CHRIS' QUARANTINE RECOMMENDATION OF THE DAY (5/11/20): FANGORIA'S WEEKEND OF HORRORS 1986

CHRIS' QUARANTINE RECOMMENDATION OF THE DAY (5/11/20):

FANGORIA'S WEEKEND OF HORRORS (1986)

by Chris La Vigna (@Chris_LaVigna)

Straight outta your VCR, It's FANGORIA'S WEEKEND OF HORRORS!

Much like Jason Voorhees, Michael Myers, Dracula, and Frankenstein, FANGORIA simply refuses to die, and thank God (or perhaps his horned counterpart) for that, am I right? FANGORIA, both as a horror scene magazine, and as a genre film distributor and book publisher, maintains a massive influence in the horror community, even after all these decades of ups and downs and a shakeup in ownership. But what some younger fans might not know is that Fangoria used to hold its own conventions, and today's Q-Rec is a full length video of the 1986 FANGORIA'S WEEKEND OF HORRORS convention!

The hour long video is an amazing time capsule from the decade that many horror fans now regard as a golden age for the genre, and features interviews and appearances with many of the filmmakers, actors, and personalities that came to define the era: Wes Craven, Tobe Hooper, Dan O' Bannon, Robert Englund (AKA Freddy Krueger Himself) and the eternally fabulous horror goddess Elvira. There's also trailers and clips from then-recent releases like A NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET 2: FREDDY'S REVENGE, and Hooper's remake of INVASION OF THE BODY SNATCHERS.

A young Wes Craven appears! Man, I wish I could've met him. R.I.P. Wes...

But even better than that are all the interview clips and audio snippets of the numerous hardcore horror fans who come to the convention, many of them sporting homemade masks and costumes, all of them eager to talk about their favorite films and what drives them toward horror movies to begin with. This was long before comic book and genre film conventions would become the big money circuits they are today, and its pretty cool to see some pure, old-school fandom on display.

And what's really cool is that Fangoria's Weekend of Horrors is coming back! That's right, the announcement came from former Fangoria EIC Tony Timpone, who announced it in the most recent issue of the reincarnated magazine. Of course, due to all the crappiness of this Covid-19-ridden world, the convention, which was to be held in Chicago, has now been delayed, but it'll be a treat for us horror fans when we can all safely gather and bask in the glory of the art and culture that unites us. If you want a taste of what that'll be like, go ahead and watch the video, it's a scream!

Alright, ya caught me, I was having trouble coming up with a good closer for this one. I've said it before and I'll say it again, they can't all be zingers, people!