Horror Channel reveals October slate of premieres

October boasts eleven premieres on Horror Channel, including a hellish Halloween night double-bill of Corin Hardy’s impressive Irish monster movie debut THE HALLOW and Ante Novakovic’s rampant Halloween slasher FRIGHT FEST. Both channel premieres will be broadcast on Saturday 31 October, with THE HALLOW at 9pm and FRIGHT FEST at 22.55pm.

There are also four prime-time UK premieres: Demon chiller FIRSTBORN, with Misfits star Antonia Laura Thomas, hashtag horror SELFIE FROM HELL, the haunting, award-winning ECHOES OF FEAR and the pint-sized gold-digger is back in the Leprechaun sequel LEPRECHAUN RETURNS.

There are five further channel premieres: PET, a twisted tale of obsession and complexities of the human condition, starring Dominic Monaghan, David Cronenberg’s cult classic body horror THE BROOD, British director Tom Paton’s giddy nerve-shredder, THE ASCENT, psychological thriller THE RESIDENT, starring Hilary Swank and featuring Christopher Lee in his final movie performance and finally, killer crocodiles and giant anacondas clash big-time in LAKE PLACID VS ANACONDA.


Full film details in transmission order:


Saturday 3 October @ 21:00 – LAKE PLACID VS ANACONDA (2015) *Channel Premiere

Get ready for a non-stop bloodbath in this vicious battle between mutated crocodiles and genetically engineered anacondas In the latest instalment of the Lake Placid and Anaconda franchises. When they’re not hunting for human prey, they’re more than willing to take on each other. Staring horror legend Robert Englund

Sunday 4 October @ 21:00 – FIRSTBORN (2016) *UK TV Premier

Charlie and James are just starting their lives together. Young and in love, they’re relishing having no responibilities 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.

Friday 9 October @ 21:00 – SELFIE FROM HELL (2018) *UK TV Premiere

Socially awkward Seth (Dominic Monaghan) works diligently at an animal shelter. One day he sees old schoolmate Holly on a bus and tries to rekindle the acquaintance. But the waitress is just coming off a failed relationship and isn’t remotely interested. Realising his feelings will never be reciprocated the stalker takes drastic action to find a new way of showing his crush how much she needs him in her life.


Saturday 17 October @ 21:00 – LEPRECHAUN RETURNS (2018) *Channel Premiere

The eighth instalment of the Leprechaun franchise picks up 25 years after the original​. Lila, the daughter of Tory Redding, returns to the home that changed her mother forever. Joined by a group of girls who attempt to convert it into an eco-friendly sorority house, Lila is forced to face the demons of her mother’s past. Although Lila grew up to believe the demons lived purely inside Tory’s head, it turns out there really is an indestructible Leprechaun on a murderous rampage in search for his gold…

Sunday 18 October @ 21:00 – ECHOES OF FEAR (2018) *UK TV Premiere

After inheriting her grandfather’s house, Alysa must confront the mystery of his sudden death and the evil that hides inside.


Friday 23 October @ 21:00 – THE ASCENT (2019) *UK TV Premiere

A special operations squad known in secret elite circles as Hell's Bastards is sent to infiltrate a civil war in order to retrieve vital intelligence. But the crack unit soon finds themselves trapped on a never-ending, twisting and turning stairwell, which they are forced to climb - or they will die. To survive, they must revisit past sins and take important steps if they ever want to get off the staircase to nowhere. With: Shayne Ward, Toby Osmond, Simon Meacock and Rachel Warren.


Saturday 24 October @ 22:35 – THE BROOD (1979) *Channel Premiere

Frank Carveth is becoming increasingly concerned about his ex-wife Nola’s secretive treatment at the sinister ‘Somafree Institute of Psychoplasmics. Headed by cult figure Dr Raglan, his controversial and extreme methods seek to unleash his patients' rage, often taking on physical manifestations. As Frank delves deeper he is finally led to an horrific and repellant final confrontation.

Sunday 25 October @ 21:00 – THE RESIDENT (1979) *Channel Premiere

After separating from her adulterous husband, Dr. Juliet Devereau (Hilary Swank) moves to New York and settles into a new life in her spacious apartment, Mysterious occurrences lead her to suspect she is not alone and quickly her fears become all too real as she discovers her seemingly charming landlord, Max, has developed a dangerous obsession with her. A terrifying game of cat and mouse ensues as Juliet is forced to fight and free herself from Max’s increasingly sinister intentions. The film also features a cameo from Christopher Lee, in his first collaboration with Hammer Films since 1976's To the Devil a Daughter and his last before his death in 2015.

Saturday 31 October @ 21:00 – THE HALLOW (2015) *Channel Premiere

When a conservationist is sent to Ireland with his wife and infant child to survey an area of forest believed to be hallowed ground by superstitious locals, his actions unwittingly disturb a horde of demonic creatures who prey upon the lost. Alone and deep within the darkness of the remote wilderness, he must now fight back to protect his family against the ancient forces’ relentless attack.

Saturday 31 October @ 22:55 – FRIGHT FEST (2018) *Channel Premiere

Blood runs rampant on Halloween night when the Mayor of Sommerton decides to mount a live Fright Fest event within the walls of a long abandoned lunatic asylum. Only problem is a van of criminally insane prisoners crashes just outside and the trick or treaters think their murderous acts are part of the performance. Enter if you dare…


Find The Horror Channel
Freeview UK: Channel 70
Sky UK & Ireland: Channel 317; Channel 318 (+1)
Virgin Media UK: Channel 149; Channel 202 (+1)

TRAIN TO BUSAN PRESENTS: PENINSULA to open Arrow Video FrightFest October 2020

Four years after TRAIN TO BUSAN was voted the most popular FrightFest Closing Night film ever, comes the hotly anticipated stand-alone sequel, TRAIN TO BUSAN PRESENTS: PENINSULA, which will open this year’s Arrow Video FrightFest October event, courtesy of STUDIOCANAL. The film will play on Thurs Oct 22, 6pm, across three screens at the Cineworld, Leicester Square.

FrightFest co-director Alan Jones commented: ”Ask any die-hard FrightFester what their favourite ever Closing Night film was and they will say the fabulous TRAIN TO BUSAN. The continuous standing ovations, cheers and applause engendered by our sell-out screenings of that instant genre classic has become the stuff of FrightFest legend. So we are delighted STUDIOCANAL is granting us the opportunity of opening our Arrow Video FrightFest October event with the epic stand-alone sequel TRAIN TO BUSAN PRESENTS: PENINSULA. The FrightFest audience really connects with Korean director Yeon Sang-ho’s stellar work and we have no doubt his latest Asian blockbuster will raise the roof once more with his resonant brand of turbo-driven, fantasy action entertainment”.

Synopsis: 
Four years after South Korea’s total decimation in TRAIN TO BUSAN, the zombie outbreak thriller that captivated audiences worldwide, acclaimed director Yeon Sang-ho brings us PENINSULA, the next nail-biting chapter in his post-apocalyptic world. Jung-seok (Gang Dong-won), a soldier who previously escaped the diseased wasteland, relives the horror when assigned to a covert operation on the quarantined peninsula with two simple objectives: retrieve and survive. When his team unexpectedly stumbles upon survivors, their lives will depend on whether the best—or worst—of human nature prevails in the direst of circumstances.

Directed by Yeon Sang-ho, the film stars Gang Dong-won, Lee Jung-hyun, Lee Re, Kwon Hae-hyo.

STUDIOCANAL will preview the film for Halloween, it will then be released in cinemas on Nov 6 and available on Blu-ray, DVD & Digital from Nov 30.

The full-line up for the October event will be announced on Thurs 17 September, along with ticketing details and the first news of the Halloween Digital event.

Arrow Video FrightFest October 2020 takes place at the Cineworld Leicester Sq. between Thurs Oct 22 & Sun Oct 25.

w4free, the UK’s newest AVOD platform, gets scary with raft of premium horror titles

Bobcat Goldthwait’s critcally-acclamied Bigfoot parody WILLOW CREEK, Bruce McDonald’s  terrifying tour-de-force PONTYPOOL, Adam Green’s jaw-dropping slasher HATCHET and ELFIE HOPKINS, the twisted tale of cannibalism starring Jamie and Ray Winstone head up a slate of impressive genre movies, which are free to stream via the W4free App.

Also unleaahed on the new, already popular, UK AVOD service are Romero’s NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD, the infamous Welsley Snipes’ cowboy zombie mash-up GALLOWWALKERS, the stylish and erotic chiller AFTER.LIFE, 80’s cult classic DEAD AND BURIED and THE HAUNTING OF MOLLY HARTLEY, starring Haley Bennett (Girl on a Train, Swallow)

Chris Sharp, Chairman of W4free, said today: “The Horror genre has always been dear to my heart and today’s announcement is only the beginning of what will be a steady output of international genre titles, ranging from cult classics to the contemporary”.

w4free, founded by Chris Sharp, former Chief Operating Officer for Cello Zone and AMC Networks UK, has also acquired a raft of international hit movies including Lars Von Trier’s DOGVILLE, Grant Gee’s celebrated documentary JOY DIVISION, the Irish musical drama ONCE, Oscar-winning LA VIE EN ROSE, the irresistible Australian comedy MURIEL’S WEDDING and the inspiring New Zealand drama, WHALE RIDER.

The entertainment service, which also provides TV series and documentaries, can be accessed on all mobile devices and via Apple, TV, Swisscon TV Box and Sky Ticket. It has also  recently launched on Netgem TV in the UK and Ireland.

The group behind the service, Philipp Rotermund’s Video Solutions AG, provides a range of AVOD and SVOD brands in Europe, including Watch4, available in Germany, Switzerland and Austria with a reach of 10 million people per month.

Interview with Jeff Schneider - Director of Evil Under The Skin

Ahead of the release of his latest film Evil Under the Skin – on DVD and Digital 8th September – filmmaker Jeff Schneider talks about making the transition from being a circus performer to a filmmaker.


When did your filmmaking career kick off?

I started my career with a circus and performing arts troop traveling for several years all over the United States doing pole climbing, hoop diving, juggling, hypnotism, sword fighting and other arena and outdoor entertainment.

I have loved film my whole life. As a kid playing make believe, acting in high school, and working on a circus for 20 years. Film, though, when I got my chance to start that journey of my life it really grabbed me. I love seeing how different people get different things out of films. 10 different people have 10 different strong opinions and interpretations of the meanings of the film.


Most cite “Star Wars” as one of the films that spurred them towards a career in the industry. What film was it for you? 

Yeah it was Star Wars! I still remember not wanting to see it I was thinking it would be like the other sci fi films I had seen. But that film, I saw it when I was five, it just blew me away. It cemented my love of sci fi in an instant.


Have you always naturally been drawn to horror?

 I do like horror I remember seeing Alien and that movie scaring me to death. I like the different ways horror can affect you I remember seeing the Blair witch Project while in a trailer by a spooky forest and being alone. That really amplified the feel of it. Hearing the noises outside and watching the film at the same time. It is always fascinating how watching a film with a group and watching a film alone how that affects you.


In the case of Evil Under the Skin, where does the story come from?

Luc Bernier wrote the script for Evil Under the Skin and we partnered with him.


I imagine you’re very close to it, so maybe the wrong person to ask (filmmakers hate the question), but what do you believe makes the film superior to others of a similar type?

I think films are like people so each is slightly different and its own person. For me I think it’s the cast and everyone’s love of the craft that elevates it. I think when people watch they will feel that love. We want people to enjoy it and we do the most with what we have so for me it’s not about it being superior as much as making a connection.

COMPETITION: Win Koko-Di Koko-Da on Blu-ray

THE COMPETITION QUESTION IS CHANGED DAILY, AND ONLY ENTRIES DIRECT FROM THIS PAGE WILL BE COUNTED, ENTRIES FROM MONEY SAVING EXPERT ARE DISQUALIFIED.

Koko-Di Koko-Da is released on Blu-ray on September 7th

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

Synopsis
A couple, Tobias (Leif Edlund Johansson) and Elin (Ylva Gallon), embark on a trip to find their way back to each other and repair their broken relationship. A sideshow artist (Peter Belli) and his shady entourage emerge from the woods, terrorizing them, luring them deeper and deeper into a maelstrom of psychological terror and humiliating slapstick.  Desperately the couple tries to escape, only to find themselves back where they started: in their tent, waking up at dawn. By way of their tangled dreams, we relive one particular night in their lives over and over again.  From this nightmarish atmosphere, underpinned by a haunting score and striking cinematography, a poignant story emerges about relationships, grief and reconciliation, and love as a healing force.

KOKO-DI KOKO-DA is written, directed and produced by Johannes Nyholm, a Swedish writer and director regarded as one of the most original and intriguing filmmakers of his generation. With a background in classical animation, Nyholm often mixes different styles and cinematic universes, moving freely in the border between dream and reality.  He first gained recognition for his animated film series The Tale of Little Puppetboy, widely shown at festivals and galleries around the world including Directors’ Fortnight in Cannes in 2009.  His shadow puppetry short-film Dreams from the Woods which followed also premiered in Cannes.  In 2011 his short film Las Palmas gained worldwide fame from its trailer alone and won a flurry of awards, screening in Cannes and Sundance.  In 2016 Nyholm made his highly anticipated feature film debut with The Giant, a fantastical and wondrous drama that received critical acclaim from its premiere at the Toronto Film Festival, followed by San Sebastian and a host of other international festivals.  The film won three Guldbagge Awards as well as prizes at the San Sebastian, Rotterdam and Warsaw film festivals.

Buy from Amazon at

https://amzn.to/3gEKR2l
For your chance to win both just answer the question below.

COMPETITION CLOSED

Terms and conditions
1. Closing date 14-09-20
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. Only entries from this page will be accepted, the competition question is changed regularly, and entries from other websites are not allowed and will mean your email address will be disqualified.

Interview with G-Hey Kim - Director of Don't Click

Ahead of the FrightFest World premiere of DON’T CLICK, director G-Hey Kim talks about the challenges of making her debut feature

Your 2017 DON’T CLICK short was hugely successful on the festival circuit. Is that when you decided to expand it, or was that always the plan?

I never planned to extend my film because I never expected it to actually happen. Only a few short films have had the opportunity for a full feature version such as Saw (2004), Mama (2013) and Lights Out (2016). So I wasn't expecting that my short film would ever get that chance. When I got a call from George Mihalka about creating a full length production of my film, I was very surprised and incredibly glad. From then on I began to think of my film as a full length feature


Was it difficult to think of ways to elongate the concept into feature length?

It would have been difficult without my amazing writer, Courtney. It's  hard to extend the plot of a short film without it dragging or feeling bloated. But Courtney was a fantastic writer. She understood the exact concept I was going for and knew the best way to get there. I enjoyed developing the story for the feature version with her.


Your executive producer is slasher royalty! How did you get George Mihalka (MY BLOODY VALENTINE) on board?

I may have had a bit of help in that regard, due to the fact that when I created my short film DON'T CLICK, it was as an assignment for a class that he was teaching. He was really impressed by the film and recommended I submit it to some festivals. He's been a good mentor, helping me a lot to get this project off the ground. I'm so thankful I got the chance to work and learn from him.

Valter Skarsgard in DON’T CLICK

Had you seen Valter Skarsgard in LORDS OF CHAOS? Did he jump at the chance to play Josh?

I hadn't seen the film before his name was brought up during the casting meeting but after I had seen his work, I was convinced that he would be perfect for the role of Josh. We sent the script off to his agency and we were all incredibly pleased when word got back that he was interested. It was a huge relief because he was definitely the right person for the job.


You didn’t want to act in the feature like you did in the short?

Seeing as it was my first time as the director of a feature film, I wanted to make sure I was focused and wasn't taking on more than I could handle. That's why I decided to stay behind the camera this time as otherwise it could quickly become overwhelming. It turned out to be the right decision, but the experience that I had as an actor did come in handy while working on the feature film. It helped me to communicate with the actors, knowing what they were experiencing on the other side of the camera.


Websites, technology, the nasty side of the Internet, is DON’T CLICK a warning for our times?

Absolutely. Due to the ever evolving nature of technology and science, our lives are rapidly becoming more convenient. But we're also facing new problems that we've never seen before, such as what I show in my film -  the disconnection to criminal and pornographic violence when viewed over the Internet. It may feel like something that only happens in movies. But the online chatroom sex abuse case in South Korea was real. It's time for us to really sit down and think about it.


What were the main challenges for you as director this time around?

As I mentioned before, it was my first time as a director of a feature film. I went from having a crew of 3 to having a crew of 45. It often made it difficult to communicate everything I needed to the right people. I made some mistakes, but luckily the crew I was working with were amazing people with lots of experience. They were experts in their fields and they always supported throughout the project. Not only the staff, but the actors were fantastic as well. The feature film is a well-made horror film thanks to their efforts, dedication, and passion.


The feature was shot in Canada and we are seeing so much talent emerging from that territory. Why is that, because it’s easier to fund genre pictures?

One of my favorite genres is horror. What I believe is that a director can make a film very well when he likes the genre and understands it fully. Ideas are popping up left and right and filmmakers here are clamoring to make them. Hopefully. this surge of talent continues, and helps Canada grow more and more on the global stage.


FrightFest is delighted to be hosting the World Premiere of DON’T CLICK at their virtual August event. What does that mean to you, and is it the perfect platform considering the subject matter?

Don't Click is about the disconnect in the virtual world. So it's meaningful to me to show it to the audience for the very first time through a virtual event. I think the audience may feel more scared watching at home alone on their laptop, just like the characters Josh and Zane did. They may find that on the internet, anyone can find themselves in Josh and Zane's place.


Finally, what’s next for you?

The feature film Don't Click was a great opportunity for me. I have learned a lot of things from it. I almost feel as though it were my first love. But now I need to think about my next step. I've been looking into making some short films and I'm currently shopping around some feature length scripts that I'm hoping will get picked up.


DON’T CLICK is showing online on Saturday 29 August, 8.45pm, in the Arrow Video Screen, as part of the Arrow Video FrightFest August Digital event.

Interview with Jordan Barker, Director of Witches in The Woods

Ahead of Horror Channel’s UK TV premiere of WITCHES IN THE WOODS, director Jordan Barker reflects on the challenges of filming in sub-zero temperatures and the time-bending ambitions of his next film…


Why did you respond so strongly to Christopher Borell’s script (originally titled STRANDED) – because it mixed an age-old witch hunt tale with up-to-the-minute contemporary issues of sexual harassment? 

Hi All and hope everyone is staying safe and sane during these very strange times.  Borrelli’s script spoke to me on many levels.  I felt it took a contemporary look at what it means to live in our post truth world; how our realities are shaped by the lens through by which we choose to observe.  To me the film was summed up by nothing being more terrifying than being possessed, not necessarily by a vicious evil demon, but instead by an idea.


Is it based on any actual folklore tale or urban legend? Did the Stoughton Witch Trials actually exist?

Stoughton Valley is a fictional place in Massachusetts but named after the very real William Stoughton, the judge who oversaw the Salem Witch Trials in the 17th century.


There are seven characters in the movie and what is so good about the script is that each has a proper back-story. Is that why you could attract such a great cast? 

Thanks for that.  We really worked hard to make the characters as real as possible.  David Fincher once said to make all your characters right and we definitely tried to take that advise.  One thing I said during the writing was to ground each character to at least one other person in the car with some kind of issue or conflict.  I also wanted to make sure we had different types of relationships to play off of.  We thought it would be fun for instance to make one of the people in the car only connected to the others through her new boyfriend, that way when things went to shit, she’d have no one to hang on to.


WITCHES IN THE WOODS takes a very thoughtful approach to what in other lesser hands would be cliché material. How hard is it to do different yet still be creepy and involving?

I don’t know that we tried too hard to be different other than just trying to find the most exciting way to bring the pages to life.  For example we open on a very complex single take shot set inside the car as we introduce all our characters.  In some cases this might be considered gimmicky, but I believed it was the right way into the story as I wanted the viewer to start off the film as an almost omniscient observer floating through the car, following the conversation.  We are meant to start objectively and then slowly move into the subjective point of view of our lead character.

Good to see such strong, sympathetic female characters and the performances of all three actors are evidence of that. They come off as so much more level headed and together than their male counterparts? 

Hannah (Jill), Sasha (Alison) and Humberly (Bree) brought so much to these characters.  During the Salem witch trials, many women were persecuted, not for any real crime, but as scapegoats for a patriarchal societies anxieties and fears.  There is a backstory laid into Witches in the Woods of an event that victimizes one of our female characters in a multitude of ways.  It was important for us to give all the characters, male and female, a place to stand up for themselves and be pushed to show who they really are and what they are capable of.


WITCHES, tick. But what about the WOODS? You make the forest environment as much a character as anyone else?

I don’t know about you, but whenever I’ve found myself alone at night in the wilderness and I take a moment to tune into the sights and sounds around me, I feel like I’m paying attention to something that maybe I should have noticed earlier on.  You realize it’s always been there, just outside your senses and when your brain tunes you in, you think for a moment…why? Is there danger?  In so, the environment can become a foe and especially in a film like this, it was important to make the audience feel that way as well.


What were the challenges of filming in the freezing cold in Ontario, Canada, especially as you caught pneumonia?

Everything is just slower. Everyone takes up more space because they are layered up.  Equipment freezes. Safety precautions have to be put in place due to dangerous terrain and weather.  We wanted our characters to be wearing fashionable clothes that look good, but don’t necessarily protect you from long periods of time in the cold.  The film has an underlying theme about the thin veneer that separates us from chaos and our reliance on technology (cell phones, the car, heat, fabrics) comes at a cost.  That being said, the crew was warm and the actors were as cold as their characters which made it incredibly difficult for them to do long takes out in the cold.  We also had issues with our lights up on big cranes, swaying in the harsh winds.  Continuity was one of the hardest things to deal with in regard to the cold.  Our film takes place over one night but we filmed it over a month and the weather kept changing.  One night it would snow, then the snow would melt, then it would be windy etc.  And then yes, I caught Pneumonia!

Is the overall message about the primal urges that kick in when you go from what passes as civilization to the rawest of natures? 

I think that is certainly part of it.  I said above one of the most interesting threads throughout the film for me is the thin veneer between civility and chaos.  This is a group of friends going on a trip, but what happens when you peel the onion.  Are they actually good friends? It’s very easy to be nice and civil when your life isn’t at stake.  This also plays into the question of truth and point of view.  We all agree to disagree and can see the world slightly differently in a civilized society.  What happens when that falls apart? All of a sudden, a different point of view makes you the enemy and you have to be eliminated…for survival.

You’ve been to FrightFest with three movies (THE MARSH, TORMENT), what is the importance of the global genre festival circuit to your work?

I am so grateful to have been invited back to FrightFest.  As directors, you spend so much time tinkering in a dark room well after most of the crew has left and done 2 or 3 other films.  Being able to share the work in a live space with other like-minded genre fans across the world is an integral part of keeping the artform alive. It is honestly why I do it, to share the experience with an audience.


Finally, what’s next for you?

I can tell you that my next project is a time-bending sci-fi horror called HARBINGER.  It’s an adaptation of a LoveCraftian short story about a group of particle physicists who are working on a machine to transmit information faster than the speed of light.  When they begin receiving ominous messages from their future selves, things take a dark and dangerous turn as they race to save themselves from a mysterious entity.  It’s a bit of a Primer meets The Thing meets Memento.


WITCHES IN THE WOODS is broadcast on Horror Channel, Saturday 29 August @ 21:00
You can also purchase from Amazon at - https://amzn.to/3jd8QY8