Full Movie - A Lonely Place to Die (2011)

A group of five mountaineers are hiking and climbing in the Scottish Highlands when they discover a young Serbian girl buried in a small chamber in the wilderness. They become caught up in a terrifying game of cat and mouse with the kidnappers as they try to get the girl to safety.

David Kempf

David Kempf is a new novelist who we have been following closely over the last few years. We gave him great support and have published many of his great short stories on Masters Of Horror. Well as David has now published his first novel, which is listed on Amazon, we thought we would catch up with David.


JD You have written over fifty short stories, many of which deal with themes of horror fiction. Why did you feel the need to put them into novel form?

DK Well, I used some of the short stories I’ve posted online within my novel, which is considerably longer than many novels because I wanted to establish that this character, Christopher is a fiction writer, specifically, dark fiction.

JD Fair enough, David. Now why did you want to write about a young horror fiction writer who was still in college?

DK Well, I suppose because one is much filled with hope when one is at that age. The world hasn’t beaten the hell out of you yet. You don’t know how vicious life is and you are still holding onto your idealism. The world is still out there for you to conquer, you know. That’s the free spirit I wanted for my protagonist.

JD What about your antagonist?

DK That’s a good question, Jon. I never saw Dr. Henry David Wells as the antagonist of the story per se. I think such black and white terms are immaterial in what is an essentially an experimental work of fictions such as this. Still, if you had to put such labels on the characters I suppose that is the way it comes out in the end.

JD Yes. Why do you love horror so much?

DK Well, I love fiction, of all kinds, horror just happens to be my favorite to read.

JD I see. What other genres do you enjoy?

DK I am very fond of science fiction, history, thriller, mystery and detective fiction. Still, horror has always been my favorite, just a matter of personal taste.

JD I see. Why did you call the book Dark Fiction?

DK Both of the main characters write this kind of specific fiction and pay a price for doing so and short stories of this genre are featured all through the novel.

JD Is this your first novel?

DK Yes, sir it is.

JD You must feel very proud of that.

DK Indeed, I do, sir.

JD Why would you write it now?

DK I’m at a certain age where I was either going to do it or not. I have many friends who have talked about writing a novel ever since we were in college. Some of them never even managed to write a short story or two for our college literary magazines. These were the folks; I seriously doubted would ever write a novel later on in life.

JD Who are your favorite authors?

DK There are too many to name but I’ll drop some names from the top of the list. Anne Rice, Clive Barker, Stephen King, Ramsey Campbell, Truman Capote, James Herbert, Shirley Jackson, Peter Straub, Washington Irving, Harlan Ellison, Edogawa Rampo and Robert Bloch.

JD You included all of these short stories within your novel, why?

DK Well, you know I’ve read many great novels that had writers as their main characters or protagonists/heroes or what have you. They never went into detail about what the hell they wrote. There were only vague recollections of the fictional endeavors of our heroes as they fought vampires, zombies, maniacs and other forces of darkness.

JD I see.

DK The writer’s job is to always tell the truth and I think that includes letting the readers in on their fiction and fictional characters.

JD What drove you to write this book?

DK I am a storyteller who loves horror and thrillers and I simply wanted to tell a story.

JD Why did you choose to have the book published originally in the e-book form?

DK Well, Jon, it wasn’t just to save some trees. I believe the future is with me in saving trees and time by allowing folks to choose from the Kindle to the Sony so they can download a lifetime’s worth of books without carrying much weight.

JD What inspires you in your writing?

DK Well, I was paying tribute to old fashioned thrillers but also to some of the B horror movies I grew up watching on late night TV. I wanted to create kind of a fusion of the two. Making the B movie into something else, something with depth and philosophical meaning is what I was interested in doing. I enjoyed writing in college; my paper on Dracula was featured at the student research conference. I also won first place in my college’s fiction magazine’s short story contest. That was very validating for me. Writing for your website has also meant a great deal to me over the past two years. It’s allowed me to use my imagination and experience constructive criticism at the same time.

JD You are the only American on my site. How does that make you feel?

DK Honored. I majored in English in college because I have a great respect for the literature of the United Kingdom. I also write for an American horror site and it features some damn good writing. What it lacks is an opportunity to learn your craft and improve upon your writing. I know the English take their writing very seriously that’s why they have what I consider to be the best literature in the history of the world. No one has touched upon the human condition like Shakespeare or Dickens. The people who stem from that culture are the people who I want to judge my writing and help me be the best author that I can be.

JD How challenging was it to find a publisher?

DK It’s a great challenge. It took me some considerable time to finally find one that suited my needs and would publish a book that I did not want to compromise on. It was a take it or leave it deal because I really believed in this project. The E Book Sale or RealTime Publishing in Limerick Ireland is a great publisher and I’m glad that I chose them.

JD What is dark fiction?

DK That’s a great question, Jon. I think that’s a complex question. Most folks think that it’s generally a form of horror fiction but I think that the real definition if far more broad. It’s a form of fiction that takes great risks and avoids categories. It is horror, it is thriller, it is suspense but ultimately it disturbs us and makes us realize that life is not what we think that it is. It makes us question the nature of reality. When it’s done exceptionally well it tells us something about ourselves that we wish we didn’t know.

Nick Button

J: Welcome to the Masters of Horror UK website Nick. Can we start with how the idea for Dark Hoard came about? 


N: Hey Jon, thanks for the opportunity to talk about this thing that’s been my life for over two ears!


I’ve been interested in writing for a long time and have written short stories in the past, but just don’t have the time to write a book. I came up with the idea of writing a series of short stories and compiling them into an anthology, because that would give me the flexibility to write each story when I could... Whilst reading short stories online I came up with the much better idea of asking other people to write the stories, whilst I run the project.


J: I like it, get other people to do all the work right?


N: Hey, you’d be surprised just how much work is involved in recruiting authors, managing their expectations, helping with ideas, editing stories and promoting the project.


J: To be honest I wouldn't be that surprised, running Master Of Horror is a very similar concept afterall. But this isn’t just a bunch of great stories is it?


N: No, I wanted to make it much more. There’s design work, paintings and illustrations throughout the whole book. I’m not kidding when I say it’s unique.


J: So, why horror? If you’re picking the authors, you could pick any genre that takes your fancy right?


N: I’ve always been interested in horror. I’m a big fan of James Herbert – I think I’ve read everything he’s written in fact. Besides which, when you look through the web, there’s so much talent in this genre, and so many great sites that feature short stories in particular.


J: I can think of at least one right now, and anyone reading this will surely know I am reffering to Masters Of Horror! - So, let’s talk about publishing, you’re using self-publishing aren’t you? Is that a budgetary thing?


N: Too right! This is strictly a hobby thing for me, any money the book generates is going back into the project to fund further promotion and hosting costs for the site etc.


J: So we could see this thing on Amazon yet?


N: Oh man, that would be great – but it depends on what people think of the book... If they like it, buy it and tell their friends, who knows what will happen?


J: Nick, thanks for your time. I wish you the best of luck with the book and hope to see you again on Masters of Horror! 


N: Thanks a lot Jon. 


If you want to find out more about Dark Hoard, check out the website – it’s awesome!


www.darkhoard.com

Simeon Halligan

How did the idea for Splintered come about?
The idea was brewing for some time in different shapes and forms through a bunch of different treatments and script ideas. The consistent elements being: a young female central character on the run from an abusive past and her relationship with an estranged man, living outside society in an abandoned building. At first it wasn’t a horror film, more psychological thriller.


What is the 4K red camera system and why was it chosen for the production?
We worked at 4K resolution, which meant that the quality of image is hugely detailed but it requires an awful lot of memory drive space to store the footage. The camera captures onto cards or hard drives and the material can then be transferred to an edit system directly without using film or tape as a recording medium.


Did you shoot predominately on location and where were these locations?
Finding the key location, the abandoned catholic orphanage, was a journey in itself, as I knew so much of the film relied so heavily on the environment and how the characters interacted with it. I’d seen pictures of St. Joseph’s and knew a little about the place and had tried unsuccessfully to recce it previously. I’d heard it was completely out of bounds. But after some effort, we managed to persuade the landlords. I’ve never been to anywhere else quite like St. Joseph’s; a huge rambling, gothic monstrosity of a building, which used to house a Priest school.


Were there any particularly difficult scenes to film?
We shot for around five and half weeks and every day seemed too short! Any scenes containing a lot of action or special effects were always the most difficult under the time restraints. Obviously scenes in which Gavin and Vincent interact were particularly tricky to shoot as both characters are played by actor Stephen Walters. These sequences were shot in two passes, each time Stephen would play one or other of the characters and we would use body doubles for the other brother. There isn’t one SFX shot used in the film to put both brothers into a scene, it’s all done with cutting!


There seems to be a preoccupation with doubles, pairings and opposites within the film, what does this mean?
I guess a clue is in the title; the SPLINTERED fragmentation of the human psyche, which echoes through the piece as a whole. There was a deliberate intention to show characters that are split in two, or can only function fully as part of or half of a whole.


It seems that Sophie is actively seeking out the threat – is this a subconscious desire for her to resolve the reoccurring nightmare that she has?
Sophie is constantly looking for answers, but in chasing myths and legends she is subconsciously avoiding having to find real answers to real questions and/or to confront the nightmare locked inside her head. She has spent her adult life trying to avoid the inevitable and horrific truth about her own life.


When did your interest in filmmaking begin?
I’m one of those filmmakers who knew that I wanted to get involved with the medium from an early age. 1977 was probably the catalyst year. I was ten and dragged my parents along to see STAR WARS and CLOSE ENCOUNTERS. In return my folks dragged me along to the re-release of 2001 the same year. I think my fate was sealed.


Did you make any short films prior to making SPLINTERED?
Yes - my very first was a somewhat over ambitious 27 minute black and white film noir pastiche called TRIPLE EXPOSURE, set in forties Chicago! SLEEP MY LOVE gained financial support from the UK Film Council’s digital shorts scheme and showed at a whole bunch of festivals once completed. Influenced by Nolan’s MEMENTO and Ian McEwan’s novel A CHILD IN TIME, the film portrayed the breakdown of a relationship after the death of a family member; the truth is revealed at the end as the story unravels backwards through time.

---

Synopsis
Something has been killing live stock in a remote part of North Wales and now it’s started attacking humans.


SOPHIE, a teenager with a troubled past, puts herself and her friends at the mercy of this wild beast, when her obsession of the unexplained leads them deep into the Welsh countryside. Looking for evidence within an abandoned building, Sophie witnesses a vicious attack on her friend and then finds herself incarcerated in a locked room. She cannot escape and her only hope is that her friends manage to find her before her captor makes them his latest victim…


Running Time; 100 mins


UK Theatrical Release Date: 3rd September 2010


Directed by Simeon Halligan


Starring
Holly Weston
Stephen Walters
Sacha Dhawan
Sadie Pickering


Images

Full Movie - Dog Soldiers (2002)

During a routine nighttime training mission in the Scottish Highlands, a small squad of British soldiers expected to rendezvous with a special ops unit instead find a bloody massacre with a sole survivor. The savage attackers of the special ops team return, and the men are rescued by Megan (Emma Cleasby), a zoologist who identifies what hunts them as werewolves. Without transport or communications, the group is forced to retreat to a farmhouse to wait for the full moon to disappear at dawn.

Straw Dogs (1971) - Starring Dustin Hoffman & Susan George

 

Straw Dogs is a 1971 psychological thriller film directed by Sam Peckinpah and starring Dustin Hoffman and Susan George. The screenplay, by Peckinpah and David Zelag Goodman, is based upon Gordon M. Williams's 1969 novel, The Siege of Trencher's Farm. The film's title derives from a discussion in the Tao Te Ching that likens people to the ancient Chinese ceremonial straw dog, being of ceremonial worth, but afterwards discarded with indifference.

The film is noted for its violent concluding sequences and two complicated rape scenes, which were subject to censorship by numerous film rating boards. Released theatrically in the same year as A Clockwork Orange, The French Connection, and Dirty Harry, the film sparked heated controversy over a perceived increase of violence in films generally.

The film premiered in the UK in November 1971. Although controversial at the time, Straw Dogs is considered by some critics to be one of Peckinpah's greatest films.

Night Of The Living Dead (1968) - Region Free - Public Domain

Night of the Living Dead is a 1968 American independent horror film written, directed, photographed and edited by George A. Romero, co-written by John Russo, and starring Duane Jones and Judith O'Dea. The story follows seven people who are trapped in a rural farmhouse in western Pennsylvania, which is besieged by a large and growing group of "living dead" monsters.

The film was completed on a $114,000 budget and shot outside Pittsburgh, where it had its theatrical premiere on October 1, 1968. The film grossed $12 million domestically and $18 million internationally, earning over 250 times its budget. Night of the Living Dead has been regarded as a cult classic by film scholars and critics, despite its being heavily criticized upon its release for its explicit gore. It eventually garnered critical acclaim and has been selected by the Library of Congress for preservation in the National Film Registry, as a film deemed "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant."

Enjoy this synth rescore of Night Of The Living Dead, featuring original music by OGRE vesves Dallas Campbell.