Spooky Empire brings out scares and stars for thirteenth year of Ultimate Halloween Weekend

It’s that time of year again when the Cineplexes will be filled with scary movies, the Burger King’s will be overrun by black bun Whoppers and, for Central Florida, Spooky Empire will roll in with a fright-filled weekend of all things horror, sci-fi and fantasy with the Ultimate Halloween Weekend.

Spooky’s Ultimate Halloween Weekend will be at the Hyatt Regency on I-Drive Oct. 30- Nov. 1 and in proper scary fashion, is celebrating its 13th year of horror conventioning with the biggest stars yet.

Amanda_Bearse_2_960337497Amanda Bearse will be one of the Fright Night cast members making an appearance. The well-known lesbian actress and LGBT activist will appear alongside actors William Ragsdale and Stephen Geoffreys, celebrating the film’s 30th anniversary.

“We all feel very grateful for having the opportunity in the first place to come back and see the generations of people that continue to embrace this movie,” Bearse said in an interview with the Lexington Herald-Leader last month.

Bearse had been in Lexington for ScareFest weekend celebrating the film’s milestone.

“It holds a special place in all of our hearts,” she said. “I see fans that come up to the table, a lot of them are fans of Fright Night and the horror genre, but there’s also fans of Marcy D’Arcy too, it’s so delightful.”

Bearse is best known as the no nonsense neighbor Marcy D’Arcy from the hit FOX show Married… with Children. She was also on the cover of the very first issue of Watermark back in 1994, and Watermark will publish a fresh new interview with Bearse next week.

Also making an appearance will be transgender author Zac Brewer. Brewer is best known for the young adult vampire novel series’ The Chronicle of Vladimir Tod and The Slayer Chronicles.

zacBrewer came out as transgender in an interview with Publishers Weekly in June of this year.

“I am so big on authenticity,” Brewer told Publishers Weekly. “I always say to my Minions (Brewer’s fans are referred to as Minions), ‘Own your weird. Embrace who you are, and whoever you are, you are special.’ It’s been weighing on me that I’m not taking my own advice. How can you tell the world to do it and not do it yourself?”

Other notable celebrities in attendance include Neve Campbell, Skeet Ulrich and Matthew Lillard from director Wes Craven’s 1996 hit slasher film Scream.

wesLegendary horror director Craven passed away not two months ago from brain cancer and will be honored at Spooky with a tribute movie marathon Oct. 29. Part of the proceeds from the ticket sales will go to Compassionate Hands & Hearts Breast Cancer Outreach.

Spooky will reunite the child actors (now all adults) from the 1971 Gene Wilder classic Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory. The Rocky Horror Picture Show will be represented with appearances by stars Nell Campbell and Barry Bostwick.

Making his debut to Spooky Empire is Hollywood legend Burt Reynolds. While Reynolds is best known for non-horror films like Cannonball Run, Smokey and the Bandit and Boogie Nights, he did appear in an episode of The Twilight Zone and Alfred Hitchcock Presents in the 1960s.

Reynolds also starred in the 1972 film Deliverance in which he had to listen to Ned Beatty squeal like a pig for toothless back-country men. Weeeee! That is terrifying.

Win tickets to Spooky Empire’s Ultimate Halloween Weekend 2015!

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