Stuart Gordon, Final Girls Lead Spectacular Stanley Film Festival Lineup

Heading into its third year, The Stanley Film Festival—the one that takes place at Colorado’s famed Stanley Hotel, which inspired The Shining—remains committed to staging a horror experience, not simply defined by its film lineup, but live events and total immersion, as well. Still, this newly announced film lineup is now entirely the main attraction, featuring highly anticipated fest titles like The Final Girls, We Are Still Here, Shrew’s Nest, The Invitation, Goodnight Mommy, the World Premiere of Some Kind of Hate, retrospective selections honoring Re-Animator and Repulsion, and so much more. 

The Stanley Film Festival has revealed a killer slate, including Todd Strauss-Schulson’s delightful meta horror-comedy The Final Girls as Closing Night Film and a Master of Horror ceremony for the iconic Stuart Gordon, who will take part in live conversation with Mick Garris following a screening of Re-Animator. The new films playing are some of the best current horror has to offer, including New England Fulci-esque We Are Still Here; the terrific Spanish period-set film Shrew’s Nest; the utterly beautiful Danish werewolf tale When Animals Dream; Austrian nightmare Goodnight Mommy; Irish creature feature The Hallow and Karyn Kusama’s excellent, somber thriller The Invitation.

On the side of anticipated premieres comes the strange new Rodney Ascher movie-within-a-commentary concoction Director’s Commentary: Terror of Frankenstein; supernatural slasher Some Kind of Hate; Barbara Crampton-staring holistic horror Sun Choke and Adrian Garcia Bogliano’s new thriller, Scherzo Diabolico.

That’s not to mention the retro titles. Aside from Re-Animator and Rocky Horror, the Stanley will host screenings of Diabolique and Cronenberg’s newly restored Shivers. The 2015 Stanley Film Festival will be both an embarrassment of riches and a whirlwind of dilemma.

Find the full lineup, below. The Stanley Film Festival (of which Shock Till You Drop is a proud media sponsor) hits the famed Stanley Hotel in Estes Park, CO this April 30-May 3. I do not lie when I refer to the weekend as an essential horror retreat. I hope you’ll make it out. Get tickets, badges and info here.

You can find the retrospectives listed, and the main lineup in the full gallery, below.

RETROSPECTIVES:

• Diabolique – France/1955 – (Director: Henri-Georges Clouzot, Featuring Simone Signoret, Véra Clouzot, Paul Meurisse, Charles Vanel, Jean Brochard) – The wife of an abusive headmaster teams up with her husband’s mistress to kill him in what they think is the perfect crime. When his body mysteriously disappears, the two find they are in deeper than they bargained for. In honor of the film’s 60th Anniversary, the Stanley Film Festival is proud to present this eeiry, French milestone of the horror canon.
• Re-Animator – USA/1985 – (Director: Stuart Gordon, Featuring Jeffrey Combs, Bruce Abbott, Barbara Crampton) – Join Mick Garris for a conversation with the 2015 Master of Horror Award recpient Stuart Gordon and a special 30th Anniversary screening of his cult classic. In this Lovecraftian tale, medical student Herbet West attempts to unlock the secerts of life with his experimental serum.
• Repulsion – UK/1965 – (Director: Roman Polanski, Featuring Catherine Deneuve, Ian Hendry, John Fraser, Yvonne Furneaux) – The 50th Anniversary of Roman Polanski’s all-time cinema classic of suspense finds demons closing in on a young Catherine Deneuve when left alone in her sister’s apartment.
• The Rocky Horror Picture Show – USA/1975 – (Director: Jim Sharman, Featuring Tim Curry, Susan Sarandon, Barry Bostwick, Richard O’Brien ) – Let’s do the the Time Warp again! Come celebrate the 40th Anniversay of your favorite horror musical with Colorado’s Elusive Ingredient. Throw Bag’s will be on hand for $5. So dust off those red pumps and fish net stockings and get ready to rock out.  
• Shivers – Canada/1975 – (Director: David Cronenberg, Featuring Paul Hampton, Joe Silver, Lynn Lowry) – Newly restored by the TIFF Cinematheque under the supervision of David Cronenberg, this 40th Anniversary screening of the King of Venereal Horror’s classic will crawl under your skin. In a modern high-rise, billed as the ideal place to live, a parasitic infestation turns the residents into sex-crazed maniacs.