(CONVENTION RECAP) HORROR IS THRIVING AND 'TEXAS FRIGHTMARE 2023' IS PROOF
Horror conventions still feel like a surreal experience to me. As a 38-year-old horror fan, I wasn’t even aware that there were horror conventions for the first half of my life. Sure, I read Fangoria and saw pictures of the Weekend of Horrors, but that felt like something I’d never experience myself. Turns out I was wrong. While the Weekend of Horrors may be no more, there is a bevy of conventions that have emerged to bring horror fans together with horror creators, celebrities, filmmakers, and vendors. One of the most coveted is the annual TEXAS FRIGHTMARE WEEKEND. For the first time in a new venue in Irving, TX, Macabre Daily was honored to be invited to attend the event and report back on why no one messes with Texas when it comes to horror cons!
Of all the horror conventions out there, Texas Frightmare Weekend might be one of the most stacked with respect to the guest list. The marquee headliners consisted of two maestros of the macabre JOHN CARPENTER and SAM RAIMI, but that’s only the tip of this massive lineup of horror icons and creators. One of the best parts about these conventions is that you get the chance to interact with some of your favorite folks in your favorite films, and often ask them a few questions about what they are working on or the films they have appeared in. The diversity of guests this year was wide and deep covering well-known classics such as HALLOWEEN and KILLER KLOWNS FROM OUTER SPACE alongside some newer emerging favorites such as TERRIFIER 2 and MALUM.
Some guests drew a larger crowd than others, specifically JOHN CARPENTER, SAM RAIMI, and DAVID HOWARD THORNTON. JC was sectioned off on a specific floor to accommodate the high volume of fans who wanted autographs on their favorite items, and this actually helps with the overall flow of the convention floor so you don’t have too many large lines emerging preventing people to pass through. Some of the most interesting guests are the ones that you don’t often get a chance to see. One such example is ANDREW ROBINSON (HELLRAISER), who is still going strong at the age of 81 years old. Many will know the story about how he improved the “Jesus wept” line, and when I asked him why he thought this was the better line he told me that the original line (“fuck you”) was too crass for someone as complexly sociopathic as Frank. He felt that the line should reflect the characters' unholy disrespect for the rules of Heaven and Hell. It’s the kind of exchange that makes attending cons like these such a treat. Stories from the people who lived them told to you intimately 1-1.
Andrew Robinson was someone I was dying to meet and he had “such stories to tell me”
Alex Winter confirmed (sadly) that FREAKED 2 is probably not gonna happen…
THE PANELS
While many flock to conventions to get memorabilia signed the other major draw is the guest panels. For those who enjoy hearing stories directly from the actors, filmmakers, and contributors there is no better experience than a horror convention panel. Thankfully, Texas Frightmare Weekend does not disappoint with a panel schedule so good some even lined up early to get in. The panels were all held on the 3rd floor of the convention center which helped to free up traffic in the exhibitor room as well as minimize noise bleed from the rest of the attendees.
Since no photography or video was allowed in the panel and screening rooms, I did my best to try and capture some notes from my favorite panels. First up was “Her Name's Christine: 40 Years of CHRISTINE.” Everyone’s favorite killer car film had a small cast reunion for the 40th anniversary including MALCOLM DANARE, WILLIAM OSTRANDER, STEVE TASH, and PAUL SALFEN. One of the key takeaways from this was their earnest respect for the fans who have kept the legacy of the film alive all these years, in spite of the fact that it didn’t do all that well upon initial release, a common thread in the cult classic world. When asked if the stars knew if Christine would be a hit they lamented how in spite of his popularity as an author, many of King’s adaptations on screen didn’t perform well. They were all enthused to work with Carpenter on a King story, but the resulting reception wasn’t what they thought it would be at the time. Thankfully, the film has found it's following over the years.
By far my favorite panels were “Robots, Monsters, and Slashers, Oh My! The Actors Who Bring Nightmares To Life” and “Eat, PREY, Live: AMBER MIDTHUNDER, DAKOTA BEAVERS, and DANE DILIEGRO.” For the first one, the panelists consisted of famous character actors such as EILEEN DIETZ, ANDREW DIVOFF, AMIE DONALD, NAOMI GROSSMAN, JOHN KASSIR, QUINN LORD, and JAMES WALLACE. All of the panelists have played roles that you likely know, but maybe didn’t recognize them from given their voice(s) and face(s) are likely covered in makeup. When asked what it’s like seeing the characters they played being cosplayed at conventions they are humbled by the admiration and love when fans interact with them sharing their reasons for loving their films. Eileen Dietz told us about fans who tell her how much THE EXORCIST scared them and her comment is quite apt, “Glad I scared the shit out of you” she exclaimed to the eager crowd. They also honored the newest and youngest horror icon from M3GAN, Amie Donald, and offered her words of wisdom from those who have been in her shoes.
Finally, the PREY panel was an absolute blast. Amber, Dakota, and Dane all shared stories about training for the film and about how much effort was spent to make things as authentic as possible. The cast spent weeks at a training camp to learn how to shoot and fight like how the Commanche warriors would have. Not only was it refreshing to see Indigenous voices represented in a panel, and it was also a pleasure to see how much they responded to people’s positive reception of the film. While they couldn’t offer any insight on any new entries in the franchise, they all exclaimed they would love to do it again, and even see The Predator in Feudal Japan!
The MALUM folks are a cut above the rest!
SCREENINGS & VENDORS
One of the lesser talked about advantages of attending horror conventions is the access to screenings. Given that the creative team behind MALUM (a Macabre Daily favorite) would be making an appearance I had to go and see the film during the late-night Saturday screening. While I was fortunate enough to preview the film before release, no theaters had it within range for me to go see with a crowd, and boy am I glad I did. The sound design is made for a great audio system and the horror beats are even more fun with others reacting to them. The MALUM folks (SAM BROOKS, ANTHONY DIBLASI, BRITT GEORGE, and CHRISTOPHER MATTHEW SPENCER) even stuck around for an over 90-minute Q&A with attendees going into the early hours of the morning.
When it comes to horror merch, Texas Frightmare Weekend is the candy store equivalent for horror fanatics. ARROW VIDEO, a frequent topic of discussion over at the Collector’s Crypt, was the head sponsor and a had great table of flicks including their soon-to-be-released ARROW’S ENTER THE VIDEO STORE box set. Comprised of 5 Empire Pictures films that were surely staples in your local video store, this box set includes new scans from ARROW as well as new features for the films. Alongside Arrow, both SEVERIN FILMS and VINEGAR SYNDROME had tables with their most recent releases as well as deep-cut catalog and OOP items. Some “Alternative Movie Poster” favorites such as MATT RYAN TOBIN and GARY “GHOULISH” PULLIN were exhibited along with TIMOTHY PITTIDES who created the official Texas Frightmare Weekend artwork. Among the sea of vendors there also included some independent filmmakers such as BLOODY BILL PON and UNEARTHED FILMS proprietor STEVE BIRO. All in all, it’s easy to go to Texas Frightmare Weekend and spend a lot of money on some pretty amazing stuff. I’m not embarrassed by how much I spent, but I sure did have some explaining to do with my wife when I got home.
A sincere “thank you” to the team at Texas Frightmare Weekend for allowing us the chance to come and check out the convention. We almost certainly will be back and would encourage anyone who can make the trip to do so next year. Not only is the location ideal with restaurants and bars nearby, the team that makes this event happen are some of the best and most professional in the business. If you’re looking for your horror community, look no further than Texas Frightmare Weekend!
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