Phil attends the Sinister Creature Con at the Stockton Arena June 10th & 11th, 2017 - September 13, 2017

I normally don't like to talk about my personal life at all, but due to some personal setbacks and relocating back to my hometown of San Jose, one of the things that was put aside was my coverage of the SINISTER CREATURE CON that I attended back in June of this year. I had every intention on finishing this, but as I stated earlier, life has a way of throwing obstacles in your path. However, I am now able to share with you my amazing experience of this extraordinary event that hit the central valley. To all those I met at the con, sorry for the tardiness and hope to see you all again soon. Thanks for understanding and enjoy my post!

Now one of the advantages of being a popular film blogger is that I get to cover many film events throughout California: film festivals, conventions, special events, etc. It's been a long time since I've attended anything like this but this past June 10th and 11th, I had the honor and opportunity to cover the SINISTER CREATURE CON (Northern California's SFX, Mask, Makeup, & Horror Culture convention) at the Stockton Arena in Stockton, California. The convention is put on by the Sacramento Horror Film Festival and the also do The Rocky Horror Picture Show events at the Colonial Theatre with the Amber Sweets shadowcast. This was a big weekend for horror fans in the valley and yours truly was there to see it all!

There was a lot of celebrities in attendance that weekend, including the AMERICAN MARY Reunion panel featuring Katharine Isabelle, Tristan Risk and the Twisted Twins themselves, filmmakers Jen and Sylvia Soska. Another reunion taking place that weekend was the A NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET 3: DREAM WARRIORS with Heather Langencamp, Ken Sagoes, Jennifer Rubin, Ira Heiden and Rodney Eastman. The convention also had ROCKY HORROR guests Barry Bostwick & Nell Campbell were there as well as filmmaker and creator of the PHANTASM franchise Don Coscarelli, actors Tom Atkins (Creepshow, Night of the Creeps, Halloween III), Daeg Faerch (Rob Zombie's Halloween), actresses Diane Franklin (Better Off Dead, Amityville II, TerrorVision), Brooke Theiss (Nightmare on Elm Street 4, Just the 10 of Us) and Amanda Wyss (Nightmare on Elm Street, Better Off Dead) just to name a few. Also Ve Neill, Walter Welsh, Alan Carnes, from Face/Off and Dutch Bihary Alison Kenyon from Skin Wars were there plus all the cool exhibitors, dealers, cosplayers and more!

The Sinister Creature Con Crew setting up their main booth.

Hello and welcome the Sinister Creature Con Stockton 2017!

The awesome layout of sellers at the Sinister Creature Con.

Scary Clown Girl, Freddy Kruger and Wednesday Adams welcomes you all to the con.

One of the awesome folks I meet at the convention was cartoonist Paul Allen. He is the man behind the Hypno-Skull Comics. One terrific guy that you should buy comics from! Check out his website at a hypnoskullcomics.wordpress.com and buy his comics and art!

These fine folks represent the incredible MONSTERS IN MODESTO! They are part of the CEMETARIUM HAUNTED HOUSE group that includes PSYCHO CIRCUS, ZOMBIE HEIGHTS and a few others. They're a haunted house attraction that you should definately check out! To learn more about them and their October schedule, check out their website at www.monstersinmodesto.com/home.html.

Also in attendance were my good friends from BARELY LEGAL PRODUCTIONS! They are a ROCKY HORROR PICTURE SHOW Shadowcast that I've been friends with for years! They have shows in San Jose and Albany. To learn more about them and their schedule appearances, visit their website at barelylegal.rhps.org.

These cute couple work for the horror news website iHorror. It's a great website with a plethora of horror news for you to sink your fangs into. Visit them at ihorror.com. You can also download the app onto your smartphone from either the Apple App Store or from Google Play.

Now here's a couple you need to know! This lovely lady is the one and only Krystal Shay aka Kushbunnyy, the hottest bunnyy in the world! Words fail me to describe her, but she is one of the sweetest, kindest and sexiest woman I know! Make sure you check out the website at kushbunnyy.com and check out all her social media outlets while your there! Now the handsome stud next to her is Drew Marvick, filmmaker extraordinaire! This Las Vegas based auteur is the write/director of the ultra-cool slasher film POOL PARTY MASSACRE, which yours truly will be doing a review of it soon! One talented filmmaker and an awesome guy to hang out and talk movies with. To purchase a copy of the movie as well as sweet memorabilia, visit his website at poolpartymassacrestore.com.

This is one of my friends Carlyfornia Love. I've seen her at numerous conventions up and down the West Coast! From MONSTERPALOOZA to the SINISTER CREATURE CON, it's always a pleasure seeing a familiar face. Her booth has some fantastic and hard-to-find movies so if you see her, definitely check out her booth!

This is one bad ass muther fucker right here! The name's Stephen Biro and he is the CEO/Owner of UNEARTHED FILMS! His label is notorious in the horror genre, releasing some of the most gut-wrenching, vile and controversial films of all time. His infamous film franchise is the AMERICAN GUINEA PIG series, which has garnered acclaim and disgust from critics and fans alike. To learn more about label and their film catalog, visit their website at www.unearthedfilms.com.

Canadian filmmakers and identical twin sisters Jen and Sylvia Soska aka The Soska Sisters aka The Twisted Twins burst onto the scene with their 2009 indie film DEAD HOOKER IN A TRUNK. The latter received critical acclaim for their 2012 film AMERICAN MARY. Soon the twins added SEE NO EVIL 2 and VENDETTA to their list of films. They are currently working on the David Cronenberg remake of RABID. To learn more about the Soska Siters and their projects, visit their website at twistedtwinsproductions.net.

One of the highlights from that weekend was meeting the legendary filmmaker Don Coscarelli. He is the creator of the PHANTASM franchise as well as other cult classics like THE BEASTMASTER, BUBBA HO-TEP and JOHN DIES AT THE END. We had a great conversation and is just a really wonderful, down-to-earth kinda guy! Really had a pleasure meeting this horror icon. You can follow Don Coscarelli on both Facebook and Twitter.

This is a Weeping Angel from the BBC show DOCTOR WHO. They scare the hell outta me! 'Nuff said!!

Another friend I saw that weekend was the incredible Melissa Laroue, who was there signing autographs. She is a local celebrity, having been on the much beloved KOFY TV20 local show CREEPY KOFY MOVIE TIME as one of the Cave Girls. A former US Marine Corps, she's gone on to become a model, an actress and is a Bay Area treasure! I am very lucky to call her my friend! You can follow Melissa on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram!

This was the first horror convention in the Stockton area in a long time and I must say that this was an unprecedented success! There were so many celebrities, so many vendors, so many booths and so much fun was had by all! The next Sinister Creature Con will take place on October 14th and 15th, 2017 at the Scottish Rite Center in Sacramento, CA. Some of the celebrities attending the con will be Ted Raimi, Danielle Harris, Kevin Tenney, Uwe Boll, Lita from the WWE, Marky Ramone from the legendary punk band The Ramones, and so much more! To learn more about the convention and to purchase tickets, visit their website at www.sinistercreaturecon.com. To learn more about the Sacramento Horror Film Festival, visit their website at www.sachorrorfilmfest.com.

Thanks for reading, and enjoy the show!

Phil Attends the midnight screening of THE ROCKY HORROR PICTURE SHOW at the Camera 3 Downtown San Jose-Dec. 7, 2013

When the clock strikes midnight, that's when the crazy, freaking, scary people come out! And where are these ill-mannered, foul mouthed hooligans go to hang out? At the midnight screening of THE ROCKY HORROR PICTURE show at the Camera 3 in Downtown San Jose of course! To bring this cult classic to life, my good friends from Barely Legal Productions were there to act out along with the film! And once again my friend Sara was there with me to join in on this 37 year old midnight tradition! And it was also a special holiday themed show as well! What better way to say "Happy Holidays" than with transvestites and fishnet stockings!!

The night started off with a sexy, Burlesque type number with the luscious ladies of Barely Legal seducing Santa Claus to Eartha Kitt's rendition of "Santa Baby." Yup, I knew that this was going to be fun-filled, holiday show!! Oh-la-la!!

As always, Nate McHavoc (our Riff Raff) was our emcee for the night. He whipped up the crowd and got us all excited about the show. He introduced us to the cast members for that night's show and also subjected the "virgins" to the infamous butt dance. Once again there were a lot of virgins in the house! After picking out six victims....uh.....virgins....Nate subjected them to his embarrassing games and we all had a big laugh at their expense! It was awesome! After the games, the audience started sing Happy Birthday to cast member Lizzie Bernard who plays MAgenta! However, as some of you may know, we sing it quite differently. So the whole audience started singing, "Happy Birthday F#ck You!" It brought a tear to my eye!

As with the Fourth of July show, everyone was sporting holiday costumes, which included Santa hats, bells, red and green outfits, X-mas lights, and a certain someone dressed up in a snowman costume! Yes Virgina, there really is a talking snowman!! The Barely Legal cast turned in another fantastic performance once again, and the crowd had a blast! Sara and I had so much freaking fun!!

What an amazing night! Now just in case you missed out on all this midnight fun, fret not my friends! There will be another show here at the Camera 3 on January 4, 2014!! It's the first ROCKY show of the year people!! And as a reminder, Barely Legal are looking for new members so if you've ever wanted to be a star, now's your chance! To learn more about Barely Legal, their schedule, and how to become a member, visit their website at barelylegal.rhps.org. Also look for them on Facebook as well! Also visit the Camera Cinemas website at www.cameracinemas.com.

Thanks for reading, and enjoy the show!

Phil attends the midnight screening of THE ROCKY HORROR PICTURE SHOW at the Camera 3 Downtown San Jose-Nov. 2, 2013

Yes friends, after many, many months away, I returned to the Camera 3 to once again partake in a midnight tradition. Saturday night was my triumphant return to the monthly midnight screening of THE ROCKY HORROR PICTURE SHOW, the ultimate cult classic and original midnight movie! And as always, my friends from Barely Legal Productions were there to bring the film to life! However, Saturday's show was no ordinary show, oh no! It was the first ever "Tacky Horror" show! The guys played the girl's parts and the girls played the guy's parts! Or as they BL crew called it, "It's genderbenderiffic!" The show was presented by The Camera 3 Cinemas and by Psycho Donuts as well!

The was a huge crowd for the event, and our host was the always magnificent Nate McHavoc, who informed that crowd that he and his wife, the lovely and sexy Bridgid McHavoc, were at their friend's wedding and had a lot of champagne (and in Nate's case some tequila as well). These contributing factors made his intro all the more fun! He had all the virgins come up and do the butt dance (there were quite a lot of virgins), and then sent everyone under 18 years old back to their seats. Those who remained had to answer a his traditional contest which involves taking a basket, "And putting it between your legs." Yup, that never gets old! After humiliating the virgins, it was time to meet our cast!

Bridgid McHavoc & Lizzie Bernard.

I'm not gonna lie, it was freaking hilarious to see cast dressed up in each other's clothes!! This was the first time that my friend Lizzie Bernard (who mostly portrays Magenta at the shows) made her debut as the one and only Dr. Frank-N-Furter and she was awesome!! She really played up her performance and rightfully so. Lizzie is so full of energy that you cannot contain it. So she really went for it and made it so much fun to watch!And to make it even more fun, Lizzie's mom and sister were in the audience. Whenever Lizzie made a funny face or did something sexually provocative, her mom just smiled and said, "That's my girl!"

Another worthy performance that night was by Christy Robinson Mila, who portrayed handyman Riff Raff (a role done my Nate) and she was spot on! He behavior, he mannerism, she was Riff Raff and she was excellent!

After the show was all over, I was talking with Bridgid and I mentioned that this should be an annual event. So, it looks like it'll be back again nest year! But in case you can't wait till then, there is one more "Tacky Horror" show and it'll take place Saturday, November 9th at the Albany Twin Landmark Theater. So make plans for that show! In the meantime, The Barely Legal gang will return to the Camera 3 on Saturday, December 7th!! So come out next time and join in on all this ROCKY HORROR fun! You'll be glad you did! To learn more about future shows, and how you can become a cast member, visit their website at barelylegal.rhps.org.

Thanks for reading, and enjoy the show!

Phil attends the midnight screening of THE ROCKY HORROR PICTURE SHOW at the Camera 3 Downtown San Jose-April 6, 2013

So for the fifth and final movie on Saturday, I participated in a midnight tradition that has been going on since 1975. Over at the Camera 3 in Downtown San Jose, I once again attended the midnight screening of THE ROCKY HORROR PICTURE SHOW. And as always, my friends from Barely Legal Productions were there to bring the film to life! Plus, this was the special Easter Show! Joining me on my trip were my good friends Krista and her boyfriend Joe. The show is presented by The Camera 3 Cinemas and by Psycho Donuts and it features the cast of Barely Legal Productions!!

The Camera 3 lobby was packed full of people, mostly young teenagers and college students, and some of them have never been to a midnight ROCKY screening before! Mmmmm.......I smell virgins! To my surprise, Krista and Joe were also a virgins! OK I knew that tonight was going to be a lot fun!

After the theater was filled, the show began! As always, our host Nate McHavoc was our emcee (and Riff Raff) for this special Easter show. He had all the virgins come up and do the butt dance (there were A LOT of virgins), and then sent everyone under 18 years old back to their seats. Those who remained had to answer a his traditional contest which involves taking a basket, "And putting it between your legs." Now remember, this was the special Easter show, so the games involved Easter eggs and baskets. And of course, Krista was part of it all! I was so proud of her!

Since this was Easter show, some of the cast members wore Easter costumes during the show. But the best costume was Nate's GIGANTIC EASTER BUNNY costume that he wore during the grand finale of the film! It was hilarious! OK here's a little SPOILER. So for those who haven't seen the film yet (and shame on you if you haven't!), skip this part and go to the end. So in the final scene of the film were Riff Raff and Magenta confront Dr. Frank-N-Furter, there dressed in their alien garb. So naturally, the shadowcast does the same thing. But when Nate instead came out in the bunny costume, I almost died laughing! And what made it even funnier was that Nate just popped his head up and down to make it look like he was talking along with the movie! The whole audience was just laughing and cheering! Yes folks, fun was had by all!

After the screening, my friends and I kept the party going by heading over to IHOP down on N. First Street. Both Krista and Joe had a blast at the show, and both wanted to attend the next month's show. I gotta say, tonight was an awesome night!

So another great midnight screening has come and gone. The next Barely Legal will be Saturday, May 4th so come on out and join in on all the fun! To learn more about future shows, and how you can become a cast member, visit their website at barelylegal.rhps.org.

Thanks for reading, and enjoy the show! 

Phil attends the midnight screening of THE ROCKY HORROR PICTURE SHOW at the Camera 3 Downtown San Jose-Feb. 2, 2013

This past Saturday night my good friend Leslie and I did the Time Warp again over at the midnight screening of THE ROCKY HORROR PICTURE SHOW at the Camera 3 in Downtown San Jose! The film was presented by the Camera Cinemas, the Barley Legal production crew, and Psycho Donuts, home of the maniacal named snacks! Now what made this screening even more exciting was that this was Lingerie Night because of Valentine's Day being this month! Yup, 'twas going to be a very fun night!

The Camera 3's lobby was packed full of people, mostly young teenagers and college students, and some of them have never been to a midnight ROCKY screening before! Mmmmm.......I smell virgins! My only real complaint was that their wasn't enough ladies in lingerie! Well, besides the cast and Leslie! Tee-hee!!

After the theater was filled, the show began! As always, our host Nate McHavoc was our emcee (and Riff Raff) for this special Lingerie Night show. He had all the virgins come up and do the butt dance (there were A LOT of virgins), and then sent everyone under 18 years old back to their seats. After picking out six victims....uh.....virgins....Nate subjected them to his embarrassing games and we all had a big laugh at their expense! It was awesome!

Theatrical Movie Poster (1975)

There isn't anything that I can say that hasn't already been said. The film is talked about in books and periodicals, referenced in movies and TV shows, and I dare you to find anyone who doesn't know how to do the Time Warp dance. THE ROCKY HORROR PICTURE has become part of the American Lexicon of cult films, a film that to this day, is the longest running theatrical released film in Hollywood history. THE ROCKY HORROR PICTURE SHOW is the alpha and omega of midnight movie; a cult classic that has no real equal. The film is in a class all by itself, far ahead of its time. The film was a bomb when it was first released. Now, it is part of the Library of Congress' National Film Registry. The film's message of "Don't dream it. Be it." has had a major influence on those who are different, the outcasts if you will. It resonates and has inspired many who felt that they didn't belong. Artists, punks, gays, lesbians, movie maniacs, college students, and everyone in between. It speaks to us all to not give up on hope and to not give up on ourselves and to keep following our passions in life! Also the film is just one of the best films ever made! After 36 years, the film continues to play in theaters, and it is playing every month at the Camera 3!

So another great midnight screening has come and gone. But don't fret, the Barely Legal crew will be back in San Jose next month. They put on shows all over Northern California, so no matter where you live, there will be a show near you. So what are you waiting for? Come out next Saturday and join in on all this ROCKY HORROR fun! You'll be glad you did! To learn more about future shows, and how you can become a cast member, visit their website at barelylegal.rhps.org.

Thanks for reading, and enjoy the show!

Phil attends the first midnight screening of THE ROCKY HORROR PICTURE SHOW of 2013 at the Camera 3-January 5, 2013

This past Saturday night I one again did the Time Warp again over at the midnight screening of THE ROCKY HORROR PICTURE SHOW at the Camera 3 in Downtown San Jose! The show is presented by the Camera Cinemas and by Psycho Donuts and it features the cast of Barely Legal Productions, who have been carrying the ROCKY torch here in the Bay Area for the past 17 years! What made this show even more fun was that my best friend Dave along with his girlfriend Christine and her daughter Katelyn came out to join in on the fun!

What better way to ring in the new year with a midnight screening of ROCKY, which was Barely Legal's first show for 2013. The cast and crew once again did a wonderful job! Every time I attend these shows, the crowds get bigger and bigger, plus more and more "virgins" are attending these shows, which means the ROCKY virus is spreading to a whole new generation of kids. This makes me very happy, because it means that this midnight tradition, and the film, will be entertaining people for years to come. This is their mission: to keep the legacy of THE ROCKY HORROR PICTURE SHOW alive and well, and to make sure audiences have the best time of their lives at their shows. I always have a blast, and all my friends that I've been taking have all had fun and all have come back several times over.

Theatrical Movie Poster (1975)

THE ROCKY HORROR PICTURE SHOW is the alpha and omega of midnight movie; a cult classic that has no real equal. The film is in a class all by itself, far ahead of its time. The film was a bomb when it was first released. Now, it is part of the Library of Congress' National Film Registry. The film's message of "Don't dream it. Be it." has had a major influence on those who are different, the outcasts if you will. It resonates and has inspired many who felt that they didn't belong. Artists, punks, gays, lesbians, movie maniacs, college students, and everyone in between. The reason we love this film for more than just its obvious and fabulous over-the-top outrageousness. It speaks to us all to not give up on hope. To not give up on ourselves and to keep following our passions in life! Also the film is just one of the best films ever made!

So another great midnight screening has come and gone. But don't fret, the Barely Legal crew will be back in San Jose next month. They put on shows all over Northern California, so no matter where you live, there will be a show near you. To learn more about future shows, and how you can become a cast member, visit their website at barelylegal.rhps.org.

Thanks for reading, and enjoy the show!

Phil attends the midnight screening of THE ROCKY HORROR PICTURE SHOW at the Albany Twin Theater-December 8, 2012

So I have been attending Barely Legal's midnight screenings of THE ROCK HORROR PICTURE SHOW for well over a year now. However, I've only attended the screening at the Camera 3 here in Downtown San Jose. They've also been having shows at the Albany Twin Theater in Albany for a while now as well. So while having breakfast with Barely Legal co-founder Bridgid McHavoc at our Post-ROCKY  hangout (the IHOP on First Street in San Jose) last week, she informed be that I had to go to the show in Albany on December 8th for several reasons. The first being was that this was the last show at the Albany Twin for 2012. Second; it was a holiday themed show. And third, Bridgid was playing none other than the infamous Dr. Frank-N-Furter. So I told my good friend Leslie about the show and she invited her whole family to join in! Plus as an added bonus; her oldest daughter Oceanna's birthday was this month. What better way to spend her Bday, right? So we all traveled up to Albany to check out the show!

The Albany Twin Cinema Theater

The Albany Twin Theater was built in the 1970's and it's a really big theater. It had a good size screen and an impressive, real life stage! I mean it was a legit stage, used for performances and shows! It was really cool to see! Now being that we were in the East Bay, there were some differences between this show and the one put on in San Jose. The most obvious was that the crowd was much more louder, livelier, and way more vocal. Plus their commentary and the jokes are just slightly different than San Jose's but it was interesting to hear them.

The night started off with a sexy, Burlesque type number with the luscious ladies of Barely Legal seducing Santa Claus to Eartha Kitt's rendition of "Santa Baby." Yup, I knew that this was going to be fun-filled, holiday show!!

Inside the Albany Twin Theater

Afterwards our emcee Nate McHavoc (aka Riff Raff) whipping the audience into a frenzy! After his introductions he then handed the mic over to Bernie Bregman, a former member of the shadowcast called Sins of the Flesh. He was in charge of humiliating out group of "virgins" which was HUGE!! There must have been over 50 virgins up on the stage! So after he eliminated everyone that was under 18 years-old, he then picked out five girls and boys to participate in what he called, "Bernie's Embarrassing Pre-Show Game." Basically he had all the girls spread their legs like a porno star and he had the guys present their junk through their boxers. This was a riot! Now back in my day, the shadowcast use to embarrass the hell out of the virgins and had them do really fucked up shit, which was done in the good name of fun!! So this was a fun flashback for me.

BL's Bridgid McHavoc after the show

After the games were over, Nate got back up stage to introduce the cast for the show. Again, being in the East Bay, there were a lot more crew members, on both the technical side as well as actors and actresses. So most of the cast were people I have never seen before, and with Bridgid as Frank, it was a totally new show and I loved it! The "new" cast members were awesome, the audience was so into it, and Bridgid was fantastic as Dr. Frank-N-Furter!

As with the Fourth of July, everyone was sporting holiday costumes, which included Santa hats, bells, red and green outfits, X-mas lights, and a certain someone dressed up in a snowman costume! Yes Virgina, there really is a talking snowman!! Also, since it was Oceanna's Bday, she was picked to play Betty Munroe Hapschatt!! Our little girl has grown up into a beautiful bride!!

What an amazing night! This was by far one of my favorite Barely Legal shows ever! And I've seen a year's worth already! So in case you missed out on all this midnight fun, fret not my friends! There is still one more show left and it will be their last show for 2012. The next show will be on Saturday 29th at the Camera 3 in Downtown San Jose. It will also be a holiday themed show so I know you all want to come check it out now after reading this article! And as a reminder, Barely Legal are looking for new members so if you've ever wanted to be a star, now's your chance! To learn more about Barely Legal, their schedule, and how to become a member, visit their website at barelylegal.rhps.org. Also look for them on Facebook as well! Also visit the Camera Cinemas website at www.cameracinemas.com. So what are you waiting for? Come out on the 29th and join in on all this ROCKY HORROR fun! You'll be glad you did!

Thanks for reading, and enjoy the show!

Phil's Halloween Horrors Marathon, Day 27: Phil attends the special Halloween screening of THE ROCKY HORROR PICTURE SHOW with the Barely Legal cast at the Camera 3-October 27, 2012

Welcome my cinematic thrill seekers to Day Twenty-Seven of my horror movie marathon! This past Saturday night I along my best friend Leslie, her daughter Oceanna, and three of her friends attended the special Halloween screening of THE ROCKY HORROR PICTURE SHOW at the Camera 3 Cinemas in scenic Downtown San Jose! Now usually these midnight rituals are always packed, filled with long time veterans and nubile virgins. But since it's Halloween season, there was a massive line of people, ready to do the Time Warp again! Once again my friends at Barely Legal Productions were there to bring this cult classic to life before our eyes!

I arrived at the Camera 3 around 11pm, and had some very yummy donuts to snack on, courtesy of our good friends at Psycho Donuts located in the theater lobby. About a half hour later Leslie and the gang showed up with their tickets. Now the show had been sold out for weeks, so we were all excited to attend the show! Oceanna also was kind enough to bring along three of her friends, who also just happened to be virgins! Awwww.....we love our virgins here at ROCKY!! I was able to get a hold of a member of the BL cast and branded her friends with the infamous "V" on their cheeks as well as other tasteful words like "Slut" and "Asshole." Yup, these kids had no clue what the night awaited them!

Theatrical Movie Poster (1975)

The tradition of our emcee Nate McHavoc (Riff Raff) calling up all the virgins from audience was taken to a whole new level with this show. Now in my Day Six review, I mentioned that when the virgins were called to the stage, half of the audience went up. Now this was a sold out crowd, and there was even more virgins in the audience. So when Nate called them up, over 75% of the audience came up on stage! It was unbelievable! I have never seen anything like that before! It was an amazing sight to see!

The Barely Legal cast turned in another fantastic performance once again, and the crowd had a blast! I along with my friends continued the party over at the local IHOP down on First Street. There's nothing like having a big plate of French Toast at 4am! This is what makes life worth living for! Also having breakfast were some of the members of Barely Legal. Yup, this IHOP is now the official post-ROCKY hangout spot!

This was such fun-filled night! The cast, the crowd, the film, everything about the night was just perfect! I had the best time and so did my friends! Now if you wish join in on this midnight tradition of fun, you are in luck! Their next show is this coming Saturday, November 3 at midnight. And to make this show even more special, it is Barely Legal's 17th Birthday show! So make sure you come out and attend this momentous event! To learn more about future shows, and how you can become a cast member, visit their website at http://barelylegal.rhps.org/.

Thanks for reading, and enjoy the screaming! 

Phil's Halloween Horrors Marathon, Day 6: Phil attends the midnight screening of THE ROCKY HORROR PICTURE SHOW at the Camera 3-October 6, 2012

Hello and welcome to Day Six of my Halloween Horrors Marathon! This past Saturday night my good friend and fellow film buddy Jennifer and I did the Time Warp again over at the midnight screening of THE ROCKY HORROR PICTURE SHOW at the Camera 3 in Downtown San Jose! As I mentioned many times before, if you have never been to a midnight showing of ROCKY, then you just suck eggs! The show is presented by The Camera 3 Cinemas and by Psycho Donuts and it features the cast of Barely Legal Productions, who have been carrying the ROCKY torch here in the Bay Area for the past 17 years! That's a lot of Time Warping people!!

Once again the cast and crew did a wonderful job! Every time I attend these shows, the crowds get bigger and bigger, plus more and more "virgins" are attending these shows, which means the ROCKY virus is spreading to a whole new generation of kids. This makes me very happy, because it means that this midnight tradition, and the film, will be entertaining people for years to come. But for some strange reason, there were a lot more "virgins" than ever! In fact, when Nate McHavoc aka Riff Raff called all the "virgins" to come up on stage, literally half of the audience came up! I couldn't believe it! There was a lot of booty shaking at this show! And it was all in good fun!

Theatrical Movie Poster (1975)

There isn't anything that I can say that hasn't already been said. The film is talked about in books and periodicals, referenced in movies and TV shows, and I dare you to find anyone who doesn't know how to do the Time Warp dance. THE ROCKY HORROR PICTURE has become part of the American Lexicon of cult films, a film that to this day, is the longest running theatrical released film in Hollywood history. THE ROCKY HORROR PICTURE SHOW is the alpha and omega of midnight movie; a cult classic that has no real equal. The film is in a class all by itself, far ahead of its time. The film was a bomb when it was first released. Now, it is part of the Library of Congress' National Film Registry. The film's message of "Don't dream it. Be it." has had a major influence on those who are different, the outcasts if you will. It resonates and has inspired many who felt that they didn't belong. Artists, punks, gays, lesbians, movie maniacs, college students, and everyone in between. It speaks to us all to not give up on hope and to not give up on ourselves and to keep following our passions in life! Also the film is just one of the best films ever made! After 36 years, the film continues to play in theaters, and it is playing every month at the Camera 3!

Now usually my friends and I have a post-Rocky tradition: eating breakfast at our favorite Denny's on Alma and First Street. But for some reason the place was packed! So Jennifer and I headed over to the IHOP down on First Street and had breakfast there with Bridgid McHavoc, Nate's wife and all around ROCKY pro. She has played everybody, from Magenta to Columbia and even Dr. Frank-N-Furter. We all stayed up late and chatted and had a grand 'ol time!

And so another great midnight screening has come and gone. However the Barely Legal crew will be back in San Jose later on this month for their BIG ROCKY HORROR HALLOWEEN PARTY! So make sure you come out on Saturday, October 27th for this awesome event! I promise you it will be a night you will never forget! To learn more about future shows, and how you can become a cast member, visit their website at http://barelylegal.rhps.org/.

Thanks for reading, and enjoy the screaming! 

Phil attends the midnight screening of THE ROCKY HORROR PICUTRE SHOW at the Camera 3-August 4, 2012

When the clock strikes midnight, that's when the crazy, freaking, scary people come out! And where are these ill-mannered, foul mouthed hooligans go to hang out? At the midnight screening of THE ROCKY HORROR PICTURE show at the Camera 3 in Downtown San Jose of course! To bring this cult classic to life, my good friends from Barely Legal Productions were there to act out along with the film! And once again my friends Jennifer, Leslie, her daughter Oceanna and her new boyfriend Caleb were there with me to join in on this 37 year old midnight tradition!

This past Saturday night's show was a special event indeed. First off, the Camera 3 now has a stage!! Now we can see all the action! Hellsyeah!! Second, it was Mrs. Bridgid McHavoc's birthday! And our emcee Nate (aka Riff Raff aka Bridgid's better half) had everybody in the audience sing Happy Birthday to her....in the ROCKY HORROR way! Unfortunately I cannot repeat exactly what we all sang, but it went along the lines of "Happy Birthday, F*** You!" This how we do it at midnight people! But when we sing it, it's really touching. Nate also called up to the stage anyone who was celebrating a birthday this month, and yours truly is celebrating his birthday on the 22nd. Bridgid and I hugged and enjoyed the spotlight while the others looked terrified. So the few of us got onstage and we were all serenaded. To have my friends from Barely Legal (Christy Robinson Mila, Sandra Dee, Travis Venturi-Tackett, Lizzie Bernard, Drea Storey, Tina Rupnik, and Nate) singing and flipping all of us the bird was a wet dream come true!

Now as usual, Nate had all the virgins come up on stage, do the infamous Butt Dance, and had the lucky chosen ones participate in an embarrassing game! One of these virgins was Oceanna's boyfriend Caleb! And just as she did months earlier, his team won the challenge! Their prize: Jack shit! You gotta love virgins!!

Again, the Barely Legal crew did an awesome show! Afterwards, Jennifer, Leslie and I wished Bridgid a Happy Birthday and told her that she played a kick ass Magenta, even though she disagreed. So if a certain Bridgid McHavoc is reading this, I want to say that you did a great job that night! And I'm so glad that I get to share my birthday month with a really fantastic, talented, far out, groovy chick, who just happens to be a good friend! Happy Birthday again Bridgid!!

After the show, myself and the rest of my friends headed to our favorite post-ROCKY hangout: the Denny's off of Monterey Road and Alma. There is nothing like stuffing your face with French Toast at three in the morning! Oh man it was so good! It's the little things in life that make it all worth living!

So another great midnight screening has come and gone. But don't fret, the Barely Legal crew will be back in San Jose on September 1st. Also they are looking for actors, especially men! To learn more about future shows, and how you can become a cast member, visit their website athttp://barelylegal.rhps.org.

Thanks for reading, and enjoy the show

Phil attends the midnight screening of THE ROCKY HORROR PICTURE SHOW at the Camera 3-July 7, 2012

Good evening ladies and gentlemen! Last night I participated in a midnight tradition that has been going on since 1975. Over at the Camera 3 in Downtown San Jose, I once again attended the midnight screening of THE ROCKY HORROR PICTURE SHOW. And as always, my friends from Barely Legal Productions were there to bring the film to life! Joining me on my trip were my good friends Jennifer, her friend Kristin, Leslie, her younger sister Lori, and Leslie's daughter Ocean. However there two new ingredients to the mix: One) This was the special 4th of July presentation screening! And 2) It was my friend Jennifer's birthday!

The Camera 3's lobby was packed full of people, mostly young teenagers and college students, and some of them have never been to a midnight ROCKY screening before! Mmmmm.......I smell virgins! To my surprise, Leslie's sister Lori was also a virgin! OK I knew that tonight was going to be a lot fun!

After the theater was filled, the show began! As always, our host Nate McHavoc was our emcee (and Riff Raff) for this special 4th of July show. He had all the virgins come up and do the butt dance (there were A LOT of virgins), and then sent everyone under 18 years old back to their seats. Those who remained had to answer a series of extremely easy America related questions, with their mouths filled with marshmallows! Yup, nothing says America quite like a mouthful of marshmallows.

Theatrical Movie Poster (1975)

As I previously stated, tonight's theme was America, so some of the cast members wore patriotic costumes during the show. But the best costume was Nate's Bald Eagle costume that he wore during the grand finale of the film! It was hilarious! OK here's a little SPOILER. So for those who haven't seen the film yet (and shame on you if you haven't!), skip this part and go to the end. So in the final scene of the film were Riff Raff and Magenta confront Dr. Frank-N-Furter, there dressed in their alien garb. So naturally, the shadowcast does the same thing. But when Nate instead came out in the eagle costume, I almost died laughing! And what made it even funnier was that Nate just popped his head up and down to make it look like he was talking along with the movie! The whole audience was just laughing and cheering! The lovely Lizzy Bernard looked gorgeous in her Miss America gown, as well did the rest of the crew! Yes folks, fun was had by all!

After the screening, my friends and I kept the party going by heading over to Denny's off of Monterey Road and Alma.Yeah it looked pretty damn hot with yours truly strolling in the restaurant flocked by five women. But this was Jennifer's night, seeing it was her birthday. And I gotta say, tonight was the best present we could've gave her.

So another great midnight screening has come and gone. But don't fret, the Barely Legal crew will be back in San Jose next month. They put on shows all over Northern California, so no matter where you live, there will be a show near you. To learn more about future shows, and how you can become a cast member, visit their website at http://barelylegal.rhps.org/.

Thanks for reading, and enjoy the show!

Phil attends the midnight screening of THE ROCKY HORROR PICTURE SHOW at the Camera 3-June 2, 2012

The Camera 3 Marquee.

So during the Charlie Chaplin Days at the Niles Essanay Silent Film Museum, I attended a midnight movie tradition here in San Jose. So after I finished my duties at the museum on Saturday (I was there from 11am to 10:30pm), I headed on over to the Camera 3 in Downtown San Jose for the midnight screening of THE ROCKY HORROR PICTURE SHOW. As always, my friends from Barely Legal Productions were there to bring the film to life! It had been a long time since I attended one of these midnight shows, and I was long overdue for one! In fact I haven't attended a ROCKY show since January and I really wanted to see and support my friends!

The line for the show.

Upon my arrival, I met the lovely Bridgid McHavoc in the Psycho Donuts dining area in the theater's lobby. Bridgid, who's been with Barely Legal for several years, has portrayed several characters from the film; from Columbia to Magenta to the infamous Dr. Frank-N-Furter. Soon other Barely Legal cast members were arriving: Lizzie Bernard, Sandra Dee, and Drea Storey. The lobby was buzzing with excitement and a very long line began to form. Bridgid's husband Nate McHavoc was setting up the theater along with the BLP crew. Props were unloaded, built, and displayed. It all looked amazing! Each prop was extremely detailed that it all looked like the real props from the actual film! And let me just say that the costumes were all just simply amazing! I have been fortunate to see the BL crew in action at several of their shows and they always put 110% into each one. If you have never attended one of their shows, shame on you! Seeing a ROCKY show is required and is on everybody's cinematic bucket list!

Barely Legal's Bridgid McHavoc.

THE ROCKY HORROR PICTURE SHOW is the alpha and omega of midnight movie; a cult classic that has no real equal. The film is in a class all by itself, far ahead of its time. The film was a bomb when it was first released. Now, it is part of the Library of Congress' National Film Registry. The film's message of "Don't dream it. Be it." has had a major influence on those who are different, the outcasts if you will. It resonates and has inspired many who felt that they didn't belong. Artists, punks, gays, lesbians, movie maniacs, college students, and everyone in between. The reason we love this film for more than just its obvious and fabulous over-the-top outrageousness. It speaks to us all to not give up on hope. To not give up on ourselves and to keep following our passions in life! Also the film is just one of the best films ever made!

So another great midnight screening has come and gone. But don't fret, the Barely Legal crew will be back in San Jose next month. They put on shows all over Northern California, so no matter where you live, there will be a show near you. To learn more about future shows, and how you can become a cast member, visit their website at http://barelylegal.rhps.org/.

Thanks for reading, and enjoy the show!

Phil gets an exclusive interview while attending the midnight sceening of THE ROCKY HORROR PICTURE SHOW at the Camera 3-January 7, 2012

This past Saturday night I did the Time Warp again over at the midnight screening of THE ROCKY HORROR PICTURE SHOW at the Camera 3 in Downtown San Jose! As I mentioned in my October review, if you have never been to a midnight show of ROCKY, then my friends you are missing out on a lot of fun! The show is presented by The Camera 3 Cinemas and by Psycho Donuts and it features the cast of Barely Legal Productions, who have been carrying the ROCKY torch here in the Bay Area for the past 16 years. These events have been so popular that they are now having shows twice a month: the first and third Saturday!

What a way to ring in the new year with a midnight screening of ROCKY, which was Barely Legal's first show for 2012. The cast and crew once again did a wonderful job! Every time I attend these shows, the crowds get bigger and bigger, plus more and more "virgins" are attending these shows, which means the ROCKY virus is spreading to a whole new generation of kids. This makes me very happy, because it means that this midnight tradition, and the film, will be entertaining people for years to come. This is their mission: to keep the legacy of THE ROCKY HORROR PICTURE SHOW alive and well, and to make sure audiences have the best time of their lives at their shows. I always have a blast, and all my friends that I've been taking have all had fun and all have come back several times over.

The Barely Legal Cast before Saturday's show

I had the honor and privileged to conduct an interview with two of the main actors of the Barely Legal show. Nate and Bridgid McHavoc (who just got married late last year) are what I like to call the "power couple" behind the BLP. They have been part of Barley Legal since its inception. But for Bridgid, who portrayed the infamous sweet transvestite Dr, Frank-N-Furter at Saturday's show, her involvement with the film started years earlier. "When I was dating Nate years ago, he would have ROCKY HORROR parties at his place. That's when I saw the film for the first time really." However while they were dating, "We would go out to dinner or whatever and he would leave at 10:30pm to go with his friends to see ROCKY at midnight, and I got tired of being left behind. So I told him that next time he was going that he had to take me too," Bridgid said laughingly.

Nate & Bridgid McHavoc as Riff Raff & Columbia

The first shows that Barely Legal held were at the famous UC Theater in Bekerley every Saturday night until the theater closed its doors in 1997 "After the theater closed we began to put on shows at the Parkway Theater in Oakland, " said Nate, still in his Riff Raff costume, minus the bald cap. "The crowds at those shows were incredible." The Barely Legal cast performed at the Parkway Theater for well over a decade until, like the UC Theater, it closed in 2008. "That was a real shame because we had so much fun there," said Bridgid.

With the closing of the Parkway Theater, the BL crew went on the road, having shows in San Francisco, Peteluma, and other cities before settling in at the Albany Theater in Albany and at the Camera 3 here in San Jose. It had been a long time since San Jose had midnight ROCKY screenings due to the closing of the Camera One back in 1995. For this movie fanatic, I was so happy to see it return to San Jose and back at the Camera Cinemas once again.

Nate and Bridgid live all the way up in Tracy, which by itself is a long commute. Add to the fact that both have full time jobs. Bridgid is an executive assistant at American Pacific Mortgage and Nate, "works a lot." But despite their hectic schedules, they are committed to their ROCKY fans and their passion in keeping the film alive and making sure their audiences have the best time of the lives at their shows. So to Nate, Bridgid, and to the rest of the Barely Legal crew, I would like to say "thank you" for bringing ROCKY back to San Jose, to the Camera Cinemas, and for making me forget my troubles for a while and letting me do the Time Warp once again. You guys are the best!

As I stated earlier, Barely Legal will be having two shows now every month. The next show will be on Saturday, January 28th so mark that date on your calender! If you would like to learn more about them and are interested in joining their cast, visit their cool website at http://barelylegal.rhps.org/. Also look for them on Facebook as well and to see showtimes, visit the Camera Cinemas website at www.cameracinemas.com. So what are you waiting for? Come out next Saturday and join in on all this ROCKY HORROR fun! You'll be glad you did!

Thanks for reading, and enjoy the show!

Phil's Horror Watch, Day 1: Phil attends the midnight screening of THE ROCKY HORROR PICTURE SHOW at the Camera 3-October 1, 2011

Welcome my friends to the Halloween edition of Phil's Film Adventures! Starting today and going all the way until Halloween, I will be watching one horror film per day to celebrate this most wonderful time of the year! So to start off this annual event, I took my good friend Michele with me as I made my way to the Camera 3 in Downtown San Jose to partake in a cinematic ritual: attending a midnight screening of THE ROCKY HORROR PICTURE SHOW! The film was presented by the Camera Cinemas, the Barley Legal production crew, and Psycho Donuts, home of the maniacal named snacks!

Like most of the other screenings that I have attended, the people in line are the best people to hang out with. So when you attend one of these midnight screenings, make sure to say hi to the person in front of you, as well a behind you, because you'll be seeing them every month. They will become your family, and what an awesome family to have! I seriously doubt that your folks will be dressed from head to toe in tight, black clothing, or your mom having her breasts pop out of a mid-evil corset. Your younger siblings parading around in black, punk/goth attire, your wacky uncle in a tight, pink, neon dress with his beard properly groomed. Here at ROCKY, this is normal. So how cool is that?

Another cool aspect of attending the screening is that inside the Camera 3 lies the awesomely delicious nirvana of Psycho Donuts, where you will find the best tasting and weirdly named donuts in town! Try the Cereal Killer; a donut covered with Cap'n Crunchberries! Or maybe the Headbanger; a raspberry jelly filled treat. My personal favorite is the Jekyll & Hyde; one side has chocolate sprinkles and the other side is covered with drizzle! To wash down your donuts, try their latest liquid refreshment; Beer shake!! Can you say yum!! Now on to the main attraction folks!!

Theatrical Movie Poster (1975)

ROCKY is the king of all cult films. What makes experiencing the film at a midnight screening so unique is the LIVE cast the acts along with it! The Barely Legal Production has been associated with the film here in the South Bay since 1995. With the retiring of the Indecent Exposure Production that same year (they had been performing with the film for over 20 years here), Barely Legal took over the reigns had have never looked back. Going on 16 years, they are now the keepers of the ROCKY flame, and this cast and crew puts on an amazing show. Hosted by Nathan McHavoc (Riff Raff), he's the man that makes the pre-show so much fun. He has the "virgins" (people who have never been to one of the shows before) come up on stage and make them participate in funny and degrading games for our amusement. He whips the crowd up and gets them ready for the show, and what a show it is! Fantastic props and sets, great acting from the cast, fun audience participation, and hilarious hijinks makes this a must on anyone's bucket list. Before you die, you MUST attend one of these screenings. After that then you can die happily. Now about the film...

...The film is freaking awesome!! There, that's all you need to know! OK, here's a little bit of trivia about the film. The film was released to theaters on September 26, 1975, and was DOA at the boxoffice. However, a little theater in New York called the Waverly Theater played it at midnight on April 1, 1976. The rest, as they say, is history.

There isn't anything that I can say that hasn't already been said. The film is talked about in books and periodicals, referenced in movies and TV shows, and I dare you to find anyone who doesn't know how to do the Time Warp dance. THE ROCKY HORROR PICTURE has become part of the American Lexicon of cult films, a film that to this day, is the longest running theatrical released film in Hollywood history. After 36 years, the film continues to play in theaters, and it is playing every month at the Camera 3! To be part of film history, you can attend the next ROCKY screening on October 29th, so begin to make plans for this special Halloween event!

To view the film schedule of future screenings of THE ROCKY HORROR PICTURE SHOW, or any of the fine films screening at the Camera Cinemas, visit their website at http://www.cameracinemas.com

Thanks for reading, and enjoy the show!