Fangoria’s Weekend of Horrors

If there is one thing genre fans love more than genre films and magazines that report on genre films, it’s genre-focused conventions (“cons” for short, i.e. “Comic Con”) – gatherings of fans and industry professionals (and press!). While I’d feel pretty out of place at a Star Wars or Dungeons and Dragons  convention, I will feel right at home this weekend at Fangoria’s Weekend of Horrors, coming to the New York area this weekend (June 29 through July 1) by way of Secaucus, NJ. Secaucus is a five to ten minute train ride from Penn Station, and a familiar location to anyone who commutes via rail from NJ to NYC during the week.

Fangoria, for those of you who aren’t familiar with the magazine, is the world’s number premiere supplier of horror-related journalism, reporting on films, print, video games, toys, and any other form of media in which blood can be depicted. Fangoria is one of my favorite magazines.

There are tons of horror celebrities on the guest list this year, so I’m just going to name a few of the ones I’m excited about:

–Elisha Cuthbert (The Girl Next Door) and Daniel Gillies (Spiderman 2) who are the stars of the upcoming film Captivity, which has already been hotly debated and controversial film (due to it’s creepy-as-hell marketing campaign), drawing criticism Hostel 2 director Eli Roth, who blasted director Roland Joffe (The Killing Fields) for being uncooperative with the ratings board.

–David Arquette, actor, long-time horror fan, and writer/director of the Reagan-on-a-rampage indie slasher flick The Tripper, who I interviewed in April.

-Critic-pummeling German filmmaker Uwe Boll, who will be previewing his latest video-game adaptation, Postal, rumored to be one of the most intentionally-offensive films ever made (it’s ad campaign features a faux-endorsement by Osama Bin Laden – google it if you don’t believe me, and while your at it, google Bol beating the pulp out of a critic from aintitcoolnews in a boxing match).

–Stan Winston, the Oscar-winning creature F/X mastermind behind Jurassic Park, Predator, Aliens, and Terminator 2.

–Debbie Rochon, the supersexy cult movie bombshell and radio host.

-Comic book author Steve Niles, who I had the chance to talk to at New York Comic Con, creator of 30 Days of Night, the Cal MacDonald series, and recent B-movie themed City of Others and Alien Pig Farm 3000.

I’m also looking forward to the previews of 30 Days of Night, Resident Evil: Extinction, Rob Zombie’s Halloween, and Saw IV, and of course, a panel on Fangoria’s newly-released line of horror comic books. And of course there will be lots of free giveaways, merchandise for sale, and a costume contest.

The event is taking place at the Crowne Plaza Meadowlands Hotel (2 Harmon Plaza, Secaucus, NJ  09074), and the hours are as follows: Friday June 29, 2:00 pm – 8:00 pm; Saturday June 30, 10:00 am – 7:00 pm; and Sunday July 1, 11:00 am – 7:00 pm. Advanced tickets are $20, and are available at creationent.com, or at the door. Tickets for children ages 7-12 are $15 (at the door only), and admission is free for children 6 years or younger. If you have any questions, you can visit Creation Entertainment’s website, or call 818-409-0960.

And of course, check back with IONCINEMA.com this weekend for my coverage of the convention.