The moment I've been waiting for finally arrived this past Sunday. I had a babysitter, a few extra dollars in my pocket and some extra time. What better to do with my extra time than attend the event I've been waiting for all year, the Rock and Shock horror convention at the DCU Center in Worcester, MA! Everyone who knows me is aware that I'm a huge fan of horror movies and very interested in the paranormal so having a chance to attend this event is phenomenal.

The last time I went was a few years ago and even though I've seen almost every horror film imaginable, there were still a few actors there that didn't stand out as being that spectacular. The idea of just being able to brush shoulders and chit-chat with celebrities for a few hours was entertaining enough for me. This year was even better.

I was originally delighted to learn that an actor I find to be extremely interesting who starred in one of my favorite recent films was going to be there. You're probably thinking this actor might be one of the major stars that were at the convention like Julian Sans from Boxing Helena or Eileen Deitz from The Exorcist but they pale in comparison to Danny Trejo. If you haven't seen Trejo as the Mexican powerhouse in Machete, you are missing out on a treasure and a half! This guy is the real definition of an action hero. I walked quickly toward his long line of fans with great anticipation. I couldn't wait to get his signature and maybe even a short conversation out of the deal.

I almost fell to pieces when he said hello to me before I was even in line! I've met celebrities before, but this felt different because Trejo was such a superstar to me after seeing him in Machete. The line was so long that there was very limited time to talk with him. He was talking to a fan in front of me and told him that if people think he's scary they should know how he felt the time he was standing between Johnny Depp and Antonio Banderas. He said he was looking to his left and to his right and he was scared because they're so good looking. I let him know that he has better character than the two combined. Danny Trejo is real people. He had no qualms whatsoever about shaking hands and talking as long as possible with the amount of fans he had waiting. I figured this is most likely the only time I'll ever see him so I went for it...I asked him if I could take a picture kissing his cheek. I couldn't believe the words actually came out of my mouth but he thought it was funny and said yes! Unfortunately, I have an old-school camera and need to finish the role of film before I can have the evidence developed in a few days.

I started the day off with a bang by starting with Trejo's table and once my time there was done, I didn't care what I did for the rest of the time. I was still excited to see the rest of the celebrities so I basically wandered around and asked a few questions. I spoke with Julian Sans about his experience with Boxing Helena and asked him about the special effects. He said that most of the effects were very simple tricks they learned from magician David Copperfield who was assisting on the set. I don't know what it is but I have a million questions in my mind before I go to these things and every time I throw them out of the window. Rather than asking questions, I end up telling the actors how nice they look or how much I enjoyed a movie they were in. It doesn't seems to be nerves because I was very relaxed the whole time. Maybe it's the fear of sounding like a dork!

I was surprised when I saw New Zealand actress Zoe Bell and remembered her character in Tarantino's Death Proof. This is one of characters that beat up Stuntman Mike (Kurt Russell) in the movie. I asked her if she needed to do any extra training for the film forgetting that she is a stunt-woman and put my foot in my mouth, though she was polite enough just to say no. Oh well, at least I was making conversation. Then I thought to myself, um, Michelle, this chick worked with Quentin Tarantino how many times? And this is all you've got? I asked what she liked about working with Tarantino and she said that they're good friends after all the projects they've worked on together and that she adores him. I asked what he could be working on next and where he has been. She informed me that his editor died and that now is a very sad time for the entire Tarantino family (The film family that is). Apparently, he is taking some much needed time off and traveling the country as any plans have come to a halt due to this untimely death. I did a little reading and saw that his editor is Sally Menke who died at just 56 years old. She was found in a canyon after she had been hiking for some time in the heat. I then understood how that could certainly be a tragedy. I can't wait for Tarantino to bounce back and give us another hit movie.

Danielle Harris was as cute as a button and seemed very approachable, so I went over and shot the breeze (hoping to get a free pic in the meantime for myself and a friend). I let her know that she looked as adorable in person as on film and chatted about the first time I saw her in The Last Boyscout. I know, bizarre choice of films but I liked the movie nevertheless. She looked so young, I was surprised when she told me she was 33! I figured I had at least eight or nine years on her but I only have 3. We had a laugh and I made my move and asked for the picture and she was more than pleased to take one with us.

The only person who made me a little uncomfortable was Julian Sans. It was interesting to chat with him just because of who he is, but I wasn't very interested in spending more money by this time and I knew I'd be able to sleep at night if I didn't get his signature. I asked him for a picture and he said I could take one if I bought one of the pictures on his table that ran about 20 to 30 dollars. I was embarrassed and didn't know what to say so I told him I spent too much already and it was nice talking with him. Dude, if I was worth a few million dollars, I would let a nice fan take a picture with me. I took a breath of fresh air when I arrived at Adam Green's table and he had a sign stating that he does not charge for pictures because he "loves" us (his fans). You can't go wrong with that. He told me that he was working on a children's movie called Killer Pizza directed by Chris Columbus (Goonies). I laughed a little and commented on the fact that he was taking on a totally different project from Hatchet II.

The person I spoke with the longest was .......from Ghost Hunters. She told me that she lived about 30 minutes away from me and I got a kick out of this. We hit it off like old friends from there, not to mention the fact that I had plenty to talk about with her! I've been haunted for months at a time before so we were discussing what or who could have been responsible for the haunting and she told me all about the ghost that has pretty much become part of her household. I asked why she still lives there and she said that she bought the house! I found her story amazing so we dove into the topic for quite some time and she ended up giving me her card should I have another paranormal experience.

So, here it is, my take of the Rock and Shock horror convention, a day that turned out to be one hell of a good time!

By: Bob Jackson