Female avengers, waring brothers and a coffin-bound Ryan Reynolds spearheads an dangerously heart-racing May line-up on LEGEND, highlighted by the UK TV premieres of Howard J. Ford’s award-winning child-abduction horror drama  NEVER LET GO , revenge Western ANY BULLET WILL DO, action thriller ACTS OF VENGEANCE, starring Antonio Banderas and British action-adventure war film MERCENARIES,

 

Plus, there are Channel premieres for English-language Spanish survival thriller BURIED, starring Ryan Reynolds, and INTERVIEW WITH A HIT MAN, starring Luke Goss as a deadly hitman with a secret past.

 

THE VINTAGE VAULT continues to chill Sunday nights with its popular classic genre double-bills, which, this month, include the channel premieres of Robert Young’s erotic masterpiece VAMPIRE CIRCUS and THE UNCANNY, a gruesome, blood-curdling collection of horror short stories, starring Peter Cushing, Ray Milland, Joan Greenwood, Susan Penhaligon and Donald Pleasence.

 

Full film details in transmission order:

 

Thurs 1 June @ 21:00 – ANY BULLET WILL DO (2018) *UK TV Premiere

During the great American Civil War, two brothers find themselves on opposing sides. Ten years later, Hollis Ransom, now a ruthless head hunter, sets out on a bloody path through Montana and Wyoming, fighting outlaws, evading Indians, and finally meeting his brother in an epic battle that will seal both men’s fates once and for all.

 

Sat 3 June @ 21:00 – NEVER LET GO (2015) *UK TV Premiere

Lisa Brennan (Angela Dixon), a single mother on vacation in a foreign land, takes the law into her own hands when her child is abducted.  Trusting no one, and stopping at nothing, she weaves her way through the murky backstreets and barren landscapes in an epic journey to find her daughter against incredible odds.

 

Sun 4 June @ 21:00 – THE HOUSE THAT DRIPPED BLOOD (1971)

*Part of The Vintage Vault

Adapted by Psycho author Robert Bloch from his own short stories, this Amicus horror anthology is set in an English country home where. Inspector Holloway (John Bennett) is called on to investigate the bloody deaths of four tenants. Directed by Peter Duffell, this superior anthology stars Christopher Lee, Peter Cushing, Denholm Elliott, Ingrid Pitt and Jon Pertwee.

 

Sun 7 May @ 23:00 – BLOOD ON SATAN’S CLAW (1971)

*Part of The Vintage Vault

When a mysterious corpse is accidentally dug in a small town, a group of local teens starts acting very strangely. The adolescents, led by a girl named Angel (Linda Hayden), are convinced the corpse was once possessed. They start to act out a series of demonic rituals, with devastating consequences. This 17th century British supernatural horror film is directed by Piers Haggard and stars Patrick Wymark, Linda Hayden, and Barry Andrews.

 

Sat 10 June @ 21:00 – ACTS OF VENGEANCE (2017) *UK TV Premiere

Action speaks louder than words when a fast-talking criminal lawyer, Frank Valera (Antonio Banderas) takes a vow of silence - transforming his body and his mind to embark on a quest to avenge the murder of his wife and daughter.

 

Sun 11 June @ 21:00 – VAMPIRE CIRCUS (1971)

*Part of The Vintage Vault

A circus arrives at a Serbian village to perform a show for the local inhabitants. Many of them believe that the plague that has gripped their village is the result of a curse inflicted on them years before by Count Mitterhouse, a vampire. Unbeknown to them, the leader of the circus is the Count’s cousin intent on reviving his relative and having his revenge.

 

Sun 11 June @ 22:45 – DEATH LINE (1968)

*Part of The Vintage Vault

Set on the London Underground, this moody shocker features brilliant horror icon Donald Pleasance in the lead role as a cockney copper. Hammer Horror star Christopher Lee also shows up in a small cameo. Directed by Gary Sherman this is one of Guillermo del Toro’s all-time favourites.

 

Thurs 15 June @ 21:00 – MERCENARIES (2011) *UK TV Premiere

When the Serbian Prime Minister is assassinated, an elite special ops team, led by ex-British S.A.S serviceman turned mercenary Andy Marlow (Robert Fucilla)  is called in to pull Europe back from the brink of war. Also stars Billy Zane.

 

Sat 17 June @ 21:00 – INTERVIEW WITH A HITMAN (2012) *Channel Premiere

After his final mission goes wrong, an elite hitman known as Viktor (Luke Goss), travels to London in an attempt to erase his past, and being a new life. But he encounters a deadly threat and is forced to confront buried secrets.

 

Sun 18 June @ 21:00 – BEWARD MY BRETHREN (1972)

*Part of The Vintage Vault

Led by a sinister minister (Patrick Magee), zealous religious sect The Brethren have taken control of widow Birdy Wemys, sending her unstable son, Kenny, into a descent of madness and murder. No woman is safe when Kenny’s religious mania overpowers him and leads to a rampage of carnage and chaos. This gritty story of lust, murder and terror, now a favourite cult horror, is directed by Robert Hartford-Davies

 

Sun 18 June @ 22:50 – HORROR HOSPITAL (1973)

*Part of The Vintage Vault

Jason Jones (Robin Askwith), a disillusioned songwriter, checks into Brittlehouse Manor, a 'health resort' where people are supposedly cured of all their hang-ups. It is run by the sinister Dr Storm (Michael Gough). who performs lobotomies on his young patients, and It isn’t long before Jones realises that his life is in danger.

 

Sat 24 June @ 21:00 – BURIED (2009) *Channel Premiere

Imagine waking up in the dark and realising that you've been buried alive with nothing but a lighter, a mobile phone and only 90 minutes of oxygen left. Ryan Reynolds delivers a compelling performance as everyman, Paul Conroy who has to that his fears, frustrations and dark emotion in order to remain focused on staying alive.

 

Sun 25 June @ 21:00 – THE UNCANNY (1977) *Channel Premiere

*Part of The Vintage Vault

Author Wilbur Gray (Peter Cushing), who is convinced that cats are conspiring to replace the human race as masters of the earth, narrates three bizarre tales of feline terror. This blood-curdling collection of horror short stories also stars Ray Milland, Joan Greenwood, Susan Penhaligon and Donald Pleasence.

 

Sun 25 June @ 22:50 – TO THE DEVIL A DAUGHTER (1976)

*Part of The Vintage Vault

Henry Beddows (Denholm Elliott) asks occult novelist John Verney (Richard Widmark) to protect his young daughter, Catherine (Natasha Kinski), who, although in the sanctuary of the Order of the Children of the Lord. has attracted the attention of ex-communicated priest Father Michael Rayner (Christopher Lee), who wants Catherine to become the incarnation of one of the crowned princes of Hell, Astaroth. Pitted against black magic, ancient rituals and a clan of Satanists, Verney battles to save the young girl from a diabolical fate.

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TV: Sky 148 / Virgin 149 / Freeview 41 / Freesat 137

Hex Studios dials up the horror in this practical-effects-laden sword & sorcery adventure.

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When Princess Meyra is kidnapped by the evil wizard Akaris, the slave Tyrol volunteers to lead a mission to his cursed dungeon lair to save her from his clutches. Along with a band of heroes of questionable loyalties, he must battle the ancient and diabolical creatures that protect Akaris’ fortress, and overcome his devious tests. Ultimately, Tyrol must slay a dragon to save the princess, and the realm, from a reign of endless darkness.

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Inspired by cult classics such as Deathstalker, The Beastmaster, and The Sword and the Sorcerer, the action-packed horror-fantasy is brimming with muscle-bound heroes, seductive sorceresses, and iconic villains true to the era. Also in the spirit of their inspirations, the team at Hex built an extensive dungeon set in their studio facility in Fife, Scotland, and have worked tirelessly to produce an array of horrifically gory practical effects to please even the most bloodthirsty horror fan.

Producer Lawrie Brewster had this to say:

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“I've always been a fan of gritty fantasy movies, especially those that might be described as 'Sword and Sorcery'. Films such as The Sword and the Sorcerer directed by Albert Pyun, to whom we've dedicated our film, were formative inspirations for me. Likewise with Deathstalker. In fact, you might describe our film as Deathstalker meets The Evil Dead. It's time to champion fantasy films that are allowed to be fun, sexy, and gloriously violent.”

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The film stars Scottish up-and-comer Chris Black as Tyrol, along with Jonathan Hansler (The Devil’s Business), Briony Monroe (The Black Gloves), Megan Tremethick (Ghost Crew), Richard Pate (The Black Gloves), Chris Capaldi (The Necromancer), Stephen Kerr (For We Are Many), and rugby star Dean Schofield in his first feature role.

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The Slave & the Sorcerer is due for release in winter 2023.

But the team at Hex Studios don’t intend to stop there. Their mission is to build a British horror & fantasy studio inspired by companies like Cannon, Hammer, and AIP, and they want you to get involved. Sign up to learn more at https://www.britishhorrorstudio.com

 

They’ve also just launched an ambitious crowdfunder to fund a sequel to The Slave & the Sorcerer, where they’re offering exclusive perks and even the chance to play a part in the film! Check it out here and support independent horror fantasy! http://kck.st/3nYNQg3

James Wan's The Conjuring is ten years old (where the hell has that time gone!?) and it's fair to say it's got a bit of a legacy, with six other films being added to the Conjureverse since then. Whilst a fourth Conjuring movie has already been greenlit along with a sequel to The Nun, Deadline are reporting that HBO Max are working on a TV series, which will “continue the story established in the feature films.”

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Wan’s Atomic Monster Productions and Safran’s The Safran Company will produce in association with WBTV, where The Safran Company is under an overall deal.

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News on casting or plot specifics remain under wraps. We'll keep you posted...

Andy Muschietti's take on IT was a bit of a mixed bag. Both films made lots of moolah but it's safe to say that the first was definitely more polished than the second. Talk of a prequel has been rife since the sequel was released back in 2019. Whilst we're not getting a feature film just yet, the good news is that HBO Max have greenlit Welcome to Derry, which will serve as a prequel to Muschietti's movies. Muschietti himself is in line to direct at least some of the episodes.

Muschietti said: 

As teenagers, we took turns reading chapters of Stephen King’s IT until the thick paperback fell to pieces. IT is an epic story that contains multitudes, far beyond what we could explore in our IT movies. We can’t wait to share the depths of Steve’s novel, in all its heart, humour, humanity and horror.

Whist Stephen King (author of the book) added:

I’m excited that the story of Derry, Maine’s most haunted city, is continuing, and I’m glad Andy Muschietti is going to be overseeing the frightening festivities, along with a brain trust including his talented sister, Barbara.

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It's all a little ironic as a TV series was in development before we got the Muschietti remakes. An eight or ten episode run seems like a decent amount of time to delve into the dense mythology of Derry and Pennywise. No word on release date just yet.

OK, so the recent TV series sort of sucked and was promptly cancelled. But fear not fans of the IKWYDLS (it's just easier to write that) franchise. Because we're getting a new movie! But perhaps the most exciting news is that Jennifer Love Hewitt and Freddie Prinze Jr are in talks to reprise their roles!

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Jennifer Kaytin Robinson (Do Revenge) has been brought on board to direct the film and although the project is in early development, Neal H. Moritz is in talks to return as producer with Leah McKendrick on board to write the script.

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I guess we shouldn't be totally surprised. The success of the latest Scream movie must have had studio execs scrabbling around for other 90s slasher products they could resurrect. And like Scream (2022), there's every expectation that this will be a legacy sequel. So expect some old cast members mixed in with some new ones and a whole load of meta stuff swirling around in there too. Fingers crossed they can make that cocktail work.

 

Be prepared to devour a devilish feast of dread-filled delights as the UK’s favourite horror fantasy event returns to the renowned Glasgow Film Festival for an 18th year, from Thurs 9 March to Sat 11 March 2023.

 

This year’s daring line-up, once again housed at the iconic Glasgow Film Theatre, embraces the latest genre discoveries from around the world, spanning nine countries with an eclectic mix of World, International and UK premieres.

 

Passes are on sale from noon on Wednesday 18 Jan.

 

Festival co-director Alan Jones says, “FrightFest is one of the most potent forces on the horror, science fiction and extreme thriller landscape, a reputation that has firmly placed it in the Top 10 Essential Fantasy Festivals List. And we aim to stay ahead of the chiller curve, returning to the incomparable Glasgow Film Festival with a shiver and shudder showcase of epic proportions”.

 

FrightFest kicks off with two special screenings on Thursday March 9, opening in grand Gallic style with the UK premiere of SMOKING CAUSES COUGHING, a quirky, absurdist comedy sci-fi fantasy from visionary director Quentin Dupieux, whose film Rubber caused a 2010 GFF FrightFest sensation. This is followed by the UK premiere of SISU, a pulverizing, nerve-shredding and spectacularly gory WW2 action epic by Finnish director Jalmari Helander of Rare Exports fame.

 

Enter the haunted ‘Devil’s Manor’ as FrightFest’s traditional two-day event kicks off on Friday March 10 with the International premiere of #chadgetstheaxe, Travis Bible’s Found Footage comedy horror. Then we travel into an ancient mythological world for the UK premiere of IRATI, a dark Spanish epic adventure from Errementari director Paul Urkijo Alijo, based on the graphic novel by J. L. Landa and J. Muñoz.

 

Next up is the UK premiere of MOTHER SUPERIOR, directed by Marie Alice Wolfszahn, making her feature film debut. This stylishly brooding occult chiller with the evils of nationalism rippling beneath the surface, won Best Feature at the Brooklyn Horror Film Festival 2022.

 

This is followed by another directorial debut - Rhys Frake-Waterfield’s slasher parody WINNIE-THE-POOH: BLOOD AND HONEY. Pooh and Piglet are not happy and in this UK premiere, prepare for a journey into Hundred Acre Wood as you’ve never seen it before. And get ready for the very first Lithuanian slasher as Friday evening climaxes with the UK Premiere of PENSIVE, director Jonas Trukanas’ inventively gripping horror ride into the prom night from hell.

 

Saturday’s malevolent menu starts with the International premiere of HUNT HER, KILL HER, an intensely violent and breathtaking thriller from directors Ryan Thiessen and Greg Swinson, which uses time and space to maximize suspense, Served up next is the International premiere of ONYX THE FORTUITOUS AND THE TALISMAN OF SOULS. Based on his viral internet character of the same name, writer, director, and star Andrew Bowser ‘s wild comic ride is a creative and joyful celebration of weirdos of all kinds.

 

The next demonic dish is the European premiere of Christopher Smith’s CONSECRATION, which finds the Severance / Black Death director in a mysterious Scottish convent exploring the dark recesses of the mind. Smith’s graphic and psychologically disturbing supernatural thriller stars Jena Malone, Danny Huston and Janet Suzman,

 

The evening programme opens with the World premiere of LITTLE BONE LODGE, an atmospheric twisty thriller from Matthias Hoene, director of Cockneys vs Zombies. This highly effective bone-chiller stars Joely Richardson.

 

Next up is the International premiere of HERE FOR BLOOD, the tongue-in-cheek, extreme splatter, campy comedy horror discovery of the year. Directed by Daniel Turres and starring Shawn Roberts, this joyously outrageous celebration of the genre has the body-count going up as the blood rains down.

 

This year’s feast of fear ends with the International premiere of 13 EXORCISMS. Inspired by recent events in Spain, where it was a box-office smash, this supernatural chiller hits home with relentless suspense and skin-crawling horror.

 

The Guest list will be announced soon.

 

FrightFest Weekend Passes are £75 and available from noon on Wednesday 18 January 2023.  Passes will be exchanged for admission wristbands, which must be worn at all times to access all FrightFest films on Fri 10 March and Sat 11March ONLY.

 

Tickets for SMOKING CAUSES COUGHING and SISU, plus individual tickets for the Fri/Sat films are on sale Mon 30 January, from noon. Price: £11.50 / £9.30 (concessions)

 

How to Buy Tickets

 

Online: https://glasgowfilm.org/glasgow-film-festival

Telephone: 0141 332 6535 (£1.50 fee per transaction, voice-mail available during peak business periods.

 

In person: Glasgow Film Theatre, 12 Rose Street, Glasgow G3 6RB during normal box office hours – Friday and Sunday to Thursday from 30 minutes before the first performance and closes 15 minutes after the last performance starts. Saturday from 11am to 15 minutes after the last performance starts.

 

Pass Booking opens Wed 18 Jan at 12:00, individual films open Mon 30 Jan at 12:00

Online booking closes 15 minutes before the advertised start time.

All performances will start at the advertised start time with no adverts or trailers. Late ticket-holders will not be admitted.

 

Glasgow Film Theatre Cinecard members get 4 days early-access to individual films from January 26 at noon, as well as discounted tickets for each performance. Memberships available from: https://glasgowfilm.org/what-we-do/plan-your-visit/memberships

 

Programme details

 

THURS 9 MARCH – GFT Screen 1

 

18:30 SMOKING CAUSES COUGHING (UK Premiere)

 

Director: Quentin Dupieux. Cast: Gilles Lellouche, Vincent Lacoste, Anaïs Demoustier. France 2022 1hr20m N/C 18.

 

Synopsis: The Tobacco Force is a superhero quintet fighting evil by using cigarette cancer-causing substances as their weapon of choice. But Chief Didier has noticed friction in the team. Since there's an upcoming battle against evil conquerer Lezardin on the horizon, Didier sends them to a lake retreat for a team-building holiday where they tell each other scary campfire tales. Will they form a cohesive unit again in time for the final epic face-off?

 

Contains: Superhero comedy, mild threat, scary images, gore, gross-out humour.

 

20:45 SISU (UK Premiere)

 

Director: Jalmari Helander. Cast: Jorma Tommila, Aksel Hennie, Jack

Doolan. Finland 2022 1hr31m N/C 18.

 

Synopsis: After a solitary prospector strikes gold in the wilderness of Lapland, he runs into a retreating detachment of Nazi soliders who set their sights on claiming the bounty. Unfortunately for the stormtroopers, this is no ordinary miner, but a mythic one-man army epitomising the quintessential Finnish concept of ‘sisu’ - white-knuckled courage and unimaginable determination in the face of overwhelming odds.

 

Contains: Explicit violence, accident trauma, sexual innuendo

 

FRI 10 MARCH – GFT Screen 1

 

13:45 #chadgetstheaxe (International Premiere)

 

Director: Travis Bible.  Cast: Michael Bonini, Spencer Harrison Levin, Taneisha Figueroa. USA 2022 1hr23m N/C 18.

 

Synopsis: Four social media influencers must decide if Internet fame is worth the danger in real time. Bros Spicy Steve and Chad team up with a pair of beauty tip streamers to visit the supposedly haunted Devil’s Manor, former home to a Satanic Cult. Soon they’re forced to wonder if it’s all a prank created by other streamers, by each other, or if there is something more sinister at hand… And as the violence ramps up… so do the views and likes.

 

Contains: Violence, gore, strong language, intense/scary images

 

15:50 IRATI (UK Premiere)

 

Director: Paul Urkijo Alijo. Cast: Edurne Azkarate, Eneko Sagardoy, Itziar Ituño. Spain 2022 1hr54m N/C 18.

 

Synopsis: Christian nobleman Eneko must fulfil the promise he made to his late father, to protect and lead his people into the new era. To do so, he must recover his father’s body, buried next to Charlemagne's treasure. However, despite his faith, he needs the help of his childhood friend, the pagan Irati. On this mythological and magical mission, the two young men venture into a strange forest where "Everything that has a name exists".

 

Contains: Strong violence, blood, gore, nudity, threat.

 

18:45 MOTHER SUPERIOR (UK Premiere)

 

Director: Marie Alice Wolfszahn Cast: Isabella Händler, Inga Maux, Jochen Nickel. Austria 2022 1hr11m N/C 18.

 

Synopsis: 1975, Rosenkreuz Manor. Sigrun Fink, desperate for information about her biological family, starts a new position as nurse to the aging, ill and eccentric Baroness Heidenreich. For a shared longing binds them together: the old lady’s memory contains the secret to Sigrun's true identity; the nurse’s lifeforce holds the key to the future for the Baroness. On the path to self-discovery, Sigrun is confronted with the sinister world of folklore occultism, carried out by the Baroness and her sinister groundskeeper Otto. One opening an unearthly, pagan abyss in which every moral and principle will be tested.

 

Contains: Bloody images, nudity, disturbing sequences.

 

20:45 WINNIE THE POOH: BLOOD AND HONEY (UK Premiere)

 

Director: Rhys Frake-Waterfield. Cast: Craig David Dowsett, Chris Cordell, Natasha Tosini. The Netherlands 2023 1hr30m N/C 18.

 

Synopsis: During childhood, Christopher Robin befriended Winnie the Pooh, Piglet and their friends, played games and fed them. But as he grew older, the visits stopped, leaving them increasingly hungry and desperate, eyeing Eeyore as food. Now Christopher has returned to the forest with his new wife hoping to introduce her to his old friends. But it sends Pooh and Piglet on a murderous scavenger hunt for human flesh when they antagonize a group of college girls on a rural cabin vacation. Will Christopher still get Pooh back on the right track?

 

Contains: Gore, threat, strong language, scenes of a sexual nature.

 

23:00 PENSIVE (UK Premiere)

 

Director: Jonas Trukanas. Cast: Šarūnas Rapolas Meiliešius, Gabija Bargailaitė, Marius

Repšys. Lithuania 2022 1hr27m N/C 18.

 

Synopsis: Wooden sculptures of the Pensive Christ can be found in weird spots all through the Baltic States. They combine folk art and Christian traditions into a singular entity concerning the fear of being judged. And that’s what is about to happen to the usually risk-averse Marius as he organises the venue for his high school graduation party at a remote cottage. For his drunken and drugged classmates destroy some life-size wooden statues and a scarred, masked and mysterious killer starts picking them off one by mutilated one.

 

Contains: Bloody images, extreme gore, nudity, maiming, bad language, threat.

 

SAT 11 MARCH – GFT Screen 1

 

11:00 HUNT HER, KILL HER (International Premiere)

 

Directors: Ryan Thiessen, Greg Swinson. Cast: Natalie Terrazzino, JC Oakley III, Larry Bunton. USA 2022 1hr29m N/C 18.

 

Synopsis: Karen is a desperate young mother who has just filed divorce papers on her abusive husband. Forced to take a job as the night shift janitor at a large furniture factory, she is told she will be the only one working at this time. But, after seeing a strange vehicle idling in the parking lot and finding a door to the factory ajar, Karen gets the feeling she might not be alone after all.

 

Contains: Sustained threat, strong violence, gore, profanity

 

13:00 ONYX THE FORTUITOUS AND THE TALISMAN OF SOULS (International Premiere)

Director: Andrew Bowser Cast: Andrew Bowser, Jeffrey Combs, Barbara Crampton USA 2023 1hr45m N/C 18.

 

Synopsis: Fledgling occultist Marcus J. Trillbury (Onyx) attends a black magic ritual at his idol Bartok the Great's dark mansion. But terrible things begin to happen and it soon becomes clear that Bartok’s intentions are way more nefarious. As Marcus battles to keep his soul, a question of great destiny looms. Is he doomed to remain a nobody or will he rise to defeat Bartok and save his fellow Satanist followers from damnation?

Contains: Comedy threat, scary images, gore, gross-out humour.

 

15:45 CONSECRATION (European Premiere)

 

Director: Christopher Smith. Cast: Jena Malone, Danny Huston, Janet Suzman. UK 2022 1hr31m N/C 18.

 

Synopsis: Grace is summoned to the Mount Saviour convent deep in the Scottish Highlands following the mysterious death of her priest brother. Refusing to believe he committed  suicide, Grace starts her own investigation as the nuns prepare a consecration ceremony to purify the holy site. Soon she inadvertently shines a light on murder, sacrilege and a disturbing truth, relating to the forgotten years of her own childhood, intertwined with that of the convent’s holy order and the secret it’s charged with protecting.

 

Contains: Strong bloody scenes, profanity, threat

 

18:15 LITTLE BONE LODGE (World Premiere)

 

Director: Matthias Hoene. Cast: Joely Richardson, Neil Linpow, Sadie Soverall.. United Kingdom 2023 1hr33m N/C 18.

 

Synopsis: During a stormy night in the Scottish Higlands, two criminal brothers on the run seek refuge in a desolate farmhouse. But after taking the resident family captive, they find the house holds even darker secrets of its own. Colour Out Of Space star Joely Richardson plays the fearsome family matriarch who will stop at nothing to protect her kin and the shocking mysteries that surround their very existence.

 

Contains: Gore, threat, strong language, disability taunts, menace.

 

20:40 HERE FOR BLOOD (International Premiere)

 

Director: Daniel Turres Cast: Shawn Roberts, Joelle Farrow, Dee Snider. Canada 2022 1hr40m N/C 18.

 

Synopsis: When his girlfriend is swamped with college exams, Tom O'Bannon, a rowdy pro-wrestler struggling to make ends meet, agrees to fill in as a last-minute replacement for her well-paying babysitting job. Tom arrives at an isolated family home where he meets the precocious 10-year-old Grace. But what starts off as a quiet night of pizza and video games quickly spirals into bloody, violent, demonic chaos as Tom and Grace find themselves fighting for their lives when an otherworldly cult of masked intruders descend on the home.

 

Contains: Extreme gore, violence, sexual imagery, profanity, child endangerment, torture, maiming.

 

23:05 13 EXORCISMS (International Premiere)

 

Director: Jacobo Martinez Cast: Maria Romanillos, Ruth Díaz, Silma López. Spain 2022 1hr38m N/C 18.

 

Synopsis: Shy, sensitive teenager Laura is tricked into taking part in a Halloween séance to contact the spirit of a mad doctor who murdered his family. From that night on, Laura's life is forever changed... Dark presences, terrifying visions, ominous voices, painful marks on her skin, and other paranormal phenomena haunt her. Laura's religious parents decide to call the local priest for advice, who claims she’s possessed. To set her free, he will have to perform a series of exorcisms - each more violent than the last.

 

Contains: Disturbing supernatural horror, gore, threat, strong language, scenes of a sexual nature.

 

For full programme details: http://www.frightfest.co.uk/

Director Mike Flanagan has emerged as one of the most talented and prolific horror directors over the course of the last few years. His partnership with Netflix has seen a series of successful projects such as Midnight Mass and The Haunting of Hill House. However, Flanagan's (and co-producer Trevor Macy's) Intrepid Pictures have left Netflix to sign a multi-year deal with Amazon Studios.

 

“Mike and Trevor are remarkable at telling immersive, suspenseful stories that masterfully keep audiences engaged from start to finish,” said Vernon Sanders, head of global television at Amazon Studios. “We are excited to welcome them to Amazon Studios and are looking forward to our global customers experiencing their genre-bending creativity.”

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“Amazon is a studio that we have long admired,” said Flanagan and Macy. “Their commitment to engaging in groundbreaking series and content aligns with the ethos of what we have built at Intrepid. We are looking forward to working with the entire Amazon team as we bring our brand of genre productions to the service and audiences around the globe.”

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Flanagan's latest offering, The Midnight Club - adapted from the novel by Christopher Pike, has recently been released on Netflix but Deadline are reporting that there will not be a second season. Which kind of sucks if you've just spent ten hours of your life watching the first...

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Known for his performances in Sean Penn’s INTO THE WILD and The Wachowski’s SPEEDRACER, Hirsch stars as an investigative reporter JASON FREY who reluctantly agrees to attend a hypnotism event with his pregnant wife Claira. Under hypnosis, Jason witnesses a murder through the eyes of a killer. Haunted by what he has seen, Jason uses past live regression techniques to investigate a series of unsolved murders from the eighties, while unwittingly reawakening a psychopath’s killer tendencies.

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Royal College of Art graduate, and director of Grimmfest, Manchester’s International Festival of Fantastic Film, Halligan brings his design credentials and his deep knowledge of genre cinema to bear on the project. Dean Lines and Ray Bogdanovitch (Hounded, The Banishing) wrote the screenplay with additional material from Halligan.

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Halligan’s previous feature directing credits include WHITE SETTLERS (THE BLOODLANDS in the US) and HABIT.

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PAST LIFE will be produced by Rachel Richardson-Jones of Grimmfest films (HABIT), Pierre Romain and Susan Michels of SWE (SON OF THE SOUTH) and Michael Laundon of M2 Productions (ENDLESS). Executive producers include Michael Bassick (HACKSAW RIDGE) for M2, Sarada McDermott (BRIDGERTON), Angus Finney (THE MOTHER) and Glenn Kendrick Ackermann, Jason Piette and Ewan Dunbar of Disrupting Influence who will be presenting the project at AFM.

“We are absolutely thrilled to be working with Emile, on PAST LIFE a superb actor who has proved his versatility and breadth in an array of movies. His depth as a performer will bring

 

nuance to Jason’s complex character. We can’t think of a better actor to play the role in this brilliantly conceived thriller”, said Glenn Kendrick Ackermann of Disrupting Influence.

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Director Simeon Halligan said, “PAST LIFE is an exciting psychological thriller that combines the rush of eighties thrillers like DePalma’s BLOW OUT or Argento’s TENEBRAE, with the conceptual complexity of movies like Nolan’s MEMENTO or Anderson’s THE MACHINIST, I can’t wait to share this twisty turny mind bender with audiences”.

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“Simeon is the perfect director to bring PAST LIFE to the screen. This movie sits squarely in his ballpark and reflects his love and passion for dark psychological thrillers. With a background in art direction and a deep knowledge of genre cinema, we know he will bring an amazing visual style to bear on the film”, added producer Michael Laundon.

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Emile Hirsch is best known for his breakthrough performance in INTO THE WILD, directed by Sean Penn, which received worldwide acclaim, garnering him a SAG Award nomination.  Emile can be seen in Quentin Tarantino’s ONCE UPON A TIME IN HOLLYWOOD opposite Margot Robbie, Leonardo DiCaprio and Brad Pitt as well as the action comedy, THE COMEBACK TRAIL, with Robert De Niro, Tommy Lee Jones and Morgan Freeman. Emile starred in the psychological sci-fil thriller, FREAKS, and NEVER GROW OLD opposite John Cusack, directed by Ivan Kavanaugh. In 2013, Emile starred in the critically acclaimed box office hit, LONE SURVIVOR opposite Mark Wahlberg, Taylor Kitsch and Ben Foster.

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Disrupting Influence current sales slate includes elevated genre shark movie; GHOST DIVERS; LGBTQ WW2 resistance feature documentary; WILLEM & FRIEDA (presented by Stephen Fry) and WW2 espionage thriller LIVES IN SECRET based upon the life of the original Miss Moneypenny and starring Hugh Bonneville and Charlotte Gainsbourg, from writer director John Hay and producer Jeremy Bolt.

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Production is scheduled to commence in March 2023 in the UK.

Since James Wan's The Conjuring became a smash hit back in 2013, we've had seven other films in the so-called 'Conjureverse', ranging from the excellent (Annabelle Creation) to the lame (The Nun). Whilst it's already been confirmed the latter is getting a sequel (The Nun 2 begins production this week), THR are reporting that The Conjuring 4 has been been given the go-ahead - which would take the 'Conjureverse' up to ten movies!

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David Leslie Johnson-McGoldrick, who wrote the previous 2 entries of the Conjuring franchise, has been hired to write the script and James Wan and Peter Safran will return as producers. There is no confirmation as yet regarding who will direct and neither Vera Farmiga or Patrick Wilson are confirmed but it seems something of a foregone conclusion that they will be back as celebrity ghost hunting duo Ed and Lorraine Warren.

No plot details as yet either, but we'll let you know when that changes!