Monday 29 February 2016

“Stomping Ground” - US DVD review

There’s something “abominable” stalking the woods of North Carolina in Dan Reisser’s “Stomping Ground”, which comes to US VOD and DVD this month.

Young couple Ben (John Bobek – When a Stranger Calls) and Annie (Tarah DeSpain) are visiting Annie’s remote home town in North Carolina, when some of her old friends suggest going on a camping trip like old times. This is done under the guise of going on a ‘Bigfoot Hunt’, as local legends persist of a sasquatch type beast living wild in the forest. But despite Ben’s initial reluctance, they eventually decide to go as it will be a good excuse to just get drunk and party in the woods.

Having hiked deep into the wilds, Ben suspects that Annie’s ex, Paul (Jeramy Blackford – Forbidden Woods) concocted the whole trip as an attempt to try and lure her back. However, as they bed down for the night it seems to local Bigfoot legend might actually be true as members of their group start to go missing at an alarming rate at the hands of something very large and wild…

"Stomping Ground" is a low budget indie film, but looks like it had more money than it probably did. Its competantly filmed, the actors can actually act and makes good use of its scenic woodland location.

The plot is kind of like an updated version of the old 1980s film “Night of the Demon”, but with elements of “Straw Dogs” mixed in (and arguably Blair Witch, but minus the shaky camcorder footage). The film is a bit slow to begin with but proved quite entertaining when the beast finally shows itself and proceeds to start making mincemeat of the campers, which proved (possibly unintentionally) to be quite amusing in places.

The film is released to US VOD outlets and to US DVD March 8th.

Buy the US DVD from Amazon.co.uk


 

Sunday 28 February 2016

"The Last Witch Hunter" - UK BD review

Vin Diesel stars in a distinctly un-fast or furious role, as a character that would give Buffy the Vampire Slayer a run for her money, in the dark, high-octane thriller “The Last Witch Hunter”, which is out now on Digital, and is released to UK BD and DVD March 7th

In this, Diesel plays Kaulder, a modern day witch-hunter, who’s been cursed with immortality, following an unfortunate incident with a witch-queen during the middle ages. Working for a church group, who call themselves the Axe and Cross, he goes around New York City tracking down witches who abuse their powers.

So when his assistant, a priest named Dolan (Michael Caine - Dark Knight trilogy), mysteriously dies, he suspects foul play. Aided by a younger priest (Eilijah Wood - Maniac) and a witch named Chloe (Rose Leslie - TVs Downton Abby), they discover dark forces are at work and a former nemesis may be not be as dead as they originally thought…

Vin Diesel plays the usual wise cracking tough guy, this time battling occult forces, and I thought Michael Caine and Elijah Wood were aptly cast as the wise old priest and inexperienced newcomer respectively. Rose Leslie's character was also very likeable as the sympathetic witch. I'm sad to say that the film has received some negative reviews in the press, which I think is a bit unfair as I thought it was great fun.

Extras on the disc include…

Audio commentary track with director Breck Eisner

Crafting Magic – A 30 minute making of feature, including behind the scenes footage and interviews with the cast and crew.

Animated shorts – 4 animated short films, filling in the backstory behind the formation of the Axe and Cross hunters to combat the rise of witchcraft, narrated by Michael Caine.

Sizzle reel – a collection of promo clips, set to the tune of “Paint it Black” (which can also be heard on the end credits) with narration by Michael Caine.

Deleted scenes – lastly you get a couple of deleted/extended scenes that were trimmed from the film.

This review is of the Blu-Ray release, but the film is also available on DVD. 

If you supernatural thrillers, "The Last Witch Hunter" comes highly recommended.

Buy the UK BD from Amazon.co.uk

Buy the UK BD from Amazon.co.uk

 

Saturday 27 February 2016

THE ONES BELOW - comes to UK cinemas March

Icon Film Distribution are delighted to announce THE ONES BELOW will be released in UK cinemas this March.  Marking the debut feature from writer-director David Farr (screenwriter of Hanna and The Night Manager), THE ONES BELOW is a dark, modern fairy tale (or gripping psychological thriller) in which the lives of two couples living in London become fatally intertwined


Starring a compelling quartet of actors - Clémence Poésy (Birdsong, The Tunnel, Harry Potter), David Morrissey (The Walking Dead, Red Riding, Welcome to the Punch) Stephen Campbell Moore (Complicit, History Boys, Ashes to Ashes), and Laura Birn (Purge, Pearls and Pigs, Heart of a Lion), THE ONES BELOW is a compelling study of contemporary London, the loneliness of motherhood and the anxiety of the modern world.  (which will make you question how well you know your neighbours)

Kate (Clémence Poésy) and Justin (Stephen Campbell Moore) live in the upstairs flat of a London house. Thirty-something, successful and affluent, they are expecting their first baby. All appears well on the surface though Kate harbours deep-rooted fears about her fitness to be a mother and her ability to love her child.  One day, another couple, Jon (David Morrissey) and Theresa (Laura Birn), move in to the empty apartment below. They are also expecting a baby and, in stark contrast to Kate, Theresa is full of joy at the prospect of imminent motherhood.  

Pregnancy brings the women together in a blossoming friendship as Kate becomes entranced by Theresa’s unquestioning celebration of her family-to-be.  Everything changes one night at a dinner party in Kate and Justin’s flat.  Kate begins to sense that all is not as it seems with the couple below. Then a tragic accident throws the couples into a nightmare and a reign of psychological terror begins.

 THE ONES BELOW will be released in UK cinemas 11 March.  

View the trailer on YouTube

Wednesday 24 February 2016

"The Ninth Configuration" comes to UK BD

From William Peter Blatty, renowned author of The Exorcist, comes one the most unique and extraordinary films on screen, The Ninth Configuration, a taut theological thriller from 1980, which makes its UK Blu-ray debut courtesy of Second Sight.

This mind-blowing cult classic arrives on Blu-ray and DVD, as well as download and on-demand on 25 April 2016, complete with a whole host of newly produced bonus features, including brand new interviews with William Peter Blatty, Stacy Keach and many more.

Deep in a forest of pine trees near the coast of Washington State stands a secluded gothic castle, commandeered by the Pentagon for use as a military asylum. Determined to establish the true nature and origin of the men's mental illness, the Pentagon enlists the services of Colonel Kane (Stacy Keach – American History X), a brilliant, yet strangely unorthodox psychiatrist. With a reserved calm he indulges the inmates’ delusions, allowing them free rein to express their fantasies. But some are wary of the newcomer and his methods. There may be more to Kane than meets the eye and the insanity escalates towards an explosive revelation.

Written, directed and produced by William Peter Blatty this tense and gripping tale mixes theology and psychology and hosts a stellar cast including Scott Wilson (The Last Samurai), Jason Miller (The Exorcist), Ed Flanders (The Exorcist III) and Tom Atkins (Lethal Weapon). Who is Kane? And what has is he hiding?
 
Bonus features:
• Audio Commentary by Writer / Director William Peter Blatty
• The Writer/Producer/Director - Interview With William Peter Blatty
• Confessions of Kane - Interview With Actor Stacy Keach
• The Debrief Of Sgt. Christian - Interview With Actor Stephen Powers
• Designing The Configuration - Interviews With Production Designer William Malley
and Art Director J. Dennis Washington
• Killer On My Mind - Interview With Soundtrack Composer Barry De Vorzon
• The Party Behind The Curtain - Interviews With Actors Tom Atkins, Jason Miller,
Richard Lynch and William Peter Blatty
• Mark Kermode Introduction
• Deleted Scenes and Outtakes

 Buy the UK BD from Amazon.co.uk

 Buy the UK DVD from Amazon.co.uk


 

Tuesday 23 February 2016

The Horror Channel (UK) interviews director Paul Hyett

On the eve of THE SEASONING HOUSE receiving its Network Premiere on the HORROR CHANNEL, director Paul Hyett talks about the difficulty of casting the lead role, the virtues of listening and the proudest moment of his career (so far!)



Q: Did you know from a young age that you wanted to work in movies?

Yeah, when I was in my teens. I loved movies, they were such an entertaining escape for me and horror movies were my favourites - The Thing, Nightmare on Elm Street, Friday the 13th… I decided early on that as soon as I left school I wanted to work in the film industry. Because I loved sculpting, painting and art, coupled with my love for creatures and gore, I figured that special make up effects was the way to go.

Q: You made your name working as a special effects make-up artist, can you recall what it was like being on set for the first time?

Well, I went into the industry the very low budget route so it wasn’t daunting. Most of what I was working on were student films, short films and micro budget features, so everyone was learning together. It was exhilarating and so much fun learning my craft and being part of movies. I think when I got onto the more professional ones, it was a step up in responsibility and work ethic, and it was more daunting, but you grow and learn. Experience is key in this industry and I had to learn quick still being a teenager.

Q: What would you say was your greatest make-up effect?

Well, it’s hard to pin down a particular make up effect, I suppose ‘The Descent’ was a landmark as we were producing large scale manufacture of silicon appliances for the crawlers. As far aa I’m aware, no one was really doing that. It was a real step up from foam latex, and we did so much on that film, fifty applications of crawlers, mechanical heads, dead bodies, gore effects, dead animals, stunt weapons and a thousand bones in about six weeks of prep. It was an undertaking, and a major achievement in my career.

Q: Was becoming a director always part of your career plan?

Not at first. When I was a teenager, it was all about special make up effects, creatures and gore. But over the years, the thought of putting my own visions on the screen
Grew. I was getting so much work in prosthetics, sometimes ten films a year, running large departments, that I had no time to pursue writing and directing. But about eight years ago I decided, enough, I want to make my own movie, and so I started to really pursue it, making time to write and that’s when about four years ago, we finally came up with ‘The Seasoning House’.

Q: The Seasoning House is getting its Network Premiere on Horror Channel this month, how did the project come together?

I had known the producer Michael Riley for about fifteen years at that time, and the last few years before we made TSH we had spoken about doing a film together with me in the director’s chair. At the same time I had spoken to another writer. Helen Solomen, about a project she had about sex trafficking, about a young girl trapped in a brothel.  It was more a real life docu-drama, and I said I thought it would make a terrific horror thriller, I went away and wrote a fifty page pitch and then brought on a co-writer, Conal Palmer, and we developed it into a feature length script. I then pitched it to Templeheart films, they loved it and raised the money and we made it.

Q: Was it a difficult movie to cast as Rosie Day and Kevin Howarth in particular are outstanding?

Well I’d known Kevin for years and thought he’d be great for the role of Viktor, a manipulative, cunning swine. The role of Angel was more difficult, we saw 130 girls in open auditions, and Rosie was in the final ten, I was worried, then Rosie came in, and she blew us away, her strength, her vulnerabilities, she was fantastic from the start, she nailed it.
 
Q: How nervous were you sitting in the director’s chair for the first time?

Not at all, I feel more comfortable on a set than anywhere else, and I think that took away the nervousness, I had in my head what I wanted to do, and just did it, I had a great producer, and a lovely cast and crew.

Q: It’s a bleak and challenging film, what was the atmosphere like on set?

It was always in our heads that we weren’t making an exploitative film, and the girls wanted to do justice to a real life horror in the world. On set it was a fun atmosphere, we all got on so well, considering the subject matter, everyone had a fun time.

Q: Was it a tough shoot?

Not really, it was only four weeks long, and it was mostly just cold, The real challenge was doing a movie with strong performances, lots of stunts, wire work, VFX work, SFX elements, chases through woods in the cold winter, all in such a short space of time.

Q: How nervous were you when it premiered at FrightFest in 2012?

YES! VERY nervous. But the FrightFest crowd was lovely and so welcoming.  And Alan, Paul, Greg and Ian really made it special. It aas such an exhilarating experience, easily the proudest moment in my career.

Q: What did you learn of the craft of directing whilst making The Seasoning House?

Always prep as much as you can, listen to your cast and crew, bring out people’s skills, let them flourish as artists. You’re as good as your cast and crew, as long as you bring a vision, and know exactly what you want it should all fall in place. I’ve been lucky to have good producers, good cast and crews on my films.

Q: Would you approach it any differently if you were to make that movie now?

I would cut out Angel arriving at the woman in the pig cottage, I think it slows down the pacing at that point, but because she changes costume, we couldn’t change it in the edit. It’s the one mistake I regret, painting myself into that corner.

Q: So what can you tell us about your latest movie, Heretiks?

It’s the movie I was initially going to do after ‘The Seasoning House’, when Howl came along and I jumped onto that one first. ‘Heretiks’ takes place in the 17th Century, where a young woman, Persephone (played by Hannah Arterton), is saved from execution by a mysterious woman, played by Clare Higgins. She is taken to a priory to serve penance looking after the sick. However Persephone realises there is a much darker evil already there.

Paul Hyett, thank you very much.


THE SEASONING HOUSE premieres on the Horror Channel Saturday 27th Feb.

TV: Sky 319 / Virgin 149 / Freesat 138 / Freeview 70
Website | Facebook | Twitter


Get "Alienated" in US theatres and On Demand March.

The late Taylor Negron (Fast Times at Ridgemont High, The Last Boy Scout) stars in the explosive "Alienated", invading selected US cinemas and VOD this March via Gravitas Ventures.
 
From writer-director Brian Ackley comes an intoxicating, edge-of-the-seat science-fiction chiller tells the story of a married couple that is forced to confront their fatal relationship issues while on the brink of a possible alien abduction.
 
A film that “deserves the long list of accolades it has had bestowed on” (Movie Marker), "Alienated" has won 12 awards, including three for Best Feature, several Best Actor awards (including honours for the late Negron), and Best Director for Ackley.
 
George Katt (TVs Unforgettable), and Jen Burry (Deadly Affairs) co-star.

Alienated is produced by Princeton Holt at One Way or Another productions along with co-producers Cassandra Riddick and David Vaughn, in association with Fades 2 Black Media Group

Monday 22 February 2016

AUDITION - UK BD Review

Notorious Japanese horror AUDITION gets the special edition treatment from Arrow films this month, in an extras laden Blu-Ray and special Blu-Ray and DVD combo pack Steelbook from Arrow films.

Set in Japan, film producer Shigeharu Aoyama (Ryo Ishibashi – “The Grudge”) has spent the last 7 years bringing up his child alone, following the death of his wife. His son is now well into his teens, and has begun bringing home girls from school and convinces him that maybe he should start dating again.

However, being a little out of practice, he and his friend Yasuhisa (Jun Kunimura – "Kill Bill") come up with a cunning plan to get him back in the game. Using their film company as a front, they hold a series of auditions for a film, which is really just an excuse for them to meet aspiring actresses.

When Shigeharu interviews a young actress named Asami (Eihi Shiina - "Tokyo Gore Police") he becomes quite enamoured with her and the two quickly spark up a friendship, which quickly develops into a relationship. But when he attempts to do a little digging into her past, he soon discovers that she is not who she appears to be and things take a sinister twist when he finds he is not the first middle aged person to fall for her charms and what has happened to her previous lovers…

Originally released back in 1999, this one garnered a lot of notoriety for its graphic torture sequences. However, I personally found this one to be a bit on the slow side as it takes an awful long time to get where it wants to go. Plus there were these bizarre dream like sequences which showed Asami’s back story, but were done in such a surreal way I wasn’t too sure what I was supposed to be watching (and what was with that guy in the bag?????).

Be that as it may, the film has gathered a huge following, and its status as a cult film is firmly cemented amongst Jap Horror fans.

There have been many releases of this film up till now, however this one looks set to be the definitive version. Boasting a new 2k scan from original vault elements, 5.1 audio track, the discs also come loaded with the following special features….

-Introduction by Director Takashi Miike

-2x Audio commentary tracks. 1x with Director Takashi Miike and screenwriter Daisule Tengan, moderated by film journalist Masato Kobayashi and 1x with biographer Tom Mes (please note that the first commentary track is in Japanese with English subtitles).

-Interviews with Takashi Miike (30mins), and stars Ryo Ishibashi (16mins), Eihi Shiina (20mins), Renji Ishibashi (20mins) and Ren Osugi (16mins).

-Damaged Romance feature (35mins) – Interview with East Asian cinema expert Tony Raynss, providing linear comments on the film

Lastly you get the Japanese and European trailers and a photo gallery of production stills.

The film is available as a stand alone Blu-ray, which has a reversible sleeve containing alternate artwork and in a limited edition Steelbook which also contains a DVD version of the film. 

Pre-order the UK BD from Amazon.co.uk

Pre-order the UK Steelbook from Amazon.co.uk 



Friday 19 February 2016

"The Lesson" - A Review!!!

Saw meets Grange Hill in Ruth Platt’s grisly school shocker “The Lesson”, which is out on UK VOD this month on the Frightfest Presents label and is playing at this years Glasgow film festival on the 20th.

In a story which seems to reflect the sad state of the youth of today, who seem to have a free license to be as unruly, obnoxious and disruptive as they please. Whilst the teachers can do little to control them, because discipline is now classified as abuse in the eyes of the law. The story predominantly revolves around one such delinquent named Finn (Evan Bendall).

He and his group of friends, who are in their final year at comprehensive school, seem to have little interest in learning, and are counting down the days to their 16th birthdays, when they can finally leave. So spend most of their school days, being as rude and obnoxious during class as they can and have turned the pursuit of “seeing how far they can wind the teacher up before he breaks” into a fine art. Not that they behave any better out of school either.

But whilst Finn and his friend Joel are walking home one evening, their stroll is cut short when they are battered over the head from behind and bundled into a vehicle. Waking several hours later, bloodied and strapped to a bench, they discover perhaps they shouldn’t have pushed their teachers so hard, as one of them has decided to teach them a very important lesson that they will never forget.

Somewhat reminiscent of “Class of 1984”, writer and director Ruth Platt’s (actress – “The Pianist”) film directorial debut  is a very grim tale and a damning indictment of the state of education today, owing to lack of classroom discipline. Finn and his friends certainly make for very unlikeable characters, and this is the one rare occasion I was cheering for the films villain, as he proceeded to exact an extremely brutal punishment every time they get one of his questions on English literature wrong (Hey, this isn’t just a horror, it’s educational too!!!).

My only regret was that the teacher didn’t do much worse, and that he didn’t also get the other friend in their group as well. But despite all the gore and nastiness, there’s also a streak of jet black humour that runs throughout and learning about classic English literature has never been more fun!!!.

The film is playing the Glasgow Film Festival Sat Feb 20th, for more info visit HERE

The film is released to UK VOD outlets Feb 29 from ‘Frightfest Presents…’

Wednesday 17 February 2016

LAST GIRL STANDING - A review!

Director Benjamin Moody’s feature film debut “Last Girl Standing” hits UK Digital outlets this month on the “Frightfest Presents” label.

Several years ago, young Camryn (Akasha Villalobos) was on a camping trip with her friends, when they were set about by a deranged masked psychopath and it was only through sheer luck that she managed to escape with her life, whilst her other friends were brutally massacred.

Still privately struggling with post traumatic stress, she has become very withdrawn and isolated and is regarded as an oddball by her co-workers, who have no idea about her troubled past. But when she is attacked whilst working late one night, she suspects her assailant from all those years ago might not actually be dead.

As the film progresses, and she repeatedly catches sight of her previous attacker stalking her, she becomes convinced that the killer is not only out to finish what he started. But is also targeting her friends and co-workers. But, is everything as it seems?

An interesting film, which is a sort-of cross between a slasher movie and a psychological thriller, “Last Girl Standing” is an impressive directorial feature film debut from Benjamin Moody. In which you’re never too sure if this renewed threat is real, a figment of Camryn’s distressed mind, or if someone close to her is playing games.

The film hits UK Digital Download and Streaming services Feb 29.

 

High-Rise - in UK cinemas Mar18 - Main UK poster revealed

Studiocanal is pleased to present the main poster for Ben Wheatley's highly anticipated HIGH-RISE. Based on the novel by J.G. Ballard and starring Tom Hiddleston, Jeremy Irons, Sienna Miller, Luke Evans and Elisabeth Moss


1975. Two miles west of London, Dr. Robert Laing moves into his new apartment seeking soulless anonymity, only to find that the building’s residents have no intention of leaving him alone. Resigned to the complex social dynamics unfolding around him, Laing bites the bullet and becomes neighbourly. As he struggles to establish his position, Laing’s good manners and sanity disintegrate along with the building. The lights go out and the lifts fail but the party goes on. People are the problem. Booze is the currency. Sex is the panacea. Only much later, as he sits on his balcony eating the architect’s dog, does Dr. Robert Laing finally feel at home.

Be sure to follow High-Rise on Facebook and Twitter for future updates and news on the release.
 

Bernard Rose's FRANKENSTEIN" - new clips.

Candyman director Bernard Rose's updated take on FRANKENSTEIN is out now on UK Digital and comes to UK disc Feb 22nd. If you haven't seen this yet, here's a few clips to wet your appetites...




Xavier Samuel (The Twilight Saga) Tony Todd (Candyman, Hatchet II) Danny Huston (30 Days Of Night) and Carrie-Anne Moss  (The Matrix Trilogy) star.

Buy the UK BD from Amazon.co.uk

Buy the UK DVD from Amazon.co.uk



Tuesday 16 February 2016

Audition - on Blu-ray & dual format Steelbook - 29th Feb

Arrow Video is thrilled  to announce the release of their latest Takashi Miike title, the notorious J-horror, Audition, which arrives on Blu-ray and DVD on 29th February 2016 and also comes as a limited edtion Steelbook.

One of the most shocking J-horror films ever made, Audition exploded onto the festival circuit at the turn of the century to a chorus of awards and praise. The film would catapult Miike to the international scene and pave the way for such other genre delights as Ichii the Killer and The Happiness of the Katakuris. The latter which was made available by Arrow Video on Blu-ray and DVD last year.

Recent widower Shigeharu Aoyama is advised by his son to find a new wife, so he seeks the advice of a colleague having been out of the dating scene for many years. They take advantage of their position in a film company by staging an audition to find the perfect woman. Interviewing a series of women, Shigeharu becomes enchanted by Asami, a quiet, 24-year-old woman, who is immediately responsive to his charms. But soon things take a very dark and twisted turn as we find that Asami isn’t what she seems to be…

Pulling the audience into a story that will lead to one of the most harrowing climaxes in cinema history, Miike twists and turns us through delirious editing and shocking visuals for one of the most depraved nightmares of all time!

Special Features

• Brand new 2K restoriation of original vault elements.
• Original 5.1 Dolby Surround Audio
• Optional English subtitles
• Audio commentary with director Takashi Miike and screenwriter Daisuke Tengan
• Brand new commentary by Miike biographer Tom Mes examining the film and its source novel
• Introduction by Miike
• Ties that Bind – A brand new interview with Takashi Miike
• Interviews with stars Ryo Ishibashi, Eihi Shiina, Renji Ishibashi and Ren Osugi
• Damaged Romance: An appreciation by Japanese cinema historian Tony Rayns
• Trailers
• Reversible sleeve featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Matthew Griffin


Pre-order the UK BD from Amazon.co.uk

Pre-order the UK Steelbook from Amazon.co.uk 

Interview with PATCHWORK director Tyler MacIntyre

Ahead of the European premiere screening of PATCHWORK at the Glasgow Film Festival, FrightFest dissects the mind of director Tyler MacIntyre


Not many people can say they were mentored by Roger Corman, Peter Bogdanovich and Stuart Gordon for their feature debut. What did you learn from each of these filmmaking icons?

I have been incredible fortunate so far to have met any of these guys! Stuart was actually the only one who helped directly on this film, giving feedback on the script and helping shepherd us away from some big missteps with schedule and makeup effects. But Roger, and especially Peter are people that I’ve spent more time with, and really helped shape the way I think about film. I used to watch a lot and read about these filmmakers when I was younger, so it has been eye-opening getting to know them and finding out they’re every bit as awesome as you’d hoped, but still down-to-earth people.

Was your short film PATCHWORK a testing ground for the feature?

Sort of. We shot a two-minute short and called it PATCHWORK as a tone-test for an unrelated feature script I wrote called THE DISSECTIONS. It worked, and got people excited about the idea, but probably too well because they kept asking “Hey, is there a feature version of that short?”.  Then Chris and I started to flesh out what a longer idea would look like, and used the short as a proof of concept.

How long did it take to write the script with Chris Lee Hill and how did you hit on the idea for the main visual concept of the three women as one entity?

The seed idea of three people in one body was in the short. That’s something that we’d never really seen before in a horror film, and was a fundamentally creepy way to approach a Frankenstein-esque story. From there Chris and I zeroed in on the idea of Frankenstein as a metaphor for cosmetic surgery and self improvement.  Once we figured out the idea of seeing inside her head, with the three girls embodied and interacting with each other, the main characters became very apparent. We both really loved RE-ANIMATOR, DEAD ALIVE, and EVIL DEAD II so we veered pretty heavily in that direction and things started to fall into place. It was only three weeks before we did our first table read of the script and started looking for financing.

FRANKENSTEIN meets Frank Henenlotter: an apt description?

That’s funny, a lot of people have been bringing up FRANKENHOOKER to us, for obvious reasons. The stories aren’t really very similar, but I like Frank Henenlotter a lot. I had seen BASKET CASE and BRAIN DAMAGE growing up, but truthfully hadn’t seen FRANKENHOOKER until we were already in the middle of shooting the movie. We were deep in prep before I got a copy at Amoeba Records and I didn’t have time to check it out until Chris and I sat down on our one day off, in the middle of production. There is definitely a lot of the same anything-goes horror-comedy style in our movie, but it wasn’t really on our radar.

Tory Stolper is amazing as Jennifer and almost seems to be channelling Steve Martin in ALL OF ME for her awkward movement role. Was that your suggestion?

I wish it was, but bringing in a lot of the physical comedy references was all Tory. Oddly, I was more concerned with the make-up and voice stuff going into it, so we had a lot of rehearsals one-on-one that just dealt with that stuff. We got really lucky that she took such ownership over the physicality and was capable of doing the vast majority of her stunts herself.

Tory and co-stars Tracey Fairaway and Maria Blasucci work seamlessly together. Did it take time for them to find their chemistry or was it instant?


It was actually a really strange process to see, from my perspective. I’d met with the actors all individually, and then we had one group rehearsal before the first day. Tory basically knew the script verbatim because she’d been working for months. I knew Tracey from a previous movie, and she is always a brilliant ball of energy. I had only just met Maria, and I knew she was very sharp and extremely funny - so they were all quite different. But on the first day, once we got everyone in costume and started walking it through - everything just clicked, and their chemistry got better and better as the shoot went on. Now they’re actually good friends.

Was it difficult to strike the right tone between the balance of splatter and slapstick?

Yes, that was our biggest story concern, finding the right balance. I think a lot of recent horror films take themselves too seriously - as in they literally seem to take place in worlds where laughter is somehow non-existent. We wanted to try and do something closer in tone to horror movies we grew up with, many of which had a very wicked comedy streak. Doing something that is kind of throw-back can also have its pitfalls, because we wanted it to be contemporary, creative and original, not like a cover-band version of an ‘80s movie. Overall, we really just wanted to make a fun ride. Personally, I was aiming for a horror-comedy not a comedy-horror, and it probably ended up a little too far on the comedy side for some of the diehard horror fans out there. But hopefully they pick up on enough influences to know that we are legitimately massive horror fans ourselves and forgive us.

Great Saul Bass/Alfred Hitchcock style opening credits, you must be a big fan?

Huge fan of both, obviously. I’m pretty sure you’re almost not allowed to be a horror fan if you don’t like Hitchcock. Its hard not to love anyone so influential. The title people at Eevolver were also really stoked that we chose to go that direction with the opening animation, and once they heard the main theme it really came together.

Why did you choose Russell Howard III, composer of HOBO WITH A SHOTGUN, for the soundtrack?

Haha - I’ve actually worked with Russ many times and he always kills it. Especially on HOBO if anyone hasn’t seen it. He did my thesis film at AFI, as well as a bunch of projects subsequently, so we’ve gotten to know each other pretty well. For a lot of crew positions you usually have a list somewhere with ideas for people you could work with, but for me, my list of composers is really just a post-it note beside my computer that says “Russ”.

You are clearly a horror lover, so will you be remaining in the genre for the foreseeable future?

I am definitely a horror lover, and most of the scripts I am developing right now have some horror element to them. I don’t think I will remain there forever, but I do tend to come up with genre-type stories, which are also a lot of fun to make, so I’m hoping to stay in this part of the narrative world where you can get away with pretty much anything!

PATCHWORK screens as part of FrightFest Glasgow 2016 on Fri 26th Feb at the GFT Screen 1, 11.15pm. Tyler MacIntyre will be in attendance.



Midnight Special - New Trailer and UK poster

Following its premiere at the Berlin Film Festival over the weekend, Entertainment One UK Ltd. is delighted to bring you the new trailer and UK poster to Jeff Nichols' sci-fi thriller Midnight Special.




From acclaimed filmmaker Jeff Nichols (Take Shelter, Mud) comes a sci-fi thriller starring long-time collaborator Michael Shannon (Take Shelter, 99 Homes) alongside a brilliant ensemble cast including Adam Driver (Star Wars: The Force Awakens, Girls), Kirsten Dunst (Fargo, Spider-Man), Joel Edgerton (Warrior), Sam Shepard (Bloodline, Mud) and talented newcomer Jaeden Lieberher (St Vincent).

Roy (Michael Shannon) is a father desperate to protect his uniquely gifted, eight-year-old son in this genre-defying thriller which proves once again that director Jeff Nichols is one of the most compelling storytellers of our time. As father and son go on the run, an intense chase ensues as they are hunted down by a mysterious cult and a clandestine government agency – the outcome of which could bring about a world-changing event.

Released in UK and Irish cinemas on April 8th, Midnight Special stars Michael Shannon, Joel Edgerton, Kirsten Dunst and Adam Driver.

Visit the official Facebook and Twitter pages.

 
 

Monday 15 February 2016

"Deadly Famous" - A review!

Jim Lane and Eric Troop's indie horror "Deadly Famous" hits US VOD outlets this month from Indican Pictures.

The film stars Daniel O’Meara (John Carter, Iron Clad) as a washed up actor, who takes his craft a little too seriously, to the point of having an Obsessive Compulsive Disorder about it. Having lost his fame, he finds himself struggling to even get roles in low budget B-movies, as directors find his overly professional approach far too over bearing.

But acting isn’t his only connection to the movies, seems he also likes producing his own real-life horror films, with unsuspecting female members of the public as the victims, and the film follows him as he struggles from one audition to the next, inbetween filming his own snuff movies.

Also starring Jackie Moore (Pernicious) as his ex-girlfriend, and Eric Roberts as… well… Eric Roberts, the film is shot in the style of one of those “True Crime” documentaries, complete with an opening announcement about how “The LAPD responded to an incident at a house back in 2010 and uncovered one of the most brutal crimes in the department’s history” and features interviews with his agent and friends, with footage from his own home videos.

The film is partially told from a first person perspective or found footage style, which is fine given the pseudo documentary nature of this. However, the problem I had was the plot seemed to be very disjointed, as I had no real idea what was going on, or why he was behaving the way he was.

If you enjoy low budget B-movies you may want to give this one a go, but personally I found it way too slow and disjointed.

The film is out now at selected VOD outlets.


“Widow: Progeny”: Comic Kickstarter Campaign

This July, Mike Wolfer Entertainment will be publishing the first new “Widow” mini-series in 19 years, titled “Widow: Progeny.” Created in 1992, “Widow” was writer and artist Wolfer’s first foray into the horror genre, and it was a path that would later include his notable work on “Night of the Living Dead,” “Friday the 13th,” “Lady Death,” “Crossed: Badlands,” and a host of other horror properties. But as he gained recognition for his more high-profile projects, Wolfer’s “Widow” character maintained a huge cult following, despite the fact that the series hasn’t seen print in almost two decades. 

“Widow” tells the tale of Emma, the unfortunate recipient of genetic modification to infuse her human DNA with that of an arachnid. The unfortunate side-effect is that she gained the instincts and cravings of a spider, along with nightmarish, physical transformations that reveal her true arachnid nature. Prior to taking the “Widow” series to publisher Avatar Press in 1997, Wolfer self-published the first issue of a “Widow” spin-off series, titled “Widow: Progeny.” Written by Wolfer and illustrated by Karl Moline, the three-issue series was never completed after the move to Avatar. Due to the recent surge of interest in Wolfer’s older works, he has decided that now is the perfect time to finally reveal the true horror of the previously uncompleted “Widow: Progeny.”

“‘Progeny’ is one of those stories that I always wished had seen print, and now it’s finally happening,” explains Wolfer. “Back in ’97, at the height of the Ground Zero Comics ‘Widow’ series, I was ready to expand the ‘Widow’ mythos into new territory, but the move to Avatar, and a bunch of new priorities, left ‘Progeny’ unfinished and forgotten.” The original “Widow” stories focused on Emma, the tragic heroine who carries within her a “spider virus,” which can be sexually transmitted and infect- and genetically alter- those who contract it. “With ‘Progeny,’ I show how a single encounter with Emma is like the match that starts a wildfire. In fact, Emma does not appear in ‘Progeny,’ but her legacy is the impetus for the story.” Illustrated in the stark contrasts of black and white which was the hallmark of independent comics publishing in the 1990s, “Progeny” tells the tale of Katy, a shipwreck survivor on a Caribbean island overrun by half-human, half-spider mutations. When a U.S. Coast Guard helicopter rescue team crashes on the island, Katy must lead the survivors as they attempt to defend themselves from the terrors that lurk in the island’s dark interior.

Issue #1 of the three-issue, monthly “Widow: Progeny” mini-series will hit comic shop shelves in July, distributed by Diamond Comic Distributors. Art for issues #2 and #3 is being supplied by Roy Allan Martinez. “Because I’m so busy drawing ‘Daughters of the Dark Oracle,’ which I also self-publish, I just don’t have the time to illustrate the two uncompleted issues, but when I saw Roy’s intricate, dark, and downright creepy art style, I knew that he was the perfect person to take over the series.” Rounding out the creative team is Natalie Jane, who provides lettering and production assistance, and Ceci de la Cruz, whose digital color work graces not only every WIDOW: PROGENY cover, but every full color cover, art print, and pin-up published by Mike Wolfer Entertainment.

Funding for the series will be secured through a 30-day Kickstarter campaign that will launch February 15th, 2016 at 9:00 PM EST, with a funding goal of $6000. Backer rewards will include graphic novels, trading cards, Oracle cards, t-shirts, art prints, autographed comic collections, Widow action figures, and original art commissions. The rewards and rewards levels can be previewed at http://tinyurl.com/h6mzsrv.

Sunday 14 February 2016

Uncork'd picks up THE HOLLOW for US distribution

Uncork’d Entertainment have acquired North American rights to The Hollow, written and directed by Miles Doleac and starring James Callis, Christiane Seidel, Jeff Fahey, William Sadler, William Forsythe and David Warshofsky.  Deal will be officially announced in Berlin.




When a U.S. congressman's daughter passing through a small town in Mississippi dies in a mysterious triple homicide, a team of F.B.I. agents descends to investigate. The team's brilliant but jaded lead agent battling demons both past and present, as his beautiful, tough-as-nails partner tries to hold him and the case together. They find a struggling and corrupt sheriff's department, a shadowy and much-feared figure, who seems to be pulling all of the town's strings from his mansion on the edge of town and a local victim with a strange connection to a number of the town's most prominent figures.

Produced by Historia Films, Uncork’d Entertainment have yet to announce rollout plans but are planning a festival run for the film prior to general distribution. Title was licensed by Jeffrey Cooper at Cut Entertainment Group.

HIGH-RISE - Main trailer now released - in UK cinemas March 18

Studiocanal is pleased to unveil the main trailer for HIGH-RISE, the new film from acclaimed director Ben Wheatley. Adapted from J.G. Ballard’s visionary novel by screenwriter Amy Jump, HIGH-RISE stars Tom Hiddleston, Jeremy Irons, Sienna Miller, Luke Evans, Elisabeth Moss.



HIGH-RISE will arrive in UK cinemas 18th March

Follow the film on Facebook and Twitter 

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Saturday 13 February 2016

GOODNIGHT MOMMY - New UK trailer and Quad poster

Vertigo films have just released the UK trailer and Quad poster for the highly anticipated horror GOODNIGHT MOMMY, which comes to UK cinemas this March.



In the heat of the summer, a lonesome house in the countryside between woods and corn fields, lives nine-year-old twin brothers who are waiting for their mother. When she comes home, bandaged after cosmetic surgery, nothing is like before. The children start to doubt that this woman is actually their mother. It emerges an existential struggle for identity and fundamental trust.

GOODNIGHT MOMMY is in UK cinemas March 4th.


Bone Tomahawk - Top 10 list of cannibals in film

Cannibal - Cowboy shocker BONE TOMAHAWK comes to UK cinemas Feb 19, but many other horror films have featured cannibal tribes over the years. Here we take a look at 10 of the best...


Top 10 Cannibals shown in film (in no particular order)

Jupiter’s Clan (The Hills Have Eyes)
The cult classics cannibalistic mutants serve as some of the most memorable and horrifying antagonists in the history of cinematic horror.  


Hannibal Lecter (Silence of the Lambs)

The great Anthony Hopkins screen time for ‘Silence of the Lambs’ is just over 16 minutes, yet it was for this role that Hopkins would be awarded an Oscar for best actor. There is no villain more synonymous with cannibalism than Hannibal Lecter, all thanks to Hopkins first performance of Hannibal Lecter.



Angel Gang (Judge Dredd)

In a movie overflowing with action and memorable moments, it was the religious fanatics/ cannibals known as the “Angel Gang” who truly stand out in the 1995 original.


Cannibal Tribe (Cannibal Holocaust)

One of the most controversial films of all time, that is still to this day banned in certain countries. The Amazonian savages are relentless in their pursuit for human flesh.


The Sawyer Family (Texas Chainsaw Massacre)

It can sometimes be easy to overlook the cannibalism that features in this film, with viewers to focused on the nightmarish ‘Leather-face’ or the aging members of the sawyer family. But the sawyers murderuous pursuit for victims does not just stem from bloodlust, but for the consummation of humans.  


Colonel Ives (Ravenous)

Robert Carlyle portrayal of the cannibalistic Colonel Ives/ F.W.Colqhoun in this superb western acts as the standout performance in a film filled with superb performances, a terrifying premise excellently executed to create a unique film.


Troglodyte Clan (Bone Tomahawk)

These cannibalistic savages are truly shocking in their level of brutality and unflinching in their pursuit of Kurt Russell and his men. The film mixes the cunning of native Americans from classic westerns with the savagery of the tribes of films such as ‘Cannibal Holocaust’.


Kevin (Sin City)

Elijah Woods is a truly terrifying creation. Kevin is truly unnerving and a monster in a very real sense. Woods character is so superb as in that to fall prey to him you only have to be vulnerable.
 

Parker Family (We Are What We Are)

This 2013 American version is a remake of the Mexican film of the same name, telling the story of a seemingly normal family who happen to be cannibals. The dynamic in this version has been changed to that of a father-daughter family which creates adds weight to the horror that this could be the family next door.
 

The Survivors (Alive)

‘Alive’ is a different entry on this list, as the reasoning for our characters indulging in cannibalism greatly differs to others included in this list. This film is ultimately about horrific acts which had to be done to survive, making the cannibalism in this film truly cinematically different to many other films that touch on this gruesome subject.


BONE TOMAHAWK hits UK cinema Feb 19


Friday 12 February 2016

Frightfest Presents LAST GIRL STANDING on UK digital.

Coming to UK digital outlets this month on the Frightfest Presents label.

Five years ago, a masked killer brutally murdered a group of friends. Since then, Camryn (Akasha Villalobos), the lone survivor, has struggled to reclaim her shattered life. Wracked with guilt and paranoia, Camryn leads a depressingly lonely existence until Nick (Brian Villalobos), a new co-worker, befriends Camryn and attempts to integrate her into his group of friends. 

Just when she might be ready to start a new life, Camryn’s past comes back to haunt her. Can Camryn ever have a life again, or is she destined to be alone?

Part slasher movie, part character study, LAST GIRL STANDING is a penetrating and intimate look at what happens to the survivors of horror movies.

LAST GIRL STANDING is released to UK Digital Download and VOD outlets Feb 29 from Frightfest Presents.