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The Monsters Are Loose on Hollywood Way

Monsterpalooza Takes Burbank by Storm

by Jessie Lilley

A local creature checks out
The Witch's Dungeon at Monsterpalooza.
Photo by Jessie Lilley.

I spent a weekend in LA recently. David and I drove down to attend the convention known as Monsterpalooza and wow, did we have a blast!

Being a native of the East Coast, my first experience with the horror con phenomenon was something called Horror-Thon, which morphed into the Chiller Theatre Toy, Model and Film Expo, now held in Parsippany, NJ. Your congenial host, Kevin Clement is very much a part of the action.

Eliot Brodsky, your host at Monsterpalooza seems to have taken a cue from the venerable East Coast show as he darts hither and yon, checking on his guest stars, greeting his vendors and glad-handing the faithful as they pour through the doors.

And pour through, they do. I’ve no idea how many people attended between April 9th and 11th of 2010, but it was a hell of a crush and the line extended around the building as people waited patiently for their turn to join the madness. This is not something one usually sees in Los Angeles, where folks trip over actors in the grocery store aisle and generally just continue about their business. Hey. It’s Tinseltown folks. We don’t get particularly excited when we see Burt Reynolds driving down Ventura Boulevard in his drop top Cadillac. We notice, yes. Do we jump up and down and point?

L-R: Eliot Brodsky, Frankie and Donnie Dunagan.
Photo Stolen from Mark Redfield.

Naw. It’s an everyday occurrence in Hollywoodland. So seeing the line forming and growing and disappearing into the horizon as I looked out the window of my hotel room interested me greatly; what has this guy done to actually get an audience here in the land of BFD?

Well, for one thing, he knows there’s more to horror than splatter and gore. He’s aware of and has an obvious love for the classics as well as the new stuff. Interspersed with Mad Love, Sid Terror and RA of Leatherface fame, we found Cortlandt Hull’s magnificent Witch’s Dungeon traveling museum, Bela Lugosi, Jr. and family members offering memories of my favorite Dracula, Ron Chaney and family presenting Lon Chaney Jr. and Sr. memorabilia, well known authors like Tom Weaver offering conversation and general bon hommie and a magnificent museum, chocked full of famous monsters from almost every decade as rendered by the ridiculously talented Mike Hill as well as a wonderfully touching remembrance of Forrest J Ackerman compiled by Joe Moe. And that barely scratches the surface.

Then there was the courtesy bar that was set up in the lobby of the con so one didn't have to go all the way back to the West Tower of the Marriott to wet one's whistle during the show. And let's not forget the kick-ass party with the live band after the dealer's room closed on Saturday night.

The exquisite work of Mike Hill. Photo by Kerry Gammill.

The dealer’s room was amazing. It was a gallery of artists and make-up mavens displaying their wares from lesser known talents like Brent Armstrong (whose King Kong work was grand) to internationally known talents like Bernie Wrightson, William Stout and old pal Frank Dietz to name a scant few. It took all three days to simply see it all. Then there were the filmmakers.

Among those present were Irene Belle Films, whose delightful The Boneyard Collection is screening at Cannes this year, and represented by both Edward Plumb (Boneyard Producer)—who graced the Mondo Cult table both Saturday and Sunday—and L.J. Dopp and his hilarious Crustacean. Dopp had a separate booth along Independent Alley on the other side of the convention center. Those fellas sure know how to cover a con! Also available for your pleasure was Bantam Street, the company name that encompasses the madness of Larry Blamire and his business partner and wife, Jennifer Blaire. Bantam Street’s work includes the truly spectacular parodies The Lost Skeleton of Cadavra, The Trail of the Screaming Forehead, Dark and Stormy Night (which screened on Friday night for a room packed with happy fans) and a host of YouTube and eRooster shorts appearing under the umbrella title of Tales From the Pub. Others with tables to meet and greet fans were the multi-talented (artist, indy film and stage producer, actor, etc.) Mark Redfield of Redfield Arts; Total Fabrication’s Kenneth J. Hall, actors William Smith, Laurie Mitchell, Brinke Stevens, Michelle Bauer, Perry Shields, William Schallert and David Hedison; indy filmmakers Tim Smythe, Don Glut and Ted Newsom; animators Chris Endicott, Webster Colcord and Tim Smythe again; Kerry Gammill and Sam Park of Monsterverse; David J. Skal, David Schow, Brad Laise and Academy Award winner Scotty Leva were there as part of the cast of the reading of Ted Newsom’s new radio drama Too Many Creeps which was presented on Friday night; pirate Mic the Scallywag and so many more—it would take up too much bandwidth to name them all here.

The attendees were not simply the faithful but industry high-rollers as well. Spotted roaming the exhibits were Guillermo del Toro, Rick Baker, Mick Garris, Joe Dante, Stuart Gordon, Curtis Armstrong, Gregory William Mank and far too many to remember.

Next year’s convention should prove to be an even bigger blow out but Mr. Brodsky, I would quote one of my favorite horror films here—"You're gonna need a bigger boat."

It was, quite simply, a Monsterpalooza.