Catching up with Jason Shawhan

A few things of recent publication...

An interview with the singular Doug Stanhope.

A review of Robert (The VVitch) Eggers' THE LIGHTHOUSE.

A review of Billy Senese's THE DEAD CENTER, an exceptional horror film made right here in Nastyville.

My seminannual omnibus to horror stuff to be seen in October (and beyond)...

My wrap-up of the exceptional 2019 New York Film Festival.

What's on the Graveyard Shift?

HERE’S WHAT ALL IS ON THE GRAVEYARD SHIFT!

I beg of you to attend.

Monday – 10/7/19

NINA at 4PM

Maria Winther Olsen's film NINA is a somber and restrained work of suspense and unease that deals with a gifted artist in an isolated space having marriage troubles. And a selkie may be involved... This is classier than Graveyard usually gets, but worthy of your time. It's screening with a great, Lynchian short called BOXES, from Tony Yang.

ROT at 8PM

Scandalous and grotesque and quite captivating. Showing with Josh Ethier's short film GUTTER.

THIS IS WRESTLING: THE JOEY RYAN STORY at 8:30PM

What can I say about the King of Dong Style? Showing with the short film UNFINISHED BUSINESS.

The DREAMS OF THE EXTREME Shorts Program at 830PM

Here’s what all lurks in this program. BELLS (short and sweet and creepy as hell), BLACK SHORE (an epic, emotionally focused apocalypse), BLOOD SPOOK (a haunted diabetic versus a serial killer), BOYS’ CLUB (a grand dirty joke for these troubled time), THE FOLLOWER (a devastating riff on Joyce Carol Oates’ Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?), LUKEWARM LIQUIDS (so very, very gross), the time trauma of MEET YOU IN THE PARKING LOT, and Steven DeGennaro’s STOP (the suspense of being alive and at risk).

Tuesday – 10/8/19

SCREAM QUEEN: MY NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET at 6PM

Roman Chimenti and Tyler Jensen's SCREAM, QUEEN! MY NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET is a big deal, telling Mark Patton's story as the first male scream queen and as a queer actor under siege in '80s Hollywood. It is an exceptional film and you need to see it. It is showing with the short film JEFF DRIVES YOU from Aidan Brezonick, which is also a film about how mass culture commodifies queer desire. The pairing is also showing Tuesday, the 8th, at 6PM.

The FRAYED SHORTS Program at 8PM

the FRAYED SHORTS block, which is the (slightly) more accessible shorts block on this year's Graveyard Shift. The films featured in this block are Montana Mann's ESTHER (an EC Comics Western with a delicious surprise), Mac Cushing's FULL MOON (a mystery with unspeakable comic undertones), Ryan Worsley's GOOD GIRL (absurdly cute and grotesquely violent), Katie Kapuza's HUNKS (a special kind of animation), Aidan Moretti's I SEE YOU (lovingly Lynchian both in terms of unease and absurdist humor), Dan Hass' MAGIC H8 BALL (a queer Fantasy about childhood magic colliding with adult sexuality), Alec Cohen's MOUNTAIN (a dramedy that pushes all the envelopes), Will Bakke's THE STUDY (a SciFi/Horror setup that's just irresistible), RJ Blake's TIKTOK (SciFi romantic comedy for this modern age), and Dan O'Brien's TRICK OR TREATMENT (horror icons in amazing puppet form).

There will be filmmakers in attendance.

YOU DON’T NOMI at 9PM

Let's talk about Showgirls, with friends and genius theorists Matt Baume and David Schmader among the countless amazing minds holding forth on one of Paul Verhoeven's endearing fusillades against complacency.

Wednesday – 10/9/19

CLIMATE OF THE HUNTER at 830PM

Mickey Reece and his crew are back again, after winning heaps of awards at last year's Nashville Film Festival. Classy sensual vampire nightmare, y'all.

The DREAMS OF THE EXTREME Shorts Program at 830PM

Here’s what all lurks in this program. BELLS (short and sweet and creepy as hell), BLACK SHORE (an epic, emotionally focused apocalypse), BLOOD SPOOK (a haunted diabetic versus a serial killer), BOYS’ CLUB (a grand dirty joke for these troubled time), THE FOLLOWER (a devastating riff on Joyce Carol Oates’ Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?), LUKEWARM LIQUIDS (so very, very gross), the time trauma of MEET YOU IN THE PARKING LOT, and Steven DeGennaro’s STOP (the suspense of being alive and at risk).

HARPOON at 9PM

It is a vicious and hysterical film that gets at the absolute worst aspects of human behavior, and it delivers the same kind of sick joy you get from The War of The Roses, The Last of Sheila, Blood Simple, or The Champagne Club. 

HARPOON is showing with the short film TAYLOR IS MISSING, from director Mia Sorenson. It's a beautiful and brutal short about memory, trauma, and regret.

MAD? at 9PM

If you're ever wondering why nobody uses genre cinema to explore the twisted side of the mental health industry and how older women never get to have their own adventures in SciFi and Horror except as a glorified cameo to pass information on to some fresh-faced white teen, then this is for you.

Thursday – 10/10/19

YOU DON’T NOMI at 1PM

Let's talk about Showgirls, with friends and genius theorists Matt Baume and David Schmader among the countless amazing minds holding forth on one of Paul Verhoeven's endearing fusillades against complacency.

ROT at 8PM

Scandalous and grotesque and quite captivating. Showing with Josh Ethier's short film GUTTER.

The World Premiere of DEMENTER at 830PM

Chad Crawford Kinkle, the guy who gave the world JUGFACE, is back, with an amazing film about trauma, cults, and centering on the differently abled. Y'all ain't ready.

THIS IS WRESTLING: THE JOEY RYAN STORY at 830PM

Sleaze is back. Thankfully. Joey Ryan is a damn treasure, and you can see why here... Showing with the short film UNFINISHED BUSINESS.

Friday – 10/11/19

DEMENTER at Noon

Chad Crawford Kinkle, the guy who gave the world JUGFACE, is back, with an amazing film about trauma, cults, and centering on the differently abled. Y'all ain't ready.

MAD? at 4PM

If you're ever wondering why nobody uses genre cinema to explore the twisted side of the mental health industry and how older women never get to have their own adventures in SciFi and Horror except as a glorified cameo to pass information on to some fresh-faced white teen, then this is for you.

LONG DAY’S JOURNEY INTO NIGHT 3D at 830PM

A sensuous haze of a film where it takes a 56-minute continuous 3D tracking shot to unmake one's traditions of toxic masculinity. A box office phenomenon (under wonky circumstances that uncool people complained about) in China, and a magical journey for the adventurous viewer.

CLIMATE OF THE HUNTER at 9PM 

Mickey Reece and his crew are back again, after winning heaps of awards at last year's Nashville Film Festival. Classy sensual vampire nightmare, y'all.

If you make it to this point, I commend you. Hopefully we all made it here...

Today on the Graveyard Shift - 10/6/19

Today on the Graveyard Shift at the Nashville Film Festival.

At 10:30am, we've got Bruno Dumont's COINCOIN AND THE EXTRAHUMANS, a sequel to the director's 2014 French TV series L'IL QUINQUIN. It's a raucous three hours with alien invasions, slipping into absurdist fascism, and all of your favorites from the first series. Showing with it is Tracy Facelli's film FAVORITES, which is a kind of effective drama. I'm big on tradition, and a new Dumont/Facelli pairing is always a wild way to start the day.

At 8:30PM, we have the encore showing of the new film DRIVEN from director Glenn Payne, starring periodic lifelong Nashvillian Richard Speight Jr.  It's got ancient evil, a decent amount of humor, demonslaying (which should come as no surprise to fans of RSJ), and the emotional stress of trying to make ends meet doing a rideshare.

It will be showing with Dieter Spears's short film THE TRAVELER, which is a ghoulish little short story with a masterful last shot. There will be folks from both films in attendance. 

Tomorrow (Monday the 7th), we're showing NINA at 4pm, ROT at 8pm, THIS IS WRESTLING: THE JOEY RYAN STORY at 830pm, and the DREAMS OF THE EXTREME shorts program at 830pm.

Tonight on the Graveyard Shift - 10/5/19

Greetings to y'all.

It's Saturday, October 5th, and we have two Graveyard features tonight, both showing at 9pm.

Roman Chimenti and Tyler Jensen's SCREAM, QUEEN! MY NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET is a big deal, telling Mark Patton's story as the first male scream queen and as a queer actor under siege in '80s Hollywood. It is an exceptional film and you need to see it. It is showing with the short film JEFF DRIVES YOU from Aidan Brezonick, which is also a film about how mass culture commodifies queer desire. The pairing is also showing Tuesday, the 8th, at 6PM.

We're also showing Maria Winther Olsen's film NINA, which is a somber and restrained work of suspense and unease that deals with a gifted artist in an isolated space having marriage troubles. And a selkie may be involved... This is classier than Graveyard usually gets, but worthy of your time. It's screening with a great, Lynchian short called BOXES, from Tony Yang. And it's showing again on Monday the 7th at 4pm.

Coming up tomorrow (Sunday) we have Bruno Dumont's COINCOIN AND THE EXTRA-HUMANS at 1030am and the encore of DRIVEN at 830pm. Please, please for the love of Gawd come and see them.

Tonight on the Graveyard Shift - 10/4/19

Tonight, Friday the 4th, we've got two different selections on deck.

At 8:30PM, we have the new film DRIVEN from director Glenn Payne, starring periodic lifelong Nashvillian Richard Speight Jr.  It's got ancient evil, a decent amount of humor, demonslaying (which should come as no surprise to fans of RSJ), and the emotional stress of trying to make ends meet doing a rideshare.

It will be showing with Dieter Spears's short film THE TRAVELER, which is a ghoulish little short story with a masterful last shot. There will be folks from both films in attendance. DRIVEN and THE TRAVELER are also both showing on Sunday the 6th at 8:30 PM.

In addition, at 9:00PM we have the FRAYED SHORTS block, which is the (slightly) more accessible shorts block on this year's Graveyard Shift. The films featured in this block are Montana Mann's ESTHER (an EC Comics Western with a delicious surprise), Mac Cushing's FULL MOON (a mystery with unspeakable comic undertones), Ryan Worsley's GOOD GIRL (absurdly cute and grotesquely violent), Katie Kapuza's HUNKS (a special kind of animation), Aidan Moretti's I SEE YOU (lovingly Lynchian both in terms of unease and absurdist humor), Dan Hass' MAGIC H8 BALL (a queer Fantasy about childhood magic colliding with adult sexuality), Alec Cohen's MOUNTAIN (a dramedy that pushes all the envelopes), Will Bakke's THE STUDY (a SciFi/Horror setup that's just irresistible), RJ Blake's TIKTOK (SciFi romantic comedy for this modern age), and Dan O'Brien's TRICK OR TREATMENT (horror icons in amazing puppet form).

There will be filmmakers in attendance. The FRAYED SHORTS block will also play at 8pm on Tuesday, October 8th.

Tickets are available here.

Coming up tomorrow, Saturday the 5th, we have two Graveyard offerings, both of which are showing at 9pm. 

Maria Winther Olsen's NINA (also showing at 4pm on Monday the 7th)

and

Roman Chimienti and Tyler Jensen's SCREAM, QUEEN! MY NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET (also showing at 6pm on Tuesday the 8th)

Tonight on The Graveyard Shift - 10/3/19

It's opening night at the Nashville Film Festival, now celebrating its fiftieth anniversary. Tonight, at 7pm, we are ecstatic to be presenting Rob Grant's film HARPOON.

It is a vicious and hysterical film that gets at the absolute worst aspects of human behavior, and it delivers the same kind of sick joy you get from The War of The Roses, The Last of Sheila, Blood Simple, or The Champagne Club. 

HARPOON is showing with the short film TAYLOR IS MISSING, from director Mia Sorenson. It's a beautiful and brutal short about memory, trauma, and regret.

I'll be presenting the Graveyard section with trailers or more info on a daily basis, and I hope to see y'all there.

Tickets are available here.

Tomorrow, Friday the 4th of October, we've got the following on the Graveyard Shift:

DRIVEN (with special guests) at 8:30 (also shows on the 6th at 8:30PM)

The FRAYED SHORTS Program (with special guests) at 9:00PM (also shows on the 8th at 8PM)