Saturday 29 August 2015

Film4 Frightfest: New British horror films screened

Film4 Frightfest is currently being held in London's West End.  The festival showcases new horror films from around the world.
Here are previews and trailers and interviews from Frightfest's Youtube channel for some of the British films being shown at the festival:


The Hallow

The debut feature by director Corin Hardy, this rural set supernatural horror film is pitched as "Straw Dogs meets Pan's Labyrinth."  A conservationist (played by Joseph Mawle) and his wife are warned by locals against entering an Irish forest.  After ignoring this advice, their presence awakens demonic forces.  
The Hallow is being distributed by Entertainment One so should be reach cinemas across the country when released in November.



AfterDeath

Also released in November, although likely to receive only limited cinema exhibition, AfterDeath looks very atmospheric and dramatic.  The film has an original premise: five strangers wake up on a beach after dying - are they in heaven or somewhere worse?   A talented young cast is led by accomplished actress Miranda Raison (best known for her lead role in Spooks).



The Unfolding

This is a low budget haunted house film set in spooky Dartmoor.  The Unfolding stars Robert Daws (well known for TV dramas such as Outside Edge and Roger Roger) and Kitty McGeever, the Emmerdale actress who sadly died recently.  According to director Eugene McGing, the house in which the film was shot really was haunted!



Aaaaaaaah!

This surreal horror comedy is the directing debut for Steve Oram.  Oram is known for starring in and writing Sightseers and numerous film and TV comedy appearances.  Aaaaaaaah! is set in a world in which humans act like homicidal apes and features well known stars such as Julian Barrett and Noel Fielding of The Mighty Boosh.  This experimental film is getting a limited London cinema release and then will be available digitally.



Bait

Another former Emmerdale actor Dominic Brunt has directed this gritty thriller about two women being terrorized by a vicious loan shark.  Bait stars Victoria Smurfit (known for Ballykissangel and as Once Upon a Time's Cruella De Vil ).  The film will be available on DVD in September.



Another Me

Although released in Spain, USA and Germany in 2013 and 2014, the delayed UK release of this supernatural film will be boosted by the growing fame of Sophie Turner - star of Game of Thrones and next year's X-Men: Apocalypse.  Turner plays a schoolgirl haunted by a ghostly presence.  Rhys Ifans and Jonathan Rhys Meyers also as the girl's father and teacher.  Despite the strong cast and decent trailer, the film was poorly reviewed in the States.



Howl

Howl has a strong horror concept: passengers on a broken-down train must survive the night while deadly werewolves prowl outside.  Ed Speelers stars along with  Shauna MacDonald and Sean Pertwee who have UK horror credentials from their roles in The Descent and Dog Soldiers respectively.




Estranged

Suggesting a mysterious and psychological film, the trailer for Estranged is very promising.  January (Amy Manson) returns home after a near-fatal accident and suffers memory loss.   She begins to investigate why she left her family and uncovers dark secrets.  The formidable James Cosmo (another Game of Thrones actor) plays the father.








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