It was a bittersweet moment as I got on the Q train for the last day of 2009’s New York City Horror Film Festival with the words of Drowning Pool’s “Let the Bodies Hit the floor” stuck in my head. Images from horror movies past and present flooded my mind as I journeyed toward my best day at the festival.
All the while, I was thinking of Nicholson in “The Shining” saying “I am not going to hurt you; I’m just going to bash your brains in.” The festival proudly displayed before every movie a montage of classic clips, which – no matter many times I saw – I never got sick of.
I arrived slightly early, anticipating the Filmmaker Panel/Brunch, which included 2009 Lifetime Achievement Award Recipient William Lustig, Frank Henelotter (“Basket Case”), Michael Gingold (Fangoria Magazine), Craig Singer and programming directors Michael J. Hein and Joseph B. Mauceri. The guests began to slowly trickle in as the seats were being arranged and Henelotter took a seat with fans to sign a few autographs.
A beautiful brunch of bagels, lox, muffins of all varieties and pastries with all the fixings were spread across the bar as the audience filled up while waiting for the start of the program. The excitement was palpable and everyone there were devoted fans of horror movies in the hopes of getting a little more information on the films they love.
Hein introduced everyone on the panel, with the main focus on Lustig and Henelotter, who regaled in telling stories of the glory days of 42nd Street and the early development of their careers. Henelotter may have even struck a distribution deal with Lustig to re-release “Basket Case,” since the contract with Image Entertainment expires in 2010.
Henelotter then discussed in detail how Something Weird home video came to be. Apparently, when Movie Lab was going out of business, they left behind tons of unclaimed film canisters of Z-grade movies, to which the custodians were granted the rights. After striking a deal with the custodians, they loaded up a van with movies and a company was born. He also talked about the bizarre “Blood Freak,” which he released and only one person in the audience had heard of, that being your humble narrator. Later, Henelotter told me – comically – that it was nothing to be proud of.
Lustig also spoke about the distribution rights involved with his company, among several other things including almost working with Quentin Tarantino. While looking for a writer for “Relentless 2,” he received a package that contained worn down copies of two scripts, including “Natural Born Killers” and “True Romance.” He spent a year trying to make “True Romance” before Tony Scott snatched the rights.
Lustig and Henelotter came alive, discussing how you have to be passionate about your work, and once that slips, the quality is gone. Lustig mentioned that he had no interest in making “Maniac Cop 3” and that is why it is an abysmal picture. However, these renegades of cinema were enthralling every step of the way.
Shortly following the discussion, the panel hung around the bar at the Tribecca Cinemas to talk with the fans, and I briefly spoke with Henelotter, who was one of the nicest guys and so obliging to the audience.
Settling to the bar for a coke and to see who else was around; I noticed that I was sitting right next to Lustig, himself. He was speaking about distribution with the coordinator, Hein, and I asked him what Blue Underground may be releasing on DVD later this year. I received no specific news except that the company is working on many things. We spoke about a few other things, including his work on “Vigilante” and “Relentless” before the news that “Cornered” was about to start in theater 1.
We shook hands and I told him it was a pleasure to meet him and he said the same. He was an extremely nice man who seems to understand that he has created a body of work that has a unique staple in the film industry. It is funny to think that growing up renting his work from my old video store, Cinema 1, with my best friend Joey Smith that my life has come full circle to meeting the man who made some of my favorite films. A real sense of euphoria came over me.
Could the day get any better?
Yes, it could, because before every movie at the festival, a small portion of time is spent on trivia with the audience. The winners were treated to a bag of goodies and I was one of the lucky winners. For my efforts, I received a copy of “In the Dark,” a deck of playing cards with horror icons on them, a finger in a plastic container and Jason Voorhies key chain.
Then it was time for more the unique shorts, which in program nine are less than stellar. The only noteworthy one is “Tinglewood” by Alexander Von Hofmann. It is a terrifying short about a family camping trip that is interrupted by some creepy monsters that can’t go near light. The fear of the young actors is convincing every step of the way, and the monsters are wonderfully created – a true treat to the festival.
“Zombies & Cigarettes” by Rafael Martinez and Inaki San Roman and “Lilium” are dismal and confusing shorts that don’t clearly define their endings, which will leave you confused.
Finally, it was time for the feature, which was “Cornered” featuring Steve Guttenberg and James Duvall, and is an intelligent, well-made entry in the slasher genre. This is the type of slasher that allows an interesting and original scenario to be the setting for one night of wickedly good thrills.
(Stay tuned to Review Fix for the full review)
I was proud to cover the 2009 New York Horror Festival, which allowed me to experience some great new movies and meet some of my heroes. Hein and Mauceri put together an amazing festival and deserve to be commended for a job that delighted die-hard lovers of horror.
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