Friday night at Days of the Dead didn’t have quite the after party Russ and I hoped for. That wasn’t shocking since Saturdays tend to be when convention festivities kick off and it certainly wasn’t everyone else’s fault that we were only staying over on Friday. After we ate dinner the convention rooms closed but Days offered activities in the hotel lounge which included a monster burlesque show.
Next to where the cast members of THE THING reunion were signing, was the amazing THING-FEST! This private collection owned by super-fan, Joe Hart, would feature the largest acquisition of props and memorabilia from the 1982 John Carpenter classic.
Though born and raised in New Jersey (a childhood friend of Kevin Smith), Hart now resides with his wife in Canada. What makes him so exceptional isn’t simply that he’s a fan who’s amassed lots of amazing goods, but that he’s one who willingly shares them with the rest of us. He does this utilizing his own time and resources and, in doing so, enhances the overall experience for everyone; something never more evident than at the Days of the Dead Indianapolis!
Days of the Dead’s THING-FEST; which not only included the largest gathering of actors from John Carpenter’s THE THING but also the biggest collection of props and collectibles, was well worth the trip to Indianapolis in itself. Russ and I are both huge fans of the movie and I’m expressing no hyperbole here when I say we were ECSTATIC to see a convention finally give it some proper attention.
From the film’s first pulse-pounding moments (enhanced even further by Carpenter’s fantastic score), I was captivated by it. And, in keeping with the film’s overall theme of paranoia, I also found myself rooting for the wrong side even before the opening credits had finished. Perhaps my devotion to THE THING is a prime example of how we, as adults, tend to be enthralled by the very things that provoked us as children.
…and seeing a “defenseless” dog getting shot at by a sniper in a helicopter absolutely provoked me.
Like most conventions, the 2013 Indianapolis Days of the Dead was spread across several large rooms at the hotel. Russ and I left the beautiful Jordan Ladd (a meeting covered in my last chapter) and embarked on what was to be the first of many walk throughs (which is why you’ll see us wearing different clothes in this post) of the dealer’s room. There were actually two main rooms designated for dealers, with some located out in the adjoining hallways. Although there were other guests we planned on meeting, they were located in one of these areas as opposed to the one exclusive to celebs
We’d just stepped away from Lita Ford’s table before stumbling into an argument between a Days of the Dead volunteer and an attractive blond. The dedicated staffer was giving the woman a hard time about entering the celebrity room without a convention badge. While frantically digging through her handbag, she pleaded that she was a scheduled guest and needed to get in. It was at that moment we noticed she was Jordan Ladd,from Death Proof, Hostel II, and Cabin Fever. and daughter of Charlie’s Angels, Cheryl Ladd. Needless to say, we wasted no time intervening on her behalf.
Days of the Dead (associated with New England’s Rock n’ Shock) has a tradition of mixing up their horror related guests with notable rock musicians. Past examples include original members of KISS; Ace Frehley and Peter Criss – with Frehley slated to return this November for their Chicago event. The two interests do go hand and hand and, for further illustration, the immortal Gene Simmons will be appearing at the Fright Night Film Fest in just a few short weeks.
Terror from Beyond the Dave 