show is the fictional Gunther Dedmund, played by Joel Sanderson.
. Wichita, Kansas had its own horror host
show, called The Host and Rodney, from the late 1950s through the 1970s
starring Tom Lehey. It seems to have been the very first Horror Host show in the country, as it did not carry the "Shock Theater" package common to shows of the time, and was created from scratch by the station.
"The Basement Sublet of Horror" follows a long history of horror hosts that play horror films on television that have had a nationwide cult following for decades. Several generations of fans have grown up watching late-night Horror Host programs, at once becoming erstwhile film students and cinema aficionados, and also networking with other fans around the country. With the development of the Internet and cable television, horror host
shows have seen a revival likened to the drive-in resurgence of indoor theaters that present exploitation and novelty films such as The Rocky Horror Picture Show
.
These Horror Hosts include the likes of Ghoulardi
, Elvira
, and Joe Bob Briggs
, who was the host of "Drive-In Theater" on Showtime, and "MonsterVision
" on TNT
.
area for over twenty years. His first film production was the Escape’ Drive-in, which featured a combination of bad movies and live music. The show moved indoors and became the M.T. Pockets Budget Film Festival with a three year run at the Free state Brewery in Lawrence, Kansas
, followed by a six-year run at the Wichita Center for the Arts.
Public-access television
Public-access television is a form of non-commercial mass media where ordinary people can create content television programming which is cablecast through cable TV specialty channels...
cable TV show by Joel Sanderson. The show uses a tongue-in-cheek
Tongue-in-cheek
Tongue-in-cheek is a phrase used as a figure of speech to imply that a statement or other production is humorously intended and it should not be taken at face value. The facial expression typically indicates that one is joking or making a mental effort. In the past, it may also have indicated...
approach to screen altered feature films intercut with cartoons, educational and instructional videos in such a way to create a new condensed feature that collages visual puns and humorous subplots. The host of the show is the fictional Gunther Dedmund, played by Joel Sanderson.
Background
The Basement Sublet of Horror is based on a long tradition of late-night television horror movie hosts that began in the 1950s with VampiraMaila Nurmi
Maila Nurmi was a Finnish-American actress who created the campy 1950s characterVampira. She portrayed Vampira as TV's first horror host and in the Ed Wood cult film Plan 9 from Outer Space...
. Wichita, Kansas had its own horror host
Horror host
Horror hosts are a particular type of television presenter, often tasked with presenting low-grade films to television audiences. This tradition is primarily American, though there have been a few international hosts over the years.-Film Packages:...
show, called The Host and Rodney, from the late 1950s through the 1970s
starring Tom Lehey. It seems to have been the very first Horror Host show in the country, as it did not carry the "Shock Theater" package common to shows of the time, and was created from scratch by the station.
"The Basement Sublet of Horror" follows a long history of horror hosts that play horror films on television that have had a nationwide cult following for decades. Several generations of fans have grown up watching late-night Horror Host programs, at once becoming erstwhile film students and cinema aficionados, and also networking with other fans around the country. With the development of the Internet and cable television, horror host
Horror host
Horror hosts are a particular type of television presenter, often tasked with presenting low-grade films to television audiences. This tradition is primarily American, though there have been a few international hosts over the years.-Film Packages:...
shows have seen a revival likened to the drive-in resurgence of indoor theaters that present exploitation and novelty films such as The Rocky Horror Picture Show
The Rocky Horror Picture Show
The Rocky Horror Picture Show is the 1975 film adaptation of the British rock musical stageplay, The Rocky Horror Show, written by Richard O'Brien. The film is a parody of B-movie, science fiction and horror films of the late 1940s through early 1970s. Director Jim Sharman collaborated on the...
.
These Horror Hosts include the likes of Ghoulardi
Ghoulardi
Ghoulardi was a fictional character invented and portrayed by disc jockey, voice announcer, and actor Ernie Anderson as the horror host of late night Shock Theater at WJW-TV, Channel 8, in Cleveland, Ohio from January 13, 1963 through December 16, 1966....
, Elvira
Cassandra Peterson
Cassandra Peterson is an American actress best known for her on-screen horror hostess character Elvira, Mistress of the Dark. She gained fame on Los Angeles television station KHJ wearing a black, gothic, cleavage-enhancing gown as host of Movie Macabre, a weekly horror movie presentation...
, and Joe Bob Briggs
Joe Bob Briggs
John Irving Bloom , who uses the pseudonym Joe Bob Briggs, is a syndicated American film critic, writer and comic performer.-Early years:...
, who was the host of "Drive-In Theater" on Showtime, and "MonsterVision
MonsterVision
MonsterVision is an American variety series that aired on TNT from March 1, 1993 to September 2000. The series was hosted by Joe Bob Briggs from 1995 to 2000, and featured classic B and cult films from the 1960s, 1970s, and 1980s....
" on TNT
Turner Network Television
Turner Network Television is an American cable television channel created by media mogul Ted Turner and currently owned by the Turner Broadcasting System division of Time Warner...
.
Development
The Basement Sublet of Horror first started screening in June, 2006. Prior to that date, Joel Sanderson had been involved in producing live events in the KansasKansas
Kansas is a US state located in the Midwestern United States. It is named after the Kansas River which flows through it, which in turn was named after the Kansa Native American tribe, which inhabited the area. The tribe's name is often said to mean "people of the wind" or "people of the south...
area for over twenty years. His first film production was the Escape’ Drive-in, which featured a combination of bad movies and live music. The show moved indoors and became the M.T. Pockets Budget Film Festival with a three year run at the Free state Brewery in Lawrence, Kansas
Lawrence, Kansas
Lawrence is the sixth largest city in the U.S. State of Kansas and the county seat of Douglas County. Located in northeastern Kansas, Lawrence is the anchor city of the Lawrence, Kansas, Metropolitan Statistical Area, which encompasses all of Douglas County...
, followed by a six-year run at the Wichita Center for the Arts.