SATURDAY 30th OCTOBER from 6PM to 2AM
6PM: BRAIN DEAD
“There’s something nasty in Lionel’s cellar – His family!”
8PM: SOCIETY
“In Beverly Hills, what you fear is only the beginning.”
10PM: DEMONS
“They will make cemeteries their cathedrals and the cities will be your tombs.”
MIDNIGHT: BURIAL GROUND
“When the moon turns red, the dead shall rise!”
It’s hard to believe that almost a year has gone by since we all gathered together in the haunted wastelands of Horrendorson, to shriek with laughter and scream in fright at the some of the maddest, weirdest, wildest horror films from around the world. Well now it’s that time again! And this year, Halloweens gonna get a little gooey, as a veritable barf bag of zombies, beasties and what ever the hell that thing is at the end of ‘Society’ is, line up to make you gag (mostly with laughter…) and cringe your night away. So grab your favourite bean bag and steal your nerves for a ghoulishly grizzly flick – or show you’re truly got the right stuff by sticking around for the whole night – because this year, Halloweens gonna get a little bit messy…
HALLOWEEN 3:THE GORE THE MERRIER
6PM: BRAIN DEAD
“There’s something nasty in Lionel’s cellar – His family!”
Ah… nothing swells your chest with patriotic pride quite as much as knowing that little ol’ N.Z has produced, hands down, the most unrelentingly over-the-top gore film of all time; a film in which Peter Jackcon ratchets up the graphic blood-spilling to almost unbearably hilarious levels.The ‘Citizen Kane’ of Oedipal zombie-cannibal-right to death-comedy-love stories (thanks ‘Austin Chronicle’!), ‘Brain Dead’ tells the story of poor nebbish Lionel (Tim Balme), a mama’s boy whose mama (Moody) just happens to have been bitten by a Sumatran Rat Monkey and consequently degenerates into a flesh-hungry monster. Before long the family home is over run with the undead and the flick steadily becomes so gleefully over the top gruesome, that it’s decidedly hard not to gag while you’re laughing yourself silly.
Must see for: Just when you thought they’d exhausted New Zealand’s entire supply of fake blood, Lionel straps a lawnmower to his chest…
8PM: SOCIETY
“In Beverly Hills, what you fear is only the beginning.”
Fresh from Producing the zombie-classic ‘Re-Animator’, Brian Yuzna turned his talents to directing. And while it hasn’t all been smooth sailing (Corbin Bernsen as ‘the Dentist’ anyone?), he did deliver one unforgettable, Halloween-night treasure. In ‘Society’, Bill (‘Baywatch’ star Billy Warlock) has got it all: his family is filthy rich, his parents and his sister seem perfect and they all live amidst the luxury of high class Beverly Hills. But even though Billy is living in a perfect world, something just ain’t right. Our boy eventually confirms his sense of unease when he discovers that the society in which he exists has all kinds of perverse ‘shin digs’ happening behind close doors. Okay, so far, so ‘Invasion-of-the-body-snatchers-meets-Beverley-Hill-90210’ you might well think – until the last twenty minutes that is, when things get truly jaw-droppingly, gut-churningly, flesh-meltingly weird in a startling, extended effects sequence (thanks to FX wiz ‘Screaming’ Mad George) that really does need to be seen to be believed… But to say anymore would be to ruin this twisted 80’s schlock-classics ‘charm’ (if charm is indeed the right word). Just kick back, relax and enjoy the carnival of oddness that is ‘Society’
Must see for: The ending!
10PM: DEMONS
“They will make cemeteries their cathedrals and the cities will be your tombs.”
‘Demons’ is a veritable orgy of ropey special effects and low budget splatter from director Lamberto Bava (son of legendary horror auteur Mario Bava) which, if you grew up in the 80’s, you’ll know best as ‘that one with the creepy looking VHS cover with the Rastafarian looking zombie with big teeth that gave me nightmares’. Or at least that’s how I remember it… Anyways, the zombie-goodness kicks off when two girls are given free tickets to a mysterious movie premiere at an expressionistically styled theatre called ‘Metropol.’ Once inside, they begin to recognize similarities between the plot of the film, in which mysterious masks turn unwitting people into demons, and some strange goings-on around them. Before you can say ‘why does blood in cheapo-splatter-horror films come in so many icky, icky colours?’ the outrageously bloody demonic madness has begun!
Must see for: A dead heat between oozy-exploding pustules (you’ll see…) and the awesome 80’s soundtrack featuring Motley Crue, Go West, Saxon, Rick Springfield (!) and Billy Idol.
MIDNIGHT: BURIAL GROUND
“When the moon turns red, the dead shall rise!”
It takes a special kind of fright flick to earn the coveted midnight movie spot: It requires a film that is dementedly disturbing, hilariously cheesy, ridiculously gorey and delightfully, twistedly, perversely wrong in as many, many ways as possible. With this in mind I present to you, ladies and gentlemen – ‘Burial Ground’.When a group of holidayers find themselves besieged in the Italian countryside by zombies they soon discover… Ah what the hell, you don’t care about all that – what you really need to know about is the ‘star-making’ performance of bizarre looking midget character actor Peter Bark, who was 26 years old at the time (and looks much, much older). Bark plays Michael, the not-at-all-unconvincing pre-teen with a face only a mother could love (and she does, a little too much if you know what I mean) and the dubbed voice of what, naturally enough, sounds like a slightly high 50 year old man. Irresistible and ashamedly charming trash throughout, this is perhaps (thanks to the unintentionally hilarious performance by Bark) the most crazed zombie film you’ll ever see.
Must see for: Creepy man-boy Michael and his, er, mother issues.
SUNSET STUDIOS welcomes you for a night of horror.
– Once again film horror expert Simon Lambert has provided four unforgettable films for your viewing pleasure.
– To be projected on an enormous screen with impressive sound system so you can hear the terrifying screams, dismemberment and cheesy music scores in their intended glory.
– We will provide seats (a Halloween Night first!) However, if you prefer to bring your own comfy chair or bean bag – feel free!
– It can get cold so bring a blanket or sleeping bag.
– Bring your own food and drink although we will have coffee, tea, juice, water and a few snacks.