Many of them looked at us with a mixture of bewilderment and amusement, and The Rule of Jenny Pen head on a stick that I proudly held high only seemed to add to the latter. Were we protesting something (these days I consider myself to be in a constant state of protest)? Were we celebrating something (why yes, of course, a very special anniversary)? Were we not quite in our right minds (quite the contrary, I had rarely felt more in my right mind than I did in that moment)?
Indeed, I had the feeling that while many of the bystanders watching from the cobblestone sidewalks and iron-railed balconies had seen a Second Line parade before, they had never seen one quite like this—one that had Babadook leaping onto a Bobcat and Frendo clowns prancing about outside of their beloved cornfields and the Boulet Brothers leading the charge with a live marching band playing the haunting tones of John Carpenter’s Halloween score. But that was the beauty of it. This is why myself and so many of my fellow marchers had come back to this magical place at this special time. While summer was still lurking around the corner a few calendar pages away, summer camp for horror fans was now in full season, because the Overlook Film Festival had returned to New Orleans in all its gory glory for another round of must-see screenings, immersive experiences, and skin-crawling tarantulas… just like any respectable summer camp!
After catching up with friends both familiar and new (shoutout to Rob and Justin) my first evening in New Orleans at Tsunami Sushi and the Bourbon “O” Bar (home of the six-minute fizz, IYKYK), it was time to dive headfirst into another Overlook Film Festival on Thursday, which for me usually kicks off with a trip to the Super Yaki and Vinegar Syndrome tables right after getting my badge before that evening’s festivities. While I always intend to leave space in my luggage when I pack for Overlook to account for all the ghoulish goodies I buy at the fest, it’s never quite enough room, because Super Yaki delivers with a killer new design for each year’s Overlook, and Vinegar Syndrome literally has titles that you can’t get anywhere else. Suffice to say that zipping my luggage shut this year took an extra effort because Super Yaki and Vinegar Syndrome did not disappoint yet again, and I can’t wait to do my Overlook homework and watch all of the awesome films I picked up on 4K and Blu-ray (especially the ’80s heavy metal horror film Blood Tracks)!
Upon lugging my horror haul back to my hotel room, it was time to witness tropical terrors in my first screening of the fest, Monster Island (think Creature from the Black Lagoon meets Predator), before lining up for the aforementioned second line parade to celebrate Shudder’s tenth anniversary (while I didn’t personally see Christopher Landon’s opening night movie Drop at the fest, I cannot wait to see it in theaters, and you should definitely read Matt Donato’s review and interview with Landon)! Led by the Boulet Brothers, accompanied by a live brass band (which warmed my tuba-playing heart, low brass for life!), and featuring iconic horror costumes, the second line parade was an unforgettable experience and a vital celebration of inclusion, creativity, and uniqueness—three things that we need right now more than ever.
The celebration didn’t stop once the parade was over, either, as our macabre march led us right to the Toulouse Theatre for the Shudder 10th Anniversary Opening Night Party. Hosted by the Boulet Brothers and featuring killer live drag performances from Boulet Brothers’ Dragula, the opening night party was truly a night to remember, giving me a chance to catch up with more friends that we’ve met through past Overlooks (especially through the immersive experiences, shoutout to Brian and Alexa) and also giving me the opportunity to once again have a tarantula crawl on my face.
If you didn’t read my Overlook event report from 2024 or need a refresher: last year the fine folks at Shudder provided tarantulas to crawl on your face to help celebrate the screening of Sébastien Vanicek’s spider-centric horror film Infested. As someone who has always considered myself to have arachnophobia, especially given how prevalent tarantulas were in ’90s sitcoms and movies (I can still remember a vivid tarantula nightmare I had in the late ’90s), I never thought I would willingly allow spiders to crawl on my face, but there I was with two tarantulas doing just that last year in honor of Infested. Flash forward to this year’s Overlook, and I swore that I would never again have tarantulas on my face, but after a quickly signed waiver and some liquid courage, there I was in the Toulouse Theater with another eight-legged friend—albeit smaller than the ones last year—carefully crawling over my eyeball and then roaming through my hair (just like a prickly shampooing). I guess there’s just something about New Orleans that expands my horizons and makes me shed my phobias. Perhaps next year snakes or skydiving (or skydiving with snakes) will be on my list? Never say never in the Big Easy.
After the opening night party at Toulouse Theatre and a memorable trip to the aptly named Dungeon bar (where more intriguing conversations were shared against the backdrop of awesome ’80s hair metal), it was time to turn in and rest up for another big day, because on Friday I was going to do what every DCOM (Disney Channel Original Movie) fan from the ’90s always dreamed of: I was going to Halloweentown. Well, I wasn’t actually hopping on that flying bus and traveling to Halloweentown with Marnie Piper, but I was going to do the next best thing: watch Brett Whitcomb and Bradford Thomason’s documentary The Spirit of Halloweentown, which takes place in St. Helens, Oregon (the filming location of the iconic 1998 DCOM about embracing witchcraft and finding your true identity), and follows its eclectic (and in some cases eccentric) residents as they prepare for the annual Spirit of Halloweentown festival that takes place over the course of six weekends and even includes lighting the giant pumpkin in the town square (take that, Kalabar!).
While The Spirit of Halloweentown was a much different documentary than I expected, focusing more on how the beloved 1998 DCOM has impacted the residents of St. Helens rather than doing a deep dive on the movie itself, I was pleasantly surprised at just how effectively it explores the different facets of small-town life. Whether it’s following a team of passionate paranormal investigators, tracks the latest developments in the wake of a tavern owner’s reply to a negative review that has the whole town talking, or going behind the scenes of a killer zombie cheerleader routine, The Spirit of Halloweentown was a quirky, heartwarming, and altogether magical viewing experience, and I can’t wait to revisit it in the autumns ahead. It’s a must-see documentary whether you’re a lifelong Halloweentown fan (like yours truly) or a total newcomer to the franchise. Plus, at the screening I also had the pleasure of meeting Erin Broussard and Donny Broussard, the filmmakers behind the demonic short horror film Arson, which I highly recommend (especially if you’re nostalgic for ’90s boy bands à la NSYNC and 98 Degrees).
After stepping off my broomstick and returning back to Earth from my Spirit of Halloweentown viewing, it was time to head to trivia at B Mac’s, sponsored by Daily Dead for a third year in a row! Curated by Shudder’s Sam Zimmerman and featuring Daily Dead Editor-in-Chief Jonathan James handing out Blu-rays and DVDs aplenty for the winners, this year’s trivia once again put the audience’s horror IQs to the test with a challenging set of questions spanning different decades, various subgenres, and eclectic soundtracks. And while fellow Daily Dead team member Christy and I don’t officially compete due to the sponsorship, I feel like we had our best overall year playing along for fun, and it was great to see our fellow horror fans and our festival friends pack the patio at B Mac’s, where I was even treated to my first-ever pickleback shot following trivia (thanks Christy)!
With the potent mixture of Jamison and pickle juice still tantalizing my tastebuds, Christy and I made our way back to Prytania Theatres on the third floor of the Canal Place mall (with a delicious pitstop at Willie’s Chicken on Bourbon Street) for a screening of Hallow Road while Jonathan went to an undisclosed location for perhaps the most coveted immersive experience of this year’s Overlook Film Festival: The Manikins: A Work in Progress. Created by Deadweight Theatre, this immersive experience was so coveted, in fact, that there were only several tickets available by the time my purchase window opened leading up to the festival, and it just so happens that Jonathan and I were trying to buy the same ticket at the same time, with him ultimately having the quickest draw in our online shootout. And since I’m totally not jealous at all that he got the only ticket that would have worked out for me timewise (no, seriously, I’m really not jealous, not one bit), he was kind enough to share his thoughts on The Manikins immersive experience:
When I signed up for The Manikins: A Work in Progress, I intentionally went in knowing as little as possible. All I knew was that it was some kind of immersive performance or experience for an audience of one (me), lasting around 90 minutes. Most experiences tailored to a single person tend to be shorter, usually in the 15–30 minute range, so the idea of being immersed in a world for the length of a feature film made this my most anticipated event at Overlook and it did not disappoint!
I can’t tell you exactly what happens… part of the fun is that doing so would spoil it for you. Plus, knowing ahead of time wouldn’t really prepare you for what to expect, should you decide to take part. See, The Manikins is highly interactive. What you say and do shapes the experience and makes it a unique performance for you. I knew it was going to be a mind-bending journey, but I wasn’t prepared for how effectively it blended dreams and reality. Much like a dream, I honestly don’t remember every single detail or the order in which things happened. Especially toward the end, I was so invested in what was unfolding and so turned around by it all that I couldn’t accurately recall what had just happened.
When it was all over, I left The Manikins truly impressed and inspired by the performers and the creative team. This is no easy production. The malleable nature of the performance means that the creative team does a lot of heavy lifting to make it work. So, while 90 minutes felt like a solid amount of time for the performers, I was enjoying myself so much that I could’ve easily spent another 90 minutes there.
If this sounds intriguing to you, I strongly suggest you don’t seek out more information on what The Manikins is. Instead, just seek out The Manikins wherever it may pop up next.
There you have it! Just as I hoped, The Manikins did not disappoint (for those lucky enough to experience it), and while Jonathan was caught up in the mind-bending mayhem of the immersive experience, Hallow Road thankfully did not disappoint either. Directed by Babak Anvari (who was on hand to introduce the film) and starring Rosamund Pike and Matthew Rhys as a mom and dad who receive a phone call from their daughter late one night that is every parent’s worst nightmare, Hallow Road takes place in real time and cranks up the tension with every passing minute. Like many movies, the less you know going in the better, but suffice to say that Hallow Road is a spine-chilling watch that expertly walks the line between brutal realism and supernatural ambiguity. It’s also the perfect length at a brisk 80 minutes, and I think it would make a killer double feature with Ishana Shyamalan’s The Watchers (at a very specific point in the film, you’ll know why).
After driving to the eerie end of Hallow Road, my Friday night took a relaxing detour and was an evening off from parties, parades, and eight-legged furry friends, but that was okay, as it gave me the chance to rest up for what would be an epic Saturday at Overlook, beginning with A Conversation with Joe Hill! In addition to movies and immersive experiences, the Overlook Film Festival has always been a safe haven for horror authors, and this year was their biggest showcase yet when it came to author panels and book signings. When I saw that one of the modern-day masters of horror was going to be in attendance, I knew I had to be there. Hosted by Sam Zimmerman (fresh off his trivia hosting gig the previous day), A Conversation with Joe Hill was a fascinating dive into Hill’s career as a writer, particularly his early years when he was writing many of the short stories contained within the essential collection 20th Century Ghosts (including “The Black Phone” and “Abraham’s Boys,” with the former’s adaptation screening at Overlook in 2022 and the latter’s adaptation having its world premiere at this year’s festival).
Hill’s reflections on his career made for a fascinating and inspiring listen for any aspiring writers, especially when he talked about his realization that he needed to write about what excites him to be the most effective (and happy) as a writer, and going behind the scenes on some of his most chilling short stories was an absolute delight. Plus, Hill teased the characters readers will encounter in his new novel King Sorrow, coming out this fall as an 896-page Halloween season treat. The best part of the panel for me, though, didn’t occur until after it was over, when I was fortunate to get a photo with Hill comparing our Creepshow T-shirts (and many thanks to Vines writer/director Luke Zwanziger for taking the photo!). This photo delights me to no end, not only because Joe Hill played the comic book-reading Billy Hopkins from the Creepshow film who is pictured on my shirt (initially I thought it might be too on the nose, although I’m glad I wore it), but also because back in 2014 I had the chance to meet Tom Atkins, who played Billy’s dad in Creepshow, making the Joe Hill photo feel like a full-circle Hopkins family moment (now I just need to meet The Creep!).
With the cackles of The Creep still echoing in my ears a few hours later, it was time to settle in for another author panel, one that would be wildly different in format but just as insightful and educational as its predecessor: Grady Hendrix’s Witchcraft for Wayward Girls – Live! I’d never had the pleasure of seeing Grady Hendrix do a live performance before, but I had heard how incredible they could be from those who attended his legendary Paperbacks from Hell presentations. Witchcraft for Wayward Girls was my constant companion on the plane rides to New Orleans this year, so I was extra psyched to see what Hendrix had in store. Rather than a live reading of his new book or discussion about his past novels, Hendrix instead did a deep dive into the history of witchcraft, focusing on the many women (and occasional men) who were unjustly accused of being witches throughout the centuries, often resulting in murder and mayhem at the hands of malicious men who wielded the fear of witchcraft like a weapon of prejudice and hate. While I was very familiar with the horrors of the Salem witch trials, I had no idea just how prevalent false accusations of witchcraft had been on a global scale, resulting in thousands of deaths throughout history and unfortunately continuing in parts of the world to this day. By the end of Hendrix’s presentation, I was seething with rage at these abhorrent men throughout history who had brought so much pain to the world due to their own insecurities and unhappiness (sounds kind of familiar to some current events, doesn’t it?), but at the end of his presentation, Hendrix provided some closure by having the room chant “we remember you” after reciting some of the key names of those who had been accused of witchcraft over the years, and for a moment it felt like everyone in that room was united as our own coven conjuring a spell of remembrance and defiance.
Now armed with essential knowledge of witchcraft, it was soon time for another fascinating history lesson as I took my seat for The Late Great Midnite Spook Show with Zabrecky: A Multimedia Illustrated Talk. Hosted by the amazing magician Zabrecky (who conducted two séances I’ve been lucky to be a part of at past Overlooks), this presentation explored the history of “Spook Shows,” which were live magic shows that often took place before midnight screenings of horror movies at small-town theaters throughout America in the 1930s–1960s. Similar to the global scope of witchcraft in Hendrix’s presentation, I was not aware of the history of Spook Shows and just how popular they were in the United States for decades. What was perhaps most surprising is the boundary-pushing shock factor of these Spook Shows and how far magicians would go to scare their audiences, whether it was making it seem as though someone had really been sawn in half or creating the illusion of ghosts floating through the theater (or even having a monster on the loose in the aisles!). Zabrecky’s firsthand knowledge of magician history and his slideshow of real-life video and print advertisements made this presentation one of the most informative and entertaining highlights of this year’s Overlook Film Festival, and it would make for a great prepper for the horror hijinks at the 13 Ghosts screening the next day…
But I’m getting ahead of myself. Before we saw 13 Ghosts and experienced our own Spook Show on Sunday, it was time for the Splatterday Night Goth Party at the Toulouse Theater! Similar to the opening night party, more great conversations with friends both familiar and new abounded within the rockin’ walls of the Toulouse Theater, this time to the backdrop of a synth-soaked ’80s soundtrack from host and curator Destryur. After a full day brimming with excellent panels, it was nice to let down my hair (metaphorically speaking—alas, I didn’t have my Eddie Munson wig with me this year) and catch up with so many fellow horror fans, writers, and filmmakers, especially when it came to talking about my favorite Jack Ketchum books and novellas with author and avid reader Adam Cesare (whose own must-read book Clown in a Cornfield had its anticipated adaptation screen at Overlook this year).
Following another amazing evening at the Toulouse, Sunday arrived with another full day of frightful fun for Overlook campers, and it was difficult to believe that it was already the last day of the fest. After kicking off the day with an adventurous escape room at The Escape Game (just down the road from Canal Place) and a coffee & doughnuts milkshake at Legendairy Milkshake Bar that lived up to its name in every way, I had my first immersive experience early that afternoon: Spooky Tales with Cowboy Dale, just off the food court at the mall. I’ll try not to give away too much in case you haven’t had a chance to visit Cowboy Dale yourself, but I will say this: while I was expecting a Western horror theme, Spooky Tales with Cowboy Dale was not what I expected, and although it was only about 20 minutes long, the experience became personal and emotional, as I ended up talking about my late grandparents and found myself tapping into Circus Pizza nostalgia from long ago—and that’s before things took a very surprising turn. If you ever get a chance to join Cowboy Dale around the campfire, I highly recommend you do so… no matter how strange his stare may seem.
Still digesting Cowboy Dale’s shocking revelations, I joined the Daily Dead crew on a trek to Prytania Theatre Uptown for Phantom Follies with Zabrecky: A Midnight Spook Show & Film Spectacular before a special screening of William Castle’s 13 Ghosts. After learning about Spook Shows the previous day, it was time for us to witness one in person… with one of us destined to become a part of the show, as Daily Dead Editor-in-Chief Jonathan James was selected by Zebrecky to take part in a terrifying trivia segment! Although he tried his best, unfortunately not even Jonathan could name 120 Roger Corman movies, and in true Spook Show fashion, his punishment for losing trivia was to lose a limb! Shortly after being taken backstage, a shrill scream reverberated through the theater, and a severed hand was tossed out on stage, soon followed by Jonathan exiting the stage wearing a sling, the latest victim of Zabrecky’s Midnight Spook Show mayhem. Let’s just say that I’ve been brushing up on Roger Corman’s filmography ever since!
The Spook Show came to a creepy conclusion with the lights plunging the theater into darkness, a giant hairy monster roaming the aisles, ghosts floating through the air, and a supposedly dead Zabrecky slumped against the organ on the side of the stage, making for the perfect segue into 13 Ghosts! This was no ordinary screening of William Castle’s 1960 chiller, though. Similar to how Overlook previously did a special presentation of The Tingler with “Percepto!” shocking buzzers under select seats, this screening of 13 Ghosts was presented in Illusion-O! One of the many brilliant William Castle gimmicks to help add another layer to the theatrical experience, Illusion-O is a viewfinder device with two filters: one red and one blue. If you believe in ghosts, you are to look through the red filter and ghosts will appear at certain points in the film (including a lion!), but if you don’t believe in the supernatural, or you’re a little too scared to see ghosts during the film, then you are to look through the blue filter and you’ll see nothing (which in its own way is even more unsettling because it makes it look like the characters are reacting to something only they can see). Watching 13 Ghosts as William Castle intended was the icing on the Overlook cake, and I can only hope that one day I can watch the Dark Castle remake with those really cool spectral glasses that Matthew Lillard wore!
Alas, as the end credits for 13 Ghosts rolled and Jonathan miraculously grew his hand back, our Overlook film viewings had come to an end, but the night was still young! After catching up with Phil, Angel, and Kimberly from the fantastic Fangoria crew outside of Prytania Theatre Uptown, we headed back to The Escape Game for another successful escape room (what can I say, we love solving puzzles at Daily Dead) before heading out for a bite to eat and eventually finding ourselves at late-night karaoke, where my strained voice tried its best Lit and Blink-182 imitations (not my greatest performances, but it was a lot of fun watching Brian and Jonathan kill it with their covers of everything from Celine Dion to Weezer to Creed) before turning in for the night and calling it a fest.
And what a fest it was! Overlook has always been a blast, but this year brought it to a whole new level. The movies were amazing (I’d be remiss to not mention The Ugly Stepsister and Good Boy, which are really unique, bold, and uncompromising in their respective visions), the lines for the films were organized and efficient (the online setup for ticket reservations was stress-free), the panels and discussions were informative and entertaining, the heartwarming conversations with friends both familiar and new were plentiful, the immersive experiences were memorable (even if I didn’t get to do The Manikins—don’t worry, I’m still not jealous at all about that), and it was all made possible by the hard-working volunteers and festival staff that spend so much time putting Overlook together each and every year (after all, you can’t have a summer camp for horror fans without counselors and staff members to make all the scares run smoothly). I seem to say this each time Overlook comes to a close, but I already can’t wait for next year, and I mean that from the bottom of my horror-loving heart. In the meantime, I can only hope my eight-legged friends are waiting for me when I return, because at this point it doesn’t feel like Overlook without prickly spider legs crawling across my face!
