Monthly Update:
My small and much needed little vacation away from organizing the next CW Show is now over, so it’s been a flurry of activity around here the past couple of weeks. I’ve started to go through movie submissions, we’ve contacted the guests about booking their flights, and events are no longer just a few scribbled lines of notes and are starting to actually take shape.
As far as any guest news goes, we got word not 24 hours before this update went out that Jack Givens, one of the “ghouls” for our Tales of the Original Walking Dead reunion isn’t going to make the show due to family problems. Fortunately, when it comes to the walking dead, there’s always another zombie hiding in the shadows and featured ghoul, William Mogush, will be taking Jack’s place at the show. Bill was working as an art director at the company that did the main titles and end credits for Night of the Living Dead when he decided to invest in George Romero’s little “monster movie.” He was soon recruited as a ghoul, and you’ll find Bill Mogush relentlessly attacking Keith Wayne and Judy Ridley during the truck escape scenes.
As usual, we’ll have the complete Weekend Schedule of Films and Events posted on the site by the first week of March so everyone can plot out there weekend nice and early, but here are a few Events we already have ready to go for this Spring’s Show:
The Night of the Living Dead “Ghouls” are getting quite a nice reaction from attending fans. And since they offer a new perspective on an iconic horror film, we’ve decided to gather them up for a panel on Friday night and let them tell their own unique behind-the-scenes stories. We’ve also tracked down a nice print of the film to screen, so that will follow the panel later Friday night as part of our usual 16mm film screenings.
On Saturday afternoon, 42nd Street Pete will be hosting an auction to help restore the chapel at the Evans City cemetery where the opening scenes of Night of the Living Dead were filmed. By what I’m told, the “ghouls” on hand are willing to sign anything Night related that you buy in the auction as a nice bonus to helping out the cause.
Speaking of 42nd Street Pete, he will be presenting another one of his Tales From Times Square panels on Saturday afternoon and this time around I will be joining him for a panel on the Golden Age of Video since we both worked and started businesses during the VHS glory days. Pete has talked about the Times Square scene, hosted plenty of guest related talks, and told enough hooker stories to fill a novel over the years, so he’s moving on to the early years of the video boom this time around.
Akron and Cleveland area horror host, Son of Ghoul, will be spooling up another 60 minute collection of Saturday morning cartoons for fans again this show, and his classic Three Stooges shorts have been a part of CW for so long now, I fear a riot if they didn’t screen in their usual spot at Noon on Saturday.
A. Ghastlee Ghoul and the usual gang of misfits are ready to unleash another Ghastlee Nite at the Movies “Live Show” at 8:00pm on Saturday night. It’s another night of Games, Prizes, Skits, Music, Comedy, and Mindless Fun for all attending so don’t miss out.
You can also look forward to another round of Saturday Morning Hardcore Wrestling, our usual late night Drive-In Movie double features on real 16mm film, the Friday Night Short Film Block, and enough 24-7 parties to seriously bruise your liver. And we’ve got so many great first time guests that I’m having a hard time deciding what to present to attending fans or how I’m going to jam it into a weekend schedule that’s filling up fast.
It’s going to be quite the challenge to see exactly what I can cram into the Weekend Schedule for the next show, so why not wait until next month so you can all be every bit as surprised as I am to see how it all fits into a measly 60 hours or so.
We mailed out just over 5,000 fliers and postcards last month, so a big Thank You goes out to everyone who ask for and passed out fliers and postcards for the next show. We wouldn’t exist if it weren’t for fan support, so helping to spread the word means a lot to us. Postcards are quickly running out but fliers are always available. If you live within a couple of hours of the convention hotel, this month is still a great time to advertise the April show. Say the word and we’ll be more than happy to send you a stack of fliers or postcards for the April Show to pass out. Bars, specialty shops, video stores, tattoo shops, college campuses, mail order businesses, music stores... All good places for Wasteland attendees to hang out. If you frequent any place that you think may be a good place to put a stack of cards or run a mail order business and want to toss one in with orders, then by all means, get in touch and we’ll be more than happy to send you off a stack.
It was also nice to see so many people taking advantage of the early bird 3-day pass price since we try so hard to offer all we do cheaper than other cons that offer their attending fans next to nothing as far as movies and events go. You’ve still got another month to grab up a 3-Day Pass for only $40, which not only gets you into the show half an hour early on Friday at no additional charge, but allows you access to every movie screening and event we offer as long as you can find yourself a seat.
OK, let’s end this month’s update with the usual batch of CW Show reminders and call it a day:
TICKETS: For everything we offer our attending fans, there is no better bargain out there than an advance ticket to a Cinema Wasteland Show we can find; and no better time to plan to be with us for our next show than right now. No “hidden fees” at a Wasteland show guarantees every fan through the door is treated just like the person standing next to you in line; and your ticket in gets you everything we have to offer except for an autograph from our guests.
Order by 3/9/12 and you can get an advance 3-Day Pass for only $40.00 and save over at-the-door prices on Friday March 30th. And don’t forget that a 3-Day Pass always gets you into the Dealer and Guest Room half an hour before single day pass holders without paying “early admission fees” other conventions charge fans. Single day passes are now only $20 per day in advance or at the door on Friday and Saturday of the show, while a Sunday pass is still only $15 since we only schedule movies on the last day of the show.
NO RECEIPTS WILL BE MAILED: Beginning with the October 2011 Show, we quit mailing out receipts for passes unless you order them by mail and don’t have a computer. From here on out, you will be emailed a receipt, and you will need to print out the receipt and bring it with you, or simply have an ID handy in order to pick up your passes at registration.
HOTEL: One thing you can always count on is that the hotel will be sold out by show time. We take over the entire hotel, so things fill up nice and steady until there’s no rooms left by the show’s weekend start time. Help support the show and avoid the headache of having to stay down the road by making your room reservations today. Reserve your room through our web site, or by calling The Holiday Inn direct at (440) 238-8800. Remember you MUST ask for “The Cinema Wasteland Room $99 Rate”, or they will tell you that they are ”sold out” and have no rooms. And PLEASE only reserve as many rooms as you plan on using. If you need to book more than one room, please call Lynn directly at 1-440-783-3006 and she will take care of your multiple room reservations.
OK, that’s it for me this time around. We’re now eight weeks away from Cinema Wasteland Movie and Memorabilia Expo #21, and I’m looking forward to presenting another weekend show that’s on par with the previous twenty shows I’ve run!
I was just looking at my notes the other day and see that I’ve got yet another batch of first time Guests lined up for the October 5-7, 2012 Fall Show that I need to contact in the next month or so. Anyone who pays attention will easily see that I’m not into dragging back the same guests show after show and year after year, so be sure to pick up an advance flier when you arrive this Spring to see just who we’ve got lined up for October’s Show. Chances are good that you’ll be every bit as excited as I am with who we’ve hopefully got lined up for you next time around.
Cheers,
Ken