Seasonal shocks aplenty on Horror Channel in December including UK premiere of Tyler MacIntyre's PATCHWORK.

Wayward werewolves, genetic mutants, a female Frankenstein, man-eating spiders and the return of The Creeper…Horror Channel provides plenty of seasonal shocks in December, including the UK TV premiere for Tyler MacIntyre’s incandescent comic horror PATCHWORK, a modern spin on Mary Shelley mythology, mixed with fun gore and a cheeky tone. It received rapturous applause when first screened in the UK at FrightFest Glasgow 2016 and will delight fans of classic 1980’s scream fests.

There is also a UK TV premiere for spider-infested supernatural thriller GUARDIANS OF THE TOMBS, starring Kelsey Grammer and Channel premieres for martial-arts futurist thriller ULTRAVIOLET, starring Milla Jovovich, werewolf chiller WOLVES, and three daytime eco-disaster films, LAVA STORM, DARK SKIES and SOLAR DESTRUCTION.


Sat 14 Dec @ 21:00 – PATCHWORK (2015) * UK TV premiere

Three young women out partying wake up in a strange laboratory to find themselves sewn together to form one body. Making matters worse, bitchy professional Jennifer, ditzy airhead Ellie and weirdo Madeleine share a collective consciousness as well as body control. Barely able to keep it together, the women co-operate long enough to make an escape. But unable to come to terms with their new multi-persona, the women shift their focus towards tracking down the mad scientist responsible for their mutilation while also making peace with their former hang-ups. Can they put aside their differences long enough to exact the proper revenge?


OTHER PRIMETIME PREMIERES


Sat 7 Dec @ 21:00 – JEEPERS CREEPERS 3 (2017) *UK TV Premiere

Set between the first and second films, Sgt Davis Tubbs (Brandon Smith) assembles a task force to destroy the Creeper once and for all while growing closer than ever before to learning the secrets of its dark origins, as the monster terrorises a local farming community. Also starring Stan Shaw and Gabrielle Haugh.


Sat 21 Dec @ 21:00 – ULTRAVIOLET (2006) *Channel Premiere

In the late 21st century, a subculture of humans has been infected with a genetic mutation causing enhanced speed, incredible stamina and acute intelligence. As more people are infected, the government sets out to destroy them, but one woman stands in the way: ultra-beautiful, ultra-lethal Violet (Milla Jovovich). With eye-popping martial arts skills and chameleon-like abilities, Violet becomes a rogue warrior bent on protecting her new race and seeking revenge on those who created it.


Sat 28 Dec @ 21:00 – WOLVES (2014) *Channel Premiere

One night high school Cayden awakes to find his parents brutally murdered and his body drastically changing. He is horrified to realise that he is turning into a wild, savage wolf. Determined to find out what is happening to him, his quest leads him to a strange, isolated town, where two clans of wolves are on the brink of war. When Cayden falls for Angelina, the beautiful, young mate promised to the head of the clan, a battle to the death is inevitable.


AFTERNOON PREMIERES

Wed 4 Dec @ 16:00 – LOVE STORM (2008) *Channel Premiere

When a routine mine inspection goes horribly wrong, Lori Pratt suddenly finds herself in the middle of a massive volcanic eruption.   With the help of her scientist husband, the couple must figure out how to slow down the deadly inferno before it destroys everything in its path--including their family and the world as they know it.


Wed 11 Dec @ 16:00 – DARK SKIES (2009) *Channel Premiere

A corrupt business owner creates acid rain in order to increase the value of the shares he owns in a disaster relief business; but his plan is discovered by his one of his own scientists, whose children and friends are caught by the rain while staying at a cabin. Both the scientist and the others work to neutralize the acid rain while trying to bring down the businessman.


Wed 18 Dec @ 16:00 – SOLAR DESTRUCTION (2008) *Channel Premiere

Fifteen-year-old math genius Riley has just developed a ground-breaking new way to accurately predict deadly solar flares.  He soon discovers the earth has only 18 hours to prepare for a solar flare powerful enough to cause a global electrical meltdown.  What he doesn't know is that a rogue corporation stands to win big if disaster strikes and modern civilization grinds to a halt.  Now with the help of his single mother and a tough-minded professor, Riley must face down danger to convince the world to prepare before it's too late.


Tues 24 Dec @ 16:00 – GUARDIANS OF THE TOMB (2018) *UK TV Premiere

Hired by corporation CEO Mason (Kelsey Grammar), a team of scientists must work together in a desert region of China to recover a missing colleague. In their quest to rescue him they find themselves underground battling ancient, terrifying Chinese magic and making their way through a swarm of deadly, flesh-eating spiders – only to uncover the secret behind the insects’ power and intelligence.


Horror Channel: Be Afraid
TV: Sky 317 / Virgin 149 / Freeview 70 / Freesat 138

WIN ANNABELLE COMES HOME ON DVD

AVAILABLE NOW ON DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, AND ON DVD, BLU-RAY™ EXCLUSIVE BD STEELBOOK AND THREE FILM DVD COLLECTION FROM 18th NOVEMBER

Evil cannot be contained when Annabelle comes home!

New demonic entities are unleashed when “Annabelle Comes Home” arrives on DVD, Blu-ray™ and Exclusive BD Steelbook as well as a three-film collection DVD on 18th November, and available now on digital download, with a three and six film collection also available.
“Annabelle Comes Home” is the third instalment of New Line Cinema’s hugely successful “Annabelle” films starring the infamous, sinister doll from the “Conjuring” universe. Gary Dauberman, screenwriter of the “Annabelle” films, “IT” and “The Nun,” makes his directorial debut in “Annabelle Comes Home,” and the film is produced by Peter Safran and “Conjuring” universe creator James Wan.

“Annabelle Comes Home” stars Mckenna Grace (TV’s “The Haunting of Hill House,” as Judy, Madison Iseman (“Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle,” “Goosebumps 2: Haunted Halloween”) as her babysitter Mary Ellen and Katie Sarife (TV’s “Youth and Consequences,” TV’s “Supernatural”) as troubled friend Daniela. Patrick Wilson (“The Conjuring” films, the “Insidious” films) and Vera Farmiga (“The Conjuring” films, “Godzilla: King of the Monsters,” TV’s “Bates Motel”) reprise their roles as Ed and Lorraine Warren.

Determined to keep Annabelle from wreaking more havoc on innocent victims, demonologists Ed (Patrick Wilson) and Lorraine Warren (Vera Farmiga) lock the possessed doll in their home’s special artefact room, placing her behind sacred glass. But when the doll escapes and awakens the room’s evil spirits, it conjures up an unholy night of horror for the Warrens’ daughter and her friends as they desperately battle to bring Annabelle’s reign of terror to an end.

For your chance to win Annabelle Comes Home on DVD, simply answer the following question:

COMPETITION CLOSED


Annabelle Comes Home is out now on Digital Download, and arrives on DVD, Blu-ray™ and Exclusive BD Steelbook as well as a three-film collection DVD on 18th November.

Buy from Amazon Here

© 2019 Warner Bros. Ent. All Rights Reserved

Terms and conditions
1. Closing date 11-11-19
2. No alternative prize is available
3. When the competition ends as indicated on this page, any and all entries received after this point will not count and emails blacklisted due to not checking this page first.
4. Winners will be chosen randomly and will be informed via email.
5. Competition open to UK entrants only

Horror Channel runs CLASSIC MONSTER MARATHON on November 24.

On Sunday 24th of November, Horror Channel is celebrating the beginnings of cinema horror with CLASSIC MONSTER MARATHON. Kicking off at 1pm, it features some of the most iconic monster movies of all-time, including: Ted Browning and Karl Freund’s DRACULA, starring Bela Lugosi as the infamously seductive Count, James Whale’s genre-defining FRANKENSTEIN, starring Boris Karloff, Karl Freund’s mesmerising THE MUMMY, with Boris Karloff further establishing himself as one of the great horror stars in film history, THE WOLF MAN, with Lon Chaney, Jr. as the original werewolf and the pulp horror classic CREATURE FROM THE BLACK LAGOON.

In this monster marathon, you can run but you can’t hide


Sat 24 Nov @ 13:00 – DRACULA (1931) *Channel Premiere

This horror classic stands as the most famous and celebrated film version of the popular vampire story. Bela Lugosi delivers a star-making performance as the titular villain – his erudite, refined Dracula is at once alluring and terrifying. While director Tod Browning an effectively and haunting atmosphere. Also stars Edward Van Sloan as Dracula’s arch enemy, vampire-hunter Van Helsing.


Sun 24 Nov @ 14:05 – FRANKENSTEIN (1931) *Channel Premiere

Considered by many to be the greatest horror film of all time, director James Whale’s masterpiece tells the story of a maniacal scientist whose obsession with creating a living being from dead body parts leads to a tragic and shocking end. Adapted from the gothic novel by Mary Shelley, the film made Karloff a star and ushered in a new era of horror. It’s been selected by many critics as one of the top hundred films of all time.


Sun 24 Nov @ 16:00 – THE MUMMY (1932) *Channel Premiere

Boris Karloff solidifies his status as one of the greatest horror stars in film history with his terrifying yet surprisingly poignant performance as high priest as Imhotep, a 3,700 year old mummy who wreaks havoc upon the members of the British field expedition that disturbed his tomb. Featuring ground-breaking innovations in make-up that are used to chilling effects, the film earns its place in the canon of classic horror cinema.


Sun 24 Nov @ 17:30 – THE WOLF MAN (1941) *Channel Premiere

Lon Chaney, Jr. is the original Wolf Man, forever cursed to roam the countryside as a werewolf. The atmospheric direction and moody soundtrack make "The Wolf Man" as frightening today as it was when it was released. This chilling film introduces another iconic character into the pantheon of classic horror film monsters and villains.


Sun 24 Nov @ 19:00 – CREATURE FROM THE BLACK LAGOON (1954)

American scientists get more than they bargained for on an amazon expedition when a dark tributary turns up a prehistoric man with gills. The half man/half amphibian breaks free after being captured, stealing away the only woman on the crew. This well-crafted creature feature introduces us to one of the most iconic movie monsters of all time.

Horror Channel: Be Afraid
TV: Sky 317 / Virgin 149 / Freeview 70 / Freesat 138
Website: http://www.horrorchannel.co.uk/

Interview with Carlo Mirabella-Davis - Director of Swallow

Ahead of the UK premiere of SWALLOW at Arrow Video FrightFest Halloween, director Carlo Mirabella-Davis reflects on the personal inspiration behind his debut feature, healing psychological wounds and his empathy for the horror genre.


SWALLOW is your directorial debut. How difficult was it to get the project off the ground?

Getting a film made is a fascinating process. My late, great teacher at NYU, Bill Reilly, would always say “script is coin of the realm”. The early stages involved perfecting the screenplay as much as I could, writing and rewriting until I felt confident sending it out.

The sacred bond between the producer and the director is the catalyst that brings a film into being. I asked my colleague who the best independent producers in the business were, and she said, “Mollye Asher and Mynette Louie, but you’ll never get them”.

I watched their films and was floored by how incredible they all were. As luck would have it, both Mollye and Mynette decided to work on the film. Amazing, inspiring, driven producers like Mollye and Mynette will support your vision, collaborate with you, and fight passionately to bring that vision to the world. Once we had the finished script and our team, we brought on an amazing casting director, Allison Twardziak, and we cast the lead roles of the film. We were incredibly lucky to have the brilliant Haley Bennett come on board as Hunter, and once she joined the production, along with the marvellous Austin Stowell, I knew we had a powerful film on our hands.

Raising the money was a bit of a challenge in the United States because independent film studios often don’t want to take a chance on a first-time director. Through Sundance Catalyst, we raised some money in the United States, but the bulk of the financing came from France, from our incredible investors Charades and Logical who took a chance on an unusual script, and I’m so glad they did, because they were absolutely wonderful to work with.


Haley Bennett is outstanding in the film as Hunter. How did you cast her?

We were so incredibly fortunate Haley Bennett accepted our offer to play the role of Hunter. She’s a profoundly brilliant actor, collaborator, and artist who delivers a tour-de-force performance in the movie. I’d seen Haley in Girl on a Train and was deeply impressed, so we made an offer and thankfully she accepted. Haley has a remarkable ability to evoke different layers of emotion simultaneously. She wears many masks throughout the film, layered on top of each other and she can convey all those layers of emotion, all those masks, simultaneously in just the twitch of her eye or the way Hunter fixes her hair. Haley was also an executive producer on the film and very devoted to the project. I got so incredibly fortunate that someone as committed, empathic, and imaginative as her brought Hunter to life with such specificity, authenticity, and heart.

Hayley Bennett in SWALLOW

Haley’s character suffers from a condition called Pica, an eating disorder that involves swallowing progressively dangerous non-food objects. What drew your attention to that particular illness?

I remember seeing a photo of all the contents removed from the stomach of a patient with pica, all these objects spread out like an archaeological dig. I wanted to know what drew the patient to those artifacts. It seemed like something mystical, almost like a holy communion, and I wanted to know more. I got in touch with the world‘s leading expert on pica, Doctor Rachel Bryant-Waugh, and she was kind enough to read the script and be a consultant on our film. Although pica is a relatively obscure condition, I felt it could be representative of any rituals of control, any reaction to a difficult situation, any obsessive behavior, and therefore, universal.


The film revolves around issues of control, repression and identity. How autobiographical is the story?

The film was inspired by my grandmother, Edith Mirabella, a homemaker in the 1950s in an unhappy marriage who developed various rituals of control. She was an obsessive handwasher who would go through four bars of soap a day and twelve bottles of sanitizing alcohol a week. I think she was looking for order in a life she felt increasingly powerless in. My grandfather at the behest of the doctors, put her into a mental institution where she received electroshock therapy, insulin shock therapy, and a non-consensual lobotomy which resulted in the loss of her sense of taste and smell. I always felt there was something punitive about how my grandmother was treated, that she was being punished for not living up to society’s expectations of what they felt a wife and a mother should be. I wanted to make the movie to show my grandmother, wherever she is, that her suffering did not go unnoticed. So much suffering goes unnoticed in our world today, and I think through the power of cinema we can increase empathy, fight prejudice, and heal psychological wounds. 


SWALLOW is beautifully shot, creating a sharp, clinical edge that makes the luxurious world Hunter inhabits somehow fraught with danger. Tell us how you approached the design and look of the film?

So thrilled you feel that way! I was extremely fortunate to have an incredible, imaginative, devoted design team. Our visionary cinematographer, Kate Arizmendi, our inspired production designer, Erin Magill, and our amazing costume designer, Liene Dobraja, evoked Hunter’s world with such detail and subtext. In order to Illustrate Hunter’s psychological movement, Kate and I developed a rigid visual vernacular, a strict set of camera direction rules that we broke at key emotional moments. Kate had the idea to shoot the film with Master Prime lenses because, as she put it, “Pica is all about textures”, and the Master Primes allowed her to illustrate the textures of Hunter’s world in mystical detail. In a film that’s all about little objects and the tyranny of environments, Erin Magill brought such specificity of space and vibrant color to Hunter’s world. And Liene, who is so good with expressing the characters’ inner cosmology through what they wear, created a wonderful wardrobe journey for Hunter. We wanted Swallow to take place in a stylized world that became more and more realistic as the film progressed in order to reflect Hunter’s growing psychological clarity. Like a perfect pane of glass with a crack slowly forming in it.


Research has shown that more children are swallowing objects than ever before and that adult cases are on the rise too. Why do you think that is?

Interesting question. We are living in a world that is becoming increasingly chaotic and because of that, I think rituals of control are on the rise.

While I’m not a mental health professional, I believe OCD, eating disorders, cutting, all these rituals of control can often be related to past trauma or situations that people feel powerless in. We very much consider Swallow to be a feminist film, and in America, there’s no denying that a certain kind of old-world patriarchy has become newly emboldened.

With the Trump presidency, we’ve seen a reinforcing of patriarchal paradigms, a silencing of dissenting voices, and a rollback of reproductive rights.

We are also fortunate to be living in a time where there are many powerful new voices and activists fighting back; more films directed by female filmmakers, and more films with female main characters that explore these issues. I hope Swallow is one of those voices of change, and I hope it raises awareness and makes people feel seen and less alone.


Do you think horror films can help us deal with and understand troubling and mentally-challenging issues?

I do. Fear is the oldest emotion, the first emotion. To paraphrase Rainer Werner Fassbinder, “Fear eats the soul”. I think horror movies are a powerful tool which allows viewers to manifest their fears in a safe environment, a communal environment. Once those fears are manifested on the crucible of the screen, they can be experienced and processed in a way that facilitates catharsis for the viewer, providing a greater understanding of what they’re frightened of and why. Once we understand our fears and what drives them, we can emancipate ourselves from a cycle of terror and anxiety. We are fortunate to be in a new renaissance of horror with incredible, personal, socially relevant films like Get Out, Babadook, and Hereditary. Because horror is a genre that is inherently extreme and uncomfortable, I do agree that horror has the hardwired capacity to take on challenging topics. As a lifelong horror fan, I truly believe that powerful, thoughtful horror movies can change the world for the better.


Do you have an affinity to the genre?

Yes! I’ve been horror fan my entire life. When I was six years old, I begged my parents to rent a horror movie for my birthday, and they obliged with a delightful screening of The Blob. Swallow has many little horror film references within it. For example, when Hunter puts the red gels on the window, another Erin Magill innovation, it’s a direct homage to the glorious colors in Argento’s 1977 Suspiria. My fantastic, passionate, inspiring editor, Joe Murphy, and I, bonded over our mutual love of unusual, obscure, art horror films.


Finally, we hear your next film is going to be a supernatural horror. Can you reveal a few details?

I’m working on a feminist supernatural horror movie, among other scripts, but I can’t reveal the contents at this time.


SWALLOW is screening at 6.15pm at Cineworld, Leicester Sq. on Sat 2 Nov, as part of the Arrow Video FrightFest Halloween all-dayer.

www.frightfest.co.uk

Competition: Win Prey on DVD

Prey  is out on DVD on 4th of November! 

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

Synopsis
Prey is a mysterious and gory chiller from horror powerhouse Blumhouse Productions the team behind Get Out, Us, The Purge, Sinister and Insidious.

Toby (Logan Miller; Love, Simon), a high school senior struggling with behavioural problems, is placed on an uninhabited island in order to improve his ways. However, despite being told he is in isolation, he soon realizes he is not alone, teaming up with Madeleine (Kristine Froseth; Apostle), as they are pursued by a deadly entity.

Reminiscent of cult hits Donnie Darko and Lost - is a mind-bending and disturbing new shocker. Prey for your life!

Starring Logan Miller, Kristine Froseth and Joelene Anderson. Directed by horror maestro Franck Khalfoun (Maniac, P2).

Signature Entertainment presents Prey on Digital HD 28th October & DVD 4th November, 2019

Buy from Amazon by clicking here (Opens in a new window)

For your chance to win just answer the question below.

COMPETITION CLOSED

Terms and conditions
1. Closing date 11-11-19
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.

Competition: Win The Invitation on Blu-ray starring Logan Marshall-Greem

The Invitation is out on Blu-ray on 4th of November! 

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

Synopsis
From acclaimed director Karyn Kusama (Girl Fight, Jennifer’s Body, Destroyer) comes taut psychological thriller The Invitation, which premiered to great acclaim at London Film Festival and now gets a Blu-ray release, complete with a slew on special features from Second Sight on 4 November 2019.

Reluctantly accepting a dinner party invitation from his ex-wife Eden (Tammy Blanchard – Into the Woods) at the house they once shared, Will (Logan Marshall-Green – Spider-Man: Homecoming, Prometheus) and his new partner Kira (Emayatzy Corinealdi – Roots, Ballers) gather with old friends to toast new beginnings.

But Will and his ex-wife share a tragic past, and as paranoia mounts and tensions build, he begins to wonder what is real and what is imagined. As the claustrophobic evening grows increasingly sinister, Will starts to realise the lives of everyone he loves might be in danger…will they make it through the night?

Buy from Amazon by clicking here (Opens in a new window)

For your chance to win just answer the question below.

COMPETITION CLOSED

Terms and conditions
1. Closing date 11-11-19
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.

SINISTER, TERRIFIER & TOWER BLOCK amongst Horror Channel premieres in November.

Psycho clowns, demented dolls and deadly snipers…Horror Channel is big on scares in November with eleven Channel premieres including murderous supernatural chiller SINISTER, starring Ethan Hawke, Damien Leone’s screamingly shocking TERRIFIER and the riveting urban thriller TOWER BLOCK, starring Sheridan Smith and Jack O’Connell.

There are also Channel premieres for two popular instalments of the Chucky franchise, CHILD’S PLAY 2 and CHILD’S PLAY 3. John Carpenter’s dazzling fantasy STARMAN, starring Jeff Bridges, two spooky black comedy classics - Peter Jackson’s THE FRIGHTENERS and Joe Dante’s THE BURBS, and the even more eerie John Carpenter remake of VILLAGE OF THE DAMNED – which stars Christopher Reeves in his last publicly released film before his career-ending injury.

Plus, there is Hammer’s gloriously volcanic stone-age horror CREATURES THE WORLD FORGOT and the nightmarish, perceptions-bending Blair Witch sequel, BOOK OF SHADOWS: BLAIR WITCH 2.


Full film details in transmission order:

Fri 1 Nov @ 22:50 – TERRIFIER (2016) *Channel Premiere
Brace yourselves as a maniacal clown named Art begins his twisted reign of terror on Halloween night, setting his sights on three young women and anyone else that gets in his way! Move over Pennywise, because there’s a new clown in town and this one is a thousand times more violent and a million times crueller.

Sat 2 Nov @ 21:00 – THE BURBS (1999) * Channel Premiere
Tom Hanks stars in this hilarious satire of modern suburban life. When Ray Peterson becomes convinced that his new, intensely private neighbours are members of an evil cult, he struggles to get behind their closed doors with outrageous results.

Fri 8 Nov @ 21:00 – CHILD’S PLAY 2 (1990) *Channel Premiere
Chucky's back, continuing where the chilling original left off, with Chucky's toy company rebuilding the original doll to prove that there was nothing wrong with it. Mistake. Chucky (voiced by Brad Dourif) goes on a rampage, slicing and dicing with his unique brand of dark comedy. With Jenny Agutter

Sat 9 Nov @ 21:00 – STARMAN (1984) *Channel Premiere
An alien (Jeff Bridges) observing life on Earth becomes stranded near the Wisconsin farmhouse of recently widowed Jenny Hayden (Karen Allen). The alien, otherwise known as Starman, clones the human form of Scott Hayden, Jenny’s deceased husband. Due to be picked up by his mother ship in three days, Starman is in dire need of human assistance. Thus Jenny becomes an unwilling participant in a trip that becomes a dangerous flight across the U.S.

Sun 10 Nov @ 22:55 – CREATURES THE WORLD FORGOT (1971) *Channel Premiere
Julie Ege stars in this variation on One Million Years B.C., playing a cave girl who becomes the object of a fierce battle between the contenders for the throne of the tribe's recently-deceased chieftain. The last of the prehistoric adventure films from Hammer Studios,

Fri 15 Nov @ 21:00 – CHILD’S PLAY 3 (1991) *Channel Premiere
Young Andy has grown up and attends a military academy – too bad the killer doll Chucky still wants his soul. Thrills and chills abound as Chucky stalks Andy relentlessly, murdering those in his way with even more wicked wit and ghoulish playfulness.

Sat 16 Nov @ 21:00 – VILLAGE OF THE DAMNED (1995) *Channel Premiere
A strange mist overcomes an idyllic coastal town, causing ten local women to become mysteriously pregnant. Soon, these women give birth to albino children who turn out to be mind-controlling demons. The town doctor (Christopher Reeve) is the only one capable of destroying this otherworldly force…

Fri 22 Nov @ 21:00 – BOOK OF SHADOWS: BLAIR WITCH 2 (2000) *Channel Premiere
After spending a night in the hills of Maryland, four young fans of the original Blair Witch movie descend into a nightmare realm of murder, madness and perception-bending supernatural horror in this sequel.

Sat 23 Nov @ 21:00 – THE FRIGHTENERS (1996) *Channel Premiere
Blending laughs and scares director Peter Jackson brings his imaginative talents to this tale of a psychic con artist who teams with three friendly ghosts to stop the rampaging spirit of an executed killer.

Fri 29 Nov @ 21:00 – TOWER BLOCK (2012) *Channel Premiere
When a teenager is brutally murdered by two hooded figures, Becky (Sheridan Smith), Kurtis (Jack O’Connell), Paul (Russell Tovey) Neville (Ralph Brown) and the other residents of the Serenity House tower block are too scared to give detectives any information. One year later and someone has taken justice into their own hands. Picked off one by one, the tenants are under threat from a mystery sniper who has also set traps throughout the building, holding them prisoners in their own homes.

Sat 30 Nov @ 21:00 – SINISTER (2012) *Channel Premiere
Desperately in need of a bestseller to revive his struggling career, true crime writer Ellison (Ethan Hawke), moves his family to the scene of his most recent story; the unsolved, gruesome murder of a loving, happy suburban family. Shunned by the local community and strained by his obligations to his family, the discovery of a batch of home movies in the attic offers Ellison shocking proof to the crime he is investigating and the terrifying realisation that his investigation may be putting his family in mortal danger.

Horror Channel: Be Afraid
TV: Sky 317 / Virgin 149 / Freeview 70 / Freesat 138
Website: http://www.horrorchannel.co.uk/

WIN A COPY OF THE HAUNTING OF HILL HOUSE RELEASED FOR THE FIRST TIME ON DVD ON THE 21st OCTOBER!

Hailed as “one of the best horror TV series we’ve seen in years” (Sci-fi Now), THE HAUNTING OF HILL HOUSE arrives on Blu-Ray™ and DVD from 21st October 2019 from Paramount Home Entertainment.

To celebrate the release of THE HAUNTING OF HILL HOUSE we’re giving you the chance to win a Blu-Ray™, packed with special features, including exclusive bonus content including three extended episodes and director commentary from creator and director Mike Flanagan on four episodes.

THE HAUNTING OF HILL HOUSE is the critically acclaimed, modern reimagining of Shirley Jackson’s legendary novel, published in 1959, about five siblings who grew up in the most famous haunted house in America. Now adults, they’re reunited by the suicide of their youngest sister, which forces them to finally confront the ghosts of their pasts… some of which lurk in their minds… and some of which may really be lurking in the shadows of the iconic Hill House.

Certified Fresh with a 92% rating on Rotten Tomatoes and nominated for six Saturn Awards, including Best Streaming Horror & Thriller Series, THE HAUNTING OF HILL HOUSE has been renewed by Netflix as an anthology series, telling a new story each season.

Buy from Amazon by clicking here - (Opens in a new window)

For your chance to win a DVD copy of THE HAUNTING OF HILL HOUSE simply answer the following question:

Competition Closed

Terms and conditions
1. Closing date 28-10-19
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.
THE HAUNTING OF HILL HOUSE arrives on Blu-ray™ and DVD on 21st October 2019.

Interview with Paul Davis, director of Uncanny Annie

Ahead of the International premiere of UNCANNY ANNIE at Arrow Video FrightFest Halloween 2019, director Paul Davis reflects on working for Blumhouse, bemoans attitudes to British genre film funding and reveals the movies that inspire him the most...


Welcome back to FrightFest. It’s been a while. Excited?

Very excited. This is very much a homecoming for me having spent the best part of two-years now making movies in Los Angeles. What makes it all the more special is that after two shorts and a documentary, this marks the first time I’ve had a narrative feature film play at FrightFest, and on the 10th anniversary of my first FF appearance. So this one means a lot to me, as it was something I’ve longed to do ever since BEWARE THE MOON in 2009.


Tell us how UNCANNY ANNIE came about?

UNCANNY ANNIE is my second movie for Blumhouse as part of Hulu’s INTO THE DARK movie series. I had the opportunity to actually kick off INTO THE DARK last October with a feature adaptation of my short film THE BODY (which had its world premiere at FF in 2013). The concept was to release a movie a month, for twelve months, with each revolving around a holiday or particular day for the month of its released.

With THE BODY taking place on Halloween, it literally was a right place/right time scenario in which my co-writer, Paul Fischer, and I had literally just written a spec first draft of a feature version, and within a week it was sold to Blumhouse. The feature starred Tom Bateman (Vanity Fair), Rebecca Rittenhouse (Once Upon a Time… in Hollywood), Aurora Perrineau (If They Could See Us) and Ray Santiago (Ash Vs Evil Dead). I’m still hoping it’ll drop in the UK at some point. I know Sony Worldwide own the rights outside of the US, so we’ll see what happens.

Until then… the series did well enough to get a second year at Hulu and that’s when I got the call to return to Halloween and make UNCANNY ANNIE, which was my opportunity to do something completely different to THE BODY. Essentially I wanted to make a kids horror film with blood and swearing – inspired mostly by Joe Dante’s THE HOLE and Robert Rodriguez’s THE FACULTY.

What were the particular challenges you faced?

Oh man, where to start. First of all these are super low budget movies, but of course, with the Blumhouse brand comes huge expectation, so these are very ambitious films for very little time and money. With THE BODY being my first film, every day was a learning experience. I at least had a bit more money and a few more days on that one compared to UNCANNY ANNIE. When it came to Annie I was faced with a three week prep from the day I received the script (which was being re-written), a 16 day shoot, and under $1m to do a movie that ended up with over 200 VFX shots.

That said, coming into this film I knew that this is exactly how these movies are now made – and they’ve just completed 12 of them in a year. That is an insane and impressive achievement. So for me it was about coming in and making the best damn movie I could within those parameters. And that’s the same with all of the filmmakers on this. Sophia Takal, Nacho Vigalondo, Gigi Saul Guerrero, Daniel Stamm, Patrick Lussier… doesn’t matter if it’s your first movie, or your eighth. We all get the same shake. And what’s great about Blumhouse is that they give you the freedom to create your movie with 100% encouragement.

All that aside, the biggest challenge for me was post production. My mother sadly passed away a week before my director’s cut was due, so I had to fly back to London and consult on the edit from London. It wasn’t easy, but we eventually got there, and I couldn’t be more proud of the film, and excited to share it with a FrightFest audience.


Your breakthrough movie was the much praised documentary BEWARE THE MOON: REMEMBERING AN AMERICAN WEREWOLF IN LONDON (2009). John Landis introduced the film at FrightFest, Was that a defining moment in your career?

It certainly was at the time, and without BEWARE THE MOON I wouldn’t have met Reece Shearsmith, which means HIM INDOORS wouldn’t have happened, which means no THE BODY either.  So it was definitely the moment that kickstarted everything for me. I got to say thank you to John by giving him a cameo in my feature adaptation of THE BODY.


You began your career as a writer / journalist, specialising in horror cinema. Would you say those roots have helped you grow as a filmmaker?

Absolutely. Not only in the sense that your own research leads you to discover movies that had previously passed you by, but had I not been a staff writer at Horrorhound in 2006, I would never have written the 25th retrospective on AN AMERICAN WEREWOLF IN LONDON that lead to the documentary

In terms of my current projects, they’re littered with Easter eggs to movies I love. It’s always fun when someone sends me a tweet that they’ve spotted something new.

You’ve also written a couple of books: LOST IN THE SHADOWS - The Story of The Lost Boys and BEWARE THE MOON - The Story of An American Werewolf in London. Any literary plans for the future?

I’m an ‘idle hands’ kind of guy. I can’t sit and not do anything. These were done purely out of frustration, waiting for movie projects to green light. They were a lot of fun, but I have no desire to do anymore.

I also did some creature performing during that time. I played a sand monster in a Mark Gatiss written episode of DOCTOR WHO (which reunited me with Reece Shearsmith) and then spent the best part of a year on SOLO – A STAR WARS STORY as a wookiee.


Do you have a favourite bunch of horror movies? You’re not allowed to list AMERICAN WEREWOLF IN LONDON!

I do, but you know what, the older I get the more I feel my sensibilities getting tamer and tamer. I couldn’t watch a movie like MARTYRS again. Or LAST HOUSE ON THE LEFT for that matter. One thing that has never changed is my love for THE EXORCIST, which to this day I still believe is the greatest movie ever made. George Romero’s DAWN OF THE DEAD also remains a comfort movie of mine – as is De Palma’s CARRIE. I watch that movie whenever I’m about to start shooting a new movie. It’s my lucky rabbit’s foot.


How do you view the current state of the genre, particularly in Britain? Are there any current home-grown directors you admire?

I think horror across the globe is thriving. The world is a mess right now, and from chaos comes creativity. It was the same in 1968 and it’s the same today. That said, I’d love to see more studios and production companies taking a chance on UK talent. I’ve made two movies studio movies for Blumhouse yet I’d still love to make a movie here at home. The horror genre in Britain continues to be treated as an embarrassment that is kept on the naughty step. There’s a lot of pissed off creative people out there, and Brexit has only pissed us off even more. The British Jordan Peele or Ari Aster could be lying in dormant, but we’ll never know that until attitudes in British film funding change. This is the home of Hammer Horror, for Christ sake! It’s time horror became a staple of the British film industry once again. The talent is there… USE US!!!!

As for home grown directors who I enjoy and find inspiring… Edgar Wright, Neil Marshall, Corin Hardy, Ben Wheatley. I also loved Alice Lowe’s work on PREVENGE. I’d love to see more women having opportunities to tell genre stories in the UK. I don’t think we’ve caught up with the US yet in that respect.


Finally, what’s next for you?

UNCANNY ANNIE came out I the US on October 4th so right now I’m reading a million and one screenplays to make sure what’s next is something I believe in and feel passionate about. There are a couple of things in the pipeline, but until anything is signed, I can’t really talk about them. In addition, I’m also writing my own material again, which is pretty much what I’m spending my time doing right now.


UNCANNY ANNIE is at 3.15pm at Cineworld, Leicester Sq. on Sat 2 Nov, as part of the Arrow Video FrightFest Halloween all-dayer.

Paul will be introducing the film.

www.frightfest.co.uk

13 nights of scares as Horror Channel presents a Haunted Halloween Season

For thirteen nights, from Saturday 19th Oct to Thursday 31st Oct at 9pm, Horror Channel presents a HAUNTED HALLOWEEN SEASON, a supernaturally spooky selection of the scariest movies, including the UK premiere of the ghostly chiller THE UNSPOKEN and the channel premiere of the terrifying thriller PAY THE GHOST, starring Nicholas Cage.

Other highlights include Damiano Damiani’s diabolical prequel to The Amityville Horror - AMITYVILLE II: THE POSSESSION. James Watkins’ spine-chilling remake THE WOMAN IN BLACK, starring Daniel Radcliffe, Ti West’s The Shining slacker-style indie sensation, THE INNKEEPERS. the 2008 US remake of THE EYE, starring Jessica Alba and box-office supernatural horror hit THE PACT.


Full film details in transmission order:

Sat 19 Oct @ 21:00 – THE UNSPOKEN (2015) *UK TV Premiere

In 1997 the close-knit Anderson family vanished from their home without a trace. No bodies were ever found and no explanation satisfied curiosity. For seventeen years the house has remained undisturbed...until now.


Sun 20 Oct @ 21:00 – AMITYVILLE II: THE POSSESSION (1982)

A hard-hitting prequel to The Amityville Horror, this tells the 'true' story of the Montelli's, a dysfunctional Catholic family who arrives in the Amityville house years before the Lutzes of the first film. Sonny, the eldest son, is horrifically possessed by a sinister supernatural presence rising up from a secret basement room, and the rest of the family, including family priest Father Adamsk, appear powerless to stops the unfolding evil rampage.


Mon 21 Oct @ 21:00 – THE INNKEEPERS (1998)

After 100 years of silver service, the Yankee Pedlar Inn is shutting its doors for good. The last remaining employees – Claire and Luke – are determined to uncover proof that the hotel is haunted. As the Inn’s final days draw near, odd guests check in as the pair of amateur ghostbusters begins to experience strange and alarming events that may ultimately cause them to be mere footnotes in the establishment’s long unexplained history.


Tues 22 Oct @ 21:00 – STIR OF ECHOS (1999)

After he is hypnotized at a neighbourhood party, Tom Witzky (Kevin Bacon) changes. He sees things he can't explain and hears voices he can't ignore. As the horrific visions intensify, Tom realises they are pieces of a puzzle, echoes of a crime calling out to be solved. But when his other-worldly nightmares begin coming true, Tom desperately tries to rid himself of his eerie, unwanted powers.


Wed 23 Oct @ 21:00 – THE MESSENGERS (2007)

The first English-language horror entry by the Pang Brothers and produced by Sam Raimi  this suspenseful supernatural thriller centres on the dysfunctional Solomon family, who leave the fast paced life of Chicago for the secluded world of a North Dakota farm. Amidst the tranquil sway of the farm's field of sunflowers, Jess, 16, soon realises how terrifying seclusion can be when she and her brother Ben, 3, begin seeing ominous apparitions invisible to everyone else.


Thurs 24 Oct @ 21:00 – FLIGHT 7500 (2014)

From the director of The Grudge comes this spine-chilling journey into fear. On a flight from Los Angeles to Tokyo, a plane is shaken by severe weather. When the turbulence subsides, a passenger suddenly dies—and a supernatural force is unleashed, overtaking the passengers as they desperately fight to figure out what it is and how to stop it.

Fri 25 Oct @ 21:00 – THE WOMAN IN BLACK (2010)

Based on the classic ghost story, The Woman in Black tells the tale of Arthur Kipps, a lawyer who is forced to leave his young son and travel to a remote village to attend to the affairs of the recently deceased owner of Eel Marsh House. Working alone, Kipps begins to uncover the town’s tragic secrets and his fears escalate when he discovers that local children have been disappearing under mysterious circumstances. When those closest to him become threatened by the vengeful woman in black, Kipps must find a way to break the cycle of terror.


Sat 26 Oct @ 21:00 – THE POSSESSION (2016)

From two acclaimed masters of horror - producer Sam Raimi (EVIL DEAD,) and director Ole Bornedal (NIGHTWATCH), comes a terrifying true story of how a family must unite in order to survive the wrath of an unspeakable and malicious evil. Divorced Clyde and Stephanie Brenek see little cause for alarm when their youngest daughter Em becomes oddly obsessed with an antique wooden box covered with arcane Hebrew inscriptions she purchased at a yard sale. But as Em’s behaviour becomes increasingly erratic the couple fears the presence of a malevolent force in their midst,


Sun 27 Oct @ 21:00 – THE NUN (2005)

Years ago, a cruel and merciless nun turned a boarding school into a living hell for her students until they could no longer bear the abuse, causing her undiscovered death. Now, the alumni are being brutally murdered one by one. Feeling a familiar and evil presence, the surviving women regroup to save their lives and lay the nun to rest one final time.


MON 28 OCT @ 21:00 – THE EYE (2008)

Sydney Wells (Jessica Alba), blind since childhood, undergoes surgery that successfully restores her sight. But unexplainable shadowy and frightening images start to haunt her. Not knowing if they are an aftermath of surgery, her imagination, or something horrifyingly real, Sydney becomes convinced that her anonymous eye donor has somehow opened the door to a terrifying world only she can now see.


TUES 29 OCT @ 21:00 – THE PACT (2012

Following her mother's funeral, Annie reluctantly returns to her childhood home - a place she would rather forget. Then as her sister Nicole and cousin inexplicably disappear, Annie is forced to unlock the doors to the past to discover the hidden secrets of the house and in doing so finds a room that she has no memory of. Things take a sinister and terrifying turn as Annie soon realises she isn't alone in the house...


Wed 30 OCT @ 21:00 – BOO (2005)

Written and directed by Anthony C. Ferrante and Dog Soldiers producer Davis E. Allen, this jump-out-of-your-seat movie bursts with goo and gore and neat homage as a group of young friends spend Halloween in a dilapidated hospital, and soon find trouble-a-plenty in the ghoulish form of a psychotic spirit intent on escaping the dank wards.

Thurs 31 Oct @ 21:00 – PAY THE GHOST (2015) *Channel Premiere

Almost a year after his young son disappeared on Halloween night in New York City, Mike (Nicolas Cage) is alone and haunted by terrifying visions of his son. Determined not to let go, he researches all the cases of missing children in the city and comes to a horrifying conclusion: that every Halloween a vengeful ghost surfaces to abduct three children and if they don't recover their son within a short window of time on All Hallows Eve, he will be lost to the spirit world forever. Following a series of terrifying clues, Mike is led deeper into the ancient curse that could destroy him and all he loves.

Horror Channel: Be Afraid
TV: Sky 317 / Virgin 149 / Freeview 70 / Freesat 138