If there’s one thing the box office has taught us this year is that horror is alive and well. It was once considered a niche space for freaks and weirdos, but more and more people are embracing their spookier tendencies.
This was evident at this year’s Midsummer Scream in Long Beach, California. The Halloween and horror film fan convention was started in 2016 and continues to grow in popularity. This year, they hosted over 50,000 guests, which is a record for attendance.
Midsummer Scream is considered the most popular horror convention in the country, so EntertainmentNow made the trip to Long Beach to see what all the fuss was about. Here’s what we saw.
Legends of The Genre
It became clear almost immediately that Midsummer Scream was going to be a popular event. The line to simply get into the Long Beach Convention Center wrapped around the building and seemingly had no end. It’s easy to understand why.
Not only are there events, shops, haunted mazes and so much more to check out, but some of the biggest names in the horror genre show up to spend time with fans. Notably, the “Scream” franchise is celebrating its 30th anniversary this year. To celebrate, actors Matthew Lillard, Jamie Kennedy, Skeet Ulrich, Roger L. Jackson and Lee Waddell were part of a panel discussing the original “Scream” film.
Lillard, Kennedy and Ulrich also had booths on the showroom floor that featured long lines of fans hoping to meet the actors. They weren’t the only big names there.
Perhaps the biggest was legendary filmmaker John Carpenter, who held a prominent booth near the entrance. The brain behind “Halloween,” “The Thing,” “Escape From New York” and so many other iconic movies didn’t seem to get a break from signing autographs all day.
Some of the other notable guests were Sean S. Cunningham (creator of “Friday the 13th”), actor Bill Moseley, actress Dee Wallace and many more.
First Look at Haunted Mazes
One of the most enticing parts of Midsummer Scream is the Hall of Shadows. Unlike the show floor, this large room feels like a huge haunted house.
It’s dimly lit and foggy, with actors in costume trying to scare unsuspecting guests. In addition to that, there were several haunted mazes for guests to try. Now, due to the limited space, these mazes were much smaller than what you’d see at Knott’s Scary Farm or Hollywood Horror Nights, but they were a fun feature.
EntertainmentNow had a chance to check out most of the mazes, and the biggest standout was Black Casket Productions, which features severed heads flying at you and people flying through the sky. Monclova Media Group did a twisted version of Sid’s house from “Toy Story.” While that one could’ve been scarier, the design of it was cool.
Wild Short Films
Among the most underrated aspects of Midsummer Scream is that they had a small film festival. We were able to attend two: “Drawn to Horror” and “WTF???”
Drawn to Horror showcased eight animated shorts. The standouts were “Cosmic Crash,” a stop-motion short from James Smith, and “Paty,” directed by Maria Luiza Staut.
The WTF??? block was a huge crowd-pleaser, featuring some truly wild short films. The films were “Cockdestroyer,” “Glory Hole,” “Wall Udder” and “They Want New Styles.” Based on the titles alone, it’s not hard to figure out what type of movies we were shown, but all of them had their own unique brand of weirdness.
Midsummer Scream Changing Venues in 2027
While Long Beach has been home to Midsummer Scream for years, the event has outgrown the Convention Center. In 2027, they are moving the event to the Anaheim Convention Center. Long Beach won’t be left in the dust, as it was also announced that Season’s Screamings will still take place at the Long Beach Convention Center from December 5 to 6, 2027.
“The amazing community of Halloween and horror fans continues to grow, and we’re excited to be able to grow with it,” David Markland, executive director and co-founder of Midsummer Scream, said in a statement. “It’s bittersweet to leave a venue as amazing as the Long Beach Convention Center, but we look forward to all the new opportunities awaiting us in Anaheim.”
