Review: Walker Stalker Con 2014

The Chicago Walker Stalker Con I attended was in March of 2014 at the Donald J. Stephens Convention Center in Rosemont. I attended with zero expectations because I had, quite literally, only found out about it that week. I saw the guest list (about 50% of the primary cast of The Walking Dead as well as Bub from Day of the Dead) and that was the only advertisement I needed. I showed up bright-eyed and bushy-tailed, and I was not disappointed.

I've attended a fair number of conventions in the Chicagoland area, including C2E2, Wizard World, Flashback Weekend, and Cyphan (RIP). While I don't want to knock any of those conventions (except perhaps Wizard World), this was BY FAR the best convention I've ever attended. It was well organized and low-key, while still providing a high-quality, professional convention experience. The attendance was reasonable: busy enough to feel like a legit convention experience without being so overwhelming that I felt like a small face in a zombie hoard.

The guest list was phenomenal. It was one of those conventions that you went to with a budget for autographs and then tossed that budget to the curb so damned quickly because how could you resist getting autographs from these excellent guests? To name a few, Walker Stalker Con Chicago 2014 featured Greg Nicotero (Walking Dead make-up effects guru), Steven Yeun (Glenn from The Walking Dead), Lauren Cohan (Maggie from The Walking Dead), Chad Coleman (Tyrese from TWD), Soniqua Martin-Green (Sasha from TWD), Michael Cudlitz (Abraham from TWD), IronE Singleton (T-Dog from TWD), Melissa Hutchinson (Clementine from Telltale's The Walking Dead video game), Jay Bonansinga (Author of Rise of the Governor and other TWD novels) and Sherman Howard (Bub from Day of the Dead). That's a guest list worth paying the VIP ticket price for.

In addition to the sheer volume of actors and other zombie players at the con, the panels were excellent as well. With a pretty reasonably priced VIP pass, I was able to get very close for all the panels. Even those with general admission were often invited to move forward. That's a positive vibe that you just don't get at other conventions. The actors were very candid in panels as well, and since there were so many different actors from The Walking Dead, you didn't have a one-size-fits-all TWD panel. Instead, you got to see Michael Cudlitz speak on Abraham for an hour. IronE Singleton got a full hour to be the wonderful and unique individual that he is. And, in addition to the actors, behind the scenes players like Greg Nicotero, Jay Bonansinga, and Melissa Hutchinson each got full hours in the spotlight which they probably wouldn't get at other conventions. All the panels were engaging and seemed very intimate.

And if you didn't feel you got your questions answered in panel, the greatest thing about Walker Stalker Con was that the guests were completely accessible to the fans. For some of my favorite side characters (Alanna Masterson and Lawerence Gilliard Jr just to name a few) there was virtually no line. You could just walk right up and not only get your autograph in an expeditious manner, but you could also chat with the actors and tell them how much they mean to you. You didn't feel like you were holding up a line or wasting their time. I've rarely felt that vibe at other conventions. But it wasn't just because the convention wasn't busy; it was also because the guests seemed genuinely happy to be there. They didn't seem uncomfortable talking to the attendees. I genuinely felt, and I don't even think this is naivete, that they wanted to talk to their fans. Greg Nicotero sat in the audience for many of the panels and even celebrated his birthday with the guests, birthday cake and all. You didn't feel a line between guests and attendees--we were all just zombie-lovers spending a weekend together.

For many of the guests, you could also get pictures at the table for an additional fee rather than having to go through the secondary line at the photo op booth. And these weren't just your standard "stand side by side and smile awkwardly" pictures. Brighton Sharbino (Lizzie from TWD) was doing pictures where she pretended to suffocate you just like she did to Judith. Chad Coleman had his signature hammer on the table for pictures, and IronE Singleton was hugging every attendee with a  kindness you don't find many places. It certainly caused me to shell out a few extra bucks because you just don't get experiences like that every day.

Overall, I had an absolutely wonderful time, and I can't wait for them to return in 2015. Even though the current guest list includes many of the people I've already met, it's still worth it to me to have that communal experience of basking in the glow of all things zombie. Walker Stalker Conventons began in Atlanta and extended to Chicago as their first new city in 2014. Obviously, it was a success, as they're now in seven different cities for the 2014-2015 convention season. They'll be back in Chicago on February 21st and 22nd, 2015 at Navy Pier.

Walker Stalker Con is a great gift to the zombie-loving community, and I hope others are able to attend their kick ass events. They've extended guest lists to include classic zombie actors from Night of the Living Dead as well this season, so if you love the zombie genre, Walker Stalker Con is an absolute must.

Review & Event: Juan of the Dead at The Wilmette Theater

I know it's been two weeks, but I might as well get around to posting my final two reviews from Chicago Fear Fest. One of the primary reasons that I went to the festival was to see Alejandro Brugues' Juan of the Dead. This independent flick has been devouring awards like outstretched limbs at recent festivals, and I couldn't wait to see what all the hub bub was about.

The film centers around the plight of Juan (Alexis Diaz de Villegas) and his portly, degenerate friend, Lazaro (Jorge Molina). Usually heroes are likeable, white toothed super men. They get all the woman and are the envy of all the men...but not Juan and Lazaro. Their bumbling idiocy, their blatant selfishness, and their inability to employ provident thought to any situation, are all some of the main reasons that this film is both unique and enduring. These aren't unrealistic super people surviving the zombie apocalypse; these are kind of scummy, realistic people surviving the zombie apocalypse.

Juan and Lazaro are certainly the central figures of the flick, and their crude banter is one of the main reasons to watch, but the supporting cast is loveable, dynamic, and brings a lot to the table--both in terms of zombie killing and comedy. Juan's daughter, Camila (Andrea Duro), is realistic and pretty. She brings a little drama and heart to a film that is otherwise pretty saturated with dick jokes and crime. Lazaro's son, Vladi (Andros Perugorria), is the eye candy you're missing in Juan and Lazaro. Some of my favorite characters in the film, however, were La China (Jazz Villa) and El Primo (Eliecer Ramirez). This couple consists of a particularly sassy drag queen/car radio thief and her enormous blood-shy boyfriend. La China's banter with Juan and Lazaro definitely adds to the comedy here, as does El Primo's tendency to faint every time he sees blood--not a great deficiency to have during the zombie apocalypse.

My only complaint about the film at all would be that the translation seems a little off. At times it is clear that a native Spanish speaker with a better understanding of Cuban history than I possess (Merci for that, three years of high school French) would find some of the jokes funnier and clearer. Because we're not watching a story about Cuban upper crust citizens here, the jokes are very colloquial and clearly contain many idioms. Unfortunately, at times these do get, pardon the cliche, lost in translation. Other than that, I have no complaints, but the movie is quite vulgar, especially sexually, so those with a reduced tolerance for the dirty joke might want to stay away.

Overall, the film will have you laughing and it may even tug at the heartstrings for a moment or two. There are absolutely some strong zombie effects here, and the story moves at an engaging pace. In other words, there isn't a "good time" to go grab some more popcorn from the concession stand.

Wondering when you'll be able to catch this gem on the big screen again? How about NOW!? The good folks over at The Wilmette Theater, one of my past employment stomping grounds, will be showing Juan of the Dead in a one week run between April 27th and May 3rd. The theater manager is a huge horror geek, and he is really excited to be premiering the film in its first American theatrical release. For tickets, check out the website. Showtimes are listed on the left. And don't procrastinate! The film won't be there next weekend!

News: Steven Yeun & Lauren Cohan Rock C2E2

Steven Yeun takes a picture of us as we all do the opposite.

Because I don't wake up at 4am on Saturday mornings, I was unable to get autograph tickets for Steven Yeun (Glenn) and Lauren Cohan (Maggie). Still, once I'd passed that little snag, I had a great time at C2E2. I sat through some great panels, got a signed copy of The Walking Dead: Covers from Tony Moore's table, and bought some nerdalicious swag.

My day was capped off with the Walking Dead panel. Steven Yeun and Lauren Cohan hit the stage in the IGN Theater to talk about the show and the romantic relationship of "Glaggie". Overall, the two were both absolutely adorable and very articulate. Cohan talked about killing Shane as something that "had to happen" and condoned Rick's decision. She also addressed a question about why Tyrese, Rick's BFF in the comics, hasn't arrived yet. She explained that keeping Shane alive for season two kind of fulfilled Tyrese's role for a while, and that she hasn't heard anything about casting him or having his character appear in the show. I know. Sad face.

Steven Yeun was a laugh a minute during the panel. He talked about his script-reading habits (ie: on the toilet), and discussed how that made encountering Dale's death for the first time a little awkward. When asked about Glenn's relationship with Maggie, he jokingly referred to their relationship as "two people who love each other doing cool sh*t". He also referenced that before there would be any sex scenes, he'd have to get to the gym, but he was reassured when Cohan revealed that he was absolutely a better kisser than her Supernatural co-star. Yeun was quite the jokester, even threatening to take season three back to the farm (to which the packed theater booed and jeered), but he did reference the gloomy nature of the show by saying "any of us can go".

I guess we'll have to wait and see if that is, in fact, true when season three of The Walking Dead hits television screens in October. The cast returns to shooting in three weeks, and hopefully we'll be getting a couple of spoilers soon. Until then, I'll leave you with this highpoint of the panel. Imagine Lauren Cohan and Steven Yeun doing their best "zombie walks" across the stage. Who do you think did the best job? The answer: Lauren. Steven admitted that his just really looked like him "on a sad day".

Events: C2E2 at McCormick Place

Okay...so after much stress and after a few new guest announcements...I guess I'm going to C2E2 as well this weekend. C2E2, the Chicago Comic & Entertainment Expo, will be at McCormick place on Friday, Saturday and Sunday this coming weekend. It will feature zombie-rific guests such as Steven Yeun and Lauren Cohan (The Walking Dead), Chris Hardwick (Talking Dead), and Tony Moore (Walking Dead issues 1-6). Also, for those interested in running around and fighting zombies, Humans vs. Zombies will be hosting events throughout the weekend.

Check out the whole line up here, as there are many non-zombie related guests that will also likely grab your attention. The event is in the North Building at McCormick Place, and free shuttles are available from downtown to the convention center. It doesn't get much more convenient than that.

Event: Chicago Fear Fest LAST CALL

Time is running out to buy your tickets for Chicago's Fear Fest, an awesome horror film festival. I'm about to buy my tickets, and I just spent the last hour watching previews, planning my schedule and getting all around psyched! I'm even skipping C2E2 and Chris Hardwick, the zombie nerdist, to check out the flicks at Fear Fest. You should join me!

Buy your tickets here! Check out my (very overly organized) schedule below, and check out my reviews over the weekend!

News & Events: Chicago's Zombie Prom Announces 2012 Date

UPDATE! THE DATE HAS BEEN CHANGED!

I was wondering when we'd be seeing this event return in 2012, and here it is! Chicago's zombie prom, brought to you be Zombie Army Productions, will be having it's annual undead prom night on Friday, June 29th from 9pm until 4am. I was about to suggest that any party with an end time is not a party I want to attend, but at 28 years old, I'd say that 4am might as well be a question mark for me. lol.

The "prom" is really a dance party in which those zombie fans over the age of 21 dress up in zombie makeup and typical prom night clothing for a night of drinks and shambling/dancing around the dance floor. Bring your ravenous, rotting corpse of a date to Vision Nightclub on the 29th to celebrate your graduation...from the land of the living, but be careful your date doesn't try to take advantage of you afterwards. And by take advantage, I mean eat your brains.

Tickets are $20 in advance and $25 at the door. For more information, visit their facebook page. For some reason, their website wasn't working at the time of this posting.

Wanna check out the fun before you make your purchase? Check out this short video from last year's prom.

Event: Chicago's 5th Annual Zombie March Announced

We all knew it was going to happen, but now Chicago's 2012 zombie march has an official date. Mark your calendars; on June 16th, Chicago zombie fans will take to the streets in full flesh-eating regalia.

If you want to join, the plan is to meet at "The Bean" in Chicago's millennium park at 3pm. From there, the annual zombie march will begin, so come dressed and made up and ready to eat brains! Check out the zombie march Facebook group here or go directly to the event page here, and I will see you on the apocalyptic streets. Now off to think of a good costume idea...

Need inspiration? Not sure what you'd be getting in to? Just want to know why to avoid Grant Park on June 16th? lol. Check out this video of last year's event.

Event: Walking Dead Finale on the Big Screen

If you're over 21 and you live in the Chicagoland area, you may want to head over to the Rosemont Muvico this Sunday night. Why? Because they will be screening the season final of The Walking Dead on the big screen! And it gets better...it's FREE! As in zero dollars and zero cents!

The event is sponsored by Chicago Fear Fest, Flashback Weekend, Zombie Army Productions, Horror Society & Sinister Visions. Look to see plenty of zombie fanatics, zombie makeup, and zombie themed treats, drinks and prizes. It should be a fun and exciting crowd of fans!

The event is first-come, first-serve however, so you'll want to show up as soon as possible. Only 200 seats are available. They will begin distributing wristbands to the first 200 people at 6pm in Bogart's restaurant on the first floor, and prize giveaways and food/drinks will be available between 6pm and 8pm.

Personally, I haven't decided whether I'll be going or not. There's something pretty nice about watching it at home and on DVR. I like the silence of my living room and the ability to pause and rewind, but then again I could always rewatch it later. Seeing it on the big screen with a bunch of fellow fans sounds like an awesome way to spend a Sunday night.

Check out the Facebook invite here.

News: Juan of the Dead hits the Windy City

Chicago's Fear Fest finally has my attention. I'd been flirting with the idea of attending the annual horror film festival in Chicago this year, but now I'll definitely be in attendance. Yesterday the fest announced a very important addition to its lineup...Juan of the Dead. I've been looking forward to this flick for months and months, and it's finally going to be in Chicago! Check out the announcement here.

Chicago's Fear Fest will also be showing a variety of other horror flicks including A Cadaver Christmas which looks like a semi-palatable holiday zomcom. They haven't announced when they'll be screening Juan of the Dead specifically, but the festival runs at Muvico in Rosemont, IL on April 13th and 14th, so it will be one of those nights at least. Check out more information here.

For those who want to see the film in a more chilled out setting, I've just received insider information that Wilmette Theater on the north shore will be taking the lead on the film's Chicago theatrical release. They will be premiering the flick on April 27th, and as a former employee of said establishment, I know that the manager is a huge, geeky horror fan and will certainly dream up something inventive for the premiere. Or at least he will now, since he reads this blog. I'll keep you posted on details.

Don't know about Juan of the Dead? Check out my original post on it here and watch a preview.

News: Guest Announcements for Flashback Weekend

For Chicago horror lovers, Flashback Weekend is often a summer must. This convention has been around for a decade, and it delights in bringing some big names in horror to the Chicagoland area. This year's highlights for zombie lovers will be Ken Foree of George Romero's Dawn of the Dead. He also made a brief appearance in the 2004 version (you can check out my post on that here). I've met Mr. Foree during past conventions and can attest that he's a very chill dude. Additionally, and this is their headliner, the great John Carpenter will be present and signing autographs. If I have to list some of his movies for you, you're likely on the wrong blog, but my personal favorite (and I know it's not his best...but still) is Ghosts of Mars. I guess you could sort of say that's an "infected" movie.

There are plenty of other horror and zombie themed guest making an appearance at Flashback this year, so check out the convention's webpage here. Hopefully I'll see you there this summer! The convention will be held at the Crown Plaza in Rosemont on August 10th-12th. I'll post more information as it comes through.

News: Chicago Zombie Pub Crawl Registration is Now Open!

The Chicago Zombie Pub Crawl hits the streets of the windy city on April 28th, 2012. This is the fifth anniversary of the annual event, and with the rise in "zombie awareness" recently, it's likely to be even more jam packed than usual. The crawl will be from 2pm-8pm on that Saturday, and the idea is that you come in your finest zombie attire for a few drinks and a few bites. Andersonville is the place, and the poor, unsuspecting lesbians and hipsters will never know what hit them. So bring your ID and a thirst for the blood of the living!

If you register before March 15th, you will get to take advantage of a better price and some better offers. Before the fifteenth, tickets to the crawl are $20 and include a t-shirt, a glass, access to drink specials, and a few extra surprises! This rate will go up to $25 after March 15th, so get on it. Wondering where the money goes? Aside from the obvious operating fees of the event, The Chicago Zombie Pub Crawl is actually a fundraiser for a local theater company, so if you are a fan of eating the flesh of the living and encouraging the enrichment of arts and culture...come on out!

Click here for more information and to register!

Check out this video on last year's event if you're wondering what it's all about!