This up coming weekend is looking like it is going to be an awesome time for movie fans. With new releases like Scott Pilgrim Vs the World and the Expendables opening, as well as last week’s the Other Guys, there are a lot of options for movie going pleasure. But if you are in Tucson, AZ and you are looking for something a bit less mainstream and a lot more terrifying then you need look no further than the Loft Cinema’s yearly horror film festival the All-Nite Scream-o-rama. On a Friday the 13th every year the Loft offers up six classic and so-bad they are classic horror films with all kinds of trivia, prizes, trailers, shorts and, this year, even a horror themed costume and scream contest. Oh and also beer.

This will be my third Scream-o-rama and I am particularly excited about this year’s line up because it is predominately made up of films I have not seen. It kicks off with the werewolf classic (and number 9 on my list of favorite werewolf movies) The Howling and then, after the Miss Scream-o-rama Terror Pageant, moves on to Tobe Hooper’s Texas Chainsaw Massacre part 2 which stars the late Dennis Hopper. As big of a fan of slasher movies as I am, I have never seen any of The Texas Chainsaw Massacre movies original or remake so I am really looking forward to make my entrance to the series in all its original 35mm glory. Next up is The Descent  a film that has been highly recommended to me such that I was given a copy of the blu-ray but I have thus far failed to watch. I am kind of glad for being a lazy ass because now I get to see it with a spirited audience that will be by that time just entering the troughs of drunkenness. And what better way to follow up a descent into terror (as well as alcohol inspired goofiness) than with a Cronenberg film? In this case it is the Brood and again I have never seen it. If the blurb involving mutant children is to be believed, I am in for a treat. The next film down is Cannibal Holocaust which has to be one of the best titles ever. I have never heard of this one before but according the the Loft’s website (www.loftcinema.com) it is banned in over 50 countries so right there you know it is going to be awesome. After that lovely tale of people eating people we have Squirm which is about killer earthworms and finally The Gates of Hell aka City of the Living Dead the requisite zombie apocalypse picture by Italian director Lucio Fulci.

The films at the Scream-o-rama are always fun to watch but the things that keep me coming back are all the fun extras you get. There is film trivia between each movie and the prizes are generally pretty awesome. Last year I won a Leprechaun box set for answering trivia about Fright Night which was maybe not fair since it is my favorite movie of all time (along with Better Off Dead that is). The shorts and trailers between pictures may seem like a throwaway thing but they are usually very entertaining and one short from last year (Spider I believe it was called) still haunts me to this day. Maybe haunt is a strong word but I think about it a lot anyway. All of the between movie festivities are MCed by Loft Program Director Jeff who is enormously funny and fun to listen to such that he has become one of my favorite parts of Loft events. My girlfriend even managed to pout her way into a prize after failing at the underwear toss at a Big Lebowski event so I think it is empirical that the guy is just awesome.

The bottom line here is that if you are a horror fan in Tucson then nothing you are doing this Friday night is going to be more bad ass than the Loft’s All-nite Scream-o-rama. You can show up with a pillow and in your PJ’s if you want or dress up for the Terror Pageant but however you come be ready to settle in to 12 full hours of terror and increasingly drunk merriment. This is not an event to be missed.

The All-Nite Scream-o-rama is Friday August 13 from 9 pm to 9 am at the Loft Cinema, 3233 E Speedway Blvd, 85716. Admission is $13 in advance, $15 at the door and $12 for Loft Members. For further details go to www.loftcinema.com