Theatrical double bill of ASYLUM OF SATAN and ABBY *UPDATE*!

[Pilgermann]

The local "indie" theater Baxter Avenue has announced their October line-up of midnight movies, all of which are horror films to some extent.  On October 18 they'll be showing William Girdler's Asylum of Satan and Abby back to back.  The print of Asylum of Satan is apparently a slightly longer version than the DVD release.  Here's a list of their upcoming midnight shows if anyone will happen to be anywhere Louisville, KY:

Pulp Fiction - August 9

Total Recall - August 23

Full Metal Jacket - August 30

Tommy - September 13

Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas - September 27

It Came From Outer Space in 3-D - October 4

The Haunting - October 11

Asylum of Satan and Abby - October 18

Killer Klowns From Outer Space - October 25

Dead Alive - October 31

[RCMerchant]

ASYLUM of SATAN! UH! Whatta Gawd awful mess of a movie! Of course....I own it....and watch it...! What's up with the manly head nurse? Or the hooded patients with plates of boiled eggs? Or the hero's plaid pants? Or him tossing a rubber head onto the cops desk?

http://youtube.com/watch?v=etync_kW99A

And ABBY? One of my very favorite Blaxpliotation movies,and my very favorite EXORCIST rip-offs!!!!!


And the classic the HAUNTING.....the best haunted house movie of all time! If you've never read Shirly Jackson's novel....you should! A truly ...uh....haunting  tale. It's more than just a novel...it's litature! Required reading-IMHO.

[Cult Movie Mania]

Actually, the list is kind of a mixed bag.  'pulp fiction' a Midnight Movie?  I don't think so.  Total Recall?  Full Metal Jacket?  Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas?  Midnight Movies?  Some of these selections are fine films (esp. FMJ), but these, IMO, aren't appropriate for midnight viewings.  Additionally, I wouldn't qualify either "Killer Clowns..." nor "Dead Alive" - I'm not a fan of either film, and came along at a time when horror was getting uncomfortably silly (the late '80s).

Now the other selections are just fine, and if I were in Louisville, I'd be pretty excited about the Asylum of Satan/Abby double feature.  These are film prints?  Congrats to those involved in choosing to exhibit them on film rather than DVD.  I also applaud this particular double feature as well as The Haunting, It Came from Outer Space (should be a thrill in 3-D), and Tommy.

[Pilgermann]

Actually, the list is kind of a mixed bag.  'pulp fiction' a Midnight Movie?  I don't think so.  Total Recall?  Full Metal Jacket?  Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas?  Midnight Movies?  Some of these selections are fine films (esp. FMJ), but these, IMO, aren't appropriate for midnight viewings.  Additionally, I wouldn't qualify either "Killer Clowns..." nor "Dead Alive" - I'm not a fan of either film, and came along at a time when horror was getting uncomfortably silly (the late '80s).

Now the other selections are just fine, and if I were in Louisville, I'd be pretty excited about the Asylum of Satan/Abby double feature.  These are film prints?  Congrats to those involved in choosing to exhibit them on film rather than DVD.  I also applaud this particular double feature as well as The Haunting, It Came from Outer Space (should be a thrill in 3-D), and Tommy.

Many of the choices are questionable, but nearly all of them are based on nominations and votes from patrons.  I'd be happy to see some of them like Fear & Loathing since I love the film and never saw it in theaters.  They've had some good variety in the past with films like Pink Flamingoes, Return of the Living Dead, Re-Animator, Suspiria, Creature from the Black Lagoon in 3D, Psycho, The Warriors and other random things.  I think I've only attended two of their midnight screenings and those were to see Brazil (I'd been dying to see this theatrically) and Pee-wee's Big Adventure (sold out and tons of fun!).  And these are always 35mm prints, although I think they had to project a DVD once because a print suddenly became unavailable a couple of days before the show or something.

[Rev. Powell]

Pilg, I'm in Louisville and I'm interested in all of the October showings, and possibly TOMMY as well.  But it's too far ahead of schedule to make definite plans yet.  Hopefully you or I will remember to bump the thread when it comes time.

Ranch, I don't know what your standard for a "Midnight Movie" would be, but from a business perspective anything that people are willing to attend a midnight screening of qualifies.  I saw most of those mainstream films in theaters and I'm not interested in seeing them again, but they all have strong followings, are at least a little offbeat, and fans want to see them again on the big screen.  I'd prefer more obscure/weird choices, but me and Pilg would probably be the only ones in the audience.  We should be thankful they show any movies that aren't in current release.  Unless you live in New York or Los Angeles, theaters willing to show any kind of repertory fare are a real luxury. 

[Cult Movie Mania]

As long as we're on the topic of local B-movie screenings, here's a line-up of films that recently screened at a gallery called Studio 620 in St. Petersburg (Florida), many of which were exciting:

Thursday July 24, 9:00 pm
Hairspray (1988)

Friday July 25, 8:00 pm
Beyond the Valley of the Dolls (1970)

Friday July 25, 10:00 pm
A Bucket of Blood (1959)

Friday July 25, MIDNIGHT
Queen of Outer Space (1958)

Saturday July 26, 1:00 pm
It! The Terror From Beyond Space (1958)

Saturday July 26, 2:30 pm
Mothra Vs.Godzilla (1964)

Saturday July 26, 6:00 pm
Ride the Wild Surf (1964)

Saturday July 26, 9:00 pm
Plan 9 from Outer Space (1956)

[Pilgermann]

BUMP!  Just a reminder for those who might be nearby.  The Girdler double feature is this Satuday, the 18th!


Here's the full scoop:

This weekend, Horror Through the Decades celebrates Louisville's own exploitation king, William Girdler, with two of his local films for the low price of just six bucks. The evening kicks off at ten o'clock with Girdler's directorial debut - "Asylum of Satan." The print we'll be exhibiting was received from the film's producer and happens to be the very print that premiered at the Vogue over thirty years ago (and, it also happens to have a few extended scenes that never appeared on the out of print DVD).



At midnight, Girdler's most infamous film, "Abby," takes the screen. Dubbed "The Black Exorcist," the film was slapped with a major lawsuit from Warner Bros shortly after its release (due to alleged similarity to "The Exorcist" ) and all 35mm prints were destroyed (or so the legend goes). So we had to turn to the next available medium - 16mm - on loan from a private collector in California.


As for the intermission inbetween, I've compiled a great reel of vintage trailers from the era from our collection. Trust me, the trailers alone are worth the six bucks it takes to attend, both Girdler films aside. So come out for some great seventies, Louisvillian fare this Saturday (October 18) at 10:00.

Only $6.00 for an overload of inept filmmaking magic!

[Rev. Powell]

Thanks for the reminder!  I would really love to see this, I'll have to see if I can make it.