chiller theatre Archives - Sludge Central

Atlantic City Is About To Get BIZARRE!

Posted on November 26, 2013 by sexyarmpit

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=05diADWGND4?rel=0]

December 13th – 15th 2013

A while back, on one of my various trips down to AC with Miss Sexy Armpit, I grabbed a promotional card that caught my eye. I immediately zeroed in on it merely based off the graphic on the front of the card. The card was advertising an event called Bizarre A.C at The Tropicana in Atlantic City. When I got home from the trip I kept checking out the website that was listed, but nothing was loading on it. I wondered if this was another event that hyped itself up and crapped out before it even took place? Actually, not at all. It turns out I was jumping the gun, I was too early and the site wasn’t even live yet! Now, finally, the Bizarre AC Expo is upon us! If you haven’t heard about it yet, continue reading and I’ll tell you all about it!

This inaugural expo couldn’t come at a better time for me. After October was over I fell into the abyss that is the post-Halloween syndrome where I’m left in a funk wondering if I’ll ever regain the same zest for life that seems to overcome me from September 1st through October 31st. Since this Halloween season was the best in recent memory, (possibly the effect of the spooky 2013?) I was affected more profoundly than ever. Fortunately, the holiday spirit is beginning to build me back up and I’m so ready to take on the Bizarre AC Expo.

It might sound odd to be looking forward to a horror convention in the middle of December, but it actually can’t come at a better time. I know a lot of you would love to be able to get a taste of the horror and macabre usually associated with October in December. Here’s to Bizarre becoming a big success that way there will be awesome cons in New Jersey in August, October, AND December. Santa Claus and his elves can take a break from making toys, say peace out to Mrs. Claus for one weekend, and get BIZARRE in A.C.

As many of you know, I’m an avid convention attendee. In fact, I was recently a guest on the Nerd Lunch podcast episode that focused on convention experiences. Take a listen! Over the summer, I blew a lot of money at Monster Mania, but then I didn’t make it to Chiller in October, so I’m looking forward to experiencing a brand new horror convention.

One of the best things about the Bizarre A.C Expo is that I have no idea what to expect from it. I’ve been going to Chiller Theatre conventions since I was a little kid and Monster Manias for the past 10 years, so I’m excited to experience a totally new event that could become a staple for local horror fans. Being billed as a “horror expo” – it’s shaping up to be much more than that. Hopefully it’s namesake will help it stand out from the rest of the cons. Yes, there’s definitely going to be some freakish costumes, sideshow spectacles, and celebrity guests, but the vibe of the scene will be completely fresh.

Although Bizarre will offer up similar features as other conventions, I have a feeling this one will take on it’s own personality since it’s set in one of my favorite places in the state, Atlantic City. What this means is that when you’re done walking around the expo you can go have a gambling sesh, enjoy a few drinks, and then head back to the expo for one of the screenings or Q&A panels hosted by the Jersey King of No Budget Horror, my pal Armageddon Ed. In addition to movie screenings, there will be oddities, a costume contest, and vendor tables.

Aside from this year’s zombie walk, Atlantic City is basically an untapped haunt in the horror community. Its built-in party atmosphere is much better than going to a hotel with awful parking on a random highway like most other cons. The A.C destination offers other stuff for you to do as well. If your significant other isn’t into going to the con, he or she can gamble, get pampered at a spa, go shopping, or get tanked at one of the bazillion opportunities to drink all over the city. If you feel brave enough to eat some weird shit, they’ll be offering Bizarre Bites. This is an event that Bizarre bringing to you along with the eateries and chefs in the Tropicana as they present “odd dishes and revolting cocktails” for you to devour – that’s an extra ticket though.

Since most people’s minds are on holiday shopping and having family gatherings, December is not traditionally the time for horror conventions, until now! Even thought we’re still a few weeks away, Bizarre is already beginning to carve out it’s own niche in the landscape of horror cons in the Garden State, using a giant machete. Their Facebook page is blowing up and word is spreading like a zombie virus. Plus, the expo is an excellent chance for you to get some holiday shopping done for the horror lover in your life. I’m sure you’ll find some cool gifts and stocking stuffers in the dealer room. We’ll see you there!

Some of the celebrity guests appearing at BIZARRE AC include:

Doug Bradley, Kane Hodder, Tony Todd, Heather Lagenkamp, Bill Mosely, Tom Savini, Michael Berryman, John Kassir, Alex Vincent, Fred Williamson, Ryan Scott Weber, Joel Reed, Jay Lee, Brian O’Halloran, Stephen Geoffreys, Tiffany Shepis and many more!

GREAT GEEK GORGE #8: Eating Katy Perry, Chiller Theatre, and 12″ Action Dolls!

Posted on May 8, 2013 by sexyarmpit

Welcome to the long winded 8th edition of Great Geek Gorge. This where I spew about some of the crap I bought or consumed recently and throw it all into one very random post. Today we’ll look at a new snack, some giant action figures, and some hot zombie mermaids.

Katy Perry’s Kettle Corn Pop Chips

The thought of eating Katy Perry’s…chips…appeals to me. Like many of you, I also easily fall prey to product tie-ins. If Katy Perry was on the carton of Eggland’s Best, or growing her own line of organic watermelons (Katy’s watermelon’s…), or even a Campbell’s soup tie-in (Katy’s Clam Chowder), I’d be on line at the store as soon as they are released. You can see how it makes food more appealing. When I was a kid and went grocery shopping with my mom, anytime I saw Batman or Superman on the label of a peanut butter container, I nearly went into convulsions. Had to have it. Not much has changed.

Normally, I enjoy Pop Chips. They are a lighter alternative to other types of chips, but I can’t say I buy them often though because they seem pricey for a bag filled with air and just a few chips at the bottom. Hands down my favorite flavor is Barbecue – I could polish off a regular sized bag in no time. So when I saw a display of Katy Perry in Quick Check advertising her new Pop Chips flavor, it was obvious I went into my usual “buy two” mode. After tasting them I was disappointed that the Kettle Corn flavor wasn’t prominent enough. I don’t know if that means they weren’t sweet enough or what, but I will tell you that I don’t think it was necessary to make chips in the flavor of kettle corn when you can just buy a bag of actual kettle corn and bypass any possible disappointment. It’s like ordering steak-flavored chicken at a steakhouse. Katy should’ve just created her own candy line instead.

Chiller Theater Expo – April 26th, 2013

Usually I find a few cool things at the Chiller Theater Expo here in N.J to share with you and the Spring 2013 installment yielded a couple of worthy items. A few weeks back, the pop culture and toy convention took over the castle themed Sheraton in Parsippany, NJ. Sure, the guest signings are great, but my favorite part is always the dealer rooms. Even though the rooms get a bit cramped, they are chock full of stuff that you can’t find anywhere else.

First I ran into my buddy Jessica Rajs from Gorgeous and Gory. Each year, Jess and her crew create a fantastic calendar featuring zombified pinup models. This year’s theme is mermaids. The photography and effects are incredible and the makeup is superb, so head over to Gorgeous and Gory to get one for yourself!

Cookie’s art. kicks. ass. Cookie’s own brand of art is inspired by punk rock and horror and is aptly named Rock and Roll Art School. I wasn’t familiar with Cookie before the last Chiller, but that’s the beauty of the event. I was walking around the dealer room and anytime I see neon colors or Lily Munster I stop right in my tracks. I’m easily distracted so this brightly colored painting of Lily was screaming for me to buy it, and I replied out loud immediately, “You don’t have to scream at me neaon Lily, you had me at “Ohhh Herman.” Check out Cookie’s collection of vibrant monster and tattoo art for sale at his Etsy shop! http://www.etsy.com/shop/RockNRollArtSchool

batman photo batmanwb12inchfigure_zpse21e74f1.jpg

WB Store 12″ DC Super Heroes Batman Figure – now with BONUS extraneous backstory!

Lately I’ve been on a kick of larger sized action figures – which are actually more like dolls. Obviously many male collectors don’t want to admit that they own dolls, and I will only admit it if it seriously reminds me of a freaking doll. If it’s 6″ inches tall or smaller and is made of plastic, it’s an action figure. Any bigger than that then the figure/doll war rages on.

Growing up, I had no use for any figure larger than my Kenner Super Powers or Star Wars figures. They were perfectly sized and very easy to collect. I came to the party a little late for the ’70s Mego phase, so the larger sized action-doll type figures (satisfying everyone, see?) with changeable clothes never appealed to me, and they really still don’t. I’m talking about these 12″-14″ monstrous sized plastic and vinyl figures. I always used to wonder why these giant collectibles were even getting made and I also wondered who was actually buying them since they seemed to sit on the shelves forever when I was a kid. For some reason though, within the past year or so, I’ve been having these urges to own several key figures of this size. If you ask me what my inspiration is, I can’t even tell you because I have absolutely no clue what brought this on. I only recently found out about the re-release of the 12″ Star Wars figures, but I am not going to let myself fall into that Sarlaac Pit of collecting. Maybe the culprit was when I picked up those 10″ Dark Knight Rises Batman and Bane figures? Now just stop it Jay. We can’t keep this going or I’m going to have to buy another place just for my toys.

Let me take you back to when I could care less about figures of this size. When the mall was the place to be, before eBay and Amazon became one of my favorite past times, I actually used to go to the mall with my friends. Yes, we physically ventured out of the house and into a place where you could put one foot in front of the other and transport yourself from store to store. Novel idea right? Many times we walked to the two nearby malls, (ahh we used to have so much ambition, right?) other times we got dropped off by our parents. Much like Shannon in Mallrats, I too used to have a shopping agenda, and much like Brody in Mallrats, I was there for comics.

The two malls in my vicinity no longer even have comic book shops, but back in the day there were a couple that I frequented like Heroes World and Comic Attitudes, among others. In addition to the comic shops, I always had to stop at music stores like Record Town and Sam Goody, and eventually I’d start browsing videos at Suncoast Motion Picture Company. There was also the Warner Brothers Studio Store which usually came through with some cool DC Super Hero swag that you couldn’t find anywhere else.

That was a long journey just to tell you that I found a badass black 12″ Batman figure at Chiller. This particular figure/doll is one I hadn’t seen since my days of actually walking around the mall. I was able to knock the price down enough and brought it home. I felt like this was a good score since this specific line is pretty scarce, even on eBay. And now I find myself on a quest for a few of his peeps so he has someone to hang out with. The funny part about this line of DC Superheroes is that when they were on the shelves it was like they didn’t exist to me. I hated every aspect of oversized figures. Now, I’m obsessed with the idea. Funny how things change in some respects, but I’m still such an easy target for slapping Katy Perry on a bag of chips as if I was a 7 year old girl.

Chiller Theatre Recap Fall 2012

Posted on October 28, 2012 by sexyarmpit

In the midst of the “Frankenstorm” hysteria, nothing could stop the bi-annual Chiller Theatre convention. The guest list was more jam-packed than usual this year, which was a good way to usher in the new Chiller venue. For those of you who have stayed away from Chiller for various reasons, this recap will explain why you may want to reconsider and check out the Spring installment.

A castle themed exterior seemed fitting for Chiller Theatre. The expo’s relocation to the Sheraton in Parsippany turned out to be positive on all levels. Lines were still long, but not as long and cramped as they were previously. Forget about parking at the hotel, even if you got there early you still had to park across the street. That’s not even a bad thing for a couple of reasons. Parking was free no matter where you parked and at least there WAS parking available. So in some respects this was a positive step forward. If they decide to move again it will have to be to some place really big like Metlife Stadium. (That is sarcasm in case you didn’t sense it.)

Chiller has grown to become such a huge iconic event. I’ve been going since I was a kid and it really has become a mega-con. While Monster Mania keeps with the horror theme, Chiller is more of a pop culture event. All kinds of stars came out this year including Joan Collins, Andrew McCarthy, and Samantha Fox. Dustin “Screech” Diamond was even there. There were rockers, wrestlers, pinup models, and artists, although I was only there to meet one guest in particular this year.

I didn’t think anything could top last year’s Chiller. You might remember when I was sandwiched in between Deb and Hilly from Weird Science. Basically my dream come true since 1985! This year was no exception. Star of Dallas and A Chorus Line, Audrey Landers, announced to yours truly on Twitter that she’d be in New Jersey for the Chiller convention this Fall. I was super excited because she’s one of my main celebrity crushes of all time. Getting the chance to meet her sounded great to me, and of course shopping around the dealer tables is always my idea of a good time.

Once she arrived at her table, Audrey looked literally dazzling in a green sequin dress. She was sociable and looking as radiant as ever. Of course what impressed me more was that she saw my Sexy Armpit T-Shirt and recognized me right away “Hey I know you from Twitter!” she said. Very good memory on her! After taking a photo, we chatted about her having a role in the new Dallas series on TNT, the big Halloween parties she has back home, and the hurricane that’s threatening the area. From there, it was time to do some shopping.

Director of Mary Horror, NJ’s own Ryan Scott Weber with Kristen Accardi, a star of

the sequel to Mary Horror, Sheriff Tom vs. The Zombies

I made it into the dealer rooms and met up with Jess Rajs from Gorgeous and Gory. The brand new zombie pinup calendar is OUT NOW! The theme this year is mermaids! Get yourself one HERE. Also, the official launch party is at Roxy & Dukes in Dunnellen NJ on November 2nd so we will see you there! It was also awesome to finally meet New Jersey’s own Ryan Scott Weber the director of 2011’s MARY HORROR, which was showing at midnight on Friday and Saturday at Chiller. Review of this cool horror movie is on it’s way here at The Sexy Armpit, so be on the lookout!

No Chiller Recap is complete without a run-down of what I picked up. My “shopping cart” wasn’t too full this year actually – I only bought one thing. I actually bought the first thing that caught my eye which was a Lily Munster T-Shirt. I’d never seen this particular one and I wanted it immediately! It was coincidental because my DVR at home was recording the underwhelming Mockingbird Lane at the same time.

That was the Fall installment of Chiller for me. I had a good time with @exiledinNJ and the new venue was cool. If prior Chiller’s left a bad taste in your mouth, I say give it another go in the Spring time. It’s definitely improved on some of it’s flaws.

Toxie, Bret “Hitman” Hart, and Alice Cooper All Walk Into A Bar In New Jersey…

Posted on March 26, 2012 by sexyarmpit

The chances of the title of this post happening is higher than it would usually be. You can catch all 3 of these iconic gentlemen in Jersey real soon. Oh, I forgot to mention that when they get to the bar they also run into Debbie Downer from SNL!

SNL alumni Rachel Dratch will be signing her book Girl Walks Into A Bar on April 2nd at Bookends in Ridgewood, NJ.

Next, coming up on April 7th at the Count Basie Theater in Red Bank, NJ there will be a FREE showing of The Toxic Avenger! The Sexy Armpit will be there to root on Jersey’s first super hero as well. Visit the Count Basie Theatre website for more information.

Also coming soon is the Chiller Theatre pop culture convention at the Hilton in Parsippany, NJ happening April 27th through the 29th. Here you will be able to hob knob with the likes of Alice Cooper, Cathy Moriarty, Robert Loggia, Dean Cain, and perhaps the coolest guest, Dirk Benedict a.k.a Face from the A-Team amongst many others. Tickets are on sale now at the Chiller Theatre site.

And merely a few months away, Minor League Baseball team The Lakewood BlueClaws take on The Hickory Crawdads on June 16th and they’ll be getting some guidance from their special guest in their corner, WWE Hall of Famer Bret “Hitman” Hart. The Hitman will be signing autographs for fans at FirstEnergy Park in Lakewood, NJ. Go to the BlueClaws website to see their schedule and purchase tickets.

Chiller Theatre Catastrophe

Posted on October 31, 2011 by sexyarmpit

You know when numerous people tell you the same thing but if it doesn’t happen to you directly you can’t feel exactly the same about the subject? That may seem vague, more specifically, I’m referring to the Chiller Theatre convention. If you don’t know what that is, it’s basically a horror/pop culture convention that has been going on annually for over 20 years where personalities from all facets of entertainment sign autographs and take pictures with their fans. There’s also a huge dealer room which is basically like the best flea market with the coolest stuff you will ever go to. If you’re a first timer, you may not notice the clusterf*ck taking place before your eyes. I always hated that term, but it’s the most appropriate word to describe it.

Since I had great memories going to Chiller conventions with my Dad as a kid, I tried my best to ignore all of the negative comments people always have about the con. I always had a really good time and bought awesome crap so I couldn’t see where the breakdown was. If you speak to someone who has been to a Chiller con, chances are, they will trash it. Finally, after going to my first one in the mid ’90s, I now realize why this bad omen exists.

My main directive this year was to meet Elvira, Mistress of the Dark. I’ve been crazy about her since I was a kid, both because she was a hot goth chick, but even more so because she makes me laugh. I consider her one of my comedy idols, after all, the earliest incarnation of Elvira was during her time in the improv troupe, The Groundlings! Elvira has appeared at many Chiller cons throughout the years but for some reason I’ve always missed her. This year I was absolutely NOT going to miss my chance because her appearance was being touted as the last one on the east coast in character as Elvira.

What really pissed me off about this event was that I had to wait on line ALL night for her. First, I was first on line for the autograph signing. She wasn’t planning on showing up until 7, and of course she wasn’t there until almost 7:45. I waited for over 2 hours! Then I was told that photos could only be taken at the designated photo session which would be at 9:45 PM! What a crock! Why couldn’t it be a one stop shop? This meant that I had to dedicate my entire night to Elvira, forget about walking around the dealer room or trying to get any other autographs. Right after I had less than a minute to talk with her I had to go wait on the photo line which didn’t wind up getting let in until nearly 11 PM! Terrible. Awful. As much as I love Elvira, I wasn’t so crazy about the autograph, I was more set on getting a photo op with her.

Once we went in the room we took the pics and then were told we had an hour to wait until they were printed up. We had to come back in an hour! WHAT? A poor woman next to me was complaining she was going to miss her train back to NYC because of this. One other guy had to fight for his money back because he just couldn’t wait any longer. These things are the tip of the iceberg. What’s even worse is that I only found out after purchasing the photo op that they were also offering a jpeg of the pic for a little extra money. I asked if I could add that on and no one had a clue how to make that happen. I offered to supply my e-mail address. I still have not received the picture.

Chiller volunteers and employees had no idea which way was up. They were not communicating properly. Not one of the people in the orange shirts had any valuable information or directions for us. I wound up just taking it upon myself to start my own lines. There were no signs either. It was really a complete mess and now I understand why everyone is so down on Chiller. Stuff like this shouldn’t happen, and if it does, then it shouldn’t be done near the customers. A typical Chiller attendant pays $20 bucks to get in and then drops tons of other cash on various stuff inside. It’s not cool to air your dirty laundry and shady disorganized business dealings in front of someone who now has to shell out a wad of cash and wait on numerous lines for something that should’ve been done in one shot for half the money.

There are much worse things I could’ve been doing than dedicating my entire night to the Mistress of the Dark. The problem with Chiller is they do all their business right out in the open. I was hearing haggling sessions between Elvira’s handler and the Chiller organizer about money issues and who gets what cut of the take. Then they were also arguing about who would sell the tickets for the photo op and if the photo op would even happen! Elvira’s handler even told me that the Chiller people promised to send a car for Elvira at the airport and one never showed up so that not only made them late, but also angry. I would be pissed off too. Hey Chiller – if you want us to come back, get your shit together!

Chiller Theatre Spring 2011 Recap

Posted on May 2, 2011 by sexyarmpit

The Chiller Theatre Expo vs. The Monster Mania Con has become an often debated clash amongst fans and bloggers. While it’s not quite the magnitude of Frankenstein vs. The Wolfman, it has sparked some contention.

Both events are pretty damn cool in their own right, it just becomes a matter of preference. Many con fans have become vehemently opposed to Chiller for some reason. But what I find is that both conventions offer similar dealer tables, the same lines for overpriced autographs, and the same lack of parking. Although I will say that you have a better shot at parking at Chiller in Parsippany than you do at Monster Mania in Cherry Hill, where I feel like I park 16 miles away sometimes. I plan it out so I don’t hit the brunt of the insane crowds. I also don’t linger around. I make sure I hit everything and then I’m out of there!

Monster Mania gears their con more toward horror rather than the pop culture Chiller has evolved into. If you want Tom Savini you go to Monster Mania, if you want Cindy from The Brady Bunch you go to Chiller, or you can be like The Sexy Armpit and just go to both! These conventions are always fun and I consider myself lucky to live in an area that offers this type of event. If I lived in a less populated area I might be salivating at someone else’s blog post recapping events like these.

Out of the slew of guests that appear at Chiller, I usually zero in on one or two who I am interested in meeting. I was anticipating the spring installment of Chiller for months because I was excited to see that Suzanne Snyder (Return of the Living Dead Part II, Killer Klowns From Outer Space) and Judie Aronson (Friday the 13th IV, American Ninja) who played Deb and Hilly from Weird Science, would be appearing. Weird Science is one of my favorite movies of all time to the point where I know every line of dialogue. In the film, the fantasy girl who Gary and Wyatt created was Lisa (Kelly LeBrock) but I was never attracted to her at all, I had the biggest crushes on the ’80s mall chicks Deb and Hilly. I never thought in a million years I’d be introducing myself to these hotties in the same geeky way that Gary and Wyatt did in their bathroom.

Both ladies eagerly interacted with their fans. The best part is that Judie Aronson, owner of Rockit Body Pilates in California, remembered The Sexy Armpit from Twitter! What a sweetheart. Now I don’t have to go into a social coma!

There were a few very surreal moments for me this time around at Chiller. For instance, talking at length with Rob Romanus, who played Damone in Fast Times at Ridgemont High, was so frigging cool. It’s another one of those things that I never thought I’d be doing. Chatting it up with Damone about how his character is so embedded in our pop culture. I also told Lamar from Revenge of the Nerds that I was listening to the Nerds rap on my iPod on my commute to work that morning (…”Now clap your hands everybody…”). Just the fact that I was driving to work listening to that song was weird enough, it never crossed my mind that later that day I would actually be telling the guy who rapped the song that I was listening to it. That’s the place Chiller has in my life. Years ago at a Chiller Adam West handed me the Batphone because he said it was for me. That one really blew my mind.

Way too much money was extracted from pockets all weekend. let me give you a quick summary of some of cool stuff I picked up.

If you read Kindertrauma or Freddy in Space then you are already familiar with the brand new badass Mad Monster Magazine. Ebben from the mag was manning their table and we talked for a few minutes. He’s a cool guy and the magazine is definitely worth the $6.66 price. At first you’ll be impressed by the collectible quality of the pages and the writing and art inside, but just the fact that they’ve captured more of a personal style is the real selling point. The Fangorias and other horror magazines seem like they are run by the film companies, but not Mad Monster. Whatever you do, get your hands on a copy.

Within a few minutes of entering the dealer room, my eyes immediately locked onto a thrilling piece of art. I went over to the table where I saw the black and white print hanging where I met artist Mike Turso. The ingeniusly conceived, beautifully painted piece was a horror parody of the KISS album Dressed To Kill. Being both a hardcore member of The KISS Army and a horror fanatic, this was a jackpot for me. Naturally I couldn’t afford the $700 dollar price tag of the original print, but I snatched up a smaller $20 print without even blinking an eye. I balled for several minutes to Mike about what an awesome idea it was and how much I loved it. Mike’s work is brilliant and if you’re a fan of comics, horror, or movies, he will have a print you will want, I can guarantee it. Check out his website HERE for a gallery of his work.

I also added a couple of Hot Wheels to my collection: The DeLorean and The Batman version of the Batmobile which I recently read about on Moongem Comics.

Retro Lovely is a premium magazine filled with pinup models and retro style photography by Ric Frane artist known for Monsters, Pinup Girls, and Danger! Also, from the Troma table, I bought a Toxic Avenger collected edition comic that I’ve had my eye on at the last couple of cons. And finally, Doyle Wolfgang Von Frankenstein of The Misfits commented on how much he liked my tattoos, and in turn I endorse his MADE IN HELL hot sauce. It’s not so hot where your mouth becomes numb and it had so many different subtle flavors that it’s probably more suitable for use as a spicy marinade for chicken than it is just a regular hot sauce.

Chiller Theatre Spring Spooktacular 2011 – All Weekend Long!

Posted on April 29, 2011 by sexyarmpit

THIS WEEKEND, The Sexy Armpit will be attending Chiller Theatre’s Spring Spooktacular Toy, Model, and Film Expo. If it’s not too crazy I’ll be posting updates on Twitter @sexyarmpit. For the pop culture fanatics out there, the guest list is pretty amazing this time around. In the past couple of years, for various reasons, Chiller Theatre has gained a bad reputation amongst fans and bloggers. I’m not even clear as to why, but I get that impression every time I ask people if they will be going to the next Chiller con. I’ve been going to Chiller for years ever since my Dad brought me to my first one and it’s always a good time. The convention will be going on Friday through Sunday but make sure to visit www.chillertheatre.com for all the details!

Parsippany Hilton

One Hilton Court

Parsippany, NJ 07054

Happy Halloween!

Posted on October 30, 2010 by sexyarmpit

I took this picture last night at the Chiller Theatre convention in Parsippany, NJ. There was a host of celebrities there for autograph signings and I was able to meet with stars from Dallas, which might sound odd to you, but was awesome for me! I also spent way too much money but got a lot of cool stuff though.

I hope you all enjoy your Halloween weekend. I’ll be posting pictures of my costume tomorrow which has been kept a secret to everyone I know thus far. I’ll be headed to Asbury Lanes for the Disco of the Damned party. It should be a fun time! From there it will be back to regularly scheduled programming here at The Sexy Armpit. If you have stopped by throughout the month for the Countdown to Halloween, I greatly appreciate it. The Sexy Armpit has had record hits this month and it’s because of your continued readership. Thank you so much!

Monster Mania Con 11 at Crowne Plaza, Cherry Hill New Jersey 8/23/08

Posted on August 27, 2008 by sexyarmpit

Whenever a Horror or Pop Culture convention rolls through town I always wind up missing it. I used to make it an event and go with my Dad every year but as I got older and actually started working full time, the weekend became a time to cram everything in that I neglect during the week. Even though weekends are busy, I’m realizing life is too short and I should be doing things that I enjoy. If going to a concert is the best way for me to spend my hard earned cash, then blowing the rest of it at a convention is a close runner up. In fact, not only did I make it to a convention this weekend, but as soon as I got back from my near hour drive I was off to Crue Fest at the PNC Bank Arts Center. Talk about a jam packed day of pop culture!

Chiller Theatre is the most well known Horror & Nostalgia show in the Tri-State area. It attracts a slew of actors, musicians, and personalities from horror movies and pop culture. Another convention that has made a big name for itself in the past several years is Monster Mania. Monster Mania took place at the Crowne Plaza in Cherry Hill and featured Robert Englund, A Lost Boys Reunion, and a Halloween Reunion.

Getting overwhelmed at one of these shows is ridiculously easy. If you’ve never been to one I’d actually advise you to NOT bring too much cash because you WILL unload it ALL! There’s so many vendors and sellers that have copious amounts of “stuff.” It all happens to be “stuff” that you NEED! From obscure bootleg horror movies to rare action figures and magazines, you will find it all at a convention. It’s almost like a flea market except it only sells the coolest crap. When walking around one of these events you might forget eBay ever existed because everything you ever wanted, and everything you didn’t even realize you wanted is all there spread out in the hotel’s convention centers. And oh…did I mention the celebs? Ok, we’re not talking A-listers like George Clooney but people who are much closer to our hearts. You might want to take your picture with Freddy Krueger himself, Robert Englund. He’s such a cool guy that he’ll put the glove on and ham it up as Freddy in your picture. That’s a photo op that you’ll tell people about for the rest of your life! Adam West did a similar thing for me also. The personalities that appear at these events are usually people who love to interact with their fans.

The real grabber for me, aside from The Two Coreys, was Danielle Harris. I spent most of my life having a major crush on her. One of the main reasons is because I used to watch the Halloween 4 and 5 and I related to her since we were almost the same age. I remained a fan through the movies that followed although they weren’t big budget films nor were they easy to find. The overlooked Killer Bud actually became one of my favorites. Who knew that she’d have such a resurgence with Rob Zombie’s Halloween? When I found out that she would be coming back for the Zombie version I turned into a smitten little bitch all over again. I was waiting for her name to appear on the guest list at one of these horror conventions and sure enough, she was signed on to appear at Monster Mania along with some of the other stars of the Halloween series.

When I met her, I told Danielle that I brought her a Sexy Armpit T-Shirt, which was based off my blog. She actually said that it was really cool because she wears shirts people give her alot and the tank she was wearing was actually from a fan also. Danielle was cool enough to take a picture with me holding the shirt.

I never thought I’d say that I got to meet Corey Haim and Corey Feldman considering that I’ve seen basically all of their movies collectively. That’s a difficult task since there’s so many films that they’ve done which no one’s ever heard of. I haven’t just seen those, I own them. That’s how much of a dork I am. If you grew up in the ’80s and were young enough to think these guys were cool then you know what I mean. Heck, anyone who was always on the cover of Bop and Teen Beat were considered cool. It didn’t matter if you were a guy or a girl, you appreciated that crew. If it was Nicole Eggert or Alyssa Milano, or The Two Corey’s it was almost a prerequisite to revere them. If not, then you probably weren’t the right age. All I know is, their movies were all anyone my age talked about for a few years. Then it all got weird. Just like with Danielle Harris, I remained a fan.

Getting to meet The Two Corey’s was possibly the closest thing to surreal as it gets. For a kid who knows all their lines to their movies and used to mimic the things they did, I still can’t believe that I was talking to them face to face. I wasn’t really excited though, it was more weird than anything. I almost wet my pants when I met Nikki Sixx from Motley Crue but meeting The Two Corey’s just made me feel like I was having an outer body experience. I guess the possibility of meeting them never even crossed my mind.

I can’t say it was a let down, but Haim is out of his mind and Feldman is kind of a dick. Suzie just liked to horn in on Feldman’s every word and interaction. She was noticeably agitated that I was ignoring her and talking it up with her husband who’s actually talented. Thanks Yoko. I bet The Two Corey’s would still be on the air if it weren’t for you! I don’t give a crap if you were in Playboy! You’re mooching off the fame of one part of The Corey’s. Now that’s pretty much sabotaging yourself.

It was definitely hard to come up with something to say to these two. I knew I’d mention one of my favorite Feldman roles but Haim seemed so drugged up that he wasn’t even making much sense. Perhaps it’s true that all the years of drugs actually did fuck him up so bad that he has a major slur. Who knows. All I know is Haim told the kid before me in line that he was “very close to getting Robin.” That meant that he was in the contention for the role of Robin in the Batman film franchise. As far as I know there’s no plans for Robin in future Batman films AT ALL, so maybe I could get the role of Nightwing if I take whatever pills he had in his system!

As for Feldman, I tried to throw him a joke but he wasn’t too receptive. You would think he’d appreciate that some guy respects his work so much that he remembers a minor role he had from 1988 (Ricky Butler from “The ‘burbs”). I didn’t want to be like everyone else and talk about The Goonies. In fact, alot of the people were pulling the exact thing that he hated by asking him to say certain lines from some of his movies. That is kind of rude in a way because he’s not a sideshow, at least show him that much respect. I think I might react the way he did if I was put on the spot like that. The girl before me asked him to say a certain line from one of his films and he got noticeably perturbed and said “c’mon that was 20 years ago.” Damn these guys are bitter aren’t they?

I don’t think there’s such thing as a child star curse. I think it’s that certain people just can’t cope with not having fame. Fame provides them with self worth and that’s the unhealthy part. Who knows, they may not turn to drugs or create shitty bands like The Truth Movement if they truly loved themselves. Regardless of seeing how fucked up they really are, it was cool to meet them and I’ll never abandon their movies!

How can I forget to mention what I bought at Monster Mania? I picked up a fantastic Toxic Avenger box set at the Troma Films table. I’ve been trying to track down the complete set of Toxie films and I wanted to make sure that they had the ENTIRE animated series included as well. This box set has it all so I was happy to plunk down the cash for it, otherwise it would sit on my amazon wishlist forever.

Among all the fanboys and girls and just plain horror freaks, I noticed a lot of awesome tattoos. One nasty giantess wearing fishnets and an uncomfortably skimpy black number had a tattoo on her arm of David Bowie’s “Jareth” from Labyrinth. I would’ve commended her on it, but she scared the hell out of me and she was kinda gross! Luckily this girl was able to wash the bad taste out of my mouth:
She had a kickass JEM tattoo that I noticed from about 10 feet away! I went up to her like my usual psycho self and said “yo! cool Jem tattoo! Can I take a picture?” She must’ve thought I was a weirdo, but who cares! lol.

If you haven’t made it out to a convention, make sure you experience one. You’ll have alot of fun, see alot of cool stuff for sale, and possibly meet some of your idols! What’s up next? Chiller Theatre!