This year’s Music Box of Horrors is taking place on Saturday, October 19th, giving fans another 24 hours of non-stop movies and madness! They have just announced first four titles that will be screening at this year’s marathon, and once again, they are starting out with some great titles.

The biggest title probably is Jaws (1975), which I know everyone has seen and probably multiple times. But how many times have you seen it on the big screen? With a packed audience?

The second film they’ve announced is the 1946 film The Spiral Staircase, directed by Robert Siodmak, which is about a killer that preys on women with “afflictions”, which makes a young deaf woman feeling like she just might be in danger.

The next film is George Romero’s The Crazies (1973) that I feel is just as powerful as his early zombie pictures, showing a small town being overrun by the government, as well as a contagion that threatens to destroy everyone. Again, we’ve all seen it, but have you seen it on the big screen?

The fourth film announced is Zibahkhana aka Hells Ground (2007), known as Pakistan’s first gore film! I saw this when it first came out and was very impressed with what director Omah Khan and his cast and crew came up with. Plus, always great to see a title that most have never seen before, and especially not in a theater!

Tickets are only $35 from now until Oct. 18th, then they go up to $40 the day of the event. For Music Box Members, take off $5 on each price. Now here’s the important part, folks. Remember last year the marathon sold out before all the titles were finished being announced. So, if you’re considering going, you might just want to get those tickets now, because I have a strong feeling that it is going to do the same this year.

For all the information about this event, just click HERE.

Now, I know I’ve written about the Music Box quite a few times over the years. From these 24-hour marathons they’ve been running since 2005, the annual January Giallo series, and all the other incredible screenings they continue to hold over the years, it is a special place for me. I was driving out to this place in the late ’90s to see midnight screenings of titles like Evil Dead Trap (1988) or Fulci’s The Beyond (1981), with maybe a handful of people in the theater. But over the years, especially the last decade, the Music Box has really stepped up their game, really giving us horror fans plenty of amazing things to see in this classic old and beautiful theater. That is why I have no problem driving 50 miles into the city (taking anywhere from 90 minutes to 2 hours) to show my support, not to mention seeing some great stuff there.

Now, celebrating their 95th year, they are going to making some more improvements in their main theater. It will be closed from Aug. 12th to Sept. 5th, where they will be “upgrading new seats (with cupholders!!!), improving the auditorium lighting, refinished carpeting and refurbishment of the original proscenium arch, and expanded ADA capabilities with T-Coil Hearing Loop System”. Which means, this will all be done before the Music Box of Horrors! If you’d like to make any donations for these improvements, including sponsoring a seat or two, contact the theater for all the details.

Ryan Oestreich, General Manager of the Music Box said “Thinking about the historical value that the Music Box has to the City of Chicago, it’s incredible to me that this 95-year-old institution has lasted as long as it has and continues to inspire filmmakers and filmgoers to walk through its doors. As the guardians of the Music Box Theatre, it’s up to us to ensure that its history and vibrancy are preserved into the next century.”

That last line, about ensuring that the Music Box is preserved is so important, hits the heart. The thought of knowing that this theater could be continuing what it is doing for decades to come not only makes this old horror fan smile but tells me that future horror fans are going to continue to be able to celebrate all of this incredible cinema, both old and new.

You can help out by donating to the Music Box, even sponsoring a seat in the theater! Just reach out to the Music Box for more detail. See you at the theatre!