Archive for the ‘Events’ Category

Event Coverage: Terror Expo

Posted: February 6, 2016 in Events
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Event Coverage: Terror Expo

by: Jenicide

Over the past few years, San Antonio has begun to shine for its resident horror fans. We already have the San Antonio Horrific Film Festival, Monster-Con, and now this year, Terror Expo, billed as the city’s “Premier Horror, Villains, and Sci-Fi” show, has emerged. Anticipated as the biggest horror show in town, Terror Expo was launched in January 2016 and is brought to you by the founders of Alamo City Comic Con. Located in one of the large exhibition areas at the Henry B. Gonzales convention center, downtown in the Alamo City, fans from here and abroad gathered together to join in on the fun.

The celebrity lineup was excellent, ranging from classic icons to modern day actors, fans were able to meet and greet with all the guests at their table. One of the headliners, Cassandra Peterson, donned her infamous alter-ego “Elvira” all day Saturday. Meanwhile, Robert Englund, best known as Freddy Krueger, reunited with his A Nightmare on Elm Street alumni Ronee Blakley, Leslie Hoffman, Jo Ann Willette, Amanda Wyss, and Lisa Wilcox. The Elm Street gang had a fun and playful Q&A panel on Saturday. “I’m outnumbered by the Ladies of Elm Street!”, joked Englund. Other guests in attendance included Tobin Bell, Sid Haig, Tara Reid, Denis O’Hare, Bill Moseley, C. Thomas Howell, William Zabka, Major Dodson, Scott Wilson, and Denise Crosby.

Of course, one of the big attractions when attending these conventions is scoring some sweet merchandise, whether it’s an awesome t-shirt, beautiful original artwork, or some obscure b-movies. One of the vendors that stood out was Pallbearer’s Press. At this table, a person could nearly flip out over the stacks of new and used horror soundtracks, all on vinyl. I myself picked up a clean copy of the original Fright Night soundtrack, plus a great t-shirt of the Texas Chainsaw Massacre II. Pallbearer’s Press resides in the Austin area, for all you horror fans interested. We also ran into another fellow Austinite, artist Dale Carroll, whose creative horror prints are hauntingly gorgeous. Some would even make better posters than the originals! Rock Rebel Shop also deserves a mention, offering horror fans attire and accessories, from a glow-in-the-dark Universal Monsters t-shirt to a Rocky Horror Picture Show handbag, this store made a perfect fit at the con.

 

Overall, Terror Expo offers an enjoyable horror experience. The guest lineup was impressive and the Q&A panels were both amusing and engaging. Likewise, the vendor stands were loaded with all sorts of appealing merchandise. Although the show ran slower than most, with no activities set for day 1, the rest of the weekend made up for it, with back to back guest panels and a greater amount of cosplayers in attendance. Hopefully, Terror Expo will become a horror staple in the San Antonio scene for years to come.

Event Coverage: Pigstagg Creature Double Feature at the Josephine

Posted: February 10, 2015 in Events
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by: Pontifex Aureus

The first time I went to the Josephine Theatre, I was smitten—powerfully and immediately smitten with the place. It sits at the far west end of Josephine Street, the sole sign of life in an otherwise desolate stretch of nighttime road. It is close enough to the hustle and bustle of St. Mary’s Street that I could probably hear the music coming from the White Rabbit if I tried, and it may be that this lonely street might likewise be lit up with bars and restaurants someday in the near future, but for now it is dark and solemn—befitting of, what is to me, a sacred cathedral.

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It’s an old place, classic, but not in a self-consciously retro sort of way, it’s just distinctly ‘of the past’. The Josephine opened its doors in 1947 and, as was common for the era, had a now-unthinkably huge 700+ seating capacity to accommodate all the surrounding neighborhoods. Like many other classic movie theaters, it faced a slow decline during the 70’s culminating in bankruptcy, but the Josephine was among the theaters lucky enough to be saved. Standing inside, I’m greeted with a cool-blue interior decorated with large etched-glass depictions of fairy tale characters. It’s dark, with the muted elegance of a Bogart-era nightclub. Now sporting a bar and lounge-area and a more reasonable amount of seats, the Josephine is looking a little more modern, but its old-fashioned charm still shines through.

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Tonight especially, the place has special significance. The lounge is filled with vendors and movie-goers here for the monthly Pigstagg Creature Double Feature. Since late December of 2014, David Gore of Pigstagg Records & Video, in conjunction with George Ortiz of theHorrific Film Festival, have come together to host a monthly double-feature movie event at the Josephine, celebrating classic schlock, horror, and cult movies from the old-school—absolutely nothing made past 1989. Previous showings include: Return of the Living Dead, Nightbreed, Heavy Metal, River’s Edge, The Wraith, and Trick or Treat. And while not always strictly horror, I promise all you horrorphiles out there: you will not want to miss out on this treasure-trove of cinema gold.

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(left to right) David “Pigstagg” Gore, Tony Chainsaw, and George Ortiz

The setup at the Josephine is unique; with its large, open floor-plan, you can choose the traditional route of sitting in the actual theater, or you can choose to relax in the lounge and watch the movie from the comfort of your table. Being as there is a bar in the lounge, you can easily get up, order yourself a drink, and not miss a minute of the movie. If two movies sounds like a lot to sit through, don’t worry; there is an intermission between movies, enough time to stretch your legs and perhaps check out some of the vendor’s tables in the lounge. The Pigstagg Records & Video table is there, of course, offering a range of schlocky, obscure movies for your viewing pleasure. This is a full evening of entertainment, 2 movies back to back, all for the price of $10 ($5 with costume and $5 for kids).

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This series of double-features will be running from now until November, on the last Saturday of each month. This month’s event will take place on February 28th and will feature two street-gang classics: The Warriors and The Wanderers. And don’t forget, come August, the Josephine will also be host to this year’s Horrific Film Festival, where you’ll be able to enjoy a slew of independent horror films and celebrity guest stars. If you’re a horror-lover living in San Antonio, or simply a movie-lover in general, this is where you should be in 2015. So come and join us at the Josephine and see for yourself what kind of magic this old theater still holds.

R.I.P. Bloodthirsty Thursdays: Paying Respects to a San Antonio Horror Phenomenon

Posted: January 16, 2015 in Events
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Horror friends, we are gathered here today to pay our respects to a great friend—a friend who could take a perfectly tedious day like Thursday and turn it into a holy-day for the horror faithful, a friend whose monthly morsels of the macabre eased our gore-hunger, and made all the non-Halloween-months a bit less lame; this friend, Bloodthirsty Thursdays, is gone now, but shall remain with us in our hearts.

Born on August 12, 2010, Bloodthirsty Thursdays came ripping to life at the Alamo Drafthouse movie theater with a triple-feature showing of the first three Friday the 13th movies. Unlike most new institutions, there was no gradual, word-of-mouth climb to success; the event was immediately popular, the auditorium was packed on that first day and would be packed for every event from then on. Demand was great enough that it was necessary to hold 2 showings, one at 7 and another at 10. And so it was that the second Thursday of every month would come to be known as Bloodthirsty Thursdays.

It really was a beautiful tradition, watching a horror movie on the big screen—some old favorites, some little-known gems, whatever was playing was worth the ticket price. The man behind Bloodthirsty Thursdays, Kelly Warren Hammond, would be there himself at each event to curate the evening’s proceedings, providing us with movie trivia, and sometimes handing out prizes. From all over the city, San Antonio’s horror community would gather and, for at least that day, we were among our own kind—fellow gore-hounds, thrill-seekers, gothic romantics, and horror cinephiles all drawn to the flickering flame of the silver screen, gathered before it like worshipful druids, bound together by our reverence and passion. This was the true magic of Bloodthirsty Thursdays.

And that is what I find myself missing most of all. I miss the company of my fellow San Antonio horror compatriots. Sure, some of us still meet up for informal get-togethers, but nothing can quite compare to the feeling of all of us there as a united entity, strangers no longer, for simply by being there we each knew something of the other—we love horror. When Bloodthirsty Thursdays passed away in 2014, that community of horror-lovers once again dispersed into the loosely-connected nomad population it had been.

And so, my fellow horror enthusiasts, it is with some bitterness that we must bid Bloodthirsty Thursdays a fond adieu. But rather than focus on our terrible loss, let us instead remember the good times, the many happy evenings spent in the cozy confines of a theater seat, eyes raptly glued to the screen. Shed a tear if you must and drop a handful of dirt upon the Drafthouse box-office as you pass it, and remember that something great once lived there.

Event Coverage: San Antonio Zombie Walk 2014

Posted: November 8, 2014 in Events
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We here at splatterjunkie.com decided to attend this year’s annual San Antonio Zombie Walk and it was phenomenal! There were lots of music, food, drinks, and costumes, costumes, costumes! But why read about it when you can check it out for yourself with this Video Report! Enjoy!

Event Coverage: San Antonio Monster-Con 3

Posted: October 9, 2014 in Events
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Event Coverage: San Antonio Monster-Con 3

by: Pontifex Aureus

The Wonderland of the America’s Mall (formerly Crossroads Mall) is a funny place. Despite it’s new, loud-orange paint-job, the unmistakable vibe of the 80’s still haunts the place; you can see it in the odd bits of neon pink and turquoise that still remain here and there. It must have been a real beauty in its time, but like many older malls, Wonderland had had the symptoms of Dying Mall Syndrome for many years. The place was a ghost town—no people, empty shops; its decay was a sad thing for those who still remembered its glory days. The next step would have been to quietly go out of business, but astonishingly, that never happened. Somehow or other, the mall lingered on, refusing to die, and eventually a new kind of life seeped back into the place.

Rather than returning as a regular mall, Wonderland came back different; it has become like the public access version of a mall where everyday-people can go in there and open up shop. This has given rise to some truly unique and quirky stores that you’d never see in your average mall. It is also home to the Santikos Bijou, San Antonio’s only full-time art-house movie theater. You’ll find a different kind of crowd at Wonderland; you’ll find seekers of the odd and the hard-to-find. So it’s no wonder that out of this new atmosphere came the San Antonio Monster-Con.

The Monster-Con is a natural continuation of Wonderland’s spirit of indie oddity. Unlike most conventions, the Monster-Con is absolutely free to attend; there’s no bracelets, no passes, just show up and enjoy two days of horrific entertainment and shopping. It is very low key so you won’t find any huge prize-giveaways and you’re not likely to see Robert Englund there anytime soon, but that’s what I really love about it. It has a certain DIY rawness to it, like a horror-style flea market, that makes me feel truly close to the local horror scene. There’s no excessive gloss and flash standing between you and the people there.

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Monster-Con, now in its third year, is still a relatively new institution, but it has grown by leaps and bounds. There were easily twice as many vendors there this time as compared to the first Monster-Con and the variety of merchandise was wonderful. You could find collectible toys, books, comics, and original artwork. Among my favorites was a delightful Victorian hat shop called Caveat Emptor that made some really excellent hats, with the ladies hats being particularly stylish and elaborate.

And in addition to the visiting vendors, there’s also the aforementioned quirky shops native to the Wonderland Mall. For example, those of you who are really into dressing up for Halloween might consider heading over to Creeping Beauty, Inc. Creeping Beauty is a makeup and hair salon with a horror twist; in addition to the more traditional salon services they offer, the ladies there can also deliver top-quality horror makeup. They have done work for movies and professional photo shoots as well, so if you’re a filmmaker or a photographer, go check them out.

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Wonderland is also home to a true underground San Antonio legend: Creepy Classics. I initially discovered Creepy Classics some years ago at their old location on San Pedro avenue—a small, creepy shack of a building containing golden VHS treasures. Since then, they’ve gotten considerably bigger. In addition to movies, they also sell a variety of horror-themed memorabilia and collectibles. They regularly tour horror conventions and are, in fact, one of the major sponsors of Monster-Con itself.

There’s lots more to do at Monster-Con besides shopping of course. Like any good convention, Monster-Con has its share of panel presentations and celebrity guests. Among the guests this year was Billy Blair, who has been in movies such as Sin City: A Dame to Kill For and Machete. Billy hosted a panel of his own where he discussed his recent work on the upcoming film Blood Sombrero. Extreme Horror author Tim Miller, whom we mentioned in our Horrific Film Fest article, was there as well and to give a presentation on writing horror fiction—invaluable information for those looking to get into horror writing themselves. Other panels touched upon topics as varied as ghost hunting, prop-making, and cyberpunk culture.

Monster-Con was also host to the 5 Minutes of Fear mini film festival, which I really got a kick out of. Held in its own viewing room, the mini film festival featured horror movies limited to a 5 minute running time, so you get an intense, rapid-fire horror experience within a very small amount of time. The films ran continuously back-to-back so you could pop in and out whenever you liked, which was good because there were lots of other things to see and do. For example, there was the zombie pin-up girl costume contest, where local ladies got the chance to get zombied-out and then gussied-up in their best retro pin-up attire. Monster-Con visitors were also treated to a musical performance by the young men of San Antonio’s School of Rock.

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All in all, the Monster-Con is a great destination for San Antonio-area horror-lovers. The only thing I can say against it is that there is perhaps just a little too much of a sci-fi element for what is primarily a horror convention. Admittedly, the sci-fi and horror genres have always been known to be frequent bedfellows, but in those cases, I think of the movie Alien or John Carpenter’s The Thing. I certainly do not think of Star Wars. I felt that the frequent lightsaber battle displays that occurred on-stage, though enjoyable, somewhat detracted from the horror vibe of the con. But don’t let that dissuade you from going, the Monster-Con is still a great example of underground, independent horror togetherness and you owe it yourself, San Antonio, to go out there next September and feel the horror love.

Event Coverage: San Antonio Horrific Film Fest 7

Posted: September 9, 2014 in Events
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Event Coverage: San Antonio Horrific Film Fest 7

by Pontifex Aureus

I’d like to begin with an apology. I am not a writer, let alone a journalist; this instrument is new to me and if from time to time I hit a discordant note or lose my rhythm, I’m sorry. If this apology sounds like a case of “please don’t yell at me, I’m new”, well…maybe it is a little. But mostly, I just wish to make it clear that I don’t imagine that I’m a journalist just because I say so. I intend to earn that distinction, readers.

In the meantime, bear with me as we embark on a journey through San Antonio’s Horrific Film Fest 7. I have tried to recreate, in semi-stream-of-consciousness style, the experience of actually attending the film festival for those of you who missed it or have never been at all. I hope you can get some idea of what it’s all about from this firsthand, first-person perspective. So here we go; this is your very own virtual tour—a little slice of life from Day 2 of the festival, August 29th, 2014, presented by your humble narrator, Pontifex Aureus.

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The Westlakes Alamo Drafthouse: an import from Austin that found its way to San Antonio and breathed new life into the husk of the old Westlakes Movie Theater, now a holy ground for movie-lovers—especially today. Today we have here the seventh annual San Antonio Horrific Film Fest, the brainchild of horror filmmaker George Ortiz, director of House of the Demon and the upcoming Applewhite Bridge—a film based on San Antonio’s own local legend, the Donkey Lady.

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I enter the Drafthouse and walk down the theater hallway. I slip on my Friday the 13th Jason mask; dressing up in costume is not only allowed, but encouraged by way of an admission discount. Up ahead I see the first of the merch tables; the dull orange glow of the interior lighting gives them an appropriately dusky look—a horror bazaar by candlelight, almost romantic.

To my right I see, sitting at a table, Alfredo Lopez Jr., an accomplished artist surrounded by a gallery of prints. Drawing inspiration from horror, sci-fi, comics, and pop culture he freely combines elements from all four to create unique and often humorous illustrations. He’s done work for Marvel, Image—he even created the poster for this very film fest. My favorite: iconic pop-rock star Morrissey, drawn as a child, playing with a bunny. Adorable.

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To my left, Ju Gomez, from Virus Comix has his own artwork on display. Virus Comix offers independent comic book creators to have their stories published and seen within their regular series of collected works, Viral. Specializing in gory horror fantasy, Virus Comix offers up the blood and guts in hearty helpings, all within a deep mythology of demonic creatures and epic battles. Other titles include Bloke’s Tomb of Horror and Son of 6.

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Moving further down the hall, I come upon Pigstagg Records & Videos. If the video-store of old is truly dead, then here at least is its vengeful ghost…a lean, mobile operation specializing in the odd, the collectible, the hard to find. Laid out before me like a weird buffet are the “cultest” of cult classics—Castle Freak, Mandroid, American Gothic; the schlock is so thick you could make a gravy out of it. They’re on tour now, working the convention circuit, but when they’re not, you can find them at their stand in Alamo Market Shopping Center on Hwy 90.

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Right next to Pigstagg is horror author, Scott A. Johnson, who has with him the collected ghost stories and urban legends of both San Antonio and Austin in his two books, Ghosts of San Antonio and Haunted Austin, Texas as well as a collection of short stories entitled Droplets. A true-believer in the paranormal, Scott did a series of pieces for dreadcentral.com, called Cold Spots, exploring haunted locations all across the country.

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Further down I see none other than Amelia Kinkade, well-known to horror connoisseurs as Angela, from the Night of the Demons series of films. The ever-gracious Amelia was kind enough to reenact her famous dance scene for last night’s triple-feature of all of the Night of the Demons movies. Now devoted to her work as an animal psychic, she travels the world using her abilities to help bridge the emotional gap between humans and animals. Merging her horror-film past with her current role as animal benefactor, she has created her own charity called No Horror for Animals.

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I turn to my right and see there horror author Tim Miller. If you’re a fan of horror fiction but you feel like most books simply can’t shock you anymore, then perhaps Tim Miller’s extremely gory, ultra-graphic books might give you the jolt you’re looking for. Tim’s book Hell, Texas was considered so objectionable by Apple that it was banned from the iBooks store (yet ironically, Apple appears to be just fine with the Marquis de Sade’s 120 Days of Sodom, which remains for sale). Luckily, Hell, Texas and all of Tim’s other books are still available on Amazon.

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Right across from Tim is Eugene Clark, who played the “big daddy” zombie in George A. Romero’s Land of the Dead. Eugene began his career as a star football player for UCLA before going on to join Canadian football team, the Argonauts. I am told that Eugene himself will be on hand to lead the Saturday zombie-walk being held in the ample parking lot of the Drafthouse. Regrettably, I was unable to attend the zombie-walk so I can report no further on it.

I move past the last of the guest tables and enter the theater. Inside I find San Antonio’s dedicated horror fan base waiting for the next movie to begin. George Ortiz is there, in fact, he was everywhere, since George personally oversees the operation of his film festival. The next film, In the Shadows, is about to begin as I take my seat.

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In the Shadows:

The film begins with a man driving. He talks on the phone to his friend; they’re meeting up tonight to play darts. Suddenly, the driver sees a masked man in the road and narrowly avoids hitting him. As the film progresses, the masked man and other masked individuals sporadically emerge from the shadows to torment and harass our protagonists.

The film is not bad considering that it was made by very few people and for very little money. I’d say its greatest weakness is its derivative home invasion premise. Even the masks looked a little like 2008’s The Strangers. Still, a great example to aspiring filmmakers; you don’t need much to make a film, just gather some friends and get to it.

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As the movie ends, George comes up to the front of the theater, bringing with him the creators of In the Shadows. Like many independent filmmakers, George has been to his fair share of film festivals, but found that it was quite difficult for the filmmakers to get any real attention. So for his film festival, George gives every single filmmaker a chance to come up for a few minutes and talk to the audience. He believes that the filmmakers’ interaction with the audience (some of whom are fellow filmmakers) provides them with valuable criticism and direct insight into how their films affect the viewers. After the makers of In the Shadows answer a few questions from the audience, the lights go dim again and the next film, Caught in My Eye, begins to play.

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Caught in My Eye:

As the movie begins, we see a shabby man leading a solitary existence; he becomes aggressive with a prostitute. The narrative shifts to a young female model and we see the man beginning to stalk her in increasingly disturbing scenarios, including a particularly nasty scene of the man masturbating outside her window. Ultimately, the man breaks into her home and faces the model in a final confrontation.

The first thing that I notice immediately about the film is the exquisite camera work. The lighting, the framing, color, focus—all impeccable. The story itself is ok, but there is no real suspense or thrills; we are simply watching a stalking occur in a fairly straightforward fashion, moving from one creepy set piece to the next, so that the film feels more like a series of vignettes rather than a cohesive whole. The final confrontation offered no surprises either and the film ends with a rather campy “You could be next!” line. I know it seems like I’m being unduly critical, but only really well-made films like this can capture my attention so fully. It is so beautifully crafted and has so much scare potential that I can’t help but wish that the story was a little better.

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The film ends and George walks up to the front once again, this time with William Instone, the director of Caught in My Eye. William takes a few questions from the audience and discusses the challenges of creating the film and of filmmaking in general. As it turns out, William goes on to win the prize for Best Director this year—a distinction well-earned for his masterful camerawork and visual style.

At this point, I take my leave and our virtual tour of Day 2 of the Horrific Film Fest comes to an end. If you live in San Antonio and love horror movies, make horror movies, or dream of making horror movies, then this should be your Mecca. I was really astonished by the rather low audience turnout as I know from my own experience that San Antonio has a varied and lively horror fan-base. And it really is a shame that out of the 23 independent movies shown, only 2 were made by local San Antonio filmmakers. If you are a San Antonio filmmaker interested in the horror genre, then you could not ask for a better local venue; at the Horrific Film Fest, you will be seen, you will be heard, and you may even walk away with a beautiful custom-made trophy—a bronze chainsaw that is an exactingly detailed replica of the one used in the 1974 film, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre. And to all of you San Antonio horror fans: get out there and show your support! Unlike some other film festivals that are ridiculously over-priced, you can attend the entire 4-day Horrific Film Fest for 10 dollars per day, or 7 dollars per day if you’re rocking a sweet costume. Overall though, the film festival was an outstanding success and is getting bigger and more elaborate all the time. Next year’s Horrific Film Fest 8 promises to be even bigger and better than ever.

 

2014 Horrific Film Fest Winners:

Best Director: William Instone

Best Feature: Army of Frankensteins

Best Actor: Gerald Grum

Best Short: Night of the Sea Monkey

Johnson Family Writer’s Award: James Christopher

Best SFX: Scars

Audience Choice Award: Make It Stop

Best Sci-Fi: Army of Frankensteins

Best Producer Screenplay: Velvet Vengeance