I Met God Today

I'm not talking about the creator of everything, but this was almost as good.

I speak of the God of Horror Movies. Not Romero. Not Craven. Not Dario. Not Carpenter. And I damn sure am not referring to Rob Zombie. I met the director of the most shocking, brutal, controversial, amazing horror movies ever released. I met Mr. Ruggero Deodato.

Deodato unleashed movies such as Cannibal Holocaust, House on the Edge of the Park, Jungle Holocaust, Cut and Run, and The Washing Machine (which I still haven't seen. Can someone hook me up?) upon the world.

I wasn't able to get to the Blood on the Beach convention until Sunday. This was the first year of it and I was most impressed by everything I saw. Of course there was a certain amount of chaos. That's part of the fun of any con. But everything seemed to go incredibly smoothly. And attendance was high. I spoke with the guy who runs it and he seems like a damned good dude.

I approached him with an offer to help bring horror writers and horror fiction to future Blood on the Beach cons. And this one was so successful that there certainly will be more to come. The great news is, he was very receptive to the idea. He knows how much attendance the writers bring to Horrorfind. We plan to get together sometime soon to make some plans. So, writers, if you're interested in being involved, get in touch with me.

I wish I had gone to Blood on the Beach all weekend. There's nothing quite like a convention. How crazy is it to walk by Michael Rooker in a hallway, or members of The West Memphis Three? Ernie Hudson. The cast (sans Coreys) of The Lost Boys. Joe Turkel. Michael Biehn. Kane Hodder. The Sleepaway Camp cousins. Tony Todd. And so many more.

The shittiest convention is fun as long as you have a con buddy. The best is a little lonely when you don't. I didn't know anyone at Blood on the Beach, though I did talk to a lot of people. Everyone was cool. And the place was still hopping on Sunday, which is very good.

As for Ruggero Deodato, I went up to him as I would a King. I told him I liked his movies and he smiled and shook my hand. I asked about Cannibal Holocaust 2 and he said he hoped it would happen and it is still a possibility. Then I told him that I really liked his movie, The Barbarians.

When I mentioned The Barbarians, Deodato jumped up and exclaimed, "The Barbarians! I'm-a so glad that you like that movie!". He thrust his clenched fist to his heart and passionately said, "I love-a that movie! Not like Cannibal Holocaust---funny! Funny!"

I'm not one for signed 8X10 photos. I had two before today: Forrest J Ackerman and Dick Miller. Does that give you an idea of how selective I am about it? Now the visage of Ruggero Deodato resides on my mantle. He signed it thusly: "To Mark, My Fan to BARBARIANS and Cannibal Holocaust, Ruggero Deodato" I am humbled.