The first guest speaker went on at around 12:15. The man was Lloyd Kaufman, chief and director of Troma Entertainment. Lloyd was lively and funny, answering many questions from the audience in between showing clips on the projector screen and talking about his career. When Lloyd was done speaking, it was announced he would be giving free autographs at the Troma booth, at which point a line quickly materialized from said booth. The man was indefatigable, speaking with fans and signing autographs from the moment he left the auditorium until late afternoon. I commend him on his great personality and his devotion to fans.
My next visit to the auditorium included a panel of the “Italian masters of horror,” which included Ruggero Deodato(Cannibal Holocaust), Sergio Stivaletti(Wax Mask, Mother of Tears), and Lamberto Bava(Demons). This was a very nice opportunity for those itching to ask a few questions to raise their hands. The three gentlemen spoke of their past work and shared their opinions on the horror genre. Though there was much interesting conversation, the system of having every question and answer translated did make this experience a little laggy, but most of the audience persevered and soaked in the masters' wisdom.
After the Italians had their Q & A, it was announced they would be downstairs for autographs. Up to then, I hadn't realized that there was another level. We made a trip downstairs and discovered a whole new slew of merchandise waiting to tempt our eyes. This mostly consisted of movies and posters, with a scattered array of exceptions like jewelry and action figures. It was here that we met an enthusiastic film vendor who through a casual craft acquired a fair amount of cash from us both. He managed to convince me to buy a DVD entitled Shakma, which is an old German movie about a test baboon who escapes the lab and sheds the blood of his former captors(some of his selling technique: “So the guys are in the building playing cards ya know, hanging out. But they don't know that Shakma's loose!). He also further encouraged my friend to buy a film called Razorback(“come on, a giant monster wild boar killing people – what more do you need!?), and it was duly purchased.
Horrorfest housed many amusements, and is a must go for fans of terrifying entertainment. If you have a more than mild interest in gore, be sure to save up, because there is much eye candy on display.
