June's Mystery Movie

This month's move theme: Well. Far more people certainly need to see that!

Hints: This month's movie might start to remind you of a few different films as you watch, but you will be very surprised to know this movie more than likely predates them all. This month's movie is also directed by someone who is much better know for his work in special effects. This month's movie may very well be the best action movie we should have seen or heard of before now.

Content Warning: Interpersonal Racism. At the climax of the film one of the two protagonist encounters another character wielding a weapon of institutional racism, and process to use said weapon against said protagonist. They cut away and back to that scene a couple times, and while that situation is being resolved, the said protagonist explicitly addresses the problem while pretty satisfyingly dispatching said character. In other parts of the film, there are unfortunately a couple instances of the two main protagonists trading jabs that seem like they were maybe trying to set up how each of them can perceive the other through a lens of racism, but whatever the reason, it's cringy af.

Content Warning: Casual Sexism. Within the film's climax (and throughout I believe) there are some pretty casual sexist remarks. For instance a characters who remarks another character "hit(s) like a girl". For anyone who doesn't know, girls tend to hit/fight/throw/play sports/etc the way they do, because people who know how to do those things, didn't take them aside to teach them how to do those things properly. Mighty frustrating to have something we're actively kept from doing (intentionally or not) used as an insult amongst those who gatekeep the very knowledge we're lacking. 

Mutual Aid Suggestion: Have you planted a vegetable garden this year? Do you have a fruiting tree or shrub? Have you thought about what you might do with any excess you encounter this year? Consider asking your local food bank, or mutual aid kitchen if they take garden excess. Consider joining your local Buy Nothing group (or downloading the Buy Nothing app) to offer your bounty to others in your area who may enjoy or need your excess. Maybe set up a free zucchini stand on your front lawn, or at the neighborhood park. Ask your neighbors with the backyard chickens if they could use any veggies to feed their flock. Don't let your hard work and abundance go to waste! Get your food into the hands of those who will use it, and keep a bit of money out of the systems that commodify things we literally cannot live without.

Get Your Tickets Here: Tape Freaks presents: Mystery Movie @ the Trylon, 7pm $5

May's Mystery Movie

This movie is a weird, weird, weird one. Don't say we didn't warn ya! 

This month's theme: Hot-potato films. You know, those films that start out as one thing, but morph into something unrecognizable as rewrites pile up and directors are replaced during filming. 

Hints: A famous horror director was replaced while directing this movie. There are loads of recognizable actors in this film, one of whom might be more recognized for his voice than his physical appearance. The producers of this film decided they wanted to entirely change the plot of this movie, after the film was nearly complete. 

Content Warnings: Verbal and physical domestic violence. Later in the film there's a scene in a bar where a drunken man yells abuse at a woman he's in a relationship with. (There's also cops being trash throughout, but when are there not?) 

Mutual Aid Suggestion: Someone stole Involve MN's custom outdoor grill they used to cook for people street-side all over the metro. If you can donate to their gofundme, please do so they can get a replacement asap! Also share their campaign so it gets in front of the most people possible. 

Get Your Tickets Here: Tape Freaks presents: Mystery Movie @ the Trylon, 7pm $5

April's Mystery Movie

Well, this year has been just full of snoprises hasn't it? Come get out of the lousy Smarch weather and watch a weird, weird, weird movie with us!

This month's theme: Stepping out of your comfort zone.

Hints: This month's movie was directed by someone who was an established horror director at the time. This month's movie could be categorized similarly to a very recently released movie, though that movie would be in an entirely different league than our film. This month's movie is also just wall to wall wackiness, so if you try to keep track of all the wild things that happen, good luck!

Content Warnings: Brief implied animal violence. (It's not always possible for us to tell definitively if an animal was harmed, or if optical effects were just on their game, but we're 95% sure it was only implied.) There's also a good amount of gore, even though this isn't a horror film. 

Mutual Aid Suggestion: Mercury Stardust, aka the Trans Handy Ma'am, completed her annual TikTok-a-Thon for Trans Healthcare this past week, and raised an impressive amount of money! But you know who's been having hard go of it right now, even more so than normal? Trans people. So why not continue building that total and make sure our most vulnerable community members can scratch one item off their worry list, donate here! And if you're not following The Trans Handy Ma'am, fix that here!

Get Your Tickets Here: Tape Freaks presents: Mystery Movie @ the Trylon, 7pm $5

March's Mystery Movie

The worst thing about my actual birthday falling on February's Tape Freaks screening, is that March's screening will then be on the first, which the shortest time possible (I believe) between two screenings. (Interestingly, my birthday proper won't land on another Tape Freaks screening until the year 2034!) Good thing this month's movie is the one we had planned for January, it took the sting off February being so dang short. 

This month's theme: Gaslit by the Devil.

Hints: This month's movie could be considered a vacation-gone-wrong film, or a road-trip movie, or even a fairly straight forward 70s action movie. It co-stars a member of an acting dynasty, his real-life bff, and an actress who's face is inextricably linked to the work for which she is most famous.  

Content Warnings: There is an animal character's death. (That animal is also clearly drugged in one scene, in order to give the appearance of a deceased buddy.) There's also violence directed at snakes. (Why is it always snakes?)

Mutual Aid Suggestion: This month's mutual aid suggestion is to support East Phillips Urban Farm. Learn more about this project here and here. Donate to, or share their fundraiser, you'll find that here. Let city officials know that you support community lead projects, would prefer pollution be kept out of our air, and support community enrichment projects that are planned and implemented by community members. The more we are directly served by our communities, the more our communities will organically improve!

Get Your Tickets Here: Tape Freaks presents: Mystery Movie @ the Trylon, 7pm $5

February's Mystery Movie

There was some confusion at the Trylon about what we were playing this month, but we'll be playing the movie we picked out for January in March, because it's MUH BIRTHDAY MONTH!! (And on my actual birthday!)

This month's theme: Wildcard baby!

Hints: This month's movie will be, by far, our oldest movie screened to date. It's also dripping with Hollywood legends in their heyday, including an actor who was featured in another movie we screened very recently. It's also an excellent representation of how older generations have always been more progressive than they're given credit for by current conservative of all eras. That is to say this movie, not unlike me, is queer as fuck.

Content Warnings: One character in this month's movie is mute, but the term this movie uses for that condition is "dumb". Later another character uses the same term to disparage her own intelligence. 

Mutual Aid Suggestion: Each month we suggest a way to participate in mutual aid, and this month's suggestion is one we suggested a couple months back, but this time it's because our federal government is ok with letting a pandemic thin us out a bit. (And if you think I'm being paranoid, just look at what they let the AIDs crisis do to gay men.) Wear a mask. Wearing a mask decreases the spread of most of our socially-communicable diseases and that directly impacts our disabled community members, our working-poor community members, our "customer-facing" community members, our elder community members, our immune compromised community members, our medical care working community members, as well as ourselves and our own families and friends. If you're out in public, wear a mask. Easy breezy, and effective as fuck. 

Get Your Tickets Here: Tape Freaks presents: Mystery Movie @ the Trylon, 7pm $5

NO SCREENING THIS MONTH

OK! We collectively decided to cancel this month's screening, because it's a snow-show out there! 

We'd rather save this month's movie for a time when everyone has more access to attend, and when travel/parking won't be treacherous for those who would Minnesota-brave the elements anyway. If you purchased a ticket for tonights screening it will be good for next month!

But this isn't the first time we've canceled a screening! The very first Tape Freaks was canceled because I (Colette, the writing half of Tape Freaks) was run over by a pickup. The rest of that year's lineup was pretty stellar, so maybe it's a good omen to boot.

Stay safe, drink something warm, and still participate in mutual aid! This month's suggestion from us is Feeding Frogtown. They've started a campaign to fundraise a refrigerated truck to help them with their weekly food deliveries, and they need the funds quickly. Give a little or a lot, share their campaign, and remember that when we help each other keep our needs met, our community is stronger for it.

December's Mystery Movie

This Month's Theme: You Can't Out Run the Truth Forever

Your Hints: This month's movie is a classic haunted house movie, and could be argued to be a genuinely well made horror movie. Stars an A-list 80s cast, and some simple but incredibly effective effects work.

Content Warnings: [SPOILER ahead] This month's movie does depict child harm, specifically the sudden death of one child and [here's the SPOILER] the Filicide of another. If you have questions about this content, or concerns about other possible content, please reach out to us through faceplace and we will address them the best we can.

Mutual Aid Suggestion: Each month we suggest a way to participate in mutual aid, and this month's suggestion is one of the simplest things you can do every day! Wear a mask. (This suggestion is especially appropriate because the writing half of Tape Freaks will be missing this month's screening because, after almost three years of successfully avoiding all illnesses, I currently have COVID.) Wearing a mask decreases the spread of most of our socially communicable diseases, and that directly impacts our disabled community members, our working-poor community members, our "customer-facing" community members, our elder community members, our immune compromised community members, our medical care working community members, as well as ourselves and our own families and friends. If you're out in public, wear a mask. Easy breezy, and effective as fuck.

Get Your Tickets Here: Tape Freaks presents: Mystery Movie @ the Trylon, 7pm $5