Archive for Horror Conventions
Horror Realm Almost Here
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Horror Realm, coming September 17th through the 19th, is Pittsburgh’s modern horror convention. Entering its second year in 2010, the convention celebrates the films, art, writing and culture of the modern era of the genre, which began with the release of George Romero’s iconic zombie film, Night of the Living Dead, in 1968.
The Pittsburgh area has a rich horror history. Numerous horror movies have been filmed in the region including Night of the Living Dead, the original Dawn of the Dead, Martin, The Silence of the Lambs, The Mothman Prophecies and My Bloody Valentine 3D, to name but a few. The region has also spawned a number of popular television horror hosts from “Chilly Billy” Cardille to the fictional Count Floyd (from SCTV).
Horror Realm is proudly produced by native Pittsburghers as a hometown convention celebrating the local horror influences as well as to serve as an attraction for horror aficionados everywhere. The convention hopes to spur tourism interest in the area as well as economic development for the venue and surrounding areas.
Horror Realm features:
· A dealer room with local, regional and national vendors offering various horror-themed items for sale such as movies/DVD’s, apparel, jewelry, collectible figures, comics, make up and decorations, artwork, etc. The show also includes a tattoo room and gaming room.
· Well-known celebrity guests from horror and zombie films including Ken Foree, John Amplas, Bill Cardille, Debbie Rochon and Tiffany Shepis, among others. The 2010 show features reunions of the cast and crew of the films Basket Case, Night of the Living Dead and Dawn of the Dead. The Basket Case reunion is the centerpiece of the convention, featuring rare appearances by director Frank Henenlotter and stars Kevin Van Hentenryck, Terri Susan Smith and Beverly Bonner.
· Author panels featuring award winning, best selling and emerging horror writers such as Jonathan Maberry, Kim Paffenroth, Rhiannon Frater and many more appearing courtesy of Library of the Living Dead Press, Permuted Press and Joseph Beth Booksellers.
· A film festival celebrating the spirit of independent films and highlighting local filmmakers through the Pittsburgh Film Workers Association annual awards program as well as a short film contest sponsored by Bastards of Horror.
· Special sneak preview of the feature film Chain Letter, due in theaters on October 1
· Best Horror Tattoo and horror trivia contests
This year’s convention includes new entertainment events:
· Friday night Horror Cabaret featuring music by Kevin Van Hentenryck, stand-up comedy by Beverly Bonner and performances by Pittsburgh’s own Evenings in Quarantine: The Zombie Opera and ElectroBelly and Friends belly dance group. The show starts at 10:30 PM and admission is free.
· Night of the Living Dead costume ball sponsored by Magic Hat Brewing on Saturday night beginning at 9 PM. The ball features a DJ, dancing, cash bar, costume contest and silent auction to benefit United Cerebral Palsy and The Epilepsy Foundation. Admission is free with a weekend pass or Saturday ticket; otherwise $5 at the door. Open to 18 and older with a valid ID.
· Little Monsters intro to horror program on Sunday morning at 10:00 for kids age 12 and under. Featuring a costume parade, goody bags, a reading from Grunge Bob Camo Pants by author Robert Cordray, and a screening of Mad Monster Party.
For more information: Horror Realm
Stoker 2011 Weekend – First Shot
Posted by: | CommentsHorror is in the midst of an evolution – an evolution that’s breaking down genre walls and expanding boundaries like never before. For the savvy writer, there’s a bigger market than ever for dark fiction – you’ve just got to know how to package and sell it.
Stoker Weekend 2011 (June 16th – 19th at Long Island, New York) will be dedicated to expanding on the definition of horror as it’s come to be known through popular culture. As the borders of the genre have broadened so magnificently over the past decade, the focus of this convention will be on writing outside the traditional genre box. Guests, workshops, and panels will reflect the many subtleties of the genre — in all its shades and variations.
Stoker Weekend 2011 will place emphasis on the creation of distinctive dark fiction versus imitation of prescribed genre conventions. Unlike gatherings of horror writers past, the convention will embrace the written dark word in all its forms. From prose to poetry, screenwriting to graphic novels, from horror journalism to horror blogging, Stoker Weekend 2011 will embrace the myriad shapes, forms, and hues of horror. From two-hour intensive workshops (with no added fees) and thought-provoking panels, to opportunities to pitch to New York’s top publishers, editors and agents and the 24th Annual Bram Stoker Awards, this convention will be packed with programming choices for all levels of writers.
Why attend? For the new or aspiring writer, career exploration; for the semi-professional writer, opportunities to advance your career to the next level with opportunities to meet agents, publishers, and professional writers; for the pro, a thought-provoking re-examination of genre and strategies for keeping up and keeping current with what’s hot in today’s marketplace.
You can register here: Stoker 2011 Weekend
Autopsy of The Dead at Horror Realm
Posted by: | CommentsHorror Realm, Pittsburgh’s modern horror convention, honors the area’s horror roots with a screening of the documentary Autopsy of the Dead.
Autopsy of the Dead is a historical documentary which was produced to preserve the memories of the production of Night of the Living Dead through interviews with cast and crew of George Romero’s horror masterpiece. The documentary was produced by Jim Cirronella and directed by Jeff Carney.
Complementing the screening, Horror Realm is pleased to announce that the following cast and crew members of the original film will be appearing at the convention:
- Bill Cardille – The legendary Pittsburgh broadcaster who appeared in the film and is best known as host of Chiller Theater, which ran from 1963 to 1983. Mr. Cardille will be appearing on Saturday, September 18 from noon to 4 PM.
- Kyra Schon – Ms. Schon played Karen Cooper, the trowel wielding child zombie, in Night. She is the daughter of the late Karl Hardman, who played her father in the film and was one of the original ten investors on the film. She is also a talented sculptor and artist who enjoys making jewelry using the lost wax casting method.
- Bill Hinzman – He is best known as the cemetery zombie from Night, but Mr. Hinzman has also appeared in several other Romero films including the original version of The Crazies. He also directed and starred in the zombie film Flesheater.
- Gary Streiner – Mr. Streiner is one of the ten original investors behind the film and was also sound recording engineer and mixer for the movie. He is the founder of the Living Dead Festival which takes place in Evans City, PA, where Night was filmed in 1967, and an advocate for restoration of the Evans City Cemetery.
- Charles Craig – Charles Craig was not only the TV and radio newscaster in Night of the Living Dead but also appeared as a feature ghoul and a posse member.
- Dave James – A veteran newscaster who was a member of the original K-Team on KDKA radio in Pittsburgh, Mr. James appeared as a ghoul in Night.
- Herbert Summer – appeared as a ghoul in the film.
- Joe Unitas – Mr. Unitas was lighting supervisor for Night. He will have the original lighting kit from the film on display at the convention.
- Rick Catizone – Mr. Catizone was the animator for Night as well as Evil Dead 2 and the Romero films Creepshow and Creepshow 2. He will have original Creepshow and Creepshow 2 animation art on display and available for sale at the show.
- Lee Hartman – had multiple roles in Night, including a reporter, ghoul and posse member.
Guests will be on hand all weekend unless otherwise noted.
Horror Realm is sponsored in part by Library of the Living Dead Press, Rue Morgue magazine, Human Production Gallery and Magic Hat Brewing.
Horror Realm takes place September 17-19, 2010 at the Crowne Plaza Pittsburgh South. The convention is produced by Lifeless Entertainment Ventures and Horrorrealmonline.com.
World Horror 2011 Names Editor GoF
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The World Horror Convention 2011 has announced the addition of Brett Alexander Savory and Sandra Kasturi of ChiZine Publications, as Editor Guests of Honor. The international conference of horror’s premier talents and their fans will take place in Austin, Texas from April 28th through May 1st, 2011.
“In a very short time, ChiZine Publications has emerged as a leader in the dark fiction small press,” said convention co-chair Lee Thomas. “Besides producing high-quality books, Brett and Sandra share a remarkable vision. The stories they publish are outside the norm for both major New York publishers and the more established horror small presses. They have carved their niche, publishing extraordinary tales of the bizarre, and not only have they managed to survive in this fickle marketplace; they’ve thrived and grown. We can’t wait for them to share their expertise with our membership.”
ChiZine Publications is an independent publisher of weird, surreal, subtle, and disturbing dark literary fiction handpicked by Brett Alexander Savory and Sandra Kasturi, Bram Stoker Award-winning editors of ChiZine: Treatments of Light and Shade in Words. They have published the work of such esteemed authors as Tim Lebbon, Tony Burgess, Philip Nutman, Claude Lalumière, and Gemma Files among others.
Both Savory and Kasturi are authors themselves, so they have spent years in the trenches observing the evolution of dark fiction, both as a literary genre and as a business. Savory has had nearly 50 short stories published, and has written two novels. In 2006, Necro Publications released his horror-comedy novel, The Distance Traveled. September 2007 saw the release of his critically acclaimed, dark literary novel, In and Down, through Brindle & Glass. His first short story collection, No Further Messages, was released in November 2007 through Delirium Books.
Kasturi has written three poetry chapbooks and has edited the poetry anthology, The Stars As Seen from this Particular Angle of Night. Sandra is a founding member of the Algonquin Square Table poetry workshop and sporadically runs her other imprint, Kelp Queen Press. Her first full-length poetry collection, The Animal Bridegroom (Tightrope Books), features an introduction by Neil Gaiman.
Savory and Kasturi join award-winning authors Steve Niles, Joe Hill, Sarah Langan, Joe R. Lansdale, Brian Keene and guests Vincent Chong and Del Howison on the WHC 2011 guest list. In addition to participating in general programming the editors will be conducting a workshop on publishing for convention guests.
The World Horror Convention is an annual gathering of professionals in the horror industry: publishers, authors, artists, musicians, filmmakers, dealers and, of course, horror fans. WHC serves as both an industry insider’s networking event and a chance for fans of the genre to get together, meet some of the creative talents in the field, and generally spend a weekend celebrating All Things Scary.
Fright Night Film Fest
Posted by: | CommentsMichael West will be a guest at Fright Night Film Fest taking place this weekend from July 30 at 4:00 pm – August 1 at 5:00 pm at Louisville, KY 40299. He will be signing copies of his short fiction collection, Skull Full of Kisses, as well as Legends of the Mountain State 3 and other works. He will also have a limited supply of T-Shirts and mugs.
The festival features original horror films and shorts as well as stars from Hollywood hits. Roger Corman will receive the Lifetime Achievement Award at the festival’s Award Ceremony. Other guests will include Jacob Ennis, George Demick, Katie Stanley, Fred Bogert, David Sterling, George Bonilla, Stephen Zimmer, Nic Brown, Robert Freese, Kayla Perkins, and many more.
Activities will include Makeup War, Tattoo Awards, Music Mayhem, Into The Pit, Masquerade Ball, Georgetown Drive-In Event, the first public viewing of The Dead Matter, a filmmaker’s round table, and a whole slew of movie viewings.
It’s all happening at: 9700 Bluegrass Parkway, Louisville KY 40299.
For more information: Fright Night Film Fest
One Week Until Famous Monsters Convention
Posted by: | CommentsWith only about a week until monsters and mayhem take over Indianapolis, IN for the Famous Monsters Convention, they’re still announcing new additions to the guest lineup. Veteran horror actress Danielle Harris (the Halloween franchise) will be on hand at FM Con. Besides appearing in Halloween 4 and 5 as Jamie Lloyd, and in the Halloween reboot as the ill-fated Annie Brackett, Danielle will soon appear in the films Hatchet II and Stake Land (both of which will be covered in the upcoming FM #251) as well as William Forsythe directed vampire flick New Blood.
Real-life paranormal investigators and Ghost Hunters International alumni Shannon Sylvia and Brian Joseph Harnois will also be making an appearance, as will Michael Nicolosi, voice of the fan favorite character Clown on HBO’s 1997-1999 Spawn animated series.
Harry Knowles, Steve “Capone” Prokopy and Jarrell Jay “Father Geek” Knowles of movie megasite Ain’t It Cool News will be among the attendees. Harry’s nephew, who played The Kid Zombie from the movie Pathogen will be in attendance and it will be his first con (a male, time-honored rite of passage).
Unfortunately, due to scheduling conflicts, actresses Margot Kidder, Lori Cardille, and Kim Myers will be unable to make the convention.
The city of Indianapolis has shown Famous Monsters great affection spearheaded by the mayor, who will be performing the ribbon cutting ceremony to start this year’s FMCon. Guests will be arriving Thursday and into Friday afternoon escorted by a police motorcade from the airport to the Wyndham Hotel. Want to be on TV? Come to the Wyndham at 6:30, 7:40, and 8:40 AM Friday July 9th. The local morning show on FOX TV will be at the convention before it opens to air three live segments to kick off the con.
At the convention you will have the opportunity to register to win door prizes from Sideshow Collectibles all throughout the weekend.
Don’t forget, it’s not too late to avoid lines at the ticket booth. Preorder your FM Con tickets here: Famous Monsters Convention
Magic Hat Brewing To Sponsor Costume Ball
Posted by: | CommentsZombies, vampires, ghosts and even humans are invited to don their scariest finery for the Night of the Living Dead Costume Ball. The ball, sponsored by Magic Hat Brewing, is the featured evening entertainment event at this year’s Horror Realm convention.
The monstrous party gets under way at 9 PM on Saturday, September 18, 2010 at the Crowne Plaza Pittsburgh South Hotel. Admission is free with the purchase of a Horror Realm weekend pass or Saturday single day ticket; non-convention general admission can be purchased at the door for $5.
Party goers age 18 and up (proof of age required) are in for a howling good time, including:
- Devilishly hip DJ and dancing
- Cash bar featuring Magic Hat’s monstrously delicious ales
- Costume contest judged by several Horror Realm celebrity guests
- Creepy photo backgrounds to record haunting memories of the night
- Silent auction featuring cool and scary items up for bid. All proceeds benefit United Cerebral Palsy and The Epilepsy Foundation
Horror fans are invited to come for the convention and stay for the eerie event afterwards. Convention hours are Friday (9/17) 4 PM to 10 PM, Saturday (9/18) 10 AM to 7 PM and Sunday (9/19) 11 AM to 5 PM. Magic Hat will be the exclusive pourer of the convention bar for the entire weekend.
For all the gory details, visit Horror Realm Con
