Charisma Carpenter

June 23: HELL ON EARTH panel at East Coast Fango con

Cast and crew from the New Jersey-lensed indie chiller HELL ON EARTH have joined the lineup of the East Coast edition of FANGORIA’s Weekend of Horrors convention, presented by Anchor Bay Entertainment, to be held September 29-October 1 at the Meadowlands Crowne Plaza Hotel (2 Harmon Plaza, Secaucus, New Jersey). The panel will consist of writer/director Ted (DEADLY SPAWN) Bohus, actress Mary Corinne Miller and actor Peter (CEMETERY GATES) Stickles. Bohus also helmed THE REGENERATED MAN and produced METAMORPHOSIS: THE ALIEN FACTOR, NIGHTBEAST and FIEND. Stickles has a cameo in the new vampire yarn DEAD SERIOUS and a lead role in John Cameron Mitchell’s controversial Cannes stunner SHORT BUS. For more on the demonfest HELL ON EARTH, click here.

Other exciting early guests/programs set for Fango’s New York/New Jersey bonanza, which will run three full days, include:

• Charisma Carpenter: First horror convention appearance! Carpenter played Cordelia Chase on BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER and ANGEL and also stars in the new VOODOO MOON.

• Jeffrey Combs: Horror great from RE-ANIMATOR, BRIDE OF RE-ANIMATOR, BEYOND RE-ANIMATOR, FROM BEYOND, CASTLE FREAK, NECRONOMICON, THE FRIGHTENERS, THE PIT & THE PENDULUM, ABOMINABLE and more.

• Robert Joy: Memorable actor from THE HILLS HAVE EYES, LAND OF THE DEAD, THE DARK HALF, FALLEN, RESURRECTION

• Max Brooks: Author of ZOMBIE SURVIVAL GUIDE and new WORLD WAR Z (soon to be a major motion picture).

• Special celebrity panels devoted to MASTERS OF HORROR season two, THE GRUDGE 2, TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE: THE BEGINNING and SAW III. Each presentation will boast cast and crew from the respective projects, plus clips and trailers.

• William Lustig: The director of MANIAC, the MANIAC COP trilogy and UNCLE SAM previews his new Blue Underground titles with special guests.

• Lloyd Kaufman: The Troma chief and creator of the Toxic Avenger will debut footage from his new epic POULTRYGEIST with Tromatic friends!

• Debbie Rochon: FANGORIA Radio & TV hostess, the sultry actress’ film roles include AMERICAN NIGHTMARE, BOG CREATURES, TROMEO & JULIET, NOWHERE MAN and 100 or so more.

• Tim Sullivan: The 2001 MANIACS director will unveil his latest directorial project, DRIFTWOOD, plus SNOOP DOGG’S HOOD OF HORROR, which he co-wrote and co-produced.

• J.T. Petty: The acclaimed indie director of SOFT FOR DIGGING and MIMIC: SENTINEL will discuss his controversial horror underground documentary S&MAN.

• Jack Ketchum: The savage author of OFF SEASON, RED, THE LOST and LADIES’ NIGHT will give us the scoop on the film adaptations of his novels.

• Andrew Van Den Houten: The young director of HEADSPACE will give us the scoop on his sophomore film, THE GIRL NEXT DOOR, based on the Ketchum book.

• JUST BEFORE DAWN Reunion: With director Jeff (SQUIRM) Lieberman, star Jamie (TIGHTROPE) Rose and others.

• John McCarty: The author of SPLATTER MOVIES (he coined the term!), THRILLERS, THE AMAZING HERSCHELL GORDON LEWIS, BULLETS OVER HOLLYWOOD and FEARMAKERS has several genre documentaries in the works.

• Avatar Press Panel: With editor-in-chief William Christensen, writer John (ESCAPE OF THE LIVING DEAD) Russo and artist Mike Wolfer (FRIDAY THE 13TH and JASON VS JASON X)

The convention will also host a costume contest, FANGORIA TV screenings, a jam-packed indie-horror-movie festival and advance previews of such films as PAN’S LABYRINTH, THE GRAVEDANCERS, GHOST RIDER, GRIND HOUSE, SKINWALKERS, BLACK CHRISTMAS, WIND CHILL, TRAPPED ASHES, RESIDENT EVIL: EXTINCTION, WHITE NOISE 2, HELLION, THE HITCHER, THE REAPING, ROGUE, PREMONITION, Ed Lee’s HEADER and many more. Other guests and attractions will be announced shortly.