May 25, 2025 — Film Historian Gary D. Rhodes

Gene and cohost Tim Swartz feature Gary D. Rhodes. He is a renowned film historian and author with a passion for uncovering the forgotten stories of horror cinema. He’s a world expert on Bela Lugosi and Dracula, and will reveal the secrets of the tragic life story of this world-famous horror film legend. He will also talk about his book, "Weirdumentary: Ancient Aliens, Fallacious Prophecies, and Mysterious Monsters From 1970s Documentaries." The book unlocks the secrets of the strangest cinematic phenomenon of the 1970s. It's the ultimate guide to the bizarre, the unexplained, and the wildly entertaining films and television programs that blurred the line between fact and fantasy. "Weirdumentary" examines dozens of movies and TV series, sold to the unsuspecting public as documentaries, beginning with "Chariots of the Gods" (1970) and ending with "The Man Who Saw Tomorrow" (1981). Leonard Nimoy’s "In Search Of" makes an appearance, and so does Orson Wells in his late-career role of sinister yet skeptical narrator. Although listeners to The Paracast know about their factual basis, many of these shows and movies featured spurious experts, questionable evidence, and low-budget dramatization. Acclaimed comic book artist, writer, and historian Stephen R. Bissette, best known for his groundbreaking work on DC Comics' "Swamp Thing" alongside Alan Moore, provides the foreword.

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