Januscary Film Festival brings winter chills to Pittsburgh's Harris Theater

Usually, the scariest thing about January is getting the Christmas credit card bill.

To kick off 2022, the Pittsburgh Cultural Trust will offer more chills and thrills with the Januscary Film Festival, which will feature six new and classic horror films screening at the Harris Theater in downtown Pittsburgh.

“Most theaters schedule classic horror films around Halloween, but once the holiday craze subsides, horror fans still want to see their favorite films and brand new releases outside of the spooky season,” said Joseph Morrison, Harris Theater programming and venue manager. “That’s where the inspiration for Januscary came from, and it gave me the opportunity to bring in some underappreciated cult classics and overlooked new films that true horror fans will love.”

Januscary includes a free screening of John Carpenter’s “The Thing” at 8 p.m. Jan. 1. Although admission is free for this film, a ticket is required for entry. Ticket fees apply to other films screening Jan. 1-6.

The horror film fest, at the Harris for the first time, originated while Morrison was working at the Hollywood Theater in Dormont in 2017. With an emphasis on new releases and restorations, it is the only festival of its kind in the Pittsburgh area.

“While at the Hollywood, I worked with incredible board members like Rich Dalzatto and Sandy Stuhlfire (of Horror Realm), and great staff including Sticks Downey and Gerrell Marsh, as well as a concessions operator named John Marek,” Morrison said. “John was studying graphic communication at the time and created our very first Januscary logo. I’m thrilled that he has returned and created the logo for the 2022 Januscary Film Festival.”

The Januscary lineup includes:

The Thing (1982)

Screening at 8 p.m. Jan. 1

Director John Carpenter took the 1951 sci-fi classic, “The Thing from Another World,” and turned it into something darker and more disturbing. Helicopter pilot Kurt Russell and a crew of Arctic scientists are pitted against a ravenous, shape-shifting alien. “The Thing” opens with shots of a sled dog fleeing across the snow and builds to an apocalyptic, fire-and-ice ending. Underrated by critics on its initial release, the film’s stock has risen in the ensuing decades as one of the most intelligent, scary and uncompromising horror films of the 1980s.

Hellbender (2021)

Screening at 5:30 p.m. Jan. 1 and 8 p.m. Jan. 6

Teen-aged Izzy suffers from a rare illness that keeps her isolated on a mountaintop with her mother. As Izzy begins to question her sickness and push back against her confinement, she secretly befriends another girl living nearby. After she eats a live worm as part of a juvenile game and awakens an insatiable and violent hunger within, Izzy must learn the dark secrets of her family’s past and the ancient power in her bloodline.

Eyes of Fire (1983)

Screening at 8 p.m. Jan. 2

Unavailable on home video for decades, “Eyes of Fire” now debuts in a new 4K restoration from Severin Films. In 1750, an adulterous preacher is ejected from a small British colony and, with a motley crew of followers, establishes a new settlement on the North American western frontier. Protected by the mysterious powers of a mad witch and feeling themselves guided by providence, they traverse through Shawnee territory to a forest enchanted by strange spirits — unaware of the heart of darkness they have entered.

Night Drive (2019)

Screening at 5:30 p.m. Jan. 2 and 8 p.m. Jan. 3

Russell is a Los Angeles driver caught in a downward spiral from a series of bad decisions. A business proposition from an alluring but enigmatic passenger, Charlotte, proves too good to turn down. A simple ride turns deadly, catapulting Russell into an even darker place, but Charlotte may be the key to a second chance — if he can make it through the night alive.

Let the Wrong One In (2021)

Screening at 8 p.m. Jan. 4

Young supermarket worker Matt is too nice for his own good. When he discovers that his older, estranged brother Deco has turned into a vampire, he’s faced with a dilemma: risk his own life to help his sibling or stake Deco before he spreads the infection further. Among the cast is “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” icon Anthony Head, in the role of a taxi driver with a sideline in vampire hunting.

We’re All Going to the World’s Fair (2021)

Screening at 8 p.m. Jan. 5

Januscary offers a sneak peek before the film’s national release. Jane Schoenbrun’s narrative debut is a tale of the fragility of online existence and the human capacity for change. Casey is an isolated high-schooler who has decided to take the “World’s Fair Challenge,” a role-playing horror game with the alleged power to enact real-world body modifications and emotional effects. Schoebrun uses a static webcam aesthetic familiar to fans of recent first-person internet horror to create a film about deprivation and connection, dysphoria and desire, allowing its characters self-awareness and grace even as they descend deeper into dark interior spaces.

Tickets are available at the door, by calling 412-456-6666 or online at trustarts.org. There is a $3 discount per ticket for those purchasing tickets for all five films.

Information on vaccination and masking policies at Trust venues also is available on the website.