Joseph Gioconda has spent the past 25 years acquiring a vast collection of movie memorabilia. For years, the props and costumes that were used in a variety of popular films, some of which have been autographed, were stored away in his home. Now, Gioconda is sharing his possessions with the public at his new horror gallery and shop, Nightmare in New Hope.
Gioconda presents some rare horror items from his collection at Nightmare in New Hope as a limited time pop-up gallery on Saturday, October 19, as part of this year’s Lambertville Halloween Film Festival hosted by the ACME Screening Room.
The pop-up gallery opens at noon and features memorabilia from cult classic horror films. Gioconda leads a reception in the gallery at 5 p.m., during which he will speak about the history of the various pieces and props, as well as just how he acquired them. Gioconda is particularly enthusiastic for visitors to see the one-of-a-kind bloody jacket that Neve Campbell wore in the second half of “Scream.”
“I think about how much excitement people have around seeing props and costumes that they’ve seen on screen in movies and TV shows, and so I decided to experiment with the idea of having a gallery,” said Gioconda. “A lot of the films or many of the films that I had props from had actually been screened [at the ACME Screening Room].”
Gioconda’s collection started when he acquired a parking pass prop from “The Godfather.” Collecting pieces of movie memorabilia every so often then became a hobby for him. In time, Gioconda developed a heavier interest in collecting bigger and better items that were featured in films. He now actively seeks out new pieces that he can add to his collection.
The collector has found parallels in his hobby to his professional life. Gioconda owns his own law firm, Gioconda Law Group, and works as an attorney. He sometimes practices law in the entertainment industry, where he has made connections with individuals who are in movies or who make movies. Through these connections, Gioconda has been able to network and obtain various pieces of memorabilia over the years.
While he enjoys and collects items from many different genres of film, Gioconda particularly loves horror movies.
“Horror has always had a special place in my heart because I’ve just always enjoyed those films,” said Gioconda.
Memorabilia from horror movies make up a sizable portion of Gioconda’s collection. At Nightmare in New Hope and even when he kept his collection at home, the attorney has noticed that individuals often gravitate towards certain genres that pique their interest, including horror.
Before opening Nightmare in New Hope earlier this year, Gioconda would only take items from his collection out of storage to either display them in his home or lend them out to friends. This, however, was not satisfying enough for the collector.
“A lot of these pieces are really rare, and people really would enjoy seeing them,” said Gioconda.
Gioconda added that he felt that individuals looked forward to the opportunity to see his unique possessions, which played a large role in his decision to open the gallery in Bucks County, Pennsylvania, where he lives with his family.
The collector, the son of a secretary and a New York City detective, grew up in Queens, New York. Gioconda lived in New York until after he graduated from Stony Brook University and moved to Connecticut to attend Yale Law School.
The quiet nature, vibrant community, and close proximity to New York City have made Gioconda, his wife, and children fall in love with Bucks County.
“We just love it. Just absolutely love Bucks County, and we have found ourselves over the last 10 years going to the New Hope, Lambertville area virtually every weekend,” said Gioconda. “We just have always found so many great restaurants there, so many things to do, both for the kids and for us.”
Now, with the opening of Nightmare in New Hope, Gioconda is joining the fairly long list of things to do in New Hope. Visitors can enter the permanent gallery at the basement level of 20 South Main Street, on Saturdays from 1 to 6 p.m. and Sundays from noon to 5 p.m.
Despite the gallery’s young age and limited hours, it has gotten vast amounts of foot traffic, according to Gioconda.
“Hundreds and hundreds and hundreds of people came in and wanted to see these items on display,” said Gioconda. “I’m really excited about that. I’m really excited about people’s interest in the gallery.”
The popularity of Nightmare in New Hope inspired Gioconda to move the October 19 pop-up gallery to 20 South Main Street, from its original location in Lambertville Music Hall. He hopes that high attendance at the gallery’s location will help to fundraise as much as possible for the ACME Screening Room, which is a nonprofit that supports independent theater.
“It’s a great way for us to support a really worthy nonprofit that supports independent theater,” said Gioconda.
The pop-up gallery will be the only opportunity for visitors to see some rare pieces that are not normally on display at Nightmare in New Hope. Along with the “Scream” jacket, the pop-up will feature additional items from the “Scream” franchise, as well as multiple articles of clothing and a prop from “Shaun of the Dead,” plus more memorabilia from other films.
Some of Gioconda’s favorite items from his collection include the master bust from “Annabelle,” prop cards that were used by Heath Ledger’s Joker in “The Dark Knight,” and the original nun costume from “The Nun.”
While some of the most popular spots to view movie memorabilia in the United States are the Warner Bros. Archive Museum and the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures, these are both located in Los Angeles. With the opening of Nightmare in New Hope, those who live on the East Coast have more access to the opportunity to view movie memorabilia.
“You can just go into New Hope, go into a basement, and see things that are really one-of-a-kind, so I think I think it’s a really exciting proposition,” said Gioconda.
The collector said that he thinks Nightmare in New Hope has gotten so much attention because people forget about the existence of props and costumes from their favorite movies, so when they see them in-person, it touches them in a way.
“I’m just amazed that people love to see this,” said Gioconda. “We have some really, really fun stuff.”
Nightmare in New Hope, 20 South Main Street, New Hope, Pennsylvania. Saturdays, 1 to 6 p.m.; Sundays, noon to 5 p.m. Lambertville Halloween Film Festival Pop-Up Gallery, Saturday, October 19, noon, $5; reception and tour, 5 p.m., $8. nightmareinnewhope.com.
More information on the ACME Screening Room and Lambertville Halloween Film Festival, taking place Friday through Sunday, October 18 through 20: www.acmescreeningroom.org/lhff.
