17th Annual Rondo Hatton Classic Horror Awards

The winners of the 17th Annual Rondo Hatton Classic Horror Awards were announced April 30.

The awards are named after Rondo Hatton, an obscure B-movie villain of the 1940s, and “honor the best in classic horror research, creativity and film preservation.” This year’s e-mail vote, conducted by the Classic Horror Film Board, a 23-year old online community, drew responses from a record 4,510 fans and pros around the world.

First-time director Ari Aster’s Hereditary, an unsettling look at a family haunted from within was voted Best Film of 2018.

Reflecting the impact of streaming services, The Haunting of Hill House, a Netflix adaptation of Shirley Jackson’s 1959 novel, was voted Best TV Presentation; and in a new category Best Fantasy or Action Film, Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse beat two other Marvel epics, Avengers: Infinity War and Black Panther as the best of 2018.

Don Glut’s film Tales of Frankenstein won the Best Independent Film category, an anthology-style film, inspired by the old Hammer Horror films from the 1950s. Ed Green has a part in the final chapter. It’s also the last film Len Wein acted in and is dedicated to his memory.

Svengoolie was again voted Favorite Horror Host, but his large vote total was challenged this time by Joe Bob Briggs, Lamia, Queen of the Dark and Elvira, among others.

Other winners included Bloody Disgusting, a two-time winner as Best Website (where File 770 was also a nominee).

The return of Texas exploitation film personality Joe Bob Briggs, who brought his “Drive-In” redneck movie critic character back to Shudder TV, another example of the resurgence in horror enthusiasm, was named Monster Kid of the Year.

This year’s Monster Kid Hall of Fame inductees include the late horror collector and historian Wes Shank (remembered in this post by Steve Vertlieb); one of the genre’s founding horror historians, Lucy Chase Williams; Cleveland horror hosts Big Chuck and Lil’ John; Ron Adams, creator of the long-running Monster Bash convention and magazine; Ricou Browning, who swam as the original Creature from the Black Lagoon in 1954; and three of Hammer’s original glamour heroines, Caroline Munro, Martine Beswick and Veronica Carlson, all still active on the convention circuit and in films.

The annual Rondo Awards Ceremony will be held Saturday, June 1 at the Wonderfest Convention in Louisville.

Here are the Rondo XVII results:

BEST FILM OF 2018

  • HEREDITARY

BEST FANTASY/ACTION FILM

  • SPIDER-MAN: INTO THE SPIDER-VERSE

BEST TV PRESENTATION

  • THE HAUNTING OF HILL HOUSE (Netflix)

BEST BLU-RAY/DVD

  • NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD (Criterion)

BEST BOX SET

  • UNIVERSAL CLASSIC MONSTERS: Complete 30-film Collection

BEST RESTORATION

  • NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD (Criterion)

BEST DVD EXTRA

  • ‘Night of the Anubis’ work print (NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD)

BEST COMMENTARY

  • Tim Lucas (THE NIGHT STALKER/STRANGLER, Kino)

BEST PACKAGE OF DVD EXTRAS

  • THE OUTER LIMITS Vol. 1 and 2 (Kino)

BEST INDEPENDENT FILM

  • TALES OF FRANKENSTEIN, directed by Don Glut

BEST SHORT FILM

  • THE HOUSE OF SEVEN GABLES, directed by Ben Wickey

BEST DOCUMENTARY

  • HAMMER HORRORS: The Warner Bros. Years, directed by Marcus Hearn

BOOK OF THE YEAR

  • THE DR. PHIBES COMPANION, by Justin Humphreys

BEST MAGAZINE (Classic)

  • SCARY MONSTERS

BEST MAGAZINE (modern)

  • FANGORIA

BEST ARTICLE

  • ‘When Danforth Ruled the Earth,’ by Mark Wolf, LITTLE SHOPPE OF HORRORS #41.

BEST INTERVIEW (Award goes to interviewer)

  • Cassandra Peterson (Elvira) by Sam Irvin, SCREEM #36

BEST COLUMN

  • Dr. Gangrene’s Mad Interviews by Larry Underwood (SCARY MONSTERS)

BEST COVER

  • MAD #4 by Gary Pullin

BEST WEBSITE

  • Bloody Disgusting

BEST MULTI-MEDIA SITE

  • THE REVIVAL LEAGUE

FAVORITE HORROR HOST

  • SVENGOOLIE

BEST CONVENTION

  • MONSTERPALOOZA

BEST LIVE EVENT

  • HORRORHOUND PRESENTS HALLOWEEN 40th CELEBRATION (Pasadena)

BEST HORROR COMIC BOOK

  • THE CREEPS (Warrant publishing)

BEST CD

  • HALLOWEEN 2018 soundtrack

WRITE-IN CATEGORIES

WRITER OF THE YEAR

  • ANDREA SUBISSATI: In addition to editing RUE MORGUE magazine, Andrea contributes smart and timely essays, singular interviews and sharp reporting on the sometimes forbidden sides of horror and dread.

ARTIST OF THE YEAR

  • MARK MADDOX: Mark Maddox’ eye-catching covers and dramatic use of color and shading has become the look of monsters in the 21st Century. Mark is a multiple Rondo winner whose work appears on numerous magazines each year.

LINDA MILLER AWARD FOR FAN ARTIST OF THE YEAR (In memory of the late Linda Miller) 

  • ERIC PUCKETT: The art of Eric Puckett is bright and scary, capturing a monstrous world where deadly clowns and villains lurk behind garish masks. A mainstay at conventions and exhibits, Eric’s work is soaked with humor and danger.

MONSTER KID OF THE YEAR

  • JOE BOB BRIGGS:  A smooth-talking Texan who made the most deranged drive-in films somehow respectable, Joe Bob Briggs returned with both car speakers blasting in 2018, heading up a new show on the Shudder streaming service. In a world of safely digitized horror hosting, Joe Bob reminds us that love of the films and old-fashioned showmanship always must come first. Welcome back Joe Bob!

THE MONSTER KID HALL OF FAME

  • WES SHANK:  Yes, the late Wes Shank really did have The Blob, and that was just the start. Wes was a master collector of monster and science fiction memorabilia as well as a comforting and continuing presence at conventions and educational events. Gone too soon, his enthusiasm and knowledge will be missed but never forgotten.
  • LUCY CHASE WILLIAMS: The second wave of horror fandom was still young in 1995 when Lucy Chase Williams released THE COMPLETE FILMS OF VINCENT PRICE, still the definitive look at the master of horror’s cinema output.  Along the way she survived the ordeals of unwanted sexual harassment in fandom, and bravely came forward, no matter the personal cost. A true hero of fandom.
  • BIG CHUCK AND LIL’ JOHN: Cleveland has always been a magnet for horror hosts, and two of the most enduring are Charles “Big Chuck” Schodowski and “Lil’ John” Rinaldi. Starting in 1966 with the original Ghoulardi, Schadowski worked for many years with Bob “Hoollihan” Wells and later Rinaldi. Featuring sketches, movies and more, Chuck and John are now a part of horror hosting legend.
  • RICOU BROWNING: The Creature from the Black Lagoon is more popular today than ever, thanks in large part to the underwater swimming and elegant menace of Ricou Browning. Portraying the lovesick prehistoric beastie was just the beginning for Browning, who helped create Flipper and decades of film and TV work and has been a friendly and accessible presence at conventions,
  • RON ADAMS: Much of what we take for granted in the world of horror would not exist without the clear and monstrous vision of Ron Adams, one of the genre’s original impresarios. Whether his groundbreaking Monster Bash conventions, his ability to combine family-friendly weekends with wonderfully obscure guests, his mail order catalog or his retro Monster Bash magazine, Ron Adams is always on the forefro0nt of the hobby and what it stands for.
  • MARTINE BESWICK, VERONICA CARLSON and CAROLINE MUNRO: It’s easy to throw around terms like scream queens and Hammer glamour, but most horror film actresses were far more. Witness these three wondrous inductees — Martine Beswick, Veronica Carlson and Caroline Munro – all active during the Golden Age of Hammer but still active today. Whether signing autographs at conventions around the globe or offering memories of working with horror and fantasy greats, these three icons remind us of why their films will always endure.

One thought on “17th Annual Rondo Hatton Classic Horror Awards

  1. Pingback: Pixel Scroll 4/30/19 Pixel My Blue Suede Scrolls | File 770

Comments are closed.