Allow me to summarize the event for you in bulleted format:
- It was uniquely smelly even for Chiller Con, since the buffet was set up in a hallway right across from the "Celebrity Petting Zoo." The celeb area was in maybe the worst location ever--the hotel had just moved the sofas out of the waiting room and plunked a bunch of folding tables into the depression there.
- There was some sort of suspiciously motorcycle-less biker gang whose Device included crossed axes and Satanic symbols. Two folks separately commented that they must be related to the subterranean urban gang from the Sly Stallone epic "Cobra."
- Vendors were the usual assortment, though fewer in number than I recall from Chillers past. I picked up a handful of DVDs, including "Machine Girl" from Media Blasters. They claimed it was a Con Exclusive, which... probably means you can purchase it at Best Buy tomorrow.
- A pal remarked that there were fewer model kits available, which is a shame for those who are into that hobby.
For the curious--no, I did not wait on the epic line to see Steven and Daniel Baldwin, or Mickey Dolenz, or Ernest Borgnine in the Celebrity Petting Zoo. I just assume they were there, and I can just hope that they made enough money so they'll each be able to drink away the trauma of the weekend.
Here is your Carrot for having read through my bitching. The "Machine Girl" trailer [hella-NSFW]:
16 comments:
If The Machine Girl is half as good as the trailer, you have scored big.
Keep me updated on that one!
Will do, sir! I plan on watching that for further commentary later this week.
Aw, that's a shame...sounds like the the end of a once great con.
-lori
Sorry to make you go...since we are the out-of-state friends you mentioned. But we were mostly there for that filming and made the best of it while there. I did enjoy my shopping trip into the vendors room and the highlight of the con was being with you and Herr Baron! Oh, and bandaging Zacherley's leg! :-/
Lori--yes, it is a bummer indeed. I keep hoping they'll get their act together and move to a more appropriate venue and get things *organized*, but... not so much :/
Yankee--are you KIDDING? *You* and your darling hubby were the celebs *I* went to see, and I had a great time with both of you. I seized the opportunity for friends-time and managed to get new DVDs--that much is a win! Besides, if you hadn't dragged me along, I would never have gotten to make the punchline about the "Cobra" guys.
Any place is better with more tenebrous :)
Maybe I'm showing my age, but Chiller hasn't been the same since they left the gym at Fairley-Dickisnon in beautiful Hackensack. There was something wonderfully low rent and egaliterian of having a huge space with vendors, celebs and panels all in one room.
Sara--you just want "in" on the 5 shots for 10 bucks. I see through your flattery!
Anon--Wow! My first Chiller was in the Fall of '95 and I remember being *entirely* sold on the whole affair after Basil Gogos complimented my personal style. I had no idea that the convention used to be that small! Also had no idea before running a handy Google that Coffin Joe was the guest of honor at one point. That is super-sweet. More reasons to get crackin' on Project Invent Time Machine.
I just watched the trailer for Machine Girl. It makes me wonder if it was the inspiration for Rose McGowan's M-16 leg in Planet Terror. Or maybe the other way around. The word derivative does come to mind. Just not sure which way to send it.
Michael--Not sure which came first; you bring up an interesting point! My suspicion is that each character evolved along a separate cultural path, with "Planet Terror" showing genre love for the stereotypical American love of chicks and giant weapons, whereas "Machine Girl" comes out of the anime/manga tradition and looks like a splat-comedy take on Japanese tech-horrors like "Tetsuo."
But I'll admit I'm pretty zen with the potential for heavy derivation in genre fiction. I've been watching nunsploitationers for the past decade and those are pretty much all the same movie...!
It doesn't sound like the great experience. I've watched the trailer for "Machine Girl" quite a few times and it looks awesome. That was cool that you got a chance to get it.
Rogue Spy--yes, while the "waiting in line" aspect was better than it had been in years past (I recall the Fire Marshall getting called into the East Rutherford location a number of years ago), there's a need for a re-imagining of the whole Chiller concept in order to make it an enjoyable convention again. "Machine Girl", though, looks *awesome*. Hopefully I can set aside some movie time tonight or Thursday!
Sorry about the suckathon that pass for a con, but The Machine Girl looks like several levels of awesome!
Vas--am going to TRY to carve out some movie-watching time tonight and dig into that movie. It TAUNTS me from my entertainment center every night I come home from work...!
I just read your Chiller post...how true you describe your adventure...it can be a real joke there..ive been going for 14 years and still dont know the people who run it..there like Zombies..
i have no clue were these wirdo death metal biker bumpkins came from..they make me laugh and are chasing away many people who like to go there with their attitude...and the cleb petting zoo is described perfectly...i was hanging over the fence and actually petted Armin Zimmermin [quark]on his bald head...and the oder you smelled is not from the food but the pigs who wonder in there WHO DONT BATH and wear smelly un-washed project leather coats...one stinking RAT is John Link from those cheesy EI entertainment B-movies and another was some old women who stunk soo bad that the people at the front desk had to open the hotel doors to air the place out...your comments made me laugh soo hard...i love them...but sadly i will be going to chiller again this year...you can say its an addiction...like a girl who loves the bad boy....you just cant break it
Anon--I always get lured back too! What can I say--proximity (though less so now than when it was in the Meadowlands) and the ever-dangerous softening of memory conspire to put me at Chiller con time and again :) I just peeked at the October guest list and... well, it would give me a chance to discuss politics with Ed Asner which, admittedly, is mighty tempting.
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