We strongly believe it’s good to branch out in genre. Some of these titles you might like, or you might not like. Regardless, you’ll never know unless you try, which is part of the fun.

*In other words, we aren’t exactly saying these are the best of the best. Everyone has different tastes, so it’s impossible to pick films everyone is going to like. There will be film’s we might not exactly like, but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t see them. Really, we saying this to avoid, “But you said it was good” comments.

 
The Signal
Composed of three “transmissions”, each directed by a different director, The Signal tells the story of a strange signal broadcast by the radios and televisions in the city of Terminus that breeds envy and hate, turning sane people into murderous lunatics. Each “transmission” is done in a different style, with the same actors/characters, making it a truly unique experience.

The Dark Half
Last month we talked about George Romero’s Bruiser. This month Romero adapts a Stephen King story, The Dark Half. In this chilling tale, author Thad Beaumont writes terrifying murder novels under the pen name George Stark. Eager to branch out, Beaumont plots to separate himself from his nom de plume by staging a mock killing of his alter ego.

Peeping Tom
A disturbed filmmaker literally kills with his camera in this ahead-of-its-time shocker from revered British director Michael Powell. Like the same year’s Psycho, this film’s combination of voyeurism, eroticism and horror repelled some 1960 critics, but its cult reputation soared in later years.

Tales From The Crypt: Ritual
Remember Demon Knight and Bordello of Blood? Well, TftC planned to release three films, all of which dealt with the same story line (the key containing the blood of Christ)… But that didn’t exactly happen. Originally released in 2001, Ritual did not carry the Tales From The Crypt header until it hit DVD in 2006. Stripped of her license when a patient dies, Dr. Alice Dodgson moves to Jamaica and accepts a job ministering to a man suffering from encephalitis… and claiming to be hexed by voodoo curse.

Blubberella
Uwe Boll… A lot could be said about the guy. Correction, a lot HAS been said about the guy. Say what you will about him, but nothing stops him from cranking out films. Here’s his latest, Blubberella. Hefty half-vampire Blubberella sets her sights on a Nazi leader who’s concocting a diabolical plan to create an army of undead soldiers. Yep…

A few years back, we screened the slasher romp, Pieces, which went over incredibly well. This month we are pleased to have Pieces director J.P. Simon return with another gore fest, Slugs. Something wicked is afoot in a small New York town, where the locals are being devoured by common garden slugs, and health inspector Mike Brady has an inkling as to why. As it turns out, toxic waste isn’t only bad for the environment … it’s absolutely deadly for people.

We’ll be stepping out of the sewers and into the woods for our next film, Ticks. Problem teens in Los Angeles join an inner-city wilderness project in and attempt to get back in touch with life’s priorities, led by do-gooders Holly and Charles. When they get to the campsite, they begin having problems adjusting to the wild life, particularly local marijuana growers using herbal steroids to accelerate plant growth, and the mutated ticks that the leaky steroid system has created. Starring a super young Seth Green, genre fav Clint Howard and Alfonso Ribeiro (aka Carlton from Fresh Price of Bel-Air)!

Be sure to check out the trailers below, and mark your calendars. As always, House of Horrors is free and open to the public, so bring your friends!

Slugs Trailer
Ticks Trailer

We strongly believe it’s good to branch out in genre. Some of these titles you might like, or you might not like. Regardless, you’ll never know unless you try, which is part of the fun.

*In other words, we aren’t exactly saying these are the best of the best. Everyone has different tastes, so it’s impossible to pick films everyone is going to like. There will be film’s we might not exactly like, but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t see them. Really, we saying this to avoid, “But you said it was good” comments.

Maniac
While the poster art conveys a typical 80′s slasher, Maniac offers more than that. Although his mother mistreated him and is now dead, Frank (Joe Spinell), a photographer by day, misses her. In a grotesque act of reminiscence, he kills young women at night and puts their scalps on mannequins masquerading around his New York apartment. He befriends a fellow photographer, but soon his day and night lives begin to meld, blurring the lines of reality.

Features some outstanding special effects work from Tom Savini. Catch Maniac before the remake starring Elijah Wood comes out!

Maniac Trailer

Bruiser
While plenty know this, others might not. George Romero offers more than just zombie flicks! Here’s one of his from 2000. Henry Creedlow awakens to a nightmare world in which he has no face, features or identity. Stripped of everything he’s ever known, he sets out on a bloody rampage to destroy the people who’ve betrayed him, including his philandering wife, his belittling boss and his evil best friend.

Look for genre fav Tom Atkins and The Misfits (MIchale Graves-era)!

Bruiser Trailer

Tucker & Dale vs. Evil
Think you know the story of attractive college kids going into the woods and blood starts to fly? Think again! Expecting to enjoy a relaxing vacation at their rundown mountain cabin, backwoods boys Tucker and Dale see their peaceful trip turn into a nightmare when college kids camping nearby accuse the duo of being psychotic killers.

If you like your horror accompanied with equal parts blood and humor, look no further.

Tucker & Dale vs. Evil Trailer

Pontypool
Valentine’s Day is off to a bizarre start for a radio shock-jock when he runs into a crazed woman on his way to work — and that’s only the beginning. Soon, scores of other people in the small Ontario town of Pontypool start acting awfully odd.

This will definitely go down as one of the most interesting and unique take on the zombie subgenre in recent years, if not ever.

Pontypool Trailer

To Let
Looking for something different with your horror, Spain and France have been supplying healthy doses of horror in recent years. In Spain’s To Let, an expectant newlywed couple needs to find a new place to rent, and when they visit a creepy apartment, they’re unimpressed and turn it down. But the leasing agent and landlady have other ideas, and force the couple to stay against their will.

To Let is directed by Jaume Balaguero, co-director/creator of [REC].

If you like your horror to be packed with over-the-top gore, film references, and hot sex in a cold outhouse, look no further than the Norwegian splatterfest, Dead Snow. A group of Norwegian friends get the scariest history lesson of their lives during a weekend getaway to the snowy town of Øksfjord, where the party is interrupted by throngs of undead Nazi soldiers who once occupied the area. Armed with a machine-gun-equipped snowmobile, the gang fights for survival. And yes, we will be watching Dead Snow with subtitles. No dubbing ever!!!

Following up Dead Snow will be a film with a completely different tone, but it’s always good to shake things up a bit. Since House of Horrors takes place in a comic book shop, seems appropriate to show a film based on a comic book, right? If you like your vampires to actually be threatening, not all sparkly and shit, look no further than 30 Days of Night. When a monthlong period of darkness sets in on the tiny Alaskan town of Barrow, the locals are visited by a flock of bloodthirsty vampires who are eager to take advantage of the no-sun zone, prompting the town sheriff to act fast to save the day. WETA provides the special effects work, so you know it’s going to be top-notch.

Make no mistake about it, the snow is going to be bloody this month. Be sure to check out the trailers below, and mark your calendars. As always, House of Horrors is free and open to the public, so bring your friends!

Dead Snow Trailer
30 Days of Night Trailer

Starting out the night will be the independent film from 2001, Session 9. Desperate for cash, asbestos remover Gordon claims he can clean up an abandoned psychiatric hospital in a week. But by the time Gordon discovers the truth about the asylum’s gruesome past, the place may cast its curse on his entire crew. The former site of untold human misery, the decaying mental ward now works its dark magic on each member of Gordon’s team.

Now, let us point out we are well aware of the fact that we are showing The Exorcist III without having shown The Exorcist at House of Horrors. Sure, this might seem a little odd, but we like to keep things interesting. Hopefully everyone has seen The Exorcist, and are familiar with it. If you didn’t see Exorcist II: The Heretic, good for you. Ignoring the events of The Heretic, William Peter Blatty (author of The Exorcist novel) writes and directs The Exorcist III, based on his book, Legion, which takes place 15 years after the first film. Lt. Kinderman and Father Dyer cheer each other up on the anniversary of the death of their mutual friend, Father Damien Karras, by going to see “It’s a Wonderful Life” at the local theater in Georgetown, near Washington D.C. But there’s no cheering Kinderman while a particularly cruel and gruesome serial killer is at large. His murders, which involve torture, decapitation and the desecration of religious icons, is bad enough; but they also resemble those of the Gemini Killer, who has been dead for fifteen years.

Both films this month are what you could call “slow burns”, but will still get under your skin. Be sure to check out the trailers below, and mark your calendars. As always, House of Horrors is free and open to the public, so bring your friends!

The Exorcist III Trailer

Session 9 Trailer

Throughout the day will be various giveaways and raffles, and the filmmakers will be on hand to field a Q&A after their films.

Admission to the OHFF is only 5 bucks, come and go as you please. The event is 17+, IDs are required if requested. No ID = No Admittance. Anyone under 17 will be admitted with parental consent. All proceeds raised benefit the non-profit Time Community Theater.

11:30am – Doors Open

12:00 – 12:10   Introduction to the OHFF
12:10 – 1:15   Screaming In High Heels
1:15 – 1:25   Q+A with editor Derrick Carey
1:25 – 1:40   Demon’s Lute
1:40 – 1:50   Q+A with writer and director Rob Michels
1:50 – 3:05   Blood Junkie
3:15 – 3:30   Q+A about Blood Junkie

3:15 – 3:30   INTERMISSION

3:35 – 3:50   Flesh-Eating Fog
3:50 – 4:00   Q+A with writer and director Rob Michels
4:00 – 5:40   The Amateur Monster Movie
5:40 – 5:50   Q+A with writer and director Kyle Richards

5:50 – 6:35   INTERMISSION/FOOD BREAK

6:35 – 6:40   Hollow
6:40 – 6:50   Q+A with sound designer Frank Anderson
6:50 – 8:10   I Didn’t Come Here To Die
8:10 – 8:20   Q+A with writer and director Bradley Scott Sullivan
8:20 – 8:30   RAFFLE

8:30 – 8:45   INTERMISSION

8:45 – 9:00   An Outbreak At Meadowbrook Park
9:00 – 9:10   Q+A with writer and director Adam Krause
9:10 – 10:25   Swamphead
10:25 – 10:35   Q+A with co-writers and directors Justin Propp and Dustin Drover, and editor Derrick Carey
10:35 – 11:45   Mediatrix
11:45 – 11:55   Q+A with director Cory Udler

Times and guests are subject to change.

Screaming In High Heels: The Rise and Fall of the Scream Queen Era (WI Premiere) - During the video boom of the 1980s, three ladies (and a small group of energetic filmmakers) headlined upwards of 10 low-budget horror films per year, fending off men in rubber monster suits, pubescent teen boys, and deadly showers. As a result of their unintended cult fame, they were flown all over the world, dined with President Regan, and built mini-empires of their own. Then it all came crashing down. This documentary follows these accidental actresses on how smart they were to play stupid.

Demon’s Lute - Satan, in the form of a guitar, possess a rocker and makes him kill his bandmates!

Blood Junkie - A 1980’s style horror comedy about a group of kids that discover a mysterious abandoned building where bad things happen. Shot in Wisconsin for $7,000, Blood Junkie is a refreshing new vision in DIY independent filmmkaing from first time feature filmmaker Drew Rosas.

Flesh-Eating Fog - A strange fog is on the loose in Wisconsin.

The Amateur Monster Movie - After his best friend is killed on a camp-out at Cadaverous Island, Walter Romero sets out to find what did it, enlisting the help of pothead, Johnny Mason, to get his friend, Ashley, high enough to let them use her dad’s boat.

Hollow - Two boys make a disturbing discovery.

I Didn’t Come Here To Die (WI Premiere)- The story of six young volunteers working on a humanitarian project in the remote wilderness. Horrific accidents, rash decisions and the unpredictability of human nature leads them all to the same disturbing conclusion… Volunteer work can be killer.

An Outbreak at Meadowbrook Park (World Premiere)- Joe and Alicia are in the process of getting their engagement pictures taken at the beautiful Meadowbrook Park when they begin to notice strange and unusual behavior among the other people visiting the park. It’s not long before the behavior turns violent and the couple and their photograhper find themselves fighting for their lives at the onset of a zombie outbreak.

Swamphead (World Premiere)- An ancient relic is found at the bottom of a local lake which resurrects the severed head of Robert Gross, aka Swamphead. A group of hapless teens come across the relic and thir weekend camping trip becomes a nightmare of blood, feces, and more head than a night in Tijuana. Can they destroy the zombie head or will they die trying?

Mediatrix (WI Premiere)- Mary Ann Van Hook, false spiritualist, takes her direction directly from the Virgin Mary in her quest to destroy the man who once did her wrong.

OHFF Facebook Event Page

Starting out the night will be Murder Party. A random invitation to a Halloween party leads a man into the hands of a rogue collective intent on murdering him for the sake of their art, sparking a bloodbath of mishap, mayhem and hilarity. A solid independent film that won the Audience Award for Best Feature at the 2007 Slamdance Film Festival, Murder Party can certainly be described as a horror-comedy, leaning more towards the comedy side. However, there is enough bloodshed and references to keep any horror fan pleased.

Closing out the night will be Night of the Demons. On the night of Halloween, 10 teens decide to go to a party at an abandoned funeral parlor. “Hull House”, rumored to be built on an evil patch of land & underground stream, is the place. While starting the party, the teens gather around a big mirror to perform a seance…BIG MISTAKE. They awaken some evil force and find themselves trapped and taken over one by one. Now it’s a battle for who can survive before going to hell. Scream Queen Linnea Quigley co-stars in this over-the-top, gore filled movie packed with fun. After seeing Night of the Demons, you may never look at lipstick the same again.

Aside from the movies, we’ll be showing trailers for upcoming movies, and other Halloween-related videos. Who knows what else we will have in store, guess there’s only one way to find out.

Be sure to check out the trailers below and mark your calendars. As always, House of Horrors is free and open to the public, so bring your friends!

Here’s how the night’s gonna play out: Doors will open at 7:30pm. Five dollars get you in the door, and also a free raffle ticket. There will be multiple raffles throughout the night so don’t lose your ticket. One ticket per person. You MUST be at least 17 years old to get in. However, parents can get their kids in, but only THEIR kids. You won’t be able to get Bobby and Susie’s friends in, as well.

At 8:00pm, the debauchery will begin. We’ll start the night out with the costume contests. The way this will work is anyone who wants to enter will come up on stage, and the crowd will pick the winner. We will be holding two contests: one strictly for Frankenfurters, and one for other RHPS characters. The contests will be individuals only, no teams. Prizes will be awarded to the winners.

After the contests, we’ll have a little fun with the RHPS virgins in the audience. Don’t worry. Of course we’ll be kind, gentle, and sweet. Everyone loses their virginity only once, so we promise to make it special.

Then comes showtime. During the film, you are welcome to yell, scream, sing, dance, and throw stuff (please look below for what is and is not allowed). Although, we want to make something absolutely clear: While we want you to enjoy yourselves in good ole’ RHPS fashion, there’s a difference between having fun and being disrespectful. If you are interested in thrashing the place, stay home. You can easily go nuts and have tons of fun without destroying the place. We expect this to be a successful and positive event for the theater, and are already planning on making it an annual (if not more regular) event. The ONLY way that is going to happen is by this one going smoothly. So, please, be considerate, respectful, and of course, have fun.

Throughout the night we will be giving out raffle prizes, as we already mentioned. Concessions will be available all night, including beer (for those who are 21+ AND have ID). The Time Community Theater is a volunteer-based, non-profit theater. Every dollar from the evening goes to, and directly benefits, the Time. In other words, your donations keep our doors open and helps us to renovate the theater.

Okay, folks. Let’s talk props, shall we?

What Is Allowed:
Rice
Newspapers
Flashlights
Glow Sticks
Rubber Gloves
Noisemakers
Confetti
Toilet Paper
Toast (no butter or jelly, dry toast only)
Party Hats
Bells
Cards
Sponges
Paper Plates

What Is NOT Allowed:
Water Guns (don’t worry, rain is still in the forecast)
Lighters, Candles or Any Open Flame
Hot Dogs
Prunes

Now, we will have 100 official Rocky Horror Picture Show Survival Kits (in limited edition special bags) on sale for $4. Once the bags are gone, they are gone. First come, first serve.
The RHPS Survival Kit will contain:
Rice
Newspaper
Rubber Gloves
Noisemakers
Confetti
Toast
Party Hat
Bells
Cards

Again, we will have 100 of these available for only $4. Remember, every dollar spent goes directly to the Time Theater, this entire event is essentially one big fundraiser.

Who knows what else will transpire throughout the night. We have plenty of tricks up our sleeves, be sure to get there early and grab a good seat.

So, get those costumes ready, practice your dancing, and get ready to have a blast, Rocky Horror Picture Show style.

Any questions, feel free to contact John: john@oshkoshhorror.com

RHPS Facebook Event Page

Back in June, we helped bring the Mihmiverse to Oshkosh. For those who don’t remember, upon viewing, one would expect the Mihmiverse films to be from the 1950s and 1960s, but we have some news for you: They aren’t. In fact, they are Minnesota writer/producer/director Christopher R. Mihm’s black and white love letters to the B-movies of yesteryear. So, in other words, if you enjoy the regular Friday Fright Night programming, you are going to love Monster of Phantom Lake!

We are treating this just like any of FFN; doors open at 7:30pm, movie starts at 8pm and the admission is FREE! As you should always do with any Oshkosh Horror event, mark your calendars and bring your friends!

Saint Euphoria Pictures Website
Saint Euphoria Pictures on Twitter
The Films of Christopher R. Mihm on Facebook

For the first time in 20-some years, come out to scream, yell, dance, and of course, throw stuff at the screen during RHPS in Oshkosh. There will be two costume contests before the movie: one strictly for Frankenfurter costumes, and one for general RHPS costumes. The crowd will decide the winners, and the winners will receive awesome prizes! Speaking of awesome prizes, there will be free raffles, and other giveaways all night.

If you haven’t seen the Rocky Horror Picture Show on the big screen, come get de-virginized with us. We’ll be gentle.

Doors will open at 7:30pm, with the debauchery beginning at 8:00pm. Five bucks at the door. Official RHPS Survival Kits will be available for purchase. These kits will contain all you need to participate in the antics. The screening is 17+, must provide a valid ID. All proceeds raised benefit the Time Community Theater.

Time Community Theater
445 N. Main St.
Downtown Oshkosh, WI 54901

STAY TUNED FOR ALL THE DETAILS.

Do the whole Facebook thing? Well, in that case, check out the Event Page.