Discover the Horror Episode 29 – Conventions: Dealers!

We’ve already discussed conventions from a fan’s perspective, so now we’re going to go to the other side of the table and discuss what goes into becoming a dealer, what that means, what it costs, and all the other fun stuff that comes with the territory, that maybe most fans might not be aware of!Hopefully you’ll find this episode insightful, informative, and even entertaining as you hear stories about what it takes to being a dealer. With two of your three hosts being dealers for over two decades, we’ve seen a lot and hopefully can shed some light on all the pros and cons of being on that side of the table at conventions.You can always let us know your thoughts about conventions, dealers, or just being a fan by posting comments here, or through our Facebook page or Instagram.

Discover the Horror Podcast Episode 26 – Conventions: The Fans!

Horror movie conventions are one of the best places to be at if you are a die-hard fan. There’s plenty to see, buy, and people to meet, both new and old friends, as well as celebrities. Horror conventions were a very important part of a lot of us horror fans “growing up” as we learned more and more about the genre, building our collections, or just meeting new people that have become lifelong friends, or even a wife!

This is our first part in a series of episodes on conventions, so we’re going to start out at the beginning for us, such as how they all started for us and which ones did we go to, to the current shows that we still attend.

These are the different conventions that we mention during this episode:

Chiller Theatre, Cinema Wasteland, Cinevent, Crypticon, Famous Monsters, Fangoria’s Weekend of Horrors, Fanex, Flashback Weekend, HorrorHound Weekend, Mid-Summer Scream, Monster Bash, Monsterpalooza, 25^th Anniversary Night of the Living Dead Convention, Scarefest, Texas Frightmare

Alive and Kickin’

Sorry for the lack of updates, besides a few RIP notices, which are never fun to post. We were at Flashback convention last weekend, and it honestly took a few days to recover. We’ve been there since the very first show and haven’t missed one yet, and always have a great time and so glad to be there to help celebrate their 20th Anniversary show! Mike and Mia and all the Flashback crew make it look easier than it really is, with the staff being so nice and helpful.

It was great to see so many horror fans coming through the door all three days of the show. There was a time at most conventions when Sundays were just for a few stragglers wandering around, but they were still lining up to come in that last day. Always a good sign for vendors! But it really is the afterhours conversations that is the highlight for me at these conventions. Getting to talk about our favorite genre with other friends is so much fun and always a great time.

Flashback Next Weekend!

Starting next Friday, Aug. 5th to the 7th, you’ll want to run off to Flashback Weekend that is taking place in Rosemont, IL, at the Hyatt Regency O’Hare. As always, they have a HUGE guest list, but if you’re a fan of the Nightmare on Elm Street films, then you don’t want to miss this one, since they have 10 guests from the series, including Freddy himself, Robert Englund! But there are plenty of other guests as well, such as director Steven Miner, who not only directed the second and third entries in the Friday the 13th films, but also directed House, H20, and Lake Placid, just to name a few. Then we have Alex Winter from Bill & Ted and Lost Boys, Brad Loree, Tom Jones Jr., P.J. Soles and John Michael Graham (Lynda & Bob) from the Halloween series, and so many more.

Flashback Weekend A Howling Success!

I just wanted to give a little bit of a shout out to Mike and Mia Kerz, and the whole Flashback Family, for giving us fans an incredible weekend. That was our first show in close to 2 years, which was just killing us not to be around our convention family and friends. But it did happen this last weekend, at the beautiful Hyatt Regency Hotel, and we had a blast.

I didn’t get a chance to take too many photos over the 3-day event mainly because we were so busy at our table! Never a bad thing. But we got to chat with plenty of fellow fans, sold a bunch of horror reference books, and got to hang out until the wee hours in the morning talking about the genre we love!

Flashback Approaches!

Our first real convention since October of 2019 is only 2 weeks away, and it looks like it is going to be HUGE! Moving to a new location, the Hyatt Regency O’Hare, this place looks to be not only a much bigger location, but is going to allow for even more fun. I can’t wait to be able to hang out with all our convention friends and family once again. It really has been way too long.

Return of the Kryptic World Tour

It looks like we will be returning to the convention circuit (if all still goes according to plan) at the end of July, for the Flashback Weekend, taking place in Rosemont, IL, from July 30th to August 1st. It’s been a long time coming, so we are very excited about it.

As usual, Flashback Weekend has come up with a wide variety of guests that should make all horror fans happy! They have Tobin Bell and Shawnee Smith from the Saw series appearing, Mark Rolston and Jenette Goldstein from Aliens (among many other roles), a Friday the 13th: A New Beginning reunion with Melanie Kinnaman, Deborah Voorhees, Dick Wieand, Ron Sloan, and Carol Locatell. Also on hand will be Kane Hodder and Nick Castle.

Horror Fans Rejoice at the Midway Drive-In

We normally do 8 or 9 conventions, or some other event like a 24-hour marathon, throughout the year. Of course, with all the current events, those have all been cancelled or rescheduled to next year, or at least they have so far. We’ll see how the rest of the year plays out, but I’m honestly not expecting much. So when the Midway Drive-In announced they were going to have a 2-day event, with Evil Dead star Bruce Campbell appearing both days, screening the Evil Dead trilogy, along with two other features, as well as having some vendors there, we knew we had to be part of that. Friday, July 10th, they would be screening Evil Dead 2 (1987) and then Army of Darkness (1993). On Saturday the 11th, they would be screening Evil Dead (1981) with a 4K restoration with new sound mix and score by original composer Joseph LoDuca, The Beyond (1981), and finally I Drink Your Blood (1970). Not only would there be horror vendors and raffles, but Mr. Campbell would doing a Q&A before the features. It would also be a chance for fans to have some sort of a convention or event to head out to and have fun. And that is exactly what happened.

Bruce Campbell at the Midway Drive-In

Are you anxious to get out of the house and see some classic horror films in the theater? Wait? Indoor theaters not open yet? No worries. Now is your chance to still go to the theater and see some classic horror films on the big screen, all from the comfort of your own car!

Oh yeah… Did I mention that Bruce Campbell will be there as well.

On July 10th & 11th, the Midway Drive-In in Dixon, IL, will be hosting the one and only Bruce Campbell for two nights of fright films that we all love. Now this isn’t the usual event at the Midway, so you’ll need to head over to the Flashback Weekend site (just click HERE) for all the ticket information, as well as the latest information about the event.

Also, because of Covid-19, there are new rules that MUST be followed. Click HERE for those rules and policies. Remember folks, this is about keeping everyone safe, from you and your family, to everyone else coming out to enjoy the evening. So please make sure you read and follow the rules and we can all still have a safe and fun night at the drive-in.

Here is the events planned for each night:

Midway’s Dusk to Dawn Horrorfest

At the recent Flashback Weekend, they announced the date for this year’s Dusk to Dawn Horrorfest and 3 out of the 4 features they will be screening. And as always, it is one you are not going to want to miss.

Taking place on Saturday, Sept. 21st, they will be screening undoubtedly one of the scariest films ever made, The Exorcist (1973). I know the first time I watched this was on TV in the severely edited version and it still kept me awake at night. It is a film that still packs a punch and has not lost any of its effectiveness to creep into the audiences’ psyche. With great performances from Jason Miller, Max Von Sydow, Lee J. Cobb, Linda Blair, and of course, Ellen Burstyn, who gives a performance that I think is one of the reason this movie is so powerful, since we are living through her character. Not to mention the incredible makeup effects by Dick Smith (and his young assistant Rick Baker). Seeing this one the big screen will really be a religious experience!