Horror Pick: Stage Fright (2014)
It gives me great pleasure to share with you my favorite film from this year’s South By Southwest, and easily one of my favorite horror films of the year – Jerome Sable’s Stage Fright.
Blending the musical stylings of Glee (bear with me) with 80s slasher mentalities, this rock opera is an absolutely raucous horror musical that ends up being entirely more fun than anyone could have expected. Yes, even I was skeptical reading the above description, especially coming from a PR company, but Stage Fright delivered everything I could have wanted, and then some. Hilarious songs poke fun at theater culture, 80s hair metal shreds, the kill sequences hold nothing back and for the cherry on top, freakin’ Meatloaf is a major player. Again – everything you could want in a horror musical.
If you’ve ever seen Sable and co-composer Eli Batalion’s short film The Legend Of Beaver Dam, then you understand the fun-filled nature of their horror filmmaking. Scares aren’t necessarily on the forefront of their planning, but this is made up for through a splattering of genre love that leaves bodies dismembered and excitement levels high, paying proper tribute to the practical-effects-driven horror films of yesteryear. It’s a bit like John Carpenter meets Phantom Of The Opera, loaded with more theatrical talent than a Broadway audition.
Come for the music, stay for the horror, and love every bloody second. That’s my best recommendation. And if you still need convincing, check out the awesome red band trailer below.