The Class of 1988 Marathon

Box Office opens at 10am / Doors at 11am  /  Show at Noon / Ends approx. 10pm 

While some fans believe that the early ‘80s was the greatest era for horror cinema, the summer of 1988 produced some pretty fantastic fright flicks, demonstrating that quality cult classics were still being released in the later years of the decade. Join Exhumed Films as we celebrate the 30th anniversaries of five fan favorites and welcome some distinguished alumni from the Class of ’88 as guests of honor for our day-long reunion!

THE BLOB
1988 / 35mm / Dir. Chuck Russell / 95 min.

Fresh off the success of A NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET 3: DREAM WARRIORS, director Chuck Russell and his writing partner Frank Darabont (THE SHAWSHANK REDEMPTION, THE MIST) re-teamed for this update of the 1950s sci-fi classic. THE BLOB features fantastic practical effects from Tony Gardner’s Alterian Studios, continuing the trend of updating ‘50s faves like THE THING and THE FLY with state-of-the-art visuals. The story is a familiar one: a teen rebel (Kevin Dillon) partners with a popular cheerleader (Shawnee Smith from the SAW series) to save their town from a gelatinous alien organism that stands to threaten all of humanity. A worthy entry in the pantheon of ‘80s sci-fi remakes, THE BLOB is definitely a gooey good time.

NIGHT OF THE DEMONS—with producer/screenwriter Joe Augustyn in attendance!
1988 / 35mm / Dir. Kevin S. Tenney / 90 min.

Seemingly inspired by both Dan O’Bannon’s brilliant zombie spoof RETURN OF THE LIVING DEAD and Lamberto Bava’s stylish shocker DEMONS, Kevin Tenney’s NIGHT OF THE DEMONS stands as one the best horror comedies of the later 1980s. This New Wave update of the “Old Dark House” genre features a clever script, gruesome set pieces, and a punk aesthetic that separates it from other, lesser genre efforts from the era. Goth girl Angela and her trashy friend Suzanne (B-movie bombshell Linnea Quigley) host a party on Halloween night at the infamous Hull House, an abandoned funeral parlor that is rumored to be cursed. When Angela and the other teens hold a séance as a joke, they inadvertently awaken a demonic presence in Hull House that seeks to possess the partygoers one by one. Featuring music by goth legends Bauhaus, among others, NIGHT OF THE DEMONS is a rocking and revolting good time. As an added bonus, NOTD screenwriter Joe Augustyn will be on hand to talk about the creation of the movie.

SLIME CITY—with producer/screenwriter Greg Lamberson in attendance!
1988 / 16mm / Dir. Greg Lamberson / 81 min

SLIME CITY tells the tale of an art student named Alex who moves into a weird apartment building which, unbeknownst to him, is populated by members of an evil cult. After being tricked into consuming a mysterious concoction by his neighbors, Alex is horrified as his body begins to melt away in a messy mass of orange slime. To make matters worse, the only thing that can stop his disgusting dissolution is drinking human blood! Fans of low-budget gross out horror comedies like STREET TRASH and BASKET CASE will find a lot to love in SLIME CITY. The film will be projected from director Greg Lamberson’s personal 16mm print, and Lamberson himself will join us to share his memories of making the movie.

MANIAC COP—rare 35mm screening with director William Lustig in attendance!
1988 / 35mm / Dir. William Lustig / 85 minutes

Beloved cult filmmakers Larry Cohen (IT’S ALIVE, Q) and William Lustig (MANIAC, VIGILLANTE) teamed up as writer and director, respectively, for this twisted tale of a crazed cop wreaking havoc on the streets of New York City. MANIAC COP stars horror movie icons Bruce Campbell (the EVIL DEAD trilogy, BUBBA HO-TEP) and Tom Atkins (HALLOWEEN III, NIGHT OF THE CREEPS) as NYC police officers trying to stop a uniformed madman who is murdering innocent citizens. It soon becomes apparent, though, that the killer is not just impersonating an officer—he is actually a psychotic former policeman, and he must be stopped before it is too late! Keep your eyes peeled for quick cameos from EVIL DEAD director Sam Raimi and SHAFT star Richard Roundtree, among others. This is a rare screening of director William Lustig’s sole 35mm print of the movie; we are thrilled to be both showing the film and hosting Lustig for a Q & A about MANIAC COP and his long career in genre cinema!

WAXWORK
1988 / 35mm / Dir. Anthony Hickox / 95 min

In a decade dominated by slasher sequels and cannibalistic corpses, WAXWORK is a welcome throwback to the monster-centric movies produced by Universal Studios and Hammer Films. But make no mistake: despite its classical pedigree, WAXWORK is as bloody and brutal as any other ‘80s gorefest. A group of really old-looking high school students (including VALLEY GIRL’s Deborah Foreman and Zach Galligan from GREMLINS) are invited to a private tour of a mysterious wax museum run by the creepy Mr. Lincoln (genre stalwart David Warner). Before long, our hapless heroes get sucked into an alternate dimension where the spooky waxwork tableaus come to life, and they must face off against mummies, zombies, werewolves, and even Count Dracula himself! WAXWORK also features appearances by other cult movie regulars such as John Rhys-Davies, Miles O’Keefe, Dana Ashbrook, and Patrick Macnee.