Psychotronic Video

Psychotronic Video

Cover of issue #1
Editor	Michael J. Weldon
Categories	Film
Frequency	Quarterly
Founded	1980
Final issue	2006
Country	United States
Based in	New York City
Language	English
Website	http://psychotronic.com/

Psychotronic Videowas an Americanfilm magazinefounded bypublisher/editorMichael J. Weldon in 1980 inNew York City,covering what he dubbed "psychotronic movies", which he defined as "the ones traditionally ignored or ridiculed by mainstream critics at the time of their release:horror,exploitation,action,science fiction,and movies that used to play indrive-insor inner citygrindhouses."It was published through 2006. Most of the magazine's hundreds of reviews were written by Weldon himself. Other contributors provided career histories/interviews withcultfilmmakersand actors such asRadley Metzger,Larry Cohen,Jack Hill,William Rotsler,David Carradine,Sid Haig,Karen Black,andTimothy Carey.Regular features included "Record Reviews" by Art Black, "Spare Parts" (covering fanzines and comics) by Dale Ashmun, and "Never To Be Forgotten", anobituarycolumn.

The magazine spawned two books that, likeDanny Peary'sCult Moviestrilogy, helped establish a foundation for critical analysis of low-budget genre movies.

History

Michael J. Weldon began writing about film in 1979 while working at the Cleveland record store The Drome, which had some connection withPere Ubulead singer David Thomas and other who published apunk rockzine calledCle.They asked Weldon to write a column about horror TV-movies.After moving toNew York Citythat same year,he founded aphotocopiedweeklyfanzinein 1980entitledPsychotronic TV.It was relaunched by Weldon under its more commonly known name in 1989, as anoffsetquarterly magazine. Both versions covered what Weldon dubbed "psychotronic movies", which he defined as "the ones traditionally ignored or ridiculed by mainstream critics at the time of their release:horror,exploitation,action,science fiction,and movies that used to play indrive-insor inner citygrindhouses."Weldon coined the term after being inspired byThe Psychotronic Man(1980), alow budgetscience fiction film,and said, "To me it was a perfect word to make people think of what I mostly was writing about—'psycho' for the horror movies and 'tronic' for the science fiction."

Most of the magazine's hundreds of reviews were written by Weldon himself. Other contributors provided career histories/interviews withcultfilmmakersand actors such asRadley Metzger,Larry Cohen,Jack Hill,William Rotsler,David Carradine,Sid Haig,Karen Black,andTimothy Carey.Regular features included "Record Reviews" by Art Black, "Spare Parts" (covering fanzines and comics) by Dale Ashmun, and "Never To Be Forgotten", anobituarycolumn by Weldon that covered the deaths of writers, directors, television and film actors, rock stars, comic book artists, lawyers, and anybody else that Weldon felt was related to the overallPsychotronicuniverse.

In December 2006, Weldon announced that he was ceasing publication ofPsychotronic Video"after 18 years and 41 issues." Citing increasingly expensive printing costs and dubious business practices from distributors as his main source of concern, he noted that, "It was a struggle to self-publish in the 80s and 90s but now it's nearly impossible."

In an interview conducted byThe Augusta Chroniclein November 2012, Weldon said he had no interest in writing or publishing any additional books or magazines devoted to genre films, and was concentrating on running a store in downtownAugusta, Georgianamed "Psychotronic", which specializes in collectibles such as vinyl records, movie posters and old comic books.

Before the Georgia store, Weldon had a store called Psychotronic in New York City'sEast Village.After it closed he opened one onChincoteague Island, Virginia,where he then lived by 2006,running it for 13 years.Sometime during this, he also worked as a disc jockey at the local radio stationWCTG-FM.

Psychotronicbooks

Prior to the appearance of the second version of the magazine,Ballantine BookspublishedThe Psychotronic Encyclopedia of Film(1983), an 815-page compilation of mini-reviews of over 3,000 cult films.The book was written by Weldon with editorial assistance from Charles Beesley,Fangoria'sBob Martin,and Akira Fitton. TheforewordbyChristopher Cerfcredited the success of the original fanzine as direct inspiration for the publication of the book. A second book was scheduled to be published by a company called Pharos in the fall of 1992, but it did not come out.In 1996,St. Martin's Presspublished Weidon's 672-pageThe Psychotronic Video Guide to Film.

Legacy

The magazine spawned two books that, likeDanny Peary'sCult Moviestrilogy, helped establish a foundation for critical analysis of low-budget genre movies. As theAustin Film Societywrote,

There is what we might consider the Danny Peary faction.... Peary lionized a particular kind of "cult" criticism in his multiple volumes of theCult Moviesbooks. Never dismissive, Peary celebrates these films for their unique qualities and their advocacy of outsider voices... and the books are essential reading for anyone interested in what lies just outside the bounds of the canon. And then there is Michael Weldon. Springing from the same post-war junk pile that birthed the bandThe Cramps,Weldon's aesthetic is that of the unapologetic connoisseur of the sublime aspects of trash culture.... ThePsychotronictrack of "cult" movie appreciation is responsible for many of today’s predominant attitudes about these films. Never snobbish or dismissive, Weldon sees Bela Lugosi and Vampira... as prophets of the trash punk aesthetic.

Pulitzer PrizewinnerColson Whiteheadwrote that,

Weldon's book was proof that even the most unlikely idea had a chance. If these movies existed, then surely whatever measly story was bubbling in my brain was not so preposterous. The psychotronic movie's disregard formimesis,its sociopathic understanding of human interaction, its indifferent acting, and its laughable sets were a kind of ritualized mediocrity. The filmmakers were so inept in their portrayal of any kind of recognizable reality that their creations became a form of grubby science fiction, documentaries about an alternative planet. "

Entertainment Weeklyin 1991 said "the banner that fell with the demise of the B-movie house has been picked up by video, and Weldon leads the crusade.... In its 10 issues to date,Psychotronic Videohas become something of a university without walls. The video reviews range from forgotten classics to garage-made shorts, the obits note the passing of cult faves, interviews take on the likes of Clive Barker and James Coburn, and letters present an ongoing scholarly dialogue.... Weldon's own expertise has led to stints as a host of psychotronic-film festivals here and abroad. "

Michael Weldon

Weldon, originally fromCleveland, Ohio,was born around 1952.His father, Bill Weldon, aCleveland Pressemployee, was an amateur variety performer and pop-culture historian.

In the 1980s in New York City, Weldon met and married his wife Mia, then a dress designer.

Weldon was the drummer for theproto-punkbandMirrorsduring their original existence (early to mid-1970s) and their later studio sessions (1986–1988).

Bibliography

• Weldon, Michael (1983).The Psychotronic Encyclopedia of Film.Ballantine Books.ISBN978-0345303813.
• Weldon, Michael J. (1996).The Psychotronic Video Guide To Film.St. Martin's Griffin.ISBN978-0312131494.

External links

• Official website
• Full archiveatInternet Archive.
• Press release: Abrams, Jeff."Cult Favorite Book, Author, Inspires Local Fan In The Psychotronic Documentary",PRWeb.com. October 17, 2017. Accessed October 16, 2021/