In an effort to bring movie buffs from throughout the region into the city, the Garden Cinemas, and, subsequently, the Greenfield City Council, have declared the month of September “Stephen King Month.”

From Aug. 30 to Oct. 4, Garden Cinemas will show 25 classic films based off the works of the world-renowned horror novelist Stephen King, commonly known as the “King of Horror.” With five films playing each week, Garden Cinemas co-owner Isaac Mass said festival goers will have another chance to catch their favorite King movie, even if they can’t make the first showtime.

“We want people to get ready for the October scare season by with an early start in September,” Mass said. “There's lots of opportunities to see lots of great Stephen King and there’s a lot of films that people don't know are Stephen King films, or don't think of as Stephen King films like ‘Stand by Me,’ ‘Shawshank Redemption,’ or ‘The Green Mile.’”

The festival will also spotlight “Maximum Overdrive,” the only film King ever directed. 

Noting that a large portion of the 2018 Stephen King-inspired television show Castle Rock was filmed in Orange, Mass said the film festival also aims to reunite Franklin County’s horror fans with King, a New England icon. 

“Stephen King is the godfather of horror, and we do really well with that genre — we've got a pretty great horror audience in Franklin County,” Mass said. “It's something that other businesses could easily tie into, because there's so many options for what you can tie into. And we're really excited about giving that opportunity to other businesses. We’re excited about getting everyone on the same page.”

After receiving a $500 Massachusetts Cultural Council grant to plan the festival, Mass said the theater joined forces with co-sponsors Cohn & Company Real Estate Agency in Greenfield and Development Associates of Agawam, to host the event. He said as the summer winds down and children return to school, movie ticket sales tend to decline in the fall.

The City Council voted unanimously reecently to approve a resolution declaring September 2024 “Stephen King Month,” after Precinct 7 Councilor Wid Perry, who proposed the resolution, read it before the council.

The resolution highlight’s King’s iconoclasm, noting that the both the famous writers’ novels and nonfiction works have been taught at Greenfield High School for more than three decades.

In the resolution, Perry also cited a 2021 independent study conducted by Ernst and Young, claiming that retail businesses located near movie theaters see a 50% increase in revenue the hour before and after a movie. He said the decision to sign the resolution was motivated partly by a push to boost the local economy and support the theater.

“Garden Cinema has talked to the Franklin County Chamber of Commerce Tourism Program to use this event to drop in tourism ... from over 50 miles away,” Perry said. “The Garden Theater is one of the businesses who hung in there and made it through this pandemic, and it has been great for the downtown business area. Some of the thinking behind this Stephen King [festival] is to help promote business downtown and to promote the historic theater.”

Stephen King Film Festival schedule

Week 1 (Aug. 30 – Sept. 5): “It” and “It Chapter Two,” and two Drew Barrymore films, “Firestarter” and “Cat’s Eye,” along with “Secret Window” starring Johnny Depp.

Week 2 (Sept. 6 – 12): “Creepshow,” directed by George Romero, “Hearts in Atlantis” with Anthony Hopkins, “Pet Semetary,” “Christine,” directed by John Carpenter, and “The Mangler.”

Week 3 (Sept. 13– 19): “The Shining” with Jack Nicholson, and sequel “Doctor Sleep,” “Green Mile” with Tom Hanks, “A Return to Salem’s Lot,” and “Apt Pupil” with Ian McKellen.

Week 4 (Sept. 20 – 26): “Carrie” with Sissy Spacek, “Misery” and “Dolores Claiborne” both starring Kathy Bates, “Dreamcatcher” starring Morgan Freeman, and “Dark Tower” with both Matthew McConaughey and Idris Elba.

Week 5 (Sept.27– Oct. 4th): Rob Riener’s “Stand By Me” starring Richard Dreyfus, River Phoenix, Corey Feldman, Jerry O’Connell and Will Wheaton, “Shawshank Redemption” with Morgan Freeman and Tim Robbins, “Needful Things” with Ed Harris, “Cujo,” and Stephen King directed “Maximum Overdrive” starring Emilio Estevez.

Anthony Cammalleri can be reached at acammalleri@recorder.com or 413-930-4429.