SXSW 2018: Day 5 and That’s a Wrap Horror Fans!

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Mar 14, 2018

Time moves differently when you immerse yourself in SXSW; days and nights blend together into a surreal whirlwind. I can’t believe we’re nearing the conclusion of our stint in Austin covering the film festival component of the convention; it seems like we just got here and like we’ve lived here forever simultaneously. By now, I feel very much at home here.

Elijah Wood moderates Q&A with Hereditary writer/director and cast

Yes, it can be overwhelming, but every horror fan should plan on making a pilgrimage to SXSW at least once in their lifetime. It’s an experience you won’t have anywhere else, and while there are a few film festivals in America with more cache, none has the combination of components the organizers here put together. When you come for the films, you can’t help but get caught up in the music, the technology, and the social impact—at least a little.

It’s a much better way to spend your money than going to Burning Man—that I can guarantee you!

My memories of Day 1 are as fresh as the ones from earlier today, but I know these experiences will fade when I leave Austin and return to the real world. Whenever going on vacation or attending a festival, I often recommend making a list of your Top 10 favorite moments; it’ll help lock them into your memory while creating a document look back on fondly.

These are my personal Top 10 Moments from SXSW 2018:

  1. 5 Favorite Movies were Hereditary, Ghost Stories, A Quiet Place, Unfriended: Dark Web, and The Ranger.
  2. Attending the IFC Party.
  3. Randomly running into Steven Yeun and getting a chance to discuss Mayhem with him.
  4. Meeting filmmakers and fellow writers in person, especially those I’ve known online for some time.
  5. The Museum of the Weird.
  6. The Bleeding Edge: A New Generation of Horror.
  7. Eating at Cooper’s Old Time Pit Bar-B-Que.
  8. The bus full of dogs and puppies courtesy of Aceable.
  9. The Genre Film Meet-Up.
  10. Making connections and new friends that will hopefully last a lifetime.

Ghost Stories

Whether or not I return to Austin for SXSW 2019 remains to be seen. If I do, however, I know I’ll be ready to navigate the complexities of this one-of-a-kind convention like a pro. I have to thank my Dread Central compatriots for inviting me along on this exhilarating and exhausting experience, specifically Steve Barton, Jon Condit, Shaked Berenson, and Jonathan Barkan.

I especially want to thank the readers who shared this journey with me. The festivities may be over for us, but the convention will continue through March 18th as the focus shifts from movies to music and gaming.

We do, however, have something SXSW-adjacent we’ll be excited to share with you tomorrow: A couple of us will be visiting some of the filming location from the original Texas Chain Saw Massacre. We are in Texas, after all! We’ll be ending our adventure at the Gas Station seen in Tobe Hooper’s seminal slash-fest. If you’re thinking that’s an odd place to end our trip, I assure you it’s something special!

You can read yesterday’s recap HERE.

About SXSW Film Festival:
Now in its 25th year, SXSW Film Festival brings together creatives of all stripes over nine days to experience a diverse lineup and access to thousands of SXSW Conference sessions with visionaries from all corners of the entertainment, media, and technology industries. Check out the 25 Years of SXSW Film Festival Alumni memories at sxsw.com/tag/sxsw-film-25.

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