Thursday, 6 February 2025

The Last Sacrifice: An Interview with Director Rupert Russell

Rupert Russell on location with THE LAST SACRIFICE
Rupert Russell on location with THE LAST SACRIFICE

Ahead of the UK premiere of The Last Sacrifice at FrightFest Glasgow 2025, director Rupert Russell discusses his chilling true-crime documentary. The film explores the eerie cultural forces that shaped British folk horror while investigating a gruesome and unsolved murder that continues to fascinate and disturb.

Your film is premiering in the UK at FrightFest Glasgow this year. How do you feel about that?

It is an exciting moment, especially with Glasgow being so close to Summerisle, the fictional island from The Wicker Man.

What first drew you to this project?

I only watched The Wicker Man for the first time in 2022, and to me, it did not feel like a horror film. It felt like a documentary about Britain in recent years. The madness of Summerisle was no different from the madness of the British Isles. That final moment, where Sergeant Howie begs for his life, saying, "Killing me won’t save your apples," and Lord Summerisle simply replies, "I know it will," is something I have seen reflected in daily life. When I shared these thoughts with a friend, they stopped me and said, "You do know there was a real murder that inspired all of this?"

The film centres around the unsolved murder of Charles Walton in 1945. What is the background of the case?

Charles Walton was a 74-year-old farm labourer found murdered in a field in the Cotswolds on Valentine’s Day, 1945. A pitchfork had been driven into his face, and a billhook was embedded in his throat. The scene was so gruesome that the Warwickshire police contacted Scotland Yard, which sent one of Britain’s most famous detectives, Robert Fabian. When he arrived, he described the crime as a “slaughterhouse horror.” Despite Fabian’s investigation and continued efforts by the local police, no one was ever charged with the murder.

What fascinated you about this case?

It was never about finding out who committed the crime. It was about understanding why people believed certain theories about the killer. Mysteries act as mirrors, reflecting our fears, anxieties, and cultural beliefs. When a murder goes unsolved, people fill in the gaps with their own ideas. The theories that circulated about Walton’s murder revealed something about Britain at that time. Instead of the classic horror trope of the dangerous outsider, this case introduced the idea of the hidden threat within a seemingly ordinary community.

The rural setting and superstitions surrounding Walton’s death mirror themes in films like The Wicker Man. How did these parallels shape your storytelling?

The link between fact and fiction was the most exciting part of making this film. I started by watching documentaries about real witches from the 1960s. These films were often exaggerated and theatrical, yet when I spoke to modern-day witches who had been part of them, they confirmed that they were largely accurate representations of what was happening at the time. The real events were often stranger and more shocking than the folk horror films inspired by them.

The conspiracies surrounding Walton’s murder introduced tropes that became staples of folk horror. These were not just the creations of screenwriters but were based on the speculations of police officers and amateur detectives trying to make sense of a brutal and bizarre crime.

Writer Janet Farrar (“The Witch Queen of Ireland”) being interviewed for THE LAST SACRIFICE

The media played a major role in shaping the public’s perception of ritual sacrifice and the occult in post-war Britain. Do you think this influenced the murder investigation?

Not at first. The press only picked up on the occult angle years later, after Robert Fabian wrote about it in his memoirs. His police reports from 1945 suggest that the biggest obstacle to solving the crime was the secrecy of the local villagers. He believed that in a small community like that, the killer’s identity must have been widely known. The fact that no one came forward suggested to him that the villagers either knew who had done it or understood the reason behind it and did not want the truth to come out.

What do you think is the lasting impact of the Charles Walton case, both in real-life folklore and in horror cinema?

Folk horror films of the late 1960s and early 1970s were shaped by a mix of cultural changes. Writers and filmmakers connected the Walton murder to the rise of Wicca, the counterculture movement, women’s liberation, class conflict, and the broader shifts happening in Britain at the time. These ideas all swirled together around the figure of the witch, who became a symbol of both fear and rebellion.

How would you compare British folk horror films of the ‘60s and ‘70s to the American ones that followed?

British folk horror often revolves around a member of the professional class, a teacher, doctor, or policeman, who arrives in a rural village and becomes the target of a conspiracy. The villagers, often under the influence of an aristocratic leader, are portrayed as resisting modern progress in favour of older, more sinister traditions. These films reflect a fear that the post-war social changes brought in by the Labour government might be undone, returning Britain to a feudal past.

American folk horror, by contrast, tends to feature tourists who unknowingly walk into danger. Films like An American Werewolf in London or Midsommar are about outsiders encountering a cult, rather than a clash between social classes. The fear is less about political regression and more about the dangers of extreme ideology. Given that many early American settlers were religious extremists, this fear makes a lot of sense.

What is your favourite folk horror film?

I did not know much about the genre when I started making this film, but I loved discovering it. Some of my favourites are Penda’s Fen, The Plague of the Zombies, Twins of Evil, and Demons of the Mind.

Finally, what is next for you?

I have two fiction horror films in development, as well as another archive documentary.

The Last Sacrifice will be screening at the Glasgow Film Theatre on Friday, 7 March at 3.30pm as part of Pigeon Shrine FrightFest Glasgow 2025. Rupert Russell will be attending.


Wednesday, 5 February 2025

PREVIEW: Scarlet Winter (2025 Film) - Starring Gregory Waits and Sophie Moshofsky

Scarlet Winter

Icy suspense and relentless paranoia await in Scarlet Winter, a bone-chilling thriller set to make its UK digital debut this February, courtesy of Miracle Media. Directed by award-winning filmmaker Munjal Yagnik in his feature debut, this gripping mystery has already garnered critical acclaim on the global festival circuit and promises to leave audiences questioning everything they think they know.

The story plunges into chaos from its opening moments, following Mark, played by Gregory Waits, whose ordinary life takes a horrifying turn when he awakens to a nightmare. With the lifeless body of his mistress beside him and a bloodied knife in his hand, Mark’s world collapses into panic and self-doubt. Convinced of his guilt but desperate for escape, he seeks help from his friend Richie, portrayed by Ryan Hope Travis, to dispose of the body and cover his tracks.

What begins as a desperate act of concealment soon spirals into a labyrinth of paranoia and suspicion. As Mark retraces his steps, he becomes haunted by the possibility that he has been set up, and the real killer could still be at large. With his trust eroding and those closest to him falling under suspicion, the tension mounts in a series of shocking revelations and desperate attempts to uncover the truth.

The cast delivers a powerful blend of intensity and vulnerability, with Sophie Moshofsky’s enigmatic turn as the ill-fated mistress and Ryan Hope Travis’s magnetic performance as Mark’s increasingly suspicious confidant adding layers of complexity to the tale. Yagnik’s precise direction captures the icy atmosphere of the film’s chilling narrative, with every frame amplifying the tension and unease.

Scarlet Winter is a high-stakes psychological puzzle that keeps viewers guessing until its final moments. With its UK release set for 10 February, prepare for a thriller that grips tightly and refuses to let go. This is a winter mystery you won’t want to miss.

Apple TV - https://apple.co/4jiUwxm

Tuesday, 4 February 2025

PREVIEW: Play Dead (2025 Film) A Gruesome Survival Horror That Will Keep You on Edge

Play Dead
 

Horror fans should prepare for a nightmarish experience with Play Dead, the latest terrifying film from director Carlos Goitia. With a screenplay by Gonzalo Mellid and Camilo Zaffora, the film throws viewers into a relentless survival story where death might not be the worst fate. Produced by Nicolás Onetti, known for his work on What the Waters Left Behind, this film promises an unflinching descent into terror. 

Play Dead stars Paula Brasca, Catalina Motto, Luca Espindola, and a talented ensemble cast who bring this chilling tale to life.

The story follows Alison, played by Paula Brasca, who wakes up badly injured in a dark and cryptic basement. She quickly realises she is surrounded by corpses and must use every ounce of her wits to avoid the same fate. 

With no way out, she makes the desperate choice to play dead, hoping to blend in and escape unnoticed. But as she listens to the horrors unfolding above her, she discovers a disturbing ritual is taking place. The more she learns, the clearer it becomes that she is in unimaginable danger. 

Drawing inspiration from horror classics like The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, Don’t Breathe, and The Collector, Play Dead delivers a relentless mix of suspense and gruesome horror. The film’s claustrophobic setting and visceral tension make it a terrifying watch, ensuring audiences will be on edge from start to finish.

Coming Soon

Monday, 3 February 2025

COMPETITION: Win V/H/S/Beyond (Shudder Original) on DVD

V/H/S/Beyond, the new addition to the bloodcurdling V/H/S horror anthology, arriving on Blu-ray, DVD and digital 10 February courtesy of Acorn Media International.

Synopsis:
The horror anthology features a collection of wickedly watchable new tales of terror, from a host of renowned directors. These include Jay Cheel (How to Build a Time Machine, Cursed Films), Jordan Downey (The Head Hunter, ThanksKilling), Virat Pal (Night of the Bride, Recapture), Justin Martinez (V/H/S, Southbound), Christian Long (Lady of the Manor) and Justin Long (Barbarian, Tusk), and Kate Siegel (The Haunting of Hill House, Hush) who each bring their own spooky flare to these twisted tomes. Respected filmmaker/screenwriter Mike Flanagan (The Haunting of Hill House, Doctor Sleep, Absentia) also lends his writing talents.

In Stork, directed by Jordan Downey, a special police unit are sent to a derelict house to investigate a string of baby disappearances. The team realise they are not alone in this house of horror when they discover an attic full of babies’ cradles and a sinister stork-like creature singing lullabies.

It’s quiet on set in Virat Pal’s Dream Girl, as two paparazzi sneak onto the set of the next Bollywood hit in the hope of getting some exclusive footage. However, when the lead actress reveals her famed face is in fact a mask, an electric haze of chaos and destruction ensues.

A man experiences a truly unforgettable birthday in Live and Let Die, directed by Justin Martinez. His skydiving adventure takes a terrible turn after a UFO is spotted flying around their plane and his celebrations quickly turns into a bloody disaster.

Directed by Christian Long and Justin Long, Fur Babies sees an animal rights group get more than they bargained for when they visit a doggy daycare and discover a torturous basement of terror hiding deep under the fluffy facade.

Pre-Order from Amazon - https://amzn.to/40zRgFa

Enter now for a chance to win.

Who directs Dream Girl in V/H/S/Beyond?

Send your name, address and of course the answer to competition365@outlook.com

Quick Terms and conditions - For full T&C click here
1. Closing date 17-02-25
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. Entries that come directly from other websites will not be accepted.