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We\u2019re not quite done with cinema thrills for the week, dearest readers, as REVEALER <\/span><\/strong>is just one<\/em> of the brand-new Midwest horror stories from <\/span>Illinois<\/span><\/strong><\/a> on the prowl! After enjoying some early exposure at film festivals held outside our state, the 1991-set campground slasher FINAL SUMMER<\/strong> will receive its final showing in the area later tonight, Thursday, November 17<\/strong>, at the lovingly restored Normal Theater<\/strong> in downtown Normal<\/strong><\/a><\/span>. Doors open at 6 p.m.<\/strong> for an intimate discussion session with filmmaker John Isberg<\/strong> about his process and experiences in developing, producing, and promoting the project, and then SUMMER<\/strong> screens at 7 p.m.<\/strong> This follows a late-show booking at the Phoenix Savoy 16 + IMAX<\/strong> in Savoy<\/strong> from October 28<\/strong> to 31<\/strong> and a downstate introduction at the Harvest Moon Twin Drive-in<\/strong> in Gibson City<\/strong> on Thursday, October 13<\/strong>, where it sold more tickets than a preview of HALLOWEEN ENDS<\/strong>.<\/p>\n Via social media, Isberg has suggested the Normal will be the last venue to schedule SUMMER<\/strong> until sometime next year \u2013 he is in talks with sales agents and distributors at the moment \u2013 although horror fans in the suburbs have one last chance to view it. Attendees of the Days of the Dead<\/strong> convention<\/a><\/span> to be held at the Crowne Plaza Chicago O\u2019Hare Hotel and Conference Center<\/strong> in Rosemont<\/strong> this weekend can catch the \u201cMidwest Premiere\u201d of SUMMER<\/strong> tomorrow, Friday, November 18<\/strong>, during the \u201cYou Better Run!\u201d film block at 6 p.m.<\/strong> Previous appearances have included as selections of the ScareFest Horror Film Festival<\/strong> in Lexington, Kentucky<\/strong>, where it won a \u201cBest of Horror\u201d award last month<\/a><\/span>, and Popcorn Frights Film Festival<\/strong> in Fort Lauderdale, Florida<\/strong>, where it received a world premiere in August<\/a><\/span> with appreciative hosts and a game audience. It has also played in Argentina<\/strong> and the United Kingdom<\/strong>.<\/p>\n ~~~~~<\/p>\n ~~~~~<\/p>\n Through the virtual component of Popcorn Frights, your humble editor was able to access the 82-minute-long \u201cfestival cut\u201d of SUMMER<\/strong>. I appreciated the consistent and lean approach managed by Isberg and his team with the material. It\u2019s essentially a grounded campfire terror tale with a few brief flights of fancy and humor that reads \u201cretro\u201d all the way, bathed as it is in summery warmth and Eighties cool blues<\/a><\/span>, without feeling forced or overwrought. Shot in August 2021 on location at Camp Robert Drake<\/strong> near Fairmount<\/strong> and Oakwood<\/strong> by a localized crew drawn from Chicagoland and east central Illinois, it tells what happens when a group of camp counselors is hunted down methodically by a skull-faced killer who has seemingly stepped right out of a local legend and into real life. For some reason, wary and haunted Lexi (Jenna Kohn<\/strong>) becomes a dowsing rod for death as the camp\u2019s uncouth legacy comes to the fore.<\/p>\n Once the fate of FINAL SUMMER<\/strong> is sealed, we will pass along the details on how you can view the finished feature. Isberg has been very good about sharing milestones and thought dumps on Facebook as he\u2019s worked through the journey of seeing his film to fruition, so be sure to watch the page closely for any big news<\/a><\/span>. A presentation of Front 76 Films<\/strong> and The Line Film Company<\/strong>, FINAL SUMMER<\/strong> is directed, written, and photographed by Isberg, produced by Linda Evans, Chad Olson, Robert Patrick Stern<\/strong>, and Isberg, and edited by Charlie Kessler<\/strong> and Isberg, with a title theme composed by Jeff Schroeder<\/strong> and incidental cues by Isberg. The ensemble cast includes Wyatt Taber, Charlie Bauer, Myles Valentine, Farbota Lynn, Charlee Armacher, Ricardo Whitehead, Jace Jamison, Seth Boyer, Robert Gerard Anderson, Joi Hofsommer, Bishop Stevens, Thom Mathews<\/strong>, and Kohn. Of course, it is not yet rated.<\/p>\n ~ Jason Pankoke<\/p>\n<\/p>\n