Count Fungoula + Mistress Boobiyana in Australian TV Pilot — Horror House

Get used to hearing the name Count Fungoula, because if David Black has his way, you’ll be hearing it a lot. Why? Because Count Fungoula wants to bring the schlock back to television screens and has a pilot waiting in the wings. This is an Australian Independent film, done right.

Australians are known for throwing in their own unique flavor to Ozploitation and schlock-horror films and television. In films like Wolf Creek and its sequel, we see characters like Mick Taylor apply a systematic evil comedic flair to the depths of his personality.

In Boar (2018), the story of a killer Razorback boar gave us a B-grade effort filled with plenty of Australian humor.

Now David Black (Musician, cartoonist, scriptwriter, blogger, actor, producer, director, connector, and influencer) wants to bring Horror House to the Australian public. A show, reminiscent of the Deadly Earnest slot featuring hosts like Ralph Baker from the late ’60s. David and Tritia DeViSha want to bring schlock back to Australian television with a show called Horror House.

Horror House

Inspired by David’s frequent attendance at short film nights and film festivals, ‘Horror House’ was born. Wanting to be able to bring back the ethos of the many fans of the Deadly Earnest programs, he decided to take matters into his own hands and breathe some ghoulish schlock back into a new show.

What’s Deadly Earnest?

Between and 1961 and 1978 a late-night horror program ran on most channels in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, and Perth. Depending on where you lived, your host for the evening would be Ian Bannerman, Ralph Baker, Shane Porteous, or Hedley Cullen. They would introduce the worst of the worst of the B-Grade cinematic offerings they could find. The shows became popular because the hosts often berated the very content they were showcasing.

Like cult favorite Deadly Earnest, the Horror House jokes are tasteless, the effects are sub-par and the performances are over the top. Horror House is not about being hoity-toity in its approach to bringing horror short films back to the masses. It’s about bringing the banal and often low-quality offerings of filmmakers back into the limelight. Not only that but at the same time, it provides a platform for others to stand out.

Will TV studios be ready to accept the newest endeavor of Horror House?

Only time will tell, but here’s what you can expect if it does.

The Pilot With Count Fungoula

Given access to the full pilot episode, I got to see the three featured short films. The pilot show is hosted by Count Funghoula (David Black Halloween Hell Night) and Mistress Boobiyana (Tritia DeVisha Grey Area 2018.) The whole thing runs just shy of 21 minutes, an easy time frame to slot into any free-to-air television show (wink, wink studio execs.)

The first short film is called Kali Geisha Erotica Grotesque running for 3 minutes. It tells the story with no narrative but still gives way to some interesting ideas. With make-up similar to that from A Clockwork Orange and that rock singer known for eating a chicken on stage, it covers a somewhat odd revenge film.

The second short film is called The Tale of Betty Boots. The 6-minute run time begins with a young Red Riding Hood. She skips through the woods wearing what could definitely be blunt-stone Boots. Of course, her venture to Grandma’s house ends well for some and not for others.

The third short film is Waterborne.  This one’s set down by a Billabong in Australia, featuring high-quality performances from its stars Martin Blum and Don Bridges. The story is about a virus in the water that can turn animals and people into zombies.

It was during this 8-minute feature that I was actually given a fantastic jump-scare much to my delight. This one was definitely my favorite of the three.

How Was the Show Overall?

I really admire the gumption of people like David Black and his affiliates. Where would be without people like this? Those with ideas and a willingness to put themselves out there. I’m positive the creatives of the universe would be few and far between without them. The idea behind Horror House is a solid one and would fill a much-needed gap for filmmakers. People who loved the format of shows like this would get to see the new untouched cinema from their armchairs. And filmmakers get to have their work seen by a much wider audience.

Would I Watch Horror House?

Would I watch this show if it aired? You betcha. Despite wanting a touch more connection between the shorts aired by their be-cheesed hosts, I would absolutely tune in to a program like this. The success of shows similar to this in the past was dependent on the commentary from the characters running the program. Count Funghoula and Mistress Boobiyana are two such characters I could grow to love but I really wished they had discussed or reacted to the films for just a second.

Besides that, I want more. Did I just say that? I did and it’s true. I would happily sit back in my armchair for an evening and tune into Horror House.

Horror House Teaser Trailer