News
Quaranween Con; Are Virtual Cons the Future?
Quaranween Con is an example of a virtual convention created out of urgency by and for horror fans. However, these online events are still in their infancy.
Above all, they abide by the social distancing rules put in place during the COVID -19 pandemic.
Geeks, nerds, and horror fans alike feel the need to gather and share their love of fandom, but due to the recent pandemic large gatherings have been put on hold.
Personal protection measures have greatly influenced daily life, making mass gatherings unsafe. This is exactly what motivated Quaranween Con producer Billy Carr to be pragmatic in creating his own virtual convention.
Quaranween Con marks the halfway point until Halloween 2020. And being the fan Carr is, he is excited to bring this event to the public. On his Facebook event page he proudly promotes Quaranween, a horror con “by the fans for the fans.”
A separate Facebook page lays out the schedule over the course of Friday May 22 – Sunday May 24.
The panels will be connected to a link from the host shortly before they begin. You can find the weekend schedule here. All of the times noted are in Eastern Standard Time.
Quaranween Con is an attempt to “lift spirits,” Carr says, and this couldn’t have come at a more perfect time than on Memorial Day Weekend.
During a time when we are used to going to the beach, having BBQs, large family gatherings and pool parties, COVID has seriously limited our options on events and where we spend the holiday weekend. Carr has made it clear that this might be a prescription to help cure cabin fever.
“I wanted to create an event where people could come and promote themselves, come see some entertainment while we are all home bored,” Carr told iHorror. “I simply started putting it together using my phone and laptop. I talked to vendors, actors, entertainers and more…
…some cons are worried how to turn it into something profitable, and I am just simply doing it for the people in general.
…with great support from from great folks like you and my volunteers, it’s already shaping up a lot better then I could have imagined.”
One of the highlighted panels is Friday night’s Bad Moon FX Demo at 9 pm. The panel focuses on pouring, reinforcing, and detailing jaw-dropping props and masks. You may have seen some of their previous work and have not even known it!
Literally one of their largest pieces is the Elivra Funko Pop which won the costume contest at Spooky Empire in 2018; Florida’s largest horror convention.
Another amazing set of cosplays fabricated by Bad Moon FX is a set of head traps from the famous Saw series. These props truly appear screen worthy and movie ready.
Some of the highly anticipated Saturday panels include pumpkin speed carving at 2 pm by the convention organizer himself! If that doesn’t get you into the Halloween spirit, perhaps this next panel will: At 5 pm on Saturday be sure to tune into the Haunt Scene panel which focuses on professional haunts.
Sunday of Quaranween Con is closed out by a fire show by M.A.D. Flames featuring Lady Darjuxena aka Dj Palumbo.
In conclusion, Carr has included an interactive costume contest for the fans! You can submit a picture of yourself in costume to their Facebook thread, just please keep them PG-13!
The picture can either be recent or from the past. Fans will then vote by “liking” their favorite costume, and the costume with the most “likes” by June 20. The winner will receive a free custom made hand carved artificial pumpkin made by Carr.
Many of us feel like conventions are our home among like-minded fans. Seeing these conventions canceled over the past three months has been a very disheartening experience. It has been very difficult for many of us who have waited year-round for these events; making hotel reservations, saving money for the vendor rooms, and meticulously planning our cosplays. As we are still testing the waters of virtual conventions, Quaranween Con will help reveal the reception fans will have for this new platform of virtual gathering for those who share the same passion for horror.
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Movies
Trailer for ‘The Exorcism’ Has Russell Crowe Possessed
The latest exorcism movie is about to drop this summer. It’s aptly titled The Exorcism and it stars Academy Award winner turned B-movie savant Russell Crowe. The trailer dropped today and by the looks of it, we are getting a possession movie that takes place on a movie set.
Just like this year’s recent demon-in-media-space film Late Night With the Devil, The Exorcism happens during a production. Although the former takes place on a live network talk show, the latter is on an active sound stage. Hopefully, it won’t be entirely serious and we’ll get some meta chuckles out of it.
The film will open in theaters on June 7, but since Shudder also acquired it, it probably won’t be long after that until it finds a home on the streaming service.
Crowe plays, “Anthony Miller, a troubled actor who begins to unravel while shooting a supernatural horror film. His estranged daughter, Lee (Ryan Simpkins), wonders if he’s slipping back into his past addictions or if there’s something more sinister at play. The film also stars Sam Worthington, Chloe Bailey, Adam Goldberg and David Hyde Pierce.”
Crowe did see some success in last year’s The Pope’s Exorcist mostly because his character was so over-the-top and infused with such comical hubris it bordered on parody. We will see if that is the route actor-turned-director Joshua John Miller takes with The Exorcism.
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News
Win a Stay at The Lizzie Borden House From Spirit Halloween
Spirit Halloween has declared that this week marks the start of spooky season and to celebrate they are offering fans a chance to stay at the Lizzie Borden House with so many perks Lizzie herself would approve.
The Lizzie Borden House in Fall River, MA is claimed to be one of the most haunted houses in America. Of course one lucky winner and up to 12 of their friends will find out if the rumors are true if they win the grand prize: A private stay in the notorious house.
“We are delighted to work with Spirit Halloween to roll out the red carpet and offer the public a chance to win a one-of-a-kind experience at the infamous Lizzie Borden House, which also includes additional haunted experiences and merchandise,” said Lance Zaal, President & Founder of US Ghost Adventures.
Fans can enter to win by following Spirit Halloween‘s Instagram and leaving a comment on the contest post from now through April 28.
The prize also includes:
An exclusive guided house tour, including insider insight around the murder, the trial, and commonly reported hauntings
A late-night ghost tour, complete with professional ghost-hunting gear
A private breakfast in the Borden family dining room
A ghost hunting starter kit with two pieces of Ghost Daddy Ghost Hunting Gear and a lesson for two at US Ghost Adventures Ghost Hunting Course
The ultimate Lizzie Borden gift package, featuring an official hatchet, the Lizzie Borden board game, Lily the Haunted Doll, and America’s Most Haunted Volume II
Winner’s choice of a Ghost Tour experience in Salem or a True Crime experience in Boston for two
“Our Halfway to Halloween celebration provides fans an exhilarating taste of what’s to come this fall and empowers them to start planning for their favorite season as early as they please,” said Steven Silverstein, CEO of Spirit Halloween. “We have cultivated an incredible following of enthusiasts who embody the Halloween lifestyle, and we’re thrilled to bring the fun back to life.”
Spirit Halloween is also preparing for their retail haunted houses. On Thursday, August 1 their flagship store in Egg Harbor Township, NJ. will officially open to start off the season. That event usually draws in hordes of people eager to see what new merch, animatronics, and exclusive IP goods will be trending this year.
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Movies
’28 Years Later’ Trilogy Taking Shape With Serious Star Power
Danny Boyle is revisiting his 28 Days Later universe with three new films. He will direct the first, 28 Years Later, with two more to follow. Deadline is reporting that sources say Jodie Comer, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, and Ralph Fiennes have been cast for the first entry, a sequel to the original. Details are being kept under wraps so we don’t know how or if the first original sequel 28 Weeks Later fits into the project.
Boyle will direct the first movie but it’s unclear which role he will take on in the subsequent films. What is known is Candyman (2021) director Nia DaCosta is scheduled to direct the second film in this trilogy and that the third will be filmed immediately afterward. Whether DaCosta will direct both is still unclear.
Alex Garland is writing the scripts. Garland is having a successful time at the box office right now. He wrote and directed the current action/thriller Civil War which was just knocked out of the theatrical top spot by Radio Silence’s Abigail.
There is no word yet on when, or where, 28 Years Later will start production.
The original film followed Jim (Cillian Murphy) who wakes from a coma to find that London is currently dealing with a zombie outbreak.
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