What is slowly becoming one of my favorite horror/genre-themed festivals that I cover, the Bruce Campbell Horror Film Festival has just announced the first wave of titles of its third annual incarnation in Chicago. The festival takes place August 18-21 at the Carmike Muvico Rosemont 18 in Rosemont, IL (just down the street from the Wizard World convention, a co-sponsor of the event).
Hey look, a quote from Bruce Campbell: “I’m thrilled to bring our annual horror festival back to the Windy City for the third year. There were some wicked cool flicks this year, and we went after the cream of the crop. If you love all things horror, check out our lineup!”
The festivities will kick off on Thursday, August 18, with the incredibly scary and shocking opening night film DON’T BREATHE, from director-producer-writer Fede Alvarez (EVIL DEAD) and produced by Sam Raimi and Rob Tapert. Alvarez will be in attendance. I caught this film at SXSW this year, and it’s a genuinely solid, close-quarter horror experience.
The inaugural "Groovy as Hell" Award will be presented to writer/director Fred Dekker (writer of the upcoming THE PREDATOR). The awards ceremony will consist of a 30th anniversary screening of the cult classic NIGHT OF THE CREEPS and a very special screening of THE MONSTER SQUAD with actors Andre Gower (Sean) and Ryan Lambert (Rudy) also in attendance.
Festival favorite and noted movie lover Doug Benson (“Doug Loves Movies” CHRONICCON, SUPER HIGH ME) will be in town for a very special “Doug Benson Movie Interruption” of ARMY OF DARKNESS, with guest interrupter Bruce Campbell. The two will sit in the front row together with a selection of mystery comedy guests, and say whatever hilarious stuff that pops into their head. A limited amount of single tickets for this event are on sale now.
The festival also will present a 25th anniversary celebration of everyone’s favorite time-traveling metalhead slackers with a screening of BILL & TED’S BOGUS JOURNEY, with director Peter Hewitt in attendance. Additional guests for this screening will be announced at a later date. BCHFF will also mark the World Premieres of FOUND FOOTAGE 3D, the long-awaited satirical horror film produced by Kim Henkel (co-writer of TEXAS CHAIN SAW MASSACRE) and directed by Steven DeGennaro; and SHOW YOURSELF, a haunting and remarkable genrebending feature debut from Billy Ray Brewton (subject of the award-winning 2014 documentary SKANKS, and programmer for the Slamdance Film Festival).
In addition, horror fans in the region will have access to the Chicago premieres of:
• THE GREASY STRANGLER—The most hilariously disturbing film of the year. From Elijah Wood's Spectrevision, Drafthouse Films, and Ant Timpson.
• HERE ALONE—Winner of the 2016 Tribeca Film Festival Audience Award
• ABATTOIR—From Darren Lyn Bousman, the director of SAW 2, 3 and 4; REPO: THE GENETIC OPERA; MOTHER’S DAY; and THE DEVIL’S CARNIVAL. Bousman will be in attendance to present the film
• PET—The SXSW hit starring Dominic Monaghan (THE LORD OF THE RINGS trilogy)
• I AM NOT A SERIAL KILLER—Starring Christopher Lloyd in yet another career defining performance
• BEYOND THE GATES—Winner of the midnight audience award at the Los Angeles Film Festival
Festival badges are $100 and are on sale now at www.bchff.com, where you can also track additions to the lineup and find out dates and times for each screening. Limited single ticket sales for screenings will go on sale Wednesday, July 6. I’ll be there; hope you will be too. You can also go to the Chicago Wizard World site for more details.
