VERONA, N.Y. – Hundreds gathered this weekend at Turning Stone Resort Casino to celebrate the joys of horror.

Scare-A-Con — a three-day convention dedicated to everything scary from films to costumes — took place about 30 miles from the Syracuse University campus. The convention had a few different aspects to it. There was a large show floor with different vendors and services. On the show floor, one could get a tattoo or they could buy some “Killer Ground” coffee beans. The opportunities were endless, from getting your face painted to meeting celebrities in the horror world, such as Barry Bostwick from “Rocky Horror Picture Show”.

In terms of film, Scare-A-Con is an excellent opportunity for budding horror filmmakers. Directors and writers can bring their films to be showcased and get attention before they receive a cinematic release. This builds buzz for the films and gets the word out, helping these films eventually reach distribution. Scare-A-Con provides a pedestal for these films.

I got the opportunity to see two films in my time at Scare-A-Con. The first was called “The Man in the Shadows,” directed by Joshua Fraiman and written by Adam Tomlinson, who conducted a Q&A after the screening.

“The Man in the Shadows” was more of a psychological thriller than a straight up horror movie, but the result was nonetheless fascinating. The film features a woman named Kate who sees a man named “The Hat Man” who haunts her dreams. The question is, does The Hat Man really exist or is Kate just seeing these illusions? As the film goes on, we see her struggle with this question. Alison Louder plays Kate extremely convincingly and her performance is a true highlight of the film. You can see her emotional struggle on her face as the film goes on and you can truly see her mental torture. Nick Baillie is also extremely convincing when portraying her new husband Scott, as he tries to be supportive but also looks out for himself.

Writer Adam Tomlinson makes an appearance in the film as a character named William, who is the only one that can also see “The Hat Man.” His performance was somewhat over-the-top, but I can’t help but respect his dedication to his project. He claims he had a real experience seeing this “Hat Man” and that is what inspired him to write a feature film. He was extremely receptive to any questions the crowd had and when the film ended, even came out dressed as “The Hat Man.”

The next film I got to watch was an anthology piece called “Death: A Love Story.” This film featured three mini films, entitled “Flipped,” “The Talent” and “Hooker.” These three films, written and directed by Edward James Anderson, varied in quality. “Flipped” was somewhat forgettable, while “Hooker” was downright disturbing. “The Talent” was fantastic. It featured a Hollywood director, his stalker and the power struggle that the two face. It was suspenseful, thrilling and more than anything, beautifully shot. In fact, all three of these films looked gorgeous and that’s what made “Death: A Love Story” stand out. The film’s visual appeal made it look professional and I could legitimately see myself in theaters watching this film.

Overall, Scare-A-Con was a great experience. Not only was the film festival a great opportunity to see some smaller films, but viewing the culture of this event was truly something special. Everyone who was there wanted to be there and was passionate about horror. Ultimately the films and activities were fun, but what really matters was everyone’s passion. While Syracuse students looked forward to gathering to the music of Big Sean, these fans gather to be scared together.

Erik Benjamin is a sophomore television, radio and film major. You can email him atebenjami@syr.edu or follow him @embenjamin14 on Twitter.

Published on September 13, 2015 at 9:35 pm