A full night of horror madness

Imagine, if you will, deliberately depriving yourself of a whole night’s sleep. Then imagine you had to kill those waking hours by watching grainy footage of dodgy killers with even dodgier weapons, teenagers getting brutally murdered at a variety of illogical locations, and a technicolour rainbow of blood, guts, gore and bones. And on top of all of that you have to pay someone so you can do this to yourself?

What if this ordeal was in fact considered one of the best nights on the Scottish calendar in 2011, and was thoroughly worth its weight in gory fun? Then welcome to the wacky world of All Night Horror Madness (ANHM).

The bi-annual event is something that ANHM main man and avid horror movie fanatic Matt Palmer had been unsuccessfully pitching to theatres for five years: “Suddenly a new manager at the Cameo in Edinburgh said yes, go for it. I was pretty stunned as I was so used to people saying no," he told The Journal.

The first event was held in front of a sell-out crowd in the capital in November last year. Since then the extravaganza has rolled into the Cameo on three occasions and last weekend marked its second outing in the Grosvenor cinema in Glasgow’s West End.

In true movie-buff style, Palmer personally takes the time to track down the original 35mm prints of all the movies he shows. Some, in the case of the recent night's showing of Halloween, are of particular rarity, evident in Palmer’s pre-show warning that the footage is somewhat “shaky”, to say the least. Palmer also plays a selection of vintage 35mm movie trailers, to deliver a truly authentic vintage feel.

While your average movie showing begins with something of a comfort ritual for all involved - fidgeting into seats and finding a safe place for popcorn - ANHM takes the ritual a step further. Movie-goers elected to set up what can only be described as a personal base camp, complete with blankets and cushions to supplement the already extremely comfortable Grosvenor setting, with a generous stockpile of snacks, sweets and the all-important energy drinks nearby.

Looking around, the crowd was not at all what you might expect. While there were a few grizzly-looking horror aficionados, the majority seemed relatively normal, many possessing expressions that hinted at a dawning realisation of having bitten off a little more than they could chew.

This, however, actually worked in the event's favour as the onset of a potential shared ordeal meant that a warm, communal atmosphere developed; an atmosphere amplified by Palmer’s friendly and casual demeanour when introducing the showings.

After bonding over the initial hilarity of some particularly cheesy movie trailers and the outlandish pseudo-satire of 1973 gore-fest ‘Flesh for Frankenstein’, the ice had well and truly broken and the event took on the feeling of a movie night with a hundred or so good buddies. This atmosphere is certainly what attracted fellow movie-goer Nicky to the event.

He recalled attending the original Edinburgh event purely as a fan of horror movies and finding himself more enthralled with what he describes as the “giddiness” of it all than the films themselves.

“You came out at nine in the morning and felt totally disconnected [from the world] but at the same time connected with everyone you came out with...a shared bond,” he said.

The highlight of the night was undoubtedly the brilliant 1983 Grindhouse slasher ‘Pieces’; an amalgamation of every conceivable horror movie cliché that suitably left the audience in pieces with laughter.

By the time ‘Final Dead’ came on sometime around six in the morning, the cinema was silent save for a few choice squeals and the the dull throbbing of snoring from those who couldn’t deny their bodies the sweet release of sleep any longer.

The audience emerged into the blueish hue of the morning sky around 7:30am, all too-aptly transformed into what can only be described as the real-life walking dead.

Eyes sore, necks stiff and stomachs upset from too many energy drinks, there was an excitement building for the next showing in Spring nonetheless.

While the endurance necessary for attending such an event may not be to everyone’s tastes, there are very few nights out in Scotland where for £14.50 you can enjoy eight straight hours of unadulterated, gratuitous silliness without throwing up.

And if you are seeking a truly unique experience and an outrageously enjoyable break from the monotony of Glasgow nightlife then look no further. All Night Horror Madness is outlandish fun. Long may its insane, bloody reign continue.