Many, many years ago, while set up at a little movie memorabilia show in Rosemont, Il, a young lady came strolling by our table. For some reason, she looked a bit familiar, but we just couldn’t place her. As it turns out, it was none other than Coralina Cataldi-Tassoni, an actress who had appeared in a few Italian films like Demons 2 (1986) and Opera (1987). How and why would she be just wandering around this show, here in the states?!?! Turns out that she had been living in Chicago for a while and was dragged to the show by a friend. We started talking and became friends over the next couple of decades. We introduced her to Ken Kish, who quickly had her appear at his Cinema Wasteland show in 2001. In fact, he even had her back once again in 2008. At that show, because of Coralina, I had the glorious opportunity to meet the talented director Mariano Baino, director of Dark Waters (1993), a film that I have always loved and admired, for its look, atmosphere, and originality.
Fast forward to 2016, at the annual Music Box of Horrors, while I was chatting with Will Morris, the genius who has been programming the marathon the last couple of years. I asked him if he knew of the film Dark Waters and immediately his eyes lit up and said, “I love that movie!” I then told him that I knew the director, Mariano, and I’m sure he’d love to come out here if they would screen his film. And now, as they say, the rest is now history. Well, there was a lot more to that, but let’s just say that thanks to Will, Ryan at the Music Box, and of course the fine folks at Severin Films, it all came together for this year’s Music Box of Horrors.
Just how big of a horror fan are you? One that can withstand 24 hours of terror? Then you need to come to the Music Box of Horrors this Saturday at Chicago’s own Music Box Theatre! The onslaught of fright flicks starts at noon, with 12 features playing through the day and night and into the morning. Check out the full lineup below, so you can start making your plans of which features you want to make sure you’re awake for.They will also have directors Gary Sherman, who gave us Dead and Buried and Raw Meat, and Jim Muro, the man who directed the cult classic Street Trash!
Chicago’s own Music Box Theatre has started to announce some titles for their 12th annual 24-hour marathon which takes place on October 15th, starting at noon and running through to noon on Sunday the 16th. We’ve been to every single one of these marathons and have always had a great time. The Music Box is one of my personal favorite theaters in Chicago and the crowds that come in here for these marathons are die-hard fans and are actually coming into see the films and have a good time….not just to party. Nothing wrong with that mind you, but not in the theater while the movies are screening. So we’re looking for another incredible lineup and a lot of fun. From what they have announced so far, I think I might be spending some of my time in there watching them!
