I recently discovered the best thing to happen to TV-watching horror movie fans since Universal leased out its back catalogue to syndication in the 1960s. It's called Monsters HD, a high-definition movie channel that plays nothing but horror and sci-fi favorites around the clock, in glorious widescreen. Why hadn't anyone thought of this before? And why did it have to wait until the HD era? Beats me, but I'm not looking a gift horse in the mouth.To give you just an example of what I'm talking about, here is a sampling of the films being offered on Monsters HD during this very month:
- Planet of the Apes
- Bride of Frankenstein
- The Day the Earth Stood Still
- The Raven
- Horror of Dracula
- Bubba Ho Tep
- Day of the Dead
- Dragonslayer
- The Fog
- Poltergeist
- An American Werewolf in London
- The Thing (both versions)
- Tombs of the Blind Dead
- One Million Years B.C.
- The Mummy (Hammer)
- Halloween
- The Omen
- The Abominable Dr. Phibes
My wife has (correctly) pointed out that were I to have Monsters HD at home, I would probably never leave the house. Unfortunately, I only came to discover the channel because my parents have it. Yes, dear old Mom and Dad have entered the world of high-def before me. But that's OK, because now that they've moved out here to the wiles of Connecticut from the mean streets of Bensonhurst, Brooklyn, flicks like Motel Hell, The Howling and Waxwork are just a two-minute car ride away. I haven't spent this much time with the folks since I got married.
Monsters HD is currently available to subscribers of Optimum iO TV and Dish Network. But only those with HD, of course. Sadly, I discovered that you can't even record the movies on a videocassette. Boooo! I guess it's all part of cable/sattelite's master plan to persuade everyone to switch over to HD as soon as possible. Consider me convinced. As for the wife--well, I'm hoping they'll start up a Hallmark Channel HD real soon...
** 5/14 UPDATE ** Well, it looks like the Solomon curse has struck again. No sooner do I sing the praises of Monsters HD than Dish Network promptly drops the channel. Apparently, there's a big legal squabble going on, with Dish citing low ratings and repetitive programming as the cause, and Monsters HD claiming breach of contract. But the service is still available via Optimum iO, which means I'm still in business.