This summer the Rio Cinema at Broadway and Commercial is working with Black Dog Video and doing some Midnight horror screening. The first on Friday the 13th showed Friday The 13th with Reanimator. The theatre almost full, the crowd was raucous and a good time was had by all, with only some good natured heckling as the projectionist struggled to turn the subtitles off on the DVD projector. Its a midnight show, its expected.

Such a good time was had in fact they decided to do it again and last Friday Dawn of The Dead circa 1978 and Children Shouldn’t Play With Dead Things graced the big screen. A good crowd had gathered, (probably about 75 to 100. Watermelon, the buxom owner of the theatre was pulling out the charm as she mingled in a lacy black neglegey and red silk robe. She was also drunk as a skunk but it set well the mood for midnight movies.

This time the movies were hosted by Gory Rae who I must say did an awful job. She was even more drunk, slurred her words, look confused and had no idea how to put on a show. She didn’t even bother to work the crowd and tottered around uncomfortably the whole night on massive black platform knee high vinyl boots.

The opening act, which could have been a good idea, was to initiate viewers ‘virgin’ to Dawn of The Dead.’ After missing her cue and making a lackluster entrance Gory sat on stage like a lump in platform shoes and a big hat as Watermelon handled most of the hostessing, working the crowd and moving things along. Seven virgins went up on stage and were christened with zombie blood, again with an utter lack of showmanship by Gory, who’s mocking and rude attitude made for some dreadful banter. Calling your audience losers for having not seen an old cult movie is not entertaining or endering.

But the show went smoothly and there was less audience participation then in Friday the 13th but Dawn of the Dead is a far more deadpan so that’s to be expected. I was glad to see Dawn on the big screen but it is a long movie at 2 1/2 hours with another movie to follow. So I didn’t get to see the second feature or the dreadful Gory’s presentation of prizes.

I have to admit that there is a long tradition of bad horror hostesses, but the best of them know how to work the cheese factor and have the charm to peddle dreadful puns, of which there were none at Rio, in fact there wasn’t a single joke cracked, just some insults dished out, which Is not comedy Gory. She was also missing the massive tits that traditionally go with Horror Hostesses, which would have been fine if she had an actual act to deliver.

Still, its a good time with some good movies in a classy cinema. A new host with a half decent floor show would be all it needs. A good night out to be sure.