In the summer of 2012, a buddy asked me to help him work his table, selling DVDs, at a film festival out on Long Island.  That festival was called the Macabre Faire Film Festival.  I had nothing to do that weekend, so I figured I would give him a hand.  Little did I know the impact that this decision would have on me....

The festival was in a Best Western hotel, and was relatively small. There were a handful of vendors, and a few celebrity guests, but what really struck me was the intimacy and closeness of the event.  It was NOTHING like the large celebrity autograph conventions I had been to, and that was SO refreshing.  It was all about the films and the film makers, and that's what stuck me.  I saw so many great films that weekend and met so many great people, and I was hooked.  One person stood out above all, and that person was Elsie Ginsberg, who, at the time, was introduced to me as LC Macabre.  She was friendly and genuine and I immediately got a good vibe from her.  We hit it off immediately, and I knew that I had found something special in this event.  I met several of the staff members, along with many filmmakers, actors and actresses who are still friends to this day.

As the years went by, I attended every Macabre Faire Film Festival, and it just kept getting better and better.  Every year there were more films, more filmmakers, and more opportunities to make new friends and new connections.  Every time, I looked forward to seeing the Macabre Faire staff, all of whom I were getting to know.  They are an amazing, diverse collection of dedicated people who really know how to run an event.  No matter what happens, someone is there to deal with it.  I found myself wanting to get more involved with this very strange, but very awesome film family.

By the summer of 2013, my feeling about this event had already been solidified, and I found myself looking forward to the event more and more.  The June 2013 event was special because I really began to cement friendships that had begun at the previous events.  The festival itself was really growing in terms of the films that were shown and the entertainment that was provided.  It was about this time that I began referring to Macabre Faire as "a convention unlike any other".  It was also a fun weekend because it turned into a road trip adventure with some very special people.  Wait....change that....it was a crazy weekend because of some very special people!  

Not only that, but I was touched that LC and the rest of the Macabre Faire staff marked my birthday, along with another member of the Macabre Family, with a cake presented by Eileen Dietz!

In January of 2014, Elsie and Adam Ginsberg, and the rest of the Macabre Faire Staff really took it to another level entirely with their first Red Carpet gala.  Never before had I been to a film festival where indie filmmakers were treated like royalty, as if we were all in Hollywood during the Oscars.  There were red carpet photos and interviews, and a tremendous dinner with great entertainment and a lot of fellowship, camaraderie and fun into the wee hours of the morning.  I had never attended an event like this.  I was just a patron, and yet I was still made to feel special.  I think about this time my reputation for taking photos with lovely ladies was pretty much etched in stone by hey, there are worse things to be known for!  

I had an amazing time at that first Macabre Faire Red Carpet gala, but little did I know that my experience with Macabre Faire was going to get even better.

For the 2015 Macabre Faire Film Festival, Elise Ginsberg honored me by asking me to be one of the judges on the judges panel.  I was humbled and honored that she asked me, and I took the job very seriously.  For that first time as a judge, I think I watched about 130 films.  It was a lot of work, but it was a joy to do it.  One of the great things about being a judge is that I actually get to watch all of the films.  One of the very few downsides of attending an event like Macabre Faire is that there are so many films screening all weekend that you really have to try and juggle your time and pick and choose which ones you are going to see.  Fortunately, I do not have that problem.  I have seen so many amazing films as a judge, and the quality of the work just goes up every year.

One of the other joys of being more involved with the festival is really getting to meet so many of the filmmakers, actors and actresses.  I've met so many creative people over the years, and I am proud to call many of them friends.  

An important note about 2015 is that for the first time, the Macabre Faire Film Festival partnered with another promotion, the NY Horror Show, which added a new element to the event.  There were a few more celebrity guests than usual, a bigger vendor room and yet another AMAZING red carpet gala.  Macabre Faire was now THE premiere film festival in the NY area.

Oh, and we also roasted the SHIT out of our buddy Paul Gmitter.

The 2016 Macabre Faire Film Festival was as epic as ever.  Once again, I had the honor of being a judge, and the Red Carpet Gala was more spectacular than the last time.  By now, the event had really hit it's stride, and so many of my friends started talking about it in the summer of 2015!  It really is an event where you can get to know people.  There are a ton of events out there where you wait on line for a long time to spend a few seconds with a celebrity, and these kinds of events can be a lot of fun, and I go to a lot of them.  But I go to Macabre Faire BECAUSE it's different, and because I can spend an entire weekend talking to filmmakers, actors, performers and fellow film fans.  Not to mention the ridiculous lobby and room parties! 

Here we are in 2017.  As I write this, Macabre Faire was two weeks ago, and I already miss it terribly and I wish it was next weekend. Once again, I spent a weekend with people I have come to regard as family.  I was honored to be a judge once more, and again, I have the privilege of watching almost 100 amazing films.  Even better, I got to meet many of the filmmakers and performers who brought the films to live.  It was truly an amazing experience, and it's hard to believe it's been five years since the first one I attended.  The event has grown in amazing ways and, through it all, Elsie Ginsberg has been the steady, guiding force.  I run a very small event, and I know the challenges that I face.  I can't imagine putting on a event of the scale of Macabre Faire Film Festival, and yet she does.  I also give full credit to Adam Ginsberg and the AMAZING Macabre Faire team.  They work tirelessly and do a fantastic job, and I am very proud to work with each and every one of them.

This time around I also had the honor of working with the lovely and talented Danielle Najarian on the red carpet, conducting interviews and meeting more of the filmmakers and actors.  I introduced her to my strange and wonderful Macabre Family, and she didn't run away screaming!

I also had a blast spending time with the great friends that I have made over the years, mostly because of this very event.  On Friday night, we spend two hours roasting my good friend Tom Ryan, and I must say, we did a hell of a job of it.

The Red Carpet Gala was fantastic yet again.  It's great to see everyone dressed up and having a great time, and I enjoyed seeing all the winners accept their awards

I could ramble on all night.......There's just so much to say about this event, and I could never possibly put all of my feelings into words.  I stand by my statement that the Macabre Faire Film Festival is an event unlike any other.  Nowhere else will you really get the sense that it is ALL about the films and the filmmakers, and the friendships and collaborations simply flow from that.  I get to a point where words fail, so I will just stop there.

I am honored and proud to have been with the Macabre Faire Film Festival since the beginning, and I look forward to many years to come.

​-The Horror Nerd

"It" (September 8th) - I am really looking forward to this one.  I am a fan of the original adaptation but let's face it, it does have it's flaws, Tim Curry as Pennywise notwithstanding.  If I'm being honest, he was the singular best thing about that movie.

As far as the remake is concerned, Bill Skarsgard's Pennywise looks suitably terrifying, and I can't wait to see what the production team will be able to do with current filmmaking techniques and effects.

"Get Out" (February 24th) - I am a BIG fan of Jordan Peele, and I'm really looking forward to seeing what he can do when it comes to writing and directing a horror flick.  Early buzz is very positive, and I like the trailer very much.

"Get Out" follows a young black man who discovers something very sinister while visiting his white girlfriend's family estate.  Given the state of race relations in the USA at the time this film was made, it should prove to be interesting to say the least.  

In "A Cure For Wellness" (February 17th), Dane DeHaan stars as an employee who goes to a European "Wellness Spa" to retrieve his boss, and soon realizes that there's something sinister going on, other than the health needs of the patients and that the miraculous treatments offered at the facility are not what they seem.  Oh, and he also discovers that he's trapped.

This is director Gore Verbinksi's first horror film since 2002, and I am a big fan of his, and I am a fan of psychological thrillers, such as this film, which might not be considered "true" horror films (whatever that might mean). 

Any time I hear that people puked during a film and others walked out, I am always skeptical, but with "Raw" (March 10), I tend to believe it, especially given some of the gruesome films that have come out of France over the last few years.

Justine (Garance Marillier) shows up for her first year of vet school at a, well "unusual" institution.  Almost immidiately, she is thrust into viscious hazing rutuals, some of which involve the consumption of raw meat, which is difficult for Justine, considering she's a strict vegetarian.  Things begin to escalate, of course, and this gorehound is looking forward to watching!!

I've heard good things about this one, and I'm looking forward to checking out what I hope to be a well shot, gory film, with an interesting story line.

"The Belko Experiment" (March 17) - I'm a fan of "psychological experiment" films.  I will check out pretty much any film where a person or persons are thrust into some sort of scenario to see how they will react.  I've heard some good things about this one, where a group of about 80 Americans are trapped in their corporate office in Bogota, and forced to participate in a viscous game of kill or be killed. Greg McLean (Wolf Creek) directs this one, which was written by James Gunn (Guardians of the Galaxy).  I am a fan of both of them, so I am optimistic about this flick.

There was much ridiculous controvery over the casting of Idris Elba as The Gunslinger in "The Dark Tower" (July 28th), and that alone would get me to see it, even if I was not a fan of the books. Admittedly, I only read the first three books, and I am still counting the days until this film comes out.  I am never one to bitch and moan about casting decisions.  I prefer to wait until the film comes out, and then make my judgments.  When you have an actor of the caliber of Idris Elba, how can you go wrong?  So the guy is Black, so what?  He will either be good in the role or he won't.

Stephen King adaptations have had mixed results so, if anything, I am more worried about some of the liberties they may take with the story, but I am still very excited about this one, as I have been hoping for a film version for a very long time!

"XX" (February 17th) - The Horror Nerd is a fan of horror anthologies to begin with, but here comes one where all of the segments are directed by women, with women in all the lead roles. Now, if I am being completely frank, that fact in and of itself would not really affect my desire to see the film.  However, when you have filmmakers like Jovanka Vuckovic ("The Captured Bird"), Roxanne Benjamin ("Southbound"), Karyn Kusama ("The Invitation") and two other excellent female artists, St. Vincent (Annie Clark) and Sofia Carillo, how can you go wrong?

Anthologies can be a bit uneven because, generally speaking, some of the segments are usually better than the others, but I have a good feeling about this one, given the talent that's involved.  We'll see!  Be on the lookout for this one from Magnet Releasing.

"Split" (January 20th) - I'm a big fan of James McAvoy, who is good in just about everything and yes, I am a fan of M. Night Shyamalan. Shyamalan is a guy who has had a very strange career, to say the least.  A few good to great films, and a whole bunch of duds (in my opinion anyway).  "The Visit" though was pretty good, not great, but definitely interesting enough for me to be looking forward to "Split".


McAvoy plays an man with 23 different personalities who kidnaps three young women.  The trailer, in my opinion, is fantastic, and makes me want to see more.  I truly hope this one is good, because I would love to see M. Night Shyamalan redeem himself.  I still believe he has it in him.  We'll find out I suppose!

"Alien: Covenant" (May 19th) - For the record, I was a fan of "Prometheus", despite it's many flaws, which admittedly are hard to ignore.  I liked the concept, and the visuals of the film.  It's like, there was something special there, but it just didn't come completely to fruition.  I'm hoping a lot of these flaws will be corrected in this upcoming installment, and that a lot of questions will be answered. Oh, and let's face it, the teaser poster is AWESOME!

The crew of the Covenant comes across a planet that appears to be a virtual paradise.  It turns out that the only inhabitant is David, the andriod played by Michael Fassbender, that managed to survive the Prometheus expedtion, and it turns out that the world may not be the paradise that it initially seems to be.

In interviews, Ridley Scott has said that this film will answer many of the questions left over after "Prometheus" and, while I don't personally need every plot point of a film spoon fed to me, I don't want to have to work that hard to understand a film, so I hope Scot is true to his word.  Either way, I can't wait to see this one!