A Supernatural ’80s Party with “Witchboard!”

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There is no shortage of guilty pleasures so far as 1980’s horror movies are concerned. Whether its one of the multitude of slasher films that helped define the decade or one of those goofy GREMLINS inspired rip-offs (CRITTERS, TROLL, GHOULIES, etc) you had plenty of “fun with fright” movies to choose from.

Today I’m going to call to your attention one of my favorite lesser known 80’s films, WITCHBOARD (1986). As soon as it came out on VHS (after a limited release in a paltry 15 theaters), I rented it from my local (and now all but obsolete) “mom and pop” video store. I didn’t have high hopes but, within the first few minutes of snappy dialogue involving a debate between party-goers regarding the existence of God and ghosts, this 16 year old horror fan was hooked!

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Dark Night of the Scarecrow: Bubba Returns!

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I was standing in the lobby of the main hotel at FRIGHT NIGHT FILM FEST when a young man came up to me and asked if I was Dave from TERROR FROM BEYOND THE DAVES. Although I didn’t recognize him, it turned out that he and I had met before during a brief, but memorable, moment at Horrorhound Weekend last March.

I remember at the time, the other Dave (David Albaugh) and I were standing in line to see Barbara Steele. Nobody likes being idle when there is so much to do around you, so we passed the time doing what we do best under these circumstances- staring at folks! Yes, both David and I consider ourselves to be avid “people watchers,” a skill that, no doubt, is something one the develops during an introverted, shy youth and gradually hones over time. While most people think the best subjects can be found at Walmart (as illustrated by the numerous viral emails that go around depicting the less refined members of their clientelle) it really doesn’t matter where you are nor the socio-ecominic satus of your subjects. The fact remains that we people, on the whole, are pretty darn funny!

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“Dark Night of the Scarecrow’s” J.D. Feigelson at Horrorhound Weekend!

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Shortly after the last Horrorhound Weekend in Indianapolis, I had a nice email exchange with J.D. Feigelson – writer of one of my all-time favorite films, DARK NIGHT OF THE SCARECROW. Feigelson had treated both David and I like royalty after already honoring us by posting his positive feedback on a blog I had written last year. That piece was regarding the long-awaited DARK NIGHT OF THE SCARECROW DVD release (see both original post & comment HERE).

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Days of the Dead Scream Queens: P.J. Soles, Linnea Quigley, Heather Langenkamp, & Mark Patton!

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During the first official DAYS OF THE DEAD convention, guests were treated to a panel of “Scream Queens” which included PJ Soles (HALLOWEEN & CARRIE), Linnea Quigley (RETURN OF THE LIVING DEAD, HOLLYWOOD CHAINSAW HOOKERS, & NIGHT OF THE DEMONS), Mark Patton (NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET 2: FREDDY’S REVENGE), and Heather Langenkamp (NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET parts 1, 3, and 7). The event was hosted by Nasty Neal from WITHOUT YOUR HEAD who encouraged guests to walk up to the stage and ask questions of this unique gathering of screamers. For those unable to attend, below is an overview….

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Coming out of the Closet with Mark Patton!

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Horror fans have mixed emotions regarding the first sequel to the original NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET. While the film would see the return of the ever popular Freddy Krueger – one of top three names in the slasher franchise, the film’s lead character would prove controversial. Mark Patton had unsuccessfully tried out for the role of “Glen” (given to Johnny Depp) in the original NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET but was hand picked to play the role of “Jessie” in FREDDY’S REVENGE.”I was thrilled to be chosen to Star in NOES2,” said Patton. “Lately it has come to light that I was cast over Brad Pitt and Matt Damon. Times change, I guess they are OK.”

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Killer Klowns from Outer Space Konquer Horrorhound!

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One of the highlights of any convention is of course meeting the actors and actresses that starred in so many of our favorite films. Though my priority for HorrorHound was the horror hosts, there were a handful of celebrities that I also wanted to meet. Two of them starred in one of my favorite cult films of the 1980’s, KILLER KLOWNS FROM OUTER SPACE.

It’s hard to believe that it has been over 20 years since this cult classic was released. I still vividly remember seeing it for the first time on VHS with some friends. We were of course drinking beer at the time and we just had the best time. I remember wondering to myself if the reason I enjoyed this film so much was because of the beer, or because it was a genuinely good film. Thankfully, at the time, my uncle owned the only video store in Jamestown so I was able to see what ever movies I wanted, when ever I wanted. I re-watched this movie without the aid of alcohol and to my pleasant surprise, it was just as good the second time!

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