Virginia Creepers

Lore & Background

The documentary focuses on horror show hosts from Virginia and Washington, D.C., including the Bowman Body, Mr. Lobo, Count Gore De Vol, Doctor Madblood, and Dr. Gruesome & Skeeter. Kotz stated that the documentary allowed them to 'not only show the progression of hosts but the progression of television history.' The cast includes Erik Lobo as himself/narrator (Mr. Lobo), Bill Bowman as himself/The Bowman Body, Dick Dyszel as himself/Count Gore De Vol, Jerry Harrell as himself/Doctor Madblood, Mark Bartholomew and Matthew Pak as themselves/Dr. Gruesome & Skeeter, and others such as John Dimes as Dr. Sarcofiguy, Geri Roberts as Ghoulda, and Anna Inge Jump as Hazel Witch.

Reader's Guide

Virginia Creepers captures the ramshackle charm of local horror host productions and the dedicated people who became neighborhood stars. Paul Carupe of Rue Morgue noted that the documentary 'ably captures the ramshackle charm of these local productions, the dedicated people that made them and how they became neighborhood stars in the process.' The film was released on DVD on October 30, 2009, by Horse Archer Productions, with cover art referencing the 1945 film House of Dracula. Kotz and Valluzzo later released a follow-up documentary, Hi There Horror Movie Fans: The Bowman Body Documentary, in 2011, focusing on host Bill Bowman. That documentary was credited by its director, Eric Miller, with assisting in the creation of the PBS show Midnight Frights.

Did You Know?

• The DVD cover of Virginia Creepers is a visual reference to the 1945 film House of Dracula.
• Only thirteen minutes of original footage from Bowman's Shock Theatre existed due to stations not wanting to tie up expensive tape.
• At its height, Shock Theatre surpassed The Tonight Show in ratings for Central Virginia.
• The documentary's directors were approached by fans who wanted to see more of Bowman and more clips from his shows.