As an attendee of several locally organized film festivals, FilmQuest’s focus on films from the horror, fantasy and science fiction genres made it unique. It’s fun to sit in a darkened theatre with no idea what type of film might illuminate the darkened screen and take you along for a ride. Not all of the films were stellar, and many were downright bizarre, but here are a few that stuck out to me. … read more
As I was walking to the Salt Palace on the city’s main streets, I even thought to myself, “This is kinda fun. It kinda reminds me of how I feel in NYC.” I stress ‘kinda’ because earlier that morning I was kinda irritated with the constant stop-and-go traffic on my way to work. … read more
Lord of the Rings is easily the most recognizable fantasy franchise. Most of us have read one or two of the books and we all saw the movies—even if it was just that one time on cable when they were running a marathon and you had nothing better to do. The world that we were shown in the movies was massive and full of some great characters. FantasyCon has managed to round up quite a few of those beloved characters. Samwise Gamgee and Pippin: Sean Astin and Billy Boyd. … read more
Snapping out of our dream state rather severely, we were given an instant dose of adrenaline-fueled, ragged kegger rock that we had been expecting. Croaking of loves lost, alcoholism and a complete lack of sympathy for the human condition, McCauley’s stage presence was as big as the ideas he sang about. … read more
With all the panels and guests, it’s hard to decide which panels to go to. One of the first panels of Fantasy Con on Friday was with one of the memorable characters from Lord of the Rings – Gimli, the gruff, lovable Dwarf played by John Rhys-Davies. He’s a good six feet without the movie magic but he’s still got the gruff voice and he’s definitely lovable. … read more
Friday, the second day of Fantasy Con, had the lucky opportunity to occur on a national holiday: Independence Day. The idea of a Con happening on a holiday where people should have nothing better to do had me worried. The floor would be packed. The parade, any parade in the valley, would make getting to the Con difficult, but deciding to stroll into the Salt Palace around mid-afternoon proved surprisingly easy. Salt Lake streets were empty, as everyone was busy (presumably) barbecuing and setting fires … read more
I take it as a positive portent that the day I received the new Erasure album promo to review, I was on an obsessive cycle of listening to its first single, the anthemic “Elevation.” … read more
You might recognize Chef Carlos Gaytan from his stint on Top Chef. Trained in French cuisine, he used that skill to revitalize Mexican gastronomy. His restaurant in Chicago, Mexique, has recently earned a prestigious star from the Michelin Guide, the only Mexican restaurant to do so. It was a once in a lifetime treat to have Gaytan cook for us, since my husband has sworn to never leave the West. … read more
My prediction that Saturday would beat Friday in terms of numbers was absolutely correct. What I was not expecting, however, was that the production and glitz aspect of FantasyCon would also beat the previous two days. The spectacle was bigger, as there was more audience to entertain. … read more
After the first number is concluded, he comes off stage, and approaches an audience member who has a joint in hand. Taking the little doobie, he glares at the spectator while taking a hit. Returning to the stage, Shaw shares his prize with the band. Very cool and charismatic with no fucks given, Ex-Cult jumps right back into where they left off. … read more
The final day of Fantasy Con got off to a bit of a quiet start. The holiday hangover was in full effect, and the crowds on the convention floor were a bit thinner than expected, but that just made the aisles and halls easier to navigate and made everything more accessible. … read more
The world seems to be going to hell in a hand basket with the greats getting one-way tickets out of here. To find some relief from these epic bummers, the path to temporary salvation seems to include finding a bar to crawl into or checking out a Rock n’ Roll gig. Luckily for me, I am able to do both. … read more
