For anyone who loves horror films, the first question is often “what’s your favorite horror movie of all time?” For some the answer may be easy, while for others it might be as hard as answering “what’s your favorite song of all time?” Perhaps it would be simpler to come up with a top ten list, and that’s exactly what one hundred celebrities have done in the new book “Monsters, Celebrities, Actors, Athletes and Rock Stars: The Book of Top 10 Horror Lists.”
The pop culture book features notables from the entertainment universe revealing their horror theme favorites, included actors William Shatner, Ed Asner, Bill “Chop-Top” Moseley, John “Dawn of The Dead” Amplas, the late Karen “Trilogy of Terror” Black, Butch “Eddie Munster” Patrick, Bill “Lost in Space” Mumy, Sybil “Halloween 2007” Danning, and so many others. There are also lists from such horror icons as Sara Karloff and Forest Ackerman, genre writers Joe Lansdale and Jack Ketchum and from screen scream queens. The music industry is well-represented by rock & roll Hall of Famers Greg Hawkes and Elliot Easton (The Cars), Jane Weidlin (Go-Gos), Woodstock legend John Sebastian, Fred Schneider (B-52s), Dennis Dunaway (Alice Cooper), r&b singer Little Anthony, disco’s Gloria Gaynor, Micky Dolenz (Monkees), Pete Best (Beatles original drummer) and many more.
The brainchild of this long-awaited book is author/producer/actor/scaremaster Charles F. Rosenay!!!. Well-known in the horror fandom entertainment field, Rosenay!!! is the creator and organizer of the annual Dracula Tour to Transylvania, a “vampire vacation” that brings fans to the land of Vlad the Impaler and Dracula. That trip spun off his GHOSTours to Europe, week-long travel experiences for lovers of the supernatural. Rosenay!!! has acted in several horror films and shorts and is the founder of one of New England’s largest and scariest indoor haunted attraction, “Fright Haven,” which still operates in Southern Connecticut. More recently, he began co-hosting Paranormal Investigations, and produced “ParaConn,” the first-ever paranormal convention in CT.
How exactly did this unique book come to be? For a few years, Rosenay!!! wrote an online newsletter called “National Horror Happenings,” which was read by thousands worldwide. A special feature of that column was an occasional Top 10 List from a celebrity. Rosenay!!! would invite well-known and not-so-well-known notables, many of whom were his friends, to contribute a list. In most cases it was their favorite monster movies. Others, however, contributed their lists of favorite genre actors, scariest scenes in horror films, funniest scary movies, sexiest scenes in horror, and so many other interesting themes. Within a short time, there were memorable lists from actors, rock stars, authors, athletes, horror icons, directors, producers, scream queens, radio and TV personalities, and other pop culture luminaries.
When the pandemic hit, all of what Rosenay!!! normally did, he could no longer do. A party DJ/MC/entertainer by trade, there were no longer events where he could perform. He was no longer able to book live bands either, as there were no longer gigs. All the international tours, including his Dracula Tours, GHOSTours and “Magical History Tour” (which brings American fans to the Beatles’ land every summer in conjunction with Beatle Week), were postponed. With a little extra time on his hands during quarantine, Charles started to assemble, edit, and write new introductions for all those Top 10 Lists. With about 80 or 90 lists in the can, the goal was to reach 100, which was achieved in just a short time.
More than just lists, every submission features the contributor’s list plus additional comments as to why the choices were made. Often hilarious, sometimes thought-provoking, but always fascinating, the lists run the gamut from brief, fan-based opinions straight through to thesis-worthy chapters on the horror aspects of Shakespeare’s work.
Rosenay!!! has always been a fan and follower of horror, pop culture, and Top 10 Lists, commenting, “Who doesn’t love a Top 10 List? They’re short, they’re fun, and we always want to see if our choices match. In this book, 100 celebrities reveal their Top 10 favorite monster movies and themes.” He adds, “You won’t believe the actors, singers, musicians, horror figures, writers, film-makers, artists, composers, disco divas, sports figures, and others who are horror buffs and “monster mavens!” Rosenay!!! asks, “Will your favorite horror films show up on any of their lists?“
At over 300 pages including photos and illustrations, The Book of Top 10 Horror Lists has been published in hardcover and trade softcover by BearManor Media, and is available on Amazon and from the website www.BookOfTop10HorrorLists.com. Autographed copies are available directly from the author by emailing BookOfTop10HorrorLists@gmail.com.
