An event-filled weekend awaits you! Get some free comic books, celebrate Star Wars, or catch a film screening or festival!

Hey b-movie fans! It's going to be a gorgeous weekend (in this neck of the woods at least), and there are a lot of cool, nerdy things going on all over the place! Here's a small list of events that are happening over the next few days; some are national, some international, but most are localized. If you know of something happening that is worth mentioning on my list, leave a comment below, e-mail me, or hit me up on Facebook or Twitter.

... and also with you.

MAY 4TH:
INTERNATIONAL STAR WARS DAY ("MAY THE 4TH BE WITH YOU..." ALL DAY - EVERYWHERE)
Started officially in 2011, International Star Wars Day (which began in Toronto, Ontario, Canada) has since grown (especially now that Disney owns the Star Wars name brand). Look out for screenings of the films at some theatrical venues, or if you live in California, check out the free parade Disney is having at their Hollywood Studios tomorrow! Need some ideas on what to do to celebrate your fave sci-fi franchise? Then head on over to the Star Wars Day Blog for some hints!

FREE COMIC BOOK DAY (ALL DAY - EVERYWHERE!)
Head out to your local comic book store to get freebies! Many shops have contests, giveaways, and special offers on this, their most holy (and busiest) of days. Also, don't be surprised if the shop you visit also happens to be celebrating the aforementioned STAR WARS DAY!

SALT CITY HORROR FEST (THE PALACE THEATER - SYRACUSE, NY - 11 AM)
As posted HERE, this horror/exploitation/cult film fest will take place ALL DAY at the Palace Theater on James St. The movie lineup consists of: ABBOTT AND COSTELLO MEET FRANKENSTEIN, IT CAME FROM OUTER SPACE (in anaglyph 3D!), NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD, THE MANSON FAMILY, HOUSE AT THE EDGE OF THE PARK, ROBOCOP, NEKROMANTIK, and FRIGHT NIGHT! Tickets are $20 bucks at the door, and you can come and go all day as long as you have your wristband. Also, bring extra money with you because they serve all sorts of snacks and beer, plus there will be vendors there selling DVDs, Blu-rays, collectibles, and more! Maybe I'll see you there!

RIFFING MYSELF W/JOEL HODGSON (DRYDEN THEATER - SYRACUSE, NY - 8PM)
An intimate, funny, one-man show with the creator of Mystery Science Theater 3000 and Cinematic Titanic. Get all the feedback about Joel's early years as a ventriloquist and stand-up comedian, and discover every little detail that went into the creation of movie riffing and one of the greatest cult comedy shows of all time. I caught his act in Scranton back in February and it was really interesting, and Joel is one cool cat. (Even managed to sneak in a photo op with him before he escaped.) The show kicks off at 8 PM at the Dryden Theater. It's $20 for the main performance and $50 for the performance, and a post meet & greet + a screening of an MST3K episode. (Most likely, "The Pod People.")

FANTASM SCREENING (SYRACUSE, NY - SYRACUSE UNIVERSITY - SHAFFER ART BUILDING)
Kyle Kuchta visited six horror cons and made this endearing documentary about the conventions and the fans (and guests) that attend them. The abridged version of his thesis film is being shown for free on Saturday night to cap off a two day student film fest. I'm not quite sure about what time his film is being screened, so be sure to check out the FANTASM Facebook page to keep up to date!


MAY 5TH:
EXFEST III (INTERNATIONAL HOUSE - PHILADELPHIA, PA - 11 AM TO 11 PM)
I've always wanted to attend the EXHUMED FILMS' hosted eX-FeST. They show five films in glorious 35mm and never give away the lineup until the day of the event. Tickets are $26 (if any are left after the pre-orders... which is apparently quite rare). Visit THIS PAGE to snag tickets and enjoy the insanity on Sunday!

That's all I know of at the moment, but if you know of an event happening over the next two days that warrants a mention, then by all means contact me and I'll add it to the list! Have a great weekend everybody, and enjoy the awesome!

One night only: Joel Hodgson's RIFFING MYSELF in Scranton, PA!

TONIGHT ONLY! If you are going to be in, or around the Scranton, PA area, you can catch MST3K creator Joel Hodgson's one man show RIFFING MYSELF at the Scranton Cultural Center! Tickets are $30.00 if you want to join the pre-show meet & greet with Joel himself (@6PM), or $18.00 for general admission. The program kicks off at 7:00 PM.

So what is this whole RIFFING MYSELF show you may be wondering? Well, Joel will sit up on stage and regale the audience with tales of his childhood, the creation of Mystery Science Theater 3000, and his eventual departure from the show he loved so much.

The second portion of the program will be a Q&A session with the audience, and will be followed up with a screening of the 1983 classic "The Pod People." Directed by the now deceased Juan Piquer Simón (SLUGS), this film appeared in Season 3: Episode 3 of Mystery Science Theater. (Which was the FIRST episode I had ever laid eyes on as a youngster!)

I'm iffy on the details about the screening, but I've heard that either it's the actual episode, or that it is the uncut version of the film and Joel (and the audience) will be riffing on it live! Either way, I am ready to rock and roll! If you attend, maybe I'll see you there! But get there a bit early because parking in Scranton can be a real b*tch!

For those who can't attend, the best I can do is share my experiences with you a new blog post tomorrow. Until I get around to doing that, please enjoy the POD PEOPLE episode of MST3K:


For more info on Joel Hodgson, and updates on his future appearances (his next solo act after Scranton, PA is in Seattle, Washington on March 8th!) visit his official site at www.joelhodgson.com!