Interview with Howard J Ford - Director of The Lockdown Hauntings

“I am a believer in using what you have as an indie film-maker and I had a global pandemic! There was a sudden influx of fear, isolation and anxiety. I wondered, could I do anything cinematic with that?” 

Ahead of the UK digital release of his latest film THE LOCKDOWN HAUNTINGS on May 3, director & writer Howard J Ford talks about being a one-man crew, casting Tony Todd, his do-it-yourself SFX kit and losing his uncle to the Pandemic.

You shot THE LOCKDOWN HUNTINGS during the UK’s first lockdown. Was the COVID-19 outbreak the inspiration? If so, why a ghost story?

Howard: It absolutely was. I am a believer in using what you have as an indie film-maker and I had a global pandemic! There was a sudden influx of fear, isolation and anxiety. I wondered, could I do anything cinematic with that?  I then heard that the virus is not even alive, yet this not-living thing was out there taking lives and not only that, it was INVISIBLE!   None of us knew how close this deadly thing was to them… I wondered, could I weave that into a plot, then it hit me.. A ghostly killer. That’s something could do!

Although it can be described as a supernatural horror thriller, at heart lie some interesting issues around spiritual belief, our relationship with the dead and the need to forgive. Were these themes always at the heart of the script or did they evolve during filming?

Howard: Thanks. I do love layers in whatever I am making, so I love trying to find out what could be underneath, what is at the heart of it so to speak. And in the beginnings of lockdown there was all this anger and blame as to whose fault it was that we found ourselves where we are and I felt we all needed some healing elements so I wanted to find a way of getting this in there.

You shot the film single-handedly. What was the both the biggest challenge and the most liberating aspect?

Howard: Yes, I quickly realised that if I was going to pull this film off during lockdown, I would not be able to have anyone with me at all. That and staying two metres away from any actors it was really a challenge. Firstly, I needed to find out if actors would let me film in their homes and a social media post gave me my answers and who was up for it. Then I picked what I felt were the absolute best cast from that. The liberating thing was, so long as the actors were ok with it, I was free to take the film in whatever direction I felt it should go at the time without having to consult a single person. I recall one moment sitting in my car outside a Tesco’s garage having shot with one actor in the morning and about to set off to another, I had a sandwich which cost £2.61 and as I finished it I realised, I just fed the whole crew for less than 3 quid!

The casting of Tony Todd is inspirational. How did that come about? And the acting, in general, is great. Good to see a vibrant Angela Dixon on our screens again. Was casting a difficult operation given the restrictions that were in place then?

Howard: I love Tony Todd so much and I was SO thrilled when I realised he might come on board The Lockdown Hauntings. I had met Mr Todd on a flight to LA, by ‘chance’ some years back, we were sat next to each other and we spent many hours talking about all sorts of amazing things. He’s really a lovely guy and very deep and pun’s-aside, time flew by. I had also soon after that worked with John Rhys-Davies on a champagne film of all things and then found out they had the same manager, a super chap called Jeff Goldberg so we re-connected, then when I was about to go forward with ‘The Lockdown Hauntings’ and needed to cast Jordan Myers the main paranormal expert, I kind of meditated over who would be the absolute best person to do this and I thought, ‘go big’, then BOOM. Tony Todd appeared in my head and I thought, it’s a long shot but what the heck, give Jeff a call, and it all fell into place from there.

Angela Dixon is always great to work with and she went through so much on ‘Never Let Go’, which was not an easy shoot I felt she might like to do something totally different and she seemed to love the idea too and also helped fill in some of the many gaps I had on dialogue and things as I was too busy making the film to properly write it. The cast were so fabulous on this film and somehow we all just got on with it, no messing about, we just hit go and did our best within the circumstances.

Given you had no crew to assist, how did you manage to achieve the numerous special effects that run all the way through the movie?

Howard: I realised I might have to go back to basics on many aspects and I have to be honest, I’m not a fan of big CGI films as I always find it hard to believe the world no matter how impressive, so I thought, well, what would they have done on ‘The Exorcist’, or ‘The Omen’, two films that scared the heck out of me, sometimes with moments that were not full of SFX.. So I re-looked into the ‘old school’ way of doing things and read stories of people pushing furniture around and things being pulled with fishing wire and air machines etc, so I made myself an SFX kit and tried to do as much as possible practically. In post, I do have some fab CGI chaps and I hope between us we can still shock and jolt you and even surprise you in all sorts of places.

You sadly lost your uncle during this period. Did that having a bearing on the project?

Howard: I did, to the virus too.  It was the weirdest thing as no one could attend and we had to watch his funeral on what looked like a kind of YouTube video, all our family folks in separate homes too. I watched some people I’d never met carry his coffin up the aisle and read some words from the family. Play a couple of his favourite songs, some I remember him playing when I was at his flat in London writing my early scripts, then he was gone. This was the guy that got me into fitness, but he enjoyed his life and I felt he would have said to me, just go do it.

Moving away from THE LOCKDOWN HAUNTINGS…before the pandemic struck you completed filming on THE LEDGE. Can you tell us a bit about the film?

Howard: Yes, ‘The Ledge’ which is a bit of a female cliff-hanger was a totally different production scenario. We had a crew of like 64 people and a far bigger set up. Which is great in one way, but unlike ‘The Lockdown Hauntings,’ you can’t change direction or suddenly decide to do this instead of that, or I’d have had my ass fired straight away! Ha.  I actually shot ‘The Lockdown Hauntings’ just before I flew off to do ‘The Ledge’, so both films were made in Lockdown. ‘The Ledge’ is a nail biting thriller/horror written by Tom Boyle and produced by Evolution/GFM whom I worked with on the distribution/sales of ‘The Lockdown Hauntings’. It’s a very high-concept, exciting  story of one female climber stuck high up on the side of a mountain fighting off four killers on a ledge twenty feet above her. It will be getting some great theatrical releases but not for some months after ‘The Lockdown Hauntings’.

The inevitable question but it needs to be asked. Will ‘The Dead’ be walking again?

Howard: Well, by brother Jon and I do discuss it every now and then and we will consider doing ‘The Dead 3’ if the situation was right. If it happens, it will not be for a few more years. They are painful films to make and very nearly killed us for real.

ADVENTURE BOYZ, your all-action family thriller, starred you and your two sons. A thespian one-off or are there ambitions for the Fords to get in front of the camera again?

Howard: Now that’s a film full of love. I made that the summer before the lockdown as I felt we already had a global disaster on our hands. That disaster being that all our children, and probably us too were relying far too much on our devices and not getting out into the real world where the real joys are, so I made ‘Adventure Boyz’ and cast my own two boys in it as I wanted to see if my story could incentivise them, and any other kids around the world to ‘get off their devices and get out there’! Sadly it came out following a lovely theatrical run as the world was told to get indoors and get on zoom! Maybe it will be re discovered. Was fun to act in too, I was never meant to be in it quite so much but I was just so available! Felix is in The Lockdown Hauntings, his third feature film before he was 10!

Finally, what’s coming up for you?

Howard: Well I’m actually moving forward right now with ‘The Lockdown Hauntings 2: Second Wave’! I’ve already shot some sequences and will be doing the rest over the next couple of months or so. Hope to reveal more in Cannes. That and a couple of other projects including another supernatural film I have written called ‘Indelible’. I also have a TV series, ‘Echo Road’ I have been developing. Other than that, let’s all enjoy some life in case we get locked-down again! With ‘The Lockdown Hauntings’ I hope it’s a very different way of reflecting on lockdown and our journey through it.

THE LOCKDOWN HAUNTINGS IS RELEASED ON 3rd MAY ON DIGITAL PLATFORMS, COURTESY OF ALTITUDE

Pre-Order from iTunes

Interview with Arvi Ragu - Director of Cerebrum

Arvi Ragu’s new film CEREBRUM, premiering Sunday April 25 at WorldFest Houston, had to be based on plausible science, as the filmmaker tells us in this insightful interview.

Congratulations on the film. When did you come up with the idea for it?

Thank you!

While ordering Christmas gifts on Amazon a few years ago, I realized the company recommended products based on my purchasing behavior.  The notion of a computer predicting my buying habits intrigued me.  I wondered how long after my death the predictions would continue.  The idea contorted to become a thought experiment about the effect of digital memory existing beyond a body’s death.

And did the script change much, over the course of developing the script?

Originally, a scientist “resurrected” his girlfriend by loading her social media and digital content onto someone else’s brain.  A cool idea, I reckoned, but I found no heart and soul in the idea; the story needed a real human struggle to move forward.  Even after outlining and completing the script, it changed substantially.  Since I was producing the film as well, I would often don my producer hat and remove scenes or sequences to accommodate budget considerations. 

Can you talk about any visual influences? I see a bit of ‘Scanners’ in there! 

During the script’s second iteration, the story moved from a typical sterile lab in an urban setting to a DIY operation in small-town Texas.  Given I live in the Lone Star State, this was easily envisioned.  The change required me to rethink visuals - avoid a blue-grey color scheme, that is - and move to a palette that complemented the new location.  No Country for Old Men and Hell or High Water influenced me greatly.  

And, I imagine, the idea is for audiences to come away thinking ‘wow, this could actually happen’?

Exactly!  This had to be based on plausible science.  With the recent news about Neuralink reading and brain-wave interpretation - a means to transform analog waves to digital waves - the reverse is theoretically possible.  It also poses the question, “If your digital memory can live beyond your living years, what is death, or on a deeper level; who are you?”

Any ideas for a sequel?

Absolutely.  The film leaves open the prospect of a sequel.  I would be thrilled to see audiences catch on to the possibility.

Competition: Win Central Park on DVD

Central Park is released on DVD on 26th of April

And to celebrate we have a great competition for you and 3 copies on DVD to give away.

Synopsis: 

In this contemporary spin on the slasher genre, a group of New York teens arrange a party in Central Park where a masked executioner prepares to kill them one by one. Is the maniac the mythical wolfman rumoured to live in the park or is he a victim of corporate greed hell bent on revenge.

CENTRAL PARK starring Grace Van Patten (Under The Silver Lake), Ruby Modine (Satanic Panic), Deema Aitken (The Wolf of Wall Street) and Justin A Davis (FBI).

April 26th is the UK and Ireland release date where CENTRAL PARK will be available to buy on DVD from Asda, Amazon, HMV and to stream from Sky Store, Amazon Prime, i-Tunes and Google Play.

Buy From Amazon at

https://amzn.to/3n7JYnP

For your chance to win just answer the question below.

COMPETITION CLOSED

Terms and conditions
1. Closing date 03-05-21
2. No alternative prize is available
3. When the competition ends as indicated on this page, any and all entries received after this point will not count and emails blacklisted due to not checking this page first.
4. Winners will be chosen randomly and will be informed via email.

5. Entries that come directly from other websites will not be accepted.

COMPETITION: Win The Seventh Day on DVD

The Seventh Day is released on DVD on 26th of April

And to celebrate we have a great competition for you and 3 copies on DVD to give away.

Synopsis:

In this fresh and terrifying new horror, a renowned exorcist teams up with a rookie for his first day of training. As they plunge deeper into hell on earth, the lines between good and evil blur, and their own demons emerge. 

From the mind of acclaimed new horror writer-director Justin P. Lange (The Dark), The Seventh Day stars Guy Pearce (Prometheus, Memento), Vadhir Derbez (How to Be a Latin Lover, Sense8), Keith David (21 Bridges, They Live) and Stephen Lang (VFW, Avatar).

Dazzler Media presents The Seventh Day on DVD & Digital from 26th April

Buy From Amazon at

https://amzn.to/2P9UAWX

For your chance to win just answer the question below.

COMPETITION CLOSED

Terms and conditions
1. Closing date 03-05-21
2. No alternative prize is available
3. When the competition ends as indicated on this page, any and all entries received after this point will not count and emails blacklisted due to not checking this page first.
4. Winners will be chosen randomly and will be informed via email.

5. Entries that come directly from other websites will not be accepted.

COMPETITION: Win Raw Limited Edition on Blu-ray

Raw Limited Edition is released on Blu-ray on 25th of April

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

Synopsis: 

Get ready to tuck into a meaty treat with Raw, the deliciously dark tale of a strict vegetarian who discovers a taste for human flesh after heading to a brutal veterinary college where initiation ceremonies are the norm. Second Sight has cooked up a special Limited Edition Blu-ray of this horror hit due to be dished up on 26 April 2021.

Julia Ducournau’s shocking feature film debut was acclaimed by critics after a barnstorming debut at Toronto International Film Festival, where paramedics had to be called after audience members fainted at the film’s premiere. Now, after wowing audiences on itsinitial release, Second Sight has pulled the Raw ingredientstogether for a lip-smacking Limited Edition release packed full of extras and served up in a sumptuous rigid slipcase with a booklet containing essays and interviews and three collector’s art cards.

Shy student Justine (Garance Marillier, due to make her English language debut in sci-fi thriller Warning alongside Alice Eve), heads to a veterinary school and is subjected a tough series of hazing rituals from fellow students. And it’s even tougher for vegetarian Justine asshe is covered in blood and forced to eat raw meat. But after tasting the flesh, Justine finds herself craving even more meat – and it doesn’t matter if it’s animal or human as her uncontrollable desires lead to a horrific outcome.

Buy From Amazon at

https://amzn.to/3ecAPXg

For your chance to win just answer the question below.

COMPETITION CLOSED

Terms and conditions
1. Closing date 03-05-21
2. No alternative prize is available
3. When the competition ends as indicated on this page, any and all entries received after this point will not count and emails blacklisted due to not checking this page first.
4. Winners will be chosen randomly and will be informed via email.

5. Entries that come directly from other websites will not be accepted.

Competition: Win The Terror Season 1 on Blu-ray

The Terror is released on Blu-ray on 25th of April

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

Synopsis: 

Starring Jared Harris (Chernobyl), Ciaran Hinds (Game of Thrones) and Tobias Menzies (The Crown), The Terror is inspired by the British Royal Navy's real life expedition into uncharted territory as the crew attempts to discover the fabled Northwest Passage. Finding instead a monstrous, gothic horror that stalks the boats and the minds of the men in a desperate game of survival, the men are forced to face their worst fears. Frozen, isolated and stuck at the end of the earth, the crew must simultaneously battle the elements, the supernatural and eventually themselves to try to overcome the true Terror. This is the UK BBC listing with English language with English subtitles

Buy From Amazon at

https://amzn.to/3gtG5Iu

For your chance to win just answer the question below.

COMPETITION CLOSED

Terms and conditions
1. Closing date 03-05-21
2. No alternative prize is available
3. When the competition ends as indicated on this page, any and all entries received after this point will not count and emails blacklisted due to not checking this page first.
4. Winners will be chosen randomly and will be informed via email.

5. Entries that come directly from other websites will not be accepted.

Paranormal forces take over Horror Channel in May

 

Paranormal forces take over Horror Channel in May with SUPERNATURAL WEEK, eight nights of ghostly scares highlighted by the Channel premieres of PARANORMAL ACTIVTY, the low-budget horror film that became a global phenomenon and David Robert Mitchell’s creepy body horror hit, IT FOLLOWS.

The special event also sees the return of genre favourites such as demon chiller FIRSTBORN, with Misfits star Antonia Laura Thomas, John Carpenter’s classic car-rage chiller CHRISTINE, the twisted supernatural gasper SINISTER, starring Ethan Hawke, the star-studded supernatural cult classic FLATLINERS, with Julia Roberts, Kiefer Sutherland and Kevin Bacon, the paranormal chiller THE QUIET ONES and Sean Byrne’s THE DEVIL’S CANDY; a devastating ride into psychological trauma, starring Ethan Embry

Full film details in transmission order:

Saturday 15 May @ 21:00 – PARANORMAL ACTIVITY (2007) *Channel Premiere

Katie and Micah, a carefree couple, become haunted by an unseen presence in their house. They decide to investigate the increasingly bizarre and escalating intrusions by setting up a video camera to capture evidence of the demonic presence in their house, only to find much more than they ever imagined. The huge global success of the film, shot in a week, ushered in a new era of low budget tech inspired ‘found-footage’ movies.

Sunday 16 May @ 21:00 – CHRISTINE (1983)

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.

Monday 17 May @ 21:00 – SINISTER (2012)

Desperately in need of a best seller 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.

Tuesday 18 May @ 21:00 – FLATLINERS (1990)

Five ambitious medical students embark on a daring experiment: to push through the confines of life and touch the face of death. To help him venture into this realm, manipulative Nelson Wright (Kiefer Sutherland) has recruited  death expert (Julia Roberts), former med student (Kevin Bacon), ladies-man (William Baldwin), and the brilliant but self-absorbed documentarian (Oliver Platt). They soon find, however, that they don't return alone from their peek at the afterlife; they bring back manifestations of their past transgressions…

Wednesday 19 May @ 21:00 – THE QUIET ONES (2014)

A group of students, led by an eccentric professor (Jared Harris), prepare to conduct an experiment on a troubled young woman who insists she has been possessed by an evil doll. However, as they delve deeper they soon face a hellish ordeal.

Thursday 20 May @ 21:00 – THE DEVIL’S CANDY (2015)

Unfulfilled artist Jesse Hellman (Ethan Embry) moves his wife and fellow metal music-loving teenage daughter Zooey into a rustic Texas home with a violent past. Soon his paintings start taking on a darker, disturbing and more prophetic turn as anxieties get ramped up family tensions. Then the clearly unbalanced Ray appears on his doorstep wanting to move back where his parents tragically died. And when Ray sees Zooey, nothing prepares the family for the shocking chain of events.

Friday 21 May @ 21:00 – FIRSTBORN (2016)

Charlie and James are just starting their lives together. Young and in love, they’re relishing having no responsibilities until Charlie discovers she is pregnant. In a moment of youthful abandon, they decide to keep the baby. So into their world comes Thea, a beautiful girl. But her arrival brings with it terrifying entities that threaten their newly formed family

Saturday 22 May @ 21:00 –  IT FOLLOWS (2014) *Channel Premiere

For 19-year-old Jay (Maika Monroe), the fall should be about school, boys and weekends out at the lake. But after a seemingly innocent sexual encounter, she finds herself plagued by strange visions and the inescapable sense that someone, or something, is following her. Faced with this burden, Jay and her teenage friends must find a way to escape the horrors

COMPETITION: Win Meatball Machine on Blu-ray

Meatball Machine is released on Blu-ray on 12th of April

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

Synopsis: 

Part tragic love story, part body horror, Meatball Machine is an extreme steampunk gorefest that has stood the test of time since its first release. It has since spawned a sequel Meatball Machine: Kodoku.

 

The new Blu-Ray, which will be limited to 2,000 copies, will have a collectors cover featuring specially commissioned artwork. It will also contain an all-new and exclusive interview with the films Director as well as behind the scenes content.

 

Aliens are invading the Earth and inserting themselves into humans, turning them into slave cyborgs, hosts for the parasitic alien life forms.

When Sachiko is infected and transformed, it’s up to her lover Yoji, who himself is already half-infected, to save her with his new-found mutated state and deadly weapons growing out from his body.

 

Joey Leung, Terracotta Distribution owner, is excited to share the new Blu-Ray with Meatball Machine fans, saying: "We put a lot of love into this release, as we love Japanese-splatter films, commissioning the new artwork and have subtitled a previously un-subbed directors commentary too. It's a release that fans would love for their blu ray collection."

MEATBALL MACHINE will be available on special edition Blu-Ray from 12th April

Buy From Amazon at

https://amzn.to/3rOda4c

For your chance to win just answer the question below.

COMPETITION CLOSED

Terms and conditions
1. Closing date 19-04-21
2. No alternative prize is available
3. When the competition ends as indicated on this page, any and all entries received after this point will not count and emails blacklisted due to not checking this page first.
4. Winners will be chosen randomly and will be informed via email.

5. Entries that come directly from other websites will not be accepted.

Horror Channel presents two Classic monstrous movie marathons for the Easter Weekend

 

Horror Channel presents CLASSIC MARATHON WEEKEND - two monstrous movie marathons for the Easter Weekend, kicking off at 1pm on Saturday 3rd April with CLASSIC HORROR DAY, featuring 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.

Horror Channel continues its celebration of genre classics with CLASSIC SCI-FI DAY, featuring mutant octopus-rampaging IT CAME FROM BENEATH THE SEA, Fred F. Sears’ saucer-invading caper EARTH VS THE FLYING SAUCERS, Jack Arnold’s thought-provoking classic THE INCREDIBLE SHINKING MAN, Nathan Juran’s Ray Harryhausen inspired 20 MILLION MILES TO EARTH and Joseph M. Newman’s enthralling visual feast, THIS ISLAND EARTH.

Full film details in transmission order:

Sat 3 April @ 13:00 – DRACULA (1931)

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

 

Sat 3 April @ 14:05 – FRANKENSTEIN (1931)

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.

Sat 3 April @ 16:00 – THE MUMMY (1932)

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.

Sat 3 April @ 17:30 – THE WOLF MAN (1941)

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.

Sat 3 April @ 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.

 

CLASSIC SCI-FI DAY

Sunday 4 April @ 13:00 – IT CAME FROM BENEATH THE SEA (1955)

While on a routine mission, Cmdr. Pete Mathews (Kenneth Tobey) runs into trouble when his submarine is nearly sunk by an unknown creature, which is identified as a giant octopus from the nether reaches of Mindanao Deep. The beast has been awakened by nearby nuclear testing and now, radioactive and monstrously huge, the rampaging leviathan is heading toward the North American Pacific Coast.

Sunday 4 April @ 14:30 - THIS ISLAND EARTH (1955)

When atomic scientist Dr. Meacham is chosen to take part in a top-secret research experiment, he quickly discovers that he is really involved in an evil scheme by alien Metalunans to take over Earth. After he and Dr. Adams make their escape, they are whisked away in a flying saucer to Metaluna, where they are blamed for the destruction. Will interstellar negotiation save the day or will the scientists be forced to take part in a treacherous battle to the death?

 

Sunday 4 April @ 16:10 – EARTH VS THE FLYING SAUCERS (1956)

UFOs from a doomed star system invade Earth with plans of world conquest. Surrender is not an option so the human race must fight to the bitter end. Special effects are by Ray Harryhausen.

 

Sunday 4 April @ 17:50 – THE INCREDIBLE SHRINKING MAN (1957)

While on a boating trip, Scott Carey (Grant Williams) is exposed to a radioactive cloud. Nothing seems amiss at first, but several months later Scott realizes that he's shrunk in height by several inches. He sees a doctor, who admits that he's baffled. As Scott continues to shrink, decreasing to three feet tall, he becomes bitter, and lashes out at his wife, Louise (Randy Stuart). He begins to fear a cure will never be found -- since even as he becomes a national sensation, he's still shrinking.

Sunday 4 April @ 19:25 – 20 MILLION MILES TO EARTH (1957)

A manned space flight from Venus crash lands in the Mediterranean, losing its most precious cargo: reptilian eggs from the planet's surface. Italian zoologist (Frank Puglia), his American granddaughter, Marisa (Joan Taylor), and returned astronaut Calder (William Hopper) must battle to the creature before it destroys everything in its path.

Interview with Elizabeth Massie by David Kempf

Check out Elizabeth Massie on Amazon US

When did you first become interested in writing?

I’ve been a storyteller ever since I can remember. When I was a little girl, I was constantly entertaining (I use that term lightly; who knows how entertained they really were?) my family with made up “what if” tales. At night I might ask my mother, “What if when we’re sleeping a ghost comes down the chimney?” Or in the car with my dad, when we would stop to fill the tank with gasoline, I might say, “See that cute little stray dog over there? What if I opened the car door and he got in with us and wouldn’t get out?” Of course, then I’d launch off that question and explain all the things that might happen based on my scenario. 

My parents were very patient and encouraging, though. In fact, my dad, the president of our hometown newspaper, had a lot to do with sealing my desire to be a writer. One evening, when I was four, I made up and shared a story about a squirrel who had lost her favorite acorn. When I went to bed, my father drove down to the newspaper office, typed up (yes, this was in the day of typewriters!) my story as best he could remember, found clip art of squirrels in one of the big advertising books, and hand-bound it into a booklet with a really cute cover. The next morning, he gave it to me. I was thrilled that I could now read and re-read (I was reading by the time I was four) my story, and share it with others. I’m sure my parents’ eyes glazed over with my twentieth reading, but I didn’t notice at the time.

How did you get involved in fantasy/horror?

I watched the original The Twilight Zone and original The Outer Limits on television as a kid. Scared me to death, but I couldn’t get enough. I think the reason is this…the characters were, for the most part, people I could care about. These characters faced frightening and often overwhelming situations…sometimes they made it out okay, other times they didn’t. And so, early on, it impressed on me the fact that horror, done well, could create and encourage sympathy and empathy. I really liked that. Also, these two shows tackled social issues that were often ignored during that time period. That was another big plus for me, another aspect of horror that steered me in its direction.

Tell us about your publisher. 

I’ve had books out from a number of publishers: Harper Entertainment, Pan (UK), Carroll & Graf, Simon & Schuster, Leisure, Pocket Books. My current publisher is Crossroad Press (David Niall Wilson, CEO/Publisher). Established in 2009, Crossroad Press has grown a great deal, releasing trade paperbacks, hardcovers, e-books, and audio books in a variety of genres. They’ve published works by big names such as Cliver Barker, Joe Lansdale, Jack Ketchum, Chet Williamson, John Farris, and many others. They release originals as well as reprints of popular books. Crossroad Press is on top of marketing and aggressively works to benefit its authors. I’m honored to be part of the Crossroad Press family. 

How would you classify the genre you write?

While I also write historical fiction and mainstream fiction, my primary genre is horror. Some people have said I write Southern Gothic, and that’s true in a number of cases (such as my Stoker-winning novel, Sineater, my rural Virginia novel, Homeplace, and one of my favorite Appalachian novels, Desper Hollow). However, having been in the horror business for a very long time (my first short story, “Whittler,” was published by The Horror Show magazine back in 1983) I’ve had the time and the interest to go all “over the map” when it comes to horror. My novel, Hell Gate, could be classified as “supernatural historic fiction” whereas my novel, Wire Mesh Mothers, could be shelved as “psychological road trip horror.” So, back to this: I write horror. A big genre with lots of wiggle room.

Hell Gate is available from Amazon UK at https://amzn.to/3cOblyE

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

The world is filled with things we don’t understand. Things that worry us, scare us, endanger us, trouble us. It’s always been that way. Horror, in particular, has been popular for eons because it gives readers or listeners or viewers a chance to vicariously step in and see how others might handle a terrifying situation, to even imagine how they might deal with that same situation. It’s a like a test run, not that many of us will ever actually encounter zombies or werewolves or vampires. However, many of us (most if not all of us) will run into things that scare the shit out of us. It’s good to know we’re not the only ones. Plus, I think that, as I say in the introduction of my now OOP collection, Sundown, we “stare into the darkness to better understand the light.” 

What inspires your stories?

Just about everything and anything can inspire a story, can give me the seed of an idea. A rumble of a train. A scream from down the street. An amusement park. A shadow on the wall. A dream. A piece of music. And then I start with the old “what if” question…. What if that train has been hijacked? What if that scream isn’t human? What if that amusement park ride takes people to another dimension? What if the shadow isn’t really a shadow after all? 

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

I guess I never really thought about there being a difference…and I’m talking literature, not film. I read Clive Barker, Graham Masterton, Sarah Pinborough, and Ramsey Campbell as much as Stephen King, Bentley Little, Lisa Mannetti, and Joe Lansdale. However, Britain has been around a lot longer as a nation than the USA. It got a much earlier start in horror than we did over here….and did it so very well. Lots of fantastic, legendary ghosts and witches and monsters. English writer Horace Walpole gave us what is often considered the first gothic novel, The Castle of Otranto. Mary Shelley offered a hell of a horror tale with Frankenstein (1818), quite a few years before American writers got deep into what I’d classify as horror (Poe’s first horror story, “Bernice”, was released in 1835). Yet as to current literary horror works, I’m not seeing a big difference. So much great stuff to be had….thanks, UK! (If there’s a difference I’ve missed, please enlighten me!)

What are your favorite horror books?

Oh, so many! Must I really narrow them down? Okay, I’ll list some of the all-time favorites, but keep in mind there are others! 

The Stand by Stephen King.

Harvest Home by Thomas Tryon

Johnny Got His Gun by Dalton Trumbo (though not normally classified as horror)

Behind Her Eyes by Sarah Pinborough

The Bank by Bentley Little

The Good House by Tananarive Due

Midnight Sun by Ramsey Campbell

The Drive-In by Joe Lansdale

Rebecca by Daphne Du Maurier 

Innocence by Dean Koontz

Deathwatch by Lisa Mannetti

I’d recommend anyone who has missed any of these to hie themselves post haste to the nearest bookstore (brick and mortar or online) and grab a copy.

What are some of your favorite horror movies?

While The Exorcist (1973, based on the William Peter Blatty novel) may be dated now, I remember being utterly terrified and enthralled by how well the movie told the story. The lighting, the pacing, the slowly encroaching and then in-your-face terror was near-perfect. No real gore except for the vomit, but it didn’t need gore. Though I’m not a devil-believer, this film came close to changing my mind! 

The Other, a 1972 film based on Thomas Tryon’s novel of the same name (and not to be confused with the 2001 film, The Others), was another movie that I’ll never forget and count as a favorite. It doesn’t shove the viewers face into a shit-load of blood and guts, but is subtle and dark and creepy as hell. The ending is at once horrifying and heartbreaking. 

1939’s The Dark Eyes of London (stupidly renamed The Human Monster here in the States) is one I saw initially as a child on television. I didn’t really understand all that was going on, but I was both frightened by the evil man in charge of the blind institute and so very sad for the hapless, doomed characters in the film. 

The Thing (1982) has all the suspense and payoff that any horror lover would look for. Isolated, claustrophobic setting and characters struggling to figure what the hell is trying to kill them. Not a lot of gore but shocking scenes, nonetheless.

Get Out (a 2017 gem from Jordan Peele), does a brilliant job of revealing the horror of racism in a unique and horrifying way. 

I could go on, there are many other favorite films; but I will point out that I’ll always prefer a movie with a good, strong story, with characters I care about, with horror that picks up the pace and does so without gratuitous violence, and stays away from jump scares and screeching, pop-your-eardrums music.   

What do you consider your greatest accomplishment as an author?

I’ve been honored to have been complimented frequently on my character development. That means a lot and I consider that a wonderful accomplishment. I work to make my characters to be either relatable or intriguing…or both. There is no real emotion in a story or novel without characters to care about, to root for, to cry for, to cheer on as they struggle…and, in the case of horror, characters to cringe over, to hate, to want to see either defeated or destroyed. My recent novelette, “Baggie,” included in the anthology Voices in the Darkness (release date April 13, 2021, Crossroad Press) received a fantastic pre-release review along that line: “The character work by Elizabeth Massie was amazing. I felt so attached to the character and felt so emotional re: his entire arc. This was a tragic tale, a story of a villain and how circumstances dictated his life to where it ended. Samuel’s trauma and hardships and the way it was written, made Samuel exist beyond the pages. It had such a strong hold on me as a reader, and in the end I’m simply in heartache on how it progressed.” That makes me happy.

Do you have any advice for new writers?

Read as much as you can, not just in your chosen genre. Realize that not everything you write will be a gem; a lot will suck, and that’s okay. First drafts are first drafts, not final drafts; find a good editor and give serious consideration to the suggestions that editor gives you. When you start a new story or novel, have an idea of where you want your story to end up, so at least you have a sense of direction; this doesn’t mean things won’t change as you write, but it will keep you from grinding to a halt, standing in the middle of the road, wondering which way to turn. Don’t get pissed if your work gets bad reviews…press on and try to do better with the next one. Please, unless you are a skilled, trained illustrator, don’t draw or paint your own book cover. (Have you seen how many awful book covers are out there? It’s painful!) Write most days, but give yourself time away to let your creative well refill…and it will. 

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

It was inevitable, given the way large, traditional publishing houses are buying up other publishers, shrinking the market, and making it more difficult for newer writers to get picked up. Writers who create what the publishing houses determine to be blockbusters are now paid even more bucks than before, which leaves less money for B-list (and I think B-list is really tight now, too, and possibly dying). All this makes it even more difficult for newer writers to break in. And so, self-publishing is a route many new…and some established…authors are taking. There are some fantastic self-published works, and I’m glad writers have taken the reins when no one else would. And self-published books shouldn’t be judged solely on the fact that they are self-published. 

That said, there is a ton of self-published garbage out there….works that should never have been put up for sale in the first place because they are nothing more than self-indulgent ramblings, or good intentions with bad grammar, weak plots, or cardboard characters. This makes it more difficult for those with good, solid stories out there. 

Little anecdote: I had an appointment with a new eye doctor a couple months ago. She didn’t know me, just had my eye chart from the earlier doctor. As she was getting ready to check my vision, she said, “So, what do you do?” I said, “I’m a writer.” She chuckled and said, “Yeah, during the pandemic everybody’s at home now, writing books.” That struck hard. But she was right in many ways, though it isn’t just the current coronavirus pandemic that has set more people onto the “publishing” path. It seems that many want to claim they are writers but aren’t willing to put the solid work into creating something worth reading. So, to make a long answer short (too late), I’ll say I have no idea what publishing will be like in the next two, five, ten years, be it through traditional houses, smaller presses, or self-publishing. I can only hope that people keep reading and that good writers will continue to share their talents and their visions. I’m counting on them, because, c’mon, I wanna READ! 

What are your current projects?

I’m always juggling several things at once, like many writers do. I’m working on the next novel in Ameri-Scares, my middle grade series of horror novels (books geared at readers ages 8-13). This one is entitled Texas: Theatre of the Absurd. So far, there are 12 novels in the series, and each is set in a different state in the Union. Also, each novel is based on or inspired by a folktale, legend, or historic event specific to that state. Mark Rainey has joined me in this mighty venture, as the series won’t be completed until we have all 50 states covered. Some of the current titles include Virginia: Valley of Secrets, Tennessee: Winter Haunting, Ohio: Fear the Grassman, Montana: Ghosts in the Dust, Washington: The Deep Dark Down, and more. 

I’m also deep into my next adult horror novel, The House on Wyndham Island. It’s an historic horror novel set in 1898 off the coast of South Carolina and features an asylum/institution in which innocent young people, who were unjustly found guilty of a variety of crimes, are held for very dark purposes. My goal is to have it done before the end of this year.

My newest story collection, Madame Cruller’s Couch and other Dark, Bizarre Tales, should be out this summer (2021). It includes a number of short tales as well as a novelette and novella. 

All of these will be published by Crossroad Press…and I hope folks on both sides of the pond check them out and find them appropriately creepy.

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

I’m a Bram Stoker Award- and Scribe Award-winning author of horror fiction, historical fiction, mainstream fiction, media-tie ins, and nonfiction. My novels and collections include Sineater, Wire Mesh Mothers, Desper Hollow, Hell Gate, Naked on the Edge, Afraid, It Watching, Buffy the Vampire: Power of Persuasion, Homeplace, the Ameri-Scares series, the novelizations of the television series The Tudors and Versailles, and more. A 9th generation Virginian, I live in the countryside in the Shenandoah Valley with my illustrator husband, Cortney Skinner. I enjoy geocaching, hiking, knitting very long scarves, staring out the window, and listening while Cortney plays the Theremin to television theme songs (he’s really good with “Perry Mason,” “Star Trek,” and “Still Game.”) Chocolate is from Heaven and cheese is from Hell. 

It, Watching is available from Amazon UK at https://amzn.to/313y2JI