Horror and Metal Fest Rock-n-Shock Looks to Pack ‘Em in
By Robert Newton

WAAF’s man-of-1000-or-so voices, Kevin Barbare, is spearheading his 4th annual Rock & Shock Festival from October 12-14 at the DCU Center and The Palladium. He and his tenacious team have built the event into an ever-growing convergence of horror movie fans and heavy metal music. This year’s musical line-up includes bands like Type O Negative, Bury Your Dead and Wednesday 13, with an eclectic mix of horror stars for fans to meet, be photographed with, and ogle. Here’s a sampling of who is confirmed to attend this year, with a completely updated list at www.RockAndShock.com:

•SHAWNEE SMITH – Young fans will know this South Carolina sweetie from her leading role as Amanda Young in the Saw trilogy (with Saw IV out on October 26), and their folks will know her from the minor ‘80s classics Summer School and The Blob.

•WILLIAM FORSYTHE – Fortunately for this recognizable character actor’s friends and family, he is not the all-around awful guy he has portrayed in movies like Raising Arizona, Out For Justice and Rob Zombie’s Halloween. Also appearing from Zombie’s Halloween are Hanna Hall, Tom Towles, Ezra Buzzington, Daeg Faerch and three-timer Danielle Harris.

•TONY TODD – His iconic role in Candyman may stand in the shadow of famous slayers like Jason, Freddy and Michael Myers, but at 6’5”, this striking gent stands in no one’s shadow.

•ANGELA BETTIS – One of the creepiest female roles in recent history is this multi-talented actor’s turn as a friendless outcast in Lucky McKee’s May.

•P.J. SOLES – Fans of modern horror classics like Carrie and the original Halloween will know this sunny face, as will any respectable Ramones fan, who will know her as the punk pioneers’ number one fan, Riff Randell, in Rock and Roll High School.

•MARILYN BURNS – Texas Chainsaw Massacre aficionados will be happy to know that not only will this Leatherface victim be in attendance, but so will two of the actors who wielded the infamous saw – Bill Johnson (TCM 2) and Andrew Bryniarski (TCM 2003).

•THE CRAZY BABYSITTER TWINS – Venezuelan puberty triggers Electra and Elise Avellan have only appeared in one film so far ~ uncle-in-law Robert Rodridguez’s “Planet Terror” segment of the disastrous Grindhouse ~ but that won’t prevent the line at their table from being the longest at the show.

•LLOYD KAUFMAN – The anti-Spielberg who seeded such video store staples as The Toxic Avenger, Surf Nazis Must Die and Tromeo & Juliet co-founded the New Jersey studio Troma. Full Moon Studios head Richard Band, responsible for the likes of the Trancers, Puppet Master and Dollman series, will be on hand, too.