Monster Fest is back!!! Not just back in the sense that once again Aussie horror fans get to re-fill their fix of gore, blood and guts at Australia’s biggest cult film festival, but also back in the sense that the festival that just gets better with age is returning back to its rightful home – Carlton’s very own Cinema Nova.
Even better is the fact that this year’s festival is proving to be one of the biggest yet. Once again fans will have that opportunity to see some eagerly anticipated cult films make their Australian debut, catch up on some long-time-achieved classics or discover some of the new wave Australian filmmakers as they premiere their films for the first time.
When it comes to big films making their Australian premieres this year fans are going to be in for some absolute gems. Opening night sees two of Hollywood’s biggest names, Mel Gibson and Vince Vaughn, team up together in a crime thriller called Dragged Across Concrete which sees them play troubled cops. Then there is the controversial The House That Jack Built – the latest film from legendary filmmaker Lars Van Trier, a film that affected some audience members at its Cannes screening so much they had to walk out. Then there is the Closing Night film – Lords Of Chaos – a film that no metal fan should miss. Directed by former black metal musician Jonas Akerlund Lords Of Chaos tells the story of murder, arson and suicide that plagued the Norwegian black metal scene during the 1990s.
This year’s Monster Fest is also proving to be a treasure trove for fans of older cult classics as well. There is the brand new 4K restoration of John Carpenter’s classic films Escape From New York and The Fog, actors Nicholas Hope and Natalie Carr attending the 25th Anniversary screening of the classic Rolf de Heer film Bad Boy Bubby. Adding to the cult classics is the 4K restoration of Sam Raimi’s must see horror Evil Dead 2: Dead By Dawn and a retrospective screening of Fred Dekker’s 1987 beauty The Monster Squad.
Monster Fest promises so much this year and it is going to be four days of film lover’s paradise. Cinema Nova is going to come back to life like Frankenstein’s monster as one of the most important film festivals that Australia hosts once again roars to life with a film schedule that has to be seen to be believed.
