Horrorfest 2006 Gets an Audience for Unreleasable Movies

It used to be that if movies were shelved after production finished, because they could not get distribution, that that's exactly where they'd stay. The average moviewatcher was none the wiser. Only the movies we heard about were the ones that existed. (If a tree falls in a forest...) Now things are a little different. There are more outlets than ever for those lesser known projects. There are more festivals in the world now than any single human could ever attend and the numbers are just growing; it's become trendy to seek out those lesser known titles -- the average movie watcher is no longer content with the average movie; independent artists are seeking new methods of self-release; and the internet is being used for everything from viral marketing to release.

In fact, that little film called Four Eyed Monsters that I told you about a little while back is having some success already with their own alternative self-release campaign. What they do is actually pretty cool and even, perhaps, revolutionary. They ask for interested viewers and fans of their video podcast to get on their website and put in a request to see their movie. Once they have enough requests from a given area, they work with a local theater in the area, and show their movie. So far they have had screenings in several cities around the country (their next is in Minnesota) and are awaiting more requests to screen their movies anywhere else. Denver has 71 so far, so get on there and make a request if you live in Denver, so I can finally go see this movie!

Four Eyed Monsters isn't the only movie doing it differently. Apparently there is a collection of horror movies, that would otherwise remain unreleased due to extreme graphic content, that is being released together as a part of "Horrorfest." For one weekend only (November 17 - 19) they will be shown at some 500 theaters around the country. There are at least two theaters in the Denver area showing the gore that weekend, to see if a theater near you is participating, visit HorrorFestOnline.com!

Eight movies in all will be shown, including Reincarnation, by director Takashi Shimuzu, who brought us the Grudge movies, as well as some work by lesser known artists. The advertisement for the fest says that these movies are not generally given general theatrical distribution because they are considered "too graphic, too disturbing, and too shocking for general audiences." Who knows if these movies really are as freaky as the ad claims, but it certainly piques the curiousity.

Haven't decided yet if I plan on going, but it just sounds too fun, and I love that it is a group of movies that I might not otherwise be able to see. Maybe if I can find a friend to go with me (Hint! Hint!) and maybe hold my hand... Hubby's more than likely going to be out of town that weekend, and I am not sure I could convince him to go anyway. Anyone else want to go? What do you say? Anyone up for some gore and horror that goes beyond what anyone would normally see in a widely released movie?


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