First off, Dark-Xmas 2006 was held in a different location than the year prior. In 2005, Dark X-mas was held at an allegedly “haunted hotel” in Warren, Ohio. Whether it was haunted or not, the hotel was easy to find, and a suitable place to hold a convention. The rooms were clean and well-kept. It also had a decent bar and lounge area in the lower-level of the hotel that had music, dancing, and karaoke for the evening festivities.

I consider myself to be a relatively proficient traveler, and I can certainly follow directions on a map. Nonetheless, I got lost (twice) trying to locate the hotel for Dark X-mas 2006.

There were several other hotels in the area, but the convention was held at what appeared to be the cheapest of the lot. Fortunately for the celebrity guests, they were provided with somewhat less penurious accommodations at an adjacent hotel.

After I checked in, I ventured down to my room. The room itself wasn’t in too bad of shape, but the bathroom was atrocious. It was poorly maintained, and the bathtub was shoddy and rusted. Consequently, I abandoned my plan of a having a nice, relaxing bath over the weekend.

Shortly after I unpacked my things I noticed the fire detector making intermittent beeps, indicating that the batteries needed to be changed. Apparently, the hotel manager decided to forego the recommendation of changing fire detector batteries after the recent change in daylight savings time. The poor hotel management was further evidenced upon the discovery of a couple extinguished lights in the hallway.

One of the more redeeming aspects of Dark X-mas 2006 was the excellent choice of the celebrity guests. Many popular actors and actresses from the horror movie world were in attendance, including Ken Foree (Dawn of the Dead), Michael Berryman (The Hills Have Eyes), Danielle Harris (Halloween 4 & 5), Courtney Gains (Children of the Corn), Cerina Vincent (Cabin Fever), and Barbara Nedeljakova (Hostel).

While Dark X-mas 2006 was relatively small, it maintained a pleasant and personable ambiance that some of the bigger conventions lack. The modest convention size provided the opportunity to speak with the celebrity guests at greater lengths, without the pressure to move on by scores of other horror fanatics.

All of the celebrity guests were good-natured and cordial. They demonstrated true professionalism by remaining at their tables, even during lulls in convention attendance. And with the exception of Danielle Harris, all of the guests appeared at their respective tables through Sunday.

Unfortunately, there were other aspects of the convention that I felt the promoters could have given a better effort. Most of the celebrity guests over the weekend gave a Q & A session without the benefit of a convention moderator. Rather, the guests were simply placed in a room by themselves and awkwardly left on their own.

Also, the night-time entertainment provided at the convention was half-hearted at best. The paltry hotel did not have an active lounge of its own, so us convention attendees had to fend for ourselves on Friday night.

Saturday night, there was a spaghetti dinner that turned out to be rather dull and lifeless. I was expecting the party to eventually pick up, but no more than a handful of people showed. Unlike 2005, Dark X-mas 2006 had no dancing, music, or karaoke. Instead, it had a senseless “screaming” contest, followed by a two-person costume contest. The “party” was over shortly after 10:00 pm, and once again, the convention attendees were left without any night-life.

I left the convention feeling somewhat disappointed, and I felt the promoters could have done a lot more, even with limited resources. While I feel that their hearts are in the right place, “low-budget” does not necessarily mandate “low-effort”. I hope next year will bring the opportunity for the promoters to double their efforts, and breathe new life in the once enjoyable and prolific convention.

Click here to view my photo gallery of Dark X-mas 2006.