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Halloween season is here! Wait, no it’s not. It’s not even summer yet. But that didn’t stop the Deadites at Spooky Empire from putting on a ghoulishly good time with their first May-Hem event, which took place May 27-29, 2011 at the Wyndham Orlando Resort on International Drive. With hundreds of guests pouring in to Spooky Empire’s Ultimate Horror Weekend each year, it was decided to branch out and offer horror aficionados a chance to get together outside October.
And May-Hem certainly delivered. Over three days and nights, attendees walked the convention halls by day, meeting celebrities and browsing macabre merchandise, and partied by night, with undead dancing and lively entertainment. Throughout it all, our roaming cameras captured much of the excitement in video and hundreds of photos. So enough with the words. Let’s get on with the picture show.
First up, take at video trip around the May-Hem show floor and celebrity meet-and-greet area, stopping to chat with special guests Alex Winter (Bill S. Preston Esq. from Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventure) and the ladies from Evil Dead, amongst others:
For three days and nights, our intrepid cameraman Michael Gavin lived, ate, and slept May-Hem, snapping photos all the while. The result is nearly 400 photos capturing the merchandise, celebrities, exhibits, presentations, VIP parties, and attendees. (So if you were there, you just might see yourself here!) But I know 400 pictures is a lot to sift through, hoping to find that one great shot of Evil Dead star Bruce Campbell using a chainsaw to cut a themed cake (yeah, that happened) or bikini-clad zombie girls lounging around a pool (yep, that happened too). So I’m going to make your life easier.
Before we get to the complete slide show of all our May-Hem photos, I share with you a few highlights that give a good sense of what the event was all about. Then you can decide if you belong with Spooky Empire or if this crowd’s just not your thing. Horror fans are definitely a specific breed with similar tastes in clothing, entertainment, and music, each of which often revolves around massive amounts of fake blood. So if you’re squeamish, you may not want to press on. Consider yourself warned.
And there’s a special reward for those of you who make it to the bottom. Get your red/blue anaglyph glasses out (or a Nintendo 3DS) and keep on scrollin’ to find some fun 3D photos from within the May-Hem halls.
Highlights from Spooky Empire’s May-Hem 2011:
Spooky Empire’s May-Hem 2011 – in 3D!
I promised a bonus for those who made it all the way down here, so here are a few 3D photos from Spooky Empire May-Hem! Â If you have a Nintendo 3DS, you can download them all in MPO format here in a ZIP file. (Need help? Click here for instructions on how to load the files onto your 3DS.) Â If you don’t have a 3DS, take out the red/blue anaglyph glasses you got when you bought Freddy’s Dead: The Final Nightmare on DVD and enjoy:
The first-ever May-Hem event from Spooky Empire appeared to be a big success. It may have been a smaller scale than the annual Ultimate Horror Weekend in October, but the different time of year afforded a chance to draw different celebrities they haven’t been able to book. And what horror fan doesn’t appreciate a little spooky fun months before the Halloween season kicks into gear? Even with the grim genre, there were smiles to be found everywhere throughout the May-Hem weekend, with surprises and laughter accompanying all the screams and gore. While not for everyone, May-Hem is just the right mixture of frights and fun for a ghastly good time.
More photos from Spooky Empire’s May-Hem 2011:
(Photos by Michael Gavin. 3D photos by Ricky Brigante.)