FILM NEWS ( UK ): 21 January 2014 - FrightFest Glasgow

Film4 FrightFest Glasgow 2014 announces 4 day event to include eight World, European and UK premieres, Ti West special event and Sunday repeat screenings in biggest programme ever

From Thursday Feb 27 to Sunday March 2, the UK ’s favourite horror fantasy festival returns to its second home at the Glasgow Film Festival for the 9th year with an impressive slate of the hottest new horror films.

Welcome to a long weekend of wonderful weirdness as Film4 FrightFest Glasgow enters a world of, gritty serial killers, stark staring horror, comic book thrills and spills, favourite maniacs, sci-fi delirium, doc shock and mind-bending mystery.

Some of FrightFest’s favourite filmmakers take centre-stage this year, including Ti West, who has teamed up with producer Eli Roth for the cult of the damned shocker THE SACRAMENT. As well as screening the film, FrightFest’s Alan Jones will be talking to Ti at a special presentation on Thursday February 27 at the GFT Screen 2.

FrightFest also welcomes director Jake West and producer Marc Morris, who will be  introducing the world premiere of VIDEO NASTIES: DRACONIAN DAYS, their sequel to the critically acclaimed VIDEO NASTIES: MORAL PANIC, CENSORSHIP & VIDEOTAPE documentary. It promises to provide even more engaging knowledge and sobering insight into the heinous blot on 1980s film culture. The screening will be followed by a (no doubt) lively panel discussion.

FrightFest is also hosting the world premiere of THE SCRIBBLER, based on Dan Shaffer’s bestselling graphic novel featuring a super-hot cast. Director John Suits, producer of CHEAP THRILLS, will be in attendance.

As will Jordan Barker, director of the terrific sucker punch home invasion chiller TORMENT, starring Katharine Isabelle, which will receive its European premiere,

Also attending is Indiana writer/director Zack Parker, with the UK premiere of his extraordinary film PROXY, a daring and highly original chiller. Parker has slowly been building a following with INEXCHANGE, QUENCH and SCALENE and will be flying in from the USA to talk about his burgeoning career.

Other UK premieres on show are the bigger and wickeder WOLF CREEK 2 and KILLERS, a dark, twisted tale from the Mo Brothers duo of Kimo Stamboel and Timo Tjahjanto.  Then there are two highly impressive feature debuts - Cliff Prowse and Derek Lee’s AFFLICTED, a clever spin on the found-footage trend and Spanish director Jorge Dorado’s probing, twisty MINDSCAPE starring Mark Strong.

Plus there are Scottish premieres for the Sci-fi shocker ALMOST HUMAN directed by Joe Begos and director Michael S. Ojeda’s provocative and compelling SAVAGED.

Alan Jones, co-director, said today: “Connections and detections. That’s what Film4 FrightFest is essentially about at its core and it’s the prime focus of our ninth event at this year’s Glasgow Film Festival. It’s our epic fifteenth year in business as the UK ’s leading horror fantasy festival and in that time we’ve launched a number of now well-known talents on the genre scene. So we thought it entirely appropriate to celebrate that fact at our much-loved Scottish home with a host of films from those filmmakers we have discovered, encouraged and promoted throughout the years”.

With surprises on screen and off, and the festival’s unique community feeling, FrightFest at the GFF has now become a must-attend occasion on the horror fantasy fan's calendar.

Promo trailer:

The full line-up

THURS 27 FEB – GFT Screen 2

21:00 IN CONVERSATION WITH TI WEST (Special event)

Nobody does nostalgia-brushed spookiness and minimalist horror like independent director Ti West, King of the slow-burn shocker. FrightFest has been there from the very start – our video label released his 2005 debut feature THE ROOST – and we’ve watched with pride as the Delaware-born quirky talent has grown in global genre stature through THE HOUSE OF THE DEVIL, THE INNKEEPERS, V/H/S and now his game-changing Eli Roth produced THE SACRAMENT. Join us for this very special FrightFest event in which West will talk candidly to film critic and author Alan Jones about his extraordinary career, his influences and exciting future plans.

90 mins. Hosted by FrightFest’s Alan Jones

FRI 28 FEB – GFT Screen 1

13:30  SAVAGED  (Scottish Premiere)

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

Director: Michael S. Ojeda   US 2013  95 mins  Cert 18
Cast: Amanda Adrienne, Tom Ardavany, Ronnie Gene Blevins

15:40 PROXY ( UK Premiere)

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

Director: Zack Parker  US 2013  120 mins  Cert 18
Cast: Alexia Rasmussen, Alexa Havins, Kristina Klebe

18:45  WOLF CREEK 2 ( UK Premiere)

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

Director: Greg McLean  Australia 2013  107 mins  Cert 18

Cast: John Jarratt, Ryan Corr, Shannon Ashlyn

21:15  THE SACRAMENT (Scottish Premiere)

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

Director: Ti West  US 2013 92 mins  Cert 18
Cast: Joe Swanberg, AJ Bowen, Amy Seimetz

23:30  AFFLICTED ( UK Premiere)

Just when you’d thought the ‘found footage’ trend had snatched its final breath...up pops another stellar example to expose there still is untapped craftsmanship and creativity to be found in this fear-inducing format. The winner of the Best Special

Effects Award at the Sitges Fantasy Festival for its jaw-dropping visuals, two best friends see their world trip of a lifetime take a dark turn when one is struck by a mysterious illness that changes his metabolism making him superhuman. A clever spin on a classic scary story, dual-threat Cliff Prowse and Derek Lee make an impressive horror feature debut.

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

SAT 1 MARCH – GFT Screen 1

11:00  VIDEO NASTIES: DRACONIAN DAYS  (World Premiere)

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

Director: Jake West   UK 2014  80 mins  Cert 18

13:30  THE SCRIBBLER (World Premiere)

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

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

16:00 TORMENT (European Premiere)

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

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

18:30  MINDSCAPE  ( UK Premiere)

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

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

21:00  ALMOST HUMAN (Scottish Premiere)

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

Director: Joe Begos  US  2013  80 mins  Cert 18
Cast: Graham Skipper, Vanessa Leigh, Josh Ethier

23:15  KILLERS ( UK Premiere)

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

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

SUN 2 MARCH – Cineworld Renfrew St Screen 7

Repeat screenings

12:00   VIDEO NASTIES: DRACONIAN DAYS
14:00    ALMOST HUMAN
16:00    WOLF CREEK 2
18:30    THE SACRAMENT
21:00    KILLERS

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

Passes: £70 - for all eleven films on Fri 28 Feb and Sat 1 March
Single tickets: £8.50, £6.50 (concession) for ‘In Conversation with Ti West’ event on Thurs 27 Feb and the five Sunday repeat screenings on Sun 2 March.

Please note that there are no single tickets available for the Friday and Saturday films.

For further information:  www.frightfest.co.uk

TV NEWS: Horror Channel revives Hammer double-bills for Friday nights

Vampire vixens, creepy castles, mouldy mummies, satanic sadists and Lee & Cushing on top show.  Yes, its Hammer heaven as the UK ’s number one TV destination for all things horror presents a HAMMER DOUBLE-FEATURE SEASON, which broadcasts from Sat Feb 1 – Feb 22 @ 9.00pm.

Here is the line-up:

Sat 1 Feb @ 21:00 – DRACULA: PRINCE OF DARKNESS (1966)

This sequel to the 1958 The Horror of Dracula sees the supposedly dead Count Dracula back in bloody business once his trusty servant Klove entices the English Kents - Charles (Francis Matthews), brother Alan (Charles Tingwell), and their wives, Diana (Suzan Farmer) and Helen (Barbara Shelley), inside his welcoming castle. Directed by Terence Fisher, this is seen as the “quintessential Hammer horror"


Sat 1 Feb @  22:45 - SCARS OF DRACULA (1970)

Directed by Roy Ward Baker, this popular sequel to Taste the Blood of Dracula stars Christopher Lee as Count Dracula, who spreads his evil from his mountaintop castle. When libertine Paul Carlson disappears one night, his brother Simon and girlfriend trace him to the area, discovering a terrified populace. They make their way towards the sinister castle and its undead host. Also stars Dennis Waterman.


Sat 8 Feb @ 21.00 – FRANKENSTEIN CREATED WOMAN (1967)

Directed by Terence Fisher, this popular feature stars Peter Cushing as Baron Frankenstein, who discovers a way of trapping the soul of a dead person. Frankenstein believes he can transfer the soul into a recently deceased female (Susan Denberg) to restore her to life. This is one of the most critically acclaimed Hammer films and Martin Scorsese cites this as one of his favourite films.


Sat 8 Feb @  22.50 - FRANKENSTEIN AND THE MONSTER FROM HELL (1974)

The aged Baron Victor Frankenstein (Peter Cushing) is housed at an insane asylum where he has been made a surgeon, where, under the alias of Dr. Carl Victor, uses his position to continue his experiments in the creation of man. Filmed at Elstree Studios in 1972 but not released until 1974, it was the final chapter in the Hammer Frankenstein saga of films as well as director Terence Fisher's last film.


Sat 15 Feb @21:00 – THE MUMMY’S SHROUD (1967)

Directed by John Gilling, the film stars André Morell and David Buck as explorers who uncover the tomb of an ancient Egyptian mummy. (played by stuntman Eddie Powell, Christopher Lee’s regular stunt double), brought back to life to wreak revenge on his enemies. It was the third of Hammer's four Mummy films, and the last to feature a bandaged mummy. It was the final Hammer production to be made at Bray Studios.


Sat 15 Feb @  22:45 - BLOOD FROM THE MUMMY’S TOMB (1971)

This was the swan song for director Seth Holt, who died before filming finished. An expedition, led by Professor Fuchs (Andrew Keir), find the tomb of an evil Egyptian princess. Her preserved, still-bleeding severed hand sports a dazzling ruby ring. Several years later, Fuchs gives the ring to his daughter Margaret (Valerie Leon), who slowly begins to take on the malevolent traits of its original wearer.


Sat 22 Feb @ 21:00 – THE DEVIL RIDES OUT (1968)

The powers of good are pitted against the forces of evil in this gripping tale of Satanism, based on the best-selling 1934 novel of the same name by Dennis Wheatley. Written by Richard Matheson and directed by Terence Fisher, the film stars Christopher Lee, Charles Gray, Niké Arrighi , Leon Greene and Patrick Mower. Christopher Lee has often said that of all his vast back catalogue of films this is his favourite


Sat 22 Feb @ 22:50 - TO THE DEVIL A DAUGHTER (1976)

Directed by Peter Sykes, this was the second of Wheatley's "black magic" novels to be filmed by Hammer, following The Devil Rides Out and stars Richard Widmark, Christopher Lee, Honor Blackman, Nastassja Kinski and Denholm Elliott. Wheatley disliked the film because  it did not follow his novel and found it obscene. Wheatley told Hammer Production that they were not to make another film from his novels ever again


Other highlights during Feb include the UK TV premieres of SAWNEY: FLESH OF MAN (Fri 21 Feb @ 22:55) and SHARKZILLA (Tues 25 Feb @ 16:00). Plus there is the Network premiere of OPEN WATER (Fri 7 Feb @ 22:50)

TV: Sky 319 / Virgin 149 / Freesat 138
www.horrorchannel.co.uk | twitter.com/horror_channel

Interview with Robert Friedrich by Jon Donnis

Robert Friedrich, originally born in Slovakia, started his writing career in Egypt, where he has been living since his 13th Birthday. He always had a vivid imagination, but the courage to show it to the world came much later. It was't easy, and took some pain, guts and ton of misfortune to arrive to this point. After a time of aversion and a path of unexpected circumstances he harnessed everything within him and stepped up to do things which he really wanted, liked and enjoyed.

He is writing in a different range of formats, from lyrics, flash stories, and short stories and Novellas. Even though the horror genre, which is about the long lasting fight between good and evil, Robert took it to an entirely new level. Adding many psychological characteristics, open ends, confusing twists and new settings. All of which slowly developed as a new paradigm Sci-fi/Horror/Drama; enclosing also urgent issues and happenings within the life of individuals as well as humankind.
His approach can surely change the perspective of readers, not only widen but also illuminate the possibilities and ways. Illuminate them with Darkness unlike found in any other Fiction genre.

Besides writing, Robert also enjoys metal music, movies, and games. He builds his encyclopedic information bank in this reference and uses his experiences from a wide range of activities which he had to go through; multicultural behavior, stress control, diving, translations, marketing, hotel management etc. Robert also creates his own covers and trailers. He speaks English, German and a bit of Arabic, besides his native language Slovak.


Welcome to Masters of Horror Rob, it is a pleasure to welcome you here and get to know you a bit better.

1. As I mentioned in the introduction you are originally from Slovakia but now you are living in and writing in Egypt, how did you end up moving from Slovakia to Egypt?

Well, Jon, the reason is fairly simple. Back in 2004 we moved here, me and my mother, because she got married to a new man, an Egyptian which we met on our 2003 vacation. Obviously at that age (I was 13) there was not much choice for me, either stay or move. I decided to take the step forward and moved here.

To make it clear, I’m not planning to stay here though; I lived here for quite long enough.  I decided to relocate back to Slovakia, to my city, and to continue my writing from there. My move back to Slovakia should by all accounts happen by summer.


2. How did your interest in writing first manifest and why did you end up writing Horror and Sci fi?

The first, solid manifestation can be traced back to 2004/2005. That is when I came up with the first, original concept of a story, complete from start to finish. Interestingly enough, that manifestation is coming to life in my new Novella; Seed of Evil, which will be released quite soon. However, the writing itself did not come until 2013, but this and many other concepts were already pilling up year after year.

As for the genre itself, from a very young age I was a big fan of Sci-fi Horror. It started when I was about 6 with Alien 3, Species, Total Recall, and Carnosaurus. These genres, especially mixed, redefine and take the stories to completely new levels - unbound by limitations and censorship. It was only a matter of time when the first concept story and my urge to write would meet in a genre I love and am fascinated with.

3. Who would you say has most inspired your growing up with regards to your writing, and is there anyone you really consider to be a hero of yours in this genre?

Difficult to say, it wasn’t just people who inspired me, it goes way beyond the ordinary stereotype of heroes. Let me name the three important factors of all.

One - Writers like John W. Campbell Jr. and his amazing and cult famous Novella: ‘Who Goes There’. Released back in 1938, it was a Sci-fi/Horror defining story and imagery. Everyone else probably knows it under its current form “The Thing”, everything shocking, you remember from the 1982 Movie, is in the book, and more.

Two - my uncle, even though he is not a writer, he is a VFX artist for movies. Some of which include Pandorum, Alien vs. Predator, Iron man 3, Gravity and many others. His unshakable determination and hard work in a field he loves, well it literally inspires me to follow my dreams even more.

Three - Metal music, because it does not back down and never gives up. It unites the outsiders and makes them strong, it pushes on the fact that each and every one of us should believe in one’s self, go after own dreams, and not to take shit from others.

It’s a medium that is always present, does not give in to criticism and mainstream views and shows that it is our uniqueness what makes us great. It takes flaws and helps turn them into something we can use for our advantage. It never backs down under pressure and stands tall, always.

All this and more helped me to grow into my goals and to write as I feel. In the end, everyone is a hero in following their own dreams.


4. For a writer you look quite young, how would you describe your success so far with regards to your writing, and where would you like to see yourself in 5 years, in 10 years and in 20 years time?

Writing is hard, and an ever changing and ever increasing experience. Frankly I think I only scratched the surface of what I can do.  The more I learn, experience, and achieve on the way, the more I incorporate in my future writings. Every book, every story is a step further. I learn about myself and also share it as a priceless personal experience with each and every single reader.

Well, since it took many years for me to finally start writing, I have collected many possible story ideas and will keep refining them and writing them down.  Besides that, as the future comes, I also want to write screenplays and take my visions to the medium of motion pictures. Where else my creativity and vividness will take me, I am not sure yet, but wherever it will be, I will keep doing it in way I love and enjoy.


5. What do you say is the worst criticism you have ever received in your writing and what did you take from that criticism and how did you use it to make yourself a better writer?

We all have to deal someway with criticism and/or rejections. The way I see things - there are 7 billion people out there, each one with a different opinion. You can never please everyone, but you can please yourself and fans.

I have nothing to categorize as worst criticism, just criticism, but I shall mention two which stood out.

First - for my first novella that it’s a non-linear story and it does not give everything right up on a silver platter.

The fun fact is, that it was the point of the novella. It’s a journey which unravels the further you go and also leaves things to your imagination.

Second - not to use too much of gruesome details so I would not offend people who might not take it well while reading it.

That only pushed me to continue doing it, horror and especially my writing is uncensored, just like life. There is no magic censorship button in life to hide you from the gruesome details. In the same way I take my writing, if someone thinks its unsettling or disturbing well that was the goal. You can always skip that part; no one forced you to read it. All my writings are adult-oriented and they will stay so. In this vein, if I managed to unsettle critics and cause them to be frightened and/or to experience a range of other emotions, then I know I have succeeded.


6. You also write poetry, how would you describe your poetry and what made you first decide to try and get your poetry published?

Variety.  As I mentioned before I gathered many concepts for stories, and had attempts at lyrical writing before, but never went with that end. My poetry is a part of me, and each one varies in form. Some are dark; some are inspired by life or even videogames. There are few funny ones, just to release that need for a little comic relief.

I decided to publish them when I was finishing my 2nd book, the short stories anthology that already had two sequels and will have more in the coming years. It reaped into a right moment to finally release my lyrics/poems for the world, too. Writing for me is a form of release, not just of stories but emotions and thoughts that have gathered up inside me, which gives space for new ideas to be formed once they are set free.


7. What can you tell me about future projects you have planned?

Right now my 6th book is nearing its release, Seed of Evil which I mentioned earlier. Besides this novella a few old and new ideas wait in line. Am also working on my 4th anthology of short stories, it will be a long one. I have already planned to pen the sequel to Seed of Evil. One newer idea is still in the process.

I just need to see how things will go after. I do have an order, in which I write my projects, but sometimes things change and I end up writing another one, while keeping the former idea in line. I can say; many new and unsettling ideas have seeded themselves within me and are literally begging to be released.

I look forward to new challenges.


8. If you could change one thing about your life and specifically your career as a writer so far, what would it be?

Everything that is in the past is there for a reason and I would never change anything. When it comes to the future, it’s all in my hands to mold and shape in my way. If there is something I want or would want to change, be sure I am already working toward that goal.  For example I am working on moving out of Egypt. Nothing comes out of the blue but being positive, determined and focused does help. Everything is always a work in progress in the end.


9. If you could meet one person living or dead that you think could help you with your horror writing who would it be and why?

Very complicated question, since there are many people I would like to meet. Right now though, I can’t think of any “one” particular person I would wish to meet.


10. I would like to finish off with quick fire questions.

Freddy Krueger or Jason Voorhees? – Jason Voorhees

Michael Myers or Pinhead? - Pinhead

Zombies or Vampires? - Vampires

Alien or Predator? - Alien

Stephen King or Clive Barker? – Clive Barker

Jaws or Jurassic Park? – Jurassic Park

I would like to thank Robert Friedrich for taking the time to answer my questions, and I would also like to wish him all the luck and success in the future with his writing and other projects.
If you would like to find out more about Robert Friedrich then you can do so using the following links.

Thank you Robert.
Jon Donnis

Links:
Amazon.com Profile
Facebook Profile

And here are some direct links to Roberts books on the UK Amazon site too

FILM NEWS ( UK ): FILM4 FRIGHTFEST AND 4DIGITALMEDIA CO-HOST THE UK PREMIERE OF 'IRON SKY: DICTATOR'S CUT'

Film 4 FrightFest and 4Digital Media are delighted to announce the UK premiere of IRON SKY: DICTATOR'S CUT, ahead of its special collector's STEELBOOK DVD release on February 10th 2014.

IRON SKY: DICTATOR'S CUT - featuring an additional twenty minutes of never seen before footage, will screen with Director Timo Vuorensola and Producer Tero Kaukomaa in attendance at a special one off event at the Prince Charles Cinema, Leicester Square on Saturday 1st Februay 2014 at 6.00 PM.

The films director Vuorensola said, "This is the cut that I always wanted for the film - I can't wait for everyone to see this version, it's crazier,bigger and more fantastical than the first!"

On behalf of Film4 FrightFest co director Ian Rattray added "FrightFest are very pleased to be co-hosting this event with 4Digital Media.. We know our fans will love this event and it's always a pleasure to be back at the Prince Charles Cinema - FrightFest's spiritual home"

IRON SKY, a partly fan funded feature, stormed box office charts last year causing widespread buzz for perhaps one of the most surreal storylines in cinema history. This new DICTATOR'S CUT is bigger and better, with this one-off screening followed by a Q&A with the director and producer team behind IRON SKY.

The event will include special meet and greets, signing opportunities, one of a kind FRIGHFEST posters and chance to purchase signed copies of the film on limited edition, special steelbook format AHEAD of its general release on February 10th... Tickets, £13.50 and £11.00 for members are available from the Prince Charles Cinema or on line at www.princecharlescinema.com/events/events.php?seasonanchor=ironskydc

Interview with Rocky Wood - By David Kempf

Introduction:
Rocky Wood lives in Melbourne, Australia and is the author of major works about Stephen King. Three of these were nominated for the Horror Writers Association’s Bram Stoker Award® for Superior Achievement in Non-Fiction, including Stephen King: The Literary Companion, which won the 2011 Award.
He is also the author of two graphic novels, one of which – Witch Hunts: A Graphic History of the Burning Times – was awarded the Bram Stoker Award® for Superior Achievement in a Graphic Novel.

A freelance journalist since the 1970s, his articles have been published all over the world, including on subjects such as UFOs, the security industry and popular culture.He served as a Trustee of the Horror Writers Association (HWA) from 2008 to 2010; was elected President of the HWA in 2010, and re-elected in 2012. He is also an Active member of the International Thriller Writers and a founding member of the Australian Horror Writers Association.

As a lifelong horror fiction fan, it was great to interview Rocky. It was very generous of him to take the time to be interviewed by Masters of Horror U.K.

Interview with Rocky Wood By David Kempf

Tell us how you came involved in working with the Horror Writers Association.

I joined in 2005 after Cemetery Dance acquired my Stephen King: Uncollected, Unpublished for publication. I quickly found the HWA to be a valuable adjunct to my career and their members to be collegial, warm and welcoming people. I have always believed in giving back and have served on the Boards of numerous industry bodies and community groups over 35 years, including in leadership capacities. So I decided to ‘gave back’ by offering to serve on the Board. I was elected to the Board in 2008 and as President in 2010 (and re-elected in 2012).


How did you become president of the association?

Deborah LeBlanc, my predecessor asked if I would be willing to serve as President when she decided to retire at the end of her second term. I agreed and was the sole nomination!


Are you the first person in Australia to be president?

Yes, I’m the first Australian to serve. HWA is a truly international organization, with members in Europe, Canada, Japan, Russia, South America and Africa, as well as the United States.


How many short stories have you written? 

One! I have written non-fiction as a freelance journalist since I was 18, and two graphic novels in recent years but I rarely write fiction. This gives me even greater respect for those who do.


Tell us about your earliest inspirations.

I read widely as a child and a teenager. I was fascinated by the UFO phenomenon and the theory that this planet has been visited in the past by extraterrestrials. I began writing articles about that and was quickly given a national newspaper column. I also began writing about the security industry, in which I worked. I was inspired by the great nonfiction writers and important nonfiction books such as The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich, The Making of the President 1960 etc.

As to fiction I read widely across genres but the three authors I followed closely were Stephen King, Robert Ludlum and James A Michener.


What is it like to collaborate with Stephen King?

As you’d expect he is very professional but he also has a great sense of humor and is really easy to work with.


King said you know more about his work than he does. Do you have an eye for detail or just a huge fan of his books?

Both. In my professional career and in following Steve’s work I am known for my eye for detail. My typed notes, single spaced in 9 font exceed 7000 pages – and as you would expect they are organized and cross referenced. So, while I’m an uber-fan I also have the files and information to give me access to most everything one would want to know. History of Castle Rock? Check. Roland’s eye colour? Check. Roads in and out of Derry? Check? Danny Torrance’s birthdate (check, within a range, as it never specified). What cars characters drive? Check. Businesses in Frazier, New Hampshire? Check. Links between King’s works – check. And on it goes.


Do you consider yourself a mentor to other artists?
Tell us about your daily (or nightly) working routine.

I have specifically mentored a handful of writers, and others in the ‘business’ of writing. But my major way of paying back is to lead the HWA.

Each day I deal with my email first (as much of it originates in Europe and the US I generally have a backlog when I wake up). Next, writing to any deadlines – I don’t think I’ve ever missed one and I plan to keep it that way. Next, any general writing or research, depending on which has priority that day. Sometimes, I can’t write much more without research, for instance. Social media gets its turn during down times.


What do you feel is your greatest accomplishment as an artist so far?

I’d say Stephen King: Uncollected, Unpublished and its three subsequent editions. One day, both Steve and I will be gone, but hopefully this book will help inform future readers, researchers and critics much more fully about Steve’s canon than would otherwise have been possible.

I am also just finishing a 2014 update to that book that’s going to stretch to about 100 manuscript pages. New information comes to hand constantly as I research, so that book is like a living project. Access to King to clarify obscure questions helps too!


Name some of your favorite horror books. 

Something Wicked This Way Comes (Bradbury), I am Legend (Matheson), The Haunting of Hill House (Jackson), Ghost Story (Straub), The Pine Deep trilogy (Maberry), Swan Song (McCammon). And of course my list of King would be endless, but my top picks from him are The Stand, Bag of Bones, It, The Green Mile, Salem’s Lot, The Shining and The Dead Zone.


Name some of your favorite horror films.

Kubrick’s version of The Shining, Pet Sematary, The Day of the Triffids, The Others, Carpenter’s Halloween,


Why do you think horror movies and books remain popular?

Horror is the original form of storytelling. As early humans gathered around camp fires on the African savannah, or in European caves surely elders told stories about the dangerous world that surrounded them – full of horrific dangers from wild animals, inexplicable weather events and hostile geography.

Today, in the relative safety of modern society, horror stories speak to our most base fears. But they also give us a chance to live out scary and horrific scenarios from the perspective of observer – we can always close the book, or turn off the DVD. Still, many people do suffer horrific episodes in their lives or those of people they know – untimely death, physical, sexual and psychological violence, health issues such as cancer and horror perhaps addresses these issues more fully than any other type of fiction. And, some people just like to be scared!

The best horror stories are those with the best writing – a great story, well told, with memorable characters. I suspect many horror readers and viewers are willing to wade through works that are not up to that high standard in search of tales that speak to them, or their fears, directly.


What are your latest projects?

My illness now precludes from taking on a book length project. I’ve just completed an article about the influence of the western genre on Stephen King’s fiction. I believe that will be in the January issue of Dark Discoveries. And I’m working on an update to Stephen King: Uncollected, Unpublished.


What advice can you give to new writers seeking publication? 

Write every day, knowing that you can improve your writing every single day. Challenge yourself. Read widely. Network, network, network. Believe in yourself while considering advice from mentors and successful writers you would like to emulate. Choose from that advice wisely. Join a local writers group and a national one (or more) that represents your main genre. And, as Stephen King says, adverbs are not your friend!


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

Rocky Wood lives in Melbourne, Australia and is the author of major works about Stephen King. Three of these were nominated for the Horror Writers Association’s Bram Stoker Award® for Superior Achievement in Non-Fiction, including Stephen King: The Literary Companion, which won the 2011 Award. He is also the author of two graphic novels, one of which – Witch Hunts: A Graphic History of the Burning Times – was awarded the Bram Stoker Award® for Superior Achievement in a Graphic Novel. He is President of the Horror Writers Association.

You can find him at
www.rockywoodauthor.com

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About the interviewer: Novelist David Kempf

David Kempf has written over fifty short stories, many of which deal with themes of horror fiction. He has won several writing awards including first place in the short story competition of Millersville University's Lemuria magazine. Two of his short stories were selected in the 2007 publication of The Grackle, his graduate school's literary magazine. David is featured on two short fiction websites, one American and one British. He holds an M.S. from Chestnut Hill College and a B.A. from Millersville University. David resides in Bucks County, Pennsylvania with his wife and his son. Dark Fiction is his first novel. His latest book The Petsorcist mixes humor and horror.

You can find out more about David Kempfs new book and also buy at the following links

US.
Amazon.com

UK.
Amazon.co.uk