Top 10 Coolest Things About Screamfest L.A. 2017
Staci Layne Wilson
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Now in its 17 year, Screamfest LA begins on October 10th and runs through the 19th, filling TCL Chinese 6 Theatres in the heart of Hollywood with filmmakers and fans from all over the world. We caught up with the festival’s director, Rachel Belofsky, and asked her what the Top 10 coolest things are about this year’s celebration, and here’s what she had to say.
1. “Very diverse foreign films this year.”
She’s not kidding! Everything from Nordic vampires (Vidar) to Mexican ghosts (Tigers Are Not Afraid), and lots of ghouls between, this year it’s all about those subtitles!
2. “Opening the festival with a rock ‘n roll creature feature.”
Dead Ant tells the tall tale of when the one-hit-wonder glam-metal band Sonic Grave embark on a trip to Coachella in hopes of a comeback. Of course, things go horribly awry when their peyote pitstop in Joshua Tree incites an unworldly attack, forcing the band to rock their way out of trouble.
3. “Leatherface having its North American debut on Friday the 13th, followed by a Halloween party!”
You remember that guy, right? Well, this is his origin story. In Texas, years before the events of The Texas Chain Saw Massacre, in the early days of the infamous Sawyer family, the youngest child is sentenced to a mental hospital after a suspicious incident leaves the sheriff’s daughter dead. Ten years later, the Sawyer teen kidnaps a young nurse and escapes with three other inmates. Pursued by authorities including the deranged sheriff out to avenge his daughter’s death, Sawyer goes on a violent road trip from hell, molding him into the monster now known as Leatherface. The flick is directed by Julien Maury and Alexandre Bustillo the French duo who brought us Inside a few years back.
4. “Mini George A. Romero-a-thon on our closing night.”
Awwww. #RIP to the master of horror, George A. Romero. It’ll be interesting to see what the programmers pick. Be sure and get to this one early, folks. It’s bound to be packed with fans (and zombies).
5. “Several free screenings during the festival for the fans to enjoy.”
This is nice! If the show sells out of tickets, there’s always the freebie route. Who knows? You may find the year’s best gem – and even if you don’t, you can’t beat the price.
Related Story: Screamfest L.A. 2017 Full Schedule
6. “Premiering the Italian feature, The Laplace’s Demon, a retro chiller.”
This does look pretty different. Made in Italy, and shot in black and white, the story follows eight people who are imprisoned in a secluded mansion on an uninhabited island. After waiting in vain for the host, they find a model with eight self-propelled pawns that reproduces the movements of each group member in real time… Or does it?
7. “It’s really cool to have all these foreign directors attending the festival.”
For those seeing Hollywood for the first time, they couldn’t pick a better time – there is so much horror happening, they’ll never be bored that’s for sure. Aside from Screamfest, there are revival screenings, art shows, and the usual touristy tours.
8. “Free screening of the Vampira documentary and memorabilia exhibition.”
Now, this looks great! It’s a brand-new 2017 on the original va-va voom vamp, Maila Nurmi. About Sex, Death & Taxes is an exploration of the unlikely and dynamic career of the outrageously subversive Finnish actress whose flamboyant personality and claim to notoriety was as presenter of midnight horror movies on L.A. station KABC and how she crushed the conservative climate of the ’50s.
9. “There will be some fun VR experiences.”
Gentlemen, start your Excedrin. But hey, for those without headaches it should be fun indeed. VR is the latest and greatest fad – all the cool kids are doing it – and so it should be interesting to see how it meshes with the film fest experience.
10. “Premiering Issa Lopez’s Tigers Are Not Afraid.”
On October 12 at 7PM, to be exact. Tigers Are Not Afraid is set in a Mexican city turned into a ghost town by the drug war. Estrella is 11, and when her mother vanishes, she makes a wish: she wants her mother to come back. And mom does return—from the dead. Terrified, Estrella escapes and joins a rag-tag gang of other children orphaned by the violence. But she learns that in a city ruled by death, you can’t simply leave the ghosts behind; they walk with you wherever you go.
For more information visit the Screamfest website, “like” Screamfest on Facebook, and follow Screamfest on Twitter.
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