It being Halloween, Elvira and Zacherley the Cool Ghoul were extra-special guests

So I made it to yet another Chiller Theatre (first here, second here)—but this time, I very nearly never made it back!

I trekked out to Parsippany, New Jersey, via the train, arriving early, before even the early-bird entry. The guys on the shuttle to the Parsippany Hilton were hardcore horror buffs and unapologetic nerds, a pair of them guffawing the entire way about the "jiggaboo" line from Police Academy (1984). (They liked that the late Bubba Smith had overturned a car in response to the racist comment, and kept repeating the line and the events of that scene over and over until we arrived at the hotel. You had to be there—be glad you weren't.)

It was snowing when we arrived, but just barely. <---This is foreshadowing.

Happy Halloween!

My guardian angel Simon helped usher me in and was an invaluable resource. He was celebrating his tenth year with Chiller, and I hope my pestering won't keep him from an eleventh. He told me Louise Fletcher, Elvira and Pam Grier had been in hot demand the night before by way of a heads-up. I wasn't too worried as I had only a dozen or so names to "get" this time; I arrived as usual armed with unique photos for them to sign.

This shot of Michael was on the light side

After breakfast in the hotel's eatery (next to Martin Landau, who I'd met at The Hollywood Show and who I must say looked much fuller and healthier), I plunged right into the main room, which held most of the event's biggest attractions. Right off the bat, I went for the only heartthrob of the show (to me), still-sexy, 53-year-old Michael Paré.