To Louisville and Beyond! The Fright Night Film Festival 2012

Heather Dorff and David Della Rocco chilling at the Fright Night Film Festival

Originally I had been contemplating heading to Minneapolis for Anime Minneapolis as I had scheduled an interview with Sam Dei Lune and had a tentative interview with Vic Mignogna on the Star Trek Continues he is working on but I checked in with Sam and she said she really didn’t have much news beyond what we already covered in our written interview and Vic will be in Chicago for Wizard World in August so I was thinking maybe it would be a good weekend to stay at home and work through the backlog of articles that are stuck in my head.

Mike Holman demanded my presence here at the Fright Night Film Festival

Mike Holman (here with Heather Wissman) demanded my presence here at the Fright Night Film Festival

So I was contemplating a quiet weekend at home getting work done and Mike Holman tells me that if I don’t come to the Fright Night Film Festival in Louisville, Kentucky, he will hate me forever! While Mike is best known for his Jack-Assery, he can actually be very shrewd and a good judge of character so I looked into it.

Taryn, Heather, and Deann at the Fright Night Film Festival

I saw that my Gen Con Zombie friends Christina and Kevin Preece, Horror Host Fenriz Fatal, Larry Elmore and others that I was excited to see again. Then I saw that Heather Dorff was going to be screening her movie What They Say I pretty much had to come as I have been talking to her through her Facebook about getting her and her and her Round Midtown crew, Taryn and Deann, to do some event coverage with The Weird Review this summer.

Horror Host Fenriz Fatal at the Night Fright Film Festival

After an 8+ hour drive that should have taken less than seven, I arrived at the Night Fright Film Festival. Before I had even got my camera out I met Brett Stimely and chatted with him about his new film Ray Bradbury’s Kaleidoscope. In speaking with Mr. Stimely I was impressed with what I heard. Mr. Bradbury himself previewed the movie before his death and was moved by it. Brett stars in the film and the film sounds amazing so it is going to be the first on my “Must See!” list for the weekend (Sorry Heather but he bumped you down to number 2! Fortunately What They Say is playing in the same theater on Sunday around noon and then Ray Bradbury’s Kaleidoscope shortly thereafter!) After we parted company, I walked up to the Galt House Hotel where I was greeted by Horror Host Fenriz Fatal. I had heard he had relocated since I had last seen him and he updated me on the break-ins and harassment that prompted him to do move. Our chat was interrupted by a text from Mike Holman and glanced up to see him walking through the lobby.

A rose (Rachael Adams) between the thorns

Mike introduced me to several of his friends in the lobby, including the lovely Rachael Adams of Detroit, and later in the hotel bar. As he was chatting with a table of his many admirers I excused myself to step away as I saw a gorgeous young woman in a fun cosplay whose appearance struck a familiar cord and I wanted to get a photo.

Heather Dorff – Actress, Model, and Cosplay extraordinaire!

After taking her pic I handed her my card and she pretended to read it before sticking it in her purse and saying, “My name is Heather.” All sorts of bells and whistles when off and I said, “Yes, I know. Heather Dorff.” She asked me if I was a camera man stalker or somesuch and I just told her to take my card out and actually read it this time. She gasped in surprise and wrapped her arms around me in a big hug. From there I couldn’t say if Mike ditched me or I ditched him but I ended up spending the rest of the evening (or rather the early morning) with Heather and her throng. The evening’s conversation with Heather was a fun flowing conversation salted with guest appearances by the likes of actors David Della Rocco and Christopher Emerson as well as a young fellow that had become enamored with Heather while in Louisville for a bachelor party.

Louiville’s Finest as they take a way a fellow who had a little too much and then did a little too much…

The evening was on the wind down when a little excitement was added as some of Louisville’s finest made their way through with a fellow that had had a little too much and then did a little too much. We never knew what was the reason for his being spirited away.

Some zombie fans gave a parting pose as I made my way to my car

As I made my way to my car I chatted with some zombie fans along the way and they gave me a parting pose before putting up my camera and heading out. This weekend is shaping up to be a fun one, so if you are in Minnesota, check out Anime Minneapolis and if you in the Indiana, Kentucky, Tennesee, come see me at the Night Fright Film Festival!