Wednesday, September 21, 2005

Oh Noooo!! Cinemuerte is Dead!!!

Bad news, shlocksters -- it seems this year's Cinemuerte festival will be the last! Curator Kier-la has decided that a horror/exploitation festival in the age of DVD is redundant, unnecessary. It's simply not true! There is much joy to be had, gathering together to share such experiences communally which will never be replaceable by the likes of Anchor Bay or Blue Underground, however impressive their catalogue; and no matter how big your TV screen -- and mine is pretty big -- it still isn't cinema. Plus where will I go for Exploitation All Nighters if you kill Cinemuerte? I'd open up my own living room, but my apartment just ain't that big!

I beg you, noooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo, Kier-la, pleeeeeeeeeease, don't retire the festival!

Anyhow, the disappointment to hear of the plan to let Cinemuerte die is compensated for slightly by the pleasure and anticipation of perusing the schedule for this season. Once again, Kier-la has managed to dig up a bunch of films I don't know but which I'm most eager to see (School of the Holy Beast? Night of the Living Dorks?), along with some really special items that I'm looking forward to seeing again (where/how else could I possibly see Class of 1984 on the big screen???? The best-ever Asphalt Jungle ripoff, and Roddy McDowell is great! -- I'm sure I'll enjoy his performance even more now that I'm actually a teacher...). I can only hope fans either a) pressure Kier-la to keep the beast alive or b) take up the banner themselves -- Cinemuerte is as vital to the fall-winter season in Vancouver as the Jazz Fest and that other film festival that goes on...

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