Aeronautic Primates and Other Delights

Last night I volunteered with the International Horror & Sci-Fi Film Festival (of which I am a proud sponsor), helping Andrea (aka the Midnite Movie Mamacita) with a Zombie Scavenger Hunt during First Friday. We had twelve teams sign up (most dressed as zombies) with ten making the final check-in at 10PM. We had them searching for things like the bagpipe player, break dancers, where Waldo might hang out (there was a specific answer), and a whole smorgasbord of other eclectic finds.

Some of the zombies were pale makeup jobs with darker makeup around the eyes. Others were rubber masks. Still others were "character" zombies, like the guy in the fatigues who apparently rose from the dead in the middle of Vietnam. One set of teenage brothers came dripping and oozing stage blood from all sorts of interesting places (almost every one of the other booth workers ended up with some on their skin -- I stayed the hell away). One group just smeared fake blood on themselves and we gave them only half-points on their costume because they could've just been psycho killers who didn't shower.

While the teams were out and about, I hawked fliers at anybody who was even remotely interested, flanked by a girl, who we shall call A, who turned out to be pretty interesting -- volunteers at the Phoenix Film Foundation, loves Chungking Express, used to do roller derby. I ended up asking for her number (and I don't think I've ever just up and done that). So that was cool.

It was interesting to see the different approaches in selling the Horror Festival. A talked about it in general terms -- "Horror and Sci-Fi Film Festival, lots of scary movies, October 23-26!" I hawked individual films -- "50th Anniversary Screening of The Blob! Jell-O that eats people! You love it! Re-Animator with star Jeffrey Combs in attendance!" Two other people had sell-lines with a broader appeal -- "Blood and boobs! Lots of gore and carnage! Horror and Sci-Fi Film Festival!"

Anyway, it was a lot of fun. I don't get out a lot anymore and when I do, it's almost always with THEM, so this was a nice change of pace for me. Plus, phone number!

hi, this is dave. i'm one of nate's coworkers. i don't gotta lot of time, but this was nate's last wish and stuff before he was eaten by zombies. yeah, it sounds stupid, but we're under attak here. nate was all like, i saw the dawn of the dead and he'd get us thru this and then he's eaten. srsly, blood everywhere. he managed to crawl back into the building and then he told me his password (which is weak so I changed it) and to post to let everyone no whats up. then he died.

whatever. he wanted you guys to know that he was sorry he was gonna miss con. I don't know what that means, but he's sorry. i got him under a sheet here and I'm sposed to shoot him in the head if he gets up again.

hold on. he's moving. i gotta go check this out. i'll be right back.

Drabble/ficlet for midnightfae, who wanted Wonderfalls and zombies. Rated PG-13/R-lite for violence.

( We're bobbin' along in our barrel... )