Interviews with some of the greatest horror writers and directors in the field!

[Wayne C. Rogers]

I just finished watching the 4-disc DVD set of Dark Dreamers, hosted by Stanley Wiater, last night. If you're not familiar with this series, then you need to check it out, especially if you're a big fan of the horror genre. It was originally done as thirty minute segments for Canadian television back during their 2000/2001 season. Each segment would deal with one-to-two individuals who work in the horror genre, be it a writer, director, bookstore owner, actor, artist, or a master of special effects, just to name a few. Though very low budget with no bells and whistles, the importance and brilliance of this DVD set is in the interviews. That's where the true value is, and it's priceless in my opinion. Now, who are the people being interviewed? Is Uncle Stevie on here? Nope. What about Dean Kootnz or Robert McCammon? Nope. Then who? How about Richard Matheson, the author of Hell House and I Am Legend, the writer who influenced Stephen King the most in his young years. Also, how about Clive Barker, the writer Stephen King called the "future of horror"? Then, there's Peter Straub, the author of Ghost Story, and the only writer King has collaborated with on two novels, The Talisman and The Black House. Am I getting your attention? Next, add Harlan Ellison, Jack Ketchum, the late Richard Laymon, the late Forrest J. Ackerman, William F. Nolan, John Skipp & Craig Spector, Richard Christian Matheson, Bernie Wrightson, Wes Craven, John Landis, the late Stan Winston, actor John Saxon and Julie Strain, Del Howison, owner of the Dark Delicacies bookstore in Burbank, California, plus there's about another fifteen people or more that are interviewed. This is a set that any horror fan would treasure. You'll get to hear Richard Matheson talk about how he and the late TV writer, Charles Beaumont, were driving back from a golf game through the Hollywood mountains to L.A. when a huge tractor-trailer rig got on their rear car bumper and almost killed them before they got to safety. Matheson later used this experience to write the TV movie, Duel, that was directed by a then unknown person by the name of Steven Spielberg. You'll get to hear Peter Straub talk about how King and his family moved to London for a year and how he and King became friends and eventually wrote The Talisman together. Then, there's Forrest J. Ackerman, who created Famous Monsters of Filmland back in the early sixties. King, at the age of thirteen, sent his first short story to Famous Monsters, only to have it rejected. King, in later years, paid a visit to Ackerman at his home in L.A., and signed the story. Bernie Wrightson talks about how Stephen King called him on the telephone one day, and he thought someone was playing a prank on him, until horror director, George Romero, got on the line, too. King was calling to ask him to do the comic book version of Creepshow, which was being filmed at that time by Romero. And, the list goes on. Though Stephen King isn't interviewed here, three-quarters of the people being interviewed mention him and his influence on the horror genre. Like I said, this is a set worth owning. Check it out on Amazon. This is something you'll want to watch again and again. Also, if you're a would-be writer or director, then there's a lot of information here for you to digest from the dark dreamers who paved the way for us.

[Moderator]

Stan asked Steve numerous times to be interviewed but we were never able to coordinate schedules.