Co-presented by SUPER-HORROR-RAMA! and Severin Films
Guest-programmed by Nicola McCafferty
December 4 & 5, SUPER-HORROR-RAMA! spotlights mannequins under the mistletoe with Maniac (1980) and Maniac (2012)—an original, a remake, and the memories that haunt us at Christmastime.
Every ticket to the remake of Maniac includes a limited-edition pinback button plus a goodie bag from Severin Films with even more treats, and every show kicks off with speed trivia (Category: Holiday Horror) hosted by John McDevitt and killer prizes donated by The Shadowboxery, Cryptid Craft Studio, Night Natalie, Migzie Flores, Kitley’s Krypt, Full Bleed, Drive-In Asylum, and ComicsToYourCouch!
Themes of sexuality and sexual difference are central to the exploration of the madman, his mannequins, and his mother in both versions of Maniac, with the prominent mannequin props in both rendering these fears both uncanny and accessible. From character actor Joe Spinell and the guerrilla filmmaking of the original to Lord of the Rings star-turned-indie producer Elijah Wood and the first-person POV of the remake, these films put viewers in the mind of a maniac while offering unassumingly sensitive investigations of trauma, gender trouble, and the desire to preserve the past.
We’re also screening Maniac (1980) on Friday, December 4 at 11:59pm!
Guest Programmer Nicola McCafferty is a film scholar and programmer with a PhD in Screen Cultures from Northwestern University. She has programmed for the 61st and 62nd Chicago International Film Festivals and the 400 Theater, and currently teaches a class on "Media and Cultural Theory" at Northwestern. Her research focuses on the figure of the nonhuman woman across media, investigating how the overlapping categories of human and woman are constructed within the interlocking systems of white supremacy, heteropatriarchy, and capitalism.
Music Box Theatre screens films of all genres and from every era of cinema, both new releases and repertory. These films may sometimes contain upsetting, outdated, or offensive material. While we aim to introduce many of our screenings, we do not always provide warnings about potentially triggering content within the films we screen. We encourage our patrons to research the film before they attend using trailers, reviews, or content information found on Common Sense Media, IMDb and DoesTheDogDie.com.
Also Part Of SUPER-HORROR-RAMA!
