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Spooky Days in the Park: A Review

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When you think of things that go bump in the night you think of ghosts, goblins, and… Disney World?  Well for Petey Mongelli that is exactly what he was envisioning when putting together his latest event for horror fans.  The father of Spooky Empire, Florida’s biggest and baddest horror convention, brought us Spooky Days in the Park; a weekend of horror inside the gates of Walt Disney World.

If you have ever attended a Spooky Empire convention it’s hard not to notice the array of Disney villains walking around the hoards of zombies, vampires, and other darkly inspired cosplayers.  Perhaps it’s due to our location just miles away from the “Happiest place on earth” but this horror convention definitely brings out the villainous side of many Disney fans!

Disney fans Rachelle and Nick

It appears Petey took notice too, as he announced this year’s premiere event at Walt Disney World in Florida; Spooky Days in the Park.  The hardcore horror fan put together this event with his wonderful staff which was certainly a one of a kind weekend, and we can only hope that it will be returning next witching season.

The three day event, while small in scale to his twice a year Spooky conventions, still packed a punch.  Beginning Friday vendors opened their tables of the unusual, bizarre, and horror themed items for sale in the convention center held within the Coronado Springs resort.  Nearly thirty vendors attended, and many of them tweaked their original horror designs to pay homage and tribute to the special weekend hosted at the home of Cinderella’s Castle.

Mickey Mouse/Jason Voorhees mask by 13X Studios

Other vendors saw this as a prime opportunity to showcase their artwork which already merged Disney and the darkness that lays outside the park gates.  Disney has always had a bit of darkness; I mean come on, have you ever been on It’s a Small World?  It’s terrifying!

‘Contemporary Art- by Tom Ryan’

In all seriousness, attractions like the Haunted Mansion and Twilight Zone’s Tower of Terror definitely depart from the happy-go-lucky characters frolicking throughout the Magic Kingdom, as well as the beautiful yet tamer attractions that appeal to younger audiences.

This brings us to Friday night’s event; The Gala.  Being the first Spooky Days in the Park we only had what the website’s description of this event to prepare us for the evening; open bar, villain themed desserts, private and unlimited access to the Tower of Terror, Disney Villain character photo ops, and a live DJ.  Not too shabby, even though the price of admission was a bit steep… and no, I don’t mean your soul.

Having reserved the courtyard right outside of the Tower of Terror event coordinators transformed the area into a spooktacular sight with their lighting choices, fog machines, and eerie music.  It was definitely a darker side of Disney World, one that I have never seen before which includes my experience at Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party.  With a strongly suggested dress code and the balance of elegance and spooky, it was certainly a feast for the eyes!

While this event wasn’t targeted to every Spooky Empire fan who may have attended Petey’s past conventions, it was a worthwhile investment for those who seek out the darker characters in the Magic Kingdom.  It is very rare to get face time with any of the villains who attended the Gala, and with only a crowd of about 60 people you certainly had time for more than your average snap a pic and go.

The characters who were kind enough to grace us with their evil presence included; Maleficent, the Evil Queen, Queen of Hearts, and an extremely rare appearance by Mr. Oogie Boogie himself!  Suffice it to say, I had my own little geek out moment when each character stepped out, and the patrons in line with me all shared the same excitement.

If you chose not to participate in the Gala there were other panels you had access to with the general admission entry fee which which included the vendor’s room.  While there were not celebrity horror guests, panels more in tune with the theme of Spooky Days in the Park filled the schedule; the most notable being the screening of Foolish Mortals: A Haunted Mansion Documentary.

from foolishmortalsdoc.com

This documentary directed by James H. Carter II and executive producer Ryan Grulich had its Orlando premiere at Spooky Days in the Park on Friday night and replayed again Saturday afternoon.  The piece showcases the creation of the Haunted Mansion attraction as well as the fan culture surrounding the ride.  It was touching to see how much this ride means to some people, whether it gave them a second chance to experience a childhood they missed out on, influenced their art career, or just gave them a new passion to be excited about.

Other events throughout the weekend included; a Disney Bounding fashion show, the “Grim Twist” on the Disney Princesses (which is not for the faint of heart,) and a live podcast talking about the creepier side of Disney.

Spooky Days in the Park was an awesome event for the child in all of us who somehow ended up on the darker path of what interests us, which includes Disney villains.  While the low attendance rate, especially in comparison to Spooky Empire’s past conventions, might hinder its return next year we will always have the memories from this year’s event.

Spooky Empire staff with Oogey Boogey

 

Be sure to check out the line up for Spooky Empire’s October Convention this October 27-29 in Orland, Florida by clicking here!

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‘The Strangers’ Invaded Coachella in Instagramable PR Stunt

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Renny Harlin’s reboot of The Strangers isn’t coming out until May 17, but those murderous home invaders are making a pit stop at Coachella first.

In the latest Instagramable PR stunt, the studio behind the film decided to have the trio of masked intruders crash Coachella, a music festival that takes place for two weekends in Southern California.

The Strangers

This type of publicity began when Paramount did the same thing with their horror movie Smile in 2022. Their version had seemingly ordinary people in populated places look directly into a camera with an evil grin.

The Strangers

Harlin’s reboot is actually a trilogy with a more expansive world than that of the original.

“When setting out to remake The Strangers, we felt there was a bigger story to be told, which could be as powerful, chilling, and terrifying as the original and could really expand that world,” said producer Courtney Solomon. “Shooting this story as a trilogy allows us to create a hyperreal and terrifying character study. We’re fortunate to be joining forces with Madelaine Petsch, an amazing talent whose character is the driving force of this story.”

The Strangers

The movie follows a young couple (Madelaine Petsch and Froy Gutierrez) who “after their car breaks down in an eerie small town, are forced to spend the night in a remote cabin. Panic ensues as they are terrorized by three masked strangers who strike with no mercy and seemingly no motive in The Strangers: Chapter 1 the chilling first entry of this upcoming horror feature film series.”

The Strangers

The Strangers: Chapter 1 opens in theaters on May 17.

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‘Alien’ Returning to Theaters For a Limited Time

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It’s been 45 years since Ridley Scott’s Alien hit theaters and in celebration of that milestone, it is headed back to the big screen for a limited time. And what better day to do that than Alien Day on April 26?

It also works as a primer for the upcoming Fede Alvarez sequel Alien: Romulus opening on August 16. A special feature in which both Alvarez and Scott discuss the original sci-fi classic will be shown as a part of your theater admission. Take a look at the preview of that conversation below.

Fede Alvarez and Ridley Scott

Back in 1979, the original trailer for Alien was kind of terrifying. Imagine sitting in front of a CRT TV (Cathode Ray Tube) at night and suddenly Jerry Goldsmith’s haunting score begins to play as a giant chicken egg starts to crack with beams of light bursting through the shell and the word “Alien” slowly forms in slanted all caps across the screen. To a twelve-year-old, it was a scary pre-bedtime experience, especially Goldsmith’s screaming electronic musical flourishes playing over scenes of the actual movie. Let the “Is it horror or sci-fi?” debate begin.

Alien became a pop culture phenomenon, complete with kid’s toys, a graphic novel, and an Academy Award for Best Visual Effects. It also inspired dioramas in wax museums and even a frightening setpiece at Walt Disney World in the now-defunct Great Movie Ride attraction.

Great Movie Ride

The film stars Sigourney Weaver, Tom Skerritt, and John Hurt. It tells the tale of a futuristic crew of blue-collar workers suddenly awakened out of stasis to investigate an undecipherable distress signal coming from a nearby moon. They investigate the source of the signal and discover it’s a warning and not a cry for help. Unbeknownst to the crew, they have brought a giant space creature back on board which they find out in one of the most iconic scenes in cinema history.

It is said that Alvarez’s sequel will pay homage to the original film’s storytelling and set design.

Alien Romulus
Alien (1979)

The Alien theatrical re-release will take place on April 26. Pre-order your tickets and find out where Alien will screen at a theater near you.

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Home Depot’s 12-Foot Skeleton Returns with a New Friend, Plus New Life-Size Prop from Spirit Halloween

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Halloween is the greatest holiday of them all. However, every great holiday needs amazing props to go with it. Luckily for you, there are two new amazing props that have been released, which are sure to impress your neighbors and frighten any neighborhood children who are unfortunate enough to wander past your yard.

The first entry is the return of the Home Depot 12-foot skeleton prop. Home Depot has outdone themselves in the past. But this year the company is bringing bigger and better things to their Halloween prop lineup.

Home Depot Skeleton Prop

This year, the company unveiled its new and improved Skelly. But what is a giant skeleton without a loyal friend? Home Depot has also announced that they will release a five-foot tall skeleton dog prop to eternally keep Skelly company as he haunts your yard this spooky season.

This bony pooch will be five feet tall and seven feet long. The prop will also feature a posable mouth and LCD eyes with eight variable settings. Lance Allen, Home Depot’s merchant of decorative Holliday gear, had the following to say about this year’s lineup.

“This year we increased our realism within the animatronics category, created some impressive, licensed characters and even brought back some fan favorites. Overall, we are most proud of the quality and value we are able to bring to our customers with these pieces so they can continue to grow their collections.”

Home Depot Prop

But what if giant skeletons just aren’t your thing? Well, Spirit Halloween has you covered with their giant life size Terror Dog replica. This massive prop has been ripped out of your nightmares to appear frighteningly on your lawn.

This prop weighs in at almost fifty pounds and features glowing red eyes that are sure to keep your yard safe from any toilet paper throwing hooligans. This iconic Ghostbusters nightmare is a must have for any fan of 80s horror. Or, anyone who loves all things spooky.

Terror Dog Prop
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