Monday night became movie night for many of Chatham’s film students and faculty as they gathered in Eddy Theatre to watch independent films from their colleagues. The first film reviewed by the Chatham Community was “13 Score,” directed by Don Gabany and Chatham faculty member Max Walters.

A classical horror movie that didn’t disappoint on the blood and gore, “13 Score” was able to mark itself in classic horror of the film world. From an awkward first date, undercover police, and professional wrestlers affiliated with the mob, no one was safe from the cursed anniversary at Conley Lake.

Sacrifice and love, literal heart snatching, and zombie fighting make this film stay at a fast pace. For setting, traditional western Pennsylvanian hills create an ominous feeling in the crisp air of a fateful Halloween night. With a little investigation into the paranormal, the viewers find themselves asking if we truly need to know what is in the beyond.

I was never much for gore or horror growing up, but the story and plot of “13 Score” intrigued me enough to keep me watching through the blood. The idea of a lingering curse of cannibalism with an unknown origin could keep any classic horror fan entertained. With an added bonus of the 1753 curse turning unsuspecting carnival lovers into flesh-eating zombies, “13 Score” kept it classy.

The second film of the night, “House of Oddities: The Story of the Atrocity Exhibition,” was from another of Chatham’s faculty members, Brian Cottington. Where “13 Score” was strictly blood and gore narrative film, “House of Oddities” is a wonderfully unique documentary film.

As the story of the Atrocity Exhibition from its first year to its fifth and current year, it is a living art collection of the fantastically strange and bizarre–located right in our fair city of Pittsburgh.

This particular year had been inspired by Steampunk Industrial and the film give an in depth look into the performances and the lives of these beautiful individuals.

Talking with Cottington before and after watching the film, there was a personal feel to the documentary. What audiences often forget within films are the individuals behind the masks of the characters they play.

However, when the viewers are given a rare opportunity to see the mask removed, there is a moment for real life empathy. Audiences can usually experience empathy when the film’s realm of imagination is replaced with the concept of realism.

Most documentary films can achieve concepts of realism easily, but “House of Oddities” maintains the concept of realism while letting artistic imagination run freely. These individuals become more than performers on a heavily lit stage and are able to redefine the meaning of family.

“13 Score” : 2.5/5

“House of Oddities: The story of the Atrocity Exhibition” : 4/5