Son of Monsterpalooza Haunts Burbank This September

Regular Blood-Shed readers will remember how much fun I had last March at the annual Monsterpalooza convention in Burbank, CA. Personal highlights included: Meeting Linda Blair, Linnea Quigley, & George A. Romero, attending a screening of the original House of Wax (1953) in 3-D, and attending a panel discussion on “The Godfather of Makeup Effects”, Dick Smith.

In addition to holding an event every Spring, the creators of Monterpalooza hold a second convention each Fall: Son of Monsterpalooza. While the word “Son” may seem to imply that this event is smaller and less prestigious than its namesake, this is certainly not the case. The Son is every bit as epic and terrifying as the Father!

This year’s Son of Monsterpalooza will take place at the Marriott Burbank Hotel & Convention Center, Friday thru Sunday, September 18^th-20^th. With amazing celebrity guests, awesome workshops, and killer contests, this is an event horror fans won’t want to pass up!

Guests

While many were disappointed that iconic Italian director Dario Argento, one of the first announced guests, had to cancel due to a scheduling conflict, there will be no shortage of A-Class celebrities and horror practitioners. Featured guests will include:

• Tony Todd from Candyman (1992), Hatchet 1 & 2 (2006 & 2010), and the Final Destination Franchise.
• David Naughton, best known for playing tourist turned lycanthrope David Kessler in An American Werewolf in London (1981).
• Harvey Stephens, the original Damian from The Omen (1976).
• Writer/director/actor/producer Tom Holland, creator of Fright Night (1985) and Child’s Play (1988).
• Sid Haig, known to millennial horror fans as Captain Spaulding from House of 1000 Corpses (2003) & The Devil’s Rejects (2005).
• Bill Johnson who played Leatherface in Texas Chainsaw Massacre II.
• James Hong, best known for playing Lo Pan in Big Trouble in Little China (1986).
• Eileen Dietz who shocked audiences as the white-faced demon in The Exorcist (1973).
• Nicholas King who plays the demon Bughuul aka Mr. Boogie in Sinister (2012) and Sinister 2 (2015).
• Prolific horror actor Ken Foree from Dawn of the Dead (1978), The Devil’s Rejects (2005), and Rob Zombie’s Halloween (2007).
• Scream Queen and all around heartthrob Danielle Harris from Halloween 4 & 5 (1988 & 1989), Hatchet II & III (2010 & 2013), and See No Evil 2 (2014).

Events

Events scheduled for this year’s Son of Monsterpalooza include:

• A screening of Fire City: End of Days with an introduction by Tom Woodruff, Jr.
• A screening of I Like to Paint Monsters: The Chet Zar Story, a film by Mike Correll.
• A costume contest with over $1,000 in prizes.
• A Masters of Horror 10^th Anniversary Reunion with series creator Mick Garris; guests will include Tom Holland, William Malone, and others as they discuss the process behind this “fan favorite anthology horror series of one-hour movies”.
• A screening of A Place Among the Undead, a “definitive” vampire documentary helmed by Juliet Landau who played Drusilla in Buffy the Vampire Slayer.
• A killer party on Saturday Sept. 19^th that will include the Miss Mad Monster Pageant, “Scaraoke”, and a performance by improve/action/comedy troop The Resistance.

Artists & Vendors

Artists & Vendors hocking their wares at this year’s Son of Monsterpalooza include: Rotten Cotton, Trick or Treat Studios, Isolation Threads, Bloodbath Products, Crumpkin’s Pumpkins, Haunted Memories, The Skull Shoppe, Freakshow Dolls & Curiosities, Oddball Books, and many, many more.

Tickets, Hotel, Etc.

With just a month to go, horror fans interested in attending Son of Monsterpalooza are well advised to buy their tickets and make their hotel reservations now! You can get information and make your purchases at the event’s official website: HERE. . This link also includes a complete listing of guests, events, and vendors who will be participating. You can also stay up to date on Son of Monsterpalooza news by liking their Facebook page: HERE.

And don’t forget, attendees might be lucky enough to run into me! Look for the black hoodie with The Blood-Shed logo on the front! See you there!

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Are you planning to attend Son of Monsterpalooza next month? Have you previously attended a Monsterpalooza convention? Sound off in the Comments section!

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