Dean Cade Hosts Manhunter Screening
My first author signing occurred at the River Oaks Theater on September 6th, 2026, where I hosted a screening of the director’s cut of Michael Mann’s 1986 film, Manhunter. It was a new version of the once neon-drenched original that marked the first appearance of Hannibal Lecter (Silence of the Lambs) with a killer soundtrack whose coda was Iron Butterfly’s In-A-Gadda-Da-Vita.
Setting up in the lobby of the theater with a poster board sign on an easel tripod of my Summer 1973 series was surreal as I glanced at its tagline, “In the summer of 1973, two teenage boys stumble into one of the most horrific crimes in the annals of American history.”
This was the same theater I saw Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer in 1990 with my metal friends and bottles of Chimay, the strong beer made by Trappist monks!
I never dreamed of doing an event at that historic theater until I met Rob Saucedo at Comicpalooza, where he was on a panel (Publicity Blitz) for author marketing. The interesting thing he said was about thinking “outside the box” in terms of events, and he mentioned the opportunity to do an author signing in conjunction with a film that had a similar theme or vibe to the book.
Rob is artistic director of the River Oaks Theater and author of the Where Wolf graphic novels set in College Station with a fun tongue-in-cheek horror-comedy feel. I spoke with him after the panel, and he mentioned that Manhunter was coming up later in the year. I thought that it would be a cool pairing with its serial killer angle and stayed in touch.
The same weekend at Comicpalooza, I did a cold reading at the panel, Fiction Writer’s Workshop: First Page Critiques, of the opening of my unreleased cyberpunk novel, Neon Edge, and got some interesting feedback from fellow authors like Urania Fung and George Padgett. It was a bit nerve-wracking, but reading it aloud did help with the draft of the manuscript I finished months later. The reading also helped me psychologically prepare for my intro to the Manhunter screening.
I witnessed how the logistics of a book signing would work by seeing Rob’s Where Wolf ones paired with The Howling and Wolfen, and I was stoked to do mine as the date moved in flux over the summer. The date was finally locked, and as it approached, I went over the monologue every time I walked Max, my Husky, along the bayou.
Sitting at the red-clothed table, with piles of my books, cards, and bookmarks, felt like a milestone in recognition. The first half went well, talking to people about my gay coming-of-age story set in the horror of true crime as the minutes counted down to the intro. Feeling on edge, I closed the table and waited at the red curtain that divided an aisle that led into the main auditorium and peeked inside. The trailers ended, and I watched Rob take the stage, commenting on the history and changes made to Manhunter. I passed the curtains and crept into the back of the theater, taking in the restored 1930s Art Deco architecture as he finished and introduced me.
All the things I knew to say briefly flew away as I entered the spotlight. I fought my nerves and went into my prepared remarks, jittery at first until I felt a rhythm and it became more natural. The glare of the lights blinded me, but I could see flashes of faces from the closer rows. Finishing was a relief as I nodded to the applause and walked down the aisle to sit in my assigned seat as the film began. The funny thing about preparation is that when the event actually happens, it goes by so fast. The endorphin rush flowed through the screening. Before the credits rolled, I returned to the red-clothed table, and I talked to more people and then tore down in a daze.
I don’t know when the next one will be, but it was a hella cool way to begin with my partner Bo at my side and family and friends who came to visit.
Here is a link to the cobbled-together footage of the event:
Dean Cade
