Cinema Wasteland Review!!

Welcome back friends. Thanks for returning to check out the full review of Cinema Wasteland. As I teased earlier, there was a ton of stuff going on and plenty of stars to meet. This was my first time checking out Wasteland, so read on for the story.

I initially arrived at 3 p.m. and promptly met up with some friends who were in attendance for the weekend. We briefly stopped by their room for some refreshments of which there were plenty. Our next step was to the dealer room where I was thunderstruck by the sheer amount of merchandise for sale. There were plenty of booths with a variety of horror memorabilia.

The very first table that drew my attention was dedicated to various candles, incenses and soaps. Now, what really piqued my interest was the soaps. They were molded into a variety of likenesses including Michael Myers, Jason, Freddy Krueger, Frankenstein and many more. There were also some original ideas including a clear ball of soap with "razor blades" inside of it, and the most controversial, a clear ball of soap with a pink "fetus" inside paired with a coat hanger. This was so rare and shocking that one of my friends bought one!

Then there were plenty of booths selling dvd's, the best of which was run by 42nd Street Pete. It was at his stand that we found a plethora of Nazi Porn as well as my very own copy of The Church. This film is supposed to be terrifying and was recommended to me by a good friend and fellow horror enthusiast. Best part? It was only 5 freakin' dollars!

In addition, I got the opportunity to meet Joel Robinson who is not only an incredibly talented artist, but a very pleasant and funny individual. Even though his booth was packed consistently, he always made time to chat with fans of both the genre and his work. He had a plethora of his original takes of famous horror scenes and monsters. Of course, I had to pick one up. While it was hard to choose, I had to go with Pinhead. How often do you get to find a bad ass artistic rendering of The King Of Pain? I also plan on dropping a butt load of money on his website where he has even more pieces of his work. I already framed this one and hung it on the wall. If you love horror like I do, stop by his page and show some love! Have your credit card handy as I can guarantee you won't be able to leave without buying something.

Seriously, check out this man's work. His website is ArtPusher.net

Next, I was on to the screening rooms. They were showing Cannibal Holocaust, Cut and Run (Both by Ruggero Deodato) and Evil Dead amongst others. Directly across from the Evil Dead screening was a room featuring the works of master artist and F/X man Tom Sullivan! I actually got to meet the legend, shake his hand and discuss the business with him. He even recanted a funny story: Prior to settling on the name Evil Dead the film had several titles. All the guys on the film submitted suggestions and Sullivan's was "Lick The Blood Off My Shovel" which he signed on one of his original prints for me! The print is Sullivan's artwork for the then titled Book Of The Dead.

Next, I was on to the ridiculous amount of t-shirt vendors. There were so many to choose from that I simply couldn't decide, therefore, I didn't get a shirt. Had I, it wouldn't have been  a shirt, it would have been a dozen shirts. I then found my way to another stand where an artist was selling original paintings inspired by various horror. While his selection wasn't as vast as Joel Robinson's, his work was still damn fine. He gave me a hell of a deal, so I took 3!

Also, I would like to mention that during my conversation with Tom Sullivan, I got to check out tons of props used in the Evil Dead trilogy. The man had a massive amount of memorabilia, which he was kind enough to let me photograph for you all. Those pics are below and yes, they are all original and were used in the films!

In addition to Mr. Sullivan, there were plenty of other genre celebs as well. The ladies of The Evil Dead were there doing signings, several key players from the original Night Of The Living Dead, Tom Atkins (who was in a personal fave of mine, Maniac Cop) Rugger Deodato and the cast of Cannibal Holocaust, and of course, the amazing Michael Berryman! Now, I didn't get to take pictures of these fine folks, as they were charging a decent chunk of change. I don't hold that against them, as people have to make a living. However, I couldn't drop the small fortune needed to get pictures with everyone. I did get to meet Michael Berryman outside of the dealer room and let me tell you, the man is amazing. He is incredibly kind and has a great sense of humor. And while I didn't get to see this first hand, apparently he enjoys playing beer pong with the guests of the convention!

Overall, this was a hell of a night. Great friends, great fans, tons of celebs and merch from the movies we all love! It was truly an evening to remember and I sure as hell won't forget it. I only wish you all could have been there as well, as it's really a horror fans wet dream. I recommend you all check it out if ever you get the chance.