🎬 Welcome to Monsters Unreel!

Are you an old head like me who grew up in the glorious era of the 80s, 90s, or early 2000s—when a trip to the local video store was the highlight of your week? You remember the shelves of clamshells and cardboard slipcovers… but there were always those few horror tapes you were too scared (or too forbidden) to rent?

Maybe you’ve got some blind spots because your parents thought horror movies would rot your brain (they were right, but in the best way). Or maybe you're finally ready to experience those cult classics your friends swore by—but this time, with a crew of like-minded weirdos watching right alongside you.

I’m Chris, your host and horror sherpa. Growing up, I was that kid who told my parents I’d open a video store someday. That dream never came true (thanks, Blockbuster), but the love stuck around. If I like a movie, I really like it—and when I really like something, I want everyone to experience it. Whether it’s music, comics, or movies, I live for those moments where someone else geeks out over the same weird thing I do. That shared spark? That’s what this whole thing is about.

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So why did I start Monsters Unreel?

Flashback a couple of years: I was down in Grand Rapids at a comic con, about to meet one of my childhood heroes—Joe Dante, the legend behind Gremlins, The 'Burbs, The Howling, and so many other genre gems. I was riding high on nostalgia, but my buddy—who was in his mid-20s—had barely heard of the guy. We sat in on Dante’s panel anyway, and he was totally hooked. Joe talked about growing up as a Monster Kid—one of those 1950s and 60s-era kids raised on late-night creature features, rubber suit monsters, and Famous Monsters of Filmland magazine. That era raised a generation of horror obsessives who grew up to become filmmakers, writers, artists, and super fans.

And it hit me: if that magic could hook a new generation today, why not help it happen?

Cue the epiphany: If you build it, they will come… to watch movies, eat burgers, and talk about practical effects.

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With the support of some awesome friends—ranging from their 20s to their 40s—we started plotting. We needed a home base. Enter the amazing folks at Oakwood Proper Burgers, who had been supporting my local market and letting us plaster flyers all over their burger lounge (which, by the way, looks like grandma’s wood-paneled basement and even has a candy dish. It rules). I knew instantly: this was the spot.

We launched in January 2025 and we’re still rollin’—like a rewound rental that never left your VCR.