Fans of horror films were able to wallow (mostly in blood) at the recent Austin Horror Film Festival.
The armadillo stole the show in the feature film McConadilla, directed by Layton Matthews. This entry from Brookeland, Texas was surprisingly great. In fact, it won Best Feature at the awards ceremony!
Before I say anything about the film, I have something spooky to relate. Two mornings before the screening of the film I headed out in the car before sunrise. I had travelled just a few seconds before I had to slam on the brakes. There, walking right in front of my car, was an armadillo! I had never seen one in my neighbourhood before. Sure, we have squirrels, possums, raccoons, and in the air a hawk and some vultures. But never an armadillo! Little did I know that an evil armadillo would be perched on my shoulder just 2 days later (lead photo), just in time for Halloween.
The star of the film (and its director) is Layton Matthews, who kindly posed with me after the film. He plays Henry, a ne’er-do-well who makes some silly videos for the internet with his hand puppet, an armadillo named McConadilla. One day the puppet gets fed up with being nothing but a prop: reminiscent of an episode of The Twilight Zone, it suddenly becomes an animated, sentient creature.
The armadillo decides to protect Henry from bullies, and of course the best way to do that is the very permanent solution of murder. With lethal weapons in his mouth, the body count racks up: one loses track of the number of corpses of hitmen sent to kill Henry. I won’t give any more away. Suffice to say that what sounds like a lame plot becomes one of the most innovative horror films I have seen. The balance Henry strikes between romance and mayhem is a cinematic gem.
The soundtrack is tremendous (Scott Glasgow did the score composin’). Among the performers are Timbo, Jimmy Changas, Cowboy Bob and Trailer Trash, The Jimmy Changas, Sugs, The Shivas, Sons of Perdition, Aaron Walker Band, Pretty Dead Ferrari, Mic Dangerously, and Old Death Whisper.
After the film, Matthews was joined on stage by several others, including Jason Amodeo (Production designin’ and designer of the puppet) and Becky Boxer, who plays one of Henry’s love interests in the film.
“The movie was 15 days in my house,” said Matthews. Attentive viewers should notice three film posters on the wall; these are films he has made previously, in real life. Matthews admits McConadilla “is a dumb-ass name. During Covid, we were all locked down. Being artists, we started a puppet show. We all wanted puppets, and Amadeo asked me what kind of puppet I wanted. I want a Texas armadillo! ‘What are you going to call it?’’ asked Amadeo. Shit, nobody’s going to watch this, I’m calling it McConadilla! And here we are!”
Shot on a low budget over 22 days, McConadilla deserves to be widely viewed. With its unique blend of heart-warming scenes and terror, it’s a real winner!
Principal cast:
Charity Croomes
Jesse C Boyd
Bob Salatich
Becky Boxer
Here is a Halloween question I bet you are afraid (very afraid) to answer: Who is your puppet master?
TOP winners for 2025:
- Mcconadilla: Best Feature.
“RUNTESTUN”: Best Animated Short.
liminal.house: Best Texas Short.
Check it out for next year: www.austinhorrorfilmfestival.com