Kong konnection at Monster Bash 2005

 

    If you’re an “old School / Classic” horror/Sci-Fi fanatic like me, then the Monster Bash In Butler, Pennsylvania (near Pittsburgh) is the Convention for you. I’ve been wanting to attend "The BASH" ever since they held a tribute to Kong several years ago, but never made it out there (mostly due to the 8 Hour drive) till this past June. BIG MISTAKE … it is now on my must do list for next summer (usually held in lateJune) and hopefully many summers to come.
This years guests included Sara Karloff, Courtland Hull (Henry’s nephew) Ben Chapman (the Gillman himself) , Bob Burns, Forest J Ackerman (AKA - Mr. Sci-Fi, The Ackermonster, or just Forry), and many more.
The focus is on 30’s, 40’s, & 50’s horror & Sci-Fi, so if you’re into slasher movies or the current CGI eye candy fests , stick with Chiller.  BASH is a GREAT  3 day, Family Friendly con … plenty  to see  (films run continuously),  to do  (lots of pannel discussions),  and buy  (dealers to fill your horror hearts desires) for monster & Sci-Fi fans of all ages. And that’s only a sampling of things to see & do. Very reasonably priced, and the organizers could not have been more pleasant & helpful through out the entire event.  A great crowd too … everyone I met was polite and respectful … no pushing or cattle cars, like many con’s that not only over sell, but bring in way too much NON - horror / Sci-Fi guests or material (if you’ve brought your kids to some of these other con’s, I’m sure you know what I mean).
In the past, other guests have included Dwight Fry Jr., Bela Lugosi Jr., Ron Chaney, Ray Harryhausen & Ray Bradbury (ahhhh, finally here ‘s the Kong Konnection) Along with Forry, the two Ray’s were first seduced by the premiere of King Kong back in 1933 (one even claims to have seen the legendary spider scene that was quickly censored after only a very few rare screenings) and have been trailblazers in the relm of horror/Sci-Fi ever since. Forry with his classic pun filled horror Mag, Famous Monsters of Filmland, Bradbury for his incredible writing & stories, and Harryhausen for taking Willis O’Brian’s mentoring in stop Motion special FX’s (Mighty Joe Young, the original) to the next level in the 40’s, 50’s, 60‘s & 70’s … with such fantasy classics as the Sinbad series, Beast from 20,000 fathoms, Mysterious Island, Earth vs the Flying Saucers and many, many more… These three Horror / Sci-Fi / Fantasy giants spent hours regailing an enthralled audience of their personal friendships with one another, the true greats in the film industry & experiences with the RKO Kong and the tales of triumph & Terror in general. I can’t believe I missed it, but fortunately Ron Adam’s (the ring leader and chief organizer of Monster Bash) had the forsight to save all these golden memories on tape, which is available at the con and on the website in DVD format.
So, if you're just looking for an exquisite trip down horror’s classic memory lane, or would like the opportunity to introduce a younger generation to the origins of the genre we all are so passionate about, make MONSTER BASH a priority for next summer.