- JUNKYARD JOHN
- (John Roberts)
- Visit Dumpsterpiece Theatre, the show's official Website.
- The History of Dumpsterpiece Theatre, details on the show's first season and plans for the future.
- Episode Guide: details on a small sampling of the more than 300 live episodes aired.
- Dumpsterpiece Theatre
- Friday late-night from Midnight-2:00 am
- KPAL-TV, Channel 38, Adelphia 16 (Lancaster, California)
- May 1994 - May 1997 and ? 2000 - ? 2003
- NOTES:
- Details adapted from the Dumpsterpiece Theatre Website:
Dumpsterpiece Theatre is a witty, informative, irreverent, and downright unpredictable two-hour show!
Every week from 1994-1997, and again from 2000-2003, it featured a different rarely-seen, very old, and usually quite bad B-movie, rare short films and cartoons.
There are 4-5 host segments per episode, featuring funny skits, home-made movies, local and rare music, and sponsor endorsements...
Each episode features a different theme and set designed by professional artists.
Dumpsterpiece Theatre is not a new program. Both seasons were broadcast LIVE, every week, on KPAL-TV.
Our Average Viewer Age is 13-99... We are very popular with teenagers of all ages!
- The show's cult following and general popularity was considerably boosted by the comical antics of Junkyard John's puppet co-hosts "Alphonso T. Rat"
and "Stu the Carrot," operated and performed by Dean Matherly and William Blair.
The first several episodes were also hosted by a good friend of the producers, actor
Michael Berryman (see Internet Movie Database entry),
an unforgettable character in films and TV shows like The Hills Have Eyes, One Flew Over the Cuckoos Nest, Weird Science,
The X-Files and many more!
John, Michael, and Dean, and Bill had a great time bringing bad films to a receptive audience.
- WHY BAD MOVIES? ("From the Circular File of Junkyard John" on the show's Website):
Anyone can watch a good movie; expound upon it's virtues and commend performances.
But what about bad movies?
Do you have what it takes to sit through feeble attempts at performing that are so frustratingly rotten that you attempt to complete the dialogue yourself?
Probably not, but this is where Dumpsterpiece Theatre fits in. We control the stupidity — we can change the humor from a soft blur, or...but, I digress.
The staff of Dumpsterpiece Theatre see our program as a format which allows you, the viewer,
to enjoy or reject a film on its' own lack of merit.
Sure, we add a lot of rude sound effects where the original filmmakers probably couldn't afford any.
And an evening rarely goes by without our adding a few choice sequences of our own.
Wouldn't you?
But the thing to remember about our show is the fact that it is going out live,
so we are attempting to entertain ourselves along with you (so we don't all fall asleep)!
I mean, we have already seen these films at least once or twice during the course of the week,
so the thought of watching the same piece of crap — well, some form of anarchy is bound to result.
So that is why we show you films — shall I say — of a lesser quality.
We feel vintage, low-budget filmmaking is extra special because it simply cannot be done the same way anymore.
There is nothing more hilariously exhilarating than watching flying saucers dangle on visible wires or rubber monsters with zippers up their backs.
They weren't trying to be funny (like the obvious high-camp of today's sorry films) — directors in the 1950s and '60s couldn't afford to do it over and over again;
Their films would never have been completed.
And that is the ultimate reason why we enjoy these "Dumpsterpiece Classics" — At least they got made.
So try and enjoy these films for what ever reasons you may find, and perhaps you will enjoy them with a keener eye.
After all, the only truly bad film is a boring one.
|
