Saturday Nightmares 2011 doesn’t disappoint

EAST RUTHERFORD — The second installment of New Jersey’s Saturday Nightmares convention was a welcome event in the tri-state area. Bringing together iconic celebrities from the worlds of horror, science fiction and mystery films, the three-day extravaganza provided fans ample opportunities for autographs, photo opportunities and rare finds in the vendors room.

The headliner of the event, which was held June 3-5 at the Sheraton Meadowlands Hotel in East Rutherford, was Martin Landau, the Oscar winner from such films as Ed Wood and The Majestic. His line was certainly the longest and commanded the most interest. Charging $30 for a scribble, Landau was gracious with the guests and signed for all three days.

I thought that Landau’s line would be gargantuan, but, although it was the longest, Saturday Nightmares was lighter on the attendance compared to other conventions in the area. This meant that fans could walk up to all of the celebrities, including Landau, and score an autograph within a few minutes. What a welcome treat to have a little breathing room at a convention.

Other highlights included Barbara Steele, the legendary horror actress who is best remembered for her roles in Roger Corman’s The Pit and the Pendulum and Mario Bava’s Black Sunday. Steele greeted fans and offered exclusive posters to some of her biggest hits. Autographs cost $25-$30.

Tippi Hedren, of The Birds and Marnie, and Bruce Dern, of Family Plot, represented Alfred Hitchcock’s work at the convention. Hedren offered some great behind-the-scenes stories at her Friday night panel session in the main auditorium. For those lucky enough to snap a pic with the former blonde bombshell, the actress held up a prop blackbird to accompany the guest in the photo.

Almost the entire cast of Dawn of the Dead was present, including Ken Foree, David Emge and Gaylen Ross (Scott H. Reiniger had to cancel). Many of the actors playing zombies in George A. Romero’s famous film were also present, as well as make-up and special effects artist Tom Savini. The standard going rate was $20 for an autograph, with photos complimentary. Foree also led a Zombie Walk on Saturday night around the hotel’s parking lot.

John Amplas, of Romero’s Martin, greeted fans, plus Julian Sands of Warlock and Douglas Bradley of the Hellraiser franchise. Many actors from The Return of the Living Dead, including the great Don Calfa, attended the convention and took part in a Friday night panel discussion. Sid Haig, of Rob Zombie’s House of 1,000 Corpses and The Devil’s Rejects, shook hands and took pictures, in addition to introducing clips from his upcoming monster flick, Creature. Although Haig charged a nominal fee for an autograph, the other actors and director of Creature actually signed posters for free. For that fact alone, everyone should see this movie when it hits theaters in September. Click here for more information on the film.

At first, the top celebrities signed in separate rooms of the Sheraton Meadowlands, but then everyone convened in the main vendors area (likely due to the lower audience turnout). The vendors room had several good deals, including $5 mini movie posters that were perfect for the celebrities to sign.

The film screenings and panel discussions were well planned out and featured most of the major celebrities. Again, attendance was light, but this made it even more special for those fans who did make their way to East Rutherford. Next year, Saturday Nightmares should think about an even larger vendors room and a smaller auditorium.

A few critiques: The $10 for parking was a bummer, and although The Return of the Living Dead cast was cordial, their individual asking price for autographs was $20. This meant that to have the whole cast sign a poster was almost $200. Some type of group discount would have been appreciated.

But these are minor quibbles (and, as always, they deal with monetary issues). Saturday Nightmares is a largely affordable, enjoyable and well-organized convention that deserves many incarnations in the years to come. Chiller Theatre in nearby Parsippany is a great event as well; here’s hoping there’s room in northern New Jersey for two horror conventions.

By John Soltes / Publisher / John@HollywoodSoapbox.com

• Bubble score: 3.5 out of 4

• For more information on Saturday Nightmares, click here.