News This is not intended to be comprehensive. It's just somewhere to plug my mates' projects (and mine!) and to pass on any cult movie-related info that is sent to me by PR people or film-makers. From April 2011 onwards, my news is posted on http://mjsnewsblog.blogspot.com/ 10th March 2011
Jack’s back
Jack Falls, the concluding part of the stylish thriller trilogy that began with Jack Says, hits UK DVD and Blu-ray on 21st March through Lionsgate, who are also releasing a box set of all three films. There’s going to be a big media push, apparently. 10th March 2011
Ron Ford’s western project
Here’s a three-minute pitch video for Ron Ford’s next project, a werewolf western called Man Without a Saddle which is adapted from Rudyard Kipling’s story ‘Mark of the Beast’. 10th March 2011
Negative Equity trailer
Guy Pearson has posted a trailer for his haunted house comedy Negative Equity. The film features a cameo from Dan Palmer (Freak Out, Small Town Folk) and should be complete later this year. There’s also a Facebook group. 10th March 2011
New book on Ishiro Honda
PR: “MUSHROOM CLOUDS AND MUSHROOM MEN -- THE FANTASTIC CINEMA OF ISHIRO HONDA” by Peter H. Brothers. For the first time in America, a book has been published on Japan's foremost director of Fantasy Films: “MUSHROOM CLOUDS AND MUSHROOM MEN – The Fantastic Cinema of Ishiro Honda” (AuthorHouse, ISBN: 978-1-4490-2771-1). Known primarily for directing such classic Japanese monster movies as Rodan, Mothra, Attack of the Mushroom People and the original Godzilla, Ishiro Honda (1911 - 2011) has been an undeservedly overlooked figure in mainstream international cinema. MUSHROOM CLOUDS AND MUSHROOM MEN is the first book to cover in English print Honda’s life as well comprehensively evaluates all 25 of his fantasy films. It is also gives objective and critical analysis of Honda's filmmaking methods, themes and relationships with actors and technicians. Making use of extensive interviews from Honda’s colleagues, as well as a wealth of original source material never before gathered into one volume (including previously-unpublished essays), MUSHROOM CLOUDS AND MUSHROOM MEN is an affectionate tribute to the most-prolific and influential director in the history of fantasy films. 10th March 2011
Zombie comedy, vampire comedy
Tempe/IWC films release a horror-comedy double-bill on 17 May: DIE AND LET LIVE is a zombie movie in the tradition of RETURN OF THE LIVING DEAD and SUPERBAD which Film Threat called “the funniest low-budget zombie teen-romance comedy I’ve ever seen!” RAISING THE STAKES takes on the TWILIGHT movies with an award-winning “mix of SOUTH PARK and CLERKS style atmosphere.” The critically-acclaimed low-budget films of then-teenaged director Justin Channell and actors Joshua Lively and Zane Crosby have been digitally remastered and all compiled on one convenient disc with brand new extras! 10th March 2011
Surreal Polish short
Dym (which means ‘smoke’ apparently) is a Polish short film directed and written by Grzegorz Cisiecki. It’s described as “The story of the person who became the captive of surrealistic madness.” and is very professional looking but a bit too abstract and arty for my taste. Wordless and eight minutes long, you can watch it on YouTube or Vimeo. 10th March 2011
British film-maker working with Italian legend on video nasty sequel
Andrew Jones (The Feral Generation) is no longer attached to The Beautiful Outsiders or the Driller Killer remake. Instead, he’s working with Ruggero Deodato(!) on House on the Edge of the Park II (!!) which will see Giovanni Lombardo Radice reprising his role from the 1980 original. Radice and Deodato came up with the story, Jones is writing the script, Deodato will direct, Jones and Ian Grey will produce. Andrew adds that his new film company North Bank Entertainment has “a slate of brand new projects, the most current one being a biopic called Manson Rising that focuses on the childhood and early years of Charles Manson. We have some good talent attached to that one already, many of which have been added to the film's IMDB page. We are also working on a sci-fi film called The White Room, with a concept trailer available on the website, and an adaptation of a best selling thriller novel by British author Brian L Porter A Study in Red: The Secret Journal of Jack the Ripper.” 10th March 2011
Jeff Kirkendall's next film
News from Jeff Kirkendall of Very Scary Productions: “I was interviewed for the recently released book Rock-n-Roll Party of the Dead from Jack Sawyer, now available for purchase on Amazon. This cool book features over forty interviews from an interesting mix of artists - including musicians, TV Hosts, actors, actresses, filmmakers, FX Artists and fiction writers. Some of the other interviewees (besides those listed on the sale page) include: scream queen legend Debbie Rochon, actress Kelli Maroney (Fast Times at Ridgemont High, Night of the Comet), director Katt Shea (Carrie 2, Poison Ivy), and actress Suzi Lorraine. I hope everyone will check it out. “Also, as many of you know, I’m currently in production on my latest feature film called Die Laughing. The movie is a 4-story horror anthology being filmed in Upstate New York’s Capital Region. As of this writing we’ve filmed the first three tales, and are planning to film the last story this Spring. Check out the Very Scary Productions Facebook page for more information and some actor photos.” 10th March 2011
Panic Button trailer
Here’s the first trailer for Panic Button, the eagerly-awaited new horror feature co-written by Frazer Lee. Looks good! 10th March 2011
Victims
David Bryant (Dead Wood) is working on a nasty-looking drama about kidnapping called Victims. You can watch a trailer and find out more at www.whoisthevictim.com 10th March 2011
Harold clip
Here’s a very short clip from Harold’s Going Stiff, showing a zombie teacher attacking some children (I think). I don’t know how this relates to the finished film. 15th February 2011
After Dark Horrorfest comes to UK
This all sounds good: “After 4 hugely successful years in the US, AFTER DARK: HORRORFEST comes to EMPIRE CINEMAS with the AFTER DARK ORIGINALS; a horror festival weekend around the UK through UK distributor G2 PICTURES – famous for providing cutting edge genre films.Starting Friday 4th March through to Sunday 6th March horror fans in key cities in the UK and Ireland will get 7 brand new original horror films and enjoy the opportunity to get dressed up and participate in exciting in-cinema activity and competitions.” Unfortunately for me, there isn’t an Empire Cinema anywhere in the East Midlands so I’m not going to see Husk, Prowl, Seconds Apart, Scream of the Banshee, Fertile Ground, The Task or 51. 15th February 2011
Gilliam to be honoured in Bradford
PR: Bradford International Film Festival’s Artistic Director Tony Earnshaw today announced that award winning filmmaker Terry Gilliam will receive the Fellowship Award and a retrospective tribute to his work at this year’s Festival which runs 16th – 27th March. Gilliam has brought his unusual mindset to an array of films that continue to provoke debate and entice audiences into new worlds of wonder and fantasy. Following a spell with the Monty Python team he broke into directing with Jabberwocky and has since thrilled and amazed cinemagoers with titles such as The Adventures of Baron Munchausen, Twelve Monkeys, Brazil, The Fisher King, Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas and Time Bandits. Gilliam commented; "To be honoured by such an important festival pre-posthumously will force my family to treat me with some respect while I'm still alive. I will always be grateful for that." 15th February 2011
Larry Blamire collection coming to UK DVD
Larry Blamire’s massively acclaimed sci-fi spoof The Lost Skeleton of Cadavra comes to UK DVD on 7th March through 4DigitalMedia. This is a completely bonkers but absolutely spot-on lampoon of everything we love about cheesy 1950s sci-fi movies. 4Digital will follow it with the sequel The Lost Skeleton Returns Again and Blamire’s 1930s-style old dark house picture Dark and Stormy Night (featuring Mark Redfield among others). I caught this last one at Manchester a couple of years ago and it is superb. Even better than that, 4Digital will also release Blamire’s Trail of the Screaming Forehead in a never-before-seen director’s cut! Watch for a Lost Skeleton review here very soon. 7th February 2011
Tribute to Brian Muir
My latest Devil’s Porridge blog has just gone up over on the Hemlock Books site. It’s a slightly belated tribute to Brian Muir, writer of Critters, who passed away last year. As ‘August White’ he also wrote most of Charles Band’s recent features including Decadent Evil, Doll Graveyard, Dead Man’s Hand and Puppet Master: Axis of Evil. 7th February 2011
Risen wins in Newport
Neil Jones’ boxing biopic Risen has swept the board at the Newport International Film Festival, picking up Best Film, Best Director, Best Actor (Stuart Brennan), Best Actress (Grainne Joughin) and Best Supporting Actor (Boyd Clack). 7th February 2011
Suddenly it’s Sudden Fury
To my surprise, Darren Ward’s giallo-influenced, David Warbeck-starring thriller Sudden Fury is getting a UK DVD release on 28th February through 4Digital. It looks like somebody spotted that (a) the 2003 disc from Boudicca Films was long out-of-print and (b) there was a British thriller that didn’t have a black, white and red sleeve. The new sleev has been designed in full accordane with EU regulations about only using black and white with a bit of red and it now looks exactly like every other British thriller of recent years. Except it hasn’t got Danny Dyer in it. The extras include Bitter Vengeance, the short film on which the feature was based, plus Darren’s subsequent short Nightmares. Also a trailer, out-takes and deleted scenes, a featurette on the make-up effects, a new featurette looking back at the film 12 years on and a direcrtor’s commentary. 7th February 2011
Silent film stars star silently in silent film about silent film stars
Matt Riddlehoover, star of Steve Balderson’s Watch Out, has written and produced an extraordinary-looking feature called Return to Babylon. This ‘satirical, sexy, and silent look at the scandals that rocked Tinseltown during the 1920s’ has been shot entirely as a faux silent film with actors recreating the likes of Rudolf Valentino, Louise Brooks, Clara Bow and Fatty Arbuckle. Directed by Alex Monty Canawati, the film stars Jennifer Tilly (Bride/Seed of Chucky) as Bow, Debi Mazar (Batman Forever) as Gloria Swanson, Ione Skye and Tippi Hedren. There’s a trailer here. 7th February 2011
Newsbitt and Glynne for FFF
The Festival of Fantastic Films has added two more guests to its 2011 line-up. Alongside Derek Fowlds is Derren Nesbitt (who has been before and wanted to return last year but couldn’t make it) and a lady I have wanted to hear speak for a long time, the amazing Renee Glynne. This veteran ‘script girl’ is 83 and has been working in films since the early 1940s. Among her 130+ credits are a whole bunch of pre-Quatermass Hammers including The Adventures of PC49, Celia, The Lady Craved Excitement, Cloudburst, Whispering Smith Hits London, Room to Let, Stolen Face, Four-Sided Triangle, Spaceways, Murder by Proxy, Men of Sherwod Forest and many others. And The Quatermass Xperiment itself, made a full 55 years ago. Other films she has worked on include (deep breath): Fire Maidens from Outer Space, The Horror of It All, Witchcraft, The Earth Dies Screaming, Fanatic, Curse of the Fly, Casino Royale, the live-acton bits of Yellow Submarine, The Magnificent Seven Deadly Sins, Nothing But the Night, Legend of the Seven Golden Vampires, I Don’t Want t be Born, Rosie Dixon: Night Nurse, Sir Henry at Rawlinson End, Beyond Bedlam, Simon Hunter’s Lighthouse, Room 36 and at least one Silence of the Lambs rip-off. Plus Catweazle and The New Avengers on the telly. The Festival runs 21st-23rd October in Manchester, as ever. 7th February 2011
Sleepwalker in Bristol
The Cube Cinema in Bristol is kicking off an occasional series of evenings screening oddities and rarities under the banner ‘Lucky Dip: Gifts of the Lost and Lesser Known’ with a screening of Saxon Logan’s 1984 social commentary/horror film Sleepwalker. The screening is on 24th February at 8.00pm and Saxon will be there along with Darrell Buxton who unearthed the film a few years ago and has championed it since then. 7th February 2011
Music video from Langliena director
Emiliano Ranzani, director of award-winning short film Langliena, has directed a music video for Italian indie band Backup. The song is called ‘Destinati’ and you can watch the video on YouTube. 7th February 2011
Sharktopus and Stonehenge Apocalypse
Roger Corman’s completely bonkers Sharktopus is released in the UK by Anchor Bay on 14th March: Eric Roberts (The Expendables; Heroes), Sara Malakul Lane (Belly Of The Beast) and US TV host and former Miss USA Shandi Finnessey head up the cast of Sharktopus, the latest sci-fi horror creature-feature from legendary B-movie producer Roger Corman and director Declan O’Brien (Wrong Turn 3: Left For Dead). Roberts stars as Nathan Sands, an egotistical bio-genetics genius who, along with his daughter Nicole, has developed a hybrid half-shark/half-octopus for use by the US military. Code-named S11, the creature has been designed as the ultimate weapon in aquatic attack and defence. But when its control unit malfunctions during a test run, the S11 is accidentally unleashed and sets off in the direction of the popular tourist resort of Puerto Vallarta in Mexico. Desperate to keep the creature’s existence secret and to avoid a bloody massacre that is almost certain to attract unwanted attention, the military leaders hire Sands, Nicole and a notorious shark hunter to track down and capture the mutant killing machine before it can begin snacking on a buffet of helpless holidaymakers. Unfortunately, the task becomes riskier and far more complicated than it needs to be when a morally bankrupt news reporter, her cameraman, a pirate-radio DJ and his unbelievably hot assistant become involved in the proceedings. A hugely enjoyable, tongue-in-cheek monster romp packed with jaw-dropping set-pieces and plenty of inventive ways for humans to be dispatched by a great white shark endowed with massive spear-tipped tentacles, Sharktopus is definitely one of the must-see DVD releases of the year. The equally insane-sounding Stonehenge Apocalypse is out on 28th March, again through Anchor Bay. It’s like people are trying to outdo The Asylum... Misha Collins (Supernatural), Hill Harper (CSI: NY), Torri Higginson (Stargate: Atlantis) and Peter Wingfield (Holby City; Highlander: The Source) face the ultimate doomsday scenario in Stonehenge Apocalypse, a sci-fi fantasy thriller in which the world’s favourite megalithic stone circle proves to be much more than just a prehistoric burial site popular with tourists. When Jacob Glaser, a disgraced award-winning scientist turned conspiracy theorist and pseudo-science radio talk show host, is alerted to unusual electromagnetic energy fields occurring throughout the globe, his initial investigations lead him to Stonehenge. Somehow, the stones have begun to move independently and are building up enough energy to vaporise humans within a certain range. Jacob’s unfounded theory is that Stonehenge is the key part of a massive alien terraforming machine connected to other historical sites around the world that are now in the process of modifying the planet for new forms of life, to the detriment of humans. Meanwhile, in the US state of Maine, a former colleague of Jacob’s has discovered an underground pyramid linked to the ongoing events at Stonehenge and is actively working towards the destruction of mankind in the hopes that he and his followers can survive the coming apocalypse and be the rulers of the next era of life on earth. When Jacob discovers the existence of a key that he believes is capable to switching off the doomsday machine, he sets about getting his hands on it before the military can commence a series of planned nuclear air strikes on the sites responsible for the electromagnetic emissions that have begun to signify the end of humankind 29th January 2011
Waiting for Gorgo screening in London
Waiting for Gorgo has its first public UK screening this Tuesday, 1st February. Short notice but I’ve only just been told myself! It’s part of a monthly night of short films called Our Indie Cinema at The Castle in Farringdon. Entry is £5 on the door and kick-off is 7.30pm. I don’t know what other films are screening or what time WFG is on. 26th January 2011
Don’t ignore Gnaw
Recent British horror flick Gnaw comes to UK DVD on 21st February, courtesy of 4Digital Media. Directed by Gregory Mandry, it stars Hiram Bleetman (The Zombie Diaries, Jack Said) and Carrie Cohen (Hellbreeder). The disc includes a trailer, commentary and Making Of. Here’s the synopsis: Six friends head off to a country estate for a weekend of bonding, bed hopping and home-cooked feasts. But their good times go very bad when they encounter a clan of slaughter-happy psychopaths with expert skills in butchery and a ravenous hunger for teen-meat pies. What follows is a brutal battle for survival, complete with shocking carnage, killer twists, and graphic reasons to avoid UK cuisine forever. It’s The Texas Chain Saw Massacre in the English countryside that walks a knife’s edge between tongue-in-cheek humour and teeth-in-flesh terror. Bring a strong stomach and a hearty appetite: British horror is back with a vengeance! 19th January 2011
Waiting for Gorgo takes Paris
Waiting for Gorgo has been chosen as one of seven films (from 120 possibilities) to represent the Clermont-Ferrand Film Festival at a special screening in Paris. You can see it at MK2, Quai de Seine on 15 February at 8.30pm. This is terrific and very prestigious. On the other hand, if you’re going to be at Clermont-Ferrand yourself, you can see the film at the following venues on the following dates at the following times: - Salle Petit Vélo 05/02/2011 14:00 hrs
- Salle Capitole 06/02/2011 19:00 hrs
- Salle Gergovia 07/02/2011 13:00 hrs
- Salle Jaude 08/02/2011 16:00 hrs
- Salle Cocteau 09/02/2011 18:00 hrs
- Salle Capitole 10/02/2011 21:00 hrs
- Salle Jaude 11/02/2011 22:15 hrs
13th January 2011
Forest returns
Mark Evans' Forest of the Damned 2 is now complete (or Demonic 2 if you’re in the States) with Marysia Kay and Eleanor James reprising their roles as deadly angels. Check out the trailer at www.lonelycrow.co.uk 13th January 2011
Gut feeling
Elias, the mono-monickered film-maker behind LoveCracked! The Movie, has directed Gut. Check out the very creepy trailer at www.gutmovie.com 13th January 2011
Alex Chandon is Inbred
Alex Chandon, once the enfant terrible of British horror cinema, is hard at work finishing off Inbred, his first feature since Cradle of Fear. It’sgot a great cast, production design by Melanie Light and a score by Day of Violence’s Dave Andrews. This is one I can’t wait for. There’s an absolutely cracking 50-second teaser trailer up at www.inbredmovie.com A disparate group of young urban offenders and their care workers embark on a community service weekend in the strange, remote Yorkshire village of Mortlake, which prides on keeping itself to itself. A minor incident with some local inbred youths rapidly escalates into a blood-soaked, deliriously warped nightmare for all involved. This is a demented horror film with nowt taken out. 13th January 2011
Puppet Master: new release date
The UK DVD of Puppet Master: Axis of Evil has been put back by three weeks to 24th January. Expect a review next week and some interviews afterwards. 13th January 2011
Damned by Dawn comes to UK at last
I’ve been waiting a while to see Brett Anstey’s highly aclaimed Aussie horror Damned by Dawn so I’m delighted to learn that it’s out in the UK on 7 March from Momentum. The DVD will include a Making of, a trailer and a commentary. 13th January 2011
Risen in Newport
Neil Jones’ boxing drama Risen will screen at the Newport International Film Festival on 3rd February. It’s at the Riverfront Cinema, showing at 8.00pm, with Neil himself on hand to introduce the picture and answer questions afterwards. 13th January 2011
It’s a Masterpiece
Neil Jones is also the producer of Masterpiece, the second feature from Psychosomatic director Andrew Tanner which will receive its cast and crew screening at Chapter Arts in Cardiff on 6th February. I’ll get a review up here shortly, in the meantime here’s the trailer and synopsis. Masterpiece is the tale of Martin, a struggling writer who starts writing his first novel. However his Masterpiece leads him and those around him down a path of darkness, despair and violence. His Masterpiece could make him, or ultimately break him. 13th January 2011
Ghostkeeper found!
It looks like Ghostkeeper might finally be coming to DVD. News reaches me that a 35mm print has been located so fingers crossed. More news as and when... 3rd January 2011
Latest Hemlock blog: British horror films in 2010
I’ve been writing my monthly blog for Hemlock Books, Devil’s Porridge, for nearly a year now. The January 2011 blog is a rundown of the 32 (by my reckoning) British horror films released commercially in 2010. Throughout most of the past decade, British horror has been averageing about 10-12 films a year so this is a real boom time. (I didn’t come up with the headline by the way, which doesn’t really reflect the text or my own views.) - Old news (Sep-Dec 2010)
- Old news (May-Aug 2010)
- Old news (Jan-Apr 2010)
- Old news (Sep-Dec 2009)
- Old news (May-Aug 2009)
- Old news (Jan-Apr 2009)
- Old news (Jul-Dec 2008)
- Old news (Jan-June 2008)
- Old news (Jul-Dec 2007)
- Old news (Jan-June 2007)
- Old news (Jul-Dec 2006)
- Old news (Jan-Jun 2006)
- Old news (2005)
| 
