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HORROR 101: THE A-LIST OF HORROR FILMS AND MONSTER MOVIES  VOL 1

Oct. 5th-7th, 2007

October again, and that means many different things for us horror fans.  The time of the year where horror fans seem almost normal....almost.  But one of things that October means to me is the month always starts off with our bi-annual trip to Ohio for the Cinema Wasteland show.  This was show #12 for them.  It's been 8 years since they've started this shows, and it still remains our favorite show to do time and time again.  We always have a great time at the show.  For us, this show is not just about the celebrities there, or the dealer's room, or our friends.  It's about all of the above.  If there's a show that has a guest lineup that we aren't that excited about, like this one, there is still plenty enough there to keep us entertained.

This year's main theme was Michael Myers.  They had 7 different people that played Myers over the years: Tommy Lee Wallace, Tony Moran, Tom Morga, Chris Durand, George Wilbur, Jim Winburn, and Don Shanks.  Since we're not that big of a fan of the series past part 2, they didn't have much of a draw for me.  But of course, from the looks of the packed room for the Q&A session, I was a minority.  Though, it still amazes me that when I was walking through the dealer's room, seeing all of the Myers people charging $20 to sign your own item.  But what amazes me even more is that obviously people are still paying it.  Just don't get it.

But one guest that was at the Wasteland, that I actually met for the first time at the very first Wasteland show, was Ted V. Mikels.  I sat in for a bit of the Q&A with him.  It still amazes me the technical knowledge of filmmaking this man has.  I really don't think there is a step in the filmmaking process that Ted doesn't know how to do.  Add to the fact that he is probably one of the nicest people you could meet, and he really is a great guest.

Also at the show roaming around, was author Christopher Wayne Curry.  Curry wrote an incredible book on H.G. Lewis called A Taste of Blood a few years ago.  And now has a new book on Mikels coming out from McFarland, called Film Alchemy: The Independent Cinema of Ted V. Mikels.  For fans of the independent market, I'm sure one could learn a lot about that business from someone who has done it all.  Curry spent many, many hours interviewing Mikels about his movies, going into great detail of the behind-the-scenes production and just what really is involved in making films.  Can't wait to read this one.

Another returning guest that always has some interesting stories was Charles Band.  This guy has been responsible (or to blame, depending on the movie) for tons of lower budgeted films, including the PUPPET MASTER series, the SUBSPECIES series, and just a few more.

Two new guests this time out were the remaining stars from THE DEVIL'S REJECTS, William Forsythe and Leslie Easterbrook.  Forsythe was a lot more fan friendly that I thought he would be, taking the time to chat with his fans.  Though, was he wearing the same black t-shirt and black shorts the whole weekend???  Easterbrook was a real doll.  Can't imagine here as the demented Mother Firefly when you see her in person.

Other guests included Kyra Schon, Gary Kent, Leonard Lies, and the ever present and entertainingly talented Tom Sullivan.  So even if you weren't a big fan of the HALLOWEEN series, there was more than enough to keep you busy.  And that's not even including the plethora of horror dealers waiting to help you add to your collection!  At least that's the way I see it.

We also bumped into our buddy John Pata, director of the short film BETTER OFF UNDEAD.  If you're not familiar with this film, check out our review archives and read up on this one.  Made for mere pennies, this entertaining little zombie movie shows that if you have the desire, passion, and talent, you can turn out something entertaining with little or no money.  And not only that, but it was actually made in Wisconsin?!?!?  You can check out their MySpace page for more information about them and the movie.  And even though the movie is only 30 minutes long, they pack that DVD full of extras, including 4 different audio commentaries!  So make sure you check them out, and stay tuned for news about their upcoming projects.  John says he's writing his first full-length feature now, and we are looking forward to it.

As always, there were plenty of great movies playing over the weekend to keep you happy.  In the movie room, on a good old-fashion 16mm projector, they screened such classics as TWO THOUSAND MANIACS, BEYOND ATLANTIS, PIRANHA 2: THE SPAWNING, and quite a few more.

We did have one final highlight from the show.  On the way hope Sunday night, we past a car on the highway, completely engulfed in flames.  We didn't see anybody around the burning car, so were assuming nobody was in there.  We stopped long enough to snap a photo or two, but once the tires started to explode, we figured it was time to go.

So hopefully those that were there also had a great time, and those that didn't make it, hopefully we will see you there in next year in April.  I know we'll be there.

Now here's some of our photo highlights from the show.  Enjoy.

MICHAEL MYERS ARE LOOSE!

WILLIAM FORSYTHE

LESLIE EASTERBROOK

TED V. MIKELS