Music Box of Horrors: Dead and Loving It – Chicago’s Cult Film Festival Rises Again

There’s something wicked flickering in the dark again on Southport Avenue. Last year, Music Box of Horrors: The Dream Child haunted Chicago’s horror faithful with a fever dream of terror and nostalgia. This October, the nightmare grows up—twisted, restless, and, as the Music Box promises, Dead and Loving It.For thirty-one blood-soaked nights, the city’s most iconic indie cinema transforms into a temple of terror. From October 1 to 31, the Music Box Theatre will unleash a lineup that’s as deliriously unholy as it is essential: world premieres, cult revivals, live scores, and post-film Q&As with the legends who keep midnight cinema pulsing through the veins of the underground.Among this year’s feverish highlights: the world premiere 4K restoration of 39: A Film by Carroll McKane, presented by Severin Films, with director Gary Sherman and producer Carrie Holt de Lama on hand for a post-screening reckoning. A rare 1988 gem, Twisted Issues, returns to the big screen with Charles Pinion in attendance. The haunting new Tinsman Road from director Robbie Banfitch. Crispin Glover—Hollywood’s original surrealist—appears for a Q&A following Mr. K.If that’s not enough to keep your pulse racing, the centennial screening of Phantom of the Opera will feature a live score by Invincible Czars, and the cult classic Frogs will crawl back to life with live amphibians from The Reptile Den.Proudly presented by Shudder, Music Box of Horrors: Dead and Loving It is more than a film festival—it’s a month-long séance for the horror-obsessed. Since 1929, the Music Box Theatre has been Chicago’s cathedral of cinema, hosting everyone from cinephiles to freaks of the fringe. With its sister company, Music Box Films, the venue continues to champion the kind of stories Hollywood’s afraid to tell.So grab your tickets, your courage, and maybe a crucifix—because this October, the Music Box isn’t just showing movies. It’s resurrecting nightmares.Tickets are on sale now.For more Stories From The 78, follow @tombarnas78 on Instagram and @storiesfromthe78 on TikTok.