Monster Fest 2014

One thing I absolutely love about going to the cinema is the crowd’s reaction to the shenanigans going on in the movie, whether it’s laughter because of a clever one-liner or just how over the top and gory someone’s brutal death was. I actually quite enjoy the latter (yes, I may have a sadistic sense of humour, but you try watching Jason X, where Jason Voorhees is in friggin’ space, without giggling).

I also love cult movies; not only are they fairly well known, but its fans are dedicated and remember it by heart. For better or worse, most of the time the cinema’s patrons are completely silent, which makes seeing movies a bit of a dull, lifeless affair when you think about it. So when you have an audience reacting or even participating to what’s going on in the movie, then you’re in for a good night.

Enter Monster Fest. In its second year, the horror film festival has expanded. These gnarly flicks will screen at both Cinema Nova in Carlton (as if a place like this wasn’t going to be part of a horror movie festival!) and Yah Yah’s in Collingwood will not only screen movies, but will also serve as The Monster’s Lair, a festival lounge, so you can drink up while waiting for the movie to start. There will also be a horror movie trivia night at Yah Yah’s.

The movies consist of both classic and new horror flicks, and Australian and international films. As a sick, twisted act of patriotism, the first film to be screened is Aussie horror flick Charlie’s Farm, starring Tara Reid from the Sharknado movies. There will be a Friday The 13th marathon (horror movies wouldn’t be the same without the hockey mask wearing Jason, until it got too silly on his aforementioned killing spree in space), that in particular will be rad!

Other notable movies screening are the Troma classics The Toxic Avenger and Class Of Nuke ‘Em High; Birdemic, the so-bad-it’s-good flick (and boy do I mean bad; PlayStation-esque CGI birds aren’t scary, but are scarily bad if that counts); The Green Inferno by Eli Roth, the writer/director of the Hostel flicks; and Rampage 2, the sequel to notorious director Uwe Bowl’s flick. These movies don’t sound very classy, and they aren’t by any stretch of the imagination, but that’s the whole point of Monster Fest. These flicks were never meant to win Oscars; just impure, gory fun. If anything, we’re in debt to the people behind Monster Fest for bringing all us B-grade movie fans together to mutually enjoy all the silly carnage.

Monster Fest
Cinema Nova, 380 Lygon Street, Carlton, and Yah Yah’s, 99 Smith Street, Collingwood
Thursday November 20th – Sunday November 30th
monsterfest.com.au