After showcasing an impressive lineup of 51 features and 68 short films for its ninth edition in August (go here to catch up on our previous coverage), Popcorn Frights has even more thrills and chills in store for South Florida fright fans with their annual Wicked Weekend celebration this fall! Taking place October 4th–8th at the Gateway Theater in Fort Lauderdale, this year’s Wicked Weekend lineup is brimming with must-see scares on the big screen, including the first two installments of Mike Flanagan’s The Fall of the House of Usher, the prequel Pet Sematary: Bloodlines, the found footage anthology V/H/S/85, Joe Lynch’s Suitable Flesh, and more!
We have the official press release with additional details below, and to learn more, keep an eye on Popcorn Frights’ official website:
Press Release: September 5, 2023 // – Batten down the hatches and gather your courage as Popcorn Frights has announced its annual Wicked Weekend program celebrating all the eerie, weird, wild, and strange things that go bump in the night! The event, running October 4-8 at the historic Gateway Theater, will feature eight film premieres and special presentations highlighted by new nightmares from Mike Flanagan, Scott Derrickson, and Joe Lynch, as well as many other surprises.
Wicked Weekend is headlined by a special presentation of the first two episodes of Netflix’s THE FALL OF THE HOUSE OF USHER, genre maestro Mike Flanagan’s hotly anticipated new horror series based on the works of Edgar Allan Poe starring Mark Hamill, Carla Gugino, Kate Siegel, and Henry Thomas, as well as Paramount+’s terrifying prequel PET SEMATARY: BLOODLINES, based on the untold chapter from Stephen King’s chilling novel that reminds us why sometimes dead is better…
Rewind back to the 1980s with Shudder’s V/H/S/85 showcase featuring Popcorn Frights alumni galore from Scott Derrickson, David Bruckner, Gigi Saul Guerrero, Natasha Kermani, and more horror than you can cram onto a handheld camcorder! Get ready for a found footage compilation of five chilling tales offering a gory buffet of disembowelment, clubbing, and dismemberment — with the fake blood hose nozzle cranked up to the soak setting.
Other notable highlights include a special presentation of slasher-comedy from Prime Video and Blumhouse Television, TOTALLY KILLER, starring Kiernan Shipka as a time-traveling teen out to stop the infamous ‘Sweet Sixteen Killer,” and the Florida Premiere of Joe Lynch’s SUITABLE FLESH, a cinematic love letter to the late, great master of horror Stuart Gordon starring horror icon Barbara Crampton and an ultra-sultry Heather Graham. Delightfully unpredictable and written by RE-ANIMATOR scribe Dennis Paoli, the film is equal parts erotic thriller, body horror, and H.P. Lovecraft-minded cosmic mayhem.
From the ashes… he has risen! Wicked Weekend also celebrates the 25th anniversary of HALLOWEEN H20, the bone-chilling legacy sequel that features the return of original scream queen Jamie Lee Curtis and an ensemble of 90s rising stars including Josh Hartnett, Michelle Williams, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, as well as an appearance by Hollywood legend Janet Leigh.
Rounding out the program is the East Coast Premiere of YOUR LUCKY DAY, a pressure cooker of a morality tale featuring an unforgettable final performance from the late Angus Cloud (EUPHORIA), and the Florida Premiere of WHEN EVIL LURKS, a shocking supernatural chiller about two brothers’ race to prevent the spawning of evil incarnate as an epidemic of demonic possessions spreads through their rural Argentinean community.
Access to Popcorn Frights’ Wicked Weekend in-theater experience is available through an all-access pass, which will provide an all-inclusive experience for films and special events hosted at the historic Gateway Theater in Fort Lauderdale. To order an all-access pass, click here.
The official poster for this year’s Popcorn Frights Wicked Weekend was created by South Florida artist Jason Sheppard. Jason has been responsible for crafting imagery for the event over the past three years and has now designed a new original poster for this edition.
Celebrated as one of “The World’s 50 Best Genre Festivals” by MovieMaker Magazine, Popcorn Frights recently wrapped its ninth edition this past August with more than 10,000 filmgoers and industry professionals attending its summer week of wicked films, events, and parties. The tenth annual Popcorn Frights Film Festival will take place August 8-18, 2024 across South Florida with submissions now open via Film Freeway. Shorts, features, documentaries, animation, film and video — all are welcome and can be submitted at the link: https://filmfreeway.com/popcornfrights
WICKED WEEKEND LINEUP
The Fall of the House of Usher
Special Presentation
United States | 2023 | 114 Min. | Dir. Mike Flanagan
From Mike Flanagan, the creator of The Haunting of Hill House and Midnight Mass, comes a wicked horror series based on the works of Edgar Allan Poe. Ruthless siblings Roderick and Madeline Usher have built Fortunato Pharmaceuticals into an empire of wealth, privilege and power. But past secrets come to light when the heirs to the Usher dynasty start dying at the hands of a mysterious woman from their youth.
Halloween H20
25th Anniversary Presentation
United States | 1998 | 86 Min. | Dir. Steve Miner
Laurie Strode, now the dean of a Northern California private school with an assumed name, must battle the Shape one last time, as the life of her own son hangs in the balance.
Pet Sematary: Bloodlines
Special Presentation
United States | 2023 | 87 Min. | Dir. Lindsey Anderson Beer
In 1969, a young Jud Crandall has dreams of leaving his hometown of Ludlow, Maine behind, but soon discovers sinister secrets buried within and is forced to confront a dark family history that will forever keep him connected to Ludlow. Banding together, Jud and his childhood friends must fight an ancient evil that has gripped Ludlow since its founding, and once unearthed has the power to destroy everything in its path.
Suitable Flesh
Florida Premiere
United States | 2023 | 100 Min. | Dir. Joe Lynch
Psychiatrist Elizabeth Derby becomes obsessed with helping a young patient suffering extreme personality disorder. But it leads her into dark occult danger as she tries to escape a horrific fate.
Totally Killer
Special Presentation
United States | 2023 | 106 Min. | Dir. Nahnatchka Khan
When the infamous “Sweet Sixteen Killer” returns 35 years after his first murder spree to claim another victim, 17-year-old Jamie accidentally travels back in time to 1987, determined to stop the killer before he can start.
V/H/S/85
Florida Premiere
United States | 2023 | 110 Min. | Dirs. David Bruckner, Gigi Saul Guerrero, Natasha Kermani, Mike Nelson, Scott Derrickson, Mike P. Nelson
An ominous mixtape blends never before seen snuff footage with nightmarish newscasts and disturbing home video to create a surreal, analog mashup of the forgotten 80s.
When Evil Lurks
Florida Premiere
United States | 2023 | 99 Min. | Dir. Demián Rugna
In a remote village, two brothers find a demon-infected man just about to give birth to evil itself. They decide to get rid of the man but merely succeed in helping him to deliver the inferno.
Your Lucky Day
East Coast Premiere
United States | 2023 | 89 Min. | Dir. Dan Brown
After a dispute over a winning lottery ticket turns into a deadly hostage situation, the witnesses must decide exactly how far they’ll go — and how much blood they’re willing to spill — for a cut of the $156 million.
For all further details please visit www.popcornfrights.com
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ABOUT POPCORN FRIGHTS FILM FESTIVAL
Popcorn Frights Film Festival is the ultimate summer celebration of the art of horror, showcasing the finest contemporary genre cinema from around the world. As the largest genre film festival in the Southeast U.S., this ten-day event takes pride in premiering works from both emerging and established filmmakers. By offering a platform for these artists, the festival aims to provide an immersive experience that highlights the captivating power of storytelling through genre film.
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