In The Helicopter Bay 9-18-11

Trying to nail down a rhythm in my blog-writing, and I think it'll come around once I'm used to my new schedule.  What I need to do is write about non-film horror subjects, like I had always intended.  Well, here are a few tidbits for this beautiful almost-fall day:

*  Speaking of writing blogs, I'd better get my rhythm together because I have decided that I will indeed write a comic book blog.  Its theme and tone will be similar to this humble blog, and I hope to delve into the mythology and symbolism of certain stories as well.

*  I also think I may try expanding into more genre films on this blog as well, such as martial arts films, grindhouse goodies, and whatever I think would be a good fit.

*  Recently, I received a very nice award from Pixie over at Pixie's Horror Galore, the "I Dig Your Blog Award."  It's always nice to be given a little recognition, and so I thank Miss Pixie for this and will place it over in my sidebar.  Now, the award comes with some criteria, but I'm going to go against the grain and modify some of them just a tad.  The first three criteria, I'll keep the same, which were to gratefully accept the award (which I did above), link to the the person who gave it me (which I also did above), and jot down three interesting facts about yourself (which I'll get to in a minute).  I'm going to add a few nice words about Pixie and her blog, and modify the original bestowing of awards on other blogs.

First, let me say that Pixie is a fresh new voice in the horror blogosphere.  Her enthusiasm and love for the horror genre cannot be measured, and that energy comes through in her written voice.  She's very funny and very nice as she engages all of her readers in conversation.  So thank you, Pixie, and keep up the good work!

Three mildly interesting things about me:

• I lived in Sweden for a year as an exchange student, and can still reach deep down in my subconscious to speak/read the language despite it being AGES ago.  It was one fantastic year.
• I worked at Walt Disney World in the 90's, first at Magic Kingdom then what is now Hollywood Studios (Disney-MGM back then). Three AMAZING years full of fun, mischief, and friends with whom I still keep in touch.
• I did play-by-play commentary for numerous wrestling companies throughout the midwest and also in Windsor, Ontario, Canada in the 2000's.  Some of the greatest adventures I ever had came during those road trips.

Now, as far as giving out awards, it's a slippery slope.  I know there are some that don't care for getting awards, especially those that require you to do something, like continue to pass it on.  I know there are some that absolutely love it.  So here's what I'll do:  see that list of blogs over there on the right?  Scroll down, you'll see all of them.  I list them here for a reason.  They're worthy of any award that finds its way to them and therefore if you have a blog listed there, consider yourself a recipient of this award.  I may also let you know in an e-mail or something at some point, and you can decide what to do with it.  If you do post it on your blog, consider it coming from me.  If you don't want to do anything with it, hey, that's why I'm doing it this way.

That being said, if you're reading this, have a really good blog, and think I should include it on my sidebar, then get a hold of me and show it off!

As for me, I'm going to put it on my sidebar and once again, thank Pixie for the award.

*  OK, what else is there today?  The weather here is getting cooler and crisper, and that means my favorite time of year is not far behind.  It's almost October, which will bring Halloween and of course, Chiller Theatre in Parsippany, New Jersey.  I am planning on being there, but won't be set in stone until I actually buy the tickets in advance.  Hopefully, my plans won't change!

Until next time, fellow zombie apocalypse survivors, enjoy the approaching autumn!

Chiller Theater Expo 2010: A Few Hours Of Horror Heaven

Hey, there, survivors. The WGON Helicopter landed for the first time in Parsippany, New Jersey, to attend the Chiller Theater Expo, and oh, what a beautiful experience it was, and not just because of Twin Peaks' Sherilyn Fenn:


It was a gathering of pop culture goodness, with the strongest concentrations in horror. The Hilton was packed to the brim with fans that were not only happy to be there, but happy to be amongst others of their kind: horror aficionados that wanted a personal experience with the stars and items of their favorite genre.

Overwhelming? You bet. Mostly in a good way, but "convention regret" did set in. So many things to buy, so many people to meet. Next time, I may have to bring enough money to feed a small country to do everything I wanted to do. In reality, I don't regret a single thing about my first experience there. I just wanted to be there. Any loot I scored was going to be a bonus.

Now, without further ado, some sights from this year's Chiller Theater Expo, starting with cult film legend Jeffrey Combs (The Frighteners, Re-Animator):


One of the most charismatic actors, and one who seemed to be entirely charming, William Forsythe (Devil's Rejects, Out For Justice):


Over on b-sol's report on the show, he focused on these dolls as well, but I had to show the awesome Nurse Zombie and Shaun of the Dead dolls on display:


As a young kid, I once had a terrifying night terror about these Zuni dolls from Trilogy of Terror, an incident that steered me towards the excitement and allure of the horror genre:



One of the main reasons I wanted to go was to meet people from the original Dawn of the Dead. There were several to choose from, and I really wanted to interact with them all, but I chose one to get the autograph and picture with using my limited funds. David Crawford, who plays Dr. Foster in the film, has a short part, but delivers some of the most memorable lines in any horror film:



Yeah, that's pretty damn awesome. Well, I have to say David Crawford was equally awesome in person. A friendly, funny guy who offered to "reenact" the scene with me:



Plus, he signed a picture with the exact quote I'd hoped he would include, without me asking:

To me, that was amazing. Thank you, sir!

I also was able to score this sweet print of the British poster of Dawn of the Dead, which features prominently in the British TV series of which I seem to have an obsession, Spaced:



Worth every meager penny spent, Chiller Theater was worth it. You can rest assured that the helicopter will be fired up and flown to it next year, without hesitation.

Until next time, fellow survivors, remember to always hose off the front of your vehicle after plowing through the undead. Trust me on this.