On Friday and Saturday, September 16 and 17, Exhumed Films and The Mahoning Drive-In Theater present MONDO ARGENTO, a six-film celebration of the dark dreams of Italian horror maestro Dario Argento, on 35mm.
From bugs to brutes, demons to witches, murder and mayhem most macabre will paint the mighty Mahoning screen in candy-colored nightmares, stylish sensations of beauty and barbarism, set to a pulsating prog rock beat by maniacal music masters Goblin, Keith Emerson, Georgio Gaslini, Simon Boswell, and more. Join us, if you dare, for two nights of disturbingly delightful delves into the depths of darkness, courtesy of the malevolent mind of Dario Argento.
Friday, September 16th begins with CREEPERS (the U.S. edit of PHENOMENA – 1984), starring Jennifer Connelly as an American girl at a Swiss boarding school who has the uncanny ability to communicate with insects. Throw in a series of brutal murders, Donald Pleasence, Daria Nocolodi and a chimp, music by Iron Maiden and Motorhead, and you’ve got one heck of a case for public school.
Next up is the Argento produced and penned DEMONS (1985), directed by Lamberto Bava, a living nightmare of moviegoers trapped in a theater during a horror film screening, who find the terrors onscreen suddenly surrounding them in their seats, as one by one, their fellow moviegoers are transformed into savage beasts.
The event draws to a close with Argento’s 1975 masterpiece DEEP RED (aka PROFONDO ROSSO), starring David Hemmings as a jazz pianist who witnesses a murder and is sure he subconsciously possesses the key to finding the killer’s identity, while the killer tries to stop him from revealing all. Daria Nicolodi co-stars as the determined reporter out to help solve the case before time runs out for the both of them.
Saturday, September 17th sees the beautifully dark fairy tale of terror light up the screen, as Jessica Harper arrives at an elegant ballet school in Germany just in time for a series of brutal murders, her investigation of which leads her to a shocking discovery about just who is running the show. Highly stylized, from camera angles to editing to lighting to music, SUSPIRIA is not just a film to be watched, it is a film to be experienced, a traumatic treat for the senses.
We follow with the next chapter in the “Three Mothers” series (of which SUSPIRIA was the first), INFERNO (1980), in which siblings on opposite sides of the world discover the dark secrets that lie beneath and within their apartment buildings and share a sinister connection. Somehow even MORE candy-colored and dreamlike than its predecessor, INFERNO weaves a darkly magical spell upon the viewer, into a mystical world of deadly deeds done dreamily.
Our final film classes up the proceedings with a trip to the OPERA (1987). Unfortunately, a young singer is being stalked and tormented by a deranged and mysterious fan, leading to a series of brutal murders and terrifying torments, but hey, culture!
All films presented via original 35mm prints.
Come early for themed eats, live dj, raffles, & more..
General Gates at 6pm each night. Showtime at Sundown.
General Ticket: $10 (per person. per day). General+Overnight: $20 (per person. per day)
See MahoningDIT.com for FAQ.
All events are Rain or Shine. No refunds or transfers.