THOMAS PITTS
On September 3rd, over 1400 horror fans descended on Sirromet Winery at Mt Cotton in Brisbane to enjoy scares, terror, gore and of course, horror films at the first instalment of The Horror Movie Camp-out in Queensland.
From the moment you enter the gates, a chainsaw-wielding masked fiend is there to check your tickets and to give you a prolonged menacing stare as you drive into the campsite.
Small wonder the Brisbane event drew the largest crowd from a capital city, beating Sydney and Melbourne.
Event-goer Mini Dinh, aged 28, is a local doctor who said she loved the atmosphere of the camp-out as most attendees came dressed as their favourite horror icons.
Many campers expressed how much the event had exceeded their expectations and that it was unlike other festivals or events as people truly embraced the theme and each other’s enthusiasm for horror films (some even staying in character the entire night).
“There’s a lot of camaraderie here, there are a lot of other festivals in Australia but there are no other ones like this one where everyone is friendly and taking photos with each other and just having fun,” said Ms Dinh.
Oil and gas consultant, Bon Tin, 28, agreed with Mini Dinh that the event had a great friendly atmosphere.
“Absolutely awesome everyone’s dressed up and everyone’s scaring each other… It’s awesome, having a lot of fun,” said Mr Tin.
“I think it’s so positive and the events going to grow and next time it’s on we’re going to ask a lot more friends to come with us, a very positive vibe,” he said.
The event included horror actors, horror performances, horror mazes, horror-themed food and drink, bands, lazer tag, rides and most importantly, the screening of two modern horror classics, The Hills Have Eyes and The Vvitch.
For about fifty dollars, brave Brisbane campers got their scream’s worth of ghoulish fun, and for the very brave, many attendees camped overnight.