Telluride Horror Show premieres this weekend

14 Oct Telluride Horror Show premieres this weekend

Above is a trailer from Ticked Off Trannies With Knives, another of the feature films set to screen at this weekend's Telluride Horror Show. This film made a big splash at the Tribeca Film Festival.The following is a continuation of yesterday's Q&A with festival director Ted Wilson. Read the first segment here.

Telluride Inside: Does the horror film industry have its own set of stars? Actors, screenwriters, producers?

Ted Wilson: If you’ve made a horror film that had an audience, you’ll always have a place in the horror world, even if you haven’t made a film in thirty years. The legends of horror never die and remain revered by fans forever. Wes Craven, John Carpenter, George Romero, Roger Corman, and on and on. We hope to have them all at the Horror Show some day!

TIO: Do you have a favorite moment in horror films (in this program or any film) and can you describe it?

TW: I think all my favorite moments in horror films are going to take place Oct. 15-17 in Telluride…I can’t wait to hear people’s reactions to the films we have this year. I’ll be just as nervous as the makers of these films, waiting to see the audience’s reactions.

TIO: How or why is this festival a good fit for Telluride?

TW: If all goes well and we can keep this festival going, then the hope is that it will give businesses a shot in the arm before off-season truly sets in. We really want to grow beyond a regional event and bring people in from all over the country. That will all depend on the films we can get each year, but given what we were able to land our first year, I’m confident we can build this thing into one of the premiere genre film festivals in the country. Telluride is just the perfect setting for a horror film festival in mid-October. Our smaller, older venues are perfect. We’ve got the atmosphere, we’ve got the films, now we just need the people. Of course, like any new event, we truly need the support of locals. So many people and businesses have rallied behind the Horror Show with real enthusiasm. I hope that will inspire everyone who’s in town during the festival to jump into the event and see some great horror flicks.

TIO: Any advice to people attending the show—must-see movies or advice to the faint of heart?

TW: I almost don’t want to give any advice—it’s more fun to walk into these films with no idea what’s going to happen on that screen! But if you hate the gore and blood, I highly recommend the films “Phasma Ex Machina,” “Strigoi,” and “Bitter Feast.” These are smart, well-written films that can be enjoyed by people who don’t consider themselves fans of horror. The British indie hit “Colin” falls in the category too, though there’s a touch of gore in it. If you want the hardcore stuff then “Sweatshop,” “Vampire Girl vs Frankenstein Girl,” “I Didn’t Come Here to Die,” “Satan Hates You,” “Harpoon: Whale Watching Massacre” and “Someone’s Knocking at the Door” are for you. If you want to laugh and have a good time, go to “Ticked Off Trannies with Knives,” “Broken Springs: Shine of the Undead Zombie Bastards,” “The Book of Zombie,” “The Last Lovecraft,” “Piranha,” and Tom Holland’s “Twisted Tales.” The shorts are all over the board, and the Saturday Morning Shorts program at the Opera House promises everything from horror comedy to dark sci-fi. Everyone needs to go to the closing films, “Machete Maidens Unleashed!” and “Tucker & Dale vs Evil.” You’ll feel like a jerk if you don’t! Really, though, it’d be great if we all took the attitude we have during Mountainfilm and Telluride Film Festival. At those festivals, I go to movies I normally wouldn’t seek out on my own, because they’re here and it’s a festival. I hope people will take the same approach to the Horror Show. You might not be a fan of horror films, but maybe we can eventually convert you…that’s the real goal of the Telluride Horror Show.