‘Halloween’ 40th Anniversary Convention Announced
Halloween fans crossing off the days until October 19 need to circle a few more dates on their calendars.
Longtime series producer Trancas International Films announced on Monday that the 40th anniversary Halloween convention, “Forty Years of Terror,” is set for Oct. 12-14 at Pasadena Convention Center, just blocks from where John Carpenter’s original film was filmed in 1978.
The fourth official gathering of fans, cast, and crew since 2003, “Forty Years of Terror” is set to be the biggest convention in series history, coming one week before the eleventh film – a direct sequel to Halloween ‘78, and again starring Jamie Lee Curtis – bows in theaters.
Pasadena has hosted the convention – celebrated every five years – since 2003. For the 2018 show, Trancas and fan favorite con promoters HorrorHound will take over an expanded area of the Convention Center for, “more exciting vendors – including notable Halloween licensees – and a number of not-to-be missed events, such as a special Horror’s Hallowed Grounds filming location tour, special gallery offerings, cast Q&As, exclusive H40 and Halloween merchandise offerings” and professional photo ops.
Guest announcements for the 40th anniversary convention will trickle out in the coming weeks, although fans will focused on two names: Jamie Lee Curtis and John Carpenter. While neither appeared at 2013’s “35 Years of Terror,” it would not surprise anyone to see the pair on stage as part of the promotional blitz for the upcoming sequel.
The nine years between 2018’s Halloween and the last film released in the series – Rob Zombie’s Halloween 2 – is the largest gap between entries in the 40-year-old franchise. Historically, fans could always count on a new film within five years of the last.
“Forty Years of Terror” marks the first convention held during the year of a new Halloween release. Previous conventions in 2013, 2008, and 2003 occurred in “off” years, but have been well attended by stars of the series.
Ticket prices (including VIP packages) will be announced “within the month,” according to Trancas, on the Halloween 40 website.
Corn Connection: ‘Genesis’ brings series to close
This marks the final entry in The Corn Connection series, and much like the Children of the Corn films, it’s going out with a whimper.
Now Playing Podcast released its final review in the Corn retrospective on Tuesday, and after scraping the IMDB page for Children of the Corn: Genesis, I was able to find just one “star” who appeared in another film covered on the show.
Sure, there are actors you’ll recognize, like Billy Drago from The Untouchables and Cyborg 2. But I don’t see a Cyborg retrospective in Now Playing’s future. Nor do I see the hosts turning to television for The Office retrospective, just so they can reference lead actress Kelen Coleman, who guested in a few episodes as Dwight Schrute’s love interest, Isabel.
The only true connection in this final Corn film is actor Duane Whitaker, who plays the character Pritchett.
If the name doesn’t ring a bell, the face will. Whitaker’s career is loaded with various villain and hillbilly roles, most notably 1994’s Pulp Fiction, where he played the shop owner who holds Bruce Willis and Ving Rhames prisoner until Zed shows up. You know what happens next.
He’s also shown up in a slew of genre pics, everything from Feast to Tales From the Hood to From Dusk Till Dawn 2: Texas Blood Money.
But if you want to find Whitaker in the Now Playing Podcast archives, you’ll find him in the Halloween, Rob Zombie and Texas Chainsaw Massacre retrospectives.
In Zombie’s Halloween 2, he played one of the hillbillies who gets killed by Michael Myers in a field after calling out the killer for trespassing. It was brutal.
Whitaker also played Dr. Bankhead in The Devil’s Rejects, another Rob Zombie picture; and one of his earlier horror roles came in 1990’s Leatherface: The Texas Chainsaw Massacre III.
So that’s that. Nine entries up, nine entries down, a few dozen connections made to the Now Playing Podcast archives. Mission accomplished. Thanks for reading!
Did we miss anyone? If you spot an actor or actress with a connection to Now Playing Podcast leave a comment and help a fellow listener!
Corn Connection: ‘The Gathering’ surprises with actual stars
“This can’t be right, I know these people.” – Arnie C
Now Playing Podcast surprised listeners Monday night with the early release of its Children of the Corn IV: The Gathering review, the latest entry in the Stephen King Retrospective Series.
The film was certainly not in award contention when it hit video stores in 1996, but many of its stars may look familiar to viewers, and one member of the cast would go on to greater fame and an Academy Award nomination.
In this week’s Corn Connection, we’re taking that star’s resume, along with the rest of the Corn IV cast, and pointing you toward their places in the Now Playing Podcast archives:
Naomi Watts (Grace Rhodes) – DC Heroes Retrospective Series
Naomi Watts is a household name today, but the 21 Grams and Mulholland Drive actress had just a few indie credits under her belt when she headlined in The Gathering. Her most notable role at the time of the film’s release was alongside Lori Petty in Tank Girl, a poorly-received adaptation of the British comic book.
Tank Girl was reviewed in 2013 as part of Now Playing’s DC Heroes Retrospective Series.
Karen Black (June Rhodes) – Rob Zombie’s House of 1000 Corpses & The Devil’s Rejects Retrospective Series
Karen Black, who passed away last year, had enjoyed a long career before appearing in Children of the Corn IV. Today she is celebrated as a pioneering “Scream Queen” and horror fans may know her best from her role as Mother Firefly in director Rob Zombie’s House of 1000 Corpses.
Now Playing reviewed House and its sequel, The Devil’s Rejects, in 2009.
William Windom (Doc Larson) – Planet of the Apes Retrospective Series
This actor’s IMDB resume lists more than 250 credits, but he wasn’t a star in the Now Playing universe until this past summer, when the hosts reviewed Escape from the Planet of the Apes, a show that was made available during the Spring 2014 Donation Series.
Marietta Marich (Rosa Nock) – The Texas Chain Saw Massacre Retrospective Series
Marich should be recognizable to Now Playing listeners; she played Luda Mae Hewitt, the matriarch of the crazed clan that raised Leatherface in 2003’s The Texas Chainsaw Massacre and its 2006 prequel, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Beginning.
Both films were covered during 2010’s Chainsaw retrospective.
Harrison Young (Drifter) – Rob Zombie’s House of 1000 Corpses & The Devil’s Rejects Retrospective Series
Another actor who went on to work for Rob Zombie, Harrison Young starred as doomed father Don Willis in House of 1000 Corpses. You might also recognize him as the elder Private Ryan in Steven Spielberg’s Saving Private Ryan.
Overall, those are some pretty good connections. Things should pick up next week when Now Playing covers the fifth (of nine!) Corn entries. We won’t spoil it, just go to IMDB if you’re curious.
Did we miss anyone? If you spot an actor or actress with a connection to Now Playing Podcast leave a comment and help a fellow listener!
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