STEVE DE JARNATT IN CONVERSATION WITH DENNIS DREAD (August 14, 2021)

Thanks to my good friend Shaun Astor, who had the forethought to record it, I have uploaded the complete onstage dialogue between myself and brilliant director/writer Steve De Jarnatt from Wyrd War's "Summer Bummer Double Feature" that took place August 14, 2021 at Portland's historic non-profit Hollywood Theatre. We screened both of Steve's feature films, MIRACLE MILE (1988) and CHERRY 2000 (1987), and this conversation took place between films. If you were unable to attend this amazing event, now you can listen to me laugh very loudly into the microphone in the privacy of your own COVID-free home. It is streaming HERE. Happy Holidays!  

YOU HAVE THE RIGHT TO REMAIN SILENT...FOREVER!

You are cordially invited to join WYRD WAR on Saturday December 18, 2021 at Portland's historic non-profit Hollywood Theatre for our one-night-only double feature MANIAC COP (1988) and MANIAC 2 (1990) with very special guest Laurene Landon in attendance! Tickets are available HERE. 

New York City circa 1988 was a maelstrom of crime and corruption, and exploitation horror auteur William Lustig tapped into this gritty zeitgeist to create his absurdly entertaining MANIAC COP franchise. Written by Larry Cohen, and boasting a stellar cast of genre luminaries including Robert Z’Dar, Bruce Campbell, Tom Adkins, Richard Roundtree, William Smith and the very talented Laurene Landon, this supernatural slasher DOUBLE FEATURE mainlines dopamine directly into the viewers’ sleaze receptors! Shot on location in pre-Rudy Giuliani Manhattan, and featuring some of the most striking stunts of the decade, MANIAC COP tells the story of a violent police officer who returns from the dead to exact his revenge on the system that betrayed him…and anyone else who crosses his path! In 1990, Lustig and Cohen doubled down on existential urban dread with a sequel that sees the titular zombified menace teaming up with a serial killer to paint “The Big Apple” red once again! Come for the ridiculous body counts, stay for the ham-fisted social commentary! Wyrd War’s Dennis Dread will moderate an onstage Q&A with Laurene Landon between films.

The Hollywood Theater requires proof of vaccine or proof of negative COVID test. Masks are required for a safer socially distanced experience. This event is also our birthday celebration for my darling companion of 25 years, and Wyrd War co-founder, Tiffany Kenaley (whom many of you know by her childhood nickname "Meadow"), so who knows what wild shenanigans shall transpire when MANIAC COP comes to town... 

Saturday December 18, 2021
Doors 6pm

Maniac Cop 7pm

Laurene Landon 9pm

Maniac Cop 2 9:30pm
The Hollywood Theatre

JUG FACE

TONIGHT! Wyrd War proudly presents composer/songwriter Sean Spillane’s haunting and hypnotic original motion picture soundtrack for the independent American folk horror film JUG FACE (2013) on vinyl for the first time with a special screening at Portland's historic STAR THEATER! Doors at 7pm. Movie at 8pm. Director Chad Crawford Kinkle’s JUG FACE intelligently transcends the popular tropes of backwoods rural-based horror as it follows a teen’s desperate attempts to escape the macabre traditions of her isolated Appalachian community that worships an unseen chthonic force that inhabits an earthen pit. Exploring themes of neurodiversity, poverty, social isolation, incest, domestic violence and the dark shadow of religion, Spillane’s compositions evoke complex emotions with minimalist tools. Newly sequenced by Wyrd War for maximum long playing impact, side one is an atmospheric slow burn that rumbles, plods and slinks with beautifully textured acoustic dirges, thick with cascading delay effects that suggest the mottled light of dense woodlands, including three previously unreleased tracks. Side two erupts with startlingly contrasting diegetic alt-country stomps, that can be heard by the characters on screen as the story unfolds, replete with horns and vocal drawls that recall Alan and Marilyn Bergman’s lyrical wit for Quincy Jones’ IN THE HEAT OF THE NIGHT soundtrack. Mastered for vinyl by Timothy Stollenwerk and highlighting original artwork from the film by Zach and Hannah Passero, JUG FACE is pressed to stunning “Appalachian Gold” vinyl in a limited edition of 400. Available tonight at the Wyrd War merch table or online here. The pit wants what the pit wants!

"KILL THE BABY."

October is a very busy month here at Dread Headquarters, but I would be remiss if I did not pause to celebrate what was possibly the most amazing event I have organized to date. On Saturday October 9, 2021 we sold out the Hollywood Theatre for the first time since 2019 with our screening of Wes Craven's THE HILLS HAVE EYES (1977), and we flew legendary character actor Michael Berryman all the way across the country to be with us for the occasion! The day began with an intimate signing at the WYRD WAR gallery, and ended with a roaring standing ovation while Mr. Berryman treated our audience to his signature ear wiggle salute (yes, we played the Smoking in the Boys Room video on the massive 50' screen at Hollywood and the place erupted into an impromptu dance party!). Thank you to everyone who came out to support us, our Wyrd War Crue for the support and A.K. Wilson for capturing most of these pics as always! "Kill the baby."

THE ULTIMATE TEACHING MACHINE...OUT OF CONTROL!!!!

Sharpen your number two pencils and head back to school with CLASS OF 1999 (1990), Mark L. Lester's riotously entertaining sequel (of sorts) to his juvenile delinquent exploitation classic CLASS OF 1984! In the not-too-distant future, economic collapse has caused such an escalation in gang violence and drug abuse that lawless “free fire zones” require weaponized military androids to be secretly deployed as high school teachers. What could possibly go wrong? Spoiler: everything! Shot entirely in Seattle, CLASS OF 1999 boasts outrageous practical effects, high-octane car chases, insane explosions and a stellar cast of genre stalwarts including Pam Grier, Malcolm McDowell, Stacy Leach, John P. Ryan, that creepy kid from RIVER’S EDGE (Joshua John Miller) and hordes of dour punk rocker extras who inexplicably wear a lot of purple. Written by Mark Lester and C. Courtney Joyner, with input from splatterpunk author John Skipp, CLASS OF 1999 sadly foretold many societal issues from metal detectors in schools and opioid addiction to massive homelessness and the rattail hairstyle. Get your ticket and join us this Saturday September 11, 2021 at 7:30pm sharp!

Class of 1999 (1990)

Class of 1999 (redux)!

Wyrd War field trip to the primary filming location! 

The ultimate teaching machine...eating a banana!

The ultimate teaching machine...out of control!

DUDES: The Punk Western Night

Dennis Dread, Randall Jahnson & Miguel Tejada-Flores
WYRD WAR WEDNESDAY!

Randall & Tiffany!

DUDES (1987)

Jodi of Burlynomicon delivering the goods
under the watchful...umm...eyes of Tempest Storm. 

www.declinemovies.com

Another WYRD WAR WEDNESDAY at Portland's Star Theater for the history books! This week we presented Penelope Spheeris' DUDES (1987) with guest screenwriters Miguel Tejada-Flores (REVENGE OF THE NERDS, FRIGHT NIGHT 2) and Randall Jahnson (THE DOORS, TALES FROM THE CRYPT) in attendance. Our panel discussion after the film was a master course in genre filmmaking...with booze! Next up at Star Theater is CLASS OF 1984 on September 22. JOIN US!