Texas Frightmare Weekend 2014

A couple weeks ago we went to Dallas for Texas Frightmare Weekend which is an annual horror convention. This year was a ton of fun so let me share some highlights with you.

On the way to Dallas, we stopped in Waco to visit the Dr. Pepper Museum. The museum had a lot more exhibits than I expected. It was really cool to see the old bottling equipment. They even had dozens of old soda machines from a wide range of decades. I got a lot more insight on the process of making soda. There’s even an old timey soda fountain where you can indulge in as many Dr. Peppers as you wish. I had one!



This year’s guests were all incredible icons from some of my favorite horror films. George Romero was in attendance as the guest of honor with Tom Savini, David Emge, and Scott H. Reiniger of DAWN OF THE DEAD. We saw Linda Blair from THE EXORCIST and John Kassir aka The Crypt Keeper himself! I was more excited to see Doug Bradley, Barbie Wilde, and Nick Vince of HELLRAISER.





For as long as I can remember, Pinhead has been my favorite horror icon and getting to meet Doug Bradley was a dream come true. He was very nice and told me I have a lovely name. I wanted to buy his book, but unfortunately he was out. He did offer to mail me a copy when he got home. How stoked was I to get a package in the mail from Pinhead himself! Barbie Wilde was incredibly gracious as well. I’ve wanted to read her book for a while and was pleased to see it for sale at her booth. She was kind enough to sign it for me. The HELLRAISER panel was awesome. Everyone talked about how remakes are awful. When Nick Vince brought up the idea of a “reboot,” Bradley said that was a bullshit word. I completely agree. Most remakes are atrocious to begin with. A HELLRAISER remake is completely unnecessary since the story lives on in the comic books. In fact, a NIGHTBREED comic book is slated for release later this year. Clive Barker either writes or has creative control of all the series and I must say they are fantastic. We should always remember that Clive Barker is a writer first and foremost. His stories are best told in their original medium free of censorship and the Weinsteins.



My other favorite panel of the weekend was the one with Jason Baldwin of the West Memphis 3. This case was something that I followed for many years and felt very personal to me. To be able to sit in a room with Baldwin as he told his story was really emotional. His outlook really puts things into perspective. Most of us complain about asinine things like traffic or the wrong coffee order while this man spent nearly twenty years in prison for a crime he did not commit and he still has a positive attitude about life. I am just inspired by his courage. He mentioned that initially he was apprehensive of being a guest at a horror con simply because of the backlash that was received upon initial arrest. He has since embraced the community because he realized there is nothing wrong with liking horror movies or wearing black clothing. There’s nothing wrong with being different. There is something wrong with a justice system that will persecute an individual based on their outward appearance. Jason talked about life since incarceration. He continues to be an advocate for equal justice and prison reform. He and his wife have produced the upcoming film, DEVIL’S KNOT based on the events of the case. I certainly hope some good comes of this horrible tragedy.




Another fun panel was the TERMINATOR retrospective. This panel included Michael Biehn, Earl Boen, Jenette Goldstein, Linda Hamilton, Peter Kent, Kristanna Loken, and Robert Patrick. They talked about everything from nude scenes to extremely dangerous stunts. Peter Kent, Arnold’s longtime stunt double, did an amazing impression of Arnold. He seemed like he would be a lot more fun to hang out with than the real Arnold.



We saw a panel hosted by Dee Snider with Tom Savini, Bill Moseley, and Tom Morga. I was actually surprised to see how engaging and well spoken Dee Snider is. He talked a bit about STRANGELAND which was a terrible film. I guess he’s working on a sequel. Tom Savini is always entertaining to listen to. The man has a lifetime of stories to tell about his movie making experiences. Tom Morga was also really interesting as he’s done a lot of stunt work for things like FRIDAY THE 13th, HALLOWEEN, THE SHAWSHANK REDEMPTION, and JURASSIC PARK.



TX Frightmare Weekend always falls on Free Comic Book Day so I usually miss out on all the madness at my local comic book shop. This year I got lucky. Writer/artist Mike Norton of Battlepug fame was in Dallas signing books at Zeus Comics. Battlepug is my favorite comic book and it always brightens my Mondays when a new installment arrives. It was really cool to meet Mike and talk about pugs and beer. He was even kind enough to donate some prints for auction to the Pug Rescue of Austin. Of course I had to buy a print for myself.



Saturday evening we drove to downtown Dallas to explore Dealey Plaza where President Kennedy was assassinated. I would love to have visited the museum in the book depository building, but it closes early in the day. Nonetheless, it was very eerie wandering around the infamous grassy knoll at night. There are two “X”s in the middle of the road marking the spots where Kennedy and Governor Connelly were shot. As a kid, I was really engrossed in the Kennedy Assassination and history of the slain president. It was really fascinating to examine the scene of such a notable, historic event. The whole area virtually looks the same as it did in November of 1963. I definitely want to go back and visit the museum.





We had a really great time in Dallas. This is definitely one of my favorite conventions to frequent. It’s nice to see so many people who share the same interests as you do. Every guest I encountered was so cordial and grateful to all the fans that showed up. I look forward to next year’s event!

Plagiarism

I really went back and forth about making a post regarding a recent scandal involving blatant plagiarism. It seems like everyone has something to say about it. As an amateur writer and horror enthusiast, I feel compelled to address the issue. What the hell, here’s my two cents.

I only recently became aware of a certain writer in the horror genre who was outed for plagiarism on more than several occasions. Initially, my understanding is that the writer ignored the issue at hand. One of her employers came to her defense without even hearing the facts. I guess he has since recanted. Eventually, she asked one of the bloggers who outed her to take down his post (he obviously declined) comparing her pieces to the ones she stole. Then she issued a half assed apology via twitter (how mature) and soon deleted it along with her account and website. It appears she has gone into hiding now.

It’s hard to say if this scandal would be as huge if said writer was not dating an incredibly famous Hollywood director. Lots of people have chastised those discussing her personal life. However, Miss Writer was the one who name dropped Mr. Director on a regular basis. She even coaxed him into writing the forward for her upcoming book. She put her personal life on public display therefore it is fair game.

I think the most disheartening aspect of this scandal is that fact that she’s single handedly given women in horror a bad name. Women in the film industry (outside of actresses) are pretty scarce; women in the horror genre are even rarer. She just fed into the dumb blonde/pretty face stereotype. Miss Writer admitted she made a mistake. A mistake is an isolated error in judgment. However, Miss Writer’s errors were not isolated incidents. She continued to lie and steal other hardworking writers’ work. The worst part is that she collected a paycheck in the process. Several other writers have come forward since stating she stole pieces from them as well. She even burgled user reviews on IMDB.com! Miss Writer apparently tried to blame her intern for the snafu a la Ashlee Simpson so I do not sympathize with her at all.

I often wonder what it would be like to be able to write professionally. I love writing and really wish I had more time to do so. I’m just not sure I could do it as a career because it might not be as much fun. On the other hand, if I had the chance to write about horror movies and film, I’m sure I could make it work! My favorite comment on the scandal is this:

"I used to write for Fangoria.

I can attest that it's very easy to write about horror films when you are passionate about said subject matter. Having to swipe or copy the work of other students of film is not only lazy, but it cheapens the passions of all the hard working individuals who take the time to have a voice.

I'll tolerate much, but to steal something because you can't be bothered to come up with your own idea when that is literally all you're being paid to do...

I guess she's just a pretty face.

Sad."

I hope Miss Writer is made an example of and that this behavior will not be tolerated in the industry. I don't think she's truly sorry for what she did. I think she's sorry she got caught. Miss Writer expressed that she was leaving journalism behind for a while which is a relief because she’s not very good at it. Even her copy/paste job was sub-par. She’s also indicated that she’s received death threats which I don’t necessarily buy. I will admit I felt some jealously when this budding romance came about and I watched her walking the red carpet at The Oscars. She’s attractive, she gets to write about horror movies for a living, and she’s dating one of the most influential directors of our time. That hint of jealously has definitely subsided. At least I can sleep with myself at night knowing I'm an honest person. Now I wouldn't want to be in her shoes even if QT is the one drinking out of them.

Texas Frightmare Weekend 2013

Recently I was very fortunate enough to attend Texas Frightmare Weekend. I’ve always wanted to attend, but timing and money was never right. Luckily, it worked out for us this year. TX Frightmare Weekend is a three day horror convention that includes celebrity guests, panels, workshops, film screenings, and vendors. I had a great time and thought I’d share some pictures of the event with my trusty readers. We saw lots of fun horror cosplay! There were actually a couple booths doing zombie makeovers. I bought a bunch of stuff I do not need including some new koozies for my collection. It was really exciting being around so many other people who share the same interests as I do. There really was a feeling of excitement in the air.





The panels were my favorite part of the event. We caught the last half of David Naughton’s panel about AN AMERICAN WEREWOLF IN LONDON. He talked a bit about John Landis and what it was like working with such an incredible director. Naughton is most known for AMERICAN WEREWOLF, but I came to know him as the, “I’m A Pepper” guy. He seemed very excited to be participating in the con. It’s always nice to see the guest celebrities genuinely enjoying themselves. For example, Gary Busey did not seem to be enjoying himself. Nor did he seem to know where exactly he was. I could be wrong; no disrespect to Busey. He has uttered one of the most iconic lines in film history:

“Utah get me two!”

The next panel we caught was Horror Comics. Kerry Gammill, Bernie Wrightson, and Steve Niles were on the panel. Wrightson is a legend in his own right who has created some of the most beautiful images I have ever seen. Niles is my favorite comic book writer who has created series like 30 Days of Night and Criminal Macabre. This was a really informative panel that discussed the future of comics (digital v. print) and the success of horror comics. It’s no secret that the popularity of the TV series, The Walking Dead has brought a spotlight to horror comics. The guests discussed censorship in comics and Steve talked a bit about the 30 Days film which was adapted from his book. He even hinted at a possible TV series starring Cal McDonald, the much loved main character of Criminal Macabre. Personally, I am a horror fan who happens to collect comic books so hearing these gentlemen talk shop about my favorite things was really enlightening. After the panel I got to speak with Niles & Wrightson who could not be more pleasant. They talked about how their own passion derives in being fans of horror and that really shows through in their work and delightful personalities.



The panel following that was the ALIEN retrospective with Tom Skerritt and Veronica Cartwright. ALIEN is one of the few films that I can honestly say scared the hell out of me upon initial viewing. I’ll admit, even now after all these years, I still feel a little uneasy watching it sometimes when I am alone. It’s such an incredible and important film that set the bar for modern day Sci-Fi. Cartwright was very candid with her many stories of production and working with Ridley Scott. Tom Skerritt was a man of few words but seems to have fond memories of working on the film. No one knew how essential this film was at the time, but here we are almost thirty-five years later still discussing the chest bursting scene. They talked about working with Giger, Bolaji Badejo, and the infamous cat. Cartwright also talked about continuity and the severe plotholes with PROMETHEUS which is exactly what the rest of us thought after watching that abomination. This was such a cool panel!







We also got to check out the Danny Trejo panel. Trejo is such a lively character! He talked about his troubled past and brushes with the law. He discussed how he came to turn around his life and currently works with troubled youth to aid them in choosing the right paths. He explained that someone once asked him if he feels stereotyped as the “mean & scary Chicano.” His response was,

“I AM the mean & scary Chicano!”

It’s really inspiring to see an actor who came from an unconventional background and experience great success in the film industry. He genuinely loves the work he does. Danny Trejo is the real deal! He spilled a few secrets about MACHETE KILLS. An audience member asked what his favorite part about working with Robert Rodriguez was. Trejo responded, “Jessica Alba….Amber Heard…..Michelle Rodriguez…” This was definitely one of the most entertaining panels I’ve ever seen.







Sunday we watched a documentary called ADJUST YOUR TRACKING: The Untold Story of the VHS collector. This was a really interesting film for the VHS collector in me. Although, my collection is nowhere near as vast of some of the subjects in the film. Some collections ranged from 2,000 to 20,000! One guy basically converted his entire basement to a video rental store complete with a counter and computer log. Another guy spent $660 on one extremely rare tape found on ebay. I often find myself explaining the importance of VHS; it’s truly an under appreciated form of media. Only about 25% of ALL films ever made were put onto VHS. Now only 50% of those films have made it to DVD. There are films I own that will NEVER be on DVD or BluRay. This doc did an excellent job explaining the relevance of VHS. It also showcased some local haunts like I Luv Video and Vulcan Video. As a little girl, there was nothing more exciting than going to the video store and picking out a movie based on how disgusting the cover art is. As an adult, there’s nothing more exciting than drinking free beers on Tuesday night at I Luv Video and picking out films to watch. Long live VHS!





The most anticipated panel of the weekend was the final panel: Tom Savini. Prior to the panel, I saw him sitting at his booth. I stared in awe of his glory. An older woman next to me asked if I knew who he was. I began rattling off his extensive resume. She asked about the glossy photo of him with Jason Voorhees and various other monsters. I simply said,

“Yeah, he created those. He’s a big deal.”

The woman said, “Then I guess I better get his autograph.” Savini is as important to the horror genre as John Carpenter or Wes Craven. Those guys came up with the ideas, but Savini brought them to life. He single handedly changed the shape of special effects and make-up in films. The man has so many engaging stories from his 40 yr + career. I could listen to him talk for days. In fact, one of my favorite audio commentaries is from DAWN OF THE DEAD in which he and Romero shoot the shit throughout the director’s cut. My only complaint is when audience members ask mundane questions that anyone who reads IMDB or listens to commentaries already knows the answers to. Savini is a cornucopia of knowledge in this field which is why he has his own Special FX School. One of his own protégé Greg Nicotero has gone one to start KNB Efx Group. Nicotero is also the man behind The Walking Dead TV series. The most revealing part of the panel was when Savini explained how he was up for the role of The Governor on TWD! David Morrissey has filled the role nicely, but I would’ve loved to see Tom Savini take a stab (no pun intended) at that character. The resemblance to the comic book Governor to Savini is truly uncanny. Most of all I enjoyed hearing him talk about what it was like to work on a Tarantino set. He recently had a small role in DJANGO UNCHAINED. This may have been the most informative panel yet.





In addition to all the cool panels we went to, we got to see a few other celebrities at their respective booths. Virginia Madsen is very pretty in person. I wanted to tell her how much I loved her in CANDYMAN. I saw Evil Lynn from MASTERS OF THE UNIVERSE aka Meg Foster. I was talking to Steve Niles at his booth and up walks Jeffrey Combs from RE-ANIMATOR! I got a little star struck when Chris Sarandon walked by me. Out of all the celebrity guests, writers, and artists, Ross was most excited to see James Hampton. We know him as the dad from TEEN WOLF. Overall, I had a fantastic time. Hopefully, I can go again next year! Special thanks to Ross Ott photography for the pics.

holy shit

Dearest Readers,

Most of you are aware of my unusual obsession with all things macabre. You know my affinity for horror films, serial killers, monsters, taxidermy, martyred religious saints, etc. I think it's safe to say I've seen it all. That's not a brag, just facts. Whatever you lay on me, I can handle. Just the other night I saw a film with a dog eating a man's penis, in 3D no less! However, today I may have possibly stumbled upon the scariest thing I've ever laid my eyes on.

I dare you to watch for yourself and better yet, I beg you to find something more frightening. Prepare to have your mind blown!

Most Anticipated

As many of you can see, I am a big fan of lists. This time of year I'm usually perusing film sites for upcoming releases. All the "Must See" lists for 2011 have been pretty lukewarm. Honestly, I could care less about whatever "comic book to film" installment is coming out this year. I have no interest in most sequels and I'm officially boycotting the new Batman film (Ann Hathaway as Catwoman is a joke). It's nice to know that several of my "Most Anticipated Films for 2010" will probably be nominated for Oscars next week. By the way, I'm backing Colin Firth 100% for Best Actor in THE KING'S SPEECH.

Like I said, 2011 looks like it will be a great year for film. I cannot wait for PIRANHA 3DD, BIUTIFUL, SOMEWHERE, and HUMAN CENTIPEDE- FULL SEQUENCE. Here's a few other films I am looking forward to:

KABOOM
"A sci-fi story centered on the sexual awakening of a group of college students."

This is the newest film from director Greg Araki. To tell you the truth, I wasn't that big of a fan of DOOM GENERATION, but I did enjoy MYSTERIOUS SKIN. MYSTERIOUS SKIN was also the film that made me realize Joseph Gordon-Levitt is a decent actor (he did do some stuff between 3rd Rock From the Sun and INCEPTION). I'm curious to see what kind of nightmare Araki has conjured up now.

THE TALL MAN
"When her child goes missing, a mother looks to unravel the legend of the Tall Man, an entity who allegedly abducts children."
Horror is my favorite genre hands down and as I've said before, the French are really making waves in the horror world. You might remember director Pascal Laugier from his previous film MARTYRS. Many people referred to that film as "torture porn." I really hate that term because I feel like people are quick to slap a label on something they cannot understand. I am interested to see how Laugier's art will translate to English with American actors.

VERONIKA DECIDES TO DIE
"The story centers on Veronika, a woman in her mid twenties who appears to have everything: good looks, good job and a great life ahead of her. Yet she decides to end her own life."
Wow, I've been hearing about this film since 2008 and it's still not yet released. Supposedly there is a November 2011 US release, we'll see. The film is based on a novel by Paulo Coelho that takes place in Slovenia. The film stars Sarah Michelle Geller as Veronika. I just hope it doesn't disappoint all those Buffy super fans (myself included).

JULIA'S EYES
"It's the story of a woman who is slowly going blind whilst at the same time trying to uncover the mysterious death of her twin sister."
I really think Guillermo del Toro is hit or miss. People always rave about PANS LABYRINTH, but I really think THE DEVIL'S BACKBONE was a far superior film. He produced this Spanish film directed by Guillem Morales. Spain has been consistently producing great horror films so I'm excited to see this one.

DON'T BE AFRAID OF THE DARK
"A young girl sent to live with her father and his new girlfriend discovers creatures in her new home who want to claim her as one of their own."

This is actually written by del Toro. It is a remake by a fairly new director. Most people have never heard of the original television movie. It does star Katie Holmes whom we can all agree sucks. However, it also star Guy Pierce who is an outstanding actor. We'll see how it goes.

RAMPART
"Follows veteran police officer Dave Brown, the last of the renegade cops, as he struggles to take care of his family, and fights for his own survival."

This is based on a story by a favorite author of mine, James Ellroy. You may be familiar with The Black Dahlia and LA Confidential. Steve Buscemi and Woody Harrelson both star. Director Oren Moverman recently did THE MESSENGER which earned Harrelson his second Oscar nomination. Hopefully this will be better than the film adaptation of THE BLACK DAHLIA, no disrespect to Brian De Palma.

SHELTER
"A female forensic psychiatrist discovers that all of one of her patient's multiple personalities are murder victims. She will have to find out what's happening before her time is finished."
I'm not a huge fan of Stephen King's writing, but I do enjoy his films. I've heard this is a pretty good adaptation of one of books. Jonathan Rhys Meyers (who I absolutely love) and Julianne Moore both star.

RED RIDING HOOD
"Set in a medieval village that is haunted by a werewolf, a young girl falls for an orphaned woodcutter, much to her family's displeasure."

First off, I am very hesitant to watch anything remotely related to TWILIGHT. Director Catherine Hardwicke also did the first TWILIGHT movie as well as THIRTEEN. My favorite actor of all time, Gary Oldman stars in this reboot. I'll pretty much watch anything he is in, including THE FIFTH ELEMENT. Virginia Madsen and Lukas Haas also star.

MELANCHOLIA
"Two sisters find their relationship challenged as a nearby planet threatens to collide into the Earth."

Chaos still reigns. My Lars Von Trier obsession grows daily! What would possess Charlotte Gainsbourg to work with this insane genius again? Maybe she's just as crazy as he is. Supposedly, each morning while filming DANCER IN THE DARK, Bjork would say, "Mr. Von Trier, I despise you," and spat at him. Von Trier recently made a comment about how his films will have no more happy endings. I never realized he made any happy films! Kirsten Dunst stars in this film and I question her qualifications. She recently defended Von Trier saying, "There's poetry in the way he tortures women." For her sake, I hope she's right.

A DANGEROUS METHOD
"A look at how the intense relationship between Carl Jung and Sigmund Freud gives birth to psychoanalysis."

What can be said about mastermind David Cronenberg that hasn't already been said. Viggo Mortensen as Sigmund Freud is almost too perfect. This film should be very interesting; Cronenberg never disappoints!

THE SKIN THAT I INHABIT
"Based on Thierry Jonquet's novel "Mygale", this revenge tale tells the story of a plastic surgeon on the hunt for the men who raped his daughter."

The latest film from celebrated Spanish director Pedro Almodovar. I really like BAD EDUCATION and his most recent BROKEN EMBRACES. I definitely look forward to this one.

THE RUM DIARY
"Paul Kemp is a freelance journalist who finds himself at a critical turning point in his life while writing for a run-down newspaper in the Caribbean."

I feel like I've been waiting forever to see this film released and this is the one I am looking forward to the most. I love the book and I have no doubt Johnny Depp will do Paul Kemp justice and make Hunter S. Thompson proud. Depp was extraordinary in FEAR AND LOATHING IN LAS VEGAS. I'm just so excited to see it.

What are you guys looking forward to?