HORRORTHON PROGRAMMER: ED KING
With thanks to Calum Waddell

Be afraid! Be very afraid! Horrorthon 2009 is here – and none of us are safe. The IFI once again plays host to four days of madness, mayhem and blood-curdling suspense – and that’s just the queue for the bar in between screenings. Ba-dum-tish, etc.

The secret of Horrorthon’s success aint that secret: this is a festival built for people who love horror movies by people who love horror movies, those twisted souls who know there’s nothing quite like an up-for-it audience digging a fright flick on the big screen.
This year’s Horrorthon programme suggests that the most maligned of movie genres is in a shocking state of something resembling rude health, as slick, smart big-budget studio jobs like Opening Film Jennifer’s Body face-off against hotly touted indie shockers like Ti West’s old-school fright-fest House of the Devil and embroynic body horror Grace – films guaranteed to disgust and divide loyal Horrorthon audiences.

And we mean that in the best possible sense. We couldn’t be more excited about local son Conor McMahon’s return to DIY moviemaking with The Disturbed, his long-overdue follow-up to Dead Meat, and are honoured to welcome two of George A. Romero’s favourite leading men to Dublin: Dawn of the Dead’s Ken Foree and Day of the Dead’s Joe Pilato will be joining us live and in person for screenings of their undead classics.

This year’s Horrorthon is dedicated to the late Forest J Ackerman, master of bad puns, publisher of Famous Monsters magazine and the greatest horror movie geek of them all.
Rest in peace, Dr. Acula.

PRICES:
The opening and closing night films are €10.
The special 70mm screening of Gremlins costs €12.
All other screenings are €9.

SPECIAL FESTIVAL PASSES ARE AVAILABLE:
One day pass: €40
Two day pass: €67
Three day pass: €95
Four day pass: €120
Full festival pass (all five days) €125

Programme notes written by Derek O’Connor.