Apr 22 2012

Thousands Attend Boston Comic Con this Weekend

Thousands Attend Boston Comic Con this Weekend

by Rob Watts

Finally, the time had come! The weekend where comic geeks all across Massachusetts could gather together and not hold their heads down in shame for enjoying sci-fi, fantasy and adventure. Myself included. This was a major event.

Over the years, this con had gone from being held in small hotel function rooms, to small-scale expo centers, and finally inside the widely popular Hynes Convention Center located in the heart of Boston’s Back Bay. Judging by the attendance, an even larger facility may be necessary in the future. Literally, thousands of people flowed in and out of the hall throughout the day, many dressed as their favorite film and comic characters. It’s always cool to see parents bringing their young children to events such as this. It’s a wonderful bonding experience when the older generation can expose their kids to pop culture from their youth, as well as the parents learning about the newer culture through their kids. I actually witnessed a young child asking his dad who the two guys in makeup were (2 guys dressed up as KISS), and as he explained who they were, the kid begged to have his picture taken with them because they looked “so cool!” They actually did so I had to follow suit.

Rob Watts with two convention-goers dressed as KISS musicians.

Oddly enough, there were no celebrity appearances at this event, as large of an event as it was. With the exception of high-profile illustrators, there were no “celebrity” signings to speak of. Last week’s Toronto Comic Con, in which I was in attendance, had many celebrity appearances, such as Scott Bakula, Jeri Ryan and Jeremy Bulloch. This isn’t an important selling point for me, I’m just curious as to why celebs (and the con) wouldn’t take advantage of such a largely attended event. I did have the pleasure of talking to some of my favorite illustrators such as Anne Cain, Ming Doyle and Ken Kelly, who designed a few KISS album covers and he was kind enough to give me a sneak peek of what may turn out to be KISS’ next album cover.

Artist Ken Kelly. Photo by Rob Watts.

Of course, the coolest booth of the day was the good folks over at Sci-Fi Saturday Night. They had an ideal spot by the entrance and had a lot of visitors stopping by to chat with the cast. Dome, Kriana, Illustrator X, The Zombrarian and crew were cool enough to include me in their promo package, highlighting my book, CD and theme song I created for their show. Thanks guys. All in all, a fun day with amazing energy. If I don’t get to the Comic Con in San Diego this year, this one will certainly hold me over for a while.

From left to right: Zombrarian, Dome, Rob Watts and Kriana.

Editor’s Note: I want to thank Rob for writing this entry for the NEHW website and for his Live Journal page. Check out his page here for other entries.

Apr 20 2012

The Experience of a Tool Concert

By David Price

I took my 16-year-old son, Devon, to his first concert last year. Personally, I’ve been to hundreds, so I wanted to introduce him to something that has meant so much to me for most of my life. My favorite band since the late nineties has been Tool. Back when we were still going on all the Cub and Boy Scout camping trips, a Tool CD would always be playing on the car stereo. It obviously rubbed off on him since he has turned into a loyal Tool fan as well. I wanted to make Tool his first concert, but there was one problem. Tool only releases new albums once every five years or so. This has led to speculation that there won’t be a new Tool album. Another issue is, since the last Tool album came out in 2006, Maynard James Keenan, their singer and frontman has become involved in several other projects, including two bands and, more recently, starting his own vineyard. Arguably, he probably doesn’t even need Tool anymore, although I am sure that is where his greatest success lies.

Last year, one of Maynard’s other projects, A Perfect Circle, came to the Boston area. Not knowing if my son would get the chance to ever see Tool, I purchased tickets and took Devon to his first concert at  The Bank of America Pavilion, a great place to see a show. I never hesitate to get tickets for someone I wish to see if they are playing there.

We had a great time that night. We sat at “reserved” small tables that seat four. A married couple sat with us, and they were very nice to Devon and excited he was getting a chance to see his first concert. The husband even tried to convince my son that he was going to be a bigger fan of A Perfect Circle than of Tool by the time the show was over.

Devon knew nothing about A Perfect Circle before we went to the show, other than Maynard sang for them. He had never heard any of their music. By the time the show was over, though, he was a big fan, although the guy we sat with was reaching a little. He still loves Tool the most.

Along came December and I received an email alert from Live Nation that Tool tickets were going on sale that Saturday. This was a huge surprise to me. I had heard nothing about an upcoming tour, so I had to read the email several times then had to go to the Tool website before I believed it. I had thought maybe it was just a Tool cover band. It turned out that it was true, so I sat by the computer when tickets went on sale. This is a maddening experience. You search for tickets at the moment they go on sale. You get to choose how many and at what price range, then you have to type out some nonsense words to prove that you are a real person. Usually you are told there are no tickets available and have to refresh your web page several times before you finally get some. I was lucky enough to not have to suffer very long, and after just a couple refreshes, I nabbed three tickets for myself, my brother, and my son.

Having seen Tool a half a dozen times myself already, I knew this was going to be a completely different experience than A Perfect Circle. I had to prepare Devon for a Tool concert. I told him that, if it was anything like the previous ones I had attended; it would be very different from his first concert experience. Now, A Perfect Circle sounded great live, but there was no real stage show to speak of. They just stood up there and played. At the other Tool shows I have seen, they had a lot going on. There have always been intense light shows, and weird videos playing along with their songs. One year they even had two people in skintight body suits hanging suspended over the stage and doing some kind of bizarre air ballet. Devon needed to be ready for the strange and unusual at Tool’s show.

Maynard and his pals did not disappoint me. We had a straight on view of the stage where we were seated. It was perfect for viewing one of the most elaborate laser and light shows I have seen in a long time. There were large video screens behind the stage that showed images of angels, giant eyes, swirling spirals, grasping hands and many other religious, magical and profane symbols. At times, it was just like looking into a giant kaleidoscope. The dazzling lights, brilliant lasers and disturbing images induced a kind of hypnotic feeling.  The only other band I can think of that achieves a similar live effect is Pink Floyd, the most psychedelic act I have ever seen.

The problem with seeing Tool is that you are never going to see them play all of your favorites on any given night. The average length of one of their songs is probably seven minutes, with several pushing ten or eleven minutes. That being said, they still did a great job of playing many of their favorites like “Stinkfist,” “Aenema,” “Schism,” and “Lateralus,” as well as mixing in a couple deeper tracks, like “Pushit.” In a weird way, I find Tool’s music meditative. It’s easy to get lost in it, and I am sure many Tool fans would agree.

You can’t please all of the people all of the time, though. My son would have liked to have heard one of his favorite songs, “Right in Two.” I missed “Rosetta Stoned” and I know my brother wanted to hear “Eulogy.”  That’s the beauty of Tool, though. The last album, I saw them on three different legs of the tour. Each time they had a different setlist, so if you wanted to hear everything, you just had to go a few times. As far as I’m concerned, it was well worth it. I have never left a Tool show disappointed, except for the fact that it was over too soon. There is supposedly going to be a new album. If that is true, then I believe this was sort of a getting to know each other again sort of mini tour for the band members. Gloriously, a new album will follow and I assume a much larger supporting tour. Wonder how many more times we will see Tool in the near future? As many as possible.

Apr 19 2012

Stoker Award-Winning Compilation Now an E-Book

Author Stanley Wiater’s Bram Stoker Award-winning compilation, Dark Dreamers: On Writing, has been republished as an e-book by Necon E-Books. It is subtitled, “Advice and Commentary from Fifty Masters of Fear and Suspense.”

It is a collection of how-I-did-it quotes from such talents as Stephen King, Dean Koontz, Anne Rice, Clive Barker, Ray Bradbury, Jack Ketchum and many more. Wiater has “culled well-selected quotations from his interviews with horror’s creators. These include major influences; the day-to-day work of writing; choosing a form; fame and fortune; the game of making movies; sex and death; censorship; personal fears; surprising advice; and the function of horror.”

Check out the e-book here.

Apr 18 2012

Author’s Take on Jack the Ripper

Stefan Petrucha’s new book, Ripper, was released in March.

The author is currently running a contest on Goodreads, where he will give away six copies of Ripper. Click here to enter the contest, which ends April 28.

Here is the book’s description from Amazon, “Carver Young dreams of becoming a detective, despite growing up in an orphanage with only crime novels to encourage him. But when he is adopted by Detective Hawking of the world famous Pinkerton Agency, Carver is given not only the chance to find his biological father, he finds himself smack in the middle of a real life investigation: tracking down a vicious serial killer who has thrown New York City into utter panic. When the case begins to unfold, however, it’s worse than he could have ever imagined, and his loyalty to Mr. Hawking and the Pinkertons come into question. As the body count rises and the investigation becomes dire, Carver must decide where his true loyalty lies. Full of whip-smart dialogue, kid-friendly gadgets, and featuring a then New York City Police Commissioner Teddy Roosevelt, Ripper challenges everything you thought you knew about the world’s most famous serial killer.”

Check out the trailer for Ripper here.

Check out the author’s Amazon page here or order Ripper here.
Apr 17 2012

Practical PR in Five Steps or Fewer

Practical PR in Five Steps or Fewer Or, I just joined the NEHW … now what?

by Kristi Petersen Schoonover

There’s strength in numbers, and that’s what the New England Horror Writers Association is all about. Through membership, you’ll have access to promotional opportunities—such as selling your books at conference tables and getting yourself out there on the web through the NEHW website—that you wouldn’t otherwise.

That said, we’re all busy people: today’s writers and artists are expected to blog, social network, teach, lecture, promote, critique—never mind create, and that’s on top of our “normal” lives. If you’re in a time crunch, how do you take advantage of yet another opportunity?

You can. In not even five minutes a day. Here’s how!

1. FOLLOW THE NEHW ON TWITTER AND RE-TWEET.

Follow the NEHW at @NEhorrorwriters. We’ll follow you back. We often re-tweet your tweets—and you can re-tweet ours. It’s especially helpful when you’ve got nothing to put out on your feed—and a heck of a lot of news goes everywhere and all it cost you was one second.

2. JOIN THE NEHW FACEBOOK GROUP AND PARTICIPATE.

The NEHW Facebook Group is an easy way to stay informed of upcoming opportunities— and is another place to post your own news and gain exposure. In addition, some pretty interesting posts pop up over there. It’s a cinch to click “Share” or “Comment.”

3. FRIEND OTHER MEMBERS ON FACEBOOK AND HIT THE SHARE BUTTON.

Friend other NEHW members on Facebook—plenty of our members are active and have lots to share. If they post something interesting, that’s your cue to click “Share” and/or “Comment.”

4. IN A BLOG JAM? DIRECT FOLLOWERS TO NEWS ON THE NEHW WEBSITE OR TO OTHER MEMBERS’ WEBSITES.

There’s a near-constant newsfeed—and even older helpful articles—on the NEHW website; in addition, other members’ blogs are pretty active. If I’ve got nothing to post on my blog, I head over, grab a link to something interesting, write a two-line introduction— and voila! Instant post. Just be sure you’re not copying anything verbatim from anyone’s website without their permission; if you’ve got WordPress and so does the poster, you can hit “Reblog” and add a comment, and WordPress will merely show a truncated version and provide the link.

5. ADD US TO YOUR E-MAIL SIGNATURE.

You can add “Member New England Horror Writers Association~www.newenglandhorror.org” to your permanent e-mail signature. You only have to do it once and it’s there until you take it off. How does that benefit you? Clout, of course. It shows you’re a member of a writing organization and that you’ve got a passion for what you do— especially great for when you’re submitting to editors.

If every member of our group did this, think of how much coverage we’d have…and that’s just the beginning. By participating in these five activities when you can, you’ll help yourself—and our organization—gain the exposure we all deserve.

Apr 16 2012

A Frog-Lover’s Dream

A Frog-Lover’s Dream

by Stacey Longo

Why do I love the B-movie Frogs (1972) so much? Is it because it makes me nostalgic for my years on the farm, catching toads and lizards, only to release them in my sister’s bed? Or is it because a young Sam Elliot spends part of this movie shirtless in wet jeans, making insightful comments in his sexy voice that percolates like fresh-ground coffee in the morning? The truth is I never was very nostalgic about the farm. Hello, half-naked young Sam Elliott!

"Half-naked young Sam Elliott" in Frogs.

This fabulous film opens with Pickett Smith (Sam) canoeing on the lake, only to be swamped by a powerboat owned by the Crockett family. Clint and Karen Crockett (Adam Roarke and Joan Van Ark) fish Pickett out of the lake and tow his canoe back to their family’s island. Karen Crockett takes one look at Pickett and starts throwing herself at him like a cheap tart, proving that Joan Van Ark is a slut.

On the island, we’re introduced to Jason Crockett, portrayed by a cranky Ray Milland, who is probably wondering how he wound up in this movie. My guess is since he was wheelchair-bound, his agent just rolled him on to the set and ran like hell. Nevertheless, Milland portrays the monstrous patriarchal grandfather perfectly. His anger at the relentless noise of the bullfrogs without so much as a wink of irony at the fact that the family made their fortune on toxic pesticides had me so moved that I began to root for the frogs. That’s fine acting, folks.

The members of the family begin to disappear one by one, leaving Jason, Karen, and the rest of the Crocketts stumped. The only one who has an inkling of what might be going on is Pickett, because besides being sexy as hell, he’s a brilliant ecologist, too. He quickly deduces that the frogs are psychically controlling all of the reptiles and amphibians on the island and ordering them to kill everyone.

Reptile and amphibian (and even tarantula) fans will not be disappointed. Bad luck for the Crocketts, who found the only island in the world on which ball pythons, Burmese pythons, alligators, bearded lizards, monitor lizards, American snapping turtles, caimans, and what I presume to be cottonmouths but what suspiciously resembled Northern water snakes all live together in harmony. Crockett cousins, in-laws, and caretakers all die horrible deaths due to these vicious creatures (I never knew the chameleon had it in him) and to the amusement of the viewer.

Ironically, all of the black characters (the maid, the butler, and a model) make it safely back to the mainland, which is practically unheard of in a horror movie. There’s a possibility that they were attacked by seagulls as they ran to their car, but since I saw no eyeballs being swallowed nor any brain matter leakage, I like to think they made it. Eventually, the only characters left are Jason, Karen, Pickett, and two whiny Crockett kids. Jason demands that everyone stay because he wants to celebrate his birthday, frogs be damned. But Pickett and Karen take one look at the bullfrogs licking their slimy little lips as they press their beady eyes against the window and decide to make a run for it. They hop in the canoe, paddle to shore, and hooray! Sam Elliott takes his shirt off again! Miserly, miserable Ray Milland is left, wheelchair-bound and surrounded by frogs. He promptly falls face-first in to a pile of murderous amphibians. But he was such a wretched old coot, who cares, really?

This movie is fun, slightly ridiculous, and one of my all-time favorites. Why? Not because I’m a sucker for bearded lizards, though they are awfully cute. It’s because Sam Elliott is a bona-fide slab of hunky ecologist meat in this fine, fine production. Did I mention he goes shirtless?

Apr 15 2012

The Traveling Writer: Ten Things You Should Own for Promotional Events

The Traveling Writer: Ten Things You Should Own for Promotional Events

by Kristi Petersen Schoonover

I’ve been doing events for ages, and my first few weren’t easy. No one had a must-have list, and I had to learn by doing. Today I’m sparing you all of that. So, here are the ten things every writer should have in his “Traveling Promotional Toolkit” (other than, obviously, your books/product). If you’re with the NEHW, there’s a good chance you won’t have to worry about some things on this list, like the table and tablecloths. But you should own them anyway, because at some point, you will probably be going solo. Interestingly enough, these ten items won’t break your bank—in fact, if you buy everything at once, your investment is going to be well under $100 and most of that you’ll never have to replace—but they’re absolutely essential if you’re going to take your show on the road.

Table/Chair: Card tables aren’t that expensive. Pick one up and keep it in your basement. If you don’t use it for going on the road, believe me, you’ll find some other use for it the next time you throw a party. A decent card table can run you anywhere from $20 and up. Some come with four or five chairs and start at about $50—but as far as chairs go, anything from home will do. Even those fold-up lawn chairs are fine. But you should have one in case the venue doesn’t.

Tablecloth: You can bring a cloth one from home that you already own, but since I’m a horror writer I like to get funky and use something appropriate. Plastic tablecloths, which you can get at any party store and start at, like, a buck, are the best choice, because you can customize them to the event (you might not want to bring your blood-spatter design to a hospital benefit, for example), and you can toss them when they get worn out. I have a few different ones with different designs on hand especially during October when I’m doing four or five events in a row and want to change it up. I usually get several uses out of them before having to discard them. You’ll find you also won’t mind loaning out the plastic ones, either. These are the most frequent things you’ll replace other than your handouts (see below).

Plastic Tubs: A must. All your books and materials stay dry and in mint shape. The tubs are also easy to carry, and make for a great “table” to put your drinks and food so they don’t go on your signing table, putting your product at risk.

Photo by Jason Harris.

Book Stands: Sure, you can lay your books down on the table, but if they’re standing up, they’re easier to spot, plus they instantly look serious. You don’t have to spend a fortune to own an industrial book stand: these are the poor man’s POP (point-of-purchase) displays. All you have to do is visit Michael’s Crafts and head down the framing/photo aisles; they’re referred to as easels, they’re portable, and they’re cheap. The ones pictured above fold easily. At Michaels, they are about $3.99 each, and if you get the store’s coupons in the weekly paper, then they’re even less. If you wanna go nuts, they have some pretty cool wrought-iron ones. Those are on my Christmas list. Book stands are also available through Amazon.

Handouts/Flyers: The idea with a handout or flyer is to provide something of value: Content your readers will take home and possibly keep for awhile or use—this is the idea behind what today we refer to as “swag” (years ago when I worked for a firm we called them CM’s–“collateral materials”) such as magnets, bottle openers, and pens. The good news is, since you’re a writer, you don’t have to spend the bucks on promotional items if you can’t afford them. An easy, better, and less expensive way to market your work is to take a short story (preferably one that’s published) or a sample from one of your books and copy it. You can then staple your business card, postcard – or simply a flyer with your website and where people can purchase the book – to those copies and hand them out. You may not think it works, but it does result in at least a few residual sales (a residual sale is when a person purchases your work after the show is over).

Pens/Markers/Paper: Don’t laugh. This may seem like a no-brainer, but I’ve been to book signings at big box retailers (Barnes & Noble, Costco, and the like) and the author didn’t have pens that worked. Invest in a box of Bics. And while you’re at it, pick up a few Sharpies, too. Also make sure you have a notepad or extra paper – it comes in handy if you need to make notes, keep sales records, or make a sign. Just keep them in your travel tub.

Sign Holders: These are those plastic one-offs that stand on their own into which you can insert your own flyer, sign, photo, or whatever and the beauty is you can prepare one and use it over and over; you can also change them out frequently but keep a file of different ones on hand and avoid having to print new sheets every time you need something different. They add to your professional appearance and come in a multitude of vertical and horizontal styles and sizes. The best place to get them is at Staples, and you can spend as little as $4.00 each.

Duct Tape: One word: MacGyver.

Plastic Shopping Bags: To offer to customers who purchase your product, and to use for just about anything else, including those empty Dunkin’ Donuts coffee cups and Tab cans. One box of 100 costs about $13 at Staples or Office Max, and it’ll take you awhile to go through them.

Decorations/Candy: Something festive to dress up your table is always helpful because it broadcasts I have passion for what I do, and a bowl of individually-wrapped candies is always pretty, especially around Halloween, because it shows you have a sense of fun. And after all, who doesn’t want to Trick or Treat?

Apr 14 2012

Author’s New Book Available for Pre-order

Author and NEHW member Kurt Newton’s new sci-fi/horror novel, Powerlines, is now available for pre-order through Gallows Press. It will be available on Amazon on April 17.

Plot description:

“After his beloved brother is killed in Iraq, Ethan decides to take a weekend hike to clear his head and to get in touch with nature. His destination is a stretch of power lines that run deep into the forests of Connecticut. His journey will bring him through a reclusive area surrounded by mysteries and strange legends. Kissing his beloved and patient girlfriend, Lindsey, goodbye, Ethan sets off on his adventure.

It doesn’t take Ethan long to discover that the stories are true … something strange and insidious is hidden in the Connecticut countryside.

Something deadly.

When Ethan fails to show up at their rendezvous point, she knows that something is horribly wrong. Finding local law enforcement to be uncooperative, she partners up with an unlikely friend as she enters the woods in search of her lover.

As they follow the power lines deep into the woods, they have no idea what awaits.”

Book details: 278 pages, trade paperback, retail price $12.99, special pre-order price $11.00.

Newton also has a story in the anthology, The Gallows, which is also available for pre-order through the Gallows Press site.

Book description:

From Gallows Press comes a collection of 11 tales showcasing the narrative talents of the Gallows authors. The Gallows anthology is the perfect book for readers looking to sample what our talented storytellers have to offer.

Contents:

“Pigs” by Erik Williams
“The Pit” by Kurt Newton
“China” by Gene O’Neill
“Jam” by Mark Allan Gunnells
“Craving Soul Food” by Sam W. Anderson
“Mirror World” by Liam Davies
“Rotting Love” by T.G. Arsenault
“Unknown Causes” by Frank Duffy
“He’s Just a Baby” by Shane McKenzie
“Writer’s Block” by Chris Hedges
“Children of Filth” by Brian Knight

Book details: 228 pages, trade paperback, retail price $8.99, special pre-order price $7.99.

Apr 13 2012

Experience ‘The Cabin in the Woods’ this Weekend

Experience The Cabin in the Woods this Weekend

by Jason Harris

It has been two years since the little mutant in the Mutant Enemy logo graced a screen, the small screen. It’s back and it’s on the big screen, which is great to see. From the moment The Cabin in the Woods starts, it doesn’t begin like a typical horror movie with the introduction of the potential victims the protagonists.

This movie begins like it does because it is written by Joss Whedon, creator of the television series Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Angel, Dollhouse, and Firefly and Drew Goddard, who wrote for both Buffy and Angel. They threw out the rule book because they don’t follow the rules. They want to be original. Whedon and Goddard fans know this.

The movie starts with Richard Jenkins (Six Feet Under) and Bradley Whitford (The West Wing) in an underground location just having a conversation about consequences and a certain “scenario.” They could be two business men or friends just talking until Whedon alum Amy Acker (Angel, Dollhouse) shows up in her lab coat. I think Acker has kept the same wardrobe from her days on Angel and Dollhouse. The audience has no clue what is going on. After Acker appears on screen, it opens up numerous possibilities that these three characters are working at a research lab, at a government agency, or any other possibility that could cross a person’s mind. This question is eventually answered.

Fran Kraz (Dollhouse), another Whedon alum, portrays drug smoking Marty. He is smoking an interesting bong when he first arrives on the scene. He is the funniest character in the movie and is one of the five friends who go on vacation together. Marty and the other friends, who are portrayed by Kristen Connolly (As the World Turns), Chris Hemsworth (2009s Star Trek), Anna Hutchison (Wild Boys), and Jesse Williams (Grey’s Anamony), are introduced after the interesting set-up of the introduction of the movie’s title.

The other known face in the movie is Hemsworth who audiences will know as the title character in Thor. He will be back in theaters in May when Whedon’s The Avengers come out. He was filming this movie in 2009 when he received the title role in Kenneth Branagh’s Thor.

Tom Lenk (Buffy, Angel), another Whedon alum, makes an appearance in the movie playing a minor character, Ronald the Intern.

Just like any horror movie, you will start liking these characters and wish they could all survive, but you know that won’t happen. This is a horror movie after all and when you start out with five characters, you know that most of them will be dead by the end of the movie.

The movie has many great moments in it. There is one scene where all these monsters are locked up then get freed. There are recognizable monsters like the Wolfman, a giant cobra and this evil looking Transformer-type with multiple sawblades. When these monsters break free and people began to die, it is reminiscent of the Buffy episode, “Primeval,” where all hell breaks loose in the Initiative. This is the one scene in the movie that will require multiple viewings just to see every single creature causing mayhem.

If you like Joss Whedon’s Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Angel, you will love The Cabin in the Woods. It is filled with his style of humor and horror mixed together in one entertaining movie. This review is vague so it won’t ruin the movie for you and because one of the joys of this movie is experiencing it for the first time. Just sit back and enjoy the ride Whedon and Goddard take you on.

Apr 12 2012

Two Actors Leave the Forest to Discuss ‘The Cabin in the Woods’

Two Actors Leave the Woods to Discuss The Cabin in the Woods

by Jason Harris

Actors Kristen Connolly and Fran Krantz. Photo by Jason Harris.

Kristen Connolly and Fran Krantz, two of the stars of The Cabin in the Woods, recently sat down in a Boston hotel to discuss their movie, which opens in theaters on Friday.

The movie was written by Joss Whedon and Drew Goddard and directed by Goddard.

Krantz thought the script was “perfect” while Connolly was “surprised” by it.

“I was blown away when I first read it,” Krantz said. “I worked with Joss so I expected it to be more than what the title suggested.”

He never could have predicted in his “wildest imagination” where this movie was going.

The Cabin in the Woods movie poster. Photo by Jason Harris.

“The poster says, you think you know the story, but it couldn’t be more accurate,” Krantz said.

As Connolly was reading the script, it was hard for her to picture some parts including the scene where her character is getting the crap beat out of her, she said. But in the finish product, the music in that scene is “really amazing.”

Krantz felt such a strong connection to the script and felt an “ownership” to it, which he considers “rare in an actor.”

“It was difficult if I didn’t get it, it was going to haunt me for the rest of my life because I loved the movie so much on paper.”

Even though the movie was shot in 2009, Krantz never lost faith that it would see the inside of a movie theater even though other people didn’t think it would.

“I knew how good the movie was,” Krantz said. “I was always confident that it would come out. It’s satisfying now that you can already feel the buzz around it.”

Connolly said, “it was cool to watch [the movie] at South by Southwest. It was so crazy, it was like a rock show. There was cheering and laughing. It was so cool that there was so much energy in that room. It was a truly extraordinary experience.”

Both Connolly and Krantz auditioned for their parts in the movie. At the time, Krantz was working on Whedon’s newest television series, but that didn’t give him a leg up on anyone else.

“I auditioned like any other movie, which was weird since I was working on Dollhouse,” Krantz said.

When Goddard visited the set to talk over possible shooting locations with Whedon before Krantz even got a call about auditioning for a part, he walked over to where they were talking.

“I’m a big horror film fan so I just kind of wandered over. I wanted to see what they were talking about. They were looking at potential lakes for potential shooting locations.”

Krantz said, one of those locations was “the original Friday the 13th Camp Crystal Lake.”

“I started geeking out,” Krantz said. “I was a big fan of those movies.”

He told them it would be so cool if they would film the movie there, but the movie ended up being filmed in Vancouver.

Krantz and Connolly had good things to say about some of their co-stars.

“I think Richard [Jenkins] and Bradley’s [Whitford] performances are so funny,” Connolly said.

Krantz thought everyone on the movie brought their “’A’ game.”

Krantz said, “the performances are so great across the board.”

During filming, he saw the dailies of co-star Chris Hemsworth and thought he was “a movie star.” Hemsworth received his role in Thor and the Red Dawn remake while filming The Cabin in the Woods. Chris’ younger brother, Liam, was considered for the role of Thor first before it went to Chris, Krantz said.

“I know Joss called Kenneth Branagh and at some point it started shifting gears in his direction,” Krantz said. “I was not surprised at all.”

Connolly thought it was a great break and a “no brainer” that Hemsworth received the role of Thor.

The Cabin in the Woods is full of scares and fears. Everything a person can be afraid of is in the movie, Connolly said.

“I think what I feel most afraid of is drowning or being buried alive.”

She mentioned a particular scene in the movie where she is in a pond. She also found it hard to watch the scene in Kill Bill:Vol. 2, where Uma Thurman’s character is buried alive.

“I have to get up and leave the room because [that scene] is so intense,” Connolly said about Kill Bill.

The fear that bothers Krantz is “claustrophobia.”

“The Descent killed me because of that. The monsters were scary, but I was far more uncomfortable with the earlier tight space moments.”

You can travel tomorrow to see what fears The Cabin in the Woods contains when it opens in theaters nationwide.