Hudson Horror 8

The Hudson Horror Show is a bi-annual horror film festival held in a small theater located in the back lot of a shopping center in Poughkeepsie New York. Right next door is a large indoor mall with what appears to be a large modern cineplex. This theater, however, is older. The floors are sticky. The seats are broken in. There aren't cup holders built into your armrest and the seating isn't stadium style. It's the perfect venue for an event like this. Something about this theater just feels right. It's like a time capsule from the heyday of theaters when 35mm was the only format and you didn't have to go broke going to the movies. I have been to every Hudson Horror show since it's inception, giving me the opportunity to see the likes of Rolling Thunder, The Return of the Living Dead, Phantasm 1 & 2, Cannibal Holocaust & Ferox, Silent Night Deadly Night, Evil Dead 1 & 2 & Army of Darkness, Demons, TCM 1 & 2, a shitload of Fulci films and many more, all in 35mm.

The show always begins the same. Show creator Chris Alo stands in front of the packed theater to thank sponsors and supporters and to spout out the rules. While some rules have been added as shows have gone along, to my knowledge none have been removed. These rules are key to the enjoyment of the festival. Without them there would surely be some asshole who would ruin the experience for everyone else. A few key rules are:

No talking at the screen. It is made crystal clear that we are not watching MST3K. We are there to watch the movies and not hear some asshole spout out jokes at the screen that aren't funny. Repeating dialogue from the film back at the screen with an inflection in your voice is not a joke. It's annoying and everyone will hate you. Example: In Silent Night Deadly Night someone was making "jokes" prompting one moviegoer to simply shout "shut the fuck up". He did.

No infants or toddlers. It may be hard to believe but some model parent actually brought their toddler to the Cannibal Holocaust screening. I have pretty liberal views when it comes to kids and horror films but this is Cannibal Holocaust we're talking about and it's a 12 hour festival. Most adults can barely handle it. Luckily they were booted before that particular movie started. I don't believe this rule was on the original list but had to be added because common sense doesn't always prevail.

Of course no cell phones are allowed during the films.

Puke in the toilets; not the urinals. I believe this may have also been a post Cannibal Holocaust rule

If you're gonna chug beers in the parking lot, don't be a dick.

Following the reading of the rules it's time for the first movie which was a new one for me. It was Invasion of the Bee Girls from 1973, or Graveyard Tramps, as the title card stated. One attendee behind me seemed very confused by this title card and for a good 10 minutes thought this was just another trailer. I should also mention that before the start of each movie we are treated to a 35mm trailer block. It's one of the best parts about the festival. The trailers make everything feel that much more authentic. Preceding Invasion was a block of sexploitation trailers. I have always loved the trailers for When Women had Tails and Panorama Blue so watching them with an audience only made me love them more. The movie itself was typical sexploitation fare. As Chris said prior to the film, it's boobalicious. The entire movie is basically an excuse to put female flesh on display again and again. Of course no one seemed to take issue with that and everyone appeared to have a pretty good time with it. Despite some genuinely funny moments the movie did lose me with pacing at times. Boobs can only get a movie so far and honestly if it weren't for the gratuitous nudity it would be a tough one to get through. A good time with an audience but if you haven't seen it I would caution watching alone unless you have other intentions with its content.

Next up is the mystery movie. Usually Hudson Horror has at least one title that they wait until the last minute to reveal but only one other show featured a title that was left a mystery until it unspooled on the screen. There is something appealing to a film fan about not knowing what we are about to watch. The anticipation was evident with people discussing outside in line trying to draw it out of some of the show organizers. The choice of movie was truly fantastic and honestly I didn't see it coming. I would love to divulge the title here but we were all sworn to secrecy (honestly) and I won't be that guy that ruins future mystery movies for everyone else. What I will say is it was an 80's horror movie and it was awesome. They easily could have headlined with a movie like this had they wanted to but they chose to go incognito and I respect that. The trailers that preceded this one were a block of trailers from fan favorites like The Stepfather and The People Under the Stairs. Another great trailer block with some of my favorite titles in there.

After a short break it was time for some Cushing, Lee & Savalas with 1972's The Horror Express. This is one of those movies that is plastered all over the public domain kits and as a result may be often overlooked by some. I had only seen this one time and I was half in the bag when I did so it was refreshing to watch it with clear vision. Of course there are plenty of silly moments in there that don't make a whole lot of sense and draw some unintentional laughs but watching Lee and Cushing on screen is always a good time. They are great and seem to give honest performances. Of course once Savalas comes on screen he steals it. He eats up his lines making his few minutes on screen some of the best ones. A fun movie certainly worth your time.

Following a longer 45 minute break, giving time to check out the vendors and grab some food, it was time for the Carpenter/Russell double feature that I am sure justified the low price of admission for most of us. First up, Escape from New York. The trailer block for this was all action trailers. Featuring trailers for I Come in Peace and Cobra it was a great block and got everyone prepped for the action to come. Escape from New York is a favorite of mine. It certainly has it's flaws, a guy behind me flat out said it sucks, but it's a lot of fun despite them. This one is an audience pleaser that has aged well into it's 80's b-movie skin and it was great to watch it with mostly like minded fans.

Finally the time had come for the last film of the night. One of my favorite horror films of all time. John Carpenter's The Thing. In my opinion John Carpenter has walked the line of perfection in horror films twice. The first time was with Halloween, which HH has also screened. The second time was The Thing. It requires no explanation. The big screen only heightens the sense of dread that permeates this film and brings it to a whole new level. It's a testament to the special effects that they still look great blown up on a screen for all to see. It's a film that manages to be funny, scary, exhilarating and dramatic almost without falter and drawing reactions from an audience that has undoubtedly seen it many times. If you haven't seen The Thing then do yourself a favor and watch it.

Finally the night is over. The lights come up and everyone shuffles out to their cars for the drive home. Our brains nearly fried from the onslaught of genre goodness we have just endured for 12 hours. Hudson Horror continues to be one of the best shows around. They ensure a good time for the fans. They understand that without an audience there is no show and their commitment to quality lineups never fails. After 8 shows they honestly have yet to disappoint. Hopefully the new digital takeover of theaters won't affect these 35mm festivals because they are fantastic. Anyone who grew up in a movie theater owes it to themselves to attend a show like this before the option to screen 35mm disappears forever. I look forward to Hudson Horror 9 especially with the hint of a potential screening of Jaws. The anticipation has already begun.