James Azrael at Flashback Weekend 2022

Flashback Weekend returns August 2-4. Once again, I will be "On the Beat" at Chicago's longest-running horror convention.

There will also be many vendors and exhibitors, one of my favorites being my friend James Azrael. I interviewed James about his work with the Horror and SciFi Prop Preservation Association (HSPPA), Spooky's Swirls, The Lobo Fragmendium and more, while also talking about Flashback Weekend. That interview is at On the Beat With James Azrael.

As usual, James will be at Flashback and you never know what he might bring with him, but it will definitely be cool. James is also ready to talk about horror, films, cookies and pretty much anything. Ask him about his film, It's Just a Game, a really interesting movie he did a few years back.

I look forward to seeing James and a bunch of other celebrities, vendors and friends. Flashback Weekend is always a great time.

Check FlashbackWeekend.com for more info. Also, check back here for my recurring coverage

James Azrael and me in Rosemont, IL-August 2022.

James Azrael at Flashback Weekend 2021

Flashback Weekend returns August 5-7 in Rosemont, IL. Of course, I will be "On the Beat" there, but a few weeks ago I got a head start by interviewing James Azrael. That interview is at On the Beat With James Azrael.

James has a lot of projects and he discusses all of them in our interview. As usual, James will have a booth at Flashback Weekend. I tried to get him to get some of his Spooky Swirls cookies there, but the logistics make it too hard. Hopefully, some day, those tasty cookies will be found in the Chicago area.

James isn't just about cookies though. He is deeply involved in the horror industry. The Horror and Sci_Fi Prop Preservation Association (HSPPA) does amazing work.

I highly encourage everyone to attend Flashback Weekend and make sure to check out James at his booth. You never know what cool stuff he will have. Also, James is just a great guy. You'll have a lot of fun and learn interesting things about horror just by talking to him.

Go to FlashbackWeekend.com for more info and updates. Also, check HSPPA.com and SpookySwirls.com for more info on James and his work.

James Azrael and me in Rosemont, IL-August 2021.

On the Beat With James Azrael

As I begin my coverage of Flashback Weekend, I start with an interview with James Azrael, a man of many talents and a regular at Flashback Weekend. The interview can be found at On the Beat With James Azrael.

Flashback Weekend is two months away. That's only two months until Chicago's largest and longest running Horror Convention returns. Mike and Mia Kerz started Flashback Weekend in 2002 and have made it a huge event, without losing the intimate feel. Held at the Hyatt Regency O'Hare Chicago August 5-7 at 9300 West Bryn Mawr Avenue in Rosemont, this year's Flashback Weekend looks to be the best eve

In the world of horror icons, it doesn't get any bigger than Robert Englund. The man is a legitimate legend. If Englund was the only celebrity guest, it would be enough, but the rest of the list is lengthy and impressive.

Also appearing are Alex Winter (The Lost Boys), Steve Miner (Friday the 13th: Part 2)< Robert Carradine and Don Gibb (Revenge of the Nerds), P.J. Soles and John Michael Graham (Halloween), Airon Armstrong (Halloween Kills), Heather Langenkamp, Lisa Wilcox, Brooke Theiss, Toy Newkirk, Ken Sagoes, and Amanda Wyss (A Nightmare on Elm Street franchise), Kelli Maroney and Catherine Mary Stewart (Night of the Comet), Quinn Lord (Trick 'r Treat), Kane Hodder (aka Jason), Jeff Daniel Phillips (The Munsters), Melinda Clarke (Return of the Living Dead) and Tom Devlin (special effects master). That is an amazing lineup.

There will also be many vendors and exhibitors, one of my favorites being my friend James. I interviewed James about his work with the Horror and SciFi Prop Preservation Association (HSPPA), Spooky's Swirls, The Lobo Fragmendium and more, while also talking about Flashback Weekend. As usual, James will be at Flashback and you never know what he might bring with him, but it will definitely be cool.

The many other vendors will be promoting and selling awesome stuff. Authors, artists and creators of all kinds display their creations.

There are many fun events, including panels, Q&A's, costume contests and much more. It is a weekend chock full of horror fun!

I love Flashback Weekend. I will be “On the Beat” as usual and can't wait. Until then, I will provide more looks at special guests of Flashback Weekend, as well as updates on the guest list and events. Stay tuned here and I hope to see you there.

Go to HSPPA.com for more info on James and his work. Check FlashbackWeekend.com for info and scheduling.

Flashback Weekend Featuring James Azrael

Flashback Weekend returns to Rosemont for its 20th annual weekend of fun. Chicago’s largest and longest running Horror Convention, Flashback Weekend Chicago Horror Con runs July 30-Aug. 1, 2021 at their beautiful new venue, the Hyatt Regency O’Hare Chicago at 9300 West Bryn Mawr Avenue in Rosemont.

This year's celebrity lineup is already stacked. Celebrities scheduled to appear include Tobin Bell (Saw), Shawnee Smith (Saw), Nick Castle (Halloween), Kane Hodder (Friday the 13: Part VIII), James Jude Courtney (Halloween), Mark Rolston (Aliens), Jenette Goldstein (Aliens), Zach Galligan (Gremlins), Peter Cowper (My Bloody Valentine), Sandy Johnson (Halloween) and Carla Harvey (Butcher Babies). There's a Friday the 13th Part V: New Beginning reunion with Melanie Kinnaman, Deborah Vorhees, Carol Locatell, Ron Sloan and Dick Wiand. There's also a Killer Klowns From Outer Space reunion with Grant Cramer, Harold Blake, Suzanne Snyder and Mike Martinez. Charlie Benante of Anthrax brings a music presence.

The legendary horror host Svengoolie is one of the yearly highlights at Flashback. Sven will be signing autographs and posing for pictures, but he will also host the Sinister Visions Costume Contest on Saturday afternoon. As of this writing, this is the first scheduled appearance for Svengoolie and it is sure to be a major draw. After 40+ years of entertaining fans, Svengoolie is more popular than ever. If you haven't met Sven yet, Flashback Weekend is the perfect place.

There are many vendors promoting and selling cool stuff. Authors, artists and creators of all kinds display their creations. One of my favorites is James Azrael.

James is one buy, talented man. He's a producer, actor, musician, director and more. He is the owner, operator and Head Curator of The Horror and SciFi Prop Preservation Association (HSPPA). He is also the co-owner of Spooky's Swirls, a horror-scifi themed, gluten-free bakery with a museum of actual screen used props and wardrobes on display.

His latest endeavor is Cineloggia, where he is co-owner and Head Curator. Billed as a “Silver Screen Experience,” Cineloggia is the only movie prop and memorabilia gallery museum in Las Vegas.

Always entertaining, I have interviewed James a few times The last time focused on It's Just a Game, a fantastic horror film co-produced by James. He also played a minor, but very cool, role in the film. I really loved this film. The acting was real. The story was tight. I think it is destined for cult classic status.

I am sure James will be willing to discuss any and all of this. He's extremely personable (and not just to pesky reporters like me). I wonder if he'll have any Spooky Swirls delights flown in for the occasion.

James is just one of the many great vendors appearing at Flashback Weekend. I have met so many cool creative people there over the years. 

Other events scheduled for the weekend include screenings, panels, Q&A's, Saturday's afterparty and much more. It really is a weekend of fun.

I'll be going with my pal Cuzz Gekas and I am sure to run into many other friends attending Flashback. It's three weeks away and I can't wait. Check FlashbackWeekend.com for more info.

James Azrael and me in Rosemont, IL-August 2019.

On the Beat With James Azrael of "It's Just A Game"

A while back, I did a review of It's Just a Game on Patch.com. It's Just A Game is a cool movie co-produced by my friend James Azrael. More recently, on Johngy''s Beat, I featured interview with James and Daniel Emery Taylor, co-producer, writer and director. Today, I am back with an update interview with James, who shares some exciting news.

It's Just A Game will be available on DVD on October 13, 2020. I am excited about the news.

I really enjoyed It's Just A Game, which James allowed me to watch for the review. I wrote back then that reviewing works from my friends is always tricky because of the possibility I won't like it. Fortunately, that wasn't a problem with It's Just A Game.

When I started watching it, I planned on only watching the first 15 minutes or so to get a feel for it, then come back later to watch the whole thing. That plan went away as I was immediately drawn into the movie.

It features a very talented group of young actors. I was so impressed by them. I was also impressed with the settings, camera work and pretty much everything about the movie. I wrote then it is destined to be a cult classic and I stand by that statement. James jokes about his minor acting role in the movie, but truthfully he did a great job in a part that, although it wasn't major, was a key role. In our update interview, James has a little fun, recreating part of one of his scenes.

After you watch our interview, go to the It's Just A Game Facebook page to learn more about it and to get more frequent updates. I'll also continue my recurring coverage here and hopefully have more interviews with James, Daniel and anyone else involved in It's Just A Game.

Thank you to James for his time again. Also, thanks to James and Daniel for giving me access to the movie and for their time and consideration from the beginning. It has been fun experiencing the process develop and I look forward to more projects from them.

On the Beat With Daniel Emery Taylor and James Azrael of "It's Just A Game"

It's Just A Game is a movie about a "teenage girl is kidnapped by a bizarre theatre cult intent on summoning an ancient witch" which was released in 2018. I interviewed producer-actor James Azrael and wrote my review at Johngy's Beat Reviews "It's Just A Game" for the Patch.

You can read that story for my thoughts and some story notes, but in short, I really enjoyed the movie. I was particularly impressed by the young actors and actresses in the film, as well as the crisp story-telling. Also, a major part of the beauty of this film is the simplicity. It does not fall into the trap of going overboard with anything. Instead, it relies on a strong script, great direction, realistic acting and enough horror and gore to satisfy any horror fan.

I think the movie is destined to be a cult classic. I really look forward to seeing the career development of the talent in the film.

While following James on social media, I saw he had a big announcement and I immediately contacted him about doing an update interview. James responded positively and also got director-writer Daniel Emery Taylor to make it a 2fer interview.

We started off with the big announcement. (Spoiler alert) The It's Just A Game DVD will be available to pre-order on Amazon. That has been much-anticipated by fans like me and the horror community in general. This will allow current fans to own a copy, while also exposing It's Just A Game to new viewers.
We had a fun interview, as Daniel and James discussed the process, the young actors and actresses, the actual shooting and more. You can tell how passionate these two are about this project and rightly so.
Saying "it's a labor of love" is too cliche, but it is appropriate in this instance. I saw that from the first time James talked to me about it.
I know several of my friends are already big fans. Buds like Tony, Jack and Jason have been on the bandwagon for awhile and I am certain that bandwagon is growing and will get even bigger upon the DVD release.
I highly recommend It's Just A Game. It's a classic horror thriller, relying more on the story than outright gore, although there is plenty of that.
In the interview below, along with the information about It's Just A Game, several questions are addressed:
-Was James really a diva on set?
-Did Daniel rule the set with an iron fist?
-Will there be a sequel?
Okay, two of those questions are a bit silly, but I appreciate the two going along with the fun. The third question was serious and I loved their answer.
Daniel and James are great guys. I am not saying that as a friend or PR agent. These two love their work and deserve credit. I hope everyone gives It's Just A Game a chance. I now you'll enjoy it.
I'll do an update with James and Daniel as it gets closer to the DVD release. For now, enjoy the interview, check out the links and be ready to be entertained by It's Just A Game.

You can pre-order It's Just A Game on Amazon. Go to the It's Just A Game Facebook page for news and updates. Also, checkout It's Just A Game on IMDB to get more details of the movie itself.

Friend Encounters: James Azrael and Tony Feddeler

Friend Encounters is a weekly series featuring friends who have met celebrities.

I took the picture for today's feature. My friend Tony Feddeler and I were attending Chicago Pop Culture Con, when we came across our mutual friend James Azrael and his booth for the HSPPA (Horror and ScFi Prop Preservation Association).

James was there promoting the HSPPA and also "It's Just A Game," a movie he co-produced. The movie centered on 4 teenage girls. The movie started with them exchanging scary stories, but it quickly spun off into a paranormal horror thriller.

James invited us to a special premiere, but I was unable to go. Tony did go and gave it a good review.

A couple weeks later, James sent me a private YouTube link for me to watch the movie. I reviewed it at Johngy's Beat Reviews "It's Just A Game" on the Patch.

In short, I really enjoyed the movie. I thought the young actors did a great job with a wide range of emotions. The movie relied on a lot of understated moments or subtlety. Instead of wild slasher moments, it went for a little less visual, but far more effective shots. The overall acting followed the same concept. The young actors stayed within themselves and the script. Instead of trying to steal the scenes, the actors looked even stronger.

"It's Juts A Game" won't win an Oscar, but I think it is destined to become a cult classic. UIt's the type of movie that will grow on you as time passes. I could easily see the actors at future comic cons for years to come.

It was fun hanging with Tony at the convention. I am not even sure where I first met Tony. It had to be either at a wrestling show, comic con or a Bandits game. Any way, I am happy to know Tony.

As the weather starts warming, my thoughts turn to future cons and Bandits games. I am sure I'll see Tony again and we will probably see James promoting again.

Until then, check out the HSPPA on Facebook. You can watch the "It's Just A Game" trailer on YouTube and and follow "It's Jus A Game" on Facebook.

James Azrael and Tony Feddeler in St. Charles, IL-November 2018.

"It's Just A Game" and James Azrael

When I saw my bud James Azrael at the Chicago Pop Culture Con, he was promoting the HSPPA (Horror & SciFi Prop Preservation Association). The non-profit organization brings iconic screen-used props to public settings for fans to see up close in an effort to preserve filmic history for generations to come. Along those lines, there was some pretty cool stuff to see at the HSPPA booth.

James was also there to talk about "It's Just A Game," a movie he co-produced. We talked about the HSPPA, "It's Just A Game" and more in our interview at On the Beat With James Azrael at Chicago Pop Culture Con.

James described "It's Just A Game" as a paranormal horror thriller. Various promo pieces advertised it as "a twisted tale of teenage bullying, jealousy, angst, and a bizarre theatre cult intent on summoning the spirit of an ancient witch." The premise sounded like a typical thriller, but it appealed to me and I wanted to see where it went.

James was very passionate about it and I always like to support the talented folks I have met at pop cons. James is very talented and I was curious to see his latest creative endeavor.

James graciously invited me to a special screening, but I was unable to attend. He followed that by offering me a private link to a screener copy online. Of course, I eagerly accepted that and looked forward to watching the movie.

As much as I like seeing the creations of my talented friends, I also am a bit leery about actually reviewing them. What if I don't like the product? I can't lie in my writing, but I also wouldn't want to disparage my friends or their work. It could get sticky.

Fortunately, my fears quickly faded within minutes as I started watching "It's Just A Game." In fact, I messaged James and jokingly said I was annoyed because I intended on watching only a few minutes to get the basic feel, but I was sucked in and watched about half of it. Furthermore, I knew I had to set aside enough time to watch the rest in one sitting, because I knew I wouldn't want to leave it again.

I wrote a full review at Johngy's Beat Reviews "It's Just A Game" on Patch.com. Spoiler alert...I really enjoyed it!

The movie starts as 4 teenage girls are telling spooky tales. Things start to go awry when dissension arises within the group. Things go really badly when a cult is introduced into the movie. What is the connection? What happens to the girls? How does everyone respond? Is it all "just a game?"

Those questions are all answered very clearly and the suspense stays strong right through the end. As I watched the movie, my mind raced through ending scenarios. For the record, none of my thoughts were correct and I am happy about that. The ending was a surprise, but logical, too.

One of the things I enjoyed the most was the simplicity. It didn't try to be a blockbuster, over-the-top horror movie. In my review, I wrote that it employed the "less is more" theory. Subtlety is a beautiful thing if done right. It's actually even more sinister if done perfectly.

"It's Just A Game" contained some sex scenes which were actually sexy because they weren't gratuitous or extended. Some slasher scenes were done in the same minimal way. These scenes evoked more reactions than had they been over-produced moments.

The young actors did an outstanding job. Th character development was well-done and the actors did well with the progressions.

My bud James even had a small part in the movie. As cult member Brother Julius, James was more than "the big guy with a beard," as he described his role. While he wasn't a main character, he wasn't simply filler either.

"It's Just A Game" is a thoroughly enjoyable movie. I see it as a future cult classic. I can see the young actors going on to have excellent careers and I also see them having a reunion at a future horror con. I will be there if that happens, of course. Until then, I encourage everyone to check out "It's Just A Game."

Thank you to James for this opportunity. Great job all around, pal! 

You can watch the "It's A Game" trailer on YouTube. You can also follow "It's Just A Game" on Facebook for more info and updates. 

James Azrael and me in St. Charles, IL-November 2018.

On the Beat With James Azrael at Chicago Pop Culture Con 2018

At the recent Chicago Pop Culture Con, I interviewed James Azrael, a member of my convention family. James is not only a bud, he is a talented guy with an impressive and varied resume, including "It's Just a Game," his movie premiering December 1.

According to the Kickstarter page for "It's Just a Game," the movie is "twisted tale of teenage bullying, jealousy, angst, and a bizarre theatre cult intent on summoning the spirit of an ancient witch." James also gives his insight into the movie in our interview below. Written and directed by Daniel Emery Taylor, produced by my bud James, it stars Hannah Cohen-Lawlor, Leah Hudspeth, Alex Zuko and James, who plays brother Julius (or big guy with a beard, according to James). 

James invited me to the big event this Saturday, but unfortunately, other work prevents me from being there, but I'll be there in spirit and I'll live vicariously through many other friends going. I don't say this because James is a friend. This movie intrigues me.

At the many comic cons I attend, I see a lot of films being promoted. It takes something very special to stand out and "It's Just A Game" sounds very special to me. I also see the passion and excitement when I talked to James.
The Kickstarter program runs for another 9 days. There are several levels of pledging with awesome rewards on each level. In addition to the Blu-Ray, you can get autographed merchandise, limited edition pieces, and lots of other collector's items. Most importantly, you will be helping talented people and getting lots of entertainment, while being part of something special.

Go to the Kickstarter page for It's Just a Game" to get more info on that project, to secure your copy and to help the cause. For more info on James, check out James Azrael on Facebook. You can also follow the HSPPA on Facebook. Go to the It's Just a Game Facebook page for more news about the movie.
Thanks to James for his time and consideration. I wish my friend a lot of success with this project. Thank you also to Tim Zurko of Zurko Promotions for the hospitality all weekend at Chicago Pop Culture Con.

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