Whether they admit it or not, the horror
genre has a special place in the hearts of most movie buffs. That
affinity is usually traced back to childhood, a period during which we
are far more open to spooky, supernatural occurrences; the terrifying
possibility of a crazy guy in a mask wielding a chainsaw; or the
likelihood of a maniacal, blood-thirsty leprechaun cracking jokes and
skulls (conversely, as cynical adults we are far less likely to suspend
our disbelief). Childhood is also often the first time we’re exposed to
such elemental pleasures — we’re far less frightened the second or sixth
time we see Friday the 13th Part II or The Beast Within.
No one knows this phenomenon better Nathan Hanneman, editor-in-chief of locally based fanzine HorrorHound and
organizer of its popular offshoot, HorrorHound Weekend, an annual
convention featuring a smorgasbord of “celebrity” panels, events,
vendors, screenings and more that convenes this Friday-Sunday at the
Crowne Plaza Hotel in Sharonville.
“When I was younger, my mom and dad enjoyed scaring us kids —
they dealt with the horror of raising four children,” Hanneman says.
“I
remember being witness to my parents’ various movie screenings,
including Creepshow, Night of the Living Dead and Psycho.
I always loved the characters — Freddy Krueger was always a twisted
gateway character for kids to find their way into the genre — and as I
got older, these films seemed to be the only ones that never took
themselves too seriously. Comedy has to be funny for it to work.
Drama has to be moving or it falls flat. But horror just has to feature a
masked maniac and bad acting. It’s universally accepted, whether it’s
good or bad.”
HorrorHound takes over Sharonville's Crowne Plaza Hotel Friday-Sunday. Go here to read Jason Gargano's full interview.
HorrorHound Weekend
