New horror convention coming to Atlantic City; genre stars set to appear

The tri-state area is populated with many horror conventions. From Chiller Theatre to Monster Mania to Saturday Nightmares, fans in the Northeast know how to get their scare on. The latest contender for genre enthusiasts is Bizarre A.C., a new convention set to invade the Tropicana Casino & Resort in Atlantic City, N.J., on Dec. 13-15.

The guest list for the inaugural event features some familiar names on the convention circuit and several directors making rare appearances. There’s Kane Hodder from the Friday the 13th franchise, Candyman’s Tony Todd, A Nightmare on Elm Street’s Heather Langenkamp, Bill Moseley and Michael Berryman from The Hills Have Eyes. Of the rare names, there’s Joel Reed, writer and director of cult classic Bloodsucking Freaks. Add in some actors from Clerks, the founders of Weird N.J., Tom Savini and many more, and Bizarre A.C. is set to take over the Atlantic City boardwalk.

Recently, Hollywood Soapbox exchanged emails with event producer Jon Henderson. Answers have been slightly edited for style purposes.

Where did the idea for Bizarre A.C. come from?

The horror con concept wasn’t a novel idea. People have been doing it for years. We realized that the Atlantic  City market was a great place to host a unique event that celebrates all things horror and bizarre, so we decide to put our twist on it and bring it to A.C. We saw a window in December and it fell on Friday the 13th and we jumped all over it.

What can fans expect at the show?

We want people to find their way to A.C. excited to see a few new movies and talk to the people that made them, rub shoulders with their favorite horror icon, see some fun and unique performances, get dressed up and pick up so fun horror memorabilia. There is a ton of programming that is going with the weekend from Bizarre Beer and food tasting to costume contests. We are building an annual program that brings people back to A.C. year after year.

Have all the guest announcements been made or will there be more?

We have a great lineup (see http://bizarreac.com/?page_id=12). There are a few more that will pop up, but overall we really feel good about the cast lineup for the inaugural event. When we first started talking about who we wanted, it was a lot of horror icons and most of the ones we reached out to stepped up to the plate. It’s going to be a blast.

How many people are you expecting?

We are comfortable saying between 6-10k attendees. The buzz has been huge and with that the momentum has been even greater. I am excited to see what it brings.

New Jersey has a few horror conventions — what sets Bizarre AC apart from the rest?

Yeah, NJ really has a great horror scene and some awesome events. Atlantic City is a great back drop, and the Tropicana is an amazing place to launch the event. We think that the programming and all the amenities the property and show offers will make it a must-attend event for not only the horror enthusiast but also for people just looking for something a little different.

By John Soltes / Publisher / John@HollywoodSoapbox.com

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