The horror genre flourished in the 1980s, both in terms of industrial production and creative invention. Artists both previously associated with horror as well as those associated with supposedly more respectable film all visited that disreputable playground. In this respect, at least, nostalgia for the Reagan and Pac-Man era is well justified: We simply cannot let the ’80s die. In that spirit, Disreputable Cinema presents RetroActive, a series of that era’s horror films that all share a theme of resurrection—five films chock full of ghouls and creeps returned from the grave… returned again from the decade from which they came. These films exemplify the colorful excess, boundless energy, and rebellious attitude of 1980s horror and will chill you to the bone.
Saturday – HELLO, MARY LOU: PROM NIGHT II & A NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET 3: DREAM WARRIORS
SUNDAY – RE-ANIMATOR (introduced by film writer, Dennis Paoli) & NIGHT OF THE CREEPS
HALLOWEEN NIGHT – DAY OF THE DEAD
About Disreputable Cinema:
Some of the most distinctive and beloved works of cinema exist well apart from the mainstream. Often called cult or underground, these films comprise a subculture of hidden gems and alternative classics that often challenge the norms of art and entertainment. The monthly series Disreputable Cinema celebrates unusual films that both exemplify and challenge various notions of genre, from grindhouse manifestos to foreign fringe frenzies to bold new re-imaginings and mashups. Resistance to mainstream acceptance or approval remains part of the appeal for these works of disreputable cinema, yet the series aims to welcome both fans and discoverers, the diehards and the curious.
Organized by guest curators Jesse Berberich and Justin Rodriguez.