#05 - Rick West (Midsummer Scream)

"The smell of rotting bodies was so strong and so bad that I literally started gagging." Brandon Lea sits down with co-founder and creative director of Midsummer Scream, Rick West. Midsummer Scream is the world's largest Halloween and Horror convention, featuring over 350 vendors, panels from horror movie and haunted attraction legends, live entertainment, and a 100,000 square-foot space where multiple haunted houses and attractions are set up specifically for the attendees of Midsummer Scream. Join us as we discuss the Southern California horror and halloween culture, the scariest horror movies we've ever seen, Knott's Scary Farm, Disneyland urban legends, some of the best and scariest haunted attractions around the world, and of course, Midsummer Scream. In this episode, viewers can also learn how they can kickstart their own horror / halloween community in their city. Be sure to subscribe to our channel on Youtube, and to check out the Talks from the Crypt website for more information on the most gruesome horror podcast in the world! Follow us: Talks From The Crypt – IG: @talksfromthecrypt / talksfromthecrypt.com Midsummer Scream – IG: @midsummerscream / midsummerscream.org Rick West – IG: @rickwest999 Copyright Disclaimer Under section 107 of the Copyright Act 1976, allowance is made for “fair use” for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, education, and research. Fair use is a use permitted by copyright statute that might otherwise be infringing. –– CHAPTERS: 00:00:00 – Intro 00:01:27 – The Origins of the Southern California Horror / Halloween Community 00:03:55 – Fascination With Fear 00:08:17 – Knott's Scary Farm Started It All 00:12:39 – Independent Haunts in the 70's 00:14:17 – Has the Spirit of Horror / Halloween Diminished Over Time? 00:17:49 – Rick's Industry Evolution 00:18:56 – Being a Disney Cast Member / Disneyland Urban Legends 00:20:57 – Theme Park Adventures (TPA) 00:25:02 – Pandemic's Impact on Horror / Halloween 00:28:10 – Where Independent Haunts Get It Right 00:29:27 – Favorite / Scariest Haunts Around The World 00:34:00 – What Can Haunts Do To Become Less Formulaic 00:36:11 – Planning Midsummer Scream and Hall Of Shadows 00:43:55 – How Midsummer Scream Started 00:48:09 – Vendors & Attractions – Midsummer Scream 00:51:06 – Hall Of Shadows & Midsummer Estates – Midsummer Scream 00:59:08 – Planning Midsummer Scream 2023 01:00:05 – Monster Kids with Kirk Hammett, Sara Karloff, Lynne Lugosi Sparks, & Ron Chaney 01:06:06 – Becoming Friends With the Monster Kids 01:09:25 – The Community Provided in Midsummer Scream 01:10:56 – Hall Of Shadows Continues to Get Better 01:12:03 – Halloween in July – Midsummer Scream 01:13:16 – Halloween in December – Season's Screamings & Hall Of "Yuletide Spirits" 01:14:50 – Actions Listeners Can Take to Kick Start Their Own Horror / Halloween Community 01:17:02 – Outro