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TOP 'TABLOID WITCH' FILMS SCREEN AT 2008 WORLD HORROR CON

by Thomas M. Sipos, managing editor.  [April 2, 2008]

 

 


 

[HollywoodInvestigator.com]  The producer and cast from the horror western, Dead Noon, were among those attending the 2008 World Horror Con's screening of "The Very Best of the Tabloid Witch Awards (2004 - 2007)."

This special WHC film screening occurred on Saturday evening, March 29th, in the downtown Radisson Hotel's Juniper Room, in Salt Lake City -- only a few blocks from the Mormon Church's famed Temple Square!

The Tabloid Witch Awards are a No Entry Fee horror film contest sponsored by the Hollywood Investigator. Films screened at this special "Best of" event were chosen by the Investigator and drawn from the previous four years' winners.

But it wasn't just about the screening. The Tabloid Witch was a recurring presence at this year's World Horror Con. Two nights prior to the screening, this author (who is also the Tabloid Witch Awards's founder and director) hosted a panel on Horror Film Festivals at the WHC. 

Joining him on the panel was Dead Noon's co-producer and co-writer, Matthew Taggart. Dean Noon's James Teague had won a Tabloid Witch for Best Visual Effects in 2007, and Taggart shared an Honorable Mention with co-writers Andrew Wiest and Keith Suta. Wiest also directed.

Dead Noon actors Robert Andrus and Scott Phillips sat in the audience.

During the panel discussion, Taggart revealed that Teague had spent so many hours before his computer working on Dead Noon's special effects that he temporarily went blind in one eye. A physician warned Teague to "lay off the computer" if he wanted his sight restored.

A Q&A session followed, during which an audience member revealed himself to be a sales representative for New Line Cinema. He spoke of the difficulty of getting even major studio releases into convention screenings.

The Saturday night screening of "The Very Best of the Tabloid Witch Awards (2004 - 2007)" began at 6 pm. Dead Noon screened at midnight, followed by another panel discussion with Matthew Taggart and actors Robert Andrus, Robert Bear, and Tye Nelson.

 

 

Dead Noon was well represented at WHC because, while it was shot in Montana and Wyoming, many of its actors and crew now live in Salt Lake City. Taggart lives only a few blocks from the Radisson Hotel.

Films screened at WHC were (from 2004) Stiffs by Sid; (2005) Mole, Legion: The Word Made Flesh, Hollow, Slinky Milk; (2006) Oculus, Moloch, Zombie Island, The Kooky Kastle; (2007) Night of the Hell Hamsters, The Crypt Club, Skin Deep, The One That Got Away, The Scab, Dead Noon, Zombie Love, By Appointment Only, and Grace.

Because the Tabloid Witch has been recognizing more films with each succeeding year, recent years were more heavily represented than earlier years. Every "Best Horror Short" film was screened, but time did not permit every feature or Honorable Mention to be screened. Only two features were screened: Mole and Dead Noon.

 

Horror Film Festivals and Awards

 

During the screening, many fans asked about the films and filmmakers.  They were advised that they could learn about about these films at the Tabloid Witch website, which contains links to many of the filmmakers' sites.  Fans were also informed that some filmmakers sell their films directly to the public through their websites.

This 2008 "Best of" screening marks a sort of "coming home" for the Tabloid Witch, which had its first screening at the 2005 World Horror Con.

As always, the Tabloid Witch charged no money for the screening -- not to the host venue, nor to attending fans, nor to filmmakers.  Taggart echoed the comments of many entrants when he expressed his appreciation for a No Entry Fee film festival.

The Tabloid Witch will continue to seek ways to promote all of its current and future winners over the coming years, and to publicize the best in horror films!

The Tabloid Witch also thanks Scott Danielson of the 2008 WHC for coordinating the film festival from his end.

Copyright 2008 by HollywoodInvestigator.com.

 

 

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