It’s less than six months before horror and metal collide in Central Texas at the inaugural Housecore Horror Film Festival–the 3-day underground fan event celebrating the twisted line where horror films and heavy metal meet. Now, festival creators–legendary metal frontman Philip Anselmo and best-selling true crime author Corey Mitchell–have announced that producers David Bond and Manda Manuel have personally selected to premiere their eagerly anticipated international horror anthology, The Profane Exhibit, in the United States at the Housecore Horror Film Festival.
Set in a club deep within the underbelly of Paris, The Profane Exhibit explores the inner workings of a secret, wicked society. At first it resembles an ordinary fetish or Goth nightclub, but hidden within the cavernous building are many rooms, one of which is known as “The Room of Souls,” a private gathering place of the world’s richest and most evil people. Their host is the elegant, yet frightening, Madame Sabatier. As the film unfolds, each member takes a turn and spins a true tale of their depravity for the amusement of the group.
Horror icons from around the world have been assembled to create this truly unique film experience. From the minds that created Cannibal Holocaust, At Midnight I’ll Take Your Soul, Philosophy of a Knife, Tokyo Gore Police, Hardware, Wax Mask, Cemetery Man, Theater Bizarre, The ABCs of Death, August Underground’s Mordem, Cannibal, Time Crimes, and Dread, comes a collection of stories that serve as a mirror for looking deep inside our current world and inside ourselves.
HHFF cofounder and Lead Programmer Corey Mitchell says, “having the U.S. premiere of The Profane Exhibit at the Housecore Horror Film Festival makes perfect sense. TPE is the most extreme horror film to come down the pike in years and HHFF is the epitome of the extreme horror film festival. We are about expanding the boundaries of what a horror film festival can be and TPE does the same thing for horror anthologies.”
Mitchell also stated that The Profane Exhibit will receive the Blood Red Carpet treatment and that directors Coffin Joe and Ryan Nicholson, producers David Bond and Manda Manuel, and composer Maurizio Guarini of Goblin will all be in attendance. Former Austin Chronicle movie reviewer and horror fanatic Marc Savlov will also conduct a Q&A after the screening.
“We are amazed at how much talent we are able to bring in to support this amazing film, in this, our first year of existence,” declared Mitchell. “It is our commitment to the real fans of horror to expose them to new voices in the genre as well as the classic creators.”
The Profane Exhibit’s producers David Bond and Manda Manuel explained why they decided to hold the U.S. premiere of
his film at the inaugural Housecore Horror Film Festival. “We chose this event because we have always been a fan of Philip’s. We felt since this is his first time doing this festival, that it’s perfect for a film of this caliber to start his history of amazing films shown there first.”
The U.S. premiere of The Profane Exhibit joins an already heavy list of festival performances, screenings and special events that have been announced to date, including the North American premiere of Italian maestros of horror
Goblin live-scoring Dario Argento’s horror masterpiece, Suspiria; concerts from Down, Crowbar, Philip H. Anselmo & The Illegals, EyeHateGod, and Warbeast; special guest appearances by noted and notorious filmmakers Coffin Joe, Jörg Buttgereit, and Jim VanBebber; and Void ov Voices–another one-time-only, metal-meets-horror event with extreme metal vocalist Attila Csihar (best known from iconic black-metal band Mayhem) using sonic manipulations to create a live soundtrack for The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari.
Many more bands, special guests, films, and special events to be announced over the next few months.
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Walk Through Exits Only, The first-ever solo album from Philip H. Anselmo & the Illegals, is due out July 16. In anticipation, Anselmo has premiered one of the tracks from the record, “Usurper’s Bastard Rant.” Check it out below and let us know what you think in the comments.
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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; here, Eyehategod vocalist Mike IX Williams picks his top five Obscure and Odd Low-Budget Horror Films from the ’70s and ’80s.
1) John Russo’s Midnight
“I’ve loved this film since I saw it in the mid ’80s and, in fact, it was released a few years earlier in 1982. If the name John Russo sounds familiar, he and George Romero were writing partners on the screenplay for Night of the Living Dead, and his personal directorial effort Midnight to me is well worth watching. Satanic and evil backwoods cops hunting hitchhiking runaway chick! The dark-sided authority figures, amongst my all-time favorite big-screen villains, as you’ll learn, are brought to life here for a reportedly modest five-figure sum of a budget, so the cash saved on cinematography is made up for by brutal ritualistic murders, a great creepy atmosphere, and the make-up effects of Tom Savini. These elements melted together make for an entertaining view into the psychosis of devil-worshiping pigs with mommy issues.”
2) Maniac Cop
“The brainiac behind the original wonderfully sleazy scalp fest that is Maniac, his majesty William Lustig, once again delves deep into pre-Mickey Mouse 1980s gritty NYC fire and ire to bring us back down…waaay down, underground and under arrest with a search warrant for DEATH! Catchy huh? Anyway, another of my faves for one of the most evil and tortuous monsters of all time: The NYPD. Disfigured and out to kill, this outcast of society and the anti-hero of the slogan ‘to protect and serve’ does his best to terrorize and neglect. Apparently possessing other worldly powers, this cop is on a supernatural city-wide house wrecking high. Bruce Campbell (Evil Dead alumni) is here wrongly accused and mayhem ensues. The tagline says it all for this great Horror B-movie: ‘You Have the Right to Remain Silent…Forever!’
“I kind of prefer Maniac Cop 2 and I have not seen the remakes or other sequels, so for the sake of the timeline this jewel holds a spot at No. 2.”
3) The Cars that Ate Paris, A.K.A. The Cars that Eat People (title for U.S. release)
“I saw this Aussie produced flick at a matinee as a kid and the spiked and armored vicious Volkswagon from the movie sat out in front of the theater all week as a promotional device and I chewed my nails and stared at that bug with anticipation every day I passed down Main St. It’s technically a horror film, but as the genre winds around and through itself, it’s got elements of mystery, dark unintentional(?) comedy, and just plain strangeness… I always have been fascinated by the plot, which is essentially a town of eccentrics in the business of purposely staging and causing car wrecks in and around their small community of Paris to ultimately sell off the leftovers for a valuable profit, all the while surgically experimenting on any survivors in a most peculiar way. Long-winded yet disturbing, plus cool human slaying automobiles make this a cheapo cinematic treasure.
4) Blood Sucking Freaks
“I’m sure you’ve all heard of this cult classic, right? Exploitation in it’s finest form: tons of naked females, most of them slaughtered/tortured/dismembered in some bizarre fashion, a wild ass-dart shooting midget…err, sorry, little person, professional creep Dr. Sardu, below no-budget special effects, and some of the worst acting I’ve ever seen in my life…and that’s all the good things! The shitty yet atmospheric organ keyboard soundtrack will hypnotize your mind and deaden your soul, and I mean deaden as in numb to the point of needing to walk around the block a few times. As a teenager, I recorded the entire movie on audio cassette and we would drive around smoking and drinking in some psychodrama of just being pummeled by B.S.F’s retarded comical violent nonsense. Brain-drilling, straw-sucking out said drilled brain, amputations, thumb screws, crushed skulls, chainsaws, guillotines all in the name of a Grand Guignol live stage performance, which of course leaves the viewer wondering: Are these girls actual actors or are they unwilling victims kidnapped into this wild scene just for some sicko’s fantasies.”
5) I Drink Your Blood
“LSD, sex, rabid satanic hippies, kids with syringes, and as the title says, plenty o’ blood drinking/splattering/dripping/oozing. As a youth, I remember the ad for this one in my city’s paper for the midnight showing at our local drive-in, but I was a too young to check it out at that age. That never stopped me from obsessing about it and now having watched it numerous times, I can confess to how brilliant this zero-budget flick certainly was and is. Usually paired with the 1960s walking dead cheapo I Eat Your Skin, a really bad movie renamed for the sole reason of going on double duty with I Drink Your Blood. These tarnished reels are an exploration in bad acting and even worse editing. A true economical gory genius with dialog that will, by itself, have you scratching your head more than just once.”
Samson, Xbox and Revolver were backstage May 2 at the 5th annual Revolver Golden Gods Awards to host all the artist interviews, which aired live exclusively on Xbox Smartglass. Now Samson and Revolver are releasing all the interviews for you to watch!
Here’s the first of many clips from the 5th annual awards show. This video features our hosts David Ellefson and Zakk Wylde interviewing Philip Anselmo backstage at Club Nokia in Downtown Los Angeles after he performed with Anthrax and Rex Brown. For more information on Samson, visit samsontech.com. To watch all the performances and awards from this special night, click here or go to www.GoldenGodsAwards.com.
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Check out this new photo gallery from last week’s 5th Annual Revolver Golden Gods Awards. To see the list of winners and videos of all performances and awards from heavy metal’s biggest night, click here. Photos courtesy of Stephanie Cabral!
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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; here, Marzi Montazeri, guitarist of Philip H. Anselmo & the Illegals, offers a list of his favorite “Scary Thangs.”
The Shining
“Watching and feeling the transition of one losing his mind with the great intent of harm in a secluded setting of an empty hotel. Something about this film makes it my favorite. A very intriguing film. It still gives me chills when I think of the hallways.”
Portal
“Everything about this band is true horror. There is no match for Portal. One listen and you not only hear, but feel the horror.”
Dawn of the Dead
“My first film where I saw guts getting ripped out. First gore flick for me really, but it has that nostalgic feel to it as well. Made me feel uncomfortable, so I’d say it did the trick.”
Rosemary’s Baby
“The main reason this film grabbed my attention was its true source of evil that is maintained in everyday social circles. Much of the film’s content is still alive today, in my opinion, and advancing. It gives you that alone feeling and it captured a deceptive secret society.”
The Exorcist
“Timeless for both the movie and the soundtrack.”
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
]]>Philip Anselmo, legendary frontman of Pantera and Down, will release his career-first solo album, Walk Through Exits Only, on July 16 via his own Housecore Records (MRI/Megaforce). Walk Through Exits Only will be available digitally, on CD and on vinyl.
Produced by Philip Anselmo and Michael Thompson, and recorded over the past couple of years at his New Orleans studio, Nodferatu’s Lair, with his band The Illegals–guitarist Marzi Montazeri and drummer Jose Manuel “Blue” Gonzales–Walk Through Exits Only features eight songs, including “Battalion of Zero” to “Usurper’s Bastard Rant” to the album’s title track.
“It wasn’t about doing a paint-by-numbers thrash or heavy-metal record,” Anselmo explained about the project. “It’s an angry album that only I could do. I don’t see anybody else out there screaming about the same shit I’m screaming about. On this album, there isn’t any wordplay, there isn’t any hidden message, it’s all right there in front of you.”
Anselmo and the Illegals will support the new album with a major North American tour planned for this summer. Anselmo, who is up for Best Vocalist at this year’s Revolver Golden Gods awards, will make a special appearance at that event.
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