Halloween at the Genesee Theatre: Stories to Make You Jump
Waukegan Public Library presents the award-winning
Ray Bradbury Storytelling Festival on All Hallows Eve
Waukegan, IL— Experience Halloween beyond trick-or-treating, costumes, and pumpkin carving this year. Instead, celebrate Ray Bradbury’s favorite holiday with some of the most recognized ghost stories, macabre fables, and creepy tales told on the historic Genesee Theatre stage. The Ninth Annual Ray Bradbury Storytelling Festival, hosted by the Waukegan Public Library, takes place on Friday, October 31 at 6:30 p.m. in downtown Waukegan.
Named after, and honoring Waukegan’s famous writer-offspring, the Ray Bradbury Storytelling Festival has entertained fans of literature, storytelling, and Bradbury for the past eight years. Each year, the festival celebrates a different literary theme such as “Literary Monsters”, “Literary Ghosts” or “Literary Witches.” This year’s theme “Literary Halloween” delights in Bradbury’s favorite time of year.
Megan Wells serves as the artistic director of the festival and appears each year in the persona of various nefarious characters, from Dracula to Mr. Dark. She holds an MFA in theater arts and numerous theater awards including the Joseph Jefferson Award for directing. Wells is excited to tell one of Bradbury’s famous Halloween stories on the evening he loved most.
“Nine years ago, we asked Ray Bradbury if we could use his name to create an annual Storytelling Festival, and his only stipulation was that it be at the end of October, around Halloween,” said Richard Lee, executive director of the Waukegan Public Library. “His love of fall comes out in his writing. You can actually smell the autumn air, taste the pumpkin pie, hear the crush of leaves, and often feel an impending shiver. It will be incredible to hear his words that evening.”
Presented by the Waukegan Public Library, the award-winning festival presents a frightful family friendly first act for all ages at 6:30 p.m. and a spooky second act recommended for listeners age 12 and older starting at 8:00 p.m. Tickets are $25 for both acts, or guests can purchase reduced tickets for one act only. Present any library card at the box office and receive $1 off the ticket price. Tickets go on sale Friday, August 29 at the Genesee box office or www.ticketmaster.com.
A one-hour matinee show for students is presented at 10:30 a.m. Tickets for the school show are $5 if purchased before October 1 or $6 after October 1. School groups receive one free chaperone ticket for every ten tickets purchased. Teachers and caregivers can contact the box office at 847-623-6300 for more information.
The Ray Bradbury Storytelling Festival is a great way for both children and adults to enjoy the fun, and occasionally dark, aspects of this venerable holiday. All attendees are welcome to dress in costume. For more information, call or visit the library at www.waukeganpl.org or (847) 623-2041.
Since 1898, the award-winning Waukegan Public Library has provided the community with opportunities to learn, gather and be entertained. As a 2013 Institute of Museum and Library Services National Medal winner, a 2012 Library Journal Library of the Year runner-up and recipient of two American Library Association awards, the library consistently offers innovative educational programming that meets the needs of the community. The main library is located in downtown Waukegan at 128 N. County Street, just north of the County Building; the Hinkston Park Branch is located at 800 N. Baldwin, in the Waukegan Park District Field House. For more information, call 847-623-2041, or visit www.waukeganpl.org.
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Michael Rooker stars in Carbondale-created THE DRIVING DEAD
| 08/25/2014 |
ACTOR MICHAEL ROOKER TO STAR IN “THE DRIVING DEAD”
New Web Series Slated for August 25 Launch
SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (August 22, 2014) – “The Driving Dead,” a new Web series starring actor Michael Rooker, announces it will debut with an extended-length pilot episode on August 25, 2014. Rooker fans will be able to view the pilot and subsequent installments online, exclusively at www.TheDrivingDeadSeries.com.
The Driving Dead follows the survival stories of a group of road travelers as they face harrowing encounters in a post-apocalyptic world. Rooker, renowned for his roles in Marvel’s latest, “Guardians of the Galaxy,”and AMC’s, “The Walking Dead”has signed on to appear in the first four episodes.
“When I heard about The Driving Dead, I thought that the concept was really cool,” said Rooker. “In this series, we are able to share some really important messages in a way that is unlike anything that has been done before.”
Part of a new campaign spearheaded by the Illinois Department of Transportation, The Driving Dead series was created by Arthur Agency out of Carbondale, Ill. Leading up to the August 25launch, fans can connect with The Driving Dead on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram for up-to-date news and a behind-the-scenes look at the series.
For more information visit www.TheDrivingDeadSeries.com.
Leave A Commentposted in Chicago Zombie News & Events by Chad Savage
Leave a Comment Go to Post...Kick Off the Haunt Season at Riot Fest with… CONTAINER 9
A sneak peak of Zombie Army Productions' newest creation, Container 9. This new haunted house will be unveiled at Riot Fest Chicago, this September.Leave a Comment Go to Post...
Kick Off the Haunt Season at Riot Fest with… CONTAINER 9
A sneak peak of Zombie Army Productions' newest creation, Container 9. This new haunted house will be unveiled at Riot Fest Chicago, this September.Leave a Comment Go to Post...
Bruce Campbell Horror Film Festival, August 21-24 in Rosemont
The first ever Bruce Campbell Horror Film Festival, running August 21-24, 2014 in Rosemont, IL is excited to announce the full lineup of screenings, special guests, panels, and events, The four-day festival, presented by The Awesome Fest, will coincide with Wizard World Chicago Comic Con and will feature the best (and bloodiest) in independent horror cinema.
Bruce Campbell’s Horror Film Festival is thrilled to kick off the festival with the U.S. Premieres of both Lowell Dean’s hilarious & crowd-pleasing WOLFCOP & Director Richard Bates Jr’s (Excision) haunted house comedy, SUBURBAN GOTHIC! The festivities come to a close on a much darker note, Sunday, August 24th with the Chicago premiere of the brutally awesome supernatural revenge tale SAVAGED, from local filmmaker Michael S. Ojeda.
“I’m pleased as punch to partner with Wizard World and The Awesome Fest to bring you the finest in modern day carnage and mayhem flicks”, said Bruce Campbell. “Drop by and have yourself a groovy time!”
The festival will take place at the Donald E. Stephens Convention Center in Rosemont, the Muvico Rosemont, and inside the Dome at Rosemont Ballpark.
Tickets for ALL screenings are free to attend with admission to Wizard World Chicago Comic Con. An extremely limited number of festival badges (only $50!) and single tickets for all films, are on sale now athttp://wizardworld.ticketleap.com/awesomefest
.
Feature Presentations:
Thursday, August 21
7:30PM SUBURBAN GOTHIC U.S. Premiere
(Director: Richard Bates Jr., Writers: Richard Bates Jr., Mark Bruner)
Raymond can channel the paranormal, but he’s afraid of chatting with a cute girl.. Kicked out of his big city apartment, Raymond returns home to his overbearing mother, ex-jock father, and beer-bellied classmates. But when a vengeful ghost terrorizes the small town, Ray recruits Becca, a badass local bartender, to help solve the mystery. From the director of the admirably strange Excision, and starring Matthew Gray Gubler, Ray Wise, and Kat Dennings.
LOCATION: Muvico Rosemont, 9701 Bryn Mawr Ave, Rosemont, IL 60018
9:30PM WOLFCOP U.S. Premiere
(Director: Lowell Dean, Writer: Lowell Dean)
It’s not unusual for alcoholic cop Lou Garou to black out and wake up in unfamiliar surroundings, but lately things have taken a strange turn. Crime scenes seem oddly familiar. Lou’s senses are heightened, and when the full moon is out, he’s a rage-fueled werewolf. WOLFCOP is one cop’s quest to become a better man…one transformation at a time.
LOCATION: Muvico Rosemont, 9701 Bryn Mawr Ave, Rosemont, IL 60018
Friday, August 22
5:30PM CYBERNATURAL Special Screening
(Director: Levan Gabriadze, Writer: Nelson Greaves)
While video chatting one night, six high school friends receive a Skype message from a classmate who killed herself exactly one year ago. A first they think it’s a prank, but when the girl starts revealing the friends’ darkest secrets, they realize they are dealing with something out of this world, something that wants them dead. Told entirely from a young girl’s computer desktop, Cybernatural redefines ‘found footage’ for a new generation of teens. From producer Timur Bekmambetov (Night Watch, Wanted).
LOCATION: Room 14 at Donald E. Stephens Convention Center, Rosemont IL
7:15PM INNER DEMONS Chicago Premiere
(Director: Seth Grossman, Writer: Glenn Gers)
Inner Demons follows an ‘Intervention’-style reality show crew that films an episode about a sixteen-year old girl, a former A-student, who is fighting addiction but may in fact be suffering from something even more destructive: demonic possession. Director Seth Grossman was a producer on A&E’s award winning series “Intervention,” which certainly lends an air of authenticity to a gradually more unpredictable horror story.
LOCATION: Room 14 at Donald E. Stephens Convention Center, Rosemont IL
9:30PM STARRY EYES Chicago Premiere
(Director: Kevin Kolsch, Dennis Widmyer, Writers: Kevin Kolsch, Dennis Widmyer)
A hopeful young starlet uncovers the ominous origins of the Hollywood elite and enters into a deadly agreement in exchange for fame and fortune. From the producer of Cheap Thrills and Jodorowsky’s Dune, Dennis Widmyer & Kevin Kolsch’s Starry Eyes is an occult tale of ambition, possession, and the true cost of fame. Leading lady Alex Essoe is an absolute revelation, but there’s a lot for horror fans to get behind here.
LOCATION: Muvico Rosemont, 9701 Bryn Mawr Ave, Rosemont, IL 60018
11:30PM ZOMBEAVERS Chicago Premiere
(Director: Jordan Rubin, Writers: Jordan Rubin, Al Kaplan, Jon Kaplan)
An action-packed horror/comedy in which a group of college kids staying at a riverside cabin are menaced by a swarm of deadly zombie beavers. Yes, really. That’s the plot!
LOCATION: Muvico Rosemont, 9701 Bryn Mawr Ave, Rosemont, IL 60018
Saturday, August 23
12:00PM MEET ME THERE Chicago Premiere
(Director: Lex Lybrand, Writer: Brandon Stroud)
After several years of sexual dysfunction, Ada and her boyfriend, Calvin travel to her hometown in rural Oklahoma in the hopes of piecing together her fragmented childhood memories. They find their answers, but can they find their way back home? Starring WWE’s Goldust & DC Comic’s Jill Thompson.
LOCATION: Room 14 at Donald E. Stephens Convention Center, Rosemont IL
4:00PM EXTRATERRESTRIAL Chicago Premiere
(Director: The Vicious Brothers, Writers: The Vicious Brothers)
A group of friends on a weekend trip to a cabin in the woods find themselves terrorized by alien visitors, who promptly chase everyone all over the place. So it’s a slasher movie, a suspense thriller, and a pretty gruesome alien abduction tale all at once. Plus it’s got some solid humor and an amazing final shot. From the directors of the found footage horror flick Grave Encounters. Oh, also Michael Ironside pops up!
LOCATION: Room 14 at Donald E. Stephens Convention Center, Rosemont IL
8:00PM THE EVIL DEAD MARATHON!
The Evil Dead (1981), Evil Dead 2 (1987), and Army of Darkness (1992)
You’ve almost definitely seen the Evil Dead movies before, but we guarantee you’ve never seen them like this! Join us under The Dome at Rosemont Ballpark as we screen the original entire Evil Dead trilogy on a giant 30 foot movie screen.
Special surprises, and guests TBA. This marathon is completely FREE for all to attend! No badges or Wizard World ticket necessary.
LOCATION: The Dome at the Ballpark, 34 Jennie Finch Way, Des Plaines, IL 60018
11:30PM DEAD SNOW 2: RED VS. DEAD
(Director: Tommy Wirkola, Writers: Stig Frode Henriksen, Vegar Hoel, Tommy Wirkola)
If the worst day of your life consisted of accidentally killing your girlfriend with an axe, chain-sawing your own arm off, and watching in horror as your closest friends were devoured by a zombified Nazi battalion, you’d have to assume that things couldn’t get much worse. In Martin’s case, that was only the beginning. From the director of Hansel & Gretel: Witch Hunters and (of course) Dead Snow.
LOCATION: Muvico Rosemont, 9701 Bryn Mawr Ave, Rosemont, IL 60018
Sunday, August 24:
1:00PM KILLERS Chicago Premiere
(Directors: The Mo Brothers, Writers: Takuji Ushiyama, Timo Tjahjanto) A dark look into the minds of two men with nothing in common: Nomura, a self-obsessed serial killer residing in Tokyo and Bayu, a failing journalist who lives in Jakarta. Connected through a series violent incidents, both men inexplicably start to feed off each other. (Not literally). Co-directors “The Mo Brothers” (Macabre, V/H/S/2) deliver an epic tale that works as action, suspense, and disturbing horror at the same time.
LOCATION: Room 14 at Donald E. Stephens Convention Center, Rosemont IL
4:30PM ASMODEXIA North American Premiere
(Director: Marc Carrete, Writers: Marc Carrete, Mike Hostench) Written by Mike Hostench (Deputy Director of Sitges Film Festival), Asmodexia documents five days in the lives of an exorcist and his granddaughter working in the Barcelona area. If you think you’ve seen every exorcism angle imaginable, prepare to be surprised. And a little grossed out.
LOCATION: Room 14 at Donald E. Stephens Convention Center, Rosemont IL
7:30PM SAVAGED Chicago Premiere
(Director: Michael S. Ojeda, Writer: Michael S. Ojeda)
A deaf girl is brutalized by a murderous gang who are then hunted by her when the bloodthirsty spirit of an Apache warrior inhabits her lifeless body. Local Chicago filmmaker, Michael S. Ojeda, brings home his fantastically brutal supernatural shocker, a cross between THE CROW & I SPIT ON YOUR GRAVE. Definitely not for the squeamish (and that’s a major compliment)!
LOCATION: Muvico Rosemont, 9701 Bryn Mawr Ave, Rosemont, IL 60018
Interactive Panels:
Saturday, August 23
2:00-2:45PM A CHAT WITH JOHN CARPENTER
Join us for this very special occasion as we honor the Master of Horror with a conversation spanning his entire career.
LOCATION: Room 4 at Donald E. Stephens Convention Center, Rosemont IL
3:00-3:45PM THE MANY TALENTS OF JON SCHNEPP
(Metalocalypse, Dethklok, The ABC’s of Death, The Death of “Superman Lives”: What Happened?)
Death Metal is the horror genre of the music industry and Adult Swim’s Metalocalypse may just be its greatest tribute ever. Join us as we chat with one of the masterminds behind that show (and so much more), as well as his discuss his upcoming feature: The Death of “Superman Lives.”
LOCATION: Room 14 at Donald E. Stephens Convention Center, Rosemont IL
6:15-7:00PM BRUCE CAMPBELL VS. THE AUDIENCE
Best known for his roles on the big screen in cult classics Army of Darkness and Evil Dead, as well as his role as Sam Axe in the hit TV series Burn Notice, Bruce Campbell has proven to be a force to be reckoned with as an actor, director, and author. Don’t miss your chance to ask him your most interesting questions as he makes an appearance at Wizard World Chicago Comic Con.
LOCATION: Room 24 / Second Floor at Donald E. Stephens Convention Center, Rosemont IL
Sunday, August 24
3:30-4:15PM A CRITICAL DEFENSE OF B-MOVIES
Panel discussion and Q&A with film critics Steve “Capone” Prokopy (Ain’t It Cool News), Erik “The Movieman” Childress (Chicago Film Critics Association), & Scott Weinberg (FEARnet, The Horror Show). Special guest filmmakers will also be joining the panel!.
LOCATION: Room 14 at Donald E. Stephens Convention Center, Rosemont IL
