Horror movie buffs, heavy metal lovers, and fantasy fans, there’s a special treat being served up on July 15, when the first-ever Catastrophicon Rock `n’ Roll Horror Convention transforms Reid Castle in Purchase into the stuff of nightmares. Hard rock and horror may not be everybody’s cup of java—critics have been savaging both genres for decades—but those of us who love a good blast of refreshing, transgressive catharsis could care less. Lighthearted contemplation of the world’s darker side is a healing balm all its own; so too is a flawless sequence of power chords. There’s a reason why the Rocky Horror Picture Show is the longest-running theatrical release in film history.
Organizer David Hoffman says fans have been signing up from as far away as Nashville to mingle with creatives from iconic franchises like The Texas Chain Saw Massacre, Nightmare on Elm Street, The Warriors, Stripes, The Thing, Friday the 13th, Home Alone, and more, lots more. “It’s like Disney World for horror fans—a way to step through the screen and get immersed in these movies,” says Hoffman, “to talk to the people who’re involved in making them.”
If everything on that list doesn’t sound like straight-up horror to you, that’s because there’s a good bit of cultural cross-pollination in play. “The common thread, and what makes this different from a standard ComicCon, is the rebel edge,” says Hoffman. “Horror and rock-n-roll are both full of risk-taking and transgressive humor. Home Alone is a comedy, but the basic plot line could’ve been horror—we’re laughing at a little kid facing down burglars, after all. So we have some franchises that are a little less dire—we have the female co-CEO of Archie Comics, we’ll have Dungeons & Dragons play all day—but there’s a subversive edge to those if you look deep.”
Devin Ratray, who played Kevin’s nasty big brother Buzz in Home Alone, is one of a long and fascinating list of guests from the worlds of film and publishing who’ll be mingling with fans at Catastrophicon. YouTuber Uncle Undead will judge a Cosplay Parade that will include, but by no means be limited to, folks repping Star Wars, Dream Killer, and the Amazing Spiderlings.
The evening’s concert will feature Americana from Thomas G. Waites (The Warriors, The Thing) and heavy metal from First Jason, the heavy metal project of Ari Lehman, who played Jason Voorhees in the original Friday the 13th. “The concert will be in the chapel, which adds a tasty layer of irony,” says Hoffman. “Reid Castle is a dream venue for the whole event. It’s very gothic and genuinely historic, and it has a haunted reputation. We’ll have a couple of talented mediums attending, so who knows? Maybe we can talk to the ghosts.”
Besides the table games, vendors, cosplay fun, and general mingling, attendees can enjoy panel discussions on nuts-and-bolts creative guidance: Rock and Roll Photography, Launch Entrepreneurship for Pop-Culture Businesses, and Crowdfunding for Creative Projects. “I want people to be able to come out of here inspired, with new tools to create for themselves,” says Hoffman. “I want someone to come here as a fan and five years later have a table of their own. I want people to meet in a panel discussion, and then five years from now I hear that one of them scored the other’s movie. I really feel like this is a warm and welcoming genre full of amazing people—even though the content may push edges, these are people with artists’ hearts.”
The convention will take place at Reid Castle in Purchase on Saturday, July 15 beginning at 9am; the evening concert will begin at 5:30pm. Skip the line and get your tickets now at Catastrophicon.com. Tickets are $30 in advance and $35 day of at the door.
