 |
 |
|
|
Sometimes I’m asked by travelers about the impact of the Chicago Psychotronic Film Society on Chicago, and why Chicago seems to have so much activity. Well, after all these years we have not only served to bring people together with similar interests, but we have also seen a growth happen citywide in groups and people impacted by us. If you’re planning on visiting Chicago, it is possible to set up an entire weekend around psychotronic activities here -- and I would guess we are the only city on earth (except perhaps Hollywood) that could make that claim.
This is the city where H.G. Lewis plotted to overtake southern drive-ins with films like BLOOD FEAST, 2000 MANIACS and the like from his offices at 520 North Michigan. He shot his films THE PRIME TIME, THE WIZARD OF GORE, MONSTER A GO-GO, and THE GORE GORE GIIRLS her. He also for a brief time ran THE BLOODSHED THEATER on Wells Street, which featured movies and live-on-stage grand guignol-type gore.
And we have had many horror hosts from here. Mysterious Marvin was one of the first in the early '60s. Svengoolie and Son of Svengoolie (known now as just Svengoolie). But it wasn’t until Del Close and Supervixen Pam Boom Boom Smith plotted together that the Chicago Psychotronic Film Society was born.
There was no B-movie appreciation group anywhere on earth at the time, and we needed a name. I ran into a copy of Michael Weldon’s book, THE PSYCHOTRONIC ENCYCLOPEDIA OF FILM, and called him. I was stunned to discover that he was working at a used record store and was down on his luck. (You do not want to live in New York City on the pay a used record clerk gets.) The book was not selling as he had hoped it would. So we flew him to Chicago and put him up on the couch. We did a weekend at Chicago Filmmakers, which sold out, and suddenly there was media interest in our film society and Weldon’s book again. The first issue of our society newsletter, IT’S ONLY A MOVIE, contained an article by Weldon, as did the next eight issues. Over two hundred people attended a party for Weldon at our home, and suddenly we had to do a follow-up. We became a mainstay in Chicago, featured in articles and interviews on the radio, TV and in newspapers - exposure which Weldon’s book company had failed to gain for him.
At first our public film parties were at art galleries, but I got tired of fighting political correctness, so we moved our monthly events to bars where I could show anything I wanted. As the years went by, we began to touch other people who would create their own scenes, based on my marketing techniques. There are now three B-movie societies in Chicago! When you come to Chicago, pick up the READER and look in the movie section. You will find a box that lists the film buff shows -- there are B-movies shown Saturdays and Sundays at DELILAH’s, a bar where for over two years we did weekly showings. There are Rusty Nails film events around the city. The NERVOUS CENTER coffee shop has a weekly film party. You get the idea. There is a big psychotronic market here, created largely by the PFS.
Even the heads of the CHICAGO UNDERGROUND FILM FESTIVAL started by writing for our newsletter and with our press mailing list. But the most moving thing to me is when someone who has just turned 21 shows up at one of our events and talks about how they always wanted to come to our events but were too young before!
On the radio we have BUZZ KILMAN, co-host of the JONATHAN BRANDMEIER show on WCKG-FM from 11:00 AM to 2:00 PM, Monday through Friday. During his DRIVE-IN REVIEWS feature, he rates movies by their number of “quality kills” and hands out the "Silver Icepick" award to the best screen psychos. He actually did a show live from the 950 Club from one of our meetings years ago, which brought us to millions of Chicagoans. His website - www.driveinreviews.com - is a must for psychotronic fans. On local cable access TV there are now three horror host shows, all of whom do shows around town.
In the past we have made the Chicago press because of our guests and strange collection of films. Guests have included JOHN CLEESE, CLIVE BARKER, SYDNEY POLLACK, JAMI GERTZ, and two big events with RUSS MEYER. PENN & TELLER hosted a Halloween Party at Excalibur, BILL MURRAY invited our members to his home for a party, the list literally goes on and on. Lately we made press splashes over screenings of INCUBUS and SKIDOO.
When the word “psychotronic” first landed as a film reference in the dictionary, the Chicago Tribune and Chicago Sun-Times both mentioned the role of our film society in assuring that the term would be a film word anyone could use, like “film noir”, and not the property of one person or one company. In Florida, when Penn and Teller both mentioned the Chicago Psychotronic Film Society at a film company, they knew all about us and the website.
My play, BETTIE PAGE UNCENSORED, runs most of the year, but there are other plays out there with a psychotronic flavor. CANNIBAL CHEERLEADERS ON CRACK is hilarious late night fun, and the hit BLUE MAN GROUP actually first appeared in Chicago as guests of Brigid Murphy’s MILLY’S ORCHID SHOW. Pick up the Reader or go to www.chicagoreader.com before you hit town for movies, plays and music. Any show directed by Mick Napier at SECOND CITY is worth seeing.
Here with some hours free? Check out the website that Chicago Ghosthunter RICHARD CROWE runs at www.ghosttours.com for info on his bus tours of haunted sites and Chicago crime-scene spots, and his boat tour of the haunted Chicago River and Lake Michigan (and you can bring beer on the tours!) During the one of the two world SubGenius Conventions held here, Crowe gave tours to visiting Subgenii! He has even spoken at a few Psychotronic-sponsored events.
At Washington and Michigan Avenues, we have the Museum of Broadcasting where for two bucks a day (!) you and a friend can sit and watch rare TV shows and films. You’ll find us represented there as well, on WILD CHICAGO and on the news! Chicago horror hosts are also represented, and in the children’s section you’ll even find the full-length film version of the weekly short many of us grew up with called JOURNEY TO THE BEGINNING OF TIME. You will probably want to bring your own headphones - the library does have some you can use, but they are often beat to hell. If you go to the Fine Arts section of the Harold Washington Library, you will find our old newsletters in the collection there. If you stop by the Chicago Historical Society across the street from The Moody Bible Church (where Bettie Page attended), you will find IT’S ONLY A MOVIE in their organizations collection.
The jealousy and rumor mill may work overtime attacking us, but as you can see, they really do have plenty to be jealous of! Make no mistake about it. Chicago is a psychotronic town. We are part of history here now. And here on the Internet, we are reaching many, many more people. Keep spreading the word. Chicago is the psychotronic city!
.
[It's Only A Movie!] [Movie Madness] [Psychotronic Gift Shop] [Psychotronic Schedule] [E-Mail]
All contents ©2008 the Psychotronic Film Society, unless otherwise noted