Can you believe it? You survived another miserable year on this wretched Earth, which can only mean one thing – it’s time for The 8th Annual Spectacle Shriek Show! A chance to reward all your hard work by allowing your brain to slowly turn into a big, wet blob and leak out of your ears as you subject it to sights so unholy, you’ll never be the same. You earned it, champ. So settle in to what one person (probably) called “the only comfortable chairs in any theater in New York City” for 12 to 14-ish hours of mutant cats, Filipino vamps, real (?) snuff footage, possessed psychics, lots of zombies, and one rampaging bear. We’ll have the usual cavalcade of shorts, music videos, and more and, as always, tickets are $25 for the full day or $5 for individual films!

NOON: THE DEAD TALK BACK

1:30 PM: THE BLOOD DRINKERS

3:00 PM: DR. BENDERFAX

4:30 PM: EFFECTS

6:00 PM: UNINVITED

7:30 PM : BLOODY MUSCLE BODY BUILDER IN HELL

10pm: FEAR NO EVIL

MIDNIGHT: TERROR A LA MUERTE

ONLINE TICKETS HERE
FB EVENT

POSTER!

Poster Art by Benjamin Tuttle

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THE DEAD TALK BACK
dir. Merle S. Gould, 1957.
USA. 65 minutes.

After a model is murdered **WITH A CROSSBOW** on the porch of her boarding house, metaphysical philosopher Henry Krasker (Aldo Farnese, best known as Philly UHF children’s show host “Dickory Doc” and “Adam Android”) uses the weapon as a means of communicating with the dead to find out who killed her! Toiling in his lab he sets up a seance so the spirits can speak…with, like, car horn sounds for some reason? Also, there’s a cool scene in a groovy record store featuring some heady bongo work. Meanwhile the murderer is still at large in their shared apartment complex – who can it be? The religious zealot? The pervy German? The local DJ? The old-ass landlord?

Made in 1957 but shelved until 1993, when it aired as part of beloved cult show MST3K, the film was originally set to be released by Headliner Productions, who were responsible for bringing such cinematic gems as Ed Wood’s THE VIOLENT YEARS and THE SINISTER URGE into the world. It was also one of the first movies to utilize Electronic Voice Phenomenon (EVP) recording, now a staple of ghost-hunters everywhere.

THE BLOOD DRINKERS
(aka KULAY DUGO ANG GABI, BLOOD IS THE COLOR OF THE NIGHT)
dir. Gerardo de Leon, 1964
Philippines. 88 minutes.

Ronald Remy plays a bald, hoity-toity doctor (who also happens to be a vampire) who’s heartbroken by the deteriorating health of his wife Katrina. And so he sets forth to traverse the countryside with his dwarf assistant, sexy vampiress, and floppy rubber bat in search of blood to aide her revival. They also have to obtain her twin sister’s heart; you know how twins are.

When it comes to THE BLOOD DRINKERS, the devil truly is in the details. Though it’s often touted as the Philippines’ first color horror film, THE BLOOD DRINKERS’ rich tapestry is ironically due to full-color film stock being scarce in the region. To compensate, many scenes were color coded with rich tints of red (during vampire attacks) and blue (when things are safe), adding visual depth to a film already rich in symbolism.

Director Gerardo de Leon had an actual medical license he eschewed to become a filmmaker and racked up over 80 directing credits in his career, including the stellar MAD DOCTOR OF BLOOD ISLAND, also starring Remy. Producer Cirio H. Santiago and actor Vic Diaz went on to be involved in the 1978 chef-kiss worthy John Carradine film VAMPIRE HOOKERS.

DR. BENDERFAX
Dir. Tom Hosler, 1997.
USA. 85 min.

Special thanks to director Tom Hosler!

The titular Dr. Benderfax (Nigel Hazeldine) is an esteemed researcher (read: mad scientist) willing to go the extra mile for his experiments investigating a rare psychic phenomenon known as the “Telefaximial Field.” Unfortunately for the good doctor and his lovely assistant Nurse Clench (Caroline Hazeldine), many of the “volunteers” end up in the morgue. Actually on brief reflection, it’s probably more unfortunate for the patients. After some finagling the medical duo end up in a local nuthouse and use this fresh batch of patients to further their research. Just as they’re on the verge of a major breakthrough, in saunters Dr. Andrew…

Fresh out of college in 1992 Tom Hosler decided to make his “first and only feature script worthy of production.” Armed with a savings account and several credit cards, the film was shot over the course of many weekends. After multiple years of post-production, the film finally saw the light of day in 1997. Fans of last year’s Joe Sherlock double-up MONSTER IN THE GARAGE/DIMENSION OF BLOOD take note – DR. BENDERFAX is a true-blue Shriek Show entry if there ever was one, and it’s chock full of schlock, gore, yuks/yucks, and a genuine feeling of fun.

EFFECTS
Dir. Dusty Nealon, 1980.
USA. 84 min.

Special thanks to American Genre Film Archive. 

RIP producer Pasquale Buba (April 16, 1946 – September 12, 2018)

Deep in rural Pennsylvania (aka Romero Country), a film crew is holed up making a low-budget horror movie. Helmed by director Lacey Bickel (real-life filmmaker Tom Harrison of TALES FROM THE DARKSIDE fame), the crew is plagued by scheduling hiccups and close quarters. At first, not everyone is having a bad time, as the cinematographer and gaffer begin a romantic entanglement.

Suspicions arise when, during a late night hang session fueled by cheap beer and plenty of cocaine, some of the director’s early work gets passed around. The gritty footage shows what appears to be an actual murder of a woman by a man in an executioner’s hood. Tensions flare up and the line between fiction and reality blurs – is anyone safe?!

A cinematic love letter to practical effects and regional horror, EFFECTS is the product of many Romero Regulars with ties to MARTIN, DAWN OF THE DEAD, and CREEPSHOW. Though the material enters some very dark territory, it’s clear the crew were friends having fun covering each other in as much stage blood as they could handle. An underseen gem that, like THE DEAD TALK BACK and BLOODY MUSCLE BODY BUILDER FROM HELL, was shelved for almost 25 years (due to a distribution error), until it was finally released by Synapse on DVD and later picked up by our friends at American Genre Film Archive.

THE UNINVITED
dir. Greydon Clark, 1988.
USA. 90 min.

Strange things are afoot at the lazily named Genetic Laboratories when two chowderhead scientists discover a mysterious growth in their test subject – A CUTE CAT! The cat escapes and while trying to make its way out of the lab attacks many a security guard with some help from the grotesque mutant living up in its guts.

Meanwhile, it’s Spring Break, baby; time to get wild with Suzanne (Sharri Shattuck from DEATH SPA) and Bobbi (Clare Carey from WAXWORK) in that famous party city – Fort Lauderdale, Florida. The two get kicked out of a fancy hotel for loitering and are “saved” by  wealthy Wall Street tycoon Walter Graham (TV star Alex Cord), who invites them aboard his yacht. The ladies meet up with some bozo dudes (including SILK STALKING’s Rob Estes!) who they invite along for the ride. On the way to the yacht, they just happen to pick up a stray cat…and carnage ensues.

As evidenced by past programming we here at Spectacle are suckers for a killer cat movie, so when you combine that with director Greydon Clark and the one-two punch star power of George Kennedy and Clu Galager – you know you’ve got something special on your hands.

BLOODY MUSCLE BODY BUILDER IN HELL
(aka JIGOKU NO CHIMIDORO MUSCLE BUILDER)
dir. Shinichi Fuzakawa, 1995
Japan. 62 min.
In Japanese with English subs.

Heartbroken over a recent breakup Naoto (director Shinichi Fuzakawa) turns to working out to soothe his worried soul – and to get jacked in the process. One day mid-workout, his photojournalist ex-girlfriend calls him up with hopes he’ll help her investigate a haunted house.

Joined by a local psychic, the trio make their way to the property once owned by Naoto’s deceased father, who decades ago murdered someone on the grounds! Upon their arrival the presence of evil is all around them, and soon after demons take hold of the psychic. It seems the angry spirit of Naoto’s stepmother isn’t going to let them off easy – or maybe at all!

Another entry in this year’s lineup that almost never was – BLOODY MUSCLE BODY BUILDER IN HELL was made in 1995, edited in 2005, finished in 2009, and not released until 2012. Clocking in at just over an hour, BLOODY MUSCLE BODY BUILDER IN HELL doesn’t waste any time getting to the bleeding heart of the matter. Although it’s often compared to 1977’s HOUSE or described as “the Japanese EVIL DEAD,” the film manages to subvert all expectations and take viewers on a ride unlike anything they’ve ever seen. Truly one of a kind.

Special thanks to Wild Eye Releasing.

FEAR NO EVIL
dir. Frank LaLoggia, 1981.
USA. 99 min.

“One can only say that if George Eastman had lived to see the use to which his cameras and film, which brought prosperity to the city, have been put, he might have gone into another line of work.” – Tom Buckley, The New York Times (Feb. 6, 1981)

Outside a castle in upstate New York, Father Damon kills a man he believes to be Lucifer, but not before he promises to return. Flash-forward to the early 60’s when a child with the unhallowed name of Andrew is born, paralyzing his mother in the process. A local priest is visited by a woman named Margaret claiming to have knowledge of the late Father Damon, saying not only did he strike down Lucifer but that he himself was the angel Raphael. Could another angel be in their midst?

Now a senior in high school, Andrew is an awkward nerd who gets constantly bullied. In his daydreams he feels drawn to the looming castle set to be demolished to make way for a new golf c(o)urse. Strange things begin happening to Andrew’s tormentors – their guts explode, they’re plagued by terrible nightmares, they feel…inclined to…make out with him in the showers of the locker room.

The night of the big dance Andrew finally makes his way to the castle, where he summons undead monsters and wreaks havoc on his classmates. Margaret arrives with backup wielding the cross of Father Damon, and the battle to save the world is ON!

The debut writing/directing/producing effort of then 26 year old Frank LaLoggia, FEAR NO EVIL certainly doesn’t get as much praise as it deserves. A psycho bible study with wild effects work (that cost $250,000 to produce!), and a soundtrack featuring the likes of Patti Smith, The Rezillos, The B52’s, The Talking Heads and more!

TERROR A LA MUERTE
(aka: MIEDO A LA MUERTE, SCARED TO DEATH)
dir. Mario Alcantara, 1989.
Mexico. 98 min.
In Spanish with English subs.

Famed martial arts instructor (and one-time Chuck Norris student) Ruben Gonzalez plays famed martial arts instructor Ruben Gonzalez, whose daughter is mauled to death by a bear while meeting her boyfriend. A loco local named Nestor becomes convinced she’s his lost love, so he takes her body home and puts her in a dress. Nestor whiles away the hours talking to the corpse and feeding the ghoulish undead creatures he keeps locked in his basement.

Gonzalez sets out with a team to get his daughter’s body back, managing to piss off law enforcement and biker gangs alike along the way. Upon their arrival, Nestor won’t go down without a fight and sets the zombies on the rescue team. Luckily for everyone (but especially Gonzalez), the zombies also know martial arts. Don’t worry, the bear shows back up too.

TERROR A LA MUERTE is listed in some places as a sequel to Gonzalez’s earlier film GARRA DE TIGRE, but information on either film is hard to come by, making this rare screening a must-see!

“We just wanted to make small, good films and raise a family. A terrific life.” – Faith Hubley

This August, animator and filmmaker Emily Hubley will be at Spectacle for three discrete presentations of moving image work. The first is a selection of short films by her parents, the legendary animators John and Faith Hubley; the second is a survey of Faith’s solo works, spanning from 1975 to 2001. Finally, Emily will present a selection of her own animations, many of them made in collaboration with her mother and siblings. All three screenings will be followed by Q&A.

John Hubley was an art director at Disney who would do innovative work in Hollywood before being blacklisted and moving East; like Theodore Geisel, he worked on some 1940s cartoons which are, in hindsight, jawdroppingly progressive: he produced and storyboarded Chuck Jones’ United Automotive Workers’ short HELL-BENT FOR ELECTION (1944), which features a burly laborer not dissimilar from the ones in Russian Constructivist murals, and production-designed United Productions of America (UPA)’s THE BROTHERHOOD OF MAN (1946), an anti-racism PSA that would later serve as evidence that the company was steeped in “un-American” politics. But it was Hubley’s partnership with his wife Faith (herself a lifelong feminist and antifascist who had worked a number of jobs in Hollywood) that would result in some of the most beguiling alternative cartoons to emerge from the postwar period. Their careers straddled old-guard animation under the protectorates of Disney and Warner-size studios, and the emergence of avant-garde, experimental forms; their style was suffused with the kind of flat, jazzy modernism those same companies would ape in later years in order to save money on animation.

Working as a team, the Hubleys’ collaborators included Dizzy Gillespie, Benny Carter, Herb Alpert, and Garry Trudeau and Ella Fitzgerald; they designed segments for Sesame Street and The Electric Workshop, and fielded a number of Academy Awards (as well as nominations.) Frequently casting their children as voice actors (notably in 1959’s MOONBIRD, 1967’s A WINDY DAY, and 1972’s COCKABOODY – animated around audio recordings of the kids), the Hubleys strove to push animation ahead of what John called “pigs and bunnies”. They continued to do that even after his untimely death at the age of 62 – in the middle of working with him on A Doonesbury Special, which would be finished by Faith and broadcast on NBC the following year. Faith Hubley would continue the family business, but with a style that broke off from the collaborations with her late husband. Her solo credits – starting with 1975’s W.O.W. (WOMEN OF THE WORLD) – bundle together international forms and ancient mythologies. She would make 25 films between John’s death and her own in 2001, including the metaphysical feature THE COSMIC EYE in 1986.

Much of it hand-drawn, Emily’s animations pick up her parents’ thread of drawing inspiration from everyday life: while her most famous work is probably the “Origin of Love” sequence in John Cameron Mitchell’s HEDWIG AND THE ANGRY INCH, her 2009 feature THE TOE TACTIC toured nationwide and she has done music videos for her sister Georgia’s band Yo La Tengo (“Before We Run”) as well as Kate Vargas (“Call Back The Dogs”). Her shorts from the 80s and 90s betray a punk sensibility, but with a wry tenderness that’s consistent with the movies she collaborated on as a child. We’ll be showing a selection curated by Emily herself, plus her latest, BRAINWORM BILLY (made in collaboration with Max Rosenthal.)

( from MOONBIRD, 1959 )

FRIDAY, AUGUST 10 – 7:30 PM
Q&A with Emily Hubley
(This event is $10)

ONLINE TICKETS HERE

This August, Spectacle is thrilled to host filmmaker Andrew Horn for reprise showings of his classic no-wave musical DOOMED LOVE, plus the documentaries THE NOMI SONG and WE ARE TWISTED FUCKING SISTER! About the unlikely linkage between the latter two, Horn had this to say:

“Believe it or not, WE ARE TWISTED FUCKING SISTER! was born out of a scene in THE NOMI SONG. Actually out of one line. In the Nomi film, Twisted band leader Jay Jay French describes the almost riot that ensued when, believe it or not again, Klaus Nomi opened for them at the Soap Factory in New Jersey. “This was NYC performance art done in a blue collar suburban bar”, he explained. I knew almost nothing about Twisted at the time but I knew enough to know this was a hilarious confluence. But then after the NOMI film was finished Jay Jay started to explain to me what Twisted was doing doing onstage with their club audiences back then which struck me as very much it’s own kind of performance art, just dedicated to that whole other crowd. So it was the performance art idea that got me into it, little realizing that there was story there that was just as epic as NOMI’s.

Interestingly, both stories take place in almost the same time in almost the same geographical area, but they may as well have been in parallel universes. On the surface, TWISTED and NOMI couldn’t be more different – but at the same time, I came to realize there was a great similarity between the two. Each had their vision of who they were and what they wanted to do and they both had the courage to just ram it home no matter what. Both flew in the face of the establishment music scene, but both had their dedicated audiences that were ready to follow them anywhere. And both were able to meet each fallback and turn it into the next step forward. A review of the Twisted film said, ‘Stardom is interesting, but the long road that leads there is fascinating’ and that’s what appealed to me about both stories – the roller coaster of getting there is what it’s all about.”

DOOMED LOVE
dir. Andrew Horn, 1984.
USA, 70 mins.

SUNDAY, AUGUST 5 – 5 PM
WITH FILMMAKER Q&A! (This event is $10.)
TUESDAY, AUGUST 13 – 7:30 PM
THURSDAY, AUGUST 23 – 7:30 PM
FRIDAY, AUGUST 31 – MIDNITE

ONLINE TICKETS HERE

Made in piecemeal payments while director Andrew Horn was working as a graphic artist in Koch-era Manhattan, DOOMED LOVE is a delectable hunk of sunken downtown treasure ripe for rediscovery. Painter Bill Rice (SUBWAY RIDERS, THE VINEYARD) stars as Andre, an aging professor of romantic literature who decides, in the film’s doleful introductory passage, to commit suicide after losing the love of his life. Andre is tragicomically unsuccessful, but the attempt leads to a new acquaintance with a psychiatric nurse named Lois (Rosemary Moore), with whom he uncorks a kind of under-acknowledged romance of the soul. Whatever margins that once separated Andre’s work as an academic and his reasons for going on (or not) have completely dissolved; Rice’s monologues – scripted by the great playwright Jim Neu – set a tone of droll monotony and piercing repetition. During a slide show of pre-Raphaelite paintings, Andre provides a clue to what Horn and his collaborators are up to:

“You can say what you want about the past / I think that’s true / But, not to pay attention is not to be immune / I think that’s true/ It may be finished / But it isn’t over / Where have I seen that before?/ Believe me / Many of our most cherished dreams… / Believe me / Many of our most cherished dreams have a life of their own/ Where have I seen that before? Look around / Look around / Believe me / I could really let myself go / The world history of emotion / You don’t know the names / But you remember the stories.”

“Life goes on, so to speak:” Horn’s vignettes from Andre and Lois’ – trapped in a state of paralyzing reverie, and newly married to Bob (Allen Frame), respectively – play against jawdropping 2-D backdrops mounted in the Lower East Side’s Millennium Film Workshop where DOOMED LOVE was filmed. Amy Sillman and Pamela Wilson’s muslin and cardboard “sets” make Horn’s film a dourly sweet exercise in epic theatre, a self-reflexive essay on Western amativeness, buttressed by an sparkling minimalist score from Evan Lurie (of The Lounge Lizards.), with original songs by Lenny Pickett. This summer, Spectacle is pleased to resuscitate this no-wave classic for its first NYC repertory run since it played Spectacle in 2016.

“DOOMED LOVE was my first feature film. It was made in the midst of what was then New Wave Cinema, but instead of the East Village I was taking my cues from Daniel Schmid and Werner Schroeder. I wanted to make an opera – without much knowledge of what opera was – and it became a musical. I wanted to make something mythic and only later discovered just how personal it was. I wanted it to be on a grand scale, which could only play out in a confined and artificial space. In those days we perversely wanted to alienate the audience and dare them to leave. In that I (thankfully) failed miserably.” – Andrew Horn

“Steeped in bittersweet camp, 19th Century imagery and free floating Jungian equivalences. Undeniably sensitive… goes beyond romantic angst.” – J. Hoberman, Village Voice

( poster by Tom Henry )

THE NOMI SONG
dir. Andrew Horn, 2004
97 mins. In English.

SUNDAY, AUGUST 5th – 7:30 PM
WITH FILMMAKER Q&A! (This event is $10.)
TUESDAY, AUGUST 14 – 10 PM
THURSDAY, AUGUST 30 – 10PM

ONLINE TICKETS HERE

“The way I look is part of it. It sounds affected but I do see myself as a piece of living art. People do accuse me of being just decorative or an escapist. Well, I am. That’s what I do. So long as they realize that I am other things as well. I do kind of transcend the song and give it a different meaning. But satire would be too simple. There are moments in my show which are very moving as well as amusing. People should allow me to be many things, really give me room to put things in another dimension.”

Looks like an alien, sings like a diva – Klaus Nomi was one of the 1980s’ most profoundly bizarre characters. He was a cult figure in the New Wave underground scene, a genuine counter tenor who sang pop music like opera and brought opera to club audiences and made them like it. He was a performer with a “look” so strong, that his first audiences went wild before he even opened his mouth. Klaus presented himself as “the perfect video star” yet his star burned out just before the mass explosion of MTV. On the verge of international fame as a singer, he became instead one of the first gay artists to die of AIDS. In the end, his recorded output consists of re-reissues, in various forms, of only two LP’s and a live album. For those who do know him, the reaction he provoked was so strong, that he is still unforgettable, even 20 years after his death. Even now, Klaus is somehow still winning new fans among those too young to have known him when he was alive. And a quick check of the Internet reveals that all his records are still being sold.

Part documentary, part music film, part sci-fi, THE NOMI SONG is a “non-fiction film”, or maybe even an oral history. It’s not just the tale, it’s the telling. But it is also visual, partly because Klaus himself was so visual, someone who’s main concern was putting forth an image of himself in everything he did – literally illustrated by the photos, films, videos and artworks that go with it and featuring many never before seen live performances. However, there are also the images that the stories conjure up, images that no actual picture could capture, that emerge out of impressions, memories and even exaggerations, fermenting in somebody’s brain for twenty years. It’s like a novel with a whole cast of characters and supporting players – revealing themselves as much as (and sometimes more than) they do Klaus – with subplots, background stories, flashbacks and contradictions.

What unifies the various elements of interviews, performance and various visual elements is Klaus himself, not only the all-pervasive image he put out, but, more importantly, his effect on others. It’s a story that grows out of a group of people who influenced him, loved him, idolized him, felt pity for him and felt guilty because of him; people who felt used, cheated yet, over all, inspired by him. It’s a story of love of music and love of performing and a time when it seemed as though everyone was struck by a sense of urgency to make something – or anything – and the feeling that “somewhere in the great cosmic plan we all knew that we only had a finite amount of time together and we had to make the most of it.”

Nomi is, of course, a manufactured personality. But by all accounts the character he created for himself was clearly more significant, more “real” than the man behind it. If he was a mystery, he was completely open about it. He constructed his own myth out of elements so completely “wrong”, yet so deliberate, that it all seemed oddly possible. And right up to the end, it almost was. He was as much a genuine talent as he was – however naively – the engine of his own destruction. He was an alien amongst the outcasts and an obviously tortured soul who, at the same time, radiated optimism at a time when optimism was “officially” out of fashion. His appeal is not easy to explain in words. He has to be seen – and heard – to be believed. Whether you knew him personally, saw him perform, discovered his music or even just saw his picture, one has to admit, he is pretty unbelievable.

Featuring the music of Wire, The Marbles, The Bongos, Pylon, The Mumps, Chi Pig, and, of course, David Bowie, not to mention numerous live Klaus Nomi performances, many never before seen, and including Klaus’ ultimate performance of The Cold Song with full orchestra.

“ILLUMINATING AND MOVING! Offers a wealth of information about Klaus Nomi’s career, the construction of his space-alien persona, and the new-wave scene he sprang from. With Klaus Nomi as the focus of our attention, all conventional notions (and notions of convention) are altogether burned away. Dazzling!” – Ernest Hardy, LA Weekly

“Andrew Horn’s strange and fascinating documentary about the late New Wave singer and art object, Klaus Nomi, gives off a rich whiff of the New York punk bohemia of the late 1970s and early ’80s.” – Kurt Loder, MTV

“A strange personage – sad clown to some, incomparable genius to others. (…) He deserves a special mention in the annals of rock history as the first who dared sing an operatic aria to the habitués of Max’s Kansas City.” – Le Matin, 1983

WE ARE TWISTED FUCKING SISTER!
dir. Andrew Horn, 2014
135 mins. In English.

WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 8th – 7 PM
WITH FILMMAKER Q&A! (This event is $10.)
TUESDAY, AUGUST 21 – 7:30 PM

ONLINE TICKETS HERE

The Beatles’ trial by fire was those two years playing in the bars in Hamburg. For Twisted Sister, it lasted for 10.

Back then, they were the Grand Funk of Glam and the NY Dolls of Metal. Some considered Twisted Sister a joke, others called them the greatest bar band in the world. While the microcosm of Punk and New Wave was taking over downtown New York in the mid 70s – early 80s, Twisted Sister was battling their way to the top of a vast suburban, cover-band bar scene that surrounded Manhattan in a 100 mile radius, yet existed in a parallel universe.

The film follows them from their beginnings as a cross-dressing glam band, playing cover songs for 4 shows a night, 6 nights a week – from New Jersey bowling alleys and Long Island beach bars, to the suburban mega-clubs of the late 70s/early 80s, and on to their bust-out appearance on the UK rock TV show, “The Tube”. Through it all, Twisted stood ready to do or die, not just for the music, but also “the show”. They refused to play the usual bar band role of  “human juke box for drunk and horny teens”. Every night, the band would give their all to the crowd, and mounted a full frontal attack on anyone not participating. They were going to force you to pay attention – and you were going to have fun whether you liked it or not.

They regaled their audiences with comedy rants, dragging them on stage for vomit inducing drinking games, engaging them in fits of disco record smashing and, at their most extreme, whipping them into club-destroying frenzy. The performances were low on style and heavy on the humor and attitude – but behind it all, always smart and full of self awareness. Spinal Tap may have been clueless but Twisted Sister knew exactly what they were doing.

It was both a great living and a dead end because once you reached the peak – headlining clubs attracting audiences of 2, 3 or 5 thousand a night – there was nowhere left to go. As big as Twisted got on that circuit, in the eyes of the world, ie the music business establishment, they were nothing but a bar band.

If you’re expecting a tribute film recounting the well known events of Twisted Sister’s rock star career, be prepared for something very different. This is not about their  hit songs, the MTV videos and their massive stadium shows, rather it’s the untold story of how they became that band – one full of strange, and often hilarious, twists and turns. It’s a story of Rock ‘n Roll and the business of Rock ‘n Roll. It’s about perseverance and things blowing up in your face. It’s about finding yourself, finding your audience and doing literally anything, however wild, to connect with them. And even though we know how it ends, the roller coaster ride of getting there is what it’s really all about. A mesmerizing, and wickedly funny story of a 10 year odyssey to overnight success.

Twisted guitarist, Jay Jay French, sums it up, “the history of Twisted is really those 10 years in the clubs. The years we spent clawing our  way through the bar scene. It was learning how to make order out of chaos and how to win in bad situations. And it was unique to Twisted. I talk to hundreds of bands and nobody’s ever gone through what we went through. It’s who we are, and it’s why we are, and why we do what we do.”

“‘One of the most surprising movies I have seen in quite some time.(…) a film for everyone, not just fans, one which [imparts] a deeper understanding of and respect for the men who lived it.” – Pamela Glasner, Huffington Post

“Hilarious and revealing interviews (…) as well as plenty of riotously entertaining footage from the band’s Seventies Tri-State club heyday. Immensely compelling.” – Dan Epstein, Rolling Stone

“The time flies by, director Andrew Horn concocting a compelling, take-no-shit tale of Twisted Sister’s stuttering rise to stardom.” – Geoff Barton, Classic Rock Magazine

“I’m not a Twisted Sister fan and, in fact, knew very little about their scene in general—but this is a fascinating documentary.” – David Hudson, Fandor

“Noise, mayhem, pathos, endless reversals and plenty of uproarious comedy.” – The Independent (UK)

(poster by Tom Henry)

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 4 – 7:30 PM
ONE NIGHT ONLY!

Please note admission for this event is $10. ONLINE TICKETS HERE

In advance of his feature debut NOTES ON AN APPEARANCE playing New Directors New Films, Spectacle is thrilled to host filmmaker and critic Ricky D’Ambrose for a special screening of his early works followed by a Q&A.

These four short films—draft variations on a theme or two, made between 2011 and 2016—anticipate NOTES ON AN APPEARANCE. (Ricky’s earliest, THE STRANGER, has never been shown publicly before!)

“D’Ambrose suggests that he’s searching for a way to make films that break with the dominant mode of independent filmmaking. In order to construct his own cinematic future—and the era’s—he’s trying to reconstruct its past.” – The New Yorker

“SIX CENTS IN THE POCKET is framed around Clyde’s errand for a woman named Risa. The less you know about what happens in the next 14 minutes, the better. Suffice to say, this seemingly low-budget Brooklyn chamber drama, is actually more like a classic city symphony from the 1920s. What to call it: Arch-minimalism? Sensational Bressonianism?” – BOMB

THE STRANGER
2011. 32 minutes.
An anonymous young man appears in the apartment of a young couple, promising the two graduate students a better, less insular life with him in Berlin. Attracted to what they consider the man’s political and artistic preoccupations, the couple withdraws from school, quits their jobs, destroys their belongings, and waits impatiently for the return of the stranger, who never returns.

PILGRIMS
2013. 14 minutes.
In a city afflicted by increasingly violent protests, a dying young man is visited in his apartment by a refugee, a political radical, and a priest.

SIX CENTS IN THE POCKET
2015. 14 minutes.
A young man with a small, diminishing supply of money drifts in and out of the New York apartment of a couple traveling overseas.

SPIRAL JETTY
2017. 16 minutes.
An applauded New York intellectual hires a young archivist to whitewash her late psychologist father’s reputation by eliminating a forbidding, potentially incriminating paper trail.

Total runtime approximately 76 minutes.

Ricky D’Ambrose was born in Livingston, New Jersey, United States in 1987. He studied English Literature and Cinema Studies. Since 2013, he has shot and edited a series of video-recorded directors’ talks for the online film magazine MUBI Notebook, and written film reviews and essays. Following these shorts, NOTES ON AN APPEARANCE is his first feature film.