Summers almost over and what better way to welcome in the spooky season than by hiding from the heat in a darkened room, with five days of wall-to-wall horror? Yep, its August Bank Holiday and that means the 18th annual London Horror Channel FrightFest is upon us. For some, this is a familiar pilgrimage. Veterans will be used to bloodshot eyes, numbness in the spine, a lack of nutrition and an acute anxiousness every time theres a loud noise. For others, it may be their first visit and these are things to look forward to. Either way, FrightFest promises probably the biggest, purest, uncut dose of horror you can endure without going insane, complete with special guests, world premieres, live events and at least a couple of parties. So, of course, were well up for it.
Since the festival expanded across multiple screens in 2009, the number of films on offer has risen like a Lovecraftian God. This year offers 64 of them and making the right choices can be an exercise in abject terror and suspense in itself. Inevitably, you cant win them all (and arguably its the ones you least expect that are the best experiences) but going in with a plan or, if youre like us, a detailed, neatly-rendered, colour-coded spreadsheet is key to surviving the weekend.
Everyones taste varies and the festival offers movies from many subgenres, from horror-adjacent thrillers and black comedies to monstertastic splatterfests. Weve not seen any of them yet because we like surprises, but heres a selection of what were most excited about, that you might want to keep your eye out for. Don't forget you can find ticket details at http://www.frightfest.co.uk.
The zombie movie may be having a rest in 2017 but it wouldnt beFrightFest without at least one. It Stains The Sands Red a movie about a woman (US soap star Brittany Allen) chased through the Nevada desert by a brain-hungry ghoul - is written and directed by The Vicious Brothers. Eagle-eyed genre fans whove seen their previous films, Grave Encounters and Extra-Terrestrial, will know to expect some bonkers twists, a maximalist approach to storytelling and a tongue firmly in (maggoty) cheek. This ones on first thing in the morning after the opening night so should be a great way to lose the hangover (and possibly your breakfast).
Were hoping to swipe right on this internet dating horror about an online playboy whose life goes awry when he connects with a mysterious, dangerous woman. Its written and directed by David Chirchirillo (of Cheap Thrills fame) so promises a twisty-turny plot full of pitch-black humour and gritty shocks, but the main appeal is the sheer potential of the subject matter. Anyone whos used Tinder for even a minute will understand its special kind of horror and online dating is a topic thats not been explored anywhere near enough in the genre, considering the role it plays in modern life.
If you need to lower your heart rate and calm down for a bit, Steve Mitchells documentary film King Cohen looks like a good way to take a breather. Its educational too, as it takes an in-depth look back at the career of genre legend Larry Cohen. This is a guy whose work includes blaxploitation (Bone, Black Caesar, Original Gangstas), horror (the Its Alive trilogy, Q The Winged Serpent, The Stuff, Maniac Cop), action thrillers (Special Effects, Phone Booth, Cellular) and comedy (Full Moon High), and whose provocative but frugal approach to filmmaking proved hugely influential on indie genre cinema. King Cohen tells his maverick story and interviews collaborators from Martin Scorsese to Traci Lords, so should be a whole heap of fun.
Yeah. We know. No one likes an origin story. Defenders of Rob Zombies Halloween may try to argue otherwise but really, were not sure there are many whove been crying out to know exactly why The Texas Chainsaw Massacres iconic villain decided to one day strap on a mask of human skin and start slicing up teenagers. We just want him to get on and do it, right? Well, if Leatherface has any chance of being good, it is at least in capable hands. Alexandre Bustillo and Julien Maury, directors of French extreme classic Inside (whose remake is also playing FrightFest this year), are at the helm and they know how to hold a camera and deliver the gore, so expect stylish shocks. It also stars Finn Jones and, for any Marvel fans whose patience has been stretched by Danny Rand, this could be cathartic if he meets a suitably sticky end!
Alex de la Iglesia is a phenomenally underrated director. From his anarchic debut Accion Mutante (a sci-fi splatterfest about a group of mutants rebelling against 'the beautiful people') to Day Of The Beast (a black comedy about the coming of the Antichrist) to 800 Bullets (a moving father/son story set in the world of madcap stuntmen), his movies have a distinctive tone and great vibe. El Bar is his latest offering and centres on a group of people trapped in a bar when all manner of mayhem kicks off outside. If that doesnt sound too inspiring, just remember that de la Iglesias previous film started out as a heist thriller and finished with a giant vagina monster. Were sure he has some tricks up his sleeve here too
No, not the Bruce Lee classic. No, not the Wesley Snipes DTV fare. No, not the Oh, you know what its not. But what you might not know is that this ones described in the Horror Channel FrightFest programme as JUMANJI MEETS BATTLE ROYALE! and if that doesnt push your buttons, you need a rewiring. This looks like a crowd-pleasing slice of madness, as a group of unsuspecting millennials find an electronic board game with fatal consequences
If youre a fan of haunted house attractions, youll be excited about Ruin Me, a stylized teen horror in which a group of kids go to 'Slasher Sleepout: The Ultimate Horror Movie Experience'. Its a camping experience, a haunted house and an escape room all in one but a knowledge of horror movies is all thatll get you out. This looks very much in line with the post-modern horror style of recent years that gave us Cabin In The Woods, Final Girl (with the perennially unsung Abigail Breslin), Found Footage 3D and Stage Fright, to name a handful, and should please anyone who thinks meta is better!
A fantastic opportunity for fans new and old to see an HD restoration of Giulo Questis eye-popping proto-giallo. This surrealistic, satirical classic stars the astonishing Ewa Aulin and is set in a high-tech poultry farm. Theres a love triangle, mutant headless chickens, radiation poisoning and the obligatory dude in black leather gloves walking around killing women in lingerie. Its ahead of the giallo curve by a few years and rich with symbolism. The stylish sets, costumes and photography (by Fellini collaborator Dario di Palma) make it play like an episode of Mad Men gone horribly wrong. A must-see for anyone who likes leftfield cinema.
This debut feature from Brazilian director Samuel Galli has gained a lot of buzz already. Its an exorcism thriller that takes place in the gritty underbelly of Sao Paolo, as a spiritualist gets told that a demonic power is coming for his daughter and takes drastic measures to prevent this. From what we hear, this ones pretty shocking and far out, so should please fans of the darker, more extreme side of horror.
Another debut feature, this comedy-horror from Devonian first-timer Benjamin Barfoot looks set to be a hoot. Danny Morgan (who also wrote the screenplay) plays a guy whos terrified of girls and determined to (at age 29) lose his virginity. Unfortunately, he and his mate Alex pick the wrong girls and bloodshed ensues. The poster art for this one and its amusingly blunt Paint the town red tagline has got us hoping for a gory, laugh-out-loud battle of the sexes like (the far-better-than-it-had-any-right-to-be) Doghouse.
Horror Channel FrightFest favourite Joe Lynch (Wrong Turn 2) returns to the festival with Mayhem, a hyperactive gorefest in which a virus breaks out in an office building and a recently redundant consultant has to battle his way through the infected to the 'executive level'. Hopefully this will give us the kind of satire of toxic office politics that this years Belko Experiment promised and failed to deliver. Considering the first class cast (including Steven Yeun, Caroline Chikezie and Kerry Fox) and Lynchs own pedigree when it comes to horror-comedy, this should do the job.
This gruesome Korean crime epic from Byung-gil Jung (Confession Of Murder) comes hot from an airing at Cannes, where it mortified unsuspecting audiences with its blood-soaked opening scenes. Ok-bin Kim (Over My Dead Body) plays an assassin, trained to kill since childhood, whos given a chance to start a new life as a theatre actress. These things never go well and, sure enough, her dark past resurfaces in a hail of bullets, blades and blood. This is one for fans of Asian extreme cinema but should dazzle even newcomers to the genre with its visceral choreography and slick visuals.
If you dont remember this Palace Horror Britflick from 1986, this is a rare opportunity to catch it on the big screen. Jemma Redgrave plays Diana, a young virgin due to marry a decorated war hero. She's haunted by nightmares borne from sexual frustration that soon blur into her reality. Its a stylish, serious and disturbing film and worth seeing for Timothy Spall and Jimmy Nail alone, who steal the show not just as the comic relief (a pair of muck-racking gutter press journos) but also as the horrific manifestations of Diana's nightmares. Considering its quality, its a great shame that Dream Demon hasnt really been seen much since the VHS era. The renaissance starts here?
If you follow any of the people behind Lowlife on Twitter, youll probably have got the idea that this is one that people will be talking about for a while. A disgraced Mexican wrestler, a recovering addict and a convict with a full-face swastika tattoo come together to save a pregnant woman in this outrageous horror-thriller that leaves good taste at the door and dives headlong into the dirt. The amazing Nicki Micheaux (Karla from Six Feet Under, for those with long memories) leads the cast, despite being initially worried that the role was too crazy, and is even making a personal appearance at the festival, making this one pretty unmissable.
Top Knot Detectives a contender for the weirdest concept at this years FrightFest. Its a Darkplace-style mockumentary about a (completely fictional) Japanese samurai show from the 90s that gained a cult following in Australia. For us, one of the highlights of last years festival was Fury Of The Demon (Fabien Delages stunning mockumentary about a lost film that sends its viewers mad) and this looks like its cut from the same mischievous cloth. Plus, that artwork is stunning.
Lets face it. They had us at Doug Jones as the evil spirit of a hideous scarecrow. And they should have you with that too.
Like Vanessa Williams, FrightFest often saves the best for last and it looks like this years closing film is another winner. Tyler MacIntyres school slasher satire sees a pair of teenage true crime bloggers entrap a serial killer in an effort to boost their social media presence, exchanging hits for victims. By all accounts, this ones a hysterical roof-raiser and the cast of teen faves like Brianna Hildebrand (Deadpool) and Josh Hutcherson (Hunger Games) make it feel like a red hot ticket.
And if you dont fancy any of those, theres plenty more deadly fish in the sea. The full Horro Channel FrightFest programme is available on their website. Passes and individual tickets can be bought here.
If youre going, let us know what you see and what you think of it!
Read the original here:
17 films to catch at Horror Channel FrightFest 2017 - Den of Geek UK
- Blumhouse to Return Insidious and Other Titles to Theaters for Halfway to Halloween Fest - Hollywood Reporter - March 16th, 2024
- Every Movie In The Wrong Turn Franchise Ranked - SlashFilm - March 16th, 2024
- Blumhouse Celebrating 'Halfway to Halloween' With Five Horror Movies Returning to 100 AMC Movie Theaters - Bloody Disgusting - March 16th, 2024
- DeWanda Wise Sings Creepy Theme Of New Horror Film: 'Imaginary' - The Root - March 16th, 2024
- Hostel: Part II (2007) WTF Happened to This Horror Movie? - JoBlo.com - March 16th, 2024
- New LEPRECHAUN Movie Will Be Funny, Scary And Full Of Practical Effects - FANGORIA - March 16th, 2024
- Blumhouse Celebrating Halfway to Halloween With Five Horror Movies Returning to 100 AMC Movie Theaters - IMDb - March 16th, 2024
- The Horror Nail-Biter On Max With A Controversial Ending - Giant Freakin Robot - March 16th, 2024
- "Says the person who was in Madame Web": Sydney Sweeney is Getting Skewered for Saying Modern Horror Movies ... - FandomWire - March 16th, 2024
- First trailer for horror movie reboot The Crow features an unrecognizable Bill Skarsgrd on a bloody mission of revenge - Gamesradar - March 16th, 2024
- You'll Never Find Me Is Unforgettable Horror, See The Terror In Action - Giant Freakin Robot - March 16th, 2024
- The First Omen star has seen all of your internet theories about the horror movie prequel and, well, they're all wrong - Gamesradar - March 16th, 2024
- Sltface take on horror movies with their new single, 'Final Grl' - Dork Magazine - March 16th, 2024
- From 'Five Nights at Freddy's' to 'Imaginary': Why Blumhouse loves PG-13 horror - theday.com - March 16th, 2024
- The First Omen's Big Death Reveal Really Doesn't Bode Well For The Prequel - Screen Rant - March 16th, 2024
- 20 Scariest Horror Movies to Come Out in the Last 5 Years - MovieWeb - March 16th, 2024
- 'The Animal Kingdom' Exclusive Clip Previews the Gnarly Body Horror of Magnet's New Movie - Bloody Disgusting - March 16th, 2024
- 'Oddity' Review: This Supernatural Horror Film Will Tear You To Pieces | SXSW 2024 - Collider - March 16th, 2024
- "Marketing is failing this movie tremendously": David Dastmalchian's Late Night With the Devil Dubbed as One of the ... - FandomWire - March 16th, 2024
- STOPMOTION is a handcrafted tale of beauty and horror - Moviejawn - March 16th, 2024
- Horror Lovers Will Love this Dining Spot in Texas - klaq.com - March 8th, 2024
- Is Late Night With The Devil Based On A True Story? - Screen Rant - March 8th, 2024
- Kooky King: 6 of the Weirdest Stephen King Film Adaptations - Nightmare on Film Street - March 8th, 2024
- The Unknown, the Viral Willy Wonka Experience Villain, Is Already Getting Their Own Horror Movie - IGN - March 8th, 2024
- 13 Original Horror Movies We Can't Wait to See in 2024 - Screen Rant - March 8th, 2024
- From 'Imaginary' to 'Five Nights at Freddy's.' Why Blumhouse loves PG-13 horror - Los Angeles Times - March 8th, 2024
- Imaginary Movie Review: M3gan Meets The Boogeyman - Mama's Geeky - March 8th, 2024
- Christopher Nolan Originally Conceived Inception As A Horror Movie - SlashFilm - March 8th, 2024
- 'Whalefall' Movie in the Works From 'No One Will Save You' Director Brian Duffield - The Mary Sue - March 8th, 2024
- Horror Movie Based On THE UNKNOWN From Glasgow's WILLY WONKA Experience In The Works Horror Movie ... - CBM (Comic Book Movie) - March 8th, 2024
- Horrifying 'Late Night With The Devil' Trailer Released - Outkick - March 8th, 2024
- Imaginary review: M3GAN, take the wheel - Dexerto - March 8th, 2024
- The Unknown: Horror Movie Based on Unofficial Willy Wonka Experience Is in the Works - ComingSoon.net - March 8th, 2024
- Imaginary Film Review: Light on Frights - Loud And Clear Reviews - March 8th, 2024
- Dead Mail Directors on Their '80s Horror Influences - MovieWeb - March 8th, 2024
- HORROR BEAT: Blumhouse offers a non-update on the future of THE EXORCIST - Comics Beat - March 8th, 2024
- And the Oscar for best picture doesn't go to ... horror! - NPR - March 8th, 2024
- Shaitaan OTT Release: When And Where To Watch R Madhavan And Ajay Devgn Starrer Horror Thriller Film - Indiatimes.com - March 8th, 2024
- The 'Wonka Experience' Is Being Turned Into A Horror Movie - UPROXX - March 8th, 2024
- 8 new horror movies on Netflix, Max, Shudder and more in March 2024 - TechRadar - March 8th, 2024
- 10 Horror Movies More Deserving of the Best Picture Oscar Than the Winner - Collider - February 28th, 2024
- The Horror Movie That Inspired 'The Shining' Actually Scared Stephen King - Collider - February 28th, 2024
- 10 Most Anticipated Movies Of March 2024 (According To Real Data) - IMDb - February 28th, 2024
- 10 Best Classic Horror Movies with No Oscar Nominations - Collider - February 28th, 2024
- THE WATCHERS Trailer Puts Voyeuristic Creatures in the Irish Woods - Nerdist - February 28th, 2024
- Christopher Nolan Originally Conceived 'Inception' as a Horror Film - IMDb - February 28th, 2024
- The Watchers trailer: Dakota Fanning is stalked by the unknown - BGR - February 28th, 2024
- This Czech Horror Film Turns the Terror of 'The Zone of Interest' Into Weird Comedy - Collider - February 28th, 2024
- The Jennifer Lopez Horror Movie That's More Interesting Than It Seems - Collider - February 28th, 2024
- This '90s Kids Movie Is the Grossest Flick of All-Time - Collider - February 28th, 2024
- Eli Roth's Big 2024 Movie Couldn't Be More Different Than His Thanksgiving Horror Hit - Screen Rant - February 28th, 2024
- How The Butterfly Effect with Ashton Kutcher filled a void in US cinema - Post Magazine - February 28th, 2024
- 'Stopmotion' Review This Hand-Crafted Horror Film Is One of a Kind - Collider - February 28th, 2024
- 10 Tasty Horror Movies (Including Thanksgiving) Streaming on Netflix - Gizmodo - February 28th, 2024
- They Did the Mash, They Did the Monster Mash: 10 Epic Horror Crossovers You Can't Miss! - Nightmare on Film Street - February 28th, 2024
- 20 movies that mostly take place in one location - Yardbarker - February 28th, 2024
- Scream: What Happened To Jenna Ortega's Character? - GameRant - February 28th, 2024
- One of 2024's most anticipated horror sequels finally gets a promising update, as director teases "weird idea" for fourth ... - Gamesradar - February 28th, 2024
- DYK This Christopher Nolan Classic Was Conceived As A Horror Film? - Republic World - February 28th, 2024
- New Paranormal Activity Video Game Revealed by the Mortuary Assistant Team - Beebom - February 28th, 2024
- 10 Best Cult Classics of the 1970s, Ranked - Collider - February 19th, 2024
- 51 Best Horror Movies Of All Time That Are Suitably Spooky - GLAMOUR UK - February 19th, 2024
- M. Night Shyamalan's Horror Movie From 8 Years Ago Is More Impressive Based On Its Budget Record - Screen Rant - February 19th, 2024
- 10 Horror Movie Monsters That Were Way Scarier Without CGI - Screen Rant - February 19th, 2024
- 10 Most Anticipated Horror Movies Releasing in 2024 - IMDb - February 19th, 2024
- Top 30 best horror movies of all time - Dexerto - February 19th, 2024
- Sting Trailer Releases Spider Movie into the Horror Comedy World - MovieWeb - February 19th, 2024
- Trailer For The Survival Horror Movie THE WOODS ARE REAL GeekTyrant - GeekTyrant - February 19th, 2024
- The horror movies that inspired Emerald Fennell's 'Saltburn' - Far Out Magazine - February 19th, 2024
- 15 Best Body Horror Movies of All Time, Ranked - MovieWeb - February 19th, 2024
- Hunter Schafer Responds To Scream Queen Compliment As Horror Debut Cuckoo Premieres In Berlin: I Love Horror Movies and Screaming Is Really Fun -... - February 19th, 2024
- The Horror Movie That Terrified Martin Scorsese and Guillermo del Toro - Collider - February 19th, 2024
- Where To Watch Thanksgiving On Streaming - Screen Rant - February 19th, 2024
- The Correct Order To Watch The Amityville Horror Movies - SlashFilm - February 19th, 2024
- New Jordan Peele movie set to be released in 2025 - Dexerto - February 19th, 2024
- The real-life haunting of Ti West and 'The Innkeepers' - Far Out Magazine - February 19th, 2024
- Trailer For Werewolf Film Blackout Puts The Monster Front & Center - 411mania.com - February 19th, 2024
- The Texas Chainsaw Massacre Had the Production From a Nightmare - IMDb - February 19th, 2024
- 65 Years Ago, a Legendary Director Invented a Terrifying New Trick And Launched a Trendy Gimmick - Inverse - February 19th, 2024
- Cuckoo Review: Hunter Schafer and Dan Stevens Keep You Glued Even When This Reproductive Horror Careens Off the Rails - Hollywood Reporter - February 19th, 2024
Reviewed and Recommended by Erik Baquero