Interview with Andrea Mugnaini

Ouija Séance : Origin of Evil filmmaker Andrea Mugnaini explains that she’s always been fascinated with the world of the paranormal.


How long have you been on the film for now, Andrea? 

I was 19 when I was attending the first year of “science of communication” at the University of Florence. In the café of the University there was an advertising poster of a local film school that often caught my attention. I decided to go and take a look, a few months later I shot my first short film and now that I’m 36 I’m still shooting.


Was it an idea you came up with?

Yes, I’ve always been very fascinated by the world of paranormal since I was a child.
Once, at a dinner party, I had the opportunity to chat with a girl who had personally experienced a Ouija session that had gone wrong. She was really shocked by the incident and her story struck me deeply. I few days later I started writing the script.


Where did you get inspiration from?

After the first chat with the girl at the dinner party I interview many other people. I wanted to speak with different people to observe as many points of view as possible regarding this phenomenon. So, during the first year of researches, I spoke with people of different nationalities, ages, religion, culture, and social status. The amazing thing is that their stories were all very similar despite the big differences of the interviewees.


Did you have to do any research into the world of Ouija boards and communicating with the afterlife?

To get a more scientific opinion on this phenomenon I also wanted to talk with a couple of psychologists. I was very happy to find out that one of them had a direct experience with a Ouija board. It was not easy to convince him to talk about his personal experience but in the end the information I gathered was very important for the development of the script.


What were your initial plans for it? To sell it to a studio or did you always intend of doing it independently? 

I always intended to do it independently, from the beginning of the project, in order to maintain control over the film artistically and productively.


Any hiccups along the way?

When you shoot an indie movie it’s very normal to get some hiccups along the way I guess. In any phase of production we encountered some problems, sometimes bigger sometimes smaller but I must say I got an incredible crew for this project and all together we have solved all the issues. In particular I’m very grateful to Monica Sperandio, the executive producer, without her this project would have hardly seen the light… she always found the right syrup for each type of hiccups.


How did you go about getting distribution?

After the long phase of postproduction I went to “Le Marché du film” during the Cannes Film Festival. Was my first time there cause “Ouija Séance” was my first movie produced for an international distribution and everything was a new discovery for me. So I filled my backpack with an hard disk containing the movie, a PDF of the project and a lot of hope. This is when I met Galen Christy, the founder of High Octane Pictures. We were in tune from the beginning  and I loved his enthusiasm and his ideas about the distribution of OUIJA SÉANCE . I’m very happy to have chosen High Octane Pictures and very proud to have been chosen by them.


Some beautiful locations there. Which city was it shot in?

The movie is set in Italy, my wonderful Country,  and more precisely in Florence and Vallombrosa, an amazing ancient forest not too far from the town. Vallombrosa translated means literally shady valley and it’s a place with an unique atmosphere. It’s an area rich of legends and folklore so it was the perfect location to set my movie. Despite the difficulties to shoot in a place with practically no streets, no electric energy, no hotels or restaurants within many miles, I really wanted to capture that atmosphere with my camera.
Also, the Villa where it takes place a big part of the movie it’s been the witness of a brutal murder back in the 80’s and I could breath some kind of energy there.. hard to explain, but definitely that was the perfect location for my movie.


If you were going to watch Ouija Séance : The Final Game in a double feature with another film, what would you consider be a perfect second film?

The perfect second film would be “Profondo Rosso” by Dario Argento, probably the best Italian horror film director. “Profondo rosso” means “deep red” and despite the fact that it’s been released more than 40 years ago it’s still very modern in its language. I think that this movie deeply influenced me and increased my passion for horror genre. The use he does of music it’s incredible and I think that it’s a must see for all the horror fans.

Arrow Video FrightFest 2018 announces record-breaking 19th year line-up.

Remaining in the heart of London’s West End for its 19th edition, the world renowned horror and fantasy film festival turbo-charges into the Cineworld Leicester Square and The Prince Charles Cinema from Aug 23 - Aug 27 2018. Hosting a record-breaking seventy films, embracing eighteen countries and spanning six continents, this year’s line-up is a true celebration of the genre’s global popularity. The five-day fear-a-thon includes 20 World, 17 European and 22 UK Premieres.

The opening night attraction is the UK premiere of THE RANGER. Jenn Wexler’s impressive directorial debut feature is an explosive, post-modern slasher, with a kick-ass punk soundtrack and a knock-out lead performance from Chloe Levin (The Transfiguration). Wexler, the first female director to open FrightFest, will be attending.

She said today: “We are honored and thrilled to be selected as this year’s opening night film. I made THE RANGER because I love punk rock and ‘80s horror. We can’t wait to share it with fans in the city where punk has its roots, at one of the world’s best genre festivals."

Bringing the festival to a fitting conclusion is the UK premiere of Gaspar Noé’s CLIMAX, courtesy of our headline sponsors Arrow Video, which finds the incorrigible Irreversible wild child at the peak of his confrontational and hypnotically mesmerising powers. Based on true events, this throbbing whirling dervish is Noé’s Disco Inferno via Dante’s.

Over the years FrightFest has discovered and nurtured a host of talented directors and many are returning this year including Martyrs maestro Pascal Laugier with the UK premiere of his latest in the French Extreme annals INCIDENT IN A GHOST LAND, Paul Hyett with the World premiere of his medieval harrower HERETIKS, Colin Minihan with the UK premiere of romantic shocker WHAT KEEPS YOU ALIVE. Padraig Reynolds with the World premiere of his neo-slasher OPEN 24 HOURS and the fully-charged Turbo Kid trio François Simard, Anouk Whissell and Yoann-Karl Whissell bring us the European premiere of serial killer thriller SUMMER OF 84. Then there are World premieres for the Paz brothers scorching new take on the fable THE GOLEM, Tom Paton’s cosmic horror BLACK SITE, and Jon Knautz’s THE CLEANING LADY, starring his Goddess of Love muse Alexis Kendra.

Plus, the line-up sees Saw maven Darren Lynn Bousman return with the European premiere of nunsploitation ST AGATHA, Insidious creator Leigh Whannell gifts us with a special preview of his super sci-fi thriller UPGRADE, Johnny Kervorkian appears with the European premiere of his Cronenbergian chiller AWAIT FURTHER INSTRUCTIONS, Rock video genius Joseph Kahn in back in the spotlight with the UK premiere of his extraordinary battle rap BODIED, director-turned-producer Lucky McKee with director Robert D. Krzykowski’s presents the European premiere of the superb THE MAN WHO KILLED HITLER AND THEN THE BIGFOOT, with Hollywood veteran Sam Elliott giving an award-winning performance.

This year there are a record number of films, embracing zombie horror comedies, redemption thrillers, supernatural twisters, musicals, creature features, biographical dramas, reinvented slashers, gross animation and paranormal freakery. FrightFest has aimed to reflect that rich diversity with films such as Jerome Pikwane’s supernatural horror TOLKOLOSHE, the first festival entry from South Africa, which receives its World Premiere, John McPhail’s exuberant zombie musical ANNA AND THE APOCALYPSE, the UK premiere of Mike Mort’s gory animated shocker CHUCK STEEL: NIGHT OF THE TRAMPIRES. Caye Casas and Albert Pintó’s end of the world eye-opener KILLING GOD, Paul Raschid’s post-Brexit thriller WHITE CHAMBER, starring Shauna Macdonald and. Takeshi Sone’s LGBTQ stunner GHOST MASK: SCAR.

Then there is Matthew Holness’ much anticipated POSSUM, Jérémie Guez’s blazing A BLUEBIRD IN MY HEART, Andy Mitton’s unusual THE WITCH IN THE WINDOW, Linus de Paoli’s gut-wrenching A YOUNG MAN WITH HIGH POTENTIAL, Chris Sun’s Oz creature feature BOAR, Justin P. Lange’s intensely moving THE DARK, Evan Cecil’s splatterific LASSO, Owen Egerton’s bloody cheeky BLOOD FEST, Anthony Scott Burn’s sinister OUR HOUSE, Dominique Rocher’s galvanizing THE NIGHT EATS THE WORLD, Adam Marcus’ slay ride SECRET SANTA, Dean Devlin’s grueling BAD SAMARITAN, starring David Tennant, Trevor Stevens’ slyly futuristic ROCK STEADY ROW, Justin McConnell’s remarkable shape-shifting LIFECHANGER, Owen Long’s dark fantasy SEEDS, Nicolas Pesce’s Italian soundtack-tastic PIERCING and Franck Ribière’s stylish Grand Guignol recreation THE MOST ASSASSINATED WOMAN IN THE WORLD.

The cabinet of fear holds more…be prepared for Orson Oblowitz’s splatter revenge saga HELL IS WHERE THE HOME IS, starring Faruza Balk, Quinn, Lasher’s nightmarish HE’S OUT THERE, starring The Handmaid’s Tale’s Yvonne Strahovski, Tim van Dammen’s dimensionally hilarious MEGA TIME SQUAD, David Barker’s De Palma-esque PIMPED, Shin'ichirô Ueda’s one-take wonder ONE CUT OF THE DEAD, Giordano Giulivi’s black-and-white marvel THE LAPLACE’S DEMON, Abiel Bruhn and John Rocco’s three mothers saga THE NIGHT SITTER, Matt Mercer and Mike Testin’s unstable DEMENTIA PART II, Stewart Sparke’s action-packed BOOK OF MONSTERS, Sam Ashurst’s experimental 200-anniversary celebration FRANKENSTEIN’S CREATURE, Kristian A. Söderström’s tribute to VHS collectors everywhere VIDEOMAN, Marcus Hearn’s beautifully informative documentary HAMMER HORROR: THE WARNER BROS YEARS, Andre Gower’s look at The Monster Squad cult phenomenon, WOLFMAN’S GOT NARDS. Ante Novakovic’s Halloween-set crowd-pleaser actually titled FRIGHT FEST and there’s murder on the dance floor in Bernhard Pucher’s nightclubbed RAVERS, starring Georgia Hirst from Vikings.

The popular raw talent strand ‘First Blood’ returns with four stellar titles: Kevin Chicken’s outstanding body modification shocker PERFECT SKIN, Aislinn Clark’s THE DEVIL’S DOORWAY, a terrifying depiction of devil possession, Harry Lindley’s computer virus techno thriller CTRL and Ben Kent’s F.U.B.A.R, which sees a stag party descend on a Zombie Apocalypse paintball weekend. What could go wrong? Here’s where you’ll find tomorrow’s names today, so good talent-spotting.

Another of FrightFest’s popular discovery strands is our spotlight on South American fantasy and this year highlights the scream of the crop. The one title that is currently scaring up a storm is Demian Rugna’s TERRIFIED, (you will be!). Then there’s the European premiere of Ezequiel Endelman and Leandro Montejano’s homage to Dario Argento, CRYSTAL EYES, the UK premiere of Gonzalo Calzada’s Argentine hit LUCIFERINA and the UK premiere of Gustavo Leonel Mendoza’s CULT OF TERROR, an engaging documentary look at all the Latin American and Spanish-speaking fantasy festivals.

In 2008 FrightFest world-premiered Kerry Anne Mullaney’s The Dead Outside and since then have consistently championed female directors. This year is no exception. Apart from Jenn Wexler’s THE RANGER and Anouk Whissell’s involvement with SUMMER OF 84, we also showcase the European premiere of Mitzi Peirone’s visually dazzling BRAID, the European premiere of Aislinn Clark’s THE DEVIL’S DOORWAY (one of our ‘First Blood’ entries) and, by popular demand, a second screening of Issa López’s stunning Mexican fairytale TIGERS ARE NOT AFRAID. Nor must we forget Veronika Franz, Katrin Gebbe and Agnieszka Smoczynska’s wonderful contributions to the Euro-fable anthology THE FIELD GUIDE TO EVIL, which receives its UK premiere.

No FrightFest would be complete without a couple of shockers starring our First Lady of Fright, the incomparable Barbara Crampton. This year, everyone’s favourite genre icon is represented by the European premiere of Sonny Laguna and Tommy Wiklund’s fabulous reboot PUPPET MASTER: THE LITTLEST REICH and the UK premiere of Brad Baruh’s weird, wild and blood-soaked DEAD NIGHT.

Casting a truth-searing spotlight on FrightFest itself is Chris Collier’s documentary FRIGHTFEST: BENEATH THE DARK HEART OF CINEMA, which will receive its World premiere. Assembling a vast range of footage from every single past event and putting together dozens of interviews, the result is a warts-and-all look at the people behind FrightFest and what makes the UK’s best genre festival tick.

For many seasoned movie-lovers the much-missed Scala Cinema in London’s King’s Cross area was the repertory Mecca for the weirdest double-bills and electric audience atmospheres.  It was also where Shock Around The Clock began, the origins of FrightFest Now fans can relive those golden days with a double-bill of classic exploitation chosen by the veteran programmer of the establishment herself, Jane Giles. Her book on the venue will be published in September by FAB Press and to celebrate FrightFest and Jane Giles will present Jeff Lieberman’s pulp science fiction BLUE SUNSHINE and Julien Temple’s Sex Pistols documdrama THE GREAT ROCK’N’ROLL SWINDLE, both to be shown in 35mm.

For your ears only! In a first for FrightFest, director Roxanne Benjamin (XX, Southbound) presents an exclusive screening of FINAL STOP, a must-hear horror short produced by Sennheiser and starring Phoebe Tonkin (The Originals). Shot entirely on smartphone, and recorded in full binaural audio using the AMBEO Smart Headset, the film is designed to be watched with headphones (which will be supplied), so audiences can immerse themselves in the story and its terrifying 3D soundscape.

There will also be a special screening of GHOST STORIES where co-writers/co-directors Jeremy Dyson and star Andy Nyman will host a live commentary and The Duke Mitchell Film Club is back with a hosted presentation of Sam Jones’ documentary LIFE AFTER FLASH. This is followed by the now notoriously popular DUKE MITCHELL PARTY, where the audience and invited special guests can expect all manner of madness guaranteed to kick off your Saturday late night in style.

Alan Jones, co-director of FrightFest, said today: “We have celebrated the astonishing vibrancy of this truly independent genre for nineteen years now, and our audience knows that over five joyous days with us they will experience being jolted, shocked, saddened, terrified, provoked, transported, challenged and even transformed. So come and join us on another fabulous voyage of discovery into places many except the bravest FrightFester won’t go”.

He added: “A lot has happened over the past twelve months in the world of horror fantasy. Fueled by a number of head-line grabbing, Oscar-winning, box-office hits, the mainstream thinks it has ‘discovered’ horror in a big way. But the ever-expanding FrightFest community have always known that Horror fantasy has forever been slap-bang centre-stage, and is finally getting the recognition the consistently money-making genre deserves”.

This year’s guest list, special events and the Short Film Showcase entries will all be announced in the coming weeks.

Festival passes will go on sale Sat 30 June at noon and will only be available to buy online:  http://www.frightfest.co.uk/tickets.html

Single tickets will go on sale on Sat 21 July from 9am.

Interview with Linara Washington

Linara Washington plays Vanessa, the special effects and makeup artist working on the film within the film in Darkness Reigns, on VOD July 10. In this exclusive interview Washington explains how she got into acting, how her character becomes the moral compass of her new movie and how it was working with Andrew P.Jones.


1. First off, how'd you get into acting?

I’ve always loved the arts. My parents putt my sisters and me in dance classes and had us playing instruments—I started the violin when I was five—at every turn. My first play was TO BE YOUNG GIFTED AND BLACK when I was four years old.  I was fascinated with tv and films from a very young age and took to putting on whole shows in my bedroom with my stuffed animals. I always knew I wanted to act.

I was, however, also very good at math and science, and despite my parents openness to having me take all sorts of artsy classes they had no desire to have me pursue acting. It took the summer after my third year of college to finally have the courage to do something about this passion I had. So I took the money my father gave me for my MCATs and I bought headshots. Come graduation day, I had to tell him that I had not applied to any medical schools, and that I’d taken his money and purchased headshots. Needless to say, he wasn’t very happy.

It took a minute, but he finally came around and is my biggest supporter. I haven’t looked back since.


2. Tell us about your character in DARKNESS REIGNS? 

Vanessa is the makeup and special effects artist for the film. She is a quiet, mind her own business kind of girl. She enjoys a challenge and prefers to work on her own whenever possible. It allows her to be around a lot of people without having to interact with a whole lot of people all the time. Being in the limelight or the center of attention is really uncomfortable for her. But as the film progresses she rises to the occasion and finds an inner strength that I don’t think she knew she had. In many ways she becomes the moral compass of the movie as it reaches it’s end.


3. The movie is full of great effects How is it acting/working with something that has to be inserted later in post-production? 

I find it really exciting when I have to do something that presents an unusual challenge for me as an actor. Some of the best work comes in those moments when I have to actually imagine what the terrifying thing is instead of outright seeing it. It’s a little tricky because it takes a level of trust between the director and the actors that neither one is going to let the other one down. I can react as big or as small as is needed, but it’s the directors job is to make sure my reactions match with what will finally be put in once the effects are done. I think these moments also allowed me to stretch my imagination, which is obviously not as necessary when you get to see what the terrifying thing is in the moment.


4. It also has a lot of action in it. How demanding is a role like this because things can get pretty physical at times?

I’m an actor who loves action and being put in awkward and crazy positions. I would LOVE to do a movie that requires me to learn to do my own stunts.  DARKNESS had a fair amount of running up and down stairs and hallways, and because of the way we were filming there were few—if any opportunities to mess up without having to start all over again. We definitely got our workout in, and the sweltering heat certainly added to challenge.

If I had to speak to what was most demanding about this role for me, it would be playing producer at the same time. There’d be times when I was in the makeup chair learning lines, while also sending a PA out on an errand, and trying to make sure that each of the departments had enough petty cash to get through the day. This set kept me on my toes! Oh, did I mention that my child, who was still nursing, was also on set from time to time? Yeah! Crazy, busy times for Linara.


5. Tell us about working with Andrew, on a professional level?

Andrew and I work very well together. As producing partners we have a really nice balance.  I like doing the math, crunching numbers and money stuff while he, in addition to the writing, gets to work on putting together all the creative teams and scouting needs. Once we’re on set he directs and I act. He’s a good director in that he knows what he wants and can convey to his actors what he needs pretty succinctly.  He works quickly because as an editor he already knows what the final shot is going to look like, which can be a real plus when you’re on a tight schedule and budget.

I am an actor who takes direction really well. I enjoy bringing another person’s vision to life. I also enjoy playing, and taking risks. Andrew, as a director allows for both. It’s a pretty nice setup, really.

6. You've gotten a lot of positive attention with the film. Has that helped your career too?

I’ve been really lucky to be involved in a number of well-received projects. Every little bit helps and it certainly doesn’t hurt that a lot of the attention has been positive.


7. What's up next for you? Next movie to be released?  

My goal is to book my first series regular role on a TV show. I’ve been getting close, so it’s just a matter of more hard work, time, and opportunity. Aside from that, Andrew and I are working on a couple of films, and I have a pilot that’s been swimming around in my head for forever that I would like to write.


8. Do you have time for any hobbies?

I have a number of hobbies, but if anything takes away from getting to indulge in them it’s being a full-time mommy. I love my kid and want to give her the world.

So, when I do have time I love to dance and hike. I enjoy going to the library and bookstores. I’ve been really out of practice when it comes to writing, but that is a hobby I’d like to recultivate. I have so many ideas and it would be a shame to just let them live in my head.


9. Do you do conventions/comic-cons? 

I would LOVE, LOVE, LOVE to do conventions and comic-con one day. Who do I talk with to make that happen?!


10. Where can we find you online? 

www.linarawashington.com
Twitter: @linara
Instagram: @linarawashington
Facebook: @linara828

Horror Channel gets beastly in July with ANIMAL ATTACK SEASON

Nature gets nasty on Horror Channel in July with ANIMAL ATTACK SEASON, a beastly collection of movies including the UK premiere of teeth-clenching croc thriller BLACK WATER and the network premiere of CUJI, Stephen King’s macabre tale of a rabid St. Bernard dog, starring Scream Queen Dee Wallace. The prime-time Saturday night savagery continues throughout the month with Carlos Brooks’ wonderful ‘Tiger in a House’ nerve-jangler BURNING BRIGHT and David Hackl’s killer bear actioner INTO THE GRIZZLY MAZE, starring James Marsden, Thomas Jane, and Billy Bob Thornton.


Full film details in transmission order:


Sat 7 July @ 21:00 – CUJO (1983) *Network Premiere

When sweet St. Bernard dog Cujo is bitten by a bat, he morphs into a dangerous beast and goes on a rampage in a small town. Stay-at-home mom Donna (Dee Wallace) gets caught in Cujo's crosshairs on a fateful errand with her son, Tad (Danny Pintauro). Stuck in their car, Donna and Tad have a frightening showdown with the crazed animal.


Sat 14 July @ 21:00 – BURNING BRIGHT (2010)

Johnny Gavenau’s latest get-quick-rich scheme is to turn his Florida ranch into a Safari Park. As the main attraction he buys a dangerous Bengal tiger from an unscrupulous circus trader. But the ravenous beast gets loose, its’ only refuge the ranch house interior where stepdaughter Kelly and her autistic little brother Tom reside...


Sat 21 July @ 21:00 – BLACK WATER (2007) *UK TV

A terrifying tale of survival in the mangrove swamps of Northern Australia. Grace, her boyfriend Adam and younger sister Lee are on holiday and decide to take a river tour. When their boat capsizes, in the ensuing panic, their amateur guide disappears into the murky depths. Based on a true story, the sudden reptilian attacks, and desperate attempts to get back to their submerged boat raise potent apprehension and imaginatively stretch the suspense to nail-biting levels


Sat 28 July @ 21:00 – INTO THE GRIZZLY MAZE (2007)

James Marsden, Thomas Jane, and Billy Bob Thornton star in this action-packed adventure set in the Alaskan wilderness. After a relentless grizzly starts to wreak havoc on a small town, the sheriff heads into the forest to find his ecologist wife but instead crosses paths with his estranged, ex-con brother. They soon find themselves on the run from the massive killer bear. The hunted become the hunter in this edge-of-your seat thriller about the power of nature


There are also UK TV Premieres for Dylan K Narang’s gruelling survival chiller WAKE IN FEAR and the supernatural shocker BOOGEYMAN 2, starring ‘Saw’ man Tobin Bell.


Fri 13 July @ 22:45 – BOOGEYMAN 2 (2007) *UK TV Premiere

Having witnessed the bloody death of her parents as a child, Laura Porter (Station 19’s Danielle Savre) attempts to cure her phobia of the boogeyman by checking herself into a mental health facility. However, she slowly begins to realise, as her therapy group are killed off one by one, that she is now helplessly trapped with her own greatest fear.  Also stars Tobin Bell.


Fri 27 July @ 21:00 – WAKE IN FEAR (2016) * UK TV Premiere

This feature debut from writer-director Dylan K. Narang sees an imprisoned young woman (Fear, Inc.’s Caitlin Stasey) unexpectedly cross paths with a desperate man (Markus Taylor of Deadheads) in the den of a mysterious killer.


TV: Sky 317 / Virgin 149 / Freeview 70 / Freesat 138

Website: http://www.horrorchannel.co.uk/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/horrorchannel
Twitter: https://twitter.com/horror_channel

Graham Humphreys’ beautiful artwork for Arrow Video FrightFest 2018 pays homage to 200th Anniversary of Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein

Arrow Video FrightFest 2018 has revealed Graham Humphreys’ stunning artwork for this year’s annual Bank Holiday event, the UK’s largest celebration of genre cinema, taking place at Cineworld Leicester Square and The Prince Charles Cinema between Thurs Aug 23 & Mon Aug 27, 2018.

For Graham, celebrating the 200th anniversary of Mary Shelley's 'Frankenstein' seemed too important to ignore:

“In the same way that Frankenstein gave life to his monster, horror films stimulate our imagination and give form to ideas that otherwise dare not leave the shadows”, he commented. “The painting shows our familiar host enjoying a fresh jolt...as do we - the audience - each year at FrightFest. In the background, a new entity emerges through the doorway... a new sponsor... Arrow Video!”

It’s time to crank up the Wimshurst generator, unleash the primal forces, see what's on the slab and do the Monster Mash…

www.frightfest.co.uk | FB: /FrightFestreal | Twitter: @frightfest | IG: @frightfestUK
www.arrowfilms.com | FB: /ArrowVideo | Twitter: @ArrowFilmsVideo | IG: @ArrowVideo
#ARROWFRIGHTFEST

Competition: Win Xtro: Limited Edition on Blu-Ray

Xtro: Limited Edition is out on Blu-ray on 2nd July 2018. And to celebrate we have a great competition for you and 2 copies on Blu-ray to give away.

Synopsis
Part E.T., part Alien, British horror classic Xtro is one of the strangest, most shocking exploitation flicks to land on earth during the video nasty heyday. A film that narrowly avoided inclusion and prosecution on the original nasties list, threw in buckets of blood and gore and some of the most outlandish plot twists of the VHS era to create a truly memorable horror classic. Now it makes its arrival for the first time on Blu-ray courtesy of Second Sight Films as Xtro: Limited Edition Box Set.

Loved by horror fans, reviled by highbrow critics on its original release and one of the most notorious homegrown films of its time, Xtro lands on 18 June 2018 in a newly restored version complete with a raft of new extras, including an hour-long documentary charting the film’s history and its impact, alongside its original alternate ending too, full info attached.

Father Sam Phillips is playing with his family in the back garden of his idyllic English home when a bright light appears and seemingly abducts him. Three years later, the light returns and dumps a half human half alien creature. After slaughtering a couple who inadvertently stumble on it in a country road, the creature impregnates a woman who gives birth – in one of cinemas most outrageous scenes – to a fully formed Sam. He heads to London, seeking out his family and developing a strange bond with his son. And then things start to get really weird…

Can you stomach Xtro?

Click here to buy from Amazon (Opens in a new window)

COMPETITION CLOSED

Terms and conditions
1. Closing date 09-07-18
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.

FrightFest and Horror Channel renew their Sponsor partnership

London, 7 June 2018. Horror Channel and FrightFest have agreed a one-year partnership deal, which sees the UK's No.1 TV destination for genre fans become the Broadcast Sponsor for the country's biggest and most popular horror & fantasy film festival.

 

The agreement means that the CBS Studios International and AMC Networks International – UK owned channel continues its long-standing relationship with the festival, which dates back to 2005, and includes a two-year tenure as headline sponsor from 2016-2017.  

 

As part of the deal, the channel will devote thirteen nights in August to a FrightFest Season, broadcasting twenty-six films from past festivals, which will include five UK TV premieres. Details of the line-up will be announced soon.

 

Stewart Bridle, Channel Manager, Horror Channel said today: "We are thrilled to continue to be part of FrightFest – the event that brings together the genre community over the Summer bank holiday, year after year. Horror Channel will have its presence felt during the event, and it will celebrate the festival with a g(l)orious FrightFest season on the channel in August."

 

FrightFest co-director Greg Day added: "FrightFest wouldn't be the same without Horror Channel's participation and diehard support. Aside from the immense passion and know-how they bring to the event, the Horror Channel team add colour (mostly red), tremendous energy and help make sure all the fans have a bloody good time!"

 

This year, the annual 5-day August Bank Holiday event, which Guillermo Del Toro calls "The Woodstock of Gore", will host over sixty films to an international audience at the Cineworld Leicester Square and The Prince Charles Cinema from Aug 23 - Aug 27. Programme details to follow.

Film news (UK): Horror Channel to celebrate the films of John Carpenter

From horrific hauntings and supernatural sorcery to alien invasions and blood-sucking battles, Saturday nights on Horror Channel at 9pm in June will be devoted to John Carpenter, one of the true Masters of Horror.

The celebratory season is highlighted by the network premieres of Carpenter’s classic car-rage chiller CHRISTINE, with the superb Harry Dean Stanton, and JOHN CARPENTER’S VAMPIRES, a horror Western starring James Woods, as a vengeful, stake-wielding bloodsucker hunter. It also includes iconic favourite THE FOG, the high-kicking fantasy thriller BIG TROUBLE IN LITTLE CHINA and his timely sci-fi political thriller THEY LIVE.


Full film details of season in transmission order:

Sat 2 June @ 21:00 – THE FOG (1980)

A Northern California fishing town, built 100 years ago over an old leper colony, is the target for revenge by a killer fog containing zombie-like ghosts seeking revenge for their deaths. John Carpenter’s first horror thriller following Halloween, starring Jamie Lee Curtis, Janet Leigh and the great man himself.


Sat 9 June @ 21:00 – CHRISTINE (1983) *Network Premiere

High school geek Arnie Cunningham falls in love with "Christine", a bright red 1958 Plymouth Fury which has seen much better days. Setting himself the task of restoring the car to its original condition, Arnie has become consumed with passion for the sleek, rounded, chrome-laden car. His friends are horrified but it’s too late - anyone seeking to come between them becomes the victim of Christine's horrifying wrath.


Sat 16 June @ 21:00 – BIG TROUBLE IN LITTLE CHINA (2007)

Hard-boiled truck driver Jack Burton (Kurt Russell) gets caught in a bizarre conflict in San Francisco's Chinatown when an ancient Chinese prince and Chinatown crime lord kidnaps a beautiful green-eyed woman Miao Yin (Suzee Pai). Miao is the fiancée of Jack's best friend and Jack must help rescue the girl before the evil Lo Pan uses her to break the ancient curse that keeps him a fleshless and immortal spirit.


Sat 23 June @ 21:00 – THEY LIVE (2001)

John Carpenter wrote and directed this science fiction thriller about a group of aliens who try to take over the world by disguising themselves as Young Republicans. Wrestler Roddy Piper stars as John Nada, a drifter who makes his way into an immense encampment for the homeless. There he stumbles upon a conspiracy concerning aliens who have hypnotised the populace through subliminal messages transmitted through the media…


Sat 30 June @ 21:00 – JOHN CARPENTER’S VAMPIRES (1998) *Network Premiere

James Woods is Jack Crow, leader of a team of vampire hunters hired by the Vatican. After wiping out a vampire nest in rural New Mexico, "Team Crow" is savagely ambushed by the unholy Valek (Thomas Ian Griffith), a vicious 600-year-old vampire. Valek is nearing the end of a long search for the elusive Berziers Cross, the ritual implement that can give him and all vampires omnipotent power to walk in the daylight. Crow pursues Valek through the high deserts, culminating in a fateful and final confrontation.

There are five other prime-time network premieres this month, headed by Timo Vuorensola’s barnstorming surreal sci-fier IRON SKY (Fri 8 June, 9pm) and James Wan’s supernatural stunner INSIDIOUS (Fri 15 June, 9pm), the first in the popular franchise. Plus, there’s killer crocs aplenty in LAKE PLACID 3 (Fri I June, 9pm), Emily Blunt fighting off a horde of menacing apparitions in WIND CHILL (Fri 22 June, 9pm) and THIR13TEEN GHOSTS (Fri 29 June, 9pm), the ultimate house of horror.

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Interview with Christopher A. Micklos and Jay Sapiro

How does one sell their film to a big-time distributor? Christopher A. Micklos and Jay Sapiro, directors of The Nursery, let us in on some of the moves we’ll find in their playbook.


How would you describe the film? What was your pitch to, say, Uncork’d Entertainment?

SAPIRO:  As far as the style goes, we wanted The Nursery to look, sound, and feel like an old‐school, circa 1980 horror classic—the babysitter in peril!—while reflecting and leveraging the technological and cultural realities of 2017. More directly, this is, more or less, how we typically describe the film: When college freshman Ranae agrees to babysit for a family with a tragic past, her run-of-the-mill Saturday night quickly turns into a confrontation with unspeakable horror. Stalked by a sinister presence and haunted by ghosts from her own past, Ranae and her friends must confront an angry, evil spirit determined to hunt them down one-by-one on a deliberate march toward its ultimate prey in The Nursery.

MICKLOS: As Jay said, we have always thought of and described The Nursery as a cinematic throwback to the dark, stripped-down horror films of the late 1970’s and early 1980’s that we grew up on, while channeling some of the concepts and thematic innovations of the subsequent decades. From low budget classics like John Carpenter’s Halloween and Don Coscarelli’s Phantasm to modern indie gems like House of the Devil, the films that have inspired me, personally, the most prioritize suspense over gore, maintain a consistent but escalating sense of desperation and dread, and situate a supernatural narrative in a very real, very recognizable suburban environment. That said, if I recall, our official pitch to Uncork’d was something more like: please, please, please, please distribute our movie!


Is it fair to say that it’s not the traditional, flashy teen horror flick?

SAPIRO: That's absolutely correct. While we drew inspiration from some of the best classic horror pictures, we definitely added character depth and a few spins where you wouldn't expect it. That said, the film doesn't try to be something it's not. We didn't try to be too clever or overreach relative to the story or the promise of the genre. If you like fun, classic horror films that have great jump scares and unexpected plot twists, then I think you'll enjoy The Nursery.

MICKLOS: If it’s not traditional, it’s mainly because of the throwback nature of the film and because the aesthetics that inspired us are necessarily those that are considered so run-of-the-mill today. That said, we certainly are aiming for a younger audience in their teens and twenties, which is a pretty fertile audience for a film like this and one that has been essential to support the horror genre over the years! I think, though, that what sets us apart a bit from the standard low-budget, indie horror fare aimed at this audience is a few things. One, we aren’t exploitive at all in our approach to the material or the cast. There is some blood, yes, but we didn’t set out to make a gore fest…and while our cast is primarily female, we didn’t find any excuse possible to get them out of their shirts and bras. So that’s different, right there. Second, we didn’t want The Nursery to be winking at the audience or to constantly be wanting to show the audience how smart we were or how much we think we’re better than the genre, which is a trap that I think a lot of horror movies fall into these days. I love horror. I don’t need to be better than the horror genre! As far as I’m concerned, there isn’t anything that IS better than the horror genre. So our movie is very straight-forward. We respect the genre, we respect the audience, and we simply set out to make a fun, engaging horror film that we thought we would enjoy ourselves!


Are either of you parents? Is that what motivated this narrative?

MICKLOS: All of us, actually, are parents: Jay and I, and then our third partner, Glenn Chung, who was instrumental to The Nursery every step of the way. Of the three of us, I’m the newest father: my little girl was about two years old when we started the movie, whereas Jay’s and Glenn’s kids are much older. So, I’d say that while my experiences having a baby at home certainly inspired some of the creative ideas and images that ended up in the film, the story really originated from the idea that we wanted to make that old school, 1980-ish feeling horror movie…and some of the most effective movies of that era were the babysitter-in-peril movies, as I mentioned earlier. So, that was probably the bigger influence on the direction of the narrative than any personal experiences I or any of us had as parents. We started with the babysitter-in-peril thing, and we also knew that we wanted to weave in technology as much as we could. So, when you watch the movie, you have all of the action and activity with devices—phones, iPads, computers, etc.—throughout the film. And then we hammered out the story!

SAPIRO: I think that all of us being parents definitely helped us as we developed the concept, but that wasn't really our starting point.  Glenn, Chris and I have been talking about making a feature length film for years. We had a couple of starts on other movies, but nothing really materialized.  So, at one point a couple of years ago, we simply agreed that it was time to make it happen. For my part, I would sit at my place and think about what we could produce on a micro-budget that would have the same impact as a feature film with deeper pockets. I have large windows where I live, so I’d grab an erasable marker and just write idea after idea all over my windows. I’d then take those ideas to Glenn and Chris. We’d kick my concepts around along with all the ones that they brought to the table. In that crazy collaborative process, the idea for The Nursery was born.


How easy is it to co-direct a movie? C’mon, be honest!

SAPIRO: For us, it was second nature.  Anyone who knows us will tell you that Chris and I share a brain. We think alike, work extremely well together, and balance each other out when it comes to this type of work. So directing together was really an easy and obvious choice.

MICKLOS: Yeah, I hate to be boring, but it really wasn’t that hard. And, in fact, in our case it made for a better movie. Jay and I have been working together for twenty years, and we were close friends even before that. So, ninety-nine times out of a hundred, we both know exactly what the other one is thinking, we can anticipate how the other one is going to respond to an issue that comes up or a challenge that we’d have to face, and we can communicate about as well as any two people you could ever name. So, in many ways, co-directing was a natural fit for the two of us. That said, there are certainly times when you don’t see a scene the same way, when you have a different idea of how a shot sequence should play out, and so on and so forth. So, when that happened, if we had time, we’d shoot it both ways and then revisit it in post-production, where we pretty much always agreed on which approach ultimately worked best. Or we’d simply, walk over into a corner or another room and talk through our differing ideas…and then come back talk to the cast and crew with one voice.

What do you believe your individual strengths are?

SAPIRO: Well, I can bend a spoon with my mind! Oh, that's not what you meant. Joking aside, I honestly think we're the perfect team. Chris has an amazing ability to take a concept and flesh it out to a fantastic script, I have a knack for producing media, and Glenn is incredible with design and special effects. Some of our strengths do overlap, and we crossover now and then; however; when it comes to filmmaking, we try to focus on what each of us does best.

MICKLOS: That’s a great question…and one that’s hard to answer without sounding like an arrogant ass! So, they only thing that I’ll really say on my own behalf is that, as a lifelong horror fan, I think I bring a lot of knowledge to the table of the genre, its history, its philosophy and psychology…and also audience expectations and so on. And all that plays into the decisions you make at every stage in the process of making a horror film.


Tell us about the production company. Got a lot on your slate? When did you create it?

SAPIRO: Well, we have two. One, Visuality, has been around for more than 20 years. We produce ads and video, place media online and with traditional outlets, create websites, consult, etc. Our other firm, Three Tortured Minds, was formed when we made the leap into the feature film universe. The Nursery is our first film under the Three Tortured Minds banner. We have another movie in the early stages of development, and that one—as well as all of our future film-related projects—will be a Three Tortured Minds endeavour.

MICKLOS: Not much I can add to that! So fade to black…

Interview with Steeve Leonard and Caroline Labreche - Directors of Radius

Ahead of Horror Channel’s UK TV premiere screening of RADIUS, directors Steeve Leonard and Caroline Labreche talk last minute casting, corpses and making the FrightFest audience cry…

Horror Channel is broadcasting the UK TV premiere of RADIUS. Are you a fan of the channel?

Steeve: We unfortunately don’t have Horror Channel in Quebec, but from what I’ve seen from you guys, it looks awesome. I would’ve loved growing up with that on my TV!


The film has a highly original premise. Where did the inspiration come from?

Steeve: It was a long process, 4 years I think… At first we wanted to do something like Oldboy, with a man and a woman who realize they share a dark past; that’s where the serial killer aspect came to mind. We didn’t write much based on that alone. Then later, when the radius of death idea came to us, we decided to merge these two ideas and see if we could intertwine them together.


The film carries us into deep emotional waters as well as being a cleverly-spun Sci-fi thriller. What is the underlying message you want people to take from the film?

Caroline: We always wanted people to exit the movie and start asking themselves: “if your memory is erased, are you still guilty for your past crimes, can you be convicted if you truly don’t remember”? And we, as the writers, still don’t have a clear answer for this. Liam’s redemption (or at the very least, his punishment) was always something along the lines of what we have now. Our idea was that upon learning and absorbing the fact that he used to be utter scum, the good half of Liam would turn out to be stronger, and it would make him do the right thing. But again, does he truly deserve to die, now that his good half is aware and repentant? Hmm…discuss!


What were the biggest challenges you faced making the film?

Steeve: As with any film, big or small, the answer is: time and money. I’m sure Ryan Johnson (Star Wars) would say the same thing.

Is it true that the lead actor, Diego Klattenhoff, was only cast four days before shooting started?

Caroline: Yep! So was Charlotte Sullivan (Jane). Sometimes casting just happens that way. Getting the right actors on board is a combination of timing, budget, schedule, personality, marketability, etc… And sometimes getting all of these things to click takes a while. We got our leads late in the process, but we got exactly what we needed: talented actors who took the material and made it their own. We love the work they did.


There’s a funny production story about you trying to make a corpse out of a sack of potatoes. We’d like to know more!

Steeve: There’s a scene in the movie where (SPOILERS Diego has to dump a wrapped up body in a pond, and, we didn’t have the necessary dummy to wrap up. Anyway, the props department had to work fast, so they told us they’d make a dummy out of 50 pound sacks of potatoes. We said okay, and they built the thing — wrapped it up in a tarp and everything, and it looked like a human body. So… on the day, we get Diego on the boat and the crew hands him this wobbly, 200 pound body, and then we get the camera ready — we had a drone above him, too, and we were pretty excited about that.

So anyway, we get ready and then we tell him to drop this thing in the water on the count of three, and we were gonna do this thing where, as soon as the body starts to sink, we’d fly the drone upwards really fast, creating this cool dizzying shot. So we countdown: 1…2…3… he dumps it in and… It. Does. Not. Sink.  And then it hits all of us at the same time: oh… yeah… potatoes float. I felt my soul step outside my body and slap me in the back of the head for being such a moron. Anyway, we tried to punch holes in the tarp to make it sink. We tried it again but it never really worked. So we had to move on without that shot. I made it work in the edit, but that cool dizzying shot never got made.


When the film received its European Premiere at FrightFest last year it got a tremendous reception from both critics and the audience. What are your abiding memories of the event?

Steeve: Obviously, the UK showings were a great treat for us. Everybody was nice and very supportive of the film. But I think the two major moments Caro and I will take away are, firstly, the moment we walked into the theatre and saw the Imax-sized screen the film was going to be shown on. At that moment, we felt very small, very undeserving, very nervous. It was like: “oh crap, how will the film look and feel on such a huge screen”? But when it started, it was also very cool, very epic to see. The second moment was at the end of the movie, when Liam pulls the trigger: I turned around and looked at the audience, and I saw a bunch of guys wiping the corners of their eyes. I turned to Caro and said: “I can’t believe it, we made English people cry! This is working!” It was a good feeling!

How did you start your filmmaking career together?

Steeve: Caro and I have been making films ever since we enrolled in film school. We’ve always worked together. Caro has done some side projects without me — she’s actually shooting another movie this fall. One day I fear that she’ll finally realize that I serve no purpose whatsoever in our directing duo, hahaha!


How would you describe the chemistry / working relationship between you?

Steeve: On set, Caro usually deals with the technical side of things, while I go and talk to the actors. Then we meet up and discuss everything, make some adjustments, and that’s about it. We do a take or two, then try some variants that either me or her have in mind.

Caroline: we also like to be extra prepared. We discuss and over-analyse everything in advance, we storyboard as much as possible — we always have a shot list on hand. When we get on set, we usually have an answer for every situation.

Steeve: and we never argue on set. We keep that for home, hahaha!


Finally, what’s next?

Caroline: We’re currently working on another sci-fi thriller, this time with horror undertones.  We can’t say much right now, as we’re getting ready to shop the script all over town.  We also have a robot sci-fi film and a slasher film with a neat twist in the works.

Radius is broadcast on Fri 25 May, 9.00pm, Horror Channel