Hardcore horror film aficionados descended upon the city of Pouhkeepsie, NY, once again on Saturday, June 13th for the eleventh installment of the tri-state area’s most glorious and scream-tastic horror film festival, Hudson Horror Show. Fans of the fest and the folks that work tirelessly to make it happen twice a year were treated to a full slate of movies ranging from the cult-ish (Madman) to the under-appreciated (Ms .45) to the downright iconic (Jaws).
Hudson Horror Show 11 also featured a couple of cool attractions, perks only for the enthusiastic attendees: a chance to take a picture with Jaws shark prop “Bruce” (along with an original barrel used in the film) and a meet-and-greet/film Q&A with Madman actors and filmmakers Gary Sales, Tom Candela and the Madman himself, Paul Ehlers. Bill Diamond (Monster TV Network, The Dark Crystal, Fraggle Rock) was also on hand to greet the film-goers.
All of these treats, along with the always-satisfying selection of diverse vendors, added up to an enjoyable and successful (tickets sold out in less than an hour, a new record!) installment of Hudson Horror. HNN’s Sean McLaughlin and Larry Dwyer were once again on hand to take in the terror-filled ambiance and munch on some popcorn while viewing all of the 35MM goodness. While we’re not at liberty to divulge the identity of the “mystery movie”, we can say that vampire fangs were passed out at the door, and that it was an ’80s flick starring some horror (and Hollywood) heavyweights. And of course, another Hudson Horror staple, the horror and exploitation film trailers, were again a big hit. Our favorites were April Fool’s Day (how long before THAT’S on the festival slate???) and ’70s slasher gems To the Devil a Daughter and Meatcleaver Massacre. Yes, just a few days after his passing the legendary Christopher Lee was well represented at Hudson Horror XI.
Great job by Chris Alo and his loyal band of awesome folks that make up the Hudson Horror staff. We’re already looking forward to Hudson Horror 12!
