News

Inside The Gorehound’s Playground in Fort Collins, Colorado

Published

2 years ago

February 21, 2022

It’s a simple storefront in a shopping center in Fort Collins, Colorado that looks almost like any other.

Once you open the door and step inside, however, it’s a bit like being transported back in time. There are racks of movies that you can rent stacked next to DVDs and Blu Rays to buy, and every title is either horror, sci-fi, or one of the countless cult classics we fans have embraced over the decades.

Most likely, you’ll find Jeff Abbott, the store’s owner, waiting to fill you in on everything the store he has patiently and meticulously curated has to offer.

“Everything on the racks can be rented,” he explains. “Even the titles that we have for sale because some of them are a bit pricey and I know you don’t want to be stuck with a movie you don’t like AND be out the cash you spent on it at the same time.”

So, if you find a film that interests you, but you’re not ready to commit, all you have to do is pay down a deposit for the total cost of the DVD or Blu Ray.

If you take it home and love it, call Jeff and let him know and you’ve just added a new film to your collection. If however, you decide it just isn’t for you, you can take the video back to the store for a full refund on your deposit, no questions asked.

He’ll also sell you any of his rentals that he has in stock if you find something you just can’t live without. He’ll look it up on Amazon and all you’ll pay is the cost to have it replaced in his stacks.

It’s the kind of sweet deal you just don’t hear about anymore, but it’s just one of the perks of shopping at The Gorehound’s Playground. Aside from movies, they have a host of t-shirts, posters, and various collectibles to fit every genre fan’s wish list.

Once he’s shown you around the store, Jeff will point you through a curtain that separates the front of the shop from the back, and that’s when this place goes from cool to awesome.

The theater area of The Gorehound’s Playground

Jeff has set up a small theater area that seats about 25 people on a variety of comfortable couches. Films play every Thursday, Friday, and Saturday night and the cost of admission is only $8, a small price to pay to hang out with fellow fans to watch your favorite films.

“Thursday night, we do sci-fi and fantasy films; Fridays are for cult classics, and Saturday nights we do a horror double feature,” Abbott says. “We’re trying to build a community around what we’re doing, and we’re reaching out to artists and independent filmmakers, as well, to give them a place to show their work to the public.”

On the day we were there, they were getting ready for a Re-Animator double feature. Taking a look at their upcoming scheduled double features you’ll find Deep Red playing alongside The Bird with the Crystal Plumage and Deathgasm teamed with Evils of the Night.

In addition to the theater, the back area of the store also has a section set aside for playing various themed board and card games.

“Everything on the racks is a demo, so if you want to come in a play a round or two before you decide to buy, I’m all about that,” he points out, following the theme of his video rentals. “We also have kids who come in from the local high school to play Magic: The Gathering after school, and it’s really cool to be able to provide a place for that.”

What is apparent from beginning to end as Jeff shows you around the store is that he is passionate about what he’s doing, and he believes it fills a real void for genre fans.

“I wanted a place where people who loves these movies can get together and watch them,” he says. “These movies are meant to be seen with other fans and we’re providing a place for that to happen.”

Artwork by local artists fill the shelves and decorate the walls of the theater area of The Gorehound’s Playground

The store is doing well after three years in business, and while Abbott is enjoying the success of his location, he does have bigger long-term goals.

“I think every college town in the country would support an establishment like this,” he says. “I think there’s a place for this kind of business everywhere and hopefully we will be able to see that happen in the future.”

As I walked out of his store with shopping bags filled with movies, t-shirts, and even a Clive Barker tarot deck, I couldn’t help but think that he was absolutely right.

For more information on The Gorehound’s Playground you can follow them on Facebook and check out their website. And, if you should find yourself in Fort Collins, Colorado, head to 1125 W. Drake Road Unit B-6, and check it out in person!

Listen to the 'Eye On Horror Podcast'

Click to comment

You must be logged in to post a comment Login

You must be logged in to post a comment.

Editorial

Yay or Nay: What’s Good and Bad in Horror This Week

Published

2 days ago

May 4, 2024

Timothy Rawles

Welcome to Yay or Nay a weekly mini post about what I think is good and bad news in the horror community written in bite-sized chunks.

Yay:

Mike Flanagan talking about directing the next chapter in the Exorcist trilogy. That might mean he saw the last one and realized there were two left and if he does anything well it’s draw out a story.

Yay:

To the announcement of a new IP-based film Mickey Vs Winnie. It’s fun to read comical hot takes from people who haven’t even seen the movie yet.

Nay:

The new Faces of Death reboot gets an R rating. It’s not really fair — Gen-Z should get an unrated version like past generations so they can question their mortality the same as the rest of us did.

Yay:

Russell Crowe is doing another possession movie. He’s quickly becoming another Nic Cage by saying yes to every script, bringing the magic back to B-movies, and more money into VOD.

Nay:

Putting The Crow back in theaters for its 30th anniversary. Re-releasing classic movies at the cinema to celebrate a milestone is perfectly fine, but doing so when the lead actor in that film was killed on set due to neglect is a cash grab of the worst kind.

Listen to the 'Eye On Horror Podcast'

Lists

The Top-Searched Free Horror/Action Movies on Tubi This Week

Published

2 days ago

May 3, 2024

Timothy Rawles

The free streaming service Tubi is a great place to scroll when you’re unsure what to watch. They are not sponsored or affiliated with iHorror. Still, we really appreciate their library because it’s so robust and has many obscure horror movies so rare you can’t find them anywhere in the wild except, if you’re lucky, in a moist cardboard box at a yard sale. Other than Tubi, where else are you going to find Nightwish (1990), Spookies (1986), or The Power (1984)?

We take a look at the most searched horror titles on the platform this week, hopefully, to save you some time in your endeavor to find something free to watch on Tubi.

Interestingly at the top of the list is one of the most polarizing sequels ever made, the female-led Ghostbusters reboot from 2016. Perhaps viewers have seen the latest sequel Frozen Empire and are curious about this franchise anomaly. They will be happy to know it’s not as bad as some think and is genuinely funny in spots.

So take a look at the list below and tell us if you are interested in any of them this weekend.

1. Ghostbusters (2016)

Ghostbusters (2016)

An otherworldly invasion of New York City assembles a pair of proton-packed paranormal enthusiasts, a nuclear engineer and a subway worker for battle.An otherworldly invasion of New York City assembles a pair of proton-packed paranormal enthusiasts, a nuclear engineer and a subway worker for battle.

2. Rampage

When a group of animals becomes vicious after a genetic experiment goes awry, a primatologist must find an antidote to avert a global catastrophe.

3. The Conjuring The Devil Made Me Do It

Paranormal investigators Ed and Lorraine Warren uncover an occult conspiracy as they help a defendant argue that a demon forced him to commit murder.

4. Terrifier 2

After being resurrected by a sinister entity, Art the Clown returns to Miles County, where his next victims, a teenage girl and her brother, await.

5. Don’t Breathe

A group of teens breaks into a blind man’s home, thinking they’ll get away with the perfect crime but get more than they bargained for once inside.

6. The Conjuring 2

In one of their most terrifying paranormal investigations, Lorraine and Ed Warren help a single mother of four in a house plagued by sinister spirits.

7. Child’s Play (1988)

A dying serial killer uses voodoo to transfer his soul into a Chucky doll which winds up in the hands of a boy who may be the doll’s next victim.

8. Jeepers Creepers 2

When their bus breaks down on a deserted road, a team of high school athletes discovers an opponent they cannot defeat and may not survive.

9. Jeepers Creepers

After making a horrific discovery in the basement of an old church, a pair of siblings find themselves the chosen prey of an indestructible force.

Listen to the 'Eye On Horror Podcast'

News

Morticia & Wednesday Addams Join Monster High Skullector Series

Published

2 days ago

May 3, 2024

Timothy Rawles

Believe it or not, Mattel’s Monster High doll brand has an immense following with both young and not-so-young collectors.

In that same vein, the fan base for The Addams Family is also very large. Now, the two are collaborating to create a line of collectible dolls that celebrate both worlds and what they have created is a combination of fashion dolls and goth fantasy. Forget Barbie, these ladies know who they are.

The dolls are based on Morticia and Wednesday Addams from the 2019 Addams Family animated movie.

As with any niche collectibles these aren’t cheap they bring with them a $90 price tag, but it’s an investment as a lot of these toys become more valuable over time.

“There goes the neighborhood. Meet the Addams Family’s ghoulishly glamorous mother-daughter duo with a Monster High twist. Inspired by the animated movie and clad in spiderweb lace and skull prints, the Morticia and Wednesday Addams Skullector doll two-pack makes for a gift that’s so macabre, it’s downright pathological.”

If you want to pre-purchase this set check out The Monster High website.