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Texas A&M film festival showcases the best of the worst in cinematic art
By Justin Garrett
The Battalion
In a society fixated on grand and skillfully created
Urns, seldom do less glorious creative endeavors receive
equal notice. A sublevel on the scale of greatness, almost
ecd. aidf dl attention that schlock, or “B,” films gather is negative;
isundcT' except within a certain circle of devoted individuals.
For four years Cepheid Variable has sponsored
vewithin®chlockfest, a film festival which celebrates typically
overlooked films. These are not the special-effect-laden
iseopporj Hollywood productions that fail because of anorexic
he Bonfc Diots, but films whose budgets would be better placed in
s to dec,: he Hands of a homeless man so that he may purchase the
brthenei day’s newspaper. The effects and acting in these films are
aldecision so awful they can often be confused for intentional ele-
, and mo tnents of a creative whole. However, no misunderstand-
hadthci: ings should be made regarding the nature of these films
— schlock films are truly terrible,
iceptioni:] Sidra Roberts, director of Schlockfest and a freshman
ilreadybt chemical engineering major, said schlock films make up
;arding B for lack of budget with humor.
We have “(They are) the type of movie that is so bad it’s good,”
Roberts said. ‘They generally have no-name actors, cheesy
special effects and a really awful plot, but they’re funny.”
Schlockfest will be a two-day event beginning Nov.
11. On the first day, the festival will delve into the histo
ry of schlock and show highlights of previous student
submissions. The following day, this year’s student sub-
Bontiic, missions will be viewed and ranked according to their
)f the frep “schlockiness.”
dlytofT The group’s purpose in creating Schlockfest was to
e said expand understanding as well as to publicly celebrate the
ik we#' merits of this class of film.
on thefT Nathan Weston, Cepheid Variable chairman and a se-
m. I tlifflf* n i or English major, said the festival celebrates both pro-
e gojti fessional and student-made schlock films,
gtothepp a showcase for student films,” Weston said. “We
l()ns ' I think it’s a good way to spread awareness of this genre
"»g®T on campus”
all» Cepheid Variable has made arrangements to award
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; participants for their efforts, although in a festival where
the best is truly the worst, winning might-be bittersweet.
Mike Miller, assistant director of Schlockfest and a ju
nior economics major, explained the awards.
“There will probably be three to four awards,” Miller
said. “There will be a best of show, the schlockiest, the
most original and the cheesiest.”
Roberts said there might also be an award for the most
humorous as well as the prestigious Carl of Cthulu Award
for Schlock Excellence.
The Cthulu award is named after a fictional god creat
ed by science fiction author H.R Lovecraft, and Cepheid
Variable has created a statuette for this award that it feels
is truly representative of the film that will receive it. The
statue is similar to an Oscar but it holds its decapitated
head in its hands. Weston said the statuette shows it is in
deed a movie award, but one given to a movie
that does not take itself too seriously.
Guidelines for film submissions are
minimal. The films must be recorded on
VHS cassettes and either be classified
as horror, fantasy or science fiction.
Producers are free to use live-action
acting, animation or any other means
of creation.
Since its beginning four years
ago, the festival has received nu
merous entries, many of which,
Roberts said, were very unique
“In past years there have
been some really interesting
ones,” Roberts said. “There
was one year where somebody
did Titanic Versus the Red Oc
tober where they spliced togeth
er film from both of them.”
This movie is representative of the
type of subtle creativity that attracts peo
ple to schlock films. “We wanted to catch
the appeal of the ‘it’s so bad it’s good’ feel
ing,” Weston safd. “Plus give people on
campus the fun of making movies.”
Some may ask themselves why they should submit to
the cheap and intentionally terrible films created by their
fellow students, but these unknowing souls may miss out
on the greatness of the terrible in the oxymoronic world
of schlock.
Weston said that one of the most important elements
of schlock is that it allows people to step outside of them
selves and see things from a different perspective.
“It allows you to take a moment to step back and
laugh,” Weston said. “It takes serious issues and
shows how ridiculous they can be.”
■ a‘ Te «
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CAMERON DIAZ DREW BARRYMORE LUCY LIU
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NOVEiy/ieEK!
COLUMBIA
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â– pSi&iesttL
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FREE ADVANCE SCREENING
TEXAS A&M UNIVERSITY
@ Rudder Theatre
8 PM Wednesday, November 1
FREE ADMISSION* while passes last
INFO?: call SPO 845-1515
httpy/films.tamu.edu
* Passes available at Rudder Theatre Box Office or Lobby.
Passes required. Seating is limited and not guaranteed. Please arrive early.
ID required for admission.
Presented in association with MSC Film Society.
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