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Local man inducted in the Horror Host Hall of Fame

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Harry Metz of Grindstone as his horror show host alter ego Spooky Spectre poses with his certificate of induction into the Horror Host Hall of Fame in Ohio.

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Spooky Spectre (far left), Harry Metz of Grindstone, poses with his fellow horror hosts. He and eight others were recently inducted into the Horror Host Hall of Fame.

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Harry Metz (left) of Grindstone appears dressed as Dracula as does Bill “Chilly Billy” Cardille (right) during one of his appearances on Cardille’s “Chiller Theater” in the 1970s. Metz’s wife, Diane Metz, is pictured between Metz and Cardille.

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A30-year journey of televised spookiness has led a Grindstone man and his alter ego into the Horror Host Hall of Fame.

“I was surprised because I do this just for fun,” said Harry Metz, the man behind the Spooky Spectre.

Metz’s Spooky is the host of “Fright Night Theatre,” which completed its 100th show on Fayette County TV last year. In July, the character was nominated for the hall of fame, sponsored by Ripley’s Believe It or Not museums.

Fans voted Metz, 68, as one of the inductees.

“Basically, I was campaigning,” Metz said. He contacted as many people as he could, and even solicited votes from classmates during his recent high school reunion. “I’m not a politician, but I learned how to be one real quick.”

The politicking paid off, and on Aug. 7, he and eight other hosts and shows from across the county were named to the Class of 2022 for the Horror Hosts Hall of Fame.

With that, the Spooky Spectre joined a number of well-known hosts that have been inducted since the hall’s start in 2010. Among them are Elvira, Joe Bob Briggs, cast members from the show “Mystery Science Theater 3000,” The Cryptkeeper from “Tales From the Crypt” and Pittsburgh’s own Bill “Chilly Billy” Cardille.

“I never thought I was in any way shape or form in league with those big dogs,” Metz said. “So this was a real honor.”

It was Cardille who got Metz started in horror hosting.

As a youngster, Metz snuck to tune into Cardille’s “Chiller Theater,” a show his parents forbade him to watch. The two met in the 1970s, and Cardille made Metz an offer that changed his life when he invited him to appear on the show. That led to about a dozen appearances as different characters.

But as the saying goes, all good things must come to an end. When “Chiller Theater” ended in the early 1980s, Metz moved on into the “real” world – working in the steel mills until they shut down. He went back to college to study business administration at the former California University of Pennsylvania, and got involved with the school’s station, CUTV.

One Halloween, they wanted to run a horror movie marathon on the station. It needed a host, and so, Spooky was created with Metz as the man behind the mask.

The spectre’s early days were basic: Metz generically introduced each movie and left it at that. But just like a horror movie villain, Spooky was destined to return and evolve.

In 1995, Metz was approached by folks at CUTV to make a series based off of the movie marathon.

“Fright Night Friday,” ran from 1995 to 2000 on the university station. “Fright Night Theatre” followed (and will continue) on Fayette County TV.

Spooky’s induction took place during the Horror Hound Weekend convention in Cincinnati, Ohio, on Sept. 10.

“It was a really big venue and everything there was bigger than life,” Metz said, adding that the horror hosts were all dressed in their costumes. Metz followed suit giving his acceptance speech as the Spooky Spectre. “They did a great job with making us feel special.”

In his speech, Metz thanked the fans, shared his love for everyone and what they do, and dedicated all of it to his wife, Diane Metz, who passed away in February from covid.

“Everything was done smoothly and professionally,” Metz said, adding that he was happy to meet a great number of his peers in the horror hosting world. “Everyone walked away feeling like they did something great.”

Metz’s guest for the event was an old friend from high school who had never been to a horror convention before.

“Seeing it through her eyes kind of renews your energy to keep doing these things,” Metz said, adding that he’s planning on filming the new season of “Fright Night Theatre” in October.

Until then, he’s appreciative of his nomination and induction.

“I had the most fun weekend I’ve had in a long time,” he said.

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