B-Movie News
Fun new film festival in Garland will be a campy horror B-movie delight
B-movies made in Texas will be showcased at the inaugural It Came From Texas Film Festival.
A campy-cool new film festival is coming to town: Called It Came From Texas Film Festival, it promises to be a B-movie delight, and it's coming to Garland just in time for Halloween.
According to a release, the festival will feature B-movies that were shown at drive-in movie theaters around the country in the 1950s, '60s, and '70s — quirky, campy films made in Texas that fit the horror/sci-fi genre.
A first for Garland, the festival will take place at The Plaza Theatre in Garland on October 28 and 29.
While B-movies will comprise the majority of the festival, the spotlight film of the event will be a screening of 1974's The Texas Chain Saw Massacre. Since its debut, the film has become one of the most influential horror films in history.
Screening immediately prior to that seminal film will be the 2020 documentary, Rondo & Bob, which focuses on Art Director Bob Burns, the horror film legend who created the look of the film. Burns was obsessed with B-movie actor Rondo Hatton, an average man whose face was transformed into a distorted mask.
B-movies being screened at the festival include
Zontar: Thing from Venus, Manos: The Hands of Fate, Don't Look in the Basement, Beyond the Time Barrier, The Amazing Transparent Man, Attack of the Eye Creatures, and The Killer Shrews.
The festival will also feature short films made by the students of the Garland High School Reel Owl Cinema film program.
The Mocky Horror Picture Show, Texas' only interactive movie mocking comedy troupe, will close out the festival by making fun of Ray Kellogg's 1959 cheesy horror classic, The Giant Gila Monster.
Early bird festival passes are $50, increasing to $60 on September 16. Passholders receive early admission, a commemorative poster, and discounts from participating businesses.
Individual film tickets range from $7-$15. Both passes and individual film tickets will go on sale on Monday, August 14 at GarlandArts.com.
The name of the festival is a nod to the Dallas Producers Association fundraisers from 2005-2017, which were called It Came From Dallas.
"All of the elements were right there to make this a state-wide celebration of many of Texas' best features through the years, as well as some of the campy, quirky, at times cringe-worthy fun films of days gone by," says film festival director Kelly Kitchens in a statement. "We are grateful to the City of Garland and the Garland Cultural Arts team for cheering on this quirky effort so joyfully.”
