One of the constant things you hear when living in a small town is that there’s nothing to do. Having lived in several cities in my life I’ve heard the same thing said in major metropolitan areas as well which I found fascinating. But then something comes along, an event that happens in that same small town and you think I hope people support this to make sure it happens again. That happened Sunday, June 20, here in town.
Famous Monster Pizza having recently opened in its new location decided on having a special event when the opportunity presented itself. Mike McGraner, a booking agent for celebrities that travel to conventions around the country, had stopped by the old location and fell in love with the spot. The new location even more so. Enough that he made a suggestion to owner Max Miller who took him up on it.
On Sunday, June 20th, Famous Monster Pizza welcomed actress Felissa Rose to their location. Fans were able to purchase tickets for the event at $20 each and that included a slice of pizza as well (and let me say the pizza was both delicious and that slice was filling!). I know what some of you are saying, those who are not horror fans. Felissa Rose? Your loss.
In 1983 at age 13, Rose got her break with the lead role in one of the most controversial summer camp horror films at that time. The movie was SLEEPAWAY CAMP and it has remained a favorite of genre fans since its release. So much so that it spawned 4 sequels. The part had very little dialogue but she made the best of it and it led to a career in film that’s resulted in 146 acting and 33 producing credits to her name on IMDB.
You’ve never heard of the movie? Really? It starts with a boating accident that kills two and injures one. Eight years later young Angela (Rose) and her cousin Ricky (Jonathan Tiersten) are off to summer camp. Ricky has been there before and introduces Angela to his friends. But Angela is reclusive and doesn’t talk which in turn angers her cabin mates. They focus their attention on picking on her each and every day.
But you can’t have a movie without a villain. As the days go by someone is killing off various members of the camp from the cook to counselors to kids at the camp. The question becomes who and why. Is it the owner? Is it Ricky? Is it one of the counselors? Or maybe it’s one of the camp goers who’s had enough of the usual pranks. The answer isn’t revealed until the final moment of the film and while you might think you know why trust me, you don’t.
The movie wasn’t a one off for actress Rose who went on to many other films and TV series. Most of these have been in the horror genre which she lovingly embraced. To prove she didn’t stop there she currently has 16 films in post-production, 7 films she is involved in the shooting of and 14 movies in pre-production. Some actresses should be so lucky.
But back to Sunday night. Part of the fun was watching the movie on the big screens there at Famous Monster Pizza knowing that moments later Ms. Rose would come out to discuss the film. When the night started McGraner came out, introduced Ms. Rose and she greeted the fans warmly, enthusiastically thanks everyone for coming and heaping praise on the fans of the film. Then they started the movie and the crowd response was perfect from cheering to laughing at moments that were in the film.
Afterwards Ms. Rose came out to talk to the crowd and take questions from everyone there. As with most things like this people were timid at first but then began asking. Everything from her time making the movie to her friendship with Shudder host Joe Bob Briggs to her podcast with Tiffany Shepis and Kane Hodder called Casualty Friday were discussed. She was incredibly gracious to the fans and you could tell that she was humbled that so many would still be there to support her all these years later in a career that began with this little low budget horror flick. Her enthusiasm with the crowd, the easy manner in which she talked about her life and career made this a night to remember.
If you’ve never seen the film look for it. It’s on several streaming services. Or you could order the special edition of the film from Scream Factory. Amazon has that at a reasonable price. If you didn’t make it to the sold out event on Sunday then you missed the opportunity of a lifetime. Not just for the experience of the film but the presence of someone who loves her fans as much as they love her.
The reception of this event, especially since it sold out, leads me to hope more are coming down the pipeline. And with that in mind I suggest that people here in town make sure to keep an eye open if another one takes place. If you say there’s nothing to do here in town and don’t support something like this? That’s your fault not that of the town. Thanks to Max Miller and the entire staff for this wonderful opportunity. And thank you Felissa for the love and affection you showed every fan there that night.
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