BY KATHY CHANG
Staff Writer
EDISON — There will be a three-day weekend of frights at the first New Jersey Horror Con and Film Festival.
“It’s a one-of-a-kind place where all horror fans and film fans can come out and see great independent films and also mingle with celebrities and filmmakers and walk the red carpet,” said Ryan Scott Weber, co-founder of the festival.
The New Jersey Horror Con and Film Festival will be held from March 31 to April 2 at the Crowne Plaza, which is located at 2055 Lincoln Highway in Edison.
New Jersey has its own fair share of horror stories, including the Jersey Devil, a legendary creature said to inhabit the Pine Barrens of southern New Jersey.
The Garden State has been the scene for some classic horror movies, including “Friday the 13th” (Warren County) and Haddonfield, the hometown that Michael Myers heads to in the movie “Halloween,” is a real township located in Camden County; however, in the movie, the fictional township is in Illinois.
“We are excited and thrilled to have it in Edison,” said Weber. “We are doing this for the film lover. It is a labor of love for Rob [Bruce] and I, who I have asked to join me in creating the show. We are working hard every day to make it the best con and film festival around.”
Weber and Bruce both hail from New Jersey: Weber, a filmmaker, is from Bernardsville and Bruce, producer of the Kevin Smith TV show on AMC called “Comic Book Men,” is from Red Bank.
The festival includes three days of independent films from Hollywood icons and creators across the globe, contests running every hour, sideshow performers, cars from horror favorite films and more.
Weber said they will welcome their special guest John Waters, who will appear and lead their first show.
Waters, who is sometimes referred to as the “King of Bad Taste”, is a director, writer, producer, actor and author. He is most well known for a multitude of films including “Hairspray,” “Crybaby,” “Female Trouble” and “Desperate Living,” as well as a role in “Seed of Chucky”.
Waters will be performing “This Filthy World: Filthier and More Horrible” live for VIP guests with a book signing afterward and photo opportunities.
The guest lineup at the festival will include actors and actresses, who will reunite from various films.
Film director Frank Henenlotter will reunite with James Lorinz and Patty Mullen of “Frankenhooker”, Kevin Van Hentenryck of “Basket Case” and Rick Hearst of “Brain Damage”.
There will be a “Back to the Future 2” reunion with Jeffrey Weissman, Don Fullilove, Harry Waters Jr. and Ricky Dean Logan and a Kevin Smith’s View Askewniverse reunion with Bryan Johnson, Ernie O’Donnell, Scott Schiaffo and Robert Bruce.
Other guests include Michael Berryman of “The Hills Have Eyes” and “The Devil’s Rejects;” Randy Havens of “Stranger Things” and “Archer;” Lloyd Kaufman of Fearless Leader of Troma Entertainment, Sharon Smyth Lentz of “Dark Shadows;” Kristanna Loken of “Terminator 3” and “Bloodrayne;” Lynn Lowry of “The Crazies,” “Shivers” and “Cat People;” Tony Moran of “Halloween;” Ted Raimi of “Evil Dead 2,” “Candyman” and “Ash vs. Evil Dead;” and Tiffany Shepis of “Tromeo and Juliet,” “Sharknado 2” and “Night of the Demons”.
Gene Snitsky of “100 Acres of Hell;” Mink Stole of “Hairspray,” “Cry Baby” and “Pink Flamingos;” and Alex Vincent of “Child’s Play,” “Curse of Chucky” and “Cult of Chucky” will be on hand as well as Cerina Vincent of “Cabin Fever,” “Not Another Teen Movie” and “Power Rangers”.
Artist Mike Diana, who is the creator of “Boiled Angel,” “Firebrat and “Superfly;” and artist Joel Robinson for “Shout! Factory” and the official licensed artist for the Vincent Price Estate, will also be at the festival.
For tickets and more information abut this event, visit www.newjerseyhorrorcon.com/tickets/.
Contact Kathy Chang at [email protected].