FANGORIA’S WEEKEND OF HORRORS CHICAGO

Posted by Canfield at 2:35pm.

Posted in Random Geek Talk .

Attention all Chi-Towners and those nearby. This February 22-24 Chicago will host yet another Fangoria Weekend. I always have a blast at this thing whether its just hanging out in the huge dealer room, helping Horrorbles and other vendors at their booth or meeting and interviewing talent. This is one of the best of the annual horror conventions to hit our neck of the woods.

The guest list this year is great from top to bottom. Lots of local talent, some unexpected surprises and convention favorites will be joined by A listers like Robert Englund aka Freddy Krueger, and Kane Hodder aka Jason Voorheis who will head up a Friday the 13th Reunion that sees Mama Voorheis and various other cast members holding court. Guests at these events fall into a couple of categories. Englund gets flown in, does his thing and leaves. Great but very, very busy guy. Then there’s Hodder, Sid Haig (Captain Spaulding) Ari Lehman (Young Jason) and other celeb regulars that hang out for hours and hours making themselves available for face time etc. Tony Todd (Candyman), the guys from the Sci Fi Channel series Ghost Hunters and cast members from the exceleent upcoming horror thriller The Signal will also be there.

But my favorite encounters are the ones that I thought I’d never get to have. Present this year are Douglas Buck whose remake of Brian Depalmas Sisters has been well received and whose Family Portraits is just dynamite. Talented man. Ray Wise is best known for his current stint as Satan on the TV show Reapers but he was also Leland Palmer in Twin Peaks and has starred in truly fun horror films like the independent horror comedy Dead End and Jeepers Creepers II. I’ve had a few opportunities to meet genre legend Adrienne Barbeau but this may just be the year I take the plunge (gosh she’s rather a tiny thing).

And I just found out I have an interview scheduled with none other than Neil Marshall of Dog Soldiers and The Descent fame. I love those two films and look forward to getting a little face time with their creator while he talks about his new flick Doomsday.

And last but not least by a long shot on my list of must-meets is Richard Kiel who for some odd reason has been relegated to the “Autograph room with the (yawn) so called scream queens. For those who don’t know Kiel’s work just think of classic episodes of Twlight Zone and Wild Wild West, camp fun like Eegah! And The Monkees. And, oh yeah…THE BEST VILLAIN IN THE HISTORY OF THE WHOLE JAMES BOND FRANCHISE Jaws!!!

Local Filmmaker/Entrepenuer Rusty Nails has helped arrange a great two night series of double features at the Music Box Theater in conjunction with the screenings already at the convention hall. Sadly I won’t be able to make it to see Shrooms and I’ve already seen the film Them that Dark Sky is presenting (great btw). But these two nights will more than make up for what I’ll miss.

Friday, February 22: Mad Mama Double Feature
10 p.m.: FRIDAY THE 13TH (with live cast reunion and introduction).
Midnight: INSIDE.( À l’intérieur) This French film directed by Alexandre Bustillo has gotten a lot of enthusiastic press and I anticipate staying up waaaaaaaaaaay past my bed time to find out if it’s worth the hype.

Saturday, February 23: Wes Craven Double Feature
10 p.m.: A NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET (introduced by star Robert Englund and screening from a gorgeous new 35mm print)
Midnight: SWAMP THING (introduced by Adrienne Barbeau
and screening from the extremely rare unrated version)

You can go here to purchase tickets only for the Music Box screenings. But my advice is to make a weekend of it.