Competition: Win The 9th Life of Louis Drax on DVD

The 9th Life of Louis Drax is out on DVD on February 6th and to celebrate we have a great competition for you and 3 copies of the DVD to give away.

Synopsis:
When nine-year-old Louis Drax inexplicably reawakens from the dead after his latest life-threatening accident, he becomes the patient of celebrated neurologist Dr. Allan Pascal (Jamie Dornan), who specialises in child psychology. Determined to uncover the truth of Louis’ bizarre existence, Pascal is drawn into both the child’s life and that of his fragile mother Natalie (Sarah Gadon), whose affections begin to cloud his judgements.

While Louis recuperates in a comatose state, Pascal sets about putting the mysterious pieces of the Drax family together, the truths of which begin to test the boundaries of fantasy and reality. Also starring Aaron Paul and Oliver Platt, and directed by Alexandre Aja.


Check out the release on Amazon by clicking the link below:
The 9th Life of Louis Drax [DVD] [2016]

To enter all you have to do is answer this easy question...

Who directs The 9th Life of Louis Drax?

To enter Email us on competition@mastersofhorror.co.uk with your answer, along with your name and address.

Terms and conditions
1. Closing date 13-02-17
2. No alternative prize is available
3. When the competition ends as indicated on this page, any and all entries received after this point will not count and emails blacklisted due to not checking this page first.
4. Winners will be chosen randomly and will be informed via email.

Interview with Chris Smith ahead of FrightFest Glasgow UK premiere of Detour

Ahead of the UK premiere of his latest film DETOUR at Horror Channel FrightFest Glasgow, Chris Smith tells us the importance of FrightFest, his love of ‘film Noir’ and  his hatred of reality TV…

FrightFest has premiered all your genre movies CREEP, SEVERANCE, TRIANGLE, BLACK DEATH, except GET SANTA obviously. Is this positioning an important part of the rollout process for you?

Firstly let me apologise for being away for so long and thank you for having me back. I wrote ‘Get Santa’ because I'd just had a son and was feeling like I wanted to do something that he could watch in the next 15 years. I expected the film to take a year to come together but it ended up taking four years. My son was by that time old enough to come to the premiere with a few of his class mates.

Back to the question, Frightfest is extremely important, not just to me personally, because it's always an honour, but it's important to the birth of the film. The Frightfest audiences are the first people to see it, the first to comment on it and it's nice that they're such committed fans. Putting a film out there, freeing it from the confines of the edit suite is exciting, but also scary. Frightfest, because of the audiences passion and knowledge of genre, make the process what it should be, fun. 

What was the main inspiration for the DETOUR script? Many have commented on its multi-narrative SLIDING DOORS-style vibe. Complicated to write the two sides of one story?

‘Sliding Doors’ and ‘Run Lola Run’ both came out the same year.  I must admit I was never inclined to watch ‘Sliding Doors’, but I know that, like ‘Run Lola Run’, it deals with the concept of different destinies being forged by blind change. Though actually neither of these films were an inspiration for ‘Detour’, which came about by chance.

It was early 2007 and I had just finished writing ‘Triangle’ and was in LA trying to finance it. I'd liked the film ‘Disturbia’, which had been a big hit and so for about three months Hollywood was trying to make Hitchcockian thrillers. An exec came to me and said she'd like to cook up a modern version of ‘Stranger's on a Train’. I think my brain was so wrapped up structurally from writing ‘Triangle’, that instead of two characters deciding to murder each other's wives, I cooked up one character, seemingly facing two destinies, based on one moral choice: To kill or not to kill? 

Was it complicated to write? Certainly not in comparison to ‘Triangle’ but it offered different challenges. I was really keen for the characters to shine through more than I'd achieved in Triangle, and this is tricky because you're asking the audience to question the narrative, rather than simply immersing them in a classical structure, and then you're also hoping they feel empathy for the characters. That is the main challenge for any film that makes you aware of the film making process.

DETOUR is full of film noir references, from the HARPER poster on the wall to the clip from the 1945 B movie classic DETOUR by Edgar G. Ulmer. What is it about the film noir idiom you like?

I've always loved Film Noir. I think it is, or rather was, the cornerstone of indie cinema. These are films often made often on the cheap and yet always brimming with colourful characters, taut story lines, and scenarios where a happy ending feels impossible, instead of inevitable.

 

The film that has always had the biggest effect on me is Fritz Langs' ‘The Woman In The Window’. My film ‘Detour’ is arguably more influenced by that, than the Ulmer movie that we reference in the film and borrow the title from. That said, both films contain a character who crosses a line and finds that the forces that drove him there, and the company he now keeps, will never let him free again.

A great cast of new and up-and-coming stars – Tye Sheridan, Bel Powley, Emory Cohen. You certainly know how to pick them, Eddie Redmayne in BLACK DEATH for example. Is it a knack?

Liam Hemsworth got his first role in ‘Triangle’ also. Is it a knack? I don't know. To me if you can't see that those actors are talented you're in the wrong job. When I got the audition tape from Liam Hemsworth I literally walked it around the office with my jaw dropped showing people. It was so glaringly obvious this boy was a movie star. It was the same with Eddie and all three of the leads in ‘Detour’. 

Tye Sheridan's performances in ‘Joe and Mud’ were electric. Emory Cohen lit up every scene he did in ‘The Place Beyond The Pine’s’. With Bel Powley it was a little different because I met her having seen nothing. The rumour mill was reporting that she was fantastic in the film ‘The Diary of a Teenage Girl’ but none of us had seen it The casting director loved Bel and the financier was happy to cast her on what he had heard, so I met her blind. We got on immediately; I thought she was so cool, funny and smart that I basically cast her on the spot. 

Great chemistry between the three leads - was it there from the beginning, or did it evolve gradually?

It was there from the beginning I think but the little choices we made in prep helped it along. We scheduled well so that we did all of the scenes in the house first; just me and Tye and Stephen Moyer. That gave us a real foundation so that when Emory and Bel joined the film, at the end of the first week, we were already working like a well-oiled machine. This gave me more time to concentrate on them, but their instincts were so good that there was very little in the way of notes.

Great solid anchors by Stephen Moyer and John Lynch too, whose maturity contrasts with the young cast on purpose?

Absolutely. They're the grown-ups but they still have their own problems and in some way are more immature than the younger characters. I think they're both great in the film.

DETOUR was shot in South Africa. How was filming there? 

It was shot mainly in South Africa but we also spent a week shooting in LA and Las Vegas. I love South Africa, it's a wonderful country, with great crews and so it was a no brainer to shoot it there to help with the budget. It also looks just like California. 

You’ve said the lighting owes a lot to Edward Hopper’s paintings? Can you elaborate?

Me and my designer joke that all feature films are either Edward Hopper or Carravagio. Film-makers use either artist as their inspiration, either consciously or unconsciously. With Hopper the emphasis is on framing and production design. With Carravagio the emphasis is on using practical lighting and contrast. This film is a Hopper.

It’s a film you want to watch again the moment its finished to see if you can catch all the clues and mis-directs you didn’t see the first time? Do you consciously like to manipulate your audience?

I'm a huge fan of Kiarostami. I'm drawn to film-makers that make you question the film-making process. Lars Von Trier is another I greatly admire.  Everything about film-making is fake and the film-makers' job is to make you forget this, but there's pleasure in being reminded too because it makes you engage in an entirely different way. 

I can't watch reality TV. It's ridiculous. The one thing it's not is reality. You see survival programs where someone is walking across the Sahara desert. Is he going to make or die of thirst? Give me a break! Behind the camera there's 20 camels packed full of water for him, the camera crew, the sound man, the medic, the fixer, the camel shepherd and the camels. There's probably a helicopter standing by.

I like stories where we acknowledge this deceit and try to make a feature. If you still feel tension when you are simultaneously acknowledging the artifice of the process, then I think you're doing something good. 

And finally, what’s next for you?

I'm working on a horror movie about a serial killer called The Judas Goat and a thriller called ‘The Undertaker’. Hoping to shoot either of them by the end of the year.

DETOUR is showing at the Glasgow Film Theatre on Sat 25 Feb, 4.30pm as part of Horror Channel FrightFest Glasgow 2017.

Film news (UK): Horror Channel launches Sci-Fear season

No one will hear you scream on Saturday nights this February as Horror Channel launches a Sci-Fear Season with four ultimate science-fiction shockers, including the UK TV premiere of William Eubank’s inventive and stylish fantasy head-trip THE SIGNAL starring Laurence Fishburne. There are also network premieres for Christian Alvart’s Lovecraftian survival thriller PANDORUM, starring Dennis Quaid and Ben Foster, and John Bruno’s visually stunning chiller VIRUS, based on the comic book by Chuck Pfarrer, starring Jamie Lee Curtis, William Baldwin and Donald Sutherland. Plus there’s another showing of eXistenZ, David Cronenberg’s enigmatic body horror, starring Jude Law, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Willem Dafoe and Ian Holm. The season runs from Sat 4 Feb to 25 Feb at 9pm.



Sat 4 Feb @ 21:00 – THE SIGNAL (2014) *UK TV Premiere

Nic (Brenton Thwaites) and Jonah (Beau Knapp) are MIT students engaged in an online altercation with the mysterious hacker ‘Nomad’. They get a lead on Nomad's whereabouts and, with Nic’s girlfriend Haley (Olivia Cooke), investigate an abandoned desert shack. Suddenly everyone loses consciousness, and Nic awakens in what seems to be a secret hospital. What’s going on? Where are Jonah and Haley? What is this ‘Extraterrestrial Biological Entity’ he’s being told about? And what does the mysterious Dr. Wallace Damon (Laurence Fishburne) want from them?

Sat 11 Feb @ 21:00 – PANDORUM (2009) *Network Premiere

Astronauts Payton (Dennis Quaid) and Bower (Ben Foster) awake in a hypersleep chamber with no memory of who they are or what their mission might be. While Payton stays behind to monitor the radio transmitter, Bower ventures out of the chamber into the seemingly abandoned spaceship. The men quickly realise that they are not alone, and that the fate of mankind hinges on what they do next…

 

Saturday 18 Feb @ 21:00 – VIRUS (1999) *Network Premiere

Caught in a typhoon, a tugboat commanded by Robert Everton (Donald Sutherland) comes across a mysterious near-deserted ship. Excited to find a vessel that could be sold for as much as $30 million, Everton and his crew board and prepare to move the craft, despite the warnings of sole survivor Nadia Vinogradiya (Joanna Pacula). When a malevolent alien presence begins killing off the crew, it’s up to steely navigator Kit Foster (Jamie Lee Curtis) to get the rest of them to leave before it's too late.

 

Sat 25 Feb @ 21:00 – eXistenZ (1999)

Canadian filmmaker David Cronenberg, who has long been fascinated by the ways new technology shapes and manipulates us, is in familiar territory with eXistenZ; a futuristic thriller which combines elements of science fiction, horror, and action-adventure. eXistenZ is a new organic game system that, when downloaded into humans, accesses their central nervous systems, transporting them on a wild ride in and out of reality. A leader of the field is game designer Allegra Geller (Jennifer Jason Leigh), but when she narrowly escapes an assignation attempt, she finds herself on the run with a marketing trainee (Jude Law) in a race against time as they try to prevent the pod containing the only copy of the eXistenZ game from being stolen. But what is the game, and what is reality?

 

There are also five further network premieres this month including TUCKER AND DALE VS EVIL, Eli Craig’s endearingly cheeky tribute to suspense and slasher classics, SAW IV, Darren Lynn Bousman’s bloodiest of the popular franchise, Peter Hyams’s museum monster-chaser THE RELIC, starring Tom Sizemore, John Erick Dowdle’s REC-inspired QUARANTINE, and Marcos Efron’s 2010 gripping remake of AND SOON THE DARKNESS, starring Amber Heard.

 

Fri 3 Feb @ 22:50 – SAW IV (2007)

 

Despite Jigsaw's death, and in order to save the lives of two of his colleagues, Lieutenant Rigg is forced to take part in a new game, which promises to test him to the limit.

Fri 10 Feb @ 21:00 – TUCKER AND DALE VS EVIL (2010)

Tucker and Dale are on vacation at their dilapidated mountain cabin when they are attacked by a group of preppy college kids.

Fri 17 Feb @ 21:00 – QUARANTINE (2008)

 

A television reporter and her cameraman are trapped inside a building quarantined by the CDC, after the outbreak of a mysterious virus which turns humans into bloodthirsty killers.

Fri 24 Feb @ 21:00 – THE RELIC (1997)

 

A homicide detective and an anthropologist try to destroy a South American lizard-like god, who's on a people eating rampage in a Chicago museum.

Sun 26 Feb @ 21:00 – AND SOON THE DARKNESS (2010)

 

When two American girls on a bike trip in a remote part of Argentina split up and one of them goes missing, the other must find her before her worst fears are realized.

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

www.horrorchannel.co.uk | twitter.com/horror_channel | facebook.com/horrorchannel

2017 Interview with Catherine Cavendish by David Kempf

Catherine Cavendish has been writing pretty much all her life but has only in recent years been able to turn to it full time. She and her husband divide their week between Liverpool and North Wales, where they live in a "haunted" 18^th century building with a friendly ghost who visits from time to time.

It’s been a busy year for you. Tell us what has been happening.

It certainly has! It all started when Samhain Publishing announced they were closing the horror line and I faced the prospect of all five of my titles with them being orphaned. In addition to that, I had recently signed a contract with them for a new book that would not now be published. Scary times for a writer. I wasn’t alone, of course. All my fellow Samhain horror authors were in precisely the same boat – some even more badly affected than me. Fortunately we are an incredibly supportive bunch and we all shared experiences and suggestions with each other.

As a result of recommendations, I found CrossroadPress who have been amazing. I signed with them to reissue all five of my previously published titles and within days of them disappearing from Samhain, they were back out there, with gorgeous new covers.

That’s great news. What about the other book – the one you had just signed the contract for? Does that have a new home yet?

I’m delighted to say it does. I am so fortunate to have achieved a contract with Kensington-Lyrical. Wrath of the Ancients will be out in the autumn and is now the first in a trilogy. I am excited about it because I have set it in two of my favourite haunts – Vienna and Egypt – and it also combines my love of Egyptology (and history in general) with Gothic horror.

Busy times ahead then. Tell us a little about each of the five titles that have just been reissued.

Linden Manor is a ghostly tale involving a house built on land that was cursed many centuries earlier. Lesley Carpenter is drawn to it because she is writing a thesis on local folk tales and a rhyme called ‘The Scottish Bride’ derives from the manor. Little does she know what is lurking in the shadows of that house or what significance it has for her.

The Pendle Curse is loosely based on the infamous Lancashire witch trials of 1612. Ten people were convicted of witchcraft and hanged in that year. Now they are back – for vengeance.

Saving Grace Devine involves a young girl who is drowned with a curse on her lips. She reaches out from the past and it falls to Alex Fletcher to help her, but in doing so, she puts her very soul in peril.

Dark Avenging Angel is a dark and chilling tale about a lonely young girl who grows up with a secret. She is protected by a mysterious entity who allows her to avenge herself on three people who have badly hurt her. But when Jane can only name two, the angel shows her darkest side. Payment must be made in full – one way or the other.

The Devil’s Serenade is a Gothic novel set in an imposing mansion into which its former owner – Nathaniel Hargest – has interwoven evil. Maddie inherits this house she used to stay in during long summer holidays years ago. She can’t remember the last summer she was there, but she is about to, along with all the horror that comes with it.

Why do you write horror?

I love the suspense, the dark shadows and unexpected twists and turns. As you can see from my own books, I am heavily into the ghostly, scary, creepy and Gothic which is probably why I love visiting haunted locations whenever I get the chance. I also think that horror is the best form of escapism. With everything that is going on in the world, sometimes you just want to turn away from it, grab a book and become completely absorbed in a world of fictional terrors.

Do you have groaning bookshelves or a packed e-reader?

Both. There is nothing like the look and feel of a real book but, for travel and when you have to wait somewhere for anything more than a few minutes, you can’t beat a Kindle (or similar). It’s so easy to carry around.

Any other plans for 2017?

I am currently polishing the second book in my Wrath of the Ancients trilogy and I shall be writing the third in the series during the course of this year. I also have a novella – The Darkest Veil – which I hope will come out before too long and have also completed the first draft of a possible trilogy set in Edinburgh, one of my favourite places.

What is the best advice anyone has ever given you?

Don’t say you want to write a book – just do it. It may not be the greatest story in the English language but it will be yours. Keep at it.

What would you say to your 21 year old self?

Be bolder. Turn your dreams into reality and make them happen.

What were your favourite horror films of 2016?

10 Cloverfield Lane, Don’t Breathe, The Witch, The Forgotten, The Unseen, What We Become, The Tag-Along. There have been some great films and these are only a few of them.

And favourite horror stories of 2016?

Loch Ness Revenge by Hunter Shea and also his riveting The Jersey Devil. The Night Parade by Ronald Malfi. Gene O’Neill’s Lethal Birds. Gene Lazuta’s Vyrmin , Glenn Rolfe’s Chasing Ghosts, Vicki Beautiful by Somer Canon, Children of the Dark by Jonathan Janz…I’d better stop now. There’s some great new horror out there. Our favourite genre is alive and well I’m delighted to say

You can find Cat’s books here:

Amazon

And you can connect with her here:

CatherineCavendish

Facebook

Twitter

Goodreads

Adult Babies gets an exclusive reveal at FrightFest Glasgow 2017 - Joanne Mitchell Interview

ADULT BABIES gets an exclusive reveal at Horror Channel FrightFest Glasgow 2017. The film’s creator, actress / producer Joanne Mitchell, star of BEFORE DAWN & BAIT answers 10 scary questions

When did your fascination for horror films begin?

I’ve been interested in horror since being a young kid. I liked to be frightened, whether it be reading a scary book, or watching one of the Hammer House of Horrors. But it wasn’t until my 30’s that I really became fascinated with the whole genre after making ‘Before Dawn’ and watching back to back movies at FrightFest!! The fans are so loyal and open minded and really know their stuff.


What was the first horror film you saw?

I’m pretty sure it was ‘The Thing’. If I remember rightly my brother and his mates had managed to get a copy and I snuck in! I was terrified, but fascinated at the same time.


What are your favourite horror films?

There are so many! ‘The Exorcist’ (which I recently revisited) is just brilliant and so well constructed. Love ‘‘Nightmare on Elm Street’ and ‘The Shining’ and one that has really stuck with me is ‘The Orphanage’, directed by Juan Antonio Bayona. It made me go on such an emotional roller coaster of a journey and I still think about it now.  I also loved The Babadouk, again the sensitivity, especially of the mother and son relationship, something I could really relate to. And another Spanish film, ‘Sleep Tight’, probably more of a thriller I guess, but a very clever tense film full of ingenious twists and turns. Then there’s the Soska’s “American Mary” which I loved too - such a strong female protagonist. I have to mention a movie that I have only just watched too – ‘The Autopsy of Jane Doe’ with Brian Cox…


Your favourite genre director(s)?

Loads - Stanley Kubrick, Kathryn Bigelow, Alfred Hitchcock, Guillermo Del Toro, David Lynch…the list goes on and on! They all have their own unique gift in telling a timeless story. There is something to learn from all of them. I also must mention George A Romero. Having not previously been a Zombie Horror fan (until we made ‘Before Dawn’) he has to be one of the greatest in that department…with ‘Night of the Living Dead’ being one of the best and most terrifying.


Who are your genre inspirations?

I would say at the moment it’s the women who have pushed the boundaries within the genre. There are many men who inspire me too of course and will continue to do so. but within this genre it has always been very male dominated, so it is great that so many women are coming to the fore and expressing themselves creatively now. For example, The Soska Twins with ‘American Mary’ and Jennifer Lynch for ‘Boxing Helena’, and ‘Chained’. I’m also a fan of Alice Lowe and really respect her work and dedication especially within the genre, crossing again the boundaries of actress, director, writer.

What’s the worst thing you’ve done in a horror film?

Oh I think that has to be in ‘Before Dawn’. I was covered in cold sticky blood, I had prosthetic teeth in, contact lenses (which I could barely see through) and spent hours in a cold dark basement in my pyjamas, totally freezing. However, the shot looked great, so it was most definitely worth it


Horror on TV – are you a fan?

Yes, definitely. It’s gaining a massive following with the likes of ‘The Walking Dead,’ ‘Penny Dreadful and ‘American Horror Story’, which is definitely paving the way forward.  I think there should be more UK-based horror on TV though…


You and Dominic Brunt, must be the only husband / wife team working in horror films in the UK at the moment. Scary or what?

Most of my friends think it must be a nightmare living and working so closely together but it’s the opposite. Each time we start on a project it’s the start of another exciting journey. We bounce a lot of ideas off each other (not always agreeing on them needless to say!) particularly with stories and characters. We watch a lot of movies together and try to go to as many film festivals as we can together. Dom really knows his horror, he’s like a walking encyclopedia on the genre and I have to say a lot of the more ‘gory’ ideas come from him. It’s a fun, sometimes crazy, scary journey!


Vampires or Zombies?

Zombies!!! However, ‘What We Do In The Shadows’ gave them a run for their money!


Finally, what really scares you…

Apart from some of the saddening atrocities happening in the world, in a genre sense it has to be my imagination. It’s night and dark…I’m on my own…in my house...I live in a very old house!


An exclusive clip from Adult Babies, introduced by director Dominic Brunt, will be screened on Sat 25 Feb at 18.55, before the screening of Patient Zero.

You can buy Before Dawn on DVD by using the link below.
Dominic Brunt (Actor, Director), Joanne MItchell

Interview with Julie Elizabeth Powell by David Kempf

Julie Elizabeth Powell has a passion for words, and is the author of 25 books in a variety of genres and lengths.  She lives in the south of England and thinks grammar and spelling are of immense value.  Her favourite worlds are those of her own making but she often delves into others for fun, as reading is the next best thing to writing.

Interview with Julie Elizabeth Powell by David Kempf

When did you first become interested in writing?

When I was a child, I loved to read tales about magical chairs that took you to faraway lands and becoming invisible and, with a wave of a wand, anything was possible.  Words affected me and, of course, I had to write them, too.


How did you get involved in fantasy/horror?

The most interesting stories I’ve ever read include fantasy of some kind, whether it be other realms / worlds or horror, science-fiction, apocalyptic, post-apocalyptic, dystopian, paranormal…they all feel like fantasy to me.

The reason I love writing fantasy is that there are no limits, so if things get sticky, I can just make it up!


Is this a full time job?

In my head, yes!  Although, I’m a full-time carer for my disabled husband, so don’t have time to go out to work anymore, writing is something I love to do.


How would you classify the genre you write about?

I write in a variety of genres; classic fantasy, paranormal, horror, dystopian, science-fiction, humour, psychological, crime thriller, mystery adventure and non-fiction.  Sometimes I mix up genres, too.  I don’t stick to formulas or fashion.  I also write for adults and children (12+).

I like to challenge my writing and I’d become bored if I stuck to the same old thing.

So, classifying my writing is not possible.  But it is thought-provoking, different, imaginative and sometimes odd. J  I love to stretch the imagination and delve into the ‘what’s possible /impossible’!


Why do you think horror and fantasy books remain so popular?

Maybe because folks don’t like reality?  At least with fantasy, the imagination has no boundaries.   As for horror, I think people like to be petrified in a safe way.


What inspires your stories?

Inspiration can come from anywhere at any time.  Dreams, however, are a huge source, where characters speak to me, or an idea is sparked enough that I have to write it.

Short stories are great for those fleeting ideas, although novels take far longer, it’s great to develop the characters from that initial inspiration.  Of course, I people-watch – it’s amazing what folks will do and say and how it can stimulate stories.

I will say though that my first competed novel (one that I didn’t throw into the bin of history), was inspired by what happened to my daughter, Samantha.  She was born with transposition of the main arteries amongst other heart problems and when she was two, it stopped and she died.  Doctors resuscitated too long and too late, resulting in severe brain damage.

For seventeen years, Samantha survived, but her essence, what had made her who she was, had been wiped clean.  She had no memory of me or anything else.  As her body gradually twisted, her empty shell knew nothing except pain.

During that waiting time, I had a question: ‘Where had my daughter gone?’, because her essence had vanished.  So, I created a world and went in search of her.  Gone is the result – a unique fantasy, one of loss, grief, questions and answers, and an inspirational tale of hope.

Gone is not depressing, but has been described as a fairytale for adults.  I’m sure it will help others, too.  Slings & Arrows is a non-fictional account of that time.

So then, inspiration comes from deep emotional responses from anything we see, feel, smell, hear, taste and experience – never underestimate your senses and memories.


Tell us about your work on the book 13. 

I’ve always been intrigued by how the mind works and why people do what they do.  Over the years, I’ve seen wondrous and awful things, with the latter in the name of someone’s beliefs.  I can’t say that I like humans very much, and despair at how each day things are becoming worse.

The drive to power is daunting, and those who want it shouldn’t have it and those who don’t want it, would probably do a better job.  However, I’m not sure if it’s genetic or experience led, but human beings could be argued to be the scourge of the Earth.

13, then, is a story of people, and their motivations to do terrible things – but it’s left up to the reader to decide if those very people deserve what happens.  Would the reader do the same?  What would drive them?  Can they relate?

Of course, I gave it a fantastical /horrific twist – it wouldn’t be fun otherwise!


What do you think the difference between American horror and British horror is?

Oh, I’m not sure how to answer this.  I’ve read Stephen King and Dean Koontz and also many stories by Amy Cross (British) – maybe British horror is more realistic?  I do find Stephen King’s horror to be depressing, while Dean Koontz has more of a hopeful flavor, if mixed with fantasy.

Being British (English) myself, I want my stories to be routed in reality, whilst bringing tingles and chills.  The Box That Jane Built (the title story of a collection of four horror tales), is about insanity – something I think is the scariest of things and yet is completely ‘normal’ for those inflicted. All four tales about real life situations, yet are they…?


What are your favorite horror books?

Psychological stories are the best in my opinion, as the mind is the most disturbing entity.  I find that the word ‘horror’ can mean something different to us all.  Jaws, for example, was horrific to me.  But those stories in the Hammer Horror league are awful.  1984, although dystopian, was more horror to me, as was Fahrenheit 451.  Personally, I hate anything with clowns.

Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein was sad, but the idea of man messing with nature – that is terrifying and something Dean Koontz writes about in many of his stories.  Misery by Stephen King was psychologically brilliantly horrific as was Needful Things.

It’s not possible to list them all, and it’s never that simple because horror means more than how much blood there is – it’s possibly the sound of the knives sharpening that’s worse.

True life is far my scary than fiction, I think.


What are some of your favorite horror movies?

Favourite maybe the wrong word – those that made an impression are: The Exorcist, Silence of the Lambs, The Others, The Fly, Jaws and The Shining.


What do you consider your greatest accomplishment as an author?

My greatest accomplishment is to keep writing, despite the flack, the criticism, the hard work and the lack of sales /reviews.  I have written 25 books in varying genres and lengths and am pleased with them all.  I think my work is great, but I’m a self-publisher so am at the bottom of the pile in regard to status.

Maybe one day I’ll be lucky and that ‘important person who has the right strings to pull’ will read my stories and loves them?
             

Do you have any advice for new writers?

Ignore naysayers, write for yourself and be realistic in your goals.  Believe in your work, yes, but don’t think that it will magically become a bestseller.  Never give up.


What is your opinion of the new self-publishing trend?

Most of my reading comes from the self-publishing pool because it’s refreshing and different to the traditional, on every shelf, boring stories.  Not all of it is good, but much of it is.  From my experience, it’s a growing trend due to people wanting a voice.  But that means there are too many books for sale so unless you can stand above the rest, then…

I have no money for marketing /promoting, so maybe that’s why sales are poor?

It’s important to be as professional as you can.  It’s hard work, yes, but then I love the control.  Apart from writing, editing, proofreading, marketing, promoting, and so on, I love to design my own covers.  It’s been said that the cover makes all the difference to sales, but I’m not sure if it’s true, but I love doing it and think they’re great!

Self-publishers are often criticised and are considered below independent writers (those with a small press) and traditionally published – here are three reasons: poor editing /writing, won’t be good if they can’t get a publisher and vanity.

Hmm, well, I have never read a book without a mistake, even those with expensive eyes on watch.  Some stories through the traditional route are awful!  Really awful; bad writing style and poor storyline and boring.  Vanity?  Well, maybe it is.  But, speaking for myself, I think my stories are important and very good to read.  They are meaningful and well-written, and I edit, proofread etc. to make it as professional as I can, all by myself; that surely is an accomplishment?  What choice do I have when I’ve been rejected by every relevant publisher and literary agent?  Oops, maybe I shouldn’t have admitted that?  Although, I was offered to be taken on by a small publisher but I didn’t want to lose control of my work and be told what to write.


What are your current projects?

I have several projects in the pipeline.  A new fantasy novel called, Maisie; something I’ve never done before in quite this way, so it’s taking its time.  In addition, I hope to write a few more ‘missives’ from my Weird series – Henry Ian Darling is nagging at me to get on with them.

I do have another novel in mind, but I’m not sure yet how it will go and I need to concentrate on my current work.

And of course there will be shorts from my dreams – I never know when they’ll strike or lead me.


Please in your own words write a paragraph about yourself & your work. 

Let me just give you my latest bio, as I think it sums things up quite well:

I cannot ignore my dreams, so many of them, with names and places and ideas that spark my imagination and compel me to write; to create stories, whether fantasy or horror, or mystery or psychological thriller or murder or even humour and adventure.  So, my garden is sown, flourishing, with all manner of growth, and still the dreams come.

Julie Elizabeth Powell, my soul lingering within my imagination; maybe you’ll join me?

***

Thank you very much for taking the time to interview me, David and MastersOfHorror.co.uk.  And thank you, readers wherever you are don’t forget the review!

Links:
Website - http://julizpow.wix.com/julieelizabethpowell
AMAZON UK - http://goo.gl/YUQu68
AMAZON USA - http://goo.gl/pFsY1e
LULU - http://www.lulu.com/spotlight/julizpow
GOODREADS - https://goo.gl/DcTSOO
Amazon USA page - http://goo.gl/cT0DCK
Amazon UK page - http://goo.gl/XK8TOj
FB page 1 - https://www.facebook.com/julieelizabethpowellsbooks
FB page 2 - https://www.facebook.com/GoneByJulieElizabethPowell
LinkedIn - https://goo.gl/ZXbsGv
Google+ - https://plus.google.com/+JulieElizabethPowell/posts
https://twitter.com/starjewelz
https://uk.pinterest.com/starjewelz/

FILM NEWS (UK): Horror Channel FrightFest announces Glasgow FF line-up

FILM NEWS (UK): Horror Channel FrightFest celebrates 12th year at Glasgow Film Festival with record-breaking fourteen titles

Brittany Allen in IT STAINS THE SANDS RED

Monstrous stories, unspeakable urban legends, brutal acts and fearsome folktales dominate as the UK’s favourite horror fantasy event returns to the Glasgow Film Festival with a record fourteen films, including ten UK premieres, screening from Thurs 23 Feb to Sat 25 Feb 2017 at the iconic Glasgow Film Theatre.

Kicking off with a special screening of A CURE FOR WELLNESS, an intense psychological ride from Gore Verbinski, the visionary director of THE RING. and ending in sex and blood-drenched frenzy with the UK premiere of Roberto San Sebastián’s THE NIGHT OF THE VIRGIN, the 2017 line-up Is a shivering selection of the finest and wildest new fear-stokers the genre has to offer.

This year there are two films screening on the Thursday night. Following the 9pm showing of A CURE FOR WELLNESS is an exclusive unveiling of PHANTASM: REMASTERED, a new 4K restoration of the never forgotten fantasy horror masterpiece.

Friday’s line-up springs into high-octane action with the UK premiere of Matthias Hoene’s blockbusting $50 million fantasy epic THE WARRIOR’S GATE. This is followed by the UK Premiere of IT STAINS THE SANDS RED, a thrilling and unexpectedly heart-felt zombie road movie. Director Colin Minihan and lead actress Brittany Allen will be in attendance. Next up is THE TRANSFIGURATION, Michael O’Shea’s nihilistic meditation on millennial angst that took Cannes 2016 by storm. We’re pleased to say that Michael will be joining us to discuss the film.
Our 9pm presentation unleashes monster mash fury with the original Gangsta Lizard wreaking fabulous havoc in the UK Premiere of SHIN GODZILLA and rounding off the evening in visually stunning style is the first UK showing of Joe Dietsch & Louie Gibson’s award-winning HAPPY HUNTING, a dark and dangerous unfolding of desert death games.

Getting the Saturday programme started with considerable bite is the UK premiere of CAGE DIVE, Gerald Rascionato’s well-received take on survivor reality TV. This is followed by the hotly anticipated UK premiere of FASHIONISTA, Simon Rumley’s shockingly hypnotic exploration of addiction, body image and transformation. Considered by US critics to be his best film to date, Simon will be in attendance to discuss the film.

Also in attendance is Steven Kastrissios, director of BLOODLANDS. the first ever collaboration between Australia and Albania and the Balkan country’s first foray into horror cinema. Kastrissios’ passion project invites you to explore the mind-set of modern Albania while embarking on a spellbinding journey into terror. This is the World Premiere and Steven will be joined on stage by the main cast.

Make sure you’re strapped in for the UK premiere of our next presentation - Christopher Smith’s twisted revenge road move DETOUR. We’re thrilled that Chris will be joining us.

Matt Smith & Stanley Tucci in PATIENT ZERO

Saturday evening unfolds in adrenaline-fueled style with the UK premiere of Stefan Ruzowitzky’s PATIENT ZERO, starring Matt Smith, Stanley Tucci and Natalie Dormer battling super-fit, highly intelligent undead killers!  This is followed by the UK premiere of Ben Young’s powerfully disturbing debut HOUNDS OF LOVE, a unique three-way study of a serial-killing couple and their latest female victim.

To end this year’s global feast of fear is the UK premiere of an extreme horror comedy pushing ALL the boundaries. Roberto San Sebastián’s THE NIGHT OF THE VIRGIN is disgusting, offensive, hilarious and totally brilliant!

In addition, there is a sneak preview of Dominic Brunt’s ADULT BABIES, with the popular actor / director in attendance and let’s not forget those great give-aways!

Alan Jones, co-director, said today: “What a privilege for Horror Channel FrightFest to return to the open arms of the Glasgow Film Festival. Each of our forensically assembled line-up has been chosen on the basis it has something new and unique to offer, something we feel worth championing to our discerning Scottish audiences. So join us as we step beyond the pale together into the safe darkness of sinister cinema where genre transcends all and unites us as one chilled community.”

FrightFest Passes are £70 and available from noon on Mon Jan 16, 2016.  Passes cover all films on Fri 24 & Sat 25 Feb ONLY.

Tickets for ‘A Cure for Wellness’ and ‘Phantasm: Remastered’ ’ plus individual tickets for the Fri/Sat films are on sale Mon Jan 23 from 10am. Price: £10.00. £8 concession.

To book tickets:
+44 (0)141 332 6535 / boxoffice@glasgowfilm.org / www.glasgowfilm.org/festival

Programme details
THURS 23 FEB – GFT Screen 1

21:00 A CURE FOR WELLNESS (Special screening)
An ambitious young executive is sent to retrieve his company’s CEO from an idyllic but mysterious “wellness centre” at a remote location in the Swiss Alps. He soon suspects that the spa’s miraculous treatments are not what they seem. When he begins to unravel its terrifying secrets, his sanity is tested, as he finds himself diagnosed with the same curious illness that keeps all the guests here longing for the cure.

Director: Gore Verbinski. Cast: Dane DeHaan, Mia Goth, Jason Isaacs, Celia Imrie. USA 2017. 18.  126 mins, Thanks to 20th Century Fox.

23:40 PHANTASM: REMASTERED (Scottish Premiere)
Set to introduce a new generation to the deranged charms of the cult classic, meet horror icon Angus Scrimm as a malevolent mortician sending bizarre murder victims into another dimension where they become slave dwarves. A macabre funhouse of shock that weaves a powerful primal spell, the unforgettable silver sphere that drills out brains is back in a phantasmagorical fusion of surreal imagery, outlandish thrills and super scares.

Director: Don Coscarelli. Cast: Michael Baldwin, Bill Thornbury, Angus Scrimm. USA 1979. 84 mins. 18. Thanks to Arrow Films.


FRI 24 FEB – GFT Screen 1

13:30 THE WARRIOR’S GATE (UK Premiere)
Produced and written by Luc Besson and long-time collaborator Robert Mark Kamen (THE FIFTH ELEMENT) and directed by COCKNEYS VS. ZOMBIES maestro Matthias Hoene, the rip-roaring spectacular adventure finds hapless teenager Jack magically transported to ancient China where he must learn to convert his awesome video gaming skills into those of a Kung Fu warrior to bring peace to the warring kingdom. THE LAST STARFIGHTER goes CROUCHING TIGER, HIDDEN DRAGON in an enthralling fable opening up a whole innovative East meets West universe of wonder and imagination.

Director: Matthias Hoene. Cast: David Bautista, Sienna Guillory, Uriah Shelton. France/China 2016. 90 mins. 15. Thanks to Europacorp.

16:00 IT STAINS THE SANDS RED (UK Premiere)
First came the massive hit GRAVE ENCOUNTERS and the sci-fi shocker EXTRATERRESTRIAL and now director Colin Minihan and co-writer Stuart Ortiz, aka The Vicious Brothers have fashioned an unusual. ‘walking dead’ movie. After a horrendous flesh-eating apocalypse, Las Vegas wild child Molly finds herself stranded in the desert with a ravenously relentless zombie hot on her high heels. Forever trying to give it the ingenious slip, the lone stalker has no need of rest and soon it becomes her only physical contact in a world gone mad haunted by her dark past.

Director: Colin Minihan. Cast: Brittany Allen, Juan Riedinger, Merwin Mondesir. USA 2016. 92 mins. 18. Thanks to Digital Interference Productions and Grasswood Media.

18:30 THE TRANSFIGURATION (UK Premiere)
Orphaned African-American teen Milo thinks he’s undead in director Michael O’Shea’s fiercely independent first feature. To escape his depressing life, Milo has drenched himself in vampire lore gleaned from such horror classics as NOSFERATU, MARTIN, LET THE RIGHT ONE IN, THE LOST BOYS and NEAR DARK and has taken to sublimating his morbid fantasies bloodsucking on strangers. It’s when he befriends the equally troubled Sophie that a clear course of action presents itself providing liberation and tragic redemption.

Director: Michael O’Shea. Cast: Eric Ruffin, Chloe Levine, Aaron Moten. USA 2016. 97 mins. 18. Thanks to Soda Pictures.

21:00 SHIN GODZILLA (European Premiere)
Godzilla, the King of the Monsters, is back for a record-breaking box-office reboot of Toho’s kaiju classic. Present-day Japan, and an unexplained seismic event has occurred off the coast of Shinagawa, causing ripple effects all the way to the capital. Ministers scramble to figure out what’s going on but only cabinet secretary Rando Yaguchi knows what the audience already does. That Godzilla has majestically returned and has his fire-breathing, stomping sights on Tokyo once more.

Directors: Hideaki Anno, Shinji Higuchi. Cast: Hiroki Hasegawa, Yutaka Takenouchi, Satomi Ishihara. Japan 2016. 120 mins. 18. Thanks to Altitude Films.

23:15 HAPPY HUNTING (UK Premiere)
Warren is a degenerate drifter. On his way down to Mexico he finds himself stranded in Bedford Flats a one-horse town deep in the American desert. Unfortunately for him the town’s pastime is rounding up drifters and hunting them as part of an elaborate sporting event. This most dangerous and deadly game and bloody fight for survival is about to begin!

Directors: Joe Dietsch and Louie Gibson. Cast: Martin Dingle Wall, Ken Lally, Kenny Wormald, Connor Willimas. USA 2016. 91 mins.18.Thanks to WTFilms


SAT 25 FEB – GFT Screen 1

10:00 CAGE DIVE (UK Premiere)
CAGE DIVE follows three friends from California who set out to film an audition tape for submission to an extreme reality game show. To ensure they stand out, they decide to travel to Australia where they will be documenting themselves taking part in a most extreme activity…Shark Cage Diving. While on the dive, a catastrophic turn of events leaves them in baited water full of hungry Great White Sharks and turns there audition tape into a survival diary.

Director: Gerald Rascionato. Cast: Joel Hogan, Josh Potthoff, Magan Peta Hill, Suzanne Dervish-Ali. Australia 2017. 80 mins. 18. Thanks to Lionsgate Films.

11:45 FASHIONISTA (UK Premiere)
After RED, WHITE AND BLUE and JOHNNY FRANK GARRET’S LAST WORD comes uber-eccentric director Simon Rumley’s third distinctive Austin, Texas, based shocker., this sleekly demented De Palma-esque nightmare is set in the vintage clothing world where hipster shop owners April and Eric find their marriage tested when she begins to suspect her husband of having an affair. Her suspicions confirmed, April seeks sexual validation with the very mysterious and kinky Randall setting off a chain reaction of stylish fever dream madness, vogue fantasy role-playing and chic ultra-shriek.

Director: Simon Rumley. Cast: Amanda Fuller, Ethan Embry, Eric Balfour. USA 2016. 110 mins. 18. Thanks to Simon Rumley.

14:20 BLOODLANDS (World Premiere)
Fear the Shtriga! Written and directed by Steven Kastrissios who made his intense debut with THE HORSEMAN comes Albania’s first ever break-out genre film. Rooted in the very real phenomenon of blood feuds still plaguing the land, a struggling Albanian family, wrestling with traditions and superstition, must unite against another mysterious mountain clan's aggressions. A surreal, remarkable and highly unusual voyage through the fantasy lens of whispered local mythologies,

Director: Steven Kastrissios. Cast: Gëzim Rudi, Emiljano Palali, Suela Bako. Australia/Albania 2016. 82 mins. 18. Thanks to Steven Kastrissios.

16:30 DETOUR (UK Premiere)
A tense, deftly constructed noir thriller from Christopher Smith, director of CREEP, SEVERANCE, BLACK DEATH and TRIANGLE. Law student Harper suspects his stepdad Vincent of causing the car crash that landed his mother in a coma. A chance meeting in a bar with a tough redneck and his girlfriend leads to a road trip of revenge and spiralling violence.

Director : Christopher Smith. Cast: Tye Sheridan, Emory Cohen, Bel Powley, Stephen Moyer. UK 2016. 97 mins. 18. Thanks to Dan Films.

18:55 PATIENT ZERO (UK Premiere)
Humanity is battling intelligent creatures born from a viral super-strain. After being bitten human survivor Morgan (Matt Smith) realises he is asymptomatic and can communicate with the infected, leading the last survivors on a hunt for Patient Zero and a cure. From Stefan Ruzowitzky director of ANATOMY, ALL THE QUEEN’S MEN and THE COUNTERFEITERS.

Director: Stefan Ruzowitzky. Cast: Matt Smith, Natalie Dormer, Stanley Tucci, Clive Standen, Agness Deyn. UK 2017. R/T TBA. 18. Thanks to Sony Pictures

21:10 HOUNDS OF LOVE  (UK Premiere)
In the mid 1980’s seventeen year old Vicki Maloney is randomly abducted from a suburban street by a disturbed serial-killing couple. As she observes the dynamic between her captors she quickly realises she must drive a wedge between them if she is to survive. Inspired by real life crimes, A superbly acted and powerful debut feature.

Director: Ben Young. Cast:  Emma Booth, Ashleigh Cummings, Stephen Curry, Susie Porter. Australia 2016. 108 mins. 18. Thanks to Arrow Films

23:20 THE NIGHT OF THE VIRGIN (UK Premiere)
At a New Year's Eve party, nerdy and naïve Nico sets out to lose his virginity. After striking out with drunken babes, his gaze crosses to Medea, an attractive if mature woman. Before he knows what’s happening he’s whisked to Medea’s filthy apartment where sinister Asian artefacts adorn the shelves, cockroaches crawl the floors and an ancient prophecy rears its head along with the rowdy gay neighbours and a very jealous ex-boyfriend.

Director: Roberto San Sebastián. Cast: Javier Bódalo, Miriam Martín, Víctor Amilibia. Spain 2016. 117 mins. 18. Thanks to Kevin I. Rodríguez/Platanobolígrafo.

For further information:  www.frightfest.co.uk

Interview with Barbara Crampton

Ahead of Horror Channel’s UK premiere broadcast of WE ARE STILL HERE on Sat Jan 14, legendry actress Barbara Crampton talks exclusively on the revival of her career, her approach to challenging roles and why she loves the genre, but not the over-used label ‘Scream Queen’!


Q: Suddenly you are back in the genre spotlight after many people thinking you had retired.  What happened between your 80s heyday in movies like REANIMATOR and FROM BEYOND and the more recent YOU’RE NEXT? 

BARBARA: I had retired. But it wasn't really intentional. I was in my late 30's and hadn't been offered anything significant in quite a while. Roles in my age bracket for women were slim. Around the same time I met my husband Bob, got married and became pregnant. He had a career in a more stable business and was offered a great opportunity in San Francisco. I suppose I was ready for a change and a chance to build a family life with him, so off we went.

Soon after our first son was born, I was consumed with motherhood and then was also expecting my second child - a girl. I embraced this new chapter in my life and was not thinking about acting or movies, except as a spectator, for a long time. I'm glad though that I had the break to focus on my kids and be there to help out at their school and build a life I had dreamed about but seemed to elude me for many years.

The offer for YOU'RE NEXT came literally out of the blue and I was grateful my agent hadn't lost my number as we hadn't even spoken in something like six years. I believe I was really lucky to return in a film that was really successful and seemed to receive a lot of attention for the film makers involved. So once people knew I hadn't keeled over, I began to get a few more inquires for work. I think being older has helped me also. I'm playing mothers, caretakers, doctors and soon a woman running for Governor.


Q: WE ARE STILL HERE receives its UK premiere on UK’s Horror Channel on Jan 14, 2017. What attracted you to the project?

BARBARA: Firstly, I’m thrilled the Horror Channel is broadcasting the film. They really are dedicated to the genre in a passionate and intelligent way.

What attracted me to the project was that I responded to the depth of misery Anne was experiencing. She lost her only child in an auto accident. How does someone recover from that? The challenges interested me as a performer and I wanted to bring as much truth to the role as possible. It also felt very 80's to me with a Lucio Fulci vibe. How could I possibly turn a gift like this down? That's what this part felt like to me - a gift.


Q: You met WE ARE STILL HERE director Ted Geoghegan because he was the publicist on YOU’RE NEXT. Were you flattered he wrote the part of Anne for you?

BARBARA: Of course! Although he didn't tell me initially he HAD written it for me. I think he was nervous about that, for whatever reason. When I first read it I was immediately drawn to the character and felt a connection to Anne. So after a time I was thrilled he had secured the financing and knew we'd be on our way.


Q: To prepare for the role of grieving mother Anne, you talked to two women who had lost their sons in car accidents. What were the most important things you learned during this research process?

BARBARA: Interviewing these two women was pretty difficult, yet thankfully they both were more than willing. It was important for me to understand their grief as much as possible and do them justice in portraying their pain. Both ladies are very strong and not surprisingly this loss is the most devastating and significant thing that has ever happened to them. They told me how their relationships with their husbands suffered. How they themselves wanted to die. How tired they were all the time. Grief is really exhausting. They each talked about moments when they felt ok and could even share a light or fun moment with someone and then would feel immediately guilty for having done so. The pain was always there and is always there. It becomes absorbed in your DNA forever. I carried their answers with me every day on pieces of paper. I would read them each morning before filming and talk to Ted about these feelings on set as if they were my own to put myself in their head space. Ted would sit with me and he was such a calm and gentle presence and he would sometimes hold my hand. I think we created a space not unlike what those two women may have experienced when they would speak to a confidant about their sorrow.


Q: Many critics have pointed out the Lucio Fulci inspirations in WE ARE STILL HERE. Did you know who he was? Were you, and have you remained, genre savvy? 

BARBARA: I had seen Fulci's THE BEYOND and HOUSE BY THE CEMETARY and rewatched HBTC a number of times when Ted told me it was one of his favourite films and wanted a similar feeling for our movie. I think I've become more genre savvy since my return to acting with YOU'RE NEXT. I realised that I wanted to rededicate myself to my career and specifically to the horror genre so I'll confess I've become more educated of late, watching movies I may have missed along the way. I try now to watch a few old and new movies each week to keep up with what's happening, trends and influences. Even so there are movies I've missed. GREEN ROOM has been queued up about five times only to be interrupted by another movie or a family crisis. I've become more of a genre fan recently. I've always liked horror movies but now I love them. You can tell any story in a genre movie.

Q: WE ARE STILL HERE is a supernatural ghost story. Do you prefer that type of horror film than the all-out splatter fest?

BARBARA: There are so many sub genres in horror. The ones that appeal to me are ones with an interesting or unique story and dynamic characters. I like to see people challenged by something and rise up to overcome obstacles, either outside forces or something within themselves. Splatter and gore are great fun but just to show a cool SFX gag that isn't supported by a greater foundation in story doesn't really move me. I want to feel something.


Q: You say the house in WE ARE STILL HERE is its own character. Can you explain a little more?

BARBARA: The house was the site of some terrible happenings and it had absorbed the horror and terror. The feeling of the movie was on great display through the remarkable work of our DP Karim Hussain. It's moodiness, pain and suffering was felt in the angles and lighting used. "Place" is an important element for an actor in a movie and no time ever for me as much as in this film in this character. I thought my deceased son had followed us there. He was present to me when the baseball drops down the stairs and I heard his voice speak to me when the townspeople were descending upon us. I felt him in the walls. At the end of the movie I make a choice that involves staying in the house forever. Did I mention how cold it was? The temperature outside was -27 and the heat inside did not work very well. I was either bracing myself against its chill or leaning in to feel the warmth of a dear departed loved one who appeared to inhabit its space.


Q: Just like Stuart Gordon with REANIMATOR, Ted Geoghegan was making his feature debut with WE ARE STILL HERE. And you produced and starred in BEYOND THE GATES, the feature debut of Jackson Stewart too. Is it more exciting working with up and coming new talent?

BARBARA: It's exciting to work period. Most actors who have a career do a handful of movies a year if they're lucky. Most of your time is spent not working and doing regular everyday things. Fortunately, the film festival circuit is quite robust and I've spent the last few years promoting movies I'm in and traveling the states and abroad. It's very satisfying to be around like-minded people who love movies and really get what we do. Also I enjoy meeting other film makers and actors and fans.

As far as working with up and coming directors is concerned, these guys were so on it in terms of telling a story and already had vast and deep knowledge of the genre. Ted and Jack had worked in the film biz in various capacities before directing their first films and were completely comfortable with what they were doing. RE-ANIMATOR was the first film experience for Stuart but he had honed a lot of skills in the theatre and any moving picture technology he didn't understand was greatly helped by our DP, Mac Ahlberg. I find today that the industry is a lot more collaborative and especially in Los Angeles where directors screen rough cuts for other directors and they all give each other notes before any additional shooting or reshoots. That really helps a young director.


Q: Judging by all the movies you’re starring in at that moment either completed or in post-production, you are back with a vengeance! What’s the difference between making movies then and now?

BARBARA: I'm older and wiser and know when to speak my mind. I love the complicated parts I'm being offered now too. Everything is faster because of digital and most people on a set are capable of doing various jobs. It's also harder to get a movie financed at the level you'd like and to sell the movie to a company that will give you the funds to make your money back. You have to be really tenacious and have a strong attitude and be willing to lose money and still do such a bang up job that people notice you so that you can move up a level.

Also people watching movies illegally and not realising how much this hurts the industry is a real problem. Not everyone is successful, some leave the business and do other things. I'm talking directors but it's really competitive for performers as well. There are so many people in Hollywood. How do you distinguish yourself? Why or how are you unique? Embrace that. Starting as young as possible is a good idea, creating your own content, making movies with your friends, networking...


Q: You’ve recently stated you don’t like the term ‘Scream Queen’ even though you once embraced it. What’s changed? You are now a Horror Icon, do you prefer that description?

BARBARA: The term didn't used to bother me as much before. But as time has gone by I feel it's really reductive, overused and not reflective of the kinds of deep and more interesting stories we seem to be telling in this generation. It's a clichéd moniker given to ladies who are doing amazing work and have had long careers with varying roles. It's a term that has had its time and is now being used by actresses who have been in one or two movies and who self-proclaim themselves to be a “Scream Queen". It just doesn't feel special anymore, if it ever was.

For additional thoughts on this by myself and other film makers click on this link..
http://birthmoviesdeath.com/2016/12/15/barbara-crampton-dont-call-me-a-scream-queen

We Are Still Here is broadcast on Horror Channel, Sat 14 Jan, 10.50pm.