Wrapping up our first FOF

Well, it was a hell of a weekend. We beat standing for hours on the concrete floors and didn't once reach for the back pills! The three days flew by thanks to the parade of fine, funky folk strutting their stuff as they stalked the aisles searching for their fetish trophy.

Reception was awesome for our new DVD, still-smoking-from-the-duplicator [that would be the 'AAAAAH!! Indie Horror Hits, Volume 1' DVD for the chronically inattentive]. Seems lots of people want to know more about the great indie short horror films that slip under their radar and disappear beyond the horizon. Thanks to everyone who bought a copy as we made our convention debut.

The brand new discs will be available in September through our web site & shortly from other fine retailers.

You know, you don't get through one of these conventions without a helping hand from many folks. If you'll indulge me I'd like to thank some unsung folks for their kindness, good humour, encouragement, and generosity. They include my stalwart boothmates, Marc Lougee and Jill Cooper, who kept the cool banter & hot coffee flowing. There are my immediate neighbours, Alexia Anastasio (Salome) [pictured] & Kevin Sean Michaels (Vampira the Movie) who couldn't have been sweeter or funnier respectively. I hope the cheetah found a place to stay.

Thanks also to the carnivorous folks from The Butcher Shop across the aisle who must have heard our growling stomachs over the din and crossed the aisle to share a box of Tim Bits on two separate occasions. Good on ya, mates! The Rue Morgue & convention staff were super cordial and helpful, especially Lisa Russell at Showtech.

Louis at Merch Guy pulled our chestnuts out of the fire and delivered some wicked looking Cryptwear shirts. Thanks for the technical assist and perseverance. That's the artwork for the back of the work shirt that I'm wearing in the photos. We're debating whether to offer the shirts for sale on-line or keep them as a personal appearance exclusive for conventions and festivals. Whatcha think? Let us know via e-mail.

Then there's Paula Watters at The Source Shop for busting her hump sourcing [get it?] our swag items for us. The Crypt Club key chains are on their way to becoming coveted collectors items for discerning drivers & key keepers.

Thea, Adam, and Rory from the Toronto Zombie Walk offered us some brains [don't you go there] and handed out fliers for us as they ambled about sizing up people's cranial capacity. March on you crazy, hungry, undead-type people.

And I'd really be in the dog house if I didn't mention my childhood friends Daryl & Derek Pullen, who dropped by to say "Hi" and stayed to anchor our load out from the bowels of the convention centre. Thanks a million.

One of the weekend's more pleasant moments was a visit from Kevin Greutert, who's back in Toronto working on the mix for SAW 5. He's edited all of the SAW films and his short film, 'Old Friends' is on our new DVD. It's the film he showed the producers of the SAW films to land the directing job on SAW 6 next year. Guess he's just checking up on how the new disc is doing. I'd better not piss him off or I'll end up on the cutting room floor - literally.

All in all, the FOF was a great debut for AAAAAH!! Indie Horror Hits, Volume 1. We'll be back at the FOF next year, so watch for volume two by then...

AAAAAH!! Indie Horror Hits store

Working the FOF booth

Friday at the Festival of Fear. First day jitters quickly pass as the crowds stream in and saunter up and down the merch-laden aisles. It's a typically slow day for vendors as many multi-day pass holders are just browsing, getting the lay of the land so they can raid their ATM's on Saturday or Sunday and swoop by on a buying run.

Even so, we got a lot of interest in the new AAAAAH!! Indie Horror Hits, volume 1 DVD. Sales were made, postcards handed out, the patter was perfected as the afternoon passed. And hanging out and chatting with my boothmates (Marc Lougee & Jill Cooper) fills in the gap in the ebb and flow of the crowd. Hey, simply people watching with all the colorful costumes is a full time job here. Good first day.

Saturday is the iron man event. The show runs from 10 am to 7 pm. Nine solid hours of pitching & promoting while standing on a solid concrete floor. Yay! I hear the chiropractor's convention is here next week. Maybe I can book an advance session.

AAAAAH!! Indie Horror Hits - Links Page

Hangin' at the Festival of Fear

Well, the load in yesterday went better than expected. Being new to the whole convention thang it's interesting watching how the pros load in. It's a military operation. Stuff comes in and goes directly to it's spot. No fumphering about with decisions. Trial and error has taught them where to put thing for maximum efficiency & impact. Very cool.

Seeing some friends new and old setting up. There's Thomas Gofton & his crew from the Sharp Cuts Indie Film & Music Festival in Guelph, and Scott Lefebvre working with Fearwerx just down the aisle. Should be a fun time if we get the Nerf football sailing over people's heads as they browse the merch laden aisles.

Of course, I'm sharing the booth with my buddies, Mad Marc Lougee (The Pit and the Pendulum) and Thrill Kill Jill Cooper (killer-works.com) so you know it's going to be non-stop blah bjavascript:void(0)lah on curious topics.

If you're coming to the show head to Booth 1216 and say "Hi. Pleased to meet you. May I have my complimentary Crypt Club sticker?". To which I'll say, "Likewise. Of course." Just like civilized horror fans. then you can check out the newly arrived AAAAAH!! Indie Horror Hits, volume 1 DVDs. They still have that new car smell. We're just up the aisle from the Rue Morgue set up.

If you're not coming to the show, WHY? (We'll only accept signed notes from a certified health practitioner.)

See you there this Friday to Sunday at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre, South Building, Booth 1216. Stay scary.

AAAAAH!! Indie Horror Hits

AAAAAH!! DVD Pre-release Debut at Toronto's Festival of Fear

Before it hits the mean streets our new DVD "AAAAAH!! Indie Horror Hits, volume 1" will be available at our Crypt Club Productions Inc. booth (#1216) at the Rue Morgue Festival of Fear National Horror Expo, August 22-24 at the Metro Convention Centre in Terror-onto.

This is the largest Horror Event in Canada. If you're not there you're nowhere.

Drop, crawl, or hop by to say "hi" and pick up a DVD, some stylish Cryptwear(tm), and other goodies. And remember that all of our Lurch Merch makes a truly thoughtful Halloween gift for your boo-loved. When you scare enough to send the very best.

We're sharing a big booth (did I mention it's #1216?) with our friends Marc Lougee (The Pit and the Pendulum) and Jill Cooper (www.Killer-Works.com). Talk about a trio of terror. We promise not to bite - unless there's a financial incentive.

Still need more reasons to visit? Okay. The three of us are pooling a bunch of cool stuff (shirts, DVDs, posters & more...) into a basket for a REALLY BIG SWAG DRAW.

And, you never know who else might be paying our booth a visit. See you there.

AAAAAH!! Indie Horror Hits
Crypt Club Productions Inc.

AAAAAH!! Vol. #1 film selections announced

The loooong gestation period is over. Thanks for your patience as we got our debut disc together. You can just see the head of the press release peeking out now.

Crypt Club Productions Inc proudly announces the films selected for AAAAAH!! Indie Horror Hits - Volume 1.

AAAAAH!! Indie Horror Hits is a new feature length collection of award winning independent short horror films coming to DVD in September 2008 – just in time for a very Happy Halloween.

“ALL KILLER – NO FILLER” This is the good stuff. The short horror films that caused a buzz on the festival circuit - then vanished. If you saw them the first time you know what we mean. If you didn’t, you can enjoy them now - for the first time.

From a dark, cautionary tale (THE CRYPT CLUB - with Alison Pill from PIECES OF APRIL) to gallows humor on the job (GHOST BUSTED); from the grotesque otherworld of H.P. Lovecraft (THE VEIL) to today’s outbreak fears (THE NINTH ENTRY); from the stylishly bizarre (MY SKIN! – with Tony Simmons from HUMAN NO MORE & CARNIE) and the chillingly macabre (OCULUS) to the dire family survival drama (OLD FRIENDS - from Kevin Greutert, editor of the SAW films).

We’ve resurrected these great short indie horror films. Turn down the lights and dig in for your own private horror film festival.


FEATURED SHORT FILMS (alphabetical order):
- THE CRYPT CLUB (23:00 Canada) Dir: Miguel Gallego
- GHOST BUSTED (3:00 USA) Dir: Vance Null
- MY SKIN! (13:00 USA) Dir: Christopher Alan Broadstone
- THE NINTH ENTRY (5:00 USA) Dir: Anthony Falcon
- OCULUS (32:00 USA) Dir: Mike Flanagan
- OLD FRIENDS (14:30 USA) Dir: Kevin Greutert
- THE VEIL (12:00 Canada) Dir: Mike Jackson

DVD INFO: Available September 2008 - Horror/Drama - 110 Minutes Total - NTSC - All Region Disc - Color - English - 4:3 Letterbox - Dolby Digital Stereo - Not Rated (Some strong visuals, language, and mature themes. Not recommended for infants or the infantile.)

SPECIAL FEATURES: Play Options: Play All (Festival Order); Individual Film Selection - Chapter Jumps - Trailers - Greetings from creator Miguel Gallego - Subtitles: English/Spanish - DVD@CCESS link to Secret Web Content.

AAAAAH!! Indie Horror Hits is produced and distributed by Crypt Club Productions Inc.

AAAAAH!! Indie Horror Hits
Crypt Club Productions Inc.