‘Some lines shouldn’t be crossed.’

Flatliners is a 1990 American science fiction psychological horror film directed by Joel Schumacher (The Phantom of the Opera; 8MM; The Lost Boys), produced by Michael Douglas and Rick Bieber, and written by Peter Filardi (Ricky 6; Salem’s Lot [2004]; The Craft).

The film was released theatrically on August 10, 1990, by Columbia Pictures.

On July 13, 2016, Sony announced a tentative August 18, 2017 release date for a sequel to Flatliners.

Main cast:

Kiefer Sutherland, Julia Roberts, Kevin Bacon, William Baldwin, Oliver Platt, Kimberly Scott.

Opening plot:

Nelson convinces four of his medical school classmates — Joe Hurley, David Labraccio, Randall Steckle, and Rachel Manus — to help him discover what lies beyond death. Nelson flatlines for one minute before his classmates resuscitate him.

While “dead”, he experiences a sort of afterlife. He sees a vision of a boy he bullied as a child, Billy Mahoney. He merely tells his friends that he cannot describe what he saw, but something is there…

Review:

“The true star of Flatliners is the film’s haunting atmosphere. Mr. Schumacher, who started his career in fashion design, knows the full value of style. Like all good horror films, this one exists at a skewed angle to reality. But more than most, its resonance depends on the meeting of ordinary life with a slick, hyperreal aura (which owes a great deal to Eugenio Zanetti’s production design and Jan De Bont’s photography).” Caryn James, The New York Times

“Eventually the movie falls into a disappointing pattern, in which we’re supposed to hold our breath while yet another voyager balances between life and death. One resuscitation is suspenseful. Two are fine. More than two wears out their welcomes … Flatliners is an original, intelligent thriller, well-directed by Joel Schumacher. I only wish it had been restructured so we didn’t need to go through the same crisis so many times.” RogerEbert.com

“Brain death is very much in evidence here, though perhaps not in quite the way the producers intended. What isn’t in evidence is the sort of overheated lunacy that made the William Hurt speed-freak trip movie Altered States (1980) such delectable trash. Flatliners is camp, but of a very low order. Schumacher is too intent on pandering to the youth market to take the mad risks and plunges that make for a scintillating bad movie.” Owen Gleiberman, Entertainment Weekly

“Ranging from vivid to right over the edge, the performances are in keeping with the psychedelic rococo of the scenery and the woo-woo-wooing of the Outerspace Tabernacle Choir. Fans of the vampirical Lost Boys will be familiar with director Joel Schumacher’s luxuriantly loopy approach. The bloodsucking Peter Pans have become fibrillating death-trippers in this equally cautionary tale.” Rita Kempley, Washington Post

“What Filardi forgets to work out are some subplot elements. Each graduate character has their own particular issues and over time they have to confront it. That is except for one character that confronts it but is never directly stated whether it was fixed, it just disappears.” Nick the Nitpick, Break Down That Film Reviews

” … dig on how this Brat Pack of Flatliners are portrayed like a bunch of maverick renegade jocks when it comes to wanting to flatline, challenging each other to go under longer and suffer brain death for two minutes in total. “Two minutes and twenty,” Julia Roberts counter offers. Somehow in the climax, Kiefer dies for ten minutes but is successfully brought back without too much brain damage. I guess maybe there is a God after all; is that the message, Schumacher?” Tristan, Bullshit Movies

Cast and characters:

• Kiefer Sutherland as Nelson Wright
• Julia Roberts as Rachel Manus
• Kevin Bacon as Dave Labraccio
• William Baldwin as Joe Hurley
• Oliver Platt as Randy Steckle
• Kimberly Scott as Winnie Hicks
• Joshua Rudoy as Billy Mahoney
• Benjamin Mouton as Mr. Manus
• Hope Davis as Anne Coldren
• Patricia Belcher as Edna
• Beth Grant as Housewife

Filming locations:

Loyola University, Chicago

Wikipedia | IMDb

‘Looking for love in all the wrong faces’

Halloween Party is a 2012 comedy film co-produced and directed by Linda Palmer from a screenplay co-written with Laree’ Griffith.

The Leomark Studios film premiered on VOD on September 2, 2016.

Main cast:

Elle Newlands, Frank Gangarossa, Chris Pentzell, Christine Blackburn, David Banks, Andrea Leithe, Danny Pardo, Skyler Cooper, Jennifer Popagain, Elina Madison, Anora Lyn, Rachel Sorsa, Daniel Schweiger, Karyss Gonzalez.

IMDb | Facebook | Official site

Inoperable is a 2016 American horror film directed by Christopher Lawrence Chapman from a screenplay co-written with co-producer Jeff Miller (ClownTown; The Burning Dead; Axe Giant: The Wrath of Paul Bunyan).

Robert Kurtzman’s Creature Corps handled the makeup effects, with David H. Greathouse (Syfy Channel’s Face/Off) supervising.

Main cast:

Danielle Harris (Halloween and Hatchet franchises), Jeff Denton (ClownTown; The Beast of Bray Road), Katie Keene, Chris Hahn, Michelle Marin (The Gainesville Ripper), Cher Hubsher (The Amityville Terror).

Plot:

A young woman (Danielle Harris) is in a seemingly evacuated hospital with a hurricane approaching that has awakened malevolent forces inside. The woman realizes she is trapped in a time loop and must escape the hospital before the storm passes, or she will be trapped there forever…

Production companies:

Zorya Films
Millman Productions.

Filming locations:

Greater Tampa, Florida, USA

IMDb | Official website | Facebook

The Monkey Man of New Delhi is a monster that was reported roaming Delhi, India, in mid-2001.

In May 2001, reports began to circulate in the Indian capital New Delhi of a strange monkey-like creature that was appearing at night and attacking people. Eyewitness accounts were often inconsistent, but tended to describe the creature as about four feet (120 cm) tall, covered in thick black hair, with a metal helmet, metal claws, glowing red eyes and three buttons on its chest; others, however, described the Monkey Man as having a more vulpine snout, and being up to eight feet tall, and muscular; it would leap from building to building like a parkour enthusiast.

Still others described it as a bandaged figure or as a helmeted thing. Theories on the nature of the Monkey Man ranged from an Avatar of the Hindu god Hanuman, to an Indian version of Bigfoot.

Many people reported being scratched, and two (by some reports, three) people even died when they leapt from the tops of buildings or fell down stairwells in a panic caused by what they thought was the attacker. At one point, exasperated police even issued artist’s impression drawings (see above) in an attempt to catch the creature.

Further sightings were reported in Kanpur in February 2002 and New Delhi in July 2002, the latter describing a monkey-like machine that sparkled red and blue lights

The entire incident has been described as an example of mass hysteria.

Wikipedia | Thanks to Blumhouse.com for inspiring this post

‘It’s a cut above the rest.’

Terror in the Aisles is a 1984 American documentary film about horror and suspense films. It was co-produced and directed by Hollywood trailers supremo Andrew J. Kuehn (he produced trailers for Aliens; Jurassic Park; Jaws and countless others) from a screenplay by Margery Doppelt.

Released theatrically in the United States by Universal Pictures in October 1984, it grossed $10,004,817 at the box office.

The documentary is hosted by Donald Pleasence and Nancy Allen (Poltergeist III; Dressed to Kill; Carrie) from a mock movie theatre with an acting audience engaging with the onscreen entertainment.

The subject matter is divided into topics such as “sex and terror”, “loathsome villains”, “natural terror”, “the occult” and “spoofs”.

In one segment, filmmaker Alfred Hitchcock presents his concepts of how to create suspense (clip from Alfred Hitchcock: Men Who Made The Movies).

Reviews:

“The movie is a delight! Over 80 minutes you get to see a lot of key moments from a variety of horror films … And Pleasence is far more fun to watch; Allen is hot, yes, but she’s got nothing on Sir Donald, who occasionally bugs the other patrons, overacts (his depressed expression when he talks about how the real world is scary enough is worth the price of admission alone), and generally just plays up his usual batshit persona.” Brian W Collins, Horror Movie a Day

“If Aisles excels at anything, it’s proving how prototypical many of these films are, given the number of sequences from horror films in which victims lock themselves into houses while deranged killers/monsters/birds stalk outside and try to break in. The opening credit sequence, for instance, establishes a surprisingly consistent cinematic space…” Jeff.Szpirglas, Biff Bam Pop!

“One of the best parts of this movie is the bad acting which occurs between the clips. The documentary is “set” in a movie there full of total ’80s characters.  They try to pretend they are watching the movie clips but obviously just have lines. Then Donald Pleasence and Nancy Allen just kind of talk around them.” JP Roscoe, Basement Rejects

“The only thing that really sucks about this movie is that it shows a ton of spoiler-y scenes, reveals, and even endings of the movies that it covers. That’s fine for us, but for someone who hasn’t seen some of the older gems covered within, it could ruin it for them.” The Horror Club

Films featured:

Buy VHS: Amazon.com

Home video release:

In the US, the film was released on VHS and CED Videodisc by MCA Home Video in 1985. It was released on VHS by Palace in the UK.

The film’s first time release to digital format was as a Special Feature on the 30th Anniversary Edition of Halloween II (1981) Blu-ray. 

Buy: Amazon.com | Amazon.co.uk

On October 15, 2012, Universal released the film on DVD as part of its Universal Vault Series.

Buy: Amazon.com | Amazon.co.uk

Wikipedia | IMDb | Image credits: The Horror Club

Dracula 2000, also known internationally as Dracula 2001, is a 2000 American horror film written and directed by Patrick Lussier (Drive Angry; My Bloody Valentine 3D; Dracula II and III) from a screenplay by Joel Soisson. The promotional title was Wes Craven Presents: Dracula 2000 as he was a co-executive producer.

Composer Marco Beltrami and a slew of nu-metal bands provided the soundtrack.

The Miramax film was a critical and commercial disappointment – it cost a whopping $54 million but took just $47 million theatrically. On its initial video release, it grossed an additional $32 million in the US and Canada alone so two direct-to-video sequels were produced.

Main cast: 

Gerard Butler, Christopher Plummer (Vampire in Venice; Murder By Decree; The Pyx), Jonny Lee Miller, Justine Waddell, Omar Epps, Colleen Fitzpatrick, Jeri Ryan, and Jennifer Esposito.

Opening plot:

Matthew Van Helsing (Christopher Plummer), the alleged descendant of the famed 19th century Dutch medical doctor, Abraham Van Helsing, owns an antique shop in London in 2000.

One night with Van Helsing upstairs, his secretary, Solina (Jennifer Esposito), allows a group of thieves (Danny Masterson, Lochlyn Munro, Sean Patrick Thomas), led by her boyfriend, Marcus (Omar Epps), into the shop. The thieves infiltrate the shop’s underground high-security vault and find a sealed silver coffin which they escape with and flee to New Orleans, Louisiana.

Aboard the plane, one of the thieves manages to open the coffin, revealing Count Dracula (Gerard Butler) who awakens and attacks the thieves, causing the plane to crash in the Louisiana swamps.

Dracula survives the crash and travels to New Orleans where college students Mary Heller (Justine Waddell) and Lucy Westerman (Colleen Ann Fitzpatrick) are living. Mary is estranged from her family and has recently been plagued by dreams of a strange, terrifying man…

Reviews:

“There are some very good moments, most of them featuring the frail Van Helsing as he attempts to battle the fast and deadly vampires. Also, I appreciated the background given to Dracula’s aversion to silver, crosses, and God, as well as Dracula’s “true” origins. Not bad work, but it could have been much better.” Nix, Beyond Hollywood

“With its corny one-liners punctuated by gore (“Never cross an antiques dealer!”—splat), standard heavy-metal soundtrack, and religious mumbo jumbo (Dracula turns out to be Judas Iscariot!), this film could have been a real hunk o’ junk. But Lussier’s brisk direction combines with Carol Spier’s stylish production design and Peter Pau’s feverish camera work to make it totally watchable.” Steve Newton, Ear of Newt

“The formulaic big budget production is energetic and kind of fun in a curious way. The main reason is Plummer who’s able to deliver the silliest drivel with some conviction and make it sound good. The big effects are all right, and the stuff involving leeches and eyeballs really is nasty.” Mike Mayo, The Horror Show Guide

Buy: Amazon.com | Amazon.co.uk | Amazon.ca

“Dracula 2000 may not be rich in horror or story, but it’s entertaining genre fodder that you can sit back and amuse yourself with … Surely it’s not the best Dracula film ever injected in to the genre, but it’s a fun and solid vampire film that is a very apt reflection of the late nineties with a slew of stars either on their way out of the public consciousness or just about rise to fame.” Felix Vasquez, Cinema Crazed

“Dracula may stay undead in the new millennium, but there’s not a sign of life — oh, that bloodless acting — in this sorry mess.” Peter Travers, Rolling Stone

Cast and characters:

• Jonny Lee Miller as Simon Sheppard
• Justine Waddell as Mary Heller/Van Helsing
• Gerard Butler as Count Dracula/Judas Iscariot
• Colleen Ann Fitzpatrick as Lucy Westerman
• Jennifer Esposito as Solina
• Danny Masterson as Nightshade
• Jeri Ryan as Valerie Sharpe
• Lochlyn Munro as Eddie
• Sean Patrick Thomas as Trick
• Omar Epps as Marcus
• Christopher Plummer as Abraham Van Helsing
• Tony Munch as Charlie
• Shane West as J.T.
• Nathan Fillion as Father David
• David J. Francis as Jesus of Nazareth
• Tom Kane as Anchorman

Choice dialogue:

Dracula: “I don’t drink… coffee.”

“Never, ever, f*ck with an antiques dealer!”

Wikipedia | IMDb

‘Pray for them. They have unleashed…’

The Power is a 1984 American supernatural horror film directed by Stephen Carpenter and Jeffrey Obrow (Bram Stoker’s Legend of the Mummy; The Servants of Twilight; The Kindred; The Dorm That Dripped Blood) from a screenplay co-written with John Hopkins and John Penny.

Main cast:

Suzy Stokey (Deep Space; Prison Ship; The Tomb), Warren Lincoln (Torment), Lisa Erickson, Chad Christian, Ben Gilbert and Chris Morrill.

Plot:

An Aztec demon called Destacatyl, who is believed to be able to control human souls, is trapped in a small Aztec figure. However, a young man named Jerry becomes possessed and causes mayhem to anyone he comes across, especially a group of high school students…

Reviews:

“Derivative, confusing, but entertaining demon flick about an Aztec idol that looks like a Bug Out Bob Stress Reliever taking control of its owners, making them kill and do convincing Mercedes McCambridge impersonations. Slow in spots, if not for Chris Young’s fantastic score and a few squishy FX sequences, it wouldn’t register as a blip on the obscurity radar of early 80s horror.” Cool Ass Cinema

“One thing about the movie is the lack of a body count. There are like 5 kids in “the group” and our guy never actually kills any of them. There’s an impalement early on (on a flagpole!), and a dude melts at the end, but otherwise, I’m not even sure what the R rating is for. This was post PG-13!” Brian W Collins, Horror Movie a Day

“Not an original idea in this low-budget hunkajunk … They even had the audacity to drop the original title of Evil Passage and blatantly steal the title of Frank Robinson’s sci-fi classic. Shameful.” John Stanley, Creature Features

Cast and characters:

• Suzy Stokey as Sandy (credited as Susan Stokey)
• Warren Lincoln as Jerry
• Lisa Erickson as Julie
• Chad Christian as Tommy
• Ben Gilbert as Matt
• Chris Morrill as Ron Prince
• Rod Mays as Lee McKennah
• J. Dinan Myrtetus as Francis Lott
• Jay Fisher as Raphael
• Costy Basile as Jorge
• Juan del Valle as Jeep Driver
• Alice Champlin as Roxanne
• Gabe Cohen as Marty
• Milton Robinson as Jack
• Steve Nagle as Driver
• Barbara Murray as Tommy’s Mother
• Joseph Scott as Doctor
• Richard Cowgill as Cemetary Guard

Release:

US: The Power had a very limited release on January 20, 1984 by Artists Releasing Corporation and was later released on VHS by Vestron Video, the same year and during the 1980’s. It also seems to have been released on VHS by Gemstone Entertainment.

In 2003, Lionsgate Home Entertainment released the film on DVD for the first time, and was followed by another DVD release on January 7, 2014 by Scorpion Releasing.

UK: The film was released on VHS by Entertainment in Video

Wikipedia | IMDb | Image credits: Cool Ass Cinema

‘Can you escape the curse of Ludlow?’

The Demons of Ludlow is a 1983 American supernatural horror film co-produced and directed by Bill Rebane (Blood Harvest; The Capture of Bigfoot; The Giant Spider Invasion) from a screenplay by William Arthur.

The movie was filmed around the same time and locations as Ulli Lommel’s The Devonsville Terror, which has a similar plot.

Main cast:

Paul von Hausen, Stephanie Cushna, Carol Perry, C. Dave Davis, Debra Dulman, Patricia J. Statz, Angailica.

Plot:

Murderous pilgrim demons lurk inside an antique piano (though it seems to be a harmonium) that has been returned to the Ludlow community…

Reviews:

“The director is responsible for two classic MST3K episodes. This is the worst of the three. It’s got some good laughs from the cheese, the effects make you smile, and there’s some interesting demises. But the pacing totally hoses any chance this movie had. It is seriously slow. People wander around, talk and talk, and it’s even worse than that. They talk about things they already talked about!” Jason Grey, Triskaidekafiles

“There’s even one sequence — in which one unfortunate citizen ends up getting shot by a musket-holding Pilgrim who suddenly shows up in a mirror — that is actually rather effective. This is one of those films that people like me tend to defend by citing its “dream-like” qualities. That may be going a bit too far in this film’s case but it’s still a definite success d’estime.” Lisa Marie Bowman, Trough the Shattered Lens

“The Demons of Ludlow does have a genuinely unsettling scene. It’s one of those where it is just bizarre and “off” enough to be scary. The local organist … has a mentally ill grown daughter with an unhealthy attachment to her dolls. One evening, while her mother is out, this young woman comes across a group of 1700s-era ghosts (they look like refugees from Amadeus) in her dining room, eating ravenously at her dining room table. They notice her, coo over her, and then make their intentions clear: they are hungry for her and they advance like something out of a nightmare, tearing her limb from limb.” Drew Beard, HorrorNews.net

“Slow-moving tale of a haunted piano…” Brian Albright, Regional Horror Films, 1958 – 1990

Buy: Amazon.com | Amazon.co.uk | Amazon.ca

“Low-budget supernatural tale with woefully inadequate effects.” John Stanley, Creature Features

Filming locations:

Wisconsin

Release:

The film was released theatrically in the US by Titan International.

Wikipedia | IMDb | Image credits: Terror Fantastico

The Ring is a 2002 American supernatural horror film directed by Gore Verbinski (Pirates of the Caribbean films) from a screenplay by Ehren Kruger (Dream House; The Skeleton Key; Scream 3). It is a remake of the 1998 Japanese horror film Ring, which was based on the novel Ring by Koji Suzuki.

The film was a major success, taking $249.3 million at the box office against a budget of $48 million. A sequel, The Ring Two, followed in 2005. In 2016, a belated prequel, Rings, is released on October 28th.

Main cast:

Naomi Watts (Shut In; King Kong), Martin Henderson (Devil’s Knot), Brian Cox (ANNA; Trick ‘r Treat; Manhunter)

Plot:

High school students Katie Embry and her friend Becca are bored at a sleepover and eventually discuss about an urban legend centering around a cursed videotape that supposedly kills the viewer seven days after initially viewing it.

Katie later confesses to Becca that she watched the cursed videotape with her boyfriend and two other friends last week but Becca doesn’t believe her. At 10 PM, Katie goes downstairs only to witness several supernatural occurrences conspire. Frightened, she rushes upstairs and notices water leaking out of her bedroom. She sees an image of a well on her TV screen as an unseen force rushes towards her and kills her. Becca witnesses her death, leaving her traumatized and ultimately institutionalized.

At Katie’s funeral, her aunt Rachel Keller, a troubled Seattle journalist, is asked by her mother to investigate the cause of Katie’s death. Her mother reveals to her that she found Katie’s gruesomely distorted corpse inside a closet and how the local doctors she consulted couldn’t find the exact cause of her mysterious death and simply stated that she died of a heart attack despite Katie being a healthy teenager.

Rachel’s son Aidan is also shown to have seemingly predicted her death a week earlier, much to the concern of his teacher. Rachel also discovers that Katie’s boyfriend and her two other friends who watched the cursed videotape all died on the same date at 10 PM when Katie was killed…

Reviews:

“The filmmakers have wisely stayed close to the original’s mood, which is somber and flat, with quick (near-subliminal) inserts and a soundtrack full of watery-grave groans and murmurs. They’ve also come up with a killer dead-horse motif. The movie is meant to get into you like a virus, and it does.” David Edelstein, Slate

Buy: Amazon.co.uk

“The Ring is a great remake of a cult horror flick, that happens to come from a major Hollywood studio while not falling into the same, annoying, plot devices that other recent horror films did.” Jeremy Conrad, IGN

“… The Ring features a heroine several cuts above the average scream queen: Watts, whose worldly façade is chipped away as the film progresses, revealing an expression of ashen dread. Viewers made callous by too many cheap horror films may experience a similar reaction.” Keith Phipps, A.V. Club

“Enormous craft has been put into the movie, which looks just great, but the story goes beyond contrivance into the dizzy realms of the absurd … the movie’s ending explains and explains and explains, until finally you’d rather just give it a pass than sit through one more tedious flashback.” Roger Ebert

“Atmosphere is a key factor in creating the experience that is The Ring. Almost every scene is shot in a washed-out, drab style that casts an effective pall of fear, dread, and foreboding over the entire film. Inserted shots of “The Ring” as “the last thing you see” tend to create in the viewer a feeling that you’re not actually watching the movie but rather the tape itself made into a feature film.” Mike, HorrorFreakNews

Cast and characters:

• Naomi Watts as Rachel Keller
• Martin Henderson as Noah Clay
• David Dorfman as Aidan Keller
• Brian Cox as Richard Morgan
• Jane Alexander as Dr. Grasnik
• Lindsay Frost as Ruth Embry
• Amber Tamblyn as Katherine “Katie” Embry
• Rachael Bella as Rebecca “Becca” Kotler
• Daveigh Chase as Samara Morgan
• Shannon Cochran as Anna Morgan
• Richard Lineback as Innkeeper
• Pauley Perrette as Beth
• Sara Rue as Babysitter
• Sasha Barrese as Teen Girl
• Adam Brody as Kellen (Teen #3)

Wikipedia | IMDb

Death Ward 13 is a 2017 American horror film directed by Todd Nunes (All Through the House aka A Nightmare Christmas) from a screenplay co-written with Tara Knight; the film is produced by Stephen Readmond and Christopher Stanley for Bone Crusher Films.

The film is “inspired” by the 1972 horror film Don’t Look in the Basement directed by S. F. Brownrigg. It is also inspired by Edgar Allan Poe‘s dark comedy short story The System of Doctor Tarr and Professor Fether (1845).

Death Ward 13 is currently in pre-production in Los Angeles.

Plot:

1973: The Stephens Sanitarium for the Criminally Insane prepares to shut down permanently. Days before closing, four beautiful nursing students arrive to care for the last handful of “harmless” mental patients in a suspiciously understaffed ward.

Confronted by their violent charges, the nurses soon realize that they are trapped inside the asylum with a deadly crew of vicious lunatics. Each patient has their own perverse identity, their own personal demons, and their own violent agenda. Pushed to the brink of insanity, the young nurses find themselves in a gruesome fight for survival inside Ward 13…

Interview:

Adam Lee Price talks to Todd Nunes about this film and All Through the House for Fangoria

Wikipedia | IMDb | Official site

Chang Chen Ghost Stories: Be Possessed by Ghosts – Original title: 张震讲故事之鬼迷心窍 – is a 2015 Chinese horror thriller film directed by Zhengchao Xu. It is an adaptation of the Olivia Story radio series that was popular in the 1990s. Not to be confused with the 2016 film of the same title directed by Zhan Yue.

The film was released on July 3, 2015 and earned CN¥20.915 million at the Chinese box office.

Main cast:

Hans Zhang (The Three-Body Problem), Li Zhang, Hsin-Ai Lee, Haoran Zhang, Ryan Zhu, Wei Kong, Frank Fan.

Plot:

Handsome Zhong Yu meets beautiful girl Zhang Li and is hooked. He tries to impress her but does not succeed . Still unable to suppress his inner desires, then he comes up with a dishonest way to be close to her. He enlists a ghost to scare her, so that when dawn arrives, she will come to him in a to panic seeking solace…

Wikipedia | IMDb

The line-up for the 2016 Mayhem Film Festival, held in ay the Broadway Cinema in Nottingham, England, 13th – 16th October, has been announced and tickets can be purchased here

Thursday 13 October

7.00 pm The Duke Street Workshop – Tales of H. P. Lovecraft – live performance featuring Laurence R. Harvey (Human Centipede II and III).

8.30 pm Raw

Dir. Julia Ducournau, 2016 (France) with Rabah Nait Oufella and Garance Marillier

10.30 pm Headshot – UK Premiere

Dirs. Kimo Stamboel and Timo Tjahjanto, 2016 (Indonesia) with Iko Uwais and Julie Estelle

Friday 14 October

4.00pm We Are the Flesh

Dir. Emiliano Rocha Minter, 2016 (Mexico) with Maria Evoli and Diego Gamaliel

6.00pm The ReZort + Special Guest Steve Barker

Dir. Steve Barker, 2015 (UK/Spain/Belgium) with Dougray Scott and Jessica De Gouw

9.00pm The Greasy Strangler

Dir. Jim Hosking, 2016 (UK/USA) with Sky Elobar and Michael St. Michaels

11.00pm Planet of the Vampires

Restored and remastered under the supervision of Nicolas Winding Refn

Dir. Mario Bava, 1965 (Italy) with Barry Sullivan and Norma Bengell

Saturday 15 October

12.00PM They Call Me Jeeg Robot

Dir. Gabriele Mainetti, 2016 (Italy) with Claudio Santamaria and Luca Marnielli

2.30PM Pet

Dir. Carles Torrens, 2016 (USA) with Dominic Monaghan and Ksenia Solo

4.15PM The Ghoul + Special Guest Gareth Tunley

Dir. Gareth Tunley, 2016 (UK) with Alice Lowe and Tom Meeten

7.00PM Short Film Showcase – click for details

Directors. Various, 2016 (International)

Scary horror, thought provoking sci-fi and the utterly weird, the showcase offers you the best from around the world and closer to home. Welcome to carnage, fun and inventiveness from some of the most exciting new filmmakers out there. From twisted takes on the tooth fairy to alternative tales of the undead, this is the chance to discover the talent of tomorrow.

9.30pm The Devil’s Candy

Dir. Sean Byrne, 2015 (USA) with Ethan Embry and Shiri Appleby

11.30pm Blood Feast, preceded by Gwilliam

Dir. H.G. Lewis, 1963 (USA) with Connie Mason and William Kerwin

Gwilliam is the new outrageous short film from Brian “Crow Hand!!!” Lonano

Sunday 16 October

12.00PM Don’t Kill It

Dir. Mike Mendez, 2016 (USA) with Dolph Lundgren and Kristina Klebe

2.00PM Creepy

Dir. Kiyoshi Kurosawa, 2015 (Japan) with Hidetoshi Nishijima and Yuko Takeuchi

5.00pm I Am Not a Serial Killer + Special Guest Billy O’ Brien

Dir. Billy O’ Brien, 2015 (USA) with Christopher Lloyd and Max Records

7.30pm The Flinterrogation – Mayhem quiz, hosted by Reprobate David Flint

8.30PM The Void + Special guests Jeremy Gillespie, Steven Kostanski and Casey Walker

Dirs. Jeremy Gillespie and Steven Kostanski, 2016 (Canada) with Art Hindle and Aaron Poole

About Mayhem:

Mayhem Film Festival was founded in 2005 by filmmakers Steven Sheil and Chris Cooke. We screen the best in contemporary horror, science-fiction and cult cinema and television from around the world. Featuring premieres, previews, masterclasses, international special guest filmmakers, and unique live cinema events, the festival has developed a reputation as one of the strongest and most innovative genre festivals in the country. We are based at Broadway in Nottingham, one of the UK’s leading independent cinemas and creative hubs.

60 Seconds to Die is a 2016 American horror anthology compilation due to be released soon by Sector 5 Films.

The film stars Dexter Fletcher, Maria Olsen, Lara Jean Mummert, Shane Ryan, Kim Sønderholm, Richard Chandler, James Balsamo, Gary Hailes, Lucy-Jane Quinlan, Kasha Fauscett, Graham Fletcher-Cook, Nicole Graziano, Sophia Cacciola, Ludovic Berthillot, Matt Holbrook and many others.

The film features contributions from the following filmmakers:

Jason Impey … (segment director)
Matthew Joseph Adams … (segment “Christmas”)
Gary Baxter … (segment “Possesion”)
Glenn Berggoetz … (segment “No More.”)
Nick Box … (segment “The boy in the dark”)
Shawn Burkett … (segment “No shave November, Bye Felicia, 140”) (attached)
Sophia Cacciola … (segment “doppelgänger”)
Richard Chandler … (segment “Hobo”)
Caleb Emerson … (segment “Parsnip”)
Michael J. Epstein … (segment “doppelgänger”)
Graham Fletcher-Cook … (segment “SCab”)
Emilie Flory … (segment “Starfucker”)
Luis Mariano García … (segment “Are you Scared?”)
Chris Gierowski … (segment “Buried, Rotten, Bite”)
Adam Ginsberg … (segment “Mask”)
Peter Goddard … (segment “Webcam”)
Killian H. Gore … (segment “: “Don’t Look At The Camera”)
Tom Gore … (segment “Beast”)
Dipesh Gurung … (segment “The Visitor”)
L.M. Harter … (segment “Envy”)
Kelly Hughes … (segment “Good/Evil”)
Benjamin James … (segment “Christmas”)
Sune Rolf Jensen … (segment “Nasty”)
Hunter Johnson … (segment “: “Corpse”)
Jeremiah Kipp … (segment “Monster”)
Jason Kolucki … (segment “Broadcast”)
Izzy Lee … (segment “Necrosis”)
Paul M McAlarney … (segment “Smoothie”)
Evan Makrogiannis … (segment “Flesh and Spirit”)
Liam Makrogiannis … (segment “SERPO”)
Sam Mason-Bell … (segment “Degrade”)
Mike McKown … (segment “Scream”)
Justin Morales … (segment “Fun with Demons”)
Lucas Ostrowski … (segment “Wrath”) (as Luke Ostrowski)
Edward Payson … (segments “Collin Mason: The Lost Torrent”, “Pussy, Pussy, Pussy”)
Shawn C. Phillips … (segment “Stalker, Choke”)
Billy ‘Bloody Bill’ Pon … (segment “The Stork”)
Ruben Rodriguez … (segment “You Will Die”)
Carl Angelo Ruiz … (segment “War”)
Joe Saulino … (segment “Sacrifice”)
Brandon Scullion … (segment “Found”)
Martin Sonntag … (segments “Devil”, “Ghost”)
Brian Weaver … (segment “Afterlife”)
Paul Wennersberg-Løvholen … (segment “Kill Kwazy”)
R.J. Wilson … (segment “O Killing Tree, O Killing Tree”)
Pete Yagmin … (segment “ZoSo”)

IMDb | Facebook | Blog site

Don’t Kill It is a 2016 American supernatural action horror film directed by Mike Mendez (Lavalantula; Big Ass Spider!; The Convent; Tales of Halloween) from a screenplay by Dan Berk and Robert Olsen (The Stakelander; Body) for Last Pictures.

The film will have its world premiere at the upcoming Fantastic Fest in Austin, Texas and will be shown at the Mayhem Film Festival in Nottingham, England on 16th October 2016.

Main cast:

Dolph Lundgren (Shark Lake; Battle of the Damned), James Chalke, Kristina Klebe, Billy Slaughter, Elissa Dowling, Aaron McPherson, Miles Doleac, Michael Aaron Milligan, Chloe Guidry, Jasi Cotton Lanier, Emily Brobst, Tony Bentley.

Plot:

An ancient evil is unleashed in a small Mississippi town of Chickory Creek leaving a trail of death and destruction as it passes from host to host. The only hope of survival lies with Jebediah Huntleya (Lundgren), grizzled demon hunter, who has faced this terror before. Together with a reluctant FBI agent he has to figure out how to destroy a demon with the ability to possess its killer…

Filming locations:

Canton and Lexington, Mississippi
Redondo Beach, California (pick-ups)

Wikipedia | IMDb

‘I know its name’

The Ghoul is a British psychological thriller written and directed by former actor (Sightseers) Gareth Tunley. It stars Alice Lowe (Sightseers), Tom Meeten (Burke and Hare), Paul Kaye (Dracula Untold; Blackwood; WΔZ), Niamh Cusack (Hereafter), Geoffrey McGivern, Dan Renton Skinner, Waen Shepherd.

The film is being shown at the Mayhem Film Festival in Nottingham, England, on 15th October 2016 and the BFI London Film Festival.

Plot:

A homicide detective goes undercover as a patient to investigate a psychotherapist he believes is linked to a strange double murder. As his therapy sessions continue the line between fantasy and reality begins to blur…

Reviews:

“A splendidly twisty low-budget head-scratcher … The Ghoul is an auspicious debut that announces a new voice in British filmmaking. Get in on the ground floor and catch his debut now.” Film4

Interview:

Director Gareth Tunley talks to Tom Grater for Screen Daily

IMDb

Chang Chen Ghost Stories – original title: 张震讲故事之合租屋 – is a 2016 Chinese romantic horror film directed by Zan Yue. The film is also known as Chang Chen Ghost Stories 2.

It should not be confused with the 2015 film Chang Chen Ghost Stories: Possessed by Ghosts which was directed by Zhengchao Xu.

The film was released in China on July 8, 2016 and grossed CN¥4.1 million.

Main cast:

Lu Shan, Fu Heng, Wu Jinxi, Song Hanhuan, Ding Qi, Wei Yun, Li Yu.

Wikipedia

Black Phillip cider is a 2016 limited edition alcoholic beverage – available now till Halloween – produced by US company Blake’s Hard Cider.

The red-eyed goat on the can and bottles is, of course, a celebration of belligerent and thoroughly evil goat Black Phillip from Robert Eggers’ The Witch although the 4.5% drink (“made from real apples”) does not appear to be officially authorised.

From the company’s website:

‘This new cranberry and blood orange infused semi-sweet cider veers away from the more predictable fall style brews with a more complex and interesting flavor that is perfect for Autumn. This is Blake’s Hard Cider’s first seasonal to be launched in a 12 oz can.’

As a cider aficionado, your Horrorpedia editor is slightly wary about the addition of cranberry and blood orange but it could taste wonderful so I’ll keep an open mind!

Dead Awake is a 2016 American horror film directed by Phillip Guzman (200 Hours) from a screenplay by Jeffrey Reddick (Final Destination; Final Destination 2).

The film will premiere at Shriekfest 2016 on October 6, 2016.

Main cast:

Jocelin Donahue (House of the Devil), Brea Grant (The Devil’s Dolls; Beyond the Gates; Hakkoween II), Jeffrey Reddick, Jesse Bradford, Lori Petty, Natalie Jones, James Eckhouse, Billy Blair, Richard Lukens, Jesse Borrego, Liz Mikel, Chelsea Morgensen, A.J. Gutierrez, LeeLee Wellberg, Mona Lee Fultz

Plot:

A young woman must save herself and her friends from an ancient evil that stalks its victims through the real-life phenomenon of sleep paralysis…

IMDb

The chupacabra or chupacabras – literally “goat-sucker”; from “chupar“, “to suck”, and “cabra“, “goat” – is a legendary creature in the folklore of parts of the Americas, with its first purported sightings reported in Puerto Rico. The name comes from the animal’s reported habit of attacking and drinking the blood of livestock, especially goats.

Physical descriptions of the creature vary. It is purportedly a red-eyed, heavy creature, the size of a small bear, with a row of spines reaching from the neck to the base of the tail.

Eyewitness sightings have been claimed as early as 1995 in Puerto Rico, and have since been reported as far north as Maine, and as far south as Chile, and even being spotted outside the Americas in countries such as Russia and the Philippines, but many of the reports have been disregarded as uncorroborated or lacking evidence.

Sightings in northern Mexico and the southern United States have been verified as canids afflicted by mange. According to biologists and wildlife management officials, the chupacabra is an urban legend…

Appearance in films:

El Chupacabra (2003)

Chupacabra (2007)

Chupacabra: Dark Seas aka Chupacrabra Terror (2005)

Chupacabra (2007)

A Noite do Chupacabras (Brazil, 2011)

Chupacabra vs. the Alamo (2013)

Indigenous aka Prey (2014)

Chupacabra Territory aka Lair of the Beast (2016)

Chupacabras (2018)

Wikipedia | Wikia: History of El Chupacabra | HunterShea.com

Annabelle 2 is a 2017 horror film directed by David F. Sandberg (Lights Out) from a screenplay by Gary Dauberman (Annabelle).

Collaborating with Sandberg behind-the-scenes from his Lights Out team are production designer Jennifer Spence and editor Michel Aller, joined by director of photography Maxime Alexandre (The Other Side of the Door) and costume designer Leah Butler (Paranormal Activity 3 and 4).

A spin-off from James Wan’s horror hit The Conjuring, the first movie grossed a massive $244,161,909 worldwide against a budget of $6.5 million.

The film is released on May 19, 2017 by Warner Bros.

Main cast:

Stephanie Sigman, Talitha Bateman, Lulu Wilson (Ouija 2, Deliver Us from Evil), Philippa Anne Coulthard (After the Dark), Grace Fulton, Lou Lou Safran, Samara Lee (The Last Witch Hunter), Tayler Buck, Anthony LaPaglia Miranda Otto.

Plot:

Several years after the tragic death of their little girl, a dollmaker and his wife welcome a nun and several girls from a shuttered orphanage into their home. Unfortunately, they soon become the target of the dollmaker’s possessed creation, Annabelle…

Cast and characters:

• Talitha Bateman as Janice
• Stephanie Sigman as Sister Charlotte
• Miranda Otto
• Anthony LaPaglia as Samuel Mullins
• Lulu Wilson
• Philippa Coulthard as Nancy
• Grace Fulton
• Mark Bramhall as Father Massey
• Adam Bartley as Officer Fuller
• Alicia Vela-Bailey as Evil Mrs. Mullins
• Samara Lee
• Taylor Buck
• Lou Lou Safran
• Lotta Losten

Production company:

New Line Cinema
Atomic Monster
The Safran Company

Filming locations:

Los Angeles, California

Wikipedia | IMDb