I have a theory that cult film fans are more loyal than others. I back it up by the number of cult actors who continued to find genre work as they grew older, being directed by those who had enjoyed their earlier films. That doesn’t really happen in mainstream cinema, or at least not in the same way…
It was in the early 80s that Plan 9, which no one had thought about since its release, was reinvented as ‘the worst movie ever made’ – a title it didn’t deserve but one which gave it new life and unexpected celebrity to those of its stars still around. Brooks’ turn as the policeman in Plan 9 made him a favourite of cult movie fans, and when those fans started making their own cult movies, they were keen to cast the actor. This career resurgence also allowed Brooks to direct and produce. The titles Brooks appeared in sound like a waiting list for Dark Corners, from Blood Slaves of the Vampire Wolf (which he also directed) to this year’s Toilet Gator, and IMDB lists four films still to be released which will feature the actor’s final performances. He even appeared in a short entitled Conrad Brooks Vs The Werewolf, and of course got the call from Tim Burton (the king of fan-boy filmmakers) for a cameo role in biopic Ed Wood.
