A horror-crazed couple from Seymour will celebrate Halloween this year by screening two classic genre flicks at Entertainment Cinemas in Seymour.
“Duo of the Dead” is scheduled to start at 6:30 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 9.
The zombie double feature includes George Romero’s “Night of the Living Dead” and the 1932 cult classic, “White Zombie,” starring Bela Legosi.
Tickets are $12 in advance and $15 at the door. Click here to buy tickets.
“Duo of the Dead” is spearheaded by Rob and Christine Caprilozzi, who run the “Horror News Network,” a nationally known website dedicated to all things horror.
They live in Seymour.
Valley Indy: How did the idea for “Duo of the Dead” come about?
Christine Caprilozzi: “Rob and I have talked for years about doing an event of some sort. Over the last few years we’ve grown and have a really dedicated staff in place where we can pull it off. “Duo of the Dead” refers to the fact that we are showing two zombie movies. We’ve been very lucky to get on board the loyal staff we have, who have been a big help in putting this together.”
VIS: How’d you pick the movies?
Caprilozzi “The movies we picked were chosen for two reasons. They are public domain and easily accessible. Also, with the “zombie craze” that’s happening now, we feel it’s important for some younger zombie fans and just newer zombie fans to see where it all began.”
Valley Indy: The event is a little after Halloween. Why’s that? Scheduling conflicts, I suppose?
Caprilozzi: “Yes, that is exactly it! October is our busiest month in the horror industry. With so much going on in October, we wanted to be sure it was on a weekend where horror fans would be able to make it. Plus, after the last two years (marked by disruptive storms), we feel like we NEED to reclaim Halloween and that time of year back for our area.”
Valley Indy: What did you think of Sunday night’s ‘Walking Dead?’
Caprilozzi: “I actually JUST wrote my wrap-up. I thought it started a bit slow, however, I can see where the writers are going. They obviously want to introduce these new characters at the prison so when zombies tear their flesh apart, you actually care. I thought the scene in the store when the roof collapsed was fantastic. It was “raining zombies!” Kudos to the FX team on that! My one gripe has to do with the fact that the show seems to be shorter with the complete bombardment of commercials.”
Valley Indy: Your flier for “Duo of the Dead” says zombie costume contest?
Caprilozzi: “Ah, of course there will be a zombie costume contest during “Duo of the Dead.” We have some really awesome prizes. The judges will be our staff, Schuyler Tackach from Seymour Cinemas, and Ken Haeser, Buz Hasson, and Blair Smith from the zombie comic “The Living Corpse.” They will also be on hand to draw people as zombies during the event. Also, everyone who attends the event will be put into a drawing to be drawn as a zombie into their comic, which is published by Dynamite Entertainment.”
Valley Indy: Best zombie movie ever?
Caprilozzi: “‘Night of the Living Dead’ hands down. George Romero mastered the genre.”
Valley Indy: Top three horror films. GO!
Caprilozzi: “SO hard! ‘The Exorcist,’ ‘Texas Chainsaw Massacre’ (original), ‘Candyman.’ It’s hard. I could list three from every decade!”
Valley Indy: About the Horror News Network — how did it start and when?
Caprilozzi: “The site was originally a horror comic book site, ComicMonsters.com. It started 10 years ago by my husband, Rob. We met eight years ago and I began writing comic reviews. Eventually, we expanded into convention coverage, movies, video games, etc. In 2008, he renamed it to Horror News Network, although Comic Monsters is still a huge part and cornerstone of our site.”
Valley Indy: How long have you lived in Seymour?
Caprilozzi: “We have resided in Seymour for over six years now, which is one of the reasons we wanted the event in the Seymour, or the Valley. There are not a lot of true horror events in Connecticut. We felt if we’re going to do this, let’s bring people into our community where we live. As a whole, the entire staff likes to support local businesses. Schuyler at Seymour Cinemas has been great with helping us get this event off the ground as well.”
Valley Indy: Who’s the horror-related person you were most psyched to interview or meet?
Caprilozzi: “Although mainstream fans won’t recognize the name, I was completely psyched to interview Bill Moseley. He was ChopTop in “The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2,” Otis in “House of 1,000 Corpses” and “The Devil’s Rejects.” He’s a legend in the genre. He was such a great interview, and super nice guy too. I’ve been lucky to be able to talk horror with quite a few people some look at as “iconic.” Norman Reedus from “The Walking Dead,” Kirk Hammett about his horror book, Virginia Madsen, etc. It’s hard to pick one, but Moseley was definitely one of my favorites. I’ve also been fortunate enough to interview some really great comic creators.”
Valley Indy: Which horror-related person was the most disappointing, and why?
Caprilozzi: “HA! I can’t reveal that!”
Valley Indy: What’s the best horror movie you’ve seen lately?
Caprilozzi: “I would say “The Conjuring.” Maybe it’s because I grew up in Monroe, but I felt James Wan did an excellent job of telling the Warrens’ story, as well as making it very chilling. I also thought “The Purge” worked really well. It played on atmosphere, suspense and had many shades of social commentary besides just relying on blood and guts. I would also like to add there’s a ton of great independent horror films out there for horror fans to check out. “American Mary” by the Jen and Sylvia Soska is one of those.”
Valley Indy: What’s your favorite horror subgenre?
Caprilozzi:“I’m not sure I can pinpoint one. I’ve always like story driven horror, or films that are different and left of center. Vampires have always fascinated me. I am not a “Twilight” fan though, no offense to those that are. The vampire movie from the last 10 years that sticks with me is “30 days of Night,” based on the comic. No pretty vampires, just a great, gritty vampire movie.”
Valley Indy: “Near Dark” or “Lost Boys?”
Caprilozzi: “Lost Boys!!!”
