Nato – Stage Fright
I cannot sing Stage Fright‘s praises enough. While I’ll classify this horror musical as Glee meets Scream, please understand that Stage Fright boast much more style than that simple blurb. Writer/Director/Composer Jerome Sable mixes hardcore 80s slasher mentalities with perky, sing-songy theatrical numbers and shred-tastic hair metal numbers. I mean, it’s about a theater camp run by Meat Loaf that comes under attack by a serial killer who hates musical theater – pretty much a wet dream for any Glee haters who want to see Gleeks murdered in the goriest fashions possible.
Opening up against South by Southwest Midnighter features like Oculus and Exists, I left Austin most excited about this full-throttle horror comedy that lampoons nerdy theater cultures and generic horror movies. How many ghost stories and “found footage” horror movies can be crammed down one’s throat before we’re begging for a sweet release from horror’s growing generic normalcy?! Well, step back from that ledge my friend, Stage Fright is that unique, original bit of horror cinema that comes along and proves filmmakers haven’t gone stale on ambitious projects some would consider a gamble.
Stage Fright is a rare hybrid film that won’t single out horror fans with showtunes or vice versa, being a horror film that has a very good chance of ending up in my year-end Top 10. I knew I went to South by Southwest for a reason.