Eyegore Awards 2012 at Universal Honor Guillermo Del Toro

The Eyegore Awards photo by Margie Barron

Universal Studios Hollywood launched their annual Halloween Horror Nights with their tradition of honoring the horror genre with the Eyegore Awards. This year Hellboy filmmaker Guillermo del Toro was in the spotlight for his contribution to creating cinema about things that go bump in the night. Rock icon Alice Cooper thrilled del Toro by making the presentation.

Silas, Bitsie and McKenzie photo by Margie Barron

Also, the NBC series Grimm got an Eyegore Award, with stars Silas Weir Mitchell and Bitsie Tulloch on hand to accept. When Chad Michael Murray picked up his trophy for his role in House of Wax, he had the opportunity to plug his upcoming The Haunting in Georgia film that he insisted would be worthy enough for an Eyegore next year.

Chad and McKenzie photo by Margie Barron

The mother-daughter duo of Angelica Maria and Angelica Vale won for their series Mujeres Asesinas 2 (Female Assassins 2), a cult favorite in Latin America. Vale was happy to be there to accept, while her mom sent her thanks via video.

McKenzie Westmore, host of the SyFy Channel’s Face Off, was the mistress of ceremonies, handling her duties with sharp humor and an appreciation for the gore-genre stars in the audience at the Globe Theater at the Universal tour center. Among those enjoying the event were producer-actor Wilmer Valderrama (That 70s Show), Girls Next Door‘s Bridget Marquardt, Glee‘s Josh Sussman, the NBA’s Clippers Caron Butler and Friday the 13th‘s Derek Mears. Also attending East Coast stylist Mary Lou Krewson selected Olympic swimming gold medalist Conor Dwyer the best dressed horror-loving fan making a splash at the event.

Stylist Mary Lou Krewson and Olympian Conor Dwyer photo by Margie Barron

“This is certainly the cutest damn trophy I have ever seen,” del Toro said holding up his little gremlin-styled statuette. “I am very happy that I have dedicated my life to monsters. When I was a kid I would be dreaming of monsters and reading about famous monsters in Fangoria, while listening to Mr. Alice Cooper. So this is full circle for me. And I love being among the monster lovers here.”

The brilliant filmmaker who gave us the Oscar-nominated Pan’s Labyrinth added, “I love to celebrate horror and dark fantasies, because I believe that we learn as many lessons from the darkness as we do from the light.” Del Toro will continue in the horror vein as executive producer of Universal Pictures’ supernatural thriller Mama (opening January 18, 2013).

At the end of the ceremony all were invited to enjoy Universal Studios Hollywood’s Halloween Horror Nights, which continues on selected nights until October 31. The night time  festivities offer nightmarish mazes based on terrifying productions from USH’s creative director John Murdy– such “The Walking Dead,” “Silent Hill,” “Texas Chain Saw Massacre,” “La Llorona,” classic Universal monsters, and one 3D creation “Alice Cooper Goes to Hell 3D” designed  by Alice Cooper himself. #


Margie Barron has written for a wide variety of outlets including Gannett newspapers, Nickelodeon, Tiger Beat and 16 Magazine, Fresh!, Senior Life, Production Update, airline magazines, etc. Margie is also proud to have been half of the husband & wife writing team Frank & Margie Barron, who had written together for various entertainment and travel publications for more than 38 years. Frank Barron was the editor of The Hollywood Reporter, having served twice in that capacity. In between, he was West Coast news director for Billboard Publications, supervising their five magazines. Barron also created the western TV series “The Man From Blackhawk” for the ABC network. For more than three decades he and writer-wife Margie Barron covered Hollywood for Production Update magazine, and they contributed to numerous publications.

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