An event-filled weekend awaits you! Get some free comic books, celebrate Star Wars, or catch a film screening or festival!

Hey b-movie fans! It's going to be a gorgeous weekend (in this neck of the woods at least), and there are a lot of cool, nerdy things going on all over the place! Here's a small list of events that are happening over the next few days; some are national, some international, but most are localized. If you know of something happening that is worth mentioning on my list, leave a comment below, e-mail me, or hit me up on Facebook or Twitter.

... and also with you.

MAY 4TH:
INTERNATIONAL STAR WARS DAY ("MAY THE 4TH BE WITH YOU..." ALL DAY - EVERYWHERE)
Started officially in 2011, International Star Wars Day (which began in Toronto, Ontario, Canada) has since grown (especially now that Disney owns the Star Wars name brand). Look out for screenings of the films at some theatrical venues, or if you live in California, check out the free parade Disney is having at their Hollywood Studios tomorrow! Need some ideas on what to do to celebrate your fave sci-fi franchise? Then head on over to the Star Wars Day Blog for some hints!

FREE COMIC BOOK DAY (ALL DAY - EVERYWHERE!)
Head out to your local comic book store to get freebies! Many shops have contests, giveaways, and special offers on this, their most holy (and busiest) of days. Also, don't be surprised if the shop you visit also happens to be celebrating the aforementioned STAR WARS DAY!

SALT CITY HORROR FEST (THE PALACE THEATER - SYRACUSE, NY - 11 AM)
As posted HERE, this horror/exploitation/cult film fest will take place ALL DAY at the Palace Theater on James St. The movie lineup consists of: ABBOTT AND COSTELLO MEET FRANKENSTEIN, IT CAME FROM OUTER SPACE (in anaglyph 3D!), NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD, THE MANSON FAMILY, HOUSE AT THE EDGE OF THE PARK, ROBOCOP, NEKROMANTIK, and FRIGHT NIGHT! Tickets are $20 bucks at the door, and you can come and go all day as long as you have your wristband. Also, bring extra money with you because they serve all sorts of snacks and beer, plus there will be vendors there selling DVDs, Blu-rays, collectibles, and more! Maybe I'll see you there!

RIFFING MYSELF W/JOEL HODGSON (DRYDEN THEATER - SYRACUSE, NY - 8PM)
An intimate, funny, one-man show with the creator of Mystery Science Theater 3000 and Cinematic Titanic. Get all the feedback about Joel's early years as a ventriloquist and stand-up comedian, and discover every little detail that went into the creation of movie riffing and one of the greatest cult comedy shows of all time. I caught his act in Scranton back in February and it was really interesting, and Joel is one cool cat. (Even managed to sneak in a photo op with him before he escaped.) The show kicks off at 8 PM at the Dryden Theater. It's $20 for the main performance and $50 for the performance, and a post meet & greet + a screening of an MST3K episode. (Most likely, "The Pod People.")

FANTASM SCREENING (SYRACUSE, NY - SYRACUSE UNIVERSITY - SHAFFER ART BUILDING)
Kyle Kuchta visited six horror cons and made this endearing documentary about the conventions and the fans (and guests) that attend them. The abridged version of his thesis film is being shown for free on Saturday night to cap off a two day student film fest. I'm not quite sure about what time his film is being screened, so be sure to check out the FANTASM Facebook page to keep up to date!


MAY 5TH:
EXFEST III (INTERNATIONAL HOUSE - PHILADELPHIA, PA - 11 AM TO 11 PM)
I've always wanted to attend the EXHUMED FILMS' hosted eX-FeST. They show five films in glorious 35mm and never give away the lineup until the day of the event. Tickets are $26 (if any are left after the pre-orders... which is apparently quite rare). Visit THIS PAGE to snag tickets and enjoy the insanity on Sunday!

That's all I know of at the moment, but if you know of an event happening over the next two days that warrants a mention, then by all means contact me and I'll add it to the list! Have a great weekend everybody, and enjoy the awesome!

New Fright-Rags tees + FANTASM documentary in the works!

It has been far too long since I've given my friends at Fright-Rags any love. They've continued to supply the Horror community with an array of awesome shirts that just can't be topped. Their designs are unparallelled, their staff is insanely knowledgeable and friendly, and their company has continued to grow and cater to us Horror fans with highly collectible tees that are guaranteed to turn heads when seen in public.

And speaking of which, they have three new designs out that will make your mouth water. For fans of classic slasher cinema, there's a great new TERROR TRAIN shirt; fans of Stephen King will surely dig the new MISERY tee; there's even a hilarious new design that riffs on the Christmas classic "Home Alone," and features the SOUTH BEND SHOVEL SLAYER (a.k.a. Murphy). Each shirt comes in sizes Small to 5XL, and costs $21.95 apiece; scope out the designs below:

I never realized Kathy Bates was a Peter Gabriel fan.

I guess the "Wet Bandits" are now the "Dead Bandits?"

Awesome design though there is a distinct lack of David Copperfield on this shirt.

Also, as of my posting this, Fright-Rags still have less than 60 of their EVIL DEAD II: GROOVY EDITION COLLECTOR'S BOXES left in stock. For $37.95 you get a gorgeous t-shirt, prismatic sticker, and a "Home Sweet Home" magnet, all inside a cool Necronomicon box with artwork by Jeff Zornow! Once these are sold out, they are gone for good, so grab one now!

And finally, before I quit blogging for the night, I'd like to bring a new documentary to your attention, namely FANTASM. Directed by a gent named Kyle Kuchta, this doc looks to spread awareness about all the various Horror conventions happening across America, and show how tight-knit the Horror community is. As someone that has attended a handful of cons, I can attest to the family atmosphere they have. Every time you go you see familiar faces (some famous, some not) and you usually walk away with a few new friends and usually some pretty crazy/cool stories (especially if Gary Busey is on the premises).

Here's the teaser trailer to give you a taste of what's to come:


If you looked closely amongst the rapid-fire edits, you probably caught a few familiar faces, amongst shots of fans and cosplayers, including actor Tom Atkins (who is just an awesome human being), actress Heather Langenkamp, and Fright-Rags owner Ben Scrivens (and Kristy Jett, Fright-Rags' very own Director of Service & Sass). This comprehensive documentary (that is also Kyle's senior thesis to get his BFA in film) will feature interviews with celebrities and fans, and will hopefully bring more people out to visit the numerous conventions that have popped up over the years.

Kyle plans on completing FANTASM in May of this year, but still has some principal photography to shoot in March at MONSTER-MANIA CON at Cherry Hill, NJ (which is boasting CARRIE FISHER as well as a FREDDY VS. JASON reunion) and HORROR HOUND WEEKEND in Cincinnati, OH. So if you attend either con in March, YOU just may end up in the film!

Kyle, godspeed and good luck with your film; I hope I can get a chance to check it out!