FrankenCon 2024 is hosting the debut screening of the indie horror film Solitude on Friday at 5 p.m. on May 10 at the Hilton Knoxville Airport in Alcoa, Tennessee. 

The showing is free for anyone with a ticket to the third annual convention. 

Mick Strawn is excited for the public to see Solitude, a movie he co-directed with Jeremy W. Brown. Strawn is the legendary production designer on films like A Nightmare on Elm Street 4: The Dream Master and Leatherface: Texas Chainsaw Massacre III. Brown directed one of best fan films ever made, Friday the 13^th: Vengeance. 

“It couldn’t happen at a better place,” Strawn tells lionelraygreen.com in an exclusive interview. “This is the third year of FrankenCon, and I’ve been there every year, and I’ve been a source of horror and embarrassment every year. I think people are really going to like Solitude as much I do. I think people are going to dig it. I think we did a really good job with a minimum of resources. It’s a great story.”

Solitude is a gritty movie that takes the premise of the survival competition TV series Alone and adds a vengeful Native American spirit to the mix. It features a powerhouse performance by scream queen-in-waiting Sam Wren Vincent and music by Harry Manfredini (yes, the same one who composed the original Friday the 13^th score). 

I watched a screener of Solitude and immediately noticed the film is not your typical low-budget indie horror production. The writing is top-notch, the direction is solid, and Vincent delivers a killer performance as Kara. Plus, there’s the music by Manfredini. To me, Solitude is a psychological creature feature with one of the most poignant endings I’ve ever seen in a horror film.

Rants From The Black Lodge Podcast host Brandon A. Lane also watched a screener of Solitude. Rants From The Black Lodge is an audio podcast doing cult film commentary since 2017. 

“Mick is a friend of mine, but before I was granted early access to see a rough cut of Solitude, I told him that I would pull no punches if I didn’t like it,” Lane tells lionelraygreen.com in an exclusive interview. “Thankfully, my notes were minimal. Independent films come in all shapes and sizes; Solitude’s budget was small, but its production value is enormous. I was an early cheerleader for Solitude and have been tasked with getting the word out about it. FrankenCon was a no-brainer to screen Solitude, and I’m delighted Mick’s hard work will be seen by a packed house of ravenous horror fans.” 

Tickets are available for FrankenCon at frankencontn.com.

Lane’s Rants From The Black Lodge Podcast sponsors FrankenCon. 

“FrankenCon is our Wrestlemania,” Lane says. “It’s the live event our podcast works towards every year. We host panels, schmooze with the celebs, and meet awesome like-minded horrors fanatics. Richard, Matt and Cory who run the event have been incredible to us the past two years, but this year is gonna be truly special. FrankenCon is a horror con run by horror fans for horror fans. It’s can’t-miss.”