So I was at work today and I was thinking about the state of my life until post-Thanksgiving.  So here's why I love/hate this time of year:

1)  Because I can't resist a good sale, I've bought 23 dvds or dvd sets since the beginning of the month, ONLINE ALONE.  (The prices...the prices....were amazing....)

2)  I know theres gonna be an in-store sale a coming too, but I cant tell when, and it's pissing me off because I want it to be a big Dimension Extreme sale.  But who knows.  There may be no sale...which would suck.

3)  The main reason I wrote this:  Check this out.  This is my life up until Thanksgiving, keeping in mind I work 830-430 at least every week:

Weekend of October 17-19:  I'm going to see The Toxic Avenger:  The Musical in New Brunswick on the Saturday Night among other thing

Weekend of October 24-26:  Chiller Theatre.  So I'll be there, and at least on Friday, a friend will be tagging along.

Weekend of October 31- Nov. 2:  It's Halloween.  I don't know what I'm doing, but itll be something.  I'll prolly see Saw V and Haunting of Molly Hartley.  And I usually host a minor horror fest somewhere.  Dunno.

Weekend of November 7-9:  On November 7, "REPO!  The Genetic Opera" premieres...in EIGHT THEATERS around the country.  Luckily for me, ONES IN NYC!  *thumbs up*

Weekend of November 14-16:  Sawmania.  I'll be there Saturday and Sunday.

Weekend of November 21-23:  ummm...I dunno yet.  SOMETHING will come up though.  It always does.

Tuesday November 25:  Not horror-related, but FAMILY GUY SINGS at Carnegie Hall, NYC.  Then the next day, I drive 4 and a half hours to go home, and on Black Friday, I probably buy a new laptop.

So....if I somehow SURVIVE these next few weeks without a Scanners-esque head explosion...wow.

First things first, I apologize for the delay in doing this...the week after the con, I had perfumery training in NYC for my job and shortly thereafter started having sinus problems....which then segued into a lovely chest cold.  But, I'm 95% healthy now, so I can do this more easily.

Now then, I'm also speechless.  It's no secret that I despise this show.  *Insert usual comment about it being too crowded, too expensive, too unfocused, and too apathetic about the fans here*  It still has problems, but to my utter shock, they've actually taken steps in the right direction this year.  For one thing, I avoided Saturday like the plague and had a FAR less stressful experience (hell on Sunday, I was done in an hour and a half because there were no lines).  For another, they expanded outward into the adjoining Hampton Inn, thus fixing overcrowding of guests.  They got far more horrorcentric guests then i've seen them do thus far.  And they managed to organize it in such a way that almost no line was oppressively long.  It wasn't perfect though...far too much of the program had people in the wrong places and I still think that if you need an exterior tent, you're TOO BIG.  But at least it's improvement.

FRIDAY:

I attended Chiller this time, once again, with my friend Rob (my other friend Jeff also joined up midway through the day).  Rob attends for the bootlegs, Jeff for the entertainment of the fans (Saturday's better for that though.  More costumes).  After first swinging over to the vendor room for a few things (I was buying someone a bootleg by request for instance....I do that if one asks nicely...not if someone from Belgium (I believe) anonymously writes on my profile.)  Then we headed to the Romero room.

THE ROMERO ROOM:

One of the smartest things Chiller did this year was expand outward into the Hampton.  By doing that, they basically created a secondary "Pit" FAR AWAY from the hustle and bustle of the rest of the show.  Wisely, they decided to put 90% of the Romero-related guests in this room.  This included George Romero (not pictured) who was super nice as usual (it's not pictured because i'd met him twice before then).  I did have him sign Day of the Dead and took a photo of him with Rob instead.  We also discussed site business.  I think I did okay with it....

Also in this room was the same Night of the Living Dead Reunion from Fangoria last summer.  They appeared to all be game as well.  The only member who wasnt in this room was Gary Streiner, the sound guy, who was iin the vendor room pushing the "Living Dead Festival" in Evans City, PA on Hallowen weekend.  Even more NOTLD people will be there as well (I can't make it...anyone else?).  He also hawked an indie film called Autopsy of the Dead which I will be messaging Don about shortly to see if he wants to try and get a pre-screener for review.

And there were a few people who weren't in Night of the Living Dead but were in Romero's canon.  This included Eugene Clark (Big Daddy from Land of the Dead).  Me, I went and saw those above.  On the left is Joe Pilato.  You might know him better as Capt. Rhodes from Day of the Dead ("CHOKE ON 'EM!!!!").  Was awesome.  Had my usual convention going friend duo, Maura and Jess been with me, I guarantee he wouldve loved to have gone to the bar after the con.

On the right, Lynn Lowry.  Romero-wise, you'd know her from The Crazies.  Otherwise, try...Cat People(remake), Shivers, and maybe Sugar Cookies (it's a Troma movie.  don't ask.  It's decent enough...but theres a weird pointless sideplot that distracts from the very well done erotic thriller.  But I digress...).  She was super nice.  Didn't realize I was waiting for her (she was on a cellphone) and apologized profusely when she did.  Like I said, though it's no big deal.  I mean, we're there for you, not the other way around.  We talked about that great banner in the photo.  She said a fan did it for her and she never expected something as big or well done as that which she got.  I only wish I had a larger shot of it because it really is one of the best I've ever seen at a con.  We talked about how good Sugar Cookies is as a movie (considering its basically a sexploitation erotic thriller....if you cut that stupid side story out).  She also talked with me about the remake of The Crazies which she said she's heard they're going in a different direction with it but that it sounds like they're doing good things with it.  She also mentioned her new indie movies Psychosomaticka, Basement Jack, and Schism (which she wrote, acted, and produced on).  Super nice...I only wish I'd thought at the time to buy a copy of Shivers like I did when I bought a copy of The Crazies from her.

After that, we specifically went to get one of the main things I came to the con for:

DEAN HAGLUND:

Dean Haglund, aka Langley of The X Files and the CRIMINALLY underappreciated The Lone Gunmen.  Great to talk to.  Discussed how Lone Gunmen was cancelled too soon.  We also talked about his invention, a laptop cooling device called the Chillpak which one places under their laptop to absorb heat from the running processor, thereby allowing the computer to process and run faster.  The invention went on to win awards and he now sells them at the site I just linked to and at the con.  While I didn't buy one, I did buy his self-penned comic book "Why The Lone Gunmen was Cancelled".  Super cool, easy-going kinda guy.  Now I just have to find a way to meet the other two....

Also in the same room was:

CORBIN BERNSEN:

You might know Corbin from...L.A. Law, Masters of Horror:  Right to Die, Psych, Major League, The Dentist, and it's sequel The Dentist 2:  Brace Yourself.  Great guy, we talked about how good he was in The Dentist (he grabbed a poster when I took a picture...his idea.  He does charge extra for a photo, which in some ways I don't understand.  However, I am thankful most people at Chiller this time didn't.  He also charges 60+ dollars to sign a baseball a la Major League.  I'm not entirely sure how I feel about that.  He's a nice guy though, I definitely have no complaints.  (Matter of fact, I'll say here:  Val Kilmer at this con a few times ago is still the worst person I've ever met and I don't know if thatll ever change.)

After this we went across the hall to one of the best things Chiller attempted to do this year...

ITALIAN INVASION (AKA 30TH ANNIVERSARY ZOMBIE REUNION)

Last year, Fangoria did a Masters of Italian Horror Panel.  Got Ruggero Deodato, Lamberto Bava, Sergio Stivaletti, etc. (more info here and they're planning to sorta top it this year...with Dario Argento).  So, maybe in response, maybe not, Chiller got 16 different people in or related to Italian Horror.  People like stars of Cannibal Ferox (not pictured), much of the cast of Contamination (not pictured...I SAID IT WAS EXPENSIVE), Luigi Cozzi, and the director of a Lucio Fulci retrospective movie.

Non-Zombie wise, not pictured is Malisa Longo, star of Cat in the Brain.  She seemed super nice but there was definitely a language barrier so I decided not to pay for the extra picture after I bought the new awesome version of Cat in the Brain.  Pictured is Cinzia Monreale, star of Fulci's The Beyond.  It really was like Fulcimania.  Zombie Master would've loved it.

Zombiewise, we had Ian McCulloch, Al Cliver, and Richard Johnson (not pictured).  See, I didn't want to pay 100 dollars to get a copy of Zombie signed by 4 people....I did, however, decide to get Ottaviano Dell'acqua.  Why you might ask?  When many consider you THE definitive Zombie (see poster in background of him in makeup), you deserve my money.  I also apologize for the yellow photo.  It's a dark retouched.  It was that or horribly blurry.

Now....TO THE TENT!  (God I hate saying that...it's like you're relegating a bunch of people to "out back in the yard")....

E.G. DAILY

If there is ONE thing, besides overcrowding, that I know Chiller for, it's random people who have some odd tenuous connection to horror.  This is a perfect example.  We have E.G. Daily.  You might know her from Pee Wee's Big Adventure.  Or as the voice of Tommy Pickles and Buttercup of the Powerpuff Girls and Babe of Babe:  Pig In the City.  Or...here it comes....as "Candy" the prostitute in The Devil's Rejects.  E.G. (or Elizabeth) is super nice and is very devoted to her fans.  She also has a musical career as well.  You can add her on myspace here.  (And yes, I know, there are many other....reasons people might add her on myspace.  I don't judge.  lol)

DIAN BACHAR

Again.  Tenuous connection to horror.  You might know Dian from Orgazmo.  Or Baseketball.  Or South Park (voice of Satan's human lover who isn't Saddam Hussein).  He's a close friend of Matt Stone and Trey Parker.  Which also means....again, here it comes...he's in Cannibal The Musical as George Noon!  I highly recommend this movie.  He was super nice and actually didn't even know theyd released the new 13th Anniversary Tromasterpiece version of Cannibal.  I'm glad I was able to provide him with that info so he can get a copy.  Movie should be way more popular than it is.

JONATHAN TIERSTEN

Hey everyone!  It's foul-mouthed cousin Ricky from Sleepaway Camp!  Great guy, we talked about the movie's deserved cult status, it's recent direct sequel (Return to Sleepaway Camp) and the upcoming direct sequel to the direct sequel (Sleepaway Camp Reunion).  Much like Ms. Daily, he also has a musical career.  Definitely appreciative of the fans.  He even complimented our site when he signed the dvd!  Yep.  "Your Sight Is The Best!".  He mispelled site.  Hilarious.

MO MELLADY

Moving back into voice acting for a moment, is that a great shot or is that a great shot.  Perfect angle.  I'd like to mention now btw, that BHM does not necessarily endorse things like Esurance that I might mention in these reports.  This is Mo Mellady, the voice of Erin Esurance and one of the Gorillaz.  If I didn't tell you that that's a cardboard standup, you'd think I photoshopped it in.  Super nice, said the ads are gonna probably be moving back toward spy stuff and away from the musical stuff and star trek stuff they've been doing.

Not pictured:  Debi Derryberry.  Voice of Jimmy Neutron and Timmy Turner.  Hey, I've only got so much money folks in this economy.

SUNDAY:

After spending Saturday resting, which was very nice, I headed back down.  How uncrowded was Sunday as compared to a Saturday?  The following pictures were totally done in 90 minutes.  I'm never doing Saturday again unless something insane is that day:

DEEP SPACE NINE

I'm not a huge Star Trek guy.  But my friend is!  So I got some 8X10s signed for him.  This is Rene Auberjonois(Odo), not pictured is Michael Dorn (Lt. Worf).  Dorn actually signed a photo of the Family Guy shot of the whole cast animated from a couple weeks ago (for me anyway....for him I just got each to sign a DS9 related one).

BRUCE ABBOTT

Bruce Abbott, Dr. Cain from Re-Animator and Bride of Re-Animator.  Super nice.  We talked about how Jeffrey Combs had taken up all the space on the cover of my dvd, relegating his autograph to the bottom of the cover.  Great guy.  His....agent?...bodyguard?...whatever, told me that the star of Braindead may be in Ohio in October for another Con.  That's too far for me, but I'm sure someone out there will get there.

MIGUEL NUNEZ JR.

Miguel Nunez Jr., Spike from Return of the Living Dead...and the lead in Juwanna Mann(I did not know that until the con.  weird).  Said he had just been talking to Linnea Quigley recently.  We talked about how the movie was finally getting the respect and acclaim it deserved.  Appears he was in California a couple days earlier.  Travelling man.

JASON LIVELY

And finally, Jason Lively, Chris from Night of the Creeps!  I can in fact confirm the upcoming October DVD Release and also can say for sure that they're attempting to put serious special features into this.  Lively mentioned that he's been called to do a commentary and that they're gonna attempt to do deleted scenes, etc.  So, at least it definitely won't be bare bones.  I know I'm psyched.

And that's Chiller.  A BIG step forward this year, but still far too big for the place it's held and far too expensive....oh and if you're looking for a costume pick?  There weren't really any costumes at the con.  It's that whole Friday-Sunday thing.  Next time, economy and money willing, I'll be doing Fangoria (cruddy notes and panel photos galore!) and Monstermania in Hartford.  Until then, this is Crypticpsych saying....

I can't believe how big a line Peter Criss from KISS had.  Family Guy once said "Nobody wants to be Peter Criss, not even Peter Criss". Well, I guess you never underestimate the KISS Army.