While many people were enjoying Mansfield’s downtown Halloween trick-or-treat and parade last night, another event was delivering some thrills not far away in Crestline. The Kurtzman Institute of Art held a one-night VIP Celebrity Event featuring horror film star Robert Englund, perhaps best known as Freddy Krueger from the “Nightmare on Elm Street” films. And he wasn’t alone, other celebrities were also in attendance.
The event was a fundraiser for the Kurtzman Institute of Art and included a tour of the school and the special effects studio and the new haunted attraction, the Mad FX Lab which Englund toured the night before.
“Halloween should be scary,” said Englund with emphasis.
Other celebrity guests at the event included Beki Ingram and David (House) Greathouse from the TV show Face Off; director Gary Jones, Chris Hahn, and cast members of SciFy’s Axe Giant; composer Ed Douglas of Midnight Syndicate; comic book artist Mark Kidwell, and Director and FX institute founder Robert Kurtzman.
Richland Source graphic designer Carol Davis was at the event and spoke with Englund, though she admitted she is afraid of the Freddy Krueger character.
“I show up to the Mad FX Lab at around 8:30 last night in complete darkness. It was a special night because actors from various genres of scary were signing autographs and taking pictures. The line was at a three hour wait when I arrived with people lined through the entire class/workshop area and out the doors,” said Davis.
“I worked with Robert Kurtzman years ago in the middle 80s,” Englund said, “and he held my hand through numerous horror movies, most obviously the ‘Nightmare on Elm Street’ films. He was the K of KNB, the Oscar winning company that’s done just about everything from ‘Legends of the Fall’ to low-budget genre to grind house, to classic horror and science fiction and fantasy.”
Legion of Terror haunted house actors contributed to the frightfulness of the maze that is the MadFX haunted attraction, which is open until Nov. 2. The Legion of Terror is a non-profit group that raises money for charities. Wicked Lester, a Legion of Terror actor, explained that Legion of Terror is one of the few remaining haunted house groups that is a non-profit and continues to raise money for charity groups.
“Inside the MadFX Lab creepy creatures were stalking and slithering between fans awaiting their turn for an autograph and photo opportunity. I will tell you that some of these creatures were scary in the light and scarier still in the dark,” said Davis.
“You stand in line for the haunt. Lights are flashing; steam is coming out of a beached boat. As you’re in line, creatures come to stand directly behind you breathing heavily into your ear. As you step across the threshold and into the first area, you are met with complete darkness. Be very wary making your way through the narrow dark halls and watch for the creatures hiding in corners. There are also mad scientist labs, creepy ghouls and scary clowns,” she added.
And what did Englund think of his visit to Crestline?
“I got to drive through the back roads and countryside. It’s a wonderful part of the country. I’ve seen a little bit of Pennsylvania that’s similar but there’s a different sense of space here—a little more sky than Pennsylvania and I’m such a sucker for the architecture and the old barns. It’s really a special place,” he said.
Kurtzman’s Creature Corps was formed in 2003 by Kurtzman. Kurtzman was born in Crestline but later moved to California. He moved back to Crestline to raise his family. He started P-13/Creature Corp when he returned to Crestline. In 2012, he opened Kurtzman Institute of Art.
