LATE NITE GRINDHOUSE Started 5 Years Ago Today!

Next month, we will be celebrating our anniversary by teaming up with our friends at Grindhouse Releasing to present Trailer Apocalypse, which features almost 2 hours of horror & exploitation film trailers all on 35mm! However, I thought it would be nice to sit in front of the computer and reminisce about how far the program has come.

IN THE BEGINNING…

Up until 2002, I worked for the Wehrenberg Theatres chain from my start in 1999 as a concessionist and worked my way to a projectionist. Finally, I was an Assistant Manager/Projectionist at the Eureka 6 Cine. When I got my job with the current company I work for, I quit the theater. I’ll admit, quitting felt like a little piece of me was missing. I was no longer “contributing” to my love of film. I always wanted to be involved again, but didn’t really know what to do. I remember I emailed Chris Clark to see if there was any interest in booking more horror films in the St. Louis International Film Festival (SLIFF) but they were pretty stocked on programming.

I have lived in St. Louis for my entire life and I knew of the Hi-Pointe Theater but I could honestly say, up until 2010, I had hardly been there. I remember seeing The Devil’s Backbone there during the St. Louis International Film Festival and I think I caught a couple of other films there but if anyone wanted midnight shows, the Tivoli was the place. Most of the time, they showed nostalgic films like Labyrinth and Fight Club. But, every once in a while, they would show Evil Dead 2 or other horror films.

In late January of 2010, I attended a midnight screening of Black Dynamite at the Hi-Pointe Theatre. While the crowd wasn’t huge, it was great seeing the film on the big screen and with like minded people. Prior to the screening, I had an idea brewing to maybe start a midnight horror & cult cinema theatrical program. Yes, I went to the Black Dynamite screening with an idea but I figured it was just another idea that would never come to fruition. After the show, I talked to Brian Ross of the Hi-Pointe and asked if he would be interested in doing a monthly midnight screening of horror films. I knew that we could probably book The Evil Dead as I just caught wind that it was about to do a theatrical tour. Brian cautiously said that we could give a shot and see what happens.

 

SEE YA AT MIDNITE…

At the stroke of Midnight, the first minute of May 15, 2010, Late Nite Grindhouse began. The projector fired up the Xenon bulb and projected 35mm celluoid onto the silver screen at the Hi-Pointe Theatre. Using word-of-mouth promotion and flyering a local horror convention, Con-tamination, the beast was let loose. Dear god, what have I done? Our first screening was a success and the Brian from the Hi-Pointe and I decided to keep going. In 2010, we would continue our relationship with Grindhouse Releasing and show 35mm prints of The Beyond, Cannibal Holocaust and Maniac. We also showed [REC]2, which was our lowest attended show in our 5 year history and Evil Dead 2. We didn’t have a typical schedule, we just booked the shows loosely since we were still trying to figure it all out. We even skipped a September show. When December came around, my schedule along with Hi-Pointe’s didn’t jive. I started to fear that we would not be doing Late Nite Grindhouse anymore. I jumped to conclusions. The Hi-Pointe is a truly independent theater and it was hard to juggle everything. In the beginning of 2011, conversations were had and we agreed to continue Late Nite Grindhouse in June and we would dedicate the first weekend every month to the program. We have been running monthly nonstop since. Our return was Hobo with a Shotgun which not only boasted our biggest crowd yet but was also the most stressful night of my life.

Honestly, it was one that I had nightmares about. I decided that we would elaborate on the preshow shown before the film which, up to this point, typically contained slides about the show and a short intro video with the LNGH title card. I decided with our return, I would include exploitation & horror trailers and funny little videos as pre-show entertainment. I procrastinated and didn’t get the show to render into a format to play at the Hi-Pointe until around 7pm that night. My computer read 100% on the rendering and then I went to go play the file back and it wouldn’t play. I had to re-render everything. This process, thanks to my finicky computer, can take anywhere from 2 to 6 hours. I remember waiting for the file to finish rendering and running around in circles in my office around 11:45pm. The pre-show was supposed to be on at 11:30pm. The file finished around Midnight and I was already late for the show. I called the Hi-Pointe prior and said I was on my way. I arrived late and asked the audience if they just wanted to watch a movie or watch the pre-show then the movie. Luckily, those that were in attendance wanted to see the pre-show. I may have pissed some people off that night and I wasn’t too happy about it either but it let me feel that there was a community forming.

FIVE YEARS LATER

2015 is here. I’m still hosting & programming Late Nite Grindhouse and Brian & The Hi-Pointe Theatre are still allowing me in the doors. I still can’t believe that we have devoted fans that come to every show. Late Nite Grindhouse’s success is all thanks to you. I hope that we have created something awesome for you. I’d be lying if I said it was all a pleasant experience but I can definitely tell you that it is always rewarding after every show.

For our show on June 5th & 6th, we are teaming up again with the guys that helped us launch this crazy thing, Grindhouse Releasing, to bring you almost 2 hours of 35mm film trailers that vary from horror, exploitation and all around madness. There will be special surprises and items to commemorate the occasion that will leak out on our Facebook page and here once they get finalized.

Again, Thank You.

WE WANT TO HEAR YOUR STORIES! USE #LNGHx5 ON FACEBOOK, TWITTER & INSTAGRAM!