10 Reasons to Get Buried Alive This Weekend – The 2019 Buried Alive Film Festival

The 2019 Buried Alive Film Festival wraps up this weekend at the 7 Stages Theatre in Atlanta, Georgia, and there’s plenty of great features and shorts to see. Over the next two days, BAFF offers five feature films and five short film blocks, plus a Troma-themed burlesque show! With a wealth of cinematic riches, MMC! is here to point the way with ten films to watch out for this Saturday and Sunday!

Check the BAFF schedule for program information to plan your burial and MMC!’s Letterboxd list for the Fest for more reviews!

1. J.R. “Bob” Dobbs and the Church of the Subgenius (Sandy K. Boon, 2019)

One of MMC!’s BAFF favourites, Sandy K. Boon’s J.R. “Bob” Dobbs and the Church of the Subgenius examines the countercultural religion of “two self-proclaimed weirdos in Ft. Worth, Texas” and their crusade against normalcy. This documentary features wonderful interview subjects, including Richard Linklater, Penn Gilette, and Nick Offerman, as well as an array of Bob followers providing thoughtful reflection on 40 years of protecting their slack against the conspiracy. Subgenius is an intriguing companion to another popular 2019 portrait of an alternative religion, Penny Lane’s Hail Satan?, as both the Subgeniuses and The Satanic Temple embrace an absurdly theatrical image, however Boon’s film offers a mature reflection on cult’s complicated history that contrasts Lane’s earnestly sanitized presentation of the Temple as it searches for legitimacy. Preserve your slack and check out J.R. “Bob” Dobbs and the Church of the Subgenius at 2:00 on Sunday!

The Unknown Man of Shandigor (Jean-Louis Roy, 1967)

An eccentric scientist invents an Annulator, a device capable of neutralizing any atomic weapon, but when he goes into seclusion with the device, his albino lab assistant, his beautiful daughter, and his pet sea monster, secret agents from around the globe set upon clandestine plans to obtain the Annulator by whatever means are required.  Spies from the USA, the Soviet Union, and various secret organizations shoot, stab, torture, and seduce their ways closer and closer to the weapon in hopes of tipping the global Cold War in their favour.  Jean-Louis Roy’s rarely seen Swiss classic is a spy spoof full of B-movie gimmicks and New Wave aesthetics, cast with a disparate array of stars including cult film icons Howard Vernon (The Awful Dr. Orlof) and Daniel Emilfork (The City of Lost Children) and French pop music superstar Serge Gainsbourg.  Available for the first time for home viewing, this forgotten film is a hidden gem ready at long last to reveal the secrets of The Unknown Man of Shandigor.

Special Features:

• Interview with Jean-Louis Roy
• Gargoyle Charm – Daniel Emilfork, Against Appearances, a 60-minute documentary on Emilfork made for French television and including recollections by Roy
• 20-page booklet featuring photos and documents from Roy’s private collection

Annulator Edition – Package Includes:

• The Unknown Man of Shandigor on Blu-ray or Standard DVD
• DRM-free Digital Download of the film in 1080p, 720p, and mobile/tablet formats
• Instant Download of the Original Score by Alphonse Roy and Serge Gainsbourg’s unreleased “Bye Bye Mister Spy”
• 27″ x 40″ one sheet poster designed by Mondo Artist Rich Kelly