Famous Monsters Speak!

In episode #115 Mike mentioned a record album that Joseph had told him about and that they wanted to play during the show. However, try as they might, they couldn't track down who currently held the copyright for the recording.  Made back in 1963, it was written by Cherney Berg, voiced by Gabriel Dell, and has been released a dozen or so different times - originally on vinyl by Wonderland Records and, most recently (in 2011), on CD by RockBeat Records.

This thing is great and it's a shame they couldn't play and talk about it as they wanted.  However, here's the next best thing: a link to a recording of the album!  Fans of the classic Universal monsters - notably Dracula and Frankenstein - need to give this a listen.

"Bark at the Moon"

Episode #114

Lock your doors, pull down the window shades, and huddle close together as it's time for the first of two Halloween-themed episodes! In this episode Joseph and Mike talk about the "unholy trinity" of Universal's classic monsters - Dracula, Frankenstein's monster, and The Wolf-Man - and their lasting visual and thematic impact on pop culture for the past nearly 100 years. Movies other than the Universal ones from the 30s and 40s, cartoons, comic books, and even vinyl recordings have all been stamped by the portrayals of the creatures by Karloff, Lugosi, and Chaney, Jr. There's also the SLP VHS Dub Tape Challenge in which Mike answer's Joseph's challenge - or does he?

https://traffic.libsyn.com/secure/whenitwascool/UBW114_Bark_At_The_Moon.mp3

"Everybody Was Kung-Fu Biting"

“Dracula’s Kung Fu Theatre” Swoops In on Retro TV This August

Here at Uphill Both Ways, Joseph and Mike are big proponents of both horror hosts and martial arts blasts from the cinematic past, so we are thrilled to tell our faithful followers about a new undertaking that sounds like a lot of fun: Retro TV’s  Dracula’s Kung Fu Theatre. Mixing chops with chuckles, kicks with kickers, and punches with punch lines, the new series has us striking martial arts stances in anticipation of its debut. Following is the official press announcement.

Retro TV is proud to announce the premiere of its newest original programming, Dracula’s Kung Fu Theatre, on Friday the 13th, August 13th to be exact, at 10 p.m. ET/PT.

The series, a mix of Elvira meets Enter the Dragon, is hosted by Dracula from his Castle Studio where he shares his immortal collection of cult classic VHS Kung Fu films. Armed with his “legendary” comedy skills and joined by a cast of Transylvanian misfits, Dracula is ready to dust off his fangs and deliver A+ jokes to B+ movies.

“With our proven success in original programming, I knew it was time for our incredibly creative team to take a bite out of something new with a hosted movie series,” says Joel Wertman, president of Retro TV. “We have no doubt that this show will be a hit among genre fans, and will bring in a new audience as well. Having Dracula host the show was a big risk, but who knew the guy could be so charismatic!”

Dracula’s Kung Fu Theatre will premiere on Friday, August 13 at 10 p.m. ET/PT, with new episodes every Friday. Retro TV is available on 67 stations in 54 markets across the United States, and audiences will also be able to stream the show on-demand via the It’s Real Good TV app, available on Roku, Apple and Android devices, as well as on the web at itsrealgoodtv.com.

To stay up to date on the latest information, follow the show on social media on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.