William Faulkner: The Past is Not Dead. It is Not Even Past.

Or words to that effect. Anyway, Brother John Higgins is recapturing the madness of his youth by putting on YouTube some episodes from his career on late night monster TV 30 years ago.

There is no more late night monster TV. The rise of cable, DVDs, movies on demand, horror parodies on the YouTube -- no need now (nor economic incentive) for the late Saturday night presentation of the cheesiest of the cheese from the catalog of Roger Corman or Hammer Films, interrupted as the movie drew toward its close by an ever-increasing number of cringe-inducing commercials produced by local talent.

Also, I suppose the Nerd Boys -- dateless, spotty, eager to laugh at rather than being laughed at, who were the core audience -- are all playing video games now.

But once every community had some variant of Shock Theater, with all its injokes and barely veiled contempt for the fare being broadcast.

YouTube, our little time machine. Thanks.