Wednesday 30 September 2020

Crowfunder launched for Retro 90s Horror GHOST CREW

1990s-set horror GHOST CREW is to be the feature debut of Irish filmmaker Tom Staunton, who just launched a crowfunder for the project.

Staunton has previously directed two shorts which featured in Hex Studios' portmanteau feature For We Are Many, a film packed with upcoming horror talent that premièred at FrightFest last year.

GHOST CREW tells the story of Tom and Michael, a pair of misfits with an obsession for video cameras and the supernatural. Together, they investigate local mysteries and urban myths for their cheesy paranormal show 'Ghost Crew'. But they are about to make a disturbing discovery that will lead the Ghost Crew to catch its biggest scoop yet.

In an abandoned children’s hospital on the outskirts of town, lies a horrifying secret, a curse that damns anyone who dares enter. Those who survive rarely emerge unscathed, haunted by the phantom sounds of a woman struggling to breathe, her head encased inside a plastic bag. Who created this myth? Could it, in fact, be real? Roll camera, the Ghost Crew are about to find out.

In a meta-move, the filmmakers themselves (Tom Staunton and Michael Brewster) will feature as the main characters, albeit, with new character identities. They will be joined by experienced actors from around the world, including Richard Pate, Nick Ford, Jon Vangdal Aamaas and Alexander Zorn.

On the surface, the film is Nightcrawler meets Paranormal Activity, but according to Staunton, he was most inspired by independent horrors that get under the skin, like Ring, Lake Mungo, Noroi: The Curse and Candyman.

He says: “I love fly-on-the-wall horror movies, because they invite the audience to uncover horrifying secrets along with the protagonists. The best of them mix realism with dread in such a way that it’s almost unbearable to watch. I’ve been a fan of horror all my life, but this will be my first ever feature film and I couldn’t be more excited to be taking that big step. My one true goal is to make exciting, visceral, and original horror films, and the only way these films can get made and released is with the support of horror fans.”

The Kickstarter campaign launches today with perks including Limited Edition DVDs, books, and even credits in the film. The crowdfunder will run until October 22nd, and, if successful, Ghost Crew will shoot this winter.

The Kickstarter link: http://kck.st/2EFuQMJ

 

 

BLACK WATER: ABYSS on Digital and DVD 2nd NOV

BLACK WATER: ABYSS sees adventure-seeking couple Eric (Luke Mitchell - AGENTS OF S.H.I.E.L.D.) and Jennifer (Jessica McNamee - THE MEG) convincing their friends Yolanda (Amali Golden - THE INVISIBLE MAN) and Viktor (Benjamin Hoetjes - 10x10) to explore an uncharted cave system, in remote North Australia, with the help of the unpredictable Cash (Anthony J. Sharpe - ROBERT THE BRUCE) as their guide.

As a tropical storm floods the caves the adventurers are trapped in the dark recesses underground, cut off from the outside world. As the waters rise they soon realise they aren’t alone, and their desperate attempt to escape turns into a frantic man and woman versus crocodile fight for survival.

BLACK WATER: ABYSS locks its jaws onto the viewer from the opening scene and doesn't let go. Fans of CRAWL, THE SHALLOWS and THE DESCENT will be sure to get their creature feature fix, with the perfect film to reintroduce them to the chills and spills of seeing a jump-out-of-your-seat horror thriller on the big screen.

Directed by Andrew Traucki, who made the original BLACK WATER, this standalone sequel is the perfect popcorn chomping, thrill-filled cinema visit this summer. You’ll enjoy the trailer, but dare you dive into the abyss for the full, fearsome lost in the dark experience?

BLACK WATER: ABYSS arrives to terrorise everyone at home on Digital Download and DVD on 2nd November. 

 Buy the UK DVD from Amazon.co.uk

 

 

Saturday 26 September 2020

Mario Covone reveals first trailer for OVERTIME

Mario Covone, writer/director of hotly anticipated feature film ‘OVERTIME’, has released the first trailer to the movie today.

The trailer comes a few days before the beginning of a Kickstarter campaign, launching Tuesday September 29th, to raise funds for the production of the Blu Ray and its special features.

"The film itself is complete and ready for distribution. I hope that this trailer will get people excited enough to pre order a copy of the Blu Ray through this Kickstarter campaign, which in turn will fund some amazing special features." – Mario Covone, Director of ‘OVERTIME’

The Kickstarter will also give fans the opportunity to buy the poster, painted by horror hall of famer Graham Humphreys, as well as the soundtrack album, featuring bands from around the world, including The Crimson Ghosts, Zombiesuckers, So Long Until The Séance and Devilsnite.

"This Kickstarter campaign is a dream for horror fans, who can pick up a new indie horror movie, discover new music from an international assortment of horror punk bands and grab a poster painted by a horror icon." – Mario Covone, Director of ‘OVERTIME’

About the film - A teacher works late into the night at school, marking papers, seemingly alone. But a presence is watching him from the shadows. Stalked through the winding corridors and trapped within, a sinister secret holds the key to his survival. No stranger to political subtext within his work, Covone’s debut movie, which he has also penned, explores the real-world issues of violence in schools, and the dangers of media scaremongering, whilst maintaining a traditional horror backdrop with twists and turns aplenty. 

For more info visit..
http://www.facebook.com/OverTimeMovie19
http://twitter.com/OverTimeMovie19
http://instagram.com/overtimemovie2019


 

 

December 2020 releases coming from Arrow films

Arrow Video and Arrow Academy deliver a sackful of cineaste stocking fillers this Christmas, with a beautiful collection of three films from a Japanese auteur, an extraordinary action horror that redefined the genre, and the definitive edition of a beloved horror comedy on Blu-ray and UHD, in an astoundingly impressive boxset that will have fans slavering.

Survivor Ballads: Three Films by Shohei Imamura - on Limited Edition Blu-ray 7th Dec

Based on an ancient folktale, The Ballad of Narayama (1983) was the first of two works from the director to win the prestigious Cannes Palme d’Or. 

Imamura’s magnum opus depicts the members of an extended farming family eking out their existence in the mountainous north of Japan against the backdrop of the changing seasons before village lore decrees they make the sacrifice of abandoning their aged mother on the top of a nearby mountain when she reaches her seventieth year. 

Making its HD debut, Zegen (1987) takes a satirical look at Japan’s prewar colonial expansion through the unscrupulous eyes of its flesh-peddler antihero as he establishes a prostitution enterprise across Southeast Asia. 

Finally, the harrowing Black Rain (1989) details the precarious existence of a household of atomic bomb survivors as, five years after being caught in the blast of Hiroshima, they struggle to find a husband for their 25-year-old niece. 

LIMITED EDITION CONTENTS
• Restored High Definition Blu-ray (1080p) presentations of all three films
• Original lossless Japanese PCM 1.0 mono soundtracks
• Optional English subtitles
• Brand new audio commentaries on all three films by Japanese cinema expert Jasper Sharp
• Brand new, in-depth appreciations of all three films by Japanese cinema expert Tony Rayns
• Alternate colour ending to Black Rain, shot by Imamura but removed from the film shortly before its release
• Archival interviews on Black Rain with actress Yoshiko Tanaka and assistant director Takashi Miike
• Multiple trailers and image galleries
• Original Japanese press kits for The Ballad of Narayama and Black Rain (BD-ROM content)
• Limited edition 60-page booklet containing new writing by Tom Mes
• Limited edition packaging featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Tony Stella

Pre-order the BD Box-Set from Amazon.co.uk

Versus - On Blu-ray, 7th December

A mysterious face-off in a wooded clearing between two escaped convicts and a carload of sharply dressed yakuza holding a beautiful woman captive ends in hails of bullets and showers of blood. The location for this violent encounter is the mythic Forest of Resurrection, the site of the 444th portal of the 666 hidden gates that link this earthly domain to the netherworld – and it didn’t get this name for nothing. 

As one of the surviving prisoners escapes with the girl into the darkness of the forest, disgruntled gangsters soon become the least of their worries as an earlier battle between a lone warrior against hordes of zombie samurai is carried over from a millennium ago into the present day…

SPECIAL EDITION CONTENTS
• Brand new 2K restoration from original film elements by Arrow Films, approved by director Ryûhei Kitamura
• High Definition (1080p) Blu-ray™ presentations of both versions of the film: the original 2000 cut and 2004’s Ultimate Versus, featuring over 10 minutes of new and revised footage
• Reversible sleeve featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Chris Malbon

DISC 1: VERSUS
• Original lossless Japanese 5.1 and 2.0 stereo audio and English 2.0 stereo audio
• Optional English subtitles
• Audio commentary by Kitamura and producer Keishiro Shin
• Audio commentary by Kitamura and the cast and crew
• New visual essay on the career of Kitamura by Japanese cinema expert Jasper Sharp
• Behind Versus, a two-part behind-the-scenes documentaries exploring the film’s production
• First Contact: Versus Evolution, a featurette exploring the film’s origins
• Tak Sakaguchi’s One-Man Journey, an archival featurette on the actor’s visit to the 2001 Japan Film Festival in Hamburg
• Film festival screening footage
• Team Versus, a brief look inside the Napalm Films office
• Deep in the Woods, an archival featurette featuring interviews with Kitamura, cast and crew
• The Encounter, an archival interview with editor Shûichi Kakesu
• Deleted scenes with audio commentary by Kitamura, cast and crew
• Nervous and Nervous 2, two “side story” mini-movies featuring characters from the main feature
• Featurette on the making of Nervous 2
• Versus FF Version, a condensed, 20-minute recut of the film
• Multiple trailers
• Image gallery

DISC 2: ULTIMATE VERSUS
• Original lossless Japanese 6.1 and 2.0 stereo audio and English 6.1 and 2.0 stereo audio
• Optional English subtitles
• Audio commentary by Kitamura, cast and crew
• Sakigake! Otoko versus Juku, a featurette on the newly shot material for Ultimate Versus

FIRST PRESSING ONLY: Illustrated collector’s booklet featuring new writing on the film and a reprinted interview with Kitamura by Tom Mes, and notes on the making of the film by Kitamura. 

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

Tremors - On Limited Edition UHD and Limited Edition Blu-ray, 14th December

Good-ol’-boy handymen Val (Kevin Bacon) and Earl (Fred Ward) are sick of their dead-end jobs in one-horse desert town Perfection, Nevada (population: 14). Just as they’re about to escape
Perfection forever.

However, things start to get really weird: half-eaten corpses litter the road out of town; the phone lines stop working; and a plucky young scientist shows evidence of unusually strong seismic activity in the area. 

Something is coming for the citizens of Perfection… and it’s under the goddamn ground!

4K ULTRA HD BLU-RAY SPECIAL EDITION CONTENTS
• New 4K restoration from the original negative by Arrow Films, approved by director Ron Underwood and director of photography Alexander Gruszynski
• 60-page perfect-bound book featuring new writing by Kim Newman and Jonathan Melville and selected archive materials
• Large fold-out double-sided poster featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Matt Frank
• Small fold-out double-sided poster featuring new Graboid X-ray art by Matt Frank
• Six double-sided, postcard-sized lobby card reproduction artcards
• Limited Edition packaging with reversible sleeve featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Matt Frank


DISC 1 – FEATURE & EXTRAS (4K UHD BLU-RAY)
• 4K (2160p) UHD Blu-ray presentation in Dolby Vision (HDR10 compatible)
• Restored DTS-HD MA original theatrical 2.0 stereo, 4.0 surround, and remixed 5.1 surround audio options
• Optional English subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing
• New audio commentary by director Ron Underwood and writers/producers Brent Maddock & S.S.Wilson
• New audio commentary by Jonathan Melville, author of Seeking Perfection: The Unofficial Guide to Tremors
• Making Perfection, a brand new documentary by Universal Pictures interviewing key cast and crew from the franchise (including Kevin Bacon, Michael Gross, Ariana Richards, Ron Underwood, Brent Maddock & S.S. Wilson, among many others) and revisiting the original locations
• The Truth About Tremors, a newly filmed interview with co-producer Nancy Roberts on the film’s rocky road to the screen
• Bad Vibrations, a newly filmed interview with director of photography Alexander Gruszynski
• Aftershocks and Other Rumblings, newly filmed on-set stories from associate producer Ellen Collett
• Digging in the Dirt, a new featurette interviewing the crews behind the film’s extensive visual effects
• Music for Graboids, a new featurette on the film’s music with composers Ernest Troost and Robert Folk
• Pardon My French!, a newly assembled compilation of overdubs from the edited-for television version
• The Making of Tremors, an archive documentary from 1995 by Laurent Bouzereau, interviewing the filmmakers and special effects teams
• Creature Featurette, an archive compilation of on-set camcorder footage showing the making of the Graboids
• Electronic press kit featurette and interviews with Kevin Bacon, Michael Gross and Reba McEntire
• Deleted scenes, including the original opening scene
• Theatrical trailers, TV and radio spots for the original film as well as trailers for the entire Tremors franchise
• Comprehensive image galleries, including rare behind-the-scenes stills, storyboards and two different drafts of the screenplay

DISC 2 – INTERVIEWS & SHORT FILMS (BLU-RAY - LIMITED EDITION EXCLUSIVE)
• Extended hour-long interviews from Making Perfection with Ron Underwood, Brent Maddock, S.S.Wilson, Nancy Roberts and creature designer Alec Gillis
• Outtakes with optional introduction and commentary by S.S. Wilson
• Three early short films by the makers of Tremors, remastered in high definition, including S.S.Wilson’s stop-motion horror/comedy classic Recorded Live (1975)

Pre-order the UK 4K UHD Box-Set from Amazon.co.uk

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




I SPIT ON YOUR GRAVE: DEJA VU and GROWING UP WITH I SPIT ON YOUR GRAVE documentary released October

Kaleidoscope Home Entertainment is proud to present I SPIT ON YOUR GRAVE: DEJA VU and feature documentary GROWING UP WITH I SPIT ON YOUR GRAVE for the first time in the UK.

Both titles are also available as part of I SPIT ON YOUR GRAVE: THE COMPLETE COLLECTION, the shocking, controversial and ground-breaking film series, presented in its entirety on Blu-ray and DVD for the very first time from 5th October.

I SPIT ON YOUR GRAVE: DEJA VU, presented completely uncut, is the latest franchise instalment which sees original writer and director Meir Zarchi reunited with star Camille Keaton. 40 years after the events of the first film, Jennifer Hills (Keaton), now a successful author, and her daughter Christy (Jamie Bernadette) are tracked down by the families of Jennifer’s previous victims, seeking violent justice for her vigilante actions. 

Facing a new and dangerous threat, mother and daughter must fight to survive by any means necessary. For fans, this is a stunning, must-see and a satisfying final chapter in the legendary series.

GROWING UP WITH I SPIT ON YOUR GRAVE is the new, feature length documentary exploring the full story, history and lasting legacy behind the original cult classic, with new cast and crew interviews, and never-before-seen footage. The film is available on disc with I Spit on Your Grave: Original (Special Edition Double Disc) and as a standalone title on digital download.

Hailed as a feminist-revenge masterpiece by some, and seen as crude exploitation by others, I SPIT ON YOUR GRAVE is engrained in cinematic history and THE COMPLETE COLLECTION is the ultimate tribute to one of the most notorious film franchises of all time, a must-have for fans and collectors .

Pre-order the Complete Collction BD Box set from Amazon.co.uk

Pre-order the Complete Collction DVD Box set from Amazon.co.uk



 

 

 

Trailer released for British Short Sci-Fi Drama COGNITION

TALASH VIDEO CENTRE and DIGITAL BOULEVARD, in association with China House Arts and Twelve Corner Productions, reveal the trailer for the upcoming British sci-fi short COGNITION, starring Andrew Scott (1917, Fleabag, Spectre) and Jeremy Irvine (War Horse, Treadstone, The Railway Man). 

Produced and Directed by Ravi Ajit Chopra, COGNITION is a short dystopian sci-fi drama / thriller about a son confronting his past trauma. Journeying through the symbolic landscape of the subconscious mind, the story follows an unbreakable bond between father and son…. A bond that transcends SPACE AND TIME…..

Filmed on location at the iconic Battersea Power Station, COGNITION was the last film to be shot at the Grade II* listed building during the huge redevelopment. Filming was made possible with support from various BBC departments and use of their BBC News helicopter for breathtaking aerial shots, including a stunning orchestral score from the BBC’s 55 Piece Concert Orchestra, recorded at Air Studios in London.

Rising Composer Samuel Karl Bohn composed the film score, renowned Production Designers Universal Creations (Star Wars, Guardians of the Galaxy) built key sets and props. Emmy award winning Supervising Sound Editor Stuart McCowan and his team produced a searing atmospheric soundtrack at Twickenham Film Studios with a Dolby Atmos print at Abbey Road Studios. 

Various VFX companies including Emmy winning Peerless, Territory Studios and Foundry helped to complete the 350 Visual Effects shots. Technicolor worked on the film from an early stage for a period of a year, and provided their visual wizardry on invisible VFX, grading and finish.

Director and producer Ravi Ajit Chopra said: “Cognition is a very personal film for me, I have always been fascinated with the inner workings of the mind, and what it means to confront your trauma / demons and follow your dreams….. I hope the audience will enjoy coming on this psychological rollercoaster ride."

COGNITION will premiere at Archlight Cinema at the Battersea Power Station on 9th October 2020 and will have the rare privilege for a short to have a cinema release for two weeks. COGNITION will also be available On Demand on 30th October 2020 via Apple iTunes, Amazon and Google Play 

HALLOWEEN 4 + 5, TRICK 'R TREAT, & TALES FROM THE DARKSIDE Merch from Fright-Rags

Spooky season is here with Fright-Rags' new merchandise from Halloween 4: The Return of Michael Myers, Halloween 5: The Revenge of Michael Myers, Trick 'r Treat and Tales from the Darkside.

Michael Myers returns to Fright-Rags to get his revenge with fresh apparel from two beloved slasher sequels. Halloween 4: The Return of the Michael Myers received three shirts, while Halloween 5: The Revenge of Michael Myers has two. 

 
You’ll never forget to check your candy with Fright-Rags’ Trick ‘r Treat activity book: 16 pages of Halloween fun with crayons included. The Trick 'r Treat line also includes a new shirt and an embroidered trucker hat, plus restocks of previous tees and lounge pants. 


Fright-Rags’ Tales from the Darkside collection is waiting for you to enter. The horror anthology series has spawned three shirts, including one that glows in the dark, a 3D embroidered hat, and an enamel pin. 

 
Halloween 4, Halloween 5, Trick 'r Treat, and Tales from the Darkside collections are on sale now at Fright-Rags.com.

 

 

Writer & producer Caroline Goodall talks about her dark psychological thriller THE BAY OF SILENCE

Ahead of the release of the UK release of the dark psychological thriller THE BAY OF SILENCE on Sept 28, Caroline Goodall talks Hollywood influences and the mental health issues that drew her to write and produce her first feature film.

Q) Why did you choose to become an actor?

Performing was my freedom. I had a childhood stutter but it disappeared when I pretended to be someone else, so acting freed me from the stutterer’s crippling shyness. I desperately wanted to be an actress, but I had no clue how to go about it as a career as my family weren’t in the business, though they loved the theatre. So, I thought if I took every opportunity maybe I’d find my way. I joined the National Youth Theatre and then in my last year of school, I was spotted in a school play. 

I spent the summer starring in a BBC period drama series called The Moon Stallion. I had to ride side saddle and spent most of the shoot trying to stop my horse from charging the cameraman. Dorothea Brooking, the director (a rare woman at the BBC at the time) encouraged me to take up my place to study English and Drama Bristol University, maybe hoping I would end up doing something else, but I’d had a taste of the life of a professional actor and my mind was made up. Bristol led to The Royal Court, The National Theatre and then the RSC where I co-starred with Brian Cox (in Misalliance) who years later agreed to star in my film The Bay of Silence.

Q) Do you have a career defining moment?

Yes, being picked by the always amazing Steven Spielberg to play opposite Robin Williams in Hook. It was the first Hollywood 100 million dollar movie. I thought they would all be like that. Watching Spielberg work every day was my film masterclass and with Robin, Steven and Dustin I got to endlessly improvise and play with the script. It was a revelation.

Steven asked me to be Emilie Schindler in Schindler’s List two years later, which was a personal and professional life changing experience. I was so proud when years later, my daughter opened her history book on World War 2 and found a photo of me as Emilie Schindler from the film. 

  

Q) Is it true you’re the only British actress to star in two different Steven Spielberg films?

YES! And I feel truly blessed.

Q) Has writing always been part of your creative life or is it a newly-nurtured talent?

Our house was awash with books. My parents were great storytellers. My father was Liverpool Irish so that came with the territory and my mother’s stories of Sydney life growing up in Australia inspired me. She is still one of the most entertaining people I

know. I was always a book worm. Acting and writing are two sides of the storytelling coin but having faith that anyone would want to listen to my written words took time. Screenplays are deceptively difficult to write and demand intense discipline. But then selling them is even harder….

Q) What drew you to THE BAY OF SILENCE?

The book is beautifully written. I remember reading it in the Bay of Silence itself. Lisa St Aubin De Teran, the British born writer, famous for her colourful life chronicled in books like ‘Slow Train to Milan’ and ‘Keepers of the House’ was writing about places and people I could relate to. The book deals with a lot of things, including the idea that you can marry someone and not really know them.

The character of Rosalind (played brilliantly by Olga Kurylenko) has deep-rooted mental health issues. Madness always scrapes at the edge of creativity. My grandmother who graduated from Oxford in the early 20th century was a bit of a Sylvia Plath - she had breakdowns throughout the war and would disappear for days. My father, the eldest of five kids, would get on a train from Liverpool and search London for her. She was usually found sheltering with the Servite nuns. I know it affected him and he rarely talked about it. She died at 52. I never met her. My grandmother’s brother, my great uncle, Roland Berrill, was allowed to be ‘eccentric’ unlike I suspect my grandmother. He co-founded Mensa, the society for people with a high IQ, was a Fabian, Naturist, ran an art school in Venice, dabbled in the occult and designed a pack of tarot cards that are reputedly cursed. I located a deck once for my father’s birthday and he refused them. It’s the only time I saw him superstitious.

Q) Producing is a very stress-inducing role. What made you decide to do it?

Actors have always hacked away at the rock face to tell stories they want to tell, so to produce is a natural extension of what I already do. No one can get an indie movie made these days without being prepared to lead on it. A good script isn’t enough. I don’t tick boxes – I am a woman of a certain age for a start - so I knew I had to learn the job boots up. It’s a lonely road. I financed it in classic independent film model – script, business plan, sales agents, attaching talent, finding investors, pre-selling 14 territories to prove market appeal. It’s chicken and egg always.

My experience working with Spielberg and Hook producer Kathy Kennedy, inspired me to enrol in evening classes at UCLA and study Film Finance as well as screenwriting. I learned to budget and schedule the old way, fitting scene strips into a folding board thinking if I learned how to produce I might be ready, if ever the time came - but timing is everything and time went by. Marriage, kids, lots of acting work - the classic work/life balance problem.

Then my kids grew and my acting work stopped revolving around their school holidays. In 2014 I was asked to curate a screenwriter’s retreat in the Villa di Ulignano, a magical place renovated by Franco Cristaldi, who was Fellini and Visconti’s Italian producer who married to Claudia Cardinale, now owned by his son, Massimo. That one week lit a fire in me. Jim Hart (who wrote Hook), Olivia Hetreed, Michael Hoffman, Joanna Murray Smith, Andy Paterson - amazing writer/director/producers from around the world, gifted their time and talent. I resolved then and there that I would fulfil their faith. At different times they all pulled for me on this movie, stepping in with support and advice.

Packaging a film project involves constant meetings, film markets and travelling. Step by step I built the team. By the time we got into production, my daughter Gemma had graduated from Goldsmiths College, London University, in Media and English. She started as producer assistant moved to assistant production co-ordinator and on to post production and delivery. My son was an extra. My husband, Nicola Pecorini, who is Terry Gilliam’s cinematographer, gave advice, read different drafts, talked technical logistics and listened to me moaning. My line producer sister checked my early budgets. The list of people to thank is endless. Of course, there are war stories but I am so proud and grateful that we got there! I set the date. June 4. My brother’s birthday. When that happened, things started falling into place. Paula Van der Oest said yes to directing. Then Claes, Brian and Olga’s schedules firmed up, just as some money fell out - but I had momentum and momentum is everything. 

  

Q) The casting is inspirational, Were the three main leads always your first choices?

Packaging and financing a film is never a straight line. Paula Van Der Oest (our Oscar nominated director) and I knew we needed actors who were both contemporary but with archetypal movie star appeal, to tread that heightened reality of Neo Noir.

I had worked with Brian Cox at the RSC. He was always supportive of the script, and my only choice for Milton. Brian is an actor magnet - everyone wants to work with Brian. Olga is not only smart, talented and a Bond Girl but generous and down to earth. I asked my husband, cinematographer, Nicola Pecorini, who was working with her on Terry Gilliam’s The Man who Killed Don Quixote to slip her the script. Olga responded immediately and said, ‘when do we start’? It still took a year till a green light but she kept the faith and literally wrapped on one movie, got on a plane and flew to us in Italy, to start shooting.

I saw Claes Bang in The Square in Cannes and knew he would be a brilliant Will. I called my casting director, Sharon Howard Field, who discovered he had a UK agent, Simon Sharkey, who ironically, is also a writer and we had worked together! Claes is a theatre animal, like me, and invited me to see him in a play. Peter Garde, my first exec producer (and king of finance plans), is also Danish so I flew to Denmark. Peter picked me up from the airport and directed me on the train to a small regional theatre where Claes Bang star of The Square, Best European Actor 2017 was playing a matinee on a tiny stage - in Danish. Even though he was a huge success at Cannes, he had kept all his theatre commitments. We then had dinner with his wife Lis. Claes fought to make time in his schedule but also introduced me to one of my investors, Dan Friedkin, who also directed him in The Last Vermeer.

When I look back it looks like a straight line of luck and coincidences but at times I felt like I was in a never-ending boxing match with an unknown opponent. I’d go to bed thinking I can’t keep going but I’d wake up the next day with a new idea about how to resolve whatever the problem was and start again.

Q) Finally, what’s next?

The Bay of Silence received its world premiere at Shanghai (SIFF) – a big film festival where normally we’d have pitched up to tread the red carpet - but of course, because of Covid, we couldn’t. We have released theatrically in some physical and Virtual cinemas in the USA and Canada and are on Video on Demand in 100 million homes there! We had strong reviews from the industry critics, especially for the actors, director and cinematographer, Guido van Gennep which makes me so happy, and the film is starting its journey into the world. It’s a strange feeling, not being able to celebrate all the hard work with everyone but it’s also a vulnerable moment. My instinct would likely have been to run and hide anyway. I prefer doing the work – promoting it always hooks into the anxiety of my shy stuttering child self.

On the acting front, I can be seen in Cold Courage, currently on Britbox. I play Maggie, an ex-actress hired to use her thespian skills to fight an international crime syndicate.

Since Covid-19 stalled production, I have been doing pick up shoots on two projects which have returned - an Amazon film, Birds of Paradise in Budapest written and directed by Sarah Adina Smith. I play Celine Durand, the troubled US Ambassador to France and mother to Kristen Froseth's aspiring ballerina and a steam punk Sci-Fi indie movie called The Islander, in Croatia, where I play the mysterious ass-kicking Baroness.

And then there’s the second instalment of The Hitman’s Bodyguard, The Hitman’s Wife’s Bodyguard, due in 2021. I’m Crowley, the Head of Interpol, distracted by the antics of Ryan Reynolds, Samuel L. Jackson and Salma Hayek.

Producing wise, I am in post on a documentary with my partner Cheyanne Kane of Vigilants Entertainment. It’s about Hot Rods and Ed Iskendarian or ‘Isky’ - also known as ‘The Camfather’ - who is 99 and still working.

I am trying to find time to finish a historical fiction book I started, which is set in both ancient and modern Italy and like all screenwriters during Covid times, I am writing a one location film (a comedy/drama) as no one’s, least of all my wilder, bigger budget ideas will get much traction till a vaccine is developed.

Signature Entertainment releases The Bay of Silence on DVD and Digital HD from 28th September 

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

 

AT YOUR PERIL - A new original fiction horror podcast series!

At Your Peril is a high end podcast anthology series that tells spooky stories for adults. Deliciously dark and frighteningly funny, each episode is a brand new original story by creators Arthur McBain and Owen Jenkins.

Arthur McBain is a TV actor and children’s author. He recently starred as Alex Myer in ITV’s ‘The Trouble With Maggie Cole’ alongside Dawn French, ABC TV’s multi award winning mini-series ‘Friday On My Mind’ and Academy Award winning movie ‘Judy’ with Renee Zellweger. His debut children’s book, ‘In The Dead Of The Night’, was released in October 2019 and is currently published in three languages. He is also an ambassador for the New Scientist Magazine.

Owen Jenkins is an actor, writer and director. He is artistic director of award-winning theatre companies, FacePlant and DeadPlant, who’s credits include critically acclaimed horror comedies ‘The Service’ and ‘The Milkman Cometh’. He starred in the international tour of David Walliams’ ‘First Hippo on the Moon’ and David Baddiel’s ‘ANIMALCOM’. Amongst other credits, he directed ‘A New Coat for Christmas’ at the Oxford Playhouse.

Recent episodes include performances from BAFTA nominated star of Him and Her and Witless, Kerry Howard (episode 9; CHAT RADIO!) and star of BBC’s Clique and New Blood, Mark Strepan (episode 4; THE PSYCHIC). 

You can find links to listen here: https://linktr.ee/atyourperil
- Or search At Your Peril anywhere you find your podcasts!

Thursday 24 September 2020

Arrow Video FrightFest cancels October Cineworld event midst growing COVID restrictions

Festival news: Arrow Video FrightFest cancels October Cineworld event midst growing COVID restrictions Four day event will move online between 22 – 25 Oct 


Arrow Video FrightFest will go virtual for the second time in 2020, having taken the difficult decision to cancel its planned physical event at the Cineworld, Leicester Square. due to continuing COVID restrictions making the event socially, practically and commercially untenable.

 The digital edition will run over the same days, from Oct 22-25 Oct, and will combine the in-cinema and proposed Halloween digital event into one online festival experience.

Ian Rattray, co-director, said today: “It’s with a heavy heart that we announce the cancellation of the Cineworld event. Although cinemas are not affected by the new hospitality rules, it was the tipping point in terms of what kind of event we were comfortable in presenting to the fans. And with the threat of further London lockdown rules being imposed, it was felt the best plan was to move everything online”

The line-up, which will include over forty films, will be announced on Thurs 1 Oct, with tickets going on sale the same day. As with the August online event, passes as well as individual tickets will be available.

Arrow Video will continue as headline sponsor and other partners confirmed at this stage include broadcast sponsor Horror Channel, global entertainment outlet Den of Geek and online pop culture retailer Zavvi. 

For more info visit.. https://www.frightfest.    co.uk/

 

Nerve-Shredding British chiller HOST comes to UK and IRISH cinemas and Digital platforms.

Hereditary meets Unfriended in the truly terrifying new horror sensation HOST (a Shudder Original). Released in UK and Irish cinemas and on digital platforms on 4th December (courtesy of Vertigo Releasing), but for those who can’t wait, the film will be previewing at the BFI Southbank and Prince Charles Cinema during October, and in selected cinemas nationwide for Halloween. 


Synopsis: Six friends get together during lockdown for their weekly zoom call. It's Haley’s turn to organise an activity and instead of a quiz, she’s arranged for a medium to conduct a séance. Bored and feeling mischievous, Jemma decides to have some fun and invents a story about a boy in her school who hanged himself. However, her prank gives license for a demonic presence to cross over, taking on the guise of the boy in Jemma’s made-up story. The friends begin noticing strange occurrences in their homes as the evil presence begins to make itself known, and they soon realise that they might not survive the night.

HOST is that rarest of things - an ingenious, original horror that delivers the frights, whilst keeping you nailed to your seat. It guarantees sweaty palms, fingernails chewed to stumps, sleepless nights and an aversion to online conference calls (all of which are included in the price of the ticket or rental). Hailed as “genuinely effective” by The Guardian and “a high-concept horror that’ll blow you away, 5 stars” by The Sun, HOST is currently 100% fresh on Rotten Tomatoes - alongside Citizen Kane (also made by a prodigiously talented twenty-something) and above Jaws, Alien and The Exorcist.

Te film is directed by Rob Savage and produced by Douglas Cox of Shadowhouse Films. Savage wrote the script alongside Jed Shepherd and Gemma Hurley, and stars Haley Bishop, Radina Drandova, Jemma Moore, Caroline Ward, Emma Webb and Edward Linard. British director Savage was inspired to make his Zoom-based horror after a conversation with a medium, who told him that during the COVID-19 pandemic business has been booming. As HOST was both conceived and made during the pandemic, all filming had to happen remotely, so the actors had to become camera operators and special effects technicians.

HOST will be released in cinemas and on digital platforms on 4th December

Mayhem Film Festival announces physical screenings for skeleton edition

Mayhem Film Festival announces BOYS FROM COUNTY HELL, PSYCHO GOREMAN, THE OAK ROOM and the ever popular SHORT FILM SHOWCASE for physical screenings


Following on from July’s launch, the Mayhem Film Festival: Skeleton Edition, is proud to announce the titles for this year’s 16th edition of Broadway’s festival of horror.

The opening film is Irish horror-comedy BOYS FROM COUNTY HELL, which sees the residents of a sleepy Irish village (whose claim to fame is the dubious legend that Bram Stoker once spent a night in the local pub where he was inspired to write ‘Dracula’) in a fight for survival as they discover there may be more to the myth of a local bloodsucking creature than they thought. From the producers of last year’s Mayhem Film Festival favourite Extra Ordinary, Boys from County Hell promises to be another raucous Mayhem crowd-pleaser.

We also can’t wait to bring you PSYCHO GOREMAN, from the director of Mayhem favourites Manborg, Bio-Cop and The Void Steve Kostanski (formally of Astron-6). When siblings Mimi and Luke unwittingly resurrect an ancient alien overlord using a magical amulet, they force the monster to obey their childish whims, and accidentally attract a rogues' gallery of intergalactic assassins to small-town suburbia. Called “the craziest, bloodiest horror-movie of 2020” by Bloody Disgusting, we can’t wait to screen this journey into madness.

Rounding off this year’s programme is the return of our ever-popular SHORT FILM SHOWCASE (titles to be announced soon) and the closing film THE OAK ROOM, a violent Canadian story of mistaken identity and double crosses starring Breaking Bad’s RJ Mitte. During a raging snowstorm, a drifter returns home to the blue-collar bar located in the remote Canadian town where he was born. When he offers to settle an old debt with a grizzled bartender (Peter Outerbridge - Nikita, Orphan Black) by telling him a story, the night’s events quickly spins out of control.

Mayhem Film Festival: Skeleton Edition will be held at Broadway Cinema, Nottingham with physical screenings between Thursday 15 October – Sunday 18 October.

Tickets are on sale now at broadway.org.uk 

For more info visit mayhemfilmfestival.com

 

 

Monday 21 September 2020

THE STRANGERS - Limited-Edition Blu-ray Box Set release 28 Sept

Horrifying home-invasion The Strangers, the 2008 debut film from writer-director Bryan Bertino (Mockingbird, The Monster), stars Liv Tyler (Lord of the Rings, The Leftovers) and Scott Speedman (Underworld, Animal Kingdom) as a couple terrorised by masked attackers. Garnering cult status since its release, The Strangers now arrives as a Limited-Edition Blu-ray box set from Second Sight Films on 28 September 2020.

After a proposal gone wrong at a friend’s wedding, what should have been a romantic getaway for Kristen (Tyler) and James (Speedman) is disturbed by a 4am knock on the door and a terrifying invasion of their home by three strangers in disguise. Named for their nightmarish masks, Man in the Mask (Kip Weeks – Ragged Isle), Dollface (Gemma Ward – The Great Gatsby), and Pin-up Girl (Laura Margolis – Dirty Sexy Money), the twisted trio have brutality in mind and the couple are at their mercy, but who are they and what is their motive?

Kristen and James must fight to survive a night of psychological torment and bloodthirsty violence…who will make it out alive? The hugely anticipated release features a host of brand-new special features, including an extended cut, deleted scenes and new interviews with Liv Tyler and Laura Margolis, director Bryan Bertino and editor Kevin Greutert (Titanic, The Saw Franchise). The set arrives complete with new artwork and poster, and a soft cover book with new essays by Anton Bitel and Mary Beth McAndrews plus stills and behind-the-scenes images.

Don’t open the door…The Strangers are coming.

SPECIAL FEATURES
• Includes Theatrical Cut and Extended Cut
• Because You Were Home: a new Interview with director Bryan Bertino
• Cutting Moments: a new interview with editor Kevin Greutert
• The Fighter: a new interview with actor Liv Tyler
• The Pin-Up Girl: a new interview with actor Laura Margolis
• The Elements of Terror: interviews with cast and crew
• Strangers at the Door: interviews with Director Bryan Bertino and cast
• Deleted Scenes, Theatrical Trailer
LIMITED EDITION CONTENTS
• Limited Edition Box Set of only 3,000
• Soft cover book with new essays by Anton Bitel and Mary Beth McAndrews plus stills and behind-the-scenes images
• Poster with new artwork

Pre-order the Box Set from Amazon.co.uk


THE YEAR WITHOUT HALLOWEEN - A Children's book about making the best of what you have.

Award-winning writer, Shane Bitterling, and Illustrator, Robert Kern III, are publishing their first children’s picture book, THE YEAR WITHOUT HALLOWEEN, a 31-page (BOO!) paperback, which oozes with holiday traditions and the theme of making the best of what you have to overcome the hardships of celebrating Halloween in 2020.

Bitterling came up with the idea for this story at the beginning of the pandemic, when he was sure everything would be back to normal by Halloween. 

But the New Normal reality hasn’t ended and officials and doctors across the United States have, for the most part, written off our beloved holiday this year. No trick-or-treating? No haunted houses? No way! Bitterling took a break from selling his infamous pizza out of his driveway as a means to see friends (from a safe distance) and made pumpkinade out of pumpkins. His imagination has never been so timely. Or scary.

Description: Something scary has creeped into town and stopped Boone’s favorite holiday from happening. The stores are closed. His friends are all stuck inside. This year, it’s all tricks and no treats.

With hard work and a big imagination, Boone sets out to make this the best Halloween ever. But does he have a ghost of a chance? A SPOOKTASTIC new picture book for Monster Kids from ages 2 to 102 about keeping the Spirit of Halloween alive 365.

THE YEAR WITHOUT HALLOWEEN
Written by Shane Bitterling
Illustrated by Robert Kern III
Available for the holiday and beyond through: http://www.darkdel.com

Zombie action-horror THE DRIVER on DVD and Digital October

After a zombie plague decimates human life on Earth, a former hitman (Mark Dacascos) lives quietly with his wife and daughter Bree in a survivalist compound. When their home is attacked, a massive explosion summons a swarm of ravenous corpses and only Bree and her father escape the carnage.

As they seek out ‘The Haven’, a rumoured sanctuary located far north, the take-no-prisoners hitman teaches his daughter how to kill, drive and survive in the violent, zombie-ridden post-apocalyptic wasteland.

High-kicking action veteran Mark Dacascos (John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum, Brotherhood of the Wolf) is back in the action as The Driver, alongside his real-life wife Julie Condra (Eerie Indiana) and daughter Noelani Dacascos, as the family of the film. 

The Driver is written and directed by Wych Kaosayananda (Dead Earth).

Special features
• The Making of The Driver 

 Lionsgate UK presents The Driver on Digital Download 12 October and DVD 19 October

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

 


Thursday 17 September 2020

RESIDENT EVIL 4K Ultra HD Collection - Available November

One of the most successful live-action video game film franchises of all time gets an upgrade when the RESIDENT EVIL 4K ULTRA HD COLLECTION arrives on November 2 from Sony Pictures Home Entertainment. This limited-edition gift set marks the first time that fans will be able to experience all six films on 4K Ultra HD disc with High Dynamic Range and Dolby Atmos audio. All six films will also be available to Download and Keep in 4k with HDR. 


The RESIDENT EVIL 4K ULTRA HD COLLECTION will include Resident Evil, Resident Evil: Apocalypse (both the original theatrical version and an extended cut), Resident Evil: Extinction, Resident Evil: Afterlife, Resident Evil: Retribution and Resident Evil: The Final Chapter as well as hours of bonus content across all six films, including rare archival featurettes that have been previously unavailable on disc.

Based on the popular video game series by Capcom, the Resident Evil franchise stars Milla Jovovich (The Fifth Element) as Alice, a superhuman security expert pitted against the sinister Umbrella Corporation as the world’s population is transformed into

flesh-eating creatures by one of its most dangerous biological weapons.

RESIDENT EVIL 4K ULTRA HD COLLECTION – BONUS FEATURES

RESIDENT EVIL
BLU-RAY
-Cast and Filmmakers’ Commentary
-Visual Effects Commentary
-Alternate Ending with Director Paul W.S. Anderson’s Video Introduction
-12 Featurettes
-“My Plague” Music Video by Slipknot

4K ULTRA HD
-Theatrical Trailer

RESIDENT EVIL: APOCALYPSE
BLU-RAY
-Filmmaker Commentary
-Cast Commentary
-Writer / Producer Commentary
-Deleted Scenes
“Game Over: Resident Evil Reanimated” Documentary
“Corporate Malfeasance” Featurette
“Game Babes” Featurette
“Symphony of Evil” Featurette

4K ULTRA HD
-Theatrical and Extended Cuts of the Film
-Theatrical Trailers

RESIDENT EVIL: EXTINCTION
BLU-RAY
-“Under the Umbrella” Picture-in-Picture
-Filmmaker Commentary
-Deleted Scenes
-4 Featurettes

4K ULTRA HD
-Resident Road Map: Reflections on the Future of the Series
-Theatrical Trailers

RESIDENT EVIL: AFTERLIFE
BLU-RAY
-“Undead Vision” Picture-in-Picture
-Filmmaker Commentary
-Deleted and Extended Scenes
-Outtakes
-7 Featurettes

4K ULTRA HD
-Alice Activated
-Theatrical Trailers

RESIDENT EVIL: RETRIBUTION
BLU-RAY
-Director and Cast Commentary
-Filmmaker Commentary
-Deleted and Extended Scenes
-Outtakes
-Project Alice: The Interactive Database
-8 Featurettes

4K ULTRA HD

-Evil Goes Global
-Undead Retribution
-Theatrical Trailers

RESIDENT EVIL: THE FINAL CHAPTER
BLU-RAY
-Retaliation Mode with Paul W.S. Anderson and Milla Jovovich
-3 Featurettes

4K ULTRA HD
-Maximum Carnage: Best Kills
-Creature Chronology
-Theatrical Trailers

 Pre-order the 4K UHD Box Set from Amazon.co.uk.

 

Wednesday 16 September 2020

Horror Channel (UK) reveals October slate of movies

Horror Channel to present a Halloween double-bill of Corin Hardy’s THE HALLOW and Ante Novakovic’s FRIGHT FEST. Plus nine more premieres for October 
 

Full film details in transmission order:

Saturday 3 October @ 21:00 – LAKE PLACID VS ANACONDA (2015) *Channel Premiere

Get ready for a non-stop bloodbath in this vicious battle between mutated crocodiles and genetically engineered anacondas In the latest instalment of the Lake Placid and Anaconda franchises. When they’re not hunting for human prey, they’re more than willing to take on each other. Staring horror legend Robert Englund

Sunday 4 October @ 21:00 – FIRSTBORN (2016) *UK TV Premier


Charlie and James are just starting their lives together. Young and in love, they’re relishing having no responsibilities until Charlie discovers she is pregnant. In a moment of youthful abandon, they decide to keep the baby. So into their world comes Thea, a beautiful girl. But her arrival brings with it terrifying entities that threaten their newly formed family.



Friday 9 October @ 21:00 – SELFIE FROM HELL (2018) *UK TV Premiere


Julia, an online blogger from Germany, comes to the US to visit her cousin Hannah. Upon her arrival, Julia falls fatefully ill, prompting Hannah’s suspicion of the strange and sudden illness. When unusual happenings start taking place in her home, Hannah begins a relentless internet search to discover the cause. She comes across Julia’s blog entries and finds herself immersed deep in the web - too deep - in a place where terror knows no end.



Saturday 17 October @ 21:00 – PET (2016) *Channel Premiere


Socially awkward Seth (Dominic Monaghan) works diligently at an animal shelter. One day he sees old schoolmate Holly on a bus and tries to rekindle the acquaintance. But the waitress is just coming off a failed relationship and isn’t remotely interested. Realising his feelings will never be reciprocated the stalker takes drastic action to find a new way of showing his crush how much she needs him in her life.



Saturday 17 October @ 21:00 – LEPRECHAUN RETURNS (2018) *Channel Premiere

The eighth instalment of the Leprechaun franchise picks up 25 years after the original​. Lila, the daughter of Tory Redding, returns to the home that changed her mother forever. Joined by a group of girls who attempt to convert it into an eco-friendly sorority house, Lila is forced to face the demons of her mother’s past. Although Lila grew up to believe the demons lived purely inside Tory’s head, it turns out there really is an indestructible Leprechaun on a murderous rampage in search for his gold…


Sunday 18 October @ 21:00 – ECHOES OF FEAR (2018) *UK TV Premiere


After inheriting her grandfather’s house, Alysa must confront the mystery of his sudden death and the evil that hides inside.


Friday 23 October @ 21:00 – THE ASCENT (2019) *UK TV Premiere

A special operations squad known in secret elite circles as Hell's Bastards is sent to infiltrate a civil war in order to retrieve vital intelligence. But the crack unit soon finds themselves trapped on a never-ending, twisting and turning stairwell, which they are forced to climb - or they will die. To survive, they must revisit past sins and take important steps if they ever want to get off the staircase to nowhere. With: Shayne Ward, Toby Osmond, Simon Meacock and Rachel Warren.


Saturday 24 October @ 22:35 – THE BROOD (1979) *Channel Premiere


Frank Carveth is becoming increasingly concerned about his ex-wife Nola’s secretive treatment at the sinister 'Somafree Institute of Psychoplasmics'. Headed by cult figure Dr Raglan (Oliver Reed), his controversial and extreme methods seek to unleash his patients' rage, often taking on physical manifestations. As Frank delves deeper he is finally led to an horrific and repellant final confrontation.



Sunday 25 October @ 21:00 – THE RESIDENT (1979) *Channel Premiere


After separating from her adulterous husband, Dr. Juliet Devereau (Hilary Swank) moves to New York and settles into a new life in her spacious apartment, Mysterious occurrences lead her to suspect she is not alone and quickly her fears become all too real as she discovers her seemingly charming landlord, Max, has developed a dangerous obsession with her. A terrifying game of cat and mouse ensues as Juliet is forced to fight and free herself from Max’s increasingly sinister intentions. The film also features a cameo from Christopher Lee, in his first collaboration with Hammer Films since 1976's To the Devil a Daughter and his last before his death in 2015.



Saturday 31 October @ 21:00 – THE HALLOW (2015) *Channel Premiere


When a conservationist is sent to Ireland with his wife and infant child to survey an area of forest believed to be hallowed ground by superstitious locals, his actions unwittingly disturb a horde of demonic creatures who prey upon the lost. Alone and deep within the darkness of the remote wilderness, he must now fight back to protect his family against the ancient forces’ relentless attack.


Saturday 31 October @ 22:55 – FRIGHT FEST (2018) *Channel Premiere


Blood runs rampant on Halloween night when the Mayor of Sommerton decides to mount a live Fright Fest event within the walls of a long abandoned lunatic asylum. Only problem is a van of criminally insane prisoners crashes just outside and the trick or treaters think their murderous acts are part of the performance. Enter if you dare…


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