Celluloid Diaries: Offscreen 2015: Mushroom people, Cannon films, and Tobe Hooper

Wednesday, March 4, 2015

Offscreen 2015: Mushroom people, Cannon films, and Tobe Hooper

During the next three weeks, I will introduce several movies at the Offscreen Film Festival in Brussels. 

Apart from a selection of premieres, Offscreen will showcase a retrospective on Tobe Hooper, a module on botanicals, and some of the most popular Cannon Films. 

I made an overview of the films I'll be talking about. I hope you'll come by if you have the chance. 

the duke of burgundy
The Duke Of Burgundy

The Duke Of Burgundy 

Those of you who saw Peter Strickland's Berberian Sound Studio at Offscreen 2013, know that they're in for a visual and auditory treat with The Duke Of Burgundy (2014). Together with director Peter Strickland, I will introduce The Duke Of Burgundy on March 6 at 8 pm in the Cinema Nova in Brussels. 

matango
matango

Matango: Attack Of The Mushroom People

After the screening of The Duke Of Burgundy, at 10 pm, I will also introduce Ishiro Honda's Japanese cult classic Matango: Attack Of The Mushroom People (1963), this time in the company of Jasper Sharp (author of the 'slime molds' book The Creeping Garden and director of the documentary by the same name). This story about castaways who turn into mushrooms after having eaten weird fungi has rarely been screened outside of Japan, so don't miss this opportunity.  

Eaten Alive
Eaten Alive

Eaten Alive 

Deep in the Louisiana bayou, travelers find shelter in the dilapidated Starlight Hotel. They never stay long, since the psychotic owner feeds them one by one to his pet alligator. Director Tobe Hooper will join me for the introduction of Eaten Alive (1977) on March 8 at 9:30 pm at Cinematek. 

Salem's Lot
Salem's Lot

Salem's Lot 

I'm proud to present one of my favorite horror movies, Salem's Lot (1979), at the Offscreen Film Festival. Based on the novel by Stephen King, Salem's Lot was first released as a TV mini series before receiving the theatrical cut that will be shown at Offscreen. Don't forget to mark your calendars: March 12 at 9:30 pm (at Cinematek). But be warned: Salem's Lot contains some of the creepiest scenes in vampire movie history. 

street smart
christopher reeve in street smart

Street Smart

On Saturday, March 13th, I'll be introducing the 1987 movie Street Smart at Cinematek. Part of Offscreen's Cannon module, Street Smart was originally an initiative from actor Christopher Reeve. After much insisting, he could convince Menahem Golan and Yoram Globus to finance the film, but he had to agree to star in Superman 4 in return. Yet it was not Christopher Reeve but Morgan Freeman who reaped the biggest success as his career got a big boost thanks to his nominations as best supporting actor for the Academy Awards and the Golden Globes. 

invaders from mars
invaders from mars

Invaders From Mars

Invaders From Mars (1986) is the second of the three movies Tobe Hooper shot back-to-back for Cannon. It's the remake from Invaders From Mars from 1953 in which a boy discovers that his parents, and possibly the entire village, has been taken by aliens. I will give an introduction to this movie on Sunday, March 15, at 10 pm at Cinematek. 

avenging force
avenging force

Avenging Force 

On Wednesday, March 18, I'll be introducing Avenging Force from director Sam Firstenberg (Ninja III: The Domination) at Cinematek. It's about a paramilitary group that organizes hunts on human prey. Yet it wasn't an original topic when the film was released. We already had The Most Dangerous Game in 1932 and Turkey Shoot (aka Escape 2000) in 1982. 

andrew stevens charles bronson
10 to midnight

10 To Midnight 

Also on March 18, I'll be introducing 10 To Midnight (1983). Charles Bronson headlines as the police detective who chases a serial killer who strips his clothes before chasing and killing his victims. In the supporting roles, you'll recognize Andrew Stevens (The Fury, The Seduction) and Geoffrey Lewis (Salem's Lot). Roger Ebert called 10 To Midnight “a scummy little sewer of a movie.” Don't say I didn't warn you. 

the mangler
the mangler

The Mangler

Tobe Hooper based The Mangler (1995) on Stephen King's short story about a demon-possessed ironing machine in an industrial laundry. It was supposed to be part of the anthology film The Machines in which King's stories Trucks, The Lawmower Man, and The Mangler would be adapted. The death of the producer made sure that didn't happen. Despite Hooper-King-Englund combination, The Mangler was a flop. Yet, two sequels were made: The Mangler 2 (2001), which had nothing more to do with a mangler but with a computer virus that kills people, and The Return Of The Mangler (2005), which re-introduced the evil ironing machine. King wrote about the film: “Tobe Hooper is a genius. But when genius goes wrong, brother, watch out...” I'll be introducing The Mangler on Sunday, March 22 at Cinematek.  

Which movies would you like to see? Anything you've seen that you'd recommend?
 

29 comments:

  1. Salem's Lot scared the crap out of me as a kid. I wonder how well it holds up today?

    ReplyDelete
  2. Eek! Those are some super creepy looking movies!
    ღ husky hugz ღ frum our pack at Love is being owned by a husky!

    ReplyDelete
  3. I have heard of Salem's lot, but never watched it. I will have to check it out. But I like horrors. Thank you for your kind words on my blog.

    ReplyDelete
  4. I don't like mushrooms, so I don't think I'll like Attach of the Mushroom People. lol

    I never watched Salen's Lot.

    ReplyDelete
  5. I'm going to have nightmare about some of these pictures. Seriously. O_O

    I'm such a wimp.

    ReplyDelete
  6. I can't handle horror movies. They scare me to pieces and then I have nightmares.

    Have a fabulous day. ☺

    ReplyDelete
  7. Don't care for horror movies, but do want to see the American Patriot (story of Chris Kile). I also want to see Sill Alice --about a woman suffering from Alzheimer's.

    Hugs,
    Betsy

    ReplyDelete
  8. I remember seeing that scene from Salem's Lot years ago and didn't sleep for about 3 nights, LOL!
    Lynne x

    ReplyDelete
  9. What an interesting and fun bunch of movies. Tobe Hooper is a horror icon. I loved both Poltergeist and Lifeforce. Congrats on working at such a great film festival!

    ReplyDelete
  10. These look spooky. Sounds like a lot of fun, though I have nightmares if I watch scary movies.

    ReplyDelete
  11. I laughed when I read your synopsis about the mushroom people. I'm very curious to return to read your review on it. Thanks, Vanessa.

    ReplyDelete
  12. Ah Salem's Lot...an oldie but a goodie :)

    ReplyDelete
  13. "The Duke of Burgundy" is showing here in Edmonton in the next couple of weeks. I want to go and I don't want to go. Still undecided which will win out.

    ReplyDelete
  14. Pretty creepy! I think I would enjoy them all ;o)

    ReplyDelete
  15. Οh!!!! I looooooove scary movies!!
    Especially the part where everyone around me is screaming and I cannot stop laughing!!!
    ;-)
    Have a beautiful weekend, sweetheart!

    ReplyDelete
  16. Chilling but thrilling collection!

    ReplyDelete
  17. OMG--Attack of the Mushroom People sounds like an awesome movie!!! One of those campy 60s horror movies that would have been perfect for the drive-in.

    I'm old enough that I remember Salem's Lot when it first came on TV. I got sick that night--for some reason every time I think of that movie (or book), that's the first thing I remember.

    ReplyDelete
  18. I would have loved to have come, but I don't feel like coming to Brussels tomorrow, and I've seen Salem's lot so many times already.
    It'll be for a next time.

    ReplyDelete
  19. OH DEAR ME DO I REMEMBER SEEING SALEM'S LOT....
    GREAT REVIEWS!!
    HUGS MADI AND MOM

    ReplyDelete
  20. I read Salem's Lot, but haven't seen the movie.

    I love horror movies.

    ReplyDelete
  21. The first and last! The first, because it's new and has the awesome actress for GOT's:), the last because it is a stunning vampire story and movie. And you're dead right about it containing some of the creepiest vampire scenes! :) Have a great time introducing these movies, Vanessa. X

    ReplyDelete
  22. There seems to be a lot of classic vampire movies to see. I'll add Salem's Lot to my list.

    ReplyDelete
  23. I both loved and hated Salem's Lot (the book and the movie) for its utter creepiness. Take heed, Twilight - that's a REAL vampire story.

    ReplyDelete
  24. Ze zien er heel creepy uit!

    ReplyDelete
  25. Nice post! Love it
    xx

    http://losaway.blogspot.com

    ReplyDelete
  26. So many creepy movies!! It's good to have creepy storylines though rather than just loads of gruesome special effects
    Bobbyanne
    PromisingBeauty.blogspot

    ReplyDelete
  27. Please also click this link for some tips on how to write great essay. I think that you need to do it as soon as possible. Good luck

    ReplyDelete