And if those teasers don’t give you reason enough to keep reading, know that on the eve of one of horror’s premiere events,  New York City Horror Film Festival Director Michael Hein was kind enough to answer a few of our questions…

But first, here are some festival highlights—as I see them. The short film program, in particular, is difficult for me to get a handle on but from the titles I am familiar with—Voltaire’s TRANSREXIA and Paul Campion’s EEL GIRL—it promises to be just as impressive as the features.

Below are synopses provided by the festival along with screening information and a few notations from yours truly. For the full schedule, go here.

Surveillance (USA) Thriller
Two FBI Agents track two twisted serial killers with the help of their would-be victims in this twisted tale that one best feature at Sitges. Directed by Jennifer Chambers Lynch and Stars Bill Pullman & Julia Ormond. Produced by genre legend David Lynch. [This film has gotten great buzz.]
Program 10
Sunday, Nov. 16th
4:00pm

Bad Biology (USA) Horror
Lifetime Achievement Award Recipient: Frank Henenlotter [BASKET CASE, FRANKENHOOKER, etc.]
Driven by biological excess, a young man and woman search for sexual fulfillment, unaware of each other's existence. Unfortunately, they eventually meet, and the bonding of these two very unusual human beings ends in an explosive and ultimately over-the-top sexual experience, resulting in a truly god awful love story. Directed by Frank Henenlotter.
Program 7
Saturday, Nov. 15th
10:00pm
[It’s very hard to see this film—not sure if it actually has a distributor—so this screening will be a real treat.]

Bonnie & Clyde vs. Dracula (USA) Horror/Comedy
Bonnie & Clyde vs. Dracula combines the rough and tumble world of 1930's era gangster movies with the violent gothic atmosphere of a classic horror film. When a robbery goes bad and one of their companions is shot, Bonnie and Clyde are forced to seek help at a nearby mansion, home to the twisted Dr. Loveless (Allen Lowman) and his imprisoned sister, Annabel, but Loveless has a secret. Deep in his cellar, the recently revived Dracula awaits.... Directed by Timothy Friend. Stars Tiffany Shepis and Trent Haaga. [I don’t know anything about this film, but from the title alone my expectations are that this will be a rollicking good time.]
Program 9
Sunday, Nov. 16th
2:00pm

Timecrimes (Spain) Sci-Fi/Horror
(Los Cronocrimes )
A man accidentally gets into a time machine and travels back in time nearly an hour. Finding himself will be the first of a series of disasters of unforeseeable consequences. Directed by Nacho Vigalondo. [This is part of Magnet’s amazing Six-Shooter series… but here’s a chance to see this acclaimed film well in advance of Magnet’s release.]
Program 11
Sunday, Nov. 16th
6:00pm

The Objective (USA) Horror/Supernatural
A group of Special Ops Reservists on a mission in the harsh and hostile terrain of Afghanistan find themselves lost in a Middle Eastern "Bermuda Triangle" of ancient evil. Directed by Daniel Myrick, stars Jonas Ball & Matthew R. Anderson. [In case you’ve forgotten, Myrick was one of the filmmakers behind BLAIR WITCH.
Program 3
Friday, Nov. 14th
10:00pm

Resident Evil: Degeneration (USA - Japan) Horror
The Resident Evil franchise gets a brand new addition this winter with Resident Evil: Degeneration. It's the first full CGI Resident Evil movie and it picks up seven years after the destruction of Raccoon City by the US government after the first zombie outbreak caused by the Umbrella Corporation. It's set in a U.S. airport where the T-Virus gets released once again and the airport is locked down, giving the counter-zombie fighters four hours to solve the problem before the virus is spread to the whole of the U.S.
Directed by Makoto Kamiya, staring Alyson Court and Paul Mercier. [This North American premiere is sure to be among the major draws of the fest.]
Program 1
Thursday, Nov.

Horror = Fun:  An Interview with Michael Hein

Firefox News: First off, for those who are unfamiliar with the festival, can you name a highlight from the 2007 edition?

Michael Hein: I really had a great time with all of it, but I think the Lifetime Achievement Award ceremony for Herschell Gordon Lewis had to be my favorite moment. At the end of his Q&A I put Herschell on the spot and asked him to sing a few bars from the theme song of TWO THOUSAND MANIACS (which he sang on the original soundtrack). He obliged and the entire audience clapped their hands and sang along with him. Truly a special moment for everyone in the packed theater. 

I was there and agree—actually it was kind of personal highlight for me for the entire year—any time you see such joy in the midst of “horror” is an amazing thing. But speaking of H.G. Lewis, who made indie films before they were even called that, this year you’re previewing the new RESIDENT EVIL animated film. In your mind, do you draw any lines between indie and “corporate” horror? Or do you think that fans do?

Definitely, but it’s that way with all movie genres. Art is art and just because a film has a big budget or is a “studio” picture doesn’t mean it isn’t great. Also, bigger pictures bring more attention to the festival, which in turn brings more attention to the independent films the festival is all about.

Good point. Now let’s talk about bringing fans to the festival, specifically the shift to November, which is probably a good move: October can be exhausting for horror fans, with too many worthy events competing with each other. But will November be the permanent home of the festival or are you figuring this out on a year-to-year basis?

The move was made for several reasons. One was that fact that when we began the festival in 2001, there were only two other serious genre film festivals in America, Shriekfest and Screamfest, and both of them are based in California. Now, eight years later when just about every state has one (of different sizes and scopes) I like to think the NYCHFF is among the top of the list of all the horror/sci-fi film festivals out there and all of them seem to take place around Halloween. I decided this year it was time to separate us from the pack. The response to the change has been great, so we’ll see about making it permanent after this year’s event.

So what do festivals like yours provide for the community of horror fans?  Or is that an important part of what they do—help create community?  If so, what does that mean to you?

We work very hard to make the NYCHFF a place where both filmmakers and fans can come to mingle, meet, and generally have a greater time together. While I can't speak for any other genre events, it's a very big part of the NYCHFF.  

Okay, so please excuse me as I go all theory on you, but to me effective horror films achieve a balance between horrifying and terrifying audiences. Some movies favor one strategy over the other, and my impression is that NYCHFF puts the emphasis, although perhaps only slightly, on horror. Would you agree? Why or why not?

We try to program an eclectic selection of films. We are not looking for anything in particular in our selections except great films. Personally (when it comes to the genre) I love all! The gore films, the ghost stories, the slasher flicks. I love a good horror movie… period. Also, the NYCHFF is a completive film festival, so when it comes to the independent competition films, there is no emphasis on any particular type of film. Only the highest rated films by the selection committee get screened.

Makes sense. So let’s turn to programming. Joseph Mauceri is well-known in horror circles both within New York and nationally. Can you tell us a bit about what he brings to the table as the festival’s new programmer?

Joe brings a lot to the table and has been working like a rabid dog to help make this year’s festival the best ever. When our old Programming Director Anthony Pepe left the festival to pursue other things, I considered a lot great people for the gig. After doing a lot of research it was clear that Joe was the perfect match. We are very lucky and happy to have him on board.

I know you’re super-busy these days, so in closing please provide some verbs and adjectives that describe the experience that lies in store for fans at the 2008 New York City Horror Film Festival.

Scary, creepy, hysterically funny, gory, bloody and, of course, dignified. Overall, an all-around great time!