Going Places with Dina Guzzardo
Horror film fanatics get ready this September 3rd-5th for the New Jersey Horror Con and Film Festival, hosted at the Showboat (801 Boardwalk, Atlantic City, 08401). The three-day event will have a wide range of films, vendors, and special celebrity guests from the horror world.
The celebrity guests include an exciting reunion with cast members from the beloved 1985 cult classic, The Goonies, with Kerri Green (Andy) and Ke Huy Quan (Data) who you may also recognize as Indiana Jones’ loyal sidekick, Short Round, in Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom. There will also be appearances from Tom Arnold (Freddy’s Dead, The Final Nightmare; True Lies) and David Howard Thornton (Terrifier; Terrifier 2), among several others. Several of the celebrities will also be in full costume for authentic photo opportunities. To stay up to date with the latest information, including the price list, go to www.newjerseyhorrorcon.com.
The film festival line-up is jam-packed, with more than 100 different films featured. Showings kick off on Friday at 5:30 pm and begin at 10:30 am on Saturday and Sunday, with a range of short and feature-length films. There will be awards for the best films, so be sure to check them out! The filmmakers spend considerable amounts of time creating these movies to provide you with a great scare, so you’ll be in for a treat.
Vendors will be selling a wide range of specialized merchandise at the event. For those of you who can’t wait, you can buy your NJ Horror Con merch online before the event at this website: www.njhorrorcon.bigcartel.com
Consider yourself the best cosplayer in the area? Well, now is your chance to prove it by entering the cosplay contest taking place on Saturday the 4th from 6 pm – 7 pm. There will be awards for the Best in Show ($100), most creative ($50), best construction ($50), best entertainer/persona ($50), three honorary mentions ($25.00), and best kid (15 years and under). You can register for the cosplay competition at this website: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/cosplay-contest-sign-up-nj-horror-con-september-2021-tickets
The organizers have also been hard at work creating photo opportunities that emulate some of the most famous scenes from your favorite horror films. The Texas Chainsaw Massacre meat hook set will allow you to realistically reenact that gory scene – fake blood not provided, so bring your own! Other great set recreations will be the Halloween-inspired giant pumpkin set and The Goonies-inspired One-Eyed Willy set. These photos will only cost $5. Feel free to get as creative as you want by bringing your own props and costumes!
Neil S. from Williamstown is a regular attendee of horror conventions, and says that the New Jersey Horror Con and Film Festival has always been one of his favorites: “What I love about the New Jersey Horror Con is that it is targeted towards true fans of horror films. They always manage to select great celebrity guests who are super nice and always have time for their fans. There are no big ego celebrities to draw attention away from the event, and everyone is just in good spirits the whole weekend. I am so glad it is back, and I cannot wait to go this year!”
The Showboat is ready to welcome you by offering special rates for guests who wish to stay the night. To find out more on how to book, go to http://www.newjerseyhorrorcon.com/hotel/. If you are interested in becoming a sponsor or a vendor, you can also find more information on their website. There is even a podcast hosted by Ryan Scott Weber and Kristen Accardi where they talk about all things Horror and Pop Culture, including the New Jersey Horror Con and updates regarding the event. To listen to the podcast, head over to Spotify and search for “Evildoers Beware,” or check out the link on their website.
The event was canceled last year. Therefore, all tickets purchased last year will be honored for this year’s event. Tickets start at $30 for a one-day pass and $75 for a three-day pass when you buy online. Children aged 10 and under are free with a paying adult, so if you have a mini horror fan in your household, this is a great chance to take them along and meet some of the stars of classic horror films. There are thousands of parking spots available at the Showboat, and parking will be half-price ($8) for the event.
Dina Guzzardo is the President and Executive Promoter of Dina Media Group LLC. Dina Media Group is an innovative cutting edge event production and marketing company that produces and promotes large events as well as a talent agency that manages some incredible talent.www.dinamediagroup.com
