Adrienne, "Queen"

Last weekend I had the honor of attending Portland's first annual horror convention, Living Dead Con. Met fellow Twin Peaks' nuts Angela and Carlos. Spent a couple hours at the VIP Party drinking with Charlie, Mary, Amber, Anita, and Dana Ashbrook (yep, Bobby Briggs from TP!). Got goosebumps when James Marshall (aka TP's James Hurley) spoke of filming on location versus a studio set, the energy and vibe that flows through really-there locales in communities, where the presence and history of the towns/filming spots make their way into actors' performances; he spoke about urgency, a melding of actor & setting that makes for blurry lines between Life & Art. Spoke to many amazing actors, artists, and other vendors -- I felt crackling magic there in the merchant aisles of the Convention Center. These people are my fellow tribes(wo)men! Speaking of, met John Dugan -- Grandpa from Texas Chainsaw Massacre -- at his booth and proceeded to chat with him more casually when our paths crossed at the Doug Fir Lounge and VIP Party; he's such a kind, down-to-earth, funny, feisty guy, and his wife is just as adorable. Get this: met Ari Lehman, the first "Boy in the Lake," the original Jason from Friday the 13th (1980). He now has his horror rock band, First Jason.

There were many more highlights about this weekend: dancing at the Lovecraft Bar and bumping into my old housemate Lisa; walking with Charlie over the Burnside Bridge toward the Portland sign & stag under the night sky, reminiscing about tang Voodoo Doughnuts; two nights of drunken cab rides home, little poetic epilogues for Charlie and I to sink into; the Black Lodge Burlesque show at the Jack London Bar; Gus's incredible patience as I indulged in sharing every geeky moment of the weekend with him; running into my friend/mind-blowing horror artist Paul Groendes; having a Twin Peaks-themed breakfast with Mom, Charlie, Mary, Anita, and Amber at the Doug Fir Sunday morning. (Mom and Mary hadn't seen each other in nine and a half years, since that fateful TP Fest where we all met.)

For me, the biggest highlight is probably having met Adrienne King. Adrienne played Alice, the first Friday the 13th's "Final Girl" Alice, who took up machete lessons on the spot to gear up for combat against Mrs. Pamela Voorhees, Jason's vengeful mother who's out to kill camp counselors because "they" killed her son, let him drown in Crystal Lake. You gotcha watch this slasher-style catfight in the woods, trust me. It's Melrose Place with sharp blades. I'd always loved this movie and these actors, and then I found myself unexpectedly moved by the bonus features on the film's DVD a few years back. First of all, actress Betsy Palmer -- Mrs. Voorhees -- was just about the sassiest, gutsiest, most casual, and funny celebrity you could hope for (until her death in May 2015; she lived to be 88 years old). In addition to Palmer's awesomeness, Adrienne King blew me away in the bonus features with her direct, compassionate, raw, and unblinking account of being stalked by an F13 fan who couldn't quite distinguish fact from fiction. He slowly hunted her, left clues, even broke down her apartment door. She found herself fearing for her life, a case of Life imitating Art imitating Life. Adrienne had felt empowered after the original F13; she felt like the film was lightning caught in a bottle, and she had nothing but praiseworthy things to say about the entire cast and crew. But then the stalking began. Eventually it ended. (I can't remember the details or exact timelines, to be honest; he was caught, I think, but I'm not sure. I just Googled it and can't easily find an answer.) After an unnerving and unsatisfying experience with her brief role in Friday the 13th Part II, Adrienne soon found herself siphoning off contact with the film industry, her life accented here and there by film or TV appearances. In more recent years, Adrienne has found salvation -- healing from the stalking -- through her art. Talented and fierce and committed, she works through her pain and experiences in electrifying works of mastery & shadow. Just as impressive -- and extra fun -- Adrienne has a successful line of wines, Crystal Lake Wines. An experienced sommelier, Adrienne works her wine line down near Medford, Oregon. She creates the art for the labels and she also signs your bottles if you'd like, messages of your choosing or hers. Here's my exchange with Adrienne this past week:

Dear Adrienne,

It was such a joy for me to meet you (and Ari) this weekend. I remember being about 10 years old when I first saw Friday the 13th. My mother introduced me to horror movies and let me watch lots of them at a young age, but for some reason she said no to F13. (Maybe because it's about a homicidal mother? Who knows!) I snuck downstairs after everyone else had gone to bed and watched your film anyway. And boy-oh-boy, that ending scene sure freaked me out like nobody's business. Mission accomplished. I went to bed terrified but couldn't say anything or go to Mom for comfort because I wasn't supposed to have watched the movie in the first place....You and Ari....that haunting score....the audience "tricked" into safety and then, BAM! Cue being dragged out of the canoe.

You are such a class act, and you are so kind & easy to chat with. I'm so glad I've ordered your wines in the past and I will continue to do so in the future. I'll let you know if/when my boyfriend and I make it down to your neck of the woods. You're a strong woman and artist, and I give you lots of credit for telling your story and being so eloquent.

And here's to Betsy Palmer! We lost her, Catherine Coulson, Wes Craven, and others this year....Betsy was so insightful & hilarious in one of the DVD panel interviews I watched, how she played the role so straight and that's why it was so effective.

Did you have a good time at the Living Dead Con? I heard it was pretty slow for a convention (it was my first con, so I didn't have anything to compare it to -- though I've been up to the Twin Peaks Fest in Washington a couple times).

Hey, I keep a blog, albeit one I only update every month or so. I'm always happy to promote your stuff on there, so let me know if you ever want me to post anything about your wines or art or whatnot. You mentioned having a new artist studio: Wishing you all my very best with that!

Warmest Regards,
Nathan Buck

Hi Nathan,

It was wonderful meeting you too. Thank you for all your very kind words. And for a first con I think they did a very good job! I truly hope they go for #2.

This certainly has been a tough year of loss for horror fans. We'll keep Betsy in our hearts forever.

I so appreciate your support for Crystal Lake Wines & my artwork. I'm hanging a new painting at the Winery today!

www.valleyviewwinery.com

I look forward to you & your beau coming by [Valley View Winery] sometime! Make sure you let me know beforehand to assure I'm in town for your visit!

Cheers!

xoxo,
Your fav counselor & wine gal,
Adrienne King

P.S. And here's a special offer you can share on your blog if you'd like.

I have a special offer just for my happy campers who I met at @ the Living Dead Con in Portland (& now who read your blog;)). If you purchase any (4) Crystal Lake Wines I will include a bonus signed: "Crystal Lake Wines Collage" 8x10 photo ($20. value) & a copy of The Oregonian's May 1980: Friday the 13th original review (priceless;). That's (4) bottles of fine Crystal Lake Wines signed by me (including a line if you want), plus the 8x10 & review for $100. (Includes shipping) You can write me back here & I'll take your order & cc# or you can call Valley View Winery: 800-781-9463. Finally, you can order online: www.crystallakewines.com (use the code: "Portland" in inscription).