Ryan J. Downey is conmaxxing this weekend as he heads back to Worcester, once again taking on the title of Master of Panels at Silver Scream Con V.
Created by Ice Nine Kills, the three-day horror convention returns to the DCU Center in Worcester, Massachusetts from October 2 through October 4. This year’s guest lineup pulls from Scream, Terrifier, Saw, The Exorcist, A Clockwork Orange and plenty more, and Downey will be spending much of the weekend on stage digging into those movies with the people who made them.
It’s a role he’s become pretty familiar with. Downey has moderated Q&As at San Diego Comic-Con, WonderCon, Astronomicon, Kevin Smith’s Chronic Con and previous editions of Silver Scream Con, including its first London event. His career as an entertainment journalist has included work for MTV News, Billboard, The Hollywood Reporter and Alternative Press, along with interviews with everyone from Harrison Ford and Quentin Tarantino to Ozzy Osbourne and Tim Burton.
Downey’s background in heavy music makes him an especially natural fit for a convention created by Ice Nine Kills. He has written extensively about rock and metal throughout his career, authored or co-authored books with Black Veil Brides’ Andy Biersack and Falling in Reverse’s Ronnie Radke, and worked with artists including Slipknot, Megadeth, Lamb of God and Ice Nine Kills. He also wrote Inked in Blood 2: Once Upon a Crime with INK frontman Spencer Charnas.
But horror takes center stage in Worcester this weekend. Downey’s Silver Scream Con V schedule includes 13 panels spread across Friday, Saturday and Sunday, beginning with Juliette Lewis and ending with Ice Nine Kills.
Here’s the complete lineup:
Friday, October 2
7:00-8:00 PM: Cape Fearless
Juliette Lewis looks back at a career that includes Cape Fear, Natural Born Killers, From Dusk Till Dawn and Yellowjackets.
8:00-9:00 PM: The Shawnee Redemption
Shawnee Smith revisits Amanda Young, the traps, twists and legacy of the Saw franchise.
9:00-10:00 PM: Ghostface Killers
Lee Waddell, Noah Garret and Jeremy Conner discuss donning the Ghostface mask and robe as the Scream franchise celebrates its 30th anniversary.
Saturday, October 3
12:00-1:00 PM: A Clockwork Icon
Malcolm McDowell looks back at a career spanning A Clockwork Orange, Rob Zombie’s Halloween, Star Trek Generations and more.
1:00-2:00 PM: Scream 7: Twisting the Knife
Celeste O’Connor, Ethan Embry, Noah Garret and Jeremy Conner discuss Scream 7, which broke franchise records earlier this year and featured “Twisting the Knife” by Ice Nine Kills featuring McKenna Grace.
2:00-3:00 PM: “Who Wants a Mustache Ride?”
Broken Lizard members Paul Soter and Erik Stolhanske reunite to talk Super Troopers and are joined by Chandrasekhar, Kevin Heffernan and Steve Lemme for their Silver Scream Con debuts.
3:00-4:00 PM: Behind the Screams at Spooky World
Linda Blair joins David Bertolino for a look back at Spooky World, the New England horror attraction packed with horror icons.
Sunday, October 4
11:00 AM-12:00 PM: The Shape of Things to Come
OG Michael Myers Nick Castle and Halloween executive producer Ryan Freimann discuss Haddonfield happenings past and present.
12:00-1:00 PM: The Art of the Squeal
David Howard Thornton and Terrifier franchise producer Phil Falcone trace the evolution of Art the Clown from the movies to merchandise, Halloween Horror Nights and beyond.
1:00-2:00 PM: “Adios, Turd Nuggets!”
Allen Covert, Linda Cardellini, Nick Swardson and Joel David Moore reunite to celebrate the 20th anniversary of Grandma’s Boy.
2:00-3:00 PM: “Wazzup!”
Jon Abrahams, Lochlyn Munro and Noah Garret reunite for a conversation about the Scary Movie franchise.
3:00-4:00 PM: Warrior of Woodsboro
David Arquette returns to Silver Scream Con to talk Dewey Riley and the Scream franchise as it celebrates 30 years.
4:00-5:00 PM: They Plead the 5th
Ice Nine Kills closes out Silver Scream Con V with a conversation covering all things INK.
Silver Scream Con VSilver Scream Con V also includes meet-and-greets, photo ops, cosplay, vendors and an Ice Nine Kills concert Saturday night at The Palladium, located one block from the DCU Center.
For Downey, it’s another packed weekend behind the microphone. Anyone hoping to catch every panel he’s hosting might want to find a comfortable seat and stay there. Silver Scream Con V takes place October 2 through October 4 at the DCU Center in Worcester, Massachusetts.
