Texas Frightmare Weekend 2016: Then and Now and Everything in Between

Texas Frightmare Weekend's 11th year was another success that will go down in history with horrificable (I made that word up, I think?) tales to pass on to our grandchildren. This year meant a lot to me and my brother. We had plans to finish filming and be well on our way to promote Hanukkillah but things get in the way. Our parents were having health issues then I was having my own and managing a club was taking a lot of my time. Eventually, we did lose our father in such a grim fashion... I am still having a hard to accepting it. His funeral was that Sunday following the convention and all of our old TFW friends and collaborators were there by our side to make sure we kept our minds off of it. That's ALL I cared about. I didn't want to sit at a booth, bored out of my mind. I didn't want the responsibility of panels. Hell, the only interview I had lined up was Joe Turkle. Rest assured, the TFW family came to our rescue and it was an epic ride!

Happy 6th Anniversary to YFNJG!

Quickly slopping this down so please excuse the typos or grammatical errors until I come back on to scan. Looking back, I cringed at a few of my rants on here. Maybe it was my hormones during my pregnancy. Who knows. Many posts have now been deleted and I change my 3D glasses banner. I really don't see anything wrong with my previous header but it's not how I want others to perceive me. There's more to me than meets the eye. I am not just some girl who shows cleavage sometimes and stands in front of a camera. Initially, I started this blog to fight against women who suffer through abuse. Then it became my own personal beliefs and nerdism. It has become an array of shit storms. If you have a problem with the changes or you never cared for my blog in the first place, this is all I have to say about that...

My Feminist Side of Horror Panel in Austin Overview

I'd like to thank the MENSA board for asking me to lead a horror-themed panel. Naturally, I chose to speak about feminism and horror. This was a nerve-inducing event for me because it's far from leading a panel at a horror convention. These are all guests of a higher intelligence that go through complicated testing in order to join. Though I felt I was out of my depth, I had a room full of eager attendees who remained interactive and I couldn't be happier with the welcoming outcome. The certificate I received warmed my heart and I never felt so connected with fellow lovers of cinema.

Pretty Pictures and TFW Recap

Photo by the amazing John Torrani

Something was off about this 10th anniversary. It's not that I didn't have fun.... Believe me when I say I did BUT for a 10th reunion, it felt as if something was missing. It could have been that our main crew was not present. It's almost as if the original TFW crew is no longer interested and now there's this entire new breed of groups that are drunker than we ever were and unkempt. There was a moment when Jovanka and I realized we are either getting old or we have learned the necessary behavior when it comes to promoting ourselves and our product. Attendees were already wasted early Thursday when the convention hadn't even started - Not that I am judging. People were coming to Jovanka's booth early Saturday morning and they were already drunk. A TFW staff member was fired by Elvira because a belligerent drunk told her assistant that he was man handling him when he attempted to go out of a door that was forbidden. The behavior I witnessed this year opened my eyes and brought back past memories with Roxy and I doing our thing. What the hell were we thinking? How did we feel this was appropriate behavior? When you are a business woman in the horror industry who takes her work seriously, you do not run around throwing tampons at people or randomly slapping people in the ass. I cringe now when I look at pictures and feel embarrassed by my behavior. We were party girls without a care in the world.

Maybe it's a culmination of everything my body went through last year and attending far too many of these conventions over the years that has me on my best behavior. I'm tired. I'm bored. Everyone is annoying to me. This year, I got food poisoning and a painful sinus infection. I was in my bed all day Saturday until the evening approached. Thank you for all the lovely comments on my VIP gown. I couldn't have done it without John. The poor guy was checking on me every hour. He even held an ice bucket for me to vomit in. Had he not taken care of me and helped to settle my stomach, I wouldn't have had the opportunity to rock that dress and spend time with my friends. That's all I wanted to do this year. This was the first year where I was not hosting TFW, not a part of the staff, not moderating panels, not doing interviews, not sitting at a booth promoting my work, etc... The only thing I cared about was hanging out with my friends and spending time with fellow writers that have been attending for years and years. People who just started going or that have only been a couple of times have no idea how strong the TFW bond is and how broken that bond felt when only half of us showed.

You can tell from my subtle expression that I am really not feeling good

My fellow red-headed horror Rebekah!

The VIP party with Rebekah McKendry, Spooky Dan, Torrani, and Jovanka felt like a prom setting. Honestly, the VIP party is not all it's cracked up to be. I'm sad I missed out on the karaoke and I just have to take the time to express how much I adore Rebekah McKendry. She's a wonderful mother, beautiful on the inside and out, incredibly warm and kind, and talented young lady. I look forward to future projects with the Fango/Gore Zone team. If only I had the time to listen to their Killer POV podcast....

Torrani showing off his Faces of Death Gore Zone issue! What a beautiful cover! You guys need to check out his article. Unfortunately, I did not finish my piece in time which makes me sad because we were hoping to be in the same issue. I need to snap out of it and finish that article. So proud of John.

Later that evening I returned to bed and I was in so much pain, I wanted to put my head through a wall. The right side of my face was throbbing and it felt like I had been stabbed in the stomach multiple times. What's worse is that everyone smoking downstairs were SOOOOOO loud. They were all up till 6am. Oh yea, the section where the regular attendees smoke was right below our room. I could hear many detailed conversations. There was a moment where I stepped out into the balcony to get some fresh air and everyone began screaming, "Herzberg!" I was on the 3rd floor. That's how close I was. Nope, totally getting back in bed!

The best part of my weekend was without a doubt all the time I spent with Torrani, Jovanka, Heather Buckley, and Spooky Dan. We all went to a shooting range where we had zombie targets. I loved every second of it. Then we went to a family steak house where everyone was staring at us for being so weird looking and obnoxiously loud about our views on patriotism and many other obscene things. It was fabulous. Buckley also writes for Gore Zone and Fangoria. Jovanka was a writer for Rue Morgue and I always admired her writing style. She's involved with many projects that you should all keep up to date on and if you claim to be a horror fan but never heard of Spooky Dan Walker then something is wrong with you.

I always make Torrani drive my car

I inevitably had to delete a friend from Facebook who in return got offended. This is silly. Facebook is just a social networking site. If you're really friends then you can call or text that person. Why doesn't anyone do this anymore? This woman caused a scene last year because she felt like I ignored her all weekend and showed someone else more attention. That was not the case. This year I went out of my way to contact the person, via text all weekend, to let her know where I will be and what was going on. She didn't even care that I was sick nor did she bother to ask if I was okay.I cannot be worried about petty things like this. Life goes on. Also, saying horrible things about Fangoria/Gore Zone is completely unbecoming and shows just what kind of person you are. Not to mention, unprofessional. I just had to get that out, sorry.

I enjoyed the Kim Coates panel but his autograph was the only autograph I cared about. I had already met the majority of the guests at previous conventions and I am trying not to become one of those autograph hoarders. Face it, it's a little sad. I enjoyed meeting the creator of this tasty vodka by a local man and it looks like I will be partnering up with their product for this Halloween!

It was nice catching up with Aj Bowen again. The last time I hung out with him was in Austin for Fantastic fest where I had amusing footage of him getting pounded from behind. I cherish that video. Spooky Dan and I rocked horror trivia. That was another favorite part of my weekend.

Moving on, I quit bartending at the strip club several months ago because that job was killing me and turning me into something I hate. Now I am bartending closer to home in a less stressful environment. My health has gotten better but I still have a few set backs. The hormone shots are helping, thank God. For a while there, I felt like a crazy person. Recently, both of my parents were in the hospital and our family dog died. I felt depressed and didn't know how to reach out to anyone. I lost my passion for writting and slacked off with my VHS column for Geek Juice. I began ignoring my friends. Trust me, I am trying real hard to snap out of this but I am fine and I am sorry if I alarmed anyone. Sometimes, it's best to fight your demons alone. I'll get back to that happy place sooner or later and I do not expect any of you to understand just how I am feeling. In the meantime, I am still making pretty pictures!

That's all I can think of to add at the moment. Hopefully, I can get out of this strange funk and get some articles published on Geek Juice. Love you all! OH! I did finally get the kids to Schlitterbahn again! Cannot wait to see how those pictures turned out.

Texas Frightmare Weekend 2014

It's that time of year for horror and sci/fi conventions and Texas Frightmare Weekend is at the top of the list. This was my 7th time going and I have to express how happy I am that I decided to take a break this year and just be one of the regular convention attendees. Normally I am sitting at a booth promoting my work, hosting, or part of the press. It was fun having a different point of view for a change. Next year I will likely be promoting Hanukkill but this year I just wanted zero responsibilities. It's hard to pick a favorite memory. I always come back with amazing stories on our wild adventures. Past adventures include; Performing the Human Centipede live with the director and villain in on it. Trading clothes with director Yoshihiro Nishimura. Throwing tampons while dragging a friend around on a leash. Spending the interview evening with Norman Reedus giving me scoops for the second season of The Walking Dead. The list goes on and on. Note: All of these photos are out of order. Rearranging them is a big pain in the ass and I don't feel like it.

This year my favorite would have to be dancing on stage with Night of the Demons own Kevin Tenney and Amelia Kinkade. Those of you who actually know me or have been following me for years know that Night of the Demons is my favorite horror film of all time so I'm sure you could imagine the joy in my eyes from all the excitement. This was also a making in history as Kinkade, Tenney, and Linnea Quigley have NEVER done a panel together over Night of the Demons. Every Friday night they have some gigantic costume theme party that resembles a prom setting. Violet VanDoren and I spent the majority of our night with Kevin Tenney. Well I actually spent the majority of the evening on his lap. I have interviewed Tenney numerous times and corresponded with him on several occasions but this was my first time meeting him in the flesh. He was actually the one that coined The Gash with me and Dai, "The View with PMS!" During our conversation the song Stigmata Martyr played and Amelia Kinkade got on stage to dance. Me being me, I FREAKED THE FUCK OUT! "OMG Kevin, we have to go on stage and join her!" So we did and of course my phone was dying so I didn't get any pictures of this epic moment but I know there were several of you there taking pictures and video. Please send me those photos! Kinkade was also a professional ballerina so it was nice dancing side by side and exchanging stories of our toes bleeding. Had someone told me when I was 8 that I would be dancing with Angela from Night of the Demons, I would not have believed it. On top of this, Twiggy Ramirez popped up as the DJ. There were actually a lot more musicians at the con this year than anywhere before. We've had Alice Cooper and others but this year we had Twiggy, Dee Snider, Ace Frehley, and Corey Taylor.  

Moving on to the Night of the Demons panel, I have several photos and video footage. There were stories told that had never been told before and I was almost in tears from laughing so hard. I asked for their favorite behind the scenes moments and how it feels to be a part of a film that has become such a huge success at least amongst horror fans. Kinkade expressed the grueling experience of the make-up process that would take hours and bring gaping wounds to her face. She also opened up about the make-up effects for the snake in the sequel and how fun it was to film the scenes of her floating in the hall way with roller skates on. This was before CGI and the effects are outstanding. It's remarkable how they were able to pull all of this off given their budget. Some of the smoke that was used came from a gentleman smoking cigarettes and blowing the smoke up Kinkade's skirt. Kevin talked about his struggles to get that miraculous shot of the broken mirror which stands out as one of my favorite and most intricate shots in a horror film. Kevin Tenney does not get enough credit for his directing talents. The man is a visionary genius. It's funny because he was actually not a fan of horror films when he was handed the script. Linnea opened up about how she was worried she would be too old for the part which she has expressed on many occasions. 

The Paradise Lost panel was a moment of beauty. It's hard to believe that five years ago my partner in horror Jason Hughes and I sold Jason's "Free the West Memphis Three" t-shirts at TFW with all the proceeds going towards their benefit. For years I had donated money to and supported those three and now standing before us is Jason Baldwin, a free man. There were moments where the crowd and Baldwin's wife began to cry. I was almost in tears myself. I always believed their innocence but I feared they would have spent the rest of their lives in jail. I uploaded video footage from the panel on my Facebook. I will try to figure out how to add it here when I can but in the meantime I can tell you that Jason was happy to answer several questions. He explained that he wasn't sure about appearing at a horror convention at first but he thought the fans deserved to hear him out and to prove that there's nothing wrong with horror movies, metal music, or dressing out of the ordinary. In fact, he and Damien were watching Leprechaun the night they got arrested and he claims the Friday the 13th and Nightmare on Elm Street films are his favorites. God bless you, Jason. Speaking of God, Jason claims he IS a spiritual person and two of the things that got him through these horrific times were his family and God. It's hard to remember all the fascinating stories he told but the few that stand out are his first viewing of Paradise Lost, going to Disney Land, and he enlightened us on the status of Jessie Misskelly. Unfortunately, Jessie's dad isn't doing so well but Jessie has a heart of gold and is by his father's side. I wish I had more to say about this panel. I think I was just so overwhelmed by joy and excitement, I didn't stop to think that I should record more of these memories. If only we had more time with him at the panel but they had to fly to Arkansas for the Devil's Knot screening. They DID fly back to Dallas the next day which is remarkable. I got a couple of shout outs at the panel the autograph Jason gave me was filled with kindness from the bottom of his heart and gratitude from all that I had done in support. This Texas Frightmare Weekend of 2014 made history.

Here are some photos of us supporting the WM3 years ago... Devanny Pinn and Tara Cardinal also bought some of Jason's shirts.

Saturday is always when things get hectic. There's a ridiculous amount of people with hundreds of people standing in lines. I order room service because there's no way in hell I am waiting that long to eat. The elevators are a lot of fun too. Something I have to complain about every year is that it's rude to STOP in the middle of the ballroom when you have several people trying to get by you. I know that there are a lot of eye drawing costumes but at least move to the side. Also, some of you clearly do not wear any deodorant which is just gross. It's not like it's expensive. It's not just the males. There was a very attractive girl dressed as a zombie who smelled so horrible I actually began to gag. You need to respect the noses of those around you and I am not trying to be mean. I'm sure everyone else agrees. Take a shower and wear deodorant. Puhlease. Any way, when the sun goes down, that's when we put on our sexy dresses and get our drink on……. Again. This night I decided to go to Abel Berry and Jennifer Stone's party. I adore these two and enjoy seeing them every year. They played their trailer for their new film which looks amazing. Blood Sombrero! Google it. We called Dai Green to sing Happy Birthday and we made a video singing it yet again. After this we ventured off to yet another hotel party. I have no idea how I was able to stay awake. Both Friday and Saturday I drank Moonshine with the Soska's and I had Vodka and beer on top of it. I bartender Thursday night and drove all the way to Dallas as soon as I got off so it put me in a not so pleasant mood. However, I still remained my sweet self when I came into contact with everyone except for the female bartender Saturday night who gave me the worst service I had ever had. I have considered contacting the bar about it because the service was so horrible. If you cannot handle large crowds then you have no business being behind a bar. Put a smile on your face and pretend you are happy to be there. NEVER yell at the customers. Sorry if anyone caught that unpleasant exchange. I should have asked for a manager instead of continuing to talk to her and make sense out of her behavior.

By Sunday everyone is exhausted and ready to go home. We do not want the party to stop but we are all getting older and worn out. I had a great time and I love my Frightmare family almost as much as my real family! Thank you to all my Facebook followers and readers for all the compliments and support. I may not recognize all of you but that doesn't mean you are not important to me.

 

Hanging out with the lead singer of Skid Row

Funny story behind this. While I was taking a pee break I checked my Facebook messages. I have a group PM with Mike, Alex, and Josh. I decided to send them this lovely photo as proof that I was peeing.

The Soskas gave me Moonshine