Robert Craig Sabin and Mary Huner-Bogle, the stars of SLIME CITY, 20 years later

Since the release of my film SLIME CITY on DVD in 2005, I've been a guest, vendor, or competitor at a lot of film festivals and horror conventions, promoting my various projects. Horror film festivals tend to be smaller than festivals not restricted to one genre niche: they usually take place in one location, with one screen, and lack the resources and attendance to put on a real show. I've sat in my share of auditoriums that had 10 people (or less!). If a horror festival is lucky enough to have a "celebrity" guest (I've also been the only male face surrounded by scream queens on the promo slicks for some fests, so I think you see where I'm coming from), that person usually gets the "A" treatment at the expense of the filmmakers and audience. Although these micro-fests try to make up for their shortcomings with enthusiasm, it can all become fairly depressing.

I was pleased when Rod Beaudoin, the director of the Beloit International Film Festival, invited me to screen SLIME CITY as part of BIFF 2008. Rod manages Robert Tomaro, the musician who scored SLIME, so he was aware that I wanted to celebrate the film's 20th anniversary with a CD of the film's soundtrack . Rod arranged for BIFF to fly myself and the film's stars, Robert Craig Sabin and Mary Huner-Bogle, to Beloit for two screenings and to put us up in a Ramada on the state border. I'm glad he did, because this was by far the most enjoyable film event I ever participated in. Here's the skinny:

Thursday, January 17th

I arrived at Chicago's Midway airport and was met by a festival escort (not a hooker!) and driven to 90 minutes to the Beloit Inn, the festival's reception hub. After getting my badge, I was shown to the hospitality suite for edible sustenance. A word about film festival volunteers: they are essential to the success of a festival, and the high school students and adults toiling behind the scenes were an exceptional lot, friendly and helpful on all scores (Hi, Amy, Alex, Liz, Nicki, Nicole, Stephanie, and Tom!).

After filling my belly, I was driven to my hotel in South Beloit, which was technically in Illinois, where I was once roommates with Robert Sabin. I met Robert and Mary at the ABC Center for the festival's official Launch Party. I had seen Robert at Silicon 2007 in California in October, but hadn't seen Mary since I moved from NYC five years ago. And I hadn't seen Rob Tomaro for 20 years! The food was great (ME: That's the best roast beef I've ever had! MARY: Mushroom!), the beer was free, and there was plenty of press there. I found the board members, media personnel, and other filmmakers to be extremely personable, which I attribute to the overall geniality of the festival.

Afterwards, Rob and his girlfriend Nicki hosted a party for Team Slime at his beautiful home, complete with music and meditation rooms. It was a terrific way to unwind after traveling and we had a great time.

Friday, January 18th

The festival provided transportation for the filmmakers, driving us to the various venues where films screened in a passenger van and stretch limo. Beloit is a small city (or large town) with a charming downtown area filled with restaurants, bakeries, and bars loaded with personality. I found all of the locals supportive of the festival and incredibly welcoming toward the filmmakers.

The first film we saw was THE LISTENING PROJECT, a documentary which asked citizens around the world to share their opinions of the United States and Americans since the invasion and occupation of Iraq. Sobering, very good, and not at all surprising.

Our next feature was 99 PIECES, a psycho thriller about a man confined to his home by a sadistic observer and forced to solve puzzles daily to keep his wife alive. While at times intriguing and well made, the film was ultimately a failure because of lapses in logic, an unlikable central character played by an unlikable actor, and inexplicable deviations from the protagonist's. And I think I liked it more than most people did.

Friday night we attended the BIFFYs, the festival's award ceremony, hosted by our own Rob Tomaro and local TV hostess Stephanie Klett . Rob was hilarious and Stephanie was extremely professional; several filmmakers who have been to more festivals than me told me it was the best awards presentation they had seen. A highlight came when a French filmmaker, direct from Paris, took the stage and said, "Thank you very much. Please pardon my fucking French accent. I find the people here very friendly and welcoming. It's very cold. Yesterday, I was walking outside and I nearly died." Yes, it was a rather chilly weekend in Beloit despite all the warmth on hand; the coldest temperature I experience was -9 degrees (-26 with the wind chill).

We screened SLIME CITY at Beloit College's Wilson Theatre. Between the arctic temperature, the comparatively remote venue, and the competition, my expectations were low. I was pleasantly surprised when 35 - 40 filmgoers, many of them college students who hadn't seen any other films yet, filed in and responded with enthusiasm to our 20-year-old cult film. Our Q & A went well, I sold some DVDs and CDs which Robert and Mary autographed, and we attended another party.

Saturday, January 19th

The transportation crew was overtaxed, so Robert, Mary and I decided to make the half hour walk from our hotel to the Beloit Inn. It was -2 degrees, and we had to make a pit stop at a Salvation Army just to remain among the living. When we reached the hospitality suite, one of the volunteers said, "Haven't you ever heard of 'dangerously cold?'

Saturday we decided to watch a selection of short film at Suds O'Hanahan. My favorite was QUINCY & ALETHEA, about an elderly black couple bickering outside the wreckage of their New Orleans home in the wake of Katrina, directed by Doug Lenox. It was funny and touching without ever becoming maudlin. I also liked TRAIN TOWN, about two shopkeepers--one ultra conservative and one ultra liberal--who work alternating shifts at a hobby store and try to impose their beliefs on the miniature town they constructed around their model train set. A third charmer was GIRLS ROOM, a very well acted and well directed short which dramatized the fears of a little girl who braves the school bathroom--a comedic horror film that generated some true suspense.

I was not at all impressed with AUNT TIGRESS, the only actual horror film I saw at the festival. Though well directed and professionally shot, it offered not a single new idea or fresh perspective, and I found it puzzling that it won Best Short opposite much better films Wei Ling Chang, the director, was one of two recipients of a grant from the festival.

The other recipient, Darryl Roberts, directed the Best Documentary winner, AMERICA THE BEAUTIFUL. Other documentaries that generated buzz were RAPPING WITH SHAKESPEARE and THE UNION--THE BUSINESS OF GETTING HIGH; I didn't get to see either one, because they screened opposite SLIME CITY, but we spent time with both films' filmmakers.

Making the most of our accommodations, we returned to our hotel to relax in the swimming pool and hot tub, then attended the Main Event: Rob had been commissioned by the festival to compose a new score for Fritz Lang's classic SF film METROPOLIS. The presentation was a startling multi-media spectacle: while the film played on three screens, dancers, smoke effects, and lasers added to the experience.

We only stayed for the first half of METROPOLIS, because we had to return to Suds for our second screening of SLIME. This time we had a mixed audience, young and old, with Stephanie Klett representing the world of broadcast media. And they loved the film! It's great to see your film with an audience, especially one as funny (intentionally and unintentionally) as mine (Stephanie may be a professional, but she almost fell to the floor laughing several times!). A third party awaited us; the auditorium where METROPOLIS screened was turned into a disco. I had to laugh when a silver haired couple said to Mary, "Here's our little killer!"

Sunday, January 20th

Robert, Mary and I had breakfast together before Mary and I departed for our respective airports. Robert stayed an additional night, and for all I know he decided to stay there forever. This was a fantastic film festival and a wonderful experience. We met so many unlikely SLIME CITY fans who said, "Thanks for coming. You have to come back next year. Please come back!" I'd go back in a heartbeat if invited, and I'll definitely recommend BIFF to other filmmakers.

Thank you, BIFF!