COMPETITION: Win Scare me on DVD

Scare Me  - Released on DVD and Blu-ray from 16th August

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

Synopsis: 

Critically acclaimed comedy horror hit Scare Me, from Josh Ruben in his feature directorial debut, which he also writes and stars in, makes its UK Blu-ray debut this August from Acorn Media International in conjunction with Shudder, following its success on the streaming service.

 

This ‘Imaginative and witty, razor-sharp horror comedy’ (Bloody Disgusting) combines innovative sound design and gripping performances from Aya Cash (The Boys, You’re The Worst), Chris Redd (Saturday Night Live) and Josh Ruben for an outside-of-the-box horror, unlike anything you’ve seen before. There may not be monsters and ghouls but Scare Me will still have you cowering behind the sofa with vivid storytelling akin to those dark nights around a campfire. Set to be released on 16 August 2021 on Blu-ray, DVD and digital, this is one horror that will have you both laughing your socks off and scared silly.

 

A chance meeting between new in town Fred (Josh Ruben) and renowned author Fanny (Aya Cash) results in the beginning of a ‘friendship’. During a power outage, they decide to tell each other scary stories. With the pizza delivery driver (Chris Redd) joining in with the fun, the two grow increasingly competitive. The more they commit to their tales, the more real the stories become. As Fred’s masculine pride is challenged, fiction turns to fact as the terror gets all too real.

Scare me- released on DVD & Blu-rayon 16th August 

Pre-order on Amazon: https://amzn.to/2Xb8xre

For your chance to win just answer the question below.

COMPETITION CLOSED

Terms and conditions
1. Closing date 23-08-21
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.

Interview with Wednesday Lee Friday - by David Kempf

When did you first become interested in writing?

I honestly can’t think of a time when I wasn’t. Before I was literate I would write long strings of letters on paper and explain to anyone who would listen that it was a story. 

I wasn’t sporty, or especially cute. I didn’t really play any instrument well and had no particular gifts except being good with words. I didn’t even see that as a skill until much later when it brought me praise from teachers.

I didn’t attempt to write for publication until I was in my 30s and suddenly found myself laid off. I was determined to make good use of the time, and began my first NaNoWriMo in 2004—which eventually became my first published novel, A Stabbing for Sadie.

How did you get involved in fantasy/horror?

Like writing, horror is something that’s been part of my life for as long as I can remember. Detroit horror host Sir Graves Ghastly was the most important part of any weekend. My mom was also very into horror, so I got taken to see things I was way too young for. I saw Alien and Fulci’s Zombi as a double feature when I was 7 years old. The trailer for Jaws gave me terrible nightmares. I imagine any psychologist could opine on why I was attracted to things that scare the hell out of me. I say “was” but it’s not like that’s changed. 

Tell us about your first publisher. 

Kristopher Stamp at Stonegarden.net publishing was very encouraging and supportive. He was easy to get along with and had a great team of cover artists and editors to back him up. Sadly though, he had a million other interests that sapped his time and forced him out of the publishing world. These days, Crossroads Press & Macabre Ink Digital handles all the stuff I don’t put out myself.

How would you classify the genre you write?

I refer to my work as “horror” and myself as a “horror writer.” Objectively though, my work is more akin to black comedy. It’s brutal and difficult, but it’s also pretty dang funny.

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

People love to be afraid, and to ponder what we might do if we found ourselves in the position of horror characters. We all like to think we could outrun Jason Vorhees or charm Hannibal Lecter with our grace and wit until he decides it would be rude to kill us. Horror lets us do that, not to mention confronting our most crippling fears in a safe environment. 

No matter how bad the world gets, there will never not be a market for horror.

What inspires your stories?

As bougie as this may sound, my stories are built around thematic elements that I think are important. My first book is about why it’s wrong to kill people even if you think you have a really good reason. The next was about what keeps women from being proactive in their own lives. My third book is essentially an instruction manual for society on how to create and enable a serial killer. 

I write books about people that intrigue me—many of which feature main characters that are loose amalgams of people I know. And myself. I’m large with the MarySues.

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

I actually have some insight on this since I used to run a magazine that got a ton of subs from British writers. In my experience, the language in British horror is more...I don’t want to say ‘refined’ necessarily—but the authors seem to choose their words more judiciously. There’s less profanity, but it tends to be stronger. 

Overall I noticed a subtle foreboding aspect to British horror—a lot of slow building and suspense. I think when it comes to short stories, we Americans are quicker to get to the point, which is more likely to be gory and over-the-top. I mean, we are the country who invented Sharknados, after all. 

What are your favorite horror books?

Stephen King: Carrie, Night Shift, Skeleton Crew, Misery

Margaret Atwood: Maddaddamm Trilogy, Handmaid’s Tale, Testaments

Brett Easton Ellis: American Psycho

Edgar Allan Poe: Cask of Amontillado, Hop Frog

Richard Matheson: damn near everything he’s written...

What are some of your favorite horror movies?

My top two faves are Psycho and Night of the Living Dead (originals, obvs, but both remakes have lots to like—fight me!).

There are plenty of horror franchises I love—The Omen, Psycho (aaaaallll the sequels!), Grave Encounters, Hell House LLC

I’m also a great fan of made-for-TV horror, especially from the 1970s. 

What do you consider your greatest accomplishment as an author?

I was in an anthology with Jack Ketchum. That was amazing, and happened when he was still with us. 

Do you have any advice for new writers?

Lots of people are going to give you advice. Don’t make any big decision based on what another writer told you. Ever. Always get lots of opinions from writers, readers, publishers, editors, and then do your own research. 

Oh, and try not to worry about whether or not you’re a “real writer.” If you’re really writing, you are. 

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

I’ve never been big-six published, so I can’t speak to how that goes for people. I can say that for me, the difference between getting published by a small house and self-pubbing is negligible. For my most recent collection, I decided I’d rather arrange my own cover artist (luckily my husband is an amazing graphic designer) and pay an editor out of pocket than to give someone else a share of something that represents more than a decades of writing. 

If you’re not willing or able to invest in your work though, it’s a good idea to find a small publisher who will. 

Your new book has an interesting title. Creepy, Stabby, and Mentally Odd How did you come up with that title?

I should think Creepy and Stabby are pretty obvious. I hadn’t really thought of it until someone mentioned it, but my books are all pretty stabby. I came up with Mentally Odd years ago when I was looking for new ways to describe neurodivergence. I’m a rich tapestry of mental hoosefudge, and have never liked being called ‘mentally ill,’ since illnesses are generally things we endure in the short term. I filed that term away, knowing I’d eventually find a use for it. Then I did. 

The book itself has my best short stories, a few creepy poems, and several issues of a killer comic I did for a year. It’s gruesome AF though, in addition to illustrating my lack of illustration skills. 

What are your current projects?

For the first time ever, my husband is helping me plot my new book, which is about a town that sits on a centuries-old roiling mass of concentrated magic. Plotting is def my weakest skill, so I’m hoping he can overcome this as we deal with an array of characters that includes ghosts, vampires, thieves, murderers, and a few immortals. 

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

Some quick facts about me:

I can tap dance and play the dulcimer (though not at the same time).

I published a book under a pseudonym that revealed my (not at all) secret fascination with a really repulsive public figure. 

Bombay cats are my favorite breed of cat.

Even though my books are pretty scary and creepy, I’d probably rather make people think than terrify them. Horror allows writers to do both—well, lots of things actually. Horror is kind of a perfect genre because it’s the only one we can all relate to. Not everyone has been in an epic romance, or a non-stop thrill ride. We haven’t all been cowboys or astronauts or in league with cars that turn into robots. But we’ve all been scared. We all relate to that. 

Oh, and more than anything I would really, really, really like to be in an episode of American Horror Story—who is doing some of the best horror we’re seeing these days. 

Links

https://www.amazon.com/Creepy-Stabby-Mentally-Odd-Wednesday-ebook/dp/B0945XVNM2/

FrightFest & Fab Press launch The FrightFest Guide to Grindhouse Movies

FrightFest and FAB Press once again join forces to launch THE FRIGHTFEST GUIDE TO GRINDHOUSE MOVIES, which goes exclusively on sale during Arrow Video FrightFest 2021, Aug 26 – Aug 30, The author, Alan Jones, will be present during the festival to sign copies.

Just when you thought it was safe to stop repeating “It’s only a movie… only a movie… only a movie!” it’s time to take a stroll down the dark and deviant back alleys of the Exploitation film industry. Your host, acclaimed film critic and broadcaster Alan Jones, returns with another mind-boggling trawl through the glittering gutters of cinema to uncover yet more obscure Grindhouse gold.

For this astounding sequel to his acclaimed FrightFest Guide to Exploitation Movies, Jones has chosen the most underrated, alluring or flat-out disastrous sick flicks from the eye-opening epoch that created an obsessed generation of slavering besotted fans. From red light district fleapits to neon-drenched 42nd Street dives and late night Drive-Ins, Jones forensically catalogued everything for posterity, pre-determining cult status even though he didn’t realise it at the time.

With a foreword by Jane Giles, the award-winning author of Scala Cinema 1978-1993, along with a highly personal, informative introduction by Jones, you can now take a walk on the wild side of chronic B-movie adoration, guided by the one person who knows the astonishing, once maligned, now lauded genre better than anyone else.   

Jones reflected: “For sixteen years, from 1965 to 1981, I kept a yearly film diary of every Horror, Science Fiction, Sexploitation and Fantasy title I saw, where I saw it, in which cinema, on what date and exactly what I thought. It just so happened that this period coincided with the richest and grubbiest era in the Golden Age of Exploitation, with cheap thrills, seminal gore, full frontal nudity and taboo subject matters displayed across beyond belief marquees”.

Following the success of the previous four editions: The FrightFest Guide to Exploitation Movies, Monster Movies, Ghost Movies and Werewolf Movies, this is the latest in a series of wide appeal books for both the curious spectator and the cult connoisseur.

The exclusive launch of the book is at Arrow Video FrightFest 2021, with official signings taking place at Cineworld, Leicester Square on Friday 27 and Saturday 28 August. The FrightFest exclusive hardcover will be on sale for just £20 and people not attending in person won’t miss out as they have the option to pre-order the book from www.fabpress.com. Pre-ordered books will ship the first week of September.

The Paperback publication date is 12 October 2021.

Hardcover ISBN: 9781913051105. Trade Paperback ISBN: 9781913051112

Arrow Video FrightFest announces 2021 Short Film Programme

Arrow Video FrightFest 2021 has traditionally showcased the best in genre short film from the UK and around the world since 2004, and this year is, despite the additional challenges faced, no exception, with ten countries representing three continents. From creeping terrors to outrageous scares, from spooky laughs to genuine fear, this year’s selection, which includes nine world premieres, unleashes the latest from upcoming and established filmmakers.

The UK is very strongly represented with a record seventeen entries. The presence of monsters is a recurrent theme, from Charlotte Beaumont’s terrifying zombie in Voodoo in My Heart to Alun Armstrong’s invisible enemy in The Nicky Nack and Mandip Gill’s malevolent mixing board in On Air. There are also monsters in the workplace in Night Bus, Hiya Janice, and The Dead Collectors, and some lurking in strange forms and places you least expect in Better the Devil You Know, Wee Shadows, They Called Me David, Puff, Where The Tar Leaks Red, Familiar, Arm, Behind You, and Itch. Other UK entries include creepy dystopian dramas Aria and Standing Woman.

Creepiness pervades throughout the global line-up – from the paranoia of Dutch thriller The Departure, the fear of smart Finnish entry Hysteria, the animated dread of Canada’s Self-Actualization of the Werewolf Woman, the apocalyptic isolation of Ireland’s Terrible Things, the strange hallucinations of Iraq’s Room 217, and be careful of the creature that lurks under the skin in Russian entry Four.

Other horrific treasures from around the world include Spanish revenge drama Dana, the skin-crawling Maltese entry Itch, three more entries from Canada - couple chiller Otherwise, gripping anti-bully fantasy Weirdo, and Trouble, in which a young man must be careful of the danger he cannot see. In Stuck, from the US, a gymnastic coach gets her revenge on a voyeur.

Other Stateside shorts include the International premieres of The Lovers, where romance and horror become roommates, scary comedy Carl the Exorcist, and Posies in which Maddy tries to delay her slow transformation into a monster by hiding flower petals under her skin. There is also a UK premiere for A Puff Before Dying, in which Angela has to learn the hard way that marijuana and driving don’t mix.

Programmer Shelagh Rowan-Legg said today: "To say that the past 18 months have been challenging would be an understatement. And yet, so many filmmakers from the UK and around the world have risen to that challenge, and gifted us with their amazing shorts. it seems there is such deep, rich work, at a time when we need stories that both keep us awake, and help us through the darkest times. Those that scare together, stay together, and the FrightFest audience will stay scared together”.

The full line-up:

FRIDAY 27 AUGUST – SHORT FILM SHOWCASE ONE

CINEWORLD DISCOVERY SCREEN 1 from 15:45

The Nicky Nack (World Premiere)

Director: Tom Oxenham. Cast: Alun Armstrong. UK 2021. 6 min.

A mysterious sound is following a pub patron home, and he can’t seem to shake it.

Standing Woman (UK Premiere)

Director: Tony Hipwell. Cast: Anton Thompson, Yuriri Naka. UK 2020. 15 min.

An insidious government campaign gives prisoners the ‘choice’ to become trees, and one man takes a final journey to see his lover before she forgets him.

Hysteria (UK Premiere)

Director: Anssi Määttä. Cast: Sari Siikander, Heli Sutela. Finland 2021. 7 min.

When a mysterious and deadly fog forces Hannele to lock herself in her car, she faces a choice: risk death by opening the door for her friend, or save herself?

The Departure (UK Premiere)

Director: Nico van den Brink. Cast: Sallie Harmsen, André Dongelmans. The Netherlands 2020. 10 min.

Nora keeps seeing the same man everywhere, and it evokes both fear and anguish.

Voodoo in My Heart (UK Premiere)

Director: Elias Williams. Cast: Charlotte Beaumont. UK 2020. 5 min.

With minutes left before joining her boyfriend as a zombie, Emily tries to find help and solace.

Better the Devil You Know (World Premiere)

Director: Vipin Venugopal. Cast: Mark Kitto, Reza Diako. UK 2021. 8 min.

On his death, Norman discovers the path to heaven is a lot trickier than he anticipated.

Self-Actualization of the Werewolf Woman (World Premiere)

Director: Conall Pendergast. Cast: Josephine Croft, Kristine Norvaishas. Canada 2021. 4 min.

A werewolf and a vampire exchange life stories and philosophical musings.

The Dead Collectors (World Premiere)

Director: Brendan Cleaves. Cast: Elliot James Langridge, Ivan Kaye. UK 2021. 13 min.

When your job is collecting the dead, there’s a lot of waiting. And a lot of smothering.

Terrible Things (UK Premiere)

Director: Ciarán Hickey. Cast: Claire J. Loy. Ireland 2021. 9 min.

A woman wandering the apocalypse landscape alone finds brief refuge in a forgotten cottage.

Puff (World Premiere)

Director: Zara Symes. Cast: Victoria Emslie, Sam Benjamin. UK 2021. 2 min.

A pregnant woman can’t sleep, convinced there’s something she cannot see.

Dana (UK Premiere)

Director: Lucía Forner Segarra. Cast: Thais Blume, Josean Bengoetxea. Spain 2020. 18 min.

After a vicious attack, Diana decides to become a vigilante, which she learns takes strength, cunning, and some odd supplies

FRIDAY 28 AUGUST – SHORT FILM SHOWCASE TWO

CINEWORLD DISCOVERY SCREEN 1 from 13:20

Room 217 (International Premiere)

Director: Srwsht Abarash. Cast: Zheer Faraidoon, Abdul Muhammad. Iraq 2021. 14 mins.

A man might be able to check into Room 217 on a rainy night, but will be able to leave?

They Called Me David (World Premiere)

Director: Lindsay Hallam. Cast: Millie Hallam, Damo Alexander. UK 2021. 6 min.

Is David a friend or foe? A saviour or destroyer? A lonely child or a demon in disguise?

Arm (World Premiere)

Director: Jill Worsley. Cast: Katharine Markwick. UK 2021. 9 min.

In a moment of pandemic isolation madness, a woman makes an impulse purchase she could soon regret.

Night Bus (London Premiere)

Directors: Henrietta Ashworth, Jessica Ashworth. UK 2020. 13 min.

Natasha’s on the night shift, and something untoward seems to have joined her.

Itch (European Premiere)

Director: Susannah Farrugia. Cast: Alexandra Dowling, Loren O’Dair. UK/Malta 2021. 8 min.

A novice nun who develops a severe skin condition which continues to worsen along with her mental state as she struggles with her feelings for another nun.

Otherwise (European Premiere)

Director: Ali Mashayekhi. Cast: Jade Hassoune, Farid Yazdani. Canada 2021. 7 min.

When a couple breaks up, they no longer recognize each other.

Aria (UK Premiere)

Director: Christopher Poole. Cast: Daniel Lawrence Taylor, Susannah Fielding. UK 2021. 13 min.

Jenny and Tom are excited to install a new Aria "smart security system" in their home. Tom becomes increasingly paranoid about what may be lurking outside their front door at night and eventually confronts it.

Weirdo (London Premiere)

Director: Ashlea Wessel. Cast: Spencer Hanson, Shawn Vincent. Canada 2020. 7 min.

A poor teenager getting bullied lets out something unexpected and dangerous.

On Air (UK Premiere)

Director: Syd Heather. Cast: Mandip Gill, Marnie Baxter. UK 2020. 6 min.

A sound engineer finds she can control elements beyond her mixing board, but might soon get caught in the trap.

Stuck (UK Premiere)

Director: David Mikalson. Cast: Nicola Lambo, Davey Johnson. USA 2020. 14 min.

When a man tries to spy on her students, a gymnastics coach takes matters into her own hands.

MONDAY 30 AUGUST – SHORT FILM SHOWCASE THREE

CINEWORLD DISCOVERY SCREEN 1 from 13:10

Trouble (UK Premiere)

Director: Naledi Jackson. Cast: Dalmar Abuzeid, Aurora Browne. Canada 2020. 7 min.

A young man takes a music gig at a former plantation, and finds that the past is not as deeply buried as it should be.

The Lovers (International Premiere)

Director: Avra Fox-Lerner. Cast: Meryl Williams, Annapurna Sriram. USA 2020. 9 min.

A woman wonders if her roommate expects too much of her, yet their codependent cycle is hard to break.

Where The Tar Leaks Red (London Premiere)

Director: Dominic Stewart. Cast: Racquel Stewart, Celia Learmonth. UK 2021. 5 min.

Lamia’s sleep paralysis threatens to rob her of something far worse that a good night’s sleep.

Carl the Exorcist (European Premiere)

Director: Jordan McKittrick. Cast: Zach Tinker, Christina Wolfgram. USA 2020. 10 min.

Carl is finally getting to perform his first exorcism – but he might not be as prepared as he thinks.

Posies (International Premiere)

Directors: R.H. Stavis, Katherine Fisher. Cast: Anna Diop, Andy Favreau. USA 2020. 16 min.

Maddy tries to delay her slow transformation into a monster, by hiding flower petals under her skin.

Familiar (UK Premiere)

Director: David J. Ellison. Cast: Hugo Nicolau. UK 2021. 10 min.

A man is the familiar of a vampire, and his duties become as unbearable as the monster beneath him.

Behind You (World Premiere)

Directors: Gavin Williams, Mark Lediard. UK 2021. 10 min.

After eye surgery, a woman becomes convinced there is something behind her that she cannot see.

Wee Shadows (London Premiere)

Director: Steven Goodison. UK 2021. 3 min.

Two grave robbers find the physical and emotional burden of their clandestine task a little too much to bear.

Four (International Premiere)

Director: Irina Dorosh. Cast: Igor Ivanov, Milla Volkova. Russian Federation 2021. 11 min.

Three friends dare each other to visit an abandoned apartment building, where something has found a terrifying home.

A Puff Before Dying (UK Premiere)

Directors: Michael Reich, Mike Pinkney. Cast: Annie Mebane, James Kirkland. USA 2021. 10 min.

Angela is going to learn the hard way that marijuana and driving don’t mix.

Hiya Janice (World Premiere)

Director: Rob Hayes. Cast: Jack Holden, Carla Mendonça. UK 2021. 7 min.

Janice might be Declan’s most annoying co-worker, but will she literally drive him into the arms of monsters?

Arrow Video FrightFest runs from 26th - 30th August 2021 at Cineworld Leicester Square.

Tickets & passes are now available to buy online: http://www.frightfest.co.uk/tickets.html

Interview with Paul Hyett - Director of Werewolf movie HOWL

As AVOD film site W4Free unleashes bloodthirsty Werewolf movie HOWL, director Paul Hyett reflects on the importance of story-telling, the career effects of the pandemic and what horror films have caught his eye lately.

Q: Looking back on the production of HOWL, what stands out for you in terms of the directorial experience?

It was a real learning experience with the sheer number of VFX shots. And what I can do on set to make the VFX guys workload easier, for example, getting practical plate shots. Also, working on a green screen set. I think that’s what made it stand out to me, the pure logistical way of filming on a train set build, on a green screen set with hundreds of visual effects and tying everything together so it works.

Q: HOWL was your second feature as director, following the dark and controversial THE SEASONING HOUSE. What was behind the decision to make such a distinct genre shift?

I already knew the producers Ed King and Martin Gentles from actually being up for the job of making the werewolf prosthetics and suits. At the same time the original director left, they had watched THE SEASONING HOUSE as opening film at FrightFest 2012, so they asked to think about taking over the directorial reins, which I jumped at the chance to.

Q: Would you like to make another Werewolf inspired movie?

If a good werewolf script came along I would definitely think about it. When I read a script, for me it’s all about story and characters.

Q: HOWL, like THE SEASONING HOUSE, THE CONVENT (HERETIKS) and PERIPHERAL, have all received world premieres at FrightFest. What is it about the festival that makes it so important to launch your films there?

My relationship with Frightfest goes back nearly two decades. It feels like my extended family. I think it’s the best way to introduce your film to the world. The audiences are smart as well as supportive. I think the coverage is important, its hard to get your film out there and noticed. Frightfest is a natural springboard. And the support is so well appreciated. And also you have a really fun time there!

Q: Even though you’re a master of visual effects, you’ve gone on record as saying that the most important aspect of filmmaking for you in the storytelling. Can you elaborate?

Above all the visual effects, practical effects, CGI, the most important part is the storytelling, the narrative structure, the characters. Everything else comes second. You have to be invested in the characters, you need to be immersed in the story, otherwise no matter what you do visually, you won’t care, it will just feel flat. If you care about a character which is killed, then it stimulates an emotional reaction in you. The effect itself will feel a lot more powerful with those emotions.

Q: We hear you were about to make another film when the pandemic broke. What can you tell us?

I was in Cape Cod, doing recces for a film called ‘UNNATURAL SELECTION, a kind of John Carpenter / Stephen King, New England type vibe. We were looking for locations and about to start casting. The pandemic really put us into a hiatus. But we’re working on getting it restarted.

Q: Has the continuing lockdown restrictions affected or influenced your creative process?

It’s certainly made me disciplined about working at my desk at home. In lockdown there were no real distractions, you couldn’t go anywhere, do anything, so you might as well just sit and work. Writing, concept designing, developing. Otherwise you can go mad, you need a focus, a reason to get up. For people on furlough, at home, without work to do must have been really hard. I’m lucky, anyone that can work from home is lucky.

Q: Have any horror films caught your eye this year?

I really enjoyed ARMY OF THE DEAD, it was actually what it said on the tin. Intense fun, ultra gore and zombie tigers, what more could you want?

Q: Have you ventured back into a cinema yet?

Yes once! To see the new ‘The Conjuring’ movie..

Q: Any future plans you can tell us?

I’m still trying to get UNNATURAL SELECTION up as well as developing THE BLACK SITE with Grimmfest films. Also, I have just partnered with a producer on another project, a horror set in New Orleans. Soon to be announced!

You can watch HOWL free of charge on www.w4free.com

 

Arrow Video FrightFest 2021 announces second wave of films for August Cineworld event

 

It’s Full Scream ahead as Arrow Video FrightFest 2021 announces its second wave of hugely anticipated Discovery Screen and First Blood titles - a summer collection of provocative, edgy and transgressive entertainment to die for. There are fourteen World and ten European / International premieres amongst the thirty-four films on offer.

Eleven countries are represented, with titles ranging from Canadian entries BLOODTHIRSTY, Amelia Moses’ simmering LGBQT+ werewolf movie and sinister isolation thriller MOTHERLY to Francesco Erba’s AS IN HEAVEN, SO ON EARTH, a stunning Italian blend of live action and Gothic puppet animation. Then there’s Péter Bergendy’s sumptuous POST MORTEM, an epic Hungarian ghost story, Frida Kempff’s Swedish entry KNOCKING, a breakout Sundance sensation, and Belgium’s latest wildly inventive genre hit is the hallucinogenic HOTEL POSEIDON, a directorial feature debut from Stef Lernus. And from the UK, the cut-throat world of social media influencers is given the terror treatment in the World premiere of Marcus Harben’s FOLLOWERS.

Familiar FrightFest luminaries grace this year’s event. Graham Skipper teams up with NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET franchise icon Lisa Wilcox to star in the world premiere of Mel House’s metaphysical horror MYSTERY SPOT, and after beguiling FrightFest with DRIVEN, director/writers/stars Glenn Payne and Casey Dillard present the World premiere of their new slasher, KILLER CONCEPT. Also welcomed back is Marcel Walz, who continues the terror travails of serial killer thriller BLIND with the UK premiere of PRETTY BOY.

Michael Mongillo, who wowed FrightFest in 2017 with DIANE brings us the World Premiere of intense body snatcher THE CHANGED. This will be an additional main screen presentation, with the leading cast in attendance. The one-take time travel suspense comedy, BEYOND THE INFINITE TWO MINUTES, will now be shown as part of the Discovery stand.

The festival continues to unearth genre gems from South America and this year there are three shining examples from Argentina: Gonzalo Calzada, writer/director of the FrightFest 2018 selection LUCEFERINA, returns with the UK premiere of his astonishing tour de force NOCTURNA: SIDE A – THE GREAT OLD MAN’S NIGHT, and there are European premieres for José María Cicala’s SHADOW OF THE CAT, starring Danny Trejo as you’ve never seen him before and Alejandro Cohen Arazi’s cult hit THE UNBURIED. Plus, from Mexico, comes FORGIVENESS, a surreal, violent and revenge-laden horror thriller by new Mexploitation maestro Alex Kahuam.

The US continues to lead the way with innovating indie genre filmmaking and this year’s Stateside shockers are testament to that. ISOLATION is an incredibly rich anthology of nine chilling tales shot in lockdown, whilst BAD CANDY has been hailed as the best Halloween portmanteau since TRICK ‘R’ TREAT. Then there’s ANTIDOTE, which goes deep inside a horror hospital, Stephen King Simmons’ stunning black-and-white feature debut THE PARKER SESSIONS, which goes beyond our wildest existential nightmares, GREYWOOD’S PLOT, a creature feature send-up for our times and the intense drama TOUCH - the winner of the NYC Independent Film Best Movie and Director awards.

The fearsome fun continues with RED SNOW, a bloodsucking spook-a-blast that puts a stake through the heart of comedy horror, the unique LAGUNA AVE. where metal fetishism goes the full John Waters route, Beau Ballinger’s SHE WATCHES FROM THE WOODS, a chilling walk between supernatural curses and mental health, the disturbing familial psychodrama CAPTIVE and the out of this world NIGHT DRIVE

FrightFest has always championed genre documentaries and this year’s picks are at their engaging best.  WOODLANDS DARK AND DAYS BEWITCHED: A HISTORY OF FOLK HORROR has been attracting much fantasy festival attention and it’s a 3-HOUR PLUS enchantment. Absolutely astonishing also is THE FOUND FOOTAGE PHENOMENON, which tells you everything you need to know about the roots and growth of the shaky-cam genre and POV Cinema. Finally, Paul Hunt and Julie Kauffman’s obsessive THE BRILLIANT TERROR, is a totally absorbing delve into the Grassroots Horror movement.

The Arrow Video FrightFest First Blood strand has become a film industry watchword for those in the know wanting to discover the next great genre talent pool from the UK and Ireland. The five titles chosen for 2021, all World premieres, once more show the range of innovation and exciting breadth of the professionalism waiting to burst through into the mainstream. Seb Cox’s ARE WE MONSTERS is a unique werewolf coming-of-age saga, Ian Steele’s BOY #5 is an innovative take on the vampire myth, Leroy Kincaide’s THE LAST RITE is an authentic paranormal rollercoaster ride and Conor Buro’s WHEN THE SCREAMING STARTS is a spirited horror mockumentary. Finally, from Ireland, is Richard Waters’ BRING OUT THE FEAR, which explores a doomed relationship on its final day. Richard is a longtime FrightFest community member and a graduate of the festival’s innovative ‘New Blood’ strand.

Arrow Video FrightFest, the UK’s biggest horror and fantasy film festival, takes place at the Cineworld Leicester Square from Thurs August 26 – Monday 30 August, 2021.

Festival co-director Paul McEvoy said today: “At Arrow FrightFest this year we are thrilled to be presenting so many incredible new works from the International genre landscape. We’re showcasing a myriad of World Premiere screenings from many new and exciting talents, along with familiar names. The thrills are diverse and sensational, proving that the genre is truly alive, kicking and flourishing in these troubled times. We cannot wait to share the excitement with everyone”. 

Passes go on sale on Saturday 24th July. Single tickets go on sale Thursday 29th July

Festival pass: £165. Day passes: £35 (Thurs), £60 (Fri & Sat), £50 (Sun & Mon)

Festival and Day Pass holders will be able to buy a discounted Digital pass for £40

Single Tickets: £14.50.

The digital add-on will allow full access to the digital component of the festival that runs from Wednesday 1st to Sunday 5th September.  

Stand-alone tickets for the digital component of the 2021 Arrow video FrightFest will be available in August. Prices: £85 for full access and £7.50 for individual films.

Programme details: https://www.frightfest.co.uk                                                                                                                                       

Who's watching you? Voyeur horror 'Eye Without A Face' on digital 23 August 2021

 

Do you know who’s watching this very moment? Brand new horror feature Eye Without A Face from director Ramin Niami (Paris, Shirin In Love) combines chills, thrills and bloody murder to bring the voyeur genre bang up to date. This edgy movie creeps on to digital 23 August for its UK Premiere from Miracle M. 

Holed up in his LA apartment agoraphobic Henry (Dakota Shapiro – The Affair, Valley Of The Boom), spends his days hacking into the webcams of unsuspecting local young women, seeing himself as their protector and guardian angel, rather than what he really is… a stalker. But his creepy peeks take a sinister turn as he starts to suspect one of his ‘friends’, Laura (Vladka Verevko – South Park, Suits), is a killer…

When his YouTuber flat mate Eric (Luke Cook – Dynasty, Chilling Adventures Of Sabrina) steps in to try and put a stop to the twisted hobby, things take a turn for the worse. With Henry becoming more and more convinced that the woman is a murderer and Laura beginning to suspect she’s being watched, the two are soon on a collision course – who will make it out alive?

'Eye Without A Face' on digital 23 August 2021

Horror Channel raises hell in August

August is a wicked month on Horror Channel, as the UK’s number 1 destination for genre films revives some horror, sci-fi and fantasy classics – including Clive Barker’s HELLRAISER trilogy, which has one of the most stylish and ferociously original horror fantasy franchises ever and NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD (1990), Tom Savini’s colour remake of George Romero's original Night Of The Living Dead, which transcended the world of horror movies to become a film classic

Other highlights include RE-ANIMATOR, the late Stuart Gordon’s darkly comic classic, that has been acknowledged as one of the most celebrated, outrageous and original horror films of all time, TREMORS, Ron Underwood’s affectionate throwback to 1950s creature features, which is still seen as the king slacker of monster movies and ROLLERBALL (2002), the head-slamming remake of the 1975 Sci-Fi hit, directed by John McTiernan,

Also making a return is Sci-fi TV series THE 4400. The highly rated cable drama, originally slated to run only as a five-part miniseries, eventually ran for four seasons Producers included Francis Ford Coppola.

 

Full film details in transmission order:

 

Sunday 1 August @ 21:00 - ROLLERBALL (2002)

Jonathan Crossis the most popular player in the fastest and most extreme sport of all time: Rollerball. But things go wrong when Rollerball’s creator, Petrovich (Jean Reno), realises that serious on-court accidents bring higher ratings. Soon, the players are trapped in Petrovich’s manipulations, playing for their lives in a new game without any rules.

 

Tuesday 3 August @ 22:50 – HELLRAISER (1987)

Frank Cotton (Sean Chapman) has solved the mystery of the Lament Configuration puzzle box, a sort of evil Rubik’s cube. Unfortunately he inadvertently opens a doorway to Hell and, in death, enters the world of the Cenobites, a race of sadistic supernatural beings led by a bald Cenobite (Doug Bradley).

 

Friday 6 August @ 21:00 –NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD (1990)

A brother and sister visit their family cemetery. The first attack comes without warning, forcing Barbara (Patricia Tallman) to leave her brother lying bloodied and unconscious while she runs for refuge in a nearby farmhouse. Soon, she is joined by others - seven people with nothing in common but their terror of the hideous cannibals who claw at their windows and doors with an insatiable appetite for living human flesh.

 

Tuesday 10 August @ 22:50 - HELLRAISER II: HELLBOUND (1989)

Kirsty Cotton (Ashley Laurence) has witnessed too many horrific images for her young mind to take and is placed in the care of Doctor Channard (Kenneth Cranham). No one believes Kirsty’s wild and weird tales, except the Doctor who has secretly been searching for the pleasures the dark side can bring. Soon the walls at the institute begin to crack and bleed and once dead faces from Kirsty’s recent past return to haunt her. And a Cenobite known as Pinhead (Doug Bradley) vows to tear her soul apart.

 

Tuesday 17 August @ 22:50 - HELLRAISER III: HELL ON EARTH (1993)

Pinhead (Doug Bradley) has been caged in the Torture Pillar, his evil secured for all eternity. But a club owner J.P. Monroe (Kevin Bernhardt) buys this bizarre sculpture and accidentally cuts himself during its installation, dripping blood onto the ancient monument. This resurrects Pinhead, but this time he’s up against a reporter Joey Summerskill (Terri Farrell) who battles Pinhead into facing his own, tortured past.

 

From Wednesday 18 August @ 18:00, weekdays – THE 4400 (2004)

This classy sci-fi TV series revolves around the sudden reappearance of 4400 missing people. All were presumed dead or reported missing over several decades, and many return to their former lives on Earth - but with startling powers. Among those assigned to unravel their mystery is an earnest crime investigator whose nephew is one of the returned.

 

Tuesday 24 August @ 22:50 – RE-ANIMATOR (1985)

A medical student returns from Austria after working in regenerative experiments with a well-known scientist who died under mysterious circumstances. He enrols at Miskatonic University where he differs with his professor on issues of the time of death, and eventually enlists his roommate to help him continue experiments on re-animating the dead

 

Thursday 27 August @ 21:00 – TREMORS (1990)

Kevin Bacon stars in this revved up monster movie made with an enthusiastic nod to classic 1950s monster flicks. Two handymen must battle must battle giant carnivorous sandworms that threaten their small Nevada town. The eccentric and resilient townspeople must do everything in their powers to survive this new man-axing species.

 

FrightFest thirsts for 'new blood' in talent search

As Arrow Video FrightFest stalks the dark recesses of the big screen again, the search resumes for new writers in the horror genre through its New Blood initiative. New Blood reunites FrightFest with Giles Edwards of Queensbury Pictures with its mission to find emerging UK-based writers dedicated to the genre and nurture their projects from script to screen. Queensbury is ultimately interested in buying the finished script rather than the idea, and so, this year all successful final candidates if selected should be able to send even a rough draft of the first ten pages of their script through with their acceptance.

Already the scheme has delivered two new projects: Broadcast Signal Intrusion, written by Phil Drinkwater and Tim Woodall and directed by Jacob Gentry (The Signal) which World Premiered to enormous acclaim at SXSW 2021 and will come home to screen at FrightFest this August and The Change, written by Carina Rodney and optioned by acclaimed producer Jennifer Handorf (The Borderlands, The Chamber).

The successful shortlisted applicants will workshop their ideas in a group setting under the guidance of top industry professionals and genre experts. Among this year's panel are 2021 Variety Magazine 'Director to Watch', recipient Prano Bailey-Bond and acclaimed writer / director of CENSOR, Jed Shepherd, co-writer of 2020's genre sensation HOST and Rob Savage's upcoming secret Blumhouse project, Najarra Townsend, actress and producer, THE STYLIST and Queensbury Pictures' Giles Edwards.  

Giles Edwards of Queensbury Pictures said, "Having already achieved the initial aim of New Blood, with the discovery of the phenomenal script Broadcast Signal Intrusion from Phil and Tim which then exceeded our wildest expectations as a finished feature, and the amazing Jennifer Handorf falling for Carina's *absolutely wild* The Change, we're more adamant than ever that the cream of UK genre writing talent is out there, just waiting for the opportunity to wrench our collective gut with their visions of true terror."

Greg Day, co-director of FrightFest added, "For FrightFest to be continuing to support and enable aspiring scriptwriters to have this opportunity is very gratifying, especially as Giles and Queensbury Pictures have proved that they really mean business and are not just playing industry lip-service. Good luck to the New Blood class of 2021."

The New Blood networking and workshop event will be held on Thursday 26 August, the opening day of this year's festival, in a Central London venue

Applications are open from Monday 12th July with potential participants asked to submit a 400 word proposal through the dedicated New Blood page on the FrightFest website and if selected, each writer is expected to submit the first ten pages of their script idea. The deadline is Sunday 26th July.  All successful applicants will be notified by the 31st of July and then will be requested to send over their sample script pages. All participants are expected to pay for their own travel and accommodation.

For full application requirements and to apply:

https://www.frightfest.co.uk/newblood/newblood.html

Arrow Video FrightFest 2021 runs 26th to 30th August at the Cineworld, Leicester Square.

COMPETITION: Win Alone on Blu-ray

Alone  - Released on Blu-ray from 12th July

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

Synopsis: 

Alone is a tense and tightly-wound thriller from John Hyams, director of Universal Soldier: Day of Reckoning and the upcoming Maniac Cop remake. Jessica (Jules Willcox, Bloodline) drives on a long, lonely stretch of road in the Pacific Northwest. Attempting to rebound from a tragic loss, she's packed up her belongings and is headed back to her hometown to restart her life. Also on this stretch of road is a Man (Marc Menchaca, Ozark) who, at first, seems harmless enough, but keeps showing up in the same places as Jessica. It’s no coincidence. The Man has hostile plans for her, and once in his clutches she has to fight her way out to safety somewhere in the wilderness, away from civilization, away from any help and away from the devious psychotic out to destroy her. And she'll have to face it all alone.

Signature Entertainment presents Alone on Blu-ray from 12th July

Pre-order on Amazon: https://amzn.to/3hzVvKq

For your chance to win just answer the question below.

Competition Closed 

Terms and conditions
1. Closing date 19-07-21
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.