First Details Emerge for Texas Frightmare Weekend!

Posted on November 30, 2009 by N. Amer Editor

by Britt Hayes

Texas Frightmare Weekend is one of the best horror festivals held every spring in Dallas. The 2010 installment will run from April 30th to May 2nd, and will be the festival’s 5th year. Yours truly will be attending the festival as part of the press, and I’ll be giving you regular updates as I receive them in the months leading up to the event, as well as covering the event itself with news, interviews, and reviews.

So far, the guest list is pretty packed with John Carpenter leading the pack and confirmed as this year’s special guest. Carpenter is a legendary director and composer, who brought us much-loved staples like Halloween, The Thing (my favorite horror film), They Live, Christine, and the bad-assery of Snake Plisskin in Escape from New York.

Carpenter’s influence has been around for decades, and Halloween permeates pop culture just as much today as it did then (and sadly continues with Rob Zombie’s sadly misguided vision and perpetual ass raping).

Guest List:

(from left to right)

Doug Bradley (Hellraiser 1-8, Nightbreed), Keir Dullea (2001: A Space Odyssey, Black Christmas), Meg Foster (They Live, Masters of the Universe), Terry Alexander (Day of the Dead), Sid Haig (House of 1000 Corpses, The Devil’s Rejects), Lance Henriksen (Aliens, Pumpkinhead, Terminator), Kane Hodder (Friday the 13th parts 7-X, Hatchet), William Katt (Carrie, Pirahna), Margot Kidder (The Amityville Horror, Black Christmas), Bill Moseley (Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2, House of 1000 Corpses, The Devil’s Rejects), Betsy Palmer (Friday the 13th and Friday the 13th: Part 2), George Romero (Night of the Living Dead, Dawn of the Dead, The Crazies).

Premiere Props will also be at the festival this year, and on May 1st they are holding a prop auction with over 500 items from some of your favorite horror films, as well as props from the upcoming Alexandre Aja 3-D remake of Pirahna (opens April 16th). There will be a preview from 5-10 pm on Friday, April 30th, and from 10 am-1 pm on May 1st, the day of the auction, with the actual auction beginning at 1 pm and running all day.

Items from Richard Kelly’s The Box (in theaters now) will also be up for auction. More items will be listed in the near future from studios Lionsgate, Ghost House Pictures, Sony, and Screen Gems. Items from celebrity guests may be auctioned off as well.

Hotel Reservations

If you’re planning on heading out for Frightmare Weekend, the Sheraton Grand Hotel DFW Airport in Irving, Texas is now taking reservations for the nights of April 30th-May 2nd. If you reserve a room now, you will receive the discounted Texas Frightmare Weekend rate of $124. Call (972) 929-8400 or reserve your room online.

Discount Passes

Discounted weekend and day passes are on sale through the Texas Frightmare Weekend official site.

VIP passes are available for pre-order and cost $199. The VIP treatment includes:

Early admission on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. Gain access an hour prior to general admission.
One GUARANTEED autograph on your item from John Carpenter and one GUARANTEED snapshot on your camera with John Carpenter.
Admission to the VIP celebrity party, where you can meet and hang out with the celebrity guests.
Express lane access for certain celebrity guests (no waiting in lines).
Preferred seating for panels and screenings.
Official Texas Frightmare Weekend 2010 t-shirt.
Texas Frightmare Weekend gift bag.

Tickets are non-refundable, and VIP passes are limited to 200. Get yours now before they sell out, and believe me, they will sell out.

Regular passes are available as well. The General Admission weekend pass is $50 for the whole weekend, or $20 per day, with door opening at 6 pm on Friday, and 11 am on Saturday and Sunday. Early Admission passes are $65 for the entire weekend, or $25 per day, with doors opening at 5 pm on Friday, and 10 am on Saturday and Sunday.

Discount Vendor Tables

If you’re a vendor interested in peddling your spooky wares, discounted vendor space is now available. Vendor space sells out far in advance of the event, so now is a great time to grab a table.

We’ll be posting more updates as we receive them.