After Dark Horror Fest will be back for 2007. Last year, the fest made its debut, offering a one-week theatrical release of eight edgy films that otherwise would have been doomed to direct-to-video obscurity. The low-budget horror shows were not all masterpieces, but all of them were worth seeing, and it was great to get to see them on the big screen.
This year, the festival will run from November 9 through 18, in over 350 theatres around the U.S. The fest is sticking with the “8 Films to Die For” tag line, even though so far only four are listed on their website: THE DEATHS OF IAN STONE, NIGHTMARE MAN, FRONTIERS, and UNEARTHED. Presumably more will be added later. (Last year, there were actually nine films; an extra title was unofficially added at the last minute, as a preview for a separate theatrical release.)
Of the titles scheduled for this year, I’ve seen only NIGHTMARE MAN, which is actually pretty good. Writer-director Rolf Kanefsky has earned a cult reputation for his tongue-in-cheek approach to genre cliches, and this one mixes horror with humor to good effect. (Kanefsky describes the film as a sort of time machine that starts off like a ’70s horror film, then turns into an ’80s horror film, and winds up like a ’90s horror film.)
In case you’re interested, After Dark is holding another Miss Horror Fest competition on their YouTube page. If you’re a hot Goth chick who loves horror and doesn’t mind making a spectacle of herself, submit a video to the website and you will be considered for the coveted honor, which includes $50,000 and the opportunity to be spokeswoman for the festival.