The Mayhem Horror Film Festival 2013

Mayhem Horror Film Festival is one of the many current cutting edge events that will bring to the screens the very best in our favourite genre; including both film and television with a showcasing of the best selection of shorts. 

The festival will run from Thursday 31^st October to Sunday 3^rd November 2013, at the Broadway Cinema, in Nottingham; a great start to Halloween. Now the festival is in its ninth year it promises to bring the audiences gut-wrenching and spine tingling horror.  Steven Sheil director of Mum and Dad (2008), who runs the festival (with fellow Nottingham filmmakers Chris Cooke and Gareth Howell) states that there should be 16 films as well as a selection of shorts for us all to enjoy.

"They'll all be preview screenings; they won't have been released in the UK yet, and some of them won't be released until next year." 

And it's not just horror at Mayhem. Steven states that

"We make it quite broad. It's not just ultra-gory stuff; its ghosts to splatter films and everything in between, plus sci-fi and cult. And these are films from around the world. We try to give a snapshot of what's happening in the world of horror and cult cinema at Mayhem every year."

 He adds: 

"We do TV as well. A few years ago we had the cast and crew of Being Human here to talk about the series and introduce the new one. That was quite a big hit."

The event attracts around 2000 people with some attendees - regulars – who will book a holiday off work to attend. There will be premieres, new releases and even previews to cult classics. And of course we can’t forget to mention the special screenings, breakthrough shorts and a host of special guests - usually directors and producers – with a questions and answers session to ask them all you would like to know about their horror film.

This will be a very unique experience- one which I will gladly go through. Mayhem will offer some exciting viewing for the audiences attending across the four days of horrific madness and mayhem.

I have been lucky enough to be given a day pass granting me the opportunity to attend the festival on Saturday 2^nd of November 2013. 

I will be viewing the following films that are sure to delight and disturb…

THE DEMON'S ROOK - Dir. James Sizemore, 2013 (USA) (James Sizemore, Ashleigh Jo Sizemore)

After making a childhood pact with a demon; a grown-up Roscoe returns from the underworld with mystical powers. But three demons pursue him: one who possesses the minds of all she crosses, another who can transform a man into a beast and the third who commands an army of the dead. Utterly hysterical blood-spurting fun - a DIY homage to all pre-CGI gore effects. “Insane.” Dread Central!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B3ILJvfXfMw&list=PL3CC5163715E8FE76

 

 

KISS OF THE DAMNED - Dir. Xan Cassavetes, 2013 (USA) (Roxane Mesquida, Joséphine de La Baume)

Having sworn off humans, young vampire Djuna finds peace with her new partner, only for her less hung-up sister to invade their tranquillity and threaten the whole vampire community. An impressively stylish, slyly funny and decadent mix of 70s sexy vampirism: think Tony Scott's The Hunger crossed with Jean Rollin. “Pure kitsch. Sumptuously goofy gothic.” L.A. Times.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t994rn3Huzc

 

THE BORDERLANDS with special guests Director Elliot Goldner and Producer Jennifer Handorf

Dir. Elliot Goldner, 2013 (UK), (Gordon Kennedy, Robin Hill)

A couple of Vatican investigators head to an isolated country church to report on supernatural activity and find much more than they bargained for in this chilling tale co-written by Severance Screenwriter James Moran. Is what haunts this remote location fake or horribly real? Expertly using sound to create genuine chills, Goldner slowly moves the story from humour to true horror.

SCARY SHORTS - Dir. Various. 2013 (International)

A stunning showcase of the best new short film talents from across the globe and closer to home, featuring Bio-Cop from Astron-6, the team behind last year’s amazing hit Manborg. This selection brings you a cornucopia of creeps, a menagerie of monstrosity and a smorgasbord of scares.

 

 THE MACHINE with special guests Director Caradog James and Producer John Giwa-Amu

Dir. Caradog James. 2013 (UK), (Toby Stephens, Caity Lotz)

In a near-future cold war, Britain is on the brink of developing a game-changing weapon, ‘The Machine’. But when a programming error causes the prototype to run amok, scientist Vincent McCarthy decides to create a truly conscious killing machine. Incredibly designed and thoroughly human, The Machine is a dazzling triumph of independent British cinema. “Slickly designed and beautiful... radical.” Fangoria.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=11gYUqlw9RM







 

I am genuinely looking forward to seeing what new horror will disturb and excite me. With previous films such as American Mary (which is personally one of my favourites at the minute), there is a lot to be expected. Will Mayhem excite, disturb, tease and inspire our film lovers this year? All shall be revealed…

Rush 2013 Directed by Ron Howard

I am starting the MA in Horror and Transgression next week and I am lucky enough to be going to a special screening of Ron Howard’s Rush as part of my induction. Two-time Academy Award winner Ron Howard (A Beautiful Mind, Frost/Nixon) teams once again with two-time Academy Award-nominated writer Peter Morgan (Frost/Nixon, The Queen) on Rush. 

Rush is produced by Andrew Eaton (A Mighty Heart, The Killer Inside Me), Eric Fellner (Les Misérables, Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy), Brian Oliver (Black Swan), Peter Morgan, Academy Award winner Brian Grazer (Apollo 13, A Beautiful Mind) and Ron Howard. Howard has assembled a stellar crew of behind-the-scenes talent including Academy Award-winning cinematographer Anthony Dod Mantle (Slumdog Millionaire, The Last King of Scotland), production designer Mark Digby (Slumdog Millionaire, 28 Days Later, Oscar-winning editors Dan Hanley and Mike Hill (Apollo 13, A Beautiful Mind), costume designer Julian Day (Nowhere Boy, Salmon Fishing in the Yemen) and Academy Award-winning composer Hans Zimmer (The Lion King, The Dark Knight Rises).

 

Executive producers for the film are Guy East (The Woman in Black, The Ides of March), Nigel Sinclair (The Ides of March, End of Watch), Tobin Armbrust (End of Watch, The Woman in Black), Tim Bevan (Les Misérables, Tinker Tailor Soldier. Spy), Tyler Thompson (Black Swan, The Woman in Black) and Todd Hallowell (Apollo 13, Frost/Nixon). Universal Pictures distributes the film in the United States.

A spectacular film starring Daniel Brühl, Chris Hemsworth and Olivia Wilde this fast paced film is sure to take you on s thrill ride. I usually write about Horror but this film has taken my fancy. Set in the 1970’s; the golden age of Formula One, Rush portrays the re-creation of the exhilarating true story of the merciless rivalry between Formula One racers James Hunt (Chris Hemsworth of The Avengers, Thor) and Niki Lauda (Daniel Brühl of Inglourious Basterds, The Bourne Ultimatum). It is the greatest rivalry the world of sports has ever witnessed; handsome and charming English playboy Hunt and his brilliant and methodical Austrian opponent Lauda struggle with the pressure that builds in both their personal and working lives. The rivals push themselves to breaking point in both the psychological and physical sense; if you make one mistake, you die. There is no shortcut to victory and no margin for error. 

Olivia Wilde (Tron: Legacy) and Alexandra Maria Lara (The Reader) co-star in the epic action-drama as Suzy Miller and Marlene Lauda, the loves of James and Niki’s lives who watched and feared as the men rocketed toward possible death.

Well I can’t wait to see if this film is as hot as the critiques say. A formula one story with heart; not just for petrol heads. This long awaited biopic will be captivating audiences and giving them an insight into the world of F1.

MA Humanities - Horror and Transgression - University of Derby

MA Humanities - Horror and Transgression - University of Derby

Thantomorphose Film Festival Release Dates and More Information Direct from Eric Falardeau

 

So here is the follow up for Thanatomorphose from director Eric Falardeau; the new feature length horror to hit our screens was welcomed at this year’s Fantasia Film Festival 2013.

As we know from the last article I wrote Laura tries to make the most of her life. She has a boyfriend that has no interest in her other than for her body and she continually feels used and empty inside. Two events take place that twist her world into a spiral of events. She meets a charming man Julian who she believes may give her the attention she deserves; then she begins to notice strange patches on her body and Laura’s nightmare only gets worse when she starts to rot from the inside – out. Her teeth fall out and she has a constant odour of a decomposing corpse. Laura must come to terms with the fact that she is trapped in this unreversable rotting corpse; her nightmares only just beginning.

Thanatomorphose is disturbing singular cinematic experience that causes a decent with Laura to hell. Eric’s film takes us to the brink of abjection with unbearable scenes that test all the senses. As Fantasia states

“With this Kafkaesque tale of transformation, the talented filmmaker juggles the sublime and the transgressive, with superior results. While the film has its share of shockingly violent scenes, it’s no mere exploitation flick, but rather a corrosive meditation on sexuality, solitude and our complex relationships with our own bodies”. (FantasiaFestival.com) Kayden Rose who plays Laura throws herself into a very demanding role with such commitment and passion it shows. She projects Laura’s pain well for the viewer to experience. Thanatomorphose has been labelled as the most shocking film of the year so far. Tell me what you think?

The film has won a number of awards including: Festival De Cine De Terror De Molins De Rei 2012: Best Film; A Night Of Horror International Film Festival 2013: Best Special Makeup Effects; Fantasia 2013 Section Camera Lucida: Official Selection; 5^th DIY Film Festival Competition: Official Selection; Cryptshow Festival 2013: Official Selection; Festivals Des Maudits Films 2013: Official Selection; A Night Of Horror International Film Festival 2013 Competition: Official Selection; Frequency Film Festival 2013 Competition: Official Selection; XXXI Festival De Cine De Terror De Molins De Rei Competition: Official Selection; Sitges – International Fantastic Film Festival Of Catalonia Brigadoon Section; and I believe many more to come.

Thanatomorphose is now currently being released worldwide. Eric Falardeau has given me this exclusive information directly. He states that the DVD releases are: 

In Spain, Tyrannosaurus Entertainment: released the film in July 2013

Scandinavia, Njuta Films: released the film in August 2013

The UK and Australia, Monster Pictures: The release for the UK is still TBA

USA, Unearthed Film: January 2014.

And following the success of Fantasia more Upcoming Film Festivals that Eric is now allowed to announce are:

BUT Film Festival (Netherlands)

Melbourne Underground Film Festival (Australia)

Phillip K. Dick Film Festival (France and USA) 

 

Many more in the USA, UK, Canada, South America and rest of Europe TBA...More updates to follow.

A Dark Souvenir (2013) is a new horror film Written and Directed by Mathew Pillscher

In this new uncanny addition to the independent horror genre Pillscher gives us a creepy take on the end of the honeymoon period. Taking a trip to kick off their married life; Frieda and John Golden embark on an amazing holiday to Scandinavia to celebrate their marriage in honeymoon style. They are a happy and fun-loving couple; their life was perfect and they were certainly content but the coming events work to change that.

Whilst visiting an old island Sea Fort just outside of Copenhagen, Denmark; The Trekroner Søfort (Søfort means "Sea Fortress."  Trekroner Søfort means "Three Crowns Sea Fortress." to be exact; John becomes very ill and starts to deteriorate further when they arrive home to the U.S. a few days later. Frieda becomes ever more paranoid that they did not just bring some virus home; but something else more sinister.

Their perfect life changes when they arrive home from their honeymoon. The couple both start to experience bouts of illness further and memory loss that is continually unexplained. Frieda keeps seeing someone in their house but she can never catch them. John thinks she is hallucinating and makes her feel silly; but John his having strange visionary dreams which are filled with this sinister hooded figure. John will not admit his own encounters with the strange to Frieda or even himself. So now they both seem to be hallucinating a faceless hooded figure that is ever present in their marital home. Something seems to have latched onto the couple; pushing its way into their life. But what have they brought back with them?

The couple must struggle to find the truth of what they brought back. Frieda is an architectural photographer so she decides to take pictures throughout the house in the hope of finding something; anything that could explain the strange happenings. John starts to research online about the old island fort as he notices a mark on his body that is the same as a marking he saw when they visited the old fort. So what exactly happened to them at Trekroner Søfort? What came home with them?

 

With their insanity hanging on a thread, the newly-weds must fight for their reality before they come face to face with the evil an sinister presence that has been hunting them; in turn being born into their lives forever.

Pillcsher states on his website www.adarksouvenir.com

 

"I've always loved scary movies.  I think it's the nature of feeling like you're being hunted and very afraid, your adrenaline starts pumping, and at the same time you are enjoying yourself in this controlled and safe environment.  Needless to say, I've always wanted to make a horror movie and add my own contribution to the genre...

...I also love artsy movies, and movies with strong characters, tension between them, and a little bit of humour.  The best scary movies contain all these elements.   I don't usually like movies with lots of gore or horror movies that show everything.  I think some mystery and some things left to your imagination make them scarier.  I want A Dark Souvenir to illustrate that you can still make a great horror movie without buckets of blood, monster masks, CGI, showing all the violence, or sexist, reactionary writing.  I'm a huge fan of Ingmar Bergman, Stanley Kubrick, Ken Loach, and Ti West.  Although this will be a horror film, I hope it's also a drama that even people who don't like horror can appreciate.  I hope the characters are real and relatable.  I also hope to show there's a space for creative storytelling with little-to-no budget, and that with the right community support we can keep independent film alive!"

On their website you can read John and Frieda’s blog. Makes for some great reading to introduce to the characters emotionally.

Take a look at the following links to take a sneak peak of the film and what is coming…

Clip from film

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zepguKMavOA

 

Film Preview

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oDd2KQ68YBs