There will be blood at the Beach this weekend. Beach Theatre, that is, as the Gasparilla Film Festival and Rick Danford's Enigma Films present three days of more gore than you can shake a chainsaw at, plus a few campy horror classics tossed in for laughs.

I'm checking out one of the weekend's grislier offerings right now: Live Evil (Sunday, 8:15 p.m.), produced by former Clearwater resident and Saint Leo University basketball player Mark Terry, who was kind enough to send along a screener. It's definitely a cut -- excuse the pun -- above the usual splatter flicks. Check it out.

The fun starts today at 1:30 p.m. with FREE SHOWINGS of four vintage flicks (and tamer than what the nights bring). Robot Monster (1:30), Son of Godzilla (3 p.m.), I Bury the Living -- with a great Richard Boone performance -- at 5, and William Castle's classic House on Haunted Hill at 6:30. Beach Theatre owner Mike France promises a few of Castle's ballyhoo gimmicks, including a "Coward's Corner" for timid viewers and a nurse, in case anyone faints.

Friday night is devoted to a pair of films from Sam Raimi's Evil Dead series: Evil Dead II (8:30) and Army of Darkness (10:45). Dress as your favorite "Deadite" and you'll have a chance to win prizes. Oh yeah, Bloody Marys will be sold at the concession stand. Tickets are $7 per show or $10 for the double feature.

Saturday's lineup begins with more FREE family-friendly thrills: Abbott & Costello Meet Frankenstein (10 a.m.); Munsters Go Home (12 noon); Gremlins (with audience participation!) at 2 p.m.; Ghostbusters (4:30); and Castle's The Tingler (7 p.m.) starring Vincent Price.

Then things get messy again with a zombie costume contest celebrating Night of the Living Dead (9 p.m.), followed by the Beach's popular Rocky Horror Picture Show featuring live in-sync performances by Interchangeable Parts at 11:30. Toast and squirt guns are encouraged. Again, tickets are $7 per movie or $10 for the double feature.

Sunday afternoon is family-friendly and FREE again with encores of Ghostbusters (10 a.m.); Gremlins (noon) and The Tingler (2:15 p.m.).

Danford's Halloween Horror Picture Show takes over Sunday afternoon. Tickets are $7 for the whole shebang. A collection of short horror films -- several locally produced -- begins at 4:30. Titles include The Reaper, Frankenstein vs. the Wolfman, Side Effect, Lamp Post Lake, In Darkness and Alarum.

The festival wraps up (with a tourniquet) with three adults-only shockers: A Gothic's Tale (5:45), Live Evil (8:15) and Shadowland at 10 p.m.

Be there and scared or be square.