Spreading the Disease

Fangs, Romulans, Count Choculas, lend me your ears: Contamination 2011 is upon us. St. Louis'; horror, sci-fi and pop-culture convention made a big splash last year, so expectations are high for this second installment. The organizers have lined up quite a roster of celebrity guests (Eric Roberts, of Best of the Best 2 and The Expendables), pop culture favorites (Dan Shor, who played Ram in the original Tron) and other people of note (Seka, porn legend), as well as offering a 24-hour movie room (with tribute to Vincent Price), films by horror-meister Eric Stanze, memorabilia vendors, a haunted house, a puppet-show version of Night of the Living Dead and plenty of other surprises. Of particular note to comic book fans/Roger Corman devotees, the original cast of Corman's never-released Fantastic Four movie (Alex Hyde-White, Rebecca Staab, Jay Underwood and Michael Bailey Smith) will reunite at the con, and then enjoy a screening of the rarely seen tragedy that is the film --and their Dr. Doom (Joseph Culp) will join them (fight! fight! fight!). Contamination 2011 takes over the Sheraton Westport Lakeside Chalet (I-270 and Page Avenue; www.con-tamination.com) Friday, Saturday and Sunday (June 24 through 26). Admission is $10 to $30.
June 24-26, 2011