PopHorror Let's Get Scared
Horror Realm Con is an indie horror convention that ran the weekend of February 28-March 2. It packed the Crowne Plaza Pittsburgh South in Bethel Park in record numbers. Through a big community and a series of diverse events, let’s go through the convention together and see how it went down.
Horror Realm Con is one of the most friendly and affordable places to meet some of the most beloved stars of independent horror. Between podcasters, wrestlers, actors and makeup artists, this convention hosted thirty-eight different celebrity guests in three separate rooms. Aside from meet and greets at the vendor tables, Horror Realm Con offered in-costume group photo opportunities for films like Terrifier, Killer Klowns From Outer Space, and Return Of The Living Dead.
Horror Realm Con also featured assessable Q&A panels from movies like Evil Dead 2, Thanksgiving, and a Women in Horror feature collection. The convention also ran a film festival room, where twenty-eight different independent movies were shown in blocks, over the course of two days. I hate to editorialize, but my newest film What Scares You was shown in a Saturday block, and it was an honor to be screened in such elite company.
I also had the pleasure of speaking to several of the esteemed guests. Diana Prince (The Last Drive In 2018) mentioned how special the Prom Night 2 episode of TLDI was to her, as it was the first time she got to attend a prom. Barbara Crampton (Suitable Flesh 2023) talked about wanting to finally play a full-fledged horror villain on screen. Lauren Lavera (Terrifier 3 2024, read our review here) really wants to play a Lara Croft type of role in the future, but for right now, she can’t wait for audiences to see her next feature. The Monster, her horror team up with the legendary Darren Lynn Bousman (St. Agatha 2018), is currently in post-production.
Horror Realm Con even keeps up the scares after the party, with unique events like karaoke, tattoo contests and bad movie bingo, allowing the horror community to continue bonding long after the vendors and celebrities stop signing.
Horror Realm Con has been running successfully for years and is truly one of the best conventions for indie horror. They’re running a vendors-only event this coming fall, so be sure to check it out.
