Nothing beats the warmth like a bit of horror. Or quite a bit. Or how about 11 nights of “pure unfiltered terror”?
The eleventh version of the Popcorn Frights Movie Pageant will provide all that, in-person in South Florida from August 7-17, 2025, alongside an web (“digital”) element. The opening night time festivities will embrace a double-bill from Brandon Christensen, with each Bodycam and Night time of the Reaper.
Barbara Crampton, the Queen of the Night time, can be current to introduce Re-Animator, From Past, and Trainer’s Pet, and Lloyd Kaufman, the King of Troma, will current Mr. Melvin.
And that is not all! Linnea Quigley, additionally Queen of the Night time — we’re allowed as much as 4 Queens — can be reside and in particular person to current three of her 80s horror classics. There’s an excessive amount of goodness to summarize any additional, so please engorge your self on all the main points which might be to be discovered within the official announcement beneath.
We draw your consideration particularly to the notes on the 20 (?!) movies introduced for the digital platform, together with Home of Ashes by our personal Izzy Lee, alongside with various intriguing worldwide horror titles.
July 8, 2025 // – Horror lives here–and it is aliiiive! This summer time, it is larger, bloodier, and bolder than ever because the eleventh Annual Popcorn Frights Movie Pageant returns August 7-17 for an electrifying 11-day takeover of South Florida. Because the Southeast’s largest style celebration, Popcorn Frights is unleashing its most thrilling program but with the reveal of its extremely anticipated First Wave lineup–featuring 19 movie premieres and 9 particular displays that convey collectively horror royalty, cult icons, and scream queens for a cinematic expertise with the amount cranked all the best way up.
For the primary time ever, the competition will kick off with an Opening Night time World Premiere Double-Invoice from fan-favorite filmmaker and two-time Popcorn Frights award-winner Brandon Christensen, whose newest movies can be releasing on Shudder and are primed to shred nerves. Buckle up for BODYCAM, a supernatural shocker that follows two cops whose routine name spirals into an unrelenting nightmare crammed with cults, curses, and pure pulse-pounding terror. That terror solely deepens with NIGHT OF THE REAPER, a synth-soaked, blood-splattered homage to 80s slasher classics, the place a quiet Midwestern city is rocked by a babysitter murder–and the killer is simply getting began.
Popcorn Frights can be rolling out the crimson carpet for horror royalty with the arrival of Barbara Crampton, who’s headlining the competition’s particular “Straight Outta Crampton” triple-bill screamfest. This system consists of the fortieth anniversary 4K restoration of Stuart Gordon’s horror masterpiece RE-ANIMATOR, the gloriously grotesque FROM BEYOND, and the East Coast Premiere of TEACHER’S PET, a razor-sharp thriller a couple of dangerously obsessive instructor and his sensible scholar.
However wait… it will get weirder! Cult icon Lloyd Kaufman crashes the competition with a Troma-sized bang to premiere MR. MELVIN, a monstrous reimagining of THE TOXIC AVENGER PART II & III, now fused into one epic radioactive narrative simply as Kaufman and Michael Herz initially envisioned. And since no Troma expertise is full with out chaos, Lloyd Kaufman will host a raucous Troma-themed horror trivia occasion earlier than the screening that guarantees prizes, laughs, and full cinematic anarchy.
The horror legends hold coming as scream queen Linnea Quigley rises from the useless to guide a triple-bill straight from the fiery depths of 80s horror, made potential by the beneficiant help of Flick Direct. She’ll seem in particular person to current her most legendary roles, together with the yuletide slasher SILENT NIGHT, DEADLY NIGHT, the splatterific cult gem NIGHT OF THE DEMONS, and the fortieth Anniversary 4K restoration of THE RETURN OF THE LIVING DEAD, bringing punk rock, brains, and buckets of gore again to the massive display.
Popcorn Frights continues its custom of championing daring voices in horror with a slate of world premieres, together with BLOOD SHINE, a deeply twisted people horror story from filmmakers Emily Bennett & Justin Brooks and producers Aaron B. Koontz & Cameron Burns. Complimenting the characteristic occasion would be the world premiere of Emily’s new brief AFFIRMATION, a disquieting psychological thriller shot in a single take. Additionally making its world premiere is TO ALL THE BOOKS, a behind-the-scenes private documentary from New York Occasions bestselling creator Josh Malerman (BIRD BOX), who can be joined by acclaimed filmmakers and Popcorn Frights alums Scott Beck & Bryan Woods (HERETIC) for a post-screening dialog.
In a one-of-a-kind style celebration, Popcorn Frights, in partnership with Paramount Scares, will current a particular screening of A QUIET PLACE with reside commentary by screenwriters Scott Beck & Bryan Woods, moderated by Josh Malerman. The occasion can even embrace a “See No Evil, Hear No Evil” interactive sport with unique prizes, providing followers a uniquely immersive horror expertise.
Phantom followers can rejoice on the double-dose spectacle “A Story of Two Phantoms,” celebrating 100 years of THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA with a reside unique rating by genre-bending artist Slavvy (TERRIFIER 2 & 3), adopted by a raucous presentation of Brian De Palma’s PHANTOM OF THE PARADISE–complete with a shock to thrill even probably the most die-hard Phantom Phans.
Rooted within the competition’s house turf, the ever-popular Florida Focus program places a highlight on native horror with the world premiere of AMERICAN CRYPTIDS, directed by Popcorn Frights alum Erynn Dalton and starring Anne Bobby (Clive Barker’s NIGHTBREED), alongside the eerie mermaid folklore shocker MERMAID, and the Tampa-set vigilante techno-thriller HACKED, starring Chandler Riggs (THE WALKING DEAD). To prime it off, the fest will host an out of doors seashore screening of NIGHTMARE BEACH proper on the very sands the place the 80s slasher was filmed.
And for horror followers throughout the nation, Popcorn Frights’ acclaimed digital program returns with greater than 20 streaming movies, headlined by the world premiere of the emotionally uncooked Chilean horror WHAT THE TIDE DRAGGED IN, the US premiere of the psychological frightfest EL INSTINTO hailing from Spain, and Southeast US premieres of found-footage thriller ALAN AT NIGHT, darkish comedy THE EDITING, Kafkaesque nightmare HEAD LIKE A HOLE, grotesque outbreak thriller ITCH!, and Hungarian ghost story TOMORROW I DIE.
The digital slate additionally options the East Coast premiere of sci-fi horror PSYCHE, and the Florida premieres of HOUSE OF ASHES and IN THE MOUTH–each pushing the style envelope in thrilling new instructions and designed to blow your genre-loving thoughts.
A second wave of Popcorn Frights 2025 titles with greater than two dozen further characteristic movie premieres for in-theater and digital programming can be introduced subsequent week.
Particular person tickets and All-Entry Badges for the in-theater experience–hosted at Savor Cinema Fort Lauderdale and Cinema Paradiso Hollywood–are now out there. Digital All-Entry Passes may also be bought for streaming entry to the complete digital lineup. To order an In-Theater All-Entry VIP Badge, click on right here, to order a Digital All-Entry Cross, click on right here.
Submissions for this 12 months’s competition are nonetheless open by way of Movie Freeway by the ultimate deadline of July 18. Shorts, options, documentaries, animation, movie, and video — all are welcome and might be submitted on the hyperlink:
The eleventh version of the Popcorn Frights Movie Pageant is made potential with the help of its beneficiant sponsors, together with AGFA, Blue Underground, Fangoria, Flick Direct, Kino Cult, MVD, Paramount Scares, Radiance Movies, Troma, and its loyal followers. For more information about Popcorn Frights, go to PopcornFrights.com
IN-THEATER FEATURE FILM LINEUP
OPENING NIGHT DOUBLE-BILL
Bodycam
World Premiere
United States | 2025 | 75 Min. | Dir. Brandon Christensen
*Director Brandon Christensen anticipated in particular person
Throughout a routine home disturbance name, a tragic accident thrusts two cops right into a relentless nightmare that unveils the existence of a terrifying cult.
OPENING NIGHT DOUBLE-BILL
Night time of the Reaper
World Premiere
United States | 2025 | 93 Min. | Dir. Brandon Christensen
*Director Brandon Christensen anticipated in particular person
After a brutal homicide of a teenage babysitter, faculty scholar Deena returns house for the weekend and takes on a babysitting job, whereas the native sheriff uncovers chilling proof suggesting the killer could also be planning a lethal sequel.
American Cryptids
World Premiere
United States | 2025 | 102 Min. | Dir. Erynn Dalton
*Director Erynn Dalton and screenwriter Joseph Zettelmaier anticipated in particular person
Starring Anne Bobby, Daniel Roebuck, and Lukas Hassel, this Florida-set folktale follows two feuding families–one human, one supernatural–whose failed truce sparks bloodshed, forcing the youngest technology to decide on between breaking the cycle or succumbing to a destiny of violence.
Blood Shine
World Premiere
United States | 2025 | 100 Min. | Dirs. Emily Bennett & Justin Brooks
*Administrators Emily Bennett & Justin Brooks, and producer Cameron Burns anticipated in particular person
A spiritual zealot dedicated to gentle rituals meets a horror filmmaker in NY, pulling him right into a dreamlike maze of spirituality and transcendence.
Hacked
South Florida Premiere
United States | 2025 | 85 Min. | Dir. Shane Brady
*Director Shane Brady, actors Chandler Riggs, Owen Atlas, and Collin Thompson, alongside with producer Emily Zircher anticipated in particular person
Impressed by true occasions, this gripping story begins in 2021 when an peculiar Florida couple is hacked and robbed of $20,000–unleashing the darkish, imagined revenge they solely want they may have taken.
Mermaid
Southeast US Premiere
United States | 2025 | 105 Min. | Dir. Tyler Cornack
At his lowest level, a drug-addicted Florida man discovers a wounded mermaid and, as phrase of his secret spreads, he’ll cease at nothing to guard her–featuring a sinister efficiency by Robert Patrick.
Trainer’s Pet
East Coast Premiere
United States | 2025 | 90 Min. | Dir. Noam Kroll
*Actress Barbara Crampton anticipated in particular person
Simply days from heading to Yale, an excellent highschool senior is drawn right into a harmful sport of cat and mouse when her obsessive new English instructor reveals a chilling previous, igniting a gripping battle of wits and survival.
To All of the Books
World Premiere
United States | 2024 | 91 Min. | Dir. Josh Malerman
*Director Josh Malerman and producers Scott Beck & Bryan Woods anticipated in particular person
This uncooked and galvanizing fly-on-the-wall documentary follows acclaimed novelist, filmmaker, and musician Josh Malerman–author of Chicken Field and Emmy-winning music for Shameless–as he confronts the phobia of the clean web page and the unpredictable highs and lows of a wildly inventive life.
VIRTUAL FEATURE FILM LINEUP
Alan at Night time
Southeast US Premiere
United States | 2025 | 91 Min. | Dir. Jesse Swenson
An web prankster paperwork the more and more odd conduct of his new roommate, Alan.
The Enhancing
Southeast US Premiere
France | 2025 | 72 Min. | Dir. Audouin Rascovsky
Eccentric director John Von Kubrick disappears with the one footage of his newest movie, forcing his two producers–who borrowed from the Japanese mafia to finance the project–into a determined, life-or-death hunt to get better each him and the movie.
El Instinto
US Premiere
Spain | 2024 | 92 Min. | Dir. Juan Albarracín
An excellent architect crippled by agoraphobia and remoted for 3 years reluctantly accepts assist from a prestigious canine coach whose strategies quickly reveal a psychotic obsession.
Head Like a Gap
Southeast US Premiere
Canada | 2024 | 93 Min. | Dir. Stefan MacDonald-Labelle
In monetary dire straits, a person accepts an odd, high-paying job the place he should take up residence in a house and measure a gap within the wall of the basement to find out whether or not or not it is rising in measurement.
Home of Ashes
Florida Premiere
United States | 2024 | 95 Min. | Dir. Izzy Lee
A grieving widow should survive psychological and supernatural horrors whereas below home arrest.
Within the Mouth
Florida Premiere
United States | 2024 | 85 Min. | Dir. Cory Santilli
A perpetual worrywart finds himself unable to depart his home after discovering an enormous model of himself protruding from his entrance garden.
Itch!
Southeast US Premiere
United States | 2024 | 82 Min. | Dir. Bari Kang
Amid a lethal outbreak often known as the ITCH, a widower and his estranged daughter search refuge in a division store–only to find that the true terror lies inside.
Psyche
East Coast Premiere
United States | 2024 | 71 Min. | Dir. Stephon Stewart
Adrift in limbo, a younger lady and pc embark on a quest to uncover the which means of life.
Tomorrow I Die
Southeast US Premiere
Hungary | 2024 | 85 Min. | Dir. Nikol Cibulya
On this mystical-realist ghost story, a pregnant lady invitations her brother and finest buddy to a household cabin, the place she reveals a haunting premonition of her personal loss of life and should confront childhood traumas earlier than embracing motherhood.
What the Tide Dragged In
World Premiere
Chile | 2025 | 88 Min. | Dir. Patricio Valladares
After their mom’s funeral, two sisters go to a distant seashore to scatter her ashes, however when one is swept away by a present and later discovered behaving unusually, unsettling secrets and techniques start to floor.
IN-THEATER RETRO LINEUP
A Quiet Place
Reside Commentary Particular Presentation
United States | 2018 | 90 Min. | Dir. John Krasinski
*Screenwriters Scott Beck & Bryan Woods and creator Josh Malerman anticipated in particular person
A household struggles for survival in a world invaded by blind alien creatures with ultra-sensitive listening to.
From Past
Straight Outta Crampton Triple-Invoice Occasion
United States | 1986 | 85 Min. | Dir. Stuart Gordon
*Actress Barbara Crampton anticipated in particular person
A gaggle of scientists creates the Resonator, a machine that reveals hidden dimensions past human perception–only to unleash horrifying life types the second the experiment succeeds.
Mr. Melvin
Troma-Sized Pageant Premiere
United States | 2025 | 127 Min. | Dir. Lloyd Kaufman
*Director Lloyd Kaufman anticipated in particular person
A never-before-seen reimagined reduce of The Poisonous Avenger sequel, fusing Half II and Half III into one epic two-hour resurrection.
Night time of the Demons
The Queen of Screams Triple-Invoice Occasion
United States | 1988 | 90 Min. | Dir. Kevin Tenney
*Actress Linnea Quigley anticipated in particular person
On Halloween night time, ten youngsters throw a celebration in an deserted funeral parlor, solely to awaken an evil power that traps them inside and unleashes demonic spirits, turning their celebration right into a dwelling hell.
Nightmare Seashore
Particular Out of doors Seashore Presentation
Italy | 1989 | 90 Min. | Dirs. James Justice & Umberto Lenzi
After the execution of a bike gang chief convicted of homicide, a helmeted biker goes on a killing spree throughout spring break in Florida.
The Phantom of the Opera
A Story of Two Phantoms Double-Invoice Occasion
Centennial Anniversary, 2K Restoration
United States | 1925 | 93 Min. | Dir. Rupert Julian
*Reside Unique Rating Efficiency by Slavvy
A mad, disfigured composer seeks love with a beautiful younger opera singer.
Phantom of the Paradise
A Story of Two Phantoms Double-Invoice Occasion
United States | 1974 | 91 Min. | Dir. Brian De Palma
*Swan Principal Archivist Ari Kahan anticipated in particular person
A disfigured composer sells his soul to make sure the lady he loves will sing his music, solely to be betrayed by a sinister document tycoon who steals his work to launch his decadent rock palace, The Paradise.
Re-Animator
Straight Outta Crampton Triple-Invoice Occasion
fortieth Anniversary, 4K Restoration
United States | 1985 | 84 Min. | Dir. Stuart Gordon
*Actress Barbara Crampton anticipated in particular person
After an odd new medical scholar arrives on campus, a devoted native and his girlfriend turn into concerned in weird experiments centering across the re-animation of useless tissue.
The Return of the Dwelling Lifeless
The Queen of Screams Triple-Invoice Occasion
fortieth Anniversary, 4K Restoration
United States | 1985 | 91 Min. | Dir. Dan O’Bannon
*Actress Linnea Quigley anticipated in particular person
When two bumbling workers at a medical provide warehouse by accident launch a lethal fuel into the air, the vapors trigger the useless to rise once more as zombies.
Silent Night time, Lethal Night time
The Queen of Screams Triple-Invoice Occasion
United States | 1984 | 79 Min. | Dir. Charles E. Sellier Jr.
*Actress Linnea Quigley anticipated in particular person
After witnessing his mother and father’ homicide by a killer in a Santa swimsuit as a child–and haunted by his grandfather’s warning that Santa punishes the naughty–18-year-old Billy leaves the orphanage and dons the crimson swimsuit himself, unleashing a vacation spree of terror.
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