The Holiday Season in Thrillville: Slay Bells Ring-a-ding-ding!

Written By Will Viharo



I love this time of year. "Kitschmas" in all its glittery, gaudy glory is upon us, and I'm celebrating in typical Thrillville style with two totally different but equally festive events. First, we're hosting a rare revival of Bob Clark's original "seasonal slasher" cult masterpiece BLACK CHRISTMAS (1974), starring Olivia Hussey, John Saxon, Keir Dullea and Margot Kidder. The 35mm print comes courtesy of Brian Quinn, who programs the Grindhouse Film Festival down at the New Beverly Cinema in LA. There will be two programs: first, on Thursday December 3, 8PM at the 4 Star Theater in San Francisco, with live music by theremin lounge band Project Pimento, and then again a week later on Thursday, December 10, 8PM, at the Camera 3 Cinema in San Jose, with live lounge music by Rocket to Rio. Both shows $10. Before the latter gig, Monica and I will be hanging out at San Jose's popular Christmas in the Park attraction, then dinner at Original Joe's, one of our favorite spots.

But December isn't just about Christmas - my own personal savior, Frank Sinatra, was born this month, too, and we're marking the occasion with a special swingin' salute this year: Thrillville presents SINATRA'S BIRTHDAY PARTY Saturday December 12, at Kingman's Ivy Room in Albany.

This joint holds special sentimental significance for us, since Monica and I officially hooked up there (when it still a rock 'n' roll honky tonk, before Kingman renovated it into a swanky lounge, which better suits our personal style), back on January 8, 1998, while I was hosting an Elvis bday party. We had previously met when Monica came to see me host Jailhouse Rock at the Parkway on May 31, 1997, but I didn't actually ask her out then, she just showed me her Elvis/Navajo tattoo and spun my wheel. She definitely left an impression, but I never thought I'd see her again. It was at the Ivy Room where I made my historic, fateful move, and you know the rest. The Chairman would've turned 94 on this day, this year, and we're throwing a celebratory shindig with Sinatra/Rat Pack movies on the bar TV, live lounge music once again by Rocket To Rio, and of course prizes from yours truly. Frank's pally Dean Martin left us for that Big Showroom in the Sky on Christmas Day, 1995, and Eartha "Santa Baby" Kitt joined him last Christmas Day. Weird and oddly appropriate: two holiday music icons both passing way On The Day Itself. Here's to a safe, happy, restful holiday season for all us. Cheers.


Will Viharo

WILL "THE THRILL" VIHARO is a freelance writer and the author of several "gonzo pulp" novels including "A Mermaid Drowns in the Midnight Lounge," "Freaks That Carry Your Luggage up to the Room," "Chumpy Walnut," "Lavender Blonde," "Down a Dark Alley," and the “Vic Valentine, Private Eye” series, the first of which, "Love Stories Are Too Violent For Me," has been optioned for a film by Christian Slater, reissued in 2013 by Gutter Books, which also published the new Vic Valentine novel "Hard-boiled Heart" in December, 2015.

Two science fiction novels, "It Came from Hangar 18" and "The Space Needler's Intergalactic Bar Guide," were written in collaboration with Scott Fulks, who added real science to Will's pulp.

Will's own imprint, Thrillville Press, has issued a three volume anthology series featuring all of his standalone novels called "The Thrillville Pulp Fiction Collection," along with another omnibus called "The Vic Valentine Classic Case Files," which include four novels from the 1990s, "Fate Is My Pimp," "Romance Takes a Rain Check," "I Lost My Heart in Hollywood," and "Diary of a Dick," plus a recent short story, "Brain Mistrust."

More recently published books include the Vic Valentine "Mental Case Files" trilogy comprised of "Vic Valentine: International Man of Misery," "Vic Valentine: Lounge Lizard For Hire," and "Vic Valentine: Space Cadet"; the original story collection "Vic Valentine, Private Eye: 14 Vignettes"; the erotic horror noir novella "Things I Do When I'm Awake"; and a collection of erotic horror noir stories, "VIHORROR! Cocktales of Sex and Death."

Additionally Will has had stories included in a variety of anthologies including "Fast Women and Neon Lights: Eighties-Inspired Neon Noir"; "Mixed Up!"; "Long Distance Drunks: A Tribute to Charles Bukowski"; "Deadlines: A Tribute to William Wallace"; "Dark Yonder: Tales and Tabs"; "Knucklehead Noir" and "Weird Winter Wonderland" (both Coffin Hop Press); and "Pop the Clutch: Thrilling Tales of Rockabilly, Monsters, and Hot Rod Horror."

Viharo's unique brand of "gonzo pulp fiction" combines elements of eroticism, noir, fantasy, and horror. For many years he has also been a professional film programmer/impresario and live music booker. He now lives in Seattle, WA with his wife and cats

https://www.thrillville.net
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