Chicago Horror Meetup Group (Movies, Books, Etc., Etc.)

 
 
 

After making horror history with BASKET CASE and FRANKENHOOKER, the incomparable Frank Henenlotter unleashed BRAIN DAMAGE – the ultimate Grimm’s Fairy Tale for adults. This slimy slice of NYC life follows a poor schmo who is addicted to a drug called Aylmer. But unlike heroin or cocaine, Aylmer is a mutant penis monster that needs human brains to survive. BRAIN DAMAGE is hilarious, unsettling, and jam-packed with bad-taste gags that would make John Waters blush. Fifteen stars.
Uncut restoration courtesy Arrow Films and the American Genre Film Archive

https://drafthouse.com/chicago/show/brain-damage

 
 
 

Produced by legendary exploitation huckster Donn Davison (ASYLUM OF THE INSANE) with his real-life spouse Barbara, THE FORCE BEYOND is the most outrageous Cryptozoology/paranormal/UFO faux-documentaries of the 1970s. For 85 minutes, “Donn Davison, the producer of this motion picture”, ushers you through four segments detailing “Bigfoot Country,” “The Psychic Search For Atlantis,” “The Devil’s Triangle,” and “U.F.O.s Explained.” What this means is a road trip to The International UFO conference, fake interviews with fake mathematicians inside of not-really-flying airplanes, a speech by the leader of M.U.F.O.N. (The Mutual UFO Network), lots of questionable photographic evidence, and a sculpture of a supposed alien, which appears to be a giant egg clad in BATTLESTAR GALACTICA pajamas. This movie is a dream come true.
Media: Digital Projection

Runtime: 85 mins.
Curated and presented by Jason Coffman.
Programmed for Comfort Station by Raul Benitez, Emily Perez and Mathew Tapey.
Free

Screening is indoors.

https://comfortstationlogansquare.org/calendar/2023/5/31/comfort-film-presents-the-force-beyond-1977

 
 
 

Colorful and kinetic with scenes that blur the lines between horror, martial arts, and slapstick comedy, jiāngshī (Chinese “hopping vampire”) movies are a fun and fascinating alternative to Western tales of the living dead. Music Box of Horrors brings you a double feature of two equally essential sequels to the jiāngshī classic Mr. Vampire, bringing the action to Hong Kong circa 1986 as an undead family wreaks havoc in Mr. Vampire 2 before returning to China’s mythic past for the haunted threequel Mr. Vampire 3. Featuring Hong Kong cinema heavyweights like Sammo Hung, Moon Lee, Yuen Biao, and Lam Ching-Ying in his iconic role as a demon-busting Taoist priest, this will be a night to remember—so hop on those tickets!

https://musicboxtheatre.com/films-and-events/mr-vampire-2-mr-vampire-3

 
 
 

David Cronenberg returns to his science fiction and horror roots in a masterwork about the beauty of transformation.

Saul (Viggo Mortensen) is a renowned performance artist living in a dystopian future where the government scrambles to control the evolution of humanity. Human biology is changing at an accelerated rate, in some cases with the aid of surgery, provoking fear that “neo organs” will permanently alter our genetics and erase our humanity. The heroes are artists and activists who embrace change and choose their own evolutionary path.

Crimes of the Future also explores sexuality and body modification in a world where “surgery is the new sex.” The vast majority of the population no longer experience physical pain or infectious disease, and they heal much faster than ever before. Many individuals find pleasure under the scalpel in sublime displays of vivisection that resemble sadomasochism.

David Cronenberg, Canada/France/United Kingdom/Greece, 2022, 107 minutes, DCP

https://facets.org/programs/crimes-of-the-future-festish-film-forum/