Summer Chills Arrive With Terror In The Aisles

By Steven Pate in Arts & Entertainment on Jul 26, 2011 6:00PM

As we can personally attest after escaping there on a 99 degree day last week, the air conditioning at the Portage Theater works just fine. It's also one of the few places where one can enjoy a cold beer while watching a flick. And if you need a third reason to find sanctuary from the heat within the beautiful old theater, an evening of chills should put you over the top, as the eighth incarnation of Terror in the Aisles returns on August 6, bringing a little something for everyone.

First on the triple-bill is the cult '80s classic of the now-venerable "campers getting murdered" sub-genre, Sleepaway Camp. If you haven't enjoyed this story of Rocky and his weird cousin Angela's summer at Camp Arawak, you may not be surprised to learn that it depicts campers being murdered in dramatically gory fashion. Be sure to pack your shortest shorts, as well as your tolerance for pre-teen profanity and pubescent sexual tension, and whatever you do don't let anybody spoil the ending for you. With director Robert Hiltzik on hand for the evening, even those with several canoe trips around this glorious pile of trash under their belt have something to look forward to.

Next up is Tucker & Dale vs Evil, the first time the well-received comedy-horror has screened in the Midwest. Director Eli Craig has fashioned a knowing, comedic romp through the conventions of a horror that has drawn comparisons to Shaun of the Dead. Thanks to some misunderstandings, a pair hillbillies trying to fix up a dilapidated cabin are mistaken for murderous crazies by the rich kids camping nearby, who promptly start dying. Finishing off the evening is a slab of pure euro-schlock called City of the Walking Dead aka Nightmare City, wherein zombie-like victims of nuclear radiation ravage the city while nominal protagonists attempt escape. Expect comically over-the-top gore, hilariously bad acting and enough unintended laughs to get you through that third tub of popcorn.

Terror in the Aisles takes places at the Portage Theater, 4050 N. Milwaukee Ave., on August 6. Doors open at 7 pm, with vintage horror trailers and short films starting at 7:30, plus guest autographs, prizes, a charity auction for Vital Bridges and more. Tickets are $12 and can be purchased online.