Local horror show host looks back on 30 years of love and sacrifices for the craft
Submitted photo
Harry Metz (left) of Grindstone appears dressed as Dracula as does Bill “Chilly Billy” Cardille (right) during one of his appearances on Cardille’s “Chiller Theater” in the 1970s. Metz’s wife, Diane Metz, is pictured between Metz and Cardille.
Submitted photo
The nomination card for Harry Metz of Grindstone as his alter ego, Spooky Spectre, for the Horror Host Hall of Fame.
Harry Metz loves what he does.
The 68-year-old Grindstone man, a horror host, has been donning his Grim Reaper-esque getup to become the Spooky Spectre for a couple of decades now.
He’s hoping that enough of his fans love what he does, too, and this is the year he gets inducted into the Horror Host Hall of Fame, joining the likes of Elvira, Joe Bob Briggs, Vampira, cast members from the show “Mystery Science Theater 3000,” The Cryptkeeper from “Tales From the Crypt” and Pittsburgh’s own Bill “Chilly Billy” Cardille.
The official Horror Host Hall of Fame started in 2010 and is sponsored by Ripley’s Believe It or Not museums and is a part of the annual horror host convention, The GOTHIC Gathering. The hall of fame permanently memorializes those living, dead (and undead) who have made major contributions to the world of horror hosting. That includes a person or character with a national or local television or web-based program who introduces and shows horror movies along with various skits.
After nominees are picked (Metz’s Spooky Spectre is among them), the year’s inductees are chosen through online voting.
“I hope everyone gets out and votes on their favorite, and hope I’m one of them,” Metz said.
His first experiences with horror hosting came courtesy of Cardille, whom Metz calls his “hero.”
“When I was real young, I watched Chilly Billy,” Metz said, recalling that he snuck away to watch Cardille’s “Chiller Theater” after his parents forbade him from do so.
In the late 1970s Metz met Cardille through a cousin who had Cardille sign autographs at his business every Halloween. Cardille made Metz an offer that would change his life: “He’d let me go on his show about a dozen times and play different characters.”
Metz and his wife Diane did just that, appearing on “Chiller Theater” a number of times. Metz was hooked, but when Cardille’s show ended in the early 1980s, he knew his life had to keep moving on. Metz worked in the steel mills until they shut down, and eventually decided to back to school for a degree in business administration.
It was at California University of Pennsylvania in the early 1990s that the Spooky Spectre was created for CUTV.
“They were talking about doing something for Halloween, and we were talking about monster movies and something about a horror host for a monster movie marathon,” Metz said.
The spectre’s early days were basic: Metz generically introduced each movie and left it at that. However, just like a horror movie villain, Spooky was destined to return.
In 1995, Metz was approached by folks at CUTV to make a series based off of the movie marathon.
“Fright Night Friday,” ran from 1995 to 2000 on the university station. “Fright Night Theatre” followed on Fayette County TV, with Metz filming his 100th show late last year.
He’s put a lot of time and effort into the shows, and said he is repaid by being able to do something he loves and hopes his audience does too.
“I don’t make money off of it,” Metz said, adding that, like him, many horror hosts film out of their homes and on a shoestring budget. “We’re all working with stones knives and bear skin.”
He said his 100th show was memorable but bitter-sweet. His wife Diane helped him work on it, but then passed away in February from COVID-19. He said Diane never much cared for his horror hosting – it took time away from her and their children – but she supported him doing something that he loves.
“The biggest thing was that my family sacrificed a lot of time,” Metz said.
Last year, he took on a new project and a new persona with the character Scary Harry for his show “Scary Harry’s Reel Action Attractions.” Filmed at the State Theatre Center for the Arts in Uniontown, the show features super hero serials of the 1930s and 1940s.
Metz said the plan was to film a whole season at once so he would have more time to spend with his wife.
“Fifty-three years (married); it’s a long time,” Metz said trying to hold back his emotions. “Now it’s tough. I have a lot of great friends, and my family keeps me busy and that’s special to me now.”
He’s hopeful that his fans are appreciative of his passion for hosting, and of the sacrifices he’s made to entertain them over the years — and feel moved to vote for his induction to the Horror Host Hall of Fame.
“If I’m not (inducted), it’s all fair and bless everyone who does make it,” he said.
To vote for the Spooky Spectre, visit the Horror Host Hall of Fame Facebook page to see the list of nominated inductees. Voters are asked to send an email to TheHorrorHostHallofFame@gmail.com with up to five selections from the list of 20 horror hosts. The deadline to vote is Aug. 5.