One of the first avenues that gave me an opportunity to discuss gastro horror at length was Salem Horror Fest. In 2020, when the pandemic was raging, I gave a virtual lecture on food in horror for the festival. Coincidentally, this is around the same time Final Girls Feast came into being. While Salem Horror Fest no longer offers a virtual program, they are still hosting an annual in-person fest. This year, they even have some gastro horror offerings for me to share with y’all!
Below are the aforementioned shorts.
- Bloody Mary– After stuttering while ordering his favorite drink while on a bad date, Trevor gets more than he asked for. First dates can truly be horrific. It’s kind of a good thing I was embargoed on reviewing this because after watching Drop, I think this would be a fun little amuse-bouche to it. Overall, this one had some great representation, fun effects, and was pretty darn cute.
- Dry January– When Maya commits to a month of sobriety and takes up sculpting as a hobby, her crab sculpture terrorizes her former drinking buddy, her brother Toby. This short went places I didn’t expect but not in a bad way. It definitely gave me a lot to think about. Also, cinematography in it is pretty fantastic and the ending is a riot.
- Katie’s Skin– Through a gruesome revelation, a woman learns to find comfort in her own skin. I like where this one went. There was a lot of great tension built up in that dinner scene!
- Scrumptious– A foxy thief gets more than she bargained for when a routine money drop turns to terror. This is delightfully campy! Even the food styling feels a little bit 60s or 70s! Y’all know I always love it when a meat pie shows up in horror as well! Give me a feature-length film with Mama Trish!
Salem Horror Fest celebrates diverse voices and innovative filmmaking within a genre that best reflects our cultural demons. The fest will take place from April 30th through May 4th. Highlights include an appearance by Ashley Laurence as the Guest of Honor and a keynote address from Tananarive Due on opening night. There is still time to buy tickets if you’re in the area! They can be found here: https://salemhorror.com/tickets.
As I continue to focus more on gastro horror with my writing and research, I’ll be doing more round-ups like this for festivals as I see them. So be sure to stay tuned and check back! Also, if you are a filmmaker or a festival interested in being included in a gastro horror round-up, feel free to drop me a line!