If you’re not familiar with Monster-Mania, it’s a semi-annual horror film and memorabilia convention that takes place in New Jersey and Maryland. Without a doubt, Monster-Mania is the most notable horror convention in the Northeast. The convention is very popular for photo ops and autographs because they’re remarkable at pulling major guests, even those that are not prominent horror icons.
My first Monster-Mania was back in March of 2018. It’s almost absurd to think this was five years ago! I had similar motivations to attend the horror con back then too. Several actors who have played Jason Voorhees were guests, including Kane Hodder. He is the most notable stuntman to have donned the infamous hockey mask, playing Voorhees in four consecutive movies: The New Blood, Jason Takes Manhattan, Jason Goes to Hell and Jason X. For me, Hodder was the most menacing Jason in the franchise. Even though The New Blood isn’t the greatest Friday the 13th installment, Hodder’s performance was iconic. It’s the scariest the masked killer has ever looked, and has always been my favorite Jason.
The in-costume photo ops get me every time. Although, it seems comical to take a photo with Kane Hodder as Jason Voorhees. How would anyone know it was really him? Horror fans will know, and I guess that’s all that matters. I’m fortunate I even had this opportunity because getting into the convention was insane. Monster-Mania 39 will live on in infamy for the severe overcrowding that led to the Fire Marshall restricting access into the building.
I’ll never forget the amount of time it took just to find parking and the long line to get into the convention. The queue into the building was cut not that long after I had managed to get in. Once I was inside, every area of the building was congested. It was essentially a line-con for everything: food, merchandise, autographs, and photo ops. When I discovered a Mogwai Stripe puppet that needed to go home with me but didn’t have the appropriate cash to make this happen, there was even a giant line at the ATM!
Once the Fire Marshall cut off entry into the hotel, you couldn’t leave for even a breath of fresh air or a smoke because you weren’t allowed back in despite having a ticket to the event. I remember the ambulances outside as one attendee was taken out by a stretcher from passing out. The obvious cause being massive crowding. I’ll never understand why the amount of tickets sold exceeded the building’s capacity.
It was frustrating for attendees, like me, who had pre-purchased their tickets ahead of time. Why continue selling tickets at the venue for a packed Saturday show?! Promoters knew the hype around this particular event was substantial. I mean, special guests included Tim Curry, John Carpenter, Paul Reubens, and the cast of It (2017). As I mentioned before, almost all the actors who have played Jason Voorhees in the Friday the 13th franchise were in attendance including Kane Hodder and C.J. Graham. Listen, there was a photo op for several Jason Voorhees in one picture. There was also a photo op for the Killer Klowns from Outer Space! I still regret not doing that photo op, but I had to pick and choose my battles.
I’ll admit buying tickets for Monster-Mania again made me wary. The trauma of Monster-Mania 39 hasn’t left me. I was anxious all day, hoping I’d get this photo with Art the Clown. However, it seems the promoters have let go of their greed and poor planning in exchange for a more smoothly run show. We walked right into the hotel, and picked up our wristbands in mere seconds. Line-con ceased to exist in 2023. We moved about the vendor floors with more ease. The photo op process was less confusing and the area was easier to access.
My experience this year was vastly different from the nightmare I witnessed five years ago. I noticed Monster-Mania’s media pages now announce when tickets for each day of the con are going to sell out or have sold out, signifying a cap has finally been put on ticket sales. I’m sure we have both MM39 and the pandemic to thank for less overcrowding, leading to a more pleasant event.
I booked a room at the Philadelphia Marriott Old City again because Monster-Mania takes place in Cherry Hill, New Jersey. Our trips to Philly nowadays require us to take the unwanted journey into Garden State territory. Initially, I was worried about our travels to and from the convention, but the Uber ride took no more than 15 minutes and there were cars readily available in the Cherry Hill area.
We arrived at the convention midday since our photo op was after 3pm. Vendors were located in several rooms of the hotel venue, but it only took about 1-2 hours to fully explore the tables. Turns out, Monster-Mania is a horrible place for a Godzilla lover like Danny. The G-Man was everywhere you looked. I forget that Godzilla is quite the horror icon himself. We found a table selling DVDs of Japanese Godzilla films from every era. Surprisingly, Godzilla vs. Biollante was there for $10! This film is never available to rent on streaming and the DVD prices are always astronomical. It was a clear sign that it was going to be a good day.
After finding the infamous Daisy glasses Art the Clown wears in Terrifier 2, it was off to meet the man himself. While we were killing time I swore I saw David Howard Thortan walking to the photo op room. He looked more official in his Art the Clown makeup, but I couldn’t quite tell since there were several Art the Clowns lurking about in the same area. Initially, lining up for the photo op was crowded and a bit chaotic. It seemed everybody there to meet Art the Clown showed up at the same time. We squeezed our way over to the television located at the entrance to the queue. The television showcases photo op times and open queue lines. We arrived exactly 15 minutes before our photo op, but there was a slight delay.
The amount of congestion near the photo op room was annoying because Monster-Mania strictly asks that you not arrive earlier than 15 minutes before your time slot. Each specific photo op has designed groups, and we happened to be Group A. This meant we had to force our way into the crowded area by the television. There was no way I was missing my photo with Art. Bitch, I used my birthday money from my Mom to have this unique experience. So, thank you Mom. LOL. Monster-Mania scares the shit out of me too when it comes to photo ops. They're like, “you better be on time for your photo because you’re not getting another chance to take this picture and you’re not getting a fucking refund either you stupid bitch.” That’s not what the promoters actually say, but that’s what I hear in my head. 😃
Once we were in the queue, it was smooth sailing. Someone scanned our ticket. We placed our belongings in the bins located on the tables in front of us, and lined up for our photo. I got so jittery when I got a peak of David Howard Thornton in costume with Terrifier director Damien Leone! It was only a matter of minutes before I was standing next to Art the Clown. I didn’t even hear what the woman ushering us in was saying, I went straight to stand next to Art the Clown. Danny had no chance. Luckily, the photo came out perfect! Monster-Mania also likes to put the fear of Satan in you when it comes to taking your photo. You only have one shot, and if you hate it, it’s your fault because you suck at taking photos. Again, not what they explicitly say, but what I take from the FAQ section.
Once we walked off, our photo was already printed out and online for download when I checked 20 minutes later. I know people probably find my obsession with these films crazy, but you have to understand that I grew up on horror movies. I probably watched more than I was supposed to at a young age. My childhood was Disney and gory 1980s slashers. LOL. It’s so refreshing and fun to have a new slasher franchise enter the mix nowadays. To see a new horror icon emerge and become so successful within a few years is wild! Especially during a time where we are fed the same cookie-cutter high-budget studio horror.
Once my mission was completed, we returned to Philly to eat. The day before, we visited Oh Brother because Danny had been thinking about their General Tso’s crispy chicken sandwich since last August. So much so, that this guy wanted to come back for a second round! I think this was the first time in the history of our relationship that I convinced him to get pizza because my stomach couldn’t handle another Philly cheesesteak. While it was still delicious as ever, I can’t tolerate greasy foods as much anymore.
I found The Angelo Pizza directly across from Oh Brother. I’ve never had pizza in Philly before so I took a chance. My decision was based on the star ratings and the pure aesthetics of the pizzeria. Turns out, it was a good choice. We ordered The Angelo, which was a 12-inch thin crust red pizza made with the long-standing family tomato sauce recipe and sausage topping. It’s apparently known as "the best f*cking cheese pizza." I love the marketing for this place. I’m usually not a fan of thin crust pizza, but this pie was delicious! It was the perfect size for Danny and I to share. The owner and workers were extremely friendly to us. We ended up talking about horror films after telling him we were there for Monster-Mania. I’d definitely visit again next time we’re back in Philly.
Danny decided he was going to have pizza AND the chicken sandwich again. Sometimes, he shocks me with how much he can eat when we’re out and about. I’m the complete opposite. I go into hunger suppression once I leave the house. We saw two movies while we were in town because the weather is never really on our side when we visit Philly. When we arrived on Friday, it rained during the afternoon and into the evening. I was hoping we’d have a chance to take photos of the historical sites or take a walk along Penn’s Landing, but alas it wasn’t in our cards. Luckily, the Philadelphia Film Society has three small movie theaters within walking distance of our hotel.
I hadn’t been to the movie theaters since December, so I was excited to see Scream 6 on the big screen. Scream has never been my jam, but since the franchise has been resurrected, I’m willing to give it a chance. I was intrigued because this installment takes place in NYC. We went to a quaint PFS movie theater tucked away behind Welcome Park. The theater is very small with only two screens, but still nice. To my delight, the theater wasn’t packed like you’d expect for the opening weekend of Scream. I like quiet theaters, hence why I like the Alamo in NYC.
We saw Cocaine Bear at another PFS theater that was a little further to walk to, but nothing too crazy. I have to say the snacks at these movie theaters were so cheap. I was suspicious that it was only $15 for a soda, small popcorn and twizzlers. Overall, I enjoyed Scream more than Cocaine Bear, but I’m still happy to have crossed them off my movie bucket list for 2023. It was very fitting to enjoy some new horror movies on our Monster-Mania weekend. Also, it seems to have become somewhat of a tradition for us to watch a horror movie when we’re in Philly. Previously, we watched Candyman and Nope on our last trips there.
I don’t know if my future holds more Monster-Mania visits, but never say never!
Post a Comment