The Days of the Dead Horror Convention was held in Atlanta on Feb. 3rd through the 5th. For three days, horror fans were given the chance to converge and celebrate all things bloody, gory, and squishy.
Unknown to the guests and speakers at the con, this Horror Geek Life writer was determined to find out which women in horror had helped shape the guests into the stars they are today! Armed with a pen and pad, this writer set off to see just who the hell scared (or inspired) Regan and others! The answers given may be a bit of a surprise! Let’s go!
I’ll be honest; it’s been a solid nine years since I attended a convention. Walking into such a melting pot of like-minded genre lovers can be overwhelming upon your first visit. Walking out of the elevator, one is surrounded by murderers, slashers, and cult icons…..and that’s just the fans walking around!
The Con was full of blood hungry fans spread out rather densely throughout the hotel. Immediately to the left fans were led into the celebrity room…but more on that in a bit. Right next to the entrance to said room stood a haunting reproduction of the Myers house advertising the Days of the Dead. Chilling stuff!
It was at this time that I decided to resist walking past the many special fx booths Days of the Dead offered on the way towards the vendors room (quite possibly the most dangerous room to a horror nerd), and head into the celebrity room.
The celebrity room at Days of the Dead was packed from end to end. Between the rows of tables; hundred of fans lined up for autographs and pictures with their horrific honorable guests. Now was the time to get in line and mingle with…..John A. Russo! After talking with Mr. Russo and explaining how Night of the Living Dead helped shape me into the man I am today, I got down to business.
HGL: Mr. Russo, you’ve worked with many actresses on many movies; which ones really stand out to you?
Mr. Russo: Debbie Rochon is in my latest film My Uncle John is a Zombie. She’s a very talented and hard working actress who has been great working with and surely has a bright future in horror.
After meeting one of the men responsible for my lack of sleep during childhood, I had the honor of running into the baddest cenobite ever, Pinhead! That’s right, Doug Bradley was sitting next to John A. Russo!
HGL: In honor of Women in Horror Month, what actresses have you worked with that stand out and have left a lasting impression on you?
Mr. Bradley: Ashley Lawrence was great – I really have great things to say about all of the women in the Hellraiser films. The first two Hellraiser films would only have half the power without Clare Higgins. She was wonderful. Terry Farrell from Hellraiser 3 was also great to work with.
Next to Mr. Bradley’s table was a long line. A very long line. My camera-girl and I hopped in line as soon as we realized it was Linda Blair. After waiting in line (and witnessing the sword swallowing mentioned earlier) we both approached prepared to ask a few questions.
HGL: We’re celebrating Women in Horror Month at Horrorgeeklife.com and were wondering which women in horror inspired you while growing up?
Miss Blair: Now that I think about it, I grew up watching many of the old Universal monster movies. We kind of watched those for the monsters and the scares!
HGL: Thank you! Random question, will you ever be returning to Supernatural?
Miss Blair: (laughs) Well, they didn’t kill me off so I’d love to come back if they wanted me to!
From there, this writer made his way towards the dreaded vendor room. Upon entering he was floored by all of the DVDs, original artwork, collectible action figures, props, and other wonderful pieces of horror swag available at Days of the Dead. He was last seen wandering off into a dark closet full of VHS and Laserdisks.
In the end, Days of the Dead was a great convention and we can’t wait to see what next year brings!
Photo credits: Michael Schwartz
