The H. P. Lovecraft Film Festival

It is with great joy and a bit of melancholy in my heart that I'm heading this afternoon to the last H. P. Lovecraft Film Festival in Portland. At this point it's not clear whether it's the last one ever or just a much needed break for Festival founder Andrew Migliore. As always it should be quite a weekend.

In addition to being a vehicle to promote independent films with Lovecraftian themes from around the world, the festival has expanded in the last few years to include Chthulhucon, a gathering of writers, scholars, editors and filmmakers, where the work of various weird tales authors and filmmakers are animatedly discussed. On Sunday, October 3, I will be moderating the panel, Ramsey Campbell: From Acolyte to Master featuring S. T. Joshi (noted Weird Tales scholar), Jason V. Brock (filmmaker, editor and publisher) and William F. Nolan (prolific author and screenplay writer, best known for Logan's Run). The panel runs from 2:30 to 3:30.

Thanks for the 15 year run Andrew! Next October will seem especially hollow without the Festival to look forward to.

A moderate return...

Here are the Journal of Weird Studies, quiet has descended on our solitary researches for far too long. It's time to stir things up. In a fit of unbridled creativity, we're blowing the dust off of our moldy keyboard and launching in with a minor entry. Ambitious plans are in the works for reviews of a couple of fairly recent books and some profile pieces on a few of my new favorite weird writers.

For now, I'd like to share a link with you. Noted weird tale writer and all around fabulous human being, Wilum Hopfrog Pugmire has just posted an intriguing, yet far too brief interview with my favorite critic of weird fiction, S. T. Joshi. S. T. provides pithy details on a number of his upcoming critical works and anthologies. For my money, the best part of the interview occurs when Wilum convinces S. T. to sing "Happy Birthday" to the late R. H. Barlow. Who knew S. T. had such a melodious voice? Knowledgeable word has it that S. T., a confirmed atheist, sings in a church choir! I will be spending the rest of my afternoon wrestling with that paradox. In the meantime, you can enjoy the interview.