The Let's Watch Some HORROR Telluride Horror Show Special!

 

Good Morning!

As I said in our AEW recap, this one’s gonna be a little bit different. We’re decorating the Let’s Watch Some Wrestling page for Halloween, i.e. doing a post on the movies we watched at the Telluride Horror Show, a three-day movie festival in the lovely box canyon of Telluride, Colorado. 

It’s an amazing festival in the most beautiful small town, made even more perfect as the aspen trees that fill the area are all exploding with colors in October. The people are welcoming, the food in town is great, the beers are plentiful, and the movies are always amazing. I’ve never not liked a movie at the Show, and I’m sure that’s due to the careful curation of the people who set this thing up.

There were three of us this year, which is one more than usual! Our movie lovin’ pal joined my wife and me for a weekend of drinks and movies and fun, and she was a blast. As a more outgoing person than either me or Mrs. Pequeno, she made the random chats we had with strangers even easier than they usually are. However, it’s pretty easy to start a chat with nearly anyone in line or while seated before a flick -- these are people who LOVE movies, and love talking about them. 

We didn’t catch every movie -- simultaneous screenings in three different theaters over the course of three days made that impossible, especially since some movies are only shown once. However, we tried to eliminate movies that were going to be on Shudder soon, or movies that looked like they would have a wide release based on notable stars or directors. 

We caught eleven feature films and two short film blocks while in Telluride, adding up to, well, a lot of time sitting in dark theaters. However, we never really felt rushed except for the one time, and even then we planned around it by having Mo scout ahead to lock in a spot in line for our group of three. I made sure to put notes into my phone after each screening, and at the end of the festival I think the three of us had a consensus on the movies’ ratings, as well as individual favorites. 

1978, BLACK SPINES, FRÉWAKA, TRIZOMBIE, and GET AWAY were the ones we missed, but I’m hoping to do kind of a mini-marathon of films we’ve missed from the five Horror Shows we have attended so far, so maybe we’ll get lucky and those are streaming somewhere soon. That’s what JustWatch is for, right? (In case you’re unaware, JustWatch is an app and website that tracks what movies are streaming where. You punch in a title and it tells you which of the dozens of streaming apps carry that film, and whether it’s streaming on a paid or ad-supported service, or available for rental or purchase. It’s free and super handy!)

So, without further ado, what follows is some short, spoiler-free movie reviews. Movie ratings are out of five skulls, and trailers have been inserted where they’re available.

💀💀Day One💀💀

Strange Harvest: Occult Murder in the Inland Empire 💀💀

A fictional true crime documentary, following the aftermath of a serial killer’s occult murders in southern California. It was kind of like a mockumentary, except instead of poking fun at its subject matter, it shows things they wouldn’t in a real one. It didn't really get into its supernatural elements as much as I would have liked, which was a bummer for me because I thought that was the most interesting part of the story they were telling. 

Problem is, STRANGE HARVEST also didn't do the cop stuff great either. Our friend is a fan of true crime and documentaries in that genre, and she was immediately turned off by the unrealistic portrayal of the police. 

The killer’s mask was spooky in a "weird interpretation of the leprechaun meme" way, so points for that! And there were genuine moments of unease, as well as some good scares. 

The Rule of Jenny Pen 💀💀💀💀

I would call this movie less of a horror film and more of a reflection on aging and how we treat the elderly. Fantastic performances by John Lithgow and Geoffrey Rush in this great movie about a judge (Rush) who ends up in a care facility that’s run by mostly indifferent folks and dominated over by a cruel man with a menacing little hand puppet (Lithgow).

I felt a lot after this screening, but mostly because it really makes you think about things like elder care and our own mortality, in a way. There are some scenes that literally made me tear up, and others that made me laugh. It’s also a delightfully tense movie in parts, because you just know retribution is coming and you just don’t want it! 

A Desert 💀💀

A moody neo-noir film that changed perspectives and protagonists throughout. Beautifully shot, with an effective third act, but you gotta be patient to get there. The main antagonist was really the high point for me, just a sleazy dude that made me uncomfortable every time he was on screen. This one wasn’t for me or the others in my group, but I’ve seen good reviews of it elsewhere by actual film-knowers so maybe it’s more your brand of vodka.

Jimmy and Stiggs 💀💀💀💀

A Joe Begos (BLISS, VFW, CHRISTMAS BLOODY CHRISTMAS)  flick for all that means. Creative, well shot, with an interesting story behind the film.... I keep coming back to the phrase “balls to the wall.” It’s really just a chemically-enhanced blast for eighty-some-odd minutes of fun. It might have been better if it was shorter, and if we’re being completely honest it was probably the weakest of the Begos movies I’ve seen. But given the insane COVID production story behind it, it’s kind of a miracle it was made at all. Plus, it’s just fun, and I don’t like to crap on fun when I see it.

💀💀Day Two💀💀

Vault of Humor Shorts [10 Short Films]

The Box 💀💀💀

Skeeter 💀💀💀💀

Meat Puppet 💀💀💀💀💀

Hunting With The Family 💀💀💀💀

Like Me 💀💀💀💀

Deep Cut 💀💀💀

Good Deal 💀💀💀💀

The Last Thing She Saw 💀💀💀💀💀

/HAW/ 💀💀💀

Nepotism, Baby! 💀💀💀💀

This block is typically set for the Saturday morning opening slot, which is nice because it kinda eases you into the longest day of movies. I honestly enjoyed every one of these ten short films, but the standouts were Meat Puppet and The Last Thing She Saw. If you happen to find either of these on YouTube, or at a proper short film screening, go out of your way to check them out.

Spellbound Shorts [6 Short Films]

Meeting Spot 💀💀💀💀

Transylvanie 💀💀💀💀

Shadow 💀💀

Eonian 💀💀💀

Girls 💀💀💀💀💀

Les Betes 💀💀💀💀

I’ll be honest -- we usually only watch the Vault of Humor shorts collection. The schedule just worked out that we had an empty spot and some time to fill, so we wandered over to the Blob and figured if we got in, we would stick around -- with only 150 seats, that little theater filled up quickly! I was impressed by a lot of these films, though. Lots of heart, fantastic camera work, and everything looked so professional. Girls and Meeting Spot were both heartbreaking in very different ways, and Transylvanie was tense but also very cute. Les Betes was a gorgeous stop-motion short that the filmmaker told us he’d been working on since COVID times. 

Dark Match 💀💀💀💀💀

Obviously I'm biased as a pro wrestling fan, but this was some grade-A horror with good wrestling scenes mixed in! The cult plot was fun, and there was a good amount of insider lingo but not so much as to confuse our non wrestling fan pal. Kills and FX were very well done and mostly practical, and I could even see Jericho using a version of this character in a real storyline on TV. 

The main character, Miss Behave (played perfectly by Ayisha Issa) felt so much bigger than her situation, which I imagine was kind of the point. She just felt miles above the rest of the characters in terms of both in-ring talent and on-screen ability.  Ms. Issa doesn’t have too many credits on IMDB apart from some stunt work, one-shots on TV series, and a role in The Dark Pictures: Man of Medan, a horror video game. I hope this gig gets her some more work!

Also the line "Kayfabe" was perfect -- you’ll know it when you hear it. Our little audience popped big-time for that line.

Daddy's Head 💀💀💀💀💀

Terrifying in parts, sad and thoughtful in others, this was easily the scariest movie I saw at the Horror Show. Thankfully, the movie subtly explained everything that happened during its runtime, as well -- it didn’t feel the need to have a character flat-out say why what happened, happened, but enough visual cues were provided that one could easily put things together when discussing the movie afterward. Daddy’s Head is a reflection on how loss affects a kid and a stepmother who's trying her best but has her own problems too. The movie really makes you feel for these characters, and when the shit starts to hit the fan it’s far more effective because of that.

💀💀Day Three💀💀

Párvulos 💀💀💀💀

(In Spanish) A good, moving film about keeping a family together no matter what changes. But it’s also about zombies and religion... so all bases are covered. There’s a twist you’ll probably see coming about halfway into the movie, but by then you’ll be so involved with this little family of three that it won’t bother you much. It’s really a beautiful story, and while I had some thoughts about the ending, it was still a very good film.

"Adorable" - MO Good

The Severed Sun 💀💀💀

Folk horror! Possibly a period piece! Religion! Murder! Bad people get what's coming to them! This was a great witchy tale in the vein of other folk horror stories like The VVitch or Midsommar. The cast was all great, especially the father, daughter, and main antagonist. While the creature effects were a little too digital for my taste, the thing did project an impressive aura. And I think the story was more focused on the human drama than the beast itself, which was fitting. If I was more of a folk horror fella, I’d probably lean more into the four-skull range.

Dead Talents Society 💀💀💀💀💀

(In Mandarin) Good lord, all the feels with this one. A look at what it means to be seen, viewed through the lens of ghosts that have 30 days after death to earn the right to stick around. To earn that right, there’s a kind of America’s Got Talent for ghosts, with haunting licenses on the line. Hilarious, moving, and surprisingly gory in parts, this is definitely more comedy-horror than horror-comedy but it’s a great film nonetheless.

The Soul Eater 💀💀💀

(In French) So, “French Tom Hardy does parkour” is the entirety of the notes I took after this one, which doesn’t really do it justice. However, there’s a little joke we shared before this one that I want to share, because it kinda affects how we went into the movie.

Before JIMMY AND STIGGS, my wife and I were trying to explain why Joe Begos was such a big deal to us at this festival. Part of it is that we’ve just loved his movies, but another part is that our first Telluride Horror Show was five years ago, when I turned 40. He was present for that one, and his birthday is right around mine. After the screening of VFW, he answered some questions and brought out cups and a handle of Jack Daniels to do shots with the crowd before we all headed to the closest open bar to close out the night, and it was just a great experience for us.

Anyways, we were joking that we’d built up this new film and suggested a host might come out and say something like, “this film is a big detour from his previous work,” and we’d get a more reserved, nuanced movie. That wasn’t the case; however, we got that exact line from the host before THE SOUL EATER, a movie directed by two of the big names in the 90s French extremity movement: Alexandre Bustillo and Julien Maury. And while this movie has plenty of gore, it certainly wasn’t as tense, scary, or brutal as movies like INSIDE, LIVID, or THE DEEP HOUSE. It was interesting, though, and while many of us figured out the mystery pretty early into the film, there was enough going on to keep that interest throughout the movie. Good, not great, is what I guess I’m trying to say.

Presence 💀💀💀💀

This was the big festival-ender, a movie directed by Steven Soderbergh (OCEAN’S ELEVEN, TRAFFIC, CONTAGION, UNSANE) and produced by NEON. While not necessarily a scary movie, this haunted house tale was effective, and beautifully shot entirely in first-person. The acting was amazing, and the different acts felt more like a play or a family drama with a ghost showing us the conversations and events taking place in this house. It’s a good movie I probably would watch again now that I know how it plays out. This one will be in theaters in January, and I definitely recommend it if you’re in the mood for a slow-burn, dramatic story that happens to have a ghost behind the camera.

And that’s it!

11 films, 16 shorts, 1 first-time festival goer, 2 5th-timers, 4 amazing meals, dozens of drinks, tons of great conversations with new movie pals, infinite gorgeous views, and not nearly enough water consumed. It was an incredible weekend, as usual, and we followed it up with a wonderful pit stop in Glenwood Springs for a soak in their amazing hot springs and an early dinner at my favorite restaurant, Juicy Lucy’s. 

Oh! And we bought some movies, too! Vinegar Syndrome always has a setup in the auditorium outside the Palm theater with dozens of Blu-rays of obscure films that they’ve restored. This year I went a little more nuts than usual, buying four movies and getting a fifth as a bonus from the delightful gal who runs the store:

I’ll let you know about these as soon as I get around to watching them!

Thank you so much for reading. If you liked what you saw, consider telling your friends, mentioning Let’s Watch Some Wrestling on social media, or even buying me a hot cup of coffee using the Ko-Fi button. Have a great week, and I’ll see you back here next time, dear reader. Until then, Let’s Watch Some Wrestling!

Bad Blood in our past, and some bloody movies in our future!

Bad Blood definitely cruised on the overwhelming success of its opening and closing matches. The CM Punk/Drew McIntyre feud that has only built in intensity since this year’s Royal Rumble has been incredible -- even more so when you factor in that Punk wasn’t really available for months after his injury at the hands of McIntyre. But they used that real life setback as a great way for Drew to lean into his heel character, attacking a rarely-present Punker until his return to the active roster. Say what you will about the whole “friendship bracelet” angle, that thing paid off in spades when Drew busted out the velvet bag many of us recognize as the holder of tacks from past hardcore matches. The audience’s surprise as McIntyre revealed a sack full of the beads that made up Punk’s bracelet was great.

And the blood! Dear God, these two didn’t need to go as hard as they did, but Punk knows how to get the most out of his broken body, and these days that means ultraviolence to both himself and his opponent. Drew didn’t back down either, earning 18 stitches in his scalp after the match. YIKES.

I really don’t have much to say about the middle portion of the show. Nia Jax retained after another teased cash-in from Tiffany Stratton, but she mostly dominated Bayley while also reminding Tiffy that she won’t succeed in using her Money in the Bank contract unless Nia is either incapacitated or dead. Finn Balor and Damien Priest had a decent match with the expected Judgment Day interference, but it’s been far too long for this rivalry and I’m hoping both of these guys move on to other dance partners. A segment featuring Gunther, Triple H, and Bill Goldberg revealed that the next Sweet Saudi Money show will feature champ-versus-champ matches for gigantic, gaudy, ugly belts that will likely not get referenced after that show passes, but that’s sportswashing for ya. 

Liv Morgan retained her championship with even more shenanigans, this time featuring a returning Raquel Rodriguez -- now a heel and apparently Liv’s muscle. I’m sure we’ll learn a little more about this when Raw starts in about fifteen minutes, but I really wanted to get this little bit written so I can start on a preview for WrestleDream tomorrow, once I get a chance to catch up on AEW Collision.

The violence of the Hell in a Cell fight that opened the show was matched by the spectacle of the main event, with Roman Reigns and a full orchestra teaming up with a college band and Cody Rhodes to take on the Nu Bloodline, represented by Solo Sikoa and Jakob Fatu. The match itself was good, but the post-match was even better, as we saw the return of Jimmy Uso. Jimmy has already shown that he remains loyal to Roman, and when the OG Bloodline returned to the ring to clear out the new guys as they attacked Cody, we got another return to close out the show. The Rock’s music hit, and he strolled out with his questionably-relevant Ali title belt over his shoulder. All kinds of questions can now be asked, and fantasy booking engines are in overdrive plotting everything from Survivor Series all the way to WrestleMania in Las Vegas. 

What’s the Rock’s whole deal? What does he want with Cody and Roman? Is he the true tribal chief, guiding Solo while he’s been on movie sets? WHO’S TO SAY? I’m looking forward to getting some answers, along with somebody addressing whatever happened between Cody Rhodes and Kevin Owens after the show:

Sure, it came off as a little cheesy, with Cody pantoming his emotions bigger than a mime in clown college. But it was also a unique way to have Owens turn on his friend, and I applaud the timing and scouting it must have taken to make sure fans were on hand to spread this story development via social media. 

And now for something completely different: A festival first timer’s guide!

So for the past five years, my lovely wife and I have attended the Telluride Horror show. It’s a fantastic little festival of murder and mayhem that takes place in the lovely little box canyon known as Telluride, in southern Colorado. The drive down from here takes around six hours, and some construction is making this year’s travel a bit longer but hopefully last perilous -- last year’s detour put us into a freak snowstorm that made us incredibly grateful for both my wife’s driving skills and our decision to put new tires on our Jeep Renegade days prior to the trip. 

We’re taking a friend with us for this trip, the first time we’ve ever done so. She had some questions, and it occurred to me that maybe folks who have never been to a movie festival might want to know what they’re in for if it’s their first festival, regardless of genre. So, in the interest of both public knowledge and “content” I’ve assembled her questions, along with some FAQs from the Telluride Horror Show site itself, and attempted to answer them as honestly and helpfully as I could.

Are the theaters usually packed?

They’re rarely not. There are three venues, with the one playing most of the movies we plan on seeing being the largest. The Palm is right at the entrance to town, based in the local high school. The Sheridan Opera House is closer to the heart of town, and feels like the small town theaters I grew up going to, like the old Lake Theater in Oak Park, IL or the Music Box in Chicago. That one tends to fill up quickly. The third venue was the Nugget, but it’s under construction and has been replaced with another theater in the high school, dubbed “The Blob.” So it’s TBA for that one.

Is it first come, first seated?

It is, kinda. Three day passholders are seated first, and there’s almost always a long line for any film. So there’s lots of waiting in line, which makes for nice conversation and a brief, intense rush into the theater. But in five years we’ve never not had seats, and the folks near the doors keep track of how many people are going in. 

Where do you typically sit?

If it’s up to us, we tend to sit in the one row with lots of spare leg room if we’re in the Sheridan Opera House, and near the edges of the middle area in the Palm so we can hop out for drinks or bathroom breaks without disturbing others. This is more of a personal preference thing though, and sometimes you just gotta sit wherever there’s a seat.

Do people applaud after the movie?

Yes! Most often, someone is in attendance who had a hand in bringing that film to life -- a producer, director, or actor. The movies are usually introduced by a host, and they will mention if those folks are there and if there will be a Q&A segment after the movie. But regardless, I think most movies get a round of applause just to show they were appreciated.

Can I bring a reusable water bottle to fill?

As far as I know, water is okay to bring into the venues. There’s nothing in the Official FAQ about it, and we’ve never had an issue bringing in our fancy officially branded Horror Show metal bottles.

What if the movie is too scary?

That’s a fair question! Some people’s lines are different from others, and we all have movies we’ve considered “too much” even if we’ve sat through them. Hell, one of the biggest arguments in wrestling recently was whether the AEW match between “Hangman” Adam Page and Swerve Strickland was too bloody and violent, and nobody even got disemboweled in that one!

The answer is, if the movie is too scary, you don’t have to watch it! There’s no shame in leaving a movie for any reason. There’s a ton of other stuff to watch and do while you’re down there. If you give it a chance, and it’s not for you, you can hang with the delightful people in the lobby while you wait for your pals (especially the Vinegar Syndrome folks at the Palm -- they’re always really pleasant and friendly, and down to talk movies) or just head back to your room! We’ve seen plenty of people leave -- actually, our first experience watching ANY film at Telluride featured a guy who loudly protested that there weren’t any kills fifteen minutes into a movie and stormed out. So, you know, don’t be that guy and you’ll be fine.

Have you ever left a movie because it was terrible?

Nope -- neither in regular movie-going or at the Telluride Horror Show. It could be a combination of poor judgment and believing that walking out meant wasted money and time. Or it could be that I like even bad movies, and can appreciate little things. At worst, it’s certainly something to talk about on the way home. 

But Telluride is special because it’s so well curated. I’ve never seen a movie -- or even just a short film -- I didn’t enjoy, and most of the movies I’ve seen I’ve absolutely loved. Almost all are worth a rewatch at home, and I recommend a lot of our past Telluride views to anyone who asks.

Do you attend any Q&As?

Yes and no. We typically go for the movies, primarily, and so pass on things like chats with filmmakers and authors. But, we’ll almost always stay for post-movie chats with people if we don’t need to sprint to another venue to make a movie in time. I think it’s great that people go to Telluride with different agendas, and the festival caters to all different types of horror fans. I know some folks who only go to see a few films, and spend time hiking and enjoying the town of Telluride on its own merits. We might even end up doing some local dining and shopping this year, since it looks like we may have overbooked our stay and there’s not a welcome movie this year.

Are there kids?

Not in any official capacity. Most folks know what they’re in for, and don’t bring babies or little ones to the movies. There are exceptions, though! We once had a little girl of maybe 8 who was a big horror fan, and her mom seemed to be the one tagging along more than the kid. Parents know their kids, and some kids are smart enough to understand what they’re watching. My mom worked in a local video store, and as a result my sisters and I were exposed to horror movies at a younger age than most. We turned out okay.

And that’s it!

I hope I’ve answered any questions you might have had. I'll take some notes and write movie reviews when we get back next week! If you’ve got any more questions, feel free to reach out on Bluesky @elosopequeno.bsky.social or in the comments on this very blog! I’m looking forward to Telluride, but I’ve also got a couple things to knock out before we head down in a couple days. I’m hoping to have a preview for AEW WrestleDream publish on Friday, even though I’ll be missing that show for the Horror Show. These things happen. I’ll do my best to avoid spoilers, and then I’ll either catch up when I’m home or just give in and read a review after I’m back home. 

Thank you so much for reading. If you liked what you saw, consider telling your friends, mentioning Let’s Watch Some Wrestling on social media, or even buying me a hot cup of coffee using the Ko-Fi button. Have a great week, and I’ll see you back here next time, dear reader. Until then, Let’s Watch Some Wrestling!