Old news (January - June 2006) 24th June 2006
Human Residue one week away from shooting
The indie horror movie for which I co-wrote the script, Human Residue, is set to start filming on 1st July. Director Chris Bouchard wants to take full advantage of the summer holidays because York University is standing in for the deserted research complex where the film is set - and it wouldn't look very deserted with students wandering everywhere. The story follows seven young people who emerge from a month-long isolation experiment to find no-one around except some things which were once human and now are very, very dangerous. The basic premise is therefore not dissimilar to 28 Days Later (although Human Residue is very different in terms of plot, style and especially budget!) and, like that film, the creatures will probably end up being refered to by critics and audiences as 'zombies' although they're no such thing. The Human Residue website has a ton of trailers, stills and artwork - and the opportunity to invest in what is shaping up to be a very exciting project. 24th June 2006
Festival of Fantastic Films announces initial guests
The Festival of Fantastic Films, Britain's longest-running SF/horror movie event, is scheduled for 1st-3rd September (in Manchester, as always). The first progress report is now available (although it's not on the FFF website yet). Subject to work commitments, the Festival hopes to have Ken Foree (Dawn of the Dead, Death Spa), William Franklyn (Quatermass 2, The Satanic Rites of Dracula), Peter Graham Scott (The Avengers, Captain Clegg) and some guys from modelmakers Mackinnon & Saunders (The Corpse Bride). I am encouraging the makers of the indie films that I review to submit them to the FFF. 24th June 2006
RovDrift - new Danish horror film
I don't get to see many Danish horror films so I was pleased to be sent some information on Emil Ishii's RovDrift, which is currently in post production and should be ready by September. The plot synopsis just says: "Laura has had the worst day of her life, everything's gone wrong. On her way home from work late at night she catches a taxi, not realizing her day is about to get a whole lot worse." Camilla Metelmann stars as Laura and the cast also includes Kim Sønderholm (The Ambulance, Brutal Incasso), Maja Muhlack (One Hell of a Christmas) and Mads Koudal (Awaken the Dead, Die Zombiejäger). The film's website is all in Danish but has some cool stills and a neat trailer. The English title will probably be Hellride. 23rd June 2006
Exclusive: Robert Pratten's next film
Robert Pratten, director of London Voodoo, is in the early stages of pre-production on his second feature, MindFlesh. It will be very different to his first film - an effects-heavy adaptation of a novel (White Light by William Scheinman) about a man who accidentally conjures a creature from his nightmares into reality. Robert has very kindly supplied me with some great photos of the creature suit under construction, which accompany this new interview with him. 23rd June 2006
Darkness Beyond released in Germany
My review of The Darkness Beyond has attracted more than a thousand views in the past week or two and I suspect that much of this interest stems from this, the German DVD. 
23rd June 2006
Richard Driscoll prepares to make another film...
Richard Driscoll (who I will refer to as “the British Ed Wood” until other people do too) has long talked of setting up his own horror film studio. Well, now it looks like he is getting there. A report reaches me that he is currently interviewing for jobs on his massive Cornish estate which contains “two soundstages (which had some very cool sets in them!), a recording studio, several edit suites, acres of land, a lake, woods, a fleet of very nice cars, horses and herds of (unseen) deer and llama all of which will be used in production.” More llamas in horror films, that’s what we need! ‘House of Fear’ is the name of the operation - the fear in question being presumably a genuine worry that Driscoll might make another film like Kannibal or The Comic. He apparently plans to release The Raven: Part I in October and will start shooting Part II on 10th July for November release to be followed by Part III in December. When I say ‘release’ the actual plan is to make the films available through his website since it seems even Film 2000 won’t carry his movies now. Somewhat confusingly, The Raven, which he once claimed was a Poe adaptation starring Christopher Walken, now appears to be a retitling of Alone in the Dark, the unreleased film which he made a couple of years ago. The cast includes ‘Steven Craine’ (ie. Driscoll himself), Rik Mayall and Norman Wisdom (playing the same character!), Aussie soap star/pop singer Jason Donovan, Queen Kong’s beau Robin Askwith, the ever-reliable Eileen Daly and, allegedly, Christopher Walken... The whole affair seems very shady indeed, with overworked, low-paid jobs being advertised by companies with different names. The House of Fear website was supposed to go live last Friday but there is no sign of it yet. I have no idea where Driscoll’s money comes from (although presumably his llamas come from South America) but I wish he would spend some of it on executive producing films by talented young film-makers instead of blowing it on his own unwatchable vanity projects. 14th June 2006
First Bollywood superhero epic opens next week!
To my great delight I have just discovered that a sequel has been made to the 2003 Bollywood sci-fi blockbuster Koi... Mil Gaya. Whereas the first film was a romantic SF comedy which ripped off Close Encounters and ET in equal measure, the sequel is a superhero epic which looks like a cross between Spider-Man and The Matrix! The action sequences in Krrish have been choreographed by the guy who did the same job on Hero and House of Flying Daggers, It opens in India and the UK on 23rd June. Can't wait! 18th May 2006
News from Katiebird star
Lee Perkins, star of the acclaimed serial killer indie KatieBird *certifiable crazy person, copied me in on some news: KatieBird *certifiable crazy person has hit the shelves at Hollywood Video. It's being released domestically by Heretic, while foreign sales are being handled by Shoreline (which is cool as I have a second film with them called Death and Texas). Katie has twice been called the 'best serial killer film ever', while receiving perfect marks three times. For an actor, it has been a dream. I just received my first cover from The Hacker's Source, and the reviews have been amazing. Next up for me are the films Carnies and The Red Machine. Both are set in the 1930s, which is kind of crazy. But as you can see, when it rains it pours. (PS. Next month I'm a guest at Fangoria's Weekend of Horrors.)  18th May 2006
Press release: Tempe release Dawn
There have been many movies about vampires, but very few about vampire children! Fat Cat DVD (distributed by Tempe Video) is out to change all that on August 15 with the release of writer/director Jay Reel's excellent Dawn ($24.99 SRP, prebook July 14).
Dawn is a special little girl with special needs. Born from a human father and a vampire mother who died while giving birth, Dawn requires blood to survive. She and her father travel across the country, assuming new identities and never staying in one place for very long - until a small-town detective with psychic abilities pays extra attention to the murder of one of his townsfolk. Dawn is a fresh take on the vampire mythos, expertly written and directed by Jay Reel with stirring performances by a cast of newcomers you won't soon forget! Dawn is a 2006 production which marks its DVD debut with an audio commentary from director Jay Reel, stars Ray Boucher and Kacie Young and cinematographer Mark Sawyer, a 17-minute gag reel and Tempe DVD trailers. 18th May 2006
First pictures from Evil Bong!
Here are the first stills from Evil Bong, the completely bonkers new Charles Band film which stars Tim Thomerson (Trancers, Dollman), Phil Fondacaro (The Creeps, Decadent Evil), Bill Moseley, Kristyn Green (Doll Graveyard), Brian Lloyd (Doll Graveyard, Candy Stripers), Robin Sydney (The Gingerdead Man, Big Bad Wolf) and Tommy 'Cheech and' Chong (seen here taking a chainsaw to 'EeBee'). Note also the subtle product placement for Charlie's new range of 'Monsterbras'. More stills from the film are over at Charlie Band's blog.   
18th May 2006
Strange on Sci-Fi Channel
Strange is currently being repeated on the Sci-Fi Channel in the UK, its first airing since the original broadcast in 2003. The episodes are cut apparently but with no sign of a DVD release this is your only chance to see this under-appreciated show. Mark at Strange Online tells me he is planning something special for next March which will be the fifrth anniversary of the pilot episode. Meanwhile, I have dug out all my interviews from my set visit to the show and added it to the nodes page. 18th May 2006
Horror Convention Massacre coming soon
Co-writer/producer/director Joe Ostrica dropped me a line with information on his latest project: The Horror Convention Massacre (shot primarily at Cinema Wasteland in Cleveland, Ohio this past spring), is about a maniac on the loose bumping off a group of assorted guests attending a horror convention. It is set to be released on DVD this August from Old School Sinema. Featuring appearances by Lew Temple (The Devil's Rejects, the upcoming The Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Beginning) and Ari Lehman (Friday the 13th), THCM is my homage to slasher exploitation films of the '70s and early '80s. For more information, go to Joe's website. 18th May 2006
Die You Zombie Bastards UK DVD
Odeon Entertainment have acquired the UK rights to acclaimed horror comedy Die You Zombie Bastards and plan to release it on DVD later this year. Watch for a review on this site soon. 10th May 2006
Still more news from Bradford
More titles confirmed for the Fantastic Films Weekend: The War Game, The Fantasist, the Rudolph Cartier-directed TV version of 1984, And Soon the Darkness and The Final Programme (both introduced by Robert Fuest), V for Vendetta and Batman Begins both in Imax, and new prints of Theatre of Blood and the Hammer Hound of the Baskervilles. 10th May 2006
Check out the hilarious trailer for Freerange
Seed Animation sent me the first edition of their newsletter, Seed Nooos. As well as creating a dancing Nessie for the latest video by popular beat combo The Automatic, Clive Tonge (Emily and the Baba Yaga) and his band of reprobates have an on-line trailer for their farmyard animation Freerange. Narrated by the legendary Geoffrey Rainbow Hayes, this is quite possibly the single funniest thing I have seen all year. 3rd May 2006
Evil Bong casting update
Charles Band is currently shooting Evil Bong. The cast includes not only Kristyn Green and Robin Sydney but also Brian Lloyd and stoner legend Tommy Chong of 'Cheech and' fame. 3rd May 2006
More news on Bradford Fantastic Films Weekend
The website for this year's Fantastic Film Weekend at the NMPFT in Bradford is now online. As well as the previously mentioned screenings of The Wicker Man, Horror Express, The House That Dripped Blood and Darklands, the weekend will also include the new Demi Moore picture Half Light, the rarely seen 1993 British serial killer flick White Angel, the original Gojira, the original Nosferatu (with live accompaniment) and the stop-motion classic Behemoth the Sea Monster. The FFW is organised by Tony Earnshaw who always puts on a good show. 2nd May 2006
Back from Romania
I just got back from two very busy nights in Bucharest where Jake West (Razor Blade Smile, Evil Aliens) and Mike Hurst (Project Assassin, Room 6) are shooting Pumpkinhead III and IV back-to-back. I got interviews with most of the cast and crew including Doug Bradley and Lance Henriksen. I had exclusive set access on behalf of Fangoria; the first report and pictures should be appearing on fangoria.com very shortly. 21st April 2006
Would you believe - Darklands: The Director's Cut?
Julian Richards (The Last Horror Movie, Silent Cry) has obtained the rights to his first feature, Darklands, and is recutting the film to his preferred, slightly shorter version which will premier at the Bradford Fantastic Films Weekend over 16th-18th June. Other films lined up for the weekend include The Wicker Man (introduced by Robin Hardy), The House That Dripped Blood and Horror Express. The website for this year's event is not up yet but I will link to it when it goes on-line. Meanwhile, here's a new mini-interview with Julian. 20th April 2006
Frankenstein vs the Creature – reduced
William Winckler's Frankenstein vs the Creature from Blood Cove is now available at a bargaintastic recommended retail price of $14.98 (a kibblesworth under fifteen bucks). The film will be shown at next month's World Horror Convention. 20th April 2006
Stills and synopsis from Man Who Sold the World
Man Who Sold the World is the directorial debut of Louis Melville, co-producer of The Last Horror Movie. The first two stills are now up at fangoria.com and here's a couple more, together with a plot synopsis.  
A story of time and space, past and future, and what happens when the boundaries between them become blurred. Man Who Sold the World is a psychological thriller that explores the difference between reality and imagination. The story of Max Trisch, a man who becomes tangled in the workings of the mind, the universe and his place within it. Jacob’s Ladder meets Donnie Darko with the visual flare of The Prisoner. The story is set in rural England. Max, a thoroughly urban Londoner, inherits a remote country house from his mysterious and aloof grandmother. Upon arrival at the isolated house in the village of Magdadoner, Max surprises someone rifling through his grandmother’s belongings. The would-be thief is Zisna,a charismatic leader of the Coslantians, an internet-based cult, for whom Max’s grandmother worked. Max finds himself being drawn to the forbidding woods surrounds his country house. A young boy dressed in a ‘60s school uniform keeps appearing to him. One day the boy silently gestures for Max to follow him into the woods. On doing so, Max finds himself in a disturbing whirl of dark images from the past and he is surrounded by the sounds of children’s voices crying in fear. Max wakes to find himself at Zisna’s cult headquarters, a grand county mansion left to the cult by a ‘70s rock star. Max tells of his experience in the woods to Zisna, who explains that there are many Celtic legends of old Viking Kings whose ghosts walk the woods. Gradually Max find himself being drawn into Zisna’s teachings, as around him more and more visions appear. Slowly Max starts to fear for his sanity as reality and imagination converge. Out of the blue Lidija, Max’s girlfriend arrives from London. She disbelieves his stories of what has been happening to him until the same strange boy appears to her. When Max is out, Lidija explores the house and discovers the dark secrets of Max’s family. Meanwhile Max slips between reality and ghostly images of the past. He imagines Lidija’s death - or is it true? Again Max seeks answers from Zisna, who reveals that Max has been genetically reincarnated from blood found in the stem of the Grail by the Coslantians to fulfill his destiny and their plan for mankind. During a pseudo-religious Coslantian cult ceremony deep in the woods, Max witnesses the actual murder of Lidija. Suddenly Max spins through time, awakening in Auschwitz with the mysterious boy by his side... The film has so far shot in East London, Dorset and Surrey and is now moving production to the Orkneys! It wraps in May and should be ready by September. The cast includes Jonathan Sidgwick (The Witches Hammer) as Max, Rita Kvist as Lidija, Dan Van Husen and Andy Tiernan. 20th April 2006
Charles Band preparing Evil Bong
In addition to his current schedule of films (Petrified, Cutter's Club, Dead Man's Hand), Charles Band is just about to start shooting Evil Bong, a rather self-explanatory movie which promises lots of cameos from the puppet stars of previous Band movies. The leads will be Robin Sydney from The Gingerdead Man and Kristyn Green from Doll Graveyard. 14th April 2006
StagKnight website online
British horror-comedy StagKnight now has a website with a very funny trailer on it. I will add something on this film to the interviews section when I can find a moment. In the meantime, here are a couple more pictures: 
14th April 2006
Fausto 5.0 DVD details
I have received a review copy of Fausto 5.0, the next release due from Nucleus Films, the label that brought us The Ugliest Woman in the World and Between Your Legs. The film is presented in 1.85:1 widescreen with a choice of Spanish 5.1/DTS, Catalan 5.1 or English 2.0 soundtrack (with optional English subtitles). It also includes a Making of featurette, the theatrical trailer and a stills gallery. As soon as I get a chance to watch the DVD, I will add some supplementary paragraphs to my review of the film. Meanwhile, here are some clips for you to enjoy: - Clip 1: high res, medium res, low res
- Clip 2: high res, medium res, low res
- Clip 3: high res, medium res, low res
14th April 2006
Freak Out two-disc edition due next month
British serial killer spoof Freak Out gets a surprisingly impressive two-disc release at the end of May. Here's the press release:  Set to do for serial killer genre what Shaun of the Dead did for zombie flicks, the cult indie horror-comedy Freak Out comes to DVD in May as an extras-packed, two-disc edition courtesy of Anchor Bay UK. Already a massive hit on the independent film festival circuit and winner of both the Best Genre Cross Over Award at the Rhode Island International Film Festival and the Commendation Award at Manchester's International Festival of Fantastic Films, Freak Out has been hailed by acclaimed horror director Mick Garris (Masters of Horror; The Shining) as "a wild, woolly sledgehammer to the face of Hollywood conformity."
Four years in the making, Freak Out is a hilarious and irreverent parody of the slasher genre, packed with juvenile double-entendres, witty pop-culture references and knowing nods to numerous horror classics. A treat for horror aficionados who don't take their terror too seriously, it is a must-see for splatter fans and comedy buffs alike.The two-disc edition of Freak Out (cert. 15) will be released on DVD (£16.99) by Anchor Bay UK on 29th May 2006. Disc One: Audio commentary by director Christian James, actor/writer Dan Palmer and actor/producer Yazz Fetto; audio commentary by director Christian James, actor/writer Dan Palmer and cast members James Heathcote, Nicola Connell and Chilli Gold moderated by BBC Radio 1 movie critic James King; stereo 2.0; optional Dolby Digital 5.1 and DTS; optional English subtitles for the hard of hearing; scene selection. Disc Two: Making Out – behind the scenes of the four-year shoot of the film; Bum Feeling 101; Geek Out – internet movie critics express their opinions; Zaniac music video; 5 Minute Film School – tips for wannabe filmmakers; Honey I Blew Up The Looney; deleted scenes; The Video Store. 14th April 2006
Two forthcoming set visits
It's quite some time since I have been on a film set but suddenly I have two set visits in the space of a fortnight. Next week I will be in South Wales for High Stakes, a low-budget vampire film being produced by my mate Dewi Griffiths. Then at the end of the month I'm off to Romania for a couple of days to meet up with Jake West and Mike Hurst who are shooting Pumpkinhead III and IV back-to-back for the Sci-Fi Channel. I will be covering all three movies for Fangoria. If all goes well on my journey back from Bucharest (and I have some very tight connections!) I should arrive back in Leicester forty minutes before I'm due to introduce Evil Aliens at Phoenix Arts. 28th March 2006
Insiders UK DVD!
More good news from Steve Lawson - he has signed a deal with a new DVD label to distribute Insiders in the UK. The disc will include out-takes, a deleted scene, a featurette and a commentary. 23rd March 2006
Far Out Festival announces line-up
The sixth Far Out Festival of Fantastique Film comes to Leicester Phoenix Arts from Friday 28th to Sunday 30th April. On Friday there is a very rare screening of the 1970s Spanish vampire oddity Arrebato followed by the hugely enjoyable Canadian romp Jesus Christ Vampire Hunter (which had its UK premiere at Far Out a couple of years ago). Saturday has a girls-with-guns double bill of gratuitously sexy horror comedy Bikini Bandits and the simply gratuitous Sexy Guns, Sexy Girls which takes 'does what it says on the tin' to new extremes. This is followed by everyone's favourite porno flick, Thundercrack. On Sunday you can catch a special screening of Evil Aliens, after which I will be interviewing members of cast and crew on stage. The weekend rounds off with rare big screen outings for Blood for Dracula and The Night Evelyn Came Out of the Grave. Come to Leicester for a weekend of over-the-top cinematic weirdness - and find me in the bar. For more details, check out the Far Out website. 19th March 2006
New trailer for The Silencer
The Silencer, the forthcoming action thriller from Insiders director Steve Lawson which is currently in post-production, has a terrific new trailer on its website. The trailer features a song by top indie metal band Prokect Valkyrie whose music will also be featured in the film, clips from which will be incorporated into a music video which Steve plans to shoot for the band 12th March 2006
New film from Matthew Jason Walsh
Matthew Jason Walsh (Bloodletting, Witchouse etc) has written the screenplay for a new film which is currently in development, Fade Out. The story starts out as an archetypal horror movie before segueing into a postmodern romp through cult film genres reminiscent of the climax of Waxwork II: Lost in Time. The film is set to be directed by John R Ellis, producer of Outerworld and visual effects director on the likes of The Dead Next Door, Subspecies IV, Totem, Python, Voodoo Academy etc. You can find out more at the film's website. 12th March 2006
Recommended: Close Your Eyes composer's new CD
Ed Earl, who composed the music for Dave Lilley's vampire short Close Your Eyes, has sent me a copy of his latest CD, Goldfish - and he'll send you one too if you contact him through his website. His list of influences includes Eric Satie and the Cowboy Junkies (and a bunch of people that I haven't heard of) which seems accurate. Goldfish is 45 minutes of very atmospheric, new age-y piano solos and is currently spending a lot of time in my CD player. I would certainly like to hear Ed doing some more film work. 9th March 2006
Evil Aliens released tomorrow, Jake West shooting new film already!
Evil Aliens opens in the UK tomorrrow, playing exclusively at the following Odeon cinemas: London Wardour Street, Dudley (UCI/Odeon), Dundee, Hull, West Thurrock, Sheffield, Bromborough, Gateshead Metrocentre, Cardiff, Edinburgh Kinnaird Park, Glasgow Quay, Lee Valley, Liverpool Switch Island, Leeds-Bradford, Southampton, Greenwich, Kingston, Norwich (UCI/Odeon), Manchester Printworks, Manchester Trafford Meanwhile director Jake West is already shooting his next feature: he is currently in Romania directing Pumpkinhead 3! 21st February 2006
London Voodoo coming on UK DVD
London Voodoo receives its long overdue R2 release on 20th March through Screen Entertainment. Amazon.co.uk have it on pre-order for £11.99. 21st February 2006
MJS in Fangoria
The current issue of Fango (no. 250) includes my interview with Monthon Arayangkoon, director of Garuda, to tie in with the film's R1 release. Fangoria 251 will include a short interview that I did last month with the legend that is Ray Harryhausen about his new book, The Art of Ray Harryhausen. 21st February 2006
More Stagknight pictures
Three more stills from the new British horror-comedy... 
6th February 2006
Evil Aliens US release info
Image Entertainment has acquired US rights to Evil Aliens and will release it theatrically in "Spring 2006" with a DVD release to follow. "There has been an incredible buzz within the genre film community about this movie," said Barry Gordon, senior vice president of worldwide programming of Image Entertainment. "Evil Aliens will prove to be one of the most highly anticipated independent film releases of 2006. Jake West has delivered a movie that audiences will be talking about for years to come." 28th January 2006
Evil Aliens trailer on-line, UK date confirmed
The brilliant Evil Aliens will open in the UK, on 20-40 screens, on 3rd March. A terrrific trailer is now available at JakeWest.com. A North American release will follow. Fangoria will publish a feature that I wrote on the film, including interviews with not only Jake West but also actress Jenny Evans, FX man Tristan Versluis, production designer Neil Jenkins and composer Richard Wells. 19th January 2006
2005 Rondo Award nominations announced
The nominations for the 2005 Rondo Awards have been announced. There are three British nominees in the Best Book category: Tony Earnshaw's Beating the Devil: The Making of Night of the Demon, John Hamilton's Beasts in the Cellar: The Exploitation Film Career of Tony Tenser and Calum Waddell's Minds of Fear: 30 Cult Classics of the Modern Horror Film. In adddition, British publication Cinema Retro is up for the Best Magazine category. Voting by e-mail stays open until 17th February (my birthday!). 13th January 2006
Stagknight - a new British horror comedy
Here are the first stills from Stagknight, a brand new British comedy horror feature which is currently in post-production. Possibly the first film ever to combine the Arthurian mythos with paintballing, Stagknight is directed by Simon Cathcart (Mission Diverted, Black Velvet) and produced by Rob Mercer (Razor Blade Smile).  
 
2nd January 2006
Site statistics for 2005
In terms of visitor numbers, the ten most popular items on the site during 2005 were: 1 - Embrace the Darkness II review, 2 - Christopher Lee’s ‘lost’ TV series episode guide, 3 - Hanuman vs Seven Ultraman review, 4 - Lane Smith interview, 5 - Classic Entertainment triple bills, 6 - Emily Booth interview, 7 - Ultraman: The Next review, 8 - Gabriel Thomson interview, 9 - Christopher Eccleston interview, 10 - Uwe Boll (2002) interview Obviously some stuff has been on the site for only part of the year, so adjusted to take that into consideration, the top ten becomes: 1 - King Kong in print, 2 - Emily Booth interview, 3 - Embrace the Darkness II review, 4 - Christopher Lee’s ‘lost’ TV series episode guide, 5 - Hanuman vs Seven Ultraman review, 6 - Ultraman: The Next review, 7 - Lane Smith interview, 8 - Bad Brains review, 9 - Doll Graveyard review, 10 - Classic Entertainment triple bills. I am under no illusion about a large part of the popularity of the Christopher Lee 'lost' TV series episode guide being due to people googling for episode guides to Lost... Other reviews which scored high stats include Kannibal, Ghost Train, Virgin Witch, Crocodile, Frankenstein Reborn!, Troll, The Last Dragon, Evil Aliens, Dr Horror’s Erotic House of Idiots and Frankenstein vs the Creature from Blood Cove. Other popular interviews include Sherilyn Fenn, Ewan McGregor and Ed Bishop. | 
