Get Your ScareLA Tickets Now!

ScareLA, the awesome Halloween convention that takes place at the Los Angeles Convention Center, isn't until August, but tickets are already on sale. Put in the code PRESCARE18 for 50% off your purchase.

ScareLA Tickets

If you've never been and want to see what you're in for before you buy tickets, here's a little about my experience at last year's ScareLA. I actually planned my move to L.A. around the convention, and it was a lot of fun, so I can't wait to go back this year! : )

Scare LA 2017

ScareLA: Haunted LA vs. Haunted OC

I was lucky enough to go to ScareLA this year, and while I was there, I attended Haunted LA vs. Haunted OC, a live version of the Collywobbles podcast. I wrote about it for Haunt Jaunts, and you can read about it here:

Scare LA: Haunted LA vs. Haunted OC

You can also watch the podcast, which I highly recommend because it was really entertaining. : )

ScareLA

I moved to L.A. on August 2nd, and it's no coincidence that my move happened a few days before ScareLA, an awesome convention celebrating all things Halloween. There was so much to do there that I didn't get a chance to see as much as I would've liked, but I did get to check out all the vendors, attend the "Monstrous Spirits: Haunted LA vs. Haunted OC" podcast, see my favorite theatre group, 2Cents Theatre, perform scenes from Nilbog the Musical, and try to avoid dozens of creepy clowns. I took a ton of pictures, so feel free to live vicariously through me if you didn't get to go. ; )

A marquee for IT Presents Float: A Cinematic VR Experience

From the school bus featured in IT Presents Float: A Cinematic VR Experience

IT Presents Float: A Cinematic VR Experience

Frankenstein's monster, Hollywood Horror Museum booth

Regan MacNeil, Hollywood Horror Museum booth

A demonstration by EI School of Professional Makeup

Nope.

Triple nope.

Gremlins from Trick or Treat Studios

ScareLA's announcements were made by a familiar voice: John Kassir, the voice of  The Cryptkeeper.

Well, this is creepy...

Reign of Terror Haunted House booth

Reign of Terror Haunted House booth

2Cents Theatre performing a scene from Nilbog the Musical

More Nilbog

The cast of Nilbog the Musical

Me as the devil (photo credit: Juan Lozano)

I saw some cool things at ScareLA, so here are some links where you can find more information about them:



ScareLA


2Cents Theatre

Trick or Treat Studios

Hollywood Horror Museum

Reign of Terror Haunted House

Harlequin Costume

Scream For Me Inc.

Megan E. Risk, Freelance Artist

VFX

ScareLA was so much fun, and it was the perfect way to spend my first weekend as an L.A. resident. I can't wait to go again next year! : )

Exciting News!

In a month or so, you might notice that I'm not posting as often as usual, so I wanted to tell you why: In early August, I'm moving to L.A. to finally try to follow my dream of being a TV writer! I still plan on posting here as much as I can, but since I'll have to work a lot to be able to afford an apartment, it might be hard for me to post once a week or more like I do now. My first weekend there, I'll be attending a Halloween convention called ScareLA though, and of course I'm going to write about that and share some pictures. ScareLA sounds really cool, and I'm excited to wear my '80s Ghostbuster costume again. For more info on ScareLA, check out their website, and if any of you will be there, let me know. : )

http://scarela.com

ScareLA

If you're as obsessed with Halloween as I am, and you happen to be in L.A. this weekend, you're definitely going to want to check out ScareLA, a convention dedicated to the awesomeness that is Halloween. Unfortunately, I won't be able to go because I'm already back in Charleston, and I hate that I have to miss it since it sounds like the best thing ever. ScareLA takes place August 6th and 7th at the Pasadena Convention Center, and you can get all the info here:

http://2016.scarela.com

If you go, make sure to see Nilbog: the unauthorized musical parody of Troll 2...I saw it during my L.A. trip and loved it (and I haven't even seen Troll 2). : )

Paranormal California

I'm spending ten days in L.A. this summer, and though I won't have much free time since I'll be filming my web series while I'm there, of course I had to do some research about paranormal stuff that I might be able to see on my trip. I found a website called Backpackerverse that has lots of great information about the paranormal side of California, so I thought I should share it here:

http://backpackerverse.com/


I thought the article about Griffith Park was interesting since I'm going to a concert at the Greek Theatre...I'm sure I'll be too focused on Flight of the Conchords to notice any ghosts though. ; )

http://backpackerverse.com/paranormal-activity-at-griffith-park/

This article might come in handy too:

http://backpackerverse.com/haunted-places-to-visit-in-los-angeles/

I've been to the Hollywood Wax Museum, but I haven't been to any of the other places on the list. : )

UFO-shaped Buildings

Roswell has a McDonald's that looks like a UFO, so I was interested to see some other buildings that are shaped like UFOs.  The World UFO Day website has some cool examples:

http://www.worldufoday.com/ufo-shaped-buildings/

There used to be a UFO-shaped restaurant right outside LAX...every time we went to L.A., it was on our list, but we're always so busy in L.A. that we never got around to going.

http://www.dailybreeze.com/arts-and-entertainment/20140107/encounter-restaurant-atop-lax-theme-building-closes-for-good

There's also the UFO Welcome Center in Bowman, SC:

http://ufowelcomecenter.blogspot.com/

If you know of any other buildings that look that UFOs, let me know in the comments. : )

Is the Hollywood Historic Hotel haunted?

I'm taking a trip to Los Angeles in April to see a performance of one of my plays, and my husband and I will be staying at the Hollywood Historic Hotel.  The hotel, built in 1927, was formerly the Hollywood Melrose Hotel, and according to some of the reviews I read, it's haunted (a fact I didn't know until after I booked it).  Trip Advisor reviewer Aliceinhaw says that when she stayed at the Hollywood Historic Hotel, she saw "weird shadows" and "felt like something was watching [her]."  On Yelp, Jason B. wrote that "there is no doubt in [his] mind that this hotel is haunted" because he heard a lot of banging around and screaming in the room above him and heard a woman being thrown out of the window...but when he looked outside, there was no one on the ground.  A few other Yelp reviewers mentioned that they got a creepy feeling when they walked in the building.  Compared to some other hauntings I've heard about, this doesn't sound too bad...if I experience any paranormal activity while I'm there, I'll tell you guys all about it!

http://www.hollywoodhistorichotel.com/

Unsealed: Alien Files: Alien Hot Spots

I recently watched the half-hour show Unsealed: Alien Files, which is hosted by John Wells. This episode was called "Alien Hot Spots," and it focused on areas that are known for having a great deal of UFO activity.  These are the four hot spots the show focused on:

-Los Angeles, California:  Hundreds of UFOs were seen in Topanga Canyon on June 14, 1992.  The "Battle Over Los Angeles" occurred on February 24, 1942 when the U.S. Army tried to shoot a UFO down, but it got away...the next day, the Secretary of the Navy said it was a weather balloon.  (You can find more about L.A.'s numerous UFO sightings here:  http://www.bibliotecapleyades.net/ciencia/ciencia_flyingobjects54.htm.

-Texas: There have been hundreds of UFO sightings here since the 1800s.  It is said that in 1897, an alien was buried in Aurora after its UFO crashed.  Mysterious glowing lights (the Marfa Lights) have been spotted multiple times a year in Marfa since the 1950s (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marfa_lights).  A UFO was once spotted heading toward Corpus Christi at 2500 miles per hour.

-London, England: There have been 12,000 UFO sightings in London in the past sixty years, as well as several reports of airplanes almost colliding with UFOs.  In Rendlesham Forest in late 1980, strange lights came from a triangular UFO that was sitting on the ground
(http://www.therendleshamforestincident.com/Home.htm).

-China: There have been reports of a flaming UFO (http://www.ufoevidence.org/documents/doc476.htm) and a mass UFO sighting.

Unsealed: Alien Files is an interesting show, but I wish it were an hour instead of thirty minutes because I would've liked to hear more details about each of the incidents mentioned on the show.   Despite this, I will definitely watch more episodes.

My rating: 7/10

http://www.unsealedfiles.com/the-alien-files