Friday, January 08, 2010

Because it's Friday

A long time ago in a Frogtown far far away, I remember fiddling with the TV late one night. The planets must have been in some strange configuration as a staticy, snowy image appeared on the screen. Some old guy standing behind a bar rambling in a loud, shrill sort of way. A giant stuffed spider came swinging down at him from the rafters. He ducked only to come up yelling and beating a rubber chicken on the bar as he and the producer exchanged in looney conversation. I sat - blinking, my fragile eggshell mind reeling.
Later, after moving to Cincinnati, where, for some time I had no TV, I learned of the late night movie host, Bob Shreve. I think about the guy from time to time. There used to be a lot of these local hosts. Elvira got started as one. Dayton had Dr Creep and Cincinnat had The Cool Ghoul for horror movies but Shreve hosted all manner of movies with his Past Prime Playhouse.
The above clip seems to capture a time long past in Cincinnati. There was a local culture that was kind of institutionalized in a top down sort of way. That has faded away in banal corporate homogenization & been replaced with a more bottom up culture. The clip above kind of captures that old local personality.
For a more modern local institution, I suggest Art Damage, the founders of which really got the whole old-school live local thing.
There is also, WAIF & Media Bridges, altho these guys are young amateurs and lack the experience and, dare I say, depth of Shreve.

Bob Shreve website which looks fairly abandoned. Most of what you find on YouTube is ads for the show & not the actual show, unfortunately.

UPDATE: There are 3 episodes for sale on DVD from Jeff Kidwell who can also be reached at 859-655-3330 in historic Newport, Kentucky !

2 comments:

ekalb said...

I remember Bob Shreve! Had no idea anything referencing the show was online. Brings back memories of staying up late. Remember having my eye lids barely stay open for some crazy antic Bob would come up with on his show.

Anonymous said...

Jeff Kidwell is selling something that doesn't compare to the DVDs that were being traded on the original Shrevefans Yahoo group. There are many shows that have been compiled (with the movies). Complete shows! And the person that did them wasn't doing it for profit. All you had to do was send in the discs and return shipping. I don't know how Kidwell ended up taking the Shreve wheel. He has done nothing for the fans but has done more for his political interests. SOMEONE PLEASE TAKE OVER WHERE THE OLD GROUP LEFT OFF!