Horror-Rama, the brainchild of Luis
Ceriz, owner of Toronto’s cult DVD rental store Suspect Video and Chris
Alexander, film director and managing editor at Shock Till You Drop, was a
blast! I went to the first two-day event
last year and it was fun, but had heard there was some confusion about
attending panels due partially to the location. The Hyatt Regency Hotel was the new, more spacious location this second
year of the con with a great room for panels. There were nooks where you could sit and collect yourself, a lounge, large vendors, and a celebrity meet & greet area.
I shopped a little too enthusiastically and
ended up with some great items and gifts. If someone had told me there was a bridge in New York they could sell
me, I would have handed them my credit card before they finished their
sentence. It was just that kind of day.
I attended Saturday and got to meet my
favourite graphic novel writer Steve Niles again. And then there were the great panels, from Land of the Dead fan favourite Big Daddy aka Eugene Clark who I met for the
first time, to a screening of the slasher flick Old 37, and the giallo
Contamination at the very end of the day. I caught a Q&A with director Mick Garris, the Scream Queens Redux
panel and the Blood in the Snow 2015 preview.
Director, producer and writer Mick Garris
has adapted more Stephen King stories than any other filmmaker and is also
well known for creating the Masters of Horror series. He was down to earth and in his laid back
style, shared how he approached King’s stories, including The Shining and the
backlash it got even though the mini-series garnered better reviews than the
Kubrick version; casting and the relationship he nurtured with actors like Ron
Perlman and Tom Skerritt; and his lighting techniques. Garris went on to confirm that if he had his choice, the
King story he would jump to direct would be Jarrod’s Game and not The Long
Walk, a story he is often asked about. He
also announced a horror anthology he is working on with four other directors
called Nightmare Cinema.
Later on, the Blood in the Snow Festival, a
3-day Canadian horror film event from November 27-29th revealed their 2015
lineup. It was exciting to see how far
they have come, from a movie night at a now defunct theater festival director
Kelly Michael Stewart started to the now often sold-out screenings where many
films get distribution after participating in the festival. My must see films this year are: feature films Farhope Tower, Save Yourself,
and Bite, the film that caused a ruckus because it’s apparently stomach
turning; and shorts Seiren, Grace, and Kurayami no Wa. This year, there are big prizes for the
participating directors, a guest jury and seminars for industry folk. The festival also boasts having a female
directed film on opening night for the 3rd year in a row.
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Check out the rest of the lineup here: www.bloodinthesnow.ca
|
The panel I was most interested to attend
was the Scream Queen Redux, where the Women in Horror Month and Ax Wound magazine founder Hannah Neurotica would moderate a Q & A of women directors
and actors discussing their experiences making horror. The panelists were Jovanka Vuckovic, former
Rue Morgue editor and director of the short The Captured Bird and an upcoming
Clive Barker adaptation; Debbie Rochon, best known for her role in Tromeo and
Juliet and writer for Fangoria magazine; Linnea Quigley, known for her role in
Return of the Living Dead; Meg Walter, veteran actress of The Devils; and
Tristan Risk, burlesque dancer turned actor seen in American Mary among other
films.
The first question posed was whether the
panelists thought the term “Scream Queens” was limiting to them or a
celebration of what they represented in horror. They all agreed that historically, the term described women helplessly
in peril a la Fay Wray, but now it has been reclaimed as a good thing Rochon
noted, using Buffy the Vampire Slayer and the recent Scream Queens TV show as
examples. They felt it gave the
connotation of women who ceased being the victim and came out as the ass-kicking
final girl.
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Jovana Vuckovic, Hanna Neurotica, and Debbie Rochon |
Neurotica then moved to the question of
their experiences as women in the industry and the obstacles they may have met
because of their gender. This was a
great question as the women debated about how they were accepted. Vuckovic said she wanted to believe that
there wasn’t any sexism, but she has experienced it, from minor infractions to
obvious snubs. She noted that in the
film industry, you feel it more especially with the boys club that seems to
dominate all the decisions.
Although later in the discussion, Vuckovic
stated that she disliked having to label directors as “female” or “woman”, it’s
a necessity at the moment. She wants to create
options for women, for example the upcoming horror anthology film XX, with
all women directors and an almost all female crew. She was passionate about addressing the
systemic sexism in Hollywood and the surprising problem of women in power not
helping their own. Rochon continued that
vein by mentioning some women are still using their sexuality to get ahead of
the competition, seeing their sisters as a threat and leaving them behind.
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(L to R) Rochon, Linnea Quigley, Meg Walter and Tristan Risk |
Walters had a different perspective. She had never experienced anything negative
and was always treated well on set. She
emphasized how important it was for women to speak up and ask for what you
need, and if you see something you don’t like, say something. She felt you could be a victim or “become better”,
putting your best self forward as negativity can often sabotage your
goals. While this is a great attitude,
the other panelists debated whether this would work due to factors beyond a
woman’s control. It was a lively
discussion with great points made from both sides of the story. I think it is important to see the struggle
and overcome it by speaking up, because from my experience, if you don’t ask,
you won’t get.
From the acting side, Quigley, Risk and
Walters emphasized communication on set. For Risk, setting boundaries right away eliminated any surprises or
uncomfortable situations on set, and Quigley said that direction is key for
actors. Just because they were veterans
didn’t mean they knew it all. Directors,
new and experienced, need to communicate to their actors what they want for the
film.
The next question was about their fans and
how the ratio of men to women has changed. Risk said that it has definitely changed for her as horror is more
accepting and accepted of and by women since we are more visible in the
media. Quigley noted that there were
hardly any women at cons and the growing roles for women represented by Linda
Hamilton and Sigourney Weaver helped women identify with the genres and come
out to cons. The panel also addressed
how women are seen on screen in horror.
Walter felt the films made weren’t women friendly with female victim
heavy plots, but Vuckovic saw the final girl as more prevalent.
Neurotica had an interesting viewpoint. She thought women feel more unsafe than men
in daily life and being a target or victim is part of the horror genre, but felt
that there is a need for great scripts and films to tell the story
properly. Risk attributed lazy writing
as the problem. She felt there needed to
be more complexity and whole female characters in general.
The Q & A ended on a positive
note. The panel felt that with an
audience that is smarter and with complex characters like Lisbeth Salander from The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo and directors like the Soska Twins, there
is strong hope for change. Asking for
help, being heard and taking up space, as well as the general public accepting strong
women will open minds and doors for women in horror and the film industry at
large. That was a great takeaway from
the discussions and being in a room with such intelligent, passionate artists
left the audience with a sense of empowerment.
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Pixie and the lovely Hannah Neurotica |
With intriguing panels, a supportive
community and great horror memorabilia, Horror-Rama 2015 is definitely a con
that every horror fan needs to attend.
Here’s to another successful year, and many more to come!

Carolyn Mauricette is the founder of Rosemary's Pixie and contributing author to the Woman in Horror Annual and The Encyclopedia of Japanese Horror Films. She lives in Toronto, Canada where she is also a programmer for the Blood in the Snow Canadian Film Festival. You can follow her on Twitter (@rmpixie)