“A playful homage to the cozy mystery genre, The Lure of Ponies poignantly explores themes of abandonment, longing, and desire.
Director Beck Underwood embraces the intangible spirit life of the inanimate with energy and humor in her debut feature.” – 2025 Woodstock Film Festival for more clues visit
@spellboundattic
catching up on recent posts…
here’s an interview with old pals at
ICONS OF FRIGHT.
Chris Skotchdopole’s CRUMB CATCHER in good company on Rotten Tomatoes.
Certified Fresh!
DIRECTOR: Ilya Chaiken
CAST: Al Thompson, Kareem Savinon, Anny Mariano, Rayniel Rufino
Derrick and Tico lose their jobs at the Statue of Liberty tourist site due to the 9/11 attacks. As they struggle to survive in the aftermath, courted by Army recruiters and tempted by street life, the two friends pursue divergent paths to an elusive future.
Director Ilya Chaiken and actors Kareem Saviñon, Johnny Rivera and Anny Mariano join us at the Roxy Cinema for a post-film discusssion and Q&A following a screening of their 2007 feature, Liberty Kid.
moderated by Rigo Garay
DIRECTOR Ilya Chaiken
CAST Eleanor Hutchins, Larry Fessenden, Holly Ramos, Barbara Sicuranza
Zelda confronts the end of the party in the 1990s starving artist Brooklyn scene, trying to navigate adulthood with a baby, a deadbeat poet boyfriend, a best friend recovering from addiction, and a loft teeming with carousing roommates. A chorus of boozy mom-punks and an incremental series of crises help bring Zelda’s life into focus.
DIRECTOR: Ilya Chaiken
CAST: Theo Kogan, Gina Volpe, Sydney Silver, Sindi Benezra
PRODUCED IN ASSOCIATION with Glass Eye Pix
The Lunachicks, an all-female punk band renowned for their unabashed humor and unwavering pro-women ethos, made their mark on NYC’s underground music scene in the ‘90s. A rollercoaster of drugs, romances, and creative conflicts ultimately led to their 2000 breakup, but can love of the music reunite them for one last show? Buoyed by energetic storytelling, gritty ’80s-’90s nightclub footage, insightful interviews, and high-voltage performances, this is a must-watch for music history enthusiasts.
“Pretty Ugly: The Story of The Lunachicks
starts out at a 10 out of 10 and stays there…
Director Chaiken begins with fun and keeps it coming throughout.
It is one of the most exciting rock documentaries ever made.
It radiates fun like the sun radiates heat. Really good movies make you high.
Pretty Ugly: The Story of The Lunachicks gets you f*****g blasted.”
—Film Threat
by Rachel Reeves
The subgenre of eco-horror exists to remind us that the Earth and natural world were here long before each and every one of us, and will remain so long after we depart this mortal coil. It is horror rooted in the idea that nature does not exist to serve or be controlled by short-sighted humans, and can indeed fight back. Whether it’s killer animals, toxic contamination, mutation, or the general sense that the planet is fed up with our abuse, eco-horror is one of the most enduring and prescient corners of the genre.
That said, it makes perfect sense that eco-horror began to gain real momentum in the 1970s. While examples of eco-horror existed long before that, Earth Day launched in 1970 as part of the modern environmental movement. The EPA was created that same year amid growing public anxiety over pollution, pesticides, and the compounding damage being done to our air, water, and land. That combo made the decade a fertile breeding ground for stories about nature striking back. You can almost feel the era’s fear of industrial excess seeping straight onto the screen.
Even today, eco-horror still works because the anxieties behind it, unfortunately, never went away. Despite all the advances made in the last few decades, science remains constantly questioned, planned obsolescence keeps landfills full, and extreme weather events are only increasing.
If you, too, are feeling frustrated and have sympathy for the planet that sustains life for us all, here are 7 eco-horror films to check out, along with where to stream them, to help channel that angst.
Larry Fessenden’s The Last Winter blends snow horror with eco-horror, taking place in the freezing, godforsaken Arctic. Starring Ron Perlman, Connie Britton, James LeGros, Zach Gilford, and Kevin Corrigan, the movie kicks off as an oil company’s push into the Alaska tundra taps into something unexpected and very dangerous. The crew soon begins to experience eerie visions, disappearances, and paranoia as the land itself seems to rebel against their presence.
Where to watch: Shudder
GEP regular Ilaya Chaiken rolls out three remarkable movies
this coming weekend. Q&As to follow.
All films produced in association with Glass Eye Pix
PRETTY UGLY: THE STORY OF THE LUNACHICKS + Q&A
DOCUMENTARY, MUSIC, BIOGRAPHY | 2026 | 91MIN
The Lunachicks, an all-female punk band renowned for their unabashed humor and unwavering pro-women ethos, made their mark on NYC’s underground music scene in the ‘90s. A rollercoaster of drugs, romances, and creative conflicts ultimately led to their 2000 breakup, but can love of the music reunite them for one last show?
Q&A with filmmaker Ilya Chaiken and Lunachicks members Theo Kogan, Syd Silver, Gina Volpe, Chip English & Sindi Benezra following screening. Moderated by Jeanne Fury.
SOLD OUT!
DRAMA | 2001 | 98MIN
SATURDAY, APRIL 25Saturday, April 25
7:00 PM
CAST: Eleanor Hutchins, Larry Fessenden, Holly Ramos, Barbara Sicuranza
Zelda confronts the end of the party in the 1990s starving artist Brooklyn scene, trying to navigate adulthood with a baby, a deadbeat poet boyfriend, a best friend recovering from addiction, and a loft teeming with carousing roommates. A chorus of boozy mom-punks and an incremental series of crises help bring Zelda’s life into focus.
Q&A with director Ilya Chaiken, actors Eleanor Hutchins and Larry Fessenden following screening. Moderated by Azazel Jacobs.
DRAMA | 2007 | 92MIN
SUNDAY, APRIL 26Sunday, April 26
7:30 PM
CAST: Al Thompson, Kareem Savinon, Anny Mariano, Rayniel Rufino
Derrick and Tico lose their jobs at the Statue of Liberty tourist site due to the 9/11 attacks. As they struggle to survive in the aftermath, courted by Army recruiters and tempted by street life, the two friends pursue divergent paths to an elusive future.
Q&A with director Ilya Chaiken, actor Kareem Saviñon and additional cast members following screening.
Moderated by Rigo Garay
The Films of Larry Fessenden: Vol 2
Wendigo & The Last Winter
The Films of Larry Fessenden: Vol 1
Habit & No Telling
The Innkeepers
Limited Edition Blu-Ray
The House Of The Devil
Collector Edition Blu-Ray
WENDIGO Figures
From Glass Eye Toyz
CRUMB CATCHER Blu-Ray
From Arrow Video
BLACKOUT BLU-RAY
From Dark Sky Selects
FOXHOLE BLU-RAY
From Vinegar Syndrome
9 Tales From Beyond The Pale
on Amazon!
THE LARRY FESSENDEN COLLECTION Blu-ray
on Amazon!
BENEATH Blu-ray & DVD
on Amazon!
