Monday, July 9, 2007

Where've You Been? Notes from the Con

Back from three days at the big sci-fi convention in the big city, back to my little city and my snuggly, well-fed kitties. Since we still have a few days off work, I said it can be like HOMECON 2007: we certainly have enough genre films to make up a whole film festival. We don't need to jolt ourselves back into reality too quickly. The shock wouldn't be good.

So, here's some brief, disjointed notes on the last few days.

In an HP Lovecraft Fan Film Festival: the Nyarlothotep movie thanked Herbal Essences shampoo in the credits. And I didn't notice anybody's hair being particularly bouncing and behaving. Another entry, an "Antiques Roadshow Arkham Massachusetts," had funny lines, although the execution was pretty amateur. Still, it's a good concept, all the twisted Arkhamites wondering how much they could get for their unholy relics, and I liked the part where the Necronomicon defied classification in the Dewey decimal system, and should be filed under "Dear God, Don't Read It Aloud!"

Asian horror recommendations: Akira Kurosawa's Dreams. Versus (yakuza zombie movie, I can't believe I haven't seen yet!). Death Trance. Reincarnation. One Missed Call. Also, the Groovie Goolies cartoon series is just out on DVD. My Netflix is going to be busy!

Upcoming low-budget horror releases that were recommended: Murder Party (a slasher Breakfast Club). The Signal. A book called Single White Psychopath, described as "like Bridget Jones, if she were a serial kiler."

I went to a panel that talked about "monster culture": Famous Monsters magazine, the Shock Theater tv horror movie revival of the 50s and 60s. A few other people remembered Horror, Incorporated fondly. And oddly, it was Star Wars that made me aware of Famous Monsters, when they put Darth Vader on the cover in 1977. I don't think I knew there was horror fandom until then...or any fandom at all. And man, were there a lot of people at that hotel!

Overheard: "Being a professional, as opposed to a goofball."

Sign on the Torchwood party room, like the front of the line on a carnival: "You must be this tall to ride Captain Jack."

Favorite costume: an old-school First Avenue Staff t-shirt, with a cut-off denim vest, "Death Before Dishonor" written on it in magic marker, an enormous green mohawk.

Strangest piece of merchandise: a Jane Austen Tarot deck.

I always forget how gruesome John Carpenter's The Thing is. I think of it as being moody and paranoid, and I mean, that's accurate. But when the gore hits I'm like, Jesus Christ! It catches me off-guard.

Also overheard: "Who would win? Starfleet vs. the Dark Star."

I saw a hardcover edition of Seduction of the Innocent, the famous anti-comics manifesto from the 50s, which I haven't even been able to interlibrary loan. But it was $100. More than I was willing to pay.

The Buffy and Angel panel had a guy who looked like a young Bob Saget, and a gal who looked like a young Vicar of Dibley.

From War of the Gargantuas, possibly Toho's finest moment: "No one's reported a Frankenstein living in the sea."

In a haunted house-themed party room, I picked up a plastic leg bone and heard myself saying, "That's a fine quality bone. I'm something of a connoiseur."

And we bumped into a guy who used to live in our Obscure Midwestern City. We chatted for a bit and then he said abruptly, "Well, I'm officially out of small talk." I immediately thought to put in, "So, is it true that you were in prison?" which was the non-small-talky word on the street. But I just smiled. I guess I picked the correct sticker when asked to choose between Saint or Sinner at the Poly Amory Paradise or Purgatory room.

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