Film festival reflects horror, fantasy trend

The sixth annual Nevermore Film Festival opened Friday night at the Carolina Theatre in Durham.

The festival presented a unique mix of horror and fantasy films, both domestic and foreign.

Most of the films shown have never been screened in the United States, much less released on video.

Showcase films this year were “Dead & Breakfast,” a bloody zombie comedy in the vein of the recent “Shaun of the Dead,” and the horror flick “Darkness: The Vampire Version.”

The popular art house wuxia “House of Flying Daggers,” also was screened, along with a chilling addition to the haunted house lexicon, “A Tale of Two Sisters.”

Complementing the screenings were vendors selling DVDs, memorabilia and even comic books from Chapel Hill Comics.

Nevermore reflects an increase in the popularity of horror and fantasy films in recent years.

Last year, 10 of the top 25 highest grossing movies of the year were fantasy or horror-related, and the epic “The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King” won an Oscar for Best Picture.

Already in 2005, “White Noise,” another horror film, finds itself in a top-10 slot.

Forums such as the Nevermore festival have led to a rise in the genre’s popularity. Its setting attracts patrons who come multiple years in a row, such as Vanessa Neal of Chapel Hill Comics, one of the sponsors of this year’s festival.

Neal summed up her feelings on the Nevermore experience and environment: “One of the things that makes it so great is the crowd is so enthusiastic being in the atmosphere of true horror fans. It’s a lot of fun.”

Contact the A&E Editor at artsdesk@unc.edu.