It’s alive! Midsummer Scream returns

LONG BEACH

Halloween-themed convention will bring celebs, workshops and more after pandemic pause

Cosplay is a big deal for this pair and many others who come to the convention.

Attendees get a photo inside the Hall of Shadows during the 2019 Midsummer Scream Halloween and Horror Convention, the most recent one held in person. It returns next weekend to the Long Beach Convention & Entertainment Center. PHOTOS BY BRITTANY MURRAY — STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER

Image

By Richard Guzman

riguzman@scng.com

Following a two-year absence due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Midsummer Scream Halloween and Horror Convention will rise from the grave at the Long Beach Convention Center Friday through July 31.

“We’re feeling good,” said David Markland, executive director of the convention. “We’ve been gearing up for this for three years, so it’s really nice to finally set it loose.”

The horror-themed event, which typically draws about 30,000 fans to Long Beach each year, is also debuting its new Museum of Halloween.

“It’s multiple collections made up of items from Halloween history that mark how Halloween has been celebrated over the last century,” Markland said.

Midsummer Scream will include over 350 vendors selling everything from costumes and props to comic books and just about everything else Halloween- and horror-related. There will also be panel discussions, celebrity signings, haunted house building and special effects makeup tutorials and a horror film festival.

The wildly popular Hall of Shadows will return this year, too. It’s located on the low-lit ground level of the convention center, where patrons can walk through more than a dozen mini-versions of the home and professional haunts that pop up throughout Southern California around Halloween.

It’s a lot to take in, so to help plan for maximum scares and fun, here are 13 things to see and do at Midsummer Scream:

Friday

7:30 p.m. Let’s Get Spooky >> Zombie fans will want to speed-walk to the convention’s very first panel because it’s all about Greg Nicotero, the executive producer, director and special effects makeup supervisor of AMC’s hit zombie show, “The Walking Dead.” Nicotero will talk about his career with LeeAnna Vamp, host of the “Let’s Get Spooky” podcast.

8:15 p.m. Halloween Radio Spooktacular >> Get a taste of old school horror with this performance, a stage show with a vintage radio format.

9 p.m. Cabaret Macabre >> This dance is definitely for the 18-and-older crowd because it mixes gore, blood and other dark themes.

Saturday

Noon. Just Scare Me: Low-Budget Horror Filmmaking Hacks >> This is a can’t-miss class for aspiring horror filmmakers on a budget. Filmmaker and cinematographer Buz Wallick will screen clips and explain a few tricks to help increase the scare factor in your own films.

1:30 p.m. The Original Monster Kids >> The grown children of some of horror’s best-known movie monsters and legends will get together to share childhood memories, stories, photos and even home movies of their famous parents. The panel will include Sara Karloff, daughter of Boris Karloff, who played Frankenstein’s monster in the 1931 classic Universal film, as well as Lynne Lugosi Sparks, granddaughter of Bela Lugosi of “Dracula” fame, and Victoria Price, daughter of actor and horror host Vincent Price. The panel will be moderated by Metallica guitarist and avid horror fan Kirk Hammett.

3 p.m. How to Tell the Best Ghost Stories >> You can be a scary rock star around your next campfire after taking this storytelling class taught by podcaster Sapphire Sandalo.

5 p.m. Halloween Horror Nights >> Get an inside look at what Universal Studios Hollywood has planned for its haunts this year at a panel hosted by Halloween Horror Nights creative director John Murdy. Horror Nights returns Sept. 8 and runs some evenings through Oct. 31. Producers have already revealed some of the attractions, including one that will bring classic monsters like The Wolf Man, Dracula and The Mummy together, and another that will pay homage to John Carpenter’s 1978 classic slasher film, “Halloween.” Look out for possible surprise attraction reveals here.

5:30 p.m. Cobbs’ Carnival of Dreams >> What do a dancing vampire, a werewolf ventriloquist and a zombie comedian have in common? They’ll be part of this 20-minute variety show that mixes comedy, music and horror.

July 31

Noon. 13th Floor Entertainment presentation >> If the suspense is killing you, get a sneak peek at what’s planned for this year’s L.A. Haunted Hayride and Shaqtoberfest, which makes its debut at the Queen Mary in Long Beach in September.

1 p.m. “The Year Without Halloween” read by author Shane Betterling >> This one is for the young horror fans as Betterling reads his kids book.

1:40 p.m. Short Films Block: Die Laughing >> Get your laugh and scares on with this one-hour screening of blood-soaked yet hilarious short films.

3 p.m. Designing a Successful Walk-Through Haunted House >> Be the dark star on your block every Halloween by learning how to design a scary and functional haunted house. This class will teach aspiring haunt masters how to use their landscaping and home layout to create an effective walk-through haunt.

4:30 p.m. Decayed Brigade Slider Show >> A group of zombie-like apocalyptic road warriors will be around all weekend, sliding on metal knee pads across the convention floor to scare people. They also put on a spectacular show filled with lights, music and stunts three times per day. In this final performance of the weekend, they take center stage on the Hall of Shadows floor.