Written By: Ken Hulsey
One of the great things about being a writer who deals with the sci fi/horror genre is that you get to meet and talk to some truly amazing people. Recently I have been in contact with Cortlandt Hull, an amazing artist who at the impressionable age of thirteen, began to construct wax figures of his favorite classic horror characters.
With the help of his parents and extended family, young Cortlandt began his own wax museum way back in 1966. Today that little museum has grown into a New England landmark and Halloween attraction that has gained the praise of Hollywood icons and special effects legends.
Cortlant's "Witch's Dungeon" has been featured in several different forms of media ranging from "Entertainment Tonight" to Playboy magazine, yet many fans outside the region are unaware of the museum and the truly amazing collection of wax figures and memorabilia that it contains.
In 2006 Cortlant his partner, Dennis Vincent, set out to film a documentary about the "Witch's Dungeon," which they believed may bring more attention to the museum. To aid in their cause, the duo enlisted the help of some of the personalities that had become fans of their work.
The documentary entitled, "The Witch's Dungeon 40 Years Of Chills", is an amazing tribute to both the museum and the "golden age" of classic horror films.
Cortlant and Vincent tirelessly compiled hundreds of hours of exclusive interviews and restored dozens of vintage photographs to put together their documentary.
The interviews featured in "40 Years Of Chills" provide a rare behind the scenes look at the making of some of Hollywood's greatest films provided by some of the genre's biggest names. Included in the documentary are interviews with special effects legends Dick Smith and Tom Savini, "Creature From The Black Lagoon" actors Ben Chapman (we miss you Ben!) and Ricou Browning, the offspring of the greats, Sara Karloff, Ron Chaney, and Bela Lugosi Jr., horror film historians, Forrest J. Ackerman and Bob Burns, and every ones favorite late-night movie hostess, Elvira. Honestly that's just scratching the surface. There are honestly more iconic names interviewed here than I can list!
Many of you may be wondering what would motivate a young horror fan like Cortlant Hull to devote his life to the preservation of classic horror films. Well, in this case he comes by it genetically. You see, Cortlant is the great nephew of both Henry (Dr. Glendon, "The Werewolf Of London") and Josephine Hull (Arsenic & Old Lace - Broadway). Trust me, Cortlant is very proud of his families horror history, and by all rights he should be. In a way he is not only keeping the memory of such greats as Lugosi, Karloff and Chapman alive, but his own families as well. There can't be anything more worthwhile than that?Today Cortlant and Vincent are tirelessly working on yet another documentary entitled, "Legends of Film and Fantasy" which they are promising will be another interview filled journey through the history of horror. This time a whopping four hour journey!
If "Legends" is anything like, "40 Years of Chills" then Hull and Vincent will have made two of the greatest documentaries about classic horror films ever produced back-to-back. Amazing!
Find out more about how to order "The Witch's Dungeon 40 Years Of Chills" and information about "The Witch's Dungeon Classic Movie Museum", please visit: http://www.preservehollywood.org/
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