Well Another Frightmare has come and gone.
This was the first Frightmare since 2007 that I did not
produce a Full DVD set of the convention.
Loyd had to discontinue the DVD as it had become a royalties
issue with some of the guests.
I’m not upset about it because first off people just don’t
buy DVDs anymore and I always said that I would produce the DVDs as long as
both the fans loved them as well as Loyd wanted the DVD.
That and all of the equipment that we used was all lost in
the fire anyway and I don’t think that I could produce a DVD this year because
all that I had was my Canon XA10 that I purchased with the Insurance money
combined with my current mental state with not just the fire but what I was
going through in my personal life at the time.
That being said don’t fret my Friends I am still The
Official Videographer of Texas Frightmare Weekend as I have launched a YouTube
Channel for the Southwest’s premiere horror convention
The Channel features QnAs that I was able to film as well as
videos from the past years that I will convert and upload soon.
I’ll have them uploaded to the channel soon.
The event kicked off on Friday evening and I started getting
my footage I almost got trampled when they opened the
doors to the convention, If you watch the video
you will see some of the footage.
I spent most of the weekend shooting QnAs that have been
uploaded to the channel for you all to see. Many thanks to Bradley for helping
me meet the guests and decide who wants to be filmed and who will decline.
That is something that I do want to talk about. Cameras in
the conventions are one thing because everyone is scared of the video cameras
because of the videos being posted on the internet. Everyone is scared of where
the video will end up and what it is for. There ends up being a lot of people
that go around and try to film the guests in an embarrassing moment or saying
something that may be controversial and it makes everyone nervous.
I always pride myself on the
fact that I will spend the Friday evening going from Table to Table
introducing myself to the guests and their handlers and telling them who I am
and that I am with the convention and that I will gladly give them a copy of
anything that I shoot to use for whatever they want to use it for and I find it
interesting how many of the guests are happy and thankful that I did just that
and to tell them that if they see me filming that is what I am doing with the
footage. Others that don’t know me their handlers do and many of them will
vouch for me and say “He’s cool”.
I had at one point the handler saw me filming a guest from
behind and told me that I can’t film and when I turned around he recognized
me and said “Ooh it’s you sorry didn’t recognize
you without the Hat” Which is another reason for the hat, He then proceeded to
ask me if I still had some of the footage from the year before.
That prides me to know that I have in fact developed a good
reputation with the guests and the management teams.
There was also the Slasher QnA with Nick Castel, Lou David,
and Ted White.
I also shot the David Naughton QnA. I don’t know why but I
wanted a Dr. Pepper.
When I wasn’t running around with the Camera, or hanging out
with Anjanette, Ray, and Sean at the Full Moon Table celebrating Ari Lehman’s
Birthday.
I was talking to Thommy Hutson who I worked with (though not
directly) on the Elm Street Legacy.
Thommy was there promoting More Brains a
Return of the Living Dead retrospective, which I will recommend that to all of
you Return of the Living Dead fans out there. Thommy was nice to give me a free
copy of the documentary and I will have the review for you here soon.
The other reason that I stay sober on Saturday night I was
reminded on Sunday morning when half of the guests and fans shamble in the room
like zombies. One particular guest that I am not going to name here came
walking in the room looking like he had just auditioned for the walking dead.
When I asked him if he had a good time last night he looked at me and said
“UUUH Yeah and I’m feeling in now” to which I replied “Here at Texas Frightmare
Weekend we call that Sunday Morning.
That got a laugh from the volunteers as well as the other
fans there in agreement.
Lyle Blackburn was there promoting his book The Beast of
Boggy Creek which I have reviewed on this very blog as well as his QnA for Monster Bizzaro with
Rue Morgue Magazine. After the fire Lyle was nice enough to give Anjanette
another copy of the Beast of Boggy Creek to me and he was at the event selling
The Legend of Boggy Creek which when I asked him how much he gave it to me for
free. Great Guy.
I also spent a lot of time with Bloody Mary aka Bobbie
Weiner and the class that she taught on make-up at the Texas Frightmare Weekend
101.
Then it was off to the VIP party on Saturday night hanging
out with my old friends Stephen Brodie, Cassie Shea Watson. I was filming so I
did go down and get some footage of the Scaryokie event down in the lower
levels of the hotel…I’ll tell you kiddies I almost didn’t make it out of there
alive because It was crazy.
After the VIP party I enjoyed a Stogie in the back by the pool area with many of the Frightmare fans that I have come to know over the years and then I went back and partied with Tyler Mane in the Scaryokie area. Don’t worry I’m still on the wagon, Yes alcohol flows freely at the TFW but you can still have a blast and not have a drink.
My personal favorite QnA was the Gulager Family QnA with
Director John Gulager and legendary actor Clu Gulager and John’s wife Diane
Goldner and Cassie who joined the QnA because she starred in Feast 2 which was
directed by John Gulager. Kristy Jett
was the moderator of the QnA.
The quest to rebuild my autograph collection has begun
again. Anjanette was highly helpful in getting me some autographs back after
the Fire with Joe Bob Briggs’ autographed books as well as others.
Dispite the fact that his hand was I a cast Clu Gulager was
still there signing autographs which shows me the devotion that the guests have
with their fans.
It is common knowledge that I am a James Bond fan and
Caroline Munro was one of the guests. I found myself frequently at her table
conversing with her about not just The Spy who Loved Me, but also about the
Abominable Dr. Phibes which she played the role of Phibes’ late wife Victoria.
When she offered me an autograph I could not resist a signed publicity still
from The Spy Who Loved Me.
Nick Castle who I know as the original Michael Myers was
also in attendance and as much as I wish that I still had my Halloween
Collector’s edition that had been signed by many of the cast and crew of the
film but I don’t, However I was Happy to have a signed 8/10 of one of my
favorite shots from the film.
I also ran into some of my horror friends from Austin like
Tina Byram from the Austin Film Meet and Lisa aka Bunny Voodoo from Blood Over
Texas and I had to tell them about the fire to explain why I am back in Dallas
and no longer in Austin. I may return to Austin someday but I first have to
rebuild my life first and I figure that the best place to start may be where I
began.
Texas Frightmare Weekend is here and they are the ones that
brought me to the dance and they are the ones that I am going to dance with for
now. Not to mention that Anjanette, Ray, Stephen, Keath, and Lar among others
are here for me and it is also good to know that I have a strong group of
supporters down in Austin if I ever decide to return there.
When the show was over I decided to rest out by the pool
area because I was tired and I seriously didn’t take the size of the Venue into
consideration when I did the runaround at the beginning of the video and I was
dead tired.
So I enjoyed my cigar and had a small conversation with Meg
Foster who was outside waiting to be driven to her flight home and soon enough
I was ready for some Wingstop to officially bring Texas Frightmare Weekend to a
close.
Until Next Time.
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