A JEM Records Christmas with The Weeklings and Lisa Mychols & Super 8

Have you finished that last minute shopping yet? Are the decorations up? Then it's time to sit back and queue up some classic Christmas music: maybe you'll kick things off with A Christmas Gift For You From Phil Spector? Or perhaps one of the Very Special Christmas compilations, or maybe even Bruce Springsteen's version of "Santa Claus Is Comin' To Town?" If you need some new rock and roll Christmas music to listen to, look no further than a pair of delightful new holiday singles from a pair of artists on JEM Records. The Weeklings, the Beatles-inspired, power pop infused quartet, who recently released a superb album, The Weeklings Live! have issued a new holiday song entitled "Christmas Day." Written by Glen Burtnik and Bob Burger, aka Lefty and Zeek Weekling, the song follows in the tradition of their previous Christmas releases, such as "Gonna Be Christmas," which was featured in an episode of the CW series, Supergirl. The Bob Dylan inspired "Christmas Day" combines the witty stylings and ironic tone of "Subterranean Homesick Blues" with the festive spirit of the holidays. It's a unique and inspired tune, a rockin' holiday song, and it sounds fantastic. Check out the video for "Christmas Day" here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l2vAhRYN42A. Lisa Mychols and Super 8, who like The Weeklings, recently contributed a song to the excellent tribute album JEM Records Celebrates Brian Wilson, offer up a wonderful new holiday tune entitled "A Very Merry Christmas." The single features an absolutely gorgeous vocal performance from Mychols, and sterling work from Super 8, aka British musician and songwriter Paul "Trip" Ryan. It's a marvelous song that absolutely radiates joy and positive vibes. Mychols & Super 8 are both longtime veterans of the indie pop/rock music scene, and the talented duo is working on a new album that will be released on JEM Records in 2022. I'm really looking forward to hearing that record. "A Very Merry Christmas" is an ebullient gem of a song, produced by JEM Records head honcho Marty Scott, and it's very much in the style of the classic Phil Spector Wall of Sound. If there's any justice in the world, it'll become a rock and roll holiday standard! "A Very Merry Christmas" was just named a Coolest Song In The World on Little Steven's Underground Garage radio show on Sirius XM. Here's a link to the video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8SPF-ryzuUM. Both "Christmas Day" by The Weeklings and "A Very Merry Christmas" by Lisa Mychols & Super 8 are available now from JEM Records.

Retro TV Fright Film: Fear No Evil

Louis Jourdan & Lynda Day

There have been a lot of eerie, supernatural themed small screen series and movies throughout television history, including Buffy The Vampire Slayer, Supernatural, Charmed, and The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina. However, the stalwart heroes and heroines of those shows weren't the first occult investigators to grace the small screen. Back in the early to mid 1970s, Kolchak: The Night Stalker battled monsters, vampires and werewolves in a pair of TV movies and a short-lived (but much beloved) series, and Gary Collins starred as Dr. David Rhodes, a parapsychologist, in The Sixth Sense, which ran for two seasons on ABC. Those shows were pre-dated by one of television's first occult investigators, Dr. David Sorrell, portrayed by Louis Jourdan in a pair of telefilms which aired on NBC, 1969's Fear No Evil and 1970's Ritual of Evil.

Fear No Evil tells the story of Paul Varney, who buys an antique mirror that has a strange effect on him. After attending a party at the home of psychologist Dr. David Sorrell, Paul and his fiancé Barbara are involved in a car accident in which he is killed. Barbara survives, but winds up in the hospital. She moves in with Paul's mother, but that creepy mirror has quite the hold on her, as Barbara sees an apparition of her dead fiancé in the mirror. The evil doppelgänger wants Barbara to join him on the other side. What's the secret of the mirror? Is Paul's friend and co-worker, Miles Donovan, involved in his death in some way? As Barbara begins to lose her grip on reality, it's up to Dr. Sorrell, who has some experience investigating supernatural events, to solve the mystery and help her.

The movie is atmospheric, chilling and fairly intense for its time. If you're a fan of well-mounted tales of the supernatural, you will really enjoy Fear No Evil. The teleplay for the film was written by Richard Alan Simmons, based on a story by prolific author Guy Endore. The wonderful cast features Bradford Dillman as Paul, Lynda Day (George) as Barbara, and Wilfrid Hyde-White as Dr. Sorell's mentor, Harry Snowden. Louis Jourdan is terrific as Sorrell, and there's a fantastic performance from Carroll O'Connor as Miles Donovan. If you only know O'Connor from his role as Archie Bunker on All in the Family, you may be quite surprised at his work in the film. He's terrific in the movie. There are also some familiar faces featured in supporting roles, including Katharine Woodville (who played Natira in the classic Star Trek episode "For The World Is Hollow And I Have Touched The Sky") and Marsha Hunt, who's icily effective in the role of Paul's mother.

Fear No Evil has an offbeat visual style, courtesy of cinematographer Andrew J. McIntyre, a top-notch score by veteran composer Billy Goldenberg, and solid direction by television veteran Paul Wendkos, who also helmed the big-screen thriller The Mephisto Waltz. The film was intended as a pilot for a weekly series titled Bedeviled that would have followed Jourdan's character as he investigated supernatural events plaguing his patients. Sadly, the series never materialized, but a sequel, Ritual of Evil, followed in 1970, which featured Dr. Sorell, once again played by Jourdan, looking into the terrifying events centered around a young heiress, which seem to be work of a powerful witch. It's another excellent thriller, and well worth watching. Both films are available on a double-feature Blu-ray from Kino Lorber, and there are audio commentaries for both movies by writer Gary Gerani, author of Fantastic Television, one of the first (and best) reference works centered on classic genre shows. Here's the trailer for Fear No Evil: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TfhvzFcWSVY.

Peter Jackson Helps The Beatles Get Back

I'm a lifelong fan of The Beatles. While I was too young to experience that first rush of Beatlemania (I was just seven years old when they broke up), I loved their music as soon as I heard it. Their albums were the first records I bought with my own money, and like many ardent fans, I enjoyed following their solo careers while reading the many books about the band, and snapping up any archival releases of their music. One of the most elusive titles in the Beatles pantheon is the 1970 film, Let It Be. The project grew out of Paul's desire to get the band back to their roots, and ease some of the tensions that had surfaced during recent projects, most notably during the sessions for The White Album. The original plan was for the band to give a live performance, featuring new songs, which ultimately could be broadcast as a TV special. Cameras would also follow the group as they worked on and recorded the songs for their new album.

Let It Be, directed by Michael Lindsay-Hogg (who had helmed several video clips for the band, including "Rain" and "Revolution") turned out to be a record of a band that was breaking apart. The film had some positive moments, including the now legendary rooftop concert that climaxed the movie, but Let It Be has historically been viewed by many as a documentary of the end of The Beatles, despite the fact that they rallied soon after working on the project to record their final album, the classic Abbey Road. Long unavailable on home video, except for bootlegs, the footage used for the film has been resurrected in a new form by director Peter (Lord of the Rings) Jackson, entitled Get Back. Jackson (an avid Beatles fan) was given unprecedented access to 60 hours of video and 150 hours of audio from the original sessions. He and his team spent close to four years working on the project, restoring the video and audio, and editing never before seen footage into a new documentary comprehensively covering the Let It Be sessions.

Get Back was originally planned to be a theatrical film, but the project ultimately became a three-part, eight-hour miniseries, which is now available for streaming on Disney+. The film is nothing short of astonishing. If you only know Let It Be from the muddy clips seen in other Beatles documentaries or  bootleg versions of the film, you'll be blown way by the incredible quality of the video and audio here. The other invaluable take-away you'll get from watching Get Back is that while there were tensions among the band members during this time, there are also moments in the film which illustrate the deep love the band still had for one another, and the remarkable creative chemistry the group shared. Just look at the scenes where Paul and John are work on the lyrics to "Get Back," bouncing off one another, and feeding off each other's energy. It's a startling contrast to moments like the often referenced tiff between Paul and George regarding the latter's guitar playing. Even that infamous scene (and George's temporary exit from the group) gains additional relevance and meaning in Get Back, which shows that The Beatles were still a band of brothers, despite their squabbling. 

The film also shows The Beatles clowning around and jamming on oldies like Chuck Berry's "Rock and Roll Music," songs they'd played in their earliest days as a band at marathon shows in Hamburg, and at the Cavern Club in Liverpool. It's evident from the discussions seen in Get Back that the group (who had stopped touring in 1966) realized that while they had become wizards in the studio and pioneered new recording techniques on albums like Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band, they weren't sure if they could cut it as a live band anymore. It's clearly evident that in some form, they longed for a return to those simpler days, when it was just the four of them rocking out, and they weren't the world-renowned and instantly recognized band they had become. Several times during discussions about how they can pull of a live show, people in the band's circle, including Lindsay-Hogg and engineer Glyn Johns, remark that The Beatles "belong to the world now," something I think the group was a little uncomfortable with, since they really wanted to just jam and play together, like the old days. Just watch the sheer delight that shines on their faces a couple of songs into the rooftop concert sequence, as everything clicks into place.

Watching Get Back is a revelatory experience.With an almost eight-hour running time, it may be a bit much for the casual viewer, but true Beatles fans will really enjoy the film. The previously unseen performances (the group is shown working on early versions of songs like "Carry That Weight" and "Maxwell's Silver Hammer," (both of which would end up on Abbey Road) and the snippets of songs that would end up on solo albums by the band, including Paul's "Back Seat of My Car" and George's All Things Must Pass" are a lot of fun to watch, and even the tense moments between the group (while sometimes difficult to view) are given more context in the longer running time afforded in the documentary. What's undeniable from viewing the film is that these four men truly loved each other, and they were an absolutely terrific band, who made music that changed not just rock and roll, but the world. Get Back reminds us why we love The Beatles, and gives us a well-rounded portrait of the band not only as uber-talented musicians, but also as human beings. That is an invaluable accomplishment, and thanks to Peter Jackson and his crew, we have a new appreciation for, and a fresh perspective on, The Beatles and their enduring legacy. Here's a link to the trailer for the film: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Auta2lagtw4.

The Grip Weeds Unearth 1960s Rock Gems

Garage rock and psychedelic rock are genres which continue to have strong appeal for a legion of fans. Thanks to the advent of digital music platforms like Little Steven’s Underground Garage on Sirius XM, and a host of CD and vinyl re-issues of music from the 1960s, songs from the era are being re-discovered by longtime devotees, and heard for the first time by appreciative younger listeners. The Grip Weeds, a New Jersey based psychedelic pop/rock band, recently released DiG, an album featuring the band’s unique interpretations of music from the era. The band has been a long-time staple of the indie rock, psyche-pop and power pop scene since their formation in the late 1980s. DiG is the group’s way of celebrating the music that inspired them, and showcasing their compelling interpretations of songs like “Porpoise Song” by The Monkees and “Shape of Things to Come” by The Yardbirds.

DiG is a superb record, featuring a wide-ranging selection of tunes, including FM radio staples like “Journey to the Center of the Mind,” originally by The Amboy Dukes, to lesser known nuggets like “I Wonder” by The Gants. In fact, “nuggets” is a key word here, since that was the title of a now legendary 1972 collection of garage rock and psychedelic music curated by Lenny Kaye. In a nice bit of symmetry, Kaye provides the liner notes for DiG. The album is truly a celebration of the garage rock and psychedelic eras. DiG is filled with nuggets, gems, and unearthed treasures, from “I Love You” by The Zombies to Thunderclap Newman’s anthem “Something in the Air.” Familiar and much beloved tracks like "Lies" by The Knickerbockers sit comfortably next to lesser known (but incredible) songs such as “Lie, Beg, Borrow and Steal” by Mouse and The Traps. Check out the band's outstanding version of that song here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q2_4Fb8dvAQ&list=OLAK5uy_k1REZLxeU9ELFvJ1SbsLLjlA_ZlVqKyeA&index=5.

The album is magnificently produced by guitarist and singer Kurt Reil, whose fine work gives these songs immersive depth and real atmosphere. The band is in outstanding form, and the unbridled enthusiasm of Reil and his bandmates Kristen Pinell Reil on guitars, percussion and vocals, Rick Reil on vocals, guitar and keyboards, and Dave DeSantis on bass is evident on every track. It’s hard not to smile, dance around the room and play air guitar when you hear the band’s charged up versions of “Louie, Go Home” by Paul Revere and the Raiders, ”Outside Chance” by The Turtles, or "I Had Too Much To Dream Last Night” by The Electric Prunes. DiG’s sound runs the gamut from the band's joyful interpretation of “Little Black Egg” (a track included on the deluxe edition of the album) to standout versions of The Velvet Underground’s “All Tomorrow’s Parties,” and The Rolling Stones track “Child of the Moon.” DiG is an album filled with high water marks, and essential cuts.

If you’re looking for even more to “DiG” the album is available in a two-disc deluxe version, which includes eleven additional songs. There’s also a very special edition of the album featuring a third disc entitled A Deeper DiG, which is available exclusively via the band’s website. A Deeper DiG includes a collection of wonderful rarities, including early live performances, demos and a radio appearance by the band. DiG is clearly a passion project for The Grip Weeds, and I look forward to hearing their next disc of original music, as I'm sure working on this album has energized the band. You can check out DiG, which is now available on JEM records at https://www.gripweeds.com. For more on the creation of DiG, check out my interview with Kurt Reil over at CultureSonar by following this link: https://www.culturesonar.com/the-grip-weeds-dig-some-cool-covers/, and here's a link to a trailer for the album: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l3Vtf-SgibQ.

"Kolchak's Coming Back...In Style!"

The 1970s was a great decade for TV horror fans. The genre flourished in the made for television movie genre with films like Trilogy of Terror, Gargoyles, Don’t Be Afraid of the Dark, and of course, The Night Stalker. Based on a novel by Jeff Rice, the now-classic 1972 telefilm told the story of a vampire-like killer on the loose in Las Vegas, and the efforts of a down on his luck reporter named Carl Kolchak to convince the authorities that the killer actually was a vampire. The movie effortlessly blended horror and humor, as Kolchak hunted down the vampire, while butting heads not only with the authorities, but also his long-suffering editor, Tony Vincenzo. Scripted by genre veteran Richard Matheson, and directed by John Llewelyn Moxey, The Night Stalker was a ratings smash, and a sequel, The Night Strangler, followed in 1973. That film was once again scripted by Matheson, but behind the camera this time was Dan Curtis, of Dark Shadows fame, who had produced the original movie. The story pitted Kolchak, now relocated to Seattle, against another eerie menace, an immortal man whose killings had stretched across decades. The Night Strangler was another ratings success, and after plans for a third telefilm didn't work out, ABC decided to produce a weekly television series.

Kolchak: The Night Stalker premiered on September 13, 1974. The series featured McGavin, back in his rumpled seersucker suit as Kolchak, and Oakland returning in his role as Vincenzo. Set in Chicago, the series found Kolchak battling werewolves, zombies, witches, and aliens. While it only lasted one season, the series left an indelible impression on a generation of kids, including myself. One of those kids was Chris Carter, who went on to create The X-Files. Carter cited the series as a significant influence on the adventures of Mulder and Scully. Kolchak: The Night Stalker featured a lot of great talent behind the scenes on the show. David Chase, who also worked on The Rockford Files and later went on to create The Sopranos, was a writer and story editor for the series. Robert Zemeckis and Bob Gale, years before their success with Back to the Future, penned the episode "Chopper," about a headless motorcycle rider, and Hammer horror veteran Jimmy Sangster scripted “Horror in the Heights” which is widely considered by fans to be one of the series' best episodes.

The complete series has just been released on Blu-ray by Kino Lorber. The label previously issued well done special editions of both The Night Stalker and The Night Strangler. Kolchak; The Night Stalker: The Complete Series features all twenty episodes of the show, which have been given excellent 2K hi-def restorations. There are commentaries for all of the episodes by noted writers and film historians like Kim Newman, David Schow, Amanda Reyes and Gary Gerani. I've listened to several of the commentaries at this point, and they’re insightful, engaging and informative. Also featured are interviews with David Chase, who discusses his time working on the series, and Dana Gould, creator of Stan Against Evil, who talks about the series influence on him. Another fun bonus feature included in the set are 14 original ABC network “coming attraction” promos for the series. There's also a booklet with an essay by Mark Dawidziak, author of The Night Stalker Companion. 

Darren McGavin is perfect in the role of Kolchak, and Simon Oakland is terrific as his editor and friendly nemesis, Vincenzo. Their scenes together are a marvelous (and entertaining) acting duet. The supporting characters in the newsroom, portrayed by Jack Grinnage and Ruth McDevitt, are also wonderful in their roles. And if you’re looking for a who’s who of 1970s TV personalities, legendary comedic actors and classic era movie stars, look no further than this show, where you'll spot Carolyn Jones, Phil Silvers, Larry Linville, Jim Backus, Keenan Wynn, Cathy Lee Crosby, Tom Bosley, Lara Parker, Nina Foch and Tom Skerritt in supporting roles. The show also features some genuinely frightening moments, in episodes such as “The Vampire” and “The Zombie,” which can still send a chill down your spine, even all these years later. The other aspect of the series that holds up well today is the suggestion of cover ups by the authorities, who often try to conceal the supernatural or otherworldly aspects of the menaces that Kolchak faces. The show was airing in the shadow of Watergate, and it sometimes echoed the conspiracy themes of films like The Parallax View and Three Days of the Condor. It’s no surprise that Chris Carter took inspiration from the show when he was creating The X-Files.

I’m a long-time devotee of both the TV movies and the series, and have great affection for McGavin and the show. It's a lot of fun to revisit these episodes, and while not all of them are classics, there are a few, such as "Horror in the Heights" and "The Spanish Moss Murders" that are very effective terror tales. Even the weaker episodes offer the fun of watching this terrific cast, led by McGavin in his definitive role (along with some cool guest stars) work their magic. If you’re a fan of the series, this set is a must have. It’s clearly produced by people who paid care and attention to this release, and wanted to give the series the best presentation possible. Kino Lorber has done a spectacular job with these episodes, as well as their previous editions of The Night Stalker and The Night Strangler TV movies. Kolchak: The Night Stalker: The Complete Series is highly recommended. Here’s a link to Kino Lorber's site for more info: https://www.kinolorber.com. As Kolchak says in the The Night Stalker telefilm "Don't look now, baby, but Kolchak's coming back...in style!"

Peter Swanson's Perfectly Murderous Tale

Is there such a thing as a “perfect” murder? In Peter Swanson’s novel, Eight Perfect Murders, the answer appears to be yes; at least, in the literary sense. Malcolm Kershaw is a widower who co-owns and runs Old Devils, an independent bookstore in Boston, which specializes in mysteries. He’s approached by Gwen Mulvey, an FBI agent, who asks him about a post he’d written for the store’s blog several years ago about “Eight Perfect Murders” in fiction. The list includes works by Agatha Christie, James M. Cain, and Ira Levin. It turns out that someone is using the lethal methods from the books featured in Malcom’s blog post to commit several real-life murders. Gwen wants to know if Malcolm has any insights regarding the crimes, and if he has a connection to any of the victims.  That’s the initial setup of this deliciously twisty tale by Swanson, the author of The Kind Worth Killing, Before She Knew Him and Every Vow You Break.

The story is narrated by Malcom, and it’s notable that he admits from the outset that not all narrators in fiction are reliable. We’re seeing and hearing the story from his perspective, and he might not be giving us all the facts. While he helps investigates the killings, Malcolm reveals to us that he knows a bit more about what’s going on than he initially admitted to Gwen. As the story continues, there will be several twists and turns in the tale. Secrets will be revealed, and some dark truths about Malcolm’s past will come to light. Malcolm is a complex character. It’s no accident that one of the books on his list is Agatha Christie’s The Murder of Roger Ackroyd, a novel which features an unreliable narrator. That’s one of a number of literary in-jokes and Easter eggs which are peppered throughout the novel by Swanson. Old school mystery fans will have a lot of fun catching all the meta-textual references to classic novels and films.

The supporting characters, including Malcolm’s co-workers at the Old Devils bookstore, are enjoyably quirky, and Swanson’s in depth descriptions of the Boston area locations featured in the story add color and atmosphere to the novel. There’s even a femme fatale of sorts lurking within these pages, which is one of several noir-ish touches in the story. This is a fast-paced, entertaining read that will keep you turning the pages, and there’s one last twist to the proceedings which comes after you think the story has ended. Eight Perfect Murderswill enthrall mystery aficionados, independent bookstore mavens and cat lovers. Yes, there’s a cat named Nero who inhabits the bookstore, a lovable feline who has a backstory which fits into the framework of the novel. This was my first book by Peter Swanson, and I thoroughly enjoyed it. I will be definitely be checking out some of his other novels. Eight Perfect Murders is available online and in old-fashioned brick and mortar bookstores as well.

Retro TV Chills: This One's A "Thriller"

Looking for some scary old school television terror tales to watch this Halloween? Check out Thriller (1960-62), hosted by the one and only Boris Karloff. Though it only ran for two seasons, the show is highly regarded by many genre fans, including Stephen King, who praised the show in Danse Macabre, his 1981 overview of the horror genre. The series actually started out offering tales of murder and suspense, similar to Alfred Hitchcock Presents, but shifted its focus to horror during the middle of the first season. Several of the episodes, including “Pigeons From Hell,” an adaptation of a Robert E. Howard tale, and “The Grim Reaper,” are considered classics of TV terror. While the show continued to alternate between crime dramas and horror stories, it’s those scary outings for which the series is best remembered. Here are several episodes to view for a Thriller-ific night of chills!

From Season 1: 

The Hungry Glass – Based on a short story by Robert Bloch, the author of Psycho, this episode stars William Shatner and Russell Johnson. That’s right, Captain Kirk of Star Trek and the Professor from Gilligan’s Island in the same show! And it also features Donna Douglas of The Beverly Hillbillies in a small but pivotal role. A young couple buys a seaside mansion for a bargain price, but get more than they bargained for when they find out the place is haunted. Why is the attic full of mirrors…and what do our characters see in them? Is there something waiting inside the glass? It’s fun to see Shatner and Johnson together, and there are some truly creepy moments in the show. Adapted from Bloch’s story by director Douglas Heyes, this is one of the best episodes of the series.

Dark Legacy tells the story of Mario Asparos, a magician whose uncle dies and leaves him a book of powerful black magic spells. Mario tries to summon a demon, hoping to gain wealth and power. But when you play with dark forces, be careful what you wish for…and be ready for the price you have to pay. This episode was written by John Tomerlin and directed by John Brahm, who also helmed the films The Lodger (1944) and The Mad Magician (1954), as well as episodes of The Twilight Zone and The Outer Limits. The cast includes Henry Silva (best known as a villain in a host of B movies) and character actor Harry Townes. The mist-shrouded look of this episode (a hallmark of many of Thriller’s finest hours) is a mix of film noir and horror and it adds to the story’s eerie vibe.

From Season 2:

La Strega is the story of Luana (played by Ursula Andress, the original Bond girl in Dr. No) who’s saved from drowning by a young man named Tonio. He falls in love with her, but has to contend with her grandmother, a witch who warns him to stay away from the girl, or dire consequences will result. Can Tonio and Luana stop the witch's curse and escape her evil power? This moody, effective episode was directed by actress Ida Lupino and written by Alan Caillou. It features a great performance by Jeanette Nolan as the title character, and also stars Alejandro Rey (of The Flying Nun) as Tonio. 

The Incredible Dr. Markesan – Boris Karloff appeared in five episodes of the show, including this frightening tale. Fred Bancroft (Dick York of Bewitched) and his wife visit his Uncle Konrad, who lives in a dusty old house. They ask if they can stay there while they’re looking for a new home. At first, Konrad tries to get them to leave, there he ends up allowing them to stay. However, he warns them that they must stay in their room at night, and not move around the place. What’s going on in the house? Why does Uncle Konrad look and act so strangely? This blood-curdling entry is based on a short story by August Derleth and Mark Schorer, and was directed by Robert Florey, who knows his way around the horror genre, having been behind the camera for the films Murders in the Rue Morgue (1932) and The Beast with Five Fingers (1946). The story has a horrifying conclusion that will stay with you long after you watch the episode.

Episodes of Thriller are available for viewing online on various services, and the entire series is available on DVD in a box set, Thriller: The Complete Series. There’s also a a one-disc collection of several episodes entitled Thriller: Fan Favorites. If you’re a fan of television horror, and enjoy classic series like The Twilight Zone and One Step Beyond, Thriller is worthwhile viewing. For more information on Thriller, you can check out my earlier post on "The Grim Reaper" here: https://jveclectic.blogspot.com/2021/03/thrillers-uncanny-grim-reaper.html?m=0. And remember, "As sure as my name is Boris Karloff....this is a Thriller!"