Podcast Episode 20: Actor Daniel Roebuck Shares His History with the Horror Genre and How He Became Rob Zombie’s Grandpa Munster

Actor Daniel Roebuck, Count Sam Dracula AKA Grandpa Munster in Rob Zombie’s The Munsters, catches up with his pal Lauren Spear sharing EXCLUSIVE stories (like how he met Rob Zombie! And how it went down when he got the call to be in The Munsters!). A veteran of the horror genre, Dan Roebuck has portrayed memorable characters in films, shows, plays, video games, and was even a clown in the circus!

Note for folks with sensitive ears: Dan’s a boisterous fellow and has a tendency to randomly raise his speaking voice — keep a finger on your volume button to adjust as needed for comfort. ♥

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Full Written Transcript + Fun Extras (Including Exclusive Photos!):

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[Instrumental music (HorrorFam.com Podcast theme AKA “Dance Monster” by Kevin MacLeod)]

LAUREN SPEAR: Hi! I’m Lauren Spear and you’re watching the HorrorFam.com Podcast! And, today, I’m here with Daniel Roebuck who horror fans may know from River’s Edge, Bubba Ho-Tep, Final Destination, a plethora of Rob Zombie films… including his most recent role as Grandpa Munster in Rob Zombie’s The Munsters!

DANIEL ROEBUCK: Ye!

Actor Daniel Roebuck as Grandpa Munster in Rob Zombie's The Munsters (2022) - Color photo!
Daniel Roebuck as Grandpa Munster in Rob Zombies <em>The Munsters<em> 2022

LAUREN: Hi, Dan!

DANIEL: Hello! Is this horror FAN or horror FAM…?

LAUREN: FAM. Like family.

DANIEL: Yeah. And we’re kind of like family!

LAUREN: Yeah, you’re basically like my uncle or something. [laughs]

DANIEL: Well, I mean, so… When I saw that you were doing this podcast, your watchers should know, I was like, “I wanna be on your podcast…”

LAUREN: [laughs, remembering]

DANIEL: Because I’ve literally known Lauren since she was a little girl. Your mom and dad are two dear friends — two EXTRAORDINARY talented people: Rob and Cathy Tharp!

And you used to watch my kids…

LAUREN: Oh, yeah.

DANIEL: I thought you were the same age, but it turns out you’re a little older.

LAUREN: Oh, yeah. I was basically the nanny for your kids…

DANIEL: Yeah!

LAUREN: For a couple years.

DANIEL: What that means is we’d have a party and she’d get stuck with them.

LAUREN: [laughs]

DANIEL: But I remember you all doing a band with Evil Wilhelm’s kid.

LAUREN: Mm-hmm!

DANIEL: I remember you guys were… *mimics drums* You made a band one year.

LAUREN: Oh, yes. Oh, yeah.

DANIEL: So, I’m so proud of you! And watching you grow up and looking at your art! And you’ve got this guy…

FRANK SPEAR (Lauren’s husband): [Nervous laugh]

DANIEL: You didn’t run it by ME first but, other than that, he seems okay.

LAUREN: [laughs]

DANIEL: But I’m so happy to be talking to you and I’m just so proud of you!

LAUREN: It’s so nice to see you again!! We’d been separated for… From the pandemic and everything.

DANIEL: *faux confusion* What pandemic?

LAUREN: *knowing they’re both VERY aware of the panny* Heh. Yeah. [rueful chuckle]

DANIEL: Pandemic… pandemic… hmm.

LAUREN: And I told “Darcy” from The Last Drive-In — when she was on Episode Six [of the HorrorFam.com Podcast] — I told her that I knew you and that “as soon as all this is over and I see Dan, I’ll tell him ‘hi’ for you!”

DANIEL: That’s nice.

LAUREN: And I did! I passed on the message.

DANIEL: You did! You were very good.

LAUREN: You can vouch for me!

DANIEL: Hello, “Darcy,” if you’re watching!

LAUREN: [laughs]

DANIEL: Though, if you’re anything like me: You only watch the episodes you’re ON. Maybe someone will tell you.

LAUREN: [laughs]

DANIEL: But here we are! And we’re in kind of my Monster Room as it is.

LAUREN: Yeah!

DANIEL ROEBUCK: We’re on location in front of my Munsters collection.

An assortment of Daniel Roebuck's Munsters toys and collectibles

LAUREN: Yeah.

DANIEL: I’m not the biggest Munster collector! There’s other Munsters collectors out there — Mark Doyle, Jay Lawrence, Bob Morris, and so many others. I’m really low on the scale. But we had an interesting thing, from a collectors’ standpoint…

So, Lauren and I have known… We’ve known a lot of people who’ve passed away over the last few years.

LAUREN: Yeah.

DANIEL: Big collectors of masks…

LAUREN: Oh, yeah.

DANIEL: Our little group that had only twelve people and I think four are already gone… But the Munsters community lost its two biggest collectors within a month! Kevin Burns was a dear friend. And Tony Greco was also a friend. And they died within weeks of each other so that’s kind of a hard…

Anyway. They had like, you know… They had the end of Citizen Kane Munsters, you know… Raiders of the Lost Ark! I have just a couple bookcases but, you know, I’ll soon be a toy myself.

But let’s talk about stuff!! I’m talking too much! Ask me questions!

LAUREN: Well…

You just said that you’re “soon to be a toy” yourself…?

DANIEL ROEBUCK: Oh, did I? Did I mention that?

LAUREN SPEAR: Yes! [laughs]

DANIEL: I feel so bad about that!

Anyway!

FRANK AND LAUREN SPEAR: [laugh]

DANIEL ROEBUCK: I mean, it’s only funny! So, like… There’s two kinds of toys, right? There’s licensed toys and then there’s fan-made toys.

LAUREN: Uh-huh.

DANIEL: And fan-made toys are good because, you know… I think they keep the IP — the Intellectual Property — going!

LAUREN: Yeah.

DANIEL: And this great guy, Brent Sorensen of Brentz Dolz… Like here’s a fun doll of Cousin Lester! He only appeared for about 12 seconds on a Munsters episode, but it was great! So Brent has these toys… Hmm?

LAUREN: Oh! I was just remembering when you were playing… When you had the Wolfman in one of your Dr. Shocker shows!

DANIEL: Yeah, we did that.

LAUREN: Yeah.

DANIEL: It was John Cody who played the Wolfman!

Dr. Shocker (Daniel Roebuck) with the Wolf Man (John Cody Fasano)
Dr Shocker Daniel Roebuck with the Wolf Man John Cody Fasano

LAUREN: Yeah.

DANIEL: John Cody Fasano! Our friend.

LAUREN: Yeah. And I also wanted to talk to you about your Dr. Shocker live shows… But, first: Continue on with this!!

DANIEL: Well, I mean, it’s just boring anyway!

So, Brent, he makes… Like he’s a Zombo doll out of the box. *talking to self as he navigates grabbing the doll from behind himself:* Don’t break anything…

Here… Here’s Zombo! *in Zombo voice:* “Zombo!!” *normal voice:* Zombo.

So, I’m a big fan of this kind of thing! Like of fan-made toys.

And then he, you know, the fella who’s a fan, said, “Can I make a toy of you?” So, there’s a fan-made Count! *holds up action figure of himself as Count Sam Dracula/Grandpa Munster* The Count!

Rob Zombie recently shared that <span style=text decoration underline><a href=httpswwwinstagramcompCeOSG1rO4A target= blank rel=noreferrer noopener>Zombo will be in <em>The Munsters<em> 2022<a><span>

LAUREN: [Delighted giggle]

DANIEL: Very rare and limited because, you know, you’re not allowed to make a lot of them. But it is fun that it exists! And fun that I’m a toy! Because I’ve spent my life collecting toys, y’know?

LAUREN: Oh, me too! [laughs]

DANIEL: Yeah, you too! You’ve got a big collection!

LAUREN: Yeah! Usually, when we’re doing this — especially if it’s just me talking — I have my Monster High toy collection in the background.

DANIEL: All the toys behind you!

LAUREN: Yeah! [laughs]

Screenshot from <span style=text decoration underline><a href=httpshorrorfamcomhow to introduce someone to horror>Episode 16 of the HorrorFamcom Podcast<a><span> enhanced to show off Laurens Monster High dolls

DANIEL: Yeah! So, I mean, that’s kind of fun, isn’t it?

LAUREN: Oh, yeah.

DANIEL: To be a fan of all this stuff and then actually be something someone else could collect!

LAUREN: Yeah.

DANIEL: It’s neat.

LAUREN: It is neat!

And…

Is there ANYthing that you can tell us about The Munsters without getting into trouble?

Like…

DANIEL ROEBUCK: Well, I…

LAUREN: I don’t want to get you into trouble!

DANIEL: I’m sure Mr. Zombie has spies everywhere… *looking around with suspicion* Who’s that guy?! *points behind the camera*

LAUREN SPEAR: That’s my husband! [laughs]

FRANK SPEAR: I’m not… Not a spy!

DANIEL: Are we SURE he’s okay??

LAUREN: He’s okay!

DANIEL: I don’t know…

LAUREN: He’s got his Dracula shirt on for…

DANIEL: Well, then he’s o… Can we say that today is…?

LAUREN: Yeah.

DANIEL: Today, the day we’re filming: This is National Dracula Day.

LAUREN: Yep.

DANIEL: And, you know, it’s interesting because I have played Count Dracula before but really OFFICIALLY I’m Count Dracula in a Universal Studios movie!

LAUREN: Yeah!

DANIEL: Because Grandpa Munster is Sam Dracula! He’s Count Dracula! They say it a number of times in the show!

So, what can I tell you? I can tell you it’s going to be fun! It is common knowledge now that it’s rated PG — a fun family movie. I can tell you that there’s not a better human being on the planet to direct the movie than Rob Zombie and I’m not just saying that.

LAUREN: He’s very nice.

DANIEL: He’s very nice! Isn’t he?

LAUREN: I met him one time, but I didn’t realize that I was talking to him. [embarrassed chuckle]

DANIEL: Were we at a show? Or at a…?

LAUREN: He popped over at one of your parties…

DANIEL: Oh!

LAUREN: …and he was just eating vegetable lasagna and I was talking to him. And I’m like, you know, “What’s your name?” and he’s like “Robert” and I’m like “Oh yeah? What do you do?” and he’s like “I’m a musician.”

DANIEL: Oh, how funny.

LAUREN: And then after people were coming up like, “You just spent the last 20 minutes talking to Rob Zombie!” And I’m like, “I did?? ‘Robert the Musician’ was Rob Zombie?”

FRANK SPEAR: [laughs]

DANIEL ROEBUCK: That’s so funny.

LAUREN SPEAR: He was SO nice though!!

DANIEL: He is! Well, he’s such a good guy!

LAUREN: I was very… You know. I was much younger!

DANIEL: You were younger; yeah.

LAUREN: Yeah. [laughs]

DANIEL Roebuck: When I met [Rob Zombie] the first time

famously, I was with John Gilbert — Arizona Gillman

LAUREN: Yeah!

DANIEL: and we were at Kit Kraft! Remember that great store?

Google Street View image of Kit Kraft - Hobbies Crafts Models Art Supplies store - where Daniel Roebuck first met Rob Zombie with Johnny Gilbert (AZ Gillman)
Kit Kraft Where Daniel Roebuck first met Rob Zombie

LAUREN: Mmhmm!

DANIEL: And we were going in to look at monster models and this man comes in and John Gilbert goes… *imitating a star-struck John Gilbert:* “M-Mr. Zombie!! What a pleasure to meet you!”

LAUREN: [holding back laughter]

DANIEL: And I said, “What the heck did you just call this guy??”

LAUREN: [laughs]

DANIEL: And he goes… *imitates an increasingly flustered/star-struck John “Arizona Gillman” Gilbert:* “This-This is Rob Zombie!!”

LAUREN: [laughs more]

DANIEL ROEBUCK: Well, isn’t that funny? Because, as it was…

We’re going to tell this story here first! I haven’t told it anywhere!

LAUREN SPEAR: Oh! Yay!

DANIEL: Yeah! You’re getting a…

LAUREN: A HorrorFam.com EXCLUSIVE!!

DANIEL: This is for you!

LAUREN: [happy giggle]

DANIEL ROEBUCK: It’s ironic that the day that I met Rob Zombie, John Gilbert had made an Uncle Gilbert garage kit.

LAUREN: Oh my gosh!

DANIEL: I have it right around the corner.

LAUREN: The Cre… The Creature…

DANIEL: Yeah! With the hat!

LAUREN: From The Munsters!

DANIEL: Yeah!

LAUREN: Yeah!! [laughs]

DANIEL: And he had made this garage kit and, on that day, I think he beat poor Rob Zombie out of sixty bucks to BUY one!!

LAUREN: [surprised sputtering laugh]

DANIEL: On the spot!!

LAUREN: Ohhh.

DANIEL: Because John was going to sell them at Kit Kraft!

LAUREN: Yeah.

DANIEL ROEBUCK: Well! When it came time to… Rob’s recently announced that Uncle Gilbert is in the movie!

LAUREN SPEAR: Oh wow!

DANIEL: People might have seen that video…

LAUREN: I had heard that [Uncle Gilbert is going to be in Rob Zombie’s The Munsters], but I wasn’t sure if that was confirmed official news.

DANIEL: Yeah! Rob put it out. Yeah.

LAUREN: Oh! Okay!

DANIEL: So, if he says so it’s so.

LAUREN: Yeah.

DANIEL: But John Gilbert, ironically, was a HUGE help in helping us make sure that character got in the movie because, when we were there, we realized we needed a mask. So, John reached into his own collection and pulled out a mask KreatureKid made when he was 14 or 15 years old.

13 year old Adam Dougherty AKA KreatureKid sculpting | <span style=text decoration underline><a href=httpswwwinstagramcompCPpHeqyD7JH target= blank rel=noreferrer noopener>Image via KreatureKid<a><span>

LAUREN: Oh my gosh!

DANIEL: Yes.

LAUREN: The same KreatureKid that you’re working with for…?

DANIEL: Yeah! [chuckles] Yeah!!

LAUREN: Oh my gosh! It all connects!!

DANIEL: Well, we have a saying and I don’t know that everybody agrees with me, but the saying is “God is good.” And God makes sure that things are as they should be. And so we couldn’t have had Uncle Gilbert if—

LAUREN: Sometimes it takes a while.

DANIEL: Yeah.

LAUREN: But I agree.

DANIEL: Yeah, sometimes it takes a while…

LAUREN: [laughs]

DANIEL: Well, for Him, not really! For you and me it takes a while! But for Him it’s like…

LAUREN: Pfft. Yeah.

DANIEL: *Calm/God-like impersonation:* “Oh, I said I would do that yesterday…” *normal voice, frustrated tone:* I’M EIGHTY!!!

LAUREN: [knowing laugh]

DANIEL: But, anyway, without John Gilbert it would be hard to get the Creature in the movie because John had to take his mask and ship it to us in Budapest, Hungary immediately! And it was the mask that KreatureKid sculpted.

LAUREN: Wow.

DANIEL: So, I’m very proud of those guys!

LAUREN: That’s great.

DANIEL: They’re part of The Munsters too.

LAUREN: And what is it… You’ve been a fan of The Munsters for a LONG time! And when they said that they were making a Munsters movie I kind of like… This was like June of 2020? I tweeted out like “Oh, Dan Roebuck’s going to be in it!”

DANIEL ROEBUCK: Oh! Isn’t that funny! [chuckles] You were RIGHT!

LAUREN SPEAR: I called it! Like LONG ago! Like when we were…

DANIEL: That’s so interesting! How interesting!

LAUREN: Yeah! And then it was announced and I’m like, “Yes! I got one!”

DANIEL: That was good spirits you put out! So, Rob…

I know EXACTLY the day [Rob Zombie] asked me to be in [The Munsters]

because it was the day my friend Steve Christopher got married. Excuse me. The day BEFORE!

And Steve Christopher had the audacity to…

To marry a perfect woman who’s too good for him. If she’s watching this. Jolinda.

LAUREN: [laughs]

DANIEL ROEBUCK: …marry her on the 50th anniversary of the moon landing! And I don’t know WHAT kind of people it is that try to usurp that great day!!

But, we were driving to their wedding when Rob called and asked.

He said, “I’m making The Munsters.”

And I was like, *bundle of nerves voice:* “Uh…Uh-huh?”

LAUREN: [giggles]

DANIEL: And he goes, “And I want you to be in it.”

And I went, *increased nervous squeakiness:* “Uh-huh??”

Like… You know? I’m ready for “I want you to be Cousin Lester! He’s in one scene.” *croaking noise*

But, in fact, he asked me to be Grandpa.

And it was ironic because Tammy was wearing a Morticia… Tsk. Not Morticia! Excuse me.

LAUREN: Lily?

DANIEL: A Lilly Munster shirt. I don’t know why I said Morticia! That’s so weird.

I’m actually looking… I’m going to get you something!

It’s funny how things are! I don’t know if you can see this…? I’m going to hold this up here. *holds up polaroid photo of a 1990’s Daniel Roebuck to the camera* This is… Oh! Do you want to see it too? *holds photo in front of Lauren Spear*

LAUREN SPEAR: Yeah! I’d like to see it too! But I was going to ask Frank if…

FRANK SPEAR: It’s on there! I can see it.

LAUREN: It’s on there? You can see it?

DANIEL ROEBUCK: So that… That’s a polaroid! I used to…

I auditioned for the role of Herman!

Actor Daniel Roebuck holding up a polaroid photo from when he auditioned to be Herman Munster in The Munsters Scary Little Christmas

LAUREN SPEAR: Yes! Way back!

DANIEL ROEBUCK: In… In way back!

LAUREN: Yeah!

DANIEL: In a Munsters TV movie!

LAUREN: [excited] I remember that! From when I was, you know, small.

DANIEL: Like a small kid!

LAUREN: Yeah.

DANIEL: And I didn’t get cast! And, you know, I look back NOW and say “Thank… Thank GOD I didn’t get cast!” And not because it wasn’t a good movie. They did okay. Sam McMurray played Herman. But… I think it would not have put me in the place to be…

Because THIS movie is going to be… It’s going to be THE Munsters movie! And I love EVERY iteration of The Munsters! As many Munsters people do, I love The Munsters Today which was with John Schuck.

I was on the set here, which you can see behind you, of one of the Munsters movies where Edward Herrmann played Herman. *points to photo behind himself* That’s me and Bob Burns. We were on the set.

Dan Roebuck Edward Herrmann Bob Burns

LAUREN: Yeah!

DANIEL: You gotta know: Bob Burns and I were driving down and I turn to Bob and I go, “Bob! What is the entire point of this excursion?” And he goes, *imitating Bob Burns:* “To get a picture with Herman Munster!” *snaps fingers, returns to normal Daniel Roebuck voice:* “Exactly!”

LAUREN: [laughs]

DANIEL: Like, it’s good that we were all on the same page: That no matter what, we are not leaving until we have a picture with Herman Munster! So that’s how that picture…

And then I worked with Edward Herrmann after! And Sam McMurray I’ve worked with. I’ve actually worked with many of the Hermans! John Schuck I was ALMOST in a project with! I’ve gotta… I’ve put that on my Bucket List!

LAUREN: [giggles]

DANIEL ROEBUCK: So I can say I’ve worked with every Herman!

LAUREN SPEAR: Aw! That’d be funny!! [laughs]

DANIEL: Yeah! So… So I’m a little off-topic! But…

There have been many iterations of The Munsters. THIS iteration is going to be the one, because it’s Rob [Zombie at the helm], that has the greatest opportunity to be the MOST faithful to the original.

LAUREN: Yeah; he’s a huge fan too!

DANIEL: He’s a HUGE fan!

LAUREN: Yeah.

DANIEL: And it’s not to say the others like… you know? Robert Ginty, I think directed the one… When I was on that set! And I don’t know if he… If he was any big Munsters fan. I think sometimes it just goes to whoever’s going to direct it is going to direct it.

But Rob Zombie’s been thinking about this for well onto twenty YEARS! So, his Munsters isn’t like something that a studio threw together! It’s… you know. It’s an artist’s VISION of how to approach a story that’s been approached many times.

LAUREN: That’s something that you and I discussed just… Just when we were visiting.

DANIEL ROEBUCK: Yeah.

LAUREN SPEAR: That people were saying like… you know… “Aggghhhh! This is going to suck!!” and everything…

But you were talking about how there’s been MANY iterations of The Munsters! And I think that you come at it from a little bit of a different angle because you also do PLAYS and you’re used to playing characters that’ve been played again and again and again! And, if people were like, “Aggghhhh! This is going to suck!” then you wouldn’t have played Ebenezer Scrooge in A Christmas Carol! Y’know? Like…

DANIEL: That’s a… That’s a…

That’s SMART! Did I say that??

Or did you say that?

LAUREN SPEAR: Well, I… I said it. And you agreed with me! [laughs]

DANIEL ROEBUCK: Ah! Yeah. Yeah. I knew!

LAUREN: [laughs harder]

DANIEL: It was TOO smart for me to have said it!!

But yeah!! Like, when you’re playing… When you’re playing Felix Unger or Oscar Madison — it hasn’t been played TWICE before! It’s been played…

LAUREN: Hundreds of times!

DANIEL: Three hundred THOUSAND times!! Maybe even a MILLION times!

LAUREN: [laughs]

DANIEL: And in many different languages!

LAUREN: Mmhmm.

DANIEL: The other movies, that did not feature the main cast — so, everything after The Munsters’ Revenge — were low-budget affairs. Cheapie movies. They weren’t… you know. Respectfully! You know? The scripts weren’t… you know.

They were what they HAD to be! A quick Munsters… Somebody had the rights to The Munsters and they were like, “We gotta put The Munsters out!”

THIS movie…

It’s been hard that people have been so negative, Lauren!

LAUREN SPEAR: Yeah! They should be nicer to you. *gentle shoulder pat*

DANIEL ROEBUCK: *extreme pouty face + voice* …yes…

LAUREN: [chuckles]

DANIEL: But they should be nicer to Sheri Zombie!

LAUREN: *in a voice indicating she, too, has read some very mean things* Oh, yeah.

DANIEL: And to Jeff Daniel Phillips!

LAUREN: Oh, yeah.

DANIEL: I just don’t understand!!

LAUREN: It’s so… It’s so MEAN!

DANIEL: Saying… “This isn’t…” You know?

LAUREN: Like, these are REAL people! Come on!

Pictured Human Beings

DANIEL: Right?!

LAUREN: Be nice!!

DANIEL ROEBUCK: A, Number One: Be nice! Right. Be a gracious person!

But, you know, beyond that, like… They complain that Rob [Zombie] casts Sheri [Moon Zombie] in all of his movies! Well, so did Woody Allen! Nobody complained about that!! He cast Mia Farrow in every movie he made for twenty years.

Look. You work with people you want to work with. Maybe that’s why I was…

I think I’m a great choice. But maybe that’s why I was the FIRST choice.

Because Rob’s worked with me a lot and he knows that I don’t ever complain. I love it!

LAUREN SPEAR: Yeah. This is like, what? Your sixth or seventh Rob Zombie film…?

DANIEL ROEBUCK: Yeah. I don’t remember! And I don’t remember because… He cuts me out sometimes.

LAUREN: Aww.

DANIEL: But I don’t resent it. I don’t hold it against him.

LAUREN: Because you were in House of 1000 Corpses, The Devil’s Rejects

DANIEL: No. 1000 CorpsesHouse was the one I wasn’t in.

LAUREN: Ah. You’re right. That was one of the…

DANIEL: I met… I re-met him in the…

LAUREN: But you WERE in The Devil’s Rejects!

DANIEL: Yeah.

LAUREN: And 3 from Hell. And Halloween 1 and 2…

DANIEL: Lords of Salem I shot in but I wasn’t… I didn’t end up in.

LAUREN: Yeah.

DANIEL: That’s probably good.

And he cut me MOSTLY out of the first Halloween! But I didn’t mind because I had SUCH a great part in the second one!

LAUREN: [chuckles]

DANIEL ROEBUCK: But I don’t… I don’t… Look. I’ve been doing this for a LONG time! And I MAKE movies and I’ve got to cut other people out of the movies but…

The FIRST person I start cutting out of a movie is ME!

Honestly! That’s the first place I start trimming is my own performance, if I directed it. So that I…

But, you know. I don’t care that Rob Zombie cuts me out of movies! But I was a LITTLE concerned when I heard that he made a monetary deal with my father to have me cut out of our HOME movies. I thought that was a little…

Christmas for a young Daniel Roebuck Now on the cutting room floor O

LAUREN AND FRANK SPEAR: [laugh]

DANIEL ROEBUCK: I thought that was a little much! But, you know… My father said that he’ll give me the trim, so… I’ll have it.

LAUREN SPEAR: [chuckles]

DANIEL: That… That didn’t really happen.

Well, it really happened, but I don’t think my dad got any money for it.

LAUREN: [laughs]

DANIEL: So, anyway!

I think The Munsters is going to be a HOWLING good time!

And I think people are going to love… Because…

You know, Rob Zombie only made Halloween II a horror movie with blood and guts because it was based on a horror movie! You know what I mean?

LAUREN SPEAR: Yeah.

DANIEL ROEBUCK: With blood and guts!

Rob Zombie could make a movie called Swan Lake about people dancing ballet and it would be Swan Lake about people dancing ballet!

LAUREN: Yeah.

DANIEL: It wouldn’t be the Swan Lake where they kill each other! Which… I think they’ve already done?

LAUREN: [chuckles] Yeah.

DANIEL: Didn’t they? Black Swan?

LAUREN: [laughs]

DANIEL: So, anyway, I think he’s a very good artist.

LAUREN: Yeah.

DANIEL: And I think I’m blessed and honored to be by his side.

LAUREN: Well, that’s good!

DANIEL: Thank you.

LAUREN: Um… wow! Uh…

DANIEL: Wow! I talked too much! She has NO questions!

LAUREN: [sheepish laugh] Well, I… I did have questions and then I just got so wrapped up in the stories that I forgot them.

DANIEL ROEBUCK: Well, let me ask YOU a question!

LAUREN SPEAR: Sure…? [nervous chuckle]

DANIEL: So when did you start this podcast?

LAUREN: Well, we started HorrorFam.com in… On October 1st, 2019! And then the podcast came around in February 2020. And it was going pretty well for a while, but…

One of the reasons it was audio only was because I was having really bad health issues.

DANIEL: Ah.

LAUREN: And, so, I couldn’t be like… *mimics folding over, holding herself in pain* “AUUUGGHHHHHH!!” You know?

DANIEL: Oh, yeah.

LAUREN: Like, on camera!

DANIEL: “AUUUGGHHHHHH!!!! We’re having a great time here talking about horror… BLAAUUGHHHHHH!!” *imitates leaning over to throw up in a bucket off to the side*

LAUREN: Yeah! You know? It was like…

DANIEL: Yeah.

LAUREN: I was having all kinds of problems! But then, in July of 2021, I had five organs removed and now I’m better! And now we’re doing it on video! And that came…

DANIEL: Don’t we only have seven??

LAUREN: [laughs]

DANIEL: So, what did they leave you with — a heart and a brain?

LAUREN: [laughing] Pretty much!

DANIEL: Interesting.

LAUREN: Nah. I had to get all my, like… “lady” organs…

DANIEL: Ah!! Yeah. Yeah!

LAUREN: …taken out…

DANIEL: Those “lady” organs!

LAUREN SPEAR: They’re so troublesome!

DANIEL ROEBUCK: They’re SO troublesome!

LAUREN: Gettin’ all MUTATED and full of tumors and stuff!

DANIEL: Whoa gosh. Well, I’m glad you’re better now!

LAUREN: Yeah! Me too! It’s REALLY nice to not be in physical pain! [laughs]

DANIEL: Yeah! And you’re a nice person and I don’t want…

LAUREN: And now I can be on camera with people, which is better for me too because I depend on lip reading a lot because my hearing is… a little funky.

DANIEL: Oh, I didn’t know! See? All the things I didn’t know about her!

LAUREN: [chuckles]

DANIEL: But you’re such a beautiful young lady and there is this guy… *stage whisper* FRANK. *normal voice* …who’s her husband. Sorry, fellas!

But, anyway, I didn’t get to meet him before or we would’ve had… There’s a whole form that I would’ve given him to fill out!

FRANK SPEAR: [laughs]

DANIEL ROEBUCK: Blood tests.

LAUREN SPEAR: [laughs]

DANIEL: Dexterity tests. And I would’ve tested him on the important things…

LAUREN: Well, he was born in Pennsylvania like you!

DANIEL: Okay! Born in Pennsylvania. We like that!

LAUREN AND FRANK: [laugh]

DANIEL ROEBUCK: But I would have to know that someone WORTHY of you knows what order the Frankenstein Monster was played by which actor!

13-year-old Daniel Roebuck as Frankenstein's monster
13 year old Daniel Roebuck as Frankensteins monster

LAUREN: Oh! But, he does!

DANIEL: He’s off… He’s off camera, but let’s hear it!! This is your test!

FRANK SPEAR: [1000% flustered] I-I-I’m on the spot!!

DANIEL ROEBUCK: Who played Frankenstein — the Universal Frankensteins — who was the first one?

FRANK: I…I… You’re gonna put me on the spot?

DANIEL: Oh, he’s “on the spot.”

LAUREN: He’s turning red.

FRANK: [panicked laugh]

DANIEL: Frank, I’ll start it for you: Boris Karloff…?

FRANK: [breathing]

LAUREN: He knows THAT.

FRANK: I do! I do know that…

DANIEL: Who was next…??

LAUREN: [empathetic giggle; she gets flustered too]

DANIEL: This is very disappointing.

FRANK: I know. I’m disappointing. Ugh…

DANIEL: Well, your people… They’ll write in! They’ll write in below, right?

FRANK: Yeah…

LAUREN: No. He knows it!

FRANK: I… I do know it! I’m just…

DANIEL: Aw. He’s nervous!

FRANK: Yeah.

DANIEL: I’m sorry. I’m sorry I asked.

FRANK SPEAR: Don’t be sorry!

DANIEL ROEBUCK: *whispers to camera* This is why we give people a test. To make sure.

FRANK: [embarrassed laugh]

LAUREN SPEAR: He knooooows!! [laughs]

FRANK: I do!

DANIEL: All right. Well, let’s stop putting him on the spot! *snaps fingers and points to Frank off-camera* When you’re ready to say them in order, just raise your hand and then we’ll bring you into this conversation!

LAUREN AND FRANK: [laugh]

DANIEL ROEBUCK: Did you want to talk about, like…

I work with Don Coscarelli a lot.

Bob Ivy and Daniel Roebuck goofing around behind-the-scenes on Don Coscarelli's Bubba Ho-Tep (2002)
Bob Ivy and Daniel Roebuck goofing around behind the scenes on Don Coscarellis <em>Bubba Ho Tep<em> 2002

LAUREN SPEAR: Mmhmm!

DANIEL ROEBUCK: ???

LAUREN: *motions for him to continue*

DANIEL: OH! So, I work with Don Coscarelli a lot!

FRANK SPEAR: [laughs]

DANIEL ROEBUCK: [laughing] You’re a natural interviewer, Lauren!

LAUREN SPEAR: [laughs]

DANIEL: I work with Don Coscarelli a lot…

So, here’s something that’s fun:

Look at this ridiculous house I live in and this room!

FRANK: [chuckles]

DANIEL ROEBUCK: And you can’t see, but there’s life-sized Planet of the Apes figures all around us as well.

LAUREN: Yeah. [chuckles]

DANIEL: People can go to… They can go to DanielRoe… *stifles burp* Excuse me! DanielRoebuck.com

LAUREN: Mmhmm.

DANIEL: And on the bottom there’s a link that says “House of Horror.” And they can go to that link and they can see what the collection looked like at that point back… About ten, twelve years ago.

But we were talking about…?

So, this is what I was saying: So, imagine I’m a kid. I go to the Boyd Theater and I watch Michael Myers, you know, kill people.

LAUREN: Mmhmm.

DANIEL: And, you know, whatever… Forty years later, Michael Myers is killing ME in a movie!

LAUREN: [gasps]

FRANK: [chuckles]

DANIEL: Crazy!

LAUREN: It is.

DANIEL ROEBUCK: I go see Phantasm.

LAUREN: Mmhmm.

DANIEL: I LOVE Phantasm! Don Coscarelli is such a talented guy! And these people are gonna ju—*imitates getting killed by a Sentinel sphere from the Phantasm series* They’re being drilled by that sphere!

And then, one day, I’m on a set and I’M being killed by the sphere!!

Daniel Roebuck in Phantasm: Ravager (2016) | Screenshot provided by Tammy Roebuck
Actor Daniel Roebuck in <em>Phantasm Ravager<em> 2016 | Screenshot provided by Tammy Roebuck

LAUREN SPEAR: [laughs]

DANIEL ROEBUCK: You know?? In a Phantasm movie!!

And I wanted to be, like, the BEST sphere death EVER recorded!

I was like, “Don. Where do you want me to put the blood?”

And he goes, “On that wall.”

And I was like, “You got it!” *snaps fingers; does fingerguns*

So, then I was like HRRRK HNNNNKKKKKKKKKK and I wrote my name… If you watch I’m like *imitates writing with blood that’s spraying out from his neck* “Daaaaaaaaan…Rooooooooebuuuuuuckkkkkk…”

LAUREN: [laughs]

DANIEL: I wrote my name as the blood was spurting out of my neck!

So, that was fun.

And, you know, you watch The Munsters and you’re in The Munsters. I love The Odd Couple and I played Garry Marshall in a movie. I mean… Life is good!

And my career has given me great opportunities not only to meet… Like, I worked with Fred Gwynne in a movie. I got to meet Al Lewis. Let’s say, just from a Munsters perspective.

But, I grew up loving Don Post masks!

LAUREN SPEAR: Mmhmm.

DANIEL ROEBUCK: And then, I meet your parents!!

LAUREN: Yeah!

DANIEL: And they’re the people who MADE them!

LAUREN: Yes!

DANIEL: You know? They MADE them!!!

LAUREN: [chuckles]

DANIEL: So, it’s not just like meeting… Like, you know? I’m meeting the guy who…

*attempts imitating Rob Tharp* “Hey, I’m Rob…” *normal voice* He’s a guest on the show. *back to ‘Rob Tharp’ voice* I’m going to play him in a movie…

*normal voice* That was my impression of your dad.

Pictured A 32 year old Rob Tharp working on <span style=text decoration underline><a href=httpshorrorfamcombeetlejuice tharp fx>special FX for <em>Beetlejuice<em><a><span>

LAUREN: Yeah.

DANIEL: Anything like your dad…?

LAUREN: Ehh… [uncomfortable chuckle]

DANIEL: “Ehh…?” *does the so-so hand gesture*

LAUREN: *duplicates so-so hand gesture, nodding in agreement*

DANIEL: He mostly yells at you, doesn’t he?!

LAUREN: No.

DANIEL: Go ahead an say it: He yells at you!

FRANK SPEAR: [laughing, knowing his father-in-law never raises his voice ever]

LAUREN SPEAR: No. [chuckles]

DANIEL ROEBUCK: He’s a… He’s a BAD person!

LAUREN: No.

DANIEL: [chuckles] No. He’s the nicest… He’s literally THE NICEST man in the world!

LAUREN: [chuckles]

DANIEL: If ever I did something wrong, and they said, “Do you have ANYbody who could vouch for you?” I’d be like, “Please call Rob Tharp… He’ll… He’ll say something nice about me.”

LAUREN: [chuckles]

DANIEL: So, that’s neat too! Y’know?

I collect stuff and then I meet the people who make the stuff that I love!

LAUREN SPEAR: It’s very cool.

DANIEL ROEBUCK: Yeah! But YOU grew up in it! For you, you’re like…

LAUREN: Oh, yeah. I was BORN into it!

DANIEL: Meeting Rob and Cathy Tharp was probably not the JOY for you that it was for the rest of us!

LAUREN AND FRANK SPEAR: [laugh]

DANIEL: But, you know, one day I’ll introduce you to MY mom and dad and then you’ll know how WE feel!

LAUREN: Oh, okay! [laughs]

DANIEL: So, what else can I tell you…?

LAUREN: Well, you mentioned growing up immersed in this… And you briefly mentioned KreatureKid earlier who you’ve talked about as a “Monster Kid” before…?

DANIEL: Well, KreatureKid is… I mean, he’s TECHNICALLY… I don’t know if he even IS a “Monster Kid” because he was a CHILD!! He wasn’t even even BORN…! Like…

“Monster Kids” are normally 55 to 65-year-old men stuck in their adolescent timeframe!

LAUREN SPEAR: [giggles]

DANIEL ROEBUCK: Trying to live what it was like to be 13 or 14…

KreatureKid is a MIRACLE because he was actually MAKING monsters at 13 and 14!

But he’s still a “kid.”

LAUREN: Yeah, he did sculptures for the… IT 2017 and… Trying to think. The Predator and…

DANIEL: Oh, yeah. He worked over at ADI!

LAUREN: And there was something that he did very recently and I can’t think of what it was!

DANIEL: Yeah, I don’t…

LAUREN: I’m blankin’!!

DANIEL: That’s all right. We’ll look him up! Look up Adam Dougherty.

So, he came to us, again, through John Gilbert.

John Gilbert calls me up one day and he goes, “Dude. I just bought this mask on eBay…” And I’m like,  “This is like the greatest Creature mask ever made!”

So, I wrote the guy to tell him that and he writes me back that he’s 14 or 15 years old!

And it’s like… You know! We knew we’d found this wunderkind sculptor!

And so John mentored him a bit and John will admit he got to a point where the kid knew more… Like, the kid’s talents were moving faster!

I’ve had this experience! When I work with young actors and I immediately recognize that they’re WAY beyond where I was at their age as an intuitive performer!

So, Adam’s gone on… You know, he sculpted the Elvira kit for Moebius, the Creature kit for Moebius, he sculpted his own line of monster models…

And then he started working for the studios! For ADI and, I’m sure, sculpting for others. And now he’s got his OWN studio! They just did their first movie — Onyx the Fortuitous, I think it’s called?

LAUREN: Hmm.

DANIEL ROEBUCK: It’ll be corrected if I’m wrong, but…

LAUREN: [chuckles]

DANIEL: And now he’s got, if you get this up in the next few days, he’s got a…a…

LAUREN: A Kickstarter.

DANIEL: A Kickstarter! For a movie called The Jungle of Darkness. A short film.

LAUREN: Which you…

DANIEL: Which I will be in.

LAUREN: Yeah.

DANIEL ROEBUCK: Because he is part of my family and I’m so excited to work with him and be directed by him!

LAUREN SPEAR: I saw the trailer with you in the pith helmet.

DANIEL: Oh, yeah. [laughs] They’re very silly!

I had to travel and start working on something else so, I mean, I was…

This is the genius of living in Burbank! I literally went to one of these shops up on Magnolia and they found… Like, I needed…

I was like, “Where am I going to find a tan 1947 jacket?!”

LAUREN: [laughs]

DANIEL: And I walked in there and there they had one! It was unbelievable!

LAUREN: Like, at a thrift store…?

DANIEL: Yeah!

LAUREN: Yeah?

DANIEL: At… At… Shame on me for not knowing the exact name! But…

If people come to Burbank, Magnolia has all these wonderful shops…

Like Halloweentown! And we should credit — if you could see it! —

Wayne Toth, one of the owners of Halloweentown, is the guy who designed all the makeup on The Munsters movie!

Lets get another look at that Grandpa Munster makeup

LAUREN SPEAR: Ohhhh! Okay!

DANIEL ROEBUCK: Great guy!

But, there’s Halloweentown… And there’s many different stores there! And we just walk in and out of them! Isn’t that terrible? You don’t know the names of them!

LAUREN: Yeahhh… Well. There’s a lot of great shops on Magnolia.

DANIEL: Yeah.

LAUREN: There’s The Mystic Museum! And Dark Delicacies! And… It’s… It’s just a fun street!

DANIEL: Yeah! It goes on and on! People, like… It’s interesting…

LAUREN: Blast from the Past.

DANIEL: …people here in Burbank…

Blast from the Past is GREAT!

LAUREN: Yeah.

DANIEL: In Burbank here, we have this great… And it’s right up the street!! You know. From this palatial estate.

Hold on. I’ve got a… *yells out the door to his left* PLEASE PUT THE HORSES BACK IN THE STABLE!!

FRANK SPEAR: [laughs]

DANIEL ROEBUCK: THANK YOU!!!

LAUREN SPEAR: [chuckles]

DANIEL: Oh, gosh. It’s SO tiring!

FRANK: [laughs]

DANIEL: I mean, we have horses and elephants and I mean, it’s just AMAZING to have this HUGE piece of land here in Burbank.

Daniel Roebucks home or free stock photo from Pixabay You decide

LAUREN: [chuckles at Dan’s exaggerations]

DANIEL: But, you know, that’s what we do. Hold on. I’m sorry.

PUT MY RACE CARS BACK IN THE GARAGE!!

LAUREN AND FRANK SPEAR: [chuckle]

DANIEL: I DON’T HAVE TIME TO RACE THEM AROUND THE PROPERTY TODAY!! THANK YOU, HANS!

Whew boy. It just gets SO busy.

LAUREN AND FRANK SPEAR: [laugh]

DANIEL ROEBUCK: So, where’s the furthest person who watches the podcast? Where do they live?

Have you checked?

LAUREN SPEAR: Germany.

DANIEL ROEBUCK: Ach du Lieber!!

LAUREN: [chuckles]

DANIEL: Wie geht’s? Ich bin Danny.

LAUREN: We have… It’s mostly Americans and Canadians. And then we have a few people in Germany and… I don’t know! There’s probably people from all over, but those are the ones who’ve actually… Like, “Hey! Hello!”

DANIEL: Ah! Said “hi!” Yeah!

LAUREN: Yeah. [laughs]

DANIEL: Well, then, if you’re watching this from somewhere else other than those countries: Make sure that they know that you’re watching! That they know how wide is their reach!

LAUREN: Yeah!

DANIEL ROEBUCK: I love Canada!

I’ve actually… No offense to anyone watching this! I’ve generally been to more places in Canada than most Canadians I meet!

LAUREN SPEAR: [laughs]

DANIEL: Except for someone running from the law. 

LAUREN: You’ve been to like… SO many places!!

Like, even with The Munsters! You were just in Budapest!

DANIEL ROEBUCK: Budapest.

LAUREN SPEAR: Right? Yeah.

DANIEL: Off and on. Yeah!

And I got to go to Romania!

LAUREN: Yeah!

Count Sam Dracula actor Daniel Roebuck in front of Bran Castle
Count Sam Dracula actor Daniel Roebuck in front of Bran Castle

DANIEL: Speaking of National Dracula Day! I’ve been to Castle Dracula. You know. Bran Castle.

I’ve shot in Yugoslavia. In England.

I shot a lot of places in Canada — from one end to the other! Halifax, Nova Scotia to Victoria Island.

And in America! Been all over America. I’ve worked in all the major cities.

I mean, it’s just…

Look. I’m a very blessed and lucky person! I came from Bethlehem, Pennsylvania and I just followed this dream…

I just felt that I should be on TV.

LAUREN SPEAR: Yeah. And you were right.

DANIEL ROEBUCK: And I was right!

LAUREN AND FRANK SPEAR: [laugh]

DANIEL: And that kind of thing isn’t always about ego! Sometimes it’s about it’s about God’s revelation to you of what you could accomplish if given an opportunity!

LAUREN: One of the most fun things, when I was growing up and going places with you, was that no matter where we went people knew you — and they were always happy to see you — but they all knew you from something different.

DANIEL: [laughs] Yeah.

LAUREN: They’d be like, “Oh! You were the guy in Quints!”

DANIEL: [laughs]

LAUREN: Or, “You’re Cody Banks’ dad!” Or “You’re the guy from Dead Rising 3!” You know? Like, everyone knows you from SOMEthing, but it’s always something different!! Like, “Ohhhh!! Star Wars!!! Right?!”

DANIEL: Yeah!

LAUREN: “Jay Leno, right?!”

And it’s like… Yeah!

DANIEL: That’s so funny!

Daniel Roebuck makeup FX becoming Jay Leno for <em><span style=text decoration underline><a href=httpswwwimdbcomtitlett0116835 target= blank rel=noreferrer noopener>The Late Shift<a><span><em> 1996

LAUREN: You’re ALL correct!

DANIEL ROEBUCK: You’re ALL right!

And it is interesting! I mean…

There was an actor named William Windom

When I was a kid who I thought “Well, if I could just be like THAT…” Because I never said, “I want to be a movie star!” I never had that mendacity.

LAUREN: Yeah?

DANIEL ROEBUCK: I wanted to be on TV!

And I was a ventriloquist. I was a clown. I was in standup comedy. I did impersonations.

So, I didn’t really know HOW I was going to do it until I saw Give ‘Em Hell, Harry when I was 13-years-old. It was James Whitmore doing a one-man play.

LAUREN SPEAR: Mmhmm.

DANIEL: That they filmed and put into movie theaters.

LAUREN: Mmhmm.

DANIEL: And that’s when I decided I wanted to be an actor.

LAUREN: Yeah… I think, when you first came out to California, you were like “I’m Danny Roebuck — I’m an ACTOR!”

DANIEL: That’s what Evil Wilhelm says that I said!!

LAUREN: Uh-huh!

DANIEL: He’s full of doo-doo! Doo doo doo doo doooooooo!

LAUREN: [giggles]

DANIEL: I’m SURE that he said, “You look familiar” and I said, “Well, I’m an actor.” That’s probably what happened!

FRANK: [chuckles]

LAUREN: You setting the story straight?

DANIEL ROEBUCK: Yeah!

Once and for all! If you’re watching this, Evil Wilhelm:

Who’s not really evil! Yeah!! Let me REALLY blow your cover!! He’s not evil at ALL!

LAUREN SPEAR: He’s really nice!

DANIEL ROEBUCK: Yeah! When somebody’s like “Evil Wilhelm” you’re like “Hitler?!” but NO! He’s NOT. He’s the nicest guy!! Funny…

LAUREN: It’s true.

DANIEL: Good American.

LAUREN: Yeah.

DANIEL: Not really evil!

BUT…! I’m SURE you said, “Why do you look familiar?” and I said, “Because I’m an actor.”

LAUREN AND FRANK: [laugh]

DANIEL: Probably.

LAUREN: Now I’ll have to have him on, y’know? And then he can…

DANIEL ROEBUCK: [laughs] Yeah!

LAUREN SPEAR: Then he can be like, “NO…”

FRANK SPEAR: [laughs]

DANIEL: [laughs] Point. Counter point!

LAUREN: “Once and for all…!!”

DANIEL: Yeah!

LAUREN: [laughs]

DANIEL: He can tell his story, but just keep an eye on his nose! ‘Cause it’s going to grow like Pinocchio when he’s telling the story!

Evil Wilhelm was the first guy I ever met — who was like not a Bond villain — who had a minion!

LAUREN: [giggles]

DANIEL: I don’t know! He had this minion named Paul that he would send around at these toy collector shows… And Paul would have a rope that said “Buying Monster Models” and then he would bring the models back to Evil Wilhelm.

So, I thought, “I gotta get a minion!” Y’know? That’s really great!

LAUREN: [laughs]

DANIEL: That’s smart thinkin’!

You know, they’re a lot harder to find than you would think! You know. Because they want food and benefits… So, then I just got… I went the Pulp Fiction route and got a gimp.

FRANK: [holding back laughs]

DANIEL: Hold on. *turns to his left to yell out his door again*

 QUIET! BE QUIET!!

LAUREN AND FRANK: [chuckle]

DANIEL: So, the gimp…

NO, YOU’RE NOT COMING OUT!!! YOU’RE NOT COMING OUT!

He’s such a pain. He doesn’t even understand! The whole thing about…

YOU’RE SUPPOSED TO BE MUTE!!!

Idiot.

LAUREN: [chuckles] Aw.

DANIEL: Lauren’s like… [laughs] “I think we need to leave now.”

LAUREN: [laughs] “Deleted scenes!”

DANIEL: Yeah. What else should we talk about?

How about Star Wars?

Daniel Roebuck voiced Greez Dritus in Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order (2019)
Daniel Roebuck voiced Greez Dritus in <em>Star Wars Jedi Fallen Order<em> 2019

LAUREN SPEAR: Sure!

DANIEL ROEBUCK: You like Star Wars, right?

LAUREN: Yeah. But… This is HORROR Fam, so we might want to stick to horror things…?

DANIEL: Oh! You think these people wouldn’t want to just know that I’m in Jedi: Fallen Order?

LAUREN: I’m sure, probably…

DANIEL: They… They don’t?

LAUREN: SOME of them do!

DANIEL: Three of them do?

CAN THE THREE OF YOU WHO ARE EXCITED THAT I’M GREEZ DRITUS IN JEDI: FALLEN ORDER, PLEASE PUT — can they do comments??

LAUREN: Yes!

DANIEL: PUT COMMENTS DOWN THERE! That you’re excited!!

LAUREN: [laughs]

DANIEL: And if you’re NOT excited… Keep it to yourself!

LAUREN: [snort laughs]

DANIEL: So… yeah!

LAUREN: Um…

DANIEL: Yes?

LAUREN: You were in…

Like I mentioned earlier, you were in Dead Rising 3

DANIEL ROEBUCK: OH! But they’re…!

Oh, I guess that’s a “horror film” so we can talk about…

LAUREN: Well, it’s a horror GAME!

DANIEL: All right.

LAUREN: [laughs]

DANIEL ROEBUCK: I am. I’m Gary in Dead Rising 3!

I had so much fun doing that!

LAUREN SPEAR: Yeah! You’ve been in several video games at this point!

DANIEL: Yeah. LA Noire

LAUREN: Yeah!

DANIEL: Am I allowed to MENTION them at least?!

LAUREN: Oh, yes! Of course. Of course.

DANIEL ROEBUCK: Thank you.

LA Noire, Dead Rising 3, Jedi: Fallen Order

Maybe there’s more in the future…

FRANK SPEAR: Hmm!

LAUREN SPEAR: Oooh!

DANIEL ROEBUCK: Well, that’s not… I mean, they have officially announced that there’s a Jedi: Fallen Order sequel!

LAUREN: Yeah.

DANIEL: Hopefully, I’m in it!

FRANK: [chuckles]

DANIEL: I just said that in case someone was watching from LUCAS and they’re like “IS HE IN IT?! I dunno!!”

Hey! I gotta pay for… Hold. Hold on! The circus. *starts screaming out the door to his left again*

HELLO! EVERYBODY! THE TRAPEZE ARTIST… OKAY. JUST…JUST WAIT FOR ME!!

I have so much land here we have a circus.

LAUREN: Oh? Oh, yes.

DANIEL: And the fair’s coming in later.

Daniel Roebucks back yard

LAUREN: [chuckles]

DANIEL: I’m going to have the fair… The rides. The neighbors love the rides. They just love ’em.

Yeah! So, that was a fun game to be in! I was really glad.

Again, very lucky. I didn’t know anything about Dead Rising 1 or 2. But then Dead Rising 3… people really felt it was like a real step up, game-wise!

LAUREN SPEAR: My husband’s…

FRANK SPEAR: It’s true. The third one was!

DANIEL ROEBUCK: Oh! Oh, you…?

FRANK: I played them all!

DANIEL: Yeah?

FRANK: Yeah. The third one was a BIG step up from the first two!

Daniel Roebuck behind the scenes as Gary in <em>Dead Rising 3<em>

DANIEL: Yeah! Well, I think one of the great things is the technology’s changing so drastically…

It’s funny! You know? How we…

We did LA Noire…

We filmed our bodies and then we filmed the head separately! But that may have had something to do with how it had to have that intuitive…

We… They would then put… You would just say, “WAIT! STOP! DON’T SHOOT! DON’T SHOOT!!” But, when you watch the game, you see me go… *swivels dramatically to look behind himself* “WAIT! STOP! DON’T SHOOT! DON’T SHOOT!!” And they turn your head the way your body turned?! I don’t know how the heck they did it!

LAUREN SPEAR: [giggles]

DANIEL ROEBUCK: Then, of course, in the next game we had the dots all over… And NOW they don’t even use dots anymore!

LAUREN: Really?

DANIEL: Yeah, they use… They have to… They capture you in the space!

But the computers are so intuitive now; they can see your face.

LAUREN: Oooh.

DANIEL: Yeah. It’s interesting.

And I like working in that “space!” I think I’m good at those kinds of characters. But there is something very freeing about there being so many cameras that you’re not going to block the other actor! You know?

LAUREN: [laughs]

DANIEL ROEBUCK: And how… And how they did… Like, you know…

When we did Jedi: Fallen Order

How, when I walked on the set, my form was four-foot tall and their form was six-foot tall! I spent a lot of time, you know… When I would talk to them, I wouldn’t look in their eyes, I would look at the rafters so that it’d look like we were talking to each other.

And then they put two pieces of tape on my belly!

Daniel Roebuck as Greez Dritus in Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order - behind-the-scenes mo-cap work!
Daniel Roebuck as Greez Dritus in <em>Star Wars Jedi Fallen Order<em> behind the scenes mo cap work

LAUREN SPEAR: [giggles]

DANIEL ROEBUCK: There was… I remember one day, someone was… was screwing around and I go, “IT’S ONLY FUNNY UNTIL SOMEBODY LOSES AN EYE!!” *mimes ripping the “eye” tape off of his belly and throws it to the floor*

FRANK SPEAR: [laughs]

DANIEL: And then I threw the eye down!

LAUREN AND FRANK SPEAR: [laugh]

DANIEL: It was funny! See?

LAUREN: Yeah!

DANIEL: It’s still funny and you weren’t even there!

LAUREN: [laughs] It is.

DANIEL: Yeah. So, video games are great!

Look, I hope people love The Munsters because I would love to revisit Grandpa in a different scenario.

LAUREN SPEAR: Do you think like… Hmm. I know that you’re not allowed to talk about the plot [of Rob Zombie’s The Munsters] and I don’t want to get you in trouble, but do you think… I don’t even know if this is a question that would get you in trouble! If it is, don’t answer!!

DANIEL ROEBUCK: Well, I don’t… The QUESTION won’t get me in trouble!

LAUREN: [laughs]

DANIEL: Maybe the Death Squads will come after YOU, but it won’t get ME in trouble!

LAUREN: Well, if it’s something that would get you in trouble, you may decline answer!

DANIEL: Okay!

LAUREN: But…

Would [Rob Zombie’s The Munsters] serve as a good pilot for a potential new TV series…?

DANIEL ROEBUCK: Well, I… It’s not a bad question! I would say that Rob’s take is so smart on this that…

I would say the same of any of the other TV movies: Could they have been spun-off…? But this isn’t a TV movie! This is a movie movie.

LAUREN SPEAR: Yeah.

DANIEL: So, the answer is… How about: I hope so.

LAUREN: Okay. Yeah. [chuckles]. That’d be fun.

DANIEL ROEBUCK: Yeah. I wouldn’t mind!

LAUREN: Or at least, like, a sequel? Like, when they did the Addams Family movies back in the ’90s…

DANIEL: Oh, they did…? Yeah. Yeah. They did! The other one.

LAUREN: Which… People complained about that at the time too! But now [the Addams Family films] are so beloved! And even the people who aren’t so fond of those movies… It helped to reignite the interest in the old show and getting fans of just the Addams Family as a property in general!

DANIEL: Right.

LAUREN: And I think that even if, for whatever reason, people don’t like [Rob Zombie’s The Munsters] — though I hope they DO and I think they WILL! — it’ll reignite interest in the property as a whole!

DANIEL: Yeah!!

LAUREN: And I think anything that does that is good. [laughs]

DANIEL: It’s actually a… That is what I would say…

I made a comment the other day about, let’s say, people who are haters.

“This isn’t MY Munsters!”

So, you’re an only child. But I have two. Right?

LAUREN SPEAR: Mmhmm.

DANIEL ROEBUCK: So, Kelly and I made a kid: Grace Roebuck. She has our DNA. And then we love Grace!

LAUREN: Mmhmm.

DANIEL: And then we loved her so much, we decided to make another kid! Who has the same DNA! He’s a boy, not a girl, but he has the same DNA!

So, I love her and I love him…

And that’s what THIS is! This isn’t someone doing a “Munsters” movie — this is a Munsters movie!

So, it’s Universal. It’s the characters. It’s the characters… What I’m saying is: It has the same DNA as the main show!

LAUREN SPEAR: Yeah.

DANIEL ROEBUCK: See what I’m saying? It’s even the same studio making it! It’s the same…

Even extraneous… Even extra characters are the same!

So, there’s no reason you can’t love them BOTH! Just like I love both of my kids. Though I love one more.

LAUREN: And The Munsters is… a family as well.

DANIEL: Yeah. The Munsters is a family as well! And so…

LAUREN: You don’t love one of your kids more!!

DANIEL: I don’t! [laughs] That’s funny, she… [laughs harder]

LAUREN: I’m sorry. The penny drops

FRANK SPEAR: [laughs]

DANIEL ROEBUCK: She ruined it. [laughs] So, no. I love them both the same.

LAUREN SPEAR: For now.

DANIEL: Yeah. They should work a little harder at being the Favorite. That’s what I’m saying.

But, yeah! Like, I hope that people would go to this Munsters and that we could do more Munsters! And there’s no reason we can’t. And, you know… It’s up to Rob Zombie! He’s very busy. He’s very, you know…

He’s performing all summer!

If you haven’t gotten your tickets yet, you should get your tickets. It’s going to be a great show! It’s him and his brother are both performing. And his band is terrific so, you know, he’s playing all over the country so go see it! Who KNOWS what surprises will be on stage at the concert! I don’t know! Like, I don’t know!

Every time I go to a concert, it’s really so well-produced! So entertaining!

FRANK SPEAR: One time I went to a Rob Zombie show and he disappeared… Like, he came out on the front of the stage but then all the lights in the entire arena went out for like five minutes and then he just came out from the back and came in through the crowd with the intro song and that was pretty crazy!!

DANIEL ROEBUCK: Oh! So… Frank is off-camera and he told us how Rob Zombie disappeared at a show and then came through the back of the house.

But he did NOT tell us in which order the actors played Frankenstein[‘s monster] yet!

LAUREN SPEAR: [laughs]

DANIEL: I’m just putting that out there!

FRANK: [sheepish chuckle]

DANIEL: Frank…

I’ll help you! Karloff. Lugosi. Go!

FRANK SPEAR: Well, I know those two! But that’s kind of where I lose it. Like, I don’t… I’m not really familiar beyond that. I watched a BUNCH of them with Rob [Tharp] in random orders and random…

DANIEL ROEBUCK: Yeah, that’s the problem! Rob’s like, “Oh, we’ll watch them out of order because I’ve seen them all 48 times.”

LAUREN AND FRANK: [laugh]

FRANK: We did! We watched three Frankenstein movies in the wrong order… Well, we watched the first one with Boris Karloff and then we watched two more, but I can’t remember the… It wasn’t in order! It was like…

DANIEL: Well, this is… Well, now we know what you’re doing next weekend.

FRANK: [laughs]

LAUREN SPEAR: He saw Frankenstein and then…

DANIEL: Do a marathon!

LAUREN: …as my dad says, “Frankenstein Wolfs the Meatman.”

DANIEL ROEBUCK: “Wolfs the Meatman.”

FRANK: [laughs]

DANIEL: Were you there when we did the great documentary we did…? We were going to talk about the spook shows!

So, we did that spook show!

Gosh, that’s already Eighteen? Seventeen years ago?

LAUREN: The… Your Dr. Shocker show?

DANIEL ROEBUCK: Dr. Shocker! And then later…

LAUREN SPEAR: Oh!

Could you explain Dr. Shocker to people who aren’t familiar?

Dr Shocker

DANIEL ROEBUCK: I would LOVE to explain Dr. Shocker! He’s an IDIOT.

LAUREN AND FRANK SPEAR: [laugh]

DANIEL: No, he’s literally an idiot!

He’s this spook show… This “horror host” guy! Right? Who, weirdly, looks a little like me. So, sometimes he’s offended that people mistake him for me! HE’D BE LUCKY TO BE MISTAKEN FOR ME!! Piece of crap!

So, he’s a “magician” and he was… He had his own horror host show… (Not really, I’ve never seen it). And he’s appeared in the documentary Halloween… The Happy Haunting of America! He’s also appeared in Dr. Shocker’s Vault of Horror. And he takes a couple swipes at me in these things! He’s not a fan of mine. And I don’t know why because I mostly… I don’t hate him! I don’t like him, but I don’t hate him.

Anyway!

Dr. Shocker… People can look up the spook show we did at the Alex Film Society. It’s Dr. Shocker’s Halloween Spooktacular! It’s on Vimeo. Or on YouTube. You can maybe put links in?

LAUREN: Oh yeah!

DANIEL: And then we did… Yeah! And then there’s documentaries that we did.

There’s a lot of Dr. Shocker stuff out there!

LAUREN: Mmhmm!

DANIEL ROEBUCK: There’s going to be Dr. Shocker’s Coloring Book of Horror coming out!

A sample page of Dr Shocker Dan Roebuck and Igor <span style=text decoration underline><a href=httpswwwinstagramcomchuckwilliamsfanclub target= blank rel=noreferrer noopener>Chuck Williams<a><span> from Dr Shockers Coloring Book of Horror illustrated by <span style=text decoration underline><a href=httpswwwinstagramcompetebregman target= blank rel=noreferrer noopener>Pete Bregman<a><span>

LAUREN SPEAR: Oh, nice! We have coloring book pages on HorrorFam…

DANIEL: You do??

LAUREN: Uh-huh! Yeah! Our… Heather Landry, the girl who did our logo, made all our mascot monsters into coloring book pages!

DANIEL: Oh! So people can download them and…?

LAUREN: Yeah!

DANIEL: …color them…

Do you have a contest?! To have people send them in?

LAUREN SPEAR: No! But we should!!

DANIEL ROEBUCK: That’s what you should do!

LAUREN: That’s a really good idea!

DANIEL: And then you give an award! Haven’t you ever SEEN a horror show?! You have the kids send this stuff in!!

LAUREN: [laughs]

DANIEL: Zacherle! He said…

Zacherle, who was like one of the original horror hosts!

LAUREN: Yeah. Yeah, of course!

DANIEL: Back in the ’50s he said kids would literally send him spider webs!

LAUREN: [laughs]

DANIEL: He’d open it up and be like… *recoils*

FRANK SPEAR: [laughs]

DANIEL: “Thank you, Tommy, for your spider web!”

Anyway…

Yeah! You all should color those pictures and then send them in and they’ll have a contest and they’ll award you… you know… a personal phone call from ME! Or Dr. Shocker. You can pick one.

LAUREN AND FRANK: [laugh]

DANIEL: Though why anybody would pick Dr. Shocker, I don’t know. He’s very full of himself.

LAUREN: Oh!

Are you on Cameo, by the way?

Because one of our friends…

FRANK: Ah! Wh-When…!

LAUREN: You did a message for one of our friends who was having a baby to tell him “Don’t name your kid something stupid” and…

DANIEL ROEBUCK: Oh, we did that at your house!

LAUREN SPEAR: Yes!

DANIEL: And did he name it something stupid?

LAUREN: No! They—

DANIEL: Good job!

LAUREN: Yeah! They listened to your advice. Didn’t name it a Star Wars name.

DANIEL: Good job.

LAUREN: The baby has a nice normal name.

DANIEL: Daniel???

FRANK: [laughs]

LAUREN: No…

DANIEL: *scowls*

FRANK: [laughs]

LAUREN: I know…

DANIEL: Then it doesn’t sound like a “normal” name.

LAUREN: [laughs]

DANIEL: It’s not some goofy name like FRANK or something??

FRANK: [laughs]

LAUREN: No, no! [laughs]

DANIEL ROEBUCK: I just want to be sure!

I’m NOT on Cameo! People have asked… I guess I should go on Cameo!

LAUREN: Yeah! ‘Cause when we did that video he thought that it was a Cameo!

DANIEL: Oh!

FRANK: Yeah, he thought…!

DANIEL: Oh, he did?

LAUREN: Yeah!

DANIEL: That’ll be 75 dollars.

LAUREN: Yeah? [laughs]

DANIEL: I’m not kidding. I want that money!

LAUREN AND FRANK: [laugh]

DANIEL: I’m gonna put a…a…

So, you know I have this not-for-profit through which I make faith-based family movies and it’s called AChannelOfPeace.org

*puts is arm over the back of Lauren’s chair* I’M NOT GETTING FRESH, FRANK! *Lauren leans forward to show Dan’s arm is on the chair and not her* MY ARM JUST GOT TIRED DOWN HERE!!

FRANK: [laughs]

DANIEL: All right?! PUT THE GUN AWAY!!

Hold on a second! *opens the door to his left and screams outside again* HEY THIS GUY IN HERE… SEND IN THE SECURITY DETAIL!!

FRANK: [laughs]

DANIEL: I have an army!

Outside. I’ve got a whole airforce base out here! So you… Be watching yourself! Watch your Ps and Qs!

Um… What the hell were we talking about?!

LAUREN: You were talking about whether or not you were on Cameo.

DANIEL: Ah! …No.

But I should do it! He thought I was on Cameo!

NO! I wasn’t on Cameo!! I’M JUST A NICE PERSON!!

FRANK SPEAR: Then you were talking about your non-profit.

DANIEL ROEBUCK: And then we were talking about my non-profit!

LAUREN SPEAR: Your non-profit. Yes.

FRANK: I got your back!

DANIEL: Hold on. *shouts out the door again* HE… HE’S FINE!

AChannelOfPeace.org

A…Channel…Of…Peace…dot org! Doesn’t that sound nice? To be a channel of peace?

LAUREN SPEAR: P-E-A-C-E…?

DANIEL ROEBUCK: Yeah. P-E-A-C-E. It’s not, like…

LAUREN: [chuckles]

DANIEL: It’s not a horror… Pieces of flesh! Channel of PEACE!! DOT ORG!

LAUREN: [laughs]

DANIEL: Peeeeeeeace! *holds up fingers in a Peace sign* Love! And peace!

And, through it, we make faith-based family movies.

But, you know, people who like horror movies would love these movies! Because they’re good stories!

But the first movie we made — not through AChannelofPeace — was Getting Grace.

LAUREN: Yeah.

DANIEL: Have you seen that yet?

LAUREN: No! I’m sorry.

DANIEL: I’m going to send you home with a Getting Grace.

LAUREN: Okay!

DANIEL: You get to go home with your own Getting Grace video.

LAUREN: [laughs]

DANIEL: But… See it! People should see it! It’s on Amazon Prime! It’s on AppleTV. You can get it anywhere. It’s…

Why I think horror people would like [Getting Grace] is because…

It’s set in a funeral home!

LAUREN SPEAR: Ahh.

DANIEL ROEBUCK: And it’s about a girl who’s dying! Who’s sick. She goes into a funeral home to find out what’s going to happen after she dies.

LAUREN: Mm.

DANIEL: But she ends up teaching the funeral director how to celebrate life.

LAUREN: Oh.

DANIEL: Yeah.

LAUREN: That’s nice…

DANIEL: So, it’s a life-affirming comedy set in a world of death and dying.

And it’s very sweet! And I invite all of your people to watch it. You know, you can find the DVD or just find it on Amazon Prime or Amazon or any of those places you can buy it.

LAUREN SPEAR: And we’ve both dealt with loss, especially recently…

DANIEL ROEBUCK: Yeah.

LAUREN: I don’t know if… You were talking about how your faith-based movies would appeal to the horror fans as well, but…

What about horror can help people deal with grief and what lessons can be learned from that?

DANIEL ROEBUCK: Yeah. You may… Maybe you have a point of view on that. I don’t. I don’t have a point of view on that.

Look. I think, if you’re someone who loves the movies, a well-made movie is just going to make you feel better. Whether it’s a horror movie or a thriller or an action movie. You know?

If I’m having a melancholy day — which I don’t actually have, honestly; I’m very happy!

LAUREN: [chuckles]

DANIEL: No. I’m a happy person! But every now and again I get in a melancholy and I’ll say to my wife, Tammy, “I’m just having a melancholy day.”

So, on a day like that, I’ll go in and I’ll watch The Great Escape or Schindler’s List or…

LAUREN SPEAR: My friend was in The Great Escape!

DANIEL ROEBUCK: Wh-Who??

LAUREN: Lawrence Montaigne!

DANIEL: In the ORIGINAL Great Escape?

LAUREN: He played Haynes! Uh-huh! Where his German wasn’t quite great.

And he was in Captain Sinbad. And… And… He’s gone now.

DANIEL: Oh. Yeah. He…

‘Cause The Great Escape… I think the last surviving cast member is David McCallum!

LAUREN: Yeah. Yeah. Lawrence Montaigne… He was in Escape to Witch Mountain.

DANIEL: Oh! I’ll have to look him up!

LAUREN: And the Batman episodes with…

Lawrence Montaigne right as Mr Glee in <em>Batman<em> 1967 season 2 episodes 47 48

DANIEL: So he played one of the Germans?

LAUREN: No no. He played Haynes…

DANIEL: OHHHH!! He played Haynes!!

LAUREN: Yeah!

DANIEL: Who gets caught because he… *makes talking hand in front of his mouth*

LAUREN: Because his German isn’t quite… It’s a little bit off.

DANIEL: He misspeaks it!

LAUREN: Yeah!

DANIEL: Oh! That’s neat that you knew him!

So, the point is…

LAUREN SPEAR: Yeah. You’re like my uncle and he was like my grandpa! ♥

Photos of Dan Roebuck as a vulcan in Star Trek The Next Generation ("Unification") and Lawrence Montaigne as Stonn in Star Trek The Original Series. And then Daniel Roebuck and Lawrence Montaigne as their normal human selves with their mutual friend Lauren Spear (in 2022 and 2006)

DANIEL ROEBUCK: Aww. That’s nice!

So, that movie… Like, I’m just saying, it just makes me happy because it’s a great movie!

LAUREN: Yeah.

DANIEL: Schindler’s List is a great movie. I mean, it doesn’t have to be… Jaws is a great movie!!

You watch a movie and it gives you happiness. So it… you know. I would watch Bride of Frankenstein! You know? Or Creature from the Black Lagoon!

LAUREN: Yeah.

DANIEL: So, I don’t know…

Look. It’s…

If someone is having a hard emotional time… You know.

If a HORROR movie reminds them of a better time, then that’s great!

I just don’t know how death and dying…

We’re in a weird… We’re in a weird part of… There’s a tragedy that happened two days ago. And I’m making a joke about a gun when it’s NOT funny, y’know? With this terrible tragedy that happened.

Something’s happening and I don’t think that it’s because people are watching horror movies! I think nobody’s parenting their children in the appropriate manner. And it’s, you know… We could say it’s this factor or that factor or this factor, but there’s something going on where parents don’t know what their kids are up to!

LAUREN: Hmm.

DANIEL ROEBUCK: And you have to know what your kid is up to! Primarily, you have to know… You have to know where your kid’s head is!

So, anyway, I feel that it’s a shame. Horrible.

And, anyway, I don’t watch the news anymore.

LAUREN: I try to avoid it… Frank watches for me and tells me.

DANIEL: Yeah. He tells you how bad it is?

FRANK: [affirmative noise]

DANIEL: Yeah. I don’t want to know!

LAUREN: Yeah.

DANIEL: I don’t want to know how bad it is! But then…

So, I don’t really go for… I’m in ’em!! But I’m just admitting… Movies where people just die for NO REASON that’s not entertaining to ME.

I like horror…

LAUREN: You like…

DANIEL: Spooky.

LAUREN: …well-developed horror stories…

DANIEL: Yeah!

LAUREN: …with more in-depth character development.

DANIEL: Yeah!

And I’m all right BEING in… Like in Rob Zombie’s films. If somebody wants me to get hatcheted to death, fine! Whatever!

LAUREN: [chuckles]

You’ve had some crazy death scenes!

In some of… Even on TV and stuff!

DANIEL ROEBUCK: Yeah!

LAUREN: You were on the Walking Dead Webisodes!

DANIEL: Yeah!

LAUREN: And you were on Lost, of course!

DANIEL: Yeah!!

LAUREN: With the…

DANIEL ROEBUCK: It blew up!!

FRANK SPEAR: [laughs]

LAUREN SPEAR: Put an SCTV joke here. [laughs]

DANIEL ROEBUCK: I’ve died with the best of them!

I think it would be funny to add up… And why am I the guy they always kill?!

LAUREN: [laughs]

DANIEL ROEBUCK: But the good news is, sometimes I’m on a show and I am going to be killed and then they go, “Nah, we’re not gonna kill ya.”

You know why that is? It’s because I come to the set and I know my lines and I’m respectful of everybody and they think, “Why wouldn’t we want to have this guy around again? He’s funny!”

So, you know, they rewrite the scene where I’m alive at the end! Of the of the of the show! And that’s—

LAUREN SPEAR: And that’s another reason to be nice!

DANIEL: Yeah! Well…

LAUREN: Because you might get to do more! [laughs]

DANIEL: If you needed a reason to be nice… [scoffs]

Look.

LAUREN: It’s advantageous to be nice. [laughs]

DANIEL: If you’re someone who wakes up in the morning and goes, “Why should I be nice?!”

A. Don’t watch anymore horror films and, B. Get professional help! I mean, honestly!

But it’s so much easier to be nice.

LAUREN: You’re a huge horror fan though! Like… *gestures around Daniel Roebuck’s Monster Room*

DANIEL ROEBUCK: But like gothic…! Like, you know, if you could see around… Like, I’m a horror fan, but The Munsters isn’t about murder and mayhem! It’s about a family that’s goofy!

LAUREN: Yeah.

DANIEL: That’s like… You know.

Like, by the way, it’s interesting ’cause, you know, people go “It’s about a goofy family that’s goofy” but they’re normal. And I lived in, like… If you look around MY house, we’re a wacky family!

Lauren Spear goofing around in Dans Monster Room 2007

LAUREN: [chuckles]

DANIEL: So, I always thought, you know… I didn’t think the other people were The Munsters, I thought we were!

LAUREN: [chuckles]

DANIEL: I thought we were…

But, anyway, yeah. I collect gothic horror.

I don’t consider…

LAUREN: Like the Universal Monsters.

DANIEL: Yeah. The Universal Monsters weren’t about just…

LAUREN: I think that… Oh! Sorry! Go ahead.

DANIEL: Nah. It’s just… It’s not about like a crazy killer just killing people. It’s about, you know… It’s about… you know! Playing God! About “what do you get if you want to live forever?” It’s about, you know… It’s a different kind of horror.

LAUREN: Um…

Who’s your favorite Universal Monster?

DANIEL ROEBUCK: Well, when I was a kid, I would’ve said Wolf Man. But I think that was mostly because if you got a Don Post Wolf Man mask and hands, you were DONE.

LAUREN SPEAR: [chuckles]

DANIEL: Like, if you wanted…

LAUREN: Because you’d just need the pants and the shirt and you’re good to go!

DANIEL: Yeah. Pants and shirt.

LAUREN: [laughs]

DANIEL: But… But the thing that I was that I…I was The Count! So I was a Dracula figure because I… You don’t need any mask to be The Count.

LAUREN: Yeah.

DANIEL ROEBUCK: Did you know I was a clown in a circus?

LAUREN: Mmhmm.

DANIEL: Right? I was a vampire clown! Right?

Daniel Roebuck Vampire Clown

LAUREN: Yep! Yep!

DANIEL: Did I say that already?

LAUREN: No, you didn’t say that [this time], I don’t think, but…

DANIEL: But you know it.

LAUREN: Yeah.

DANIEL: So, I was a vampire clown named The Count!

LAUREN: Mmhmm.

DANIEL ROEBUCK: So, imagine when Rob Zombie calls and says “You’re gonna be…” But, in this script, when you read the script… “You’re THE Count!” Like… Whaaaaaaat…?

LAUREN SPEAR: [laughs] A dream come true!

DANIEL: *makes Mind Blown hand gesture*

Daniel Roebuck performing in the circus

LAUREN: [laughs]

DANIEL: A dream come true.

But, anyway, we were talking about horror movies…

Yeah. I don’t know if horror movies… Maybe you do?

Can [horror movies] be therapeutic?

LAUREN SPEAR: Yeah!

DANIEL ROEBUCK: If you watch Halloween…? *makes stabby motions with his hand* Kk-kk-kk-kk!

LAUREN: It depends. I actually have an article on HorrorFam.com that goes into the science of “Is horror good for you?” and there’s even, like, a little infographic that you can share with your friends!

DANIEL: Oh! And is this based on your own research?

LAUREN: Mmhmm.

DANIEL: Oh!

LAUREN: Oh! Well… My own, like… I collected studies that were done!

DANIEL: Yeah! Well, that’s your research!

LAUREN: Yeah.

DANIEL: That’s your research.

LAUREN: I compiled everything into one section.

DANIEL: Yeah! You… You looked it up! And that’s good!

LAUREN: [chuckles] Yeah!

DANIEL: All right. Well, that’s good! People, then, should refer to that.

LAUREN: But, you know — spoilers! — the main thing is kind of what you were saying earlier where if it’s something you enjoy then, yes, it is good for you.

DANIEL: Yeah. I mean, killing people isn’t good for you.

LAUREN: No, no.

DANIEL: But enjoying a good movie…!

Like, I saw the trailer for Halloween. This latest one. And, you know, Rob Zombie’s Halloween or Halloween II had a backstory — an element of storytelling, an element of characterization… All that stuff that I really like!

FRANK: [noises of agreement]

DANIEL ROEBUCK: What did you say, guy who doesn’t know who played Frankenstein? What??

FRANK SPEAR: [flustered laugh] I… I was just telling her that. I said that I was saying that exact same thing to her! I really liked Rob Zombie’s Halloween movies because there was that big backstory and it showed…

DANIEL: Yeah! Yeah, he put it in.

But, like, this trailer for Halloween! I’m just talking about the trailer.  Like, he’s like… He comes out of the house. The first thing that he does is he stabs and kills, like, four firemen! All right. So… I don’t know how that’s entertaining. Firemen! Who run into fires to save people!! I don’t want to see them get killed, really. And then cops get killed. I don’t want to see cops get killed. I don’t want to see anybody get— And it’s just like *makes a series of gross stabby mouth gore sounds*

And, it’s in the trailer! That’s when they were like “Oh, isn’t this great? He killed 14 people and the trailer’s not even over yet!” And I was… I just though “Ecch.”

LAUREN: You just kind of become numb to it…?

DANIEL: Yeah.

LAUREN: [laughs]

DANIEL: Well, there’s something else that happens if we can just talk about this for a second! Like, you watch a Marvel movie…

LAUREN: [laughs]

DANIEL ROEBUCK: I know! *whiny nasally nerd voice* “This is HorrorFam, it’s not about Marvel.” I’m just… That’s my impression of YOU!

LAUREN SPEAR: It’s fine, as long as it’s related.

DANIEL: All right. What I’m relating is a technicality of film.

LAUREN: My dad does that too! Where he goes off on tangents but, you know, as long as they’re somewhat related…

DANIEL: Well, I mean, anything your father says is interesting.

LAUREN: It’s true.

DANIEL: It’s true, yeah.

LAUREN: He was talking about the Energizer Bunny and it was like… “Oh? Yes…? Indeed?”

FRANK: [laughs]

DANIEL: [laughs] Oh, no.

FRANK AND LAUREN: [laugh]

DANIEL: Mental Note: Don’t ever get in that conversation with Rob. “Well, I think he’s really fast. Faster than Speedy Gonzales.”

So, look. The World Trade Center happened, right?

LAUREN: Mmhmm.

DANIEL: And it’s horrible! We know what it’s like when two huge buildings go fwumph. *makes collapsing motion with hand*

LAUREN: Yeah.

DANIEL: Everybody dies. Gone!

LAUREN: Yeah.

DANIEL: And then we watch these Marvel movies and these monsters are knocking buildings over and they’re like, “Heh! Let’s go get a shawarma!” *snaps with finger guns* And I think, “Why don’t we put in what you’d really hear…?” HELP ME, IRON MAN!! PLEASE DON’T GET A SHAWARMA, HULK! BECAUSE I’M FEELING MY… MY LEG IS SEPARATED! MY CHILD’S DYING!! MY CHILD’S DYING, CAPTAIN AMERICA! CAN SOMEONE JUST COME OVER HERE AND GIVE ME A BLOOD TRANSFUSION?!

You know?

But it’s like… *dances and prances in his seat and then throws up his hands* I don’t buy that!

FRANK SPEAR: [uncomfortable chuckles]

LAUREN SPEAR: …That’s very dark. [uncomfortable chuckle]

DANIEL ROEBUCK: So, I don’t want to see… *makes stabby motions and wet gore sounds* I don’t want to see a building fall and people go “Let’s go get a shawarma!”

But, anyway, we… We really got off topic!

You REALLY have to keep your guests from doing that!!

LAUREN: You’re right.

DANIEL: I blame you completely for this!

LAUREN: I-I’m sorry. [nervous chuckle]

Well, is there anything else you wanted to talk about?

Like, anything else that you wanted to say?

DANIEL ROEBUCK: Do you think we could…? Well, they could go to AChannelOfPeace.org and look up how we make the movies! You might want to help us make these movies. There’s ways to help.

LAUREN SPEAR: And the Kickstarter for Jungle of Darkness…?

DANIEL: Oh! The Kickstarter for Jungle of Darkness has JUST a few more days! That’s KreatureKid — that’s KreatureKid with two Ks — or Adam Dougherty with Jungle of Darkness. You can find that on Instagram or…?

LAUREN: Yeah.

DANIEL: You can find links to it on my… On my…

LAUREN: Oh!

You should say your social media handles!

DANIEL ROEBUCK: Yeah! I know! I should. I just don’t know it! I think I’m MrDanielRoebuck?

LAUREN SPEAR: He is. [laughs]

DANIEL: Oh. I am? I’m MrDanielRoebuck! So, on… Everywhere??

LAUREN: But he doesn’t really use Twitter much.

DANIEL: I don’t. No.

LAUREN: At all. But he is VERY active on Instagram!

DANIEL: Yeah, I’ve been trying to be better and I don’t… Should I go on Twitter? Is that something I should do?

LAUREN: Eh.

DANIEL: Do you put the same thing on everything??

LAUREN: [chuckles]

DANIEL: Is that what you’re supposed to do?

LAUREN: Hmm. Well… I don’t know! I think Instagram is kind of a good place for you because you’re very VISUAL!

DANIEL: Yeah.

LAUREN: Anyway, so…

DANIEL: And Twitter’s mostly about what you say.

LAUREN: Yeah.

DANIEL ROEBUCK: I don’t… Look. I think that we’re in a weird situation! I think people think that everything they think or say or do is important! People want to be noticed. They want to be recognized. And they want to be liked and they want to be, you know… “liked.” And they want to be reposted.

And, you know, I always… My joke is: If being noticed is that important, do what I did! You know? Damn yourself to a lifetime of poverty and and become AN ACTOR!!

LAUREN AND FRANK: [chuckles]

DANIEL: AND THEN AT LEAST PEOPLE WILL LOOK AT YOU ON PURPOSE!!!

But… no. I’m… [chuckles]

So, I try… It’s hard too! I’m trying to make movies! I’m not trying… I’m MAKING movies! I’m making… I’m doing something. I can’t wait until I can tell you about it!

And I’m actually working on PRODUCT!

LAUREN: Ooh!

DANIEL: I’m starting to create produuuuuct!

LAUREN: Ohhhh!

DANIEL ROEBUCK: For… For movies! And it’s all… you know! Like Dr. Shocker’s Coloring Book of Horror is a product that’s going to come out where people can, you know, experience what a JERK Dr. Shocker is and color some great pictures!

So, I don’t want to hear from his lawyer. I’m just saying that right now. Don’t send me another liable letter. I don’t care. If I say Dr. Shocker’s a jerk, he’s a jerk!

*turns to Lauren* But you’re not a jerk! You’re very sweet.

LAUREN SPEAR: Thank you!

DANIEL: I’ve loved watching you grow up! I’m very honored to have been asked to be on your show. And I didn’t have to go smoke, so that’s why the show lasted a little longer!

LAUREN: [laughs, knowing her dad – repeated HorrorFam.com Podcast guest, Rob Tharp – needs frequent nicotine]

DANIEL: But I’m just grateful for you and I’m grateful that you’re in my life!

LAUREN: Me too!

DANIEL: Aww. Thank you! And then… I can’t wait to see what you do next!

LAUREN: Yeah! Me too!

DANIEL: Yeah!

LAUREN: Yeah! [laughs]

Byyyeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!

DANIEL: Oh, that’s it??

FRANK: [laughs]

DANIEL ROEBUCK: Thank youuuu!!

[silence]

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DANIEL ROEBUCK: And, by the way, Frank did not name the monsters in order!

LAUREN SPEAR: He was just talking about Glenn Strange earlier today!

DANIEL: Yeah, I know. So, let’s do it for him. Boris Karloff. Here’s where we’re going to list them. Write it down.

FRANK SPEAR: [embarrassed laugh] Yeah.

DANIEL: Boris Karloff. Then Bela Lugosi. Then Lon Chaney Jr. Then Glenn Strange.

Photos of the first four actors to play Frankenstein's monster in order: Boris Karloff, Bela Lugosi, Lon Chaney Jr., and Glenn Strange

FRANK: Well, I knew the first two! [laughs]

DANIEL: Oh, you “knew the first two!” [laughs] That means you got a 40.

FRANK: [flustered noises]

LAUREN: [laughs because her husband is adorable]

DANIEL: You did not even get a 60!!

FRANK: [laughs]

###END###

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Written by Lauren Spear

Lauren Spear (née Tharp) is the owner of LittleZotz.com and HorrorFam.com! For more about Lauren, check out the HorrorFam.com About Page


  1. Regarding the fraudulent remarks made by Mr. Roebuck concerning his blatant self promoting antics, I will offer the following Accurate account to “Set The Record Straight”.
    Late 1980s Toy Show:
    DR: “Yea, I’m an actor”
    EW “Fascinating ”
    A year later:
    DR “well, I am an actor”
    EW “whatever”
    2 years later I am watching TV and there is that guy from the Toy Show. I say “Hey, you that guy who is always saying he is an actor? Turns out he actually is!”.
    And THAT is how it happened. As Dennis Hopper says in True Romance, ” now, if that’s a fact, tell me, am I lying?”
    Nice job Lauren!

    1. lol. Thank you so much!! <33333 And you know you (and T and V) are always welcome on the show, too, if you ever want to be! I tend to not ask my friends because I figured if they were interested in being guests they'd say so (like Dan did!) and so I don't want to bug them... but then a lot of people don't even KNOW that I do this so they wouldn't know to ask even if they DO want to be on it! XD ANYWAY!! Thank you so much for your response re: Dan's comments and for listening/watching and I hope we can all get together again someday soon. 🙂

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