After Dark Horrorfest 2007

The After Dark Horrorfest hits the Twin Cities for the second year with 8 Films to Die For over the weekends of November 9-11 and November 16-18. The two participating theaters are hardly Twin City central, but nonetheless, they are Marcus 16 in Oakdale and Marcus Parkway 18 in Waite Park. It's a good idea and not too far off from what Fathom Events does when it hijacks one screen in your local multiplex for something a little different. In this case After Dark picks up horror films that seem unlikely to get theatrical release in the US and distributes them theatrically and then hands them over to Anchor Boy for DVD release. My attention was drawn to this year's fest when it announced it would be screening the French horror film Frontier(s). But no sooner was it announced when it was pulled from the lineup due to some ratings issues. (After Dark states that they will release Frontiers theatrically at a later date.)

Despite no Frontiers, I am going to see as many of these as I can. Each film will screen twice, once each weekend. An all-fest pass is available for $75 which gets you access to all the films and some other crud. Although my boys at Twitch have reported on quite a few of these films, most of these films are new news to me, which is a good thing, and represent true indie filmmaking. Here's the line-up with links to trailers:

The Death's of Ian Stone (2007)
Directed by Dario Piana
On an otherwise ordinary night, the young Ian Stone encounters a mysterious creature and is forced into the path of an oncoming train. Rather than facing certain death, Ian finds himself reborn into a new life that feels strangely familiar. After his second death, it becomes apparent that Ian is being hunted by an evil presence, and will be forced to die every day until he can solve the mystery of his own life.

Nightmare Man (2006)
Directed by Rolfe Kanefsky
After receiving a mysterious mask, Ellen Morris believes she was attacked by an evil being she calls ‘Nightmare Man’. Her husband, Bill, believes she is crazy. On their way to the mental hospital their car breaks down and Bill goes to get gas, leaving Ellen alone. When Nightmare Man appears, Ellen takes off into the woods, unsure whether she is hallucinating or not. She stumbles upon a cabin filled with friends who unknowingly becoming prey the moment Ellen steps inside.

Crazy Eights (2006)
Directed by James Koya Jones
Six friends reunite after 20 years at a mutual childhood friend's funeral. A search through their deceased friend's house reveals a map to a time capsule they buried some twenty years earlier which spurs the friends to find it and dig it up.

Unearthed (2007)
Directed by Matthew Leutwyler
A vicious creature that’s been trapped for 900 years, gets unearthed during an archeological dig in the middle of a desolate town. As the carnage escalates, the local sheriff and a group of stranded civilians must find a way to destroy the creature that only has one mission – complete annihilation.

Borderland (2007)
Directed by Zev Berman
When three Texas University students travel to a Mexican border town on the eve of their graduation, the last thing they expect is to face their own deaths.Without warning, they fall prey to an ancient blood cult hellbent on finding candidates for human sacrifice. Based on true events, Borderland tells a story which blends the raw fear of Texas Chainsaw Massacre with the stark reality of In Cold Blood, evoking a world soaked in paranoia, fear, and dread.

Mulberry Street (2006)
Directed by Jim Mickle
The city that never sleeps may shut its eyes for good when a deadly infection turns its residents to savage creatures. There is only hope for a small few, including six recently evicted tenants who must protect their crumbling apartment complex as the city around them is thrown into chaos...

Tooth and Nail (2007)
Directed by Mark YoungA small group of survivors in a post-apocalyptic world take refuge in an empty hospital with plans on re-building society. They rescue a young girl who is the victim of a brutal attack, but soon discover that they were followed by a savage band of cannibals known as Rovers. The Rovers begin to kill them one by one, and the trapped survivors must find a way to outwit their stalkers.

Lake Dead (2007) US
Directed by George Bessudo
Three sisters and a group of their friends take a trip to the home of the recently deceased grandfather, who died a particularly grisly death, to learn more about the promise of an inheritance, only to encounter a family of psychos who have taken up residence in the old man's cabin.

Edit: These films are also playing at Regal Brooklyn Center 20 and Carmike Oakdale 20.