Ahead of the UK premiere of graphic and disturbing supernatural horror film THE WELL at FrightFest Glasgow 2024, director Federico Zampaglione talks about returning to hardcore horror, working with the late, great Giovanni Lombardo Radice and emerging from the shadow of Italian masters of the genre.
Federico Zampaglione on the set of THE WELL
So, Federico, THE WELL has its UK premiere at the Glasgow Film Festival, as part of the popular FrightFest event. Excited, or what?
Frightfest it’ s the place where everything has started in 2009 and it’s one of the best festivals in the world. I can’ t wait to show THE WELL to the UK fans.
What inspired you to make the movie?
Wanting to get back on the horror horse! I deeply love this genre, because it speaks to the human soul, investigates our unknown fears and gets lost in deep darkness whilst clinging to a blade of light. THE WELL pushes at the most extreme emotions, destroying the border between reality and fantasy, good and evil, life and death. You will discover that evil has new depths”. Hopefully, it brings new life into contemporary Italian horror.
Without giving too much away, how would you describe THE WELL?
The Well is a terror puncher. My regular screenwriting partner and I started throwing ideas around – from The Picture of Dorian Gray, Countess Dracula and The Texas Chain Saw Massacre – and one concept I kept coming back to was the double level chiller, a sort of ‘Upstairs, Downstairs’ type of story. Then I was discussing with my wife (actress Giglia Marra), what the scariest place in the world could be and she came
up with a well. Trapped deep underground in a constricting space full of dank water, what could be worse?
Lauren LaVera as Lisa in THE WELL
It’s a terrific cast, a combination of rising talent such as Lauren LaVera and Taylor Zaudtke, mixed with legends like Claudia Gerini and Giovanni Lombardo Radice. And one of your daughters has a substantial role. Take us through the process.
I saw Terrifier 2 and liked it a lot, it was a full-on, no excuses gore-fest and Lauren LaVera was a fantastic anchor. So, I contacted her on social media and told her I was about to make this new horror movie and that she would be great as the main character. She was interested, I sent her the script, two days later she said she loved it. I couldn’t be happier with all the casting choices. It was a great experience. Every single actor was so talented and inspired and a real pleasure to work with.
Sadly, Radice passed away a few weeks after filming THE WELL. How would you describe his legacy?
He was an immense actor and a very unique guy. Despite him being just in a cameo role he gave an incredible strength to a very important moment of the film. When I knew he passed away I felt very sad. It was an honour to share the set with such a legend.
You’re on record as saying you were very determined not to compromise on the horror, suggesting that extreme gore is where the zeitgeist is. Can you explain in more detail?
Just look at Terrifier 2, Scream VI and Evil Dead Rise. No compromises. I wanted . The film is very graphic. Importantly both producers didn’t want me to lighten the horror. They insisted it be gory in the extreme, so it gets really nasty and brutal at times. The master of practical effects, Carlo Diamantini, did a very impressive job. You will feel on your own skin every single moment of pain because that’s where the zeitgeist is.
Are you worried that the film is too extreme for the mainstream genre audience?
It’ s definitely extreme but you also have some touching dramatic moments and a little bit of black humour in a couple of scenes as well. Just to make you breathe in that bloodbath.
Guron in THE WELL
The Well is set to solidify your reputation as a stand-alone genre filmmaker. Has it been tough coming out from the shadow of other Italian genre filmmakers, such as Argento?
Yes, very tough. We all love and respect the great Masters of Italian horror, but they can easily overshadow you . I learned so much from them and I have a beautiful relationship with a lot of them; but at the same time I’ m working on my style …to get better and better and deliver my own vision of the darkness.
What is your opinion of the current horror trends? Do you have a favourite film of 2023?
This is a very good moment ! I loved ” When evil lurks”, ” Talk to me” , “Speak no evil”,
“Barbarians” and many others. It seems that this genre is getting to the next level.
Finally, what’s next?
Who knows ?…
THE WELL is showing at the Glasgow Film Theatre on Sat 9 March, 6.05pm, as part of FrightFest Glasgow 2024. Lauren LaVera and Federico Zampaglone will be attending.
FrightFest, the UK’s No.1 horror fantasy event, which returns to the Glasgow Film Festival for its 19th year from Thurs 7 March to Sat 9 March 2024, is pleased to announce the incredible line-up of talent that will grace the Glasgow Film Theatre stage.
Schitt’s Creek and The Rig star Emily Hampshire will be hosting the World Premiere of MOM, alongside the film’s director Adam O’Brien. Emily not only stars in the film but is also Executive Producer.
Lauren LaVera
We will also have mega-genre talent Lauren LaVera, in the house. The star of Terrifier 2 and the forthcoming Terrifier 3, will present her latest terrifying movie, THE WELL, alongside Italian director Federico Zampaglione.
Abigail Hardingham will also be joining us. The star of The Missing and Nina Forever, is here for the World premiere of CUSTOM, a passion project, which she stars in and co-produces. The film’s director, Tiago Teixeira, making his impactful feature film debut, will also be attending, as will the film’s co-star Samantha Steel.
Also making their feature film debut with KILL YOUR LOVER are the dynamic filmmaker duo Alix Austin and Keir Siewert. They will be in Glasgow, alongside key cast, Paige Gilmour and Fair City’sShane Quigley-Murphy.
The monster may be invisible but the talent behind THE INVISIBLE RAPTOR are not. Joining us are writer, lead actor and producer Mike Capes and actor David Shackleford.
The genre is currently blessed with emerging new auteurs and we’re thrilled to welcome two talented directors into the fold – Paul Duane, director of ALL YOU NEED IS DEATH and Alan Scott Neal, director of LAST STRAW.
If you want to join us there are still some tickets on sale.
Please note that all films contain graphic scenes of strong violence and sustained threat.
Coming to NYX UK from Wednesday Feb 7th is ELVIRA’S MOVIE MACABRE, which revives the iconic horror hostess Elvira, Mistress of the Dark, as portrayed by Cassandra Peterson, in a TV series that showcases a wide array of classic and cult horror films. Each episode features Elvira’s unique take on a different horror or B-movie, from low-budget slashers to monster flicks, providing entertainment that goes beyond the films themselves.
Two widely respected kings of the genre pop up throughout the month. Kicking off The Original NYX TV Series on Monday nights is Chris Alexander, former editor of Fangoria, who offers a deep dive into the realm of Canadian horror cinema, spotlighting some of the genre’s most influential and intriguing films. Alexander brings his extensive knowledge and passion to the series, guiding viewers through a curated selection of films that includes SHIVERS, RITUALS, TERROR TRAIN and CANNIBAL GIRLS.
And FrightFest Saturday Scares with Alan Jones continues on Saturdays nights, with our genial host introducing and discussing his favourite films, including TENEBRAE and ALICE SWEET ALICE.
On February 4th, fans of horror cinema come together to celebrate the birthday of George A. Romero, a visionary director who revolutionized the zombie genre. In honour of his legacy, NYX UK are presenting a special double feature, showcasing two of his most influential works: THE CRAZIES and NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD. These films not only highlight Romero’s talent as a filmmaker but also his ability to infuse horror with social commentary, making them enduring classics in the genre.
Rabid
Premieres this month are spearheaded by the 2019 remake of RABID directed by the Soska Sisters, which brilliantly reinvigorates David Cronenberg’s 1977 horror classic with a modern and thought-provoking twist. Then we have THE HOUSE THAT DRIPPED BLOOD, a British horror anthology film directed by Peter Duffell, which weaves together a collection of spine-tingling tales, each linked by a mysterious and ominous house. And finally, there is PUPPET SHARK, a unique entry in the world of horror cinema, which distinguishes itself with an all-puppet cast, bringing a distinctive and whimsical twist to the genre.
NYX Corporation, based in Canada, is a global media content distribution network specialising in the horror genre. The company delivers high-quality programmed content across linear digital broadcast TV networks. First launched in the UK late 2022, NYX will also move into the US markets in 2024. NYX is dedicated to curating a unique and entertaining blend of horror films and TV series and invites genre fans to delve into a world of carefully selected horror content – for free!
Pigeon Shrine FrightFest announces additional film to its 2024 Glasgow Film Festival line-up
FrightFest, the UK’s No.1 horror fantasy event, which returns to the renowned Glasgow Film Festival for its 19th year, from Thurs 7 March to Sat 9 March 2024, has announced it will be screening the UK premiere of THE SOUL EATER.
From co-directors Julien Maury and Alexandre Bustillo, who, as part of the vanguard of French Extreme cinema brought you INSIDE, LIVID, AMONG THE LIVING and THE DEEP HOUSE., now unleash their most devilish and sinister creation to date.
FRIDAY 8 MARCH – GFT Screen 1
13:00 THE SOUL EATER (UK premiere)
Directors Julien Maury, Alexandre Bustillo Cast Virginie Ledoyen, Paul Hamy,Sandrine Bonnaire, Francis RenaudFrance 2024 1hr50m 18 Thanks to WTF Films
Synopsis: Two detectives with completely different work methods are sent to the sleepy French mountain town of Roquenoir. One is investigating a series of gruesome deaths. The other is searching for some missing local children. Soon they realise their cases are connected… by an old folklore legend of a malevolent creature, the terrifying incarnation of the Soul Eater.
Individual tickets for the Fri/Sat films are on sale Mon 29 January, from noon. Price: £11.80 / £9.50 (concessions).
Please note that all films contain graphic scenes of strong violence and sustained threat.
From Mon Feb 19 – Sat Feb 24, at 9pm, LEGEND goes into battle with WAR STORIES, a season of warfare action and drama, spearheaded by the Channel premieres of Enzo G. Castellari’s terrific WW2 exploitation actioner THE INGLORIOUS BASTARDS (which inspired Tarantino’s 2009 movie) and the Battle of the Bulge thriller COMPANY OF HEROES, starring Tom Sizemore and Vinnie Jones.
Other titles deployed are hard-hitting WW2 thrillers WAR PIGS, starring Dolph Lundgren and Mickey Rourke and WHEELS OF TERROR, starring Bruce Davison, Oliver Reed and David Carradine. Then there’s desert sniper thriller THE WALL, starring John Cena and Sidney J. Furie’s aerial action sequel IRON EAGLE II, starring Louis Gosset Jr.
Other channel premieres include full-throttle thriller THE COURIER, starring Olga Kurylenko, Terence Young’s wild spaghetti western RED SUN, gritty Canadian crime drama 2:22, starring Val Kilmer, Tony Scott’s acclaimed psychological thriller THE FAN, starring Robert De Niro and Wesley Snipes, KING ARTHUR: EXCALIBUR RISING, a vivid re-imagining of the Arthurian legend, hot crime drama NO MERCY, starring Richard Gere and Kim Basinger and the sci-fi thriller PROSPECT, heralded as the best indie sci-fi since Moon.
This month’s THE VINTAGE VAULT, which journeys into the history of genre cinema every Sunday night, includes such classics as THE CURSE OF THE WEREWOLF, THE DAY OF THE TRIFFIDS (1962), DR TERROR’S HOUSE OF HORRORS and THE PLAGUE OF THE ZOMBIES.
Legend premieres in transmission order:
Sat 3 Feb @ 21:00 – THE COURIER (2019) *Channel Premiere
Set against a gritty London backdrop, Olga Kurylenko plays a tough motorbike courier who discovers that one of the packages she’s transporting is a bomb, and that it is set to kill the only witness able to testify against ruthless crime lord Ezekiel Mannings (Gary Oldman). Can she evade Manning’s heavily armed army ad deliver justice?
Thurs 8 Feb @ 21:00 – RED SUN (1971) *Channel premiere
A gang robs a train and steals a ceremonial Japanese sword meant as a gift for the U.S. President, prompting a manhunt to retrieve it. Starring Charles Bronson, Toshirō Mifune, Alain Delon and Ursula Andress.
Fri 9 Feb @ 22:55 – 2:22 (2008) *Channel Premiere
The plan was easy. The job was not. On a snowy night, a tight-knit crew of four criminals plan to pull of a routine heist. When things go horribly wrong, friendship, loyalty and trust are pushed to the limit. A Canadian crime thriller directed by Phillip Guzman and starring Mick Rossi, Robert Miano, Aaron Gallagher, and Jorge A. Jiminez.
Sat 10 Feb @ 21:00 – THE FAN (1996) *Channel Premiere
The impressive career of baseball superstar Bobby Rayburn (Wesley Snipes) means more to Gil Renard (Robert De Niro) than any other fan. However, Renard’s fixation starts to cross the line when his own life begins spiralling downward, and when his hero is replaced in the team, Renard’s obsession takes a deadly turn.
Thurs 15 Feb @ 21.00 – KING ARTHUR: EXCALIBUR RISING (2017) *Channel premiere
In the heat of battle, Arth-yr lands his son, Mordred, a fatal blow with the legendary Excalibur, sword before receiving a deadly wound himself. Before dying, he tasks his loyal knight Sir Bedivere with returning Excalibur, the source of Arth-yr’s powers, to the Lady in the Lake.
Sat 17 Feb @ 21:00 – NO MERCY (1986) *Channel Premiere
Chicago detective Eddie Jillette (Richard Gere) poses as a hitman, but things go wrong, and his partner is brutally murdered. He follows suspect Michel (Kim Basinger) back to New Orleans and learns she in connected to a shadowy figure named Losado (Jeroen Krabbé). To bring him out in the open, Eddie abducts Michel, knowing the consequences could be fatal.
Mon 19 Feb @ 21:00 – THE INGLORIOUS BASTARDS (1978) *Channel Premiere *Part of War Stories Season
Rebel AAC pilot Bob Yeager (Bo Svenson) and surly private Fred Canfield (Fred Williamson) are among a dozen soldiers on their way to face court-martials. But when German aircraft strafe their truck the pack of ex-crooks, loafers and misfits decide to fight their way to freedom in Switzerland – stealing a Nazi V2 rocket warhead en route.
Sat 24 Feb @ 21:00 – COMPANY OF HEROES (2013) *Channel Premiere *Part of War Stories Season
During the last major German offensive of World War II, a company of American soldiers is lost behind enemy lines during the Battle of the Bulge, and they make a horrific discovery – Hitler has a super bomb in development. Faced with impossible odds, the company and an escaping POW go on a daring raid into the heart of Nazi Germany in pursuit of the scientist. in charge of a Hitler’s weapons programme.
Thurs 29 Feb @ 21:00 – PROSPECT (2018) *Channel Premiere
A teenage girl and her father travel to a remote alien moon, aiming to strike it rich. They’ve secured a contract to harvest elusive gems hidden in the depths of the moon’s toxic forest. But there are others roving the wilderness and the job quickly devolves into a fight to survive. Stars Pedro Pascal, Sophie Thatcher and Jay Duplass.
FILM NEWS (UK): Pigeon Shrine FrightFest announces 2024 Glasgow Film Festival line-up
FrightFest, the UK’s No.1 horror fantasy event, returns to the renowned Glasgow Film Festival for its 19th year, from Thurs 7 March to Sat 9 March 2024.
This year’s diverse and creative line-up, once again housed at the iconic Glasgow Film Theatre, showcases the latest new releases from the horror, chiller and fantastic realms by auteurs from all over the globe who are not only transforming the genre in exciting ways but also celebrating its consistent appeal at the box office. This year we will be presenting twelve films from eight countries, spanning three continents, including two world and eight UK premieres.
Festival co-director Alan Jones says, “We live in amazing times of change in the delivery of the audiovisual experience, but festivals like the GFF and FrightFest remain constant and committed to bringing all of these advances together for lively debate because the magic of cinema knows no boundaries”.
YOU’LL NEVER FIND ME
FrightFest kicks off in thrilling style on Thurs 7 March with a special UK premiere screening of twisted terror tale YOU’LL NEVER FIND ME, a bold directorial debut from Australian filmmaking duo Josiah Allen & Indianna Bell and featuring outstanding central performances from Jordan Cowan & Brendan Rock.
FrightFest’s traditional two-day event opens on Friday 8 March with a surprise film to be announced shortly. Next is the UK premiere of Mathieu Turi’s THE DEEP DARK, an award-winning creature feature from the director of Hostile, which takes you on a dark voyage to the edge of limitless horrific imagination.
This is followed by another creature feature, but one you can’t see! Mike Hermosa’s gloriously entertaining splatter monster comedy THE INVISIBLE RAPTOR, enjoys its UK premiere.
The 8.45pm presentation is one not to miss. From RKSS, the directorial collective behind Turbo Kid and Summer of ’84, comes the UK premiere of WAKE UP, a fresh take on the slasher genre where classic adrenaline-fuelled horror and Gen Z environmental issues collide in one twisted night from hell.
THE INVISIBLE RAPTOR
Friday evening climaxes with the UK premiere of KILL YOUR LOVER, an uncompromising, wild, body horror shocker from co-directors Alix Austin and Keir Siewert, marking their debut feature in punky style.
Saturday’s bloody menu starts with the World premiere of MOM, a striking, provocative and consuming psychological horror anchored with an incredible performance by Schitt’s Creek star Emily Hampshire. Served up next is the Scottish premiere of flesh-eating feast, THE FUNERAL, a gripping body shocker from Turkish director Orcun Behram.
Lauren LaVera in THE WELL
Then we have the World premiere of CUSTOM, the long awaited first feature from award-winning, Brazilian-born and UK-based filmmaker Tiago Teixeira. In this paranoid horror thriller, which stars Abigail Hardingham, Teixeira brilliantly blurs the lines between death and sex, reality and fantasy,
The evening programme opens with the UK premiere of Federico Zampaglione’s THE WELL. Federico Zampaglione, the Italian Rob Zombie, director of Shadow and Tulpa: Demon of Desire, returns to the extreme horror genre with a dark supernatural chiller starring Lauren LaVera, fresh from her eye-catching lead role in the box-office phenomenon Terrifier 2.
Then we have the UK premiere of the unsettling folk horror tale ALL YOU NEED IS DEATH. Echoing the early work of Ben Wheatley and Peter Strickland, Paul Duane’s ethnomusicology shocker is one of the most unique and unsettling cautionary folk horror tales of the year.
Last but not least, do you dare enter the killing fields of LAST STRAW. Alan Scott Neal makes a vibrant directorial debut with his hard-hitting diner-invasion thriller, a welcome addition to the canon of socially on-trend genre movies.
Plus, there are premieres of two shorts, both from up-and-coming Scottish filmmakers. MOUSE is a pin-sharp stalker thriller from Ewan j Fletcher and SUBJECT 73, is a twisty morality tale from Reiff Gaskell.
SUBJECT 73
FrightFest Weekend Passes are £83 and available from noon on Friday 19 January 2024. Passes will be exchanged for admission wristbands, which must be worn at all times to access all FrightFest films on Fri 8 March and Sat 9 March ONLY.
Tickets for YOU WILL NEVER FIND ME, plus individual tickets for the Fri/Sat films are on sale Mon 29 January, from noon. Price: £11.80 / £9.50 (concessions).
Please note that all films contain graphic scenes of strong violence and sustained threat.
Telephone: 0141 332 6535 (£1.50 fee per transaction, voice-mail available during peak business periods.
In person: Glasgow Film Theatre, 12 Rose Street, Glasgow G3 6RB.
Pass Booking opens Friday 19 Jan at 12:00, individual films open Mon 29 Jan at 12:00
Glasgow Film Theatre Cinecard members get 4 days early-access to individual films from January 26 at noon, as well as discounted tickets for each performance.
Programme details
THURS 7 MARCH – GFT Screen 1
20:50 YOU’LL NEVER FIND ME (UK Premiere)
Directors: Josiah Allen & Indianna Bell. Cast: Brendan Rock, Jordan Cowan. Australia 2023. Ihr33min. 18.
Synopsis: An isolated man living in the back of a desolate caravan park is visited by a desperate young woman seeking shelter from a violent storm. As the savage storm worsens, these solitary souls begin to feel threatened- but who should really be afraid?
FRIDAY 8 MARCH – GFT Screen 1
13:00 TBC
15:25 THE DEEP DARK (UK Premiere)
Director: Mathieu. Turi Cast: Samuel LeBihan, Amir El Kacem, Jean-Hughes Anglade. France 2023 1hr41m 18.
Synopsis: It’s 1856 and in the historic coal mines of Northern France a group of miners find themselves trapped in the subterranean depths after a cave-in. But they are not alone…Decades later veteran miner Roland accompanies Professor Berthier underground to take samples. A sudden landslide prevents them from surfacing, and they too must face the ancient mutant that constantly craves blood.
18:00: THE INVISIBLE RAPTOR (UK premiere)
Director: Mike Hermosa. Cast: Mike Capes, Sean Astin, Sandy Martin. USA 2023 1hr52m 18.
Synopsis: The Tyler Corporation has figured out how to genetically engineer a prehistoric raptor, but they didn’t stop there…they also made it invisible. Unfortunately for them, he’s a really smart invisible raptor. After breaking out of it’s enclosure, it’s now up to amusement park palaeontologist, Dr Grant Walker and hapless Security Guard, Denny Denielson to stop the predator before it wreaks havoc on the entire community of Spielburgh County.
20:45: WAKE UP (UK Premiere)
Directors: François Simard, Anouk Whissell, Yoann-Karl Whissell. Cast: Turlough Convery, Benny O. Arthur, Jacqueline Moré. Canada 2023 1hr20m 18.
Synopsis: A group of young activists set out to make a political statement by vandalizing a home superstore as it closes. But their plan goes terribly wrong when they become trapped inside and must face a deranged security guard with a gruesome passion for primitive hunting. As the night fills with violence and terror, a desperate fight for their lives begins.
Synopsis: A young woman faces great danger as she walks home at night through a predatory city. Or does she?
23:05 KILL YOUR LOVER (UK Premiere)
Directors: Alix Austin, Keir Siewert. Cast: Paige Gilmour, Shane Quigley Murphy, May Kelly. UK 2023 1hr17m 18.
Synopsis: Dakota has had enough of her toxic relationship with Axel, but the feeling isn’t mutual. As she tries to end things, Axel begins turning into something different, something monstrous. He gradually succumbs to the poison of the decaying relationship, becoming a creature with increased aggression, a touch that melts skin and worst of all, he’s contagious.
SATURDAY 9 MARCH – GFT Screen 1
10:30 MOM (World Premiere)
Director: Adam O’Brien. Cast: Emily Hampshire, François Arnaud, Christian Convery. USA/Canada 2023 1hr36m 18.
Synopsis: Meredith is a struggling mother abandoned by her family and partner after the appalling death of their newborn son. Alone in her house, she becomes more isolated, unaware that the death of her baby has caused the birth of something far more sinister.
13:00 THE FUNERAL (Scottish Premiere)
Director: Orcun Behram. Cast Ahmet Rifat Sungar, Cansu Türedi, Tekin Temel. Turkey 2023 1hr48m 18.
Synopsis: Cemal, a lonely hearse driver, has been entrusted to secretly transport the body of a murdered young woman, Zeynep, to her parents’ home at their final request. But during the journey the woman’s body comes back to life, Cemal falls in love with the undead woman. Now he must constantly feed her flesh by committing his own murders.
Synopsis: Jasper and Harriet are arthouse pornographers struggling to make ends meet. Their stock in trade is producing custom made erotic films for an exclusive clientele into the forbidden, the shocking and the strange. As they hit rock bottom that’s when they encounter ‘The Audience’, a mysterious client offering life-changing money to perform strange rituals on videotape.
Plus, SUBJECT 73(World Premiere)
Director: Reiff Gaskell. Cast: Freya Warsi. UK 2023. 7 mins.
Synopsis: In a mysterious experiment, a participant’s pursuit of wealth unravels as money and morality clash.
Synopsis: Lisa Gray (Lauren LaVera), a budding art restorer, travels to the small Italian village of Sambuci just outside Rome to bring a medieval painting back to its former glory for a wealthy and titled client. Little does she know she is placing her life in danger from an evil curse and a monster born of myth and brutal pain.
20:25 ALL YOU NEED IS DEATH (UK Premiere)
Director: Paul Duane. Cast: Simone Collins, Olwen Fouéré, Gary Whelan. Ireland 2023 1hr30m 18.
Synopsis: A young couple records and collects folk songs in rural Ireland, selling them to a mysterious, rich buyer. When rumours of a song never-before-heard reach the couple, they find themselves in an uneasy alliance with a music professor to discover an ancient song, a taboo ballad that may end up unlocking some dark truth from the forgotten past that will alter all their isolated lives.
22:45 LAST STRAW (UK Premiere)
Director: Alan Scott Neal. Cast :Jessica Belkin, Jeremy Sisto, Taylor Kowalski. USA 2023 1hr21m 18
Synopsis: A rural roadside diner becomes the host of a maniacal killing spree – leaving young waitress Nancy to clean up the bloody mess. After firing the staff at her dad’s diner, she covers the last shift of the night by herself. Little does she know though; she is far from alone. The day is coming back to haunt her and when things begin to spiral out of control, she must fight for her life over the course of one long night.
FrightFest, dubbed “the Woodstock of Gore” by director Guillermo Del Toro, was set up in 2000. It has grown in size and stature since its cult roots at the Prince Charles Cinema and today is internationally renowned for discovering exciting and original horror fantasy genre films and for supporting the talent behind them, helping to launch the careers of such directors as Simon Rumley, Christopher Smith, Eli Roth, Neil Marshall and Simon Hunter.
Over the years the festival directors, Greg Day, Alan Jones, Paul McEvoy and Ian Rattray, have developed FrightFest into a brand leader for horror film, expanding its footprint in the UK by hosting special events throughout the year and joining forces with the Glasgow Film Festival, where they run an established three-day event. They have teamed up with FAB Press to publish a series of ‘The FrightFest Guide To…’ books and have an exclusive partnership with Signature Entertainment to release films under the festival’s thriving label ‘FrightFest Presents’. You can catch the documentary FRIGHTFEST: BENEATH THE DARK HEART OF CINEMA on Amazon
Glasgow Film Festival (GFF) is firmly established as a key event in the UK’s cultural calendar. Launched in 2005, GFF has grown greatly in significance and is now a key launching pad for films and one of the top film festivals in the UK. GFF continues to grow and develop its international reputation. Held annually, it presents a unique programme of feature film premieres, special events, live and interactive experiences, and an Industry Focus programme for filmmakers at every stage of their career.
GFF was named the Big Screen Event of the Year at Screen International’s Big Screen Awards in November 2022 for achieving a record high of 73% audience capacity at its first in-person edition post-Covid.
Previous GFF guests include Richard Gere, Alan Rickman, John C. Reilly, Saoirse Ronan, George MacKay, Richard Dreyfuss, Karen Gillan, Jessie Buckley, Sir. Michael Palin, Josh O’Connor, Ben Wheatley, Armando Iannucci, Jack O’Connell, Dexter Fletcher, Peter Mullan, George Sluizier, Peter Capaldi, Ty West, Richard Ayoade, David Dastmalchian, and Jean-Pierre Jeunet.https://www.glasgowfilmfest.org/home/
You can access a range of stills from the GFF Fright Fest line-up here: {X}
For more information or interviews, please contact Rebecca Garvey, GFF Press Coordinator: rebecca.garvey@glasgowfilm.org
Ahead of the Jan 20 launch of FRIGHTFEST SATURDAY SCARES WITH ALAN JONES on Fast TV channel NYX, Alan recounts his rise to journalistic prominence – from stealing shocker posters and partying with ABBA to falling out with filmmakers and writing his upcoming autobiography.
Did you know from a young age that you wanted to be a journalist?
Alan: No, I loved horror and fantasy movies from the age of ten, or rather the idea of them because obviously I couldn’t go to the cinema and see anything of that nature. I read horror novels nonstop, stole shocker posters pasted up on the billboards at the end of my street, cut out all the wonderfully lurid adverts from newspapers and pasted them into scrapbooks. I was literally waiting for the moment I could pass for sixteen so I could get into X films and start watching all the movies I was desperate to catch up on.
Can you describe how you got your “big break” into journalism?
Alan: To cut a very long story short – in the early 1970s I worked as a receptionist at the Portobello Hotel in Notting Hill Gate. It was, and still is, a mega-celebrity watering hole and I partied with everyone from ABBA and David Bowie to Queen and Jack Nicholson. One of the guests was sci-fi writer Harlan Ellison who caught me one night writing up film reviews. Before I could stop him, Harlan was reading some entries and he told me he liked my style and that he knew an editor in the USA who could use my ‘talents’. That was Frederick S. Clarke, the editor of the seminal magazine ‘Cinefantastique’
You quickly became a pioneer of genre cinema with your insightful reviews and features, how hard was it building up your almost encyclopaedic knowledge?
Alan: Like every genre fan it’s an inherent thing, isn’t it? I learnt everything by seeing the movies, reading such great books at Carlos Clarens’ ‘Horror Movies’ and magazines like ‘Castle of Frankenstein’ and ‘Monthly Film Bulletin’. No internet, no video, if you missed a movie you hoped it would turn up in late night shows in rep or at the Scala cinema. The times I travelled to the Odeon Croydon to see dodgy exploitation double bills…. Back then no one was properly reviewing these movies so it was a blank slate I worked from and that’s why I’m proud of my early reviews. I usually got it right without any outside help clouding my judgement!
Alan with Dario Argento
You are renowned for your honest reviews, has this ever affected your friendships with creatives in the industry?
Alan: Yes, but if it does affect it that much, they weren’t friends in the first place. So many people when they say they want you to be honest don’t want that at all. I lost Dario Argento for a year because I hated PHENOMENA so much. He got over it. My close friend rock video pioneer Russell Mulcahy too. He took me to Argentina on location with HIGHLANDER II: THE QUICKENING and was really shocked when I slated the finished result. No one died.
You’re hosting NYX’s very first original series, FrightFest Saturday Scares with Alan Jones, how did that come about?
Alan: They asked me. Simple as that. NYX are plugged into the genre zeitgeist in a way very few niche Fast Channels are.
Was it difficult to choose the movies to include in this series?
Alan: Not at all. Each of my choices means something special to me, either in terms of pure fandom or love of the director or because I was on the set watching it being filmed or knowing the people involved. I have been on location with thousands of films since the very first one – STAR WARS in 1977. I want to impart my knowledge and point the viewer to aspects they may not know about the movies in question and make them as enthusiastic about it as I am.
Do you have a personal favourite film which you present?
Alan: If you are holding a scalpel to my throat, wearing black-gloves, I would have to say Mario Bava’s BLOOD AND BLACK LACE because it was the very first X film I saw at the cinema. And when I look back in hindsight, it set the seal on my entire life because it engendered my love of Italy, Italian directors and artistic gore.
How would you sell this series to the casual viewer?
Alan: Even if you are a connoisseur, an aficionado or a casual NYX viewer I guarantee you will learn something you never knew about classics, guilty pleasures and bona fide masterpieces and hopefully see them in a totally new light.
FrightFest is 25 years old this year and is still the biggest celebration of the genre in the UK, you must be proud of how respected this brand has become?
Alan: Absolutely. I couldn’t be more delighted. Who knew when we started FrightFest back in 2000 as a meeting place for genre fans in London, that we would become a brand leader, a champion for independent fantasy, be vitally important to sales agents and be in the Top 20 Greatest Film Festivals of All Time Lists? As long as we keep that sense of community, I see no stopping us extending our reach. We have so much exciting stuff planned for our 25th Anniversary this year, I can’t wait.
So, what are you up to at the moment?
Alan: Apart from watching roughly 20 movies a week for FrightFest, and the other festival I am now Artistic Director of, the Trieste Science+Fiction Festival, I have two books launching this year. One is my ‘Discomania’ autobiography, which contains reviews of every Disco movie you cannot afford to miss (105 of them!). The other book is a volume of every review I wrote for ‘Starburst’ magazine during my 30-year tenure as their main critic. Both books are published by FAB Press. Also, I’ve just filmed my segments for the documentary I WAS A TEENAGE SEX PISTOL, a Disco conversation with my S’Express mate Mark Moore for the 4K restoration of THE MUSIC MACHINE, Britain’s answer to SATURDAY NIGHT FEVER, and next week I’m recording a commentary for OPERA, the most important Argento film for me personally as it was the first one I ever covered on location in Rome. Then there’s the Berlin and Cannes Film Festivals… And filming more ‘Saturday Night Scares’ for NYX of course.
FRIGHTFEST SATURDAY SCARES WITH ALAN JONES is broadcast on Saturday nights on NYX UK, kicking off at 9pm on Saturday 20 Jan. It is produced by FrightFest’s Ian Rattray and Greg Day.
Coming to NYX UK from Saturday 20th Jan is a treat for horror fans – FrightFest Saturday Scares with Alan Jones, a brand new show, where our favourite genre critic, author and broadcaster goes behind the scenes with some of his favourite films, sharing personal anecdotes, revealing rarely known facts and sharing why the films have made such a lasting impression.
Broadcast twice a month, we kick off with Mario Bava’s archetypal giallo BLOOD ON BLACK LACE at 9pm on Saturday 20 Jan. In a first for a live streaming Fast TV channel, Alan will introduce the film, take over the ad breaks and conclude at the end of the screening. Shockmeister William Castle’s 13 GHOSTS is the second film in the series, screening at 9pm on Saturday 27 Jan. It is produced by FrightFest’s Ian Rattray and Greg Day.
Alan commentated: “When NYX offered me the opportunity to talk about some of my favourite titles they have in their impressive and extensive library, I jumped at the chance. This FrightFest-produced show allows me to share my memories, fun facts and rarely reported information, but primarily to delight the NYX audience who will hopefully make ‘FrightFest Saturday Night Scares with Alan Jones’ an appointment destination”.
The channel also celebrates John Carpenter’s birthday on Tues 16 Jan with a screening of his underrated supernatural shocker THE WARD, starring Amber Heard, and ‘Hammer Sundays’ continues its popular run, highlighted by SATANIC RITES OF DRACULA, on Sunday 14 Jan, which marks the final pairing of Lee and Cushing as Count Dracula and Van Helsing in the Hammer Dracula series.
Other juicy January delights include Norwegian found-footage thriller TROLL HUNTER, Jess Franco’s provocative erotic horror FEMALE VAMPIRE, THE HOUSE BY THE CEMETARY , helmed by the ‘Godfather of Gore,’ Lucio Fulci, and THE HOUSE ON THE EDGE OF THE PARK, directed by Ruggero Deodato, who is well-known for his controversial film “Cannibal Holocaust”.
Films in transmission order:
Sat 13 Jan @ 21:00 – TROLL HUNTER (2010)
One of the most original found footage movies of recent times, Troll Hunter takes the genre to the next level. A group of university students have decided to investigate the story of a bear poacher and find the suspected hunter, Hans. But whilst following and filming Hans, they discover that he hunts down something far more deadly.
Sun 14 Jan @ 21:00 – SATANIC RITES OF DRACULA (1973) part of Hammer Sundays
Set in 1970s London, Scotland Yard investigator Murray (Michael Coles), enlists the help of occult expert Lorrimer Van Helsing (Peter Cushing) and his granddaughter (Joanna Lumley) to uncover a mysterious and powerful Satanic cult led by the enigmatic D.D. Denham. As they delve deeper, they discover that Denham is none other than Count Dracula (Christopher Lee), who has returned to unleash a deadly plague upon humanity.
Tues 16 Jan @ 21:00 – THE WARD (2010) To celebrate John Carpenter’s birthday
Set in the 1960s, Kristen (Amber Heard), is a young woman who is involuntarily committed to a psychiatric institution after setting an abandoned farmhouse on fire. As Kristen struggles to come to terms with her new surroundings, she encounters a group of fellow patients, each with their own distinct personalities and histories. Soon, the patients begin to experience terrifying encounters with a malevolent ghost haunting the ward.
Fri 19 Jan @ 23:00 – FEMALE VAMPIRE (1973)
Countess Irina von Karlstein (Lina Romay) , a mute vampire, sustains herself not on the blood, but on the sexual energy of her victims, leaving them drained of life force, reaching their deaths in a state of orgasmic bliss, marking an erotic twist to the vampire trope. Irina’s life takes a dramatic turn when a journalist, Raymond (Jack Taylor), comes to the island.
Sat 20 Jan @ 21:00 – BLOOD AND BLACK LACE *Channel premiere Part of FrightFest Saturday Scares with Alan Jones
Max Morlan runs a fashion house, which becomes the scene of a series of gruesome murders. When a young model is killed, her diary, filled with damning secrets about her colleagues and employers, disappears, and the subsequent victims are those whose unscrupulous activities were detailed in the diary. As the body count rises, the authorities scramble to unmask the mysterious, faceless killer.
Tues 23 Jan @ 21:00 – THE HOUSE BY THE CEMETARY(1981)
The Boyle family – Norman, his wife Lucy, and their young son Bob, move from New York to a quaint house in New England, only to discover that it hides a grotesque history of murder and mystery. When strange, inexplicable occurrences begin to happen, and Norman’s research into the house’s previous owner uncovers a nightmarish reality, the family finds themselves trapped in a vortex of terror.
Fri 26 Jan @ 21:00 – THE HOUSE ON THE EDGE OF THE PARK (2011)
Alex (David Hess) and Ricky (Giovanni Lombardo Radice), are two disturbed and violent small-time crooks who operate a car repair shop by day, engaging in random acts of violence by night. When a wealthy and sophisticated couple brings in their car for repair, Alex and Ricky seize the opportunity to infiltrate an exclusive party at the couple’s upscale suburban home. Once inside the party, Alex and Ricky take the guests hostage, initiating a night of terror and degradation.
Sat 27 Jan @ 21:00 – 13 GHOSTS (1960) Part of FrightFest Saturday Scares with Alan Jones
When occultist Dr Plato Zorba leaves a huge ramshackle house to his nephew Cyrus and his impoverished family, they are shocked to find the house is haunted. Their new residence comes complete with Doctor Zorba’s housekeeper, Elaine Zacharides, plus a fortune in buried treasure and twelve horrifying ghosts. However, there is someone in the house who is also looking for the money and is willing to kill for it…This infectious supernatural horror is directed by William Castle and stars Charles Herbert, Jo Morrow, Rosemary DeCamp, Martin Milner and Donald Woods.
Happy new year!
Editors’ notes:
NYX Corporation, based in Canada, is a global media content distribution network specialising in the horror genre. The company delivers high-quality programmed content across linear digital broadcast TV networks. First launched in the UK late 2022, NYX will also move into the US markets in 2024. NYX is dedicated to curating a unique and entertaining blend of horror films and TV series and invites genre fans to delve into a world of carefully selected horror content – for free!
The new year on LEGEND kicks off in action-packed style with ten Channel premieres including Hal Ashby’s electrifying murder thriller 8 MILLION WAYS TO DIE, starring Jeff Bridges and Rosanna Arquette, the mystery serial-killer thriller STRIKING DISTANCE, starring Bruce Willis, hard-hitting historical epic ROBERT THE BRUCE, brutal crime drama KILLERMAN, and Rutger Hauer stars as a blind, sword-swinging Vietnam vet in Philip Noyce’s BLIND FURY, a US adaptation of Japan’s popular Zato-ichi films.
Other channel premieres include Aussie sci-fi mend-bender PREDESTINATION, starring Ethan Hawke, slick, gun-toting neo-noir thriller. HITMAN REDEMPTION, starring Ron Perlman, ASSASSINATION GAMES, in which Jean-Claude Van Damme and Scott Adkins play deadly assassins and the classic 1964 epic ZULU, staring Stanley Baxter and Michael Caine.
This month’s THE VINTAGE VAULT strand on Sunday nights is headlined by the Channel premiere of supernatural horror HOUSE ON HAUNTED HILL, starring Vincent Price. Other genre gems include DRACULA (1958), THE MUMMY (1959), THE CURSE OF FRANKENSTEIN and CIRCUS OF HORRORS.
Plus, prime-time highlights on LEGEND XTRA, include Paul Hyett’s flesh-biting HOWL, Sci-Fi tech terror KILL COMMAND, cosmic chiller STRANGE INVADERS, serial-killer thriller DEADLY FORCE, classy vampire road movie STAKE LAND, Walter Hill’s car-chase classic THE DRIVER, the ever-haunting PARANORMAL ACTIVITY and intense thriller STANDOFF.
Legend premieres in transmission order:
Thurs 4 Jan @ 21:00 – ROBERT THE BRUCE (2019) *Channel Premiere
Robert the Bruce (Angus MacFadyen) crowns himself King and takes the ambition of Scotland’s freedom as his own. But he cannot overcome England’s power: defeated again and again, his army is scattered, and Scotland’s nobility abandons him. But his determination to do what is right, regardless of the cost, reinvigorates his passion to rise again. It’s not revenge he desires. It’s freedom.
Sat 6 Jan @ 21:00 –STRIKING DISTANCE (1993) *Channel premiere
Convinced that a newly active serial killer is the same gunman who murdered his father, disgraced cop Tom Hardy (Bruce Willis) is working outside of his jurisdiction to catch the murderer. At odds with his new partner (Sarah Jessica Parker), he goes around the system, as he races the clock to find the real killer before the wrong man is executed for the crime.
Thurs 11 Jan @ 21:00 – PREDESTINATION (2014) *Channel Premiere
A Temporal Agent (Ethan Hawke) is sent on an intricate series of time-travel journeys designed to ensure the continuation of his law enforcement career for all eternity. Now, on his final assignment, the Agent must pursue the one criminal that has eluded him throughout time.
Sat 13 Jan @ 21:00 – 8 MILLION WAYS TO DIE (1986) *Channel Premiere
Matt Scudder (Bridges) is an ex-cop with a bad drinking problem who freelances on jobs other cops won’t touch. When he accepts a fat fee to help a sex worker get free of her pimp, Scudder lands in the middle of a savage murder that hits too close to home, especially when he meets the enigmatic Sarah (Rosanna Arquette).
Wed 17 Dec @ 14:20 – ZULU (1964) *Channel premiere
Now a classic epic, made 50 years ago, this is the true story of the defence of a missionary station and hospital called Rorke’s Drift, where 139 soldiers of the South Wales Border regiment held off 4,000 Zulu warriors during the Zulu War of 1879. Stars Stanley Baker and Michael Caine.
Thurs 18 Dec HITMAN REDEMPTION (2018) *Channel Premiere
Asher (Ron Perlman), a former Mossad agent turned gun for hire, lives an austere life in Brooklyn. Approaching the end of his career, he breaks the oath he took as a young man when he meets Sophie (Famke Janssen) on a hit gone wrong. In order to have love in his life before it’s too late, he must kill the man he was for a chance at becoming the man he wants to be.
Sat 20 Dec @ 22:50 – BLIND FURY (1989) *Channel Premiere
The kid is a brat, and the bus ride from Miami to Reno is long, but Nick Parker (Rutger Hauer) promised the boy’s dying mom that he’d deliver the child to his father (Terry O’Quinn). She was killed by gangsters, and if not for Nick, they’d have the kid, too. Now the two are on the run, and thugs are waiting for them around every corner.
Sun 21 Dec @ 21:00 – HOUSE ON HAUNTED HILL (1959) *Channel Premiere *Part of The Vintage Vault
Eccentric millionaire Steven Price (Vincent Price) offers his party guests $1 million if they stay the night in a mansion that was once an insane asylum. Not knowing Price has rigged the house with spooky contraptions, the guests think they’ll make some easy money and leave unscathed in the morning. But, along with Price’s bogus scares, a very sinister — and real — spirit lurks in the house.
Thurs 25 Dec @ 21:00 – KILLERMAN (2019) *Channel Premiere
When NYC money launderer Moe Diamond (Liam Hemsworth) wakes up from a car crash, he’s left with no memory, millions in stolen cash, and an insane crew of dirty cops hunting him down. With a stranger (Emory Cohen) who says he’s his best friend and a fiancée he doesn’t remember, Moe must race against the clock to discover his own identity and escape his past, before it destroys any chance at a future.
Sat 27 Jan @ 22:50 – ASSASSINATION GAMES (2011) *Channel Premiere
Vincent Brazil (Jean-Claude Van Damme) and Roland Flint (Scott Adkins) are elite assassins – but unknown to each other. While Conway is a master sharpshooter, Chase is equally skilled with a knife. The two rival assassins form an uneasy alliance to take down the head of a drug cartel, which is backed by the DEA.
Ahead of NYX UK’s season of Simon Rumley films in December, the award-winning director talks candidly about therapeutic filmmaking, his past fear of contracting AIDS/HIV and being kicked of out BAFTA.
Q: Simon, how pleased are you that NYX UK, the country’s only free-to-air horror channel, are presenting a season of your films?
Very! I’ve spoken to a few festivals over the years to do a small retrospective of my films, but it’s never panned out. So, it’s great to see all the films curated and playing under one umbrella.
Q: A tricky question, but which is your personal favourite?
Ha. Indeed. Impossible to say, of course! I love them all (which I wouldn’t say about every film I’ve made) and they all have different qualities and, actually, I’m proud of the fact that they’re all so different from each other – visually, stylistically, narratively, aurally.
Q: Is it true that THE LIVING AND THE DEAD is partly influenced by events in your personal life?
Indeed, it was ‘inspired’ by watching my mother die of cancer which happened only a few months after my father died of a heart attack. I wrote it initially as a nightmare, a way of trying to communicate the emotions I went through during this time. But as a few investors read it, I made it more grounded in a reality before going to the nightmare/crazed extreme that it does go to. But yes, it was a kind of therapy for me and very cathartic.
Q: RED, WHITE and BLUE is a controversial film which you described as a horrific descent into revenge, terror and tragedy. What inspired you to make it?
Well, this was also personal in its own way and came from my fear of contracting AIDS through having one-night stands. Back then, 2009, when I wrote the script, AIDS/HIV wasn’t quite the death sentence it was in previous years, but it was still close. I also loved the reaction to The Living And The Dead which we premiered in Rotterdam and then played at many non-horror festivals. The question I got from almost everyone was ‘Is this a horror film?’ I liked that duality of the film’s existence and wanted to do something similar with RWB – a horror film which isn’t obviously a horror film…
Simon Rumley on the set of RED, WHITE and BLUE with Amanda Fuller and Noah Taylor.
Q: One of the powerful themes of RED, WHITE AND BLUE is the relationship between sex and death – which you again take on with ‘Bitch’ in the horror anthology LITTLE DEATHS. What drew you to the story?
Well, as above, but with RWB, I wanted to get across that contradiction of doing something that is supposed to be very enjoyable (sex) being also something that could kill you. With Little Deaths, the story is more a perverse revenge story so less about the death aspect and more about how love goes bad.
Q: Your short film THE HANDY MAN, draws you into the world of serial killers. Was it this theme that attracted you to the project?
The theme and the well written script. I didn’t write it, but it won a British Short Screenplay Competition as judged by Kenneth Brannagh. It was a neat, twisted, twisty, self-contained script which was a perfect vehicle for two great actors. It also had that timeless American Gothic feel to it and reminded me of paintings by Grant Wood and Andrew Wyeth. It was very evocative, therefore, too, and I felt we could have a lot of fun with it.
Q: What was it like directing Greta Scacchi?
Fantastic, as you’d hope and expect. She was a great collaborator, asked good questions, brought her own identity and interpretation to the character. As with all world-class actors, every take was compelling, and the hardest thing was deciding which ones not to use rather than which one to use.
Q: You’ve been described by Screen International as one the great British cinematic outsiders. Does this chime with you?
Simon Rumley with one of his film heroes, Nic Roeg
Ha. Well, it’s nice to be called ‘great’. And I’m thinking that some of the other great British cinematic outsiders would include Ken Russel, Powell and Nic Roeg. They were all summarily ignored by the greater part of our industry and if I’m lumped in with them, then very happy. And, yes, given the amount of support I’ve received from the industry at large, it does chime with me, and I was even kicked out of Bafta because I was too busy writing/producing/directing RWB in Austin to pay my membership on time.
Q: You’ve just written your first novel, THE WOBBLE CLUB. Are you pleased with the reception?
Yes, very much so. It turns out it’s a lot harder to get ‘official’ reviews for novels than it is for films but so far, the few I’ve got have been overwhelmingly positive which is gratifying. And I recently received the first reporting and have already sold half the first print run in about five weeks so much better than I was expecting!
Q: it deals with the very tricky subject of eating disorders. How challenging was it balancing sensitive issues with a darkly comic undertone.
Well, I was reading Martin Amis’ The Information during some of the writing and that was quite informative in its own way. A lot of his humour comes from word play and there’s a fair amount of that in my novel but it’s also been fantastic to hear people tell me they’ve had laugh out loud moments with The Wobble Club. There’s a laconicism to the humour, I think, and it’s never directed at the characters; I wanted them to maintain their dignity throughout.
Q: What projects are you currently working on?
Well, I have a few films in development/at casting stage. A couple are horror, a couple revenge type thrillers, a crime noir. Come January, I’m hoping to return to novel-writing if none of the films happen and that’s more obvious horror than The Wobble Club…
Fri 8 Dec @ 21:00 – RED, WHITE AND BLUE (2010) *Channel premiere
Fri 15 Dec @ 21:00 – THE LIVING AND THE DEAD *Channel premiere
Fri 22 Dec @ 21:00 – LITTLE DEATHS (2011) *Channel premiere
Following all three films is a special presentation of THE HANDY MAN.
Q: Simon, how pleased are you that NYX UK, the country’s only free-to-air horror channel, are presenting a season of your films?
