By: Charles Romans
Carter County Times
The Scarefest Weekend descends upon Lexington October 23-25, filling the Central Bank Center with all things horror including horror movie celebrities, special effects artists, horror cosplayers, vendors, and everything dedicated to the things that go bump in the night. This year will mark year 18 for the popular convention, and Scarefest Media Director Wes Forsythe said that it is the best place to see your favorite characters from both popular and obscure horror films and television shows.
Forsythe said that it has become a tradition with Scarefest to have “reunions” of characters from film franchises so that fans can see as many of their favorites as possible at one time.
“We started planning this year to have the biggest Evil Dead reunion in convention history,” Forsythe said. “And we still have that, but unfortunately with his cancer diagnosis Bruce Campbell had to bow out.”
Campbell’s character Ash Williams, of course, is the heart of the Evil Dead franchise, but Forsythe said that the hardcore fans of the films are still pumped about the roster of actors from those films.
“We have actors from nearly every part of the franchise,” Forsythe said.
And, he pointed out, with that concentration of actors across the range of sequels and remakes, fans will have the unique opportunity to see characters that they might not get to see anywhere else.
“We even have a couple from the television series Ash vs the Evil Dead,” he said. “We have some from everywhere in the franchise. The director of the original film, Sam Rami, will be part of the reunion as well. And he is known for a lot of other things too, including a Spider Man movie.”
Forsythe said that most, if not all, of the actors will be available for photo ops and autographs, and that Scarefest is still adding photo ops. He said you won’t want to wait until the last minute to get your photo op, but a lot of people want to see who is going to be added. There is a regularly updated list on the Scarefest website and Facebook page, he said, so it will be a good idea to check those regularly.
“But if there is a particular photo op you know you want, go ahead and get it now,” he said.
Forsythe said that along with the things fans expect such as the photo ops and panels, there are the events and activities that happen after convention hours that are equally important to their fans.
“We are sort of leaning into our strengths,” Forsythe said of after-hours entertainment. “Of course, we have Scaryoke every night, because our fans love it.”
“The VIP party is going in a different route this year,” he added. “Rather than just a DJ and some entertainment, we’ve got Corey Taylor coming in with his band. His wife is part of the Cherry Bombs, and they are going to be playing. So, we’ve got a concert in our music venue, Manchester Music Hall, this year. And I think that is really going to be the hot ticket for the weekend.”
Forsythe said one thing added this year is axe throwing; and fans will get to throw axes with horror icon Kane Hodder, who Forsythe said has become part of the Scarefest Family along with other celebrities such as R.A. Mihailoff and others.
“They are part of the family because fans love them and they love the fans. And they are a lot of fun to be around,” Forsythe said.
This year’s Scarefest Weekend will cater to the hardcore horror fans, Forsythe said. But there will definitely be something that appeals to everyone such as the paranormal guest lineup this year, he said.
“We’ve got Steve Gonsalves and Dave Tango (from Ghost Hunters). They come every year,” he said, adding that they have, like others, become part of the convention family.
“We have Cindy Kaza, and this is her first time coming. She hasn’t done many conventions until this past year,” he said.
Kaza, a celebrity psychic, will be doing a gallery reading this year, Forsythe said.
“She was on the Dead Files and on other big television shows. This is part of her national tour, and she does this coast to coast. So, getting this in our convention is a really big deal.”
“The one thing I want to stress to people is, with all this going on, we are still a family convention,” Forsythe said. “We have all ages come in, especially on Sunday which is kids’ day. But on the floor and at the vendors’ booths, what you’ll find is what might be in a typical PG movie. It’s a great event for the whole family. And the vendors are spectacular. Plus, it is a great way to celebrate Halloween if you don’t want to go to a haunted house.”
“One of the often-overlooked aspects of our convention is that from the minute we open the doors until we shut it down, we run a film festival with some of the brightest minds in independent horror films,” Forsythe said. “Every year I am amazed at the quality of work these people turn in.” Forsythe said there were a record number of films submitted this year, but unfortunately, they could not show all of them over the course of one weekend.
“And I think more people should check this out and see what we have to offer.”
Forsythe said that he has always enjoyed the independent film submissions, many from hyper talented local film makers. And this year, he said, he will be taking a more direct part.
“On Saturday between 7:45 and 8pm my first ever horror short film will be showing. Its very short, but myself and one of my costars on Scarefest TV, JoAnna Hockstetter, got together and we made what I think will be a memorable short film,” Forsythe said.
“I was the cast and crew,” Forsythe joked.
Whether you are a fan of mainstream horror films, independent horror films, or simply enjoy walking the convention floor and soaking up the ambience and seeing all of the cosplayers, Forsythe said there is sure to be something you enjoy. Probably a lot of things you will appreciate and enjoy, he said. Whether that is special effects classes, celebrity photo ops, panels, or the amazing finds at vendor booths, it will all be at Scarefest Weekend on October 23.
Contact the writer at charles@cartercountytimes.com
