Tabitha Durden, left, and Matt Simon are both with Bleeding Kansas Horror Club and will screen a Thanksgiving-themed horror movie, Thankskilling.

Thanksgiving is the perfect excuse to gorge on tasty treats: mashed taters, gelatinous cranberries and succulent turkey.

But what if your holiday turned into a nightmare and the turkey bit back? “Thankskilling” will make you thankful your poultry is dead and cooked. This campy film about a bloodthirsty turkey is so bad, it’s delicious.

The Bleeding Kansas Horror Club will present the low-budget horror flick, starring a “fowl-mouthed” bird, at 7 p.m. today in the Kansas Union. The event is free and promises a cheesy good time. Two college students, Kevin Stewart and Jordan Downey, created the film in only 11 days for less than $3,500.

Matt Simon, president of the club, is a film major at Kansas University. He first learned about “Thankskilling” from the Fangoria Magazine Web site.

“I e-mailed the creators, and they actually e-mailed back within an hour,” Simon says. Not only were they quick to respond, but the creators offered Simon the film for free. Typically, it costs around $500 to legally screen a copyrighted film.

Because they are able to forgo an admission fee, the group decided to incorporate a food drive into the event.

“It was the natural thing to do, and I thought more people might come,” Simon says. “I’m hoping that everyone brings food, and I’d like to fill the auditorium.”

All donations will benefit the Lawrence Community Shelter, which is in need of nonperishable items like cereal, coffee and granola bars.

Simon has had a thing for the horror genre ever since he was about 8 years old and his cousin scared him after a night of watching scary movies. He started the club to meet others with a similar passion and to learn from them.

“I wanted people who like all facets of horror culture to come together,” he says.

Tabitha Durden, vice president of the club, still gets scared while watching horror movies.

“I refuse to watch the ‘Leprechaun’ movies. They scare me the most,” Durden says.

The Bleeding Kansas Horror Club meets 6:30 p.m. Tuesdays in the Kansas Union. The club is free to join and open to students and non-students alike. The club plans to show more movies and host themed parties to grow its membership.

“It’s just a fun thing to do before Thanksgiving break,” Simon says.

Here’s hoping your holiday bird goes down smoothly.

Caution: Trailer contains explicit language and gore