Chattanooga Film Festival 2026 Reviews
The Chattanooga Film Festival is always a trip. It’s run by people who have a deep, abiding love of genre cinema, and they infuse it with a fun punk-rock attitude. The fest is both in-person and virtual. I had the fortune to cover it virtually again this year. Even from a distance, the distinct vibe of CFF is palpable. Here’s a little bit about the first few movies I screened:
Blood & Guts - Directed by Carlye Rubin and Katie Green, this 80-minute documentary looks at the Adams family, the filmmaking clan behind low-budget sensations like Hellbender and Mother of Flies. For those unfamiliar, the Adamses – dad John, mom Toby Poser, and daughters Zelda and Lulu – write, direct, and star in their own productions, which are typically shot in and around their home in the Catskill Mountains. Blood & Guts traces the history of how they got started, including former model John’s cancer journey that made him take stock of what’s really important in life.
Additionally, the doc shows the group going through a transition, as Zelda heads off to college, leaving John and Toby as empty nesters, wondering if four years at Columbia University will move their daughter away from the DIY ethic on which they all built their reputations. Family and career are inextricably intertwined, which makes the Adamses a fascinating subject for a documentary. Two things emerge with particular clarity: 1.) they all care passionately about the movies they make; and 2.) these are seriously nice people who have a gift for turning their personal concerns into something cathartic. Blood & Guts provides a peek at how they operate, but even better, it clues you in to the personalities behind some of the most innovative horror movies of the past decade.
This Is Buzz - Another documentary, this one focusing on the short-lived MTV show that revolutionized the news magazine format back in 1990. We learn how former ABC News producer Jon Klein teamed up with experimental filmmaker Mark Pellington to create a mind-blowing 13-episode series that tackled a different theme each week. What made Buzz stand out was its approach, which bombarded viewers with rapid-fire images and audio soundbites that took on an almost psychedelic quality. It made an impression, but also baffled MTV brass, who weren’t quite certain what they had on their hands. This Is Buzz is structured like an episode of the show, with lots of cutting and on-screen text and imagery. That becomes a bit oppressive after 103 minutes, but the tale of this unique experiment in broadcasting is still undeniably interesting.
Night Angel - One of the hallmarks of CFF is the series of secret “Redeye” screenings. With titles unannounced prior to showtime, viewers are treated to hard-to-find forgotten gems of the genre world. They may not always be great cinema, but they’re wild, weird, and fun. The first of this year’s Redeye movies was 1990’s Night Angel, a ludicrous erotic thriller about a succubus named Lilith (Isa Andersen) who preys upon the male workers at a fashion magazine. The cast includes Karen Black, To Live and Die in L.A.’s Debra Feuer, and The Shape of Water’s Doug Jones.
There are plenty of softcore sex scenes wedged in among the stilted dialogue and overwrought performances. Night Angel comes alive in the gore moments, though. One poor sap is lured into an elevator shaft by Lilith; he’s impaled by the spring upon hitting bottom. Later, there’s a demonic orgy filled with delightfully insane visual effects, including a naked lady who pulls up her breasts to reveal they have faces underneath them. Even the gang from Hellraiser would be impressed by the marriage of carnality and carnage here. Director Dominique Othenin-Girard also helmed Halloween 5: The Revenge of Michael Myers and an episode of Red Shoe Diaries, and that combination is about as apt a description of Night Angel as I can imagine.
© 2026 Mike McGranaghan