When isn't it cool to see Dee Wallace, Louis Del Grande, Martha Gibson, Richard Band, Linnea Quigley, Lynn Lowry, and Ghoulish Gary Pullin? Well, those in the Toronto area are in luck, because Horror-Rama Toronto has all of those guests and more this November! Also: Fandor's list of movies to stream for Halloween, Fathom Spotlight's Twilight theatrical screenings, ZombieCON's LA Comic Con premiere details, and Ithaca Fantastik 2018's final lineup.
Horror-Rama Toronto 2018 Guests Announced: "Get ready to blow yer brains out, Toronto! HORROR-RAMA - Toronto's ONLY straight-up HORROR and CULT MOVIE culture convention - is coming back for its FIFTH and FREAKIEST year!
Special guests announced thus far are THE HOWLING and CUJO legend Dee Wallace, SCANNERS, SEEING THINGS and OF UNKNOWN ORIGIN star Louis Del Grande (in his FIRST EVER convention appearance, along with his wife and SEEING THINGS co-star Martha Gibson, who also appeared in BLACK CHRISTMAS and the remake of Stephen King's IT!), RE-ANIMATOR and FROM BEYOND composer Richard Band (in his first Canadian appearance), RETURN OF THE LIVING DEAD icon Linnea Quigley, artist Ghoulish Gary Pullin (RUE MORGUE. MONDO) and THE CRAZIES and SHIVERS legend Lynn Lowry with many more AMAZING icons of strange cinema TBA soon! HORROR-RAMA 2018, which once more sets up shop at the wild and labyrinthine art space and converted Buddhist temple at 918 Bathurst Street. Two levels of killer guests, vendors and attractions and a whole mess of weird rooms with cool stuff inside them!
In addition to the typically wicked array of awesome panels, screenings, and endless rock 'n' roll, HORROR-RAMA 2018 will also unroll our FIRST EVER International Short Film Festival, featuring a tidal wave of amazing cinema from all around the putrid planet!
And we're teaming up with The Revue Cinema's DRUNKEN CINEMA for a special Saturday night screening of RETURN OF THE LIVING DEAD in 35mm, hosted by Linnea Quigley herself!
Enjoy beer, wine, coffee and snacks in our NEW "Creep Cafe" bar and restaurant! RIGHT THERE ON PREMISES AT THE SHOW!
Buckle in, you freaks, geeks and fabulous fiends! Toronto is gonna get GONZO this year!
CHECK OUT THE EXPANDING GUEST LIST HERE!
HORROR-RAMA runs November 3-4, 2018. The show was founded by Suspect Video's Luis Ceriz and filmmaker/writer Chris Alexander in 2014.
Sign up for the official Horror-Rama Newsletter and stay informed!
HORROR-RAMA is proudly sponsored by Severin Films, Delirium Magazine, Full Moon Features, Raven Banner and Suspect Video.
From the mind and fingertips of CHRIS ALEXANDER.
Chris Alexander Online
Horror-Rama: Toronto's ONLY Horror Movie Convention
"Film should be a dream...if I want reality, I'll look out my window." - Harry Kümel"
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Exclusive Clip from Aliens At the Pentagon: Aliens at the Pentagon is out now on iTunes:
"Nick Pope, the UFO Insider known as “The Real Fox Mulder" of X-Files fame, provides shocking and revelatory insight into the latest leaks from the CIA regarding the Alien presence on Earth and the ramifications for our society.
For years, the US government denied they investigated UFOs, so when the existence of a secret Pentagon program to study the phenomenon was revealed in late 2017, the bombshell revelation made headline news around the world. The Pentagon’s classified UFO project was so cleverly hidden, it didn’t even use the term ‘UFO’ in its title. Known as the Advanced Aerospace Threat Identification Program (AATIP for short), this multi-million dollar classified program researched and investigated UFOs, with even Congress knowing nothing about this super-secret unit.
Follow Nick Pope and learn the secret history of AATIP – how they studied videos of military jets chasing UFOs, looked at ‘mystery metals’, and even conducted tests on close encounter witnesses. Pope puts the AATIP story into context, revealing how a ‘believer faction’ within government is making its move, and explaining how and why they’ve taken their work out of government and into the private sector. This work takes us tantalizingly close to a definitive explanation of the UFO mystery, but that explanation might not be the one people are hoping for, because the T in AATIP stands for “threat” – and there’s a reason for that."
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Fandor's Halloween Programming: "Halloween: Worst Nightmares
Bug, dir. William Friedkin
A lonely waitress with a tragic past, Agnes rooms in a run-down motel, living in fear of her abusive, recently paroled ex-husband. But when Agnes begins a tentative romance with Peter, an eccentric, nervous drifter, she starts to feel hopeful again - until the first bugs arrive.
Lisa and the Devil, dir. Mario Bava
Regarded as Mario Bava's most personal and unconventional film, LISA AND THE DEVIL is a diabolical thriller flavored with the dreadful imagery and tormenting logic of an endless nightmare.
Patrick, dir. Richard Franklin
Robert Thompson stars as a comatose killer seemingly unresponsive in a small private hospital. But when a hot new nurse begins to question his condition, Patrick will unleash a waking nightmare of psychokinetic carnage.
Nosferatu, dir. F.W. Murnau
Before the assorted treatments of the Dracula tale starring either Bela Lugosi, Christopher Lee, Gary Oldman or Klaus Kinski there was F.W. Murnau's NOSFERATU, one of the first and still most haunting of all vampire tales.
The Bird with the Crystal Plumage, dir. Dario Argento
While this modern-day Jack the Ripper type is slithering through the dark byways of Rome slicing up pretty girls, director Dario Argento is carving up the emotions of terrified viewers. Dark deeds are mixed with black comedy worthy of Alfred Hitchcock in a film of almost unbearable tension and nail-biting suspense
The House that Dripped Blood, dir. Peter Duffell
A four-part anthology, all revolving around a house where all the previous owners everyone have died in a horrible fashion.
The Cabinet of Dr.Caligari, dir. Robert Wiene
The most brilliant example of that dark and twisted film movement known as German expressionism, THE CABINET OF DR. CALIGARI is a plunge into the mind of insanity that severs all ties with the rational world.
Onechanbara, dir. Yohei Fukuda
A cowboy-hat-wearing, bikini-clad zombie assassin mows down hordes upon hordes of the undead in this tongue-in-cheek Japanese exploitation film, perhaps best understood by its alternative English title: ZOMBIE BIKINI SQUAD.
Carnival of Souls, dir. Herk Harvey
Mary Henry struggles to put her life back in order after emerging the lone survivor of a gruesome car accident. She takes a job as a church organist in Utah, alienating neighbors and fellow roomers with an icy detachment; unbeknownst to them all, Mary is sinking into one mystery after another. How did Mary Henry survive that accident? Why is she drawn to the abandoned carnival on an isolated beach? And who is the pale, sinister-looking man that has followed her to her new home?
Santa Sangre, dir. Alejandro Jodorowsky
The story of a young circus performer, the crime of passion that shatters his soul and the macabre journey back to the world of his armless mother, deaf-mute lover, and murder. It is an odyssey of ecstasy and anguish, belief and blasphemy, beauty and madness. It is unlike any movie you have seen before... or ever will.
Dark Night of the Scarecrow, dir. Frank De Felitta
When young Marylee Williams is found viciously mauled, all hell breaks loose in her small rural town. Officious postmaster Otis P. Hazelrigg (Charles Durning) leads a gang of bigots in pursuit of the suspect: her mentally challenged friend Bubba Ritter (Larry Drake). Finding him hiding inside a scarecrow, they exact brutal mob "justice" only to discover a tragic mistake! Now a strange apparition stalks the land seeking each of them out as the legend of the Scarecrow begins."
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Details on Fathom Spotlight's Twilight Screenings: Press Release: "When Bella Swan and Edward Cullen first sat next to each other in biology class, an entire generation of moviegoers simultaneously swooned and the young-adult vampire-romance based on the best-selling Twilight novel by Stephenie Meyer, became a worldwide cinematic phenomenon. To celebrate the film’s 10th anniversary, Fathom Events and Lionsgate’s Summit Entertainment, are inviting fans to return to Forks, Washington, when Twilight comes back to movie theaters nationwide this October. This unforgettable experience will also treat fans to an introduction by director Catherine Hardwicke and an exclusive sneak peek of the brand-new special feature “Twilight Tour…10 Years Later,” from the upcoming Twilight 4K Ultra HD home entertainment release, available October 23, 2018.
Twilight is the first title of the “Fathom Spotlight” series. This lineup will showcase contemporary blockbusters, modern classics, and fan-favorite films back on the big screen including newly enhanced digital versions.
Twilight will play in more than 450 movie theaters nationwide Sunday, October 21, and Tuesday, October 23, at 2 p.m. and 7 p.m. (local time). Tickets for the 10th-anniversary screenings can be purchased online at www.FathomEvents.com or at participating theater box offices.
With its initial release, Twilight leaped off the pages of Meyer’s best-selling novel to become one of 2008’s biggest box-office hits – and one of the highest-grossing female-directed films of all-time. The Twilight Saga films, released by Lionsgate’s Summit Entertainment, grossed over $3 billion at the global box office, and the Twilight Saga books sold over 100 million copies around the world. In Twilight, Kristen Stewart and Robert Pattinson star as the endearing Bella Swan and the mysterious, handsome vampire Edward Cullen. As their worlds and hearts collide, Edward must battle the bloodlust raging inside him as well as a coterie of the undead, led by the nefarious James Witherdale (Cam Gigandet), that would make Bella their prey. Twilight also stars Billy Burke, Peter Facinelli, Nikki Reed, Jackson Rathbone, Taylor Lautner, Kellan Lutz, and Anna Kendrick.
Twilight went on to win numerous awards at the 2009 MTV Movie Awards, including Best Movie, Best Female Performance (Stewart), Breakthrough Performance – Male (Pattinson), Best Kiss (Stewart and Pattinson), and Best Fight (Pattinson vs. Gigandet). Taylor Lautner was also nominated for Breakthrough Performance – Male and the pop-rock band Paramore also received a Best Song from a Movie nomination for their song, “Decode.”
“Twilight was a once-in-a-generation supernatural love story that became a pop-culture turning point for teens and teens-at-heart,” said Tom Lucas, Fathom Events VP of Studio Relations. “Fathom Events is thrilled to be celebrating the movie’s 10th anniversary with Summit Entertainment by presenting it on the big screen this October.”
In addition to this two day only theatrical event, fans can relive the action, adventure, and immortal love story at home with the release of Twilight on 4K Ultra HD Combo Pack (plus Blu-ray and Digital) and all five Twilight Saga films with new collectible artwork on Blu-ray Combo Pack (plus DVD and Digital) on October 23rd from Lionsgate’s Summit Entertainment.
About Fathom Events
Fathom Events is the leading event cinema distributor with theater locations in all top 100 DMAs (Designated Market Areas) and ranks as one of the largest overall theater content distributors. Owned by AMC Entertainment Inc. (NYSE: AMC), Cinemark Holdings, Inc. (NYSE: CNK) and Regal Entertainment Group (NYSE: RGC), Fathom Events offers a variety of unique entertainment events in movie theaters such as live performances of the Metropolitan Opera, top Broadway stage productions, major sporting events, epic concerts, the yearlong TCM Big Screen Classics series, inspirational events and popular anime franchises. Fathom Events takes audiences behind the scenes for unique extras including audience Q&As, backstage footage and interviews with cast and crew, creating the ultimate VIP experience. Fathom Events’ live Digital Broadcast Network (“DBN”) is the largest cinema broadcast network in North America, bringing live and pre-recorded events to 941 locations and 1,496 screens in 181 DMAs. The company also provides corporations with a compelling national footprint for hosting employee meetings, customer rewards events, and new product launches. For more information, visit www.FathomEvents.com.
ABOUT LIONSGATE
The first major new studio in decades, Lionsgate is a global content platform whose films, television series, digital products, and linear and over-the-top platforms reach next generation audiences around the world. In addition to its filmed entertainment leadership, Lionsgate content drives a growing presence in interactive and location-based entertainment, gaming, virtual reality, and other new entertainment technologies. Lionsgate’s content initiatives are backed by a 16,000-title film and television library and delivered through a global licensing infrastructure. The Lionsgate brand is synonymous with original, daring and ground-breaking content created with special emphasis on the evolving patterns and diverse composition of the Company’s worldwide consumer base."
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ZombieCON's LA Comic Con Premiere Details: Press Release: "Los Angeles Comic Con & Big Squid Productions have teamed up to bring movie-loving attendees and otaku an experience like never before.
Saturday, October 27th, fans are invited to catch a special preview screening of the unreleased feature film ZombieCON, ‘Cosplayers stuck in zombie apocalypse after turning all assholes in the world into zombies’, as well as a Q&A with the film stars and moviemaking team.
With two top-tier film festivals having already recognized working copies of ZombieCON, the film merges high art and indie action thriller. Exploring the battle between good and evil within oneself, ZombieCON is a roller coaster of emotions and a testament to the power of friendship and heart. Produced for well under one million dollars, by a first-time feature film director, co-writers, lead actor & producing team, ZombieCON truly redefines what is possible in front of and behind the camera, looking to be 2018-2019’s The Terminator.
The lead cast and filmmaking team, affectionately dubbed ‘the Big Squids’, have traveled to numerous SoCal conventions and cosplay events, exhibiting props, creating cosplay videos and introducing new friends and fans to the upcoming ZombieCON film.
Space is limited, arrive early to secure seating. Promo items and exclusive swag will be given in a variety of ways over the course of the weekend, whether at the ZombieCON booth or during screening and panel itself."
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Ithaca Fantastik 2018 Final Lineup Details: Press Release: "Ithaca Fantastik is proud to announce the last wave of programming for the 7th edition of our upstate NY celebration of genre film, electrifying music, and dynamic art. Returning to our home base at Cinemapolis, IF embarks on our 10-day event October 26th - Nov 4th.
The full line-up will open with the breathtaking Swedish war drama THE UNTHINKABLE from Victor Danell and, while our 2018 program continues with the highly acclaimed and award-winning MY NAME IS MYEISHA by Gus Krieger’s and Daniel Goldhaber’s electrifying CAM, and notable IF alum Perry Blackshear returns following his 2015 psychological horror hit THEY LOOK LIKE PEOPLE with an eerie and out-of-the-world fable THE RUSALKA!
Our Cinema Pur side-bar is back with one of our strongest vanguard focused programs to date adding Joel Potrykus’ latest niche nostalgia nerd-fest RELAXER and A.T. White’s spellbinding debut STARFISH, hands down one of the most beautiful and gripping fables we’ve seen this year to previously announced titles in wave one. The Ithaca Fantastik will host also a special screening of BOILED ANGELS: THE TRIAL OF MIKE DIANA with celebrated cult director Frank Henenlotter and Mike Diana paired with a discussion. Taking the Piss Down Under, a mini-series with two of our favorite films of the year coming from South East Pacific: BROTHER’S NEST, MEGA TIME SQUAD. What would Ithaca Fantastik be without a dose of gore and fun! Get ready for the gruesome French insanity that is Alfonso’s GIRLS WITH BALLS and the international festival midnighter darling, Ueda’s ONE CUT OF THE DEAD!
For its 7th edition, Ithaca Fantastik goes wild with its shorts with four massive blocks - GASP! The Horror!, WTFantastik!, Light+/-Dark Shorts, and the very special Eyeslicer Halloween Special, a curation of the weirdest and wackiest American indie spooky shorts from NYC producers Dan Schoenbrun and Vanessa McDonnell.
Ithaca Fantastik rounds out our final wave with a dive into AR/VR and brings a program of six experiences, including the award winner DINNER PARTY and Alexandre’s Aja’s CAMPFIRE CREEPERS!
Come to revel in exploitation with the popular event Dunken Cinema! A celebration to B-Movie filmmaking… with a pint of beer - organized by our friends in Canada, now for the first time in NYS! Halloween may come to an end but we’ve still got some tricks and treats for you from your friends ar Vinegar Syndrome with a ravishing double feature of RAW FORCE and new 4K restoration of WHITE FIRE!
Closing:
The Unthinkable East Coast Premiere
Victor Danell | 2018 | Sweden | 129min
While Alex attempts to reconnect with the long lost love of his youth, a series of strange events unfold—each bizarre occurrence leading to the next until it culminates in a declaration of war by a belligerent foreign country. Carried on by his quest for love, Alex must also manage to find his family and save them from the war. This epic adventure pushes him to overcome each obstacle and face the deepest, darkest corners of his past.
Scandinavia has produced some of the recent years’ most impressive action films with a healthy dose of heart—from The Wave (2015) to The Quake (2018)—redefining what it means to be a blockbuster in the global market. Following in this grand tradition, Crazy Pictures takes us by storm with this genre-blurring piece of cinema. It expertly navigates the arthouse drama landscape while using a backdrop of a war as metaphorical elements enhance the frustration of the protagonist. THE UNTHINKABLE will make you think, cringe, laugh out loud, and cry- all in the span of a second. You’ll be talking about this perfect IF8 closing film for months to come.
International Competition:
Cam Regional Premiere
Daniel Goldhaber | 2018 | USA | 94min
Alice’s (Handmaid's Tale’s Madeline Brewer) career as “Lola” the cam girl is red hot, and her public can’t seem to get enough! But when a mysterious clone of her web persona surfaces, Alice is left questioning where she ends and her online presence begins.
Daniel Goldhaber’s debut feature CAM delivers an unvarnished and brutal reflection on a culture of obsession and vice. The first feature about sex work written by a former sex worker Isa Mazzei has masterfully drawn from real life to create this dazzling and dark thriller. The 2018 Fantasia Film Festival New Flesh award winner is not to be missed.
Actor Patch Darragh in attendance
Dog (Chien) East Coast Premiere
Samuel Benchetrit | 2017 | France | 90min
After losing his wife, home and job, Jacques spirals into depression, closing himself off to the world around him. That is until he meets the owner of a pet shop. He finds redemption in giving his free will over to the most random person he’s met: A dog trainer.
Multi-talented artist Samuel Benchetrit adapts his eponymous book with a style and voice reminiscent of another french perturbateur: Quentin Dupieux. Taking a literal route to define modern alienation, Benchetrit creates a surreal piece of cinema, which, despite its straightforward approach to the problematic, shocks at every turn.
My Name is Myeisha Regional Premiere
Gus Krieger | 2018 | USA | 85min
At the moment of Myeisha's (the outstanding Rhaechyl Walker) death at the hands of police, she guides us inside her mind and muses over the life she’ll be leaving behind. Told uniquely through hip-hop, spoken word poetry, and dance—and inspired by the 1998 police shooting of California teen Tyisha Miller—the mix of style and social message allows the narrative to explore territories rarely tackled in a film. We connect with Myeisha as we see into both her past and a possible future she will never have.
Highly acclaimed on the festival circuit, this is one of the most important films of the year.
The Rusalka Regional Premiere
Perry Blackshear | 2018 | USA | 88min
A perfectly twisted balance of folklore and modern cinema, THE RUSALKA reinvents “the lady of the lake” into “the girl next door.” Mina is chained to water by demons that possess her. The man who pines for her is traumatized and left speechless by a childhood swimming accident. This love story is only rendered more eerie by the haunting beauty of the setting, and the Slavic songs that set the dark and atmospheric tone of this tale.
Director Perry Blackshear in attendance
Prospect Regional Premiere
Christopher Caldwell | 2018 | USA | 98min
In a working-class future (in space!), a father and daughter mining team (Jay Duplass and Sophie Thatcher) struggle to make a living on an alien moon with worn out space suits and a barely functional spacecraft. When they learn about a large haul of the rare, valuable crystals they’ve been tracking, they decide to risk confrontations with their lawless competition.
Adapted from a short film of the same name, PROSPECT has a blue collar sci-fi atmosphere that evokes the highlights of the genre and follows the lead of films like Alien (1979) and Silent Running (1972).
Cinema Pur:
Relaxer Regional Premiere
Joel Potrykus | 2018 | USA | 91min
Settle in for 91 minutes of action and adventure set entirely on a sofa as our hero Abbie (Joshua Burge) attempts to beat every level of Pac-Man- including the legendary 256th. Berated by his brother and a slew of off-kilter friends, Abbie must stick to his mission at any cost. He’ll have to stay focused in the midst of hilarious antics. Will he beat the game? This is the Y2K apocalyptic slacker comedy you didn’t know you needed until Poltrykus dared you to.
Starfish Regional Premiere
A.T. White | 2018 | USA, UK | 99min
The past can creep up on us in the most unlikely of ways. While grieving the loss of her best friend, Aubrey (Runaway’s cosmic babe Virginia Gardner) finds herself in the middle of a wintery apocalypse. She holes up in her late friend’s flat, fending for herself as the world deteriorates and unspeakable Lovecraftian creatures lurk around every corner. With mixtapes, an indie soundtrack, and an adorable pet turtle, Aubrey fights to survive. This fantastical tale of grief and trauma transcends time, space, and logic.
Director A.T White in attendance
Luz Regional Premiere
Tilman Singer | 2018 | Germany | 70min
Luz (Luana Velis) arrives at a police station. Seemingly in a state of shock, she begins the interview process of filing a report. Meanwhile, at a nearby bar, a mysterious man drinks alone. He’s approached by a young woman with a disconcerting manner. They strike up a conversation over drinks. A malevolent force seems to permeate both communions.
Shot on 16mm—and the thesis project for German film student Tilman Singer—LUZ already feels like a movie out of its time with aesthetic trappings of a film made in the 80s but characters and story contemporary in their design and feel.
Fantastik Documentaries:
Boiled Angels: The Trial of Mike Diana Regional Premiere
Frank Henenlotter | 2018 | USA | 101min
In 1991, the FBI thought they had a lead on the Gainesville student murders when they came into possession of Mike Diana’s 'zine, Boiled Angel. Despite being cleared of any murder charges, the FBI forwarded information about him and his work to Florida police. He became the first artist in US history to be prosecuted on obscenity charges—all because of his cartoonish depictions of depravity. This documentary, directed by Frank Henenlotter (Basket Case, Brain Damage), features narration by Jello Biafra and appearances by Neil Gaiman, George Romero, Jay Lynch, and the trial lawyers who felt they were justified in putting an artist behind bars.
Join us for this special screening of BOILED ANGELS, followed by an extended Q&A and discussion with director Frank Henenlotter, artist Mike Diana, and producer Mike Hunchback.
Taking the Piss Down Under:
Brother’s Nest Regional Premiere
Clayton Jacobson | 2018 | Australia | 98min
Two brothers reflect on memories, their upbringing, and family in their childhood home as they plot to kill their stepfather. What at first seems like a simple plan soon spirals out of control and into an abyss of mayhem and murder. Clayton Jacobsen’s pitch black comedy features rapid-fire dialogue that is both rhythmic and increasingly ironic and bittersweet—feeling like a blend of the Coen brothers and Hitchcockian crime dramas of the golden age of cinema.
Mega Time Squad New York Premiere
Tim van Dammen | 2018 | New Zealand | 86min
John (Anton Tennet) is down on his luck in small town Auckland and hoping to escape his loser life. When a strange Chinese artifact gives him the power to travel back in time, Johnny decides to face off against his drug dealer boss Shelton (Jonny Brugh of What We Do In The Shadows). The consequences of time travel are more dangerous than Johnny expects, and he very quickly realizes the price he may have to pay. Quick-witted dialogue coupled with heaps of charm and charisma make Tim van Dammen’s Kiwi-comedy a must see.
Back to Castle: A Special Screening of THE TINGLER with live theatre
The Tingler
Wednesday, Oct. 31 7 pm at The Cherry Artspace
William Castle | 1959 | USA | 82min
When a pathologist (Vincent Price) discovers a creature that feeds and grows on fear, he quickly realizes the key to its defeat. He captures it to test his hypothesis. As the creature evolves in size and atrocity levels rise, the Doctor’s theories distill into one single urgent lesson: “please, do not panic, but scream!.... Scream for your lives.”
This film’s just-wacky-enough execution of excruciatingly frightening ideas may just keep its viewers from requiring intensive therapy.
Released the very same year as House on Haunted Hill, THE TINGLER reprises and intensifies the same camp horror theatricality and B-movie zeal from William Castle’s wild imagination. The delicate dissonance between Castle’s gimmicks and Vincent Price’s outstanding performance gets perfectly showcased in this triumphant return of the pioneering duo.
Enjoy this one-time-only interactive event, created in partnership with our friends at The Cherry Artspace—true to William Castle’s innovative vision of an immersive 4-dimensional theatrical experience. Filmed in “Percepto!”
Drunken Cinema:
In the gloriously raucous tradition of original midnight screenings that were a fundamentally participatory event, DRUNKEN CINEMA offers an experience that the modern multiplex can’t even fathom. With general, personal, secret, and prop rules clearly indicated on specially made cards, Drunken Cinema asks you to get involved in the action (Think The Rocky Horror Picture show or cult screenings of The Room).
Vinegar Syndrome Presents:
Vinegar Syndrome is a film restoration and distribution company with a catalog of hundreds of feature films, produced primarily between the 1960s and 1980s. With an ever-growing archive, we’re thrilled to team up to present two exhilarating entries for IF audiences to enjoy on the big screen once again.
Raw Force
Edward Murphy | 1982 | USA | 86min
Ninjas and cannibal monks and zombies, OH MY! Martial arts students from the Burbank Kung Fu Club head out on a leisurely cruise, but when their ship drifts too close to a mysterious island, their vacation becomes a lot less relaxing. They’ve landed far from home on Warrior Island, a burial ground for shamed martial artists. And they are not alone. White supremacist sex traffickers have made camp on this lowly island chock full of secrets just waiting to be unearthed.
Vinegar Syndrome’s 35mm scan of this gritty, seductive and totally bonkers film is filled to the brim with nudity, over-the-top action, and enough ridiculous one-liners to satisfy even the most rambunctious cravings for sleaze.
White Fire (Vivre pour Survivre) East Coast Premiere
Jean-Marie Pallardy | 1985 | Turkey, France, UK | 101min
When Bo was a child, a mysterious stranger sadistically murdered his parents. Only Bo and his sister Ingrid survived the bloodshed. Now, twenty years later, Bo and Ingrid are employees at a diamond mineshaft in the desert. The mischievous duo stumbles upon the discovery of a legendary diamond, the "White Fire." However, rapture for the diamond has provoked the angst of some short-tempered, not-so-nice villains. The quest to capture the most sought-out diamond in the world is afoot!
Midnighters:
One Cut of the Dead Regional Premiere
Shin'ichirô Ueda | 2017 | Japan | 96min
When an ambitious but small-time commercial director (Takayuki Hamatsu) is hired for the arduous task of creating a single-take zombie film which is broadcast live, death and gore become the least of his on-set problems. Starting with the unbroken 37-minute final piece, One Cut of the Dead then goes back in time to show the story behind the making of the actual film—complete with trouble from divas, saké, broken equipment, and even diarrhea. A high-energy screamfest that turns heartwarming, this film knows exactly how to sell its scares.
Girls With Balls East Coast Premiere
Olivier Afonso | 2018 | France | 87min
Girls volleyball team The Falcons find themselves stranded in the middle of nowhere after their minivan breaks down. Little do they know they landed on the property of some degenerate redneck hunters. The hunt is on and thus begins a very long night where the girls must run for their lives and test their team spirit. But these young athletes may be more resourceful than the hunters give them credit for. Serve. Set. Spike. Kill!
Seven Stages to Achieve Eternal Bliss By Passing Through the Gateway Chosen By the Holy Storsh Regional Premiere
Vivieno Caldinelli | 2018 | USA | 96min
A small-town couple (Kate Micucci and Sam Huntington) find the perfect apartment at an inconceivable price. But their idyllic life is disturbed by a parade of intruders that won’t stop breaking in to practice a strange cult ritual, all following the direction of their guru, the Holy Storsh (Taika Waititi). The final step? Suicide in the apartment bathtub.
From the deranged mind of Spectrevision (Mandy, 2018; Bitch, 2017), this is pure comedy in the tradition of the grand guignol, with the hilarious Dan Harmon (Rick and Morty) as an out of his mind inspector—be ready to laugh out loud for 96 minutes straight in this comedy. Definitely… cult!
GASP! The Horror! Shorts
Sometimes horror is a magical horned demon shooting fire at you. Sometimes it lives in your own home... Ithaca Fantastik is proud to present this selection of shorts that shows just how wide, wild, and inventive the realm of horror can be.
Goodnight, Gracie, Dir. Stellan Kendrick (USA); The Day Mum Became A Monster, Dir. Josephine Hopkins (France); MILK, Dir. Santiago Menghini (Canada); MAW, Dir. Jasper Vrancken (Belgium); New Feelings, Dir. Anastasia Nechaeva (Russian Federation), Those Who Can Die, Dir. Charlotte Cayeux (France)
WTFantastik! Shorts
Think you’ve seen everything the genre world has to offer? Think again. Our WTFantastiK! block challenges genre veterans with envelope-pushing, boundary-breaking shorts that must be seen to be believed. For adventurous audiences only!
What's That In The Ground?, Dir. Wally Chung (USA); The Story of Everything, Dir. Sharon A. Mooney (USA); Sweet Deceit, Dir. Shannon Jones (USA); Loathing, Dir. Franz Milec (Czech Republic); NewVHS, Dir. Spencer Starnes, Kevin R. Wright, Pete Clendenning, Jordan Paul Miles (USA); Mama's Boy, Dir. Samantha Kolesnick (USA); MOTHER FUCKER, Dir. Nicholas Payn (USA); Entropia, Dir. Marinah Janello (USA)..
Light+/-Dark Shorts
Tampon Monsters. Murderous Johnny Depp fans. Two dudes just trying to be cool. The LIGHT+/-DARK shorts block presents the comedy genre shorts that made us laugh, or made us cringe.
BFF Girls, Dir. Brian Lonano (USA); Psycho Kino, Dir. Guillem Dols (Spain); Lunch Ladies, Dir. Clarissa Jacobson, J.M. Logan (USA), We Summoned A Demon, Dir. Chris McInroy (USA); Seafood Diet, Dir. Max Levine (USA); Beautiful Eyes, Dir. Rani Deigh Crowe (USA); Fetish, Dir David Lee Hess, Richard H. Perry (USA)
The Eyeslicer Halloween Special!
Dan Schoenbrun and Vanessa McDonnell / 2018 / USA / 93min
A comedy-horror anthology presented by internet rock stars The Eyeslicer. Taking viewers on a chaotic journey through the liminal space of the Halloween season, THE EYESLICER HALLOWEEN SPECIAL feels like an acid trip down the Halloween aisle at Party City.
Shorts Accompanying a feature:
Death Metal Grandma, Dir. by Leah Galant (US); Ad Infinitum, Dir. Murat Çetinkaya (Turley); Payment, Dir. Ben Larned (USA); Special Day Teal Greyhaven (USA); Saturn Through The Telescope
Didac Gimeno (Spain); Mannequins, Dir. David Malcolm (UK); Every Ghost Has An Orchestra, Dir. Shayna Connely (USA); TiCK, Dir. Ashlea Wessel (Canada); Riley Was Here, Dir. Jon Rhoads (USA); Smoke Grenade, Dir. Joe LaRocca (USA); Fontaineblues, Dir. Akim Gagnon (Canada)
Fantastik VR:
Dinner Party
Angel Manuel Soto, Charlotte Stoudt, Laura Wexler / Puerto Rico, USA | 2018 | 13min
Based on true events, this experience tells the story of Barney and Betty Hill, an interracial couple who in 1961 broke national news as the first reported extraterrestrial abduction in history. Trying to cope with the residual scars of their experience, they unexpectedly decide to seek out answers from an old tape recorder while hosting a dinner party.
Meeting A Monster
Gabriela Arp | USA | 2018 | 9min
With a past steeped in hatred and prejudice, a former white supremacist journeys back in time and invites us to experience both the stereotypes and bigotry that lured her into the white power movement as well as the encounters that led her back out. Before she can help others change their ways, she must come to terms with a true monster: herself.
We’re Still Here
Jesse Ayala | USA | 2018 | 3 Minutes
Struggling to preserve his cultural identity, an artist and historian from Boise, Idaho takes viewers on a journey to learn about what it means to be “Two Spirit”; a cultural term describing the fluidity of gender identity and sexuality with respect to traditional tribal roles across First Nations.
Campfire Creepers
Alexandre Aja | USA | 2018 | 12 minutes
From the master of horror, Alexandre Aja (The Hills Have Eyes, Piranha, Horns) comes an original anthology series that brings classic campfire stories to life in stunning virtual reality. Produced by Oculus and Future Lighthouse, Campfire Creepers invites viewers to join the fire circle at a summer camp called Camp Coyote as a group of kids take turns telling spooky tales. Inspired by cult classics like Creepshow and Tales from the Crypt, every episode of Campfire Creepers is a wild ride that will have you laughing and screaming in equal measure.
Faoladh
Declan Dowling | 2018 | Ireland | 6min
This stereoscopic virtual reality film set in an isolated 9th-century Irish village follows the perilous journey of young Celt Ruairi. Vikings have begun invading Ireland, and it’s only a matter of time before they reach his village. Take on the role of the Faoladh, a wolf-like guardian spirit, and protector of the children from the woods of ancient Ireland. It’s up to you to guide Ruairi to safety as he evades capture from a bullish young Viking named Snorre.
Virtual Burly
Becky Lane | 2018 | USA - Sneak Peek - Work in Progress
It’s your own private show! A 3D, 360° recreation of historical burlesque styles from 1900—1970. Go on an entertaining and seductive journey through the evolution of burlesque, exploring its history and its impact on women’s sexual empowerment. Showcasing the artistry of burlesque dance troupe Whiskey Tango Sideshow, VIRTUAL BURLY is a combination of dance performances and interviews brought together to explore themes in women’s experience in this art form.
Retrospective
The Wilding!
The uncanny terror that only children can elicit. The uncanny terror of what goes missing—or reveals itself—in the dark spaces between generations. The uncanny terror that intergenerational misunderstandings unleash, again and again.
The discord between old and young is a tension that is both as old as time and frighteningly contemporary and marks the theme of this year’s retrospective exploration.
The Bad Seed
Mervyn LeRoy | 1956 | USA | 129min
Christine Penmark (Nancy Kelly) and her daughter Rhoda (Patty McCormack) feign perfection to their community. When the death of a schoolboy who won a penmanship competition brings suspicion to Rhoda’s hand, Christine assumes the worst about her little girl. As tension builds between characters, the calming atmosphere of suburbia is no match for this unsettling family dynamic.
Over-the-top performances and Oscar-nominated black-and-white cinematography keep the story reminiscent of its time. Based on a book by the same name, THE BAD SEED begs the question, what is worse: a remorseless homicidal preteen, or a mother who will do anything to hide her family shame?
Who Can Kill a Child? (¿Quién Puede Matar a un Niño?)
Narciso Ibáñez Serrador | 1976 | Spain | 112min
In reality, war and famine wreck their devastating effects on the innocent in refugee camps and struggling countries. On a remote island, eerie children take matters into their own hands. When an English couple, Tom and Evelyn (Lewis Fiander and Prunella Ransome), make their way to the island on holiday, they are forced to ask themselves the titular question: Who can kill a child?
Featuring a hypnotic score by Waldo de los Ríos, WHO CAN KILL A CHILD is an exploration of innate goodness and the lack thereof, and a violent confrontation between nature and nurture.
Bloody Birthday
Ed Hunt | 1981 | USA | 85min
Three children are born during an eclipse. Because celestial patterns cause Saturn—which controls emotion—to be blocked, the children have no feelings. Void of all morality, the seemingly innocent youths create chaos in the town around them.
In a film that epitomizes the grainy cult horror scene of the 1980s, BLOODY BIRTHDAY entertains, building its body count in a vicious cycle of birth, life, sex, cake, and murder—setting the standard for sociopathic spree-killing movie tykes for decades to come.
For more information on the festival please visit the official website - www.ithacafilmfestival.com"
Tamika hails from North Beach, Maryland, a tiny town inches from the Chesapeake Bay.She knew she wanted to be an actor after reciting a soliloquy by Sojourner Truth in front of her entire fifth grade class. Since then, she's appeared in over 20 film and television projects. In addition to acting, Tamika is the Indie Spotlight manager for Daily Dead, where she brings readers news on independent horror projects every weekend.
The first horror film Tamika watched was Child's Play. Being eight years old at the time, she remembers being so scared when Chucky came to life that she projectile vomited. It's tough for her to choose only one movie as her favorite horror film, so she picked two: Nosferatu and The Stepford Wives (1975).
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