It’s here! The full list of films that will be showing at the second annual Windy City Horrorama Film Festival! There’s a lot to take in, so just sit down and savor it all! There’s a repertory screening of IDLE HANDS with director Rodman Flender in attendance and the midwest premiere of BLOODLINE. BLOODLINE—featuring more ’90s nostalgia in the form of star Seann William Scott—is an ultra gory riff on family life. Director Henry Jacobson as well as Co-writer Avra Fox-Lerner are going to be in attendance for this one.
STRAIGHT EDGE KEGGER features music and appearances from Chicago punk-rock bands and a shorts block will feature some of the windy city’s best local filmmaking talent.
All of this and Bruce Dern in a favorite from the Toronto Film Festival’s Midnight Madness program, FREAKS as well as the previously announced ROBOT NINJA and THE RUSALKA.
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Windy City Horrorama will be held at Chicago’s Davis Theater from April 26 through April 28. Passes are still available, so don’t miss out! Check out this trailer for the fest below!
ANTRUM: THE DEADLIEST FILM EVER MADE
Chicago Premiere
Origin: USA/Canada Director: David Amito, Michael Laicini
Runtime: 93 min
ANTRUM: THE DEADLIEST FILM EVER MADE assembles cinema experts and documentarians to explore the phenomenon of a long-lost “movie that kills…” then dares you to watch it! Is Antrum the real deal? An elaborate hoax? Only the bravest viewers will survive long enough to find out…or will they?
BLOOD PARADISE
Chicago Premiere
Origin: Sweden
Director: Patrick von Barkenberg Stars: Andréa Winter, Patrick von Barkenberg, Christer Cavallius
Runtime: 84 min
Smarting from her recent novel’s lukewarm reception, crime writer Robin Richards travels to a remote Swedish farm seeking repose and inspiration. She soon learns that fact is indeed stranger than fiction when’s she’s targeted by a killer more unhinged than she could think up in her own wild imaginings.
BLOODLINE
Midwest Premiere
Origin: USA
Director: Henry Jacobson
Stars: Seann William Scott, Mariela Garriga, Dale Dickey
Runtime: 95 min
Becoming a father for the first time can be quite an adjustment. Evan takes protecting his little family to the next level with a wicked temper and a few too many late night drives. Seann William Scott’s fierce performance in this sleek, gory thriller is a promising look for darker roles to come. Director Henry Jacobson and Co-Writer Avra Fox-Lerner scheduled to attend.
CRYSTAL EYES
Chicago Premiere
Origin: Argentina
Director: Ezequiel Endelman and Leandro Montejano
Stars: Anahi Politi, Camila Pizzo, Silvia Montanari, Victoria Del Rosal, Augustina Del Rosal
Runtime: 82 min
One year after the tragic death of ball-busting supermodel Alexis Carpenter, the world of haute couture is flooded by her memory. Plans to commemorate her death unravel at the seams as models and industry heads meet their sinister fate at the leather-clad hands of a vengeful killer. This moody giallo send-up is a perfect 1985 flashback with plenty of bitchy attitude.
FP2: BEATS OF RAGE
Chicago Premiere Origin: USA
Director: Jason Trost
Stars: Jason Trost, Mike O’Gorman, Nick Principe
Runtime: 90 min
Despite hanging up his boots following the events of The FP, JTRO must return to the blood sport of Beat Beat Revelation one last time. JTRO teams up with his mystical hype man, KCDC, and heads into The Wastes, a land destroyed by the Beat Wars. JTRO must train hard to face off against AK-47 to become champion in the ancient tournament, Beats of Rage, and save their post-apocalyptic existence.
FREAKS
Chicago Premiere
Origin: Canada
Director: Zach Lipovsky and Adam Stein Stars: Emile Hirsch, Lexy Kolker, Bruce Dern
Runtime: 104 min
Seven-year-old Chloe spends her days drawing, daydreaming of ice cream cones, and begging her father to let her outside of their dilapidated house. When dad’s sleep deprivation peaks, Chloe sneaks out, meets the very odd Mr. Snowcone, and quickly learns that the rest of world is terrified of the freaks living among them.
THE HEAD HUNTER
Chicago Premiere
Origin: USA
Director: Jordan Downey
Stars: Christopher Rygh, Cora Kaufman
Runtime: 72 min A medieval warrior’s gruesome collection of heads is missing only one—the monster that killed his daughter years ago. Screening in our free Kickoff Double Feature at Comfort Station on Wednesday, April 3rd.
IDLE HANDS
20th Anniversary Screening
Origin: USA
Director: Rodman Flender
Stars: Devon Sawa, Seth Green, Elden Henson, Jessica Alba
Runtime: 92 min
When slacker teen Anton Tobias has his right hand possessed by a demonic force, Halloween festivities get a lot more interesting. His hand proves to be an appendage of death, killing his two best buddies who return to life as wisecracking zombies. To make teenage matters worse, Anton’s evil hand significantly hinders his chances with the girl next door. Director Rodman Flender scheduled to attend.
THE LAKE VAMPIRE
Chicago Premiere Origin: Venezuela
Director: Carl Zitelmann
Stars: Miguelangel Landa, Socrates Serrano, Abilio Torres, Julie Restifo
Runtime: 102 min
Convinced he has found the perfect subject of his next novel, Ernesto Navarro investigates a string of murders that mimic the crimes of Zacarias Ortega, a bloodthirsty serial killer obsessed with immortality. As he learns more of detective Jeremias Morales’ run-ins with Ortega throughout the 1970’s, it is clear that Navarro has entered a twisted game that few have managed to escape.
LIVESCREAM
Chicago Premiere
Origin: USA
Director: Michelle Iannantuono
Stars: Gunner Willis, Michael James Daly, C. Michael Whaley Runtime: 66 min A gamer accepts a challenge to play the scariest game ever on his live feed, only to discover that his actions in the game have real-world consequences. Screening in our free Kickoff Double Feature at Comfort Station on Wednesday, April 3rd.
MUTANT BLAST
Chicago Premiere
Origin: USA/Portugal
Director: Fernando Alle Stars: Pedro Barão Dias, Maria Leite, Joaquim Guerreiro
Runtime: 90 min
Pedro awakens to discover that his world has turned into an irradiated hellscape and teams up with Maria, a soldier, to contend with the gay rapist hobos, Fallout-style super freaks, and parasitic wrist rodents that inhabit the wasteland. This whacked-out, apocalyptic buddy comedy gets the Troma seal-of-approval for gut-busting bad taste.
THE NIGHT SITTER
Chicago Premiere
Origin: USA
Director: Abiel Bruhn, John Rocco Stars: Elyse Dufour, Jack Champion, Jermaine Rivers
Runtime: 88 min
If Dario Argento and Sam Raimi crashed a Christmas party, it might look something like this suburban spookshow. When a thieving babysitter’s scheme is upended by a trio of body-hopping witches, she enlists the help of her hapless partners in crime and the schlubby paranormal “expert” next-door to protect her bratty charges.
ROBOT NINJA
30th Anniversary Screening
Origin: USA
Director: J.R. Bookwalter
Stars: Michael Todd, Bogdan Pecic, Maria Markovic, Floyd Ewing Jr.
Runtime: 82 min
Rescued from the depths of trapped-on-VHS hell, this 2k restoration was lovingly resurrected for its 30th Anniversary. A comic book writer assumes the identity of the hero he created in order to clean up the mean streets of Akron, OH. This shot-on-16mm cult classic will delight fans of dark superhero movies like Robocop, Super, and Kick-Ass. Writer/Director J.R. Bookwalter scheduled to attend.
THE RUSALKA
Chicago Premiere
Origin: USA
Director: Perry Blackshear Stars: Margaret Ying Drake, MacLeod Andrews, Evan Dumouchel
Runtime: 80 min
Perry Blackshear reunites with his They Look Like People (2015) cast for this tale of a folkloric water spirit, the vengeful man hunting her, and the handsome stranger caught between them. Stuffed to its gills with doomed longing, The Rusalka is an atmospheric elegy for love touched by the cruel hands of fate.
STRAIGHT EDGE KEGGER
Chicago Premiere Origin: USA Director: Jason Zink
Stars: Cory Kays, Kayla Kelly, Julio Alexander
Brad is tired of James and his borderline psychotic intensity when it comes to representing the straight edge lifestyle. When James catches wind of Brad’s departure from the scene, he and his fellow straight-edgers track down the nearest house party and ascend into a full-on massacre. Grab your Solo cups because the keg flows red in this punk-rock slasher. Director Jason Zink and more cast/crew scheduled to attend.
THE VELOCIPASTOR
Chicago Premiere
Origin: USA/China
Director: Brendan Steere Stars: Claire Hsu, Nicholas M. Garofolo, Alyssa Kempinski
Runtime: 75 min
When a wide-eyed man of God is given the power to transform into a carnivorous Dinosaur, he joins forces with a hooker/doctor/lawyer to clean up the streets and take on a brotherhood of evil ninjas. The Cretaceous and clergy collide in this B-movie send-up that’ll leave you roaring!
—MIKE VANDERBILT
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