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LINCOLN SQUARE — The Massacre movie marathon returns to The Davis Theater this weekend with more than 14 hours of horror classics and short films from local directors.
Doors open 11 a.m. Saturday at The Davis, 4614 N. Lincoln Ave. The first film starts noon Saturday and the final film starts about 1 a.m. Sunday.
Presale tickets can be bought online for $25. Tickets at the door are $30.
Ticket holders will be able to come and go from the marathon as they please. The Carbon Arc Bar, 4620 N. Lincoln Ave., is also offering discounts to The Massacre attendees who show their tickets when placing orders during the marathon.
The film lineup:
- Noon: “Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde” (1912) and “The Haunted Hotel” (1907). These silent films will be accompanied with live music from an organ.
- 12:30 p.m.: “The Thing From Another World” (1951)
- 2:15 p.m.: “Destroy All Monsters” (1968)
- 4:10 p.m.: “Messiah of Evil” (1973)
- 6 p.m.: “Child’s Play 2” (1990)
- 8 p.m.: “The Texas Chainsaw Massacre” (1974)
- 9:45 p.m.: “The Howling” (1981)
- 11:25 p.m.: “Stage Fright” (1987)
- 1 a.m.: “Burial Ground” (1981)
Short films from local directors will be shown in between the marathon’s longer features.
Terror in the Aisles is a group of about 50 horror fans who have put on film marathons in Chicago for more than eight years. Their two most well-known events are The Massacre, which focuses on horror films, and The Sci-Fi Spectacular, which showcases science fiction films.
The festival has moved around Chicago since it started. This is the fourth year The Massacre has been at The Davis. A portion of funds from this weekend’s event will go to Heartland Health Outreach, a group that provides services to people living with HIV and AIDS.
“We didn’t do it for the last couple of years due to the pandemic. We were just concerned about people’s welfare,” said Ben Miller, one of the organizers. “But a lot of people wrote to us the last few months asking us to bring it back so we made the decision to come back.”
This year’s event will also feature a guest appearance by actor John Dugan, who portrayed Grandpa in the first “The Texas Chain Saw Massacre” film from 1974.
Dugan was born in Indiana, attended the Goodman School of Drama at the Art Institute of Chicago and began his career in Chicago theater.
Before the pandemic, Dugan was supposed to attend a marathon put on by the group but couldn’t due to health reasons, Miller said.
“He’s much better now, and when we found out we invited him back,” Miller said. “He has Chicago roots and is really excited to come back as well. He’s just a great spirit that’s really fun and very energetic who has a lot of great stories about ‘The Texas Chainsaw Massacre.’”
The event will also feature vendors selling horror memorabilia.
For more information about the event, go to its Facebook page.
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