Monsterpalooza 2017
Author: Joe Di Gaetano
This past weekend, Friday, April 7 to Sunday, April 9, 2017, was a convention created not for the comic lover but instead for the horror fan, Monsterpalooza. Held in spring at the Pasadena Convention Center, attendees from all forms came dressed to scare for the monster mash.
There was a variety to see in the main convention room. Ticket-holders could gaze at merchandise and collectibles dedicated to their favorite fright fandom. In honor of creature creation and sponsored by the Cinema Makeup School, fans enjoyed watching a live demonstration of makeup effects, depicting immaculate work detailing shards of glass from the model.
Hosted in the theatre are the panels for the event, which feature behind-the-scenes looks at cherished monster movies to live monster-making. This year one of the notable panels, moderated by Tony Timpone (former editor-in-chief of Fangoria), was “Cult of Chucky,” where fans disused the Child Play series’ 7th installment. Star Fiona Douriff, surprise guest Jennifer Tilly, and FX guru Tony Gardner informed the audience that the new film, including plenty of gore, takes place in a mental institution. They even confirmed that Alex Vincent returns as Andy Barclay.
People also got to meet their beloved horror idols up close and personal. Present were Robert Englund, who brought Freddy Krueger to everyone’s nightmares in the Elm Street films, Kane Hodder, who portrayed the serial killer Jason Vorhees of the Friday the 13th series, and Linda Blair, who played Regan in The Exorcist. Even the rare survivors of these franchises attended, including the original Nancy Thompson and Alice from Nightmare on Elm Street, Heather Langencamp, and Adrienne King.
Other notable guests included Robert Picardo, the EMH Doctor from Star Trek Voyager, and actor Tony Todd from Candyman. Todd’s fans would also note that he played the coroner in Final Destination and voices an alien species called the vortigaunt from the video game Half-Life 2.
However, walking through the Haunted House Museum, a room with wax figures, statuses, and masks branching from the iconic to obscure in horror movies and TV shows, elevates this convention. Some highlights in the museum include Aliens Vs. Predator mockups, a Dr. Frankenstein laboratory, and Jack Skellington from The Nightmare Before Christmas.
If you are into this scare genre, this is definitely one convention you will want to attend! For those who missed out this year, the Son of Monsterpalooza will be in Burbank during the fall. People of Con will provide updates as soon as the dates are released.