Camp Fangoria Treats Horror Fans to a Triple-Feature atop the Montalbán

The rooftop of an iconic Hollywood theater isn’t exactly the middle of the woods, but all the same, dozens of campers turned out in late July for a golden hour movie marathon at Camp Fangoria.

The beloved horror magazine partnered up with Arena Cinelounge to deck out the top of Hollywood’s Montalbán Theatre in order to host a campy camp marathon, screening 1981’s The Burning, 1983’s cult classic Sleepaway Camp, and 1987’s Evil Dead 2 back-to-back-to-back. While rooftop movie screenings are nothing new at the Montalbán, part of what set Camp Fangoria apart from your typical outdoor cinema was the elaborate theming on display; scores of eager moviegoers dressed appropriately for camp, bedecked in swim trunks and headbands, while several photo-ops allowed them to take Instagram-worthy camp photos with heads roasting over an open fire.

The trilogy of cult classics wasn’t the only entertainment option available to campers, though. Podcasters (and honorary camp counselors) Dr. Rebekah McKendry, Rob Galluzzo and Elric Kane hosted the evening with trivia and giveaways between the films, while Gun Media provided a tent where campers looking to purge some aggression could play 2017’s Friday the 13th video game. Local icon (and 500-year-old vampire) Count Smokula was on hand to interact with campers and play his trusty accordion, and director Mick Garris and producer Joe Russo were in attendance for a special live recording of their Fangoria Network podcast, Post Mortem.

As far as non-cinematic entertainment went, however, nothing quite compared to Alone‘s latest offering, Simulacrum, providing their first site-specific experience of 2019, getting inside of people’s heads and leaving them wondering what the hell just happened prior to their moviegoing experience. One by one, guests would disappear for what felt like an eternity, winding their way through the bowels of the theater, only to return perplexed and sweaty, covered in white make-up, and wrapped in tape.

While getting that many people onto the roof of a nearly century-old theater takes a bit of time, the timing of the event couldn’t have been more perfect. By the time the last camper had wandered through the entryway, complete with hanging body parts and intertwined Christmas lights, the golden hour descended upon Los Angeles, providing an ideal atmosphere for the marathon to begin.

As the night wound down, plunged into darkness underneath the perfect, cloudless L.A. sky, campers laughed and screamed along with the classics shown on the massive wall in front of them. With premium food and drinks available at stands dotting the rooftop, plenty of live entertainment and a dash of immersive theater, Camp Fangoria was a hit with campers, and hopefully will return for a sequel of its own sooner rather than later.

Follow Fangoria on Facebook and Instagram for upcoming events, find more information about Alone on their Facebook and Instagram, and check out our Event Guide for more immersive and horror entertainment throughout the year.

Haunting is a resource for immersive theater and horror fans in Los Angeles and across the world, promoting art and community. Want to help us reach even more people, and get some cool perks and experiences? For as little as $1 a month, you can join our Patreon and help us keep bringing content to life.

If you like the above article and want to find more like it, make sure to join our community. If Facebook is your favorite, follow us there and become a part of our groups for Immersive Horror fans and/or Immersive creators. We’re active on Instagram, posting evocative imagery and informative stories to promote our reviews and recollections; follow us there. You can even find us on twitter; click here to follow. For those who want to explore deeper, we have a vibrant Slack community with new event alerts and immediate ticket sale announcements; click here to join. Finally, we have a newsletter that comes out once a week; click here to sign up.

So however you like your news being delivered, we have something haunting for you.