Horror Stars Talk Worcester’s “Rock and Shock” Festival

Friday, October 19, 2012

Anthony Faccenda, GoLocalWorcester Contributor

There are two things that occur like clockwork every fall in Worcester. One is the changing fall foliage and the other is the annual Rock and Shock horror/music convention. Now in its ninth year, the Rock and Shock convention is a unique melding of celebrities, film screenings, music and local vendors.

For one weekend a year, Worcester becomes the epicenter for the who’s who of the horror genre. This past weekend was no exception as local horror and music fans invaded the Worcester Palladium and DCU Center to meet their favorite horror film legends and check out several notable rock bands including The Misfits and GWAR.

As for the horror aspect, the ninth annual Rock and Shock featured countless horror veterans including Danny Trejo (Machete, Devil’s Rejects), Heather Langenkamp (A Nightmare on Elm Street), Tony Todd (Candyman), Doug Bradley (Hellraiser), Bill Moseley (The Devil’s Rejects), Sid Haig (The Devil’s Rejects) and Michael Berryman (The Hill’s Have Eyes), among others. Sci-Fi actor and popular '80s star Anthony Michael Hall (Weird Science, The Breakfast Club) was also in attendance; drawing the biggest attendance line to boot.

Like last year, Woodhaven Films played a major role in this year’s festivities. One year after it premiered its debut film Inkubus, the Rhode Island-based film company was back again to showcase a new zombie film Infected. On hand to promote Infected was the President and CEO of Woodhaven Films Chad A. Verdi and several of the film’s cast members including Christy Romano (Even Stevens), Tom Paolino (Inkubus) and Tom DeNucci (Inkubus).

Aside from debuting Infected on Saturday evening, the Woodhaven crew gave the audience a sneak peak at Self Storage, which marks DeNucci's directorial debut. Cast members Eric Roberts (The Expendables), Jonathan Silverman (Weekend at Bernie’s) and Michael Berryman (The Devil's Rejects) were all in attendance as well.

Fans were even lucky enough to witness an in-depth panel discussion with the Woodhaven gang, in which the cast and crew emphasized the importance of local filmmaking and cited their respect for Rock and Shock.

"This is a special place for me," said Infected director Glenn Ciano. “The fans have been amazing.”

Silverman stressed the significance of a company like Woodhaven saying, “Woodhaven is putting the community to work.”

Roberts added (addressing the attendees), “It’s great to come to these things because you guys love this stuff and we love you for loving it.”

Horror legend Michael Berryman expressed his love for Worcester in an exclusive interview stating, “Worcester is a friendly place with great people. It has some of the most artistic citizens ever.”

As for anyone that may be weary of attending a horror convention, Berryman added, “Go to a horror convention and have fun; it’s family.”

Although the convention’s celebrities and film screenings may have been the main draw, local vendors also garnered a lot of attention throughout the weekend. Not only could attendees purchase t-shirts, posters and DVDs, there were also many handcrafted works of art available for sale.
GoLocal spoke to one such vendor named Joe Olson. An Attleboro native, Olson makes stained glass art with a unique spin. Olson, who sells his creations at GlassByJoeO.com, had everything from a stained glass Jason hockey mask to tiny chainsaws for sale. While the average horror fan might be unaware of Olson’s talent, the Rock and Shock convention offers him that much needed publicity.

“I love the exposure that it gives me,” said Olson. “The 'Movie/ Pop culture stained glass' niche is a small one, and not many people even know that it exists. The convention gives me a chance to talk with other people who share my passion for movies and gives them a chance to see my art.”

So whether you were looking for movie stars, music or merchandise, the 2012 Rock and Shock had a little something for everyone. In case you weren’t able to attend, mark your calendar for next October. For more information about this year’s convention, including pictures, check out RockandShock.com