In addition to the world premiere of Stephen King's Cell, this year's Film4 FrightFest Glasgow will feature special guest Natalie Dormer, who will be on hand for a screening of The Forest. Also in this round-up: Deep Red UK Blu-ray details, info on an upcoming book signing for Alyse Wax's Curious Goods: Behind-the-Scenes of Friday the 13th: The Series, Q&As for OMG... We're in a Horror Movie!!! and WTF!, as well as a new poster for Francesca.
Film4 FrightFest 2016: Press Release: "Kicking off with a special screening of THE FOREST with star Natalie Dormer in attendance, and finishing in racy rock-fuelled style with Sean Byrne’s THE DEVIL’S CANDY, the UK’s favourite horror fantasy event returns to Glasgow Film Festival with another stellar line-up to shock, chill and thrill. A record thirteen films will screen from Thurs 25 Feb to Sat 27 Feb 2016, alongside a selection of unmissable shorts, guest director Q & A’s, great give-aways and a sneak preview of Paul Hyett’s HERETIKS, with the popular director in attendance.
Official trailer: https://player.vimeo.com/video/151359678
The line-up starts at 9pm on Thurs 25 Feb with the UK Premiere of THE FOREST starring Natalie Dormer searching for her twin sister in Japan’s most haunted location, the fabled Sea of Trees. The ‘Game of Thrones’ star is making her first appearance at Glasgow Film Festival and is thrilled to be headlining this gala event the day before the film’s UK release.
Friday’s fearsome line-up kicks off with the UK Premiere of THE HEXECUTIONERS, Jesse Thomas Cook’s love letter to the rural horror genre, which is an atmospheric, tense and bloody treat. This is followed by the UK Premiere of Sonny Mallhi’s eerie, jittery and surprisingly moving ANGUISH, the creepiest and most resonant American independent horror since It Follows, Next up is the much-anticipated World Premiere of CELL. Starring John Cusack and Samuel L. Jackson, this adaptation of Stephen King’s acclaimed apocalyptic nightmare is a sobering reminder of the FrightFest mantra to ‘Turn Off Your Bloody Phone’!
The 9pm slot goes to THE MIND’S EYE, directed by Joe Begos. Begos’ directorial debut Almost Human was a FrightFest Glasgow 2014 highlight, so the organisers are thrilled he will be returning to present his second award-winning feature, a loving and thrilling tribute to iconic horror heroes David Cronenberg and Brian De Palma. Expect bloody fireworks, mutant mayhem and exemplary special effects. Rounding off the evening in gory style is the
European premiere of Tyler MacIntyre’s PATCHWORK, a modern spin on Mary Shelley mythology, mixed with fun gore and a cheeky tone which will delight fans of classic 1980’s scream fests.
Getting the packed Saturday programme off to a spine-tingling start is the Scottish Premiere of Roar Uthaug’s epic action-thrillerTHE WAVE, the most successful movie of the year in Norway, and a Scandinavian smash hit sensation. This is followed by the chiller compendium SOUTHBOUND, a uniquely solid, grim and gritty excursion into the dark side of the soul which is a shining example why Anthology horror is back in vogue.
The ‘horror tsunami’ continues with the jaw-dropping martial arts extravaganza SPL2: A TIME FOR CONSEQUENCES. Superbly entwining operatic outbursts of heart-stopping emotion, spectacular choreography and balletic bone-crunching violence, this was the third biggest box-office hit in Asia in 2015. Next up is the European premiere THE OTHER SIDE OF THE DOOR, directed by rising British talent Johannes Roberts. Roberts will be in attendance to discuss his eerie, evocative and sinister shock spectacular.
Hold on to your entrails as Saturday evening unfolds in gruesome style with BASKIN, Can Evrenol’s fiendish adaptation of his short film. Loaded with surreal chills, atmospheric dread, extreme gore and unsettling perversity. this marks the Turkish director as a bright talent on the international genre landscape and FrightFest is thrilled Can will be attending.
In 2008 Pascal Laugiers shocked the world with MARTYRS, which became one of the last decade’s most controversial horror movies. Now comes the UK premiere of the highly anticipated American version, produced by the house of Jason Blum and helmed by the Goetz Brothers. Be prepared for an equally unsettling ride!
To end this year’s carnival of carnage is an bloody explosion of heavy metal, murder and mayhem in the eagerly-awaited UK premiere of Sean Byrne’s creepy, brain-freezing THE DEVIL’S CANDY, an instant cult classic and one of the scariest ‘under the radar’ movies of the year.
Alan Jones, co-director, said today: “After its biggest year ever, raising the terror landscape bar in August and our diversification into other major media platforms, FrightFest returns to its beloved Glasgow Film Festival with a programme that celebrates the ground-breaking, the innovative, the unique, the extreme but most essentially all that’s best and keynote about the action horror fantasy genre. So please be seated for the frights of your lives!”
FrightFest Passes are £70 and available from noon on Tuesday Jan 12, 2016. Passes cover all films on Fri 26 & Sat 27 FebONLY.
Tickets for ‘The Forest’ and individual tickets for the Fri/Sat films will go on sale Mon 25 Jan from 10am. Prices: £9.50 / £7.50 concessions.
To book tickets:
+44 (0)141 332 6535 / boxoffice@glasgowfilm.org / www.glasgowfilm.org/festival
Programme details
THURS 25 FEB – GFT Screen 1
THE FOREST (UK Premiere)
For centuries, the Aokigahara Forest at the northwest base of Mount Fuji has been linked with death and torment. Such strong associations have kept it a cultural marker for Japanese belief in the paranormal world. Legend speaks of the 'ubasute', spectres of old women abandoned by their families, and the 'yurei', spirits of lonely suicide victims. Now Sara (Natalie Dormer) is about to enter the sinister green canopy known as the ‘Sea of Trees’ hoping to find the answer to why her twin sister Jess has mysteriously disappeared. Ex-patriate journalist Aiden and forest path guide Michi are there to keep a protective eye on her. But as darkness falls, fear soon fragments Sara’s conscious as she faces the swelling legion of ghosts that prey on anyone who gets close.
Director: Jason Zada. Cast: Natalie Dormer, Taylor Kinney, Eoin Macken. USA 2016. 90 mins. 18. Icon Film Distribution
FRI 26 FEB – GFT Screen 1
13:30 THE HEXECUTIONERS (UK Premiere)
From the director of MONSTER BRAWL and SEPTIC MAN, and the writer of PONTYPOOL and HELLMOUTH, comes a nerve-shredding American Gothic tale of terror. Sanctioned euthanasia is now an industry and Malison is just starting assisting suicides for the Rite-To-Die company. After a distressing first call-out, she is paired with seasoned veteran Olivia and they head to the remote estate of Milos Somborac, on his deathbed wishing to expire via a Tibetan death ritual known as the Yotar Sky Burial. Soon the shocking reasons why this arcane method has been chosen become stark, staring clear as the demise-inducing duo find themselves fighting vengeful spirits determined to stop it.
Director: Jesse Thomas Cook. Cast: Liv Collins, Sarah Power, Wil Burd. Canada 2015. 95 mins. 18. Raven Banner Entertainment.
15:40 ANGUISH (UK Premiere)
Producer of THE STRANGERS, SHUTTER and AT THE DEVIL’S DOOR, Sonny Mallhi makes a dazzling directorial debut with this compelling supernatural chiller inspired by a true possession story. Teenage Tess has been suffering from anxiety since childhood and is on medication. But when the family moves to a small house in Texas it becomes clear her dissociative identity disorder condition might not be necessarily psychological when she becomes susceptible to spirits of the deceased - especially ghost girl Lucy killed in a tragic accident. Showcasing a breakout performance by Ryan Simpkins (TWIXT, SURVEILLANCE, HANGMAN) playing the withdrawn Tess.
Director: Sonny Mallhi. Cast: Ryan Simpkins, Annika Marks, Karina Logue. USA 2015. 91 mins. 18. Arrow Films.
18:30 CELL (World Premiere)
Best-selling horror author Stephen King brings his acclaimed apocalyptic nightmare to the big screen. When a powerful signal is broadcast across mobile networks worldwide, every cell phone user’s mind is dangerously re-programmed turning them all into instant zombie killers. With civilization crumbling as the bloodthirsty ‘phoners’ attack each other and any unaltered person in view, artist Clay Riddell (John Cusack) heads north through New England in search of his wife Alice and son Tom. He’s joined by a group of survivors, including Tom McCourt (Samuel L Jackson), and together they fight off the hyper-connected horde amidst the total chaos. Then they learn of ‘The Raggedy Man’ and his sinister flock and in their desperation for answers they go in search of him…
Director: Tod Williams. Cast: John Cusack, Samuel L. Jackson, Isabelle Fuhrman. USA 2016. 96 mins. 18. Signature Entertainment.
21:00 THE MIND’S EYE (UK Premiere)
Set in snowy 1990 New England, this violent revenge thriller follows Zack Connors, a telekinetic fugitive, who can move and destroy objects with his mind. Picked up by the authorities and admitted into a research institute run by the sinister Doctor Slovak, despite promises he’ll be reunited with his girlfriend Rachel with whom he shares similar abilities, the diabolical medic is using his patients to create a synthetic mind-control serum for his own power-crazed use. Steve Moore’s propulsive score infuses every elevated genre moment with epic vibes and Begos delivers with stylish panache and irresistible pizzazz.
Director: Joe Begos. Cast: Graham Skipper, Lauren Ashley-Carter, John Speredakos. USA 2015. 87 mins. 18. Thanks to Channel 83 Films and Site B.
23:15 PATCHWORK (European Premiere)
The spirits of RE-ANIMATOR and cult director Frank Henenlotter loom large over this incandescent comic horror. Three young women out partying wake up in a strange laboratory to find themselves Frankensteined together in one body. Making matters worse is that bitchy professional Jennifer, ditzy airhead Ellie and weirdo Madeleine share a collective consciousness as well as body control. Barely able to keep it together, the women co-operate long enough to make an escape. But unable to come to terms with their new multi-persona, the women shift their focus towards tracking down the mad scientist responsible for their mutilation while also making peace with their former hang-ups. Can they put aside their differences long enough to exact the proper revenge?
Director: Tyler MacIntyre. Cast: Tory Stolper, Tracey Fairaway, Maria Blasucci. Canada/USA 2015. 86 mins. 18.
SAT 27 FEB – GFT Screen 1
10:00 14:15 THE WAVE (Scottish Preview)
FrightFest alumni Roar Uthaug has gone from COLD PREY slasher genius and ‘Hellfjord’ hero to first class master of disaster. In the small mountain community of Geiranger, geologist Kristian works at an early warning centre keeping an eye out for rockslides causing potential dangers. The last catastrophe was in 1905 and everyone knows it’s only a matter of time before the next Big One hits. And once the boulders start falling, the tight-knit population and the tourists it caters for has just 10 minutes to get to higher ground… So set your stopwatch now for inevitable and inescapable destruction to begin as nature fights back with drastically shifting scenery and a terrifying monster tsunami.
Director Roar Uthaug. Cast: Thomas Bo Larsen, Kristoffer Joner, Fridtjov Såheim. Norway 2015. 104 mins. Norwegian with subtitles. 18. Studio Canal.
12:10 SOUTHBOUND (UK Premiere)
Genre cinema is an art fuelled by teamwork and nowhere is this more self-evident than in this chiller compendium revealing a circle of death. From the creators of the V/H/S franchise come five interlocking tales of terror following the fates of weary travellers who confront their worst nightmares - and murkiest innermost secrets - over one long night on a desolate stretch of desert highway. You’ll witness two blood-soaked men on the run from supernatural horrors, an all-girl band taken in by a strange family, a man who has to perform emergency surgery with spooky 911 assistance, a home invasion and a rescue mission that goes horribly awry. The Cryptkeeper would be so pleased!
Directors: Roxanne Benjamin. David Bruckner, Patrick Horvath, Radio Silence. Cast: Kate Beahan, Matt Bettinelli-Olpin, Susan Burke. USA 2015. 89 mins. 18. Thanks to Studio Canal.
14:05 SPL2: A TIME FOR CONSEQUENCES (Preview)
A sequel in name only to the 2005 original KILL ZONE, director Soi Cheang recaptures its exhilarating energy and adrenaline-fuelled action by expanding into Thailand’s criminal underworld. Undercover Hong Kong cop Kit is sent to a hellish Thai prison after his cover is blown. As his supervising uncle Wah tries to discover his whereabouts, Kit learns the jail is the centre of an organ trafficking ring run by degenerate cutthroats. One of the few honest guards is Chai (ONG BAK superstar Tony Jaa in his finest role) whose dying daughter desperately needs a bone marrow transplant. And so the scene is set for an audacious turbo-charged thriller showcasing Hong Kong action filmmaking at its stunning best.
Director: Soi Cheang. Cast: Tony Jaa, Simon Yam, Jing Wu. China/Hong Kong 2015 120 mins. Mandarin Chinese with subtitles. 18. Jinga Films.
16:40 THE OTHER SIDE OF THE DOOR (European Premiere)
The latest production from visionary genre titan Alexandre Aja (SWITCHBLADE ROMANCE, THE HILLS HAVE EYES, MANIAC and HORNS) is an exotic tale of supernatural threat directed by Johannes Roberts (F, STORAGE 24, 47 METERS DOWN). Grieving over the tragic loss of their son Oliver in India where the family antiques business is based, Maria hears of a dark rite that will let her to say goodbye to her dead child and hopefully find closure. Without her husband Michael knowing, she travels to a remote temple where the veil between the netherworld and the living one is thinnest. But unable to contain her emotions she breaks the most important ritual commandment allowing the spirit of the evil goddess Myrtu to roam the earth once more. Now she must protect her daughter Lucy against sibling malevolence at all costs..
Director: Johannes Roberts. Cast: Sarah Wayne Callies, Jeremy Sisto, Javier Botet. UK/India 2016. 96 mins. 18. 20th Century Fox.
19:05 BASKIN (UK Premiere)
Can Evrenol’s homage to Coffin Joe, HELLRAISER, Dario Argento and H.P. Lovecraft is a terrifying and visceral tour-de-force of extreme violence and disturbing horror; Little do a police squad know when they respond to a call for backup at an abandoned building in the middle of nowhere that they will stumble upon a Black Mass being performed by a nightmare cabal of subhuman cannibalistic freaks with a penchant for imaginative blood ceremonies. This is a striking and innovative feature debut of clear future cult importance. directed by an emerging, unique filmmaker.
Director: Can Evrenol. Cast: Gorkem Kasal, Ergun Kuyucu, Muharrem Bayrak. Turkey/USA 2015. 97 mins. Turkish with subtitles. 18. Vertigo Films.
21:30 MARTYRS (UK Premiere)
With both detractors and defenders calling Pascal Laugiers’ MARTYRS a Sadean masterpiece, it was never going to be an easy task for Kevin and Michael Goetz to remake the film but they proclaim their vision is a reimagining of the source material rather than a slavish remake. Do they succeed? We dare you to find out as Lucie escapes from the warehouse where she was being held captive and brutalised. Leaving the orphanage a decade later with her best friend Anna, she’s determined to find the family who tortured her. But her urge for vengeance is the gateway to greater horrors as both girls must endure an even more unimaginable and debauched hell together.
Directors: Kevin & Michael Goetz. Cast: Bailey Noble, Troian Bellisario, Boriana Williams. USA 2015. 81 mins. 18. Altitude Films.
23:30 THE DEVIL’S CANDY (UK Premiere)
Seven years after taking the genre world by storm with THE LOVED ONES, Australian director Sean Byrne is back with an absorbing, unnerving and devastating ride into psychological trauma and satanic bedlam. Unfulfilled artist Jesse Hellman moves his wife and fellow metal music-loving teenage daughter Zooey into a rustic Texas home with a violent past. Soon his paintings start taking on a darker, disturbing and more prophetic turn as anxieties get ramped up by mortgage repayments, local gallery interest in his work and helping Zooey settle at her new school. Then the clearly unbalanced Ray appears on his doorstep wanting to move back where his parents tragically died. And when Ray sees Zooey, nothing prepares the family for the shocking chain of events in this sly, outstanding and refreshingly original chiller.
Director: Sean Byrne. Cast: Ethan Embry, Kiara Glasco, Pruitt Taylor Vince. USA 2015. 90 mins. 18. Icon Film Distribution.
For further information: www.frightfest.co.uk"
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Deep Red UK Blu-ray: Press Release: "When was the last time you were really scared? From Dario Argento, maestro of the macabre and the man behind some the greatest excursions in Italian horror (Suspiria, The Bird with the Crystal Plumage), Arrow Video is thrilled to announce the release of his iconic film Deep Red, considered by many as the ultimate giallo movie. Limited to 5,000 copies, this exclusive 3-disc release offers up a stunning new 4k transfer of both the international cut (105 mins) and the director’s cut (127 mins).
This new release will also include a wealth of bonus content, alongside the complete 28-track original soundtrack recording, housed together in deluxe packaging including an all-new exclusive booklet, 6 x postcard set and feature newly commissioned artwork by Gilles Vranckx.
One night, musician Marcus Daly (David Hemmings, Blow Up), looking up from the street below, witnesses the brutal axe murder of a woman in her apartment. Racing to the scene, Marcus just manages to miss the perpetrator… or does he? As he takes on the role of amateur sleuth, Marcus finds himself ensnared in a bizarre web of murder and mystery where nothing is what it seems…
Aided by a throbbing score from regular Argento-collaborators Goblin, Deep Red (aka Profondo Rosso and The Hatchet Murders) is a hallucinatory fever dream of a giallo punctuated by some of the most astonishing set-pieces the sub-genre has to offer.
Special Features
3-DISC LIMITED EDITION CONTENTS
DEEP RED: ORIGINAL VERSION (BLU-RAY DISC 1)
DEEP RED: EXPORT VERSION (BLU-RAY DISC 2) [LIMITED EDITION EXCLUSIVE]
PROFONDO ROSSO: THE COMPLETE ORIGINAL SOUNDTRACK RECORDING (CD DISC 3) [LIMITED EDITION EXCLUSIVE]
Specs
Release Date: Monday 16th January 2016
Certificate: 18
Language: Italian/English
82: 127 mins (DIRECTOR’S CUT) 105 mins (INTERNATIONAL CUT)
Region: B
Audio: 1.0 Mono
Blu-ray Cat Number: FCD1156"
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Friday the 13th: The Series Book Signing: On January 16th, author Alyse Wax will be in attendance at Dark Delicacies for a signing session for her new book, Curious Goods: Behind-the-Scenes of Friday the 13th: The Series:
"It will be held at Dark Delicacies (3512 W Magnolia Blvd, Burbank, California 91505) on January 16th at 2pm. Signing with me will be Tom McLoughlin (series writer/director), Armand Mastroianni (series director), Bill Taub (series writer), and Steve Monarque (series star - Johnny) (tentative). The signing is free, but you must purchase a book on site to get it signed. If you cannot make it to the signing, you can order a signed copy at www.darkdel.com. Of course, you can also buy the book at Amazon or BearManor Media.
About “Curious Goods: Behind-the-Scenes of Friday the 13th: The Series” -
“Lewis Vendredi made a deal with the devil to sell cursed antiques, but he broke the pact, and it cost him his soul. His niece, Micki, and her cousin, Ryan, inherited the store, and with it, the curse. Now they must get everything back—and the real terror begins.”
So opens Friday the 13th: The Series. In 1987, Paramount Studios found success selling a new Star Trek series into syndication. Eager to cash in on other studio-owned properties, Paramount asked producer Frank Mancuso Jr. to develop a series around Friday the 13th (1980), and the new television series was born. The story lines had nothing to do with the popular slasher film franchise, which was both a blessing and curse. The cast and crew were largely young and inexperienced, and they were one of the first Hollywood productions to shoot entirely in Canada.
In the first-ever examination of the TV series, author Alyse Wax delves into the series episode-by-episode, with more than sixty exclusive interviews with the cast, writers, directors, and producers, as well as nearly fifty never published behind-the-scenes photos from the cast and crew’s personal collections.
Interviews include series creator Frank Mancuso Jr.; series stars Louise Robey, John LeMay, and Steve Monarque; notable guest stars including Elias Zarou, Kate Trotter, Wayne Best, Barclay Hope, Angelo Rizacos, Monika Schnarre, and Ingrid Veninger; directors and production crew including Jim Henshaw, Marc Scott Zicree, Tim Bond, William Taub, Francis Delia, Armand Mastroianni, Rob Hedden, Tom McLoughlin, and Atom Egoyan.
About the author: Alyse Wax has been covering television and the horror industry for over a decade. She was the Associate Editor of the dearly departed FEARnet.com, and currently writes for a number of geeky, freaky places, including ComingSoon.net, Fangoria, ShockTillYouDrop.com, and Blumhouse.com."
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OMG... We're in a Horror Movie!!! Q&A: "In the tradition of Scream and Tucker and Dale vs Evil comes OMG... We're in a Horror Movie!!!, available this month on VOD from LeoMark Studios.
Seven friends find themselves trapped in a horror movie in Ajala Bandele's very funny and somewhat frightening love letter to the genre.
A movie about "What if's" What if your life suddenly became a horror movie. Who would you play? What if your role was taken? What would you do. This is a horror comedy that answer those questions for seven "lucky" people who get to see what they would do.
Brendan Mcgowan, Sharon Mae, Shanna Malcolm, Nils Janson, Chris Hampton, and Ajala Bandele star in the movie, which we had the chance to talk to Bandele about.
What’s the tone of the movie? Is it a straight comedy? Less Scream and more Scary Movie?
Ajala Bandele: It’s almost like “Stranger than Fiction” with “Scary Movie”. Like in “Scream” the characters are aware of the horror movie tropes. But unlike “Scream”, they are aware that they are IN the movie and can control their own fate. Everyone breaks the fourth wall and comments on their assigned roles. “Scary Movie” relies heavily on the shock value of jokes which works in the parody. “OMG… We’re in a Horror Movie!!!” focuses more on the situational comedy and witty dialogue. OMG also does what most parodies don’t do; it makes fun of the whole genre and not just a specific movie. It’s similar to “Shawn of the Dead” in that sense.
Were you inspired at all by other parodies?
Ajala Bandele: “Scary Movie” for sure. “Shawn of the Dead” is a great example of the type of parody OMG is emulating.
Did you always intend on acting in the movie, too?
Ajala Bandele: YES!!! I’m directing a short film now and decided not to act in it. Oh how I wish I’d made a different decision. The actor who is playing my part is great, but acting is my passion and was the reason for writing OMG in the first place. I had been auditioning for a while and not getting the parts I wanted. So I decided to write something that I would love to be in.
Do you have a favorite kill in the movie?
Ajala Bandele: Two. The death of my Director of Photography Greg Loebell is fabulous, and the death of my producing partner Tom Hatfield is special!
Is the US the first country to get the movie?
Ajala Bandele: Yes it is. Followed by China and Germany. I’m looking forward to hearing my voice in german.
Do you plan on releasing the film on DVD later on? Or are you quite happy with it being VOD only?
Ajala Bandele: I’m not sure DVD makes sense nowadays unless you’re a blockbuster film. But if the film does well enough then yeah. Until then VOD sounds nice.
Any plans for a sequel?
Ajala Bandele: Already writing it!
Raised on a steady diet of R.L. Stine’s Goosebumps books and Are You Afraid of the Dark?, Derek has been fascinated with fear since he first saw ForeverWare being used on an episode of Eerie, Indiana.
When he’s not writing about horror as the Senior News Reporter for Daily Dead, Derek can be found daydreaming about the Santa Carla Boardwalk from The Lost Boys or reading Stephen King and Brian Keene novels.
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