Thrill of a Lifetime

While Viharo was busy peddling his book across the video counter where he worked, he met and married one of his customers, in the comedy aisle, and then divorced. She, Viharo says, helped him exorcise the phantom of his mother while supplying his still-emerging lounge lizard persona with the prerequisite ex-wife. When the Fischers invested in the Parkway Theater, they asked Viharo to host a cult movie night, and Will The Thrill was ready. It was The Thrill's mission to rescue pop culture gems like 20 Million Miles to Earth and I Was a Teenage Werewolf from cinematic obscurity and pay homage to those that helped change his life.

He's done a good job of it.

Over the last five years, Viharo has diligently protected and defended the essence the Cramps call "goneness" -- pop and pulp culture, monster movies, pinups, Mobsters, and cocktail shakers -- and it has served him well: Elvis Presley "introduced" him to his leading lady and favorite pinup girl four years ago, first by way of an Elvis movie night Will hosted for "Thrillville" at the Parkway, then again at an Elvis birthday party at the Ivy Room, where he won Monica's heart. (Last year, they exchanged vows and names -- both go by Cortés Viharo -- at Sinatra's old hotel, the Cal-Neva, in front of a Dean Martin-impersonating reverend and longtime friend named Robert Ensler.) Currently, Viharo gets paid to book movies and contribute to numerous pop culture periodicals, including Atomic and Filmfax; Christian Slater has recently purchased the option for Love Stories; and Will has become a recognized pop culture "activist," leading the way for protests against such vapid Hollywood debacles as the remake of Ocean's Eleven and the upcoming Viva Las Vegas starring Ricky Martin.

"Do I think it's important?" says Viharo standing in front of a stack of Miami Vice videos he considers a guilty pleasure. "Yes. Do I expect anyone else to think it's important? No.

"But life is made of ephemera. It's the little things, the day-to-day things, that enrich and impact our lives the most. No one should ever underestimate the power of art in our lives, even if it takes the form of pop art. It should be preserved and respected. The Rat Pack gave me something to dream about and a sense of idealism. Those movies are time capsules. That's where I found my heroes and my mentors. And even though it might not make sense to anyone else, I have to defend them."

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Thrillville celebrates Frank Sinatra's birthday on Thursday, Dec. 13, with songs by Robert Ensler and a screening of Pal Joey.