Inside Midsummer Scream 2024 – Part 2

As mentioned in the first part of our Midsummer Scream 2024 coverage, horror fans were spoiled with ways to spend their weekend in Long Beach. The celebrity guests and panels were a big draw for folks alongside the haunts highlighted in our previous coverage.

We attempted to kick off Saturday with a presentation from the Queen of Horror, Elvira Mistress of the Dark. Unfortunately, that effort was squandered by a malfunctioning fire alarm and the panel was rescheduled to a later time. However, these hiccups were easy to navigate with the help of the Midsummer Scream app. We highly recommend utilizing this to plan your weekend if you attend next year! Despite the blaring alarm in the morning and the new timeslot, that ran into many other exciting panels, the ballroom was once again packed by creeps and freaks that evening.

When Cassandra Peterson graced the stage the room erupted with cheers for the horror icon. Her impact on the genre is profound and anyone could see that by just looking around the room. All ages were in attendance wearing Elvira merchandise or were dressed as the Mistress herself. Everyone’s eyes were glued to the stage and hanging on each word as the ever-charming horror host gave a sneak peek into her next big event with Knott’s Scary Farm.

Peterson recalled some of her fondest memories as Elvira and her stage long-running show at Knots Scary Farm saying ‘I helped a lot of kids through puberty.”

Her show began at Knott’s in the 80’s and quickly became a cult favorite turned absolute staple of the Californian Halloween season. After a tremendous 40-year run, Elvira officially retired with her last show in 2017.

On her final show, she said, “I had a blast, it was my favorite show, the best show we did! It was tough leaving.”

With that, the audience was thrust into a presentation of what’s coming to Knott’s this year; “Yours Cruelly Elvira XXperience.” The show will be a chronological experience of her history at Knotts, including the final 2017 run, and fans will be delighted to see displays of the Macabre Mobile, the famous chaise lounge, and other set pieces.

“It will be like taking a trip down mammary lane,” Peterson said.

For the Elvira collectors out there, there will be exclusive Knott’s Scary Farm merch this year too including:

• A new Elvira pin drops every week with only 666 each being made for the 7-week run
• Shirt featuring all of Elvira’s Knott’s show poster designs
• Elvira’s “signature” mug
• Hot sauce from the hottest person on the planet
• And more to come

The preview for this ultimate fan experience left the Midsummer Scream audience even more excited for fall to bring in the spooky season.

From one icon to another, we also attended Victoria Price’s panel that Saturday. Her father, Vincent Price left such a distinct mark on the genre that it’s difficult to imagine where it would be today without him. Unlike us, Victoria viewed her father through a different lens. Her presentation was not just about Vincent Price, the actor, but Vincent Price the father, the human, and his philosophies.

It was an honor to learn about the person who has been a regular presence in our lives via a screen and to form a more dimensional understanding of who Price was. Victoria said that her father would live each day with joy. This is not something you would expect to hear coming from a master of horror but as she described his love of acting as based on his love for connection and art it all started to click. She went on to say that horror is about the world’s perceptions of those of us who don’t fit in. Being an integral part of the genre and forging connections with those that society deems as the “others” is the pinnacle of art and acting that he found such joy in.

This idea stuck with me the rest of the weekend as we ventured back down into the exhibitors’ hall and made our way over to Victoria’s booth. Holding a copy of one of my favorite Price flicks, Theater of Blood (1973), I was joyful to be surrounded by people of a similar, dark ilk as myself. As I gushed to Victoria about all the fond memories her father’s work formed for me and my family, I felt welcome and accepted. Her kindness and openness to his massive fan base is so greatly appreciated and continues to spread that love and joy her father lived by. It still feels surreal that this all happened at the same event!

On Sunday, we sat in for a live recording of the “Let’s Get Spooky” podcast hosted by Vamp with special guest David Dastmalchian. The Late Night with the Devil star told some relatable tales of his introduction to the genre at a young age and how he explores those nostalgic influences with a modern perspective in projects like the “Count Crowley” comic series. The two fiends went on to discuss the supernatural, mental health, and even muppet dream casts between a few rounds of “What’s in the Coffin?” The full panel is available now anywhere you get your podcasts.

With that, our time at Midsummer Scream 2024 came to an end. Attending an event of this size and seeing some of the most influential figures in horror reinforced my passion for the genre and the people who bring it to life. Being attracted to the dark and macabre has always been a marker of “the others.” We have all experienced judgemental stares or been hit with a heavy “Why?” when expressing our love for horror. Attending an event like Midsummer Scream validates our interests and allows us to connect in person; creating a sense of belonging that is hard to capture anywhere else.

Keep an eye on the Midsummer Scream site for information on their next event.