I remember when VH1 first premiered its made-for-television bio pic Hysteria – The Def LeppardStory back in 2001, and how ultimately intrigued and fascinated it got me. This time the band presents their own story, in their own words, in this massive, detailed-oriented book that even the most causal of fans will be able to appreciate.
Beginning appropriately with their humble roots in Sheffield, England in 1977 by vocalist Joe Elliot, bassist Rick Savage, guitarist Pete Willis, and drummer Tony Keating, it thankfully does not simply gloss over the band’s formation, even allowing early members – and late guitarist Steve Clark via archival interviews – to share their voices to some degree.
As each subsequent member comes along in the story, such as drummer Rick Allen, and guitarists Phil Collen and Vivian Campell, they’re each given a platform to share their versions of events from joining, all the way up to today. All this is presented with new unique glossy photos to boot.
I’ve long since loved a good back story for as long as I can remember now; if you’re anything like me at all, this should quench your thirst for one just the same.
The moment Dokken first dropped the single for “Fugitive” this past August, I knew the rock world was in for a reminder of just how solid a band they truly are (despite the negative image sometimes unfairly attached to them).
It’s been over a decade now since we’ve had new material from Don Dokken and company, and the guys truly give it their all here on album number twelve. Said first single “Fugitive” starts things off appropriately, while “Gypsy,” “Just Like a Rose,” and “Over the Mountain” keep up the momentum. “I’ll Never Give Up,” “I Remember,” and “Lost in You” all display a softer side a la such earlier hits as “Alone Again.”
At times it almost feels like a concept album, which each track feeling as though it were coming from the perspective of a lonely drifter or cowboy traveling through the desert plains (evoking the spirit of some of Bon Jovi’s early ’90s material). It won’t appeal to everyone (that’s a given), but those with a more sophisticated rock palate should be able to appreciate and enjoy.
After fifty solid years, KISS finally called it a day in their own homestate of New York at Madison Square Garden this past Saturday, December 2. No, I did not fly to the Big Apple to catch the farewell gig in person, but I did the next best thing any member of the KISS Army in central, FL could possibly do; took the family to the very house that Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley built – Rock and Brews in Oviedo – and watched a pay-per-view showing of it from start to finish right there.
And was it just the same Gene and Paul show it has been for the past two decades with just a few obscure numbers thrown in, and zero appearances or even any mention of past alumni of the band? You bet ya. But it was still a flawless performance from them nonetheless (and as much as I would have loved seeing a reunion with Ace Frehley and Peter Criss take place as much as the next guy, there’s no denying that Gene and Paul are the only members of the band to be there for the entire duration of the past five decades).
After a house recording of Led Zepplin’s “Rock and Roll” died down, the immortal words were uttered for the last time; “You wanted the best, you got the best; the hottest band in the world…KISS!!!” As soon as the curtain dropped, the band was lowered from their platforms and started tearing through “Detroit Rock City” in full force.
“Shout it Out Loud,” “Deuce,” “War Machine,” “Heaven’s on Fire,” “I Love it Loud” (where Simmons briefly breathed fire), “Say Yeah,” and “Cold Gin” started the set list off on more than a promising note for just about any die hard fan before slowing things down for a guitar solo.
Wide shot of the Rock and Brews in Oviedo, FL just before the curtain fell at the final KISS show in New York on 12/2/23.
“Lick it Up” got things back on track nicely, before “Calling Dr. Love,” “Makin’ Love” (featuring a guitar duel between Stanley and guitarist Tommy Thayer), and “Psycho Circus” all followed. A drum solo from Eric Singer was spot on before a bass solo for Simmons (with part of “100,00 Years” thrown in between the two for good measure) lead way to the almighty “God of Thunder,” complete with blood-spitting.
“Love Gun” found Stanley flying above the crowd to a different section of stage per his usual routine, followed by the disco-esque “I Was Made For Loving You,” and one of my absolute favorite KISS tracks ever, “Black Diamond.”
Singer then emerged on stage behind a piano to perform Criss’ classic “Beth” solo for the first part of the encore. Finally, “Do You Love Me” and the timeless rock anthem “Rock and Roll All Nite” officially closed out the night among a sea of confetti. It was a bittersweet moment, punctuated by “God Gave Rock and Roll to You II” as the band made their final exit from the stage.
But what could’ve gone down as a graceful moment, perhaps with video footage representing each any every former member and time period throughout the band’s five decade history, was marred by the introduction of the band’s “new era” – avatars of the guys meant to be the continuation of the band’s legacy, was meant with mixed reactions from fans to say the least.
Was it a good show? Sure, in the technical sense everything was flawless from start to finish. But it wasn’t until after the performance, when Gene Simmons was being interviewed backstage and his children began joining him one at a time, that any real emotion was even really displayed. I will miss being in a world where KISS is still a living, breathing band, but will always be thankful to have existed for at least some of the time they were on this Earth.
I have several “introduction” memories I often point to when it comes to the almighty KISS; usually it’s of a ’70s-era video clip of the band playing “Rock and Roll All Nite” live that seemed to be on a continuous loop on a TV commercial at the time selling one of those “Best of ’70s Rock” comp albums, or the MTV videos of the ’80s I was so often exposed to as a kid, such as “Heaven’s on Fire,” Crazy Crazy Nights,” or “God Gave Rock and Roll to You II” (the latter of which I thought was thoroughly cool at the time for its appearance in 1991’s Bill and Ted’s Bogus Journey).
But I think the true, defining moment that made me a KISS fan for life was after acquiring the first album I ever owned by them; a secondhand find of 1979’s Dynasty record. While not regarded as one of the band’s “best” efforts by any means, I was still in “awe” of it all; the cover photo featuring all four band members – Gene Simmons, Paul Stanely, Ace Frehely, and Peter Criss – the ads still intact inside featuring everything from KISS posters to pinball machines, and of course, the giant poster that folded out with the entire band on it. There was no doubt about it; what I was holding in my hand was pure gold (and I’m happy to say I still own it to this day), and I was officially a member of the KISS Army from that moment on.
KISS began life in New York City after two members of the already established act Wicked Lester (vocalist/guitarist Paul Stanley and bassist/vocalist Gene Simmons) decided to venture out on their own and start something new and different that included each member of the group wearing makeup and donning their own individual personas (with Stanley as the Starchild, Simmons as the Demon, Frehley as the Spaceman, and Criss as the Catman, respectively). After recruiting a couple of more local musicians in the form of drummer Peter Criss and guitarist Ace Frehely, the table was set for this new foursome to go after total rock dominance. But their first three albums, KISS (1974), Hotter ThanHell (1974), and Dressed to Kill (1975) found the band getting off with a lukewarm start at best.
It wasn’t until the band dropped Alive! in late 1975 that KISS fever would finally hit the country (and eventually the rest of the world). Showcasing everything right about the band, Alive! captured the pure, raw energy of the their live set (which included everything from fire-breathing to smoking guitars), launching them into super stardom on the heels of a live version of the band’s party anthem “Rock and Roll All Nite” – which skyrocketed the song, and the album up the charts. A trio of hit records in the form of Destroyer (1976), Rock and Roll Over (1976), and Love Gun (1977) helped cement the band as hard rock titans. The piano-driven power ballad “Beth” (sung by Criss) appealed the band to a much broader audience and grew their popularity even further.
But alas, trouble in paradise began to rear its ugly head by 1978, with the TV movie Kiss Meetsthe Phantom of the Park portraying the band more like characters from a Scooby-Doo cartoon than the superheros they were meant to be shown as, and individual solo albums released by each member of the band that year also helped strengthen the ongoing riffs. By 1979’s Dynasty, there was no doubt things were eroding with Criss, who had recently endured a car accident which lead to substance abuse problems), causing him to only perform on only one track off the album (“Dirty Livin'”) while session drummer Anton Fig took up the rest of the slack. Criss’ live performance also suffered, often playing offbeat, or just plain not playing the shows at all.
Vinyl copy of KISS’ 1979 Dynasty album (complete with original ads) from the author’s collection.
By 1980’s Unmasked album, Criss was officially out (with Fig once again covering drum duties), marking the end of the “original” KISS. Enter Eric Carr, who took over the role of new drummer as the “Fox,” and was a much more technically skilled musician than Criss’ rough-around-the-edges approach.
Unfortunately, 1981’s Music From “The Edler,” a concept album that has since gone down as the band’s biggest embarrassment, was not exactly the ideal starting point for the new member. But 1982’s Creatures of the Night found the band going back-to-basic hard rock, albeit at the expense of another member as Frehley had already begun to move on. Several sessions guitarists, including Frehley’s eventual replacement Vinnie Vincent, were used for much of the recording of the album, as Ace made his official departure from the band shortly afterwards.
But the popularity of the band in the early ’80s was still waning, and a cause for drastic change was inevitable. For 1983’s Lick It Up album, the band did the unthinkable for the first time; took off their makeup that had concealed their identities for the better part of a decade. This ushered in a new era, and new life, for the band. Despite this, inner turmoil with Vincent lead to his dismal from the group, and Mark St. John was brought on to play the lead on 1984’s Animalize, another strong output from the guys. But a medical condition with his hands that limited his playing abilities would cause this to be the only album St. John would perform on with KISS (sadly, he eventually passed away years later in 2007), and Bruce Kulick was brought in as the band’s fourth guitarist to fill that spot (despite the rotating door of guitarists, Kulick would stay with the band an entire twelve years).
1985’s Asylum, 1987’s Crazy Nights, and 1989’s Hot in the Shade all continued to build on the band’s newfound success in the mid to late ’80s. But by early 1991 tragedy struck, as drummer Eric Carr was diagnosed with cancer, ultimately taking his life by November 24, 1991. But the band soldiered on the only way they knew how, and with Eric Singer behind the drumkit, released 1992’s Revenge, one of their heaviest albums to date. Unfortunately they once again faced new challenges as the landscape in rock music changed yet again, and grunge took over. There was no doubt that KISS would once again need to reinvent themselves.
And that change came with a performance on MTV’s Unplugged, when Frehley and Criss made their first appearance alongside the entire band for the first time in well over a decade. Recorded on August 9, 1995, I remember watching in awe the night it originally aired shortly after, feeling as though I was a part of history (or, KISStory if you will). From then on, it was a flown-blown reunion of Simmons/Stanley/Frehley/Criss (complete with makeup), and one of the biggest rock tours to date when it kicked off the following year in 1996.
One final studio album featuring Simmons/Stanley/Kulick/Singer titled Carnival of Souls: TheFinal Sessions was released rather unceremoniously in 1997 before the “comeback” record PsychoCircus featuring the “original” lineup (I say that very loosely) for the first time since 1979’s Dynasty, finally dropped in 1998. But old habits die hard, and halfway through a “Farewell Tour” that ran from 2000-01, Peter Criss was again replaced by Eric Singer. It wasn’t long after before Frehley was ousted as well, replaced by Tommy Thayer, who had worked on-and-off with the band on various projects, including co-writing songs and managing Kiss conventions going as far back as 1989.
With the lineup of Simmons/Stanely/Singer/Thayer, the band would record what will now be their final studio albums; 2009’s Sonic Boom, and 2012’s Monster. It was while they were touring in support of the latter record that I would finally see the “hottest band in the world” up close and personal for the one and only time on July 28, 2012 in Tampa, FL (with Motley Crue as their support act). It was one of the most memorable concerts I’ve ever been to in my lifetime, as much to do with the band itself as it did the longtime crush I ended up not only seeing the show with, but spending the entire weekend (in very KISS-like fashion) with after many years of longing after (for the sake of this article, we’ll just call her “Marie”).
Paul Stanley performing with KISS at the former 1-800-ASK-GARY Amphitheatre in Tampa, FL on 7/28/12 courtesy of the author’s collection.
Although my interest in KISS has no doubt fluctuated from time to time over the years, nothing got me fully back into the band quite like that one single live show did. Until that is, I was able to pick the brain of someone who had actually been there, when I interviewed former guitarist Bruce Kulick for Rewind It Magazine back in 2019. It was without a doubt one of the most exciting interviews that I’ve done in over fifteen solid years worth of music/entertainment journalism.
And now tonight, the band will take its final bow, putting an end to an era that stretches back as far as 1973. They’ve meant a lot to so many over the years (present company obviously included), while many others could have cared less, or have simply written them off as a “joke” for decades. But for what it’s worth, I sure as hell would not be able to picture a world without KISS ever existing in it. Thank you KISS for the memories…you will surely be missed, but never forgotten.
It took close to two decades before Director Eli Roth finally turned Thanksgiving, his mock trailer from 2007’s Grindhouse, into a full-length feature film. But while the 2023 update to the slasher-flick-that-never-was may be more polished, it misses the mark on many of the original trailer’s mysteriousness and campy feel.
For the sake of full transparency I’ll be completely honest; I’m nowhere near a huge fan of Roth’s films (I actually kind of despise the Hostel movies and the whole “torture porn” genre), but I was willing to give this one a fair try just based off of just that original gritty clip so long ago.
Long story short, it all starts when a Black Friday sale at a fictional RightMart store in Plymouth, Massachusetts ends in a riot that causes numerous fatalities and/or life-altering injuries. This becomes the catalyst for the killer’s motives, who returns one year later to exact grisley revenge on the town.
The tension-building cat-and-mouse chases are well-executed, and Nell Verlaque as the young lead heroine Jessica is the premier damsel in distress any red-bloodied male would go out of their way to protect. Patrick Dempsey adds the only real notable star power, and gives a (mostly) solid performance throughout. The nods to the Misfits and Dio-era Black Sabbath are cleverly thrown in as well.
Now the cons; the majority of other characters border on unlikable and/or forgettable, and the dialogue is dumbed-down to unnecessarily crude levels. And many key scenes (such as the famous “trampoline” and “dinner” scenes) feel too rushed without the chance to be fully realized before coming to abrupt ends (the “parade” scene was actually rather true to form, though). And while we’re on the subject of endings, the one here is far too cliche and predictable that it more or less insults its own audiences’ intelligence.
In short, Thanksgiving is worth a watch at least once for any serious horror fan out there, but I’m not about to go back for leftovers anytime soon.
I recently had a conversation with a friend who had noted the theatrical family Christmas film has all but disappeared from the mainstream. Sure, you can still get your fair share of the romantic Christmas movie each holiday season via the Hallmark channel. Or plenty of over-the-top seasonal slashers or stoner buddy comedies, but all of these are a dime a dozen. Where are all the Christmas Vacation’s, the Home Alone’s, and the Ernest Saves Christmases‘ at now?
When Jim Varney hit the big screen as Ernest P. Worrell again for the John Cherry-directed Ernest Saves Christmas (which originally dropped in theaters on November 11, 1988), I was there to catch it with all four of my older brothers and sisters in a New Jersey theater, for the one and only time I can recall the five of us ever going to all see a movie together (if memory serves correct, this may or may not have also been when us kids all stopped by the photography studio of a mall department store to have a portrait taken for our parents that Christmas).
But I digress, back to the movie itself. This time around, Ernest is an Orlando-based cab driver who happens to pick up the one and only Kris Kringle himself (played perfectly by the late Douglas Seale) at the airport, who’s in town searching for a replacement Santa for his inevitable retirement, setting his sights on a local children’s show host name Joe (Oliver Clark) who checks all the marks on the “good guy” list.
But it wouldn’t be an Ernest flick without some complications; Santa leaves his bag of toys in Ernest’s cab, and he and a troubled teenaged runaway who calls herself Harmony Star (Noelle Parker) must not only get it back to him, but also spring him from jail after being incarcerated/written off as just another crazy old man.
Granted, we’re not talking Academy Award worthy material here by any means; but as far as harmless, family-oriented holiday films go, Ernest Saves Christmas is easily a top ten pick on many a list. And having since moved to the central, FL area since originally seeing the film all those years ago, I’ve been lucky enough to have visited many of the locations where it was filmed, including the Orlando International Airport (see photo), making it all the more personal for me. Though it might not be a holiday classic in everyone’s eyes, it remains one in my book to this day.
The Orlando International Airport where Ernest (Jim Varney) picks up Santa Claus (Douglas Seale) at the beginning of Ernest Saves Christmas (from the author’s personal collection, taken on 10/9/23).
This past Tuesday, November 14, Orlando was graced with some ’90s post-grunge perfection when Bush lead the charge through the Hard Rock Live for the very first date of their current Nowhere to GoBut Everywhere tour, complete with support from Bad Wolves and Eva Under Fire in tow.
Just days prior, Rewind It had visited the Hard Rock for Bullet For My Valentine’s show the previous Friday (an admirable concert in its own right). But having been a teenager/high school student in the decade Bush had originally emerged from meant that there was much more nostalgia going into it for me than said last show. The only other difference this time around was I had my wife Brooke acting as photographer rather than my son, Jacob.
I had looked up Eva Under Fire prior to going into things as well, who seemed decent enough at a quick glance. Commanding frontwoman Eva Marie (whose voice reminded me of a cross between Heart’s Ann Wilson, and Lizzy Hale of Halestorm) gave it her all on songs like “Comatose,” “Heroin(e),” “Devil in Disguise,” “Coming for Blood,” a cover of Journey’s “Separate Ways (Worlds Apart),” “Unstoppable/Queen’s “We Will Rock You,” and “Blow.” A chance meeting with Marie shortly after their set was the icing on the cake.
Rewind It’s Brooke Striewski (right) and Eva Under Fire singer Eva Marie after the show on Tuesday night.
On the other hand, Bad Wolves are a band truly worthy of having the title “bad” in their name. Now, I understand there’s been some drama within the ranks of this band after former lead singer Tommy Vext was ousted over “creative differences” (a nice way of saying he likely didn’t confirm to the rest of their beliefs) a couple of years back. But sans their 2018 single “Remember When” (a track they of course did not perform), I really can’t say I was a fan of much of their material to begin with, so I truly have no investment with one side or the other either way (but in comparison, I think I would’ve much rather had seen Bad Wolves when Vext was still at the helm of the mic, as their current frontman, Daniel “DL” Laskiewicz, simply did not come off as very “likeable”).
I truly tried to get into their set (which was introduced by WJRR DJ Mel Taylor) as they went through titles like “If Tomorrow Never Comes,” “Killing me Slowly,” “Savior,” “Sober,” and “Lifeline,” but couldn’t help thinking all I was hearing was the most generic of mainstream rock available. Even their closer, a decent (yet still very odd choice, in my opinion) cover of The Cranberries’ 1994 hit “Zombie,” only elicited a mild reaction in my book.
Finally, the main even everyone had come to see, Bush, hit the stage just after 9pm. Opening with a one-two punch of numbers from their 1994 debut Sixteen Stone in the form of “Everything Zen” and “Machinehead,” the band instantly had the crowd in their grasp.
Songs like “Bullet Holes,” “The Chemicals Between Us” (where I can honestly say my wife and I lovingly held hands the entire time throughout), “The People That We Love,” “Quicksand,” “Swallowed,” “Nowhere to Go But Everywhere,” and “Heavy is the Ocean” all followed before lead singer Gavin Rossdale sprinted off into the crowd during “Flowers On a Grave,” running to the top of the balcony to finish off the song before ultimately heading back to the stage all in due time.
“All Thing Must Change” and “Little Things” followed before the band took a brief reprieve prior to their encore, which consisted of “More Than Machines,” “Glycerine” (with Rossdale performing solo with just his guitar), and finally, “Comedown.” I doubt that even the most casual of Bush fans (and grunge, for that matter) could find one single complaint with the band’s set last Tuesday night at the Hard Rock; I know I certainly couldn’t if I tried.
Bush frontman Gavin Rossdale going from balcony to stage during one of the most exciting moments of Tuesday night’s show at the Hard Rock Live Orlando.
When I read and reviewed Andrew McCarthy’s 2021 memoir Brat: An ’80s Story, I found things about the actor, author, and former brat-packer that I never knew we shared in common (for starters, we’re both originally from New Jersey). But now after having read his latest printed offering, I realize we’re almost one and the same when it comes to one extremely vital role of adulthood; parenting.
It’s almost uncanny to learn just how many similarities we share as fathers after reading Walkingwith Sam…, which detailed his walk across the Camino de Santiago in Spain with his still teenaged son (the aforementioned “Sam” in the title). Not only are our respective sons close in age (his is nineteen in the book, while mine is currently seventeen), he also seems to have almost identical struggles, like getting his offspring out the door on time in the morning (which I suppose is fairly universal these days).
Along the path, they learn things about one another, process personal traumas and regrets, and ultimately grow as human beings. It’s a bittersweet journey that McCarthy allows us an intimate look at his inside thoughts, and the dynamic between parent and child and the sometimes difficult decisions we have to make along the way.
Those looking for a walk down ’80s memory lane similar to Brat are not likely going to find much of that here, sans the occasional mention when it pops up as a topic of conversation. Regardless, there’s no shortage here of discovering who McCarthy truly is as a person, which in turn causes one to look further into themselves; that alone is worth taking the journey with him.
Back in 2006 (what now feels like a lifetime ago), I caught this little unknown Welsh band at the time opening for Rob Zombie called Bullet For My Valentine. Two years later I saw them again, opening on a bill alongside Avenged Sevenfold and Atreyu at the 2008 Taste of Chaos Tour. Five more years after that, I caught them as openers for Alice Cooper at a gig I worked security for at the CFE Arena in 2013. A lot has definitely changed for the band in the span of all those years, the most apparent being they’ve since grown to be headliners themselves rather than simply a warm-up act, and rightfully so.
Just days prior to their show at the Hard Rock Live in Orlando, FL on Friday, November 10, I received a request to cover the concert from the publicist for openers Vended, the young Iowa-based metal group who have since been carving a name out for themselves and gaining significant traction thanks to two of its members being the sons of Sliptknot’s Corey Taylor (Griffin Taylor) and Shawn Crahan (Simon Crahan). After shifting a few things around, I was able to make it to the show with my own son (Jacob) yet again acting as my photographer for the event (who ironically was “with me” in a way at that very first Bullet For My Valentine show back in 2006 when his pregnant mother and I attended it together).
The minute Vended hit the stage, it was clear they were not about to go easy on their audience any time soon, after a recording of Soft Cell’s “Tainted Love” was played and slowed down to eerie levels before the guys emerged on stage to blast into “Ded to Me.” More hard-hitters in the form of “Am I the Only One,” “Overall,” “The Far Side,” and “Asylum” all followed before the guys stepped aside to let Of Mice & Men take a turn.
I’ve always held a small place in my heart for metalcore bands like Of Mice & Men, but for whatever reason had still not seen them live before now despite the number of shows I’ve been to over the years. It felt like 2010 to me all over again as the band plowed through a set of tracks both new and old that included “Bones Exposed,” “Would You Still Be There,” “Castaway,” “Obsolete,” “O.G. Loko,” “Into the Sun,” “Warpaint,” and “Bloom.”
Finally, Bullet For My Valentine took over the stage, and full command of the room for that matter. While “Knives” and “Over It” were admirable enough to kick things off, it was song number three (“Your Betrayal”) that really got the crowd pumping. “Piece of Me” followed before the band dug deep in their catalog with “4 Words (to Choke Upon).”
The crowd stuck in there until the very end as the band went through old and new songs alike in the form of “The Last Fight,” “All These Things (I Hate Revolve Around Me),” “Shatter,” “Scream Aim Fire,” “You Want a Battle (Here’s a War),” “Rainbow Veins,” and “Don’t Need You.” By the time all was said and done, there was nothing else left except to visit the merch tent on the way out (and the nearby Voodoo Doughnut shop!) before finally calling it a night.
Spooky Empire recently celebrated its 20th year of delivering horror fandom to the masses with a monstrous weekend extravaganza that stared on Friday, October 27, and concluded on Sunday, October 29, 2023.
The renowned convention dominated the Hyatt Regency Orlando with a star-studded guest list of horror icons. And for the first time, Jason Vorhees (Kane Hodder), Freddy Krueger (Robert England), and Pinhead (Doug Bradley) were in the same room together! I don’t know if that’s true, but it sounds cool.
The long-running convention bills itself as the “Dark Side of Comic Con.” It was my first time ever attending, and the event didn’t disappoint. The 3-day weekend featured an extensive list of panels with actors, creators, and industry insiders, a horror film festival, an onslaught of vendors, a massive tattoo festival, special effects exhibitions, and costumes galore from staff and attendees. Of course, the event’s biggest draw was the sheer amount of horror icons in attendance.
The convention boasted a roster of over sixty guests from various decades of horror films and television. Their top draws were Kiefer Sutherland, Robert Englund, and Cassandra Peterson of Elvira, Mistress of the Dark fame. Having recently read her memoir, I was excited to meet the queen of haunts, but the list didn’t stop there.
In addition to the aforementioned greats, they had Jason Patric, Lou Diamond Phillips, special effects legends Greg Nicotero and the Chiodo Brothers, A Nightmare on Elm Street’s Heather Langenkamp, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2‘s Bill Moseley and Bill Johnson, An American Werewolf in London‘s David Naughton, Alex Vincent from Child’s Play, the voice of the Crypt Keeper himself, John Kassir, Nick Frost, Danielle Harris, Rose McGowan, Freddy Rodriguez, and many more.
The catch was that you’d have to be a millionaire to get all their autographs (more on that later). Admittedly, I wasn’t all that prepared for the big event. I didn’t attend Friday and opted for the weekend. The entire three days, I soon learned, were a necessity to make headway.
I arrived close to noon on Saturday and contended with a large crowd. The staff, however, kept the lines orderly and moving. Once inside the Hyatt resort and through the festival entrance, I witnessed a barrage of sights and sounds. Massive monster inflatables, an empty stage adorned with banners and blasting music, and a gaggle of lines were my introduction.
Countless eye-catching costumes were on display, some more impressive than others (the less said about the guy wearing the foam Lego brick the better). Jason, Michael Myers, and Leatherface were everywhere, and it was interesting to see all their different variations. There were a lot of Elviras there as well.
Perhaps most interesting were the couples costumes. I saw Beetlejuice and Lydia, Edward Scissorhands and Kim (both of which the female characters were portrayed by Winona Ryder), Candyman and Helen, and even a spot-on Hellraiser duo with Pinhead and female Cenobite.
Gore galore was displayed in many costumes. I felt under-dressed in my regular, boring non-costume attire. But I didn’t have time to sit around admiring costumes all day. I had a noon panel to attend with John Kassir, the Crypt Keeper.
They had no shortage of exciting panels on the schedule, but no matter how well I tried to plan, most of my time was spent waiting in lines for celebrity autographs. Out of the six panels I planned for that weekend, I only made it to two.
The John Kassir panel featured an insightful Q&A, where he detailed his early career and breaking into the business as a comedian “with no act” but lots of impressions. Growing up with HBO’s Tales from the Crypt, I felt my childhood come to life. And when it came time for audience questions, I wasted no time getting in line.
Panel on 10/28/23 featuring John Kassir of Tales From the Crypt fame.
I asked Mr. Kassir about the evolution of the Crypt Keeper from a restrained, quiet ghoul in the first season to the wisecracking, pun-making maniac in the later seasons. Kassir explained that advancements in the animatronic puppet over the years allowed for a more animated and expressive host. He also stated that showrunners wanted to explore what else the Crypt Keeper might do outside of living in a Crypt, hence the gleefully cartoonish persona he evolved into. To talk to an actor from a cherished show was worth the price of admission alone. But my day was only getting started.
I ventured into the vast autograph room, fully adorned with tables, banners, and celebrities. Some friends of mine were there who knew the general layout and had already done a bunch of stuff on Friday. The lines for Robert Englund, Cassandra Peterson, and Kiefer Sutherland wrapped outside the doors and were up to two hours long.
As I tried to take in the flurry of celebrity tables encircling me, I saw Greg Nicotero of The Waking Dead fame seated nearby. He was on my list. I asked him to sign my Blu-ray copy of Creepshow 2, a film he did special effects for before the establishment of KNB EFX Group. I thanked him forkeeping the Creepshow legacy alive with the current Shudder series, which I genuinely enjoy.
Author Shawn McKee (right) with Special F/X wiz Greg Nicotero.
Next up was a panel featuring cast members of 1987’s The Lost Boys. Kiefer Sutherland, Jason Patric, and Billy Wirth addressed the packed room, recounting insightful behind-the-scenes stories, including paying tribute to their late great director, Joel Schumacher.
The Lost Boys panel on 10/28/23 featuring (from left to right), host Riki Rachtman, Jason Patric, Kiefer Sutherland, and Billy Wirth.
I scheduled a photo op on a whim with Rose McGowan, Freddy Rodriguez, and Marley Shelton from Planet Terror, the first half of the Robert Rodriguez/Quentin Tarantino magnum opus Grindhouse (2007). The photo cost me about what I had left to spend that day, so I proceeded to tour the vendor room for the remainder of the time with my delicious Nightmare on Elm Street rum and ginger beer mix in hand.
By Sunday, I arrived early with hopes of meeting Elvira and Kiefer Sutherland. Most of everyone else, however, had the same plan. Neither celebrity had arrived yet, which freed me up some time to see Doug Bradley, who just set up. I also had a busy panel list of separate Q&As with Kane Hodder, Rose McGowan, Robert Englund, and others. It all seemed doable…until it wasn’t.
Meeting someone of Doug Bradley’s stature was a bit unnerving. Even without the extensive Pinhead makeup, you could see the character in his startling, gray eyes. He was ever the English gentleman though, calm, and friendly.
I mentioned Anthony Hickox, director of the Waxwork films and Hellraiser III: Hell on Earth who recently passed away. Bradley seemed to recall him with fondness. I felt thrilled upon getting a signed 8×10 Pinhead glossy and a picture with the actor. That was what it was all about. All the lines, expense, and planning came down to those brief moments where it was just you and the star of the films you love.
My excitement soon turned to trepidation when I learned that Elvira and Kiefer Sutherland had arrived. Their lines were long, their autographs cost $100, and they weren’t taking selfies. Pictures were, in fact, another commodity to be paid for separately in the designated photo op room. I passed both out of principle and financial necessity.
Besides, I had already scheduled a photo op with Danielle Harris, Jamie Lloyd from Halloween4 and 5. I also knew Harris from her role as Bruce Willis’s smartass kid in The Last Boy Scout (1991) and many movies or TV shows she popped up in back then. She was incredibly kind in person and equally reciprocal when I thanked her for being there.
McKee with actress Danielle Harris, best known for her involvement in the Halloween franchise, including Halloween 4 (1988), Halloween 5 (1989), and Rob Zombie’s Halloween (2007).
During The Lost Boys panel, Kiefer Sutherland made similar appreciative remarks toward the fans. “We’re only here because of you,” he said. “We owe all of our success to you and your interest in our work.” For such a big star, he showed the utmost humility. It was those moments that suggested it wasn’t just work for them. Some of them actually wanted to be there.
As the day ended, I had only the time and money to meet one more celebrity. Why not Kane Hodder? The actor and legendary stuntman who portrayed Jason Vorhees an unprecedented four times had me nervous in line. Would he crush my skull if I asked for a selfie?
He was candid, friendly, and funny despite being clearly exhausted by the end of the long weekend. When most others had packed up, Hodder remained even as his line grew. We all watched, starry-eyed and infatuated, as the supernatural serial killer from our youth sat only a few feet away. Our words exchanged with Hodder and the signed Jason picture said it all, we love these damn movies.
Author McKee with actor/stuntman Kane Hodder, best known for his portrayal of Jason Voorhees.
Spooky Empire and similar conventions have their fair share of headaches. At times, my impatience at long lines and disappointment of missing panels grew, along with anxiety toward my diminishing finances. Ultimately, the experience gave me a deeper appreciation for horror films and the talent behind them.
It is both a community and an art form for people to express themselves through. To truly enjoy these conventions is to immerse yourself in your surroundings. Next time, I’ll be more prepared.
