Leatherface-To-Face— That’s right, horror legend Gunnar Hansen (star of the original Texas Chainsaw Massacre –not to mention Mosquito, Campfire Tales, Hellblock 13 and Hollywood Chainsaw Hookers ) will be in Albuquerque this weekend working on the indie horror effort Gimme Skelter for Exhilarated Despair Productions. Hansen will be stopping by Burning Paradise Video (800 Central SW) on Friday, May 5, for a meet-and-greet with his fans from 6 to 8 p.m. He’ll be signing posters, DVDs and other memorabilia and will have plenty of horrifying TCM photographs for sale.
Reel World
TromaDance Returns— Speaking of Burning Paradise, Albuquerque’s only cult/alternative/trash video store is once again teaming up with Troma Entertainment to present TromaDance New Mexico. This three-day “un-dependent” film event is scheduled to take place at the Guild Cinema Sept. 22-24. TromaDance New Mexico is a spin-off of Troma’s annual anti-Sundance film festival, created to promote the work of non-studio, non-traditional, non-Hollywood filmmakers. Legendary filmmaker Lloyd Kaufman, president of Troma and creator of the cult classic Toxic Avenger films, will attend the festivities. Organizers are currently seeking films to present. Films can be of any length, cover any subject matter and can be shot in any format. Submission forms and guidelines may be found at burningparadise.net or by calling 244-1161.
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Educational Cinema— The historic struggle for public education is captured in the new documentary Granito de Arena . The award-winning film will recieve its New Mexico premiere with a pair of screenings. Thursday, May 4, at 7 p.m., the film will screen at the Albuquerque Peace & Justice Center (202 Harvard SE). On Friday, May 5, at noon, the film will screen at UNM’s Anderson School of Management, Room 1064. Filmmaker Jill Freidberg will be in attendance at both screenings. Freidberg’s newest film traces the global economic forces that have been dismantling public education in Mexico. Granito de Arena (Grain of Sand) tells the story of hundreds of thousands of public schoolteachers whose grassroots, nonviolent movement took Mexico by storm and who have been working to bring social and economic justice to Mexico’s impoverished schools. For more information on the film, log on to www.corrugate.org.
