The After Dark Horrorfest was a game-changer back when it premiered in 2006. Not only was this film festival devoted to the horror genre, it was accessible. Founder Courtney Solomon (An American Haunting) chose the best possible venue for this “ultimate celebration of horror”: the big screen. So from November 17 to 21, these hand-picked titles were shown at select theaters across the U.S.
There have been four “sequels” to the After Dark Horrorfest since then, but for many horror hounds like myself, the original one is a bit more meaningful. It was an exciting time for discovery, developing one’s own taste, and for learning what the genre had to offer in the non-mainstream sector.
So in honor of this momentous film fest, we look back at the first “8 Films to Die For”.
The Abandoned (Nacho Cerdà)
Pictured: Anastasia Hille in The Abandoned.
That February following the first After Dark Horrorfest, Nacho Cerdà‘s The Abandoned was re-released in theaters for a wider rollout. This Spanish-U.K.-Bulgarian co-production was the only movie from the 2006 collection to receive such an honor. And after watching this spectral, time-based story, it’s easy to see why The Abandoned was singled out. Anastasia Hille (The Hole) plays Marie, a woman visiting some inherited property in Russia. That is when she, along with a long-lost brother named Nicolai (Karel Roden, Hellboy), discovers her dark and forgotten origins.
Digging up the past is a frequently, not to mention ill-advised activity in horror. The Abandoned demonstrates that opinion with both force and style. It’s the kind of movie where the viewer is just as clueless as the characters, who are quite literally being haunted by themselves, yet the lack of explanations only makes their supernatural ordeal more intriguing. And if there is anything about The Abandoned that is properly disappointing, it’s Cerdà not going on to direct more horror movies.
Dark Ride (Craig Singer)
Pictured: The killer gives someone a splitting headache in Dark Ride.
The only bona fide slasher in the mix is Craig Singer‘s bloody ode to old-school body-count movies. Dark Ride is by the numbers in most regards, but that’s also part of its appeal. It does nothing but get back to basics. And while the conventional, no-frills slasher was struggling to stay afloat in the mainstream, indie offerings such as this kept the subgenre alive until the next major resurgence.
Dark Ride operates on the same premise as Tobe Hooper’s The Funhouse; both movies have young people crashing overnight at a closed horror attraction, only to then be picked off by a crazed killer. Unlike Hooper’s underrated slasher though, this one plays more with its environment. That is primarily because Dark Ride‘s production values and set design are what make it pop. After all, this movie’s cast of potential victims is not designed to be likable; Jamie Lynn-Sigler‘s character and the other fodder are intentionally irritating so that their over-the-top deaths are more satisfying for audiences.
The Gravedancers (Mike Mendez)
Pictured: Josie Maran is visited by her character’s supernatural tormentor in The Gravedancers.
Combine parts of The Evil Dead with The Frighteners and Poltergeist, and you have a good idea of what the The Gravedancers is all about. After showing his comedic chops in The Convent, Mike Mendez followed with this semi-serious ghost story. There is still a funny bone jutting out here, however, the movie is ultimately more straightforward than silly. Mendez directs with so much energy that this movie’s wilder effects and moments are exhilarating as opposed to ridiculous.
Estranged friends (Dominic Purcell, Josie Maran, Marcus Thomas) come together to mourn a shared loss, but after dancing on graves as part of their grieving process, they accidentally summon three spirits. And not just any spirits either; the trio is now haunted by an axe murderer, a firebug, and a rapist. The main characters’ only hope, of course, is a pair of paranormal experts (Tchéky Karyo, Megahn Perry).
The Hamiltons (The Butcher Brothers)
Pictured Joseph McKelheer and Mackenzie Firgens, as Wendell and Darlene, get cozy in The Hamiltons.
This offbeat vampire story could be classified as “mumblegore,” what with the characters talking more than feeding and killing. That’s not to say the titular family doesn’t prey; they don’t spare any drop of blood coming their way. It’s just that their hunting habits seem more suited for a Jack Ketchum novel. The characters’ sense of brutality goes undetected by society, for the most part.
While The Butcher Brothers‘ The Hamiltons may look and seem amateurish, at least when compared to its peers, it’s really the most unconventional and envelope-pushing movie from the first After Dark Horrorfest. It will catch viewers off guard at least once. For more from this fang family, check out the sequel, The Thompsons.
Penny Dreadful (Richard Brandes)
Pictured: Rachel Miner in Penny Dreadful.
Richard Brandes‘ Penny Dreadful is a routinely overlooked example of movies that have both a high concept and a limited setting. Rachel Miner (In Their Skin) is the eponymous Penny whose extreme aversion to cars, in response to trauma, is ruining her life. And when a therapist (Mimi Rogers, Ginger Snaps) forces Penny on a road trip to confront that problem head on, they cross paths with a dangerous hitchhiker.
For a movie that takes place largely inside a car, Penny Dreadful manages to keep your attention and excite. Miner’s performance as a distraught and easily rattled amaxophobe is convincing. It’s a bit too convenient how the story managed to weaponize the main character’s fear — the thing Penny feared the most is now her only means of safety — however, the execution is solid.
Reincarnation (Takashi Shimizu)
Pictured: A creepy doll from Reincarnation.
The other movie here to receive a separate showing on the big screen was this forgotten piece of “J-Horror” from The Grudge director Takashi Shimizu. That’s only because Reincarnation (originally Rinne) was released in its home country of Japan months before the first After Dark Horrorfest. When it came time to watch this tale of a haunted hotel with the other Horrorfest entries though, many viewers didn’t give the movie a fair chance. In fact, it’s said that some audience members left their screening, on account of the subtitles.
For those who did stay the whole time or sought out Reincarnation on their own, they were in for a treat. Admittedly more slow burning than thrilling, Shimizu’s neglected movie is an exemplar of contemporary psychological horror, Japanese or otherwise.
Unrest (Jason Todd Ipson)
Pictured: Corri English’s character, a med student, gets to know her cadaver in Unrest.
Rather than delving into the potential, reality-based horrors of med school, Jason Todd Ipson‘s Unrest depicts a more typical threat. Here a first-year pathology student (Corri English) and her lab partners come to find that their medical cadaver is cursed, and anyone who comes in contact with the body is doomed to die.
While Unrest approaches generic territory, its conventionality doesn’t make it unwatchable. There’s enough here to keep your interest, including a charming lead, the startling use of actual cadavers — not for the main one, mind you — and a dread-inducing soundtrack made more distinct by its use of a recurring “tribal” beat.
Wicked Little Things (J. S. Cardone)
Pictured: Lori Heuring, Scout Taylor-Compton and Chloë Grace Moretz in Wicked Little Things.
The final entry here is, like Unrest, a bit average. However, many would agree that “undead miner kids attacking folks up in the mountains” is an irresistible elevator pitch. The follow-through is sometimes patchy, but oh does J. S. Cardone (The Slayer) deliver the goods when it comes to creepy zombie children taking their revenge.
Wicked Little Things (also known as Zombies in other regions) doesn’t come up often, if at all, in conversations about killer kid horror. Maybe that should change because this movie is well shot and surprisingly atmospheric.
So, of these 8 Films to Die For, which one is your favorite?