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MegaCon Orlando Brings Horror and Geekdom Together!

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I have attended many, many conventions all over the East Coast, and as a new resident to sunny Florida I just had to check out the notorious MegaCon Orlando at the Orange County Convention Center.  To say the least, I was not disappointed from what this convention had to offer.

Enthusiasm and passion kept everyone in good spirits, even as they stood in the long lines to see celebrity guests such as James Marsters, Eliza Dushku, and Nicholas Brendon who were celebrating their 20 years of Buffy the Vampire Slayer fame that launched them all into the Whedonverse hall of fame.  Equally long lines snaked their way to the autograph tables to see Rocky Horror Picture Show veterans Patricia Quinn, Barry Bostwick, Nell Campbell, and Meatloaf and of course the infamous Tim Curry in his private photo op!

Cosplayers made up almost half of the attendees, and many of them were nearly screen accurate!  While many of the cosplayers were super hero related you can’t keep the horror fans down!  Fans of the macabre came out to support their favorite genre characters as well.  Jasons, and Michaels, and Freddys, oh my!  There were also many cosplayers paying tribute to their favorite Walking Dead characters, with an overwhelming proportion of them as the infamous baseball bat wielding Negan.

horror cosplayers at MegaCon Orlando

However, one cosplayer in particular made my blood run cold; Samara from The Ring.  This cosplayer fully committed to her character.  Not only did she look the part with her entire body fully airbrushed in a shade of corpse white, but she also conducted terrifying poses.  This girl contortioned her entire body into the ungodly positions as Samara did crawling out of the television screen!  It still gives me chills just thinking about it!

Samara cosplayer MegaCon Orlando

Professional cosplayers Cecil Grimes and Richard Dixon took the act of cosplaying to a new level.  In an experience affectionately called ‘set play’ cosplay actors Grimes and Dixon invited you into their zombie infested world inside a ‘Mega Con Safe Zone’ fort surrounded by barbed wire and completed with a lookout tower where you can take preparations to fend off the walkers.  Once inside you choose your weapon to join Rick and Daryl as you fight off the zombies who broke through their safe zone in your photo!

Cosplayers Cecil Grimes and Richard Dixon at MegaCon Orlando

This year for the first time Sinners and Saints, a horror film festival which began as a staple in Tampa in 2002, partnered up with MegaCon Orlando to show this year’s movies.  Panels hosted by the independent filmmakers were showcased alongside their films.   Fear Film Studio Fest also screened independent horror films as well as shorts over the course of the weekend and gave fans the opportunity to meet with the people behind the movies.

While horror merchandise was in short supply in the vendor room, it is a mostly a comic convention after all, the dedicated could find some fantastic discoveries!  Local 13x Studios owner Rick Styczynski had his booth in its full glory, showcasing masks from the comic book world as well as the horror genre!  Drop Dead Bizarre showcased a beautiful cabinet filled with hand painted machetes featuring who else but Jason Voorhees.  I

13x Studios booth at MegaCon Orlando

f you were looking for something a little more cute and cuddly, Horror Show Jack’s booth had some adorably twisted stuffed bears in the likenesses of Sam from Trick ‘R Treat and Chucky from Child’s Play.

Bears from Horror Show Jack’s booth at MegaCon Orlando

As a first time attendee of MegaCon Orlando I was not disappointed, and I will surely be returning next year!  In the meantime the convention is gearing up for their next convention; MegaCon Tampa September 29 – October 1!  It has already been announced Kevin Smith of Tusk and Red State will be in attendance.  Check out MegaCon Tampa’s website here as their guest list grows for their September show!

Be sure to follow iHorror for upcoming news on horror guests at their next show, and keep up with our Twitter here and Instagram here to see our pictures as we attend the shows in real time!

Read more about MegaCon Orlando horror vendor Rick Styczynski in iHorror’s interview with him here!

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New Poster Reveal For Nicolas Cage’s Survival Creature Feature ‘Arcadian’ [Trailer]

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Nicolas Cage Arcadian

In the latest cinematic venture featuring Nicolas Cage, Arcadian emerges as a compelling creature feature, teeming with suspense, horror, and emotional depth. RLJE Films has recently released a series of new images and a captivating poster, offering audiences a glimpse into the eerie and thrilling world of “Arcadian”. Scheduled to hit theaters on April 12, 2024, the film will later be available on Shudder and AMC+, ensuring a wide audience can experience its gripping narrative.

Arcadian Movie Trailer

The Motion Picture Association (MPA) has given this film an “R” rating for its “bloody images,” hinting at the visceral and intense experience awaiting viewers. The film draws inspiration from acclaimed horror benchmarks like “A Quiet Place,” weaving a post-apocalyptic tale of a father and his two sons navigating a desolate world. Following a catastrophic event that depopulates the planet, the family faces the dual challenge of surviving their dystopian environment and eluding mysterious nocturnal creatures.

Joining Nicolas Cage in this harrowing journey are Jaeden Martell, known for his role in “IT” (2017), Maxwell Jenkins from “Lost in Space,” and Sadie Soverall, featured in “Fate: The Winx Saga.” Directed by Ben Brewer (“The Trust”) and penned by Mike Nilon (“Braven”), “Arcadian” promises a unique blend of poignant storytelling and electrifying survival horror.

Maxwell Jenkins, Nicolas Cage, and Jaeden Martell 

Critics have already begun to praise “Arcadian” for its imaginative monster designs and exhilarating action sequences, with one review from Bloody Disgusting highlighting the film’s balance between emotional coming-of-age elements and heart-pounding horror. Despite sharing thematic elements with similar genre films, “Arcadian” sets itself apart through its creative approach and action-driven plot, promising a cinematic experience filled with mystery, suspense, and relentless thrills.

Arcadian Official Movie Poster

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‘Winnie the Pooh: Blood and Honey 3’ Is a Go with Enhanced Budget and New Characters

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Winnie the Pooh 3

Wow, they’re churning things out fast! The upcoming sequel “Winnie the Pooh: Blood and Honey 3” is officially moving forward, promising an expanded narrative with a larger budget and the introduction of beloved characters from A.A. Milne’s original tales. As confirmed by Variety, the third installment in the horror franchise will welcome Rabbit, the heffalumps, and the woozles into its dark and twisted narrative.

This sequel is a part of an ambitious cinematic universe that reimagines children’s stories as horror tales. Alongside “Winnie the Pooh: Blood and Honey” and its first sequel, the universe includes films such as “Peter Pan’s Neverland Nightmare”, “Bambi: The Reckoning,” and “Pinocchio Unstrung”. These movies are set to converge in the crossover event “Poohniverse: Monsters Assemble,” slated for a 2025 release.

Winnie the Pooh Poohniverse

The creation of these films was made possible when A.A. Milne’s 1926 children’s book “Winnie-the-Pooh” entered the public domain last year, allowing filmmakers to explore these cherished characters in unprecedented ways. Director Rhys Frake-Waterfield and producer Scott Jeffrey Chambers, of Jagged Edge Productions, have led the charge in this innovative endeavor.

The inclusion of Rabbit, heffalumps, and woozles in the upcoming sequel introduces a new layer to the franchise. In Milne’s original stories, heffalumps are imagined creatures resembling elephants, while woozles are known for their weasel-like characteristics and a penchant for stealing honey. Their roles in the narrative remain to be seen, but their addition promises to enrich the horror universe with deeper connections to the source material.

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How to Watch ‘Late Night with the Devil’ from Home: Dates and Platforms

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Late Night With The Devil

For fans eager to dive into one of this year’s most talked-about horror films from the comfort of their own home, “Late Night with the Devil” will be available for streaming exclusively on Shudder starting April 19, 2024. This announcement has been highly anticipated following the film’s successful theatrical release by IFC Films, which saw it earning rave reviews and a record-breaking opening weekend for the distributor.

“Late Night with the Devil” emerges as a standout horror film, captivating audiences and critics alike, with Stephen King himself offering high praise for the 1977-set film. Starring David Dastmalchian, the movie unfolds on Halloween night during a live late-night talk show broadcast that disastrously unleashes evil across the nation. This found footage-style film not only delivers scares but also authentically captures the aesthetic of the 1970s, drawing viewers into its nightmarish scenario.

David Dastmalchian in Late Night with the Devil

The film’s initial box office success, opening to $2.8 million in 1,034 theaters, underscores its wide appeal and marks the highest opening weekend for an IFC Films release. Critically acclaimed, “Late Night with the Devil” boasts a 96% positive rating on Rotten Tomatoes from 135 reviews, with the consensus praising it for rejuvenating the possession horror genre and showcasing David Dastmalchian’s exceptional performance.

Rotten Tomatoes score as of 3/28/2024

Simon Rother of iHorror.com encapsulates the film’s allure, emphasizing its immersive quality that transports viewers back to the 1970s, making them feel as if they are part of the eerie “Night Owls” Halloween broadcast. Rother lauds the film for its meticulously crafted script and the emotional and shocking journey it takes viewers on, stating, “This whole experience will have viewers of the Cairnes brothers’ film glued to their screen… The script, from beginning to end, is neatly sewn together with an ending that’ll have jaws on the floor.” You can read the full review here.

Rother further encourages audiences to watch the film, highlighting its multifaceted appeal: “Whenever it is made available to you, you must attempt to view the Cairnes Brothers’ latest project as it will make you laugh, it will creep you out, it will amaze you, and it might even strike an emotional cord.”

Set to stream on Shudder on April 19, 2024, “Late Night with the Devil” offers a compelling blend of horror, history, and heart. This film is not just a must-watch for horror aficionados but for anyone looking to be thoroughly entertained and moved by a cinematic experience that redefines the boundaries of its genre.

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