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!

2013 SALT CITY HORROR FEST - Changes to lineup and full event schedule!

SATURDAY. MAY 4TH. 2013. SYRACUSE, NY. 2013 SALT CITY HORROR FEST! BE THERE!

Hey all! April is passing us by rapidly which is awesome because that just means those of us are lucky to have May 4th off (which also happens to be FREE COMIC BOOK DAY and INTERNATIONAL STAR WARS DAY) will be able to attend the latest SALT CITY HORROR FEST! Sadly, director Jeff Burr, who was slated to appear for a Q&A, will not be able to attend due to a scheduling conflict, which also means that 35mm screenings of THE OFFSPRING and LEATHERFACE: TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE III are not happening.

However all is not lost as the folks running the film festival have filled the two missing gaps with James VanBebber's THE MANSON FAMILY (which also comes with his short film, GATOR GREEN), and the ever elusive HOUSE ON THE EDGE OF THE PARK, directed by Ruggero Deodato and starring the late David Hess! I haven't seen either of these movies so I'm stoked!

Here's the full lineup and schedule of the event, which kicks off at 11 AM at The Palace Theater:

11:00am - Doors and Vendor Lobby open.

11:45 am - Horror Fest organizers introduction and trivia block #1.

Noon - Abbott and Costello meet Frankenstein - (1948, 83 min) all ages.

1:30pm - Trivia block #2.

1:40pm - "May the 4th be with you," Star Wars tribute.

1:45pm - It Came From Outer Space - Jack Arnold, (1953, 81 min) Anaglyph 3D

3:10pm - Trivia Block #3 and World War Z (WWZ) preview from Paramount films.

3:15pm - NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD - George Romero, (1968, 96 min) Parental Guidance Suggested.

5:00pm - FRIGHT NIGHT - Tom Holland, (1985, 105 min) Rated R

6:45pm - Dinner Break.

7:45pm - Trivia Block #4

8:00pm - "Steel Warriors 2" - Trailer (Digital, 5 min)

8:05pm - Gator Green - Jim VanBebber, short (digital)

8:20pm - Manson Family - Jim VanBebber, (2003, 95 min) uncut, 17 and over

9:50pm - ROBOCOP - Paul Verhoeven, (1987, 103 min) Theatrical Cut, Rated R

11:45pm - Art Ettinger, ULTRA VIOLENT Magazine, HOTEOTP intro and trivia block #5.

Midnight - HOUSE ON THE EDGE OF THE PARK - Ruggero Deodato, (1980, 91 min) 17 and over

1:30am - NEKROMANTIK - Jorg Buttgereit, (1987, 75 min) German w/ English Subtitles, 17 and over

Crazy lineup no?

Get there early so you can guarantee yourself some 3D glasses, and bring extra money because there will be all sorts o' junk food, beer, and vendors! Hopefully I'll see some of you there!

More contests and giveaways at the Vault + Salt City Horror Fest!

Ok, before I get into the good stuff, I'd like to announce the first recipients of the dubious honor of "winning" March's "HORROR MOVIE EMP-TY HANDED" giveaway. Out of the (thus far) thirteen people who have sent me their invoices, the following two will be getting a Blue Underground Blu-ray in the mail. :: draws name from favorite NY Giants coffee mug :: Our first "winner" is... MICHAEL HADDOCK! You didn't seem to be too picky Mike, so out of the films on your invoice I selected Fulci's ZOMBIE! Enjoy!

The second "winner" for my HME-inspired giveaway is... :: draws another name from the NY Giants mug of destiny :: JEREMY SLATE! Jeremy, much like myself at the moment, is out of money and movies, as he missed the 45-day PayPal dispute window. Well Jeremy, hope you enjoy the new copy of NIGHT TRAIN MURDERS that I'm sending your way bud!

That's it for March; next month I'll be getting some more Blue Underground Blu-rays out to other random "contestants" in this giveaway. If you haven't gotten me your unfulfilled invoice, you have until April 6th to do so. After that, each month I'll randomly cycle through the names on my list, until each person gets a Blu-ray in their hands. That's right; there are no losers in this competition folks. The only downside is that some people will have to wait longer than others.

Moving on then..... here are two contests for everyone to jump in on during the month of April. But don't expect me to just GIVE this stuff away; you've gotta do a little work to earn your prize!

The first item up for grabs is a DVD of "DEAD IN LOVE," an indie love story involving two ghosts. From the back of the box: "Two friends, who happen to be ghosts, go in search of a girl they liked in high school. When one of them gets the chance to be with her, he has to do it in the body of an awkward nerd. Their lives will change forever in this heartfelt low budget comedy."

I've heard great things about this film, and would love to keep it for myself... especially since it is signed by Writer/Director Chris Watson and the cast! Want to win this signed, limited edition (#37 of 100) DVD? Well here's how!

Send an e-mail to vault_master@bmoviefilmvault.com with DEAD IN LOVE DVD in the subject line. In the body of the e-mail, include your full mailing address, and in a few lines (or paragraphs if you're into sending long-winded e-mails) tell me what you would do if you were a ghost. Would you seek out your long-lost love? Play pranks on people? Do some hardcore haunting? Be a total pervert? Tell me; and have fun with it! The person with the funniest and/or most imaginative entry gets this DVD! Contest will end on April 29th; winner will be announced on the 30th!

For those of you who do NOT want a mushy supernatural romantic comedy, I present to you an alternative: You can win BOTH of the original "The Hills Have Eyes" movies on DVD! Both discs are in mint condition (Part 2 has never been watched) and they can be all yours!

To win these two movies, drop me an e-mail at vault_master@bmoviefilmvault.com with HILLS HAVE EYES DVDS in the subject line. Include your name and mailing address (natch) and, since the films both star Michael Berryman, tell me about your favorite Michael Berryman role/scene/moment from any of the films he has starred in. Personally, I totally dig the guy in the first live-action "Guyver" film as Lisker. He goes from goofy to menacing in mere seconds and the practical effects in that movie rock my world! Now that you know what you must do, get your entries in by April 29th; I'll randomly choose a winner on the 30th!

Also, I'm still giving away two tickets to see THE DEMON MESSENGER on Friday, April 13th. It will be premiering at the Art Mission Theater in Binghamton, NY at 7:30 PM, and the cast, crew, and monster-suit maker Ron Chamberlain will all be attending as well. As stated in my previous post, all you've gotta do to win these tickets is e-mail me (vault_master@bmoviefilmvault.com) with a quick note about your fave Bigfoot and/or demon movie! It's quick, simple, and you've only got until April 6th to get your paws on these tickets! Hit me up ASAP before you miss out on this unique opportunity!

Finally, before I call it a night, I just want to do a quick shout out about the upcoming SALT CITY HORROR FEST! I heard about this show when I attended The Hudson Horror Show in Poughkeepsie, NY last December, and I am ready to rock n' roll! The event takes place at the Palace Theater on Saturday, April 14th and kicks off around noon! There will be food, beer (for the 21-and-over crowd), vendors, and an amazing lineup of EIGHT Horror films including:

The Bride of Frankenstein
Creature from the Black Lagoon (in 3-D!)
Tremors
Troll Hunter
Popcorn
Army of Darkness
Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2
Last House on Dead End Street

All films will be featured in glorious 35mm, with Tremors and Last House... boasting remastered prints! I'm getting giddy just thinking about it! Tickets are currently on sale for $15.00, so pre-order now (CLICK HERE for info) to reserve your seat and 3-D glasses!

Also, for anyone in the area on that weekend, Horror Movie Empire will be vending at this film festival and will be giving out refunds to anyone who has an invoice for items they have not yet received. Don't come down and try to pound the guy into dust, but do show up if you want your cash or movies that he owes you. Then when you get that unpleasant business out of the way, you can chill out with fellow Horror fans and watch eight awesome flicks with a cold beer in your hand! I'll be attending (as will Bill from Radiation-Scarred Reviews) so maybe I'll see you there!

That's all the news that's fit to print at the moment, but stay tuned for new reviews (like the one posted on the site yesterday for EL MONSTRO DEL MAR), b-movie news, and more as we MARCH into APRIL! (Zing!)