ATLRetro

Days of the Dead returns to Sheraton Hotel Atlanta, Friday-Sunday Jan 25-27! Here are our Retro Reasons to catch this year’s chills indoors!

1) SUCH CENOBITES TO SHOW YOU! It’s been way too long since Clive Barker has been at an Atlanta con, and he’s never appeared here alongside Doug Bradley, Barbie Wilde, Nicholas Vince, and Simon Banford, who played cenobites and denizens of Midian in horror cinematic classics HELLRAISER (1987) and NIGHTBREED (1990).  And if that’s not enough Hell, HELLRAISER human cast members Ashley Lawrence and Andrew Robinson will also be there! The sinister Cenobites may be masters and mistresses of inflicting a puzzling kind of pain, but we’ve met Clive and actors who play them and can attest they are nastily nice. See the entire eerie ensemble together on one stage for the Cenobites Panel at 7 p.m. Friday, and signing and doing photo ops all weekend.

2) THE CANDYMAN CAN! Just when you thought that’s a helluva lot of Clive Barker, Tony Todd is in the hellhouse, too. Hear him tell talk about his own dip into the dark dreams of one’s of horror’s greatest authors Friday at 9 p.m.

3) SPIN ANOTHER ROUND OF FREEBIRD!  Not only are Sid Haig and Bill Moseley back, but they’re offering a dual in-costume photo-op in their iconic roles of Otis and Captain Spaulding (Rob Zombie’s HOUSE OF 1,000 CORPSES (2003) and THE DEVIL’S REJECTS (2005)! We can’t put into words how much we love these guys. Sid is one of those rare B-movie icons and character actors whose career spans the decades back to Jack Hill’s blaxploitation films of the 1970s. Quite frankly you scared the sh-t out of us and since we’re not easily scared, for that we salute you both! Experience Sid Haig’s High on the Hog Panel Sunday at noon and Bill’s panel Sunday at 2 p.m.

4) TRICK OR TREAT! John Carpenter’s original HALLOWEEN (1978) is the cult classic that really kickstarted the slasher oeuvre! Two Michael Myers, Jim Winburn and Tony Moran, will be stalking Days of the Dead this year, along with doomed victims Sandy Johnson, Nancy Loomis, and PJ Soles, whom we can’t love enough because she’s also Riff Randell, the punk rebel who put the rock into ROCK N ROLL HIGH SCHOOL (1979). The HALLOWEEN Panel is Saturday at Noon.

5) BREAK OUT THE SOUR BALLS! NIGHT OF THE DEMONS (1988) stars Amelia Kinkade and Linnea Quigley know more than a little about throwing a graveyard party! See them on stage at 8 p.m. Friday night!

6) KAIJU KRAZINESS!!! The Japanese created monsters and superheroes like no others, and we are ready to bow in gratitude when we meet two of the men inside these wacky wonderful costumes, Tsutomo Kitagawa (MILLENNIUM GODZILLA [2000]) and Bin Furuya (ULTRAMAN TV series [1966])! Catch them on the very first panel of the weekend at 6 p.m. Friday.

7) SO MANY RETRO CULT HORROR PEOPLE! If the line-up we listed already wasn’t enough to inspire you to get off your couch and get downtown, see double with two Jasons ATLRetro pal Kane Hodder (FRIDAY THE 13TH VII-X) and C.J. Graham (VI) Sunday at 1 pm, Edward Furlong rides in to talk about TERMINATOR 2: JUDGEMENT DAY (1991) Saturday at 2 pm, pose with Alex Vincent (CHILD’s PLAY [1988]) and the CULT OF CHUCKY (2018) puppet in the funnest photo op of the weekend, test your vocal capacity with SCREAM (1996) stars Skeet Ulrich and Roger Jackson (voice of Ghostface) (SCREAM panel SAT 1 pm), Plus Christine Romero (CREEPSHOW [1982]), John Amplas (George Romero’s MARTIN [1978]), Larry Zerner (FRIDAY THE 13TH PART III), guitar legend Vinnie Vincent (KISS), Kathy Najimy (Peg, KING OF THE HILL & HOCUS POCUS [1993]) and more!

8) BLACK AND BLUE GORE-IFIC PANELS! Look for celebrities on the Black Track. But bruises can also be Blue, so be sure to check the Blue Track for plenty more tricks or treats for the diehard horror fan, including a who’s who of Atlanta’s local horror talent. One highlight is the Women of Indie Horror panel Saturday at Noon, moderated by Lynne Hansen  and featuring Kool Kat Vanessa Wright, Brooklyn Ewing, Melissa Kunnar, Tiffany Warren and Viva T!

9) FRIGHTENING FILMS! The Independent Horror Film Fest features new indie horror you won’t see in theaters plus resurrects Retro cult classics. We always look forward to the Etheria Film Festival, spotlighting works by emerging women directors

10) SPOOKTACULAR SHOPPING. Horror cons are the perfect place to stock up on both macabre movie memorabilia, cult classics on DVD and creepy clothing, costumes and accessories!

11) MACABRE MAKE-UP, CREEPY COSTUMES AND PHANTAMAGORIC PARTIES!! Check the schedule for make-up demonstrations and competitions, , tattoo contest and more!  Friday Night Frights include Scareoke at 11 pm! On Saturday, scare up your best costume and make-up and win prizes in the Chaostume Costume Contest (3 p.m.), followed by That Damn Tattoo Contest (4:30 p.m.), FX Makeup Showdown (6 p.m.), VIP party (9 pm; open to VIP ticketed attendees only), and a horrorific late night party (10 pm) with Kool Kats The Casket Creatures and ELZIG!

Days of the Dead main con hours are Fri. Jan. 25 from 5 to 11 p.m.; Sat. Jan. 26 from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.; and Sun. Jan. 27 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., with parties going late into the night on Friday and Saturday. VIP badges get daily early access (4:30 pm & 10:30 pm) and preferred seating. For more info, visit https://www.daysofthedead.net/atlanta/