Independent horror often gets a bad rap for low budgets, bad scripts and even worse acting. And let’s not even talk about the special effects. But as with any genre of film, some of them defy the odds to provide a worthwhile viewing experience.
The problem is even if they’re good, most end up going straight to DVD for lack of distribution. In 2006, After Dark Films set out to change that by giving some handpicked horror films a chance to see the dark insides of a theater, and be seen by fans in return.
After Dark Horrorfest History
This “horrorfest” is a cross-country viewing of horror movies handpicked by After Dark Films and distributed with assistance by Lionsgate. For one week, eight fright flicks, running the gamut from slasher gore to supernatural scares to psychological thrillers, are given a chance to run in theaters nationwide.
The original festival ran in 2006, in over 500 theaters. The third edition of this horrorfest is scheduled for January 9 through 15, 2009.
The 2009 Horrorfest Films
- Autopsy – Four friends on a road trip are injured in an accident and taken to a small hospital in Louisiana. Unfortunately for them, the staff is more interested in conducting painful inhumane experiments on the patients than helping them. Expect plenty of gore in this one.
- The Broken – A young woman thinks she sees herself drive by and sets off to find who this woman really is. In doing so, she stumbles across a terrifying mystery that involves everyone close to her, leaving her with no one she can trust. This film stars Lena Headey (300, TV’s “Sarah Connor Chronciles”).
- Butterfly Effect: Revelation – A man tries to uncover the mysterious death of his girlfriend by using his unique power to time travel. In doing so, he frees a serial killer. This film is the second sequel to the 2004 film starring Ashton Kutcher and Amy Smart.
- Dying Breed – Zoology students stumble upon a cannibalistic clan in the Tasmanian Forest of Australia who are descendents of a famous serial killer known as The Pieman.
- From Within – A slew of suicides panics the small community of Grovetown. College student Lindsay and her friend Aidan investigate and Lindsay discovers that not only is something evil behind it all, but she may be the next to die. The film stars Thomas Dekker (TV’s “Heroes” and “Sarah Connor Chronicles”).
- Perkins’ 14 – Ronald Perkins becomes mentally unstable when he witnesses his parents’ brutal murder at age six. For years, he struggles with paranoia the killers will return for him, until he snaps and kidnaps fourteen people from his hometown. He brainwashes them via cult-like methods to protect him no matter what. When the police capture and imprison him, this army of trained killers is unleashed with only one thing on their minds: save Perkins.
- Slaughter – Supposedly based on true events, this slasher-meets-torture horror film recounts the tale of a woman who leaves an abusive relationship to move in with a friend at the family farm. When she realizes the men her friend brings home never leave the next morning, she suspects there are more than pigs being slaughtered on the farm. And that knowledge proves to be very deadly for her.
- Voices – This Korean supernatural thriller revolves around the idea that those closest to you may want you dead. Brutal murders become everyday occurrences as a young girl searches for the truth behind a curse that may have her being the next in line to die.
Further Details
For a complete list of theaters, along with film trailers and other information, visit the After Dark Horrorfest website.
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