Pittsburgh Moving Picture Festival: Thriller Picture Show 2024
October 11 – October 24
The Thriller Picture Show Returns to The Lindsay October 11 – 14 & October 24
It wouldn’t be October without The Lindsay Theater and Cultural Center hosting one of this region’s premier showcases for independent filmmakers.
The Pittsburgh Moving Picture Festival is bringing its annual Thriller Picture Show to The Lindsay for the second year in a row. Later this month, the Sewickley theater will be jammed with meticulously selected features and shorts spanning multiple genres. Some projects hail from local filmmakers, and one was directed by none other than the late George Romero.
“We are honored and thrilled to be returning to The Lindsay for the 2024 Thriller Picture Show,” says Leigh Morrissey, communications director for festival presenter Image 987 Productions. “Every year, the festival has gotten bigger and better. This year, it received several hundred submissions from 20 different countries, reflecting the global impact and importance of cinema.”
Here’s a brief rundown of what’s in store for audiences looking for some pre-Halloween thrills (and chills):
An “All-Festival Pass” is available for $45, granting access to all 2024 Thriller Picture Show screenings (Oct. 12, 13, 14 & 24) at The Lindsay.
OCTOBER 12 SHOWTIMES AND TICKETS
Monkey Shines
Saturday, October 12 @ 7:00 P.M.
Legendary horror director George Romero wrote and directed this 1988 psychological thriller about a quadriplegic man who enlists the help of a service animal. He quickly bonds with his new primate friend—who may be more intelligent and dangerous than his cute exterior would suggest.
In partnership with the George A. Romero Foundation (GARF), the Thriller Picture Show is also home to the Romero Lives commemorative event.“ It is with great delight that the George A. Romero Foundation supports the ever-growing Pittsburgh Moving Picture Festival!,” says GARF founder and president Suzanne Desrocher-Romero. “This festival offers an opportunity to shine a light on independent creatives and the legendary and innovative writer and filmmaker George A. Romero.”
Cocaine Werewolf
Saturday, October 12 @ 9:00 P.M.
This horror comedy is set in the eerie woods of northern Pennsylvania. Cocaine (and blood) flow freely when the cast and crew of a low-budget horror movie receive an unexpected visit from a blood-thirsty werewolf. Cocaine Werewolf features a gothic industrial rock soundtrack created specifically for this film by Cleopatra Records. This film is so much fun it will make you want to howl at the moon with delight!
Preceded by Karmic Ties (Dir: Adriana González-Vega) (3:00) and Poacher Poacher (Dir : Keil Orion Troisi) (6 :50).
OCTOBER 13 SHOWTIMES AND TICKETS
eVil Sublet
Sunday, October 13 @ 2:30 P.M.
Pittsburgher Chris Pearson produced this wild horror-comedy about a couple whose dream apartment in New York’s East Village (AKA the eVil) may be haunted by a horde of murderous ghosts. Hey, at leat the rent is cheap and it’s got an eat-in kitchen! eVil Sublet stars viral video performer Jennifer Leigh Houston and features the legendary Sally Struthers in her feature-length horror debut.
Cultivated Chills program
Sunday, October 13 @ 4:30 P.M.
This particular block features 134 minutes worth of shorts designed to thrill and provoke audiences’ minds. Experience As Easy as Closing Your Eyes, Carpeteo, The Darkness, Visiting, Chomp, The Tenth Door, Dissimulator, High Stand, See You on Friday and Don’t Fall from Grace for yourself!
FLUXX
Sunday, October 13 @ 7:30 P.M.
This psychological thriller follows actress Vada Pierce, who abruptly awakens one night from her bathtub with with no memory of how and why she got there. She quickly discovers that her home has been ransacked and her husband has gone missing. Every time Vada tries to leave her house, she suddenly gets looped back into the bathtub. Desperately wanting to find the love of her life, Vada is forced to seek help from two uninvited guests—with deadly consequences.
Last Laugh
Sunday, October 13 @ 9:15 P.M.
This neo-noir thriller follows a 16-year-old girl seeking revenge against the psychopathic clown who murdered her mother.
OCTOBER 14 SHOWTIMES AND TICKETS
Bizarre Bazaar program
Monday, October 14 @ 2:30 P.M.
These experimental shorts are feasts for both the eyes and mind. This “Bizarre Bazaar” is approximately 75 minutes long and is comprised of four diverse shorts: Mirror, Gaea, Thomas and Magdalene, and Anywhere.
Fun House program
Monday, October 14 @ 3:55 P.M.
If you’re in the mood for more lighthearted and fun fare, check out this approximately 47-minute “Fun House” shorts block! On tap here: The Curmudgeon Factory, Through the Lens of Mourning, and Crawl Space.
Weird Adventures program
Monday, October 14 @ 4:50 P.M.
These shorts are the kinds of “Weird Adventures” one may have found in 1950s pulp magazines. This hour-long menagerie of slightly action-heavier films includes Edge of Hope, Memory Card, Kurath Thor, Absumo, and Twin Minder.
Twisted Treats program
Monday, October 14 @ 6:00 P.M.
Are you ready for a bloody good time? These “Twisted Treats” revel in horror and feature Halloween-appropriate stories about psychopaths, masked killers and more. Prepare yourselves for two hours of mayhem courtesy of shorts Bay of Blood, Nightwalker, Family Tradition, Lode, TReT, A Friendly Referral, Bellevue Bob and Just Stay In.
Chasing Zombies: A Tribute to George Romero
Monday, October 14 @ 8:15 P.M.
“This documentary was shot at the George A. Romero Filmmaking Program, with special effects by Tom Savini’s Special Make-up Effects Program. The story involves iconic zombie extras from the original Dawn of the Dead and Day of the Dead who, decades later, find themselves in demand at Pop Culture Comicons. We chase down these zombies to see why these early Romero films resonate so much with fans. Meanwhile, the crew shooting this film set out on a horrifying adventure of their own.” – co-director Mike Ancas (aka “Torrez, Head Ripper Zombie”–Day of the Dead)
OCTOBER 24 SHOWTIMES AND TICKETS
Dark Date Night
Thursday, October 24 @ 6:00 P.M.
This “Dark Date Night” includes four films that all delve into the more twisted aspects of love and relationships. Shorts The Cocktail and Ember will screen starting at 6 p.m. The evening will be capped off with two features—domestic thriller Kill Victoria at 6:30 p.m. and gothic ghost story The Phantoms at 8:15 p.m.
Kill Victoria
Thursday, October 24 @ 6:30 P.M.
Two couples (and their perpetually single pal Nick) have been best friends for years. That quintette has been inseparable since grade school—that is, until Nick finally gets engaged to a woman named Victoria. From that moment, he seems to change. As far as the other four are concerned, driving a wedge through such a tight friendship is unforgivable. They begin joking about how they would kill Victoria in order to save Nick from making “the worst mistake of his life.” Are they just kidding around, though?
The Phantoms
Thursday, October 24 @ 8:15 P.M.
After the death of their child, a couple moves to a haunted house filled with ghosts. That’s not all lurking behind the house’s walls, though. This 1982-set ghost story features performances from Michael Moriarty—a renowned actor with an Emmy, Tony and Golden Globe under his belt—alongside veteran thespians Veronica Cartwright (Alien), Dale Dickey (A League of Their Own) and Raymond Barry (Sudden Death).
