Rock & Shock Goes Old School
This past weekend I had the opportunity to attend the Rock & Shock Horror and Music Festival. This event spans a wide variety of pop-culture genres including Horror Films, Memorabilia, Celebrity Appearances, Music and much more. Running three days (Friday - Sunday) the Rock & Shock had a little something for everyone, young and old. Are you a snot-nosed kid who didn't even realize that there was a version of the Halloween Film Series before Rob Zombie did his remakes? Well then you could chat with Scout Taylor-Compton, Danielle Harris and Kristina Klebe, stars of the recent updates. Then again, if you are an old fart like me who grew up in the 70's & 80's (and let's face it, we are ALL old farts here at 2old2play), then there was an opportunity to meet Adrienne Barbeau, William Katt and to see Alice Cooper perform live (more on that amazing show coming in Part II of my R & S Coverage). So get comfortable, turn down the lights, crank up Alice Cooper's Welcome to My Nightmare Album (look it up youngin's) and check out the massive amount of content that I have brought back for your enjoyment.
Memborabilia & SWAG
The first thing that I always do when I attend any convention of this type is to check out the vendors. The quality of the booths and wares available are always a good indication of the potential of a given show. Rock & Shock did not dissapoint on this point. There were rows and rows of vendors hawking everthing from the standard Star Wars figures to hard to find horror films on DVD (still couldn't find the copy of Shockwaves that I was looking for).
Baby Pinhead Dolls Were Available
You could even purchase fangs, tattoos and custom colored contacts for those looking to get your creep on. I did my best to conserve my money, but I was able to locate yet another nice piece to add to my ever-growing collection of TRON memborabilia. Check this out.
Original TRON Movie Promo Zine From 1982
I was also able to snag some pretty cool SWAG for you, my loyal readers. You will have to read to the bottom of this blog to find out what I have for you and how you can win it, so keep going as I don't won't you to miss any of the sweet content below.
Film, TV and Cult Personalities
One thing that the Rock & Shock Festival had in spades was an amazing assortment of contemporary and Old-school personalities from horror & action films and a few true horror-movie icons such as George Romero and my personal favorite Adrienne Barbeau.
George Romero Talks Zombies During His Panel
Mr. Romero's booth was literally swamped the entire weekend, so I unfortunately was not able to speak with you this time around. However, I did get an opportunity to chat with Ms. Barbeau, one of my personal favorite actresses of all time, star of horror classics such as John Carpenter's The Fog, Swamp Thing and more mainstream fair like Cannoball Run (folks, this woman can still make a jumpsuit look amazing) and TV appearance in Maude. In addition to her work in film and TV, Adrienne has also done voice-over work in video games, including staring roles in God of War and Batman, Arkham Asylum. She hinted at additional voice-over work she will be doing for an upcoming video game release, so look for an interview with Ms. Barbeau here on 2old2play in the near future. Like almost all of the peronalities that I met during the Rock & Shock Festival, Adrienne was gracious beyond words. I look forward to speaking wthi her soon regarding her upcoming projects.
Adrienne Barbeau in John Carpenter's The Fog
During the weekend I was able to record several interviews with the stars from some of my favorite movies and TV shows of all time and even had the opportunity to speak with one old-school Industrial icon who is currently promoting a very unique project. Take a look and listen below.
William Katt, With Some New Friends
William Katt is probably best known for his staring role as Ralph Hinkley, high school teacher turned awkward super hero, in the TV series The Greatest American Hero. He also starred in several iconic horror movies from the 70's and 80's such as Carrie and House. What many of you may not know is that William started his acting career on the stage and is currently work on several new projects, including a horror film set on the sunny beaches of Florida and perhaps even a new video game project. Check out my interview with William below.
William was kind enough to sign a photo from the Greatest American Hero, which I in turn will be giving away to one lucky reader of this blog. So if you are interested in winning this piece of TV memorabilia, just post a comment and good luck!
Win This Signed William Katt Photo
Zoe Bell Striking a Pose (Convention Photo Coming Soon)
Many of you may know Zoe Bell from her supporting roles in Quentin Tarantino's Death Proof and the Roller Derby Showcase Whip-It. What you may not know is that Zoe started her career as a stunt woman on the set of Xena - Warrior Princess at the age of 17 or that she was one half of "The Bride" as Uma Thurman's stunt double in Kill Bill: Vol 1 & 2. A native Kiwi from New Zealand, Zoe is one of the most gracious and friendly people (forget that this woman has starred in some of the most iconic movies of the past decade) you would ever care to meet. I had the opportunity to sit down with Zoe and talk to her about her experiences in the industry and her views on stardom in general. Check it out.
Thom Matthews & Beverly Randolph of Return of the Living Dead
When I think of some of the greatest lines ever spoken in a horror movie, one always rises to the top - "If you love me, let me eat your brains!" I have tried this line on a girlfriend or two, and for the record, it does not usually work so well. This line was of course spoken by Thom Matthews to Beverly Randolph in the Horror Cult Classic Return of the Living Dead. Long before Shaun of the Dead brought commedy back (yes BACK) to zombie films, Return of the Living Dead was making viewer cringe and laugh simultaneously, and in a good way. In addition to the aforementioned classic line, who can forget other nuggest such as "Send more cops" and "Yes I love death and sex, so fuck off and die." Click on the link below to hear my interviews with both Thom and Beverly. They definitely are two different peas that somehow worked very well within the same pod.
Return of the Living Dead Interviews
Industrial Music Icon & Film Star Ogre with Waterborn
When I learned that Ogre was going to be at the Rock & Shock Horror Fest, I knew that I had to make some time to speak with him about his stint as the lead singer in for Skinny Puppy, pioneers of the Industrial music scene. You may have seen the video for the song Pro-Test by Skinny Puppy in some unusual locations, say your local Hot Topic. Check it out.
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aS-gGYaA8F0[/youtube]
Ogre has also starred in a number of cult horror fims, including the recently released Repo - The Genetic Opera.
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MzgpU25C6fg[/youtube]
I spoke with Ogre about his experiences with Skinny Puppy, how that project has grown over the years and what it was like to play a face-stealing rapist in Repo.
In addition to those above who I spoke to, I also had the opportunity to meet several other folks who were unfortunately not available for interviews over the weekend, including Dee Wallace (Cujo & ET), Alex Winter (The Lost Boys & Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure) and the cast of one of the most disturbing horror films to come out in years, The Human Centipede. I hope to bring you more interviews soon with some of the other personalities who were present at the Rock & Shock Horror Fest as they begin to promote new projects that they are working on.
Hatchet II Poster Signed by Creator & Director Adam Green
I did have a chance to briefly chat with Adam Green, Creator and Director of Hatchet I & II. Though Adam was swamped with fans trying to meet him, he was very gracious and was kind enough to sign this Hatchet II poster for our members. So if you are a Hatchet fan and would like this for your collection, be sure to post something in the comment section for this blog.
SFX-RynStorm Chats With Danny Trejo
Saving one of the best for last, Danny Trejo (Machette, Grindhouse, Conair and the upcoming Vengeance) was on hand. This guy is one of the funniest and most accessible people I have ever met. Danny plays mean and ugly on the big screen, but this guy is down to earth and amazingly cool in person. SFXRynStorm will be postiing an inteview with Danny over at SFX-360 very soon, so keep an eye out for it. It is hands down one of the chillest and funniest interviews you will listen to.
The SWAG
OK, I know that I promised you, my faithful readers, some cool giveaways from the Rock & Shock Horror Festival. In addition to the signed pieces listed above, check out these items and be sure to leave a comment to enter to win.
Fear 3 Posters (4 to give away)
"Kick Ass" Mini Movie Poster
Full-sized "Let Me In" Lobby Movie Poster
Full-sized "Piranha 3D" Lobby Movie Poster
Stay Tuned for Rock & Shock Part II - The Music (Coming to this Blog Soon)