Quoth “The Raven”: “Hey! I’m on Sven This Week!”

It's a big weekend for Sven fans- with two days to join me live at the Flashback Weekend horror convention in Rosemont, Il- and the chance to see a Vintage Vault classic with Bela Lugosi, Boris Karloff, and tools of torture inspired by Edgar Allan Poe in "The Raven"!

No, this ISN'T the color horror-comedy with Karloff,Vincent Price, Peter Lorre, and Jack Nicholson- we have had that in the past, but no longer have rights to it- though we'd love to show it again. This is the 1935 , dead-serious tale of retired Dr. Volin- a brilliant surgeon obsessed with all things Poe. He is visited by an acquaintance- a judge whose daughter has been in a serious car accident, who is barely clinging to life- and only a man with Volin's talents can possibly save her. Though it takes some pleading  to get Volin to help, he finally agrees to operate- saving the young woman's life- and then- becoming obsessed with her almost as much as he is with Poe's works.

To show her gratitude, the girl-Jean-creates an interpretive dance based on Poe's "The Raven"- which encourages Volin to confess to her father (the judge) how he feels about her. This shocks the judge, who tells Volin not to even think of having a relationship with Jean, who is involved with Jerry- a young man closer to her age and not at all possessed by a Poe fixation!

With Volin stewing over the situation, the timely appearance of an escaped murderer at his door seems to be the key to a scheme of total vengeance against those he feels have wronged him. The murderer's request for surgery to change his face  -so he can stop running- becomes the starting point for Volin's fiendish plan- that will utilize the many Poe-inspired torture devices in his collection!

We get Bela as Volin, played with passionate venom- and Karloff truly moving as the murderer who's tired of being pursued ,who becomes Volin's pawn. This show includes two much-asked for favorite Sven shticks- Tombstone's personal version of Poe's "Raven" poem- and (due to the short length of the film) -our Svensurrounded version of a "Flash Gordon" serial!

"The Raven" takes flight on MeTV tonight at 10 pm eastern/pacific, 9 pm central, or check local listings. ( Don't forget - MeTV invites you to "live-Tweet" on Twitter while watching the show!) We are very happy that our show is now highly visible in Detroit- and welcome Sven fans new and old in that area ( I ran there for about a year many years ago when I was "Son of Svengoolie")! In Chicago, viewers can enjoy "Kiss of the Vampire" (with that "Drac Dynasty" bit) at 11 am on our sister station- WCIU- the U!

I hope I'll  get to meet many of you at that Flashback Weekend convention- both today and tomorrow. As I've mentioned, I'm signing and posing for photos this afternoon (yes, Sven merchandise will be available- get yours without shipping and handling!) then hosting the Sinister Visions costume contest, always a fun opportunity for me to wisecrack; then, tomorrow, it's Family Day at the convention- you and your family can join me for a screening of the fabled "Mad Monster Party" and maybe  come onstage with me for some fun! For details, just click on the "appearances" tab on this site.This is another year that I have increased my participation at Flashback- I hope you'll come out to support me!

And, upon this evening dreary- as from daytime I am weary- join me as I ponder unforgettable film lore with "The Raven"! Quoth Svengoolie: "Never snore!" (...because the film is exciting and won't put you to sleep- see what I did there? Yeah, it was a Poe choice of words...)