by SARAH ROWLAND

The last place you’d expect to hear Black Mountain is on the soundtrack of an 11-minute Quebecois slasher. Voivod, yes. D.O.A., maybe. But Vancouver’s premier bedroom rockers, no. Yet, for some strange reason, when Head director François Gauthier cranks up “Set Us Free” during a brutal and undeniably humorous flesh-eating/ decapitation scene, it just works. And there’s only one place you can experience this unique blend of indie rock and cannibalistic comedy: the fourth edition of Festival Spasm.

More than 60 locally produced shorts, several foreign entries and one forgotten cult classic will unreel over five nights of cinematic blood, guts and trash. Kicking things off on Monday, Oct. 24, the best-of DVD Festival Spasm—Horreur Vol. 1, will have its official launch. It’s followed by Off Spasm on Tuesday, in which a mixed bag of horror-related sub-genres will screen, including some Australian action-horrors and a couple of French psychological thrillers.

On Wednesday, Spasm will pay tribute to homegrown master of macabre Fernand Dansereau by screening his feature-length Le Festin des morts. This eerie ’65 cult classic tells the story of a group of priests who try to convert a tribe of First Nations people, only to end up being captured, tortured and sacrificed by their intended disciples. Highlights include a drawn-out burning scene where the men of cloth are subjected to a just form of branding.

And get out your fishnets and Lee Press-Ons, it’s Cabaret Trash on Thursday, and drag queen extraordinaire Lady Brenda is hosting. This night’s viewing promises nine equally tasteless minis, such as the Agence de Voyage No 3, (a stop-motion porn starring Barbie and a Michael Jackson action figure), and Manon, which has been described as Quebec’s answer to John Waters’ Pink Flamingos. In this 43-minute piece of topless nastiness, the titular stripper tries to single-handedly take over Montreal’s drug business. Highlights include a golf club scene that has nothing to do with putting.

As with previous Spasms, the demonic duo known as le Night Shift will MC the Grande Soirée Horreur on Friday, where the last 16 films will screen followed by an awards ceremony where the very best 2005 entries will be honoured.

SPASM films screen OCT. 24–28 WITH A COSTUME PARTY ON OCT. 29. FOR MORE INFO, VISIT WWW.SPASM.CA

>> Movie Listings