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THE DUNGEON OF DR. DRECK
Produced by XXXXX
Directed and Written by Michael LeggeDr. Dreck - Michael Legge
Moaner Johnson - Lorna Nogueira
Louise Morgan - Phillis Weaver
Lester - John Shanahan
Many in my generation can still remember their local horror host. In D.C., we had Count Gore De Vol. When local stations started to make the switch to all national programming, the horror host started to fade away. The final nail in the proverbial coffin came with the advent of late-night infomercials that replaced localized late-night programming. A wave of fandom started to take place in the 90’s that saw the re-emergence of the horror host, with many new characters being direct homage to the hosts who came previously, on public access stations and the internet, usually hosting movies in the public domain so as not to pay the licensing fees. Recently, after being off television for 20 years, Count Gore celebrated his 10th anniversary hosting videos online.
I never knew that Massachusetts filmmaker Mike Legge had a side gig as a horror host, but during an interview for the dvd release of his latest movie, THE DUNGEON OF DR. DRECK, Legge confesses to 4 years on television as his character Dr. Dreck. Along with his sidekick, the zombie cheerleader Moaner, he’s produced 100 episodes. No easy feat for a gig that doesn’t pay, but Legge is motivated by his own memories as a child growing up in the ‘60’s.
THE DUNGEON OF DR. DRECK isn’t the first time a horror host has turned their character into a feature. To the best of my knowledge, Elvira has done it twice, the most successful of which being ELVIRA: MISTRESS OF THE DARK, and I’m sure there will be comparisons of this film to that but the two movies couldn’t be farther apart. Elvira’s film is a farcical fish-out-of-water tale while DODD is much more of a satirical examination of media exploitation - particularly the world of television.
Dreck has an idea for a new television program where he teaches people to operate on themselves in hopes of cashing in on the "do-it-yourself craze and the medical craze." Fully aware of the liability issues, the station turns him down. Never ones to pass up on a one-eyed mad scientist and a stinky zombie cheerleader, the station creates a new show hosting b-movies. The plan is to offer direct competition to "‘Orrible ‘Ilda’s" b-movie programming that has been clobbering everyone in the local ratings, including the station owner’s own show, "Tea with Louise."
Louise Morgan isn’t one to let the demise of her own show go lightly. Her homicidal tendencies take over as she goes about having those who would have her abdicate her throne rubbed out, including the oblivious Dreck and Moaner. But like all of Legge’s films, this is a comedy and not a horror film, and Morgan’s plans never materialize.
Legge’s love for the world of b-cinema shines through more than any of his past features, especially when he’s recreating the sort of b-movies you would have found in the 1960’s, when THE DUNGEON OF DR. DRECK takes place. Legge incorporates some public domain footage, most notably from THE KING OF THE ZOMBIES. Given the modern state of horror hosting, one almost expects this sort of thing. The movie excels when Legge masterfully recreates the sort of gimmick cinema that made William Castle infamous complete with a very Castle-like director’s introduction. When the "27 Spooks" segment arrives, viewers will be required to where special "spook specs" (double red-lensed glasses) to see the ghosts on screen. This might discourage Netflix rentals as the mail-rental company won’t ship the glasses with the disc which comes included as a freebie with the disc’s purchase.
Despite the comical nature of the movie, THE DUNGEON OF DR. DRECK is Legge’s most personal film to date as he channels a number of his passions into the story: his love for horror hosts, classic era b-cinema, filmmaking, and his nack for creating outrageous characters that don’t seem forced (a testament to the director’s own acting ability). Unfortunately, it’s also Legge’s least successful in terms of humor. I get the movie, or at least I think I do, but I never found it funny. Sure, the characters are often fun to watch in a nostalgic sort of way, especially Legge as Dreck, but at no point did the movie make me laugh. I’ve come to describe Legge’s style of humor as subtly absurdist, but has Legge become so subtle that he doesn’t spark the intended result? I can respect the movie for what it is, an embodiment of a filmmaker’s passions, but not for what It tries to do and fails - make viewers laugh.
The DVD itself isn’t nearly as good a presentation as it could have been. With only a cast interview as a blooper reel, there was plenty enough space to include highlights from the 100+ episodes of Dreck’s show. It would have been the perfect opportunity to show the evolution of the characters which are only hinted at during the interviews (initially, too timid to speak, actress Lorna Nogueira’s zombie cheerleader only moaned - hence the name).