The Music Box Massacre Part 4

It finally happened. After four years the Music Box Massacre (or 24 hours of big screen horror) has been discovered in Chicago. For the first time the theater was near capacity by the time the lights first went down and were at full capacity (possibly because it was presented so close to Halloween and not 3 weeks before as has been the case) for much of the 24 hours. So popular is the show that the theater had to post signs announcing it was sold out but encouraging patrons to return after midnight. If customer did do that they returned disappointed as the theater didn't fall from full capacity until the wee hours of the morning. It was great to see the crowd there and full of enthusiasm but that is also the reason I experienced some problems at this year's show not prevalent with shows passed.

My nephew, the trooper, but just as enthusiastic and supportive as his uncle, and I arrived in line a little after 11a.m. on Saturday the 25^th of October. Despite the unexpected wind which made it feel frigid in line, there were probably 30-40 people in front of us already. Knowing we would not get our usual seats we went with it and made our way into the theater around 11:40. We got our seats, placed our coats over them and headed back to the lobby where the usual tables were set out with many different types of collectibles from books, DVD's, t-shirts, posters and much more. DVD's are a true horror buff's dream come true as many of the titles are hard to get films that are more popular underground. The normal giveaway of free items was reduced to the outside where some teenagers dressed in costume (and poorly protected from the frigid winds) were handing out small suckers with SAW 5 on the package thus the kids proudly announcing " Saw 5 sucks."

Refreshingly one of the problems of the massacre years past was cleared up this year with the supply of energy drinks. They were already sitting in coolers as we came in and there was so much that cases of it remained against the wall as patrons made their final exit the next day.

As usual or master of ceremonies was young horror film buff and filmmaker Rusty Nails who delighted the audience for the full 24 hours with his musings before each movie and his question and answer sessions with the guests for the evening. One of the problems was that the sound system was not behaving itself so it was hard to hear Rusty (who does not project a loud, deep voice as it is) unless the theater was absolutely quiet. This was especially tough for those sitting near the back with the noise from the lobby resulting in a second dilemma. Another missing element was the auctions usually reserved for in between movies. Rusty comes up with some memorabilia and the high bidder gets the prize and the money goes to an AIDS charity. Now the folks from that charity were there but little was actually auctioned off in the auditorium itself.

Now I want to get the short list of complaints out of the way now before getting on to the goodies and the true experience of the massacre. As I stated above I think some of these were the result of the unanticipated audience response this year but that is no excuse for the Music Box and those using the theater to make anything about this 24 hour experience sub-standard. My biggest complaint was the bathroom. Keeping in mind that the Music Box is over 80 years old it is understandable though regrettable that the size is so small. At some point during the first afternoon there was an overflow which was not corrected by the staff until at least 12 hours later which provided every man a chance to stand in puddles as they did their business. That was bad enough but because of the size you can expect a good 10-15 minute wait to get in there which sometimes results in missing the start of the next movie. Another problem was the food provided to the customers. Outside of the standard concession fair pizza has been brought in to feed the hungry horror fans. Each slice is $5 but each slice is the size of half a pizza. The last two years I have had a slice and failed to finish it. The problem last year was the availability of the pizza to the hungry crowd. Not enough was being brought in at a time. This year they rectified this by having more at a time but wisely bringing in the food during the movies and not during intermission which made availability that much easier. The problem? No one let the audience know pizza had arrived. We found out only when a person sitting nearby came in with a slice.

My other problem with the show is something that was corrected last year. At approximately 2a.m. on Sunday the Music Box mysteriously closes its concession stand for the remainder of the festival. Why? Don't they think people are hungry and thirsty at 7 in the morning? Last year the stand was open for its duration but this year it was bupkus for the last ten hours. And why oh why the Music Box won't sell coffee and hot chocolate and have donuts brought in to sell in the morning is beyond me. There are plenty of smokers in the crowd braving the cold between shows plus those inside who happen to peak outside for a few minutes just to clear their heads. The Music Box could make a pretty penny from that and keep patrons satisfied. Interestingly Rusty has, for the last two years, invited the crowd out for breakfast at the end of the festivities - something he can avoid in the future if the Music Box would step up. My guess is they didn't want to pay someone to work hours normally not worked or they couldn't get someone to work the overnight shift. For the money they made this weekend they could afford to offer one of their staff a little extra to put in the time.

One of my favorite parts of the Massacre is the inclusion of movie trailers from horror and sci-fi past but there were very few to speak of this year including the stupid inclusion of UHF, a 1989 box office bomb of a comedy starring "Weird" Al Yankovick. One delightful addition was a couple of previews of films that obviously don't exist. I will be first in line if they ever make WHEELCHAIR WEREWOLF based on the trailer they showed. It's the story of werewolf murders and how wheelchair tracks reveal the perpetrator is in one. Of course the whole town is hunting this maniac but steadfastly refusing to even consider that the one young man in a wheelchair could be responsible. Every time it's brought up the townspeople react like an angry mob and denigrate the person for even thinking such an absurd thing.

In the long run the complaints were overshadowed by another terrific presentation by Rusty Nails in his choice of films (including two making their Chicago premieres on the big screen) and guest stars and the crowd was as enthusiastic as I have ever seen (though the "idiots" that like to yell out came alive almost right away instead of waiting until the midnight show which had been the m.o. in years past. This is another complaint of mine but in light of the whole thing I don't let it bother me as much as it used to) cheering anything and everything. Rusty got the first show on the screen 20 minutes late but in the end the program was on time thanks to a few two minute intermissions later on. Here is how the Music Box Massacre IV unfolded October 25^th-26^th.

As usual the program began with a silent film though this was a short two reeler approximately 25 minutes long, called THE HAUNTED HOUSE starring Buster Keaton. Keaton played a meek bank teller who gets caught up in a counterfeiting conspiracy spear headed by a co-worker that leads Keaton to the man's house where co-conspirators have played up an urban legend that the house is haunted. Once inside Keaton sees ghosts walk back and forth, keeps sliding down a staircase whose stairs fold down and various other shenanigans. Keaton shows his physical comedy talent to the hilt and it is an amusing start to the proceedings. The film also featured live organ accompaniment.

Next up was another first at the Massacre, a second silent film with organ accompaniment. The movie was DR. JEKYLL AND MR. HYDE starring the dashing John Barrymore in the lead two roles. This film is made by Barrymore's brilliant performance, especially that of the evil Hyde. Barrymore's transformation is part make-up but more Barrymore himself as he contorts his face and truly makes himself frightening. It's a very good film.

Next up was 1932's THIS OLD DARK HOUSE from Frankenstein director James Whale which tells the intriguing story of a group of people stranded in a mysterious house in the hills owned by a mysterious family with a brother and sister plus a sick father and, we find out later, an older brother who may or not be the sickest of them all. Boris Karloff has top billing because of his obvious notoriety for having played the Monster the year before but his role is slight with no dialogue. A funny side note is that a title card at the very beginning informs the audience that Karloff plays the house butler because the filmmakers didn't want any serious debate over who Karloff was (he is hidden behind a beard and crouches to look smaller) and to celebrate the actor's versatility. Talk about nervy; the studio should have just included ads requesting Academy Award consideration as well. The film itself is tired and slow as we get to know the characters for two-thirds of the film. Then Karloff, in a drunken rage, unlocks the door of the oldest brother releasing him and when he appears he argues he is not crazy but has been locked away because the other members of his family are crazy. That leads to some truly suspenseful moments but director Whale is saddled with a weak script that offers too few shocks and surprises otherwise. Most interesting is the cast of then up and comers before they made it famous. We see Charles Laughton, Melvin Douglas (some 47 years before his Oscar winning role in Being There), Raymond Massey and a hot looking Gloria Stuart (some 65 years before her Academy Award nominated role as the elder Rose in Titanic).

Next was a 1959 French film, EYES WITHOUT A FACE, that has seen little airtime likely due to one controversial scene so shocking I am amazed it was allowed to stay in at that time. The story concerns a mad but brilliant doctor with a late teens, early twenties daughter who was permanently disfigured in a car accident where the doctor was driving. It seems that the woman only has her eyes remaining and that the rest of her face is gone. The doctor has made it his mission to restore his daughter's face and with the help of a faithful secretary, they fake the daughter's death and then go on the hunt for young pretty girls to kidnap and bring back where the doctor will surgically remove the woman's face and then surgically add it to his daughter's face. The rest of the woman is fed to the caged dogs the doctor has starving in a cave on his property. The film is stylishly made with an incredible scene showing the cutting and removal of the face in great detail, something that must have been shocking and disgusting in 1959 and something still potent enough to draw applause from the audience.

Lucky McKee's MAY was the next program and it proved to be amongst the most popular of the festival. Angela Bettis stars as the weird title character, a young veterinary assistant whose best friend is her priceless doll given to her as a child by her mother. One day she meets a mechanic to whom she is attracted to (particularly his hands) and soon enough the weird stuff he is into is nothing compared to May. The film plays like a drama for its first hour but then turns to violent and unexpected horror later on. It's a strong film that was not widely seen when first released but is worth searching for. Director McKee was expected to attend but had to cancel at the last minute due to travel arrangements which is too bad because the audience would have embraced him completely.

MIDNIGHT MEAT TRAIN, based on the short story by Clive Barker, has a storied history. The head producer and studio (Lionsgate) lost faith in the film after seeing it and instead of making changes they simply decided the film would not be released to theaters. The film tells the story of a photographer on the edge of greatness that starts uncovering evidence of a man who is slaughtering people on a subway train in the late hours of the night. Of course there is much more to the film and knowing some of Barker's previous work I shouldn't have been surprised by where the film goes. Still I found the film to be just mediocre with a few terrific shots of violence including a sensational point of view shot from a person as it is being decapitated. But the violence is overboard and needless most of the time and the characters act in such a way that is completely devoid of logic. The ending, while intriguing, is silly.

Barker himself was there in person to introduce the film and do a solid and informative 30 minute Q&A session after and then remained in the lobby to sign pictures, posters or whatever you had. Barker was obviously still incensed at the studio's decision not to release it and he is correct. There are far worse horror films being released in thousands of movie theaters across the country that don't even hint at some of the style this film has.

Joseph Zito's FRIDAY THE 13TH: THE FINAL CHAPTER was the last movie on Saturday evening with Zito in attendance as well to do an introduction and Q&A post screening. If you have seen any of the films in the series then you have seen them all so there is no need to go into this film much save to say that the audience seemed to love most the shots of topless women, Corey Feldman shaving his head and Crispin Glover getting a machete to the face. Zito's Q&A was also highly informative and entertaining. Zito revealed that he signed on only because he had been assures this would be the final film in the series, this due to the fact that the head of Paramount (and producer of the series of films) was sick of going to board meetings and being berated by old women. Zito admitted to going to great pains to not only kill Jason off in a believable manner but also to show his face. While Zito delivered he also knew he had been duped when this film turned out to have the highest box office gross for a non-holiday weekend in the history of Paramount Pictures.

Sunday morning began with a 12:01a.m. showing of Peter (Lord of the Rings trilogy) Jackson's first film, DEAD ALIVE, widely thought of to be the bloodiest film ever made. Having not seen the film before I can attest to that it is pretty gory but it seems more cartoonish so it never bothered me but brought cheers over and over again from the crowd. The low budget movie concerns a young man whose mother becomes ill and soon turns into a zombie thus starting the domino effect until the man and his true love are fighting hordes of them. The film is slickly made on its obvious low budget (with Jackson putting in a cameo) and entertaining but definitely not for the weary.

Brian DePalma's 1975 cult film THE PHANTOM OF THE PARADISE was next. A modern, hip rock telling of the classic Phantom of the Opera tells of an up and coming rockster whose material is stolen by a fiendish producer (nicely underplayed by singer Paul Williams) and is injured, ending up haunting the walls of the Paradise Theater where he takes a liking to an aspiring singer (Jessica Harper) and a hate to the lead singer (Gerrit Grahame) of a group that is singing the new phantoms stolen material. It's a slight but nifty homage to a classic story but it's for certain tastes. When it was over my nephew turned to me and said, "That was torture to sit through."

BLACK SABBATH is an interesting thriller from 1963 by the great horror director Mario Bava. Here Bava tells three different stories, each of them introduced by Boris Karloff and each of them diminishing in quality as the story goes. The first and best story is that of a woman who is called to a home where the owner has died. To look at her it appears she has been dead for weeks with an almost skeletal look and a smile frozen on her face. It is a creepy effect. Unfortunately, the woman makes the mistake of removing a ring from the corpse and as soon as she gets home she begins seeing the dead woman in different areas of her residence until she is finally and truly confronted by the corpse who floats to the helpless woman awaiting her death. This moment brought screams from the audience. The second story is of a woman who keeps getting phone calls from a man she had previously murdered. The suspense is high for a while but Bava doesn't take the story anywhere interesting and the ending is weak. The final story, featuring Karloff, is about a band of vampires who only bite members of their own human family. This story is overlong when a fourth story should have been included and it goes nowhere thus causing the film to end with a thud after its strong opening.

PIECES was the worst film shown this year but the audience delighted in its awfulness thus making it very entertaining to everyone in the theater. Still that can't hide the fact that this is a terrible movie which opens with a teenage boy hacking his mother to death and chopping her into pieces. Years later he returns and takes up his murderous activities at a local college. Two police detectives come onto the case and are so inept they actually look to a college student for help while pieces of people are popping up everywhere. The inexplicable appearance of a karate teacher and one of the most absurd endings in film history add to the yucks to help overcome the yucks of the gratuitous and overdone violence. This is an Italian film that features a few American actors (Christopher George and his wife Lynda Day) who have been dubbed over by other actors.

JACK BROOKS: MONSTER SLAYER was the low point of the Massacre because it was bad in a way that couldn't entertain the audience. This 2007 straight to DVD release stars Robert (Freddy Krueger) Englund, the only good thing in this film, as a college professor who digs up a box in his yard and is soon possessed by a demon that is lazy and likes to eat raw meat. What do you think happens to the professor's pet German Sheppard? As things get worse student Jack Brooks, who knows a thing or two about monsters thanks to the untimely deaths of his mother, father and sister takes it upon himself to save the day. Soon the professor resembles the creature in the crate from

Creepshow and his appetite turns to the students. This is a bad film with little direction and imagination and no thrills to speak of. The final look of the creature looks more like a demented muppet then anything else. Englund offers what little there is for his pure joy of performing is evident in every scene he is in.

The Massacre ended with probably the greatest horror film of all time, THE EXORCIST. There isn't much more to say about it though I was rather disappointed that this was the updated "version you never saw" which was released in 1998 and not director William Friedkin's original theatrical cut. The film is still potent enough that even the loud mouth commentators in the crowd were keeping quiet thanks both to the film's power and the likelihood that they were simply spent.

At 11:45a.m. on Sunday the 26^th we exited the Music Box and crowded the street for group pictures before going our separate ways. Rusty Nails invited people to hug one another for making it through the event and I happen to be Rusty's hugmate at that moment as I stood next to him. He thanked me for coming and told me he expected to see me again next year.

He will.