Having just wrapped up a horror-filled weekend as one of the hosts of of Chicago’s own Flashback Weekend Horror Convention for the 13th year in a row, you might think I needed a break from horror films. And if you think that could ever be true, you don’t know me very well. Horror films were my gateway into all other movies and my overall love of film, and I do my darndest to keep up with the new crop of horror filmmakers, as well as the more established people out there making quality scare films, thrillers, gore-tastic offerings, and monster movies.
So imagine my excitement when I got a gander at this year’s line up for the second annual Bruce Campbell Horror Film Festival, presented by and coincides with Wizard World Chicago, running August 20–23. Programmed by The Awesome Fest, the festival takes place at the Muvico Theater in Rosemont (just down the street from the Wizard World at 9701 Bryn Mawr Ave.).
Hey look, a quote from Bruce Campbell: “You can have your rom-coms, your indie darlings and your blockbusters. I'll take a good old-fashioned horror movie any day or night of the week!"
Hey look, a quote from Festival Director Josh Goldbloom: “With this program we covered just about all of our favorite scary things—vampires, psychotic breakdowns, cannibals, killer dogs, contagious diseases, mummies, bad decisions, and easily the most evil half man, half bunny rabbit of all time. I can't wait to present it to our fellow film nerds in Chicago!"
Opening Night gives audiences the chance to see the highly anticipated horror anthology film TALES OF HALLOWEEN, featuring shorts from some of the best filmmakers in independent horror, including Neil Marshall (“Game of Thrones,” THE DESCENT), Darren Lynn Bousman (the SAW franchise; REPO: THE GENETIC OPERA), Lucky McKee (THE WOMAN, MAY, “Masters of Horror”) and Mike Mendez (BIG ASS SPIDER). The film stars such actors as Lin Shaye, Pat Healy, Barbara Crampton, Adrienne Barbeau, Noah Segan, Kristina Klebe, Adam Green, Greg Grunburg, Lisa Marie, Cerina Vincent and more.
U.S. premieres include the gruesome CONTRACTED: PHASE 2; the ferocious Australian import THE PACK; and the certifiably insane BUNNY THE KILLER THING. Special film events include a 30th anniversary screening of FRIGHT NIGHT (1985), with writer/director Tom Holland in attendance; a Cannibal Brunch, featuring mountains of breakfast meats, followed by a 35mm screening of the infamous CANNIBAL HOLOCAUST (1980), introduced by GREEN INFERNO director Eli Roth; and a special screening of Don Coscarelli's cult classic BUBBA HO-TEP (2002), followed by a discussion with Bruce Campbell himself.
Jason Krawczyk's HE NEVER DIED closes the Festival, starring Henry Rollins as Jack, a social outcast thrust out of his comfort zone when the outside world bangs on his door and he can't contain his violent past. The film is a masterful combination of film noir, crime thriller, character study and horror story.
Screenings are free for Wizard World badge-holders (space permitting), and a limited number of festival badges and single tickets are available for fans who are not registered for Wizard World.
Bruce Campbell Horror Film Festival badges are now on sale for $66.06, and single-screening tickets are available for $12. To purchase badges and tickets, or to view the full festival schedule, visit www.bchff.com. And hey, take a look at the full film schedule. I’ll be introducing some of the films and leading a few of the Q&As, so I hope to see you there. And keep an eye in between now and the festival start date for a special chance to win tickets to secret screening taking place on the final evening of the festival. Only the worthy will be allowed into this special event.
SCHEDULE (check the festival site for changes):
THURSDAY, AUGUST 20 7:30 PM — TALES OF HALLOWEEN (Opening Night film), with cast & crew appearance Ten stories are woven together by their shared theme of Halloween night in an American suburb, where ghouls, imps, aliens and axe murderers appear for one night only to terrorize unsuspecting residents. Directors: Axelle Carolyn, Darren Lynn Bousman, Adam Gierasch, Andrew Kasch, Neil Marshall, Lucky McKee, Mike Mendez, Dave Parker, Ryan Schifrin, John Skipp, Paul Solet
10:00 PM — HELLIONS A troubled teenager must survive a Halloween night from Hell when malevolent trick-or-treaters come knocking at her door. And refuse to go away. From Bruce McDonald, the director of festival favorite PONTYPOOL.
FRIDAY, AUGUST 21 5:45 PM — JUNE, North American Premiere A coming-of-rage story about discovering your true self and overcoming your inner demons to find love in a chaotic world. Based on the highly acclaimed short film of the same name. Dir: L Gustavo Cooper
7:30 PM — FRIGHT NIGHT, followed by Q&A with writer/director Tom Holland A teenage boy is convinced that his new neighbor is a bloodthirsty vampire, but nobody will believe him—until he enlists the assistance of a fussy old actor who used to kill the creatures all the time. In movies, that is.
9:30 PM — THE PACK, North American premiere A farmer and his family must fight for survival after a ferocious pack of wild dogs infiltrates their isolated farmhouse. Through a series of frightening and bloody encounters they are forced into survival mode to make it through the night. Dir: Nick Robertson
11:59 PM — DUDE BRO PARTY MASSACRE 3, with cast & crew appearance Special screening with Filmmakers & star Greg Sestero in attendance. In the wake of two back-to-back mass murders on Chico's frat row, loner Brent Chirino must infiltrate the ranks of a popular fraternity to investigate his twin brother's murder at the hands of the serial killer known as “Motherface.” Directors: Tomm Jacobsen, Michael Rousselet, Jon Salmon
SATURDAY, AUGUST 22 12:00 PM — SYNAPSE, World Premiere, followed by Q&A with cast & crew Voyeuristic technology has surpassed our wildest nightmares and our most explicit fantasies. Running from SYNAPSE, an agency tasked with memory drug enforcement, a rogue agent fights against the organization that once employed him. Dir: Kenlon Clark
3:00 PM — SOME KIND OF HATE A bullied teenager is sent to a reform school where he accidentally summons the spirit of a girl, herself a victim of bullying, who takes vengeance on his tormentors. Dir: Adam Egypt Mortimer
5:00 PM — BODY Three bored young women break into a house for cheap laughs, stumble across someone who shouldn't be there, and commit a terrible deed. Dir: Dan Berk & Robert Olsen
7:00 PM — BUBBA HO-TEP, followed by Q&A with Bruce Campbell Elvis and JFK, both alive and in nursing homes, fight for the souls of their fellow residents as they battle an ancient Egyptian Mummy. Starring Bruce Campbell and the late-great Ossie Davis. Dir: Don Coscarelli
9:30 PM — CONTRACTED: PHASE 2, North American premiere Picking up directly where the creepy indie hit CONTRACTED left off, PHASE 2 follows Riley, one of the last people to come in contact with the ill-fated Samantha, as he scrambles to track down those responsible for the outbreak before the highly contagious disease not only consumes his body, but possibly the world as we know it. Dir: Josh Forbes
11:59 PM — BUNNY THE KILLER THING, U.S. premiere A group of Finnish and British people get stuck in a cabin when a creature—half human & half rabbit—attacks them. The creature is Bunny the Killer Thing, and it is after anything that resembles female genitalia. Yes, really. Based on the 2011 short film of the same name. Dir: Joonas Makkonen
SUNDAY, AUGUST 23 12:00 PM — CANNIBAL HOLOCAUST, with 35mm screening, introduced by Eli Roth. Featuring "cannibal breakfast" with mountains of breakfast meat (Paid ticket or Film Festival Badge required for admission) A New York professor returns from a rescue mission to the Amazon with footage shot by a lost team of filmmakers. And it's pretty damn gruesome. Dir: Ruggero Deodato
2:30 PM — NINA FOREVER After his girlfriend Nina dies in a car crash, Rob unsuccessfully attempts suicide. As he begins to overcome his grief, he falls in love with a coworker, Holly. Their relationship is complicated when Nina, unable to find rest in the afterlife, comes back to life to sarcastically torment them whenever they have sex. Dir: Ben Blaine & Chris Blaine
4:30 PM — SUN CHOKE Recovering from a violent psychotic break, Janie is just trying to get well under the care of her lifelong nanny and caretaker. She begins to veer off the road to recovery when she develops an obsession with a young woman to whom she feels an inexplicable yet profound connection. Dir: Ben Cresciman
7:00 PM — HE NEVER DIED, with special guests in attendance Jack, a social outcast, is thrust out of his comfort zone when the outside world bangs on his door and he can't contain his violent past. Starring Henry Rollins. Dir: Jason Krawczyk
9:00 PM — JERUZALEM, U.S. Premiere When a couple of American young adults fly to Israel to visit the city of Jerusalem, a biblical nightmare falls upon the city. Dir: Doron Paz, Yoav Paz
