Exclusives
Exclusive Clip: Joe Bob Briggs Joins ’80s Horror Documentary ‘In Search of Darkness’!
“In this anything goes environment, you had great artistic freedom.”
You still have until March 31st to secure your copy of the documentary In Search of Darkness: A Journey Into Iconic ‘80s Horror, which is currently in post-production for release this coming summer. The *only* way you’re able to pre-order a copy is by donating to the doc’s Indiegogo campaign, and once the campaign is closed down, you missed your chance for good.
In other words, if you want to see it, make sure to pre-order ASAP!
Today we’re excited to let you know that legendary horror host Joe Bob Briggs will be participating in the documentary, and you can watch an exclusive clip from his interview below!
“Featuring compelling critical takes and insider tales of the Hollywood filmmaking experience throughout the 1980s, In Search of Darkness will provide fans with a unique perspective on the decade that gave rise to some of the horror genre’s greatest icons, performers, directors and franchises that forever changed the landscape of modern cinema. Tracking major theatrical releases, obscure titles and straight-to-video gems, the incredible array of interviewees that have been assembled for ISOD will weigh in on a multitude of topics: from creative and budgetary challenges creatives faced throughout the decade to the creature suits and practical effects that reinvigorated the makeup effects industry during the era to the eye-popping stunts that made a generation of fans believe in the impossible.”
Fans will get to enjoy hearing from proverbial “Who’s Who” of horror throughout In Search of Darkness, including Barbara Crampton (Re-Animator, From Beyond), Don Mancini (Child’s Play, Curse of Chucky), Cassandra Peterson (iconic horror host “Elvira, Mistress of the Dark”), Mick Garris (Critters 2, The Stand), Sean S. Cunningham (producer, Friday the 13th [1980], the House series), Heather Langenkamp (A Nightmare on Elm Street, New Nightmare), Joe Dante (Gremlins, The Howling), Bill Moseley (The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2, The Devil’s Rejects), Larry Cohen (The Stuff, It’s Alive), Caroline Williams (The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2, Stepfather II), Keith David (The Thing [1982], They Live), Kelli Maroney (Night of the Comet, Chopping Mall), Tom Holland (Fright Night, Child’s Play), Stuart Gordon (Re-Animator, Dolls), Kane Hodder (Jason Voorhees from the Friday the 13th series, Hatchet), Jeffrey Combs (Re-Animator, House on Haunted Hill [1999]), Lori Cardille (Day of the Dead), Lloyd Kaufman (Troma Entertainment founder), Nick Castle (Michael Myers in Halloween [1978] and Halloween [2018]), Robbi Morgan (Friday the 13th [1980]), Andre Gower (The Monster Squad), Harry Manfredini (composer for the Friday the 13th series), Brian Yuzna (Society, Bride of Re-Animator), Ken Sagoes (A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors, A Nightmare on Elm Street 4: The Dream Master), and special effects legends Greg Nicotero (Evil Dead II, The Walking Dead) and Tom Woodruff, Jr. (The Monster Squad, Pumpkinhead), and more.
In Search of Darkness will also celebrate many of the atmospheric soundtracks released during that time, the resurgence of 3-D filmmaking, the cable TV revolution and the powerful marketing in video store aisles, the socio-political allegories infused throughout many notable films, and so much more.
As the expansive documentary examines just what made horror entertainment throughout the 1980s so unforgettable, In Search of Darkness will also feature many notable pop culture pundits and industry experts alike: Ryan Turek (producer, Halloween [2018] and Happy Death Day), Ben Scrivens (Fright-Rags), Katie Featherston (the Paranormal Activity series), Spencer Hickman (DeathWaltz Records/Mondo), Phil Nobile Jr. (Editor-in-Chief, Fangoria Magazine), James Rolfe (YouTube creator, Angry Video Game Nerd and Cinemassacre), Cecil Trachenburg (YouTube creator, GoodBadFlicks), Michael Gingold (journalist and former Editor-in-Chief, Fangoria Magazine), Heather Wixson (Managing Editor, Daily Dead), Tom Hodge (The Dude Designs), 3-D expert Eric Kurland and celebrated horror artist Graham Humphreys.
NewRetroWave will also be curating the soundtrack for In Search of Darkness, and for fans who participate at certain levels of the campaign, they will receive either a digital or physical copy of the ISOD soundtrack. For more details on the various backer levels, or for more general information on In Search of Darkness, please check out the Indiegogo Campaign here.
Also follow the project through the official website and via Twitter, @80sHorrorDoc.
Exclusives
‘The Haunting of Pennhurst’ Exclusive Clip Trains Scare Actors For Historic Haunt in Tribeca Doc
The past and present collide in haunting, poignant ways in the genre documentary The Haunting of Pennhurst, which sees a Halloween haunt serve as a reclamation of true historic horrors.
Ahead of its world premiere at the 25th Tribeca Film Festival, we have an exclusive clip that sees scare actors in training for the Halloween season. The catch? This haunt is opening at the historic Pennhurst State School & Hospital site, a facility that caused immense harm to its disabled patients over decades of its operation.
In the documentary, “For over seventy years, Pennhurst State School & Hospital was called a place of care. What happened inside killed over half its population. It closed in 1987, leaving behind unmarked graves and an unresolved history. Today, on those same grounds, disabled performers – many living with the same conditions that once sent people to Pennhurst – put on their makeup, pull on their costumes, and prepare to scare people for a living.
“Through grit, compassion, and buckets of blood, the eclectic performers of the Pennhurst Asylum haunted attraction are wrestling with a space that is at once a lucrative business and a gravesite.”
The upcoming documentary hails from directing trio Nathan Stenberg, Mike Attie, and Katarina Poljak, who explore their socially-relevant subject through archival footage, first-hand accounts, and an immersive verité.
“Pennhurst has haunted us since we first passed through its dragon-tooth gates; the horrors of the institution echo through the site today. We are so grateful to bring this film to the Tribeca Festival, particularly the Escape from Tribeca section, which feels right for a story where past and present bleed together. We hope audiences leave unnerved and asking the same uncomfortable questions we did,” Attie, Stenberg, and Poljak said in a statement.
Watch the clip below that sees disabled and neurodivergent scare actors learning the ropes of a Halloween haunt, reclaiming the site’s grim history in the process.
Tribeca Screenings:
- Public 1 (Premiere) Screening – Friday, June 5 at 9:15PM at Village East by Angelika
- Public 2 Screening – Sunday, June 7 at 3:15PM at Village East by Angelika
- Public 3 Screening – Tuesday, June 9 at 6:15PM at Village East by Angelika

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