INDIE AUTEUR DON COSCARELLI PREMIERES HIS NEW HORROR COMEDY JOHN DIES AT THE END AT MUSIC BOX FEBRUARY 8 & 9
Indie writer-director-producer Don Coscarelli – best known for the Phantasm series of horror films, cable mainstay The Beastmaster and cult sensation Bubbo Ho-Tep – premieres his new horror comedy John Dies at the End at Chicago’s Music Box Theatre February 8 and 9. On both evenings, Coscarelli will introduce the prime time showing of John Dies at the End, followed by a post-film Q&A and an introduction of a second Coscarelli feature: Bubba Ho-Tep on Friday and Phantasm II on Saturday. The Don Coscarelli Double Features screenFriday & Saturday, February 8 & 9, 7:20 p.m. at the Music Box Theatre, 3733 N. Southport Avenue. John Dies at the End continues at Music Box throughout the week at various times.
After sold-out screenings at Sundance, SXSW and Seattle,John Dies at the End makes its theatrical debut at Music Box Theatre. Based on the audacious trans-genre horror novel by David Wong, it’s about a drug that promises an out-of-body experience with each hit. On the street they call it Soy Sauce, and users drift across time and dimensions. But some who come back are no longer human. Suddenly a silent otherworldly invasion is underway, and mankind needs a hero. What it gets instead is John and David, a pair of college dropouts who can barely hold down jobs. Can these two stop the oncoming horror in time to save humanity? No. No, they can’t. Newcomers Chase Williamson and Rob Mayes star with Paul Giamatti, Clancy Brown and Glynn Turman.
Don Coscarelli will be on hand to introduce the 7:20 p.m. showing of John Dies at the End on both Friday and Saturday night, followed by a post-show Q&A and an introduction of the second film on the double feature. Friday night John Dies at the End is followed by the Bruce Campbell cult hit Bubba Ho-Tep at 9:45 p.m. On Saturday, JDATE is followed by Phantasm II(1988) at 9:45 p.m. Admission is $12 for the double feature.
Friday, February 8
7:20PM – Intro and screening of John Dies at the End followed by post-film Q&A and intro to Bubba Ho-Tep
9:45PM – Bubba Ho-Tep
Saturday, February 9
7:20PM – Intro and screening of John Dies at the End followed by post-film Q&A and intro to Phantasm II
9:45pm – Phantasm II
Advance tickets are available for purchase online at www.musicboxtheatre.com/
Independent filmmaker Don Coscarelli was born in Tripoli, Libya and raised in Southern California. Although his family was not connected with the motion picture business, he was fascinated with cameras and filmmaking at an early age. Long before he was old enough to attend film school, his short films, made with the help of neighborhood friends in his hometown of Long Beach, California, were winning prizes on television. At the age of 19, Coscarelli became the youngest filmmaker ever to have a feature film distributed by a major studio when he sold his independently produced and critically acclaimed drama, Jim the World’s Greatest, to Universal Pictures. Coscarelli is best known for the PHANTASM films. Phantasm and its successful sequels spawned a rabid cult of fans around the world. The original Phantasm was a worldwide critical and box-office success and won the Special Jury Prize at the Festival du Cinema Fantastique at Avoriaz, France. Coscarelli subsequently wrote and directed three award-winning sequels. Coscarelli also co-wrote and directed The Beastmaster, described by Entertainment Weekly as being one of the most popular films of all time on cable television. The Beastmaster has generated two sequels, a television series and aTonight Show joke by Billy Crystal when he commented that HBO stood for “Hey, Beastmaster‘s On.”‖Coscarelli also wrote and directed Kenny & Company, a warm comedy about children distributed by Twentieth Century Fox, and the wilderness adventure, Survival Quest, starring Lance Henriksen, Catherine Keener and Dermot Mulroney. More recently, Coscarelli has written for the screen and directed Bubba Ho-Tep, which stars horror icon Bruce Campbell and the legendary actor, writer and social activist Ossie Davis. In addition to being a critical hit, Bubba Ho-Tep was also a festival favorite, invited to prestigious film festivals around the world including the Toronto International Film Festival, SXSW, Florida Film Festival, Brussels International Festival and the Hong Kong International Film Festival. At HBO’s U.S. Comedy Arts Film Festival, Coscarelli was the recipient of the Best Screenplay Award and also subsequently received a Bram Stoker Award for his screenplay of Bubba Ho-Tep. At the Hollywood Film Festival Coscarelli was honored to receive the Hollywood Horror Film Award. In 2005, Don Coscarelli co-wrote and directed the well-received premiere episode of Showtime Networks, Masters of Horrorcable series. Coscarelli was especially honored to be inducted into Fangoria magazine‘s Hall of Fame alongside many of his favorite horror filmmakers and stars.
About the Music Box Theatre: For nearly 30 years the Music Box Theatre has been the premier venue in Chicago for independent and foreign films, festivals and some of the greatest cinematic events in Chicago. It currently has the largest cinema space operated full time in the city. The Music Box Theatre is independently owned and operated by the Southport Music Box Corporation. SMBC, through its Music Box Films division, also distributes foreign and independent films in the theatrical, DVD and television markets throughout the United States. For additional information please visit www.musicboxtheatre.com . Download the entire Music Box Theatre Winter Calendar here: www.musicboxtheatre.com/