The worst part of Fango’s Chicago weekend was getting home. Sunday brought snow to the windy city and that complicated things a bit, I think it also put a little bit of a damper on things as when word came that snow was on the way folks started to bail.
It really didn’t seem like much snow to me but it sure did screw things up. My 7 pm flight home didn’t happen till almost midnight and for a while it looked like it might not happen at all. I am being told that they closed O’Hare down for a few hours but once it opened back up they actually cleared thing up pretty quick. Anyway, the snow made things interesting as far as getting home but the presentations at the con were still top notch. As most of you who have ever attended one of this weekends may know, the Sunday events at these shows are usually pretty lame and is usually highlighted by everyone closing down and bailing early, not so at the Fango show. Not only where the dealers and such still pumping out the merchandise but the special presentation roster was just as strong if not stronger than Saturday.
Things kicked back off at 11 AM with the dealer’s rooms and celebrities back manning their tables. At Noon the presentations in the main ballroom started back up. First up were trailers for upcoming genre releases. I got called away and missed most of these and when I got back genre faves George Romero and Tom Savini where on the stage recounting past projects and discussing the future of the genre. The fans love these guys and the Q and A was insightful and fun.
Next up was the Silent Hill panel which included the director and the lovely ladies from the film. They first showed the trailer, the same one we have been seeing on line, and then they showed an exclusive clip that was actually quite good. I really haven’t been too hyped for this film but that has changed now. I liked what I seen and now think this one might be worth the effort to check out.
The Silent Hill people left the stage and started their autograph session and next up was Alexandra Aja, director of The Hills Have Eyes. As with the other presentation we are first treated to the trailer and Alexandra then showed an exclusive clip that was quite intense. His Q and A went well and fans really seem to dig him. We were granted an exclusive interview with Alexandra and should have it posted later today so keep an eye out for that. He is a great guy who is very enthusiastic about the genre and is a man who I feel will have a huge impact on the genre for years to come.
At this point we made one last run around the dealer’s tables to pick up any last minute deals and to say goodbye to friends around the con. That took an hour or so. Our last commitment of the day was an interview with the fore mentioned Alexandra Aja which was to happen right after this autograph session. Things worked out well and we were able to have our sit down and wrap it up with 15 minutes to spare till our shuttle for the airport left.
As we rode to the airport we were able to talk with fellow fans and we all agreed that Fango had put on one hell of show in Chicago. This is what a con is supposed to be, a chance to interact and mingle with stars, directors and other fans in a friendly, well managed environment. For the most part things went off on time and everything that was promised was delivered.
Great job by all involved and any of you who have ever had any second thoughts about attending a Fango show need to put those thoughts aside and get yourself to the next one which by the way is in Burbank this summer. You can head on over to the Fango website for all the details on that show.
To all of you who stopped Caretaker and I and said how much you like and appreciate that site, we want to give you all a hearty thank you. It is for folks like you that we take the time and make the effort to keep the site going. It was great to meet all of you.
