Australian horror scholars Alexandra Heller-Nicholas and the late Lee Gambin will be lauded at horror’s night of nights.
Do you know the Rondo Awards? Founded in 2002, the Rondo Hatton Classic Horror Awards exist to acknowledge the work of film scholars, critics, and preservationists toiling in the horror mines. So, it’s a niche thing, but it’s a really cool niche thing. How niche is it? The awards are named for obscure B-movie actor Rondo Hatton, and the statue, crafted by artist Kerry Gammell, is modeled on his mug.
Announced this week, the 23rd annual Rondo Awards anointed Robert Eggers’ Nosferatu Best Film, with What We Do In the Shadows winning Best TV Presentation, and Australian production Late Night with the Devil scoring Best Independent Feature for sibling filmmakers Cameron and Colin Cairnes.
In other local-kid-done good news, Alexandra Heller-Nicholas won Writer of the Year. And on a more bittersweet note, the late Lee Gambin was inducted into the Monster Kid Hall of Fame. Additionally, this year’s awards are dedicated to the work and memories of Gambin, composer John Morgan, and John Brunas, co-author of Universal Horrors.
The Melbourne-based Gambin, who passed in 2024, was… how do you say this about a guy you knew? …one of the Australian film scenes more colourful characters. Mischievously provocative and tirelessly passionate about cult and classic film and TV, he authored eight books, such as Hell Hath No Fury Like Her: The Making of Christine and Nope, Nothing Wrong Here: The Making of Cujo. He also edited several anthologies of criticism, including the two volume Tonight, On A Very Special Episode: When TV Sitcoms Sometimes Got Serious, and If I Only Had a Brain: Scarecrows in Film and TV. That second one has a really fun essay on the occult symbolism in Worzel Gummidge, if you’re into that sort of thing.
The author of such essential tomes as 1,000 Women in Horror, 1895-2018, and The Cinema Coven: Witches, Witchcraft and Women’s Filmmaking, the ridiculously prolific Heller-Nicholas has recorded more commentary tracks than can be easily counted, and is a vital voice in horror scholarship.
“In any year it would be a thrill to win the Rondo Award for Writer of the Year,” Heller-Nicholas said. “But that it coincides with both Colin and Cameron Cairns winning for Late Night with the Devil and the late Lee Gambin being honoured make it even more special (and prove once and for all Melbourne truly is the dark black heart of Australian horror!)”
Which is a weird moment for a spot of Melbourne partisanship, but a fine sentiment nonetheless. Gambin could not be reached for comment, but it probably would have contained the word “darlst”.
The Rondo Awards Ceremony will be held on Saturday, May 31, at the WonderFest Convention in Louisville, Kentucky. You can check out the full list of honorees here.
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