Growing Up in the Town of the Living Dead

Send us Fan MailWhat happens when you grow up loving horror in the town that gave us "Night of the Living Dead?"Filmmaker and actor Robert Oppel joins Kendall for a trip through Pittsburgh horror history, beginning with George Romero, "Dawn of the Dead" and the Monroeville Mall. Robert remembers being so obsessed with Dawn that he recorded the Goblin soundtrack from the movie onto cassette, dialogue included, then walked around the actual mall listening to it on his Walkman.That kid eventually found his way into the movies himself.Robert talks about landing a role in "Children of the Living Dead," getting killed and coming back as a zombie, working on a movie with Tom Savini and later telling Savini that he played Brad in the film. Savini’s response: “You tell people that?”Robert also shares how his mother and grandmother encouraged his fascination with movies, the magic of watching actual film run through a projector and how those early experiences helped push him toward acting and directing.The conversation also turns personal. Robert discusses making Uncle Bob, his documentary about his uncle and namesake, Robert Oppel, who famously streaked across the stage during the 1974 Academy Awards and was murdered five years later. His uncle’s story also intersects with San Francisco counterculture, John Waters, Divine and the city’s art scene.It is a conversation about horror fandom, family, creativity and what can happen when the movies you obsess over as a kid become part of what you do with your life.And when Kendall asks Robert to name his favorite Final Person, he goes straight back to where it all began: "Night of the Living Dead."Thank you for listening to Horror Heals. Share the show with someone who loves horror and someone who needs a little healing.If you want to support our guests, check the show notes for links to their work, conventions, and fundraising pages.You can also listen to our sister podcast Family Twist, a show about DNA surprises, identity, and the families we find along the way.Horror Heals is produced by Mosaic Multimedia LLC.Is horror good for mental wellness? Of corpse it is.