Being the “Midwest Dave” of TERROR FROM BEYOND THE DAVES can be a mixed blessing. On the one hand I have more access to many of the horror hosts we feature on our site, including Svengoolie who makes numerous appearances in my native Chicagoland. There are also more conventions and fan events that are within driving distance, thus sparing the costly need for airfare (not that gas is much better these days). When you’re running a horror site, fan conventions go from recreation to inspired work as you busily try to a) cover as much of the featured events as possible, b) snap as many photos as you can, while c) also trying to make meaningful contacts.
Category Archives: Celebrity Encounters!
DAYS OF THE DEAD: Meeting Ace Frehley from KISS!
The first official DAYS OF THE DEAD convention received a huge boost when it was announced that the elusive, Ace Frehley, would be its top guest. Frehley, of course, was the original guitarist for the iconic rock band, KISS, and a strong percentage of fans (who proudly count themselves as soldiers in the KISS Army) will quickly site him as their all-time favorite member.
If not for Frehley’s talent than certainly for his lack of conformity. With his inability to adhere to a tight schedule, coupled with his shaky relationship with sobriety, Ace would not only be a thorn in Gene Simmons’ dragon boot but, so far as many fans were concerned, become the living embodiment of “cool.” Ace rejoined the band when it reunited in 1996 then left again in 2002. Despite his replacement, Tommy Thayer, donning his familiar make-up for subsequent touring, the majority of fans know that there is only ONE “spacemen” and that will forever be Ace.
Meeting Barbara Steele at Horrorhound Weekend!
One of the great celebrities we were privileged to meet at The Indianapolis Horrorhound Weekend last March, was the legendary Barbara Steele! The 72 year old actress, most notable for her role in Maria Bava’s BLACK SUNDAY (THE MASK OF SATAN), was one we had flagged as a “must see.”
Celebrity Shenanigans with Sid Haig and Lisa Marie at Horrorhound Weekend!
The next two celebrities I would like to cover are Tim Burton regular Lisa Marie and the one and only Sid Haig. I have always been a fan of both stars, but for different reasons, had never met them. For Lisa Marie she had not been at any previous conventions that I attended. I always found Lisa Marie to be beautiful and found her portrayal of Vampira in the movie ED WOOD to be wonderful. I also enjoyed her alien performance in MARS ATTACKS! and found it to be fun and quirky and I was very much looking forward to meeting her! For Sid Haig, I was actually too nervous to meet him in the past! For some reason, I always associated Sid with his character Captain Spaulding and for some reason, thought he was like that in real life! I know it’s a silly way to think, but I found him genuinely creepy in THE DEVIL’S REJECTS and HOUSE OF 1,000 CORPSES and for the life of me couldn’t believe that he was actually a nice guy! Boy was I in for a surprise with both stars!
Killer Klowns from Outer Space Konquer Horrorhound!
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!
“Halloween III” at Horrorhound Weekend: Featuring Tom Atkins!
The last convention The Daves attended together was New England’s “Rock & Shock” back in October. One of the highlights of that event was the opportunity to meet Adrienne Barbeau (see full details HERE) as she was a key player in one of my all-time favorite films, THE FOG.
The 2011 Indianapolis Horrorhound Weekend provided two more celebrity encounters from that iconic film; Tommy Lee Wallace & Tom Atkins. The Daves meeting the Toms was one of our top Horrorhound priorities! Aside from THE FOG, both men have been involved in many other iconic horror films from the 1980’s (our teenage years). This was also the golden age of slashers as well as a prolific period in the horror genre itself.
