THE 12th ANNUAL SPOOKY MOVIE INTERNATIONAL HORROR FILM FESTIVALOctober 5-8, 2017

Since 2006, October has belonged to the Spooky Movie International Horror Film Festival.

The festival that brought the DC area such films as THE BABADOOK, EXISTS, TUCKER AND DALE VS. EVIL, A GIRL WALKS HOME ALONE AT NIGHT, HE NEVER DIED, HOUSEBOUND, TRASH FIRE, and THE FINAL GIRLS–-holds its 12th annual event in Washington, D.C. from October 5-8 at the AFI Silver Theatre.  The Opening Night film is a double dose of holiday cheer on Thursday, October 5, with screenings of the twisted BETTER WATCH OUT and the oz-ploitation gore-fest RED CHRISTMAS, starring Dee Wallace.

Since 2006 there has been only one place in DC where you can see the best new horror together on the big screen, and that is no exception this year: REPLACE, 68 KILL, LAKE BODOM, THE GHOUL, KILLING GROUND, GAME OF DEATH, and THE ENDLESS. In addition, Spooky Movie will be presenting several special event screenings, including: 40th anniversary of HOUSE (1977), hosted by the one and only Dr. Sarcofiguy; the HALLOWEEN VIDEO MIXTAPE: A WRAITH FILMS ANTHOLOGY; the 42nd anniversary screening of THE ROCKY HORROR PICTURE SHOW, featuring (for the 3rd year) the Bloody Mayhem Theatre Company shadowcast; and our first ever SURPRISE SCREENING.

Tickets are sold exclusively by the AFI Silver Theatre at the box office and online at AFI.com/Silver or through www.spookyfest.com

Founded in 2006, the Spooky Movie International Horror Film Festival is Washington, D.C's original genre-based film festival. Recognized as one of D.C.'s premiere festival events, as well as "the world's premiere horror film festival" (BadLit.com; Fangoria Magazine), Spooky Fest works closely with our partners to offer year round screenings of feature and short films, in addition to our signature festival event every October.

All Fest Pass - The Spooky Movie All Fest Pass grants the bearer access to all screenings in the 2017 Spooky Movie Film Festival.  All Fest Passes can be purchased at AFI Silver online for just $80. After purchase, passes can be picked up at AFI Silver Theatre beginning Oct.5.

Additional information on the Spooky Movie International Horror Film Festival can be found at www.spookyfest.com.

Spooky Movie 2017 – Full Schedule

Thursday, October 5 - Opening Night

7:30 p.m.
Better Watch Out
“HOME ALONE meets THE BAD SEED... a clever black comedy-cum-horror pic in which the apparent home invasion that traps a babysitter and her charges turns out to be something else entirely." - Variety. Ashley (Olivia DeJonge, THE VISIT) thought this was going to be a regular babysitting job, but the quiet night in a safe suburban neighborhood goes wrong immediately. Intruders break in to terrorize her and the 12-year-old boy (Levi Miller, PAN) left in her care — and that home invasion will turn out to be something even scarier. Ironically set to a soundtrack of cheerful Christmas tunes, this clever horror is not your average holiday movie. Also starring Patrick Warburton (TV's RULES OF ENGAGEMENT) and Virginia Madsen (SIDEWAYS). DIR/SCR Chris Peckover; SCR Zack Kahn; PROD Sidonie Abbene, Brion Hambel, Paul Jensen, Brett Thornquest. Australia/U.S., 2016, color, 85 min. NOT RATED

Preceded by:
Great Choice- A woman gets stuck in a Red Lobster commercial with horrifying results in Robin Comisar's award-winning horror-comedy. DIR/SCR Robin Comisar; PROD Melody C. Roscher, Craig Shilowich. U.S., 2017, color, 7 min.

9:30 p.m.
Red Christmas
“A horror-comedy with gore to the wall, Anderson’s film takes a really wicked premise and...does what a lot of slashers don’t do: made me give a damn about the characters. In a big way.” – Bloody Disgusting. Horror legend Dee Wallace (E.T. THE EXTRA-TERRESTRIAL, THE HILLS HAVE EYES) stars as the stressed-out mother of a squabbling family, gathered together in a remote Outback estate on Christmas Eve. When a deformed stranger named Cletus appears at their door, things move quickly from petty insults to bloody, imaginatively orchestrated violence as Wallace attempts to protect her family from the vengeful intruder. The film deliriously infuses comedy and dark family secrets with outlandish gore, adding the always-controversial subject of abortion in its blood-stained mix. (Note courtesy of Artsploitation Films.) DIR/SCR/PROD Craig Anderson; PROD Dee Wallace. Australia, 2016, color, 82 min. NOT RATED
Preceded by:
My Boring Zombie Apocolypse - Young David dreams about the perfect apocalypse (of course, almost always featuring zombies), with himself as the perfect hero. But when the dead return from the grave for real, he discovers that the zombie apocalypse you want is not always the zombie apocalypse you get! DIR/SCR Kevin Perkins; PROD Elizabeth Perkins. U.S., 2015, color, 35 min.

Friday, October 6

7:20 p.m.
Replace
"A startling, blood-soaked and mind-altering fairy-tale... REPLACE Is one of those films that hooks you from the opening moment and takes you on a mind-altering journey." - The Hollywood Reporter. Kira (Rebecca Forsythe, WE ARE YOUR FRIENDS) is young, beautiful and afflicted with a strange disease that causes her skin to age rapidly, to the point of drying out and crumbling away. After discovering that she can replace her own skin with someone else's as a temporary fix, Kira lets her vanity rule as she seeks out more and more victims. Her drive to remain youthful is at odds with her fear of being discovered by the police or her new lover, Sophia, and her bodily needs spin increasingly out of control. (Note adapted from LA Film Festival.) DIR/SCR Norbert Keil; SCR Richard Stanley; PROD Felix von Poser. Germany/Canada, 2017, color, 101 min. NOT RATED
Preceded by:
Born of Sin - Eight-year-old Julie's father leaves her in their car while he heads into a bar for another drink. Childhood can be a nasty proposition. DIR/SCR William Boodell; PROD Cody Peck. U.S., 2015, color, 9 min.

9:30 p.m.
World Premiere!
Halloween Video Mixtape: A Wraith Films Anthology
From the filmmakers behind THE LEGEND OF COOL "DISCO" DAN and EVERY OTHER DAY IS HALLOWEEN come five tales of suburban terror, just in time for Halloween. Possessions, ancient evils, premature burials, unearthly disturbances and really annoying children are just some of the ingredients in this nightmare-fueled omnibus, inspired by such classic anthologies as CREEPSHOW and TRICK 'R TREAT. Don't miss this one-time-only bonanza of locally sourced horror filmmaking. DIR Joseph Pattisall, C.W. Prather, Dave Brown. U.S., 2017, color, 80 min. NOT RATED

11:45
House (1977) - Hosted by Dr. Sarcofiguy
"Delirious, deranged, gonzo or just gone, baby, gone — no single adjective or even a pileup does justice to HOUSE, a 1977 Japanese haunted-house freakout." - The New York Times. How to describe Nobuhiko Ôbayashi's 1977 movie? A psychedelic ghost tale? A stream-of-consciousness bedtime story? SCOOBY-DOO as directed by Dario Argento? Any of the above will do for this hallucinatory head-trip about a schoolgirl who travels to her ailing aunt's creaky country home and comes face to face with evil spirits, bloodthirsty pianos and a demonic housecat. Too absurd to be genuinely terrifying, too nightmarish to be merely comic, the director fashioned the script after the eccentric musings of his 11-year-old daughter, then employed all the tricks in his arsenal (mattes, animation and collage) to make them a visually astonishing reality. (Note courtesy of Janus Films.) DIR/PROD Nobuhiko Ôbayashi; SCR Chiho Katsura, from a story by Chigumi Ôbayashi; PROD Tomoyuki Tanaka, Yorihiko Yamada. Japan, 1977, color, 88 min. In Japanese with English subtitles. NOT RATED

11:55 p.m.
68 Kill
“Nuttier than a bakery full of fruitcakes and sleazier than a cheap strip club, 68 KILL is a proudly morbid heist movie that wallows in bad taste and still comes off as absurdly funny. It’s a little amazing how a story so guilty of gross-out violence can retain a share of comic innocence." – The New York Times. Trailer-dwelling, sewage-pumping Chip (Matthew Gray Gubler, TV's CRIMINAL MINDS, TRASH FIRE) may not lead the most glamorous life, but he's got one thing going for him: he's head over heels infatuated with his girlfriend Liza (AnnaLynne McCord, TV's NIP/TUCK, TRASH FIRE). He's more than willing to overlook her wild streak, so when she proposes they steal $68K, he goes along with the plan. But when the supposedly simple heist turns into an off-the-rails, blood-spattered crime spree, Chip learns the hard way just how deranged the love of his life really is. This new film from Troma Entertainment alum Trent Haaga (CHOP, CITIZEN TOXIE: THE TOXIC AVENGER IV) blends wicked comedy with pure pulp thrills and a no-holds-barred blast of insanity. (Note adapted from IFC Films.) DIR/SCR Trent Haaga, from the novel by Bryan Smith; PROD David Lawson, Jr., Bob Portal, Travis Stevens. U.S., 2017, color, 93 min. NOT RATED

Saturday, October 7

1:30 p.m.
The Ghoul
“An occult plot is discovered in Gareth Tunley’s terrific shoestring debut as writer and director...a pleasingly perplexing enigma of a movie.  Four stars.” – The Guardian. This mind-bending British psychological thriller follows Chris (Tom Meeten, PREVENGE), a homicide detective called to London to investigate a strange double murder. Both victims appear to have continued moving toward their assailant despite multiple gunshots to the face and chest. On a hunch, and with the help of an old colleague — and former girlfriend — Chris decides to go undercover as a patient to investigate the suspect's psychotherapist, the mysterious Alexander Morland, who has a taste for the occult.  Produced by KILL LIST filmmaker Ben Wheatley. (Note adapted from Arrow Films.) DIR/SCR/PROD Gareth Tunley; PROD Jack Healy Guttmann, Tom Meeten. UK, 2016, color, 85 min. NOT RATED
​Preceded by: 
Kookie - Bree, a dishonest nine-year-old, receives a terrifying visitor after a parenting lesson goes horribly wrong. One of the most successful genre shorts of the last year. DIR/SCR/PROD Justin Harding. Canada, 2016, color, 12 min.
 
3:30 p.m.
Lake Bodom
“This handsomely crafted horror thriller doesn’t get as referential as something like CABIN IN THE WOODS, but it’s similarly inclined to pull the rug out from under its premise at midpoint, then spring additional surprises that are clever.” –Variety. Every camper's worst nightmare came true at Lake Bodom in 1960 when four teenagers were stabbed to death while sleeping in their tent. As the years passed and the case grew cold, the unsolved mystery turned into an urban legend, a creepy campfire story passed from generation to generation. Now, a group of teenagers arrive at the same campsite, hoping to solve the murder by reconstructing it minute by minute. As night falls, it turns out that not all of them are there to play. (Note adapted from Don Films.)  DIR/SCR Taneli Mustonen; SCR/PROD Aleksi Hyvärinen. Finland/Estonia, 2016, color, 85 min. In Finnish with English subtitles. NOT RATED
​Preceded by: 
Gut Punched - From Spooky Fest alum Christopher G. Moore (KNOB GOBLINS) comes the terrifying story of a young man's one night stand with a mysterious stranger. DIR/SCR/PROD Christopher G. Moore; SCR Eryk Pruitt; PROD Ismail Abdelkhalek, John Mazza. U.S., 2017, color,17 min.

5:30 p.m.
The Endless
“Like RESOLUTION and SPRING, THE ENDLESS sort of defies easy description; it’s a “cult” thriller, a dramatic piece, a two-headed character study, and a quietly freaky TWILIGHT ZONE episode all rolled into one.” – Nerdist. Following their acclaimed debut RESOLUTION  (which screened at the 2012 Spooky Fest) and their follow-up, the Lovecraftian horror SPRING, directing-writing duo Aaron Moorhead and Justin Benson star as brothers who receive a mysterious message inspiring them to pay a visit to the cult they escaped as children. As unsettling events and phenomena begin to occur, the brothers are forced to question whether the cult's supernatural beliefs might not be entirely made up — and whether, now that they've returned, they'll be allowed to leave again. (Note adapted from Well Go USA.)
DIR/SCR/PROD Justin Benson; DIR/PROD Aaron Moorhead; PROD Thomas R. Burke, David Lawson, Jr., Leal Naim. U.S., 2017, color, 111 min. NOT RATED
Preceded by: 
Gwilliam - If you have been a regular to Spooky Fest, then at some point in the last 12 years you've seen a Brian Lonano film. Our love affair with his work continues with his festival smash, GWILLIAM. DIR/SCR/PROD Brian Lonano; SCR/PROD Victoria S. Cook, Kevin Lonano; PROD Blake Myers. U.S., 2016, color, 7 min.

8:00 p.m.
Game of Death
“GAME OF DEATH manages to surprise us by going exactly where the film tells us it’s going to go, and by making it such a joyful journey anyway. If you like blood, board games and inexplicable sea life (and who doesn’t?), you’re going to have a blast with GAME OF DEATH.” – Birth, Movies, Death. "Kill or be killed" is the golden rule of the Game of Death, which is bad news for seven young friends who decide to play one sunny day. They quickly and gruesomely realize that if they don't murder people, their heads will literally explode. They go on a killing spree, taking the lives of anyone they meet in their middle-of-nowhere town. The killer instinct in each of them bubbles to the surface as their search for victims unravels into chaos. Divided, terrified and confronted with their own mortality, their drive to survive blurs with their desire to win the game. Will they turn on each other? JUMANJI meets NATURAL BORN KILLERS —  this film will blow your mind. (Note adapted from SXSW Film Festival.) DIR/SCR Sébastien Landry, Laurence Morais-Lagacé; SCR Edouard H. Bond; PROD Mathias Bernard, Pierre-Alexandre Bouchard, Philip Kalin-Hajdu. France/Canada/U.S., 2017, color, 73 min. NOT RATED
Preceded by: 
The Ballad of Stingy Jack - When a boy's jack-o'-lantern is smashed the night before Halloween, his grandfather tells him the dark truth about our pumpkin-carving traditions. DIR Joseph Pattisall; SCR Peter Sawyer. U.S., 2017, color, 27 min.

9:45 p.m.
Killing Ground
“The impressive and unsettling KILLING GROUND Is a modern grindhouse thriller.” – Uproxx. A couple's romantic camping trip becomes a desperate fight for survival in this ultra-raw, unhinged kill-ride. In need of a break from the pressures of their life in the city, Sam (Harriet Dyer) and Ian (Ian Meadows) head to a remote beach for a weekend getaway. When they come across an abandoned campsite, with no trace of its occupants, they're concerned. When they discover a lone, traumatized child nearby, they're scared. And when they encounter two local sociopaths (Aaron Glenane and Aaron Pederson), they're in for a hell of a bad time. Woven with unexpected twists and turns, KILLING GROUND delivers both nerve-shredding suspense and gut-punching realism. (Note courtesy of IFC Films.) DIR/SCR Damien Power; PROD Lisa Shaunessy, Joe Weatherstone. Australia, 2017, color, 89 min. RATED R

10:30 p.m.
The Rocky Horror Picture Show (1975)
42nd Anniversary Screening featuring the return of the Bloody Mayhem Theatre Company shadowcast!
Recently engaged Brad Majors (Barry Bostwick) and Janet Weiss (Susan Sarandon) stumble upon a castle in the middle of the night that is definitely not a hunting lodge for "rich weirdos." A jump to the left and a step to the right later, they find themselves as guests of Dr. Frank-N-Furter (Tim Curry). The sweetest of sweet transvestites, Frank-N-Furter does his best to make them shiver with anticipation at what he has in store for everyone at the Annual Transylvanian Convention. A satirical, musical tribute to classic science fiction and horror B-movies, THE ROCKY HORROR PICTURE SHOW has become more than just a movie. For generations of fans young and old, the experience has been a beacon and a touchstone, and for many, a way of life. DIR/SCR Jim Sharman; SCR Richard O'Brien, from his musical play; PROD Michael White. UK/U.S., 1975, color, 100 min. RATED R

11:55 p.m.
68 Kill
“Nuttier than a bakery full of fruitcakes and sleazier than a cheap strip club, 68 KILL is a proudly morbid heist movie that wallows in bad taste and still comes off as absurdly funny. It’s a little amazing how a story so guilty of gross-out violence can retain a share of comic innocence." – The New York Times. Trailer-dwelling, sewage-pumping Chip (Matthew Gray Gubler, TV's CRIMINAL MINDS, TRASH FIRE) may not lead the most glamorous life, but he's got one thing going for him: he's head over heels infatuated with his girlfriend Liza (AnnaLynne McCord, TV's NIP/TUCK, TRASH FIRE). He's more than willing to overlook her wild streak, so when she proposes they steal $68K, he goes along with the plan. But when the supposedly simple heist turns into an off-the-rails, blood-spattered crime spree, Chip learns the hard way just how deranged the love of his life really is. This new film from Troma Entertainment alum Trent Haaga (CHOP, CITIZEN TOXIE: THE TOXIC AVENGER IV) blends wicked comedy with pure pulp thrills and a no-holds-barred blast of insanity. (Note adapted from IFC Films.) DIR/SCR Trent Haaga, from the novel by Bryan Smith; PROD David Lawson, Jr., Bob Portal, Travis Stevens. U.S., 2017, color, 93 min. NOT RATED

Sunday, October 8 - Closing Night

7:20 p.m.
Surprise Screening
For the first time in 12 years, the Spooky Movie International Horror Film Festival is hosting a surprise "secret" screening. Is it a sneak preview of a new Hollywood blockbuster? Is it a rare classic? Is it a never-before-seen premiere? Is it international? Is it local? Is it a work-in-progress? How long is it? Will there also be a short? What is it? It's a secret. The only way to know for sure is to come out to AFI Silver Theatre on Sunday, October 8, and find out for yourself. If you can't trust the people who brought you THE BABADOOK, EXCISION and TUCKER AND DALE VS. EVIL, who can you trust?

9:45 p.m.
Killing Ground
“The impressive and unsettling KILLING GROUND Is a modern grindhouse thriller.” – Uproxx. A couple's romantic camping trip becomes a desperate fight for survival in this ultra-raw, unhinged kill-ride. In need of a break from the pressures of their life in the city, Sam (Harriet Dyer) and Ian (Ian Meadows) head to a remote beach for a weekend getaway. When they come across an abandoned campsite, with no trace of its occupants, they're concerned. When they discover a lone, traumatized child nearby, they're scared. And when they encounter two local sociopaths (Aaron Glenane and Aaron Pederson), they're in for a hell of a bad time. Woven with unexpected twists and turns, KILLING GROUND delivers both nerve-shredding suspense and gut-punching realism. (Note courtesy of IFC Films.) DIR/SCR Damien Power; PROD Lisa Shaunessy, Joe Weatherstone. Australia, 2017, color, 89 min. RATED R