Co-founded by metal lifer Phil Anselmo and true-crime author Corey Mitchell, the inaugural Housecore Horror Film Festival goes down in Austin, Texas, October 25 – 27. Brazilian horror legend Coffin Joe will be there, Nekromantik director Jörg Buttgereit will be there, The Manson Family director Jim VanBebber, Goblin will be there live-scoring a screening of Susperia while Mayhem vocalist Attila Csihar will provide a live score to The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari in his Void ov Voices alter ego. Down, Crowbar, Eyehategod, and Warbeast will play, as will Anselmo’s solo project, Philip H. Anselmo & the Illegals. All in all, it will be a sick, twisted, and terrifying experience for all who attend. In anticipation of the event, various members of the HHFF staff and bands will be providing weekly lists on a variety of ghoulish topics; first up, festival co-founder Mitchell, with his Top Five Favorite “Horror” Films Based on Real-Life Crimes.
1. Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer (1986)
Though not a by-the-book retelling of the Henry Lee Lucas and Ottis Toole’s alleged serial-killing spree, this is my favorite film of all time, regardless of genre. This low-budget nightmare is rude, abrasive, funny, and frightening as all get out from the first frame on. The home invasion scene was shocking 27 years ago and still packs a wallop today. Breakthrough role for The Walking Dead’s Michael Rooker.
2. Boys Don’t Cry (1999)
This female-to-male transsexual rape and murder documentation will destroy your senses. The retelling of the murder of Tina Brandon (A.K.A. Brandon Teena) by men insecure in their own sexuality is brutal and will leave an impact on your psyche that will last a lifetime. Hillary Swank won her first Oscar for her performance and was directed by Kimberly Peirce, director of the upcoming (and not anticipated by me) remake of Carrie.
3. Deranged: The Confessions of a Necrophile (1974)
Another gritty, low-budget shocker that is based on the murderous life of Wisconsin farmer Ed Gein. Now, I love The Texas Chainsaw Massacre and Psycho, but despite their claims of being inspired by the Gein case, this is the one that actually comes closest to telling the actual story of an old man who only killed two people, but did make dead skin masks and nipple belts from his victims (and some corpses he dug up from their graves). Early special effects by Tom Savini (Dawn of the Dead, Friday the 13th). Written and directed by Alan Ormsby, who also starred in the first horror film I ever saw, Children Shouldn’t Play with Dead Things.
4. Targets (1968)
Wow, what a weird film directed by Peter Bogdanovich. As a young filmmaker, he was given the opportunity by legendary low-budget filmmaker Roger Corman to take unused stock footage from the terrible film The Terror and also incorporate horror legend Boris Karloff into a film. He decided to set the film at a drive-in theater, replete with Karloff horror film on the drive-in screen, and place a sniper in the midst of the complex. Very loosely based on the Charles Whitman/University of Texas (my alma mater) tower shootings of 1966 that occurred only two years prior.
5. Badlands (1973)
Terrence Malick turned true crime into art with this depiction based on the 1958 murder spree of Charles Starkweather and 15-year-old Caril Ann Fugate. Of course, it certainly helped to have Martin Sheen and Sissy Spacek (Carrie) in the starring roles.
Runners-up: The Honeymoon Killers, Ed Gein, In Cold Blood, Wolf Creek, Jack Ketchum’s The Girl Next Door, Zodiac, Cannibal, Men behind the Sun, The Town That Dreaded Sundown
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In what can only be described as a match made in hell, the worlds of heavy metal and horror collide this fall as the first-ever Housecore Horror Film Festival (HHFF) erupts in Austin, Texas. World-famous heavy metal musician Philip H. Anselmo (Pantera, Down, Superjoint Ritual) and internationally renowned, best-selling true crime author Corey Mitchell (Hollywood Death Scenes, Dead and Buried) have teamed up to create the ultimate underground, three-day horror and heavy metal fan event that will combine live concerts from some of the biggest bands in metal and hard rock with more than 70 screenings of horror, true crime, and heavy metal films, music videos, and more—and special guest appearances from three of the world’s most revered underground directors of horror.
The Housecore Horror Film Festival will take over the entire Emo’s complex in the newly revitalized area of East Austin for three days of shock and roll. HHFF will feature seven screens, which will display more than 70 horror, true crime, and heavy metal film screenings, including feature-length films, short films, documentaries, classic horror films, world premieres, music videos, vintage and faux movie trailers, and more. As darkness descends each night, a dozen heavy metal and hard rock acts, handpicked by Anselmo himself, will hit the stage.
The nefarious brainchild of Anselmo and Mitchell, the Housecore Horror Film Festival spawned from a mutual love for all things horror that was discovered while the two were collaborating on Anselmo’s upcoming autobiography (Simon & Schuster, 2014). Wanting to bring their passion for—and knowledge of—extreme music and horror films to legions of fans, HHFF was born, with the goal of showcasing the best in a wide range of horror films—from the obscure to the extreme, from quality mainstream to the most unrepentant gore—and the heavy music that goes hand-in-hand with it.
Two confirmed special guest film directors include the notoriously controversial Jörg Buttgereit (Nekromantik, Nekromantik 2, Schramm) and revered do-it-yourself guerilla filmmaker Jim VanBebber (The Manson Family, Deadbeat at Dawn). Additional guest film directors will be announced as the festival nears.
Several top-tier metal and hard rock bands have signed on to perform at the inaugural event, and HHFF today announces the first round of confirmed artists: Anselmo’s own Southern metal supergroup Down, New Orleans masters of metallic doom Crowbar, and the Texas premiere of Philip H. Anselmo & the Illegals, Anselmo’s greatly anticipated extreme-metal solo project.
With films screening inside Emo’s East, and smaller screening rooms throughout the Emo’s complex, and nightly concerts inside the 2,000-capacity Emo’s East, organizers are planning for an immersive, three-day, horror and heavy metal fan mecca. HHFF will also host several “Side Show” attractions—from “gore-lesque” routines to suspension exhibitions to rare horror memorabilia displays. In addition, there will be dozens of horror- and metal-centric vendors dispersed throughout the complex plying their scare wares for the public to check out.
Filmmakers, screenwriters, producers, and actors in attendance will introduce their works and hold question-and-answer sessions after their screenings and will be available to the public at an outdoor celebrity signing and chat booth. Several notable authors of horror, mystery, true crime, and heavy metal will be also be signing books throughout the weekend.
And since no horror fest would be complete without creating some terror of its own, festival-goers can take a walk through the Haunted Corridor and allow festival-goers the opportunity to be scared all weekend long. The Haunted Corridor will be constructed by a Texas haunted house team with creative design help from Anselmo, who is one of the original co-founders of the internationally beloved House of Shock haunted house experience from New Orleans, Louisiana.
Whether it’s a classic horror film, a big budget blockbuster, an underground gore-fest, an experimental flick, or a quiet chiller, it will be screening at HHFF. Filmmaker submissions open today, with an early submission deadline of March 20. Feature-length or short films, big budget or shot on a cell phone—if it’s well made, compelling, and chilling, Anselmo and Mitchell are ready to select it. HHFF is an IMDb-qualifying festival, which means that all films in consideration will receive an invitation to create a title page on the Internet Movie Database web site.
Films can be submitted here.
The official website launches today, where interested filmmakers can find more information on how to submit their work. The web site will also contain continuous updates, including new band and special guest announcements, film screening schedules, vendor and sponsorship opportunities, contact information for HHFF staff, and occasional musings from Anselmo and Mitchell.
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Down have unleashed the music video for the song “Witchtripper” off their recently released Down IV Part I–The Purple EP. Check it out below and let us know what you think in the comments.
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Down–the metal supergroup featuring Phil Anselmo of Pantera, Pepper Keenan of Corrosion of Conformity, Jimmy Bower of Eyehategod, and Kirk Windstein of Crowbar and Kingdom of Sorrow–will release their highly anticipated new offering, Down IV Part I – The Purple EP, on September 18. It will be the first in a series of four EPs. In anticipation, the band is unveiling the cover art right here right now. Check it out below, as well as the track list for the EP. You can stream the new song, “Witchtripper” by clicking here.
Down IV Part I – The Purple EP track list:
01 “Levitation”
02 “Witchtripper”
03 “Open Coffins”
04 “The Curse Is a Lie”
05 “This Work Is Timeless”
06 “Misfortune Teller”
The 2011 Metalliance Tour has moved its Chicago show, scheduled to take place this Sunday, due to recent gang-related activity in the vicinity of the venue. The city imposed a seven-day hold on the venue’s operations license after a fight started in the club and spilled out into the street, resulting in a handgun being fired at least six times. No one was shot but two people involved in the fight were arrested. The show has moved to a new venue called Bada Brew but will otherwise go on as scheduled. All tickets will be honored.
The tour features Helmet, Saint Vitus, Crowbar, Kylesa, Red Fang, Howl, and Atlas Moth, who could all probably hold their own in a gang fight if they had to. Check out the remaining dates below.
03/25 New York, NY @ Irving Plaza
03/26 Cleveland, OH @ Peabody’s
03/27 Joliet, IL @ Bada Brew
03/28 Merriam, KS @ Aftershock
03/29 Denver, CO @ The Summit
03/31 Portland, OR @ Roseland Theater
04/01 Seattle, WA @ El Corazon
04/03 San Francisco, CA @ Mezzanine
04/04 San Diego, CA @ Brick by Brick
04/05 Hollywood, CA @ House Of Blues
To celebrate the careers of Nikki Sixx and Mötley Crüe, Revolver put the badass bassist on the cover of the March/April issue, out now. We also got some musicians to weigh in on their favorite songs by Sixx and the Crüe. Today, Crowbar frontman Kirk Windstein fills us in on his favorite Crüe tune.
“Red Hot”
“It has the Motörhead, ‘Overkill,’ drum beat, and i think it’s their heaviest tune. It’s dripping with aggression!”
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Revolver Magazine presents the 2011 Metalliance tour official after party in New York City! After checking out Helmet, Saint Vitus, Crowbar, Kylesa, Red Fang, Howl, and Atlas Moth on March 25, come to the Idle Hands Bar! The party starts at 11 P.M. and ends at 4 A.M.
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The 2011 Metalliance Tour dates have officially been announced. The tour, sponsored by Revolver, Loudtrax.com, Brooklyn Vegan, Mosh Potatoes Cookbook and Giddy Up! Sauces, is proud to announce Helmet, Saint Vitus, and Crowbar for its inaugural lineup.
As previously announced, Helmet will perform 1992's platinum-selling Meantime in it's entirety, while doom-metal legends Saint Vitus will do a full U.S. tour for the first time in over a decade. VIP tickets are also available courtesy of Artist Arena. The package includes a meet-and-greet with the Metalliance lineup, a Metalliance hot sauce bottle, a commemorative VIP show laminate, an autographed poster, and an issue of Revolver. One ticket buyer will also be randomely selected as a grand prize winner, which includes a dinner with the bands, an autographed Mosh Potatoes Cookbook, and one T-shirt from each of the bands. A second-place winner will be selected for a one-on-one guitar lesson with Kirk Windstein and an autographed Mosh Potatoes Cookbook.
Click here for more info, and check out the tour dates below.
03/17 Dallas, TX @ Southside Music Hall
03/18 Austin, TX @ Dirty Dog / SXSW
03/19 New Orleans, LA @ One Eyed Jacks
03/20 St Petersburg, FL @ State Theater
03/21 Orlando, FL @ Firestone Live
03/22 Greensboro, NC @ Greene Street
03/23 Springfield, VA @ Jaxx
03/24 Worcester, MA @ Palladium
03/25 New York, NY @ Irving Plaza
03/26 Cleveland, OH @ Peabody's
03/27 Joliet, IL @ Mojoe's
03/29 Denver, CO @ The Summit
03/31 Portland, OR @ Roseland Theater
04/01 Seattle, WA @ El Corazon
04/03 San Francisco, CA @ Mezzanine
04/05 Hollywood, CA @ House Of Blues