Dusk Till Dawn: 24 Hours!
Horror marathons with a theme.
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As you're reading this, my bags are packed and I'm already on the road for the Exhumed Films 24 Hour Horror-thon Part XVII at the Colonial Theatre in Phoenixville, PA. This will be my third annual visit (podcasts from the last two years can be found here and here) and I feel like a pro at this point.
Longtime readers of this website may remember that last year's visit was what inspired Dusk Till Dawn, my (fictional) horror marathons that you can find on this website every so often. They're usually all-nighters, stretching from 7:00p-7:00a, but in honor of both the one-year anniversary of the series and another Horrorthon visit, I've decided to celebrate with our own 24-hour marathon. I don't pretend to be as excellent a programmer as the folks at Exhumed and other great 24-hour horror marathons around the country, but instead do this as a student of their work.
Here we go! We're already running late. Everything is on 35mm (to the best of our abilities, of course) and the concession stand is open all night.
12:00p-1:45p Waxwork II: Lost in Time (1992)
The survivors of the first Waxwork must use a portal through time to defeat the evil that has followed them and turned their lives upside down.
trailers: Nosferatu (1922), Nosferatu (2024)
If you want to hear some more thoughts on this movie, you can listen to this episode of The Drew Barrymore-a-thon. Drew’s in it for less than 20 seconds, which I would normally find to be an annoying hurdle in our filmography projects, but this turned out to be a kinda hidden gem. On the show, I called it a Goosebumps/Alvin and the Chipmunks Meet Frankenstein/Fairly Oddparents Channel Chasers matchup and I stand by that on-the-fly assessment. The movie travels through different eras and horror subgenres, bouncing around from Frankenstein to Dawn of the Dead to Godzilla to Drew’s scene, Nosferatu. (She plays a very convincing Vampire Victim #2). It’s accessible horror for starters and is a great little sampler platter for the next 22 hours.
1:50p-3:30p: The Quatermass Xperiment (1955)
The first manned spacecraft, fired from an English launchpad, is first lost from radar, then roars back to Earth and crashes in a farmer's field, and is found to contain only one of the three men who took off in it; and he is unable to talk but appears to be undergoing a torturous physical and mental metamorphosis.
trailers: The Thing from Another World (1951), Prince of Darkness (1987),
It's still early, so we want to keep it reasonably light in here. This Hammer film is an alien invasion film with very little aliens or invasions, but it's an effective early body horror movie and space paranoia examination. Early in the day is always good for science fiction, and this film not only kicked off a whole series, but inspired horror masters like John Carpenter (who wrote his 1987 picture Prince of Darkness under the pseudonym Martin Quatermass) and Stephen King.
3:35p-5:10p: The Hitcher (1986)
In the winter of 1982, a twelve-man research team at a remote Antarctic research station discovers an alien buried in the snow for over 100,000 years. Soon unfrozen, the form-changing creature wreaks havoc, creates terror… and becomes one of them.
trailers: The Texas Chain Saw Massacre (1974), Duel (1971), Roadgames (1981)
We need to do some daytime-set horror while it's still light out (not that we would know, we're stuck inside) and this is one of the iconic middle-of-the-day nightmare movies. C. Thomas Howell is stalked by Rutger Hauer, who plays a Terminator-like killing machine that he just can't shake. This is damn near more of an action flick than it is horror, so it'll be a great crowd movie, one where we can all hoot and holler together while we're still awake.
5:15p-6:45p: The Private Eyes (1980)
The lord and lady of a capacious manor are killed, and the lord's ghost seems to have returned to knock off the staff one by one, causing Inspector Winship and Dr. Tart to investigate the wacky house and its inhabitants.
trailers: The Ghost & Mr. Chicken (1966), Spooky Buddies (2011)
It's going to be a long night, so don't think we need to amp it up quite yet - that'll come next in our primetime slot. We do, however, need some spooky vibes. Let's turn to this haunted mansion murder mystery, even if it is a comedy. This Don Knotts and Tim Conway (who co-wrote the film) vehicle might see those two legends doing their shtick just a little past their prime, but seeing them on the big screen will feel like a warm blanket. Especially before we really kick things off...
6:50p-8:30p: I Know What You Did Last Summer (1997)
After an accident on a winding road, four teens make the fatal mistake of dumping their victim's body into the sea. Exactly one year later, the deadly secret resurfaces as they're stalked by a hook-handed figure.
trailers: Dead Man’s Curve (1998), Scooby-Doo (2002)
Is this movie good?
No, seriously, I'm actually asking. Is it? It's so good in my head and every time I watch the live-action Scooby-Doo I think, "Surely I Know What You Did Last Summer is good, right?" and then every time I watch it I'm underwhelmed. I'm hoping that a fun screening with a full house will be the thing to convince me. And if it doesn't, we've at least finally arrived at the straight-up horror.
8:35p-9:55p: Trick r’ Treat (2007)
Four interwoven stories that occur on Halloween: an everyday high school principal has a secret life as a serial killer; a college virgin might have just met the one guy for her; a group of teenagers pull a mean prank, and a bitter old recluse receives an uninvited guest.
trailers: Halloween 4: The Return of Michael Myers (1988), Night of the Demons (1988)
I probably shouldn't have programmed two anthologies in this lineup (oops, spoilers, I guess), but they're so different and really the perfect way to keep attention spans when people start to fade. Plus, Trick r' Treat's Sam, the pumpkin-shaped demon, is the closest we're going to get to a horror icon all night. This has become an annual classic for so many, largely because it has the best Halloween vibes around. It'll step up the gore ratio as well.
10:00p-11:40p: Day of the Dead (1980)
A small group of scientists and soldiers take refuge in an underground missile silo where they struggle to control the flesh-eating dead that walks the Earth above.
trailers: Night of the Living Dead (1968), Dawn of the Dead (1978)
This is very likely the best movie in the entire marathon, so I'm sorry that we're peaking at the seventh movie. But with midnight fast approaching, a number of folks will soon be tapping out and we need them to leave with something awesome. This is probably my favorite of George Romero's Trilogy of the Dead, but I think Dawn needs a rewatch...
We want to cover as many subgenres as we can and we've already got aliens, ghosts, and slashers. It's time for zombies.
11:45p-1:25a: Daughters of Darkness (1971)
Ostend, Belgium. In a decadent seaside hotel, Stefan and Valerie, a newlywed couple, meet the mysterious Countess Báthory and Ilona, her secretary.
trailers: The Velvet Vampire (1971), The Hunger (1983)
And now, I suppose, it's time for lesbian vampires...
But isn't it always time for lesbian vampires?
It's now tomorrow, so it's time to get naughty. This Eurotrash erotic thriller is the only way to jump into the middle of the night.
1:30a-3:15a: A Lizard in a Woman’s Skin (1971)
Carol Hammond, daughter of a politician, has vivid nightmares involving sex orgies and LSD. In a dream, she murders a neighbor she envies and wakes up to a real investigation into her neighbor's murder.
trailers: Panic (1982), Sssssss (1973)
Two in the morning is reserved for the Italians, so let's turn to Fulci. I first saw A Lizard in a Woman's Skin at my first Exhumed Horrorthon and it totally opened my eyes to giallo. It basically single-handedly unlocked the genre for me. I wanted to include at least one direct thank you to the folks at Exhumed in this lineup, and maybe, just maybe, it'll get people into giallo just like it did for me.
3:20a-4:55a: The Wizard of Gore (1970)
A TV talk-show hostess and her boyfriend investigate a shady magician whom has the ability to hypnotize and control the thoughts of people in order to stage gory on-stage illusions using his powers of mind bending.
trailers: The Great Buck Howard (2009), Juno (2007)
It's now 4:00a, I dare you to stay awake during this Herschell Gordon Lewis gorefest. In between the gore (which is just so much fun, I might add), there's all this flimsy filler about murder conspiracies and investigations. But who cares! This is magicsploitation all the way, filled with mutilations and beheadings that happen at a snail's pace with only one 10-second piece of music that repeats over and over again. It's awesome! And just the right amount of camp we need right now.
5:00a-6:25a: Snoop Dogg’s Hood of Horror (2006)
A hip hop horror anthology of three tales of terror told by the Hound of Hell that revolve around the residents of an inner-city neighborhood whose actions determine where they will go in the afterlife.
trailers: Bones (2001), The Addams Family (2019)
Speaking of camp, our second anthology film is silly as hell while still being totally badass. Snoop Dogg plays the wrap-around segment host for these satiric stories of racial injustice. Snoop seems to spend most of his free-time on sidequests (writing gospel records, hanging with Martha Stewart, coaching on The Voice) and this horror comedy (with some animation to boot!) feels like a harbinger of things to come.
And what a cast! Snoop! Ernie Hudson! Billy Dee Williams! LAMAR ODOM!
6:30a-7:15a: “Wednesday is Missing” - The New Scooby-Doo Movies (1972)
With the Mystery Machine stuck in mud, Mystery Inc. ends up becoming housekeepers for the Addams Family while Gomez and Morticia go on vacation. A giant vulture like super villain the Addams house and Wednesday goes missing. (IMDB)
trailers: Scooby-Doo 2: Monsters Unleashed (2004), The Addams Family (1991)
Every year at the Horrorthon, breakfast cereal is served around this time. In honor of that (life-changing) tradition, let's have some Count Chocula and watch some Saturday morning cartoons on this Sunday morning.
I've been in an Addams Family mood lately (piece on the original series coming next week!), so this Scooby-Doo team-up, one that was hard to see legally until pretty recently, is the perfect way to wake us up around sunrise.
7:20a-8:50a: The Tripper (2006)
A Ronald Reagan-obsessed serial killer targets a bunch of hippies who are heading to a weekend-long concert.
trailers: Scream 3 (2000), Eight Legged Freaks (2002)
I'm not sure how many people know about this slasher comedy directed by David Arquette. At the very least, the internet never talks about it. As imperfect as it may be, Arquette has a Rolodex filled with Thomas Jane, Paul Reubens, Wes Craven, and, of course, his wife at the time, Courteney Cox. And he uses it!
Plus, you know, election year and all...
8:55a-10:25a: The Masque of the Red Death (1964)
A European prince terrorizes the local peasantry while using his castle as a refuge against the "Red Death" plague that stalks the land.
trailers: The Black Cat (1934), Two Evil Eyes (1990)
We need at least one tribute to Roger Corman, as our marathon comes just a few months after his passing at the age of 98. There are hundreds of options to choose from, but we should probably choose one of the best, right?
Working with another one of the greats, Vincent Price, this is one of their famous Edgar Allan Poe adaptations. It's a match made! And, oh yeah, don't forget the cinematography by Nicolas Roeg.
We're almost there...
10:30a-12:05p: Little Shop of Horrors (1986)
Seymour Krelborn is a nerdy orphan working at Mushnik's, a flower shop in urban Skid Row. He harbors a crush on fellow co-worker Audrey Fulquard, and is berated by Mr. Mushnik daily. One day Seymour finds a very mysterious unidentified plant which he calls Audrey II. The plant seems to have a craving for blood and soon begins to sing for his supper.
trailers: The Little Shop of Horrors (1960), Ghostbusters (1984)
Our final movie completes our surprise back-to-back Corman tribute (The Private Eyes was also a Corman production, but no one thinks of him when they think of that movie and vice versa) with the definitive musical adaptation of a horror film.
We've been sitting down (or if you're like me, laying down in the lobby for a movie or two in the middle of the night) for 24 hours straight, we need something fun and jumpy and rock n' roll to finish us off. There's nothing better than Little Shop.
I hope you had fun! I did, even though my back hurts. Dusk Till Dawn will return to all-nighters soon, but who knows, maybe we could make this 24-hour marathon an annual tradition...
Credit: Each plot synopsis comes from Letterboxd via TMDb.
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