The gorgous Music Box Theatre in Chicago will host their third annual Music Box Massacre from noon, Saturday Oct 13th-noon, Sunday Oct 14th. They have just updated their finalized schedule.
12:10 Saturday The Cat and the Canary (1927), with live organ accompaniment.
1:45 Freaks (1932)
3:00 Abbott & Costello Meet Frankenstein (1948)
4:30 Equinox (1971)
6:00 Peeping Tom (1960)
8:00 The Monster Squad (1987)
9:30 Q&A with Fred Dekker (Monster Squad’s director)
10:00 Demons 2 (1987)
11:30 Q&A with Coralina Cataldi-Tassoni (star of Demons 2)
12:15 AM Videodrome (1983)
2:00 Halloween 3: Season of the Witch (1982)
3:50 The Raven (1963)
5:30 It’s Alive (1974)
7:20 Deathdream (1974)
9:00 The Demonology of Desire (2007)
9:30 The Shining (1980)
****
The Massacre usually shows the movies in chronilogical order, barring the ones with guest stars (this year, Monster Squad and Demons 2), which naturally show at prime time for the convenience of the celebrity guests.
However, even aside from that, you can see that after the first slate of films the chronilogical aspect is tossed out the window. I personally think this is a mistake. Personally, given my nature, I always enjoyed watching the horror movies progress from one era to the next. In fact, I’ve long been mulling–for decades, really–a second web site based something on that idea. (I know, before I start a second website, perhaps I should do some work on this one.)
However, aside from my own preferences, I think the mistake here is that you can divide the show’s audience into three groups: Those just here for the whole show in and of itself, those ‘classic’ horror fans, and the modernist gore-relishing fans.
This helped keep the theatre for being jammed packed throughout. Some people, like myself, would come in the beginning, and phase ourselves out as the gorier material came into play. Others (more, presumably) would do the opposite. It was a nice balance.
There still is a rough divide, but the showing of Corman’s The Raven, starring Vincent Price, Boris Karloff and Peter Lorre, in the middle of the night is a puzzler. I’m just not sure what the kids will make of it–not much, I expect–whereas the ‘early’ crowd of folks like myself would have loved it. Ah, well, you can’t please everybody. Still, I’m not sure this experiment will prove a success.
Will I go? If I do, I’d start with Cat and the Canary (a wonderful silent movie) and stay through, oh, Monster Squad maybe, although I’d probably skip the Q&A. That would represent six movies, and certainly be worth $30. However, there’s the fact that I just generally don’t do stuff solo, and anyway, it is possible the Cubs will still be playing post-season ball by then, so making plans is a toughie.
Doubts and all, though, this is a good time, and I can certainly recommend it to any interested parties.
