Lost Weekend - Part Three

By: Andrew Hershberger
Date: Monday, February 04, 2002

In parts one and two of CINESCAPE's coverage of Fangoria's Weekend of Horrors convention, we looked at the many independent filmmakers who visited the event in hopes of promoting their home-made horror films. Today in the final part of our report, we recount the "big names" who showed up at the convention, which took place at New York's Brooklyn Marriott Hotel on January 5th and 6th.

We've already told you about the hopeful indies trying to make a splash at the Weekend of Horrors, but what about the celebrities? Fear not, for we'll be wrapping up our coverage with a little section called:

ANDREW'S KUNG FU, KICK-ASS DIARY OF EVENTS SEEN AND UNSEEN AT FANGORIA'S WEEKEND OF HORRORS

(A bit modest, don't you think?!)

January 5, 2002

Prior to

my arrival four events had occurred a Greeting (12:20 pm), Previews (12:30 pm), WENDIGO director Larry Fessenden talking about this highly praised new film (1:00 pm) and Edwin Neal (the Hitchhiker in THE TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE) (1:30 pm) so I made a note to wear my watch the next day. After a brief perusal of the various venders, celebrities and home grown filmmakers I stopped at the Media Blasters table, one of my favorite up and coming DVD companies, and muttered a few things about liking their stuff and then bolted to the auditorium. In progress was a second set of trailers, only two of which stood out. The preview for M. Night Shyamalan's SIGNS, which concerns crop circles and stars Mel Gibson, was featured, and to these eyes it looks like the director is going to live up to the promise of UNBREAKABLE. Better, much, much better, was a sneak peak at Don "BEASTMASTER" Coscarelli's BUBBA HO-TEP featuring Bruce Campbell as an aged Elvis battling an Egyptian spirit, and I'm glad to say this film looks incredible, better than that, this looks like the Bruce Campbell showcase film fans have been waiting, and waiting, and waiting to see.

2:30 pm

and time for the RESIDENT EVIL preview and panel, featuring Michelle Rodriguez, Milla Jovovich and director Paul Anderson (EVENT HORIZON). Michelle Rodriguez, it turns out, was unable to attend. "Gee," I though, anticipating half the remaining two, "I wonder if Milla still looks like a guy." All fears of masculinity in THE FIFTH ELEMENT were quickly dispelled as a very long, very dull behind-the-scenes promo film played. "Gosh darn, Milla's hot," I thought, and so did a few hundred other attendees. Nobody cared when it came time to talk that she came across as a speed freak. "Look's like Milla's been hitting the coffee pretty hard," I said to the person next to me. "Shut the fk up," was the reply. Anderson talked about his love for the game, his script and the film skirting the NC-17 line (DVD should have an uncut version). Milla talked about her involvement in the RESIDENT EVIL project seems she has a 13-year-old brother who loves the game and, to accommodate audience requests, spoke like her FIFTH ELEMENT character, hugged an audience member, and briefly talked about her music career. (Hasn't had time to be in the studio and lay down tracks, but just wait!) Both were rather gracious in spending extra time to sign autographs.

3:00 pm

and it's time for the Horror Trivia Contest, and time for me to go back and talk to the guys from Media Blasters. Folks, I've got to say, Media Blasters is one of the best home video companies out there, releasing some kick ass anime (Anime Works), Asian horror (Tokyo Shock) and eurohorror (Shriek Show) on DVD and VHS (check out their site at www.mediablasters.com). At the table was Andrew Vidal, controller, and Chet Brier. I asked Brier what some of the hot titles coming out were and here's a short list: For anime check out MEZZO FORTE. From Tokyo Shock: BLACK ANGEL 1 & 2, GONIN 2. From Shriek Show: BEYOND THE DARKNESS and ZOMBI HOLOCAUST (a.k.a. DR. BUTCHER M.D). Great guys who never once threatened to beat the living crap out of me.

3:15 pm and FX artist Gary Tunnicliffe was featured in the main auditorium. He spoke about the DRACULA 2000 sequels (why they should exist, he did not say), his work on the numerous HELLRAISER sequels that clog up the cable stations and a little film called HALLOWEEN: THE HOMECOMING, but I had passed out and didn't wake up till he was answering the most important special effects question ever! Where do you get that hollow tubing in order to simulate spurting veins? The answer? Why, it's aquarium shops silly!

4:15 pm

means time for the RETURN OF THE LIVING DEAD reunion, my most eagerly awaited event. Though the promos promised actors James Karen, Linnea Quigley and Thom Matthews, only Matthews was able to make it, but it proved no problem since the guy could certainly hold the floor for thirty minutes. Easygoing and candid he spoke with great fondness about the film, saying how great it was to be working with James Karen and that Karen was always ready with a great story about his acting days. In fact the impression left was that the whole experience was a joy from start to finish. Not so with RETURN OF THE LIVING DEAD II, which the actor stated that he didn't enjoy, both as a job and as a film. Matthews satisfied film requests to say a few lines and mentioned that he's still working in film and also construction.

4:45 pm: A short film played, FATAL KISS, written and directed by Jeff Rector. Featuring Mr. Rector, James Karen, Tane McClure and Kato Kaelin, it was an interesting, if a bit overripe comedy about a man who decides to become a vampire after learning of his wife's infidelity.

Rounding out the events of the day were TEXAS CHAINSAW 2's Bill Moseley, also featured in HOUSE OF 1000 CORPSES (5:15 pm) and Freddy himself, Robert Englund, who I was told was very kind in staying late to sign autographs.

January 6, 2002

12:00 pm - things get underway with a half hour of Previews.

12:30 pm and the DVD Panel got underway. Now as a DVD fanatic, I must say it was a real treat to see four great labels represented: Synapse Films (Don May Jr., www.synapse-films.com ), Anchor Bay (Michael Felsher, www.anchorbayentertainment.com), Media Blasters (Edwin Samuelson) and EI Independent Cinema (Mike Raso, www.eicinema.com). Sounds like a lot of great packages are going to be coming our way. Perhaps the biggest news of all is Anchor Bay's plan to release a three-disc set of DAWN OF THE DEAD containing three different versions of the film! Synapse has a double disc set of STREET TRASH in the works that is going to be packed with extras and they're also set to release Radley Metzger's long sought after THE IMAGE, uncut. Media Blasters has a deluxe version of the Lucio Fulci's brilliant ZOMBI 2 (a.k.a. ZOMBIE) in development. EI Independent Cinema continues their quality releases of sex-spoofs with PLAY-MATE OF THE APES and be on the lookout for Al Adamson's THE NAUGHTY STEWARDESSES. (More release information can be found on each label's respective websites.)

1:00 pm: Sci-fi/horror producer Richard Gordon is introduced with a series of clips from his most popular work (FIEND WITHOUT A FACE, CORRIDOR OF BLOOD, INSEMINOID, all available on DVD). A rather polite, if prone to ramble, British gentleman, Gordon was responsible for creating some of the more memorable genre films from the '50s through the '70s. He spent a good deal of time reflecting on his days in the business and his experiences with such well known horror icons as Boris Karloff and Christopher Lee, when suddenly out of nowhere comes Radley Metzger to present him with a Fangoria award. The crowd suddenly goes wild, people are crying, little children are throwing rose petals into the air, centaurs leap out from behind the stage and... well, alright it wasn't that big a response, but it was, as the kids say, damn cool. Coming across like a man in awe of Gordon, Radley starts talking about his days as a film heckler, when he first met Gordon while ribbing one of his films. "That bastard, I'll kill him," whispered the guy next to me, who was promptly told to shut up and just as quick complied. Radley then attempted a funny tale about how nobody talks about Gordon the actor. "Guy think's he's Jean Shepherd, well he ain't," said Mr. Next to Me, who was promptly kicked in the back of the head. A meek "sorry" and some tears came out. As the Metzger story goes, Gordon's feet stood in for an actor during a scene of Metzger's THE CAT AND THE CANARY. As the accolades wrapped up and Gordon went to sign autographs, a rap group appeared out of nowhere and started kick'n it old school style:

Give me a G (g)! Give me a O-(o)! etc., etc.

Who da  masta of da mo fo  horra in da house!

G-G-G-G-G Gordon!

Alright that didn't happen, but it should have.

1:30 pm: Producer/director/actor

Richard Driscoll talks about his new film KANNIBAL featuring Linnea Quigley and I head back to the convention. Wandering about looking for the talking Krusty doll, who should I run into but Anchor Bay's Michael Felsher! In spite of my "Kill me, I'm Psycho" t-shirt he spent a few minutes shooting the breeze with me about Anchor Bay, which mostly amounted to my gushing about the company. Suddenly, and I don't know the exact chain of events cause I was hitting the coffee pretty hard, Felsher asks me if I'd like to see an advance copy of the EVIL DEAD:THE BOOK OF THE DEAD collectors packaging, designed by Tom Sullivan. Now usually I hate all that collector's packaging crap wow a tin! but this, this is the good stuff baby! Casually flipping through the pages I read a few of the liner notes out loud. Immediately the kid next to me, his eyes rolled into the back of his head, his face got all varicose veiny and before you know it, he's stabbing me in the ankle with a pencil. It's that good! In a grotesque amount of insufferable pain now, I bid Felsher, and the convention, goodbye and headed off to the nearest free clinic.