The historic Riviera Theatre in North Tonawanda was filled some not-so-typical items, during the 2nd Annual Buffalo Niagara Film Festival. Thursday was Science Fiction, Fantasy and Horror day at the BNFF, and included events that culminated with the presentation of a Lifetime Achievement Award to Herschell Gordon Lewis (“Blood Feast”) after the screening of his classic cult-hit “Two Thousand Maniacs!” at the theatre.
The presentation of the award Thursday evening was standard, with Melantha Blackthorne (Horror Scream Queen, according to the program) discussing Lewis’ numerous achievements in his lengthy film career, until Lewis came to the microphone. Shortly after his acceptance speech, Lewis—to applause and cheers from the entire audience—led everyone in singing the theme from “Two Thousand Maniacs!” Lewis took the verses himself, and the audience joined him on the “Yee-Haw!” during the refrain. The excitement and fun of that sing-a-long and of course the film itself, was more fun than I expected, and I am sure the experience was even better for those fans (which there were many) of Lewis’ work.
On Monday, “The Natural” presented us with a mainstream screening of a classic film, which has nearly universal recognition in the Buffalo area. While Robert Redford was renowned for his looks and his ability, Hercschel Gordon Lewis is renowned for his pioneering of the splatter film, and his ability to have his films turn a profit. The BNFF works to give attention to all kinds of films and all sorts of tastes, ranging from the household name of Redford and to the more obscure Lewis, who may only be known by true aficionados of horror films. Which is exactly what the festival aims to do: bring together professionals, amateurs, and the general public to experience and enjoy cinema, from its mainstream big budget production to local features, like the special screening of “Slime City” that followed up the evening at Midnight. Coming together around these diverse stories is the driving force of the festival: to bring the Western New York community together around cinema, to see and experience their own stories.
Coming up on Friday night (6PM) is the screening of “The Sweet Lady with a Nasty Voice”, followed by a performance by Wanda Jackson, the subject of the film. Saturday is a big day with more films including “Release The Funny” at Noon, and “Unspeakable” at 2PM. Following that up is the awards banquet and ceremony, where this year’s festival winners will be announced!
For more information on the 2nd Annual Buffalo Niagara Film Festival, including schedules, venues and prices, check out buffaloniagarafilmfestival.com. Keep visiting Buffalo Rising throughout the week for updates and spotlights on events during the festival! Photos in this article are courtesy of Brian Grinham.
