On the Halloween weekend of October 29, 2022, it was time for another trip to Chiller Theatre! This was honestly one of the most amazing guest lists they have had in years. In fact, it might rank among their best ever! What was also cool, and, in turn more fun, was it was the biggest group of us at the con in years. As three of my friends, Freddie, Alan, and Nelson (in his awesome version of Jack Skelington look!), joined me for the kick ass good times!
The first person I went up to was the lovely and awesome Heather Matarazzo. I was really excited to meet her. I consider her Elizabeth Bathory inspired death scene in Eli Roth's Hostel II to be one of the coolest gore scenes of the 2000s. I mentioned to her how much I loved the Shudder documentary mini-series, Queer for Fear, of which she was one of the celebs that were interviewed on it. She was very sweet and all smiles throughout.
The gorgeous Judie Aronson, of Friday the 13th: The Final Chapter, American Ninja, Weird Science, and more was up next for me. She's still absolutely breathtaking in person! And, not only is she a total stunner but a sweetheart, too. She was very friendly and talkative as she told us about TheSleeping Car, a movie she was in that she would love to get streaming or some kind of release. I mentioned Vinegar Syndrome, as it felt like something that might they like to put out. I was also sure to let her know that she was one of the people I was most looking forward to meeting that weekend, and that I had a huge crush on her as a kid.
After that I went up to the lovely Robin Frates who played Megan Gallagher in the first Puppet Master. She had the best deal at the con, at $30 for a combo (IE pic and autograph) at the show. Not only that but she was very sweet and all smiles, as she did a couple of pics with me. This was cause my phone wouldn't focus, at first. She also really liked the cover to the Blu-ray trilogy set, that I had her sign.
One person, we were all excited to meet was legendary actress and classic beauty Olivia (Romeo and Juliet, Black Christmas) Hussey. Black Christmas is one of my personal favorite movies, one I love more and more with the passing of time. She is so important to the genre, being one of the first final girls of the genre. Yet, she is so humble in person. She also told me that she liked the patches on my jacket, especially Elvira. And, asked me about the skull on it, as she has a shirt of it. But, you see, she didn't know what it was. I told her its the Punisher, to which she replied that it sounded scary. I explained to her, that he was not horror, but that he is instead a Marvel hero/ vigilante.
The last person that I went up to was another of the people that I was most excited to meet, the gorgeous Terry Farrell of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, Hellraiser III: Hell on Earth, and more. She is absolute stunner in person, and so tall, at 6'0"! She was also awesome as fuck, as I told her that she was the person I most looked forward to meeting having loved her in Hellraiser III and Stark Trek: DS9. She was very flattered by my comments and was just a blast to talk. She said that she sent Pinhead to hell and should have come back. To which I wholeheartedly agreed, cause she did and should have! Seriously, she rocks and was a great celeb for to close off the day with.
We didn't stay for the party this time around, but we had an absolute fucking blast. We already can't wait till the next one in April!
Here is what I bought at Chiller:
Since I got Screem (limited edition Count Yorga cover) magazine, I got for free a Blu-ray copy of Battle of the Worlds
And, from Vinegar Syndrome I got: The Werewolf Vs. Vampire Woman (in 4K, a brand new release from them).
I have never seen either movie and really look forward to watching Werewolf, in particular, as I am just getting into Paul Naschy movies (finally!). The only movie I have ever seen from him is The Yeti Vs. the Werewolf, which was fun. Just a week or so ago I ordered and got the first of Scream Factory's The Paul Naschy Collection Blu-ray set. Any fans of his reading this? And, if so, what movies of his do you like/ recommend?
Finally there are the autographs that I got:
Terry Farrell: Hellraiser: The Scarlet Box
Robin Frates: Puppet Master: The Blu-ray Collection
Judie Aronson: Friday the 13th: The Final Chapter
Did any of guys go to Chiller? If so who did you meet? What were the highlights for you? Let me know in the comments section below.
Title: Turkey Shoot Director: Brian Trenchard-Smith Writers: Jon George, Neill D. Hicks Cast: Steve Railsback, Olivia Hussey, Michael Craig, Carmen Duncan, Noel Ferrier, Lynda Stoner Year: 1982 Min: 80
In the near future, three strangers (Steve Railsback, Olivia Hussey, and Lynda Stoner) are taken to a brutal prison run under a totalitarian government. They are deemed to be social deviants and of need of behavior re-modification. The brutal Camp Master Charles Thatcher (Michael Craig) is in charge of the prison. He is helped out by equally cruel and perverse prison guards, including the sadistic chief enforcer Ritter (Roger Ward). Thatcher sets up a Most Dangerous Game style ''turkey shoot'' where Secretary Mallory (Noel Ferrier), and VIPs Jennifer (Carmen Duncan) and Tito (Michael Petrovich) partake in. The trio that we were introduced to earlier in the film, along with two other men, are chosen as the prey. They are set loose, one at a time, as our hunters are then set-off to find and kill them.
Turkey Shoot, also known as Escape 2000 and Blood Camp Thatcher, is a brutal and bloody sci-fi/ action/ horror/ exploitation hybrid from the land down-under. This Ozploitation favorite wasn't much of a hit in its' native Australia or the US (where it was better know as the aforementioned Escape 2000), but it made a shitload of money in the UK. Ultra-violent, nasty, and righteously exploitative this empty headed shocker succeeds in being a sick good time.
The acting ranges from bad to genuinely good. It is honestly quite a site to behold a cast on the level of Railsback and Hussey doing a movie this sleazy. Based on the excellent extra features in the phenomenal Blu-ray from Severin Films, they (although Hussey is missing from the extra features, guessing she doesn't even wanna talk about this one..), along with Stoner don't have much high thoughts of this production. And, while that is understandable, that should not deter you from watching this ass kicker of a movie.
While, they do what they with what they got, it's lead the villains that kind of get to have a field day here. Michael Craig and Roger Ward are particularly enjoyable as the lead baddies. And, how great is it that Craig's character is named Thatcher like then British Prime Minister, Margaret Thatcher? But, my favorite baddie is Jennifer. As played by Carmen Duncan, she is a sadistic and evil lesbian with a thing for shooting people with her crossbow as well as a thing for the beautiful and blonde Rita (Lynda Stoner).
Stoner is an absolute beauty, she along with others in the cast, she shows off some skin. The movie has no problem featuring both male and female full frontal nudity. Olivia (Romeo & Juliet, the original Black Christmas) Hussey's character shows off her boobs. But in reality it is actually a very obvious body double and Hussey. Sorry to disappoint the horndogs reading this review.
Not only does the movie feature lots of skin, but it also has copious amounts of gore. The movie goes for full blown splatter, with FX that range from just OK to really good. Among the acts of bloody mayhem that invade the screen are: blood spattering bullet hits, amputations, impaling, bisection, immolation, cannibalism (committed by a top-hat wearing hairy man-hound mutant), a body getting run over, and most spectacular of all, a killer head and shoulders explosion. Since the movie reportedly lost 15 pages of its script, in order to keep it under budget, director Trenchard-Smith, was smart to know to raise the violence levels of the film.
He also keeps the film moving along at a quick pace. It's fun and fast paced with lots of action, explosions, and fights. It's best enjoyed by shutting-off your brain and just enjoying the mayhem. Also adding to the enjoyment factor is some great, black humor. Admit ably those in the audience of weaker sensibilities won't enjoy this. But, if you are a loyal reader of this site, then that really wouldn't apply to you, now would it?The film is certainly not groundbreaking, in it's plot or ideas. Nor is it smart or deep, but it honestly does not need to be. This fucker truthfully succeeds in everything else it sets out to do.
Turkey Shoot rocks fucking hard. It maybe dumb and not exceptionally original, but it is nasty fun at its best. Ultra-gory and action packed, it's filled with blood, babes, boobs, and booms (as in things going). As such, it wears its exploitation hat proudly. The site of seeing actors like Hussey and Railsback in movie like this along is worth the price and time of viewing it. A great example of Australian sleaze and gore, this genre masher needs to be seen by more!
.webp)
