Movies
Popcorn Frights’ Second Wave of Programming Includes 50th Anniversary ‘The Texas Chain Saw Massacre’ Screening and More
The first wave of Popcorn Frights Film Festival unleashed new premieres and repertory screenings in 3D, and the festival’s second wave announcement today brings more can’t miss horror events. The fest is back this year for its ninth edition, both in-person and virtually, from August 10-20 in Fort Lauderdale, South Beach and virtually nationwide.
Highlights from the second wave of Popcorn Frights 2023 programming include a trio of horror classics. Nightbreed star Anne Bobby is checking into the festival for a special big screen presentation of Clive Barker‘s “Director’s Cut” as well as the world premiere of her new short film “Kindling.” Expect surprises in store for the 50th anniversary screening of The Texas Chain Saw Massacre on August 18. And what better way to experience the 60th anniversary of Alfred Hitchcock’s The Birds than with a special free outdoor presentation on Ocean Drive, Miami Beach’s most famous stretch of sand and nightlife. The special event is made possible with the support of the City of Miami Beach.
Access to the in-theater experience will be available through individual tickets or an all-access badge, which will provide an all-inclusive experience for films and special events hosted at the Savor Cinema Fort Lauderdale and O Cinema South Beach (“The Horror Collective Screening Room”), Popcorn Frights official host venues this year. Separate virtual passes are also available and will provide access to every film streaming in the festival’s virtual program. For more information or ticket purchases, head over to PopcornFrights.com.
A third wave of Popcorn Frights 2023 titles is still yet to come.
In the meantime, here’s the official second wave of programming:
IN-THEATER RETRO LINEUP
The Birds
60th Anniversary Presentation
United States | 1963 | 120 Min. | Dir. Alfred Hitchcock
*Under the stars event
A wealthy San Francisco socialite pursues a potential boyfriend to a small Northern California town that slowly takes a turn for the bizarre when birds of all kinds suddenly begin to attack people.
Nightbreed: Director’s Cut
Special Presentation
United States | 1990 | 120 Min. | Dir. Clive Barker
*Actress Anne Bobby expected in person
A troubled young man is drawn to a mythical place called Midian where a variety of friendly monsters are hiding from humanity.
The Texas Chain Saw Massacre
Special 50th Anniversary Presentation
United States | 1974 | 83 Min. | Dir. Tobe Hooper
Five friends head out to rural Texas to visit the grave of a grandfather. On the way they stumble across what appears to be a deserted house, only to discover something sinister within. Something armed with a chainsaw.
VIRTUAL FEATURE FILM LINEUP
A Wandering Path
Florida Premiere
United States | 2023 | 98 Min. | Dir. Michael Dimmitt
The story of underground label Gilead Media and its renown for putting out black metal, doom, and noise rock releases of well-known bands.
Agatha
Florida Premiere
United States | 2022 | 60 Min. | Dirs. Kelly Bigelow Becerra, Roland Becerra
Hoping to find a cure to his sickness, “The Professor” follows Agatha on a strange and risky journey into a forgotten but not entirely deserted urban wasteland.
The Forest Hills
Florida Premiere
United States | 2023 | 80 Min. | Dir. Scott Goldberg
A man is tormented by nightmarish visions after enduring head trauma while camping in the Catskill woods.
Invoking Yell
Florida Premiere
Chile | 2023 | 84 Min. | Dir. Patricio Valladares
Set in 1990s in the south of Chile, a trio of metalhead twenty-something girls venture into the woods to shoot a demo tape for their black metal band, Invoking Yell, while also documenting the eerie and unsettling process of recording electronic voice phenomena in the woods for the final track.
Subject
Florida Premiere
Australia | 2022 | 77 Min. | Dir. Tristan Barr
On his way to prison, a man gets intercepted by a secretive government agency who task him to monitor a secret experiment in exchange for commuting his sentence.
Watchdog
Florida Premiere
United States | 2023 | 93 Min. | Dir. L.C. Holt
After narrowly surviving a violent mugging, a man invites a drifter who saved him back to the isolated home where he and his girlfriend resides, not realizing that he’s opened the door to a night of terror and bloody revenge.
Wintertide
Florida Premiere
Canada | 2023 | 97 Min. | Dir. John Barnard
A volunteer watchperson of an isolated northern city battles a plague of depression that transforms the few remaining residents into empty, zombie-like automatons.
Head over to PopcornFrights.com for badges, and stay tuned for the next wave of killer programming.
Sunrise Films has announced the official North American release of William Bagley‘s horror comedy Hold the Fort, and it’s accompanied by an energetic new trailer.
Hold the Fort debuts on digital platforms on June 23.
In the film, “Lucas and Jenny think their life is finally coming together when the couple become homeowners. Little do they know that their new house comes with a big catch. Lucas and Jenny soon find themselves in a fight for their lives when they become trapped in a battle between their Homeowners Association and an onslaught of monsters from hell. The horror-comedy takes the timely concern of home-ownership and wraps this up in an entertaining action-packed thrill ride.“
Watch the new trailer below, which introduces one wild HOA gathering during an equinox. Things get bloody fast.
Chris Mayers (Adult Swim Yule Log), Haley Leary (“The Walking Dead”), Levi Burdick, and Julian Smith star.
William Bagley writes and directs, in addition to producing with Smith, Matt Dodd, Luke Williams, and Tim Reis (Adult Swim Yule Log).
Ahead of the release, Bagley said, “My goal with this film was to make a hilarious, fast-paced thrill ride while also telling a great story with heart. Hopefully, through all the blood, laughs, fights, and gags, you leave the film feeling inspired to tackle whatever life throws at you.“
Hold the Fort premiered at Fantasia last summer before going on to play FrightFest London, Toronto After Dark, and Beyond Fest.
I wrote in my review, “It’s an infectiously charming assemblage of jokes and monster vignettes bound together by a barebones plot with not much on its mind beyond delivering an entertaining time.”
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