5) Stage Fright
Horror musicals are often strange, flamboyant beasts, but the greatest gift unveiled at this year’s South by Southwest festival was Jerome Sable’s Stage Fright – a brilliantly meta slasher/musical taking place at a theater camp.
There I was, sitting in the Alamo Drafthouse after a full day of review writing and movie watching, ready to pass out, yet once Stage Fright kicked in, it was like a burst of energy fueled by nothing but relentless genre fun. The songs are catchy, the gore grotesque, and performances gut-busting – plus it stars Meatloaf. There’s a little something horrific for everyone!
What strikes most is the brilliant juxtaposition of classical theater tunes against absolutely riff-tacular 80’s metal, complete with an arena-rock-screamer villain, as composer Eli Batalion helps his buddy out with scoring duties. When I first heard Stage Fright being described as “Glee meets a Scream,” part of me wanted to run for the hills – but don’t let yourself be turned off by the whole Glee reference. Sable’s film is crazy, fresh, and absolutely out of its mind, easily finding itself being one of the most entertaining watches of 2014.