The historic Portage Theater here in Chicago holds some awesome events throughout the year but my personal favorite has to be the Terror In The Aisles event. They always play some classic horror films along with premiers and have special guests, vendors, the whole nine yards. It’s like a mini one day convention.

This time around they’re showing the Midwest premier of the Cabal cut of Clive Barker’s Nightbreed! This is the fully re-edited and extended cut of the film that fans have been waiting for for years. On top of that they’re also showing Clive Barker’s Hellraiser!

The event is July 13, 2012 with doors open at 7:00 PM.

The Portage Theater is located at 4050 N. Milwaukee Ave. Chicago IL 60641

For full event info and to purchase tickets please visit Brown Paper Tickets.

Also please visit The Portage Theater Website and see how you can help this theater that is in danger of being shut down and converted into a church.

This is just the tip of the iceberg. Keep checking back here and at www.DaysOfTheDead.net for more info as it’s released.

Terror In The Aisles is back at the historic Portage Theater in Chicago for their 10th show. This time around it’s a whole night of Kane Hodder films featuring Kane Hodder himself as the special guest.

The lineup of films includes Hatchet, Friday The 13th Part 7 The New Blood, Hatchet 2 the unrated and banned cut, and a special screening of Motel Hell, one of my absolute favorite films. There will be a Q&A with Kane Hodder in between Friday The 13th and Hatchet 2 and he will also be signing copies of his new book “Unmasked” in the lobby.

Plus as always there will be vendor tables, vintage movie trailers, short films, prizes and giveaways and a live auction supporting Vital Bridges (www.vitalbridges.org).

For more information on the Portage Theater, Terror In The Aisles events (including this one), to buy tickets and to see a full updated list of films and guests please visit the Portage Theater website and the Terror In The Aisles Facebook page.

Micah Sloat from Paranormal Activity 1 and 2 has been added as a guest to Days Of The Dead Atlanta in March. We’re big fans of the Paranormal Activity films here at Wreckhouse Magazine so this is extra cool to us. Plus it’s nice to see some new faces coming to these conventions.

If you’re not familiar with Days Of The Dead head on over to their official website where you can find info on the awesome new horror convention along with all their event dates, guests, hotels ticket information.

Horrorhound Weekend comes once again to Cincinnati Ohio for the November convention. If you’ve never been to a Horrorhound Weekend then you’re really missing out because this is one of the biggest conventions with some of the best guests and celebrities. Not to mention the after parties are always a blast. We here at Wreckhouse have been to some of their events in the past and they have never let us down.

Head over to the Horrorhound Weekend website for a full guest list, event listing, tickets and hotel information. There’s even info up for future events as well.

Check back here after the event for our full review of the weekend and also keep an eye on our events section for a list of all the places Wreckhouse Magazine will be at. We try to keep it updated with information as early as possible but sometimes we get invited to events last minute.

Days Of The Dead is an awesome con and we here at Wreckhouse Magazine plan on attending every one humanly possible. I just had to post about this though because this is some of the best con news I’ve heard in a long while. Days Of The Dead will actually be having one of their cons here in Chicago. I hope this turns into a regular thing because Chicago is an awesome fuckin’ city first and foremost and second since Fangoria stopped having their Weekend Of Horrors here in Chicago years ago the closest state to have a con worth a damn is Indiana and that’s just not right.

Stayed tuned as we’ll bring you more information on the events as they get closer as well as full reviews of events after they happen.

For more info on the 2012 Days Of The Dead Chicago show click THIS LINK RIGHT HERE!

Aside from the Chicago show next fall their spring event will be in Atlanta GA and they have a summer even in Indy. We’ll be at one if not both and I suggest you be there too. For all the updated info on everything Days Of The Dead head on over to www.DaysOfTheDead.net

The historic Portage Theater in Chicago is home to tons of cool events year round but the fall season always has some of the best in my opinion. They hold this event every so often called Terror In The Aisles which is a horror film fest that always brings a film premier and some awesome guests. I’ve been to one of the Terror In The Aisles events in the past for the premier of Michael Dougherty’s “Trick’r'Treat” with Dougherty as the special guest and the event was awesome. This time around is no exception. They’re screening “An American Werewolf In London” with David Naughton as a special guest and the Midwest premier of “Dance Of The Dead” with director Gregg Bishop! Also there are going to be screenings of “Shaun Of The Dead” and Lamberto Bava’s “Demons” along with a bunch short films including “Treevenge” by Hobo With A Shotgun director Jason Eisener.

There’s also going to be vendors at the event along with give aways, etc. and a special live auction with the proceeds going to help the Vital Bridges charity. To learn more about Vital Bridges visit the Vital Bridges website.

I wish I would have known about this event sooner so I could have posted about it to let all you guys know but for those of you that read this and can make it you definitely should. Even if you can’t make it you should find a way because you’ll be sorry you didn’t.

For more information on the Portage Theater, Terror In The Aisles events (including this one), to buy tickets and to see a full updated list of films and guests please visit the Portage Theater website and the Terror In The Aisles Facebook page.

Also check back here after the event for a full review as Wreckhouse will be there to cover it.

Horrorhound Weekend comes once again to Cincinnati Ohio for the November convention. If you’ve never been to a Horrorhound Weekend then you’re really missing out because this is one of the biggest conventions with some of the best guests and celebrities. Not to mention the after parties are always a blast. We here at Wreckhouse have been to some of their events in the past and they have never let us down.

Head over to the Horrorhound Weekend website for a full guest list, event listing, tickets and hotel information. There’s even info up for future events as well.

Check back here after the event for our full review of the weekend and also keep an eye on our events section for a list of all the places Wreckhouse Magazine will be at. We try to keep it updated with information as early as possible but sometimes we get invited to events last minute.

Every year I have the extreme pleasure of being able to attend the spring Horrorhound Weekend event in Indy, well this year I was lucky enough to be able to attend the fall event held in Cincinnati and I have to say that this is THE BIGGEST and THE BEST horror convention you’ll ever attend in the midwest.

The guest list is always tops and this event was no different. With names like Malcolm McDowell, Julian Sands, Linda Blair, Jeffrey Combs, Meg Foster, Bill Moseley, etc. there is no way there would not be at least one person you would want to meet.

On top of the regular awesome vendor rooms, film screenings, and panels, they always try to have some other event going as well like the Mast Fest. This time around they had a Ghostbusters museum full of stuff from the films, other merchandise and even a couple actors from the film were there to sign stuff and talk about their experiences.

The vendor area seems to get bigger every year. This time around it was probably the biggest I’ve ever seen and if was full of new vendors that usually aren’t at the other events. I don’t know if that was because it was in a different state or just because the con is growing so much, this was the first Ohio event for Horrorhound that I’ve attended. It was great because I got to meet up with a bunch of vendor and artist friends of mine who live in different states. Even walking through the halls from one room to another you couldn’t help but run into a table with some sort of vendor, artist, musician, film maker etc.

To me, these are the things I like about cons. The cons where the halls are empty and they one or two rooms of stuff going on are just not worth going to. There is usually so much stuff going on that always wind up missing some of the things I wanted to go to. I always make sure to catch all the panels that I can though, these are the highlight of the cons for me.

This event they had a Halloween 4 and a Re-Animator panel. I made sure to check both of these out as they had excellent guests from both films. Kathleen Kinmont was there and appeared at both panels.

Not too much new stuff to report on the panels as they were mainly about past experiences and films. All the actors had some great stories though and they’re usually stuff that you’ll never hear in any of the documentaries out there. The Re-Animator panel was one of the best panels I’ve ever attneded, the stories and jokes were great. The chemistry that those people have together is amazing. One of the only funnier that I’ve ever sat through would be a Day Of The Dead panel. Joe Pilato and Gary Klar are a riot.

They have tons of great film showings and screenings all weekend long but the best for me was a showing of Maniac with and Q&A with director William Lustig after the film. It was cool because he was the only one there and it was in a smaller room so it felt more like a one on one than a panel.

The event parties after the show on Saturday night are always fun and are usually a musician or something in one of the ballrooms at the hotel, but this year the Saturday event party was held at the CoCo Key’s Water Resort in the hotel. I didn’t attend the Saturday night after party this year but from what I heard from everyone else the next day it sounded like a blast.

Another thing about the Horrorhound Weekend events that I like, the staff is always great both from Horrorhound and the hotel. I’ve been to other cons, which shall remain nameless, where the staff has been ignorant and the hotel has just seemed like they really don’t want you or the event there. I’ve heard horror stories from vendor and guest friends about how badly they were treated etc. but never once have I heard someone complain about Horrorhound. That should be a plus to some of you out there that have been contemplating getting a table at the con. I know it does for me because I keep talking about getting a table at one of the events. I’m not sure if I want to though because I like being able to walk around and interact with everyone during the weekend.

In conclusion I feel this is one of the best, if not THE best, horror convention you can attend. I’m not saying all the other events out there are bad, because there a ton of great horror events out there, I’m just saying that personally I feel this is one of the best ones and if you can’t attend them all make sure to check out Horrorhound Weekend at least once. You won’t regret it.

For more information on past and upcoming events visit the official Horrorhound Weekend website, and their official Facebook Page.

I got back to Austin around 8:30pm on Sunday night.  It was hard leaving the 2010 Texas Frightmare Weekend.  A great time was had by everyone; both the people attending and the celebrity attendees.  I can say with 100% accuracy that the group of celebrities that where there (some new school and a lot of old school) were some of the nicest people (note I didn’t say “celebrities”) I’ve met.  From iconic directors like John Carpenter and George Romero to new directors like Robert Hall, Frank Sabatella, and Stacy Davidson, all the celebrities were just as excited to meet their fans as their fans were to meet them.

I got to Dallas on Thursday night to attend the screening of Romero’s Survival of the Dead and the North American premier of 2001 Maniacs: Field of Screams (see my review of Survival and Maniacs).  Both movies were far from perfect but just seeing them in a theater packed with true, hardcore horror and gore fans was such a rush compared to the usual theaters I go to full of obnoxious and pretentious 20-something’s who over analyze everything and who wouldn’t know a great horror flick if it slit their throats and fucked their larynx!!!  Practically the entire cast and crew of 2001 Maniacs was present not just for the pre-screening, but they all stuck around and did another after-show panel.  Some of those in attendance for Maniacs included director Tim Sullivan, Christa Campbell, musician turned actor Kevin “Ogre” Ogilvie (from the industrial band Skinny Puppy), Ryan Fleming, and the real star, the stuffed sheep Jezebel (there was a total of about 10 from the movie present).  It was a huge blast and they were even filming audience reactions a la Paranormal Activity for a promo reel.  I wish I could see all my horror movies in this kind of environment!!

On Friday the convention was set to begin at 6pm but I got to the Sheraton Grand Hotel a little before 10am.  I wanted to get my pre-ordered tickets in hand and roam around and grab lunch in the hotel.  A buddy of mine told me that the celebrities attending always stay in the hotel where the convention is held so I was hoping to run into 1 or 2 of them.  Luck was definitely on my side because when I finally got to the window to pick up my tickets (there was already a 30min wait) my simple “weekend pass” that I purchased online got bumped up to the “V.I.P Weekend Pass” at no additional charge to me.  This allowed me to get John Carpenter’s autograph for free (he was charging $35 each) and I could cut to the front the line for every celebrity.  For example, by the time I got to the Romero line the wait was about 2 hours to see him.  I showed the volunteer my VIP pass, moved to the front of the line, and saw him in 20 minutes!!  Sure people were pissed but with privilege comes reward  J!!  The VIP pass also allowed me to get into the convention each day an hour earlier.  So on Friday it opened at 6pm but I got in at 5pm with other VIP holders.  No lines for anything.

What I find so amazing is that these horror icons sit at their tables, signing their names, shaking hands, and taking pics with their fans for HOURS at a time.  I mean seriously; could you see James Cameron, Brad Pitt, or Jennifer Aniston doing that?  No fucking way.  Of course they all charge for their signatures (the majority charged $20); their time is worth something!!  But they don’t charge for pictures with them and they don’t just rush their fans through the line.  I met and got signatures and pics with Kane Hodder, George Romero, Derek Mears, Doug Bradley, and John Carpenter.  I wanted to get so many more but my modest budget didn’t allow for it.  Every single one of them took the time to ask me my name, shake my hand like a long lost friend, and shoot the shit with me for a minute of two.  Awesome shit people!!  Derek Mears was one of the first people I met and since it was only around 5:15pm there weren’t a lot of people there yet.  I got to talk to him for about 10 minutes.  He’s a super nice guy and self proclaimed “super horror geek.”  He was even tempted to give me some info on his upcoming Predators movie but said “[director] Rodriquez would have my balls if I said anything.”  He’s a really down to earth guy who loves being a creature actor.

Kane Hodder is another who was so cool and “everyday guy”-ish.  He wears gloves on his hands because of several burns he’s gotten throughout his career and is more than happy to pose for a pic with you.  But be warned, if you ask him to strangle you in the pic he’s really gonna do it!!  No joke.  A few years ago he got into a little trouble because the guy he was “strangling’ passed out.  I had him sign my Hatchet DVD, and when he stood for a picture he looked at me and said, “Why is everyone so fucking tall here?”  I just looked at him and said, “You’re in Texas baby!!”  He just laughed and threw me a fake punch.

Doug Bradley was the most surprising to meet in person.  He is so gentlemanly in his appearance and demeanor that it was almost hard to picture him as the demon Pinhead who enjoys torturing souls!!  He was nice as could be and had an awesome t-shirt on his table that read, “Say ‘No’ to the Hellraiser Remake. It’s a waste of good celluloid.”  I guess that sums up his views on the potential remake!!  After we got our pic together and he was sitting down, he said to me “See you in Hell Scott” and gave me a little wink.  I was in heaven, er; I mean Hell!!!

Last but not least:  George Romero and John Carpenter.  I’ll be honest that I was extremely nervous meeting these two.  I was afraid I’d lose all speech abilities and miss my opportunity to tell them how influential they’ve been in my life.  But seeing each sitting behind their respective tables really put everything in perspective:  They are everyday guys who are passionate about filmmaking and horror movies and who have forever changed the face of modern horror.  They know this but they never let it go to their heads.  Romero shook my hand firmly and before signing my DVD of Day of the Dead took the time to look me square in the eye and ask me my name and how I was doing that night.  We talked for about 2-3mins and I told him how influential Dawn of the Dead was on me when I was younger.  To that he asked, “My Dawn or the other guy’s?”  My eyes got wide and he started laughing.  It was awesome!!!

Carpenter was the exact same way.  His line was about a 5-6 hour wait (but I again jumped to the front with my VIP pass and saw him in 30mins), but he took his time with each one of his fans.  There was a couple behind me in line who had an infant in a little one-piece outfit that read, “World’s Youngest John Carpenter Fan”; and even better was that the mother asked Carpenter to SIGN HER BABY!!  Yes!!!  She wanted her baby’s outfit signed by the master himself.

It was an incredible time all around, and best of all I was really happy with how down-to-earth all the celebrities really were.  That was no act on anyone’s part; they were all genuinely cool.  From a world filled with asshole “Reality TV ‘star’” and douche bag actors and actresses it’s nice to see the horror celebrities haven’t lost their heads over their success.  And I did, by the way, get to meet Sid Haig, Bill Moseley, Lance Henriksen, Robert Hall, and most of the cast from the original Day of the Dead by just walking around and eating in the hotel.  I didn’t bother any of them for autographs or pics when they were eating, but they all took the time to shake my hand.  Class acts, every one of them!!

Covered by Scott Shoyer