Scary Movie Party 8 @ The Whistler!

ATTN GALS AND GHOULIES: Do you like parties? Do you like scary? And what about movies? Put them all in a shaker and...well I think you see where this lame joke is going. SCARY MOVIE PARTY 8! But what, pray-tell, is a Scary Movie Party, and why is it 8? Glad you asked! In its 8th year, Scary Movie Party is a screening of DIY low(no)-budget films created around the idea of horror. Curated by hyper-active Chicagoans Jessi T Walsh and Patrick Scott, SMP comes around but once a year to celebrate the best holiday of the year (no, not my birthday), Halloween! So what does this have to do with Logan Square, you ask? Well well, one of their screening parties happens to be at Logan Square's own, The Whistler! wha-wha-whaaat? si, correct. For the second year in a row, SMP is teaming up with arts-friendly The Whistler to bring you a gory good time with spine-tingling good drinks, this Sunday, October 30th.

So lets talk more about these scary movies and the party. When asked what started bloody rampage of fun, Jessi Walsh replied, "Back in the day, it was just a great party– an informal, BYOB, potluck-style, DIY horror film showcase done in our friend Jenny's attic around Halloween.  Over time, we've figured out the best way for us to source inventive films is to just curate the festival outright.  We are incredibly excited about how SMP has grown and the awesome creative community we are lucky to be involved in."

As far as selecting the films, it's not just campy, horror-hilarious no-budget gory films. "We bring in artists whose film, performances and music are resonant, questioning and honest.  We don't care how much money, equipment or experience you (don't) have, we just want people to dig in, get their hands dirty and present us with their version of horror.  We want to see the most twisted, dark, hilarious, campy, unsettling, beautiful stuff the untamed world has to offer." Though most of the movies presented are from Chicago locals, SMP has garnered enough attention to draw in submissions from an international community, as well! You can check out some more of the videos on their Vimeo Site.

Tripartite by Casey McGuire from SCARY MOVIE PARTY on Vimeo.


And how exactly did they team up with The Whistler, anyway? Well apparently they had this wild idea to just ask! "Billy [Helmkamp] has booked Patrick's bands over the years and so we already were familiar with how events at the Whistler go. ...We really like their venue model and the way the arts and music are incorporated into their social/bar space." Oh, did i mention the musical acts throughout the night? yes! Scary MUSIC Party. mmmm, i'm going to copyright that. oh! right, Gel Set will be on hand to provide a round of scary synth-y goodness, followed by The Third Wave, spinning "coldwave, post-punk, goth and new wave darkness throughout the evening."

So clear your schedule for Oct. 30th, get your Halloween costume ready, and come out to The Whistler for your chance to mingle with other local gals and ghouls during this Halloween extravaganza! Honestly, you should probably just go as Double-Pants-Man, so when you have your pants scared off you, you wont be ENTIRELY embarrassed. Just dont come as Underwear-Man.

Scary Movie Party 8
Oct. 30th 9pm-close
The Whistler
2421 N. Milwaukee Ave.

http://scarymovieparty.com/
http://vimeo.com/scarymovieparty
http://whistlerchicago.com/

-W. Tanner Young

www.WTANNERYOUNG.com