FrightFest by Ian attray

FRIGHTFEST FRIGHTFEST: THE HOME OF HORROR

GEST AND BEST GENRE BIG ’S UK E TH . EST TF IGH FR OF INE AZ AG E-M EE FR E-MAGAZINE : ISSUE 3. THE FILM FESTIVAL TASY AND HORROR MAGAZINE FAN NE -LI ON ’S UK E TH EST TF IGH FR 3 201 RY ISSUE 13 - FEBRUA

E R A H & E K R U B N O IS K R SE Y D N EXCLUSIVE! A Y IT N U M M O C 3 I B M O Z N NEIL JORDA

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Contents 6

IN CONVERSATION WITH NEIL JORDAN

In his latest in conversation article, Alan Jones talks to the Oscar-winning Irish director of BYZANTIUM Neil Jordan.

THE BEST OF THE WORST

Becky Bartlett looks at some of the best worst movies ever.

IN CONVERSATION HAYLEYMARIE AXE

Hayley-Marie Axe talks to Tim Murray about filming MAY I KILL YOU in the aftermath of the London Riots in summer or 2011.

ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE POND

Peter Martin dusts off his crystal ball out and looks into the future and sees what will be coming our way film wise in 2013.

IN CONVERSATION JASON FORD

Jason Ford’s COMMUNITY was one of the more unusual films to play the Discovery Screen at FrightFest this summer; straddling a number of genres and styles. Evrim Ersoy took the time to find out how this low-budget British chiller proved that you could create a horror film by not relying on clichés.

BLOOD STAINED BREAD AND CIRCUSES

Nina remain discovers how Stephanie Mercury went from Alice in Wonderland to Dead Princess.

ZOMBI 3

Jay Slater examines the fascinating history behind Lucio Fulci’s ZOMBI 3 in the first part of an in-depth article on the making of this cult classic.

FROM PAGE TO SCREEN

James Whittington look at classics such as Frankenstein and Dracula to see how lucrative novel based horror films can be.

RANDOM THOUGHTS

Richard Street on the black art of film criticism.

CHRIS AND PHIL PRESENT

Chris and Phil present their video pod cast exclusively for FRIGHTFEST.

REVIEW

All the latest genre films, Blu-ray, DVDs, games and comics reviewed by fans for fans. 3

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WELCOME

elcome to the 13th issue of FRIGHTFEST. I’m delighted to say we have yet another new contributor joining us this issue in the form of Glasgow-based Becky Bartlett. She spends some time perusing the best of the worst movies ever made and asks “are they actually that bad?” With the annual FrightFest trip north of the border looming, Alan Jones talks to Oscar-winning Neil Jordan, the director of BYZANTIUM the big main evening film showing on 22 February 2013 in our northern home, the Glasgow Film Theatre. Peter Martin dusts off his crystal ball and looks ahead into the future to discover what will be lighting up the screens of our local multiplexes in the coming months. Tim Murray spends some time in the company of Hayley-Marie Axe, then in something a little different Nina Romain looks at life on the road with the Dead Princess, Stephanie Mercury and her Circus of Horrors. Evrim Ersoy quizzes Jason Ford on FrightFest 2012 favourite COMMUNITY and finally, along with all of our other regular contributors, Jay Slater examines in depth Lucio Fuci’s ZOMBI 3, which was doomed from conception with its pedigree of incompetence but none the less went on to inspire a cult following in the first of a two part article. Ian Rattray

Editor - Ian Rattray frightfest@mac.com Sales - Nick Gibbs-McNeil - gibbsmcneil@googlemail.com

Joint publishers - Ian Rattray and Nick Gibbs-McNeil.

FrightFest organisers - Alan Jones, Ian Rattray, Paul McEvoy and Greg Day Visit - www.frightfest.co.uk for all the latest FrightFest news No part of this publication can be reproduced in any form without the consent of the publishers or copyright holder. We are sorry, but not all e-mails and correspondence can be answered personally. Opinions expressed in the FRIGHTFEST are not necessarily that of the editor or staff. Submissions are welcome, but at own risk. Submission to the FRIGHTFEST is taken as permission to publish.

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IN CONVERSATION

In his latest in conversation article, Alan Jones talks to the Oscar-winning Irish director of BYZANTIUM Neil Jordan. Marking a welcome return to the genre by the Oscar-winning Irish director after THE COMPANY OF WOLVES and INTERVIEW WITH THE VAMPIRE, BYZANTIUM follows the life of Clara (QUANTUM OF SOLACE Bond Girl Gemma Arterton), a selfdestructive centuries old vampire who works in seedy strip clubs and prostitutes herself in shady amusement parks to support herself and her vampire daughter, Eleanor (HANNA star Saoirse Ronan). But this deadly duo are no ordinary undead menace – for a start, sunlight doesn’t kill them (or make them sparkle, sorry TWILIGHT fans) and they don’t have fangs, just deadly sharp thumbnails that extend whenever they’re ready to feed. Clara sucks the blood of pimps and the scum of the earth, whereas Eleanor acts as an angel of death by only preying on elderly people who want closure to their suffering. It’s when the two end up in a sleazy 6

seaside resort town and open up the Byzantium brothel in a run-down hotel that the main action takes place. For they are being hunted by an arcane society of men (led by DARK SHADOWS’ Jonny Lee Miller and MALEFICENT’s Sam Riley) who know their secrets … secrets that Eleanor is desperate to share with loner haemophiliac Frank (ANTIVIRAL’s Caleb Landry Jones), something Clara cannot allow under any circumstances. Based on scripter Moira Buffini’s young adult play A VAMPIRE STORY, written for the National Theatre Connections programme in 2008, and performed all over the world in schools by student actors, it was longtime Jordan producer Stephen Woolley who developed the project. But Jordan actually directing wasn’t such a cut-anddried decision as you’d think, which I found out when I visited the BYZANTIUM location filming last winter in downtown Dublin.

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Jordan explains: “Precisely because THE VAMPIRE written during that famous I’d directed INTERVIEW WITH THE Swiss lakeside holiday in 1816 when VAMPIRE, Steve wasn’t sure I’d be Mary Shelley wrote FRANKENSTEIN), I interested in covering some of the same helped her add Irish undead myths into ground again. But I love the horror genre the mix. Because we could never afford and in one of those going to Asia as she rare coincidences I’d “Precisely because I’d directed originally wrote, I just written my novel INTERVIEW WITH THE VAM- suggested holding MISTAKEN when PIRE, Steve wasn’t sure I’d be the key vampire Steve offered me the interested in covering some of sacrament on an BYZANTIUM script. the same ground again. But I Irish island as I did That book was about love the horror genre.” some research and a character named found out that in Kevin Thunder who grew up with a double County Antrim some Neolithic tombs had – a boy so uncannily like him they were been found with the corpses heads cut off mistaken for each other at every turn. As and stones holding down their bones to children in 1960s Dublin, one lived next stop them rising from the dead. That extra door to Bram Stoker’s house, haunted by Celtic flavour really made me connect to an imagined Dracula, the other in a more the material more.” upper class area. So the vampire myth It was the complex, time-shifting was back in my conscience and when I BYZANTIUM scenario that excited read the BYZANTIUM script it reignited Jordan too. “It’s set mainly in the world of my enthusiasm. I thought it was wonderful contemporary Britain,” he says. “But the stuff, an evocative fairytale using vampires seedy seaside resort our horror heroines as a prism to comment on humanity. end up in (Hastings was the location used “Steve and I had dinner to discuss the for these faded glamour scenes) is haunted project when it struck us both at the same by the past in very radical, graphic and time that just after making THE COMPANY dramatic ways. That was the reinvention OF WOLVES, we had talked to author challenge for me beyond INTERVIEW Angela Carter about adapting her radio WITH THE VAMPIRE and THE COMPANY play VAMPIRELLA to the screen. That was OF WOLVES dynamics. Add that to a reversal of the vampire myth to some Moira’s obsession for storytelling detail and degree too like BYZANTIUM. While writer BYZANTIUM was an incredibly refreshing Moira had gone back to basic Lord Byron take on the genre. Steve made us all watch and John Polidori for her inspirations Harry Kumel’s 1971 classic DAUGHTERS (Miller’s and Riley’s characters are named OF DARKNESS before we began filming Ruthven and Darvell respectively in because of his superb sense of style that homage to FRAGMENT OF A NOVEL and sharpened up that precise vampire vision”. 8

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He continues: “There are many facets to BYZANTIUM that connect to my previous work: the religious overtones, the strong female leads stretching back to MONA LISA, even THE CRYING GAME if you think about it. The relationship between Clara and Eleanor being mother/daughter, sisters, rivals is full of complexities, very exciting ones to play with. One is a lascivious whore, the other her refined student, and that was wonderfully rich and moving material to get my teeth into. They might be heroines of super-realism and with separate destinies ultimately, but for me this duo buck the current vampire trend in far more thrilling ways than the TWILIGHT saga or the TRUE BLOOD TV series. Their hunger for blood, life and every experience is beyond good and evil and that’s such a brilliant starting premise”. Both Woolley and Jordan instantly knew the actress they wanted to star as Clara the moment they read the script. And they both travelled to Berlin where TAMARA DREWE leading lady Arterton was shooting HANSEL AND GRETEL: WITCH HUNTERS to convince her to headline. Jordan says: “We were fans of Gemma’s body of work, especially after seeing THE DISAPPEARANCE OF ALICE CREED. She was so ballsy in that and we needed an actress who wouldn’t be scared of showing the pain Clara goes through in BYZANTIUM. We found out pretty quickly that Gemma isn’t afraid of

that much and was happy to be strident and aggressive one moment, passive and demure the next. Gemma did all her own stunts and was very game and bright. In fact, she suggested Saoirse Ronan for the Eleanor part after loving her tough resilience in HANNA. And she was perfect too. Saiorse was 17 years old, but looked younger while seemingly sporting the face of a far older soul. “As these two were front and centre of the piece the casting had to be impeccable. Usually in vampire myths it’s the dominant male who draws all the women to him as personified by Dracula. Here the monsters are two women who lure you into their web but make you care

Gema Arterton & Saoirse Ronan 9

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because they survive all the damage inflicted upon them. Saorise proved extraordinary, she’s a natural, despite the control of her talent being almost unnatural. She has this eerie ability to bring her entire character to life. On the other hand Gemma was a revelation. Gemma is the kind of actress who has no barriers when it comes to emotion or sexuality and she’s on her rapid way to becoming a national treasure in my opinion”. Talking of which, the BYZANTIUM depiction of sexuality is as up-front as you’d expect from the cutting-edge Jordan. And so is the horror according to the director, still the patron saint of Irish

cinema. “Sure, it’s full-on. Look, I’m not Eli Roth, nor do I want to be, but while there’s no fang action, heads do roll and blood does flow. Audiences these days expect a certain level in a genre piece like this and we do not disappoint. But I’m more interested in the gore aspects for its artistic hyper-realism and power to disturb more than gross-out. Clara and Eleanor are monsters who survive by drinking blood. But the audience will come to care for them and I hope even admire their clash of fatalism and optimism. The surrealistic blood imagery is a vital component but it’s there to take your breath away in BYZANTIUM not stun you into shock”. FF

Gema Arterton 11

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THE BEST OF THE WORST Becky Bartlett looks at the best worst films

“Greetings, my friend. We are all interested in the future, for that is where you and I are going to spend the rest of our lives. And remember, my friend, future events such as these will affect you in the future. You are interested in the unknown, the mysterious. The unexplainable. That is why you are here.”

hese are the opening lines of arguably the most famous bad movie of all time, PLAN 9 FROM OUTER SPACE (1959), as introduced by hack radio psychic The Amazing Criswell. If this confusing language and garbled syntax is not enough, Criswell also announces the film’s title as being Grave Robbers From Outer Space, mere seconds before the real title is revealed. It is precisely the kind of incompetence that viewers have come to expect of PLAN 9’s writer-directoreditor-producer, Edward D Wood, Jr. An eccentric filmmaker whose enthusiasm far outweighed his talent, Wood was confined to the fringes of Hollywood, making low-budget schlock that barely raised a blip on anyone’s radar. His directorial debut, GLEN OR GLENDA (1953), was an exploitation film capitalising on Christine Jorgensen’s sex-change scandal. Wood, however, used this opportunity to present the world with a story close to his own heart – the trials and tribulations of the transvestite. Wood, who

freely admitted to wearing a pink satin bra and panties underneath his army fatigues during his time in the war, played Glen (and Glenda). His then-girlfriend, Dolores Fuller, plays Glen’s girlfriend who, in an iconic scene later recreated in Tim Burton’s loving, big-budget biopic ED WOOD (1994), finally accepts Glenda, handing over her angora sweater to her beau. Placed in context with other exploitation films of the time (MANIAC, REEFER MADNESS, TEST TUBE BABIES, SHE SHOULDA SAID NO!), GLEN OR GLENDA is, despite its subject matter, rather unremarkable – with two notable exceptions. One is Wood himself, whose posthumous notoriety has ensured his debut’s longevity, and the second is his inspired, deranged casting of Bela Lugosi as The Scientist, a god-like figure who sits in a room full of pipettes and skulls, shouting seemingly unrelated nonsense, such as: “Beware! Beware the big green dragon that sits on your doorstep!” and “Pull the strings! Dance to that which one is created for!”

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Lugosi, a true horror movie icon, owes most of his face was covered, and released a lot to Wood. By the late 1940s the man PLAN 9 FROM OUTER SPACE, a sci-fiwho was once Dracula had fallen on tough horror hybrid featuring a sinister alien plot times. Typecast in Hollywood, he moved to warn humanity of the dangers of weapon from the A-list to Poverty Row, churning out development through the reanimation of the generic, increasingly recently dead. Sound cheap films in which Lugosi, a true horror movie icon, confusing? It is. he invariably played owes a lot to Wood. By the late Today, PLAN 9 a charming, sadistic 1940s the man who was once is considered a European scientist Dracula had fallen on tough times. classic. It has been who gets killed by reappropriated by his henchman, all bad movie fans who the while concealing a genuine, debilitating proclaim the twisted genius of Wood and morphine addiction. By the time he met Ed his utter disregard for basic film conventions Wood, he was willing to take any job offered such as continuity – day is night, location to him, because few were. Yet by all accounts, shoots transform into pitch black, blatantly his friendship with Wood was a genuine one. fake sets, Lugosi transforms into a different Perhaps the two were using each other, but person and the viewer is somehow expected at the same time, they both needed each to not notice! When it was released, however, other. Wood provided Lugosi with his last film it came and went and made little impact. performances, and ensured his legendary Wood’s fame did not come until after his status would never be forgotten. There are few death, when brothers Harry and Michael movie stars who can claim to be the leading Medved asked readers of their 1978 book, man in a film made three years after their THE FIFTY WORST FILMS OF ALL TIME, death. to send them their choice for worst movie After appearing in Wood’s BRIDE OF ever. The response was overwhelming, and THE MONSTER (1956), a fairly standard mad Wood’s fate was sealed. The once-handsome, scientist movie with the most ludicrously fake angora-loving transvestite, whose career had rubber octopus ever seen on the big screen, descended into hardcore pornography before Lugosi shot a few scenes with Wood for a he died a destitute alcoholic (facts Tim Burton film that is variously reported as being THE conveniently omitted from his biopic), never VAMPIRE’S TOMB, FINAL CURTAIN or THE knew that he would later become a cult icon GHOUL GOES WEST. In 1956, while allegedly – officially labelled The Worst Director of All reading one of Wood’s scripts, Lugosi died. Time, responsible for The Worst Film of All Rather than waste the last remaining footage Time. of a famed Hollywood star, the entrepreneurial Is PLAN 9 really deserving of the director found Tom Mason, a chiropractor award? Probably not. In the bad movie bible, who looked vaguely like Lugosi as long as THE PSYCHOTRONIC ENCYCLOPEDIA 14

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OF FILM, Michael Weldon describes it as: “Not actually the worst film ever made, but the most entertaining bad one you’ll find.” It doesn’t even appear on IMDb’s Bottom 100 list, which currently places DANIEL – DER ZAUBERER, a 2004 German crime comedy, at top (bottom?) spot. The Bottom 100 list presents an interesting situation, in which a staggering 45 entries were released post-2000 (most titles either end with the word MOVIE, or star Paris Hilton). In comparison, 15 films were made in the 1950s and 1960s – a small number, yes, but this shows that these films have longevity – and every single one of them is a horror or sci-fi picture. BEAST OF YUCCA FLATS, the directorial debut of Coleman Francis, is an atomic mutation film starring former Swedish wrestler and Ed Wood regular Tor Johnson as “Joseph Javorsky, noted scientist”. It received little or no attention when it was released in 1961, but is now more famous than half of the successful Hollywood dramas of the time. It doesn’t matter that it was filmed without sound, that the narrator asks such important (rhetorical) questions as “flag on the moon, how did it get there?” or that Tor Johnson is the least believable “noted scientist” of all time – these things emphasise Francis’ incompetence, they bring joy to bad movie fans and are the very reason the film has survived so long. Since the 1980s and the Medved’s books, the debate has raged as to which film really deserves the title of Worst Movie of All Time. The same names crop up again and again – look at any book or website on bad movies, and certain titles will be repeated. Ray

Dennis Steckler’s 1964 film, THE INCREDIBLY STRANGE CREATURES WHO STOPPED LIVING AND BECAME MIXED UP ZOMBIES, has one of the most inspired titles ever, which the film – a slow, boring gypsy/zombie story – cannot possibly live up to. MANOS: THE HANDS OF FATE (literally translated as HANDS: THE HANDS OF FATE) features a family who force a caretaker with backwards knees to allow them to stay the night in his creepy, remote mansion, then are surprised to discover that a satanic cult resides there. The hand-held camera used for filming could only shoot 30 seconds of footage at a

Vampira 15

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time, resulting in a jarringly choppy editing style; coupled with the abysmal acting and disjointed script, it is a constant favourite among bad film fans. Bill Rebane denounced his own movie, MONSTER A-GO GO (1965), as the worst movie ever. Originally called TERROR AT HALF DAY, Rebane ran out of money due to union disputes and was forced to sell his unfinished work to producer Herschell Gordon Lewis. Under the pseudonym Sheldon Seymour, Lewis added in some extra scenes and a voiceover, and released the movie with its hip new title in an attempt to capitalise on the then-popular dance craze. Unfortunately, his limited inclusions simply add an extra layer of incoherence to this already garbled sci-fi movie, in which an astronaut returns from space emitting lethal levels of radioactivity. Perhaps the worst movie ever is ROBOT MONSTER (1953), which features George Barrows as Ro-Man, an alien who has destoyed all humanity with the exception of one family. Ro-Man is clearly a man in a gorilla suit wearing a diving helmet; Barrows was one of the leading “gorilla performers” working in Hollywood at the time, primarily because he owned his own suit. The evil alien spends the majority of his time in a cave playing with his bubble machine before shockingly killing some children, falling in love with the beautiful female survivor, and succumbing to a truly awful plot twist. Barrows is, like so many others, a repeat offender. He also features in MESA 16

OF LOST WOMEN (1953), which has the most excruciatingly repetitive Spanish flamenco guitar score ever heard over almost every scene. It is so frustrating, and so out of place (despite being created specifically for this film), that Ed Wood decided to reuse it in his crime drama, JAIL BAIT (1955). MESA OF LOST WOMEN, a story told in flashback about a crazed scientist combining female DNA with that of spiders to create a master race, has long been compared to Wood’s works, with some even claiming that he may have been involved (although there is no evidence to support this). It is true that the filming style and script is reminiscent of Wood’s films, and several Wood regulars - including Lyle Talbot, Dolores Fuller and Mona McKinnon - feature. Or is the worst film of all time THE CREEPING TERROR (1964), another silent, dubbed film about an alien invasion in small town America? Directed by Vic Savage, who also has a starring role as hero Martin Gordon, it notoriously features two of the worst monsters ever – giant, oddly phallic-shaped mouldy carpets that conveniently stay still long enough for their victims to climb into their open mouths. Legend has it that the film is silent only because Savage accidentally dropped the sound reel into Lake Tahoe; even though this has since been refuted, the myth refuses to go away. Bad movie fans love trivia – accuracy is often irrelevant if the story is good enough, and if it reinforces the film’s badness in some way. So it doesn’t matter that

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Savage made a financial decision to dub his actors in post-production, nor does it matter that MONSTER A-GO GO was just as incoherent before Lewis’s involvement, or that Lugosi doesn’t actually say, “Don’t mind Lobo, he’s as harmless as kitchen”, in BRIDE OF THE MONSTER; these are anecdotes that refuse to die, much like the movies themselves. Is it possible to really ascertain, beyond all doubt, the worst film of all time? Of course not, but there are plenty of films to be considered. And how can one quantify what makes a film bad? Is badness measured by technical incompetence – shoddy acting, poor special effects, questionable stock footage, dismal editing and incoherent scripts – or by how boring, tedious or

disappointing a movie is? One thing these 50s and 60s movies are not is boring; each scene offers some new example of utter ineptitude, some extra level of lunacy, some delightfully retro monster, or some wonderfully inappropriate dialogue. These sci-fi and horror films reveal their tiny budgets, but they also reveal an innocence, and an optimism on the part of the filmmakers, who created their own little masterpieces despite their inability to conform to even the most basic of standards. Did Ed Wood Jr, or any of the other aforementioned directors, set out to make the worst movie of all time? No. But it is precisely this fact that makes them so endearing, and makes their films so entertaining. FF

The Creeping Terror 17

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IN CONVERSATION Hayley-Marie Axe talks to Tim Murray about filming MAY I KILL YOU in the aftermath of the London Riots in summer or 2011.

icture the scene. London, 2011, not long after riots have swept across the capital, turning parts of the city into virtual no-go areas. But a bunch of hardy souls are braving the streets with the kind of accessories that are bound to draw attention from the local youth – police uniforms and kit, as well as expensive film equipment, including all manner of cameras. It sounds like a recipe for disaster, but it’s what happened during the filming of original serial killer tale, MAY I KILL U? For its stars, comic turned actor Kevin Bishop and Hayley-Marie Axe, took to the roads of south-west London, within a stone’s throw of where rioting youths had been lobbing bricks and looting stores, dressed as London’s finest for filming of the flick. 18

Somewhat surprisingly, given the still-tense mood of the city in the months following the civil unrest, the pair, and the film crew, escaped unscathed. “In some of the dodgy areas in London the equipment was always safe because we looked like we were police,” says Axe, just as the film was being released at cinemas following its successful premiere at FrightFest 2012. “A lot of people didn’t think we were actors, they thought we were police escorting the film crew.” The irony wasn’t lost on Axe or Bishop, who’s a copper with a neat line in exacting justice for lowlifes who cross his path. “It is something talked about quite a bit,” she says. “We were filming in dark alleyways, there were people there with expensive equipment, having a police presence helped.”

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Mind you, the film’s closeness to the riots, made it all the more authentic for the cast involved. As Axe says: “It felt very real at the time we were filming it. It made the whole situation seem very real.” The proximity also helped create a better understanding of some of the problems the communities affected by the disturbances faced. “On a personal level,” Axe says, “it really made me think about some of the people in the riots, people who’d lost out. You could really empathise with them. It really hit home rather than just being something you read about in the paper.” Axe, standing at some six-feet tall, plays a fellow copper to Bishop’s character doling out instant punishment to assorted looters and ne’er-do-wells, a partner who slowly starts realising that he may have something to hide. Was she happy with how the end product turned out? “Oh, I think so,” she says, “I did what I wanted to do from my side of things. I’m happy with the overall film, it’s always nice to see something on the screen, rather than on paper in front of you.” It has been, as Axe admits, a slow path to the screen. The film wrapped towards the end of 2011, and, FrightFest aside, remained in the can until this year. “FrightFest was the first time people got to see it,” she says, “and it was really well received there.” The role certainly helped keep her fit – Axe spends much of the film on a push bike and admitted that for one scene “we went around the same bit of road again and again”.

Meanwhile, in the ensuing 12 months since the film was made, Axe has had somewhat differing roles, ranging from Elinor Dashwood in a touring version of Sense And Sensibility through to web series, Next Global Crisis and The Fail Safe Sisters, in one playing a superhero, in the other, a spin-off from the first series, more of a gladiator-style role. “It’s been really good fun,” she says, “being six-foot tall, doing action and combat stuff. “I actually really enjoy it. I’d really like to do something with loads of action.” FF

Hayley-Marie Axe Frank Henenlotter 19

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ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE POND Peter Martin dusts off his crystal ball out and looks into the future and sees what will be coming our way, film wise in 2013.

aving survived the genre graveyard of January and early February, the period of time where old action stars go to die – goodbye Arnold Schwarzenegger! farewell Sylvester Stallone! – February promises to give one other 80s fixture a shot at 21st Century relevance – hello Bruce Willis! – before giving way to more compelling fare (we hope). DARK SKIES follows up writer/ director Scott Charles Stewart’s LEGION and PRIEST with a focus that shifts from the supernatural/religious toward a more traditional alien invasion theme. Stewart’s

films have (quite rightly) been classified as junk food, but the high calorie count has paid off in high energy pop tarts that linger on the tongue, at least through the end credits. The month of March gets progressively better, with the twin attack of THE LAST EXORCISM: PART II invading multiplexes and STOKER sneaking into art houses on the first weekend. The former, despite its confusing title, gives writer/director Ed Gass-Donnelly (SMALL TOWN MURDER SONGS) a chance to work with a somewhat bigger budget while ploughing familiar horror themes.

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The bloody family dysfunctions and to fill the slot created by Tim Burton’s opaque storytelling of Park Chan-wook’s ALICE IN WONDERLAND for vacuous STOKER stirred divided reactions at the 3D eye candy. It will be competing Sundance and Rotterdam film festivals, with Bryan Singer’s JACK THE GIANT but with Nicole Kidman leading a top- SLAYER, also due out in early March – notch cast, it’s another fantasy already the “must We cannot escape March without a d v e n t u r e see” title of the mentioning OLYMPUS HAS being sold on season. FALLEN, the first of two White the strength of Also highly House thrillers in which the US its computerbuzzed is the President comes under attack. generated visual Sam Raimieffects. Really, approved remake both films of EVIL DEAD, which will make its bow appear to be targeting the young adult at the South by Southwest (SXSW) Film audience that supported the Harry Potter Festival in Austin, Texas. The promotional series, but without the built-in mass material makes the film look less like the hysteria created by the J.K. Rowling reboot that was originally touted and novels, an uphill battle lies ahead for more like a beat for beat remake. This them. is one 80s horror remake, however, that We cannot escape March without has resisted the studio-driven impulse to mentioning OLYMPUS HAS FALLEN, the soften its edges, if that same advance first of two White House thrillers in which promotional campaign is to be trusted. the US President comes under attack. If nothing else, we know that the new Antoine Fuqua’s film appears to feature version will truly be deserving of its the cheesiest special effects this side of “R” (Restricted) rating in the US, with a direct-to-home video release, which word carefully leaked that it earned an leads us right into the monster-sized NC-17 rating before a bit of trimming. spectacle of G.I. JOE: RETALIATION Raimi’s DRAG ME TO HELL make a – ninjas on a mountain – and THE successful debut at SXSW back in 2009, HOST, in which one-time “thinking sciso the producers of the new EVIL DEAD fi” specialist Andrew Niccol attempts to (including Raimi himself) no doubt hope come back from the flat and disappointing for a repeat performance. IN TIME with an adaptation of a book by Meanwhile, Raimi has expended Stephenie Meyer (TWILIGHT) in which his efforts upon OZ: THE GREAT AND a young woman leads the charge to POWERFUL, a sweeping, special- repel an insidious alien invasion. Dare effects fantasy with James Franco in we hope for anything that is not shallow the lead that looks like it’s been designed and brainless? 22

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April is wide open for the wonders of Joseph Kosinski’s OBLIVION, which will test the appeal of Tom Cruise in a science fiction epic. Kosinski created the splendid yet arid wonders of TRON: LEGACY, and has again created a new world, this one looking like a magnificent ruin, but can he sustain a narrative thriller? A similar question arises for Cruise, whose custom-built JACK REACHER performed well financially but not at the levels expected for a worldwide box office champion. A week later, Michael Bay unveils his action drama PAIN AND GAIN, with Mark Wahlberg and Duane Johnson starring as weightlifters who get caught up in a drug deal. Bay promises a more stripped-down effort that relies more on the drama – and no giant robots in sight – though he faces just as many questions as Kosinski and Cruise and their respective abilities to make good movies beyond their signature franchises. On the other hand, that’s why these two films hold promise for genre fans: perhaps their makers have thrown off the shackles of the franchises that bound them and have created something truly new and/or exciting. The summer blockbuster season in the US begins on the first weekend of May with the release of Marvel’s IRON MAN 3 (superheroics as seen through the eyes of action writer extraordinaire turned director Shane Black), followed two weeks later by STAR TREK INTO DARKNESS (the swan song from J.J. Abrams before he turns to the

reinvention of STAR WARS?), and then FAST & FURIOUS 6, which blew away the worldwide Super Bowl audience with the sight of cars spinning in midair and exploding out of airplanes. The deliriously happy reaction to the trailers for these overblown genre films signals a confirmation that studios are providing what audiences want in the modern times, bypassing hints of subtlety in favour of the spectacle. Having that in mind, the most compelling fare continues to be found in the margins, waiting to be discovered at film festivals and, increasingly, via various Video On Demand platforms. In addition to the highly-anticipated

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STOKER, for example, Sundance also debuted the sequel to horror anthology V/H/S, first titled S-V/H/S and then renamed V/H/S/2, which garnered better critical reaction than the original. Calvin Reeder followed up his disturbing indie THE OREGONIAN with another disturbing indie, THE RAMBLER, which polarised critics further. Both the latter titles will also play at SXSW, along with Rob Zombie’s LORDS OF SALEM (which has gained some begrudging critical favour) and Adam Wingard’s distributor-delayed home invasion thriller YOU’RE NEXT (which is finally set to hit US theatres in August). The festival will also showcase the world premiere of BIG ASS SPIDER!, a cheeky creature feature that’s generated positive buzz thanks

to its endearing embrace of B-movie aesthetics. On the home entertainment circuit, horror anthology THE ABCS OF DEATH has been scaring up interest ahead of its limited theatrical release in March. And, sneaking in as counter-programming to the blockbusters, Ben Wheatley’s blackly comic SIGHTSEERS and Ryuhei Kitamura’s highway horror NO ONE LIVES will give fans of independent visions the opportunity to see much darker takes on common nightmares. On the face of it, then, the late winter and spring seasons may not appear terribly hospitable to genre fare, but dedicated fans can always spot the the chill-inducing blossoms amidst the bland dross. FF

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IN CONVERSATION Jason Ford’s COMMUNITY was one of the more unusual films to play the Discovery Screened at FrightFest last summer and straddling a number of genres and styles. Evrim Ersoy took the time to find out how this low-budget British chiller proved that you could create a horror film by not relying on clichés.

ould you talk about some of your influences and Are you a fan of the horror genre in general? Being a 70’s child I was naturally influenced by the whole horror movement of the late 70’s and early 80’s but if there is one film that has influenced me more than any other, it is Jaws which is I believe, the penultimate monster movie. I have always been a fan of the horror genre but my preference was for chills as opposed to the gore, the unsettling as opposed to the disgusting. I guess it’s the horror that is most based in reality. TV had a big impact on me growing up, especially the early 80’s Hammer House Of Horror series and Tales 26

Of The Unexpected. Both inspired the tone of the film, I actually think COMMUNITY is very Roald Dahl. When writing the script I wanted to draw upon as many classic horrors as possible as you never know if it will be your last. The Wicker Man was a natural influence as it was the only the film I was aware of that dealt with an entire (deranged) COMMUNITY and naturally Blair Witch for the filmmakers point of view. But COMMUNITY is packed with influences from Texas Chainsaw to Silence of the Lambs,to 28 Days Later and even Lord Of The Flies. COMMUNITY is a Frankenstein’s monster of a film about a society of Frankenstein’s Monsters.

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After ‘New Town Original’ how did you decide to make a genre-horror film? One of the key points about ‘New Town Original’ was that it tried to avoid all the clichés that the audiences are used to on the screen did you have the same aim when writing ‘COMMUNITY’? New Town Original was a hard sell as it was a mild yet earnest drama and we learnt that unless you have controversy or an Oscar winning actor then your best avoiding the genre. The truth is, the horror market has always remained the one with the least risk attached so it was a business decision as much as anything. We spent several years developing a very commercial science fiction based thriller (which I found myself turning more into a horror) but the whole finance deal collapsed when the banks went belly-up in 2008/9. It felt like, even trying to raise a low budget in the UK (£1 million) was like pulling teeth, so, as a reaction to that we felt the only way forward was to make a film like ‘Colin’ (for no money). Naturally it can’t be done (unless you’re a film student or the Bob Geldof of film) but we knew it had to be microbudget. Overall, I think having the frustration of never getting the money and then the fiasco of the banking crisis helped fuel our fire for horror. Inside, we were screaming. I’ve never been one to conform to type and I always try to avoid cliché (though sometimes in this business, it can do you more harm than good) so yes, the same rules applied when writing COMMUNITY. What was the genesis for the story? I knew I wanted to do something on an estate as I’ve grown up around some rough ones and knew they were a good source of dramatic material and I’d touched on it in New 28

Town Original. And the idea of a modern day Wickerman seemed a refreshing one. Originally our pitch was Blair Witch on a council estate as that seemed the most natural way to go in order to keep it cheap. So it began life as a ‘Found Footage’ film, a series of interviews where you would piece together the plot from their stories. Then, the characters and the environment became stronger and stronger and before you know it you’ve got something quite commercial and cinematic. Suddenly the idea of filming all that cheaply and hand-held could be a missed opportunity. Plus it started to generate a lot of positive interest from the Industry. And so it becomes The Hills Have Eyes on a council estate with serious production value. Considering how the estate is an important character within the narrative, did you write the script with a certain location in mind or did the location come later? The estate was the first thing we had as it was in the home town of where we (Producer and I) grew up. The trouble was, for how long it was going to be there, as they were actually tearing it down and regenerating while we were filming. So as back up I went and viewed run-down estates everywhere. South London, Essex, Kent. The Isle of Sheppey. That was an interesting one. How long did it take you to finalize the script? Could you talk about the evolution of the script in terms of elements that did not make it into the final version? Ha. Well, I’ll let you in on a secret. The script was never finalised. They never are. They just get to a stage where you agree you’re more ready than not. There was only really one scene that changed completely during filming and that

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was Isabelle’s escape from the ‘bedroom’. I dropped a shrieking and toe-curlingly bloody exit in favour of a more heartfelt and redemptive one which ultimately gives the story more soul and food for thought. A good 25% of the script was cut due to budget restraints. The threat of sexual violence, although heavily implies, is never explicitly shown - were you trying to avoid the film veering into exploitation? Definitely, though, this is a real bone of contention within the film marketplace of today. You are pressurised into being more graphic as you are told it’s what the marketplace now demands. It’s one of the reasons why our first film (a drama) didn’t sell as well as it could of. At the same time it’s a known fact that an 18 cert can hurt you financially as a big section of the target audience are teens. But at the end of the day, you have to be true to yourself as you’ll be the one left with it. I’ve always been a fan of the real horror being left to the imagination but it ultimately depends on your personal overall vision and tone for that particular project. How long did the production take from start to finish and was it a smooth ride throughout? In short, NO. We had 1 month’s preproduction with a three week shoot. 3 weeks before filming we lost our Production Designer, our Costume and our make-Up and special effects. Pretty pivotal for a horror film wouldn’t you say? Unfortunately, this is the reality of micro-budget. We would have crisis meetings with other ‘experienced’ replacements but while they were busy sucking the air through their teeth and telling us it’s going to be a struggle to achieve it in the time frame, Dave Paul

(Designer) Cat Mednick of Life Cast (Make-Up & effects) and Jessica Day (Costume) saved us, and without breaking our original Low/No budget. The fact it meant I had to spend the run up to the shoot choosing costume and shopping for (and wearing) wigs as opposed to writing my shot lists was a fair enough price to pay. Though at the same time my Producer was driving (and crashing) equipment vans. It wasn’t pretty. But aside from that, we pride ourselves on our ability to deliver and our honesty and integrity. And we always look after our crew no matter how little money there is. Though we had a major kick in the teeth when members of our crew, including saviour Dave had their cars broken into whilst filming on the estate. Sods law.

Jemma Dallender 29

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Elliott Jordan & Jemma Dallender in COMMUNITY 30

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The element of social commentary plays a crucial part in the film - did you feel that a horror film could be an interesting avenue to explore these issues? Social commentary has played a crucial part in all my work. For me it’s what makes it all worthwhile, reflecting a point in time. I think horror is possibly the strongest avenue to explore such issues not just creatively, as is well documented with the whole Zombie/ threat of Communism movement of the 70’s but because as the market suggests, a lot of young people are drawn to the genre. This is one of the reasons we wanted to make a 15 certificated horror. How has the audience reaction been to the film? Has there been any adverse effects in regards to the portrayal of the estate or have people been able to recognise the effort to avoid the usual stereotypes within the film? And were you worried at all that the girl-in-peril motif might be construed as cliché? So far the reaction has been very positive where the film-festival circuit is concerned. Our first 2 reviews have been very favourable, though we are aware its early days. So far, my choice to be non-gratuitous has been favourable, which is a relief. We never had the support of the local authority due to the detrimental effect they thought making a horror film on the estate would cause. Though of course the irony is that we were filming there because they had not done the job they should have done in regenerating the estate in the first place. But the people that lived on the estate could not have been friendlier and in support for what we were doing and some

came to the cast and crew screening. As far as the girl-in-peril cliché goes, I think you have to weigh up what your choices are and what is still genuinely interesting. You have to be careful to not alienate your core audience by trying to be too clever. Something I can be guilty of. How do you feel about the state of British horror genre? What, in your opinion, could be improved? British horror is probably more varied now than it ever was and it seems healthy considering the continued uncertainty of the economy. But it is getting less as the whole way we view films is changing, and therefore not the financial returns there once were. That is why we need outfits like FrightFest to help support and celebrate it. I don’t think it’s the genre that needs improving, I think it’s the way we show it. Cinemas need to have more deals to entice people away from their TV sets and iPads. Seeing a film like ours should be cheaper than seeing a huge studio picture. Or have double-bills like the old days. Or turn derelict sights into modern day drive-ins. Steven Spielberg once said of his first film Sugarland Express “I would give up all the positive reviews for a wider audience”. What does the future hold for ‘COMMUNITY’? Well, it was written with a view to a sequel and the possibility of other estates. I think a TV series would be effective. I think the public would buy in to it. Horror TV is in vogue. The idea definitely has the scope. But as for the here and now, it’s a success. It’s selling around the world. FF 31

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BLOODSTAINED BREAD AND CIRCUSES It’s a long way from playing Alice in Wonderland as a 14-year-old in a theme park to performing as a “dead princess” or a dead doll trapped in a bottle, but horror circus performer Stephanie Mercury has done just that. So how did this former child actor end up daubed in fake blood hanging from a circus ceiling? NINA ROMAIN finds out more about her wonderful world of freak shows and Iron Jaws.

ell us about the day in the life of a horror circus performer? My circus, the Circus of Horrors, tours from October to December then January through until end of March. We go up and down the UK, using traditional circus acts mixed with rock’n’roll music and freak acts – something for everyone. During the summer we perform at festivals and corporate events. My acts involve performing on aerial silks with death-defying drops, and also performing on an aerial hoop, where I hang by my toes and then my heels. I am the only person in the UK doing the Iron Jaw act, where I am lifted into the air by just my teeth – that always gets a gasp from

the audience, especially as I don’t wear a safety line! I think I am the only person in Europe doing this act, and there are only a handful of people still performing it in the US. It was very hard to find anything out when I was trying to learn the Iron Jaw as the few people around doing it won’t spill their secrets, so it was a lot of trial and error. Another of my acts involves squeezing myself into a bottle only 15-inches wide as a “pickled person”. I am fairly bendy, so that doesn’t worry me so much, but as the lock is on the outside, you really have to trust the person locking you in! In the shows you only tend to be in the bottle for about five minutes, but I have done corporate events where you can be in it 20 minutes at a time.

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Stephanie Mercury 33

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Why do you think people like horror and burns on the silks, but I just patch performances? them up and carry on. I’m very big People are used to seeing scary on safety, making sure everything is things on the screen so they love seeing rigged properly. The only bad parts of it live in a theatre. When I get lifted into the job can be the traveling. We get the air by my teeth to the theatre you can hear a “I would love to have been a horror a t m i d d a y gasp and see actor – my dream job would be being and the whole people rubbing a scream queen. I’m still waiting for cast set the their own teeth. the call from Rob Zombie!” stage up, then People like to be some training, scared, which is a meeting at definitely what this show offers. 5pm to discuss notes from the previous I always like to stay being little night’s show. Finally it’s makeup on bit freaky in my act; for example if and out selling programmes before the there’s a princess theme, I dress as a show starts. After the show we pack dead princess. Sometimes things are everything down into the lorry and drive naturally horror-inspired, as when I’m to the hotel, which can be anything up to in the bottle it can be hard to breathe, four hours away, ready to do the same especially if I’m wearing a corset … the the next day. The touring life of a horror next show I do as the “pickled person” show is different than people expect; I shall be coming out dressed in white, fans always ask if we’re going drinking with blood all over the corset, looking after the show, but no, we just pull down like a dead doll. and drive to the next place. After you climb down from the aerial What is your favourite horror genre hoop or out of the bottle, what’s – werewolf, vampire, slasher? horror circus life like behind the I remember watching my first scenes? proper horror film, the original TEXAS It’s like a big family being in the CHAINSAW MASSACRE, and never circus – we work, train and live together. looked back. I love horror books, too. But we all get on and everyone helps I love all horror genres, but slashers everyone else with training, or routines, have to be my all-time fave. I still love setting up and traveling. My family and CHAINSAW MASSACRE and the friends know I like to do crazy things, original HALLOWEEN … but I also so I would end up in this sort of job, love Rob Zombie’s remake. I also love and I’m never off the phone to them. SCREAM – I think Wes Craven is a I love my job. Injury wise, [I’ve had] genius – and PSYCHO. I also like just nothing major – just the usual bruises walking into horror stores and buying 34

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DVDs I’ve never heard of, just to see what they are. I’ve never been to a convention but it is high on my list of things to do, and when FrightFest is on I am normally on holiday, but next year I want to see it. Do you know your fans personally? I have met quite a few fans after the show; some even bring presents, which is lovely, and they’ve always been really friendly. The fans are a complete mixed bunch: our faithful Goth fans, older people, and even though it’s not recommended for children under 16 as there is some nudity, parents who have seen the show for years do bring younger children. How did you get into performing? I started gymnastics when I was four, and then got into swimming and dancing. When I was 13 I started being home educated and at 14 I started work as Alice in the Alice in Wonderland Park in Bournemouth. From there, the Mad Hatter and I started our own business entertaining at tourist attractions and corporate events, as different storybook characters. I had been to Disneyland Paris on holiday and saw a show I’d fallen in love with which included circus acts, so when I got home I emailed the Circus of Horrors asking if they knew of anywhere I could learn aerial work. Where do you think you will you be doing 10 or 20 years from now?

I would still love to be performing; I’d also like to try a lot more crazy tricks and Guinness world records with my Iron Jaw, maybe something crazy like the weirdest place I can hang from by my teeth. Years ago a lady went across two buildings in America holding on by her teeth on a zip line, where you are basically connected to one line – something like that would be amazing. As I make or rip apart my costumes, I think about creating my own line at some point; I’ve started very small with my “Dumb Blonde” clothing range with my “I Have Sinned” top but hopefully this could lead to creating more elaborate costumes in the future. It’s difficult to say what I would be doing if it wasn’t horror performing, but I always wanted to be a doctor growing up, despite being terrified of needles. Fortunately given my job I’m fine with blood and tattoos! Running a circus of your own is very hard work, but I wouldn’t rule it out. I would love to have been a horror actor; my dream job would be being a scream queen ... I’m still waiting for that call from Rob Zombie. FF Stephanie is currently touring the UK with the Circus of Horrors, proudly claiming that the show contains: “nudity and language of a adult nature, and is not suitable for children, people of a nervous disposition, and sissies” until March 2013. 35

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ZOMBI 3

A RETROSPECTIVE BY JAY SLATER - PART ONE “When the army asked us to work on Death One, they should have warned us of the dangers!” So by calling it ‘Death One’ was not enough warning for you? - Cheesy dialogue from ZOMBI 3

“H

e was respectful towards me at the beginning, but soon lost track of all boundaries,” says Beatrice Ring, her sweet European accent deliciously complemented by a West Coast twang. “He liked to make a clown of everyone and everybody. Fulci loved to have the crew laugh at someone’s expense. He was cruel. He was a complete jerk. I don’t care that he died.” And so begins a retrospective of the troubled ZOMBI 3 (1988), an Italian living-dead cause célèbre that was doomed from conception, its infamous pedigree being incompetence that inspired a cult following. Shot on a povertyrow budget – an alleged 200 million lire – by producer Franco Gaudenzi for Flora Film in the summer heat of Los Baños, Philippines, ZOMBI 3 was cursed when director Lucio Fulci walked off the set, leaving an unfinished movie. Back in Rome, Gaudenzi was mortified to discover that the working edit ran for just over an hour and simultaneously advertised said footage to buy for an aspiring production. Nevertheless, husband and wife team Claudio Fragasso and Rossella Drudi went to work rewriting the script, adding new scenes

featuring the military and scientists who wave their arms and scream a lot. And Z-grade hack Bruno Mattei, director of much loved and hated ZOMBIE CREEPING FLESH/VIRUS (1980), would shoehorn the new footage into Fulci’s film. That was the plan. However, the result was an unintentionally awful and riotous zombie romp that appears to be constructed from a number of other movies credited as one of the worst Italian horror movies ever. It’s up there with TROLL 2 (1990), written and directed by a certain Claudio Fragasso For Ring, Fulci was a bad omen. Her experience with Fulci began at age 15 when he offered her a screen test for THE NEW YORK RIPPER/LO SQUARTATORE DI NEW YORK (1982), leaving the set when she discovered that the Italian rogue wanted her to wear a swimsuit. “I think you should know that when I read for Fulci’s films I must have been desperate for a job,” she says. “He was famous for being a horrible director, not just for making horror films. He was famous for being an impossible person and for working on cheap projects. One of the many reasons I tried to avoid working with him for a long time.”

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“It was like being put to death,” Ring adds bitterly. “Obviously Fulci was very satisfied and I wouldn’t be surprised if he had tipped the guy. I sat on a chair and the pain was paralysing. The only people that came to my rescue were some very nice Filipino locals who ran to get some ice when I was crying holding my head. The rest of the crew moved on to the next scene and couldn’t care less. Well, that’s what you get for working on a low-budget movie with no phones or lawyers.” “I’m feeling better, Patricia, but I’m thirsty. for your blood!” Star - Beatrice Ring Apart from Fulci’s bullying on set, Ring believed she was close to injury if not death in a scene where she is attacked by a zombie who throttles her with a chain. An intense and physically demanding scene, Fulci demanded five takes whereby he took the Filipino stunt actor to one side before another shoot. Exhausted, Ring took her place, the camera rolled and action commenced. “He pulled the chain round my neck really hard and twisted them in a knot so that I was actually beginning to suffocate and die,” she says. “I guess at the time I didn’t know about suing, but I should have done. It was one of the most painful experiences I have felt in my life and I thought I was going to pass out. And when I was trying to free myself from the chains, I realised that people were just watching. It was just horrible.” 38

ZOMBI 3 was realised when Gaudenzi asked Fragasso and Drudi to write a screenplay for Fulci to shoot. The original plot involved the US government processing synthetic food in a chemical plant to feed the Third World (a riff on Dan O’Bannon’s THE RETURN OF THE LIVING DEAD (1985) and Fragasso and Drudi’s screenplay for ZOMBIE CREEPING FLESH). A nuclear explosion annihilates the plant and the resulting toxic cloud transforms the locals into flesh-eating zombies. The original inspiration was to make a sequel to Fulci’s ZOMBIE FLESH EATERS/ ZOMBI 2 (1979) and this is where it gets confusing. Fulci’s movie was sold in Italy as a prequel to Romero’s DAWN OF THE DEAD (1978) that had been released in the US as ZOMBI – hence the pasta rip-off titled ZOMBI 2. And to confuse matters even further, Jorge Grau’s THE LIVING DEAD AT MANCHESTER MORGUE/NON SI DEVE PROFANARE IL SONNO DEI MORTI (1974) was re-released

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in Italy as ZOMBI 3 – DA DOVE VIENI? and Andrea Bianchi’s sleazy THE NIGHTS OF TERROR/LE NOTTI DEL TERRORE (1981) saw the light of day as ZOMBI 3 in Germany and Holland. Got that? However, the promising idea was to change dramatically when the money-men decided to shoot ZOMBI 3 in the Philippines and it was said that Fulci had to approve the screenplay. After shooting AFTER DEATH/ AFTER DEATH (OLTRE LA MORTE) (1989) aka ZOMBIE 4, another Flora Film undead gore flick, Fragasso joined Mattei to finish ZOMBI 3 with a revised script when Fulci left for good, an ill and beaten man. Some sources suggest that Fulci shot no more than 15 minutes of footage. Nonetheless, it is most likely that he shot most of the script before storming off, the finished movie running at just over one hour. Indeed, inconsistency in the production was said so often it became as bruised as an old peach. Not only does the new footage jar with the existing narrative, some performers had their scenes shot, removed and remain credited as seen with bearded stalwart Luciano Pigozzi ala ‘Alan Collins’ who was left on the cutting room floor. “Fulci was very ill and left,” Fragasso says. “The splatter inserts were added later by Mattei and me and we also had cameos in the crematorium scene. Because ZOMBI 3 was so short, Gaudenzi asked us to finish the movie while Fulci returned to Rome for medical care.” To pad gaps left in the narrative, a military angle ala Romero’s THE CRAZIES (1973) was shoehorned into the edit. Naturally, all this was done without Fulci’s consent and neither he nor Mattei had never met or worked together. “Mattei

was a great editor,” Fragasso admits, confirming that Mattei’s skills at combining footage to make a scene work made him an ideal choice to save ZOMBI 3. “He wasn’t a great director, but thanks to him I learned many secrets of the art of assembly and went on to direct my own movies.” Such as TROLL 2.. “There were traces of blood all around ... Strange coloured blood.” Giovanni Paolucci, the production manager on ZOMBI 3, offers nothing but praise for Mattei’s talent in making z-movies work in the edit, despite zero budgets and impossible multilingual productions. Close friends till his death in 2007, Paolucci defends Mattei against his dog-earned reputation as an Italian Ed Wood, the paura l’auteur terrible. 39

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“The criticism he received was unfair in that it gave many a bad opinion on his films,” Paolucci says. “I can say, considering that we worked together for many years, is that he was intelligent and had the ability to resolve some very difficult scenes. Mattei was superior to any other director that I know of and knew how to solve complex and demanding issues in his own brilliant way, despite times when he might go off on a wild tangent. He was an expert in cinema and loved SF and action films, especially those with special effects.” On set, Mattei was respected by one of cinema’s greats, hellraiser Richard Harris, who was the lead in Flora Film’s STRIKE COMMANDO 2/TRAPPOLA DIABOLICA (1988), a wishy-washy Vietnam opus where things blow up for little or no reason. “Mattei was extremely satisfied with Harris’ performance and they both esteemed each other very much,” he adds. Paolucci also confirms that ZOMBI 3 was too short in running time after Fulci left the set, stating that it suffered many problems during the shoot. Scenes that were overlong and viewed as padding were cut and Gaudenzi was left with a movie that was too short to sell. “They [Mattei and Fragasso] invented scenes without the need for actors that could be integrated in the movie. However, the final result preserves the signature of ZOMBI 3 as a Fulci picture,” he says. When the production was announced to international film markets such as Cannes and MIFED, ZOMBI 3 was to be filmed in 3D. This might explain the ridiculous scene of a severed flying head defying physics, hurtling and snapping towards the camera – apparently Fulci’s ‘invention’ and proudest moment of the movie – 40

as well as a pre-credit sequence originally found in the Japanese print where a zombie suddenly rises from a glass sarcophagus, teeth gnashing for a crude shock moment.1 However, all would seem part of the ZOMBI 3 puzzle as cast and crew seem to know nothing about it being shot in 3D, such was its randomness. And Paolucci is genuinely charmed by it all. “I wouldn’t say it was an unlucky film,” he says. “Even today after so many years, fans keep speaking about it. I want to thank all those who watch it with a passion as it never received any success on its original release. Surely, such a movie like ZOMBI 3 has a unique genuineness that maintains a will to live, even though it’s a niche and born in the 1980s, and still survives today.” John Gayford, dialogue editor and dubber of ZOMBI 3, remembers little. “I did the dubbing of so many of those movies, it was like an assembly line and became almost impossible to tell one from another,” he says. “It usually took a week to dub one of those movies, two weeks to a month for the bigger films. Sometimes I was given the script before shooting began, translated and adapted it into English, then would see the picture finished, rewrite it according to changes made on set, cast it vocally and dub it, mix it and ship it out hoping to be paid.” Gayford does recall that he received ZOMBI 3 ready finished and in Italian, adapting the dialogue for sync and dubbed it. The version he would mostly be given was the work print with guide track. This meant that one or more characters would ‘speak’ English that they had dreadfully translated themselves in conversation with actors replying in Italian, Spanish, French or Slavic.

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“Matching this mess was often very tricky and time consuming,” Gayford says. “The right reply would not usually fit, so you had to change the question too. Lip-synch writing is an art that very few master and involves phonetics and a fertile imagination as well as a vast vocabulary of alternative ways of saying the same thing.” Claiming that if a dubbed movie is badly done everyone screams, but if done well no one notices and passes it for a live sound picture, is his best compliment. “We dubbing directors inhabit a mysterious world where we are more or less invisible, encouraged by the fact that no distributor wanted to let it be known that the film he is flogging is dubbed, hence our Dialogue editor - John Gayford credits were practically non-existent, relegated to the final bar of the end title roll, always cut off or ignored,” he laments. “Well, the other actors, Edmund included, began to get the giggles because poor old “That’ll fix ya, you friggin’ monsters!” Bruno kept diligently filming, not understanding a word of English. At last he shouted ‘cut’ But Gayford has nothing but fond memories angrily, berating everyone for laughing and of Mattei, often working alongside him and his ruining the scene. Then it was explained to wife in the movieolas as they spliced together him that we were way off track and the penny footage he had recently shot. Receiving a phone dropped,” Gayford grins. “He decided to simply call from Mattei in the late 1980s, Gayford was shoot from where we left off. As Mattei was asked for an urgent favour. Mattei was shooting so good with his camera and very economical a four-part drama called APPUNTAMENTO A with film, little was wasted. He must have hated TRIESTE (1987) with Edmund Purdom and to throw out the scene where we all corpsed. Tony Musante. However, a lead actor was His basic technique was to shoot a master suddenly unavailable and Mattei offered the and then pick up closed ups to intercut in the seven-page scene to Gayford. Halfway through old Hollywood tradition. He was certainly a the scene, a Yugoslav actor was supposed to craftsman, but only nudged his actors in a enter and interrupt Gayford’s flow, but as his friendly way, expecting them to do the acting training has been ‘Theatre in England’ and without much acting.” failed to hear the cue, he continued adlibbing rubbish in character. To be continued in issue 14. 41

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FROM PAGE TO SCREEN Throughout the history of cinema, horror has been a staple provider of entertainment. The same can be said for the horror novel. When the two forms met it was a marriage made in heaven, and hell for some. James Whittington look at classics such as Frankenstein and Dracula to see how lucrative novel based horror films can be.

hese two books have influenced and inspired countless filmmakers for more than 100 years. Film studios Universal and Hammer were built on adaptations of these gothic classics. In February, the Horror Channel is highlighting this association by presenting a season of movies under the banner Page To Scream, which celebrates the great horror novels of Jack Ketchum, Stephen King, Tony Burgess and Clive Barker. Here I take a look at some of the best and worst cinematic interpretations of some of the finest horror books and stories ever published.

In 1910, prolific film director J. Searle Dawley unleashed Mary Shelleyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s FRANKENSTEIN onto an unsuspecting public. This short, silent masterpiece gave us the very first silver screen creature, played by Charles Ogle. This intriguing curio remains true to its source and the same can be said of NOSFERATU from director FW Murnau, which is best described as homage to Bram Stokerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Dracula rather than a straight interpretation. This is German expressionist cinema at its most dramatic with a staggeringly stunning central performance from Max Schreck as the evil

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Count Graf Orlock. Released in 1922, the in 1980. Considering King gave the world movie was remade in 1979 as NOSFERATU MAXIMUM OVERDRIVE (1986), he really THE VAMPYRE with Klaus Kinski in the should stick to writing. King has had a good title role, though his character’s name run, though; CARRIE (1976) was a triumph, reverted to Count Dracula. SALEM’S LOT (1979) On another note, the In 1910, prolific film director J. and IT (1990) - yes I wonderful film SHADOW Searle Dawley unleashed Mary know they were for OF THE VAMPIRE Shelley’s FRANKENSTEIN onto TV - were must(2000) is an entertaining, an unsuspecting public. This see events, PET fictionalised account of short, silent masterpiece gave SEMATARY (1989) the making of the original. us the very first silver screen proved you could But back to books, creature have gore as well as and one classic author has good storytelling, and had his work plundered probably the best of more than any other: Edgar Allan Poe. Many the bunch - MISERY (1990) - was a triumph of his most famous works - such as THE of storytelling. FALL OF THE HOUSE OF USHER, THE Then again, let’s think about a director MASQUE OF THE RED DEATH and THE who became associated with a film he PIT AND THE PENDULUM - have all been brought to the screen so well that even given cinematic interpretations. The most now, some 40 years later it’s still his finest famous of these is from the grandmaster achievement. Yes, I’m talking about William of quick turnarounds Roger Corman, who Friedkin, who unleashed William Peter usually chose Vincent Price to play a lead Blatty’s novel THE EXORCIST into cinemas. part. These are rightly regarded as classics The film was, incidentally, unavailable to of horror cinema, and though at times they buy uncut in the UK until 1999. Friedkin stray from the source text, they remain true took care with the source material and used to the original dark idea. Shame the same superb camera work and sound to unease can’t be said for Ken Russell’s THE FALL the audience. Shame he never really had OF THE HOUSE OF USHER (2002) which the right material to top this stunning horror. proved that the once enigmatic director had Clive Barker had the right idea ran out of creative steam. when the option to turn his HELLRAISER Writers of today have had a rocky characters into a movie arose. He took on relationship with adaptations of their work. directing duties himself and delivered a Let’s take Stephen King, for example. When truly original and disturbing piece of horror Stanley Kubrick took King’s THE SHINING cinema in 1987. Dated only by some dodgy and made it one of the finest and acclaimed animated effects, the film retains his original horror movies in years, the writer didn’t dark vision and is a remarkable big screen care for it when it was originally released debut. Though CANDYMAN (1992 adapted 44

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from the story THE FORBIDDEN) and DREAD (2009) were directed by others, they managed to keep the spirit of Barker with them. Such a shame some of his other stories have been given rather shoddy realisations. An established author who has yet to be given a really decent run at giving cinema audiences a taste of his work is James Herbert. Though the sinister and atmospheric film THE SURVIVOR (1980) gave mass audiences a taste of what he could create, other pieces such as THE RATS (1983) lacked the threatening and unnerving rawness of the book on which it was based. Maybe in the future someone will adapt his books SEPULCHRE and THE JONAH. Contemporary writers, such as Jack Ketchum (real name Dallas William

Mayr Jr.) have had more success when their work has been adapted. The films THE LOST (2006) and THE WOMAN (2011) retain the grit and rawness of his written work and are disturbing viewing to those unaccustomed to his full-on take on modern day violence. But as with all forms of art, whether a movie based on a book is any good or not is subjective and the argument for and against them could fill a library. Now it’s time to put my bookmark in and watch RE-ANIMATOR. FF Don’t miss the Horror Channel’s From Page To Scream season Saturdays at 10.55pm; THE LOST (Jack Ketchum), RIDING THE BULLET (Stephen King), PONTYPOOL (Tony Burgess) and DREAD (Clive Barker).

The Woman 45

FRIGHTFEST: THE HOME OF HORROR

RANDOM THOUGHTS Richard Street on films, film soundtracks and anything that takes his fancy Remember the days of indifferent film projection at your local multiplex? With the advent of digital projection this was meant to be a thing of the past. Well, according to Richard Street, perhaps not.

he Projection War is all but won and digital is the clear victor. There are no terms of surrender allowing celluloid and digital to co-exist: it’s hard drives or nothing. Outside of specialist independent cinemas dedicated to the dying art of film presentation, there’s no choice. It’s a pity, really. One of the ongoing problems I continually suffered from during the last years of 35mm was having to act as an unpaid quality control officer to my local multiplex: informing the redshirts when the film was playing in the wrong ratio, or incorrectly racked on the screen or out of focus, the house lights were left on, or the sound was too quiet. I estimated I was having to tell staff that they were messing the film up at one

in three screenings - more if I was at the notorious Trocadero. Digital was supposed to take care of all that - the projector would automatically focus, the lights would go down on time, everything was programmed in and, just as in WESTWORLD, nothing could possibly go wrong. Really? So far this year, I’ve seen eight films in cinemas and have had to complain about four of them. JACK REACHER and THE LAST STAND were shown noticeably out of focus, the adverts reel at the start of ZERO DARK THIRTY played for five minutes in silence, and FLIGHT was shown through the 3D filter that the cinema hadn’t removed after the previous day’s screenings. And they’re not all for the same cinema, either: that’s three separate screens in three separate multiplexes.

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Even after I’d told them twice about the focussing problem with JACK REACHER, it remained uncorrected three weeks later for THE LAST STAND. I’ll bet if I go back to that screen tomorrow, the feature will still be out of focus. In the bad old days of rubbish 35mm, where you had to have a trained projectionist in the booth to physically start the film by hand, a focussing issue could be corrected by a simple adjustment of the lens that required less time than it takes to type the word “blur”. It doesn’t require some kind of electronic laser calibration or computerised alignment, just twisting the lens left or right until the image sharpens on the screen. Now it’s supposed to do it automatically as the image adjusts to the wider ratio (if appropriate). So why doesn’t it? Why not have someone in the booth just looking out from time to time and correcting the image “on the fly” as it happens? But the real annoyance I have is not that projection sometimes fails, although it happens a hell of a lot more frequently than it ever used to. I went week in, week out to my old Granada for more than six years (1984-1990) and had to complain precisely once. Just once. No, the more serious problem is that no-one seems to do anything about it. And I don’t mean the staff. No, I mean the audiences. Why am I the only one to point out that it’s out of focus or shown through the wrong lens, or the image is only occupying two thirds of the screen? Did no-one else notice that FLIGHT looked far

too dark on the screen or there was visible ghosting caused by the light refracting around the 3D polariser? Or do they just not care? In his book THE GOOD, THE BAD AND THE MULTIPLEX, film critic Mark Kermode talks of the phenomenon of diminished expectations, where the public will gradually accept worse and worse, less and less. Put basically, if you treat a man like a dog for long enough he just puts up with it and no longer expects to be treated as a man. Presumably cinemagoers no longer expect the film to be projected properly because it so rarely is, and the staff so rarely bother to adjust it, so what’s the point in whining about it? No-one can be bothered to go out and get the thing fixed any more. Just live with it and pass the popcorn. Okay, so starting the programme without sound did have other people getting up - but that’s only because playing it silent would obviously have harmed the film. Playing it slightly out of focus isn’t harming it enough to justify traipsing out to the foyer to find someone to complain to. But it should be. We were sold this digital malarkey over 35mm because it was better, because it didn’t slip out of gauge or into the wrong ratio. (We were also sold it on the basis that it would make distribution of niche and special interest films easier and cheaper, which has also been proved false: it’s just been made easier and cheaper to distribute bloated Hollywood blockbusters.) But it’s not working out that way. FF 47

FRIGHTFEST: THE HOME OF HORROR

CHRIS & PHIL PRESENTS

CLICK HERE TO VIEW PODCAST

Chris Collier and Phil Newton present ‘THE ULTIMATE MOVIE PODCAST’, a light-hearted show that mixes intelligent, insightful reviews of the latest film and DVD releases alongside nonsensical banter. In each issue the demonic duo will be here to discuss the latest FrightFest eMagazine hot topics in their own inimitable style.

To hear more of Chris and Phil’s skewed reviews visit 48

www.chrisandphilpresent.co.uk.

REVIEW

FRIGHTFEST: THE HOME OF HORROR

All the latest film, DVD, games and book genre reviews for fans by fans

IN THIS ISSUE - FILM - MAMA - HANSEL & GRETEL - DVD - BEFORE DAWN - ROOM 237 – MAY I KILL YOU – FROM BEYOND – ANTIQUE BAKERY – CRAWL – COMMUNITY – RESIDENT EVIL: RETRIBUTION 3-D - DREDD 3D - GAMES - WII U – BATMAN - NINJA GARDEN 3 – ZOMBIE U – CALL OF DUTY; BLACK OPS 2 – ASSASSINS CREED 3. 49

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riting the FrightFest review for MAMA left me in a bit of a pickle. Should I come at this movie as a ‘FrightFester’ or the ‘Average Joe’ that occasional watches a horror flick? Both points of view are relevant to the work the four FrightFest boys do to emphasise the importance of this genre with film fans. MAMA is a movie that will possibly divide the audience between die hard and mainstream cinema-goers. The film opens with the sound of a shotgun and a father frantically gathering up his two small daughters and bundling them into the back of his car to escape the consequences of his actions. As Jeffery drives rather anxiously through the treacherous snowing mountain terrains at high speed, he loses control of the vehicle and veers off the edge of the cliff. Surviving the accident, the three find refuge in an old rundown cabin, but when Jeffery decides to end the lives of each of them the ghostly, twisted figure of a woman appears and puts a stop to his fatal plan. Five years later, Jeffery’s brother (played by the same actor, Nikolaj Coster-Waldau) hears news that his effortless search to find the three family members has been brought upon the discovery of the two girls, Victoria and Lilly. Living in the wilderness for years has not helped the girls’ development and the surroundings have left their mental status like that of a wild animal. Under the care of child psychologist Dr Dreyfuss, and with the help of wannabe rock star girlfriend Annabel (Jessica Chastain), Lucas and Annabel move out of their flat and into a family home to parent the girls as Legal guardians. Unfortunately, it’s not just the girls that move into the home with the couple. The ghostly figure only known as ‘Mama’ also takes residence to overlook the care of the young children. 50

MAMA is a true homage to everything that’s great about the horror Genre. The tale itself is classic Hammer with echoes to Hitchcock, Spielberg, CHILDREN OF THE CORN, THE OMEN and JU-ON thrown into the mix, really showcasing why generation after generation discover and love horror. I particularly liked that when left alone to care for girls and take on the horrors of Mama, Chastain appears to metamorphose into Shelly Duvall’s character from THE SHINING. I’m not sure if that’s on purpose – but the similarities all be it subtle are definitely there. As for the point of view I decided to take for the review – I thought long and hard over some beers and decided ‘Average Joe’. MAMA is a ‘popcorn’ horror of very high quality. In recent years the only film I can compare it to would be THE WOMAN IN BLACK, which I thoroughly enjoyed and it scared the pants off me. MAMA is a heartfelt piece of storytelling, with some nice ‘jumpy moments’ and exciting from start to finish – there’s literally no down time until the end credits. MAMA promotes everything the FrightFest boys are trying to do for the industry, even if it isn’t quite as cutting edge as, say, THE HUMAN CENTIPEDE or A SERBIAN FILM. Movies like MAMA bring horror to the masses and keep the genre financed so that directors can create the more cutting-edge indie projects. It’s really important films like this are made and this is up there as one of the best for years. It would be hard to recommend a better mainstream scare flick this year. I’m not too certain why this is a 15, though - THE WOMEN IN BLACK was 12A, and MAMA should be a 12A too. - NICK GIBBS-MCNEIL -

*****

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In Cinemas from February 22nd

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hat we have here is a rather neat concept that’s let down by pretty average execution. Hansel & Gretel: Witch Hunters is a classic “what if” tale. It takes the classic H&G fairy tale and explores what happened next, rejoining the siblings as adults. Hansel (Jeremy Renner) and Gretel (Gemma Arterton) survived their childhood ordeal and grew up to become witch hunters for hire. They’re armed to the teeth, and immune to magic. And they hate witches with a passion. They’ve also become celebrities, with newspapers full of their amazing exploits. But they run into more trouble than they expected on their latest job. Hired by a village mayor to investigate the disappearance of several local children (who they suspect have been taken by witches), H&G uncover a plot involving a red moon, ultimate power and a certain super-witch (Fanke Janssen). The plot is simple, and so is the film. To be honest, it’s an absolute 52

mess, not really knowing if it wants to be a full-on, blood-filled actioner or a fairy-tale pisstake (it’s certainly not a kids’ film, that’s for sure). Much of the dialogue is appalling, and for most of the run-time. Renner looks as though he’d rather be anywhere else but on the set of this film. On the plus side, though, it’s stupidly entertaining - especially if you enjoy seeing bodies ripped apart and heads exploding, with blood spraying in all directions. The action, too, is well done, and Arterton proves to be adept at kicking arse. The humour is sparse, but there are a few nice touches - a troll named Edward for one, and Hansel being a diabetic due to his encounter with that witch when he was a child. The film is in 3D, which is decently done, but it doesn’t really add all that much to the experience. Hansel & Gretel: Witch Hunters is a one-star film that manages to score an extra two stars for sheer entertainment value alone, mainly thanks to all the bits. STUART O’CONNOR - Screenjabber.com -

***

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In Cinemas from February 27th 53

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hat begins as a drama about a strained marriage, soon turns into something much more deadly. Husband and wife Alex (Dominic Brunt) and Meg (Joanne Mitchell) decide to take a weekend country break in Yorkshire away from the kids, to escape the city and enjoy some peace and time away together. With their relationship under some strain from Alex struggling to find work, and Meg a workaholic, a short break maybe just what they need. Driving to an idyllic cottage at a remote location, the setting appears perfect. They fail to notice however the blood splattered bonnet on an abandoned car en route. Settling into the cottage, and after an uneventful first evening during which the marital problems continue, things take a major turn the next day on Megâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s morning run. The peace and tranquillity is interrupted when Meg is chased by a zombie, the events of which will change things forever. Before Dawn is directed by and stars Dominic Brunt, ex star of TV show Emmerdale, and who some zombie fans may know runs the Leeds 54

Zombie Film Festival. His co-star Joanne Mitchell is also his real life wife. Shot on a low budget, what stands out about the film is the simplicity of the script, which is turned into an effective horror drama, with solid performances from the small cast, and great use of the enclosed setting and music to build up the tension and need to know what happens next. Building on its central theme of fear and isolation, this brings a strong sense of foreboding. What is also done well is the contrast between the moments of quietness versus the blood and violence, noting the use of fast moving zombies rather than the slow moving variety. Overall, whilst this does not perhaps add anything especially new to the zombie genre, this is a neat little film which hopefully will find an appreciative audience. The Making of Feature attached to the DVD also provides a nice insight into how the film was born and made. Extras: Making of Feature, Trailer, Outtakes, Raw Footage, Directorâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Commentary

****

- DINO MARABESE -

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DVD - 25th February

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on’t be put off by the dry subtitle, “Being an inquiry into THE SHINING in nine parts”, since ROOM 237 is an engaging alternative to the usual horror film-themed documentaries to which we have become accustomed. It’s a love-letter to Stanley Kubrick’s 1980 audience-dividing epic, for sure, but it’s one that remembers the frustration and disappointment it caused many upon its much-hyped release. The movie initially befuddled enough US consumers to prompt Kubrick’s reduction of the running time for UK distribution, but now endures as a modern genre classic with a feature-length study of its own. You would be forgiven for thinking a movie consisting of five academics discussing wildly differing theories of THE SHINING’s true meaning might be a chore to watch. You would also be let off the hook if you still firmly believed (quite sensibly, truth be told) that Kubrick’s THE SHINING was, very simply, a movie in which the depth of the novel was sacrificed so that Jack Nicholson could do his axe-wielding pantovillain star turn. If you already hate the film version of THE SHINING, you won’t find much to cheer about here; your opinion won’t change based on hearing folks with enough time on their hands to watch the movie frame by frame. For THE SHINING’s devoted fans, however, ROOM 237 is an offbeat treat, with a pleasant sense of homage to the movie itself. It starts with a pastiche of the old Warner Bros logo and employs Kubrickian intertitles to pithily link its “nine parts”. Wisely avoiding the repetitive “talking heads” format, director Ascher keeps the commentators off-camera (we’re assuming

at least two of them have beards) and juxtaposes their enthusiastic theories with a brilliantly edited array of key clips from THE SHINING itself, along with animation, re-enactments, connected film clips and footage from Kubrick’s entire back catalogue (check out the identical facial expressions sported by Mad Jack and FULL METAL JACKET’s ill-fated Private Pyle). The commentators themselves will have you bemused, amused and, on occasion, infuriated – but they’re never dull, and you have to admire any analysis of THE SHINING that finds Kubrick’s face in clouds or a mysterious erection popping up in an otherwise innocuous sequence. Bill Blakemore bases his theory that the movie is a metaphor for American Indian genocide on the presence of easily-missed paintings and baking powder cans (!) while Juli Kearns sees a Minotaur on a ski-resort poster (!!). One of the liveliest interpretations paints THE SHINING as a disguised exorcism for Kubrick’s involvement in allegedly faked moon landing footage, ensuring that you never look at Danny’s sweatshirt in the same way again. Geoffrey Cocks thinks it’s all an extended metaphor for the Holocaust, and surely someone else, somewhere must have noticed the similarity of Barry Nelson’s wig to JFK’s hairdo? What is undeniable, however, is how the movie miraculously transforms anal subject matter (these ARE people that have spent time crafting their own Overlook maps) into compelling cinema. If you ever wondered about the benefits of watching THE SHINING conventionally and backwards simultaneously, good news: you’re not alone.

****

-STEVEN WEST -

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REVIEW - DVD ROOM 237 - 18 - 11TH MARCH

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REVIEW - DVD MAY I KILL YOU - 15 - Out now

usually watch horror-comedies with a certain amount of apprehension. For every one that works, such as SHAUN OF THE DEAD, there is one that falls short - such as SIGHTSEERS, or the truly dire LESBIAN VAMPIRE KILLERS. So going in to the latest addition to this style, I was naturally cautious. Thankfully, this apprehension was blown away within the opening minutes of this very smart movie. MAY I KILL U? opens with a series of montages from the 2011 summer riots, and what the film does really

well is touch upon how many of us felt during that time, where we wished that the police could do more. Well in this movie, they do. Kevin Bishop brings the lead role of Baz to life. He’s a vigilante bicycle cop, clearing the scumbags off the streets one by one. As a horror fan I didn’t get that much from this film, but as a comedy it works better and has a few moments dotted through it that appeals to my horror-loving side. As the net closes in on Baz, he hatches an elaborate plan to escape his crimes as his own mother works out that he was the killer and one of his victims survives a dip in the river. MAY I KILL U? is a very smart, wellwritten movie that touches upon and deals with the issues and feelings of the summer riots, but presents us with a lead who we can really identify with. Playing out to our love of demonising the underclasses, it feels like it is us able to see revenge being dished out to the rioter, the woman-beater and even his own uncaring and heartless mother. It isn’t a classic movie by any means, but it is one that I would recommend. I usually judge what makes a good film on two criteria which is would I recommend it and also would I watch it again - and on both of these, I give a resounding yes. Just make sure you haven’t got a criminal record. - KRISTIAN KEOGH.

****

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REVIEW - DVD

FROM BEYOND - 18 - 25th February

s with RE-ANIMATOR, the newly restored, uncut FROM BEYOND starts on a high with a delightfully frenetic and gruesome prologue. At the Pretorius Foundation on the wonderfully named Benevolent Street, Dr Pretorius (Ted Sorel) loses his head while dutiful assistant Jeffrey Combs has his face munched by a slimy worm-like creature before running for his life. Combs subsequently faces trial for Pretorius’ “murder” while repressed, controversial shrink Crampton is assigned to determine his sanity. (In a nice reversal of their REANIMATOR roles. Combs, in between hammy rants (“It bit off his head like a gingerbread man!” he yells in melodramatic close-up), informs the young psychiatrist that Dr Pretorius had set out to prove the normally dormant pineal gland could act as a kind of sixth sense, developing a unique resonator in a bid to activate it. Instead, the machine opened up an alternate dimension full of vicious, tentacle-heavy creatures that would otherwise be invisible and harmless. Combs, his own pineal gland growing abnormally after exposure to the resonator, is written off as a paranoid schizo by the other doctors, so he, Crampton and bemused comic-relief security guard Ken Foree set off for Pretorius’ house to activate the device again and see for themselves the monstrous other world the mad doc has

unleashed. Heavily influenced by the surrealistic, elaborate freak-show mutations of John Carpenter’s THE THING and Cronenberg’s fascination with sexualised body horror, FROM BEYOND never achieves the momentum of RE-ANIMATOR, but showcases a terrific array of grisly 80’s FX that hold up better than ever in this age of soulless, cartoonish CGI. Gordon, again scripting with Dennis Paoli, reunites with key collaborators from the earlier film to impressive effect. 59

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t first glance, Antique Bakery owner Jinhyuk seems to be an overgrown spoiled rich kid who decides to open a cake shop in a bid to attract lady customers. But there is a disturbing - and cake-related - childhood trauma that gives him nightmares. Why does he dream about being a child again, running away from some unnamed menace, covered in blood? Jin-hyuk hires Sun-woo, an attractive pâtissier, to turn his shop into a success, not realising that Sun-woo was the gawky teenager who fancied him in high school. In repeated flashbacks, we see Sun-woo being rejected by Jin-hyuk, involving even more cake-based trauma, and going on to become the hilariouslynamed “gay of demonic charm” - in other words, as it is unkindly described, a “professional homo” - whose good looks lead all men to fall in love with him. They hire enigmatic ex-boxer Gi-beom and dense bodyguard Su-young, and all goes well at first, with enthusiastic cake fiends buying their dazzling and endless supply of calorieuncontrolled delights. Various teenage girls fall in love with the handsome quartet over the icing-sugared sumptuousness. There are some hilarious song and dance routines in the kitchen, with chorus girls popping out of the cakes, icing sugar falling like snow and fantasy sequences around food, flowers and sexual longing. The movie’s plot rattles along with cartoon-frantic speed, fitting given its manga origins, which - along with the gateaux-rich colours, all raspberry red and blueberry cerise - make the viewer feel they may be having an bad acid flashback with their head in a bag of boiled sweets, or as though they are watching an extended ad for French pudding while bolting 60

a few kilograms of chocolate. However, as with all the best horror, the audience is just being softened up for later, darker aspects. Behind all the sugary homoerotica and flirting between cake-baking, there lurks a darker fantasy edge. While delivering cakes as part of the “Handsome Santa Special”, Jinhyuk daydreams darkly about being an “evil Father Christmas” (as Gi-beom observes of him, “rich kids are twisted”). Innocent sweet treats turn evil, as a gateaux knife is used as a murder weapon, and an autopsy on one of the missing children finds an enormous amount of … cake mixture and cherries. The truth is coming out: Jin-hyuk starts to remember being fed cake by his kidnapper, and reveals he has planned revenge by opening the shop to tempt the sweet-toothed psycho back and capture him. Meanwhile, there are some slightly irrelevant back stories. Sun-woo’s ex, a handsome French chef, arrives, argues with him and returns to Paris alone; Gi-beom’s past also comes back to haunt him in the form of an ex-boxer foe. The making-of contains an entertaining featurette of the leads, or “four kinds of sweet men”, as the Korean subtitles have it, gamely learning the film’s skills of dancing, talking French (to Sun-woo’s ex), boxing and patisserie creations. There are also some slightly pointless B-roll of various takes, but more interesting is the trailer of the film, this time with Korean subtitles for the French ex’s dialogue, featuring the characters’ cartoon ancestors. But it’s the flick’s over-the-top cartoon style, topped with a sugared up intensity - look out for Jin-hyuk’s tiny car - that really is the, er, cherry on top. - NINA ROMAIN

***

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REVIEW - DVD ANTIQUE BAKERY - 15 - Out now

FRIGHTFEST: THE HOME OF HORROR

REVIEW - DVD CRAWL - 15 - Out now

ussie thriller CRAWL certainly lives up to its title - the film crawls along at a snail’s pace. Slow moving is not always a problem with cinema, but here, so little happens for the first 30 minutes or so that you struggle to stay focused on the screen. Which is a shame, because CRAWL is not a bad little film once it gets going. A Croatian hit man hired by a small-town publican takes a young waitress hostage when he breaks into her home as she’s waiting for her boyfriend to return from a trip away. The unnamed hit man, 62

played by George Shevtsov, had been hired by the slimy Slim Walding (Paul Holmes) to knock-off a local garage owner over a business deal gone bad. On his way out of town, the killer accidentally runs down the boyfriend of waitress Marilyn Burns (Georgina Haig) - who happens to work at Slim’s pub. Coincidence? Maybe, maybe not. What follows is a slow-burning (and slow moving) game of cat and mouse among our three main protagonists.. CRAWL is the debut feature from Australian writer-director Paul China. He’s been compared to Hitchcock, Polanski and the Coens - and it’s clear to see a lot of talent at work here. The film is tense and suspenseful, aided by the terrific Bernard Hermann-esque score from Christopher Gordon and the atmospheric cinematography of Brian Breheny. It’s a film that rewards patience once you get past the slooooow-moving first half hour and into the meat of the story - helped largely by great acting from the three leads, particularly Haig. It’s a remarkably adept debut, but China relies a little too much on slo-mo, long periods of silence, overused cliches and genre nods (waitress Marilyn being named after the lead actress in The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, for one) and the film feels far too drawn out over its 80-minute runtime. It will be interesting to see what China does next - let’s hope he manages to run this time, rather than crawl. STUART O’CONNOR - Screenjabber.com -

***

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REVIEW - DVD

COMMUNITY - 15 - 11th March

low-budget attempt to re-invigorate the genre, Jason Fords’s ‘COMMUNITY’ ends up being more than just a sum of its parts: initially the film feels like an effort to straddle all horror troupes and styles and please everyone however there is more to it than meets the eye. The plot of ‘COMMUNITY’ concerns Will and Isabelle – two students from the same film course who have thrown together because Isabella needs a cameraman to help her finish the documentary she’s doing on the local estate as part of her course. Her ambitions seem highly commendable: socially responsible filmmaking to affect change. However the estate is an uneasy place and even before thy arrive, strange tales from people they interview set up the mood. To say anymore would take away any surprises ‘COMMUNITY’ might hold for the audience. Although there’s nothing new here under the sun, ‘COMMUNITY’ still ends up being preferable to some of the more excruciating efforts the genre audience has had to suffer through recently. True the performances are wooden and the plot laughable and yet somehow the film manages to surprise once or twice in its treatment of its characters and there is some nice plot development which helps to establish the estate as some sort of Bosch-

like hell. The film trips up regularly in its portrayal of the residents of the estate and the cliché-ridden set-pieces really do hurt the mood – however there is still a sense of menace that surrounds the entire story which is unusual for a film of this kind. Decent sound design add to a modest production which is likely to find an appreciative audience on DVD. All in all ‘COMMUNITY’ might not be a masterpiece but it’s far better than any of us could expect. - EVRIM ERSOY.

***

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REVIEW - DVD Resident Evil: Retribution 3D - 15 - Out now

lice is back is her 55th Resident Evil adventure – I exaggerate a little, but to be honest even I wasn’t too certain how many of these films exist and I’m a fan (This is the fifth film in the series). Right for starters, if you hate the Resident Evil movies – don’t bother reading any further I’m just going to do everything in my power to antagonise you as I love these films. First things first I know these films are 64

a little bit ‘rubbish’ - but I, like millions of other people don’t care. For some reason it’s the franchise that makes critics instantly say “Oh no – not another one”. Yet – they still keep coming and there certainly seem to be no cut backs on the budget. Surely I can’t be the only person watching them. As for the story of the fifth movie – quite frankly I have absolutely no idea what’s going on anymore and I do seem to confuse the Underworld series with Resident Evil quite often, mixing the stories into one franchise. The latest in the series takes us back to the beginning before the first movie (I think?), but with so much jumping about over the five films, I’m not too certain if this is the clone ‘Alice’ I’m watching now or the real ‘Alice’. Actually – was there ever a ‘Real Alice’ – who knows?! It really doesn’t seem to matter – I enjoyed it anyhow. Alice awakes in the ‘Umbrella’ training facility in Russia. When joined by Japanese assassin Ada – they decide to take on three highly dangerous training tasks with a view to destroying the secret base and computer system known as the ‘Red Queen’. Resident Evil: Retribution doesn’t really deliver on a strong story – its more about throwing recognisable characters from the

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REVIEW - DVD DREDD 3D - 15 - Out now

past films into the theatrics and getting them to deliver one liners, fight loads and blow shit up. Is there a story – yeah, but even as a fan, I’d struggle to recite it back – It’s just about Alice and her mates killing monsters and fucking shit up. Writer/Director Paul W Anderson knows what the fans want from his big budget zombie franchise and he delivers again with the latest of the instalment. If you’ve never seen a Resident Evil movie and have quite an open mind on entertainment - you will really enjoy them. If you take you horror/movies very seriously and actually shout at people for ‘not knowing the difference between a good film and a bad film’ (You know the type), you’re likely to gouge your eyes out just reading the description on the back. As for action is 3D – this disc is magnificent. I’m guessing a 2D version on the movie will be fun, but it’s very much developed for the 3D Cinema/TV market and has bundles of set pieces truly only enjoyable with a pair of specs on. Resident Evil: Retribution is a big budget romp of fun and action. Is it critically good? It no longer a matters does it? - NICK GIBBS MCNEIL

****

EGA-City is a downtrodden, violent carcass of human dwelling. The future is less than bright and crime is so bad it has been decided that criminals should be judged on the spot for their wrongdoings. Judge Dredd has a reputation for being the toughest of the law enforcement officers in MEGA-CITY. Dredd has no time for human weakness and the LAW is his life (Since 1995 – I have never been able to write of say the word ‘LAW’ without hearing Stallone say “I am the LAW” in my head – am I alone in this?) Dredd takes a call to one of the many highrise cities that makes up the backdrop of DELTACITY, taking his rookie ‘Anderson’ along to complete her training. When the female ‘King Pin’ Ma-Ma (Lena Headey – Sarah Connor Chronicles) takes a dislike to her unwanted guests investigating the city she reigns over with violence and evil threat – she orders a lockdown to the building and the instant murder of Dredd and Anderson. From here Dredd 3D becomes a ‘Blood fest’ of killing and action galore. Dredd is basically ‘The Raid’, but very much up there with the audience expectations for Super Hero movies in the present day. 2D or 3D this is a cracking action film, if you do have a 3D TV I would highly recommend purchasing the disc. - NICK GIBBS MCNEIL

****

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WII U - AVAILABLE NOW - It’s time again for consumers to decide whether or not to buy yet another new games console. I remember owning my first console, the NES (Nintendo Entertainment System), and thinking it was the most incredible device since the ZX Spectrum. I was strong – no matter how good it was, I would never buy Segas next device; I was with Nintendo forever. Then Sega beat Nintendo with the release of its next generation system, the incredible MegaDrive. I was sucked in – and quite honestly for all the adolescent ranting I did over which was the better console, I bought every device that came into the market from every games company. 66

I started with Spectrum, and then what followed was NES, Sega MegaDrive, Sega Game Gear, Nintendo GameBoy, Super NES, Sony PlayStation, Sony PS2, PS3, Nintendo Wii and then Microsoft Xbox 360. The latest gaming devices to join my rather geeky electronic family tree are the iPad, Nintendo 3DS, 3DS XL, Sony PS VITA, Kurio and now the highly anticipated new console from Nintendo – the Wii U. So why is the Wii U better than the original Wii? At first glance the Wii U console doesn’t look very different to the original Wii. Yet again it’s a small, easy-to-store system, although this time around it has some of the sexy sleekness you get from PlayStation 3’s design.

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REVIEW - GAMES

Wii U is completely compatible with the original handsets and game, an added bonus in this cash-strapped economy. What’s new is a tablet-style Gamepad to enhance the gaming activity. The Gamepad is roughly the size of a small iPad, albeit slightly more bulky in its presentation. The screen is a good size, and is sharp and clear. But the big selling point is that if someone in your abode wants the TV back to watch EastEnders when you’re halfway through a game, you can swap the gameplay from your TV to the Gamepad screen to continue your adventures. On many of the games the pad acts as a way of following maps, the weapons menu or helps you follow instruction while the action continues on the TV. In the past you had to pause the game, press select, scroll the menu screens and then work your way back to continue the game. Gone are those days of tedious stop-start gaming; once you get your head around doing two things at the same time, the pace of the game is never disrupted. As an entertainment system, the Wii U is now in a position to not just keep its family gaming audience happy but tap into that all-important Xbox/PS3-loving “serious gamer”

market. Launch games included titles such as family favourites Super Mario U, NintendoLand, Just Dance 4, Epic Mickey 2 and Sonic All Stars Transformed. Not content with having full control of the family gaming market Nintendo has made clear its intention to offers something new and thrilling to grab the attention of the hardcore gamers with titles such as Zombie U, Call of Duty: Black Ops 2, Assassin’s Creed 3, Batman Arkham City, FIFA 13 and Ninja Gaiden 3. Wii U is a full-HD device and although there is still no playback for either DVD or Blu-ray, the console has access to all the latest movies and TV shows via the Netflix and LoveFilm apps. And much like the video games, if you wish to watch something on the small game pad screen rather than the full-screen TV, the option is there. The Wii U is a magnificent new chapter in the world of Nintendo and will revolutionise the way we enjoy and interact with our games consoles. Wii U is very much the future of home entertainment, and I can’t wait to see how Microsoft and Sony respond with their new consoles. Exciting times – watch this space for news of the next generation Xbox and Playstation. - NICK GIBBS MCNEIL

*****

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atman’s my Super Hero – so I always get a little excited if anything’s released around the character. I’d played this game before on the PS3 and it’s a really cool take on Bob Kanes wonderfully dark character and Super Villains. As for the Wii U disc, it comprises of all the original content seen on other formats of Arkham City as well as the new levels created for download, making this the ultimate package for fans of the game. Of the games I’ve played Arkham City probably makes the most and has the most fun with the Wii U game pad. It takes a bit of getting used to – but once you get you head around the Pad as you communicator, map and weapon menu – you become engulfed in the virtual world of Gotham’s dark nightlife. The game play can get a bit repetitive at times – but overall this is a great first adventure for the Dark Knight to the Wii U. Well worth a Bat Dance!! - NICK GIBBS MCNEIL

**** 69

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REVIEW - GAMES

WII U - NINJA GARDEN 3 - PEGI 18 Easily my favourite Wii U game available for the adult end of the market. Ninja for hire Ryu is called in to take on the threat of a terrorist cult called The Lords of Alchemy. NG3 offers players the chance to smash and slash a whole host of villains and buildings to restore order back to the real world. The game is full of beautifully developed backdrops from all around the world – our own London being the initial start for the adventure – and a whole host of weapons are on offer to cause mayhem. There’s nothing more satisfying than slicing and dicing your opponents with a blood-fest that a vampire would be more than comfortable with. Also, the yell of 70

“Fuck you” as Ryu decapitates a baddie is hilarious and really adds to the fun of the game. I’m guessing the gameplay repetition may be a little too much for some gamers – but for a part time player like me it’s perfect. My favourite weapon: the bow and arrow! As for the new Wii U Gamepad, this game uses it really well, making it easier to navigate around locations and more importantly offering the small-screen play if someone in the house hold wishes to watch TV. Ninja Garden 3 is the video game equivalent of a stress ball – highly recommended.

- NICK GIBBS MCNEIL

****

FRIGHTFEST: THE HOME OF HORROR

REVIEW - GAMES

WII U - ZOMBIE U- PEGI 18 This is the game I love to hate on Wii U. It’s an absolutely brilliant idea, but frustrating! London has been hit by a zombie holocaust, the undead walk, very few humans survive … yada, yada. With a style that’s similar to the wonderful Resident Evil franchise, the game opens in a derelict part of an underground station, where you find yoursef taking advice via an intercom from an army captain. Using instructions from your guide, you must find a way to survive and escape the onslaught of killer zombies as you navigate to safety. When you die (and I mean when, not if, because I’m so shit at video games) you start back at the beginning and return as another character with details on the

achievements of the last. Eventually, with your new character, you will come across your previous character in its now-zombiefied incarnation – kill it and you can reclaim the weapons and supplies you built up. Zombie U is a fascinating concept for a horror survival game and plays really well. For me it just became too damn frustrating, but I’m guessing the more gifted and patient video games will enjoy it far more. This game uses the Wii U Gamepad really well and it certainly helps add to the fast pace and atmospheric feel of the gameplay. FrightFest fans will love Zombie U – a genuinely unique and authentic take on this side of the horror genre. - NICK GIBBS MCNEIL

****

FRIGHTFEST: THE HOME OF HORROR

REVIEW - GAMES

WII U - CALL OF DUTY: BLACK OPS 2 - PEGI 18 Men love war games, men love big guns, men love shooting shit and men love adventure. How this game doesn’t come with a man-sized bottle of Old Spice I’ll never know, but there’s a shitload of testosterone oozing from Black Ops 2. As with the other Call of Duty games, the Wii U version offers a whole host of stupidly dangerous missions and people/things to blow up with big guns. The gameplay is easy to pick up and the pace is great – made that much better with the use of the Wii U Gamepad to navigate around levels and pick your artillery from the easy-to-access menu screen. I like playing this game in multiplayer mode more than doing the campaigns. Online it’s cracking fun, but I prefer playing 72

in the lounge against friends as one can use the TV and screen and the other the Gamepad. This really adds to the intensity of snipering your opponents – as long as the one using the Gamepad doesn’t cheat and occasionally look at the TV screen. Also the FrightFest massive will be pleased to know the Wii U disc has the extra bonus challenge of a Zombie U’esque mission. It’s pretty much the same game but on a smaller scale – shoot shitloads of zombies and stay alive as long as possible. Nice. Call of Duty uses the new Wii U technology really well and is certainly up there as a must own game for men who like to fuck shit up! - NICK GIBBS MCNEIL

****

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REVIEW - GAMES

WII U - ASSASSIN’S CREED 3 - PEGI 18 I’d never actually played an Assassin’s Creed game before and was pleasantly surprised by the theatrics of the styling. Lead character Desmond Miles is an assassin for hire who jumps through time to take out targets and restore order to the timeline. Somewhere in the stories there’s something about Knights of the Templar and a race of alien Egyptians. I struggled a little bit to follow this, but it didn’t seem to hurt my enjoyment of the game. This is easily the most beautifully dynamic of the new Wii U games I tested; it's crafted so well that it feels a little like an interactive Highlander sequel. The graphics are exceptionally animated and the story worthy of a big-budget cinema outing.

Controls for Assassin’s Creed 3 are easy to master and it uses the new Wii U Gamepad really well, with the aspect of using the pad in ‘the real world’ to search around for target as if they were in your lounge being a nice touch. Fans of the franchise should be really impressed by the transfer from Xbox360/ PS3 to Wii U and anyone like me who have never played the past games will enjoy starting from Episode 3. Cracking fun. - NICK GIBBS MCNEIL

****

The best of the Wii U family-friendly games Super Mario Bros. U - Sonic All Stars Racing Transformed - NintendoLand - Epic Mickey 2: The Power of Two - Rabbids Land - Sing Party 73

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