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The NYCHFF 2006 Experience - Kickoff Party at Don Hill's
By John Marrone
Oct 23, 2006, 05:42

There is death in the air.  Can you smell it?  These are dark days setting in.  October is not some commercialized holiday gimmick.  You can see the skin of the earth - the open palms of life bearing foliage - dying.  And as these autumn winds begin to blow - your bones are once again reminded of the gravelike chill of the buried dead.  Creatures large and small gather food and huddle together in an attempt to survive frozen death.  Some however do not shun the funeral of the year.  Some revel in it, and stand atop the heaped mound of lifelessness with one arm raised to the skies in defiance, smirks twitching in the corner of their lips.

Such are those who gathered at Don Hills in New York City this past October 17th as Michael Hein and Anthony Pepe kicked off this year's New York City Horror Film Festival - where lesser devils, minor demons, filmmakers, fans and actors alike all rose from the dead to partake in the opening festivities.  There were bloody decapitations and murderous psychotic grannies.  The gore dripped from the walls at Don Hills.  The stage screen flickering with shimmering lights and shadows of the horror film worlds freshest kills.  This years bands (Bipolar J, Secret Cervix, and Kaos From Order) raised the bar and kicked freakin' ass, willfully rupturing our eardrums with sharp, mad metal.  So with the horror world - you, me and the others - all gathered, buzzed, lit, sauced and spattered at the premiere watering hole for secret serial killers and fantasizers alike - from LA to Kansas - UK to Brooklyn - we slaughtered dark Hobgoblin lagers as thick crimson dripped from our earholes and the spirits of the dead danced in the reflection of our eyes.  Michael Hein and Anthony Pepe made everyone feel like they were at home, burying us in free t-shirts and dvds, testing every murder afficianado with horror trivia to tickle the synapses of your gray matter.  It was "the devil's rain", and it was bloodthirst quenching.  Hordes of sexy horror actresses and new directors you'll be hearing about all the upcoming year...  what a sinfully sweet, devilish taste of Hell it was.

This was the atmosphere of what is now becoming the official kick-off to the Halloween season to a lot of us in the New York City area.  No disrespect in the slightest to Screamfest out of LA - but the New York City Horror Film Festival is fast becoming THE most heralded and respected cellulous celebration of evil in the nation and possibly the world.  Not enough can be said about the staff that puts this together.  Its like a virtually free ticket for the common horror fan to walk in and drink and mingle amongst stars and directors and writers from everywhere, all feeling equally important and accessable at the venue.  There are no crap autograph booths trying to charge you for scribble on a piece of paper.  The NYCHFF is about the love of the genre - not a money making opportunity designed to gather fans and milk them dry of their dollars.  And this is in NYC of all places - where money usually falls from your pockets like leaves from the autumn trees.  Michael Hein - Anthony Pepe - you and your staff are the Santa Clauses of cinematic sin - and the kick off party at Don Hills was fantastic.  I speak for legions of us when I say to you all - thank you for your generosity and hard work.

Besides the maniacal live metal, and trailer trash between sets - Don Hill's opening night NYCHFF party also kicks off the horror short screenings.  They were fun on all accounts.  From a critical point of view (and we are there to differentiate the cream from the crop), Opening Night poses an interesting dilemma for those picked to debut this particular evening.  There's an interesting difference to this night, in that sometimes its hard to absorb film subtleties amongst a happy and vocal crowd of standing room only partygoers.  So unfortunately for those shorts that had any reliance on such things, it was the others that stood out to the crowd.

Lets take a quick look at two horror shorts that stood out magnanamously this evening.

"13 Ways to Die at Home" - directed by Lee Lanier:  Lee Lanier has been covered here at House of Horrors before ("For Dead Girls and Fans of Them").  His short "Little Dead Girl" was the animated horror filet mignon of 2005.  This year he has nailed me down as a fan, returning with "13 Ways to Die at Home" - a series of shorts within a short, each with a different wacked out, psychedelic 60's appearance, showing a twisted sense of humor and raising the roar of the crowd with each wacked horror slant.  While some shorts are drowned out by mass appreciation at the bar - Lee's short, for the second year in a row used the riot to his advantage.  Mark my words - Lee Lanier will be a name you will not be able to avoid in the future.  House of Horrors has always had a superior sixth sense for the cutting edge of "New Blood" quality horror and filmmakers on the horizon, and Lee is an exceptional director that deserves more attention.  HoH will eventually be getting with Lee for a closer look at his work - in the meantime you can take a look at his demo reel of "13 Ways to Die at Home", "Little Dead Girl" and others by clicking HERE.

"Dear Sweet Emma" - directed by John Cernak:   How could you not love dear sweet Emma - a delicate old grandma tinkering around in her kitchen who personifies the term, "killing with kindness".  What is at first an innocent elderly woman taking care of her peaceful primped home is soon not as it seems.  Instead of me telling you about it, why dont you take five minutes and check out the short which is playing at IFilm right now.  Click HERE for that.  You'll be glad you did. 

Other shorts playing on this evening were, "Casket Climber Insect God" by Brian Lonano - "No Second Chances" by Rafael De Leon Jr. - "Kisses" by Dominic Traverzo - "Butcher, Baker and Nightmare Maker" by Steffan Schulz - and "The Faeries of Blackheath Woods" by Ciaran Foy.  All were excellent and entertaining pieces of film.

House of Horrors kudos go out to everyone who attended and combined for such an upbeat evening - especially club owner Don Hill himself for hosting with such class and down to earthness at the same time.  The man is always amongst the crowd, and will even take the empty glasses from your table.  Gina Ramsden of Last Rites of the Dead looked absolutely incredible.   Everyone from filmmakers Patrick Rea and Ryan Jones of SenoReality Pictures, DP Frank Sabatella and director RJ Hannigan, director Kevin Shulman, festival director Michael Hein and staff, star horror author Jack Ketchum, director Kasey Ferguson and Don his axe weilding compadre' and their girlfriends, Adam Barnick - all the filmmakers and fans and press - for appearing and making the fifth annual NYCHFF kickoff so enjoyable.  It was an awesome night.  If you missed it, make plans for next year so there's no excuses, and get in on this party for 2007.  NYCHFF Opening Night at Don Hill's kickoff party - ass kicking, murderously delicious mayhem at its finest.  ROCK ON!