Pater Noster and the Mission of Light (U.S., 2024)
Official festival synopsis: Max, a young record store clerk, stumbles upon a rare vinyl LP and is drawn into the world of a 1970s hippie commune. An invitation to the remnants of the cult and its unholy spawn leads to grave circumstances for Max and her friends. The film is being made by and for horror fans, and is described as having lots of practical effects and a great soundtrack.
Director Christoper Bickel has made a name for himself by delivering the lower-budget, independent exploitation films The Theta Girl (2017) and Bad Girls (2021), and now he is back with full-on fear-fare feature Pater Noster and the Mission of Light. To paraphrase an old proverb, “For want of a rare album and the money it’s worth, several lives will be lost.” When will these horror movie protagonists learn not to get involved with cults? Hopefully never, if you are a fright-fare fanatic, and Max (Adara Starr), her fellow record store employees, her ex-girlfriend, and a metal band’s drummer see to it that the trend of trusting lives with cult members continues to be a poor decision, indeed. Bickel also wrote, shot, scored, edited, and executive produced Pater Noster and the Mission of Light, doing a super job on all counts, getting nice work out of his sizable cast. Special Effects wizard Joe Castro and Special Effects Makeup Artists Lisa Ashworth, Hayden Bogan, and Sean Krumbholz deliver the ultra-gory goods. Even seasoned horror movie aficionados and gorehounds are sure to find the third act a wild, mind-boggling experience. Boasting a love for music as well as horror, Pater Noster and the Mission of Light is a truly unique experience.
Party of Darkness (U.S., 2024)
Official festival synopsis: A horror/comedy anthology featuring 8 stories from 8 directors! Scary movie night gets wild when a group of horror fanatics tell stories around the campfire while inadvertently discovering a succubus and summoning a demon.
Horror anthologies are always a gamble, especially ones that feel like random shorts have been thrown together to make a feature-length movie. I’m happy to report that Party of Darkness is not one of those. With Randy Van Dyke helming three segments and producing the other five installments, this collection feels truly cohesive. From creature features (including a practical effects monster design so obviously working within a limited budget that you have to love it) to demonic doings to maniacal killers and beyond — even a straight science fiction segment — Party of Darkness is a quality independent portmanteau offering. There’s plenty of humor on tap, most of which lands well, with some straight horror on offer, as well. The main cast members in the wraparound, which plays a major part in the overall scheme of things, provide solid, amusing performances for their likable characters. Fright-fare favorites such as Glenn Plummer, Felissa Rose, and Sean Whalen bring experienced acting chops to the project. Party of Darkness is a lot of fun, offering eeriness, laughs, and general what-the-hell-ery served up with chutzpah, verve, and an obvious love for independent horror filmmaking.
You can check out the trailer here.
Pater Noster and the Mission of Light and Party of Darkness screen as part of Another Hole in the Head Film Festival, which runs December 1–25, at theaters in San Francisco, and also On Demand via Eventive and live on Zoom for those who cannot attend the live screenings. For more information, visit https://www.ahith.com/.
