All right. So Day Three is officially in the books for me—technically Day Two for the fest itself, but let’s be real. When you kick off a Thursday night with both an anniversary screening and a new film? That’s Day One. I don’t care what the calendar says.
Anyway, none of that matters because Saturday was fan-fucking-tastic. Saturdays are always the big day. The crowds show up heavy, the energy’s right, and you want the movies to match that vibe. And they did. The whole fest showed out. So much so that I couldn’t even write this when I got back to the Airbnb. I was wiped.
But the best part? I didn’t get locked out of anything this time. Karaoke was poppin’ downstairs later that night—we’ll get to that—but let’s start at the top.
Laptop issues? Solved. Battery finally handled. Just in time to head out and interview the absolutely adorable and talented crew behind Marshmallow. That included Dylan, Kue and Kai Check—yes, that Kai Check, from BA. I don’t know why her name kept slipping my mind when I sat down to write this, because she’s been in so much already and she’s only getting started.
We also sat with Daniel DelPurgatorio, who’s been involved on the visual side of some of my favorite projects—Black Mold, The Stylist, you name it. Been wanting to chat with him for a while because his eye for the full visual picture is sharp as hell. You see it instantly in Marshmallow. That film is a total love letter to campfire horror, but it’s more than that—it’s layered, smart, and told in three parts. Every time you think you’ve figured out what kind of movie you’re watching, it shifts.
The kids in it? Incredible. I mean, these performances hit. I don’t think Hell of a Summer being out will hurt this film at all. Yeah, it’s another movie with kids in the woods, and normally I’d roll my eyes at that—I’ve said before, I’m tired of watching white kids run around the woods—but this one hits different. The genre bending, the aesthetic, the tone shifts. It all works.
And the interview? So much fun. The kids were just as funny and sharp off-screen. Andy, the writer, was there too, and it was just one of those conversations where we all got to live in the Marshmallow universe for a while. That film’s got legs. You’ll see.
Later, I caught Freaky Tales—a movie that premiered at Sundance two years ago and then vanished. Look, I grew up on Too $hort. I have a Dangerous Crew tattoo. So this movie? Personal. I was literally walking behind Adam Roberts (Panic Fest founder and all-around great dude) reciting Too $hort lyrics on the way in. That’s how hyped I was.
The movie delivers. It’s mixtape cinema. Anthology structure. Nostalgia meets punk rock. J. Ellis as Sleepy Floyd—legendary. The glow in this film is pure ’80s/’90s Black cinema. It felt like watching The Last Dragon or The Wiz for the first time again. The cameos? Bonkers. Not spoiling a single one.
After Freaky Tales, I went back to rewatch Marshmallow with an audience. I just wanted to see how it played, and I’m glad I did. The crowd was quiet early on—trying to figure out where it was going—but by the third act, they were all in. Standing ovation. Big applause. The kids came up for the Q&A and everyone was shocked they’d been sitting in the crowd the whole time. Big moment.
Then, chaos.
The cast started walking around with bags of marshmallows. Dylan dared me to throw one. I accepted. I spotted Genius—KC legend, artist, the dude who designed Horror Movies Uncut’s original logo years ago—and I hit him square with a marshmallow. Got dared. Got paid. One dollar, fast.
The whole lobby was full of people in yellow camp shirts from the film. Some dude was dressed as the killer. Daniel says there’s going to be an action figure and merch and I want all of it. Also, Daniel—you still owe me that hoodie. Don’t think I forgot.
Closed the night out with Touch Me, a film I missed by a hair at SXSW. Glad I caught it here. It’s got Lovecraftian undertones, cult vibes, awkward humor. Some scenes ran a little long for me, but it’s still worth checking out. I’ll have the review up Monday once I’m back home and can breathe.
And of course, the night wrapped up at Rewind Video for the Panic Fest karaoke party. I didn’t sing—don’t ask—but I did have some great convos. Talked to a stop-motion filmmaker from New York who now lives in KC, and also met Doug, whose film Out the Darkness is playing virtually later this week. I’ll be checking that out when I’m back in St. Louis.
Which reminds me: Panic Fest’s virtual side is still going! If you’re not in KC, you’ve got until Thursday to stream a bunch of the films and shorts. Don’t sleep on it.
So yeah. Day Three’s done. Day Four’s here. I’ve got one more interview lined up, a few more films, and then it’s back to STL. This fest has been everything I needed it to be.
You know the drill—read the reviews, follow the coverage, like the stuff, subscribe to things. There’s a Patreon coming. I do this for the love, 100%.
See y’all tomorrow for the final day.
—Travis / HMU
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