We have a brand-new film festival in the great state of Texas. The It Came from Texas Film Fest will take an inaugural bow on October 28 and 29, right in time to provide a grand finale for what’s become known in the past few years as Spooky Season. That’s an apropos time slot, because, per festival director Kelly Kitchens, It Came from Texas will largely showcase campy drive-in double feature titles from the 1950s through the 1970s, offering up I-have-to-see-this-based-on-the-title-alone fare like Zontar: Thing from Venus, Beyond the Time Barrier, and Attack of the Eye Creatures.
As the name suggests, the fest will feature works that were shot entirely or predominantly within the Lone Star State. Kitchens, a local media relations and publicity veteran, is excited to give these otherwise neglected bits of fringe art some long deserved love. She stressed during the media roundtable event I attended, which was held in anticipation of the festival, that attendees should be prepared for less-than-stellar transfers of what’s being screened, due to their punk rock status as pieces of overlooked pop culture history. That one downside is more than offset, according to Kitchens, by the communal experience of seeing these bonkers titles with a roomful of like-minded movie goers who enjoy the weird and wacky side of cinema.
I couldn’t agree with her more.
Helping Ms. Kitchens with programming is Gordon K. Smith. Described in the festival notes as the unofficial film historian of B-movies made in Texas, Smith has an encyclopedic knowledge of this esoteric corner of film history. His credentials include providing some of the introductory monologs for Turner Classic Movies host Ben Mankiewicz.
Gordon K. Smith and Kelly Kitchens (photo by the author)
In addition to those less well-known titles, Kitchens has programmed plenty of fun events and screenings that all pay homage to Texas film culture. The most recognizable title on offer – and one I’m very excited to see on the big screen for the first time – will be a 49th anniversary screening of director Tobe Hooper’s seminal 1974 film The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, one of my all-time favorite horror movies.
(Am I crazy to think that next year’s second iteration of It Came from Texas should also feature Texas Chainsaw Massacre, in honor of its big 5-0 anniversary? Maybe it could become the one title that is screened every year at this unique fest.)
I saw Texas Chainsaw for the first time when I about 17 or 18 and, I’ll be honest, it melted my face off and, frankly, scared the shit out of me. The instant that the first murder in the movie occurs, which involves the most brutal use of a sledge hammer I’ve ever seen on screen, chilled me to the bone. I’ve only seen it once or twice since then, and merely thinking about the movie still shocks and terrifies me to this day.
I can’t wait to see it in a packed theater.
Paired with Texas Chainsaw Massacre will be a 2020 documentary by filmmaker Joe O’Connell titled Rondo and Bob. O’Connell’s picture is a love letter to Robert A. Burns, the man who served as art director on the 1974 gorefest, hand crafting the furniture made of human bones that litter the house of the psycho killers. Besides Texas Chainsaw Massacre, Burns’s other notable works include heading up art direction on Joe Dante’s The Howling and Stuart Gordon’s wild Re-Animator.
Rondo and Bob director Joe O’Connell (photo by the author)
Burns, when he wasn’t busy practicing the macabre dark arts as an art director and production designer for movies, was obsessed with Rondo Hatton, a B-movie horror icon of the 1930s and ‘40s. Hatton transitioned from a career in journalism to acting when it became clear that his unique look – owing to acromegaly, a condition which deformed his face – put him in high demand as brutal gangsters and horror movie monsters.
Kitchens is also using her new festival to shine a light on some emerging local talent. Garland High School offers one of the most prestigious film programs in the state of Texas, and the students participating this year – the program’s 19th – have been invited to shoot horror, campy horror, or plain campy short films, which will be screened around three of It Came from Texas’s feature film offerings. The Reel Owl Cinema film program – Garland ISD is home of the Fighting Owls – holds an end-of-term festival of its own, where the students can screen their work for friends and family. I served as a judge for last May’s screenings, and I was delighted by what I saw.
Admittedly, most of these student films are a little rough around the edges, but, as I told the program’s founder, Patty Schubert, were I to have had access to something like this when I was in high school, I would have been all over it.
The current Reel Owl Cinema Film Department Head, Thomas Schubert – this is a family affair, Thomas is Patty’s son – described how moving it is to see his kids come alive and engage with the material during the school year. It got a little dusty in the room (if you know what I mean) when the younger Schubert talked about former students of his who are in their 30s now – some of whom didn’t even go on to start a career in the arts – staying in contact with him, sharing milestones like the birth of their own children or career achievements.
During the round table discussion, he stressed how learning the skills needed to shoot a movie – collaboration with peers, creative thinking and problem solving, critical thinking skills – will serve these kids well into their futures. According to Schubert, one of the most meaningful things about running the program over the years has been instilling in his students the idea that in order to get better at anything, you have to work as hard or harder on the next project.
Schubert also rotates the students into and out of every role on a film set. The important lesson that this teaches the kids is that if they aren’t willing to work hard on the least of these positions (grip, assistant positions, etc.), they don’t deserve the opportunity to work in the most coveted positions like directing or cinematography.
Thomas and Patty Schubert (photo by the author)
The grand finale of It Came from Texas will feature more local talent and plenty of laughs. The Mocky Horror Picture Show consists of Danny Gallagher, Liz Barksdale, and Albie Robles. If you’ve ever seen an episode of Mystery Science Theater 3000, I don’t need to describe any more. For the uninitiated, MST3K and MHPS feature comedians making jokes and generally taking the piss out of movies that are, shall we say, less than quality entertainment. (Although, during the round table, Gallagher mentioned that writing and performing jokes centered around a good movie can be as fun as mocking a terrible movie.)
In a bit of serendipity, I attended my first MHPS event in June, when I saw the troupe dismantle the superhero movie Captain America. No, not that one. Or that one. The Captain America on offer that night at the Texas Theatre – MHPS’s main base of operations – was the 1990 version by schlock director Albert Pyun. It features a braindead plot and some of the worst makeup and stunts I’ve ever seen.
What struck me about that show was how unique a form of comedy writing live-riffs of movies is. It’s a very particular form of joke writing, like late night talk show host monologs or sketch comedy. And the folks in charge of The Mocky Horror Picture Show have it down. I don’t want to issue a back-handed compliment by comparing them to the more well-known version of the format, but as I sat in the theater, all I could think was, “This might as well be an MST3K show. The jokes are that good.”
The folks behind The Mocky Horror Picture Show, from left, Albie Robles, Liz Barksdale, and Danny Gallagher (photo by the author)
To close out the fest, MHPS will be skewering The Giant Gila Monster. Shot in and around the Dallas area and released in 1959, this low-budget B-movie of questionable reputation should be an excellent target for the trio’s sarcastic quips. Gallagher made sure to note during the round table that the film’s creators couldn’t even be bothered to get the terrifying monster right. The movie features a Mexican beaded lizard in the title role, not a Gila monster.
If you’re interested in checking out the inaugural It Came from Texas Film Festival – or, if you’d simply like to hang out with me; I plan on attending both days of the fest – you can scoop up tickets here. The festival is being held at the Plaza Theatre on the newly redeveloped and remodeled Downtown Square of Garland. (And by “newly,” I really mean it. It Came from Texas will be held a mere two weeks after the grand reopening of the square.) The address is 521 W. State Street, and the festival is sponsored by the City of Garland and Garland Cultural Arts. It will be the first of its kind for the city.
There is an Early Bird Pass, available through September 15, for $50, a Festival Pass for $60, and individual screening tickets for $10-$15. There are also discounted individual tickets for seniors and students. Festival pass perks include: limited availability, early admission, a commemorative poster, and discounts from participating businesses.
On a personal note, I’ve known Kelly Kitchens for six years now; she arranged my very first interview for this website. Help me celebrate Texas filmmaking and filmmakers and turn her brand-new festival into an unqualified success!