There are many traditions associated with Halloween but none are as resilient, or as brain-meltingly fun, as Spectacle’s annual SHRIEK SHOW (or SHRIEKSHOW, depending on the year, apparently).
Mark Freado unleashed Shriek Show upon an unsuspecting public in 2011 with seven gut-busting horror films back-to-back in a 14-hour marathon. Mark presided over nine years of Halloween carnage before passing the curse to Zach Fleming in 2020, and the marathon has continued almost every year since.
This year marks the fifteenth year of this beloved Spectacle tradition, so we wanted to celebrate by doing something nearly as crazy as the movies Shriek Show has inflicted upon audiences over the years: a three-day Shriek Show marathon, playing one film from every previous edition. Mark and Zach have each delved back into their respective years to pick a favorite from every edition they programmed, and where possible we’ve dug up the original program text that accompanied each film when it first screened.
Fourteen years of regional oddities, shot-on-video nightmares, forgotten slashers, supernatural freakouts, bargain-bin monsters, and movies that probably should never have existed in the first place, dragged back onto the big screen for one long Halloween weekend.
We kick things off at 7 PM on Friday, October 30th with the very first film ever screened at Shriek Show, before working our way (almost) chronologically through fourteen years of the marathon.
FULL WEEKEND PASS
FRIDAY, OCTOBER 30TH
7 PM / 9 PM / 11 PM
$10 DAY PASS
SATURDAY, OCTOBER 31ST
NOON / 2 PM / 4 PM / 6 PM / 8 PM / 10 PM / MIDNIGHT
$25 DAY PASS
SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 1ST
3 PM / 5 PM / 7 PM / 9 PM
$15 DAY PASS
Individual tickets are $5 at the door.
DAY 1 – FRIDAY, OCTOBER 30TH
SHRIEK SHOW 1 – 7PM:
X XXXX XXX XXXXXX
Dir. XXXXXX XXXX, 1958
United States. 76min.
In English.
A tense and atmospheric descent into madness, X XXXX XXX XXXXXX is a lean, low budget treat with art direction that’s equal parts Man Ray and poverty row. This film is a must for lovers of great B movies and creepy cemeteries!
SHRIEK SHOW 2 – 9PM:
XXXXXX XXXXX’X XXXX
Dir. XXX XXXXXXX, 1989
United States. 80min.
In English.
XXXXXX XXXXX’X XXXX began life as a student film before expanding into a feature. Made on a shoestring budget with a largely local cast and crew, it’s a wildly inventive example of late-’80s DIY horror, packed with handmade effects and surreal imagery.
SHRIEK SHOW 3 – 11PM:
XXX XXXXXXXXXXX
Dir. XXXX XXXXXXXXX, 1986
United States. 100min.
In English.
Someone once said “Texas regional horror is the best regional horror.” It’s a bold statement, but it would be difficult to disagree. With a close community pushing the boundaries in pretty much every aspect of the genre, the output is impressive to say the least. Bret McCormick made XXX XXXXXXXXXXX on Super-8 and edited it on 3/4″ and the result is a heartfelt, lo-fi, gut munching success. Disconnected sound, hallucinatory loops, chanting, droning, and a world of practical effects pepper this nightmarish vision of the Lone Star state.
DAY 2 – SATURDAY, OCTOBER 31ST
SHRIEK SHOW 4 – NOON
XXXXXX’X XXXXXXX: XXX XXXXXXX XXXXX
Dir. XXX XXXXX, 1989
United States. 83min.
In English.
This years entry is…well, something special indeed. With the Spectacle Shriek Show IV in full swing this will be the proverbial “third bowl of porridge” to your melted brain.
SHRIEK SHOW 6 – 2PM
XXXXXX XXXXX XX XXXXXXX X
Dir. XXXXXXX XXXXX, 1985
United States. 87min.
In English.
One of the most confusing and compelling homemade horror films ever made, future music video director XXXXXXX XXXXX’X debut feature film, shot over years on nights and weekends, is a delirious collage of oddball gore, ludicrous plot twists, and a general milieu of weirdness unlike anything else in cinema history. A head-scratcher of this magnitude hasn’t graced the Shriek Show screen since…well, probably last year!
SHRIEK SHOW 7 – 4PM
XXX XXXXXXXXXX
Dir. XXXXXXX XXXX XXXXXXXX, 1985
United States. 92min.
In English.
An unsung behemoth of American horror, XXX XXXXXXXXXXX encompasses many if not all the elements that make up what a true “Spectacle” movie is. Filmmaker XXXXXXX XXXX XXXXXXXX (who worked under the pseudonym David Michael Hillman) blends a stop motion, claustrophobia, homemade sets, and great characters into an impressive DIY terror slurry.
SHRIEK SHOW 8 – 6PM
XXXXX XXXXXX XXXX XXXXXXX XX XXXX
Dir. XXXXXXXX XXXXXXXX, 1995
Japan. 62min.
In Japanese with English Subtitles.
Another entry in this year’s Shriek Shows XIII lineup that almost never was – XXXXX XXXXXX XXXX XXXXXXX XX XXXX was made in 1995, edited in 2005, finished in 2009, and not released until 2012. Clocking in at just over an hour, XXXXX XXXXXX XXXX XXXXXXX XX XXXX doesn’t waste any time getting to the bleeding heart of the matter. Although it’s often compared to 1977’s HOUSE or described as “the Japanese EVIL DEAD,” the film manages to subvert all expectations and take viewers on a ride unlike anything they’ve ever seen. Truly one of a kind.
SHRIEK SHOW 9 – 8PM
XXXXXXXXXX XX X XXXXXXX XXXXX
Dir. XXXXXX XXXXXXXXX, 1981
United States. 99min.
In English.
A mental patient named George Tatum (played by a turned-up-to-11 Baird Stafford) is on the loose and fueled by nightmares of his childhood trauma and an unstoppable bloodlust George leaves a trail bodies in his wake on a coastline rampage with his former doctor and investigators hot on his tail. Meanwhile down in Florida, single mom Susan Temper has her hands full with one of her brood. Young CJ is a menace – acting out, pulling pranks on his siblings, and generally causing his poor mother to tear her hair out. Susan gets a night out of the house for a date leaving her kids with a babysitter. Things go from bad to worse on the homefront as creepy phone calls escalate into a home invasion and a devastating ending that has to be seen to be believed.
SHRIEK SHOW 10 – 10PM
XXXXXXXX: XXXXXXX XXXXXXX
Dir. XXXX XXXXXX, 1993
United States. 90min.
In English.
Shriek Show X closesd out with an early Nineties low budget “vampire flick”. Shot on 8mm for about $5k over the course of 2-3 years, this independent gorefest claims “the most exploding heads in a horror film ever” – and they’re not wrong. Also featuring a kickass heavy metal soundtrack and some of the best home-brewed FX ever committed to celluloid!
SHRIEK SHOW 5 – Midnight
XXXXXXXX
Dir. XXXX X. XXXXX, 1982
United States. 94min.
In English.
Cynthia looks great and has a pentagram on her forehead and there’s a lot of blood drinking and people in cages. Also some other truly sadistic and harrowing shit goes down. The film is based on XXXXX’X novel of the same name and was followed by a sequel– XXXXXXXX 2–many moons later. DO NOT MISS THIS ONE.
CONTENT WARNING: SEXUAL VIOLENCE
DAY 3 – SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 1ST
SHRIEK SHOW 11 – 3PM
XXXX XXXXX XX XXXXXXXXXX
Dir. XXXXXXX XXXXX, 1989
Italy. 90min.
In Italian with English Subtitles.
One of dozens of made-for-TV schlock gems by one of Italy’s most prolific horror directors – fans of our MADE FOR ITALIAN TV series from a few many years ago (or any of the GHOST HOUSE / LA CASA series), take note!
SHRIEK SHOW 12 – 5PM
XX XXXX XXXX XXXXX
Dir.XXXXX XXXXXX, 1999
United States. 80min.
In English.
A New England shot-on-mini-DV gem featuring vampires, angels, demons, incredible t-shirts and the best possum appearance in cinema history. Think FROM DUSK TIL DAWN made with the budget and enthusiasm level of a backyard wrestling video (the new blu-ray release features an archival blooper reel titled “scenes that hurt”), unhinged lore drops, and some of the best and most inventive gore no-money can buy.
SHRIEK SHOW 13 – 8PM
XXXX XXXXXXXXX
Dir. XXXXXX XXXXXXXX, 1979
Mexico. 98min.
In Spanish with English Subtitles.
Steeped in steadily building dread, this Mexican horror film from the late 70s is full of surprises, not to mention a knockout of an ending. Not to be missed.
SHRIEK SHOW 14 – 10PM
XXXXX
Dir. XXX XXXXX, 1974
United States. 80min.
In English.
A snake collector lures residents of a small town to his snake ranch.
