The Modern Master Of Horror: The Rise Of James Wan

A Malaysian-born, Australian film director, James Wan is most known for his impact on the horror genre since debuting his short film Saw in 2003. Honing his unique style from a young age, the director won Best Guerilla Film at the Melbourne Underground Film Festival for his first film Stygian, before breaking fresh ground with the gore-filled Saw. Wan then became known as the dominating force in quality horror films with the likes of critically-acclaimed and box office hits Insidious and The Conjuring – the latter of which remains the highest grossing original horror movie of all time, second only to The Exorcist.

The director’s next project sees him returning to the case files of Ed and Lorraine Warren in The Conjuring 2 (in cinemas June 13). Vera Farmiga and Patrick Wilson reprise their roles as the creepy couple, who, in one of their most terrifying paranormal investigations yet, travel to Enfield, London to help a single mother raising four children alone in a house plagued by malicious spirits.

Watch the trailer here

Ahead of the release of The Conjuring 2, we take a look at James Wan’s impressive run of horror films in the 13 years since he made Saw; showing how scares can still be an art-form when they come from this modern master of horror.

Saw (2004)
Demonstrating genius early on, after James Wan initially struggled to get the script for Saw produced he decided to shoot one of the scenes from the screenplay as a short film with the same title to attract attention. This worked and the film was green lit with a small budget and shot for 18 days. Telling the dark story of two men who wake to find themselves chained in a decrepit bathroom at the mercy of a sadistic mad man’s horrifying game, 6pm is the deadline for one man to escape and the other to save his family by killing him before he does. Although critical responses were mixed, the film gained a cult following and grossed $100 million worldwide – making it the most profitable horror film since Scream.

Insidious (2011)
With the extraordinary success of Saw, James Wan felt pressure from studios to create another gory horror and therefore made Insidious independently to ensure that he had creative control. Determined to show how restraint and silence could also be used to build scares, Wan stated that he enjoyed making “a film with lots of creepy, bizarre moments that a studio might not 'get.'” The story follows a family who try to prevent evil spirits from trapping their son in a creepy realm called The Further after a mysterious incident in their attic. The film’s twisted plot and slow build of suspense was lauded by critics and attracted cinema audiences in their droves, ensuring that a sequel would be in the works soon enough.

The Conjuring (2013)
James Wan was drawn to stories of real-life paranormal investigators Ed and Lorraine Warren, a couple who have been linked to every major ghost story to hit mainstream news, including what is now known as The Amityville Horror and The Haunting In Connecticut. The Conjuring focuses on one of their most chilling cases, that of the Perron family, who become terrorized by satanic forces at their home on a remote farm. The film received positive reviews from critics and smashed the box office, grossing over 15 times its production budget and making a profit of roughly $161 million.

The Conjuring 2 (2016)
James Wan returned to make The Conjuring 2 after becoming excited at the prospect of continuing the saga of Ed and Lorraine Warren. Bringing the original cast back to scare cinema audiences once again, this time the Warrens cross the pond to investigate the notorious Enfield Poltergeist. Following the chilling case that gripped the nation back in 1977 involving the alleged haunting of two young girls in a suburban council house, the film is set to be truly terrifying.

THE CONJURING 2 COMES TO CINEMAS JUNE 13

Interview with Jeremy Saulnier – Director of Green Room

Director Jeremy Saulnier has followed up 2013’s hugely acclaimed revenge thriller Blue Ruin with Green Room, a tense, gruesome chiller starring Anton Yelchin and Imogen Poots, about a punk band who find themselves at the mercy of a gang of neo-Nazi skinheads led by Patrick Stewart.


How did you get Patrick Stewart to play a neo-Nazi psychopath?

He’s up for an adventure – he was looking for something like this, something dark and unsettling. He really responded to the opportunity to step into a role that would require a downplayed, quiet authority, to be part of an ensemble, in contrast with this very young cast… just, I think, to take a break from studio franchises or TV shows and get his hands dirty on an independent film… it didn’t take much to convince him actually.


Did you have him in mind for the role?

I’m not that presumptuous… I certainly just wrote for authenticity for characters based on research or from my youth. A lot of the band is referring to real life friends I had growing up that were in the punk rock hardcore scene, but I definitely didn’t envision someone of Sir Patrick Stewart’s stature stooping so low as to be in our movie! So I was delighted and he had a really good time playing someone so nasty.


Was it all ‘Sir’ Patrick and bowing when he turned up? 

He was like anyone else, he just showed up on set, did his work, came prepared, asked all the right questions. Very much on the same page. I vet all my cast by enthusiasm too – I just want to make sure that everyone on set wants to be there because that creates this wonderful energy, that’s just supportive. You know, we’re all very vulnerable making movies and oftentimes it’s just exhausting, so when you’re surrounded by people who actually want to be there you feed off that collective energy – it’s great. And Patrick Stewart was one of the ensemble, and also at the same time commanded so much respect it translated to his character, and all his skinhead underlings were really sort of impacted by his presence in a perfect way - which achieved the dynamic I was looking for.


After Blue Ruin’s tremendous critical acclaim did you have actors queuing up to be in your next film?

It certainly helped having Blue Ruin as a reference, as actors can see how much I care about performance, how much weight I put on their shoulders. Blue Ruin is very bare bones, it’s so much based on Macon Blair’s central performance. They say there is a certain amount of loving care that goes into the movies I make… and you can’t do that having a toxic relationship with an actor. I guess you can but I don’t want to do that. Blue Ruin also served a very important purpose for Green Room, which is a tonal reference – because if you read Green Room on the page and you don’t quite get what I’m going for, this could be discarded as a typical horror/slasher movie. But having Blue Ruin really helped actors understand what I was going for. They felt a lot safer going in.

What was the thinking making your heroes a punk band – it’s not a typical thing is it?

For me it is – I was in a hardcore band in my youth, I was around a lot of punk music, heavy metal… so these are the kids I knew growing up. The key was to not get too bogged down in punk ideology and what have you, but to pull from experiences. They’re scavengers, like kids out of a Mad Max movie – the busted van, trying to siphon gas from parking lots. It has nice on-the-road, almost Road Warrior feel to it, of course downscaled into the real world - but I thought aesthetically it would be perfect. And I wanted to archive the music, for me and my buddies growing up.

By the end of the film you feel like you’ve been put through the mill – but was it one of those films that it was great fun to make?

The cast and crew had a blast. I think it was exhausting for the cast because of the physical nature of the performances, but as soon as we called cut and wrapped our days it was a lot of fun. Everyone loved each other. Having to do twenty days of non stop crying and mayhem and action – but we all genuinely liked each other, which is very rare, from what I hear… we benefitted from having a tough shoot but with very like-minded, invested individuals who made it more an insulated comfort zone.


You’ve got Blue Ruin, Green Room… is this going to be your Three Colours trilogy?

It is not. I’ve got no more colours in me right now.


So what is next for you?

I’m waiting to hear on a project that will be an amazing step up for me, visually and tonally. It’s in the process of casting, which will trigger off the money. I’m flying to LA tomorrow to have a meeting about a studio movie, and eventually I’ll write something for myself. I think it’s good to keep writing because I need a insurance policy to have my own script that I control. Because for so many reasons films fall through at any step in the process.


Do you have any particular films you watch before you start a project to inspire you?

I certainly watch movies before I start writing movies… because it’s hard, I have three kids and a busy life and I’m always doing so many things, and it’s had to get back into that headspace where your brain and your creative juices are aligned and it’s quiet enough to actually write. I’ll definitely binge on a few movies, more to get excited about cinema, to remember why I make films, to get these feelings back circulating in my system. For Green Room I watched Straw Dogs and Robocop. I watched a bunch of cool Seventies and Eighties movies that had a lot of texture and grit to them. Some Coen brothers movies. For the next one I write, it might not start for two years, who knows… It’ll be more of an adventure movie I think.


Both your films seem very unique – often reviews just say ‘it’s this film meets this film meets this film’ – and with your films it’s not so easy to do that.

The intention is certainly not to just mash a bunch of films together. When I write there’s no intentional references – other than the atmosphere and feeling some of my favourite films create. It’s never trying to do this typical Hollywood pitch: X movie meets Y movie.


Have you got a favourite punk movie?

Ahh man – Repo Man. Because it doesn’t try too hard to be punk. It’s just in there. It’s really cool and it’s bizarre and irreverent and lovely.


By the way, the bit with the box cutter in Green Room is one of the most horrible things I’ve ever seen, in a film.

[Laughs] Well, you’re welcome.


Green Room is released in UK and Irish cinemas on Friday 13th May

Interview with Lady Hellbat by David Kempf

Intro:
Lady Hellbat is a Canadian internet horror host and a longtime contributor to Rue Morgue Magazine. She is a talented writer with great insights into all things horror and controversial opinions on some of the idols of the genre. In just a short time she brings great promise for being a bold new critic.

Tell us how you became involved in all things horror?

I went to school for sociology and after a while it started to inform the way I looked at all major media, but especially movies. I came to realize that the reason I gravitated towards horror was because it tickled my brain, and once I was finished with school I got into horror journalism and pod-casting. I certainly never thought horror would take over my life the way it did!

How many film horror films have you seen?

394. Or maybe it’s 439; sometimes I lose count. Seriously though, I have no idea. I’ve seen a ton of movies for my own pleasure and another ton I’ve had to see for Rue Morgue or The Faculty of Horror... plus, I had a brain injury several years ago, so I’m sure there are several movies I’ve seen and completely forgotten!

Tell us about how you came up with the name and persona Lady Hellbat.

Well, I played roller derby for about 4 years, and “hellbat” was my derby name. The first time I was featured on the Rue Morgue podcast, the host mentioned it a lot, so I decided to carry it along into my other creative projects. Plus, it’s a lot easier to spell than “Subissati”. Everyone instinctively doubles the ‘t’ at the end. I get it, but there’s just one ‘t’. 

Please tell us about your favorite horror books and films when you were younger? 

Before there was Goosebumps, RL Stine used to write a YA series called Fear Street. They were pretty tame for horror books - mostly high school drama with a bit of murder here and there – but they were my gateway into Stephen King’s bibliography, which I devoured voraciously. As for movies, I watched all the classic slashers when I was a teenager, but the ones that really stuck with me were the brainier fare; movies like The Exorcist, The Omen, The Thing, etc.

Who do you think is cooler Batman or Dracula?

There’s an interesting question. I’ll go with Batman! One of the things that always drew me to Batman was his duality; millionaire playboy by day and costumed crime-fighter by night. Nowadays, I’m working full-time at Rue Morgue so I no longer feel like my love of horror is my dirty little secret that I reserve for after-hours, but for a long time I was the academic sociologist by day and the bartending horror freak at night. 

What is your most guilty pleasure in terms of watching a movie that is so bad it’s “good?”

I want to say Purple Rain but I feel like I should answer with a horror movie. Does David Lynch’s Dune count? I love that film but I can see why the rest of the world thinks it’s terrible. 

Tell us about all things Lady Hellbat.

Let’s see. I work at Rue Morgue Magazine, where I’m essentially an administrative fire-fighter in addition to copy editing and contributing writing. After work, I’m either working on my podcast, The Faculty of Horror, or my YouTube channel, The Batcave! 

How do you celebrate Halloween?

Sadly, Halloween has become a bit of an ordeal for me. For many years as a bartender, I’d always have to work Halloween parties and serve up drinks to people dressed up like Tiger Woods and kitty cats. Now, I have to work Rue Morgue’s Halloween parties… at least the costumes are better! Honestly though, when you work in horror, Halloween starts to feel like amateur hour. I guess it’s like what St Patrick’s day is to habitual alcoholics.

Name some of your favorite horror books.

I don’t have much time for leisurely reading anymore, but the last book I got really excited about was The Shining: Studies in the Horror Film. The Shining is one of my all-time favorites, and this book contains everything I ever wanted to know about what went on behind the scenes. Plus, I got to write a feature on it for Rue Morgue and interview the author, Danel Olson! He’s a lovely fellow.

What are your latest projects?

My YouTube channel is still new to me, and I’m working on ironing out the kinks. It’s such a unique medium – it takes a long time to learn its culture and norms and then settle into your own space within it. I held off on joining the YouTube community for years for fear of being in front of a camera, but it’s not so bad. It’s a really personal way to interact with other horror fans, and the community has been very welcoming and supportive.

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

Are they popular? My world is so steeped in horror that I tend to lose perspective on how the rest of the world sees it. Part of horror’s tremendous staying power has to do with its ability to incorporate cultural fears and anxieties into its content. There’s no shortage of inspiration when it comes to things we’re scared of, and when the right filmmakers tap into the right anxieties, the resulting films are especially enduring. 

What do you think is the best way to utilize Facebook?

As ubiquitous as Facebook has become, it’s important to remember that the site really gives you a lot of power to curate the kind of content that appears on your feed. I try to post daily content that’s fun and personal so that it feels like your old pal Lady Hellbat is just saying hi. 

Please write a paragraph describing you and your work. 

I’m a sociologist, journalist and podcaster. I earned my moniker playing roller derby for Toronto’s Gore-Gore Rollergirls. In 2010, my Masters thesis on the social impact of zombie cinema was published under the title When There’s No More Room In Hell: The Sociology of the Living Dead. Since then, I’ve been published in The Undead and Theology (2012) and The Canadian Horror Film: Terror of the Soul (2015). I joined the staff of Rue Morgue magazine in 2014, to which she is a frequent contributor.

In addition to writing, I’ve made guest appearances on the Rue Morgue Podcast and Pseudopod, and the TV horror documentary Why Horror? (2014).  I am co-host and producer of The Faculty of Horror podcast with writer Alexandra West, as well as co-curator of the Toronto-based horror lecture series The Black Museum, which I founded with Paul Corupe. In 2015, I launched the horror YouTube channel THE BATCAVE.

I stalk the streets of Toronto, Ontario, and can be found in my natural habitat, hunched over my laptop, and plotting my next coup. 

LINKS:

Website: http://www.ladyhellbat.com/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/necromandrea

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ladyhellbat

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/necromandrea

The Faculty of Horror Podcast: http://www.facultyofhorror.com/

The Batcave on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCjo0Pcz0-ZiZulMdLYiJltw

The Black Museum lecture series: http://theblackmuseum.com/

Film News (UK): Horror Channel to broadcast THE VATICAN TAPES – one of 8 premieres in May

Horror Channel will be broadcasting eight premieres during May, including the UK TV premiere of THE VATICAN TAPES, a dynamic, unusual and thrilling exorcism shocker by Crank director Mark Neveldine, which will broadcast on Friday 13th May at 9pm.

Screened at FrightFest Halloween 2015, the story centres on the battle to save a young girl’s her soul after she expresses increasingly erratic and strange behaviour. It soon becomes clear that Angela (Olivia Taylor Dudley) has been taken over by an ancient satanic force and that she must be quickly purged of evil. But what nobody knows is that the spiritual crusade is not just for Angela - it’s for the entire world as humanity knows it. Also atarring are Michael Peña, Dougray Scott, Djimon Hounsou and Peter Andersson

Receiving their first appearances on the Horror Channel are the grotesque Irish comedy horror STITCHES, starring Ross Noble and Tom Shankland’s chilling and taboo-shattering THE CHILDREN. There is also a UK TV premiere of Ian Clark’s stark & scary THE FACILITY.

Other premieres this month are: the UK Network premiere of Hank Braxton’s creature feature chiller MANEATER, the UK TV premiere of Mac Carter's frightening and powerful HAUNT, the network premiere of Norman J. Warren’s sadistic cult classic TERROR and the network premiere of Vernon Sewell’s strange and sinister CURSE OF THE CRIMSON ALTAR, starring Boris Karloff and Christopher Lee.

Films in transmission order:

Fri 6 May @ 9.00pm – MANEATER (2015)

Sat 7 May @ 10.50pm – STITCHES (2012)

Fri 13 May @ 9.00pm – THE VATICAN TAPES (2015)

Sat 14 May @ 11.00pm – TERROR (1978)

Fri 20 May @ 9.00pm – HAUNT (2014) *UK TV Premiere

Sat 21 May @ 10.50pm – CURSE OF THE CRIMSON ALTER (1968)

Fri 27 May @ 10.55pm – THE FACILITY (2012) *UK TV Premiere

Sat 28 May @ 9.00pm – THE CHILDREN (2008) *Network Premiere

TV: Sky 319 / Virgin 149 / Freesat 138 | Freeview 70
www.horrorchannel.co.uk | twitter.com/horror_channel | facebook.com/horrorchannel

Competition: Win The Bunker on DVD

The Bunker is out on DVD on 2nd May! and to celebrate we have a great competition for you and 3 copies to win.

Synopsis:
At the height of the Cold War, Russia was working on a secret scientific mission, which, if successful, would have changed the course of history. The mission, "Project 12," was ultimately deemed too dangerous to continue and the scientists involved were to be exterminated. Three scientists escaped and Project 12 was sealed in a well-guarded bunker, never to be seen again...until now.

The lead scientist for Project 12 has now become the target of a worldwide manhunt, as he is the lone survivor from the team and is the only man who knows the secrets that have been buried in the bunker; secrets that could change the whole history of the world.

Win This:
The Bunker [DVD]

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

Who Directs The Bunker?

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

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.

Winners will be chosen randomly and will be informed via email.

Full Movie (USA Only) - Beneath - (2007) - From The Paramount Vault

MTV Films presents a thriller that will take you to the depths of darkness and leave you breathless.

Christy returns home after the death of her sister Vanessa and is haunted by prophetic visions of violence and murder that begin to come true. When her visions depict Vanessa’s sadistic premature burial, Christy sets out to uncover the truth behind her death – and discovers that the truth can never be buried.

Full Movie (USA Only) - The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2 - From The Paramount Vault

Paramount have added this full movie to their Youtube Channel, you need to be in the USA to watch, but if you have a US proxy you can also watch. Enjoy!

Synopsis:
From the director of the original Texas Chainsaw Massacre, this ghastly and hilarious sequel descends into your deepest, darkest fears as a wacked-out lawman goes after human meat-cutters with his own high-octane chainsaws in a horrific showdown with the legendary Leatherface and his entire cannibalistic family. For 14 years, former Texas Ranger Lefty Enright (Oscar nominee Dennis Hopper, Hoosiers) has been obsessed with finding the psychotic mass-murderers who killed his brother's children. And today he's in luck. A tough as nails late-night disc jockey (Caroline Williams, Days of Thunder) has caught the ghouls on tape in the act of slicing and dicing a couple of fun-loving rich kids. When she volunteers to help, Lefty persuades her to play the tape on-air to lure the maniancs out of hiding. But what she doesn't know is that she's the only witness to this diabolical family's butchery who hasn't been carved up for somebody's supper...Just yet!

Film news (UK): Horror mystery THE CURSED gets VOD release

Spooky suspense and high death count as a demon curse hits small town…

THE CURSED, a supernatural thriller starring Costas Mandylor (Saw IV, V, VI), Louis Mandylor (Daylight’s End), and Brad Thornton (Kickboxer 4), will be available to download in the UK on Google Play, iTunes and  Blinkbox from April 11, 2016

Synopsis: Denny White (Brad Thornton) arrives in sleepy Warren County, Tennessee, his childhood home.  Not much has changed on the surface but Denny hears about the mystery surrounding a supposed ‘demon’ killing livestock and even some local inhabitants. He starts researching the town’s history hoping to unravel fact from fiction. Sheriff Jimmy Muldoon (Costas Mandylor) and younger brother, Deputy Lloyd Muldoon (Louis Mandylor) have a firm grip on the town and they resent White ‘snooping’ around. When a new batch of killings start White is the number one suspect….

THE CURSED comes to the UK courtesy of TriCoast UK.

Official Trailer:

£4.49 HD  £3.49 SD VOD
Running time: 88 min  Language: English,

Acclaimed horror hit THE DIVINE TRAGEDIES lands US distribution

Burbank, CA :  Critically-acclaimed festival favorite THE DIVINE TRAGEDIES, from writer-director Jose Prendes, will be distributed in the US by Uncork’d Entertainment.

The first feature from Dual Visions, the company headed up by Jon and James Kondelik, has been called “a dangerous and perfect little nightmare that needs to be seen” (Aint it Cool News) and “simply divine” (Dread Central).

The film tells of two brothers that fulfill their murderous fantasies, but doing so derails their relationship with horrifying results. Rising star Hannah Levien, from TV’s The Magicians, genre favorite Barbara Crampton (Re-Animator), Ken Foree (The Devil’s Rejects), Graham Denman and Lynn Lowry (The Crazies) star.

Uncork’d Entertainment President Keith Leopard says he’s excited to be working with the Kondelik’s on the well-received film.

“I immediately fell in love with THE DIVINE TRAGEDIES – it’s as captivating and frightening as it is visually stunning. Prendes has crafted a masterwork of horror here. We’re excited to be teaming with Dual Visions to bring the film to the masses.”

Producer Jon Kondelik says, “We are thrilled to have Uncork'd Entertainment release Jose Prendes' psychological thriller to the masses. Divine Tragedies is our first of many films and couldn't ask for a better start for our company."

"It's one of those films that is super soaked in color, blood, and a butt load of imagery to warp your mind”, says producer James Kondelik. “Who wouldn't be excited for this release?"

Uncork'd Entertainment will release THE DIVINE TRAGEDIES later this year.

Competition: Win Ghoulies 2 on Blu-ray

Ghoulies 2 is out on Blu-ray on 11th April! and to celebrate we have a great competition for you and 3 copies to win.

Synopsis:
For the first time available in the UK on Blu-Ray.

The Ghoulies are back and more devilish than ever, as they turn an unsuspecting carnival into a house of pandemonium in this wildly outrageous sequel to the original smash hit to Ghoulies!

Satans Den has received its final warning; either the not-so-creepy House of Horrors spooks-up its act and scares some customers fast or its gateway to hell will be closed for eternity. Just when Larry Prentice (Damon Martin) and his uncle Ned (Royal Dano) think theres not a ghost of a chance that theyll save their show, they get some uninvited visitors to spice things up. The Ghoulies makes Satans Den their home and profits soar as the demonic little creatures wreak havoc on the helpless fairgrounds. So take a ride on the Ghoulie-Go-Round and play some Bumper Ghoulies enjoy yourself because the Ghoulies will always get you in the end!

Win This:
Ghoulies 2 [Blu-ray]

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

Competition Closed

Winners will be chosen randomly and will be informed via email.