Something foreboding stirs at CULTPLEX as the annual STAB Film Season, the city’s major horror event, resurrects itself once more, presenting a month-long agenda of chilling cinema.
This year’s STAB is set to be the largest yet, offering a month’s worth of horror treasures that will culminate in a Halloween night double-feature of nail-biting classics The Exorcist (1973) and Alien (1979). Prior to that, Manchester will be on edge with a series of macabre marathons, classic horror screenings, and unique events all leading to the eeriest night of the year.
The event kicks off with the annual screening of the locally-shot, underappreciated The Living Dead at Manchester Morgue (1974) on Wednesday, 2 October. The chills keep coming with the return of the annual Scream Stab-A-Thon, tribute to Wes Craven’s famous slasher franchise. A Zombie all-nighter will feature four of the genre’s most gruesome and acclaimed films, including the fast-paced Korean hit Train to Busan (2016) and the handheld Spanish thriller REC (2007). Fans of horror comedy will enjoy a big-screen series binge of Matthew Holness’s Garth Marenghi’s Darkplace (2004).
Additionally, Freddy Krueger’s 40th anniversary will be honoured with a birthday screening of A Nightmare on Elm Street (1974). Sprechen Music will breathe new life into the German expressionist classic The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari (1920) with a live remixed soundtrack. The GASP! Horror Film Festival team will mark their appearance with a screening of Dario Argento’s supernatural thriller Suspiria (1978).
For those who prefer standalone horror films, STAB offers double features of recent favourites such as Bodies Bodies Bodies (2022) paired with the intense drama Shiva Baby (2020), and early 2000s spectral classics Thirteen Ghosts (2001) with Ghost Ship (2002). Other noteworthy films include Neil Jordan’s timeless adaptation of Interview With The Vampire (1994), a presentation of the notorious French horror Martyrs (2015), the original Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1974), and Brendan Fraser’s The Mummy (1999), all making their STAB debut.
Interactive events will also be available for hands-on horror fans. The amateur video game night MAGL transforms into MAGHOUL, offering a spooky twist. A Lovely Time’s Simpsons quiz will feature Treehouse of Horror-themed questions, and Linnea Quigley’s Horror Workout (1989) promises an unforgettable fitness experience.
For further details and ticket information, visit the official website.