Screen Slate Presents: Psycho-Fiction, The Surreal Nightmares of Screaming Mad George

This year we lost one of the great special effects artists, Screaming Mad George. Once seen, SMG’s work is forever seared in the retina. Taking his name from Screaming Jay Hawkins and MAD Magazine, his creative sensibility is a mashup of the former’s theatrical rock ‘n’ roll histrionics and the latter’s cartoonish satire, heavily infused with the biomorphic distortions of Salvador Dalí. Whether creating a discrete sequence for a blockbuster like the cockroach transformation in A Nightmare on Elm Street 4, or taking center stage in the work of his longtime collaborator Brian Yuzna—especially in their magnum opus Society—Screaming Mad George’s effects represent a singular artistic vision that viewers could always sense, even if they didn’t always know the name behind the nightmares.

Beyond his feature film special effects work, Screaming Mad George’s creative output extended to No Wave, downtown NYC horrorpunk, film directing, sculpture, video games, and work for other musical artists ranging from Slipknot to *NSYNC. For this series, Screen Slate brings together a selection of Screaming Mad George’s iconic feature films and some of our favorite deep cuts, all programmed alongside short films, clip reels, musical performances, rarities, and, of course, oddities. Many of the films will screen in NYC in 35mm for the first time ever, including Yuzna’s personal prints, and several will be accompanied by special guests.

*Programmed by Screen Slate’s Jon Dieringer. Flyer by Steak Mtn.

Since 2011, Screen Slate has helped New Yorkers navigate the world’s greatest film scene by publishing the only central listings resource for art houses, repertory theaters, microcinemas, galleries, and art spaces across all five boroughs. Every day Screen Slate also publishes an original article by one of our hundreds of our brilliant contributors.

Psycho-Fiction, The Surreal Nightmares of Screaming Mad George

Society – 35MM

An ordinary teenage boy discovers his family is part of a gruesome orgy cult for the social elite.

Freaked – 35MM

A vain actor, his best friend, and an activist end up at a mutant freak farm run by a weirdo scientist.

The Guyver

Young man merges with mechanical device, becoming cyborg superhero. Strange creatures emerge, seeking to reclaim device. He uncovers plot to genetically engineer monstrous creatures.

A Nightmare on Elm Street 4: The Dream Master – 35MM 

Freddy Krueger returns once again to terrorize the dreams of the remaining Dream Warriors, as well as those of a young woman who may be able to defeat him for good.

Silent Night, Deadly Night 5: The Toy Maker – 35MM

An elderly toy maker and his son make killer toys designed to kill their customers’ children.

Big Trouble in Little China

A truck driver is pulled into Chinatown conflict when a sorcerer kidnaps a friend’s fiancée, forcing them into a hidden war of gangs, magic, and prophecy beneath San Francisco.

Bride of Re-Animator

Doctors Herbert West and Dan Cain discover the secret to creating human life and proceed to create a perfect woman from dead tissue.