Telluride Horror Show Fest: 'I Didn't Come Here To Die'

This past weekend I attended the Telluride Horror Show Film Festival in Telluride, Colorado. Horror fans were treated to three days of the latest independent films in the horror and thriller genre. Telluride was an idyllic setting for this film fest. Nestled high in the San Jaun Mountains of the Colorado Rockies, the area is stunningly beautiful and a dash of history of the wild west's gold rush days. The Horror Show festival was staged at the historic Sheridan Opera House and the Nugget Theatre. The fest featured 17 feature films and 22 short films, along with special events and guest speakers. 

Incidentally, our friends at Wikipedia define horror films as "...unsettling movies that strive to elicit the emotions of fear, disgust and horror from viewers. They often feature scenes that startle the viewer through the means of macabre and supernatural, thus frequently overlapping with the fantasy and science fiction genres. Horrors also frequently overlap with the thriller genre."

The main reason I was in Telluride was to attend the screening of the new Independent horror film "I Didn't Come Here to Die", written and directed by an up-and coming new talent Bradley Scott Sullivan. I recently interviewed Bradley on my radio show. If you are an aspiring filmmaker, check out the interview for insights into the independent film industry. Click here to listen to the interview. True fans of horror and thriller genres will enjoy "I Didn't Come Here to Die". It's definitely not for the squeamish or for kids. But for those of you who enjoy a dose of gore and blood this film is one to watch. Veteran horror film journalist Chris Alexander of Fangoria was on hand adding his commentary about the film along with a discussion of a range of other horror films.  

After seeing "I Didn't Come Here to Die", I can definitely say this film meets that Wikipedia horror description in spades. The film's website describes the plot as "the story of a team of young volunteers working on a humanitarian project in the woods. Horrific accidents, rash decisions, and the unpredictability of human nature leads them all to the same disturbing conclusion." 
Truth be told, I am a moderate horror fan, meaning that I am somewhat nervous and jumpy. Needless to say, I had to look away from a few scenes here and there. However I found the film quite good; well written, with good character development and an entertaining story line. The ending is cleverly done, providing closure and leaving curiosities satisfied. For those of you interested, you can watch the teaser trailer here. 

Oddly enough, prior to the film, the festival featured a Pig Roast and pre-screening party. I generally enjoy pork and have no problem with most meats. However there was something rather graphic about seeing the whole pig on the buffet table, being served up, directly from the carcass. Major gross-factor. It was, however quite delicious. 

The buffet featured all sorts of standard BBQ type fare, and included some Halloween goodies, like pumpkin sugar cookies, brain jello, and eyeball candy. It certainly put everyone in the Halloween Horror spirit. 
"I Didn't Come Here to Die" is produced by Palm Springs' very own "Wonderstar Productions" and "J&J Productions". The cast includes actors Emmy Robbin, Indiana Adams, Jeremy Scott Vandermause, Kurt Cole, Madi Goff, Niko Red Star & Travis Scott Newman.I enjoyed "I Didn't Come Here to Die", and recommend it for horror fans. It's headed to the Austin Film Festival this coming weekend, where I'm sure it will also be well received. Special thanks to Director Bradley Scott Sullivan for taking the time to be a guest on my radio show last week. Keep an eye on him, I predict he is going places in the film industry.
Tweet