In response to a message I received regarding our “Terror on Tequila” podcast (which you can scroll back and listen to in a previous post), YES there were photos taken when my fellow pod-caster, Jason Lucas, met up with many of the stars from the franchise featured at the 2012 July DAYS OF THE DEAD in Indianapolis! Below are some of his candid, cannibalistic shots!
Conventions in the New England area are few and far between. Luckily though we do have one that comes back every year…ROCK AND SHOCK. Though small compared to conventions like HorrorHound Weekend, it still attracts the very best in horror and science fiction and is a guaranteed good time. Unfortunately, this year the Daves were unable to attend but thanks to their friend Brock Papineau, we are able to bring you a series of pictures to show you some of the great talent this convention draws!!! We want to thank Brock for these pics! ENJOY!
G-FEST, the quintessential Godzilla event, is known for bringing rare and wonderful stars of the Japanese Kaiju genre to the unlikely venue of my sweet home, Chicago. This year was no exception with the return of Akira Takarada & also the original Ultraman, Bin Furuya. Before I delve into that, I feel like I should mention that while I have illustrated in previous posts much of what G-FEST has to offer, there is no way that I can truly convey its essence. Yes, like other fan-based conventions, it offers celebrities, dealer rooms, and eager fans. These are incidental, however, to what really makes it unique. For lack of better words, G-FEST has heart!
The theme of the 2012 Horrorhound Weekend was “Women of Horror.” While Pam Grier isn’t necessarily a horror queen, she is the quintessential blaxploitation actress an absolutely grindhouse royalty. If that isn’t enough for purists, her having SCREAM BLACULA, SCREAM on her resume,’ certainly justifies her spot at this event. Grier was located in her own private signing area in the hotel but fans had no trouble finding her as her line remained constant.
Last summer I wrote about Sarah Michelle Gellar and one of my all time favorite TV shows, “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” (story HERE). Despite the allure of that show’s main powerhouse, Buffy, it was the supporting characters and their interactions with one another that was tantamount to the show’s success. The character I related to the most was Xander Harris (Nicholas Brendon) the nerdy, comic-book reading guy who didn’t quite fit into any clique (including the nerds) and usually, in terms of the opposite sex, found himself the “best friend” rather than the boyfriend. This frustration, along with the usual teenage fear of being insignificant, was masked with a quick sardonic wit, usually at his own expense. If there was one lesson that Xander and I both knew full well, it was that its better to make fun of yourself before someone else does it for you.
Throughout horror movie history, there are few films that have been able to grab viewers with the sheer raw intensity as the original THE TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE. Tobe Hooper (who both produced and directed) took a handful of unknown actors, a scant $300,000 budget and created a film that plays with such gritty intensity you almost feel like a voyeur watching one of those infamous “loop” films many believe exist despite none having officially surfaced.
