STAB Film Season returns to Cultplex as Manchester’s biggest horror celebration delivers a month of bone-chilling movie marathons, zombie all-nighters, eerie events and creepy classics throughout October!
Highlights Include:
Demonic Halloween Night Double Threat ft. The Exorcist & Alien • Zombie All-Nighter ft. Train to Busan, Zombie Flesh Eaters & more • Scream Movie Stab-a-Thon • Garth Marenghi’s Dark place Series Binge • A Nightmare on Elm Street 40th Anniversary Party & loads more!
Something evil is afoot at CULTPLEX as our annual STAB Film Season – Manchester’s biggest horror extravaganza – rises from the dead once more, bringing with it a month of sinister cinema that isn’t for the faint of heart.
This year’s STAB is our biggest yet, featuring a month of horror gems culminating in a deadly double threat of nail-biting classics The Exorcist (1973) and Alien (1979) on Halloween night. Before that, we’ll keep Manchester on the edge of its seat with an onslaught of macabre marathons, creepy classics, ghoulishly one-offs and events with a terrifying twist leading all the way to the spookiest night of the year.
Launching with our annual airing of 1978’s locally-shot-yet-criminally-underseen The Living Dead at Manchester Morgue (1974) on Wednesday 2 October, STAB keeps the chills coming thick and fast. Highlights include the return of our annual Scream Stab-A-Thon celebrating Wes Craven’s hit slasher franchise; a Zombie all-nighter boasting four of the genre’s bloodiest and best offerings including mile-a-minute Korean hit Train to Busan (2016) and handheld Spanish creeper REC (2007); and subtext-free big-screen series binge of Matthew Holness’s infinitely-quotable comedy Garth Marenghi’s Darkplace (2004).
Meanwhile, we’ll be celebrating Freddy Krueger’s 40th with A Nightmare on Elm Street (1974) birthday party and inviting Sprechen Music to give German expressionist gem The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari (1920) a new lease of life via a reimagined soundtrack mixed live before your eyes. Plus, we lace up our ballet shoes and welcome the GASP! Horror Film Festival team for a rerun of Dario Argento’s supernatural giallo creeper Suspiria (1978).
When it comes to stand-alone chillers, STAB has you covered there too. We’re double-billing Letterbox hit Bodies Bodies Bodies (2022) with pressure cooker drama Shiva Baby (2020) before spectral noughties classics Thirteen Ghosts (2001) and Ghost Ship (2002) get the same treatment. Meanwhile, Neil Jordan’s ageless adaptation of Anne Rice’s Interview With TheVampire (1994), an Interference Film presentation of infamous French horror Martyrs (2015), the twisted original Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1974) and Brendan Fraser’s reappraised revamp The Mummy (1999) each make their STAB debut.
Those looking to get a little more hands-on this Halloween are in luck too. Our amateur video game night MAGL gets a menacing makeover as MAGHOUL, A Lovely Time’s regular Simpson’s quiz adopts Treehouse of Horrors-themed brain teasers and Linnea Quigley’sHorror Workout (1989) promises a health kick you won’t forget in a hurry.
Expect all this – and loads more – as STAB lurches your way this October. Full–season listings can be found below with tickets for all events available to book now… if you’re brave enough.
Stab Film Season 2024 line-up
Wednesday 2 October
19:30 – The Living Dead at Manchester Morgue (1974)
Thursday 3 October
20:30 – Sprechen: The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari + live score
Friday 4 October
20:30 – Double-bill: Bodies Bodies Bodies (2022) + Shiva Baby (2020)
Sunday 6 October
13: 00 – Scream Stab-a-Thon
Wednesday 9 October
19:30 – Interference Film Club: Martyrs (2015)
Saturday 12 October
13:30 – The Addams Family (1991)
16:00 – The Blob (1988)
19:00 – Zombie All-Nighter ft. Train to Busan (2016), Return of the Living Dead (1985), REC (2007) & Zombie Flesh Eaters (1979)
Sunday 13 October
16:00 – Interview With The Vampire (1994)
Wednesday 16 October
19:30 – Halloween Quiz Show
Friday 18 October
18:00 – Garth Marenghi’s Darkplace (2004)
Sunday 20 October
13:00 – TRASHFEST with Andrew Leovald Q&A
16:00 – CULT CLUB: The Mummy (1999)
Wednesday 23 October
19:30 – GASP: Suspiria (1977)
Thursday 24 October
19:30 – MAGHOUL
Friday 25 October
18:00 – Double-bill: Thirteen Ghosts (2001) & Ghost Ship (2002)
Saturday 26 October
13:00 – A Lovely Time: Treehouse of Horror Quiz
13:30 – The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1974)
16:00 – In The Mouth of Madness (1994) + Nick Helm Podcast
20:00 – A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984) 40th Birthday Party
Sunday 27 October
13:00 – Movie Church: Bride of Frankenstein (1935)
16:00 – Linnea Quigley’s Horror Workout (1990)
19:00 – Tetsuo The Iron Man (1989)
Wednesday 30 October
19:30 – Arrow Film Club: Ju-on The Grudge (2002)
Thursday 31 October
19:30 – Double-bill: The Exorcist (1973) & Alien (1979)
Friday 1 November
19:30 – Slumber Party Massacre Double Bill
Saturday 2 November
16:00 – Death Becomes Her (1992)
About CULTPLEX
Debuting at Manchester’s leading street food venue Grub in 2019, CULTPLEX wasted no time gathering a dedicated and ever-growing audience of film, video game and pop-culture lovers, each connected by a strong passion for the communal big-screen experience.
In the five years since its launch, its small team has welcomed a variety of big-name guests to its cosy, Red Bank Project space. Actor Greg Sestero led sold-out crowds through interactive screenings of his infamous best-worst-movie The Room, while comedian Matthew Holnessbrought chills to Manchester via his parody horror author alter-ego Garth Marenghi.
Meanwhile, big-name touring comics have also visited us, with Never Mind The Buzzcocks star, Jamali Maddix, comedian Russell Kane and one-half of The Delightful Sausage, Amy Gledhill gracing our stage and delighting audiences.
Connect with CULTPLEX:
Facebook: Facebook.com/CPXMCR
Instagram: Instagram.com/cpxmcr
X: Twitter.com/CPXMCR
TikTok: Tiktok.com/@cultplex
