Twice a year in Poughkeepsie, NY the Hudson Horror Show is held. The Hudson Horror Show is a film festival where for 12 hours, classic horror and cult films are shown while vendors sell horror films on all formats as well as all kinds of other horror merch.

This year’s lineup of films were “The Warriors,” “Halloween 2,” “Friday the 13th Part 2,” “Demonoid,” “Stunt Rock”  and a mystery movie. This showing was also going to have two theater rooms instead of one, making it not sell out as fast as others.

I drove to the South Hill mall, arriving about a half hour before the first film started and ran into some friends. We went over to the vendor tables where the merch was pretty cool; ranging from horror shirts, Blu-Rays and DVDs from Vinegar Syndrome, horror signs made by Rob Sinclair of the Orange Ulster Horror Club to metal and punk records. I ended up buying  a VHS copy of “Demons” as well as a Blu-Ray of “Madman.”

12:15 rolled around and it was time to see “Demonoid.”

Demonoid (1981) 

I went into this film knowing nothing other then it being considered “fun crap.” As a fan of “fun crap,” I was pretty eager to see this.

“Demonoid” is about a married couple who explore a mine in Mexico and find a mummified hand in a coffin.  They take the hand home and while they are sleeping, the hand tries to possess the wife.The husband stops it from doing so but ends up getting his right hand possessed in the process.   He eventually dies and the hand goes from person to person until the widow teams up with a priest  to try to stop The Devils Hand.

The film is very poorly made, but in a way that makes it a hell of a good time to watch. The Nonsense story, poor acting, awkward dialogue, over the top scenes and unfitting pop songs that play at the most random parts all make up the films charm.

Stunt Rock (1980)

The Australian “Stunt Rock” is about real-life stunt man Grant Page (played by himself) who reunites with his cousin who plays Satan in the stage shows for a rock band called Sorcery (who also played themselves).

Their stage shows consists of special effects and magic tricks as Merlin and Satan fighting each other while the band plays.There was also a story with a female reporter falling in love with Page but was uninteresting and boring.

For the most part I found the film to be pretty boring. The stunts and the concert footage scenes were pretty fun to watch but everything else was uninteresting. Socery’s sound was pretty cool, reminding me a bit of older Alice Cooper with some Led Zepplin and Black Sabbath influences thrown it. I might want to pick up a Sorcery album when I have the chance.

Halloween 2-1981

After “Stunt Rock” came the mystery movie. I can’t tell what the film is but I will mention it was a film I had wanted to see for awhile and ended up being really good. Hint: the lead actor plays the President on a popular tv show now.

After that great mystery film it was time for “Halloween 2.” I hadn’t seen this installment to the saga in years so I was pretty excited.

“Halloween 2” is pretty much a continuation of the first movie with more violence, a more OP Micheal Myers, a more dedicated Dr. Loomis and Laurie Strode barley able to walk the whole film. “Halloween 2” is my third favorite in the franchise right behind the first and third films. After “Halloween 2” I headed home. As awesome as “Friday the 13th Part 2” and “The Warriors” are, I had stuff I needed to do at home.  Maybe next time I will stay for the whole show as it was a great experience.