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UnCONVENTIONAL "We understand that you can be of the dark and not be dark." |
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In this world there is a phenomena known as the horror con. There are horror cons all over the US and I’ve been to many of them. In fact, ‘way back when, when I was first publishing Scarlet Street, I went to my very first horror con. It was called the Horror-Thon and a guy named Kevin Clement was putting it on in NJ at the William Carlos Williams center in Rutherford. I went to get Forry Ackerman’s autograph because Richard Valley couldn’t. So I went. And I loved it. Since then I’ve been to many cons around the country either as a guest, helping a guest, as a vendor or just for the fun of it. But my heart belongs to Horror-Thon, or rather the now famous Chiller Theatre Expo in East Rutherford. Having moved to LA and being ever tight on funds, I find it difficult to make my way back to Jersey twice a year for the best damned party thrown anywhere in the world. But I’ve managed it now and again by hook, by crook or hot sex and rock ‘n roll (that’s the best way). Happily, when I can’t get there I can pop in a DVD and hang with some of my favorite people anyway. 42nd Street Pete has lost complete control of himself and with the aid of the Chiller Staff, the Grand Poobah and the Cool Ghoul (Zacherley) himself has put out a wonderful documentary on the Jersey Juggernaut so many of us call home. Revolution Earth Productions presents UnCONVENTIONAL, a slick and loving tribute to all things horror in general and specifically the 13th Chiller. Your hostess is the stunning B-Movie Scream Queen Tiffany Shepis (who’s also one of my favorite kids) and 42nd Street Pete is your narrator. Just to make it all real, there are clips from Zacherley’s unforgettable Chiller Theatre television show. One of the greatest and first horror hosts, Zach has made me laugh and scream since I was a wee girl growing up in the ’burbs in Northern NJ, and he’s all over this film. The production is top notch, the narrative moves right along and the laughs are warm and real—just like the people who put the show on. Monsters, scream queens, B Movie stars and mega stars all in one hotel in Jersey for three very full days. Chiller never stops. Films are run well into the early hours of the morning and after that the parties are still going on in the hotel rooms—and in the hotel lobby. The fans are great (all hail the Wilburs), the guests are generous and watching UnCONVENTIONAL is almost like being there. In fact, I’m so moved that I think I’ll pack up and hit the United Airlines website so I can book passage for the April 2005 show. Go buy the movie. It’s a hoot. —Jessie Lilley |
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