Monday 30 December 2019

Competition: Win Asylum & The House That Dripped Blood on Blu-Ray



Asylum - [Blu-ray] and The House That Dripped Blood - [Blu-ray] are both released on 6th January 2020

And to celebrate we have a great competition and a copy of each on Blu-ray to give away.

Synopsis - Asylum 
From writer Robert Bloch and directed by Roy Ward Baker (A Night to Remember), iconic 1972 Amicus horror anthology Asylum is set for the Limited Edition Blu-ray treatment from Second Sight.

This hugely anticipated release starring a stellar cast will be presented in stunning rigid slipcase packaging featuring new artwork by Graham Humphreys, and a 40-page booklet with new essays by Allan Bryce, Jon Towlson and Kat Ellinger, not to mention a whole host of special features including director commentaries and featurettes, it will available from 29 July 2019.

When Doctor Martin (Robert Powell – The Italian Job, The Thirty Nine Steps) arrives for a job interview at a secluded asylum for the incurably insane, he must prove himself by listening to the macabre tales of four inmates to determine which is the former head of the asylum who experienced a breakdown. We join him on the investigation with these hair-raising horrors…

The all-star cast includes Barbara Parkins, Peter Cushing, Charlotte Rampling, Britt Ekland, Herbert Lom and Patrick Magee.

Synopsis - The House That Dripped Blood
The House That Dripped Blood from Peter Duffell in his directorial debut and written by renowned screenwriter Robert Bloch (Psycho), is set for one of Second Sight’s renowned must-have Limited Edition Blu-ray releases this Summer.

This star-studded anthology features Denholm Elliott, Peter Cushing, Christopher Lee, Jon Pertwee and Ingrid Pitt and is presented in a stunning box set featuring original artwork from Graham Humphreys alongside a whole host of fantastic new special features including new essays from horror aficionados and a 40-page booklet and is available from 29 July 2019.

Scotland Yard’s Inspector Holloway (John Bennett – Watership Down, The Fifth Element) investigates a mysterious mansion with a ghoulish history and a chilling fate for its occupants in these four tales of terror…

Click here to buy The House That Dripped Blood from Amazon (Opens in a new window)
Click here to buy Asylum from Amazon (Opens in a new window)

COMPETITION CLOSED

Terms and conditions
1. Closing date 13-01-20
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.

Sunday 15 December 2019

Interview with Carver Pike By David Kempf


When did you first become interested in writing?

For me, storytelling came long before the actual writing part. I spent a great deal of my childhood in rough situations and a big portion of that restricted to my bedroom. That left me alone with my imagination and whatever I could find to occupy my time. My toys were a random hodgepodge of hand-me-downs. Maybe a couple of He-Man characters, Snake Eyes from G.I. Joe, a handful of those tiny pink rubber M.U.S.C.L.E. action figures, and whatever else I could piece together.

While most kids played war, I created strange worlds and storylines that would find all my toys in a crashed spaceship atop my mattress, with blankets serving as mountains, and the floor a strange alien goo that would infect anyone who touched it. When my toys were taken away, I cut paper dolls out of the Sears catalog and continued my narrative. I wrote action-packed zombie stories and other horrifying tales long before I ever picked up a pen.

The actual writing part happened when I was about sixteen, had just learned to type without looking at a keyboard, and stumbled upon my grandfather’s old typewriter hidden beneath a blanket in a back bedroom. My story sucked. It was a young adult, slice-of-life novel about a teenage boy who was new to town. Of course, all the girls liked him, and all the guys wanted to fight him, but he was a real badass and mopped the floor with all the bullies. The story really was garbage, so that’s where I eventually tossed it. However, throughout my junior and senior years of high school, I passed the novel around in spiral notebooks. If it weren’t for my female classmates showing so much interest in it, I probably wouldn’t be writing today.


How did you get involved in fantasy/horror?

I can’t remember not being interested in fantasy and horror. As a kid, I’d sit cross-legged in front of the TV watching everything from The Beastmaster, Krull, and Trancers to Friday the 13th, My Bloody Valentine, and The Texas Chainsaw Massacre. With every episode of Scooby-Doo, I prayed it would finally be the time they’d try to yank the mask off the ghost and find that it actually was a demonic presence instead of a jealous hotel caretaker.

Do you remember Commander USA? You know, the guy with cigar ash on the palm of his hand that was made to look like eyes and a mouth – kind of looked like Wilson in the movie Cast Away now that I think about it. He dressed up as a superhero of sorts and played horror movies every Saturday. That guy was my hero. I think I saw Kingdom of the Spiders on his show. Years later, I lay awake in bed terrified as I stared up at the popcorn ceiling and wondered if those little balls would burst open and a thousand tiny spiders would rain down over my bed. Shit. It still gives me the chills.


How would you classify the genre you write?

That’s a tough question to answer. I write a little bit of everything. I guess I’d say fairly graphic horror. I can’t really restrict myself by saying I write only ghost stories, slasher books, or zombies. Each one of my books is different. In my Diablo Snuff series, for example, it all revolves around a demonic entity of sorts that grows with each book. You get to see just how sinister this Diablo Snuff organization is and just how far it’ll go to destroy our world. Each book in the series is slightly different from the other. In book one, A Foreign Evil, the story takes place in Panama where a guy named Michael meets a beautiful woman and ends up at a hotel (run by Diablo Snuff). It’s not quite the romantic night he’s expecting. The sequel, The Grindhouse, is about a horror author who attends an author retreat run by Diablo Snuff.

Shadow Puppets: Scarecrows of Minnow Ranch is about, you guessed it, scarecrows. Redgrave revolves around a female military member doing her best to prove herself in a man’s military. She accepts an overnight, unarmed post guarding a demented inmate. Grad Night, which is my newest novel, centers around today’s youth and the violence in our schools. It’s not quite what you’d think though. This one’s more about teenagers getting revenge against their teachers. It’s some pretty sick shit.

Then there’s my dark fantasy series, The Edge of Reflection. So far, I’ve written four books in the series and have plans for a few more. I love dark fantasy. Blending action with horror and other supernatural elements is kind of like the best of all worlds to me.


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

I think it’s the safety net they provide. It’s a chance for the reader to safely experience risk, fear, loss, revenge, true hatred, and utter helplessness without crossing any moral boundaries or putting themselves in harm’s way. When I was a kid, I would often play the what if game. I think many people did and still do. Horror and fantasy allow people to revisit the fun in that game.

What if when I went to sleep at night, a monster visited me, and I’d die if I didn’t wake up before it killed me?

What if a great white shark attacked the beach today?

What if my daughter suddenly became possessed by a demon?

The horror and fantasy genres give you permission to play again.


What inspires your stories?

Oh, man. Everything! Seriously. Music definitely helps. The right song can totally spark a new idea. Another might help me through a scene. A movie might do it for me. I was watching The Green Mile the other night, and I got a story idea that has nothing at all to do with the movie itself. It’ll be an awesome horror book if I ever get around to writing it. You should see my list of word docs and book covers. Back to inspiration, I mean it when I say everything. I’ve looked at a homeless person before and decided I was going to tell his story. Right now, I live overseas, down in my wife’s country in Central America, so a lot of my inspiration comes from the world around me.


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

The thought never crossed my mind until I saw the “American Horror” classification on Amazon. I honestly don’t know. Oh, boy. Here I go, David. If this comes out sounding ridiculous, you have to edit it out. Ha.

If I had to take a wild guess, I think I’d say that America is still very young in the grand scheme of things. So, maybe American Horror would be more along the lines of things like Native American tales or gothic horror inspired by things like the growth of the original colonies (witch trials, slave tales, etc.).

So, what about British Horror then? Again, I’m totally guessing. I suppose I could cheat and Google this, but the first thing that comes to mind is old slasher stories like Jack the Ripper. Maybe stories about the plague, hauntings in old cobble-stoned and crowded cities, or even Medieval horror.

I’ve been to England a few times, and I could be wrong about this, but I got an overall feeling that the people were much more open to horror there. The selection available in the bookstores was all the evidence I needed. For example, I picked up Grady Hendrix’s My Best Friend’s Exorcism there, because I saw that awesome, 80s VHS style book cover on an end-cap at Waterstones. Fast forward to less than a year ago when I was inside a Barnes & Noble in San Jose, California. I had a hell of a time finding horror. It seemed like the horror books were mixed in with fantasy and suspense thrillers.


What are your favorite horror books?

I like a lot of the old short stories written by Ray Bradbury and Shirley Jackson. I Am Legend by Richard Matheson was great. Through my young teenage years, I read a lot of novelizations of films. I think it was my way of cheating and basically watching movies in class. I remember reading The Lost Boys, Friday the 13th part 6, and Nicholas Grabowsky’s novelization of Halloween 4.

I’m also a fan of Bentley Little’s stuff. I like the creeping dread in his books. My favorites of his would be The Association, The Store, and Death Instinct. I loved Stephen King’s It and The Stand. I’ve been trying to read newer authors lately. Recently, I enjoyed The Troop by Nick Cutter. Parasites scare the hell out of me. I hate the thought of something so small causing so much damage. Bird Box by Josh Malerman was a great book. I’ve been listening to Robert McCammon’s Swan Song on audiobook and it’s pretty good so far.


What are some of your favorite horror movies?

Demons and Demons 2 by Dario Argento will always hold a special place in my heart because they scared the shit out of me as a kid. I love everything to do with the Halloween movies. I may get booed for this one, but my favorite in the series is actually Halloween 4. I love when evil isn’t explained. Sometimes there’s need for it, but other times, just let us believe that evil is evil and that’s all there is to it. The Shape aka Michael Myers is evil personified. The Conjuring 2 is one of my newer favorites, and I absolutely loved Midsommar.


What do you consider your greatest accomplishment as an author?

I wish I could say I’ve won some prestigious award. I’ve won a few online awards voted on by readers, but I think my greatest accomplishment so far has just been finishing books. I’ve written about twelve books so far under Carver Pike. I’ve dabbled in other genres with other pen names too, and in total, I want to say I’ve published around 30 books. I’m proud of that.

Probably more important than all of that is knowing that my kids see me writing. They know I struggle. They’ve witnessed some of the depression that kicks in sometimes, they’ve watched me push through chronic pain, and through all of it they’ve seen me keep fighting to follow this dream of mine. I’m an author. I’m a writer. At this point, nothing will change that. Whether or not I become a big name in the business is still to be seen, but at least my kids saw that I was an author.


Do you have any advice for new writers?

Yes, three things. First, keep writing. Stop rereading everything you write. Of course, editing your work is important, but the truth is, you’ll edit it again when you’re finished anyway. If you keep rereading the last chapter and keep fiddling with the work you’ve already done, you’ll never write the next chapter. You need to write forward. The only way you’re going to punch out another book is if you stop allowing yourself to constantly edit. Just write. Edit when you’re done.

Second, stop throwing your words away. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve heard other authors say, “I read through what I wrote yesterday, and it was such crap. I deleted it all.” It probably wasn’t crap. Maybe you were being hard on yourself. That three thousand words you deleted might not have worked in this current story, but that could have been the first three thousand words in your next book. Open up a blank document and save your words for later rather than getting rid of them forever.

Third, criticism is important when it’s constructive. But even constructive criticism isn’t always right. You’d seek a second opinion for medical related matters, right? Treat your words the same way. Don’t take the scalpel to them just because one person told you they didn’t like them. I had two beta readers tell me they weren’t feeling a book I wrote. They didn’t love it. It gutted me. These were two fans of mine, and I almost didn’t publish the book. In the end, I did, and it became one of my most popular books at the time. Everyone else seemed to love it. I beat myself up for nothing.


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

Hmm. Interesting question. I’m self-published, so I love having the opportunity, but don’t get me wrong, there are definitely some problems caused by self-publishing too. I started out writing screenplays. That’s what I wanted to do for a living. This was before I got serious about writing books. Hollywood wasn’t beating down my door, screenplay competitions can be costly (and time consuming), and producing your own movie isn’t all that affordable. So, I started writing books. I queried a ton of agents and got plenty of rejection letters. I eventually signed with a small publishing house. It wasn’t the greatest experience. In the end, I heard about Amazon allowing authors to self-publish their books, so I decided to go that route. It’s a lot of hard work with nobody in your corner. Of course, I have some really great readers and friends who’ve volunteered their time to help with everything from beta reading to book covers to social media marketing, but it’s a long and grueling process.

Competition is fierce, and I’m sorry to say, but the quality often suffers with indie publishing. Oftentimes, sales go to the author with the biggest purse. If you can afford to throw thousands and thousands of dollars at marketing, you can climb the ranks even with a lackluster product. It’s the sad truth.

Self-publishing has also caused the industry to turn into a well-oiled machine at this point. To be able to tread water, you need to be able to publish books quickly. Gone are the days of authors being able to work on a book for several years. If you’re not already a big, established name in the biz, you’re probably going to have to write several books a year. I know several authors publishing a book a month.

In the end, I think if you’re able to get noticed by a big publisher, it’s still worth it if you hope to make it into the big arena. Having that support team and assistance with things like formatting, cover design, and editing is a big help. For now, I’ll keep doing what I’m doing unless someone reaches out to me.


What are your current projects?

I published Grad Night in October, so that’s my newest release. I’m currently working on several books. One of the characters from my Diablo Snuff series, a guy named Kong, is getting his own side story. That one’s called Slaughter Box and should be out soon. The Maddening: Diablo Snuff 3 is on its way too. I’ve got so many other books in the works, many of which I’m afraid to talk too much about, but one has something to do with witches and Santeria. That book is going to be intense. It’s the first book that kind of scares me writing it. I might be turning one of my old zombie screenplays into a novel soon. I’m planning to write a full-length novel based on the inmate in my book, Redgrave.


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

I’m married with four kids. I’ve experienced a lot in my forty years. After serving time in the military and then giving the retail world a try, I decided to move to my wife’s country where she could be closer to her family. I figured I could write from anywhere, so she might as well be where she’s happiest. I’m a very down-to-earth, chill kind of guy. I believe in the overall goodness of people, but real evil exists and there isn’t always an explainable reason for it. These themes often find their way into my books. My writing has been described as cinemascope and my dialogue as real and genuine. Most of my work has very graphic sex and violence, but I’ve found those things fit well with my horror and dark fantasy storylines. Overall, I love to entertain. I’ll watch movies I love a hundred times if it means I get to see the look on someone else’s face when they’re experiencing it for the first time. I approach my books the same way. I need to know people are enjoying it, or it’s all for nothing. Hopefully, you’ll give me the chance to entertain.

Links:
Grad Night Paperback - Amazon
Good Reads - Carver Pike


Thursday 12 December 2019

Interview with Tyler MacIntyre, director of PATCHWORK & TRAGEDY GIRLS


On the eve of Horror Channel’s UK TV premiere of PATCHWORK, director Tyler MacIntyre reflects on body image issues. twisting audience expections and his admiration for current female genre directors.

Q: PATCHWORK finally gets its UK TV premiere on Horror Channel. Excited or what?

Relieved actually. It’s been a long time coming. The third screening of the film ever happened at FrightFest in Glasgow and since then I’ve had people asking me when it was going to come out. The UK genre fans are among the most diehard in the world, so I’m very excited to finally have it available for them.


Q: You were in attendance when PATCHWORK, your directorial feature debut, received its European premiere screening at FrightFest Glasgow 2016. What are your abiding memories?

I met a lot of awesome filmmakers and made some really good friends on that trip, particularly Joe Begos, who had THE MIND’S EYE playing right before us. My favorite was doing one of my first Q&As with the great Alan Jones. He did an amazing job of contextualizing the film and set the expectations that allowed it to be one of the most fun screenings I’ve ever had.


Q: It has been described as an “ingenious Frankenstein variant”. Fair comment? And how would you describe it?

Haha. Ingenious is a bit of a judgement call, but the inception of the character really did try to get behind what it would be like for a character comprised of multiple bodies. That’s what’s most off-putting about Frankenstein to me, so it was quite satisfying to explore that in the context of more contemporary body image issues.


Q: Stuart Gordon helped you on the film? What role did he play?

Stuart was as a bit of a mentor to us through the process. He read a very early draft of the script and gave us notes, as well as weighed in on the cuts. We were quite obviously influenced by the splat-stick horror of the late-1980s, DEAD ALIVE, EVIL DEAD II, and RE-ANIMATOR especially, so it was amazing to get his blessing.

Tracey Fairaway, Tory Stolper & Maria Blasucci in PATCHWORK

Q: The chemistry between Tory Stolper, Tracey Fairaway and Maria Blasucci is amazing. How did that come together from the casting process?

We had actually worked with Tory on the short film version, so she was the first in. I’d edited a film that Tracey acted in a few years before, so I knew she brought a lot of good ideas and had a fun bubbly energy. Once we had them in place, we had to counter-weight them with a more off-beat comedic energy, which Maria has very naturally. Once I got to see all three together it became apparent very quickly that they bounce off each other well, and it was going to be a blast to work on.

Tyler MacIntyre on the set of PATCHWORK

Q: Your second feature, TRAGEDY GIRLS, described as “the most frightening slasher send-up since Scream”, also deals with strong women in subversive, anti-heroine roles. Is this a conscious theme to your work?

When I write things either by myself or with my writing partner Chris Lee Hill, we tend to look for ways to twist the expectations of the audience, trying to take them somewhere they haven’t been before. That leads us to a lot of the more subversive elements. Since there are still a lot of story areas involving female protagonists that are unexplored, we often come up with ideas involving female leads pretty organically. We’ve also have been very fortunate to work with a lot of amazing up-and-coming actresses, who really inspire us to keep developing material with similar themes.

Tracey Fairawa in PATCHWORK

Q: TRAGEDY GIRLS closed FrightFest 2017, where you and the film received a rousing reception. What is it about the genre that attracts you the most?

For me it’s actually the community. Fans of genre have a great way of standing up to be counted, and in my experience, they’re quite open and welcoming. The film industry is competitive and toxic enough as it is, so I’m happy to be part of a section that is actually really supportive and collaborative.


Q: What’s your take on the burgeoning growth of female directors/voices in the horror genre?

It’s amazing, and I hope grows even more quickly. I was absolutely bowled-over by what Julia Ducournau did with RAW. That movie floored me. So precise with its tone and psychology. And likewise with what Issa López did with TIGERS ARE NOT AFRAID. I watched the most emotional Q&A I’ve ever seen at the Canadian premiere of that film. We even named the teacher character in TRAGEDY GIRLS “Ms. Kent” after Jennifer Kent, because we were so impressed with THE BABADOOK. There are a lot of great voices popping up, which makes this a very exciting time.


Q: Favourite genre film of 2019 so far?

It’s probably PARASITE, but the year isn’t over yet.


Q: Finally, what’s next?

We are developing a couple of feature projects right now that are in the horror space, as well as a television series that’s more of a mystery-comedy. I am hoping that we get the opportunity to shoot our first studio feature film next year.

PATCHWORK in on Horror Channel, Sat 14 Dec, 9pm.







Tuesday 10 December 2019

Horror Channel kicks off the New Year with a STRANGER FEARS SEASON


Horror Channel kicks off the New Year with a STRANGER FEARS SEASON – a retro-flavoured selection of 1980s influenced modern horror, which includes the UK TV premieres of Jeremy Gillespie & Steven Kostanski’s hard-core hospital horror THE VOID and Jackson Stewart’s throwback paranormal fantasy BEYOND THE GATES, starring horror legend Barbara Crampton. Broadcast every Saturday night throughout the month, the season also includes Todd Strauss-Schulson’s entertainingly subversive slasher fantasy THE FINAL GIRLS and Lowell Dean’s stylish, rage-fuelled WOLFCOP.

There is also a UK TV premiere for Mathieu Turi’s terrifying and moving horror thriller HOSTILE and channel premieres for Barry Levinson’s brutal and harrowing creature feature THE BAY, Paul Verhoeven’s HOLLOW MAN, starring Elisabeth Shue, Kevin Bacon and Josh Brolin; Kenneth Branagh’s MARY SHELLEY’S FRANKENSTEIN, starring Robert De Niro, Branagh and Helena Bonham Carter and Danny Cannon’s thrilling slasher sequel, I STILL KNOW WHAT YOU DID LAST SUMMER.


STRANGER FEARS SEASON

Full film details in transmission order:


Sat 4 Jan @ 22:50 – THE VOID (2016) * UK TV premiere

In the middle of a routine patrol, officer Daniel Carter happens upon a blood-soaked figure limping down a deserted stretch of road. He rushes the young man to a nearby rural hospital, only to discover that patients and personnel are transforming into something inhuman. As the horror intensifies, Carter leads the other survivors on a hellish voyage into the subterranean depths of the hospital in a desperate bid to end the nightmare.


Sat 11 Jan @ 22:50 – BEYOND THE GATES (2016) *UK TV Premiere

Following their father’s mysterious disappearance, two estranged brothers reunite to liquidate his business, a video store specialising in horror movies. Digging through all the fire sale stock, they find an old VCR board game entitled ‘Beyond the Gates’. Deciding to play the obscure game for a laugh, they soon realise it holds the connection to their father’s vanishing and the deadliest of consequences for anyone who dares fool around with it.


Sat 18 Jan @ 22:50 – THE FINAL GIRLS (2015)

Max, a high school senior, is mysteriously transported with her friends into a 1980s horror film that starred Max's mother, a celebrated scream queen. Trapped inside the movie, Max finds herself reunited with her mom, whom she lost in real life. Together, they must fend off the camp counsellors’ raging hormones, battle a deranged machete-wielding killer, and find a way to escape the movie and make it back home.


Sat 25 Jan @ 22:50 – WOLF COP (1998)

Lou Garou is a lazy, alcoholic cop by day, a violent crime-fighting werewolf by night with a new found sense of  duty to uphold. Overnight, the small rural town of Newhaven has a new lycanthropic hero and he’s determined to become a better policeman…one full moon transformation at a time.


OTHER PREMIERES


Fri 3 Jan @ 21:00 – HOSTILE (2017) *UK TV Premiere

A worldwide epidemic has killed most of the planet’s population. The few survivors struggle to find food and shelter. But they are not alone… On her way back to base camp from a scavenging mission, Juliette (Brittany Ashworth) has a terrible accident. Stuck in her car, with a broken leg, in the middle of an unforgiving desert, she must survive the perils of the post-apocalypse, while a strange creature prowls around.


Fri 10 Jan @ 21:00 – THE BAY (2012) *Channel Premiere

The quaint seaside town of Chesapeake Bay thrives on water; it is the lifeblood of the community. When two biological researchers from France find a staggering level of toxicity in the water, they attempt op alert the mayor, but he refuses to create a panic in the docile town. As a result, a deadly plague is unleashed, turning the people of Chesapeake Bay into hosts for a mutant breed of parasites that take control of their minds, and eventually their bodies.


Fri 17 Jan @ 22:40 – HOLLOW MAN (2000) *Channel Premiere

Kevin Bacon is a gifted scientist Sebastian Caine, who develops a serum that induces invisibility. The arrogant but charismatic scientist heads a top-secret U.S. government research project. When the formula works successfully on animals, Caine disobeys Pentagon orders and experiments on himself. Unfortunately, the gamble goes terribly wrong when the procedure cannot be reversed.


Fri 24 Jan @ 21:00 – MARY SHELLEY’S FRANKENSTIEN (1994) *Channel Premiere

As Viktor Frankenstein (Kenneth Branagh) is dying he shares a tale of gruesome terror with a sea captain. Viktor, using previous experiments by a brilliant scientist, was able to bring a creature (Robert De Niro) assembled from body parts back to life. Once he realised how destructive his experiments had become, he abandoned the creature and tried to live a normal life with his fiancé (Helena Bonham Carter). The lonely creature seeks out Viktor and demands one of two things: a bride or revenge.


Fri 31 Jan @ 22:50 – I STILL KNOW WHAT YOU DID LAST SUMMER (1998) *Channel premiere

This sequel to I Know What You Did Last Summer finds Julie James (Jennifer Love Hewitt) coping miserably with the memory of last year's terrifying ordeal, as the past continues to haunt her, However, it looks as though things may be turning out for the better when her college roommate, Karla (Brandy Norwood), invites Julie to join her on an all-expense paid trip to the Bahamas. But when the romantic vacation is threatened by a violent hurricane and the reappearance of the vengeful fisherman, Julie's future promises to be as short-lived as her escape from the past.


Horror Channel: Be Afraid
TV: Sky 317 / Virgin 149 / Freeview 70 / Freesat 138
Website: http://www.horrorchannel.co.uk/

Monday 25 November 2019

Competition: Win Anna and the Apocalypse on Blu-ray

Anna and the Apocalypse is out on Blu-ray on 2nd December.

And to celebrate we have a great competition for you and 2 copies on Blu-ray to give away.

Synopsis
What better way to celebrate the festive season than with a zombie apocalypse Christmas musical?

Anna and the Apocalypse  ‘A delightful Christmas/horror/comedy/musical hybrid, with a great cast and entertaining gore’ (IGN) directed by John McPhail.

A zombie apocalypse threatens the sleepy town of Little Haven - at Christmas - forcing Anna and her friends to fight, slash and sing their way to survival, facing the undead in a desperate race to reach their loved ones.

But they soon discover that no one is safe in this new world, and with civilization falling apart around them, the only people they can truly rely on are each other.

Buy from Amazon by clicking here (Opens in a new window)

For your chance to win just answer the question below.

Who is the director of Anna and the Apocalypse ?

Send your name, address and of course the answer to competition@mastersofhorror.co.uk

Terms and conditions
1. Closing date 09-12-19
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.

Thursday 21 November 2019

Seasonal shocks aplenty on Horror Channel in December including UK premiere of Tyler MacIntyre's PATCHWORK.



Wayward werewolves, genetic mutants, a female Frankenstein, man-eating spiders and the return of The Creeper…Horror Channel provides plenty of seasonal shocks in December, including the UK TV premiere for Tyler MacIntyre’s incandescent comic horror PATCHWORK, a modern spin on Mary Shelley mythology, mixed with fun gore and a cheeky tone. It received rapturous applause when first screened in the UK at FrightFest Glasgow 2016 and will delight fans of classic 1980’s scream fests.

There is also a UK TV premiere for spider-infested supernatural thriller GUARDIANS OF THE TOMBS, starring Kelsey Grammer and Channel premieres for martial-arts futurist thriller ULTRAVIOLET, starring Milla Jovovich, werewolf chiller WOLVES, and three daytime eco-disaster films, LAVA STORM, DARK SKIES and SOLAR DESTRUCTION.


Sat 14 Dec @ 21:00 – PATCHWORK (2015) * UK TV premiere

Three young women out partying wake up in a strange laboratory to find themselves sewn together to form one body. Making matters worse, bitchy professional Jennifer, ditzy airhead Ellie and weirdo Madeleine share a collective consciousness as well as body control. Barely able to keep it together, the women co-operate long enough to make an escape. But unable to come to terms with their new multi-persona, the women shift their focus towards tracking down the mad scientist responsible for their mutilation while also making peace with their former hang-ups. Can they put aside their differences long enough to exact the proper revenge?


OTHER PRIMETIME PREMIERES


Sat 7 Dec @ 21:00 – JEEPERS CREEPERS 3 (2017) *UK TV Premiere

Set between the first and second films, Sgt Davis Tubbs (Brandon Smith) assembles a task force to destroy the Creeper once and for all while growing closer than ever before to learning the secrets of its dark origins, as the monster terrorises a local farming community. Also starring Stan Shaw and Gabrielle Haugh.


Sat 21 Dec @ 21:00 – ULTRAVIOLET (2006) *Channel Premiere

In the late 21st century, a subculture of humans has been infected with a genetic mutation causing enhanced speed, incredible stamina and acute intelligence. As more people are infected, the government sets out to destroy them, but one woman stands in the way: ultra-beautiful, ultra-lethal Violet (Milla Jovovich). With eye-popping martial arts skills and chameleon-like abilities, Violet becomes a rogue warrior bent on protecting her new race and seeking revenge on those who created it.


Sat 28 Dec @ 21:00 – WOLVES (2014) *Channel Premiere

One night high school Cayden awakes to find his parents brutally murdered and his body drastically changing. He is horrified to realise that he is turning into a wild, savage wolf. Determined to find out what is happening to him, his quest leads him to a strange, isolated town, where two clans of wolves are on the brink of war. When Cayden falls for Angelina, the beautiful, young mate promised to the head of the clan, a battle to the death is inevitable.


AFTERNOON PREMIERES

Wed 4 Dec @ 16:00 – LOVE STORM (2008) *Channel Premiere

When a routine mine inspection goes horribly wrong, Lori Pratt suddenly finds herself in the middle of a massive volcanic eruption.   With the help of her scientist husband, the couple must figure out how to slow down the deadly inferno before it destroys everything in its path--including their family and the world as they know it.


Wed 11 Dec @ 16:00 – DARK SKIES (2009) *Channel Premiere

A corrupt business owner creates acid rain in order to increase the value of the shares he owns in a disaster relief business; but his plan is discovered by his one of his own scientists, whose children and friends are caught by the rain while staying at a cabin. Both the scientist and the others work to neutralize the acid rain while trying to bring down the businessman.


Wed 18 Dec @ 16:00 – SOLAR DESTRUCTION (2008) *Channel Premiere

Fifteen-year-old math genius Riley has just developed a ground-breaking new way to accurately predict deadly solar flares.  He soon discovers the earth has only 18 hours to prepare for a solar flare powerful enough to cause a global electrical meltdown.  What he doesn't know is that a rogue corporation stands to win big if disaster strikes and modern civilization grinds to a halt.  Now with the help of his single mother and a tough-minded professor, Riley must face down danger to convince the world to prepare before it's too late.


Tues 24 Dec @ 16:00 – GUARDIANS OF THE TOMB (2018) *UK TV Premiere

Hired by corporation CEO Mason (Kelsey Grammar), a team of scientists must work together in a desert region of China to recover a missing colleague. In their quest to rescue him they find themselves underground battling ancient, terrifying Chinese magic and making their way through a swarm of deadly, flesh-eating spiders – only to uncover the secret behind the insects’ power and intelligence.


Horror Channel: Be Afraid
TV: Sky 317 / Virgin 149 / Freeview 70 / Freesat 138


Wednesday 13 November 2019

WIN ANNABELLE COMES HOME ON DVD


AVAILABLE NOW ON DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, AND ON DVD, BLU-RAY™ EXCLUSIVE BD STEELBOOK AND THREE FILM DVD COLLECTION FROM 18th NOVEMBER

Evil cannot be contained when Annabelle comes home!

New demonic entities are unleashed when “Annabelle Comes Home” arrives on DVD, Blu-ray™ and Exclusive BD Steelbook as well as a three-film collection DVD on 18th November, and available now on digital download, with a three and six film collection also available.
Annabelle Comes Home” is the third instalment of New Line Cinema’s hugely successful “Annabelle” films starring the infamous, sinister doll from the “Conjuring” universe. Gary Dauberman, screenwriter of the “Annabelle” films, “IT” and “The Nun,” makes his directorial debut in “Annabelle Comes Home,” and the film is produced by Peter Safran and “Conjuring” universe creator James Wan.

Annabelle Comes Home” stars Mckenna Grace (TV’s “The Haunting of Hill House,” as Judy, Madison Iseman (“Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle,” “Goosebumps 2: Haunted Halloween”) as her babysitter Mary Ellen and Katie Sarife (TV’s “Youth and Consequences,” TV’s “Supernatural”) as troubled friend Daniela. Patrick Wilson (“The Conjuring” films, the “Insidious” films) and Vera Farmiga (“The Conjuring” films, “Godzilla: King of the Monsters,” TV’s “Bates Motel”) reprise their roles as Ed and Lorraine Warren.

Determined to keep Annabelle from wreaking more havoc on innocent victims, demonologists Ed (Patrick Wilson) and Lorraine Warren (Vera Farmiga) lock the possessed doll in their home’s special artefact room, placing her behind sacred glass. But when the doll escapes and awakens the room’s evil spirits, it conjures up an unholy night of horror for the Warrens’ daughter and her friends as they desperately battle to bring Annabelle’s reign of terror to an end.

For your chance to win Annabelle Comes Home on DVD, simply answer the following question:

COMPETITION CLOSED


Annabelle Comes Home is out now on Digital Download, and arrives on DVD, Blu-ray™ and Exclusive BD Steelbook as well as a three-film collection DVD on 18th November.

Buy from Amazon Here

© 2019 Warner Bros. Ent. All Rights Reserved

Terms and conditions
1. Closing date 11-11-19
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.
5. Competition open to UK entrants only

Monday 11 November 2019

Horror Channel runs CLASSIC MONSTER MARATHON on November 24.


On Sunday 24th of November, Horror Channel is celebrating the beginnings of cinema horror with CLASSIC MONSTER MARATHON. Kicking off at 1pm, it features some of the most iconic monster movies of all-time, including: Ted Browning and Karl Freund’s DRACULA, starring Bela Lugosi as the infamously seductive Count, James Whale’s genre-defining FRANKENSTEIN, starring Boris Karloff, Karl Freund’s mesmerising THE MUMMY, with Boris Karloff further establishing himself as one of the great horror stars in film history, THE WOLF MAN, with Lon Chaney, Jr. as the original werewolf and the pulp horror classic CREATURE FROM THE BLACK LAGOON.

In this monster marathon, you can run but you can’t hide


Sat 24 Nov @ 13:00 – DRACULA (1931) *Channel Premiere

This horror classic stands as the most famous and celebrated film version of the popular vampire story. Bela Lugosi delivers a star-making performance as the titular villain – his erudite, refined Dracula is at once alluring and terrifying. While director Tod Browning an effectively and haunting atmosphere. Also stars Edward Van Sloan as Dracula’s arch enemy, vampire-hunter Van Helsing.


Sun 24 Nov @ 14:05 – FRANKENSTEIN (1931) *Channel Premiere

Considered by many to be the greatest horror film of all time, director James Whale’s masterpiece tells the story of a maniacal scientist whose obsession with creating a living being from dead body parts leads to a tragic and shocking end. Adapted from the gothic novel by Mary Shelley, the film made Karloff a star and ushered in a new era of horror. It’s been selected by many critics as one of the top hundred films of all time.


Sun 24 Nov @ 16:00 – THE MUMMY (1932) *Channel Premiere

Boris Karloff solidifies his status as one of the greatest horror stars in film history with his terrifying yet surprisingly poignant performance as high priest as Imhotep, a 3,700 year old mummy who wreaks havoc upon the members of the British field expedition that disturbed his tomb. Featuring ground-breaking innovations in make-up that are used to chilling effects, the film earns its place in the canon of classic horror cinema.


Sun 24 Nov @ 17:30 – THE WOLF MAN (1941) *Channel Premiere

Lon Chaney, Jr. is the original Wolf Man, forever cursed to roam the countryside as a werewolf. The atmospheric direction and moody soundtrack make "The Wolf Man" as frightening today as it was when it was released. This chilling film introduces another iconic character into the pantheon of classic horror film monsters and villains.


Sun 24 Nov @ 19:00 – CREATURE FROM THE BLACK LAGOON (1954)

American scientists get more than they bargained for on an amazon expedition when a dark tributary turns up a prehistoric man with gills. The half man/half amphibian breaks free after being captured, stealing away the only woman on the crew. This well-crafted creature feature introduces us to one of the most iconic movie monsters of all time.

Horror Channel: Be Afraid
TV: Sky 317 / Virgin 149 / Freeview 70 / Freesat 138
Website: http://www.horrorchannel.co.uk/

Wednesday 30 October 2019

Interview with Carlo Mirabella-Davis - Director of Swallow


Ahead of the UK premiere of SWALLOW at Arrow Video FrightFest Halloween, director Carlo Mirabella-Davis reflects on the personal inspiration behind his debut feature, healing psychological wounds and his empathy for the horror genre.


SWALLOW is your directorial debut. How difficult was it to get the project off the ground?

Getting a film made is a fascinating process. My late, great teacher at NYU, Bill Reilly, would always say “script is coin of the realm”. The early stages involved perfecting the screenplay as much as I could, writing and rewriting until I felt confident sending it out.

The sacred bond between the producer and the director is the catalyst that brings a film into being. I asked my colleague who the best independent producers in the business were, and she said, “Mollye Asher and Mynette Louie, but you’ll never get them”.

I watched their films and was floored by how incredible they all were. As luck would have it, both Mollye and Mynette decided to work on the film. Amazing, inspiring, driven producers like Mollye and Mynette will support your vision, collaborate with you, and fight passionately to bring that vision to the world. Once we had the finished script and our team, we brought on an amazing casting director, Allison Twardziak, and we cast the lead roles of the film. We were incredibly lucky to have the brilliant Haley Bennett come on board as Hunter, and once she joined the production, along with the marvellous Austin Stowell, I knew we had a powerful film on our hands.

Raising the money was a bit of a challenge in the United States because independent film studios often don’t want to take a chance on a first-time director. Through Sundance Catalyst, we raised some money in the United States, but the bulk of the financing came from France, from our incredible investors Charades and Logical who took a chance on an unusual script, and I’m so glad they did, because they were absolutely wonderful to work with.


Haley Bennett is outstanding in the film as Hunter. How did you cast her?

We were so incredibly fortunate Haley Bennett accepted our offer to play the role of Hunter. She’s a profoundly brilliant actor, collaborator, and artist who delivers a tour-de-force performance in the movie. I’d seen Haley in Girl on a Train and was deeply impressed, so we made an offer and thankfully she accepted. Haley has a remarkable ability to evoke different layers of emotion simultaneously. She wears many masks throughout the film, layered on top of each other and she can convey all those layers of emotion, all those masks, simultaneously in just the twitch of her eye or the way Hunter fixes her hair. Haley was also an executive producer on the film and very devoted to the project. I got so incredibly fortunate that someone as committed, empathic, and imaginative as her brought Hunter to life with such specificity, authenticity, and heart.


Hayley Bennett in SWALLOW

Haley’s character suffers from a condition called Pica, an eating disorder that involves swallowing progressively dangerous non-food objects. What drew your attention to that particular illness?

I remember seeing a photo of all the contents removed from the stomach of a patient with pica, all these objects spread out like an archaeological dig. I wanted to know what drew the patient to those artifacts. It seemed like something mystical, almost like a holy communion, and I wanted to know more. I got in touch with the world‘s leading expert on pica, Doctor Rachel Bryant-Waugh, and she was kind enough to read the script and be a consultant on our film. Although pica is a relatively obscure condition, I felt it could be representative of any rituals of control, any reaction to a difficult situation, any obsessive behavior, and therefore, universal.


The film revolves around issues of control, repression and identity. How autobiographical is the story?

The film was inspired by my grandmother, Edith Mirabella, a homemaker in the 1950s in an unhappy marriage who developed various rituals of control. She was an obsessive handwasher who would go through four bars of soap a day and twelve bottles of sanitizing alcohol a week. I think she was looking for order in a life she felt increasingly powerless in. My grandfather at the behest of the doctors, put her into a mental institution where she received electroshock therapy, insulin shock therapy, and a non-consensual lobotomy which resulted in the loss of her sense of taste and smell. I always felt there was something punitive about how my grandmother was treated, that she was being punished for not living up to society’s expectations of what they felt a wife and a mother should be. I wanted to make the movie to show my grandmother, wherever she is, that her suffering did not go unnoticed. So much suffering goes unnoticed in our world today, and I think through the power of cinema we can increase empathy, fight prejudice, and heal psychological wounds. 


SWALLOW is beautifully shot, creating a sharp, clinical edge that makes the luxurious world Hunter inhabits somehow fraught with danger. Tell us how you approached the design and look of the film?

So thrilled you feel that way! I was extremely fortunate to have an incredible, imaginative, devoted design team. Our visionary cinematographer, Kate Arizmendi, our inspired production designer, Erin Magill, and our amazing costume designer, Liene Dobraja, evoked Hunter’s world with such detail and subtext. In order to Illustrate Hunter’s psychological movement, Kate and I developed a rigid visual vernacular, a strict set of camera direction rules that we broke at key emotional moments. Kate had the idea to shoot the film with Master Prime lenses because, as she put it, “Pica is all about textures”, and the Master Primes allowed her to illustrate the textures of Hunter’s world in mystical detail. In a film that’s all about little objects and the tyranny of environments, Erin Magill brought such specificity of space and vibrant color to Hunter’s world. And Liene, who is so good with expressing the characters’ inner cosmology through what they wear, created a wonderful wardrobe journey for Hunter. We wanted Swallow to take place in a stylized world that became more and more realistic as the film progressed in order to reflect Hunter’s growing psychological clarity. Like a perfect pane of glass with a crack slowly forming in it.


Research has shown that more children are swallowing objects than ever before and that adult cases are on the rise too. Why do you think that is?

Interesting question. We are living in a world that is becoming increasingly chaotic and because of that, I think rituals of control are on the rise.

While I’m not a mental health professional, I believe OCD, eating disorders, cutting, all these rituals of control can often be related to past trauma or situations that people feel powerless in. We very much consider Swallow to be a feminist film, and in America, there’s no denying that a certain kind of old-world patriarchy has become newly emboldened.

With the Trump presidency, we’ve seen a reinforcing of patriarchal paradigms, a silencing of dissenting voices, and a rollback of reproductive rights.

We are also fortunate to be living in a time where there are many powerful new voices and activists fighting back; more films directed by female filmmakers, and more films with female main characters that explore these issues. I hope Swallow is one of those voices of change, and I hope it raises awareness and makes people feel seen and less alone.


Do you think horror films can help us deal with and understand troubling and mentally-challenging issues?

I do. Fear is the oldest emotion, the first emotion. To paraphrase Rainer Werner Fassbinder, “Fear eats the soul”. I think horror movies are a powerful tool which allows viewers to manifest their fears in a safe environment, a communal environment. Once those fears are manifested on the crucible of the screen, they can be experienced and processed in a way that facilitates catharsis for the viewer, providing a greater understanding of what they’re frightened of and why. Once we understand our fears and what drives them, we can emancipate ourselves from a cycle of terror and anxiety. We are fortunate to be in a new renaissance of horror with incredible, personal, socially relevant films like Get Out, Babadook, and Hereditary. Because horror is a genre that is inherently extreme and uncomfortable, I do agree that horror has the hardwired capacity to take on challenging topics. As a lifelong horror fan, I truly believe that powerful, thoughtful horror movies can change the world for the better.


Do you have an affinity to the genre?

Yes! I’ve been horror fan my entire life. When I was six years old, I begged my parents to rent a horror movie for my birthday, and they obliged with a delightful screening of The Blob. Swallow has many little horror film references within it. For example, when Hunter puts the red gels on the window, another Erin Magill innovation, it’s a direct homage to the glorious colors in Argento’s 1977 Suspiria. My fantastic, passionate, inspiring editor, Joe Murphy, and I, bonded over our mutual love of unusual, obscure, art horror films.


Finally, we hear your next film is going to be a supernatural horror. Can you reveal a few details?

I’m working on a feminist supernatural horror movie, among other scripts, but I can’t reveal the contents at this time.


SWALLOW is screening at 6.15pm at Cineworld, Leicester Sq. on Sat 2 Nov, as part of the Arrow Video FrightFest Halloween all-dayer.

www.frightfest.co.uk


Monday 28 October 2019

Competition: Win Prey on DVD

Prey  is out on DVD on 4th of November! 

And to celebrate we have a great competition for you and 2 copies on DVD to give away.

Synopsis
Prey is a mysterious and gory chiller from horror powerhouse Blumhouse Productions the team behind Get Out, Us, The Purge, Sinister and Insidious.

Toby (Logan Miller; Love, Simon), a high school senior struggling with behavioural problems, is placed on an uninhabited island in order to improve his ways. However, despite being told he is in isolation, he soon realizes he is not alone, teaming up with Madeleine (Kristine Froseth; Apostle), as they are pursued by a deadly entity.

Reminiscent of cult hits Donnie Darko and Lost - is a mind-bending and disturbing new shocker. Prey for your life!

Starring Logan Miller, Kristine Froseth and Joelene Anderson. Directed by horror maestro Franck Khalfoun (Maniac, P2).

Signature Entertainment presents Prey on Digital HD 28th October & DVD 4th November, 2019

Buy from Amazon by clicking here (Opens in a new window)

For your chance to win just answer the question below.

COMPETITION CLOSED

Terms and conditions
1. Closing date 11-11-19
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.

Competition: Win The Invitation on Blu-ray starring Logan Marshall-Greem

The Invitation is out on Blu-ray on 4th of November! 

And to celebrate we have a great competition for you and 2 copies on Blu-ray to give away.

Synopsis
From acclaimed director Karyn Kusama (Girl Fight, Jennifer’s Body, Destroyer) comes taut psychological thriller The Invitation, which premiered to great acclaim at London Film Festival and now gets a Blu-ray release, complete with a slew on special features from Second Sight on 4 November 2019.

Reluctantly accepting a dinner party invitation from his ex-wife Eden (Tammy Blanchard – Into the Woods) at the house they once shared, Will (Logan Marshall-Green – Spider-Man: Homecoming, Prometheus) and his new partner Kira (Emayatzy Corinealdi – Roots, Ballers) gather with old friends to toast new beginnings.

But Will and his ex-wife share a tragic past, and as paranoia mounts and tensions build, he begins to wonder what is real and what is imagined. As the claustrophobic evening grows increasingly sinister, Will starts to realise the lives of everyone he loves might be in danger…will they make it through the night?

Buy from Amazon by clicking here (Opens in a new window)

For your chance to win just answer the question below.

COMPETITION CLOSED

Terms and conditions
1. Closing date 11-11-19
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.

Tuesday 22 October 2019

SINISTER, TERRIFIER & TOWER BLOCK amongst Horror Channel premieres in November.




Psycho clowns, demented dolls and deadly snipers…Horror Channel is big on scares in November with eleven Channel premieres including murderous supernatural chiller SINISTER, starring Ethan Hawke, Damien Leone’s screamingly shocking TERRIFIER and the riveting urban thriller TOWER BLOCK, starring Sheridan Smith and Jack O’Connell.

There are also Channel premieres for two popular instalments of the Chucky franchise, CHILD’S PLAY 2 and CHILD’S PLAY 3. John Carpenter’s dazzling fantasy STARMAN, starring Jeff Bridges, two spooky black comedy classics - Peter Jackson’s THE FRIGHTENERS and Joe Dante’s THE BURBS, and the even more eerie John Carpenter remake of VILLAGE OF THE DAMNED – which stars Christopher Reeves in his last publicly released film before his career-ending injury.

Plus, there is Hammer’s gloriously volcanic stone-age horror CREATURES THE WORLD FORGOT and the nightmarish, perceptions-bending Blair Witch sequel, BOOK OF SHADOWS: BLAIR WITCH 2.


Full film details in transmission order:

Fri 1 Nov @ 22:50 – TERRIFIER (2016) *Channel Premiere
Brace yourselves as a maniacal clown named Art begins his twisted reign of terror on Halloween night, setting his sights on three young women and anyone else that gets in his way! Move over Pennywise, because there’s a new clown in town and this one is a thousand times more violent and a million times crueller.

Sat 2 Nov @ 21:00 – THE BURBS (1999) * Channel Premiere
Tom Hanks stars in this hilarious satire of modern suburban life. When Ray Peterson becomes convinced that his new, intensely private neighbours are members of an evil cult, he struggles to get behind their closed doors with outrageous results.


Fri 8 Nov @ 21:00 – CHILD’S PLAY 2 (1990) *Channel Premiere
Chucky's back, continuing where the chilling original left off, with Chucky's toy company rebuilding the original doll to prove that there was nothing wrong with it. Mistake. Chucky (voiced by Brad Dourif) goes on a rampage, slicing and dicing with his unique brand of dark comedy. With Jenny Agutter

Sat 9 Nov @ 21:00 – STARMAN (1984) *Channel Premiere
An alien (Jeff Bridges) observing life on Earth becomes stranded near the Wisconsin farmhouse of recently widowed Jenny Hayden (Karen Allen). The alien, otherwise known as Starman, clones the human form of Scott Hayden, Jenny’s deceased husband. Due to be picked up by his mother ship in three days, Starman is in dire need of human assistance. Thus Jenny becomes an unwilling participant in a trip that becomes a dangerous flight across the U.S.

Sun 10 Nov @ 22:55 – CREATURES THE WORLD FORGOT (1971) *Channel Premiere
Julie Ege stars in this variation on One Million Years B.C., playing a cave girl who becomes the object of a fierce battle between the contenders for the throne of the tribe's recently-deceased chieftain. The last of the prehistoric adventure films from Hammer Studios,


Fri 15 Nov @ 21:00 – CHILD’S PLAY 3 (1991) *Channel Premiere
Young Andy has grown up and attends a military academy – too bad the killer doll Chucky still wants his soul. Thrills and chills abound as Chucky stalks Andy relentlessly, murdering those in his way with even more wicked wit and ghoulish playfulness.

Sat 16 Nov @ 21:00 – VILLAGE OF THE DAMNED (1995) *Channel Premiere
A strange mist overcomes an idyllic coastal town, causing ten local women to become mysteriously pregnant. Soon, these women give birth to albino children who turn out to be mind-controlling demons. The town doctor (Christopher Reeve) is the only one capable of destroying this otherworldly force…

Fri 22 Nov @ 21:00 – BOOK OF SHADOWS: BLAIR WITCH 2 (2000) *Channel Premiere
After spending a night in the hills of Maryland, four young fans of the original Blair Witch movie descend into a nightmare realm of murder, madness and perception-bending supernatural horror in this sequel.

Sat 23 Nov @ 21:00 – THE FRIGHTENERS (1996) *Channel Premiere
Blending laughs and scares director Peter Jackson brings his imaginative talents to this tale of a psychic con artist who teams with three friendly ghosts to stop the rampaging spirit of an executed killer.


Fri 29 Nov @ 21:00 – TOWER BLOCK (2012) *Channel Premiere
When a teenager is brutally murdered by two hooded figures, Becky (Sheridan Smith), Kurtis (Jack O’Connell), Paul (Russell Tovey) Neville (Ralph Brown) and the other residents of the Serenity House tower block are too scared to give detectives any information. One year later and someone has taken justice into their own hands. Picked off one by one, the tenants are under threat from a mystery sniper who has also set traps throughout the building, holding them prisoners in their own homes.


Sat 30 Nov @ 21:00 – SINISTER (2012) *Channel Premiere
Desperately in need of a bestseller to revive his struggling career, true crime writer Ellison (Ethan Hawke), moves his family to the scene of his most recent story; the unsolved, gruesome murder of a loving, happy suburban family. Shunned by the local community and strained by his obligations to his family, the discovery of a batch of home movies in the attic offers Ellison shocking proof to the crime he is investigating and the terrifying realisation that his investigation may be putting his family in mortal danger.

Horror Channel: Be Afraid
TV: Sky 317 / Virgin 149 / Freeview 70 / Freesat 138
Website: http://www.horrorchannel.co.uk/

Wednesday 16 October 2019

WIN A COPY OF THE HAUNTING OF HILL HOUSE RELEASED FOR THE FIRST TIME ON DVD ON THE 21st OCTOBER!

Hailed as “one of the best horror TV series we’ve seen in years” (Sci-fi Now), THE HAUNTING OF HILL HOUSE arrives on Blu-Ray™ and DVD from 21st October 2019 from Paramount Home Entertainment.

To celebrate the release of THE HAUNTING OF HILL HOUSE we’re giving you the chance to win a Blu-Ray™, packed with special features, including exclusive bonus content including three extended episodes and director commentary from creator and director Mike Flanagan on four episodes.

THE HAUNTING OF HILL HOUSE is the critically acclaimed, modern reimagining of Shirley Jackson’s legendary novel, published in 1959, about five siblings who grew up in the most famous haunted house in America. Now adults, they’re reunited by the suicide of their youngest sister, which forces them to finally confront the ghosts of their pasts… some of which lurk in their minds… and some of which may really be lurking in the shadows of the iconic Hill House.

Certified Fresh with a 92% rating on Rotten Tomatoes and nominated for six Saturn Awards, including Best Streaming Horror & Thriller Series, THE HAUNTING OF HILL HOUSE has been renewed by Netflix as an anthology series, telling a new story each season.

Buy from Amazon by clicking here - (Opens in a new window)

For your chance to win a DVD copy of THE HAUNTING OF HILL HOUSE simply answer the following question:

Competition Closed

Terms and conditions
1. Closing date 28-10-19
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.
THE HAUNTING OF HILL HOUSE arrives on Blu-ray™ and DVD on 21st October 2019.

Tuesday 15 October 2019

Interview with Paul Davis, director of Uncanny Annie


Ahead of the International premiere of UNCANNY ANNIE at Arrow Video FrightFest Halloween 2019, director Paul Davis reflects on working for Blumhouse, bemoans attitudes to British genre film funding and reveals the movies that inspire him the most...


Welcome back to FrightFest. It’s been a while. Excited?

Very excited. This is very much a homecoming for me having spent the best part of two-years now making movies in Los Angeles. What makes it all the more special is that after two shorts and a documentary, this marks the first time I’ve had a narrative feature film play at FrightFest, and on the 10th anniversary of my first FF appearance. So this one means a lot to me, as it was something I’ve longed to do ever since BEWARE THE MOON in 2009.


Tell us how UNCANNY ANNIE came about?

UNCANNY ANNIE is my second movie for Blumhouse as part of Hulu’s INTO THE DARK movie series. I had the opportunity to actually kick off INTO THE DARK last October with a feature adaptation of my short film THE BODY (which had its world premiere at FF in 2013). The concept was to release a movie a month, for twelve months, with each revolving around a holiday or particular day for the month of its released.

With THE BODY taking place on Halloween, it literally was a right place/right time scenario in which my co-writer, Paul Fischer, and I had literally just written a spec first draft of a feature version, and within a week it was sold to Blumhouse. The feature starred Tom Bateman (Vanity Fair), Rebecca Rittenhouse (Once Upon a Time… in Hollywood), Aurora Perrineau (If They Could See Us) and Ray Santiago (Ash Vs Evil Dead). I’m still hoping it’ll drop in the UK at some point. I know Sony Worldwide own the rights outside of the US, so we’ll see what happens.

Until then… the series did well enough to get a second year at Hulu and that’s when I got the call to return to Halloween and make UNCANNY ANNIE, which was my opportunity to do something completely different to THE BODY. Essentially I wanted to make a kids horror film with blood and swearing – inspired mostly by Joe Dante’s THE HOLE and Robert Rodriguez’s THE FACULTY.


What were the particular challenges you faced?

Oh man, where to start. First of all these are super low budget movies, but of course, with the Blumhouse brand comes huge expectation, so these are very ambitious films for very little time and money. With THE BODY being my first film, every day was a learning experience. I at least had a bit more money and a few more days on that one compared to UNCANNY ANNIE. When it came to Annie I was faced with a three week prep from the day I received the script (which was being re-written), a 16 day shoot, and under $1m to do a movie that ended up with over 200 VFX shots.

That said, coming into this film I knew that this is exactly how these movies are now made – and they’ve just completed 12 of them in a year. That is an insane and impressive achievement. So for me it was about coming in and making the best damn movie I could within those parameters. And that’s the same with all of the filmmakers on this. Sophia Takal, Nacho Vigalondo, Gigi Saul Guerrero, Daniel Stamm, Patrick Lussier… doesn’t matter if it’s your first movie, or your eighth. We all get the same shake. And what’s great about Blumhouse is that they give you the freedom to create your movie with 100% encouragement.

All that aside, the biggest challenge for me was post production. My mother sadly passed away a week before my director’s cut was due, so I had to fly back to London and consult on the edit from London. It wasn’t easy, but we eventually got there, and I couldn’t be more proud of the film, and excited to share it with a FrightFest audience.


Your breakthrough movie was the much praised documentary BEWARE THE MOON: REMEMBERING AN AMERICAN WEREWOLF IN LONDON (2009). John Landis introduced the film at FrightFest, Was that a defining moment in your career?

It certainly was at the time, and without BEWARE THE MOON I wouldn’t have met Reece Shearsmith, which means HIM INDOORS wouldn’t have happened, which means no THE BODY either.  So it was definitely the moment that kickstarted everything for me. I got to say thank you to John by giving him a cameo in my feature adaptation of THE BODY.


You began your career as a writer / journalist, specialising in horror cinema. Would you say those roots have helped you grow as a filmmaker?

Absolutely. Not only in the sense that your own research leads you to discover movies that had previously passed you by, but had I not been a staff writer at Horrorhound in 2006, I would never have written the 25th retrospective on AN AMERICAN WEREWOLF IN LONDON that lead to the documentary

In terms of my current projects, they’re littered with Easter eggs to movies I love. It’s always fun when someone sends me a tweet that they’ve spotted something new.


You’ve also written a couple of books: LOST IN THE SHADOWS - The Story of The Lost Boys and BEWARE THE MOON - The Story of An American Werewolf in London. Any literary plans for the future?

I’m an ‘idle hands’ kind of guy. I can’t sit and not do anything. These were done purely out of frustration, waiting for movie projects to green light. They were a lot of fun, but I have no desire to do anymore.

I also did some creature performing during that time. I played a sand monster in a Mark Gatiss written episode of DOCTOR WHO (which reunited me with Reece Shearsmith) and then spent the best part of a year on SOLO – A STAR WARS STORY as a wookiee.


Do you have a favourite bunch of horror movies? You’re not allowed to list AMERICAN WEREWOLF IN LONDON!

I do, but you know what, the older I get the more I feel my sensibilities getting tamer and tamer. I couldn’t watch a movie like MARTYRS again. Or LAST HOUSE ON THE LEFT for that matter. One thing that has never changed is my love for THE EXORCIST, which to this day I still believe is the greatest movie ever made. George Romero’s DAWN OF THE DEAD also remains a comfort movie of mine – as is De Palma’s CARRIE. I watch that movie whenever I’m about to start shooting a new movie. It’s my lucky rabbit’s foot.


How do you view the current state of the genre, particularly in Britain? Are there any current home-grown directors you admire?

I think horror across the globe is thriving. The world is a mess right now, and from chaos comes creativity. It was the same in 1968 and it’s the same today. That said, I’d love to see more studios and production companies taking a chance on UK talent. I’ve made two movies studio movies for Blumhouse yet I’d still love to make a movie here at home. The horror genre in Britain continues to be treated as an embarrassment that is kept on the naughty step. There’s a lot of pissed off creative people out there, and Brexit has only pissed us off even more. The British Jordan Peele or Ari Aster could be lying in dormant, but we’ll never know that until attitudes in British film funding change. This is the home of Hammer Horror, for Christ sake! It’s time horror became a staple of the British film industry once again. The talent is there… USE US!!!!

As for home grown directors who I enjoy and find inspiring… Edgar Wright, Neil Marshall, Corin Hardy, Ben Wheatley. I also loved Alice Lowe’s work on PREVENGE. I’d love to see more women having opportunities to tell genre stories in the UK. I don’t think we’ve caught up with the US yet in that respect.


Finally, what’s next for you?

UNCANNY ANNIE came out I the US on October 4th so right now I’m reading a million and one screenplays to make sure what’s next is something I believe in and feel passionate about. There are a couple of things in the pipeline, but until anything is signed, I can’t really talk about them. In addition, I’m also writing my own material again, which is pretty much what I’m spending my time doing right now.


UNCANNY ANNIE is at 3.15pm at Cineworld, Leicester Sq. on Sat 2 Nov, as part of the Arrow Video FrightFest Halloween all-dayer.

Paul will be introducing the film.

www.frightfest.co.uk