Last summer, I visited Chicago, Illinois to attend my first Cinepocalypse, a wild and woolly film festival dedicated to the weirdest, wackiest and gnarliest genre cinema out there. It was there I got to meet Ernest Dickerson and Lana Wachowski, see films like TALES FROM THE HOOD: DEMON KNIGHT, HOWARD THE DUCK, KILLER KLOWNS FROM OUTER SPACE and BOUND (my first time!) on the big screen, and see an assortment of cool new indie titles like the fantastic and vastly under-talked about AWAIT FURTHER INSTRUCTIONS and the frightening Shudder premiere SATAN’S SLAVES.
Cinepocalypse is gearing up for its third annual showcase of blisteringly hot genre titles and today they’ve given us all the scoop about what the fest has in store.
Kicking off June 13th and running until June 20th, the festival is going bigger and bolder than ever before. Kicking off the festival will be the world premier of VEROTIKA, a horror anthology that also happens to mark the directorial debut of music legend Glenn Danzig. Joel Schumacher will be on hand to lead the festival’s jury, with repertory screenings of the director’s classics FALLING DOWN and FLATLINERS. Those films also join an eclectic assortment of rep screenings that also include TOTAL RECALL (with a special lifetime achievement award for Michael Ironside), an extended version of the ’80s teen sex comedy HOT DOG…THE MOVIE and the trash cinema classic TAMMY AND THE T REX, starring a young and pre-fame Denise Richards and Paul Walker.
Cinepocalypse will also celebrate Women In Horror with screenings of Chelsea Stardust’s SATANIC PANIC, Gigi Saul Guerrero’s INTO THE DARK entry CULTURE SHOCK, GOODNIGHT MOMMY directors Veronika Franz and Severin Fiala’s Sundance hit THE LODGE, Pollyana McIntosh’s directorial debut DARLIN’ and the world premiere of Caryn Waechter’s DEADCON. Also on hand will be the latest from indie horror auteurs Lucky McKee (KINDRED SPIRITS) and Joe Begos (BLISS) and a Chicago stop for Graham Skipper’s horror-themed pop-up speakeasy RATED R and so much more!
| CINEPOCALYPSE UNVEILS EXPLOSIVE LINE-UP FOR MAMMOTH THIRD EDITION
2019 Edition To Open With World Premiere Of VEROTIKA, Directorial Debut By Punk/Metal Legend Glenn Danzig Festival dominates Chicago’s Music Box Theatre June 13th to 20th ICONIC GENRE ACTOR MICHAEL IRONSIDE HONORED WITH ACHIEVEMENT AWARD, IN ATTENDANCE FOR 70MM SCREENING OF TOTAL RECALL The festival will present its annual achievement award to none other than the esteemed Canadian actor Michael Ironside, who’s been a staple in the world of genre cinema for the past three decades. Ironside will accept his award following a special 70mm screening of the sci-fi action film TOTAL RECALL.
CINEPOCALYPSE SPOTLIGHTS THE BADASS WOMEN OF HORROR WITH GIGI SAUL GUERRERO’S CULTURE SHOCK; CHELSEA STARDUST’S HOTLY ANTICIPATED SATANIC PANIC; THE WORLD PREMIERE OF CARYN WAECHTER’S SOCIAL MEDIA NIGHTMARE DEADCON; VERONIKA FRANZ’S PSYCHOLOGICAL SLOW-BURN THE LODGE AND POLLYANNA MCINTOSH’S DELIRIOUS DEBUT DARLIN’ Cinepocalypse is rolling out the blood-red carpet for some of the most exciting voices in horror filmmaking of this age. We’re thrilled to host a special screening of CULTURE SHOCK, directed by Gigi Saul Guerrer, one of Variety’s 10 Latinxs to Watch. Her contribution to Hulu and Blumhouse’s popular Into The Dark series follows a young Mexican woman as her pursuit for the American Dream turns into the American Nightmare. Minimum wage jobs are bad enough but a pizza delivery goes devilishly wrong in Chelsea Stardust hotly anticipated AFTER HOURS-esque dark comedy SATANIC PANIC. Produced by the production wing of Fangoria, who will also be releasing a special mini-edition of the magazine for CFF. Caryn Waecther tackles isolation in the age of social media with her haunting sophomore feature DEADCON, following real-life YouTubers Lauren Elizabeth and Claudia Sulewski up against vengeful ghosts even more horrifying than their devoted fans.
Pollyanna McIntosh, best known for her role on AMC’s The Walking Dead, moves into the director seat for DARLIN’, a follow-up to Lucky McKee’s 2011 film THE WOMAN, while also reprising her starring role in the debut that charged SXSW’s Midnight Madness earlier this year. DELICIOUSLY DELINQUENT SPOTLIGHT ON GWAR WITH SPECIAL RETROSPECTIVE AND LIVE BUTCHERING OF CULT CLASSIC ROCK ‘N’ ROLL NIGHTMARE Cinepocalypse salutes the patron saints of debauchery with a two-tier punch of totally original and unparalleled cinematic chaos, with GWAR members in attendance. First with a special retrospective screening event showcasing a number of their most extravagant short films, including the Grammy-nominated PHALLUS IN WONDERLAND (for the first time on the big screen!). BälSäc and Sleazy P. take the stage to verbally skewer John Fasano’s 1987 Canadian cult classic ROCK ‘N’ ROLL NIGHTMARE, starring (and written by) fellow rock god Thor!
LONG LOST FILMS ARE UNEARTHED WITH THE NEVER-BEFORE-SEEN, GORE-CUT OF TAMMY AND THE T-REX, STARRING DENISE RICHARDS, AND EXTENDED VERSION OF OUTRAGEOUS HOT DOG… THE MOVIE Don’t let anyone tell you that lost treasure doesn’t exist, because CFF is beyond thrilled to present two world premieres more precious than the Holy Grail. A love story like no other (from the director of MAC AND ME, no less!), TAMMY AND THE T-REX is a ’90s Disney Channel movie on bath salts, starring Denise Richards as the titular T-Rex love interest. Thanks to the Academy Film Archive we’re able to screen the never-before-seen, never-known-to-exist, R-rated ‘Gore-cut’ 35mm print for the first time ever! Get ready to return to the sexy slopes of HOT DOG… THE MOVIE for the 35th Anniversary Producer’s Cut 4K Restoration of the David Naughton- (AN AMERICAN WEREWOLF IN LONDON) and Shannon Tweed- (post-Playmate of the Year and pre-Gene Simmons) starring winter wonderland, PORKY’S-esque youth comedy, now with never-before-seen restored footage. The special screening will be hosted by Synapse Films Don May Jr., the A.V. Club’s Katie Rife and Mike “McBeardo” McPadden, author of Teen Movie Hell: A Crucible of Coming-of-Age Films From Animal House to Zapped! CFF 2019 TEAMS UP WITH ORION TO PRESENT ‘RATED R’CHILD’S PLAY-INSPIRED SPEAKEASY DESIGNED BY GENRE-JACK-OF-ALL-TRADES GRAHAM SKIPPER, PARTNERS WITH CREEP RECORDS FOR VINYL RELEASE OF THE RANGER SOUNDTRACK! CFF is pleased to announce two new dynamic offerings during our third edition that’ll take you beyond the screen. Visit Rated R, our CHILD’S PLAY-themed speakeasy at the Music Box, sponsored by Orion Pictures and designed by director/actor/performer Graham Skipper and live-entertainment creators Meyer2Meyer Entertainment. Rated R will feature themed drinks, spooky arcade games, horror movies, DJs, monsters lurking in the shadows, and more! Bring the festival home with a copy of the limited edition vinyl soundtrack for Jenn Wexler’s punk-rock horror THE RANGER, part of our 2018 slate and available soon on Shudder. Released by Cinepocalypse and Creep Records, the album includes tracks from artists such as FANG, The Avengers, The Grim, and Dayglo Abortions. ILLUSTRIOUS FILMMAKER JOEL SCHUMACHER HOSTS RETRO SCREENINGS OF CULT-CANNON FALLING DOWN ON 35MM AND FLATLINERS ON 70MM Joel Schumacher, revered director of THE LOST BOYS, BATMAN FOREVER and ST. ELMO’S FIRE (to name a few!) joins the festival as Jury President and to present and take part in Q&As for special screenings of FALLING DOWN on 35mm and a rare 70mm print of FLATLINERS, originally filmed in Chicago. AN AMBUSH OF ELECTRIC, EXCITING WORLD PREMIERES!
Indie horror vet Lucky McKee (MAY, THE WOMAN) returns with KINDRED SPIRITS, a twisted tale of two sisters, and the one who won’t let anything, or anyone, get between them. Eric Liberacki’s Chicago-set slasher THE LURKER pits theatre students against savage killer in a film that gives new meaning to “The show must go on!” The festival will also play host to a number of exciting North American and Midwest premieres. Talal Selhami’s Moroccan monster horror ACHOURA, where old friends confront both their past and a beast of legends. Emilio Portes’ demonic border-set BELZEBUTH follows the investigation of missing children that takes a decidedly demonic turn. YouTubers try to crack a ghostly urban legend in Fabrício Bittar’s horror-comedy GHOST KILLERS VS. BLOODY MARY with equal amounts gags and gore. The Polish pagan epic THE MUTE, from award-winning Polish director Bartosz Konopka, explores a clash of beliefs in a thrilling, atmospheric heavy weight. Daniel de la Vega offers up a throwback to the days of black-and-white Noir films with the bewildering crime thriller PUNTA MUERTO. Celebrated horror director Joe Begos brings us BLISS his latest pounding feature, that’ll drag you to the deprived underbelly of L.A. with the spiraling artist Dezzy Donahue, whose struggle for inspiration becomes complicated by her mounting bloodlust. Based on a tragic, true story Lucas Heyne’s MOPE follows two best friends, and low-end porn actors, who sought fame but gained infamy in connection to a gruesome, on-set murder. The tables are turned on two wannabe criminals in VILLAINS, from directors Dan Berk and Robert Olsen and starring Bill Skarsgård, when thievery runs a foul and the prowlers soon become the prey. Kirill Sokolov delivers a taste of bombastic revenge in WHY DON’T YOU JUST DIE, a delicious serving of Russian dark humour as each character tries to murderously wreak revenge on the next, presented by our friends from across the globe, Paris’ L’Étrange Festival. Cinepocalypse is thrilled to be supported by the following sponsors: ALTER, Orion, Bloody-Disgusting.com, Shudder, Fangoria, & Vinegar Syndrome. This year’s poster was designed by visionary heavy metal artist Paul Romano, whose work can be found on hundreds of album covers and frequently collaborates with famed force of musical destruction Mastodon.
COMPLETE CINEPOCALYPSE PROGRAM: Achoura, dir. Talal Selhami Morocco, North American Premiere Four childhood friends are reunited when one of them resurfaces after 20 years, forcing them to confront a creature straight out of a spine-chilling Moroccan legend. Attack of the Demons, dir. Eric Power USA, World Premiere – Filmmaker in attendance! Three friends must use every skill their minds can fathom to stave off a legion of mutating demons overtaking their community. Move over SOUTH PARK, this gore-soaked film is done entirely in hand cut-paper animation.
Mexico, North American Premiere After losing his family in a most horrific way, a special border agent must investigate a series of deaths involving young children, possession, and an ancient demon named Belzebuth. Bliss, dir. Joe Begos USA, Midwest Premiere A brilliant macabre painter facing the worst creative block of her life turns to every vice she can to complete her masterpiece, spiraling into a hallucinatory hellscape of drugs, sex, and a whole lotta murder. Hulu’s Into The Dark: Culture Shock, dir. Gigi Saul Guerrero USA, Special Presentation – Filmmaker in attendance! This thriller follows a young woman in pursuit of the American Dream, who crosses illegally into the United States, only to find herself in an American nightmare. Darlin’, dir. Pollyanna McIntosh USA, Midwest Premiere – Filmmaker in attendance! A direct sequel to 2011’s cult classic THE WOMAN, star Pollyanna McIntosh takes over the director’s chair in this coming-of-age shocker with a horror-tinged twist.
USA, World Premiere The horrors and isolation of being a social media influencer run rampant in DEADCON, when a collection of Youtube and Instagram stars soon discover there are things scarier than thousands of teenagers armed with phones asking for selfies. Falling Down, dir. Joel Schumacher USA, Retrospective – Filmmaker in attendance! An unemployed defense worker, frustrated with the various flaws he sees in society, begins to psychotically and violently lash out against them. Presented in 35mm. Flatliners, dir. Joel Schumacher USA, Retrospective – Filmmaker in attendance! Five medical students experiment with “near-death” experiences until the dark consequences of past tragedies begin to jeopardize their lives. Presented in 70mm Ghost Killers Vs. Bloody Mary, dir. Fabrício Bittar Brazil, North American Premiere
The Lodge, dirs. Veronika Franz & Severin Fiala UK/U.S.A, Midwest Premiere In this psychologically unsettling slowburn, a young woman and her soon-to-be new stepchildren find themselves snowed in at a remote winter cabin. Of course, strange and frightening events take place concluding in a final act that will leave you shaken. The Lurker, dir. Eric Liberacki USA, World Premiere – Filmmaker in attendance! A group of high school theatre students (led by Scout Taylor-Compton), celebrate their final performance of Romeo & Juliet by dying at the hands of a savage killer, in this Chicago-set slasher that gives new meaning to the expression “the show must go on!” Mope, dir. Lucas Heyne USA, Midwest Premiere – Filmmaker in attendance! The tragic and very icky true story of two best friends and low-end Mopes (slang for wannabe porn stars) who sought fame but gained infamy in a 2010 murder at a San Fernando valley porn company’s warehouse.
Poland, North American Premiere Two knights set off to christen a small pagan village hidden deep within the mountains, using vile methods to take control of the foreigners minds and souls. THE MUTE is a spectacle made of visuals and atmosphere combined to create a thrilling, savage, and mystical epic. Punta Muerto (Dead End), dir. Daniel de la Vega Argentina, North American Premiere A mystery writer is suspected of murder when a colleague turns up dead in the exact way that is laid out in his latest, highly praised book. To prove his innocence, he must find the real killer, in this stunning B&W throwback to ’40s mysteries and film noir. Rock N’ Roll Nightmare, dir. John Fasano Canada, Special live movie riff event with members of GWAR At a farmhouse in the middle of nowhere, a hopeful hair-metal band seeking inspiration to record their new LP will soon find themselves in a furious confrontation with the Prince of Darkness himself, as well as GWAR! Satanic Panic, dir. Chelsea Stardust USA, Midwest Premiere A pizza delivery girl at the end of her financial rope has to fight for her life – and her tips – when her last order of the night turns out to be to a group of high-society Satanists in need of a virgin sacrifice. The Swerve, dir. Dean Kapsalis USA, World Premiere – Filmmaker in attendance! Holly seems to have it all, but there are troubling signs that all is not right as her life begins to spiral out of control. Both a stellar portrait of depression and a horrific drama, this haunting update on a classic tragedy comes from a new writer/director raised on the films of Bergman, Polanski, and Hitchcock. Tammy & the T-Rex, dir. Stewart Raffill USA, Original R-rated ‘Gore-Cut’ 35mm World Premiere From the director of MAC AND ME, comes a love story like no other. Starring DEnise Richards and the late great Paul Walker. Oh, and of course a T-Rex. Total Recall, dir. Paul Verhoeven USA, Retrospective – Film Guest in attendance! Presented in 70mm. “See you at the party Richter”. Villain extraordinaire Michael Ironside in attendance for one of the greatest sci-fi action films of all time! From filmmaker Paul Verhoeven and starring Arnold Schwarzenegger. You know this one! Verotika, dir. Glenn Danzig USA, World Premiere – Filmmaker in attendance! Featuring a plot shrouded in secrecy, a soundtrack composed entirely of new Danzig music, and based on the output of his long-running, mature comic book publishing company Verotik—a compound of “violence” and “erotic”—this feature film anthology is Glenn Danzig’s directorial debut!
USA, Midwest Premiere When a pair of painfully amateurish criminals break into a suburban home, they stumble upon a dark secret in the basement that two sadistic homeowners will do anything to keep from getting out in this black-comic thriller. Why Don’t You Just Die, dir. Kirill Sokolov Russia, Midwest Premiere – Presented by L’Étrange Festival A detective brings together a terrible group of people in his apartment, each one of whom has a reason to want revenge. With plenty of dark Russian humor, this rip-roaring rampage of violence and gore plays more as an evil Looney tunes than your basic gross-out experience. Presented by L’Etrange Festival in Paris. ABOUT ALTER ALTER, a division of global content studio Gunpowder & Sky, is a new horror brand for novel stories exploring the human condition through warped perspectives. Giving voice to emerging, diverse and established filmmakers, ALTER’s owned and operated channel is distributed across YouTube and Facebook where two short films or series are released each week. In addition to curating and distributing award-winning content, ALTER develops unique stories with some of the most innovative minds in the genre through its ALTER Studio projects – which are not bound to a particular platform or format. Recent releases include the official 2018 Sundance Film Festival selection, Summer of 84, the thriller directed by RKSS (“Turbo Kid”); CAM (in partnership with Blumhouse), winner of Best Screenplay at this year’s Fantasia Festival, which was acquired by Netflix; and Goodnight, Gracie from Stellan Kendrick, one of ALTER’s first exclusive premieres. Projects currently in development include “50 States of Fear”, in partnership with Executive Producer Sam Raimi (Evil Dead, Spiderman) and DIGA Studios (MTV’s Scream). The anthology is the first announced series for Jeffrey Katzenberg’s new mobile video startup, Quibi. ABOUT ALTER ALTER, a division of global content studio Gunpowder & Sky, is a new horror brand for novel stories exploring the human condition through warped perspectives. Giving voice to emerging, diverse and established filmmakers, ALTER’s owned and operated channel is distributed across YouTube and Facebook where two short films or series are released each week. In addition to curating and distributing award-winning content, ALTER develops unique stories with some of the most innovative minds in the genre through its ALTER Studio projects – which are not bound to a particular platform or format. Recent releases include the official 2018 Sundance Film Festival selection, Summer of 84, the thriller directed by RKSS (“Turbo Kid”); CAM (in partnership with Blumhouse), winner of Best Screenplay at this year’s Fantasia Festival, which was acquired by Netflix; and Goodnight, Gracie from Stellan Kendrick, one of ALTER’s first exclusive premieres. Projects currently in development include “50 States of Fear”, in partnership with Executive Producer Sam Raimi (Evil Dead, Spiderman) and DIGA Studios (MTV’s Scream). The anthology is the first announced series for Jeffrey Katzenberg’s new mobile video startup, Quibi. |
Tags: Caryn Waechter, Chelsea Stardust, Cinepocalypse, Denise Richards, Gigi Saul Guerrero, Glenn Danzig, Graham Skipper, Gwar, Into the Dark, Joe Begos, Joel Schumacher, Lucky McKee, michael ironside, paul walker, Pollyanna McIntosh, Severin Fiala, Veronika Franz
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