As you all may have heard, I was given the opportunity to sit down on the Horror on the Web panel at Fangoria Weekend of Horrors this past weekend. While I didn’t get to spend as much time as I would’ve liked at the event – my panel was Sunday at 4 in the PM – I did hear a few exciting stories that all serve some good fun. There was everything from no sequel for MY BLOODY VALENTINE 3D, at least that is what was mentioned at Patrick Lussier’s panel. And another exciting bit of news is how damn cool DRAG ME TO HELL is starting to look. I’m hearing some amazing stuff on this flick, so here’s hoping that Sam Raimi is truly returning to his f*cked up horror roots.
As for next year, I’m hoping to see more of the convention, but thankfully I did get some quality time with a handful of favorites of my favorites. As I went onto the main floor, I ran into a ton of genre folks including Bill Moseley from THE DEVIL’S REJECTS, Ashley Laurence from HELLRAISER, William Ragsdale from FRIGHT NIGHT and don‘t forget the lovely Christa Campbell (2001 MANIACS). I also ran into a clown that had his hand cut off by a ninja, courtesy of the boys over at Pitchfilms.com and their CLOWNS VS. NINJAS booth. I really love the entire mood of Fango Con. You’ve got all sorts of guts and grime walking the convention floor as we all get a chance to say hello to our favorite horror celebrities, or spend a bunch of money on DVD’s, t-shirts or even tattoos. In the years since my first time at Fango, it has become a bigger and better place where all sorts of people in the horror world come together. Whether it be the writers and directors themselves, or all the fans who get a chance to rub elbows with their favorite horror stars, it’s just a bloody good time.
It is also a terrific place to create interest in your films. Two of my favorite genre peeps were there promoting their latest film WALKING DISTANCE. It is a welcome return for Adrienne King who played Alice in the original FRIDAY THE 13th, and I hope that it leads to bigger and better things for her. Also, sitting just next to her was the just plain awesome, Reggie Bannister from the PHANTASM franchise. It was exciting to talk about the film and to see what else Reggie has got coming out this year. The man’s been busy. But I’m hoping for fun times with WALKING DISTANCE as the trailer intrigued me quite a bit.
The beauty of Fango Con is how really likeable and open all the talent seems to be. I chatted with Caroline Williams from THE TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE PART 2, and the soon to be seen H2… If you don’t know what that is, you haven’t been reading the site as of late. But in case you haven’t, I’m talking Rob Zombie’s Halloween 2. Caroline is fairly new to the convention circuit and she was honestly excited to be a part of it. There is a really friendly and sincere vibe going on all around. And that goes with the fans too. Whether wearing a costume or just hanging out in hopes to talk to Tobe Hooper, everyone seems to be excited to be a part of this world. It is strange to me that the genre has always been looked down upon to a certain extent. This is not quite as evident today, but there are still critics of it that will never be open to horror. Oh well… their loss.
So with all the craziness set aside, and all the shop talk going on, I made my way to the panel. While I was a little nervous, I am happy to call most of the folks from the other websites friends and I was more looking forward to talking about the world of on-line horror. With Ryan Rotten (Shock Til You Drop) moderating, and a cast of characters as colorful as their websites, we spoke to a surprisingly decent sized audience. I was happy to see some familiar faces in the room, including a fellow who I met on the Metro Rail going into the convention. He came all the way from Texas for the convention and seemed to be having a good time. Thanks for stopping by dude.
We all chatted about the state of internet journalism and horror with a martini in one hand and a microphone in the other. It was a light-hearted and very funny conversation. Uncle Creepy (Dread Central) is always hilarious and Staci Layne Wilson (Horror.com) was as lovely as ever… as was RobG with Icons of Fright (with whom I finally met face to face). It was just a good time had by all. I have to say, the highlight for me personally was not spilling my martini until the very end as I complained about the lack of respect some mainstream critics give horror… luckily I was almost finished with it. But there were some terrific stories shared across the board, and a laugh of two as the group watching seemed to not be horribly bored.
In the end, I have to say that credit should go where credit is due. And that would be The Arrow himself for creating this impossibly cool site, which I had no problems sharing at the panel. I was absolutely proud to represent Arrow In The Head which is still my favorite horror website and I am utterly thankful that I have the opportunity to write for both AITH and JoBlo.com. And I also have to say thanks for everyone that stopped by to say hello at Fango. I was really pleased to talk with you all and I look forward to catching you at Comic Con this summer. Keep your eye’s out for the video coverage of Fangoria Weekend of Horrors 2009, coming soon.
Did I happen to mention… the lovely and talented Christa Campbell?
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