Frightfest London 2014 Preview - Main Screen Part Two

Here's another trio of recommendation from this year's packed Frightfest main screen line-up. More main screen action to come tomorrow night plus we'll be diving into the Discovery Screen line-up.

The Babadook

Directed by Jennifer Kent

REPULSION meets ‘The Gruffalo’ in writer/director Jennifer Kent’s Sundance acclaimed debut feature as the unresolved traumas of a conflicted mother and disturbed son manifest as a malevolent entity threatening to consume them both. Amelia (Essie Davis in a stunning performance) and her son, Sam, have had a raw deal in life. Her husband Oskar died six years prior while driving her to the hospital pregnant with Sam, and his birthday is a particularly painful reminder. But this year things worsen dramatically. Samuel’s been having nightmares, and when a mysterious pop-up children’s book appears on his shelf titled ‘Mister Babadook’, he is finally able to put a name to the terror. Amelia tries to handle Sam with patience, understanding and sedatives, but his increasing feral aggression and her growing lack of sleep lead them inexorably towards the darkness. Prepare for horrific chills fuelled by grief, madness and monsters in the closet.

I remember when The Babadook intially appeared on my radar. The title of the movie alone filled me with curiosity. Such an unusal name.  Then I saw the trailer and that initial interest caught fire and Jennifer Kent's debut became one of my most anticipated movies of 2014.  There's something about the monster in the closet or under the bed that has never quite left me even though I'm now an adult of 44.  I still find myself sometimes startled awake by a noise in the night only to find myself staring, hypnotised at that patch of darkness that seems just that little bit more dense than it ought to be.  I even find myself closing the wardrobe door in the bedroom I share with my wife rather than leave it ajar.  An overactive imagination some would call it and they'd probably be right. But always that tiny little voice in the back of my mind whispering, "what if".  Garnish that with the fact that I have step children today complete with the multitude of worries and concerns that come with that and this movie taps into both distant childhood terrors never forgotten and adult concerns for the safety of your loved ones.  That's a potent brew right there and the success of The Babadook on the festival circuit with both fans and critics alike suggests it gets the mix just right.  This is one not to miss.  (Oh...and how cool is that poster?)

The Green Inferno

Directed by Eli Roth

From genre guru Eli Roth comes a post-modern celebration of the notoriously lurid and savage Italian cannibal genre as popularised by director Ruggero Deodato, his HOSTEL 2 star. Roth’s long-awaited return to the director’s chair after this six-year absence finds politically attuned, if naïve, NYC university student Justine roped into a campus activist group’s idealistic plan to travel to Peru to halt the annihilation of an endangered tribe by a corrupt construction company. But after a horrific plane crash that leaves half the radicals dead, the survivors are drugged, taken hostage and caged by the very tribe they were trying to help. Worse the mountain clan are cannibals and they are ravenous. Tapping into dark fears of man’s inhumanity to man with grisly humour and brutally matter-of-fact style violence, this jungle holocaust delves into bleak and thought-provoking horror with the disturbing aplomb Roth fans have come to recognise and appreciate.

Eli Roth is one of the most devisive figures currently working in the field of horror cinema.  Although I distance myself from the opinions of horror fans who think he's an overrated hack who is 100% ego to 0% talent I'm also not entirely comfortable with the idea that he was ever, or ever will be, the future of horror.  Cabin Fever and the first Hostel movie were fun but flawed.  I am, however, a huge fan of Hostel II and consider it to be a subversive gem of a genre movie that's far cleverer than most people give it credit for.  The Green Inferno represents Roth's homage to a genre I'm widly unfamiliar with.  The Italian cannibal movie.  My lack of knowledge results from my not having the stomach for unsimulated scenes of animal cruelty (something that will change soon when I finaly work up the nerve to watch Cannibal Holocaust).  At least that won't be an issue here but I have no doubt The Green Inferno will prove as polarising as his previous movies and for that reason alone this is a must see just so you can join in the debate afterwards.

Starry Eyes

Directed by Kevin Kolsch & Dennis Widmyer

In the city of dreams, a desperate actress will do whatever it takes for the role of a lifetime, no matter what the cost. Determined to make it in Hollywood, reluctant waitress Sarah Walker (superb Alex Essoe) goes on countless casting calls in hope of getting her big break. After a series of weird auditions at the mysterious Astraeus Pictures, she lands her dream part. But with this opportunity comes bizarre ramifications that will transform her both mentally and physically into something beautiful… and altogether more terrifying. From Travis Stevens, producer of CHEAP THRILLS, an occult tale of ambition, possession and the true cost of fame and fortune. Skilfully and scarily showing the ways in which tarnished Tinsel Town can turn a sweet starlet into an ego-maniacal monster, this nightmarish tragedy reveals for all to see what it means when actors talk about putting their soul on the screen.

I really like the look of this.  Starry Eyes exudes a real Lynchian vibe that's obvious even from the trailer with echoes of both Mulholland Drive and Inland Empire coming through.  I'm a big fan of occult horror, an obsession I can trace back to a Saturday night screening on BBC2 of the Hammer adaptation of Dennis Wheatley's brilliant The Devil Rides Out.  Of particular note is a reportedly startling central performance courtesy of Elex Essoe as a fame hungry wannabe who sells her soul in exchange for success.  Add to this the production sass of Travis Stevens who has been involved in some truly striking genre movies over the course of the last several years including previous Frightfest hit Cheap Thrills and Starry Eyes starts to look like something that could potentially be one of the hits of this year's festival.

Faults

Directed by Riley Stearns

A subversive, psychologically disturbing back comedy marking the feature film debut of director/writer Riley Stearns, who cleverly employs the considerable talents of his wife Mary Elizabeth Winstead to play Claire – a young woman who appears to be under the grip of a mysterious new cult called ‘Faults’. After a rough divorce that has left him without any money, foremost cult expert Ansel (Leland Orser) is on tour giving seminars about such brainwashing. Approached by Claire’s distraught parents, he agrees to help them, and their daughter’s de-programming seems to run smoothly enough. However, the more Ansel spends with Claire the more he starts to doubt she’s actually brainwashed. Maybe there is something to ‘Faults’ after all? From this point on an unpredictable battle of wills begins; the question being raised, just who is being deprogrammed? Bizarre, unsettling and gripping, this proved a sleeper hit when shown at SXSW.

I can't say too much about Riley Stearns' debut feature Faults without running the risk of spoiling the various surprises it has in store for the lucky Frightfest audience. What I can say is that it's excellent and there's no doubt in my mind that what we have here is one of the highlights of this year's festival.  Featuring a couple of remarkably controlled performances courtesy of Mary Elizabeth Winstead and Leland Orser (both outstanding) and gifting them with a tight, character driven script, this is a slow burn indie gem that I'm already itching to see again. Considering he only had a few shorts to his name before now I'm truly impressed by Stearns' direction here. Faults delivers a beautifully orchestrated battle of wills, unfolding with uncommon subtlety and restraint for an utterly absorbing 90 minutes. Do not miss this and look out for our full review sometime next week.

Frightfest London 2014 Preview - Main Screen Part One

It's Frightfest time again and I'm gong to waste no time with waffle and get straight into my recommendations.  Here are the movies that I think horror fans should be checking out starting with what the main screen has to offer.  If you're attending the festival please let us know either via the comments section below or via our Twitter account what movies you're most looking forward to this year.

The Guest

Directed by Adam Wingard

Hold on tight for a slick, fast, fun, killer thriller. A brilliant homage to 1980s action flicks and slasher horror given a sharp twist by YOU’RE NEXT director Adam Wingard, it showcases ex-‘Downton Abbey’ actor Dan Stevens in an inspired star-making turn. He plays David, a soldier arriving on the bereaved Peterson family’s doorstep, claiming to be the best friend of their son who died in action. Inviting him to stay, at first the charming veteran seems the perfect guest, always happy to help out. But then the random killing starts and when suspicious daughter Anna investigates army records she learns that no one called David even existed. What's going on and can the family stop the cold-blooded lethal weapon in their home committing even worse atrocities? Giddily violent, superbly directed. Join THE GUEST list for an absolute nerve-shredding blast.

You're Next was one of the most memorable horror movies of last year and found a well earned place in my year end Top 10.  It provided a brutal shot in the arm for the  home invasion sub-genre of fright flicks which have been popping up with some regularity over the course of the last ten years and, in Sharni Vinson's Erin, delivered one of the best final girls in recent years.  That was my first experence of Adam Wingard as a director and it put him firmly into the top tier of fresh new masters of horror alongside Ti West, Jim Mickle and Mike Flanagan (to name only a few).   I'm always up for a new twist on the slasher genre and The Guest certainly sounds like it's going to deliver on that front.  Plus I'm intrigued at the prospect of a Downton Abbey ulumnus being front and centre as the villain in a movie that I have no doubt deliver on the mayhem front if Wingard's last movie is anything to go by.  The comparison to 1980s action flicks is likewise intriguing. I've little doubt The Guest is going to be one of the highlights of Frightfest 2014.

Dead Snow 2: Red Vs. Dead

Directed by Tommy Wirkola

HANSEL & GRETEL WITCH HUNTERS director Tommy Wirkola does the impossible with this sequel to one of FrightFest’s most popular 2009 attractions. He improves on his Nazi zombie original in clever ways that do not betray the core conceit of witty non-stop action, heartfelt emotion or crowd-pleasing carnage in this stoked up to the gore max continuation. After a quick précis of DEAD SNOW, sole survivor Martin crashes his getaway car in the mountains after fighting SS officer Herzog for control of the vehicle. Waking up in hospital Martin discovers he's blamed by police for all his friends' murders, he's had Herzog's severed arm attached to his shoulder by mistake and he now has the zombie creating power. Something he needs when Herzog's dead army advance towards the small town of Tarvik and he must resurrect the Nazi leader's most hated Russian adversaries for the deadliest and bloodiest combat.

Given my love for most things zombie it's truly remarkable that I hadn't watched Tommy Wirkola's Dead Snow until the inclusion of this sequel as part of this year's Frightfest line-up was announced.  The first movie is a tour-de-force of undead Nazi mayhem that lovingly pays homage to the cabin in the woods genre with a lot of style and no small amount of blood and entrails.  It was hugely entertaining and stuffed full of the sort of practical gore effects that seemed custom built to make me grin like a madman for 90 minutes.  Dead Snow 2: Red Vs. Dead is reportedly bigger, more inventive and delivers that all to uncommon thing: a sequel that is better than it's predecessor in every way.  Given how good Dead Snow was the prospect of a bigger, gorier, more wildly entertaining sequel has me very excited indeed.  This is exactly the kind of movie that demands to be seen in a packed hall full of ravening horror freaks.  I practically guarantee this is going to be one of the highlights of this year's festival.

Housebound

Directed by Gerard Johnstone

Like THE LOVED ONES? Then this one’s for you. Gore, guffaws and a scary whole lot more lie in wait for permanently pissed-off Kylie Bucknell, forced to return to the family house when the court places her on home detention. Her punishment for a botched ATM raid is made all the more intolerable by the fact she has to live with her over-bearing motor-mouth mother Miriam who's convinced the house is haunted. But after dismissing Miriam's superstitions, rebellious Kylie too starts hearing unsettling whispers in the dark, creaking floorboards and strange bumps in the night. Has she inherited her mother’s overactive imagination or is there indeed evil afoot between the windows and doors? Find out in this TALES OF THE CRYPT-style Kiwi comedy chiller sporting a great sense of local humour, pitch-perfect cast chemistry, a fiercely fun tone, a very creepy atmosphere and a good deal of splatter mayhem.

I know very little about Housebound but mention of The Loved Ones hooked my attention immediately.  New Zealand is, of course, home to Peter Jackson who has given this movie his blessing, describing it as "bloody hilarious". Now...if the director of Braindead, which to my mind is neck and neck with Evil Dead II as the best horror/comedy ever to spring forth from the sick, demented imagination of a human being, is talking this up as something special...well...any horror fan would do well to sit up and take notice.  The trailer certainly seems to evoke something of the energy and humour that Jackson so expertly harnessed in his early, more ardently blood-soaked endeavours.  If the movie succeeds (and reportedly it does) in maintaining the off-kilter thrills and humour that are evident in the trailer I think we could be looking at another Antipodean classic.

Late Phases

Directed by Adrian Garcia Bogliano

From the director of PENUMBRA, COLD SWEAT and HERE COMES THE DEVIL, a freshly horrifying take on the werewolf genre. Crescent Bay is not the best place to live out one’s golden years. Once an idyllic retirement community, the gated hamlet has been beset by mysterious deadly attacks. So when blind, cranky war veteran Ambrose McKinley (superb Nick Damici from STAKE LAND, WE ARE WHAT WE ARE and COLD IN JULY) moves in, the residents are put off by his abrasive personality, especially when his guide dog is mortally wounded on his very first night. But it’s his grizzled take-no-prisoners attitude that’s needed to survive the sinister secret the secluded tight-knit neighbourhood is harbouring. For beasts that are neither animal nor man roam every full moon and with the local priest in complete denial over what is truly going on, Ambrose cannot wait until dark before the howling begins.

Why are there not more great werewolf movies? If you trawl the last decade of horror cinema you'd be hard pushed to find a single shining example (feel free to correct me).  For my money you'd have to go back to 2002 and Dog Soldiers for anything that could be labelled a classic example of this much maligned sub-genre.  Could Late Phases be a contender for the first great werewolf movie since Neil Marshall's low budget marvel?  It has a fine pedigree.  Director Adrian Garcia Bogliano is an interesting talent who's 2012 Mexican shocker Here Comes the Devil played successfully at festivals the world over and was met with a mostly positive reaction from critics.  Here too we have Nick Damici who via his frequent collaborations with Jim Mickle, most notably on the outstanding Stake Land, is fast becoming one of my favourite genre regulars.  I have a good feeling about this one.

Among the Living (Aux Yeux Des Vivants)

Directed by Julien Maury & Alexandre Bustillo

First they gave us INSIDE, then LIVID and now French fear directors Julien Maury and Alexandre Bustillo offer their most intense nightmare to date. It's the last day of school before summer break and 14 year-old troublemakers Victor, Tom and Dan leave early to explore the countryside and commit petty crime. Ending up on the scenery-strewn back-lot at the abandoned film studio, they witness a masked figure dragging a kidnapped woman into an underground lair. Running home and getting punished for their truancy, no one believes their crazy story. But the mysterious maniac has followed them and plans to silence them forever, even if their parents get in the way. Let the twisted terror begin in a deft combo of Stephen Spielberg, Stephen King and THE TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE that features gorgeous cinematography, unpredictable thrills and pulse-pounding horror that manages to fire on all chilling cylinders.

Here's a true story. My wife isn't the biggest fan of horror cinema but this does't stop me relentlessly subjecting her to movies that I consider classics of the genre.  So it came to pass that on a Friday night approx two years ago I suggested that we sit down to watch Inside, Julian Maury and Alexandre Bustillo's astonishingly visceral, relentlessly intense, taboo-incinerating debut.  I have no idea what perverse notion possesses me and makes me constantly subject my long suffering wife to these kind of no-holds barred shock-fests (Martyrs and Irreversible are in her near future) but to her credit she hasn't divorced me yet.  As the end credits rolled on Inside I looked at her and asked her her opinion.  She looked at me, eyes wet, physically shaken and said, "I hate you!"  I knew right there and then that I was correct in considering Inside to be a genre movie of considerable power and effectiveness.  Maury and Bustillo delivered again with their sophomore effort Livide and I have no reason to believe that with Among the Living they will do anything other than complete a hat trick of modern horror classic.

Frightfest Preview: Interview - Michael Ojeda (Savaged)

With Frightfest Glasgow 2014 a couple of days away I'm starting to feel like a kid just before Christmas.  Savaged will be opening the event on Friday and based on the trailer and some word of mouth courtesy of festival goers around the world I'm sure it's going to kick things off in fine fashion.  Director Michael Ojeda was kind enough to let me ask him some questions. Here's how it went:

AOTD: Savaged is a very dark tale.  Tell us a little bit about where your mind was at while you were writing the script?  Are there any elements of the script you feel uncomfortable about having written?

Michael Ojeda: I started watching horror films at an early age and even went to midnight shows with my dad, so for me horror films have always been an escape from the mundane everyday life.  The horror I write always derives from a positive place.  Usually good versus evil.  I desire to see a protagonists triumph over dark forces, because I like to be able to think I can.  I think we all do.  So, to answer your question, no, it's not hard for me to go a dark place to write tragic things, because I know in the end the goal is to make my character stronger and strengthen their resolve.  I think in any great story, the more the character suffers, the more the audience demands a justified and equally strong response.

AOTD: The budget on Savaged was surely very tight.  What difficulties did this present or did you write the script with a low budget in mind?

MO: When I write, I don't hold back my vision because of budget.  I would not recommend any writer to work within that confined space.  Writing should be organic and flow from ones experience and desires.  Once the script is finished, then yes, I go back and modify details to fit the budget.

No, it was not easy to make Savaged on such a low budget.  It's a big movie with lots of action.  All I can say is, a filmmaker needs to be extremely clear on their vision, from everything down to the script, choosing locations, talent, cinematography, editing... EVERYTHING.   IF NOT, you better surround yourself with a hell of a team.

AOTD: Tell us a little bit about how the movie made its way from script to screen.  Was it an easy journey?

MO: After writing Savaged, I spent three years trying to raise the money and get the movie made.  Nothing evolved.   It was frustrating, because I knew I had a good script and that it was extremely marketable.  Then it hit me, nobody was reading the script.  Maybe they'd read the first ten pages and assume it was just another slasher film, even thought the story is so much deeper than that.  So, what I decided to do was shoot a short film to get people excited, and quite honestly... to get people to read the script.   So, my producing partner Jason and I raised $20,000 and shot what ended up being the first act of the film, and a few scenes to wrap it up in a nice tight package.  About a month after showing the short around, Raven Banner Entertainment a sales company out of Canada stepped up and offered us a third of our budget to get started.

AOTD: How did the shoot go?

MO: It went as well as any ambitious low budget film goes, it was crazy hectic as hell.  But we got everything we needed.  It was both exciting and painful, but the cast and crew were very supportive and gave 100%.

 

AOTD: The central concept of Savaged is pretty cool and ticks a lot of horror boxes. Was there anything in particular that served as inspiration?

I can't say there was ever any one inspiration.  When an idea for a film comes to me, it comes from a void in the market.  It's a craving I feel, something I want to experience that I can't because it hasn't been made yet.  That's the place my story ideas come from.  But definitely films I have loved over the years make their way into my ideas by way of mood, character situations, actions, style and execution.  Some movies that I feel have influenced me when writing Savaged, were "The Exorcist", "The Terminator", "The Crow,"  "Near Dark." "The Fly."   Maybe a few others that weren't conscious.

AOTD: The central role of Zoe is quite demanding. How did you end up casting Amanda Adrienne and what did she bring to the movie?

MO: Amanda is amazing.  She deserves to be a star.   Aside from her incredible talent and unstoppable work ethic, she's always striving to be better.  Always wanting to learn.  As an actress for me, playing Zoe, she brings a certain duality to the role which was very necessary.   Amanda is beautiful, without having that beauty infringe on her inner being.  That's what I love about her.   I honestly don't think she knows how lovely she is, and that modesty, and even vulnerability, is what I felt Zoe needed for the audience to fall in love with her.   At the same time, Amanda's a fighter.  I think her life's been a bit turbulent, so at the core she's tough.   I think Amanda tapped into that strength to bring the warrior out.

AOTD: I imagine that shooting the rape scene in the movie must surely have been an uncomfortable, emotional, possibly traumatic experience not only for Amanda but also the actors playing her assailants. What was the vibe like on the set that day?

MO: That kind of scene is always tense, but the entire cast and crew are professionals.  So, we all just dive in and get it done.

AOTD: Savaged is your first foray into the horror genre.  Are there any past masters of horror cinema, or just cinema in general, whose work you particularly respect and who have had an influence on your approach to film-making?

MO: Savaged is a horror film yes, but at the core it's a love story.  It's about two things, it's about evil men destroying something innocent and beautiful and creating a monster.  And it's about, love eternal.  Love that reaches beyond the grave.  The films I like are ones that effect me on every level, stir up every emotion.  I enjoy the adrenalin rush of fear, yes, but after the scare ends, I want to feel hate, joy, love, sorrow.  That's the kind of roller-coaster I want to ride.  And that's what Savaged is.

To answer your question, as far as filmmakers go, as a kid I loved John Carpenter, William Friedken, then as I grew older James Cameron, Michael Mann, Tony Scott, Ridley Scott.  So, I'm not influenced by horror filmmakers, just great filmmakers.  But I do love the horror genre.

AOTD: Do you have any new projects on the go? What should we expect from your sophomore effort?  Do you intend to stick with horror or are there other genres you wish to explore?

MO: I'm writing a Scifi/Horror/Action hybrid.  Very cool.  And like Savaged it has heart.

AOTD: Savaged is by all accounts a violent movie.  What do you think of the common criticism that violence in movies begets violence in society?

MO: Again, it depends on the vantage point of the writer and director.  I believe if a film comes from the perspective that good triumphs evil and the audience is made to connect with that, then it's a good thing.  I loved James Bond movies growing up.  Still do.  I wanted to be James Bond.  I'd like to see James Bond have to face some kind of a mutant monster, that would be cool.  Some horror buffs and fans may not like me saying this, especially fans of films like Saw or Hostel.  But if the horror is torture for the sake of exploitation, without any redeeming factor or greater message...I just don't see the point.

AOTD: Where horror is concerned mainstream Hollywood has been largely creatively bankrupt for quite some time with most of the interesting, challenging movies emerging from the indie scene.  Why do you think this is the case and what movies and/or directors from that scene have made a real impression on you?

MO: Making movies cost a lot of money and studios don't like to gamble.  It's the new wave of filmmakers who gamble every day with their lives trying to make it in this business, that are bold enough to take the chance to do something different.  It's quite simple, Hollywood's full of pussy execs who are afraid of losing their high paying jobs.  If a few would grow some balls and take some chances, maybe we'd see groundbreaking films and directors like in the 1970's and early 80's. 

AOTD: Savaged will be enjoying its UK premiere at Frightfest Glasgow 2014.  Do you have a message for the audience?

MO: I've been to Scotland once.  It's a lovely country with beautiful people, so I am honored to have Savaged playing at Glasgow Frightfest.   And I hope everyone enjoys the film.

AOTD: I just want to finish up by saying thank-you for taking the time to do this interview. We're really looking forward to Savaged and wish you all the success for the future.

2014 Glasgow Frightfest - Day Two Preview

SAT 1ST MAR - 11AM - VIDEO NASTIES: DRACONIAN DAYS

Director: Jake West. UK 2014, 80 mins. Cert 18

WORLD PREMIERE - The highly anticipated follow-up to their critically acclaimed VIDEO NASTIES: MORAL PANIC, CENSORSHIP & VIDEOTAPE documentary, director Jake West and producer Marc Morris continue uncovering the shocking story of home entertainment post the 1984 Video Recordings Act. A time when Britain plunged into a new Dark Age of the most restrictive censorship, where the horror movie became the bloody eviscerated victim of continuing dread created by self-aggrandizing moral guardians. With passionate and entertaining interviews from the people who lived through it and more jaw dropping archive footage, get ready to reflect and rejoice the passing of a landmark era.

My love of horror was born in the early 1980s when my parents bought me a B&W portable television for my bedroom. I used to stay up late on a Saturday night to watch the BBC2 horror double bills. Another highlight of my week was the Saturday afternoon trip to a video rental store in a nearby town. The video nasties debacle was still a couple of years away and the shelves were awash with lurid images.  I used to stare agog at the video covers on display; I Spit On Your Grave, SS Experiment Camp, Cannibal Apocalypse.  Then the 1984 Video Recordings Act forced video stores to clean up their act and the weekly pilgrimage to these once hallowed purveyors of perverse thrills was never the same again.  I’ve seen Video Nasties: Moral Panic, Censorship & Videotape documentary and loved it.  Last year one of the highlights of Frightfest Glasgow ended up being a documentary.  I’m confident this year will be no different.

SAT 1ST MAR-1.30PM-THE SCRIBBLER

Director: John Suits. Cast: Katie Cassidy, Michelle Trachtenberg, Eliza Dushku. US 2014, 88 mins, Cert 18.

WORLD PREMIERE - Based on writer artist Dan (DOGHOUSE) Shaffer’s celebrated graphic novel comes a thrilling blend of sci-fi action, film noir and mind-bending slasher. ·Dealing with multiple-personality disorder, Suki moves into a halfway house for recently released mental patients. But residents are dying at an alarming rate in the facility as dissociative Suki undergoes an experimental procedure to cure her illness involving ‘The Siamese Burn’ machine designed to eliminate her unwanted identities. But she's losing time, and the machine is changing, doing something new, something that turns her world inside out and highlights the dangers of mechanical thinking in an organic world.

First up I can confirm that the source graphic novel (adapted here by its author/artist Dan Schaffer) is excellent and in the right hands should make for a quirky, thrilling 88 minute thrill ride.  I’m unfamiliar with director John Suits’ previous work but, here, he’s assembled a remarkable cast that includes not only two Joss Whedon alumni but also Katie Cassidy from CBS’s Arrow in the lead role of Suki and the always brilliant Garret Dillahunt who, although not bearing any kind of physical resemblance to the character of Hogan as drawn in the comic, will, based on past form surely knock it out the park.  Off the back of having enjoyed the graphic novel so much I’m much more excited about this one than I was initially.

SAT 1ST MARCH - 4.00PM - TORMENT

Director: Jordan Barker Cast: Peter DaCunha, Katharine Isabelle, Stephen McHattie. Canada, 2013, 90 mins, Cert 18.

UK PREMIERE - Newlyweds Cory and Sarah Morgan head to the country for some much-needed family time where they hope Liam, Cory’s struggling 7-year-old son from his previous marriage, will learn to accept his stepmother. But arriving at their home they discover someone has been living there while they were away. ·After speaking with the Sheriff they assume the intruders have moved on, however when Liam disappears they discover just how wrong they were. For they must confront a deranged family of killers who have been hiding in the house all along and are now holding Liam in their sadistic cult-like grip.

The presence of Katharine Isabelle (American Mary) and Stephen McHattie (Pontypool) in this slice of home invasion horror provides more than ample reason to be excited about Torment.  The former has been excellent in everything I’ve seen her in, even turning the rather average 13 Eerie into something worth watching whilst the latter was simply incredible in both Pontypool and last year’s wonderful Haunter where he proved he could deliver an awesome bad guy (seriously...check it out).  Another good portent is that Torment comes to us courtesy of Spanish production company Filmax International who have consistently delivered some of the most impressive genre movies in recent memory including the [REC] series and Miguel Angel Vivas' vicious Kidnapped.  Reports suggest that this is less a display of blood-soaked You’re Next style carnage and more an exercise in suspense.  I’m fine with that.  Here’s hoping it delivers.

SAT 1ST MAR - 6.30PM - MINDSCAPE

Director: Jorge Dorado. Cast: Mark Strong, Taissa Famiga, Brian Cox. US/Spain2013, 95 mins, Cert 18.

UK PREMIERE- John is a mind detective, paid to enter people’s memories and uncover the reality behind crimes. It’s down to people like him to explore the shadows of the psyche sifting out selective fact from false recognition fiction. But what will he make of his new assignment, the brilliant, troubled and allegedly sexually abused teenager Anna? As John enters her mind and becomes more involved in her total recall, he must decide if she is indeed the victim of unspeakable trauma or a very clever and manipulative sociopath. Produced by Jaume Collet-Serra (ORPHAN, UNKNOWN, NON-STOP), can you guess the twist ending?

Mindscape director Jorge Dorado has an impressive resume as Assistant Director having worked with both Pedro Almodóvar and Guillermo Del Toro.  That’s enough to make me sit up and pay attention.  He also finds himself in charge of a great cast here.  Taissa Famiga has been consistently impressive in American Horror Story and I’m looking forward to seeing Mark Strong taking centre stage for a change.  The presence of Brian Cox is just the icing on an already delicious looking cake.  The only problem I have is that this kind of thing has been done many times before and as a result it’s going to be tricky for the film-makers to negotiate the minefield of the familiar and deliver a truly surprising twist ending.  Twist endings are in and of themselves often a bullet in the foot of a movie.  If the movie is overly reliant on that last minute surprise why bother watching it again except perhaps to pick up on the moments that telegraph it.  Here’s hoping that Mindscape has more going for it than a sting in the tail.

SAT 1ST MAR - 9.00PM - ALMOST HUMAN

Director: Joe Begos. Cast: Graham Skipper, Vanessa Leigh, Josh Ethier. US, 2013 80 mins.

SCOTTISH PREMIERE - Mark Fisher disappeared from home in a blinding blue light flash. His friend Seth Hampton was the last person to see him alive. Two years later, a series of atrocious, grisly murders leads Seth to believe that Mark has somehow returned, but changed into something different, strange… not of this world. Mark has indeed become a humanoid alien receptacle for evil - and the last place you should look is in his cellar. The surprise hit at Toronto Midnight Madness, this short, sharp shock of super-violent scares and sci-fi splatter announces director Joe Begos’ arrival as an exciting genre talent.

This movie first came to my attention back at the start of 2013 when my Afraid of the Dark co-conspirator Sam Inglis (24 Frames Per Second) and I were trying (and ultimately failing) to pull together a Glasgow based horror film festival of our own.  I trawled the internet for anything that looked like it would play well to a festival audience.  In the course of doing so I came across so many sub-mediocre looking movies that I was filled with joy when I came across something that looked special.  Almost Human was one of those special looking movies; one that would potentially be a killer addition to the line-up we were assembling. Everything about it, the poster, the trailer, screamed old school until its throat was raw and bloody.  It looked like a lost movie from the halcyon days of video rental when horror was booming and venerable classics were dropping into the orbit of genre fans like a meteor storm of gruesome thrills.  So yeah…I’m looking forward to Almost Human and hope it lives up to the poster/trailer.

SAT 1ST MAR - 11.15PM - KILLERS

Directors: Kimo Stamboel, Timo Tjahjanto. Cast: Ray Sahetapy, Oka Antara, Rin Takanashi. Indonesia/Japan, 2013, 140 mins. Cert 18

UK PREMIERE - Join The Mo Brothers (MACABRE) on a dark voyage into the warped minds of two men with nothing in common: Nomura, a self-obsessed serial killer residing in Tokyo who posts his sick handiwork on the internet, and Bayu, a failing journalist and struggling father in Jakarta who turns sadistic vigilante. Connected through their violent blood-soaked incidents, both men inexplicably start to feed off each other. But as their lives become more uncontrollable, each of them starts a shocking journey into a toxic maze of violent self-discovery. Fresh from Sundance comes this twisted tale by NIGHTMARE DETECTIVE producer Ushiyama Takuji.

My knowledge of the Mo Brothers doesn’t extend beyond Timo Tjahanto’s contributions to The ABC’s of Death and V/H/S/2.  His L is for Libido segment of the former was just plain wrong on an abundance of levels whilst Safe Haven, his collaboration with Gareth Evans (The Raid) for the latter kicked my arse so hard I couldn’t sit down for a week.  It was far and away the best thing in V/H/S/2 and one of my horror highlights of 2013.  Having cast my eyes over the trailer for Killers I’m certain this is going to end Frightfest Glasgow 2014 with an explosion of hyper-kinetic, peddle to the floor, unadulterated violence.  Word of mouth from the Sundance Film Festival where it premiered suggests this delivers big time.  Bring it on.

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So concludes my preview of Frightfest Glasgow 2014.  My preview of Day One can be found here.  If you're attending the festival be sure to drop back in over the course of the next few weeks.  We're far from done with our coverage of the biggest horror event on the Glasgow calendar.  Share your thoughts on this year's line-up below or via the Afraid of the Dark Twitter Feed (@AOTDBlog).

2014 Glasgow Frightfest - Day One Preview

Horror film festivals are increasingly becoming the sole big screen outlet for the best horror movies, some of which struggle to achieve a DVD/Blu-ray release in a lot of territories.  It’s a phenomena that becomes doubly frustrating when the quality of many of these movies is measured against the utter codswallop that Hollywood shovels like so many piles of excrement into the cinema with a cry of "WILL THIS DO???" (I’m looking at you Devil’s Due).

Pre-2013 I was a Frightfest virgin.  This thankfully changed when, more through luck than design, I found myself in possession of a pass to last year’s event, which took place in the hallowed confines of the Glasgow Film Theatre over the course of two days in late February.  There, alongside a crowd of rabid, mostly Glaswegian horror fans, I saw a handful of good to great movies, one awesome documentary, a brilliantly quirky Norwegian TV show called Hellfjord and Rob Zombie’s infuriating Lords of Salem.

Having had such a fun (and exhausting) time at the 2013 festival and again later in the year at the one-day Halloween event I found myself becoming increasingly antsy as dreary January day followedd dreary January day bringing us closer to Tuesday the 21^st, the date when the Frightfest organisers were due to announce the 2014 line-up.  

Over the course of the weeks between now and the the festival (28^th February & 1^st March in case you don’t know) I will be publishing a series of articles which will focus on the movies that have been selected and the film-makers responsible.  This post is the start of this and provides some information on each of the movies being screened on day one of the festival and some words on why festival attendees should be exited.  Within the next week I'll be publishing the second part of this article which will focus on day two.

FEB 28 - 1.30PM - SAVAGED

Director: Michael S. Ojeda, Screenwriter: Michael S. Ojeda, Cast: Amanda Adrienne, Tom Ardavany, Ronnie Gene Blevins. US 2013, 95 mins.

UK PREMIERE - THE CROW meets I SPIT ON YOUR GRAVE in a viciously gory supernatural shocker. Travelling across country to be with her fiancé, deaf mute Zoe (the entrancing Amanda Adrienne) stumbles on a horrific crime. Zoe’s brave attempt to intervene seals her fate; she's brutalized and left for dead. When an Indian shaman finds her clinging to life in a shallow grave he attempts to save her – but in the mystical process the spirit of an ancient Apache warrior enters her corpse hell-bent on revenge. But can she slaughter the men who attacked her in time before her body decomposes completely?

While I’m not especially keen on the rape/revenge sub-genre of horror this sounds like it puts a potentially interesting spin on the theme.  The central concept of an apache warrior’s spirit taking up residence in the body of a dying rape victim and going on a (hopefully) blood-soaked, vengeance-fueled rampage is replete with potential.  The race against time aspect brought on by the rapid decay of the host body should also provide the movie with a sense of real urgency as well as providing plenty of scope for icky effects.  It sounds like it could be an action packed, visceral festival opener and I for one am prepared to be impressed by this debut feature.

FEB 28 - 3.40PM - PROXY

Director: Zack Parker. Screenwriters: Zack Parker, Kevin Donner. Cast: Alexia Rasmussen, Alexa Havins, Kristina Klebe. US 2013, 120 mins.

UK PREMIERE - Attacked and beaten by a hooded assailant after seeing her gynaecologist, pregnant Esther seeks consolation in a support group where she meets Melanie, a mother who lost a child. But nothing is as it appears in this intensely gripping chiller because one of these damaged women is a psychodrama queen, the other seriously deranged. However, which one is which and where to draw the line? Friendship and empathy between the two turns dangerous for both in an astonishing delve into perverse psychosis that’s part Brian de Palma, part Lars Von Trier, part MARTYRS yet all astonishing and disturbing original.

The synopsis for Proxy reads less like Martyrs and more like another French euro-nasty; Alexandre Bustillo and Julien Maury’s ultra-visceral, psycho-thriller À l'intérieur.  However, if, as suggested, it has elements of De Palma and Von Trier coursing through its bloodstream I can’t deny that my interest is more than a little piqued.  I love horror movies that put female characters to the fore and give them more to do than simply look good whilst screaming, running or getting mutilated.  Hopefully Proxy will join recent fare such as The Woman, Jug Face and the aforementioned Gallic violence-fests in the short but thankfully growing list of horror movies that redress the balance somewhat.

FEB 28 - 6.45PM - WOLF CREEK 2

Director: Greg McLean. Screenwriters: Greg McLean, Aaron Sterns. Cast: John Jarratt, Ryan Corr, Shannon Ashlyn. Aus, 2013, 107 mins.

UK PREMIERE - Mick Taylor is back with a few days to kill! Bolder, gorier and placed on a far bigger canvas than the original, John Jarratt and director Greg McLean return with an even more twisted sequel that maintains the savagery and nerve-jangling tension, while dazzling further with a spectacular and surprising use of out back landscapes and fauna. Two arrogant cops, two unwitting German backpackers and a Good Samaritan British tourist become the prey for the crazed pig-shooting psycho as the outback becomes drenched in rivers of blood and his underground lair reveals even sicker secrets.

I consider Greg McLean to be amongst the very finest modern horror directors and his 2005 debut Wolf Creek was at once a brutal tale of outback terror and a masterful exercise in mounting dread and skin-crawling suspense.  He followed this with the wildly underrated Rogue; a tale of a group of tourists who find themselves marooned on a tidal island in the middle of a remote river and at the mercy of a mean and hungry crocodile of prehistoric dimensions.  Now he returns to the world of Mick Taylor, the outback psychopath to beat ‘em all.  I’ve seen the trailer for Wolf Creek 2 and immediately crossed all my fingers and toes in the hope that it would be making its UK debut at Glasgow Frightfest 2014.  Reports from the 2013 Venice Film Festival where it had its world premiere were  largely positive and I think this is going to be a real crowd pleaser.

28th FEB - 9.15 - THE SACRAMENT

Director: Ti West. Cast: Joe Swanberg, AJ Bowen, Amy Seimetz. US 2013, 92 mins.

SCOTTISH PREMIERE - From the darkest imagination of indie poster boy Ti West, and produced by genre guru Eli Roth, comes THE HOUSE OF THE DEVIL director’s freakiest chiller so far. Two reporters with a TV exposé show travel to a secret para-religious group to meet up with their fashion photographer friend’s sister, a reformed junkie, who credits turning her life around at the jungle-set Eden Parish commune run by the charismatic Father. Is the place a paradise on Earth free of cares, racism and stress? Or is it a sinister cult the news duo suspect? Hold on tight for suspenseful, jolting surprise.

On purpose I’ve avoided reading much about The Sacrament and as a result my knowledge doesn’t extend far beyond the above synopsis.  I loved The House of the Devil and The Innkeepers (yet to see The Roost) and while I can understand people having issues with the pacing of Ti West’s movies, for me, they flow almost perfectly.  Having enjoyed Kevin Smith’s slightly underrated Red State and loved the Safe Haven segment of V/H/S/2 I’m looking forward to another slice of cultish mayhem.  The cast is top heavy with some of indie horror’s finest including Joe Swanberg, Amy Seimetz and AJ Bowen each of whom were in Adam Wingard's brilliant You’re Next (probably not a coincidence that Ti West had a role in it too).  It’s also nice to see Gene Jones who has been popping up in small roles for a number of years getting the chance to sink his teeth into something with more substance as Father, the leader of Eden Parish commune.

FEB 28 - 11.30PM - AFFLICTED

Directors: Cliff Prowse, Derek Lee. Cast: Cliff Prowse, Derek Lee, Edo Van Breeman. Canada/US 2013, 86 mins. Cert 18.

UK PREMIERE - Just when you’d thought the ‘found footage’ trend had snatched its final breath...up pops another stellar example to expose there still is untapped craftsmanship and creativity to be found in this fear-inducing format. The winner of the Best Special Effects Award at the Sitges Fantasy Festival for its jaw-dropping visuals, two best friends see their world trip of a lifetime take a dark turn when one is struck by a mysterious illness that changes his metabolism making him superhuman. A clever spin on a classic scary story, dual-threat Cliff Prowse and Derek Lee make an impressive horror feature debut.

The opening night of last year’s Frightfest Glasgow concluded with the wet fart that was Detention of the Dead; a movie that took the basic plot of The Breakfast Club and threw zombies at it to stupefying effect.  The resultant “comedy” caused many a member of the audience to consider beating a hasty retreat lest they found themselves suffering irreversible brain damage from trying to beat themselves unconscious on the back of the seat in front of them.  Hopefully the festival organisers will have learned a valuable lesson and Afflicted will prove to be a diamond in the ever growing mountain of shit that is the found footage sub-genre.   I’m hoping to be surprised.  Certainly word of mouth has been positive suggesting that this might prove that there's life in the old dog yet.