Music Box of Horrors 2023 Announced!

Chicago’s own Music Box Theatre has announced the date for this year’s 24-hour horror movie marathon, which will take place from noon Saturday, October 21st through noon on Sunday. We have missed this the last couple due to scheduling conflicts but this year we will be making our triumphant return!

They have just announced the first 3 features to be playing at this year’s marathon: James Cameron’s Piranha 2: The Spawning (1981), J.R. Bookwalter’s shot-on-video Ozone (1993), and Casper (1995), with plenty more to be announced.

You can already get your ticket by heading over the Music Box Theatre’s website by clicking HERE. If you order your ticket now, before October 20th, they are only $30 ($25 for Music Box Members). The day of the marathon, tickets will be $35 ($30 for members). But remember, last year the marathon sold out, so if you really want to go, then I would advise buying your ticket sooner than later.

Haunting Films and Keir-La Janisse at the Music Box

Next weekend, at the Music Box Theatre in Chicago, there is going to be two screenings you don’t want to miss, with special guest presentation, Keir-La Janisse in attendance. Janisse is the author of House of Psychotic Women: An Autobiographical Topography of Female Neurosis in Horror and Exploitation Films, as well as the writer, director, & producer of the award-winning and freaking amazing documentary Woodlands Dark and Days Bewitched: A History of Folk Horror (2021).

January Giallo at the Music Box

Back in January of this year, Chicago’s Music Box Theatre offered up a series of Italian films from the giallo sub-genre, giving fans a chance to see some amazing titles on the big screen. Next month, they are continuing that tradition, giving us 5 more titles, but not just from Italy this time, showing the international influence of this intriguing sub-genre. You’ll still get 3 titles from Italy, once again showcasing some of the best gialli from that country, but also one from Spain and even one from here in the US, starring a very famous actor/director. Check out the titles and the dates below and start making your plans. These will all be screening in the main theater, with 3 from 35mm and 2 from DCP. For all the latest info about this series, just click HERE.

Why We Need to See Films in the Theater

Last night, I ventured into Chicago to the Music Box Theatre for The Creepshow, a Stephen King film festival, where they had a bunch of King movies being screened over 3 days. Friday night, they were screening the original The Shining (1980) and Doctor Sleep (2019), which I had originally planned to go but didn’t make it. Which kind of worked out for the best, since I heard it sold out early in the day. But I did go last night because they were screening Creepshow (1982), which happens to be one of my favorite films of all time. They were also screening 1408 (2007), and Christine (1983), which we planned on staying for as well.

When we (myself and my partner-in-crime for the evening, Brian Martinez) drove up to the theater, we could already see a huge line outside the theater. I lucked out in finding a parking space right in front of the theater. Any locals know just how lucky you are when that happens. In fact, we were so excited, I completely forgot to pay the parking meter. So, after over 30 years of coming into the city for movies and such, I ended up getting my first parking ticket! But back to the real story.

Joe Bob at the Music Box

On Tuesday, July 5th, Joe Bob Briggs will be at Chicago’s Music Box Theatre for a double feature to get that grey matter between your ears working in overdrive! They will be screening The Brain (1988), which stars David Gale (Dr. Hill from Re-Animator) and a giant brain that flies around eating people! This one is a real hoot! After that will be a screening of Frank Henenlotter’s Brain Damage (1989), about a worm-like parasite that drugs his hosts to get them to help him get food, which of course, is brains!

Tickets are $25 and Joe Bob will be there hanging out in the Music Box Lounge before and after each film, as well as selling exclusive merchandise and doing a meet-and-greet with autographs for ticket holders. For all the information, head over to the Music Box website HERE!

An Evening with Bigfoot at the Music Box

On Wednesday, July 13th, head over to the Music Box Theatre in Chicago for a rare treat, being able to witness two Bigfoot movies, two very different kind of Bigfoot movies, on the big screen. The fact that there is a whole sub-genre of Bigfoot movies is amazing enough, but getting to see these two rare films, both that are about as far apart as you can get, will be screening in one evening.

Presented by Shudder and starting at 7pm, you’ll first get to experience a comprehensive and exhaustive Sasquatch mixtape, featuring Bigfoot’s appearances in film and TV shows, ranging from documentaries, children’s films, to horror and X-rated titles. How’s that for just getting started?

The first feature will be Cry Wilderness (1987), which is basically a children’s Bigfoot story but unlike anything you can imagine. The second feature is Night of the Demon (1980), which definitely isn’t a kid’s movie, featuring the famous scene where a biker learns what happens when you piss on Bigfoot. This is from a recent 2K scan from a recently discovered 35mm answer print. Both films are screened from DCP and look amazing.

Also, to entice you even more, both Severin Films and Vinegar Syndrome will have Pop-Up Shops set up in the Music Box Lounge starting at 4:30pm and there until after the screenings.

For all the information, just click HERE.

Music Box of Horrors 2022

The Music Box Theatre in Chicago has announced the date for this year’s 24-hour horror movie marathon of madness! It will take place from noon on Saturday, Oct. 22nd to noon on Sunday the 23rd. They have only 2 films announced so far, Idle Hands (1999) and Bill Hinzman’s Flesh Eater (1988), but there will be much more to come!

Tickets are $30 until Oct. 21st, then they are $35. If you’re a Music Box Member, then you can take of $5 of those prices.

Unfortunately, we will not be vending there once again this year. Usually, we have been at the Monster Bash convention in PA on the weekends of the marathon. But this year, there is another event, that honestly is kind of a once-in-a-lifetime event that I don’t want to miss. There is always a chance that falls through, so if it does, we’ll at least be at the marathon if not vending. Only time will tell.

But for all the info and updates, head over to their website HERE.

Horrors at the Music Box in Chicago

While we all wait for news of this year’s Music Box of Horrors, Chicago’s best 24-hour horror movie marathon, there are more than a few interesting screenings coming up there that might peak the interests of local fans!

This Wednesday, at 9:15pm, they are screening the 1982 epic Boardinghouse, one of the earlier shot-on-video films that actually did play theaters. I know this for a fact because it played at the theater I worked at and was both confused and blown aways by it! Plenty of nudity and gore, as well as a lot of W-T-F moments, it is definitely like nothing else you’ve seen. And getting to see it on the big screen is a whole other experience! There will be an introduction to the film by author and film critic Preston Fassel, author of the book Landis: The Story of a Real Man on 42nd Street, the first ever biography of Sleazoid Express found Bill Landis. There will also be a post screening conversation as well.

Dawn of the Dead at Music Box in Chicago

Now I will admit that out of George Romero’s Dead Trilogy (yes, nothing exists after Day), I would put Dawn of the Dead (1978) as my least favorite. I know, I know, but I will defend that statement!

BUT . . . no matter what, if you have not had the chance to see this film in the theater, and live near the Chicago area, then you need to fix that and come out to the Music Box Theatre, either on Friday, Feb. 4th, or Saturday, Feb. 5th, for a special midnight screening of the original theatrical cut of this epic film. I’ve already checked and this will be screening in the main theater too!

January Giallo

For the last several months, I’ve been honored to be part of the podcast Kicking the Seat, hosted by Ian Simmons, which he has been going through a bunch giallo films and discussing them with myself, as well as Dr. AC aka Aaron Christensen, and Bryan Martinez from The Giallo Room. The episodes are called Accademia Giallo and we’ve covered a wide range of titles from some familiar ones and some more obscure titles, so if you’re a fan, or want to learn more about this sub-genre, check these out.