Redmond resident Steve Holetz is director of The BoneBat Comedy of Horrors Film Fest, coming to The Big Picture at Redmond Town Center, from 6 p.m.-midnight Thursday, Sept. 2.
The film fest will include the Seattle premieres of two feature films, the U.K. zombie comedy “Doghouse” from director Jake West and “The Last Lovecraft: Relic of Cthulhu” from writer Devin McGinn and director Henry Saine.
“In addition,” said Holetz, “we will present two blocks of short films, including the winner of the IndieFlix FestivalsOnline competition, prizes galore from sponsors such as Scarecrow Video, Comic Stop, Games and Gizmos and Stocker Farms Field of Screams and a 30-minute set of live music from Seattle progressive metal act Barefoot Barnacle.”
Tickets are $28 and because Big Picture features a full bar, attendees must be 21 or older. Redmond’s Flying Saucer Pizza and Mac and Jack’s Brewery will supply food and drink for purchase, as well.
Holetz described the film fest as an offshot of “The BoneBat Show,” a comedy and pop culture podcast which also features independent music. Holetz hosts the show with cartoonist G J (Gord) Caulkins of www.mightywombat.com. It has been airing every three weeks since September 2007.
“One of the most important aspects of the show is a focus on the promotion of independent musicians, filmmakers and artists, a philosophy extended to the selection of films we chose to feature in our inaugural evening of ‘Giggles and Gore,'” said Holetz.
During a quick listen to a “BoneBat Show” podcast, we were reminded of the radio show “The Men’s Room” on KISW. Would that be an accurate comparison, in Holetz’s opinion?
“I would say we do share a similar sensibility to ‘The Men’s Room’ on KISW and their mix of current affairs, music and humor, but with podcasting’s more laid-back vibe and the added focus on interviews with independent musicians, artists and filmmakers,” Holetz replied.
“Gord and I are best friends from high school who live far apart,” Holetz noted. They attended high school in Yreka, Calif. and Culkins currently lives in Davis, Calif.
“So starting the show was another way for us to keep in touch,” Holetz explained. “As such, we tend to discuss things like daily life, parenting and the mundane annoyances of middle age more than than you might hear on ‘The Men’s Room.'”
He added, “And while we do discuss the trivial and silly — Swedish Death Metal, video games, etc. — we do not shy away from heavier issues when they enter our lives. When Gord suddenly lost his job of 14 years, he put it right out there for our listeners. Better comparisons might be SModcast from director Kevin Smith and Scott Mosier or The Adam Carolla Show.”
What about the films to be featured in the BoneBat Comedy of Horrors Film Fest? Are these the types of films that are “so bad they’re good,” like the ones shown on “Mystery Science Theatre 3000?” In other words, along the lines of “Manos, The Hands of Fate?”
Holetz said “they are not ‘so bad they’re good’ but actually good films that are intended to be both funny and scary at the same time. For instance, in our short films, ‘Land of the Heads’ is a brilliant little stop-motion animation piece. ‘Spider’ is well-shot, well-acted and comes to a horrifyingly funny conclusion.”
Meanwhile, said Holetz, “Some of the films are campy — ‘How my Dad Killed Dracula’ – and some are completely over the top (such as) ‘Treevenge.’ But I wouldn’t say that they are so bad they are good. This is nothing at all like the Trash Film Orgy in Sacramento. Feature-wise, think ‘Shaun of the Dead’ and you are in the right ballpark.”
Additional information about the film festival can be found at http://www.bonehand.com/bonebatff.html.
