Saturday Nightmares set for June 3-5

EAST RUTHERFORD — Calling all ghosts, goblins, ghouls and ghastly zombies!

The second-ever Saturday Nightmares convention is set to invade northern New Jersey Friday, June 3 to Sunday, June 5. Expect plenty of scares, jolts and things that go bump in the night. Advance tickets are currently on sale (click here for more information).

The convention has a strong lineup of guests and promises to be an eerily good time for horror and science-fiction fans in the local area.

The headliner is Martin Landua, the legendary Oscar winner whose turn as Bela Lugosi in Tim Burton’s Ed Wood is the stuff of Hollywood legend. Beyond that iconic role, the actor is known for his work in The Majestic and, of course, Mission: Impossible, in addition to a host of other roles. Landau will be on hand all three days, signing autographs and greeting fans. On Sunday, he will also take part in a special question-and-answer session.

Other highlights include Tippi Hedren, the star of the classic Hitchcockian thriller, The Birds. The former blonde bombshell will introduce a screening of the infamous avian horror film on Friday evening.

Bruce Dern, of Alfred Hitchcock’s Family Plot, will also be signing autographs, plus Sid Haig (House of a 1,000 Corpses), Julian Sands (Warlock), Doug Bradley (Hellraiser) and cast members from George A. Romero’s Dawn of the Dead, as well as a special reunion of the stars from The Return of the Living Dead.

For me, the highlight besides Landau has to be the great Barbara Steele, the beautiful actress whose stare could cut glass. Filmgoers will remember her iconic turns in Mario Bava’s Black Sunday (also known as The Mask of Satan) and The Pit and the Pendulum.

What’s great about Saturday Nightmares is that it focuses not just on celebrity autographs and vendor tables. There is a full host of events and screenings to fill out the convention.

Friday night will see a screening of The Birds, with an introduction and Q&A with Tippi Hedren (6 p.m. to 9 p.m.), plus a screening of The Return of the Living Dead, with an introduction and Q&A with cast members (9 p.m. to 11 p.m.). The Friday late-night showing will be of Martin, Romero’s classic horror movie. The screening will feature an introduction and Q&A with John Amplas, Mike Gornick and the infamous Tom Savini (11 p.m. to 2 a.m.).

Saturday is filled to the bloody brim with screenings:

• 11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. — A screening of Dawn of the Dead with a live reenactment by newscasters David Crawford and David Early

• 2 p.m. to 3 p.m. — A special sneak preview of Creature, with a panel featuring the movie’s cast

• 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. — A screening of Family Plot, with an introduction and Q&A with Bruce Dern

• 6 p.m. to 7 p.m. — A Q&A with Barbara Steele

• 7 p.m. to 8 p.m. — New Jersey Zombie Walk, led by Dawn of the Dead star Ken Foree

• 8:30 p.m. to 3 a.m. — Saturday Nightmares Masquerade Party with live bands, performances and a costume contest

Sunday features a Ken Foree Q&A (11 a.m. to noon), plus a screening of Ed Wood and Q&A with Martin Landau (noon to 3 p.m.).

The convention will take place at the Sheraton Meadowlands Hotel in East Rutherford (20 minutes from New York City, and just off the New Jersey Turnpike). HollywoodSoapbox.com will be there all weekend long, so check back for updates, pictures and stories from the convention floor.

Don’t miss this one.

John Soltes / Publisher / John@HollywoodSoapbox.com

• For more information, visit www.SaturdayNightmares.com.

• Saturday Nightmares’ first installment, which took place in Jersey City in 2010, featured George A. Romero and plenty of zombies. A DVD of that convention was released by director Michael Stever. Read our review of the DVD by clicking here.