A FEAST OF AVITY! DEPR www.monsterfest.com.au
www.cinemanova.com.au
2 • monster fest 2014
PLATINUM PARTNER
150
GOLD PARTNERS
30
170
40
200
50
PARTNERS
MEDIA PARTNERS
MAJOR GOVERNMENT PARTNER
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS (In alphabetical order by first name) Josh Nelson, Aaron Sterns, Al Cossar, Alex Dermer, Alex Krackerjak, Alex Machin, Alex Smith, Alexander Heller-Nicols, Ally Mooney, Amelia Ford, Andre Cefai, Andrew Leavold, Angelina Vu, Ant O’connor, Ant Timpson, Audrey Schmidt, B-On-The-Rocks, Barbarion, Beau, Ben Hellwig, Bobbie Olan, Casiano Bruce At Paris End Studios, Bryn Tilly, Caitlin Koller, Cameron Oliver, Caroline Whiteway, Catherine Seccombe, Caz Buckley, Charlie Ellis At Roar Digital, Charlotte Pridding, Cheryl Fuerte, Chris Barbarion, Chris Brown, Chris Lansell, Christian Were, Clint Cure, Colin & Cameron Cairnes, Cyndy Ly, Danilo Cordani, Dave Dunstan, David Abela, David Gregory, David Leadbetter, Dean Bertram, Dean Brandum, Dick Dale, Donna Mcrea, Dov Kornits, Ej Mclaughlin, Elva Clarke, Fleur Beserk, Fred Negro, Glenn Maynard, Grace Brewin, Grant Eaden, Hussein Khoder, Ian Haig, Isabel Peppard, James Ferris, James Young, Jarret Gahan, Jasmin Jakupi, Jason Driver, Jason Trost, Jen Thomas, Jessica Cameron, Jill Mcnab, John Noonan, Jon Hewitt, Josie Hess, Julia Goldsworthy, Justin Dix, Kate Murphy, Kelsey Simon, Kerry Whittle, Kimberley Reynolds, Kingsley Crisp, Krackerjak, Kristian Connolly, Lee Gambin, Liana Bella, Luke Clayson, Luke Polti, Lyndon Stone, Marcey Papandrea, Mark Anthony, Mark Lazarus, Martin Gallery, Matt O’neil, Matt Wood, Matthew Cohen, Michael Helms, Michael Kraetzer, Miles Brown, Misery Malice, Mitch Forrester, Murray Dibbs, Narla Dean, Nikki Boltz, Olivia Simon, Pete Barrett, Philippa Lamb, Pozible, Rebekah Burgess Smith, Reilly Archer, Richard Moore, Rob Nevitt, Sally Christie, Sam Bowron, Sam O’reilly, Sarah Carol, Sarah Pass, Scott Goodings, Shayne Armstrong, Shane Krause, Simon Wain, Simone O’dea, Skye Korvin, Steven Screaming, Stu Simpson, Stuart Stanton, The Staff At Cinema Nova, The Staff At Yah Yah’s, Tom Craine, Trevor Tigit, Tyler Greer, Vanessa Gudgeon, Wendy Collis, Yossi Gallor, Zak Hepburn. DESIGN BY HOOF.NET.AU
ILLUSTRATION BY DAVE DUNSTAN
monster fest 2014 • 3
FESTIVAL SCHEDULE THUR 20TH FRI 21ST
SAT 22ND
SUN 23RD
MON 24TH
TUES 25TH
WED 26TH
THUR 27TH
FRI 28TH
SAT 29TH
SUN 30TH
CINEMA NOVA
YAH YAH’S
5pm
VIP meet n greet at Nova
7.30pm
CHARLIE’S FARM
5pm
UNDER A KALEIDOSCOPE
7pm
THE EDITOR
9pm
Opening Party with The Night Terrors
1pm
THE MIRROR
3pm
TURKEY SHOOT
5pm
HONEYMOON & MAID OF HORROR (short)
7pm
INNER DEMON & I AM UNDONE (short)
9pm
DEAD SNOW 2: RED VS DEAD
11pm
SAVAGED
1pm
FURY
3.30pm
SUMMER OF BLOOD
5pm
WOLF COP
7pm
JULIA
9pm
THE TOXIC AVENGER (Double Feature)
10.40pm
CLASS OF NUKE EM HIGH (Double Feature)
10am
Monster Fest Academy of Horror & Mayhem: Make Your Own Damn Movie Master-class with Lloyd Kaufman
5pm
Happy Hour Screening: TROMEO & JULIET
7pm
Monster Fest Academy of Horror & Mayhem: Make Your Own Damn Movie Master-class with Lloyd Kaufman (cont.)
10am
Monster Fest Academy of Horror & Mayhem
5pm
Happy Hour Screening: EAT & LITTLE LAMB (short)
7pm
The Collingwood Horror Trivia Massacre
10am
Monster Fest Academy of Horror & Mayhem
5pm
Happy Hour Screening: HOW TO SAVE US & UMBRA (short)
7pm
Trasharama
9.30pm
LOST SOUL: THE DOOMED JOURNEY OF RICHARD STANLEY’S ISLAND OF DR MOREAU
11pm
BIRDEMIC
10am
Monster Fest Academy of Horror & Mayhem
5pm
Happy Hour Screening: THERES SOMETHING IN THE PILLIGA & I AM MONSTER (short)
7pm
THE SEARCH FOR WENG WENG
9pm
Chocolate Strawberry Manila DVD launch & Karaoke
10am
Monster Fest Academy of Horror & Mayhem: Live Commentaries
5pm
WOLVES
7pm
MONSTER SHORTS
9.20pm
THE GREEN INFERNO
11.15pm
FRIDAY 13TH MARATHON
10am
Screamposium
3pm
RAMPAGE 2
5pm
TRUTH OR DARE
7pm
STARRY EYES
9pm
PERNICIOUS
11pm
LET US PREY
1pm
THROWBACK
3pm
PLAGUE
5pm
SEE NO EVIL 2
7pm
THE ABCs OF DEATH 2
9pm
Closing Night Party & Awards Ceremony with Barbarion
monster fest 2014 • 5
TO THE PEOPLE OF MELBOURNE It gives me enormous pleasure to announce that Monster Fest is back, and in 2014 it’s bigger, bolder and bloodier than ever before! This year we’ve split the festival over two locations – Cinema Nova, Carlton and Yah Yah’s Collingwood, where we’ve established The Monster’s Lair: a festival lounge / bar / event / screening space where much revelry will occur. 2014 is the first year of a generous three-year partnership with Screen Australia, which translates to loads of guests - both local and international. We’ve got ’em oozing out of every Monster orifice! There’s American horror icon Bill Moseley, Troma legend Lloyd Kaufman, The Twisted Twins: Jen & Sylvia Soska, Conor Sweeney and Matthew Kennedy of Astron 6, Ashley C. Williams star of THE HUMAN CENTIPEDE, Tristan Risk star of AMERICAN MARY, Nathan Jones hulking star of CHARLIES FARM, Jessica Cameron star and director of TRUTH OR DARE, Matthew A. Brown director of JULIA, James Cullen-Bressack director of PERNICIOUS, to name just a few. We’re also introducing The Monster Fest Academy of Horror and Mayhem: five days of master-classes, presentations and panels from a mixed bag of genre luminaries. We’ll be putting the spotlight on the whole process of making genre cinema, from concept right through to market place, and everything in between. As for films, we’re kicking off with Chris Sun’s magnificent slasher reboot, CHARLIES FARM, and finishing with THE ABCs OF DEATH 2. In between
there’s close to forty films, mostly Australian premieres, a smattering of classics - including a Troma retrospective and the FRIDAY THE 13TH All Night Marathon - two programs of shorts, Dick Dale’s infamous Trasharama, and the all-new Monster Shorts. Every evening from 5 ’til 7pm, at The Monster’s Lair we have The Happy Hour Screenings – two hours of cheap booze, food and free movies. And then, glistening like weeping wounds in the moonlight, there’s the Evening Events - The Collingwood Horror Trivia Massacre, Trasharama, and the Chocolate Strawberry Manila DVD Launch & Karaoke Extravaganza. Not to mention the Opening Party and the Closing Party Awards Ceremony. It’s eleven days and nights of madness that should have genre goons licking their lips with anticipation! We want Monster Fest to be a totally immersive experience and we’ve crafted ticketing options to encourage you to stick around and soak up the gruesome goodness. We’re encouraging you to quit your job, sell your kids, spouses, souls, whatever. Abandon all responsibility for eleven days and nights whatever it takes to be part of the fun! I’ll be at the festival from dusk ’til dawn daily, so please come over and say hi, and be part of the growing community of like-minded Aussie weirdo’s, passionate for quality independent genre cinema. Immerse yourself in Monster Fest - a feast of depravity! Neil Foley • Festival Director
6 • monster fest 2014
TICKETS CINEMA NOVA 380 Lygon St, Carlton Box Office: www.cinemanova.com.au Tel: 03 9347 5331 Individual Session • Full Price: $19 Individual Session • Concession: $15 Opening Party & The Editor (plus special guests) 21st November • $35 Closing Night Party & ABCs of Death 2 (plus special guests) 30th November • $30 ‘Friday The 13th’ Movie Marathon 28th November 11.15pm • $35 Full / $30 Concession Full Day Pass: Special Discount rate available from the Cinema Nova Box Office
, THE MONSTER S LAIR Yah Yah’s, 99 Smith St, Collingwood All event tickets available at the Monster Fest Pozible page www.pozible.com/MonsterFest2014 Screamposium 29th November • 10am • Free Entry Opening Night Party (with special guests & a free drink on entry) 21st November 10pm – 2am • $20 (does not include screening ticket) Closing Night Awards Party (with special guests & a free drink on entry) 30th November 10pm – 2am • $15 (does not include screening ticket) 1 Day Pass For Monster Academy of Horror & Mayhem 26th or 27th or 28th November • $50 3 Day Pass For Monster Academy of Horror & Mayhem 26th/27th & 28th of November • $120 Live Commentaries with special guests 28th Nov • $10 All day ‘Make Your Own Damn Movie’ Lloyd Kaufman Masterclass 24th November • $65 The Collingwood Horror Trivia Massacre Table of 5 people • 25th November 7pm • $70 Monster’s Lair Mega Pass All events at The Lair • $200 Monster Fest Premium Pass All screenings at Nova & Events at The Lair • $450 Happy Hour Screenings Free but seats are strictly limited. All events at The Monster’s Lair at Yah Yah’s are 18+. People under the age of 18 must be accompanied by an adult. Program, session and guest details correct at time of printing but may change due to unforeseen circumstances, please check www.monsterfest.com.au for updates
monster fest 2014 • 7
INTERNATIONAL GUESTS BILL MOSELEY: Horror fiends will be moist at the thought of Bill Moseley appearing at Monster Fest. An undisputed horror icon, Bill’s first foray into the genre was as ‘Chop Top’ in Tobe Hooper’s amazing THE TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE 2. He then solidified his place as a horror immortal by playing Otis in HOUSE OF 1000 CORPSES, and its follow up, THE DEVIL’S REJECTS. Bill is horror Royalty. What can we say other than, ‘welcome your Highness – we are not worthy!’
JESSICA CAMERON:
Canadian, now based in LA, she’s someone you wouldn’t think could melt butter in her mouth - until you see her films, then that you realize that somewhere deep within this lovely exterior lays the mind of a gore hound of the highest caliber! TRUTH OR DARE, in which she starred, produced, co-wrote and directed, is one of the most brutal and shocking genre films in years, by one of horror’s true rising stars.
ASHLEY C. WILLIAMS:
The legendary founder of Troma Films has been involved with film for six decades, and his ‘Make Your Own Movie’ master-class is the stuff of legend. The undisputed King of trash cinema will be presenting a number of classic films as well as a full day master-class. Not to be missed.
The lone survivor of THE HUMAN CENTIPEDE, Ashley is a brilliant actress on the rise. Her new film JULIA is a tour de force, and establishes her truly as a talent to behold. Ashley is here to present JULIA and to take us through a live commentary of the film that launched her career in film, Tom Six’s brilliant, THE HUMAN CENTIPEDE.
MATTHEW KENNEDY & CONOR SWEENEY:
JASON TROST: Monster fans will know Jason
From Winnipeg Canada, we bring you two of the infamous Astron 6. Their previous film FATHERS DAY was banned from screening at the 2012 festival. Well they’re here to present their new film THE EDITOR, and will be involved in the festival from start to finish – including a screening of FATHERS DAY with a live commentary. Meet and hang out with them at Monster Fest.
Trost from ALL SUPERHEROES MUST DIE which he produced, wrote, directed and starred. This guy is an indie genre powerhouse – cranking out films at the rate of knots. Trost is a regular visitor to Australia and HOW TO SAVE US was shot here in Tassie. With recent appearances in big films such as THIS IS THE END and HATCHET 3, Jason Trost is very much a man on the rise!
JEN & SYLVIA SOSKA: ‘The Twisted Twins’
KEVIN & MIKE McCARTHY:
LLOYD KAUFMAN:
have made a huge impact since their debut feature, DEAD HOOKER IN A TRUNK. In 2012 they came to Monster Fest with their amazing AMERICAN MARY, and found an army of Aussie fans. They’re gorgeous, gruesome and great!
JAMES CULLEN BRESSACK: If you were to describe James Cullen Bressack as a prodigy, you’d be on the money. Still in his very early twenties, he’s already made a string of genre features. James’ passion for cinema is massive and it shows in all his work. A winner of multiple Best Picture and Best director awards, he is one of the few indie filmmakers ‘Verified’ on twitter, where he has 70,000 + loyal fans.
TRISTAN RISK:
Vancouver based performer who shot to fame after playing ‘Beatress Johnson’ in AMERICAN MARY. At Monster Fest 2014 she appears in no fewer than three films, THE EDITOR, THE ABCs OF DEATH 2 as well as CALL GIRL. A burlesque performer par excellence, she’ll also be strutting her magnificent stuff at various events during the festival.
From Tampa, Florida, these brothers have made one of the coolest, grittiest, hard-boiled genre films in years. They’re brash, ballsy with a taste for the severely nasty and they’re a whole lot of fun – meet them and hang out with them at Monster Fest. CONOR SWEENEY & MATTHEW KENNEDY OF ASTRON 6
monster fest 2014 • 9
, Charlie s Farm In recent years Queenslander Chris Sun has been threatening to make the definitive Aussie slasher film with the definitive Aussie slasher villain, and with CHARLIE’S FARM he may well have succeeded. CHARLIE’S FARM is an unapologetic slasher reboot. A weird family of inbred killers meet their fate at the hands of a mob, tired of their murderous reign of terror. The mob eliminates the menace, leaving only a strange boy named Charlie. Fast-forward several decades and a couple of blokes lure their girlfriends to what they believe is the deserted homestead of the killer clan. The hijinks turn to horror when it becomes apparent that Charlie lives, and that he’s no longer a little boy - in fact he is now a seven foot, three hundred and seventy five pound mountain of psychopathic muscle! Chris Sun’s film is jam-packed full of references to the slashers of yore, yet is still very much its own beast. Nathan Jones is petrifying as Charlie, and with a cast that includes screen icons Bill Moseley, Kane Hodder and Tara Reid, this is an Australian film experience like no other. CHARLIE’S FARM is simultaneously menacing, thrilling and fun, and may well prove to be the entry point for a whole new generation of local slasher fiends. See the Melbourne Premiere of this amazing new film at Monster Fest, and bask in the glory of its gory magnificence. Includes Q&A with director Chris Sun & stars, Bill Moseley and Nathan Jones
NOVEMBER 20 CINEMA NOVA
•
7.30PM
AUSTRALIA / 2014 88 MINS DIRECTOR: CHRIS SUN STARS: TARA REID, NATHAN JONES, KANE HODDER, BILL MOSELEY
S A E R U S AS N U S G N THE RISI Chris Sun was named after Christopher Lee. Is it any wonder he’s such a horror fiend? With his new film, CHARLIE’S FARM, the director brings us Charlie Wilson, the tormented little kid who becomes a vengeful killer. He’s every bit the classic horror villain – insular and anguished, larger than life, and none-too-fond of meddling kids! Sun is a huge slasher fan and his goal with CHARLIE’S FARM was to create the ultimate Australian horror icon – An Aussie Jason, Leatherface, or Michael Myers. Sun is an award-winning special effects creator himself and, as such, made sure to inject much bloody malice into his film. With horror FX guru, Steven Boyle (DAYBREAKERS, 30 DAYS OF NIGHT) on for the ride, the gruesomeness of CHARLIE’S FARM is something to behold. Sun nabbed three big names for his film SHAKRNADO star, Tara Reid, and horror icons Bill Moseley (TEXAS CHAIN SAW MASSACRE 2) and Kane Hodder (FRIDAY THE 13TH). These actors bring a cool gravitas to the picture that’ll make it resonate all the louder with horror buffs. CHARLIE’S FARM is an intimidating addition to the new wave of Aussie horror, and, as such, will be a highlight of this year’s MONSTER FEST.
O 14* 0 2 T t s - GEonster Fe
O at M C e c A n a NE Tf of aaend
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! E E R NE F
234 Gertrude St Fitzroy
Ph 9415 7711 www. trippytaco.com.au
T S E F R MONSTE ING PARTY OPEN The Night Terrors Come To Monster Fest! The Monster Fest 2014 Opening Party will pulse to the dark synth magic of one of the most brilliant bands ever to emerge in this country, the impossible to define, The Night Terrors. They’ve toured with Hawkwind, and giallo pioneers Goblin, shared the stage with Lou Reed and Laurie Anderson, and tonight they’re here at Monster Fest, primed and ready to warp our horror hungry minds! The Night Terrors are a gorgeous treat – Miles Brown’s haunting theremin, Sarah Lim’s sinister synth, and Damian Coward’s tight driving percussion, combine to create one of the most intense yet beautifully melodic soundscapes you’ll ever hear! The Night Terrors are an open celebration of the macabre, if there’s a better way for the cult movie freaks of Melbourne to see in the dawning of an all-new Monster Fest, we’d like to know what it is? The Monster Fest Opening Party will be hosted by the gorgeous Kimberley Reynolds - and will feature performances from horror burlesque superstar, Kerry X… and more! Come dressed in your most outrageous horror inspired garb for the chance to win amazing door prizes. If you love horror, if you love incredible music, there’s no other place you could possibly want to be than the Monster Fest Opening Party!
NOVEMBER 21 ,• 9.00PM TIL LATE , THE MONSTER S LAIR AT YAH YAH S
monster fest 2014 • 11
The Editor Two years ago at Monster Fest a storm of controversy erupted when Astron 6’s FATHER’S DAY was banned only days before its scheduled screening. Well Astron 6 is back, and this time it’s a whole new evil they’re peddling - the brilliant, much awaited, critically lauded, THE EDITOR. THE EDITOR is a loving absurdist horror comedic riff on one of the most lurid eras in cinema history. The story of a film editor embroiled in a murder investigation is simultaneously hilarious, nasty and sweet. Only weeks after its World Premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival, THE EDITOR is one of the hottest genre films on the planet right now. With cameos from the likes of Udo Kier (BLOOD FOR DRACULA), Laurence Harvey (THE HUMAN CENTIPEDE 2) and Tristan Risk (AMERICAN MARY), and with a score partly realised by Goblin maestro Claudio Simonetti, this film is a big screen must see. Bellissimo!! Includes Q&A with Director Matthew Kennedy and star Conor Sweeney
NOVEMBER 21 CINEMA NOVA
•
7.00PM
CANADA / 2014 DIRECTOR: ADAM BROOKS, MATTHEW KENNEDY STARS: UDO KIER, LAURENCE R HARVEY, CONOR SWEENEY, ADAM BROOKS, MATTHEW KENNEDY, TRISTAN RISK
: E R U T A E R C T P Y R THE K DS MAKER ! E C N R E A L L E AW C X E PAR 12 • monster fest 2014
All “real” festivals and film events have awards of one form or another, so why should Monster Fest be any different? And really, if anyone deserves a bit of a pat on the back, it’s the assorted weirdo’s and freaks who pepper our reality with genre cinema! Monster Fest demands a statue that is sexy, sleek and strange - and something that could be used as a weapon if you ever need to protect yourself against an intruder. We came up with this simple brief… “Oscar, with a twist – the kind of Oscar who could tear out your throat, and eat you alive… and that’s heavy enough to split someone’s skull!” With the brief down pat, we went looking for the right kind of crazy to create such an abomination.
Our search led us to the ‘Krypt Creature’ AKA (Luke Polti) - mold maker and prosthetics master extraordinaire. Luke is a film veteran and has worked on a diverse range of projects from THE MATRIX RELOADED, WHERE THE WILD THINGS ARE, 100 BLOODY ACRES to CRAWLSPACE.
He’s also the owner and master craftsman at ‘Creepy Collectables’, a Melbourne based design studio specialising in beautifully crafted weirdness. For weeks now, Luke’s been slaving away in his dungeon using the Monster logo as his inspiration and model - the result is truly astonishing and will look magnificent on any mantle piece from Melbourne to Marrakesh! Fifteen of these adorably vicious cuties are being cast: The ‘Crystal Monster for Best Film’, and fourteen more in Monster Pictures metallic green that range from ‘Best Actor’ to ‘Best Short Film’. If you’d like to see how truly depraved one man can be, check out Luke’s website at www.creepycollectables.net.
The Monster Awards will be handed out at the Monster Fest Closing Night, November 30 at ‘The Monster’s Lair’. For the chance to have the Monster Award named after your good self, go to Pozible.com/monsterfest2014 now!
monster fest 2014 • 13
T S E F R MONSTE G PARTY CLOSIN AFTER THE CREDITS ROLL FOR THE ABCS OF DEATH 2, THE HORROR HOUNDS OF MELBOURNE WILL DESCEND ON ‘THE MONSTER’S LAIR’ FOR THE MONSTER FEST CLOSING NIGHT PARTY. Closing Night 2014 can be summed up by three very evocative words – AWARDS, BOOZE and BARBARION. Yes, that’s right, the Closing Night Party is our Official (and inaugural) Monster Awards Ceremony! It’ll be brimming with booze and revelry, and will be capped off by an awe-inspiring performance by Melbourne’s wizards of Viking metal, Barbarion! The Monster Awards are not your average awards, and we’re encouraging all to come to the party in what we’re calling “Fucked-up Formal”. Make of that what you will, but rest assured, we’ll be handing out a vast array of prizes to those that make the effort. The Closing Night Party will again be hosted by Monster Fest’s Mistress of Mayhem, Kimberley Reynolds. Joining Kim at the podium will be Australia’s King of extreme wrestling, the one, the only, Krackerjak! The night will again feature performances from some of Melbourne’s darkest and most extreme burlesque performers, including Monster Fest favorite Kerry X.
The ABCs Of Death 2 Such was the phenomenal success of 2012 THE ABCs OF DEATH that the concept returns again with 26 all new episodes of death by 26 of the greatest horror directors working today. The roll call of talent here is stunning – Monster Fest darlings Jen & Sylvia Soska (AMERICAN MARY) bring us ‘T is For Torture Porn’, there’s the likes of Vincenzo Natali (CUBE), Steve Kostanski (MANBORG) and Navot Papushado & Aharon Keshales (BIG BAD WOLVES) even THE MIGHTY BOOSH’s Julian Barrett gets a guernsey with his superb ‘B is For Badger’. THE ABCs OF DEATH 2 is much more than just a horror anthology, it’s a showcase of worldwide gore cinema with the cream of the world’s genre boffins strutting their glorious, stomach-churning stuff. THE ABCs OF DEATH 2 is shocking, hilarious, provocative and confronting - a smorgasbord of depravity that is the absolute perfect film to close out Monster Fest 2014. If you love horror, if you love a good time, then you won’t want to miss out on the sheer insanity of THE ABCs OF DEATH 2! Includes Q&A with directors Jen & Sylvia Soska and Tristan Risk
NOVEMBER 30 CINEMA NOVA
•
7.00PM
It’s gonna be huge, it’s gonna be glorious, and it’s gonna get nasty!
USA / NEW ZEALAND / 2014
NOVEMBER 30, • 9PM – 12AM , THE MONSTER S LAIR AT YAH YAH S SEE PAGE 6 FOR TICKETING INFO
DIRECTOR: VARIOUS
122 MINS
STARS: LAURENCE R HARVEY, TRISTAN RISK, CONOR SWEENEY
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D O O W G IN L L O C E TH A I V I R T HORROR ASSACRE M
Y AND INS Z Z I Y D BLOO WISTED TW THE T ENT: PRES
Is there anything in this world more fun than movie trivia? Yes there is – HORROR MOVIE TRIVIA! For the maladjusted horror fiend, the chance to sit amongst our peers and strut our smartarse stuff on a topic that most well adjusted people don’t give two shits about, is one of the great pleasures of the modern age! This will be a night to remember. Three of the most prominent Horror Queens on the planet, Isabel Peppard & The Soska Sisters, taking us through a multitude of grisly questions on our favorite subject, HORROR MOVIES! This is the kind of night that’ll burn its mark on your wicked brain and ensure you a place in hell for all eternity. There’ll be questions on horror movie topics far and wide, from the classics right through to the present day.
11PM • 7PM – H T 5 2 BER , NOVEM STER S ,LAIR N O M E H T FOR YAH S AT YAH KETING PAGE IC S T IL E A E T S DE TICKET
There’ll also be cocktails, drinking games, snacks, and there’ll be prizes, prizes and more prizes… you can win them for getting the right answer, getting the wrong answer, not having an answer, having too many answers, answering with a question, questioning with an answer – you can win a prize for just about anything! Come dressed as your favorite horror movie character to win extra cool horror bonus prizes. It’s an all out horror prize giving frenzy! Bring your friends and form a team, or come along and play as a lone wolf! Many of our Monster Fest guests will be in attendance, and they’ll be floating around the room mixing with the Monster Fest crowd – who knows who’ll end up sitting at your table, or standing next to you at the bar? This is a night for all true horror tragics, so get in early to avoid the massive, crushing disappointment of missing out.
monster fest 2014 • 15
THE Y R R E B W H A C N R T U S A E L T D A V L D O C A O L I H C AN M The Search For & KARAOKE ! R A L U C Weng Weng A SPECT EGRO FRED N TS: PRESEN
Brisbanite Andrew Leavold is Australia’s foremost trash cinema expert. His obsessions run far and wide, but it’s Filipino exploitation cinema where his soul resides. And THE SEARCH FOR WENG WENG is his love letter to the Philippines’ most bizarre cinema export – a midget James Bond by the name of Weng Weng. Weng Weng was born into poverty in the late 50s, and died that way some 35 years later - but in the interim he also managed to star in some of freakiest films in the history of cinema. Leavold’s film is a passion driven journey into the heart of the beast that is the Filipino film industry, and it’s a poignant, illuminating and rollicking romp from the first frame to the very last. This brilliant film has been touring the international film festival circuit for the last six months to rapturous responses, and here’s your chance to see it and party alongside the mad genius behind it - the wonderful, wild eyed, all dancing, all singing Andrew Leavold. Do not miss! Includes Q&A with director Andrew Leavold
NOVEMBER 27 • 7.00PM , , THE MONSTER S LAIR AT YAH YAH S AUSTRALIA / 2014 92 MINS DIRECTOR: ANDREW LEAVOLD STARS: ANDREW LEAVOLD, DANIEL PALISA, WENG WENG
What better way to celebrate the DVD release of two of the finest local films in many years: Stuart Simpsons’ Monster Fest 2013 mega hit, CHOCOLATE STRAWBERRY VANILLA, and Andrew Leavold’s magnificent THE SEARCH FOR WENG WENG, than to croon the night away in an action packed karaoke showdown destined to lift the lid right off ‘The Monster’s Lair’! Join Melbourne’s King of Karaoke, Fred Negro, as he herds an assortment of warbling weirdos onto the ‘The Monster’s Lair’ stage to blurt out their favourite tunes! Then, when the singing dies, from 11pm ’til late settle in for a night of twisted tunes as Brisbane’s most perverse DJ double-act, The Screaming Meanies, takes to the decks with their unique and perverse blend of grooves and beats. There’ll be door prizes, performances prizes, prizes for best dressed, prizes for worst dressed, and prizes, prizes and more prizes! Entry is free, and DVDs of both films, and exclusive merchandise, will be available on the night. This is a night that will surely echo through the ages!
NOVEMBER 27, • 9.00PM , THE MONSTER S LAIR AT YAH YAH S
www.spacehotel.com.au 380 Russell Street, Melbourne +61 (3) 9662 3888
Ideally located in the heart of the city, Space Hotel is a perfect choice for travellers wanting to explore all that Melbourne has to offer. Our facilities include: • • • • • •
Free in-house cinema Fully equipped kitchen Gym Laundromat Rooftop deck Spa
Housed on the ground floor, Blue Moon Bar will have your entertainment covered with $5 meals, drinks specials, and regular events such as a Karaoke Competition on Thursday nights.
monster fest 2014 • 17
RFEST E T S N O M HE P O T S A T & CUL T: PRESEN
N O S A J S A W E M HIS NA IDAY THE 13TH N O H T - A FR A R A M
THE MONSTER FEST / CULTASTOPHE MARATHON IS BACK, AND THIS TIME WE’RE HEADING TO CAMP CRYSTAL LAKE TO CELEBRATE THE INCREDIBLE FRIDAY THE 13TH FRANCHISE! We’re talking Parts I to VIII in an all-night, uncut, HD assault on the senses! This is the most influential horror franchise of all time! Think Kevin Bacon, think Crispen Glover, think Cory Feldman, think Tom Savini… think Jason Voorhees!
The Menu Friday the 13th (1980) Friday the 13th Part 2 (1981) Friday the 13th Part III (1982) Friday the 13th: The Final Chapter (1984) Friday the 13th: A New Beginning (1985) Friday the 13th Part VI: Jason Lives (1986)
The Great Melbourne Screamposium Monster Fest and the Melbourne Horror Film Society proudly present: The Great Melbourne Screamposium. Join your hosts Zak Hepburn, Matt O’Neill and Sam Bowron for a brunch time feast of horror delicacies.
Friday the 13th Part VIII: Jason Takes Manhattan (1989)
Speakers include: Lee Gambin on Eco Horror • Alexandra Heller-Nicholas on Rape Revenge • Dean ‘Technicolour Yawn’ Brandum on Melbourne Sleaze & Grindhouse • TV Freak Scott Goodings on TV Horror • Ian Haig on Body Horror in Art.
Hosted by Cultastophe’s resident gore hound Zak Hepburn, there’ll be door prizes • trivia • treats • screams • nightmares • panic • pulsing hearts. Over 10 hours of blood curding insanity!
PLUS – The 50 Best Horror Cinema Kills of All Time AND Zak Hepburn’s ‘Great Lost Horror Trailers’ collection. PLUS a Horror Show & Tell for collectors to buy/sell/ trade the treasured horror memorabilia. Bring your VHS, Posters, Toys, etc
NOVEMBER 28 • 11.15PM CINEMA NOVA SEE PAGE 6 FOR TICKETING INFO
• 11.00AM NOVEMBER 29TH , , THE MONSTER S LAIR AT YAH YAH S
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monster fest 2014 • 23 ASHLEY C. WILLIAMS IN JULIA
N I Y E L H AS E L D D I M THE Monster Fest fans will recognise Ashley C. Williams as the lone survivor in one of the most controversial horror films of all time, Tom Six’s, THE HUMAN CENTIPEDE. THE HUMAN CENTIPEDE was actually Williams’ first feature role, and what a film to launch your career! Horror freaks know full well the reaction to the film, with critics and social commentators alike lambasting it for its utter depravity, but horror fans championing it for its sheer inventiveness, and ability to upset the powers that be. “I’ve had some nasty comments from reviewers for Centipede, but horror fans love me in it though, so that’s nice,” says Ashley of the reaction to the film. Horror lovers will be delighted to know that Ashley is back, and once again it’s horror that sees her gracing our screens - this time in Matthew A. Brown’s, JULIA, a film that whilst a very different beast to her initial foray, is no less confronting. In JULIA, Williams plays Julia, a young woman brutally raped and left for dead, who then sets out to enact revenge upon the perpetrators - to devastating effect. It’s a well-worn horror trope, but JULIA is a visually stunning and powerful reworking.
“My role in JULIA is my best work yet. Reviews have been really positive. I’m very excited for the world to see it,” says Williams. “His (Brown) vision really inspired me. I knew I wanted the role as soon as I read the script. They screened me a couple more times, and by the third day I got the call that the role was mine. We started shooting within two days.” Centipede fans can also see Williams present a live commentary of Tom Six’s demented masterpiece at Monster Fest.
“It’ll be fun to let you in on how things were actually done. The fights on set, the pool scene, the staircase scene, and just little tidbits here and there.” As for Ashley’s expectations of Australia… “I expect a koala bear to be waiting for me in my hotel room.”
SEE PAGE 38 FOR JULIA DETAILS SEE PAGE 25 FOR THE HUMAN CENTIPEDE DETAILS
24 • monster fest 2014
T S E F R E T S R N O O R M R E O H TH F O Y M E M H E Y D A A C M A AND TH TH -, 28 IR BER 24 NOVEM MONSTER S LA ,S H A THE Y AT YAH
You’re a lover of horror movies and general mayhem – you either want to get out there and make them yourself, or you’re already out there making them, or you have absolutely no intention of making them, but you just love listening to the lunatics that do!
Whatever it is that you are, this week at ‘The Monster’s Lair’ is the week for you. We’ve put together a full week of special guests, genre luminaries from Australia and around the world that’ll weaken the knees of even the most hardened horror hounds. We’ll be covering a range of topics that include screen writing, directing, film financing, pitching, SFX, casting, working with actors, crowd funding, distribution and marketing, and much much more! There’ll be food, refreshments and endless fun!
MONDAY 24TH MAKE YOUR OWN DAMN MOVIE MASTERCLASS WITH LLOYD KAUFMAN SESSION 1: 10AM – 5PM SESSION 2: 7PM – 9PM Lloyd Kaufman is one of cinema’s great survivors. For six decades he’s been plying his trade, and there’s no absolutely no indication that he’ll be stopping any time soon. Lloyd, together with business partner Michael Herz, founded Troma Entertainment back in 1974. Since then they’ve become famous for producing a string of trash hits, much loved by cult movie aficionados around the planet. Characters of his creation such as ‘Toxie’ have lasted the test of time, and remain adored in the B-movie lexicon. In this masterclass, Lloyd takes us through his remarkable career in film, a full day of insights from the master of trash that is both hugely informative and down right hilarious. Lloyd covers a range of topics from writing, financing, casting, producing, SFX, stunts, editing, sound design, marketing and distribution – what to do, what not to do, who to do it with, and who to do it for. This is a brilliantly structured, riot-a-minute event for anyone interested in making a film or anyone interested in the people who make films – not just any old film either, a Troma film no less! The topics covered are hilarious, and sum up Lloyd to a tee. They include: • “Managing the Set or Mastering the Age Old Art of Babysitting” • “How to Simulate a Violent Death and Stay Out of Jail” • “Whoring for Your Art” This is a jam-packed day that’ll have you enthralled from start to finish. There’s clips from films, endless anecdotes and war stories, all told with Lloyd’s inimitable style. This is a day of pure trash joy that will stay with you for the rest of your life!
monster fest 2014 • 25
TUESDAY 25TH – THURSDAY 27TH ACADEMY MASTERCLASSES: 10AM – 5PM We’ll be looking at every aspect of the genre film making process from concept right through to distribution and everything in between, all through the eyes of a veritable who’s who in the international and local genre world. This series of masterclasses, panels, screenings and presentations is presented by a number of Special Guest facilitators that include THE LOVED ONES producer, Mark Lazarus, and is designed to seriously pop your wicked minds. Producers, directors, writers, actors – they’re all here. Here are just some of the people involved: • Jen & Sylvia Soska (CANADA): AMERICAN MARY, SEE NO EVIL 2 • Conor Sweeney & Matthew Kennedy (CANADA): FATHERS DAY, THE EDITOR • Jessica Cameron: (CANADA): TRUTH OR DARE • Tristan Risk (CANADA): AMERICAN MARY, THE EDITOR • Ashley C. Williams (USA): JULIA, THE HUMAN CENTIPEDE [FIRST SEQUENCE]
• I sabel Peppard (AUST): BUTTERFLIES •C olin & Cameron Cairnes (AUST): 100 BLOODY ACRES •C hristopher Brown (AUST): THE COMPANY OF WOLVES DAYBREAKERS, THE PROPOSITION •A aron Sterns (AUST): WOLF CREEK 2 •J ustin Dix (AUST): CRAWLSPACE •J on Hewitt (AUST): ACOLYTES, X, TURKEY SHOOT •A ndrew Leavold (AUST): THE SEARCH FOR WENG WENG •S tu Simpson (AUST): EL MONSTRO DEL MAR, CHOCOLATE STRAWBERRY VANILLA See website for specific day breakdown and full lineup of guests.
FRIDAY 28TH LIVE MOVIE COMMENTARIES: 10AM – 5PM
• James Cullen Bressack (USA): PERNICIOUS
Today we present a day to kick back, relax and soak up the ‘behind-the-scenes’ wonders of some of the most popular Monster Pictures films of all time.
• Kevin & Mike McCarthy (USA): FURY: THE TALES OF RONAN PIERCE
•1 0am – 12pm: FATHERS DAY with Matthew Kennedy and Conor Sweeney of Astron 6
• Jason Trost (USA): THE FP, ALL SUPERHEROES MUST DIE • Matthew A. Brown (USA): JULIA
•1 pm – 3pm: AMERICAN MARY with Jen & Sylvia Soska and Tristan Risk •3 pm – 5pm: THE HUMAN CENTIPEDE [FIRST SEQUENCE] with Ashley C. Williams
monster fest 2014 • 27
THE T S E F R E MONST OUR H Y P P A H S G N I N E E SCR
PM M TIL 7 TH • 5P
TH-27 BER 24 M E V O N
EAT
Okay, it’s 5pm, you’ve finished work for the day or your stepping out of the Monster Fest Academy with a monster sized thirst for food, booze and blood, what do you do now? The answer is simple… The Monster Fest Happy Hour Screenings! From 5pm til 7pm, each day from Monday the 24th to Thursday the 27th of November we’ll be screening ultra cool films up at ‘The Monster’s Lair’. Entry is FREE and all drinks, hotdogs, and other tasty morsels will be $5! Crazy!!
MONDAY 24TH
TUESDAY 25TH
TROMEO & JULIET
EAT
(USA) 1996 – DIRECTOR: LLOYD KAUFMAN
(USA) 2013 – DIRECTOR JIMMY WEBER
Kaufman does Shakespeare, need we say more? Packed to the hilt with sex and violence, it might not get the nod from old Willy himself but it’s a crowd pleaser nevertheless! One of the big Troma hits presented by the great Lloyd Kaufman – perfect!
This is the Monster Fest Directors favorite film of the year. A struggling actress, down on her luck in La la Land, develops the ultimate eating disorder – she starts eating herself! Yep, you heard it right. This film is the perfect dinnertime body horror – Dig in!
Includes intro by Lloyd Kaufman.
Screens with short LITTLE LAMB by Heidi Douglas
WEDNESDAY 26TH
THURSDAY 27TH
HOW TO SAVE US (USA) – 2014 DIRECTOR JASON TROST Jason Trost is a rising star on the indie genre landscape, his earlier films THE FP and ALL SUPERHEROES MUST DIE have been hits at festivals worldwide and this is his latest and perhaps greatest yet. Shot entirely in Tasmania, it’s stark, haunting and powerful. Screens with short UMBRA by Bryn Tilly Includes intro and Q&A with director and star Jason Trost (USA).
, THERE S SOMETHING IN THE PILLIGA (AUST) – 2014 DIRECTOR DANE MILLERD Prepare for a terror ride deep into the Pilliga region of NSW! A couple of bushies set out to uncover the truth behind the mysterious red eyes often observed at night in the Pilliga. Their journey begins in the pub where they team up with a couple of sheila’s keen to join in on the fun. Beer’d to the gills they head bush where peril awaits. Beer, blokes, babes, blood and bush – you bloody beauty! Screens with short I AM MONSTER by Shannon Lark & Lori Bowen With intro and Q&A with director Dane Millerd & key cast.
#BLEEDPINK
w w w. d r s x a w f. c o m . a u
SHORTS HELL FROM
monster fest 2014 • 29
In 2014 Monster Fest has divided up its shorts to screen over two programs, Trasharama and Monster Shorts. The respective directors of each program Dick Dale: Trasharama, Catherine Seccombe have sorted through a vast array of nightmarish horror and cult shorts and after much deliberation, and multiple shots of hard liquor, have delivered the following programs. For full synopsis’ on each film, please see the Monster Fest website.
DEAD HEARTS BY STEPHEN W. MARTIN
Trasharama
Monster Shorts
Aussie trash legend is back at Monster Fest with fourteen of the nastiest films on the planet today. Who will win the coveted ‘Golden Lomax’ for Sickest Film?
Monster Shorts Director Catherine Seccombe has spent the last few months searching through hundreds of submissions to finally present the inaugural Monster Shorts program – each film is unique and brilliant in its own way – feast on the depravity!
KNOCK KNOCK Jeff Betancourt (USA) 13 mins DEJA VU Robin Royce Queree (AUST) 13 mins THE HUNT Spencer Estabrooks (CAN) 8 mins METAMORPHOSIS Robert Nevitt (UK) 3 mins WOMB David Ward (AUST) 8 mins THE BOY WITH NO THUMBS Shaun McCarthy (AUST) 6 mins FODDER David Dollard (CAN) 9 mins DEAD GUY IN THE TRUNK Lucas Scheffel (AUST) 10 mins AUGUSTINE David Ury, David Neptune (USA) 10 mins WATERBORNE Ryan Coonan (AUST) 9 mins MR JUICY GOES TO THE MASSAGE PARLOUR Alex Mann (AUST) 4 mins CALL GIRL Jill Sixx Gevargizian (USA) 6 mins AMERICAN HELL Robert Bryce Milburn (USA) 7 mins FIST OF JESUS Adrián Cardona, David Muñoz (Spain) 15mins
• 7.00PM NOVEMBER 26TH , , THE MONSTER S LAIR AT YAH YAH S SEE PAGE 6 FOR TICKETING DETAILS
CAT SICK BLUES Dave Jackson (AUST) 9 min LET GOD SORT THEM OUT Cédric Le Men (FRAN) 13 mins TWENTY FORTY THREE Eugenie Muggleton (AUST) 17 mins ALL I KNOW IS NOTHING Matthew Barker (UK) 3 mins THE JELLY WRESTLER Rebecca Thomson (AUST) 14 mins DEAD HEARTS Stephen W. Martin (CAN) 16 mins MADWOMAN Sebastian Mittelman (AUST) 6 mins MONSTRO! Christopher Romano (USA) 10 mins THE DEAD GUY IN THE TRUNK Lucas Scheffel (AUST) 10 mins PRANK Alex Weight (AUST) 11 mins WATERBORNE Ryan Coonan (AUST) 9 mins
NOVEMBER 28TH • 7.00PM CINEMA NOVA SEE PAGE 6 FOR TICKETING DETAILS
30 • monster fest 2014
Under a Kaleidoscope The writer of last year’s Monster Fest smash hit, CHOCOLATE STRAWBERRY VANILLA, Addison Heath, is back - but this time he’s in the director’s chair with his feature debut, UNDER A KALEIDOSCOPE. Kenji Shimada’s life revolves around making bad Sci-Fi movies, popping LSD and eating baked beans - all from the comfort of his apartment. One day, whilst peaking on some choice acid, he hears voices through his bedroom wall. This strange encounter opens up a whole new dimension - a world of underworld crims, serial killers and a scared and damaged girl in need of a friend. An unlikely hero is needed, but does Kenji have it in him to step up to the plate? Trippy visuals, thumping soundtrack, and confronting, slap-in-theface violence makes UNDER A KALEIDOSCOPE an unforgettable psychedelic rollercoaster ride!
The Mirror In 2013, a story went viral on the web that told of a couple of students who were selling an apparent “possessed” mirror on eBay. The owners of the mirror complained that their lives had been turned upside down since taking ownership of the antique. Inspired by this “true” account, writer/ director Edward Boase has crafted a chilling spook fest that gets under your skin and stays there. Here, a household of young roomies accepts a $100K challenge to house a “haunted mirror”, and see if they can capture some of its paranormal shenanigans on camera. Of course no one really believes that there’ll be in any trouble, but all skepticism comes unstuck when it becomes horrifically obvious that the mirror is everything that legend claims it to be – and more! THE MIRROR is a thoroughly enjoyable and shocking ride that’ll have you on the edge of your seat - or clinging for dear life to the person next to you. The perfect film for a first date!
WORLD PREMIERE Includes Q&A with director Addison heath, key cast & crew
NOVEMBER 22 • 1.00PM CINEMA NOVA
NOVEMBER 21 • 5.00PM CINEMA NOVA
UK / 2014
AUST / 2014 73 MINS DIRECTOR: ADDISON HEATH STARS: KENJI SHIMADA, KRISTEN CONDON, ASTON ELLIOT
88 MINS DIRECTOR: EDWARD BOASE STARS: JEMMA DALLENDER, JOSHUA DICKINSON, NATE FALLOWS
monster fest 2014 • 31
Turkey Shoot
Honeymoon
In this update on the 1983 Brian Trenchard-Smith multiple head-exploder, director Jon Hewitt drops the campy tone of the original and gets all sociopolitical on our asses! Yep! It’s the near future and one TV show rules the planet: TURKEY SHOOT - a reality program in which humans are hunted like beasts, and real life on-screen carnage is a weekly reality. As World War Three breaks out, connections between government operations and the show start to become apparent. Just what is TURKEY SHOOT’s latest and greatest contestant Rick Tyler (Dominic Purcell) up to? And why is the military involved? Hewitt and co-writer/star Belinda McClory have reinvented an Ozploitation classic for a new generation of Aussie kids hungry for twisted onscreen mayhem. Bravo to them we say! Let the good times roll!
If you thought you knew Rose Leslie (Ygritte from GAME OF THRONES), then think again! Here she is in one of the most original and brilliant new horror films of the year, Leigh Janiak’s HONEYMOON. A newlywed couple heads to an idyllic lakeside cabin for the honeymoon of their dreams. All is perfect until Bea (Rose Leslie) meets something in the woods, then everything gets freaky – really freaky! A magnificent hybrid, HONEYMOON mutates from relationship drama, to body horror, to something else entirely - something sick, twisted and beautiful. Incredible performances, nail biting tension and gallons of juicy weirdness, there’s only one adjective that really pays any justice to this film – unforgettable! A sensation at SXSW earlier this year, HONEYMOON is definitely one of the must see horror films of 2014!
Includes Q&A with director Jon Hewitt and key cast
NOVEMBER 22 • 3.00PM CINEMA NOVA AUSTRALIA / 2014 86 MINS DIRECTOR: JON HEWITT STARS: DOMINIC PURCELL, VIVA BIANCA, ROBERT TAYLOR
Screens with short MAID OF HORROR by Caitlin Koller
NOVEMBER 22 • 5.00PM CINEMA NOVA USA / 2014 87 MINS DIRECTOR: LEIGH JANIAK STARS: ROSE LESLIE, HARRY TREADAWAY
monster fest 2014 • 33
Inner Demon In 2009, Ursula Dabrowsky launched onto the local horror landscape with her brilliant debut feature, FAMILY DEMONS. Five years later she returns with a follow up that not only lives up to her early promise, it delivers in spades! A kidnapped young girl is propelled into a living nightmare when she escapes capture at the hands of a serial killer couple - only to find refuge in a remote farmhouse haunted by a demonic spirit. The second episode of a promised demonic trilogy, INNER DEMON is a taut and unnerving exercise in fear from one of Australia’s most exciting new horror voices. Beautifully realised and utterly terrifying, this is not the kind of film you want to see alone. Screens with short film I AM UNDONE by Rebecca Thomson Includes Q&A with director Ursula Dabrowsky
NOVEMBER 22 CINEMA NOVA
•
7.00PM
Dead Snow 2: Red vs Dead One of Norway’s great contributions to global culture in recent years has been 2009’s DEAD SNOW – how it took so many years for Nazis, zombies and snow to be combined on screen remains one of the great mysteries of our times. Well the good news is that the Nazi zombies are back in Tommy Wirkola’s sequel DEAD SNOW 2: RED VS DEAD, and if you thought the first instalment was great, you ain’t seen nothing yet! Like all great sequels, this takes the original premise and runs a mile with it, creating an altogether bigger, better, funnier, gorier, crazier ride than ever before. This film kicks off with a Raimi-esque premise: Martin, our hero from part one, waking up with an uncontrollable zombified arm surgically attached to his own body. From there, things rapidly descend from bad to hilariously worse. DEAD SNOW 2 is a ride from beginning to end, and is right up there with great sequels of screen history (EVIL DEAD 2, MAD MAX 2). If you love zombies, despise Nazis and have a taste for endless buckets of crimson gore, then this is the film for you!
AUSTRALIA / 2014 84 MINS DIRECTOR: URSULA DABROWSKI STARS: SARAH JEAVONS, KERRY ANNE REID, ANDREAS SOBIK
NOVEMBER 22 CINEMA NOVA
•
9.00PM
NORWAY / 2014 100 MINUTES DIRECTOR: TOMMY WIRKOLA STARS: VEGAR HOEL, ORJAN GAMST
monster fest 2014 • 35
Savaged The rape revenge sub-genre gets a paranormal reboot in Michael S Ojeda’s brilliant SAVAGED. A deaf girl is brutally attacked by a gang of repulsive thugs and left for dead. What they didn’t count on was the spirit of an Apache warrior animating her lifeless body and seeking bloody revenge – BIG MISTAKE! Set against a stark desert backdrop, SAVAGED is brutal and unrelenting, with a supernatural twist that manages to breathe new life into the genre. Explosive action and gore by the bucket load - SAVAGED is easily one of the best genre films of the year!
NOVEMBER 22 CINEMA NOVA
•
11.00PM
USA / 2013 94 MINS DIRECTOR: MICHAEL S. OJEDA STARS: AMANDA ADRIENNE, TOM ARDAVANY, RONNIE GENE
Fury: The Tales Of Ronan Pierce Haven’t heard of the McCarthy Brothers? Monster Fest will change that forever. Here’s a rare gem that spews out from the cinema underbelly delivering more grunt, kick and soul than hundreds of films with zillion times the spending power – a kind of SIN CITY with genuine grit and grime that’ll grab you by the throat and throttle you mercilessly until the final frame. Ronan Pierce (co-writer Michael McCarthy) is a rogue cop on a mission to avenge the death of his daughter and the kidnapping of his ex-wife. Along the way he unleashes a storm of retribution against a viper’s nest of corrupt politicians, human traffickers, drug cartels, organ harvesters, and a twisted assortment of psychos, thugs, and perverts. Pierce is the ultimate innovator of creative carnage. He uses guns, knives, bats, bolt cutters, chemicals, and even hair dryers and fish, to pulverise his way to the top of the criminal food chain. This is a bold, innovative, intoxicating film that’ll leave you gagging for breath. Awesome! Includes Q&A with director & writer Kevin and Mike McCarthy
NOVEMBER 23 CINEMA NOVA
•
1.00PM
USA / 2014 114 MINS DIRECTOR: KEVIN MCCARTHY, EDWARD PAYSON STARS: MICHAEL MCCARTHY, KANE HODDER, JORDAN ELIZABETH
monster fest 2014 • 37
Summer Of Blood If you woke tomorrow in a bizarro world where Woody Allen directed horror comedies, it’s quite likely that the first film you’d come across would be SUMMER OF BLOOD. Erik is a selfish, neurotic, big-mouthed and bitchy New Yorker (think Zach Galifianakis meets Larry David), who, despite a charmed existence, is just never freaking satisfied. After a chance encounter with a vampire, Erik transforms from slacker to sex demon with an insatiable thirst for human blood. Onur Tukel writes, directs, and stars in this black comedy about relationships, commitment and vampirism in the Big Apple. A smash hit at the Tribeca Film Festival, SUMMER OF BLOOD is a bloody, lusty, satirical joy to behold.
NOVEMBER 23 CINEMA NOVA
•
3.30PM
USA / 2014 86 MINUTES DIRECTOR: ONUR TUKEL STARS: JONATHAN CAOUETTE, ZACH CLARK
Wolfcop At the Cannes film market earlier this year, there was one film that had the genre tongues flapping - the brilliantly titled, WOLFCOP. At Monster Fest, we love a film whose title is also its synopsis, and this is the best example of such a beast in years! This story of a boozy bum of a cop who turns into a werewolf is a glorious 80’s inspired mash up that’ll have you grinning like a drunken wolf from start to finish. Ever seen a werewolf down a bottle of whiskey in one shot? How about a sex scene between a wolf and a hot babe? No? Well, whatchawaitin’ for? WOLFCOP has it all! If the title doesn’t sum it up, the tagline certainly does – “Dirty Harry, only hairier!” - see it at Monster Fest!
NOVEMBER 23 CINEMA NOVA
•
5.00PM
CANADA / 2014 79 MINS DIRECTOR: LOWELL DEAN STARS: LEO FAFARD, AMY MATYSIO, JONATHAN CHERRY
38 • monster fest 2014
Julia
The Toxic Avenger
Ashley C. Williams is no stranger to big screen challenges. In 2009 she starred in what has subsequently became one of the most talked about and perhaps controversial films of all time, THE HUMAN CENTIPEDE [FIRST SEQUENCE]. Whilst JULIA is a completely different film in about every conceivable way, it is no less confronting. It is probably the most challenging film in this year’s Monster Fest program. The title character Julia (brilliantly realised by Williams) is brutally gang raped and left for dead by the side of a river. She manages to get home in a near comatose state which she can barely shake off, until later she overhears women in a bar discussing, “a special therapy of vengeance”. Julia is then introduced to The Therapist, and it’s not long before male appendages are being harvested around town. This is a visually striking, thematically daring film debut from Brown, and is destined to be one of the most talked about films in this year’s program. Make no mistake, JULIA is no walk in the park, but then again, what great films are? JULIA is a great film!
In 1984,Troma Films gifted the world THE TOXIC AVENGER, one of the most beautifully puerile exercises in trash cinema ever committed to celluloid. The film was a hit for the company, spawning numerous decades of sequels, TV spin-offs and merchandise, as well as giving birth to one of cinema’s most enduring characters, The Toxic Avenger - or as he’s affectionately known by fans, ‘Toxie’. The plot is a masterpiece of simplicity: a Mop Boy at the Tromaville Health Club, Melvin Junko, accidentally falls into a vat of toxic sludge only to emerge as The Toxic Avenger. His brief? To fight the forces of evil and corruption, truth, justice and the Tromaville way! Still as much depraved fun as it was back in its day, THE TOXIC AVENGER remains the jewel in the Troma crown - and here’s your chance to watch it in the presence of the wonderfully passionate and erudite, King of Trash, Lloyd Kaufman!
Includes Q&A with director Matthew A. Brown and Ashley C. Williams
NOVEMBER 23 CINEMA NOVA
•
7.00PM
Double feature: Screens with CLASS OF NUKE ‘EM HIGH Includes Q&A with director Lloyd Kaufman
NOVEMBER 23 CINEMA NOVA
•
9.00PM
USA / 1984
USA / 2014
87 MINS
95 MINS
DIRECTOR: MICHAEL HERZ, LLOYD KAUFMAN
DIRECTOR: MATTHEW A. BROWN
STARS: ANDREE MARANDA, MITCH COHEN, JENNIFER BABTIST
STARS: ASHLEY C. WILLIAMS, TAHYNA TOZZI, JACK NOSEWORTHY
monster fest 2014 • 39
Class Of Nuke , Em High I It’s the mid 80’s, and as the world sweats it out waiting for the nuclear holocaust, director Lloyd Kaufman follows up his smash hit THE TOXIC AVENGER with an all-new tale of radioactive mayhem, CLASS OF NUKE EM HIGH. Tromaville High’s gang of thugs, ‘The Cretins’, are the resident on-campus drug barons, cultivating their weed at the nuclear power plant situated next door to the school. ‘The Cretins’ sell a batch of their toxic pot to stoner couple Warren and Chrissie, and when Chrissie falls pregnant she delivers a slimy beast of a bubba who immediately sets off on a rampage of vengeance against the masters of his mutation. CLASS OF NUKE EM HIGH is pure unadulterated 80’s trash, and is played out in a Troma-green glow of wonder-weed and infused with the pungent funk of teenage sleaze – it’s a riotous, radioactive romp that’s impossible not to enjoy - brilliant stuff!
Lost Soul: The Doomed Journey Of Richard Stanley’s The Island Of Doctor Moreau Monster Fest fans will definitely be aware of Richard Stanley, the UK director of the 1990 hit HARDWARE. What some might not be aware of, however, is that in the mid 90s Stanley was employed by New Line Cinema to direct a remake of THE ISLAND OF DOCTOR MOREAU. Now Stanley is fruity enough on his own, but if you throw into the mix a hurricane prone Far North Queensland, an insane Marlon Brando, an egomaniac Val Kilmer and a whole lot of bad juju, then surely you’ve got a recipe for disaster - and that’s exactly what happened. Disaster with a capital C for Calamity! This is a brilliant and compelling documentary from David Gregory (the man behind legendary US cult label, Severin Films), which stands alongside 1991’s HEARTS OF DARKNESS as one of the greatest movie making yarns of all time – awesome stuff!
Double feature: Screens with THE TOXIC AVENGER
NOVEMBER 26 • 9.30PM , , THE MONSTER S LAIR AT YAH YAH S
NOVEMBER 23 CINEMA NOVA
USA / 2014
•
10.40PM
97 MINUTES
USA / 1986
DIRECTOR: DAVID GREGORY
85 MINUTES
STARS: RICHARD STANLEY, FAIRUZA BULK, OLI DICKSON, HUGH DICKSON
DIRECTOR: LLOYD KAUFMAN, RICHARD W. HAINES STARS: JANELLE BRADY, GIL BRENTON, ROBERT PRICHARD
40 • monster fest 2014
Birdemic
Wolves
In recent times BIRDEMIC has garnered a reputation worldwide as perhaps the best worst film of all time, and we’re not going to hide from it. It’s absolutely true. It’s horrifically bad! However, like THE ROOM, there is something quite magic about it at the same time. Whether it’s the stilted acting, the horrendously fake birds, or just the sheer stupid innocence of it all, we’re not entirely sure - but it’s a cinematic experience you’re never likely to forget. Rod is a solar-panel salesman, and Nathalie has just made the cover of the Victoria’s Secret catalogue - and then giant birds attack their seaside community and all hell breaks loose in a 2D CGI cataclysm of everything you could possibly do wrong when making a film! In the age of SHARKNADO and MEGASHARK VS GIANT OCTOPUS, this is a must-see for fans of the superbad yet superfun. Where else you gonna see a giant bird set fire to a building? Come along, bring your friends, drink yourself silly, and fall in love with BIRDEMIC!
David Hayter has made a name for himself in recent years as the screenwriter of such hits as X-MEN, X-MEN 2 and WATCHMEN – WOLVES is his directorial debut and it’s a ripper! Cayden is a high school football star. On the surface he’s living the dream – hot girlfriend, hot bod, hot hormones. But there’s more to Cayden’s volatile teen temper than just rampant testosterone alone, and after some very unfortunate events, the source of his angst soon becomes apparent – he’s a werewolf, descended from a pack of vicious, purebred man eaters! For those who like their movies with both bite and wit, this is an action packed horror joy ride with one foot placed firmly in 80’s teen horror, and the other in contemporary comic book thrill fests. With more chest hair than Tony Abbott on Bondi Beach, and more torn plaid than a Bon Jovi concert, WOLVES is a perfect film to kick off a weekend of non-stop horror mayhem. Enjoy with a cold beer and a steak sanga – rare, of course!
NOVEMBER 26 • 11.00PM , , THE MONSTER S LAIR AT YAH YAH S
Includes Skype Q&A with director David Hayter
92 MINS
NOVEMBER 28 CINEMA NOVA
DIRECTOR: JAMES NGUYEN
USA / 2014
STARS: ALAN BAGH, WHITNEY MOORE
87 MINS
USA / 2010
•
5.00PM
DIRECTOR: DAVID HAYTER STARS: LUCAS TILL, STEPHEN MCHATTIE
monster fest 2014 • 41
the Green Inferno Eli Roth has made a name for himself over the last decade or so as a master of the extreme. No surprises then, given he is such a massive fan of Ruggero Deodato’s CANNIBAL HOLOCAUST, that he wanted to make his own homage. THE GREEN INFERNO is that film. Roth went off to the Amazon, like Deodato before him, and engaged the services of a local tribe who’d never before seen a film, let alone acted in one. THE GREEN INFERNO tells of a group of young idealist New Yorkers who set off to Peru to save the rainforest – like Sting or Sean Penn before them. Unfortunately for this group of well-intentioned do-gooders, things go horribly awry, and they end up being the main course for the people they set out to “help”. This is a brilliant and savage satire, as well as a loving homage. One of the most anticipated horror films of the year. Bring a napkin!
NOVEMBER 28 • 9.20PM CINEMA NOVA 2013 USA 100 MINDS DIRECTOR: ELI ROTH STARS: LORENZO IZZO, ARIEL LEVY, AARON BURNS
Rampage 2 Uwe Boll is no stranger to blood and gristle, and in RAMPAGE 2, the sequel to his 2009 revenge flick, RAMPAGE, that’s exactly what you get - maximum blood, uber gristle! It’s been three years since Bill Williamson’s mass-shooting claimed one hundredish lives, and now he’s back, very much alive, on the loose, and as dangerous as ever. This time he targets a national news station in order to sing his message of violence to the world. Equal parts sympathetic and detestable, our “hero” switches between the righteous fury of a repressed lower class, and the taunting pettiness of a hateful and scared bully. It’s political satire, Boll-style. Do you need to have seen the original? NOPE! Do you need to have a stomach for hair-raising action and balls-to-the-wall violence? YES SIR!!
NOVEMBER 29 CINEMA NOVA
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3.00PM
GERMANY / CANADA / 2014 92 MINS DIRECTOR: UWE BOLL STARS: BRENDAN FLETCHER, LOCHLYN MUNROE
42 • monster fest 2014
Truth or Dare
Starry Eyes
LA based Canadian director Jessica Cameron has burst on to the international genre scene in recent times with her gut wrenching directorial debut, TRUTH OR DARE. Six college students, known as the ‘Truth or Dare Devils’, gain an internet cult following when their fake snuff video goes viral. But they didn’t count on their number one fan wanting in on their game. These six friends will endure unimaginable terror as they are forced to play the most barbaric game of ‘Truth or Dare’ you will ever witness. This is a horror film made by horror fans and it certainly delivers the gory goods. TRUTH OR DARE has been taking the festival circuit by storm, collecting almost thirty awards along the way. Now it’s Monster Fest’s turn to join in on this brutal game… if you dare!
STARRY EYES premiered at SXSW earlier this year to a rapturous response. It’s one of a new breed of impossible-to-categorise elevated horror films that are creating waves accross the globe. You might describe it as a body horror with satanic overtones. KILL LIST meets CONTRACTED perhaps? But really, it stands alone as something completely unique and fresh. STARRY EYES tells the story of a struggling LA actress who decides to compromise her integrity to land a primo roll and kick start her career. She enters into an arrangement that sends her spiralling into a deadly world beyond her darkest imaginings. Kevin KÖlsch and Dennis Widmyer have created something very special with STARRY EYES, and it’s easy to see why it’s getting so much love from critics, festivals and fans the world over. It’s intoxicating, mesmerising, nasty, weird and wonderful – in our opinion, the horror film of the year so far!
Includes Q&A with director Jessica Cameron
NOVEMBER 29 CINEMA NOVA
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5.00PM
USA / 2013 89 MINS DIRECTOR: JESSICA CAMERON STARS: JESSICA CAMERON, RYAN KISER, HEATHER DORFF
NOVEMBER 29 • 7.00PM CINEMA NOVA USA / 2014 96 MINS DIRECTOR: KEVIN KÖLSCH & DENNIS WIDMYER STARS: ALEX ESSOE, AMANDA FULLER, MARC SENTER
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Pernicious
Let Us Prey
James Cullen Bressack is one of the bold new voices of American horror. At the tender age of twentytwo he’s already clocked up a string of directing credits the length of your arm. PERNICIOUS takes Bressack and his dark visions to the holiday paradise of Thailand. Here he conjures a pitch-black tale of three young women who arrive for the holiday of their dreams, but instead face a nightmare beyond their wildest imaginings. The source of all the trouble? A gold statue containing the spirit of a dead child no less – just the thing to ruin your spring break! PERNICIOUS is a blood-fuelled combo of HOSTEL and THE RING, and with Bressack at the helm, the horror stakes are set to hyper-drive! Fun, frenetic, and frightening with lashings or gore and mayhem, PERNICIOUS will have you squirming in your seat, begging for more!
Actress Pollyanna McIntosh is fast becoming a horror heavy weight, and in LET US PREY she shows again why her star is rising so fast - and so high. Here we find her as Rachel, a cop on the first day on the job in a rural backwater – it’s a day she’ll never forget! It begins routine enough until the appearance of a mysterious bearded stranger (Liam Cunningham GAME OF THRONES). Calm, poised and so cool he burns, this unusual guest is on an unholy mission that soon has Rachel fighting for her life. Secrets and lies amongst the coppers are uncovered as midnight looms and threatens to see them all pay for their sins. Dark lust, blood and gore abound in this supernatural shock fest from first time director Brian O’Malley. Prepare to gasp, shiver and cringe, sure even Satan himself enjoys a bit of small town spirit!
Includes Q&A with director James Cullen Bresack
NOVEMBER 29 CINEMA NOVA
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9.00PM
USA / 2014 92 MINS DIRECTOR: JAMES CULLEN BRESSACK STARS: CIARA HANNA, EMILY O’BRIEN, JACKIE MOORE
NOVEMBER 29 CINEMA NOVA
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11.00PM
UK / IRELAND 2014 92 MINS DIRECTOR: BRIAN O’MALLEY STARS: POLLYANNA MCINTOSH, LIAM CUNNINGHAM, DOUGLAS RUSSELL
44 • monster fest 2014
Throwback
Plague
The Aussie horror revival continues full throttle with this addition to the local canon: Travis Bain’s THROWBACK. Leap into the heart of far-north Queensland as two pest exterminators attempt to seek out the loot of an infamous and legendary outlaw. A couple of blokes on a quest for treasure in the outback… what could possibly go wrong? Um, ever heard of a Yowie? Whilst battling it out against the perils of the jungle and rival crooks hungry for gold is harrowing enough, it ain’t nothing compared to the battle they face against this ferocious creature of yore baying for human flesh! THROWBACK is a good old fashioned creature flick from go to whoa – it’s got it all… action, adventure, blood, teeth, claws and hair – who could possibly ask for more?
The local horror keeps on rolling in, and here’s a brilliant, intelligent reworking of a classic horror trope from our own back yard: a young couple stuck in the middle of nowhere fighting it out against hordes of the living dead. With food and ammo in short supply, things are looking pretty grim. When a smiling stranger turns up it seems at first that things are on the up – if only the zombie apocalypse was so simple! PLAGUE is a zombie flick with a difference – the monsters here are not so much the drooling, rotting undead, but the very people you hoped were on your side. Smart, terrifying and powerful, PLAGUE is an auspicious debut from the directing team of Nick Kozakis and Kosta Ouzas, an Aussie genre gem that must be seen!
Includes Q&A with director Travis Bain & key cast
Includes Q&A with directors Nick Kozakis & Kosta Ouzas and key cast
NOVEMBER 30 CINEMA NOVA
NOVEMBER 30 CINEMA NOVA
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1.00PM
•
3.00PM
AUST / 2013
AUSTRALIA / 2014
90 MINUTES
86 MINS
DIRECTOR: TRAVIS BAIN
DIRECTORS: NICK KOZAKIS AND KOSTA OUZAS
STARS: SHAWN BRACK, VERNON WELLS, ANTHONY RING, MELANIE SERAFIN
STARS: SCOTT MARCUS, STEVEN JIANAI, SARAH RANKIN
E H T R O F T IS S N I W T TWISTED In case you’ve been living under a rock these last few years (or in case you’re dead), let us introduce you to Jen & Sylvia Soska, The Twisted Twins. The girls first appeared on the scene back in 2010 with their no-budget feature debut, DEAD HOOKER IN A TRUNK, a fun-loving, hyperviolent, absurdist romp that punched way above its weight, and built them an army of fans worldwide. In 2012 came AMERICAN MARY, a worldwide festival sensation that truly launched them across the globe. It was this film that brought them to Monster Fest in 2012, where they charmed local genre freaks with their sweet, down to earth manner, and their genuine lust for the depraved – indeed Monster Festians took to them like a serial killer to a bag of sticky sweets! Well Monster fans, the first ladies of indie horror are back in 2014, and what’s more, they’re here for the entire festival - and as such, will be right at the heart of proceedings. Firstly, they’ll be premiering their brand new slasher SEE NO EVIL 2, then hosting ‘The Collingwood Trivia Massacre’ with our very own Isabel ‘Bloody Izzy’ Peppard. To cap it all off, they’re presenting the closing night film, THE ABCs OF DEATH 2, of which their self penned and directed segment, T IS FOR TORTURE PORN is one of the absolute highlights. If you haven’t yet met these Canadian dynamos, you’ll soon get your chance – get out to Monster Fest, and get your Soska on!
monster fest 2014 • 45
See No Evil 2 After smashing it at the Monster Fest in 2012 with AMERICAN MARY, the Soska sisters are back with SEE NO EVIL 2. WWE superstar Kane returns in the sequel as Jacob Goodnight, the terrifying one-eyed psychopath, proving once and for all that just because you’re lying cold in a morgue, it doesn’t mean you’re dead! This time, Goodnight takes his terror-rage out on a group of late-night morgue visitors, and carnage and mayhem abounds. Horror queens Katharine Isabelle and Danielle Harris join Kane in this sadistic gore-fest of intensity and fun. All hail the Twisted Twins! Includes Q&A with directors Jen & Sylvia Soska
NOVEMBER 30 • 5.00PM CINEMA NOVA USA /2014 90 MINS DIRECTOR: JEN & SYLVIA SOSKA STARS: GLENN JACOBS (KANE), DANIELLE HARRIS, KATHERINE ISABELLE