Looking Back at a Year of Repertory Hosting '11 (part 1)

As some of you may know, I help select and host repertory cult and horror film showings at the humblingly atmospheric Colonial Theatre in Phoenixville, PA. If you're unfamiliar with this spectacular venue, the Colonial is famously remembered as the theater featured in the 1958 Steve McQueen horror flick The Blob, which they gloriously celebrate each year with a weekend festival dubbed "Blobfest". As you can imagine, it's the perfect local for a monthly late night horror show, which was started in mid-2008 by then local cinofile, Bob Trate. First Friday Fright Night (FFFN) has been an enormous draw for the theater and has been going strong for the past three years.

I've been a rabid attendee since I first heard about it prior to their 3rd show, a 35mm print of the immensely popular Evil Dead, in June '08. In July 2010 I began hosting a bimonthly showing of Mystery Science Theater 3000 episodes which was not my first hosting duty at the Colonial but has grown to be my favorite (I love coming up with absurd, embarrassing and fun contests for the pre-show prizes!).

I'm bringing this up because it would become the jumping off point for an entirely separate cult film series (Colonial Cult Cinema) in the middle of this past year (which we'll discuss to in part 2 of this retrospective).

And so it's with all this in mind that I'd like to take a look back at all the cult and horror which has been lovingly showcased at the Colonial Theatre in 2011. Consider this my own "end of year list".

January

Dark City - Ah Dark City! Such a fantastic work, summoning qualities both noir and scifi then painting with a brush of gothic mystery- this flick is an amazing ride which didn't get the recognition it deserved upon release in 1998. The director's cut was screened on Blu-Ray, since there isn't a 35mm print of this version.




MST3K episode #813 "Jack Frost" - This Mike episode centers on lambasting a badly translated dub of what appears to be a beautifully shot Russo-Finnish fairy tale piece. As is typical of all the MST3K shows which I host, there was a pre-show contest for prizes. In this case, I held a "Ricochet-off", where those brave souls who joined me on stage had to out "Ricochet!" each other in the manner of Mike's invention from the Starfighters episode.



February

The Fifth Element - I adore this film. It's marvelous scifi never feels forced and all parts humor and action are as tightly woven strands, marking this as a crowd pleaser that holds up very well. And I'll just throw this out there: Chris Tucker at his absolute best.



March

In the Mouth of Madness - Our first true horror film of the year is commonly held, as host Bob Trate noted at the time, to be the last "good" John Carpenter film (I disagree, but we'll table that until another time). Drawing heavily from H.P. Lovecraft's body of work, we're treated to that special sort of madness which lies outside the limits of man's mortal bounds. Sam Neill turns in an amazing performance.




MST3K episode #417 "Crash of the Moons" - This wonderful episode contains exactly what I always think of when conjuring images of what MST3K means for me: Black and White 50's science fiction with cardboard sets and campy premise. Sure there are better episodes out there, but I dearly love the fun Joel and the bots' have with the adventures of space ranger Rocky Jones. Before the show our contest was an honest to goodness invention exchange. As I recall, the winner created the "Nerdvent Calendar" - in homage to both Advent calendars (with little gifts contained in each day) and all things geek leading up to Blobfest itself. Marvelous!



April

The Terminator - Our third scifi film of the year in the Fright Night spot is a true classic, catapulting it's director James Cameron and star Michael Biehn Arnold Schwarzenegger on to super stardom. Even better, the 35mm print was very clear and well preserved!



May

Maniac - This was an experience, more than just a screening. We were able to showcase a brand new 35mm print of this niche classic. If that wasn't cool enough, we had director William Lustig on hand. He both introduced the film and stuck around for an incredibly informative question and answer session at the conclusion (moderated by cohost to be Joel Rickenbach of You've Got Geek podcast fame). Even more fun for us was the chance to have dinner with Bill Lustig before the show. He was pleasant company and quite the affable chap! Hopefully he'll come back this year for Blobfest (he was floored when he found out he was hosting his movie at "The Blob theater"!)




MST3K episode #1008 "Final Justice" - This Joe Don Baker stinker is perfect fodder which we punctuated with a preshow Cowboy and/or JDB costume contest. Thankfully, no one dressed as Joe Don.



June

The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzi across the 8th Dimension - Which is more an impossible situation? For me to do this film justice in simple text form or for you to never have seen it? This amazing original film works so many angles, you might think you're being taken in by some nefarious con. You are being taken for a ride, but you aren't being grifted out of anything but your ignorance. Topping off my first chance to see this gem in 35mm was a showcase of props and collectibles on display thanks to Film Buff Online writer (and dear friend), Rich Drees.

There you have it, part one of our year in repertory review for the Colonial Theatre. Look for part two coming shortly, detailing the changing of the guard that took place and how the Colonial Cult Cinema night took shape.

Blobfest 2011 Recap

My apologies, noble readers, I have been so wrapped up in the awesomeness of this year's Blobfest, that I've neglected my writing. I spent the near entirety of this past weekend in slowly revitalizing hamlet of Phoenixville, Pennsylvania. For me the trip is just a ten minute drive, but Blob fanatics come from all across the county to immerse themselves in everything gooey, alien monster related. I spoke with a couple from California who make the trip east every year as part of their vacation. Indeed the push pin map set up outside the theatre noted fest goers from thirty different states.

So what brings these folks to this famous town? Well, for starters, there's the kitschy 1958 Steve McQueen film, The Blob, which was shot at locations around Phoenixville, Downingtown and Royersford, including The Colonial Theatre, setting for famous scene of panicked movie goers fleeing from our gelatinous movie monster. Among the various activities at Blobfest, there is a reenactment of this famous scene, where lucky participants get to harness their inner 50's creature feature extra. Check it out:

Really though, the Run Out is just the tip of the iceberg. It's proceeded by a variety show, a scream competition, a short form horror film competition and it is the traditional kick off to Blobfest. Hosted by an honest to goodness horror host imported from the west coast, Mr.Lobo, Blobfest brings together a motley crew of horror entertainers and luminaries with a wink and a nudge to the darkside within all of us. And we're cordially invited to let our inhibitions ooze around the neighborhood like that all consuming blob of murderous alien slime.

Right after the Run Out finishes, the annual Blob Ball begins. It's a 50's themed dance party with a live band. This year Atomic Age rocked the downstairs of PJ Ryan's, a local pub, till all hours. Greasers mixed with Betties mixed with swingers while Elvis and Buddy Holly shared the mic.

Ah but the heart of Blobfest has always been the Street fair on Saturday. The picturesque revitalized small town main street is closed off, to allow gussied up classic cars and one of the actual fire trucks used in The Blob to be exhibited. Vendors up and down the street hawk wares that normally wouldn't garner much attention, but to attendees are better than a night with a young Jamie Lee(maybe). Rare, out of print VHS and DVD horror films, iconic geek chic t-shirts, monster movie magazines from yesteryear and collectables of all sorts. Personally, I cleaned up, picking up both a DVD copy of the very out of print Silent Night, Deadly Night and a very old MST3K VHS release. The rock ability band provides your afternoon soundtrack and there are themed events galore.

The morning kicks off with a fire extinguisher parade, Phoenixville's way to warn off any young, brash, up and coming Blob monsters. The fantastically macabre Ghoul-a-Go-Go bring their brand of 50's children show dance party to the delight of everyone with some modicum of taste. They're based out of New York City and are an extremely popular public access show. It brings back my memories of childhood television and while that's awesome, it's also saddening that there isn't anything like that around in most markets now. I get my dose of it each year in Phoenixville.

Double features run throughout the day inside the Healthfully Air-conditioned Colonial Theatre. During the day, The Blob was billed with the fantastic Invaders from Mars, which got the 'Cheese treatment HERE. The late night spooky show is a double bill of The Blob and It Conquered the World, a fantastic Roger Corman classic staring Lee Van Cleef and Peter Graves. And if you need a break from the movies, the 3rd floor of the theatre is open for you to meet Wes Shank, the keeper of the actual blob, still in it's five gallon pail. You could even take a gander into the actual projection booth, where the monster we all know and love consumed an oblivious projectionist.

Even the stores and restaurants up and down Bridge Street get in on the act, offering Blob themed specials or treats. Particularly awesome were the offerings from Iron Hill Brewery, two delicious Blob beers, and from the Artisan Gallery & Cafe who had this amazing custom pastry. Even the sign is edible white chocolate.

We love The Blob(as we discussed HERE). If you do too, or if you love reveling in the nostalgia of things now lost to us, start making your plans to attending next year's Blobfest. You seriously don't want to be left out again.

Why Do We Love 'The Blob'?

I could be snarky and say that I love The Blob because "It creeps and leaps and glides and slides across the floor". Honesty could prevail and I could simply admit how much I love B-movies (oh boy, do I!). Still, the answer to the titular question is quite a bit more nuanced than a simple singular answer could account for. Let's examine the parts that make up the whole that is The Blob.

Filmed in 1957, The Blob was intended to be the B film in a double bill with I Married a Monster from Outer Space, but it turned out that more people were paying admission to watch a gelatinous monster absorb unfortunate townsfolk and so their roles were reversed. It had a very modest budget of $240,000 and featured a then unknown Steve McQueen, who famously took a flat payment of $2,500 dollars instead of ten percent of the film's gross. He didn't think the film was going to perform well; it made ten million dollars at the box office. It was the first movie role, in a career that would span decades for Aneta Cirsaut and the last role of a character actor who began in the silent era of cinema, Olin Howland. It's this mix of well travelled character actors and upcoming young actors that gives The Blob a great small town feel, to which many could relate and some long to return to, but which didn't feel forced. The side characters however ARE goofy and in some cases, poorly acted (I'm looking at you Mr. Fire Brigade Chief), to the absolute delight of Blob fanatics.

To complete the small town feel, Valley Forge Studios scouted filming locations in the surrounding towns. It was this masterstroke that really gives, what is otherwise a goofy monster picture, it's grounding, it's heart. In particular, The Colonial Theatre in Phoenixville, Pennsylvania has become a fixture of Blob fandom. It's been restored to it's majestic 50's kitsh and holds an annual Blob-Fest celebration, which the whole town gets in on. The Downingtown Diner, location of the climactic scene, doesn't quite look the same, but I'm told the famous basement is still much as it once was.

Still, if this were all The Blob had going for it, we'd likely not be discussing it with the same reverence. What is it about this film that so captures our attention and fond recollection? Teenagers, terrorized by a monster, who try to warn adults, who refuse to believe them. That could be applied to an incalculable number of films. Where this one is different, I feel, is in it's portrayal of both the teens and the adults. Unlike many of the "teenagers in rebellion" pictures coming out at the time, the teens in The Blob aren't "stupid rebellious". Certainly they race their hot rods, they play jokes on each other, but it's never malicious or mean spirited. The adults aren't quick to trust the teens, but some actually do listen and consider what is being said, quite unlike most other films, especially of the horror and science fiction genres. There's a feeling of playfulness between the cops and teens, rather than hate and spite, which otherwise infects the entirety of both genres now and is in fact completely expected. And the film pervades hope as well. Hope that by banding together we can save ourselves.

There's plenty of conjecture that the message of The Blob is of the dangers of Communism and defeating it with cold(what an ironic conjecture). I don't buy it. To quote Tim Curry from Clue, "Communism is just a red herring". Besides, if you started out clear, it stands to reason that you too would become more and more blood red as you absorbed squishy human-fodder.
I'll stop gushing now. The Blob is a fun flick. A really great example of 50's drive-in monster cinema. Check it out and let me know what you think. See you at Blob-Fest!