Midsummer Scream, or the Official Start of Halloween Season 

Every year, Halloween aficionados converge on the Long Beach Convention Center at the end of July to celebrate the official start of Halloween season. There, one can find everything from haunts in the Hall of Shadows, vendors in the main hall, horror celebrities signing autographs in the autograph section, special effects, merchandise, and just about anything you could want to get you in the Halloween mood in one place. There’s a panel room where this year many showed what they have been working on, but also discussions on issues affecting Halloween and horror fans, there are live podcasts recordings in front of audiences, food trucks, art, even a cultural exhibit around Day of the Dead, and a cat relaxation area with cats and kittens to play with and adopt.  

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BAD MOVIE MONDAY: ABSURD (1981)

ABSURD is a 1981 Italian slasher movie directed by the legendary Joe D’Amato. It stars George Eastman, Annie Belle, and Edmund Purdom. It was initially written as a sequel to ANTHROPOPHAGUS but, as the legend goes, they rewrote the script when Eastman thought the original was terrible. That’s the “official” narrative, which I personally think is a load of horseshit. My two cents? Slasher movies were pulling in big numbers and the producers, after smelling money the way sharks smell blood, decided to rip off John Carpenter. Literally. There are a bunch of scenes in this film that, while not totally ripped off from Halloween 1 and 2, are close enough that I’m shocked D’Amato wasn’t sued.
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Streaming Sundays: ‘Interview With The Vampire’ Is One Of The Best Retellings Of A Classic Tale

AMC+ released their new television adaptation of Interview with the Vampire, and it is a worthy addition to Anne Rice’s Vampire Chronicles canon.

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BAD MOVIE MONDAY: TRUTH OR DARE? A CRITICAL MADNESS (1986)

TRUTH OR DARE? A CRITICAL MADNESS is a 1986 slasher film directed by Tim Ritter. Its first twenty minutes or so began as a segment in an anthology called “Twisted Illusion” released the year before. It is… not good. The plot holes are… huge. The acting is… a disaster. The direction… I can’t even tell you what the hell was going on there. What I’m trying to say is that this was very nearly the worst movie I have ever personally suggested for Bad Movie Monday, and I’ve suggested a lot of howlers. Which, of course, means it was the BEST movie I ever suggested. So prepare yourselves if you decide to ever watch this for yourselves. This was a hell of a ride.
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