UNIVERSAL MONSTERS, TRICK 'R TREAT, & PEOPLE UNDER THE STAIRS Apparel Available at Fright-Rags

Before Halloween, sink your claws into Fright-Rags' latest apparel from Universal Monsters, Trick 'r Treat, and The People Under the Stairs.

Fright-Rags' latest Universal Monsters apparel includes new designs featuring Bela Lugosi as Dracula and Lon Chaney Jr. as The Wolf Man on tees and hoodies. Six monstrous pairs of socks - Frankenstein, Bride of Frankenstein, Invisible Man, Wolf Man, Mummy, and Creature from the Black Lagoon - have been reprinted too.

Always check your candy, and always check Fright-Rags' Trick 'r Treat apparel. It features three new designs, including T-shirts, long sleeves, baseball tees, and hoodies. The Trick ‘r Treat coloring and activity book has also been restocked.

Speak no evil with Fright-Rags’ The People Under the Stairs collection. Wes Craven's cult classic has received three T-shirts.

Universal Monsters, Trick 'r Treat, and The People Under the Stairs collections are on sale now at Fright-Rags.com.

 

 

MUBI HALLOWEEN WATCH PARTY - Prano Bailey-Bond's CENSOR on MUBI 31st October

Join filmmaker Prano Bailey-Bond and The Finals Girls to celebrate the launch of CENSOR on MUBI this Halloween...

With a special new series The New Coven: A Female Horror Renaissance now showing on MUBI, we’re inviting you to spend an evening celebrating the burgeoning wave of woman-directed horror cinema, with Prano Bailey-Bond’s critically-acclaimed CENSOR (2020) premiering on Halloween, crowning the service’s exciting season of horror films directed by women.

Starting at 15:00 GMT on Sunday, October 31 MUBI will be giving away some delightfully spooky prizes across their social media channels – follow @mubiuk on Twitter to find out how to win. Prizes include limited edition posters designed by Laura Callaghan, temporary tattoos by Sophie Mo and Halloween-inspired popcorn by Joe and Seph's.

At 18:00 GMT Censor director Prano Bailey-Bond will be joined in conversation by former Empire Editor-in-Chief Terri White on MUBI’s UK Instagram, which will be followed at 19:00 GMT by a watch party of her acclaimed debut. The Censor watch party will be led by a tweet-along from MUBI’s UK Twitter account by The Final Girls, the film collective exploring the intersections between horror film and feminism.

The New Coven season kicked off on MUBI earlier this month with Alice Lowe’s darkly comedic revenge horror Prevenge (2016) starring herself while pregnant, followed by Anna Biller’s spellbinding The Love Witch (2016), and Jennifer Kent’s cult offering The Babadook (2014). The season takes a refreshing angle on the genre, exploring themes such as motherhood, gender roles, and trauma from a female perspective.

Watch the films from The New Coven and try MUBI for free at mubi.com/thenewcoven

 Join the Facebook Event for updates!

 

 

Horror Channel unveils an unholy host of premieres for November

Long weekends just got scarier as Horror Channel announces eleven premieres for Friday, Saturday and Sunday nights across November, including five UK TV premieres, three by emerging female directors.

 

Being shown for the first time on the small screen are Elle Callahan’s allegorical paranormal thriller WITCH HUNT, Amelia Moses’ lyrical lycanthrope horror BLOODTHIRSTY and Coralie Fargeat’s directorial debut, the slickly gruesome REVENGE. Also getting their first showings on TV are Nicolas Pesce’s smartly sadistic PIERCING and John Berardo’s subversive slasher INITIATION.

Neil Marshall makes a welcome return with the channel premiere of DOOMSDAY, as do The Soska Sisters, with the channel premiere of their stand-out body horror hit AMERICAN MARY. Plus, there is a channel premiere for Katie Aselton’s intense battle-of-the-sexes thriller BLACK ROCK and for three remakes – the 2009 version of THE LAST HOUSE ON THE LEFT, with Wes Craven in a producing role, the 2007 version of THE HITCHER, with Sean Bean reprising the Rutger Hauer role and the 2014 version of erotic thriller THE LOFT, again directed by Erik Van Looy and starring Karl Urban.

Full film details in transmission order:

Friday 5 November @ 21:00 – WITCH HUNT (2021) *UK TV Premiere

Witch trials have come to life in modern day America and no one is safe from persecution or execution. Claire (Gideon Adlon) and her mother (Elizabeth Mitchell) are part of an underground movement in charge of ferrying women accused of witchcraft to safety. All is well in their world until a new charge brings the witch hunters to their door. Will they escape with their lives or will they also be charged with the ungodly crime of being a witch?

Friday 5 November @ 23:00 – PIERCING (2018) *UK TV Premiere

Reed (Christopher Abbott) is going on a business trip, but in lieu of a suitcase filled with clothes, he's packed a toothbrush and a murder kit. Everything is meticulously planned: check into a hotel and kill an unsuspecting victim. Only then will he rid himself of his devious impulses and continue to be a good husband and father. But Reed gets more than he bargained for with Jackie (Mia Wasikowska), an alluring call girl who arrives at his room.

Saturday 6 November @ 22:45 – DOOMSDAY (2008) *Channel Premiere

In this action-packed thriller from writer/director Neil Marshall (The Descent), authorities brutally quarantine a country as it succumbs to fear and chaos when a virus strikes. The literal walling-off works for three decades--until the dreaded Reaper virus violently resurfaces in a major city. Starring Rhona Mitra, Bob Hoskins, and Malcolm McDowell.

Sunday 7 November @ 21:00 – BLACK ROCK (2012) *Channel Premiere

Three childhood friends set aside their personal issues and reunite for a girls' weekend on a remote island off the coast of Maine. One wrong move turns their weekend getaway into a deadly fight for survival. Stars Katie Aselton, Lake Bell and Kate Bosworth

Friday 12 November @ 23:05 – AMERICAN MARY (2012) *Channel Premiere

Medical student Mary Mason (Katharine Isabelle) becomes increasingly disenchanted by the school she studies at and the established doctors she once admired. The allure of easy money to solve her debt problems sends her into the twilight world of body modification and underground surgeries where obsessed flesh artists will pay anything to get their unusual procedures done. But Mary finds that her new ‘profession’ leaves more marks on her own psyche than on her freakish clientele. Also stars Jen and Sylvia Soska.

Saturday 13 November @ 22:50 – THE HITCHER (2007) *Channel Premier

When two travellers pick up a hitcher on the side of the road, they immediately discover that their worst fears have come true - this Hitcher is a murderous psychopath.  However, it's only after the young couple barely escape with their lives that the real trouble begins.  A new take on the 1986 classic starring Sean Bean.

Sunday 14 November @ 21:00 – THE LOFT (2014) *Channel premiere

Five married men conspire to secretly share a penthouse loft in the city - a place where they can indulge in their deepest extramarital fantasies. But the fantasy becomes a nightmare when they discover the dead body of an unknown woman in the loft, and they realise one of the group must be involved. Stars Karl Urban and James Marsden.

Friday 19 November @ 21:00 – BLOODTHIRSTY (2020) *UK TV Premiere

When an offer to record with one of the greatest music producers of all time comes along, singer Grey can’t refuse. Moving cross country to record her new album in a remote location, Grey begins to realise there’s a beastly secret lurking within her new home. Will her own humanity be the price for fame and how much blood will be shed to secure a hit?

Friday 19 November @ 22:40 – REVENGE (2017) *UK TV Premiere

Three wealthy married men get together for their annual hunting game in a desert canyon. One of them is accompanied by his young mistress, who quickly arouses the interest of the two others, and things get dramatically out of hand.

Saturday 27 November @ 22:30 – THE LAST HOUSE ON THE LEFT (2009) *Channel Premiere 

This remake brings one of the most notorious thrillers of all time to a new generation, as it explores how far two ordinary people will go to exact revenge on the sociopaths who harmed their child. As producer, Wes Craven revisits the landmark film that launched his directing career and influenced decades of horror films to follow:

Sunday 28 November @ 22:55 – INITIATION (2020) *UK TV Premiere

One night, at Whiton University, a star-athlete is murdered in the wake of a buried assault allegation, kicking off a spree of social media-linked slayings. As a masked killer targets students across campus, a trio of sorority sisters race to uncover the truth behind the school's hidden secrets - and the horrifying meaning of an exclamation point - before they become the next victims.

TV: Sky 317 / Virgin 149 / Freeview 70 / Freesat 138

Website: http://www.horrorchannel.co.uk
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/horrorchannel
Twitter: https://twitter.com/horror_channel

 

 

Scott Lyus’s debut horror WALKING AGAINST THE RAIN enters post-production.

The apocalyptic monster road movie, WALKING AGAINST THE RAIN, has entered post-production. 

 

Directed by Scott Lyus, making his feature film debut, the graphic tale of two strangers navigating their way through a barren landscape, was shot in fifteen days in locations including Kirklinton Hall & Gardens, Eden Valley Railway and Lake Buttermere.

 

Synopsis: Set six months after a biblical plague has fallen upon the world, WALKING AGAINST THE RAIN tells the story of two strangers, Tommy (Reece Douglas) and Blair (Sophia Eleni) who are navigating their way across a barren landscape in a desperate attempt to find each other. With their only form of communication being two soon-to-die battery operated radio mics and with a new evil in the shape of ‘The Forsaken’ tracking them down, they must learn to confront loss and rediscover a trust in humanity. Or die.  

 

Co-producers and long-term collaborators Scott Lyus and Chris Nials, have created several successful short films, including Silently Within Your Shadow, Echoes of the Passed and, most recently, the multi award winning Black Mass

 

Lyus’s UK-produced film, which he also wrote, stars Cruel Summer’s Reece Douglas, newcomer Sophia Eleni, Johnny Vivash (Book of Monsters) and James Swanton as monster creation ‘The Forsaken’.

 

WALKING AGAINST THE RAIN is a Crossroad Pictures production, written & directed by Scott Lyus. The film is produced by Scott Lyus, with Line Producer Chris Nails and Assistant Producer Mel Morley. The film is executive produced by Malcolm Winter and Monika Gergelova of M & M Film Productions and funded by Red Rock Entertainment.

 

 

RESIDENT EVIL: WELCOME TO RACCOON CITY - New 'Origins' Vignette & Poster

Sony Pictures UK are pleased to release a new vignette and poster for RESIDENT EVIL: WELCOME TO RACCOON CITY, coming soon to UK cinemas.

In this new 'Origins' vignette, director Johannes Roberts teases the film's introduction to the iconic characters and world of Raccoon City, and the astonishing level of faithful detail and design that brings to life the new action-horror based on the iconic videogame franchise.

 
'ORIGINS' VIGNETTE

 Visit the Official RESIDENT EVIL UK Facebook Page.

A horror debut, Jean Rollin, a party massacre and the Phantom of the Mall on ARROW, Nov!

Key highlights this NOVEMBER on the essential, alternative streaming service ARROW include the exclusive premiere of Michael Venus’s extraordinary horror SLEEP, a season of films from the legendary director Jean Rollin that includes vampires, hitchhikers and demonic cults, the incredible, jaw-dropping DUDE BRO PARTY MASSACRE III, a beautifully-restored cult 80s slasher complete with extras, and so much more... 

 

 

There is no shortage of horror in November on ARROW with PHANTOM OF THE MALL: ERIC’S REVENGE, an interpretation of Gaston Leroux’s classic novel The Phantom of the Opera like no other - it was only a matter of time before the slasher genre decided to take a stab at the tale, here presented in three different cuts of the film - the theatrical release, censored TV version and the ‘Integral Fan Cut’; and the improbably named and incredibly entertaining DUDE BRO PARTY MASSACRE III, featuring the serial killer “Motherface” on the rampage - fireworks are guaranteed! Also in November, an imaginary friend like no other, with DANIEL ISN’T REAL, featuring a star-making performance from Patrick Schwarzenegger, in a visually stunning, thought-provoking exploration of mental illness, entitlement and childhood trauma, perfectly tailored for our troubled times, and one of the most unique and captivating independent horror movies of recent years.

New seasons this November include a two-part season of films from the magnificent, maverick French director Jean Rollin, with psychedelic blood-drenched spectaculars, and mysterious and fantastical gothic tales, including The Shiver of the Vampires, The Demoniacs, The Iron Rose, and Requiem for a Vampire; Nightmares and Scary Tales, a world where a pleasant sleep and bad dreams collide, including Ringu, Dream Demon, and The Snake Girl and the Silver-haired Witch; Six Shooters vs Straight Razors, featuring directors who have tackled both Westerns and Giallos; and ARROW’s very own new frat ‘ΑΓΓΟΨ,’ with films including The Initiation, The Violent Years, and Sting of Death.

ALSO SHOWING: One-of-a-kind genre-bender that riffs on the yakuza film, coming-of-age drama SAILOR SUIT AND MACHINE GUN; nerve-twanging mystery chiller BODY AT BRIGHTON ROCK GUN, and more…

Find the full length press release including all synopses and more here

NOVEMBER RELEASE CALENDAR

New Titles – From November 1
- Sleep
- The Shiver of the Vampires
- The Rape of the Vampire
- The Nude Vampire
- The Far Country
- The Yellow Lovers


New Title - From November 8
- Daniel Isn’t Real


New Titles – From November 15
- The Demoniacs
- The Iron Rose
- Requiem for a Vampire
- Schoolgirl Hitchhikers
- Sailor Suit and Machine Gun


New Title – From November 19
- Dude Bro Party Massacre III


New Titles – From November 22
- Body at Brighton Rock
- Phantom of the Mall: Eric’s Revenge

The Art of Cult. Head to ARROW and start your 30-day free trial. Available on the following Apps/devices: Xbox, Roku (all Roku sticks, boxes, devices, etc), Apple TV; iOS devices, Android TV and mobile devices, Fire TV (all Amazon Fire TV Sticks, boxes, etc), and on all web browsers at www.ARROW-Player.com.


Subscriptions are available for £4.99 monthly or £49.99 annually

DEMENTIA 13, THE WRAITH and SUNDOWN: THE VAMPIRE IN RETREAT coming to UK BD

Lionsgate UK are pleased to announce three more cult classics joining their Vestron Collector’s Series. Originally released by Vestron Video, these classic cult horror titles are restored and remastered on Blu-ray™ and packed with hours of special features.

DEMENTIA 13: DIRECTOR’S CUT

Presented in a high-definition director’s cut, Francis Ford Coppola’s first ever film Dementia 13 is quintessential gothic horror, wrapped in the twisted mysteries of a family’s deepest, darkest secrets. 

A widow deceives her late husband’s mother and brothers into thinking he’s still alive when she attends the yearly memorial to his drowned sister, hoping to secure his inheritance. 

But her cunning is no match for the demented, axe-wielding thing roaming the grounds of the family’s Irish estate in this cult favourite featuring Patrick Magee (The Legend of Hell House, A Clockwork Orange) and Luana Anders (The Trip, Night Tide).

Special Features
- Introduction by Francis Ford Coppola
- Audio Commentary by director Francis Ford Coppola
- Prologue (Dementia 13 Test)

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

THE WRAITH

Charlie Sheen, Nick Cassavetes (Face/Off), Sherilyn Fenn (Twin Peaks), and Randy Quaid (Independence Day) star in this turbocharged cult classic! When four glowing orbs crash into each other over the Arizona desert, they leave in their wake a badass Dodge Turbo Interceptor, and its enigmatic, helmeted driver. 

The next day, the mysterious Jake (Sheen) appears in the town of Brooks, catching the eye of Keri (Fenn) and the ire of Packard (Cassavetes), the ruthless leader of a gang of street racers. When gang members start losing races, and lives, to the Interceptor, the recent death of Keri’s boyfriend suddenly seems connected to the arrival of Jake, the unbeatable car…and an avenging entity called The Wraith.

Special Features:
- Audio Commentary with writer/director Mike Marvin
- Audio Commentary with actors Dave Sherrill and Jamie Bozian
- Isolated Score Selections featuring audio interview with co-composer J. Peter Robinson
- Tales From The Desert - An interview with writer/director Mike Marvin  
- Rughead Speaks! - An interview with Actor Clint Howard
- Ride of the Future - Interviews with stunt coordinator Buddy Joe Hooker and transportation coordinator Gary Hellerstein
- The Ghost Car – Interviews with visual effects producer Peter Kuran and effects animator Kevin Kutchaver
- The Wraith Filming Locations: Then and Now
- Theatrical Trailer
- TV Spots
- Alternate Title Sequence
- Still Gallery

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

 

SUNDOWN: THE VAMPIRE IN RETREAT

The road to Purgatory is paved with good intentions, and Count Mardulak (David Carradine) wouldn’t have it any other way. He’s seeking atonement for centuries of human carnage, which is why he’s instructed Purgatory’s vampire residents to slather on SPF 100 sunblock, pursue daytime activities… and drink only synthetic blood. 

But some vampires don’t agree with Mardulak — they want the real thing — and if that means wooden bullets flying in a vampire civil war, so be it! This wild horror-comedy also stars Bruce Campbell (The Evil Dead franchise), M. Emmet Walsh (Blade Runner), and John Ireland (Spartacus).

 Special Features:
- Audio Commentary with Director Anthony Hickox and Director of Photography Levie Isaacks
- Isolated Score Selections and Audio Interviews with Music Historian Randall Larson and Producer Jefferson Richard
- Wild Weird West – An Interview with Director Anthony Hickox
- Bloodsuckers from Purgatory - An Interview with Special Make-up Effects Creator Tony Gardner
- Memories of Moab – An Interview with Actor Bruce Campbell
- A Vampire Reformed – An Interview with Actor David Carradine
- A True Character – An Interview with Actor M. Emmet Walsh
- Theatrical Trailer
- Still Gallery

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

DEMENTIA 13, THE WRAITH and SUNDOWN: THE VAMPIRE IN RETREAT are on Blu-ray 15 November from Lionsgate UK

LAST STOP ON THE NIGHT TRAIN : the Italian rape & revenge film coming to Blu-ray via TetroVideo in october

TetroVideo is proud to announce the release of the famous Last Stop on the Night Train (aka Night Train Murders, Late Night Trains, L'ultimo treno della notte), the rape & revenge horror film written and directed by the italian screewriter and director Aldo Lado (Short Night of Glass Dolls, Who Saw Her Die?) in 1975. 

 

The cult movie Last Stop on the Night Train arrives on Blu-ray (english/italian language and subtitles) with a new High Definition, audio/video restored transfer from the original uncensored negative. 

 

It will be available for pre-order on October 15th: 

 

- Standard Edition: Digipack cover A/B + Blu-ray + Slipcover + Poster + Card 

 

- Limited and Numbered Edition (only 200 copies): Digipack + Blu-ray + Slipcover + Poster + 2 Collector's Card + 20-pag Booklet (“Evil Woman: How Females Can Be Perpetrators of Violent Crime in L’ultimo Treno Della Notte” by Zoë Rose Smith - Ghouls Magazine)  + CD soundtrack by italian legendary composer Ennio Morricone that includes the opening track by Demis Roussos. 

 

- T-Shirt with the TetroVideo exclusive cover art by Shin Nagai and the italian comic artist Claudio Montalbano 

 

Blu-ray Bonus Features include “The Disobedient” 83' Interview with Aldo Lado by Carcassa (italian language with english subtitles); Poster and Still Gallery; Trailer and Original trailer. 

 

Based on the plots of Ingmar Bergman's The Virgin Spring and Wes Craven's The Last House on the Left, Last Stop on the Night Train was banned in the UK in the 1980s. 

 

The story follows Lisa Stradi (Laura D’Angelo) and her cousin Margareth (Irene Miracle), two girls riding a train through Germany on Christmas Eve, who are brutalized by three criminals on the railway carriage. 

 

Flavio Bucci (Suspiria), Macha Méril (Deep Red), Enrico Maria Salerno (Death Sentence), Laura D’Angelo, Irene Miracle (Midnight Express), Marina Berti (Safety Catch) and Fabrizi (Shadows Unseen) star.

 

For more info and to order this, and other titles, visit  https://www.tetrovideo.com/

 

 

 

THE LOCKDOWN HAUNTINGS gets DVD release - plans for sequel underway

A paranormal serial killer comes out to attack in Howard J Ford’s feature film is THE LOCKDOWN HAUNTINGS, soon to be released in the US by Distribution Solutions, a division of Alliance Entertainment. It will be on digital and OnDemand from Oct 19, and on DVD from Nov 16, 2021.    

 

The film is currently available to watch in the UK on digital platforms including Apple, Amazon, Google, Sky Store and Virgin. 

 

The award-winning director behind The Dead, The Dead 2 India, and Never Let Go, who shot The Lockdown Hauntings as a one-man mission, with no crew, during the first UK lockdown, also teased that plans for a sequel are underway: 

 

“I’ve shot almost 40 minutes of THE LOCKDOWN HAUNTINGS 2: SECOND WAVE. It has a bit of a 'found footage' type style so will be more raw and gritty in parts. It tells different stories of people being haunted around Europe”. 

 

Synopsis: With the streets empty and free from human activity, spirits are free to roam. A notorious serial killer, is back from the dead prowling for young female victims; isolated and locked down. What do you do when you can’t get out? How do you stay alive when you can’t see your murderer? How do you stop a serial killer who is already dead?   

 

The paranormal thriller stars horror legend Tony Todd (The Candyman, Scream: The TV Series, The Flash), Angela Dixon (Never Let Go, Assailant, Homeless Ashes), Heather Peace (Silent Witness, Holby City) Sarah-Jane Potts (Sugar Rush, Kinky Boots), Justin Hayward (Are We Monsters, Adventure Boyz) and Jon Campling (Harry Potter and The Deathly Hallows, The Northman) and was written, filmed, and directed by award-winning director Howard J. Ford (The Dead, The Dead 2, Never Let Go) in the UK during the early stages of the global pandemic lockdown.

 

Join the film’s Facebook page for latest information and updates:

Facebook.com - The Lockdown Hauntings

10 Questions with Romola Garai, Director / Writer of AMULET

10 Questions with Romola Garai, Director / Writer of AMULET, which premieres at the Arrow Video FrightFest Halloween event.

Q) AMULET will receive its UK premiere at FrightFest’s Halloween event. Excited or what?

So excited! It’s a great honour to have our UK premiere at such a brilliantly subversive festival. We are very grateful! 

Q) You’re most well known as an actress but have you always wanted to write and direct films?

I’ve been writing since my teens but it wasn’t until my late 20’s that I realized I wanted to direct as well and I made my short film SCRUBBER. Now what I’d love is to write, direct and act. Never all three together though! 

Q) What was the writing process like? Were there any major inspirations and motivations that drove you?

I was very influenced by a book I read called THE BUTCHERS TRAIL about the man hunt for Slobodan Milosevic. The book talks a lot about the rights and wrongs of punishing war crimes, the worry being that if you want peace then that has to come at the cost of justice for victims. Of course I see both sides but there was part of me that longed for a kind of greater justice that could punish all those that had used war as an opportunity to be their worst selves. 

Q) Why did you choose the horror genre?

Of course horror has always been the space where dreams and subconscious are most comfortably incorporated into the film. This film is about dreams and deep seated longings. It was the obvious space for this story to sit. 

It’s a very powerful film and not afraid to journey into some contentiously dark places. Did you feel the horror genre gave you the freedom to do that?

When you make drama your experience of the action can always happen at a remove. I wanted the viewers to be complicit in liking this man and share his fear and dread. Horror allows you to force your audience into sharing the visceral emotions of the story. 

Q) The themes of war, sexual violence and ancient evil are very dominant but at the heart of the narrative it appears to be a story of gender revenge, in which an evil man must pay for his crimes against women. Would you go along with that?

Pretty much! I feel that on some level  the Christian ideas of forgiveness are too often used to protect men and to prop up a patriarchy. I think that was all swirling around in there!

Q) The casting is terrific. Tell us about the process.

The casting was an amazingly simple process! Alec was immediately mentioned to me as a possible. The list contained a lot of brilliant actors from all across the UK and Europe but I just knew that he was so sympathetic and gentle it would be impossible for the audience not to invest in his journey. At the same time he’s an incredibly smart and nice man. And a great actor!

Carla was someone whose work I was very familiar with. I’ve always loved her acting. I didn’t know if she’d respond to doing horror but we had a meeting and had just a great connection and she understood and supported the films rage so brilliantly. It was amazing to work with her.

Imelda I know as I’ve worked with her as an actor. I didn’t think for a million years she’d say yes! It was a great day to know that we had her be part of the film. She is one of my favourite actors of all time.

Q) You’ve been labelled: “An audacious new horror auteur on the scene”. How does that make you feel?

Great! 

Q) Have you plans to continue to work as a director? If so, how will you balance this with your acting career?

Absolutely. I think a lot of the scripts I’ve written may take time to get made. Some of them are pretty out there! So I’m so lucky to be able to combine that long slog with another career that I also love.

Q) Finally, what’s next for you?

Directing-wise I have several projects in development. A 17th century period romp with a dark twist, a small scale science fiction and another horror. 

Acting wise I’m playing Mary Tudor in Becoming Elizabeth, a new series for Starz which will be out in April. And I’m in Lucile Hadzihalilovic’s new film Earwig that is playing at LFF.  

AMULET plays at Arrow Video FrightFest Halloween on Sat 30th October, 6.30pm, Cineworld Leicester SQ. Romola will be attending

Tickets: https://www.frightfest.co.uk/Halloween21/AMULET.html

 

 

THE BLACK PHONE - In UK Cinemas February 2022

The phone is dead. And it’s ringing.... Director Scott Derrickson returns to his terror roots and partners again with the foremost brand in the genre, Blumhouse, with a new horror thriller.

Finney Shaw, a shy but clever 13-year-old boy, is abducted by a sadistic killer and trapped in a soundproof basement where screaming is of little use. When a disconnected phone on the wall begins to ring, Finney discovers that he can hear the voices of the killer’s previous victims. And they are dead set on making sure that what happened to them doesn’t happen to Finney.

Starring four-time Oscar nominee Ethan Hawke (The Purge) in the most terrifying role of his career and introducing Mason Thames in his first ever film role, THE BLACK PHONE is produced, directed, and co-written by Scott Derrickson, the writer-director of Sinister, The Exorcism of Emily Rose and Marvel’s Doctor Strange.

The film’s screenplay is by Derrickson & C. Robert Cargill (Doctor Strange, Sinister franchise), based on the award-winning short story by Joe Hill from his New York Times bestseller 20th Century Ghosts. The film is produced by Derrickson & Cargill’s Crooked Highway and presented by Universal and Blumhouse. Jason Blum, Scott Derrickson and C. Robert Cargill are producers on the film, which is executive produced by Ryan Turek and Christopher H. Warner.

View the trailer below...

 

 

HALLOWEEN, CHUCKY, & JOE BOB BRIGGS Apparel - Available Now at Fright-Rags

October marks the return of several horror icons - including Michael Myers, Chucky, and Joe Bob Briggs - and Fright-Rags has apparel for all three.

Ahead of this weekend's highly anticipated homecoming of Michael Myers, Fright-Rags' Halloween Kills collection is in stock. It features six shirts from the new film along with an enamel pin of The Shape's iconic mask.

Fright-Rags has also restocked classic Halloween franchise apparel, including shirts for John Carpenter's original film and seven of its sequels. The popular Halloween dad hat, heritage hat, and lounge pants are also back.

 

In honour of this week's Chucky series premiere, Fright-Rags has reprinted a sinister shirt featuring the killer doll. Several previously released Child's Play tees, hats, and lounge pants are also in stock.

Joe Bob Briggs is back with two new shirts from Fright-Rags. The beloved horror host is featured on official artwork for The Last Drive-In's Halloween Hoedown and the Monster Mash 7" record.

Halloween franchise, Halloween Kills, Chucky, and Joe Bob Briggs collections are on sale now at Fright-Rags.com.

 

RESIDENT EVIL: RETRIBUTION and THE FINAL CHAPTER - On 4K Ultra HD

One of the most successful live-action video game film franchises of all time continues its upgrade this year as RESIDENT EVIL: RETRIBUTION and RESIDENT EVIL: THE FINAL CHAPTER are released to buy on 4K ULTRA HD with new bonus material on Monday 18th October from Sony Pictures Home Entertainment.

 

This marks the first time that fans will be able to purchase all six films separately on 4K Ultra HD disc with High Dynamic Range and Dolby Atmos audio.  

The first four films in the franchise currently available to buy separately on 4K ULTRA HD are RESIDENT EVIL, RESIDENT EVIL: AFTERLIFE, RESIDENT EVIL: EXTINCTION and RESIDENT EVIL: APOCALYPSE. 

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.    

The bonus material on RESIDENT EVIL: RETRIBUTION 4K ULTRA HD and RESIDENT EVIL: THE FINAL CHAPTER 4K ULTRA HD released on Monday 18th October are as follows:

RESIDENT EVIL: RETRIBUTION 4K ULTRA HD - BONUS FEATURES
•    Outtakes  
•    Drop (UN) Dead – Creatures Featurette  
•    Filmmakers & Cast Commentaries  
•    Deleted & Extended Scenes  
•    6 Behind-the-Scenes Featurette plus Project Alice: The Interactive Database    

RESIDENT EVIL: THE FINAL CHAPTER - 4K ULTRA HD - BONUS FEATURES
•    Retaliation mode with Paul & Milla  
•    Stunts & Weaponry  
•    Explore the hive  
•    The bad ass trinity & the women of Resident Evil  
Sneak Peek: Resident Evil: Vendetta

Buy RESIDENT EVIL: RETRIBUTION on 4K ULTRA HD at Amazon.co.uk

Buy RESIDENT EVIL: THE FINAL CHAPTER on 4K ULTRA HD at Amazon.co.uk

 

 

SCI-FI-LONDON FESTIVAL - BACK IN THE CINEMA - 19th – 26TH OCTOBER

The SCI-FI-LONDON FILM FESTIVAL 2021 has launched its cosmic 21st annual programme, which will run from the 19 OCTOBER until 26 OCTOBER 2021 with seven days of fabulous film. It will showcase a fantastic lineup with 2 world film premieres, 8 UK film premieres, 11 world short premieres and 13 UK short premieres. It will host 13 features and 50 shorts alongside its regular classic cult events such as the 48 HOUR FILM CHALLENGE and SCI-FI-QUIZ.

Opening this year's festival on the 19th October is Agata Alexander's WARNING. This film is dark, witty and spectacular. It has a stellar cast, including Annabelle Wallis, Thomas Jane, Alex Pettyfer, Patrick Schwarzenegger, Alice Eve, and the marvellous Rupert Everett. WARNING is a visually arresting, thought-provoking sci-fi exploring the meaning of life through multiple interconnected lives. This is like BLACK MIRROR just jumped out of a plane without a parachute!

 

Doomsday is coming. But from where? Global warming, the isolation and breakdown of society, because the immortals hate us mortals. Maybe from the asteroids charging toward the planet?
 
The festival's Closing Night on the 26 October at Stratford Picturehouse is the World Premiere of MOON HEART. M, played by Peru's most illustrious actor, Haydeé Cáceres, is alone, almost invisible to society, not an outcast, just old, poor, homeless and ignored. Her only friend is a lone ant. M's world is full of nostalgic memories and a dark presence that haunts her. Then one day, a 'mechanical angel' arrives to help change her life. At its core, this is a film about marginalisation and the abandonment and mental anguish that homeless people suffer. However, it is also an extraordinarily warm film with an outstanding lead performance.  WINNER OF THE SFL 'BEST FEATURE FILM 2021' AWARD

Other major Film Premiere Galas this year include the World Premiere of REPEAT, by UK director Richard Millar. Professor Ryan Moore (Tom England) believes that his new device communicates with those who have 'passed'. He is obsessed with the project because his daughter, Samantha, has been missing without a trace for months, and he fears the worst. But, in one experiment, it appears he has made contact with Samantha. His grief is awful, but he thinks he has found a way to 'bring her back'. But will the truth of what happened be even more devastating.

The cast includes: Charlotte Ritchie, llila-Jean Wood and Nina Wadia, who is well known from EastEnders and, Goodness Gracious Me.

UK Premieres include:

EXPOSURE 36. (Dir. Mackenzie G. Maur, Country: USA, Year: 2021
Runtime: 90 mins Language: English.) DIRECTOR IN ATTENDANCE
Set in New York, three days before the world will end, we meet Cam, a struggling and grieving photographer. Coping with addiction, Cam's only plan is to succumb to his substance abuse as the world collapses around him. His one ambition is to capture final days on a roll of 35mm film. But his plan is disrupted when his friend goes missing, putting him on a journey to find out what happened and who's responsible. The film was partly shot during the Covid-lockdown in the USA. This adds a sublime realism to the film's portrayal of loneliness, guilt, and isolation.
Cast: Charles Ouda, Jennifer Leigh Whitehead, Nick Smithson
 
TIONG BAHRU SOCIAL CLUB (Dir: Tan Bee Thiam Country: Singapore, Year: 2021, Runtime: 89 mins, Language: Chinese, English, Malay, Tamil (English subtitles).
Ah Bee's life is a dull, monotonous one and he seems stuck in a rut. Then, one day, the opportunity arises to work at the new Tiong Bahru Social Club, a data-driven project to create the happiest neighbourhood in the world. His encounters with the neighbourhood's residents and the authority that runs the place reveal the absurdity of life. This candy-coloured satire flirts with Art Deco nostalgia set in Singapore's most 'gentrified' district. With a sprinkle of THE TRUMAN SHOW and a dash of BLACK MIRROR, though much less pretentious, this is an incisive subtle film, with humour as
offbeat as it is caustic. Never has a futuristic dystopia been so heartwarming.
Cast: Thomas Pang, Goh Guat Kian, Jo Tan
 
STRAWBERRY MANSION (Dir: Kentucker Audley and Albert Birney, Country: USA, Year: 2021, Runtime: 91 mins, Language: English.)
Maybe tomorrow, an all-seeing surveillance state will start to invade our innermost thoughts and dreams. And, of course, we'll be subject to 'dream audits' to collect taxes on our unconscious lives. So, one day, mild-mannered government agent James Preble travels to a remote farmhouse to audit the dreams of Bella Isadora, an eccentric artist. But Bella's vast dream archive hides a secret that offers him a chance at love — and maybe a way out of his dull life. This gorgeous production draws on almost every filmmaking style and technique — as if someone had given Gaspar Noé happy pills.
Cast: Kentucker Audley, Albert Birney, Penny Fuller
 
NIGHT RAIDERS (Dir: Danis Goulet, Country: Canada/New Zealand, Year: 2021, Runtime: 97 mins, Language: English/Cree.)
The year is 2043, and North America has been shattered by war. The totalitarian regime that remains now forces children into brutal military training to fight in the futile war. To save her daughter, Waseese, from this fate, Niska has been hiding them in the woods, living a reclusive life dominated by fear of discovery. When the pair are forced into the remnants of the city, Waseese is captured along with several others. Niska finds herself among the 'Night Raiders', a group of indigenous rebels who plan to free their children. 'Goulet's debut feature is a captivating film that astutely uses the sci-fi genre to criticise the treatment of First Nations people.'
Cast: Elle-Máijá Tailfeathers, Brooklyn Letexier-Hart, Alex Tarrant
 
GLASS HOUSE (Dir: Kelsey Egan, Country: South Africa, Year: 2021, Runtime: 94 mins, Language: English.)
The world we know has gone and the 'shred' altered our minds. And yet in this desolate, destroyed world, one family exists, out of sight. The daughters work the land, their mother rules with an iron hand. Then, one day the sisters are seduced by a stranger who shatters their peace and stirs up a past best left undisturbed. Glasshouse has a haunting score, beautiful photography and superbly detailed production design.
'This debut feature by Egan is one of the most tightly written and piercingly observed science fiction films we have seen for years.
Cast: Jessica Alexander, Hilton Pelser, Brent Vermeulen, Adrienne Pearce, Kitty Harris, Anja Taljaard
 
12 MONTHS OF KAI. (Dir: Mutsumi Kameyama, Country: Japan, Year: 2020, Runtime: 83 mins, Language: Japanese (English subtitles). DIRECTOR IN ATTENDANCE
Something has changed in a world where 'personal carebots' are commonplace and cater to our every need. Kyoka, who lives in Tokyo and has a successful career, decides to get a personal care humanoid (PCH) Kai. He is perfect. He learns quickly and knows Kyoka so well. However, Kai seems to have real emotions, and Kyoka is lost in this new relationship. Her friends are worried for her, but soon they will all have to confront an unexpected change in the world. Cast: Ayaka Nakagouchi, Kosei Kudo
 
VISITOR (Dir: Alberto Evangelio, Country: Spain, Year: 2021, Runtime: 91mins, Language: Spanish/Catalan(English subtitles) DIRECTOR IN ATTENDANCE
Marga lost her sister in a tragic accident when they were children. Years later, she has relationship problems and decides to get some space and visit the old family home. But strange things start happening, and she discovers a portal to another reality, one where her sister is alive and grown-up. In that parallel dimension, her sister and her other self warn Marga that something terrible is about to happen, but who can she trust?
Cast: Jan Cornet, Iria del Rio, Miquel Fernández
 
ESLUNA: THE CROWN OF BABYLON (Dir: Denver Jackson, Country: Canada, Year: 2021, Runtime: 102 mins, Language: English)
Esluna is ruled by descendants of a sacred bloodline, where technology is powered by the highly advanced relics of the ancients. Raised by the monks who protect the relics of the old world, MAEVE is a treasure hunter who uses her skills to find other artefacts for the leaders. When her mentor, Caz, is kidnapped by a militia group run by a rogue monk, Maeve learns of a powerful relic known as 'THE CROWN OF BABYLON', rumoured to have the power to bring back the dead. She teams up with Bataar, a young man who mysteriously came to Esluna from another world years ago and worked with Caz to find the crown at the time of her abduction. Now, they must find the crown, save Caz, and stop the rogue from endangering the lives of everyone they know. A thrilling animated action-adventure set in the retro-futuristic world of Esluna, and great fun for all the family!
Cast: Grace Chan, Shawn O'Hara, Ariel Hack, Alain Williams.
 
Our Stranger Than Fiction Documentary strand has two remarkable films:
 
TUNE INTO THE FUTURE (Dir: Eric Schockmel, Country: Luxembourg, Year: 2020, Runtime: 72 mins, Language: English.)
One hundred years before the internet, a self-declared tech guru started preaching the future to his flock of outsiders. Meet the most influential nerd you may never have heard of: Hugo Gernsback. Decades ahead of the curve, he foresaw Skype, jetpacks, space mining and drones. But even though he would accumulate over 80 patents throughout his life and befriend the likes of Edison and Tesla, his most influential invention remains Science Fiction!
 
SCREENS WITH SHORT:
MY BRAIN IS BIGGER: THE RISE AND FALL OF ELEKTRO, THE SMOKING ROBOT
Dir. Ian Johnston, Canada, 10mins, English, UK PREMIERE
A whimsical look at the life of America's first celebrity robot, Elektro. He was the 'next big thing', from the World's Fair to Soft-porn star... and then he disappeared.
 
THE HIGH FRONTIER: THE UNTOLD STORY OF GERARD K. O'NEILL
(Dir: Ryan Stuit, Country: USA, Year: 2020, Runtime: 91 mins, Language: English.)
Gerard K. O'Neill was a physicist and space colony pioneer. In 1977, he wrote The High Frontier: Human Colonies in Space, A book that sparked an enormous grassroots movement to 'open the high frontier' to make space available and beneficial for all mankind. The film is told through "Gerry's Kids", as they affectionately call themselves; his peers, family, and the younger generation who followed that movement and are now in charge of the modern-day space industry.
 
SCREENS WITH SHORT:
ARTIST DEPICTION BY STEVE R. DODD
Dir. Brett Ryan Bonowicz, USA, 19mins, English, World Premiere Steve Dodd has painted space scenes since the 1970s. Working at home with no phone, internet or computer, he has created hundreds of beautiful 'spacescapes': visions of a positive future amongst the stars. This is his first recorded interview.
 
For the full line up visit the website: sci-fi-london.com #SFL2021

Vampire thriller DEAD & BEAUTIFUL - Premiering on Shudder November

Shudder, AMC Networks’ premium streaming service for horror, thriller and the supernatural, will premiere vampire thriller DEAD & BEAUTIFUL, written and directed by visionary filmmaker David Verbeek, Thursday, 4TH November in North America, the United Kingdom, Ireland, Australia and New Zealand.

In DEAD & BEAUTIFUL, five rich, spoiled Asian twenty-somethings (Gijs Blom, Aviis Zhong, Yen Tsao, Philip Juan, Anechka Marchenko) are suffering from upper-class ennui, unsure how to spend their days when so little is expected from them. In search of excitement, the five friends form the “Circle,” a group where they take turns designing a unique, extravagant experience for the others. But things go wrong when the privileged urbanites awaken after a night out, to find they have developed vampire fangs and an unquenchable thirst for flesh, blood, and adventure at any price.

DEAD & BEAUTIFUL is David Verbeek’s seventh feature. Among his previous films are the award-winning Full Contact, which premiered at TIFF in 2015 and R U There, which played Cannes’ Un Certain Regard in 2010. The film is produced by Erik Glijnis (Pleasure) and Leontine Petit (The Lobster) of Lemming Film, in co-production with House on Fire International, Nukleus Film, and Woods of Light Film. Indie Sales is handling international sales. 

View the trailer below...

For a 7-day, risk-free trial, visit www.shudder.com.

 

 

Horror novel FAMULI CANI - available now from Amazon

Author Alan Golbourn recently got in contact to tell us about his new horror novel, FAMULI CANI, which is currently available from Amazon.

From the press release...

When best friends David and John are made redundant, they decide to go away with another close friend, Grant, to David's Uncle's farm up in Scotland, in the Rothiemurchus Forest. David soon learns of strange and terrible things happening on the farm, where some of the animals are found mysteriously mutilated and slaughtered.

David's Uncle also informs them of other starnge phenomena, including whispers in the wind and a strange, constant sensation of being watching by someone, or something.  Driven by concern for his Aunt and Uncle and fueled by curiousity, David is determined to travel up North, against his Uncle's wishes.

Things soon start to happen even before David and his friends set off as they are targetted by frightening and inexplicable events and messages warning them to stay away, so that one friend is too scared to go, leaving only two to make the long distance drive. Despite more frightening and unimaginable things happening on their way up to the Highlands, the two friends, now fearing for their lives, remain determined to reach the farm

With their minds racing with all sorts of theories, they will soon face an unparalled horror, with pure evil awaiting them and an old Scottish folklore proving to be terrifyingly true.

Buy the book from Amazon.co.uk