With the COVID-19 pandemic continuing to greatly alter the much of global population's way of living and civil unrest arising here in the states, many of us are scared to venture out into the world, even with lockdown restrictions being lifted.
Thankfully, we have wonderful YouTube channels like The Horror Vault to keep out spirits up during these dark times.
Every Friday since the UK's lockdown began, the channel has been home to The Quiz on Haunted Hill, hosted by lifelong horror fan Peter "Witchfinder" Hopkins. The show brings together four contestants who test their horror film knowledge and compete head to head for horror glory, with previous appearances by filmmaker Dustin Ferguson, actress and horror host Jennifer Nangle (Malvolia: The Queen Of Screams), and Blair Bathory.
On Friday, June 12th at 9pm (British Summer Time), the show will host a very special "Horror Host" episode that'll feature David Black (aka Count Funghoula), Frank Ailsworth (aka Lord Blood-Rah), James Currie (aka Al Omega) and Scott Paulson (aka Keymaster Slasher Poe), and we were fortunate enough to share a few questions with Black and Ailsworth regarding their appearances.
First of all, how have you guys kept yourself entertained during these bleak and bizarre times we're living in?
David Black: "I had a backlog of around 5 films that needed editing so I've been able to keep bringing out new shorts. I've written one script but left the writing at that due to having around 10 unshot scripts in the vault. Aside from that, I've been studying short courses on everything that I can think of that I need to further myself in the film industry."
Frank Ailsworth: "When I’m not writing, filming or editing my show I’ve been catching up on movies and TV shows I’ve been meaning to see."
How did you come to be involved in The Horror Quiz on Haunted Hill?
DB: "I was chasing up some publicity for a new series that I'm doing called 'Dramatica Diablos'. When chatting to Horror Screams Video Vault, I was offered the opportunity to go on The Quiz on Haunted Hill instead of the article. That's fair enough too because the first couple of episodes of 'Dramatica Diablos' are quirky fantasy comedies and not horror."
FA: "David Black contacted me a while ago about his many films and if I’d be interested in showing them on my show. I included two in an episode and enjoyed them very much! We’ve stayed in contact and it was David who asked we to be part of the quiz."
Have you ever participated in a horror quiz show, and have you done anything in preparation your appearance on this one?
DB: "I haven't done anything like this before so this will be a new experience. I'm watching past episodes to prepare."
FA: "No, I’m pretty new to the party on Quiz on Haunted Hill. I’m hoping to firm up my knowledge of more recent horror because, being an old geezer, my knowledge is primarily classic horror, which I quests is ancient horror now. I should say by “recent horror” I include from the premiere of Scream on.
Kidding. A bit"
You guys will be competing to benefit charities of your choosing. Can you disclose the charity you'll be playing for, what they do and any reasoning behind your decision to support said organization?
DB: "I've chosen Thank You Fireys. Earlier this year there were a large number of bushfires in Australia. I produced a short film to help called Hamlet for the Fireys which features Glen Cook, an ex firefighter, reciting the suicide monologue from Hamlet in plain English. Thank You Fireys were helpful to our effort so I asked them if they would let me represent them once again and they agreed. They are a fantastic organisation that raise money for Country Fire Authorities across Australia."
FA: "I’ll be playing for World Central Kitchen. They provide meals to disaster stricken populations. World Central Kitchen has responded to emergencies in Haiti, Peru, Houston, Puerto Rico, California, Hawaii, Indonesia, Guatemala, Mexico the Carolinas, Florida, Nebraska, Mozambique, Colombia, Venezuela and more. They provide an invaluable service and great comfort in time of need."
Artists, filmmakers, musicians and content creators have all found creative ways to continue pursuing their passions while in lockdown. Do you have any interesting projects in the works or on the horizon?
DB: "I've done a couple of narrated films in the past and will be doing one more as soon as the last unedited film is out. I'm hoping that we are out of lockdown by that time. The narrated film is called Klink, Klunk, Klonk and is will be a bit arthouse."
FA: "I’m currently in the middle of production on the 10th season of my TV series Lord Blood-Rah’s Nerve Wrackin’ Theater. Being a one man production crew, I’ve had no problems continuing on. I have also contributed hosting segments to a few online streaming shows for The Chabot Theatre in Castro Valley, CA to raise funds for keep them going so they can reopen when this is all over.
You can find more info on where to watch my show, buy merch and more at lordbloodrah.com."
You can watch the "Zombie Special" episode of The Quiz on Haunted Hill, which aired on May 29th, below.