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FrightFest 2023 announces line-up and new headline sponsor!

Posted on July 13, 2023 by CloutPR

Joe Lynch’s SUITABLE FLESH is outlandish opener, with star and genre icon Barbara Crampton in attendance.

Passes on sale from Sat 15 July, noon

Single tickets on sale from Sat 22 July, noon

FrightFest, the UK’s biggest, best and most beloved community-driven horror & fantasy film festival, returns in a blaze of gory glory to the Cineworld Leicester Square, London, for its 24^th edition, this year with pioneering technology & entertainment company Pigeon Shrine as its headline sponsor. The company is the brainchild of Tom Paton, working alongside industry finance veterans Jamie McLeod-Ross and Charley McDougall.

Running from Thursday August 24 – Monday 28 August, Pigeon Shrine FrightFest is a joyful big screen celebration of genre cinema, offering a carnival of carnage, a smorgasbord of shock and a tableau of terror. This year, over five days, audiences can explore the magic of menace, mayhem and mischief with seventy films programmed across four screens. There are twenty-five world, twenty-three International / European and twelve UK premieres, with fourteen countries represented, spanning five continents.

Co-director Alan Jones comments: “FrightFesters will experience an amazing variety of films, in an eclectic line-up which serves as a powerful tool of democracy, activism, diversity, inclusivity and social awareness. As always, FrightFest is keen to show, through an open-minded philosophy, that the most unexpected and delightful discoveries happen when wide-ranging topics, different people and varied cultures come together in horror harmony”.

Still image from Suitable Flesh — Suitable Flesh

The festival opens with the European premiere of SUITABLE FLESH, the latest shocker from FrightFest favourite Joe Lynch, who has created an outlandish love letter to the late, great Re-Animator director Stuart Gordon; a new body horror take on H.P Lovecraft-minded cosmic mayhem that’s a must-watch for fans of raunchy 80s horror. Co-producer and co-star of the film, the genre screen icon, Barbara Crampton, will be returning to FrightFest for the third time.

Still image from The Sacrifice Game — The Sacrifice Game

The Closing night film is the European premiere of THE SACRIFICE GAME. Director Jenn Wexler’s demonically stylish second feature, following FrightFest smash The Ranger, is another wild, thrilling ride and a tribute to the beauty and boldness of classic 1970’s horror. It stars Olivia Scott Welch, who also takes a leading role in genre-bending, fantasy thriller THE BLUE ROSE, a debut feature from 18-year-old George Baron, receiving its World premiere.

Another 18-year-old making her FrightFest debut with the European premiere of possession thriller T BLOCKERS, is transgender filmmaker Alice Maio Mackay. Her Australian trans horror was shot with a predominantly queer, non-binary, and trans cast and crew. And transgender icon Eddie Izzard takes on the title role of Nina Jekyll in DOCTOR JEKYLL, a bold reimagining of Robert Louis Stevenson’s classic tale, which receives its World premiere.

Still image from Doctor Jekyll — Doctor Jekyll

FrightFest has teamed up with Warner Bros to celebrate their centenary with two fabulous anniversary retrospectives. James Wan’s THE CONJURING turns ten this year and we are delighted to showcase it as we did back in 2013 at a very special FrightFest screening. It’s also the 50th Anniversary of William Friedkin’s THE EXORCIST and our exclusive presentation of ‘The Version You Never Saw’ will be hosted by Mark Kermode, the world expert on this classic shocker blockbuster.

This year’s line-up reflects the festival’s legacy in championing emerging and established voices from across the world and sees the return of many talented filmmakers discovered over the years. Xavier Gens (Frontiere(s), Cold Skin and The Divide) brings his latest French deadly blockbuster FARANG, writing/director duo Erik and Carson Bloomquist (She Came From The Woods) return with holiday slasher FOUNDERS DAY. FrightFest also welcomes back The Adams Family (acclaimed chiller The Deeper You Dig), who unveil their latest creation, WHERE THE DEVIL ROAMS, which follows a family of murderous sideshow performers. Plus, Marcel Walz, the cult director of Blind and Pretty Boy, is up to more splatter mischief with THAT’S A WRAP, as is Mexican bad boy Alex Kahuam, director of Forgiveness who brings us Ted Raimi on top form in FAILURE!, shot in one single take.

Still image from Founder's Day — Founder’s Day

This year also sees the return of popular UK filmmakers such as Andy Edwards with seaside slasher PUNCH, Mitch Jenkins with futuristic thriller A MILLION DAYS. Stuart Sparke with the flesh-eating HOW TO KILL MONSTERS, Airell Anthony Hayles with biting horror caper WEREWOLF SANTA, Sean Hogan with eerie folk horror mini feature TO FIRE YOU COME AT LAST, and Nicholas Vince, in the director’s chair for the filmed version of his autobiographical one-man show I AM MONSTERS!

Scottish filmmaker Graham Hughes is also back, following his well-received FrightFest 2019 Death of a Vlogger with HOSTILE DIMENSIONS, a fun and twisted multi-verse thriller and Jake West makes a welcome return with the World premiere of his superb documentary MANCUNIAN MAN: THE LEGENDARY LIFE OF CLIFF TWEMLOW. And actor Richard Brake makes a welcome return in James Bushe’s campfire chiller LORE.

Still image from T Blockers — T Blockers

The Main Screen plays host to seven World premieres including Nick Psinakis’s supernatural take on infidelity, CHEAT, Matt Sampere’s Halloween slasher CREEPING DEATH, Raymond Wood’s vitriolic feminist revenge-fantasy FACELESS AFTER DARK, Steven Pierce’s zombie survivalist thriller HERD, Michael J. Hurst’s wild science fiction shocker TRANSMISSON, chilling serial killer two-hander COLD MEAT and the haunting, nerve-tingler HOME SWEET HOME: WHERE EVIL LIVES.

Other main screen titles include Paris Zarcilla’s breakout SXSW sensation RAGING GRACE, Bishal Dutta‘s impressive directorial debut IT LIVES INSIDE, shot through a unique diversity lens, Anthony Waller’s supernatural chiller PIPER, starring Elizabeth Hurley, underwater frightener THE DIVE, NEW LIFE, John Rosman’s tense thriller of apocalyptic proportions. Quarxx’s aesthetically stunning and relentlessly macabre PANDEMONIUM, the darkly claustrophobic sci-fi chiller MONOLITH, Barnaby Clay’s stone-cold survival shocker THE SEEDING and Samuel Bodin’s ghostly gripper COBWEB, which will also have an additional Closed Captions screening.

The range of documentaries on show this year proves how buoyant and important to film historians the genre strand has become and how influential it can be in our daily lives. Perhaps the most moving documentary on show this year is OTTO BAXTER: NOT A FU**ING HORROR STORY, which explores how director Otto Baxter, who has Down Syndrome, uses his short horror film, A PUPPET ASYLUM, to explore his birth, adoption and epic battles. FrightFest will follow the doc with a screening of his short film. Other docs include: [REC] TERROR WITHOUT PAUSE, which explores the seminal Spanish horror classic, THE J-HORROR VIRUS, which delves into the world of Japanese supernatural chillers, THE DARKSIDE OF SOCIETY, an exploration of the appalling truths behind the making of Society, 1982: THE GREATEST GEEK YEAR EVER! , a celebration of one of the greatest years in movie history, when genre fandom was in its infancy, KIM’S VIDEO, a playful documentary on the quest to track down Kim’s legendary collection of rental videos. And we also enter the crazy world of Bruceploitation with ENTER THE CLONES OF BRUCE LEE.

Still images from My Mother's Eyes — My Mother’s Eyes

Asian genre cinema is also richly represented with the return of Japanese visionary Takeshi Kushida, who wowed FrightFest with his debut feature Woman of the Photographs. He now unleashes his latest amazing masterwork, MY MOTHER’S EYES. There is also quirky fantasy RIVER, from Junta Yamaguchi, director of Beyond The Infinite Two Minutes, THE GHOST STATION, a fright night hybrid of Korean and Japanese eerie atmospherics and a FrightFest first entry from The Philippines – the white-knuckle action thriller TOPAAK / TRIGGER.

Scandinavian horror makes a welcome entry with Norwegian director Viljar Bøe’s riveting GOOD BOY, where puppy love isn’t quite what it seems, and in THE KNOCKING, the debut feature from Finnish directors Jonaas Pajunen and Max Seeck, family drama and damaged relationships enter new threatening realms of horror.

This year there are three Discovery screens and films to look out for include quirky action comedy fantasy, MINORE, FrightFest’s first Greek entry, POUNDCAKE, a killer satire mixing stalk-and-slash with political discourse, edgy noir thriller WHAT YOU WISH FOR, hallucinogenic psychological horror BLACK MOLD, paranormal thriller SPOOKT, bloody sci-fi shocker THORNS, FrightFest Glasgow hit HERE FOR BLOOD and THE BLACK MASS, the highly anticipated true-crime directorial debut of genre staple Devanny Pinn.

The States, always brimming with genre talent, continues to provide sparkling examples of innovation including Zach Passero’s THE WEIRD KIDZ, where adventure, urban legend and horror blend into a wonderful comedic animated experience. There are also World premieres for Clare Cooney’s DEPARTING SENIORS, a deft melding of knife-edge terror with the horrors of high school, and Ariel Vida’s TRIM SEASON, inspired by the true story of missing women from Humboldt County, California. Plus, there ‘s an international premiere for Austin Jennings EIGHT EYES, which twists the into nightmarish new shapes.

Still image from Trim Season — Trim Season

FrightFest’s First Blood strand continues to thrive and will showcase four films from hot new directors – Chris Cronin’s haunting THE MOOR, Tariq Sayed’s ISAAC, starring Johnny Vivash and Catriona MacColl, Tony Devlin’s THE GLENARMA TAPES, the latest film to be produced through Northern Ireland Screen’s New Talent Focus initiative, and Dominic O’Neill’s HAUNTED ULSTER LIVE, inspired by the iconic BBC series Ghostwatch.

Pius, there is a special retrospective screening of Lewis Teague’s 1980 cult monster movie ALIGATOR and an exclusive IT FOLLOWS 4K RESTORATION World Premiere event.

The festival guest line-up and full details for the Short Film Showcase events will be revealed soon.

Passes on sale from Sat 15 July, noon

Single tickets on sale from Sat 22 July, noon

For booking and programme details: https://www.frightfest.co.uk

FrightFest 2023- Film Stills (selection)

https://cloutcom.co.uk/picture-gallery/gallery/frightfest-2023-film-stills/

FrightFest 2023 – Film Posters (selection)

https://cloutcom.co.uk/picture-gallery/gallery/frightfest-2023-film-posters/

www.frightfest.co.uk | FB: /FrightFestreal | Twitter: @frightfest | IG: @frightfestUK

#FF23

Please note that the event is called Pigeon Shrine FrightFest 2023

All press enquires:
Clout Communications Ltd | info@cloutcom.co.uk | @cloutcomcouk

Editor’s notes:

About Pigeon Shrine:
Pigeon Shrine is a world-class boutique film studio utilising a vast array of forward-facing tools and virtual production for effective solutions to elevate independently made films, so that they can reach the same heights as major studio efforts. By long term-partnering with Empire Studios, Pigeon Shrine is at the forefront of redefining how we convey stories in this new era of creative & technological advancements. The company is the brainchild of Tom Paton, working alongside industry finance veterans Jamie McLeod-Ross & Charley McDougall, to bring this unique vision for the future of entertainment production to life.

About FrightFest
Dubbed “the Woodstock of Gore” by director Guillermo Del Toro, FrightFest, set up in 2000, 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.

LEGEND reveals cocktail of explosive action & classic horror premieres for July 2023

Posted on June 20, 2023 by CloutPR

TV: Sky 148 / Virgin 149 / Freeview 41 / Freesat 137

An unstoppable Stallone, a bad-cop Bruce Willis, and classics from the beginning of genre cinema marks a memorable month of premieres on LEGEND, highlighted by the UK TV premieres of the star-filled action thrillers A CERTAIN JUSTICE, starring Dolph Lundgren and Vinnie Jones, and THE MOST DANGEROUS GAME. starring Tom Berenger and Bruce Dern.

Fans of American rapper 50 Cent can tune in to see him star in two films – crime thriller GUN, co-starring Val Kilmer and ESCAPE PLAN 3, the final instalment in the Escape Plan franchise, which also stars Sylvester Stallone. Both are Channel premieres. There is also a Channel premiere for action thriller FIRST KILL, which stars Bruce Willis and Hayden Christensen.

Plus, this month’s popular THE VINTAGE VAULT strand celebrates the great days of the movies, spanning the thirties and forties, with four classic Channel premieres: THE GHOUL (1933). starring the great Boris Karloff, SON OF FRANKENSTEIN (1939), starring Bela Lugosi, THE INVISIBLE MAN RETURNS (1940), starring Vincent Price, and THE MUMMY’S TOMB (1942), starring Lon Chaney Jr.

Full film details in transmission order:

Sat 1 July @ 21:00 – GUN (2010) *Channel Premiere

Put a gun in the hands of a man and it becomes good or evil, depending on whose finger is on the trigger. Starring 50 Cent and Val Kilmer ,GUN tells the action-packed story of how men on both sides of the law cross that barrier and turn basic metals into weapons of wealth, justice, revenge and power.

Sun 2 July @ 21:00 – THE GHOUL (1933) *Channel Premiere *Part of The Vintage Vault

Egyptologist and Professor Henry Morlant (Boris Karloff) thinks an ancient jewel will give him powers of rejuvenation if it is offered up to the god Anubis. But when Morlant dies, his assistant Laing (Ernest Thesiger) steals the jewel. While a gaggle of interlopers, including a fake vicar (Ralph Richardson), descend on the professor’s manor to steal the jewel for themselves, Morlant returns from the dead to punish everyone who has betrayed him.

Sun 2 July @ 22:35 – THE INVISIBLE MAN (1933) *Part of The Vintage Vault

Claude Rains plays a mysterious doctor who discovers a serum that makes him invisible. Covered by bandages and dark glasses, Rains arrives at a small English village and attempts to hide his amazing discovery. But the same drug that renders him invisible slowly drives him to commit acts of unspeakable terror. Based on H.G. Wells’ classic novel and directed by the master of macabre James Whale, THE INVISIBLE MAN only fuelled a host of sequels, but also features some special effects that are still imitated today.

Sat 8 July @ 21:00 – ESCAPE PLAN 3 (2019) *Channel Premiere

After security expert Ray Breslin (Stallone) is hired to rescue the kidnapped daughter of a Hong Kong tech mogul from a formidable Latvian prison, Breslin’s girlfriend (Jaime King) is also captured. Now he and his team, including Trent DeRosa (Dave Bautista) and Curtis (50 Cent) must pull off a deadly rescue mission to confront their sadistic foe and save the hostages before time runs out

Sun 9 July @ 21:00 – SON OF FRANKENSTEIN (1939) *Channel Premiere *Part of The Vintage Vault

In this second follow-up to the horror film classic, Boris Karloff gives his final performance as Frankenstein’s monster. In this instalment, Basil Rathbone plays the son of Dr. Frankenstein, who inherits not only his father’s home, but also his inert project in the basement. Horror film legend Bela Lugosi gives a commanding performance as Ygor, the monster’s malevolent and haggard caretaker.

Sun 9 July @ 22:55 – THE MUMMY’S HAND (1940) *Part of The Vintage Vault

Two broke archeologists, Steve Banning (Dick Foran) and Babe Jenson (Wallace Ford), along with magician Solvani the Great (Cecil Kellaway) and his daughter, Mara (Peggy Moran), head to Egypt to uncover the legendary sarcophagus of Princess Ananka. Not only is the tomb cursed, but it also has its own guard- an eternal mummy named Kharis! When expedition members start dying at the mummy’s hand, it’ll take wits and courage to survive the undying horror uncovered under the sands.

Sat 15 July @ 21:00 – A CERTAIN JUSTICE (2014) *UK TV Premiere

After returning home from a tour of duty overseas, John (Dolph Lundgren) finds himself struggling with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. What little peace he has built around him is shattered when he rescues a local prostitute from a group of violent Aryan Brotherhood pimps. Hell-bent on payback, the gang’s leader orders the brutal slaying of John’s family. It is time for John to unleash the full extent of the unrelenting rage and grief within him

Sun 16 July @ 21:00 – THE INVISIBLE MAN RETURNS (1940) *Channel Premiere *Part of The Vintage Vault

Wrongly accused of murdering his brother, Geoffrey Radcliffe (Vincent Price) is found guilty and sentenced to die. But when sympathetic Dr. Griffin (John Sutton) injects him with a serum that renders him invisible, Radcliffe is able to escape and search for the real culprit. With Inspector Sampson (Cecil Kellaway) of Scotland Yard hot on his trail, Radcliffe begins to suspect that a recent hire in his family’s mining company might have the answers he seeks.

Sun 16 July @ 22:45 – FRANKENSTEIN MEETS THE WOLFMAN (1943) *Part of The Vintage Vault

Two of the silver screen’s most fearsome creatures battle it out when the Wolfman seeks to end his life and looks to the notorious Dr. Frankenstein for help. Featuring the original Wolfman, Lon Chaney, Jr. and Bela Lugosi (“Dracula”) as Frankenstein’s monster.

Sat 22 July @ 21:00 – FIRST KILL (2017) *Channel Premiere

In an attempt to reconnect with his son, Wall Street broker Will (Hayden Christensen) takes his family on a hunting trip to the cabin where he grew up. The trip takes a deadly turn when they witness the murder of a robber. After becoming entangled in a bank heist gone bad, which results in his son being kidnapped, Will is forced to help the kidnappers evade the police chief (Bruce Willis: Die Hard) and recover the stolen loot in exchange for his son’s life.

Sun 23 July @ 21:00 – THE MUMMY’S TOMB (1940) *Channel Premiere *Part of The Vintage Vault

Kharis (Lon Chaney Jr.) is back in this sequel to The Mummy’s Hand. Although assumed to have been killed by Stephen Banning (Dick Foran) in the previous film, Andoheb (George Zucco) has miraculously survived and is now, with the help of Kharis. planning a terrible revenge on both Banning and his entire family.

Sun 23 July @ 22:15 – IT CAME FROM OUTER SPACE (1953) *Part of The Vintage Vault

John Putnam (Richard Carlson), an amateur astronomer, is looking at the skies with his fiancée, schoolteacher Ellen Fields (Barbara Rush), when they see what looks like a huge meteor crash into the desert. As events unfold, various townspeople start to disappear, including Ellen, to be replaced by alien “duplicates.” As the townspeople become aware of the danger, the likelihood of bloodshed becomes apparent.

WEEK 30: Monday 24 July – Sunday 30 July

Sat 29 July @ 21:00 – THE MOST DANGEROUS GAME (2022) *UK TV Premiere

A father and son are shipwrecked on a remote island where they are caught up in a trophy hunt held by its mysterious owner, a merciless man who uses the land as an elite hunting preserve for stalking the most dangerous game of all: human. Stars Tom Berenger, Judd Nelson, Bruce Dern, Casper Van Dien.

Sun 29 July @ 21:00 – REVENGE OF THE CREATURE (1955) *Part of The Vintage Vault

Two oceanographers (John Bromfield and Robert B. Williams) capture the creature and put him on display. Here the hapless Gill-Man is taught a few words of English by compassionate ichthyologists, John Agar and Lori Nelson. Eventually, however, the creature reverts to type, kills one of his captors and goes on a rampage, managing to abduct the heroine and carry her off. Intense underwater photography and practical effects make “The Revenge of the Creature” a horror classic.

Sun 29 July @ 22:35 – THE PHANTOM FROM 10,000 LEAGUES (1955) *Part of The Vintage Vault

When a post-mortem finds that a murdered fisherman was exposed to unusual amounts of radiation, Dr. Ted Stevens (Kent Taylor) decides to investigate. Out looking for clues, he meets a young beauty named Lois (Cathy Downs), whose father runs a local marine biology lab. Ted discovers that the elder King’s secret experiments with atomic energy have resulted in the creation of a murderous aquatic beast, and he must act fast to prevent more needless deaths.

Ahead of Legend’s UK TV Premiere of horror revenge thriller NEVER LET GO, director Howard J Ford reflects on a near tragic family experience, the importance of locations and returning to his horror genre roots

Posted on May 30, 2023May 30, 2023 by CloutPR

Howard J. Ford

Your nail-biting revenge thriller NEVER LET GO is having its channel premiere on LEGEND on June 3. Excited or what?

It’s always exciting to know one of your movies is going to be on the telly and watched by thousands at one time rather than one streamer at a time! I fine I feel totally different when I watch a broadcast of my film, it accentuates my cringe at all the things I could have done better! Ha.

Looking back at the making of the movie, what memories stand out for you?

It was a hell of an experience shooting Never Let Go amongst the twisty, turns of the Marrakesh streets. I recall running round with a fully laden Steadicam following our wonderful star Angela Dixon and dripping with so much sweat I almost could not see anything and that I might die of heatstroke at any minute!

You’ve gone on record as saying the film was inspired by a near-tragic experience with your son. Can you tell us more?

Yes – to say I was ‘Frantic’ is an understatement. I thought my 3 year old son had been abducted from a holiday resort I was at. I was running around looking for him shouting like a lunatic and I was convinced he has been taken. I remember seeing a guy loading something into the back of a small open back car, like a lump in a sack and I was going to leap on him from a huge height, that turned out to be vegetables. My mind was going at 1000 miles an hour. In the end, he was at the bottom of the swimming pool and I only just found him in time. The ‘miss’ was so near, it affected me greatly and I wanted to make a film where a mother had everything against her in a race against time to get her child back. I even cast my son as a kidnapped kid!

The casting of Angela Dixon as Lucy is inspired. How did you discover her?

Angela Dixon is an amazing talent and a lovely lady to boot. We had met at a networking event in Cannes and I checked her showreel and realised she was talented and we were both into fitness and 5 years later I needed someone for this part and BOOM, Angela sprang to mind and off we went to Morocco… I love meeting actors and you just never know when you can cast them.

Angela Dixon in NEVER LET GO

The locations are pretty spectacular, as in all of your films. Is this an important element of the filmmaking process for you?

Thanks. It really is and the locations are a huge part of the adventure I want to take audiences on. Just like Africa in The Dead, India in the Dead 2, I really like to take my audiences somewhere very different from their living room with a couch in it. I want them to ‘feel’ it and sense it and locations are a huge part of that.

You wrote and produced, as well as directed NEVER LET GO. Do you think having independent creative freedom was crucial to what you wanted to achieve with this film?

I did, I also camera operated and all sorts and that ‘hands on’ element was important to me. It’s an indie film. No one commissioned it or financed it, I just went and did it as I was desperate to turn that awful feeling I had experienced into something real that could be seen and somehow exorcised from me. It was a scramble with a small band of crew but everyone did a super job both on and off screen.

As an independent filmmaker, what do you find are the greatest frustrations?

Normally it’s the fact you don’t have the money to make the film so indie film makers spend 90% of their time chasing money and not actually making films which is the thing they fell in love with. Also you don’t have a ‘money hose’ so to speak to wash away your practical and technical problems so that puts you in the corner all to often. You have to think on your feet, often on your hands and knees!

Fast-forwarding, you’ve returned back to your horror genre roots with your latest films ESCAPE and DARKGAME. Tell us what you can about both films?

Yes, DarkGame has it’s first screening this Cannes and has an amazing cast headed by Ed Westwick who was the star of Gossip Girl. A super performance; he plays Ben a detective in a race against time to stop the presenter of a warped online live murder show on the dark web. Producer Tom George did a super job of developing the film so on this one I had his great support and an amazing team.

Escape which is my 10^th feature film as director – again we’re back to my indie roots and it’s shot on a desert island. A Beautiful holiday destination where ten young women ( a lovely ensemble headed by ‘Scream Queen’ Sarah Alexandra Marks and Sophie Rankin) kidnapped for sex trafficking by a heinous gang – their lead villain played by Sean Cronin who was in Mission Impossible and a Bond movie to name but a few. It’s a revenge thriller and the girls are not going to take it lying down. It should be a real heart pumper and somewhat of a blast!

When can we expect to see them?

Both DarkGame and Escape should be out before the end of the year. We don’t have the release dates yet and you generally have to wait for the US to release first but as soon as we have them I’ll shout it loud!

Finally, what else does 2023 hold for you?

I’m working on another film from the team we worked with on The Ledge. Writer Tom Boyle and Producer Fred Hedman of GFM Films. We’re very excited about this one and I hope its another nail biter – about a family on an adventure trip in an RV that turns nasty when an altercation with a gang of hells angles becomes a fight to the death! News on this soon.

NEVER LET GO airs on Legend on Saturday 3^rd June, 9pm.

TV: Sky 148 / Virgin 149 / Freeview 41 / Freesat 137

LEGEND reveals slate of horror and thriller premieres for June 2023

Posted on May 23, 2023 by CloutPR

Female avengers, waring brothers and a coffin-bound Ryan Reynolds spearheads an dangerously heart-racing June line-up on LEGEND, highlighted by the UK TV premieres of Howard J. Ford’s award-winning child-abduction horror drama NEVER LET GO , revenge Western ANY BULLET WILL DO, action thriller ACTS OF VENGEANCE, starring Antonio Banderas and British action-adventure war film MERCENARIES,

Plus, there are Channel premieres for English-language Spanish survival thriller BURIED, starring Ryan Reynolds, and INTERVIEW WITH A HIT MAN, starring Luke Goss as a deadly hitman with a secret past.

THE VINTAGE VAULT continues to chill Sunday nights with its popular classic genre double-bills, which, this month, include the channel premieres of Robert Young’s erotic masterpiece VAMPIRE CIRCUS and THE UNCANNY, a gruesome, blood-curdling collection of horror short stories, starring Peter Cushing, Ray Milland, Joan Greenwood, Susan Penhaligon and Donald Pleasence.

Full film details in transmission order:

Thurs 1 June @ 21:00 – ANY BULLET WILL DO (2018) *UK TV Premiere

During the great American Civil War, two brothers find themselves on opposing sides. Ten years later, Hollis Ransom, now a ruthless head hunter, sets out on a bloody path through Montana and Wyoming, fighting outlaws, evading Indians, and finally meeting his brother in an epic battle that will seal both men’s fates once and for all.

Sat 3 June @ 21:00 – NEVER LET GO (2015) *UK TV Premiere

Lisa Brennan (Angela Dixon), a single mother on vacation in a foreign land, takes the law into her own hands when her child is abducted. Trusting no one, and stopping at nothing, she weaves her way through the murky backstreets and barren landscapes in an epic journey to find her daughter against incredible odds.

Sun 4 June @ 21:00 – THE HOUSE THAT DRIPPED BLOOD (1971) *Part of The Vintage Vault

Adapted by Psycho author Robert Bloch from his own short stories, this Amicus horror anthology is set in an English country home where. Inspector Holloway (John Bennett) is called on to investigate the bloody deaths of four tenants. Directed by Peter Duffell, this superior anthology stars Christopher Lee, Peter Cushing, Denholm Elliott, Ingrid Pitt and Jon Pertwee.

Sun 7 June @ 23:00 – BLOOD ON SATAN’S CLAW (1971) *Part of The Vintage Vault

When a mysterious corpse is accidentally dug in a small town, a group of local teens starts acting very strangely. The adolescents, led by a girl named Angel (Linda Hayden), are convinced the corpse was once possessed. They start to act out a series of demonic rituals, with devastating consequences. This 17^th century British supernatural horror film is directed by Piers Haggard and stars Patrick Wymark, Linda Hayden, and Barry Andrews.

Sat 10 June @ 21:00 – ACTS OF VENGEANCE (2017) *UK TV Premiere

Action speaks louder than words when a fast-talking criminal lawyer, Frank Valera (Antonio Banderas) takes a vow of silence – transforming his body and his mind to embark on a quest to avenge the murder of his wife and daughter.

Sun 11 June @ 21:00 – VAMPIRE CIRCUS (1971) *Part of The Vintage Vault

A circus arrives at a Serbian village to perform a show for the local inhabitants. Many of them believe that the plague that has gripped their village is the result of a curse inflicted on them years before by Count Mitterhouse, a vampire. Unbeknown to them, the leader of the circus is the Count’s cousin intent on reviving his relative and having his revenge.

Sun 11 June @ 22:45 – DEATH LINE (1968) *Part of The Vintage Vault

Set on the London Underground, this moody shocker features brilliant horror icon Donald Pleasance in the lead role as a cockney copper. Hammer Horror star Christopher Lee also shows up in a small cameo. Directed by Gary Sherman this is one of Guillermo del Toro’s all-time favourites.

Thurs 15 June @ 21:00 – MERCENARIES (2011) *UK TV Premiere

When the Serbian Prime Minister is assassinated, an elite special ops team, led by ex-British S.A.S serviceman turned mercenary Andy Marlow (Robert Fucilla) is called in to pull Europe back from the brink of war. Also stars Billy Zane.

Sat 17 June @ 21:00 – INTERVIEW WITH A HITMAN (2012) *Channel Premiere

After his final mission goes wrong, an elite hitman known as Viktor (Luke Goss), travels to London in an attempt to erase his past, and being a new life. But he encounters a deadly threat and is forced to confront buried secrets.

Sun 18 June @ 21:00 – BEWARD MY BRETHREN (1972) *Part of The Vintage Vault

Led by a sinister minister (Patrick Magee), zealous religious sect The Brethren have taken control of widow Birdy Wemys, sending her unstable son, Kenny, into a descent of madness and murder. No woman is safe when Kenny’s religious mania overpowers him and leads to a rampage of carnage and chaos. This gritty story of lust, murder and terror, now a favourite cult horror, is directed by Robert Hartford-Davies

Sun 18 June @ 22:50 – HORROR HOSPITAL (1973) *Part of The Vintage Vault

Jason Jones (Robin Askwith), a disillusioned songwriter, checks into Brittlehouse Manor, a ‘health resort’ where people are supposedly cured of all their hang-ups. It is run by the sinister Dr Storm (Michael Gough). who performs lobotomies on his young patients, and It isn’t long before Jones realises that his life is in danger.

Sat 24 June @ 21:00 – BURIED (2009) *Channel Premiere

Imagine waking up in the dark and realising that you’ve been buried alive with nothing but a lighter, a mobile phone and only 90 minutes of oxygen left. Ryan Reynolds delivers a compelling performance as everyman, Paul Conroy who has to that his fears, frustrations and dark emotion in order to remain focused on staying alive.

Sun 25 June @ 21:00 – THE UNCANNY (1977) *Channel Premiere *Part of The Vintage Vault

Author Wilbur Gray (Peter Cushing), who is convinced that cats are conspiring to replace the human race as masters of the earth, narrates three bizarre tales of feline terror. This blood-curdling collection of horror short stories also stars Ray Milland, Joan Greenwood, Susan Penhaligon and Donald Pleasence.

Sun 25 June @ 22:50 – TO THE DEVIL A DAUGHTER (1976) *Part of The Vintage Vault

Henry Beddows (Denholm Elliott) asks occult novelist John Verney (Richard Widmark) to protect his young daughter, Catherine (Natasha Kinski), who, although in the sanctuary of the Order of the Children of the Lord. has attracted the attention of ex-communicated priest Father Michael Rayner (Christopher Lee), who wants Catherine to become the incarnation of one of the crowned princes of Hell, Astaroth. Pitted against black magic, ancient rituals and a clan of Satanists, Verney battles to save the young girl from a diabolical fate.

TV: Sky 148 / Virgin 149 / Freeview 41 / Freesat 137

LEGEND reveals slate of horror, sci-fi and action premieres for May 2023

Posted on April 25, 2023 by CloutPR

Sociopathic drivers, haunted soldiers and a vengeful Nicholas Cage, spearhead an action-packed May line-up on LEGEND, highlighted by the UK TV premieres of Western psychological thriller WAR ON THE RANGE and compelling suspense actioner VENGEANCE, starring Nicholas Cage.

Plus, there are Channel premieres for HIDDEN AGENDA, starring a gun-toting, high-kicking Dolph Lundgren, suicide mission drama LAST PASSENGER, starring Dougray Scott, high-octane crime thriller PAYDIRT, starring Val Kilmer and Luke Goss and John Frankenheimer’s gripping, highly-acclaimed YEAR OF THE GUN, starring Sharon Stone.

THE VINTAGE VAULT continues to haunt Sunday nights with its popular classic genre double-bills, which, this month, include cult favourites WITCHFINDER GENERAL, THE DEVIL RIDES OUT and LUST FOR A VAMPIRE.

The weekends are further enhanced by the continuation of the ever-popular original series of sci-fi anthology classics, THE TWILIGHT ZONE.

Full film details in transmission order:

Thurs 4 May @ 21:00 – WAR ON THE RANGE (2015) *UK TV Premiere

In post-Civil War Texas, two neighbouring families are grieving tragic losses while they struggle to survive. The cattle-ranching McCluskeys have lost both a son and their entire herd to the war. The Rileys, mourning the loss of wife and mother Mary to illness, eke out a living trapping animals and selling their pelts. When Wade returns from fighting for the Confederacy, he discovers that the McCluskey family have been stealing animals from his family’s traps. He decides to take matters into his own hands, sparking yet another tragic and senseless war. This rural drama stars James Badge Dale and William Forsythe

Saturdays & Sundays from Sat 6 May @ 20:30 – THE TWILIGHT ZONE (1959)

A classic anthology of sci-fi, suspense and goose-bump-inducing tales that are filled with invention and irony. Each story contains cautionary themes and frequently ending with an unexpected plot twist. The series was nominated for seven Emmy Awards and four Hugos and won three of each.

Sat 6 May @ 21:00 – HIDDEN AGENDA (2001) *Channel Premiere

Former government agent Jason Price (Dolph Lundgren) is now a hit man for top government agencies. His high-tech operation never makes a wrong move. But when a mysterious competitor known as The Cleaner infiltrates his system and begins a killing spree, Jason finds himself caught in a frightening spiral where no one can be trusted.

Sun 7 May @ 21:00 – THE WITCHES (1967) *Part of The Vintage Vault

Following a horrifying experience with the occult in Africa, a schoolteacher (Joan Fontaine) moves to a small English village, only to discover that a mysterious magic resides there as well. Directed by Cyril Frankel and co-starring Alec McCowen this Hammer Films production, was adapted from the 1960 novel The Devil’s Own

Sun 7 May @ 22:50 – WITCHFINDER GENERAL (1968) *Part of The Vintage Vault

Set during the English Civil-War, Matthew Hopkins (Vincent Price), tours the Eastern counties instigating witch-hunts and extracting ‘confessions’ under torture. When a young woman, Sara (Hilary Dwyer), is raped by Hopkins and her priest father murdered, Sara’s lover, Richard Marshall (Ian Ogilvy), vows revenge. The last and best film of director Michael Reeves’ tragically brief career, Witchfinder General has received broad critical admiration.

Sat 13 May @ 21:00 – LAST PASSENGER (2013) *Channel Premiere

Lewis Shaler (Dougray Scott) is an overworked doctor and devoted single dad heading home with his young son Max on the last train from London. He strikes up a promising relationship with Sarah (Kara Tointon), but events take a dark turn when Lewis discovers the guard has mysteriously vanished and the brakes have been sabotaged.

Sun 14 May @ 21:00 – THE CURSE OF THE CRIMSON ALTER (1968) *Part of The Vintage Vault

Mark Eden, in search of his brother, stumbles upon a coven led by the civilized-looking Christopher Lee who is enacting the revenge of his witch ancestor (Barbara Steele burned in the 17th century. Also starring Boris Karloff as a local witchcraft expert. this adaptation from Lovecraft’s Dream in the Witch House was shot in the allegedly haunted house of W S Gilbert and is the only time Lee, Karloff and Steele appear in the same film. It is also the last British film that Karloff made.

Sun 14 May @ 22:45 – THE BLOOD BEAST TERROR (1968) *Part of The Vintage Vault

A 19th-century entomologist’s daughter undergoes a metamorphosis into a giant death’s head moth which needs human blood to survive. Her father creates a giant moth to keep her company, but only succeeds in unleashing more blood-sucking terror. Meanwhile, a police inspector (played by Peter Cushing) tries to find the key to the series of gruesome murders.

Fri 19 May @ 22:35 – VENGEANCE (2017) *UK TV Premiere

An adaptation of the Joyce Carol Oates novella Rape: A Love Story. Nicholas Cage plays John Dromoor, a police officer investigating a case involving the gang rape of single mother Teena Maguire, which occurred in front of her 12-year-old daughter Bethie. After the attackers get off scot-free, John attempts to get justice by any means necessary.

Sat 20 May @ 21:00 – PAYDIRT (2020) *Channel Premiere

Criminal gang leader Damien Brooks (Luke Goss) is recently out on parole. He reconnects with his old crew to find the cash they stole and buried as a result of a DEA bust. However, they are being monitored by Sheriff Tucker (Val Kilmer), a retired officer who knows that Damien and the gang are still up to no good.

Sun 21 May @ 21:00 – THE DEVIL RIDES OUT (1968) *Part of The Vintage Vault

The powers of good are pitted against the forces of evil as the Duc de Richelieu (Christopher Lee) wrestles with the deadly Satanist, Mocata (Charles Gray) for the soul of his friend, who has become deeply involved in a satanic society run by Mocata. Furthermore, De Richleau’s daughter is kidnapped by the cult and put up for sacrifice to the Angel of Death..

Sun 21 May @ 22:55 – DR. JEKYLL AND SISTER HYDE (1971) *Part of The Vintage Vault

Young Doctor Jekyll pursues his search for a drug to prolong life. He tries his potion on himself and to his horror finds it changes him into a young and beautiful woman. So Sister Hyde is born, who stalks the dark alleys of Whitechapel for young, innocent, female victims, ensuring continuation of the bloodstained research. With each transformation Sister Hyde becomes the more dominant personality, determined to eventually suppress the ineffectual Dr Jekyll forever. Directed by Roy Ward Baker, the film is based on the 1886 novella Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde by Robert Louis Stevenson.

Sat 27 May @ 21:00 – YEAR OF THE GUN (1991) *Channel Premiere

American novelist David Raybourne (Andrew McCarthy) accidentally becomes entangled in the Red Brigade’s terrorist plan to kidnap Italian Premier Aldo Moro during a research trip to Rome. As the terrorists attempt to kill David, he and his photojournalist friend (Sharon Stone) must struggle to stay alive. Directed by John Frankenheimer

Sun 28 May @ 21:00 – SCARS OF DRACULA (1970) *Part of The Vintage Vault

Count Dracula, (Christopher Lee), once again spreads his evil from his mountaintop castle. When libertine Paul Carlson disappears one night, his more sober brother Simon and his girlfriend trace him to the area, discovering a terrified populace. Thrown out of the inn, they make their way, like Paul before them, towards the sinister castle and its undead host. This sequel to Taste the Blood of Dracula” (1968), also stars Dennis Waterman, Jenny Hanley, Patrick Troughton, and Michael Gwynn.

Sun 28 May @ 22:55 – LUST FOR A VAMPIRE (1971) *Part of The Vintage Vault

The enigmatic Carmilla (Yutte Stensgaard) enrols as a student in an exclusive girls’ finishing school and proceeds to wreak havoc among pupils and teachers alike. Among those who fall victim to her striking and sensual beauty is the school’s new English teacher Giles Barton (Ralph Bates), who at first refuses to credit the ugly rumours about her true vampiristic nature. But, following the death of a colleague, and as the toll among the girls mounts, Barto he is reluctantly forced to face the truth…

TV: Sky 148 / Virgin 149 / Freeview 41 / Freesat 137

It’s all guns blazing on LEGEND this April!

Posted on April 4, 2023 by CloutPR

Saddle up for a weekend of wild-west adventures on Saturday 8^th and Sunday 9^th of April, headed up by the Channel premiere of Roger Corman’s directorial debut feature FIVE GUNS WEST. Other highlights include THE GAMBLER, the first in a series of five American Westerns starring Kenny Rogers, Sergio Mimica-Gezzan’s early-life depiction of THE LEGEND OF BUTCH AND SUNDANCE, True Grit sequel TRUE GRIT: A FURTHER ADVENTURE, starring Warren Oates, and the 1977 movie LAST OF THE MOHICANS, based on the novel The Last of the Mohicans by James Fenimore Cooper.

Full film details in transmission order:

Saturdays & Sundays from Sat 8 April – WESTERN WEEKEND
Sat 8 April @ 13:00 – FIVE GUNS WEST *Channel Premiere

Five outlaws are promised a pardon if they’ll take on a mission for the Confederacy. They arrive at a desert stagecoach station to await a gold shipment they plan to rob, but the men begin to fight among themselves. Set during the American Civil War, this gritty Western is directed by Roger Corman, his first feature film as director.

Sat 8 April @ 14:35 – TRUE GRIT: A FURTHER ADVENTURE (1978)

Whiskey-swigging, one-eyed Rooster Cogburn (Warren Oates) and his young
friend, Mattie Ross (Lisa Pelikan) find themselves without funds on a trek west. Cogburn is enlisted by the local mine owners to catch robbers who have been stealing gold shipments. Can he save the day?

Sat 8 April @ 16:30 – THE LAST OF THE MOHICANS (1977)

An American scout and a Mohican Indian form a special bond as they accompany two women to Fort William Henry in this classic saga of the French and Indian War. Based on James Fenimore Cooper’s novel “The Last of the Mohicans

Sat 8 April @ 18:30 – SIRINGO (1996)

An action packed western starring Brad Johnson as U.S. Deputy Marshall, Charlie Siringo. One of the few lawmen in the Old West, Siringo sets out to bring justice to a land of outlaws after a gang leader kills an Indian War Chief in cold blood.

Sun 9 April @ 13:00 – AN EYE FOR AN EYE (1966)

Talion (Robert Lancing) is on the trail of Ike Slant (Slim Pickens) and his gang, responsible for the murder of his wife and child. He teams up with a young bounty hunter and prepares for a final showdown.

Sun 9 April @ 14:50 – THE LEGEND OF BUTCH AND CASSIDY (2006)

David Rogers and Ryan Browning star as the infamous sharpshooters who, when they’re not holding up money trains, are riding for their lives from ex-bandit Charlie Durango (Blake Gibbons) and his Pinkerton Posse. Packed with shoot-outs, train robberies and damsels in distress, this is a fresh look at the early tears of the Wild West’s most daring desperados.

Sun 9 April @ 16:35 – ANGEL AND THE BAD MAN (2009)

Sun 9 April @ 18:25 – THE GAMBLER (1980)

Brady Hawkes (Kenny Rogers), known as ‘The Gambler’, receives a letter from his son asking for help. This sends Brady to the rescue. Along the way Brady meets up with Billy Montana, a young man who thinks he knows everything about playing cards. Brady is about to teach him a few lessons.

TV: Sky 148 / Virgin 149 / Freeview 41 / Freesat 137

Legend April prime-time premieres

Posted on March 21, 2023March 24, 2023 by CloutPR

LEGEND gives April a spring, serving up a raft of Sixties vintage horror on Sunday nights plus a thrilling slate of prime-time premieres

THE VINTAGE VAULT continues to brighten up Sunday nights with its popular classic horror double-bills, including the Channel premiere of cult sci-fi comedy mystery THE TERRORNAUTS, starring Simon Oates, Charles Hawtrey and Patricia Hayes. You can also journey into the history of 60s genre cinema with Jack The Ripper thriller A STUDY IN TERROR (1965), psycho horror BLACK TORMENT (1964), DR TERROR’S HOUSE OF HORRORS (1965), starring Christopher Lee and Peter Cushing, THE PLAGUE OF THE ZOMBIES (1966), Hammer’s sole foray into the Zombie genre, THE REPTILE (1966). another Hammer mid-’60s shift away from the traditional staples of Dracula and Frankenstein, THE SORCERERS (1967), the debut feature of cult-director Michael Reeves, Terence Fisher’s DRACULA: PRINCE OF DARKNESS (1966), FRANKENSTEIN CREATED WOMEN (1967), the fourth of Hammer’s Frankenstein series starring Peter Cushing and eco sci-fi chiller NIGHT OF THE BIG HEART (1967),

April’s entertaining slate of premieres is spearheaded by the UK premieres of action thrillers EVERY LAST ONE OF THEM, starring Richard Dreyfuss, and MONEY PLANE, starring Kelsey Grammer and Denise Richards.

Plus, there are Channel premieres for air highjack thriller EXECUTIVE COMMAND, starring Bryan Cranston, high-octane crime adventure AN EYE FOR AN EYE (1981), starring Chuck Norris and Christopher Lee, and tense detective thriller STANDOFF, starring Laurence Fishburne and Thomas Jane.

Full film details in transmission order:

Sat 1 April @ 21:00 – EXECUTIVE COMMAND (1997) *Channel Premiere

A group of terrorists steal a deadly toxin and then hijack a plane that has the vice president on board. But the only man who can stop them is Dr Rick Harding (Michael Didikof), the toxin’s inventor. In a race against time, can Harding be found and can he stop the terrorists? Co-stars Bryan Cranston.

Sun 2 April @ 21:00 – A STUDY IN TERROR (1965) *Part of The Vintage Vault

In this Sherlock Holmes tale, Arthur Conan Doyle’s legendary 19th-century British sleuth is on the trail of Jack the Ripper. The trail takes Holmes (John Neville) from the lowest rungs of society all the way to the peak of the aristocracy, discovering blackmail and family insanity everywhere he goes. Also features Judi Dench, Barbara Windsor and Robert Morely.

Sun 2 April @ 22:50 – THE BLACK TORMENT (1964) *Part of The Vintage Vault

When Sir Richard (John Turner) returns to his manor with his new wife. he hears rumours that he had already secretly returned and had committed several murders. Has he lost his mind, or is something dark afoot? Also stars Heather Sears and Patrick Troughton

Fri 7 April @ 21:00 – AN EYE FOR AN EYE (1981) *Channel Premiere

Sean Kane (Chuck Norris) is forced to resign from the San Francisco Police Department’s Narcotics Division when he goes berserk after his partner is murdered. He decides to fight alone and follows a trail of drug traffickers into unexpected high places. Also stars Christopher Lee.

Sun 9 April @ 21:00 – DR TERROR’S HOUSE OF HORRORS (1965) *Part of The Vintage Vault

Just as a train departs, a mysterious stranger, Dr Shreck, enters the carriage with his pack of tarot cards to tell the fortunes of five fellow passengers. The cards predict that every one of them will suffer a terrible death, but will fate deal them the same hand. Stars Christopher Lee and Peter Cushing.

Sun 9 April @ 22:55 – THE PLAGUE OF THE ZOMBIES (1966) *Part of The Vintage Vault

Directed by John Gilling, this is Hammer’s sole foray into the Zombie genre and attracted the scrutiny of the British Board of Film Censors, who expressed concerns over the scene where a lumbering corpse (Jacqueline Pearce) is decapitated with a spade. The support feature to Dracula Prince of Darkness may have been a B movie with no star names, but it is widely regarded to be a superior film

Fri 14 April @ 22:45 – EVERY LAST ONE OF THEM (2021) *Channel Premiere

Desperate to find his missing daughter, Jake Hunter (Paul Sloan), tracks her last known whereabouts to a small desert town. As Jake uncovers the truth about his daughter’s whereabouts the answers become terrifyingly clear and he goes on a merciless quest for revenge. Also stars Richard Dreyfuss.

Sat 15 April @ 21:00 – STANDOFF (2015) *Channel Premiere

When Isabelle (Ella Ballentine), a young girl with a knack for photography, sees something she shouldn’t, an assassin (Laurence Fishburne) follows her to a lone farmhouse, inhabited by grieving Carter Green (Thomas Jane). Unable, and unwilling to hand the girl over, Carter vows to protect her from the ruthless hitman.

Sun 16 April @ 21:00 – THE REPTILE (1966) *Part of The Vintage Vault

Harry and Valerie inherit the Cornwall home of Harry’s brother, who died under mysterious circumstances. The couple’s neighbour, the hostile Dr. Franklin (Noel Willman), had been investigating a secret tribe of snake-people on his last trip to Borneo, and they had reacted to his intrusion by making Anna, his daughter, one of them. As a result, she turns into a hideous cobra-woman every winter…

Sun 16 April @ 22:50 – THE SORCERERS (1967) *Part of The Vintage Vault

experience sensations felt by their subjects. They take control of a teenager and have him live out what they associate with contemporary youth: violence and sex. This disturbing and powerful film is the debut feature of cult-director Michael Reeves and stars Boris Karloff, Catherine Lacey and Ian Ogilvy.

Sat 22 April @ 21:00 – MONEY PLANE (2020) *UK TV Premiere

A professional thief with $40 million in debt and his family’s life on the line must commit one final heist – rob a futuristic airborne casino filled with the world’s most dangerous criminals. Starring Adam Copeland, Kelsey Grammer and Thomas Jane

Sun 23 April @ 21:00 – DRACULA: PRINCE OF DARKNESS (1966) *Part of The Vintage Vault

Christopher Lee stars in this chilling tale of four English tourists who become stranded in the Carpathian mountains. When a driverless coach appears and takes them to a sinister castle, can they survive the night? Directed by Terence Fisher and also starring Andrew Keir and Barbara Shelley

Sun 23 April @ 22:50 – FRANKENSTEIN CREATED WOMEN (1967) *Part of The Vintage Vault

The fourth and one of the best of Hammer’s Frankenstein series sees mad doctor Frankenstein (Peter Cushing) once again experimenting with human bodies. This time he transplants the soul of an executed young man into the disfigured body of the young man’s female lover, Christina, who had committed suicide. But the revenge impulse of her male soul takes over and she seeks out those who brought about her/his unjust execution.

Sat 29 April @ 21:00 – NARROW MARGIN (1990) *Channel Premiere

Robert Caulfield (Gene Hackman), the DA of Los Angeles, has been protecting Carol Hunnicut, a prime witness in a murder case. But he was careless and they are forced to hide on a train going to Vancouver. But the mafia killers are on board. As the train speeds around the Rocky Mountains, how will they escape the trained hit men?

Sun 30 April @ 21:00 – THE TERRORNAUTS (1967) *Channel Premiere *Part of The Vintage Vault

has reported no positive results. But just when the project is about to be cancelled, Burke discovers a faint signal the same mysterious signal that intrigued and haunted him as a child and decides to respond. Doomwatch star Simon Oates takes the lead role in this cult ’60s sci-fi gem, adapted from visionary author Murray Leinster’s novel ‘The Wailing Asteroid’ Also features typically comedic turns from Patricia Hayes and Charles Hawtrey.

Sun 30 April @ 22:30 – NIGHT OF THE BIG HEAT (1967) *Part of The Vintage Vault

A freak heat wave sends the temperatures soaring on a remote island. Dr Stone (Peter Cushing) and Callum (Patrick Allen) try to uncover the mysterious reason for the sudden change in climate. But the arrival of Callum’s former mistress (Jane Merrow) forces the atmosphere to boiling point and it falls to Godfrey Hanson (Christopher Lee) to discover that the rising heat is the start of an invasion of merciless aliens…

TV: Sky 148 / Virgin 149 / Freeview 41 / Freesat 137

Film news: First images are revealed from the set of Federico Zampaglione’s new horror film

Posted on March 16, 2023 by CloutPR

Lauren LaVera & Claudia Gerini in THE WELL

Federico Zampaglione is returning to the horror genre with dark supernatural thriller THE WELL, which is currently on a 4-week shoot in locations around Rome.

THE WELL stars Lauren LaVera, fresh from her lead role in the box-office smash Terrifier 2, as Lisa Gray, a budding art restorer, who travels to a small Italian village to bring a medieval painting back to its former glory. Little does she know she is placing her life in danger from an evil curse and a monster born of myth and brutal pain.

Written by Zampaglione and Stefano Masi, the film’s principal producer, this gripping journey into the depths of evil also stars Claudia Gerini, Giovanni Lombardo Radice, Linda Zampaglione, Jonathan Dylan King, Lorenzo Renzi, Taylor Zaudtke, Gianluigi Calvani and Yassine Fadel.

THE WELL is an Iperuranio Film production, directed by Federico Zampaglione, written by Federico Zampaglione and Stefano Masi, and produced by Stefano Masi and Mario Pezzi. DoP: Andrea Arnone, SFX: Carlo Diamantini, Costume Design: Antonella Balsamo, Make up: Federica Puglielli, Set Designer: Blazej Wasiak.

PR contact: Greg Day | Clout Communications | greg@cloutcom.co.uk | @cloutcomcouk

Social Media: IG: @thewell_movie FB The Well movie TW @Thewell_movie, TikTok @thewell_movie

Interview with CONSECRATION director Chris Smith

Posted on February 28, 2023 by CloutPR

Ahead of the European premiere of his psychologically disturbing supernatural thriller, CONSECRATION, at FrightFest Glasgow 2023, director Chris Smith talks about the supernatural side of religion, filming in Scotland, and his encounter with a pregnant sheep.

Image of Chris Smith on the set of CONSECRATION — Chris Smith on the set of CONSECRATION

Another FrightFest, another Chris Smith movie! Our destinies seem intertwined. Why has FrightFest always been a key component to your release strategy?

I feel very fortunate to have been brought into the FrightFest family. I was very lucky that my first film, Creep, was included and then I got very lucky with the dates of release of my subsequent films. Severance was shown the night before the festival started in 2006 and then of course there was the spectacular Premier for Triangle at the Empire Leicester Square. FrightFest has also shown Black Death and Detour. They didn’t bother with Get Santa but that’s their loss. FrightFest is the best audience for any director.

Where did the initial CONSECRATION concept come from?

For a long time I’ve been trying to come up with a movie that was about the supernatural side of religion. If you look at Christianity, so many elements of the story are supernatural – the power of miracles, bringing someone back from the dead and then Jesus reappearing after his crucifixion. This requires belief and it is believed of millions of people and my story is not questioning that. I didn’t want to make a film that from an atheist stand point because to me there are more interesting questions to be asked from the position of a believer. I wanted to look at the miracles and say: “What would happen if somebody was born today that had the power of Christ? What would happen to that person 300 years ago? What would happen to that person in a modern context. What if that new Messiah was a woman? These thoughts were basically the seed of the idea for Jenna’s story.

You co-wrote CONSECRATION with producer Laurie Cook. Who came up with what?

So, I was kicking some ideas around with Jason Newmark who was the producer of Triangle, and Jason said that Laurie, who I’d collaborated with on The Banishing, had a treatment that may tie in nicely with my desire to make a religious film. Laurie had come up with a story of a priest that arrived from Rome to reconsecrate a church where there’s been a murder. I took that basic idea, which I really loved, and just wrote the first draft of the story we have here. Laurie then came in after that first draft was done and he wrote a draft over the top of it and then we just went back and forth with it till it was finished.

Image of Jena Malone (centre) in CONSECRATION — Jena Malone (centre) in CONSECRATION

You have described CONSECRATION as “A film about the nature of religion and how defining one thing as divine creates a false opposite that is heretical”. Can you explain more?

I’m interested in the idea that people believe there will be a second coming and I tried to imagine how that might actually occur. How would those miracles be demonstrated and what would be the church’s position on it. Would the person be vilified? Certainly in the past they would. If it were a woman she would be a witch. I love digging into this stuff.

You’ve also called CONSECRATION your scariest film yet. Why do you think that is?

For me personally, anything that deals with fundamentalism is scary. So in that context only, this would be the scariest, along with Black Death. It’s impossible for me to answer really. Creep is the film that time and again people say is my scariest.

You assembled a great cast including Jena Malone and Danny Huston. You must have been pleased they responded so enthusiastically to the material?

I’m absolutely thrilled at the cast of this film but to be honest. I’ve always been very fortunate with the actors I’ve worked with. I love working with actors and that passion is recognised by them. I’ve always been a huge fan of Jena Malone, so when she responded so passionately about the material I was thrilled. Originally the story was going to be set in America but then we investigated Scotland and we found this amazing castle on the edge of a cliff in Skye. Jenna was already attached and there was absolutely no way I was going to lose her, so she had to polish off her accent and become English. I’ve loved Danny Huston since Ivan’s XTC, which is still one of the best movies ever made about Hollywood, so when he signed on too I was in fairy tale land. But the whole cast were amazing. Some of whom we’re cast the old fashioned way from audition tapes. Eilidh Fisher who plays the young nun Meg, Thoren Ferguson who plays the policeman, both local Scottish actors and both great.

And playing Mother Superior is the brilliant Janet Suzman. How did you tempt her out of retirement?

I was very lucky to have worked with Janet Suzman on a TV show I shot in South Africa and so, as soon as I came up with this Mother Superior character/ Nurse Ratched type, I immediately thought of Janet. Not because Janet’s remotely like Nurse Ratched but because she’s not! She’s delightful. She’s just a brilliant actor from the John Hurt/ David Warner school. A proper legend.

FrightFest Glasgow is in Scotland obviously, so where did you film CONSECRATION on location here?

We filmed all of the exteriors that you see on the Isle of Skye. There’s an old castle on the edge of the sea and we used that as the old broken down Monastery. The interior of the monastery is all set in an old ex-monastery on the outskirts of London which fortunately has been deconsecrated. I have to say, I’ve fallen in love with Scotland as a result of being here so much. I’ve been up to the highlands twice this year already. Once to go up Ben Nevis with my son, which nearly killed me and then once to go hiking around Fort William. It’s no wonder the Queen loved the place, it’s gorgeous.

Image of Danny Huston is CONSECRATION — Danny Huston in CONSECRATION

A smooth shoot? Any challenges or anecdotes you can share with the class of 2023?

Once I was sitting at the monitor and a sheep came up to me bleating. The sheep then gave birth to a baby lamb in front of me. You don’t get that on the King’s Road!

Finally, what’s next?

I’ve written a war movie which I’m trying to get made set in Syria. I’ve also got another horror movie that I wrote some time ago but couldn’t quite finish. It’s very much an old school gory horror with a serial killer but deadly serious in tone.

CONSECRATION is showing at the Glasgow Film Theatre on Sat 11 March, 3.45pm, as part of FrightFest Glasgow 2023. Chris will be attending.

Interview with MOTHER SUPERIOR director Marie Alice Wolfszahn

Posted on February 23, 2023February 23, 2023 by CloutPR

Ahead of the UK premiere of her stylishly brooding occult chiller, MOTHER SUPERIOR, at FrightFest Glasgow 2023, director Marie Alice Wolfszahn talks about being drawn to making a period horror film, multimedia influences and why returning to Scotland will be a homecoming.

Marie Alice Wolfszahn (centre) on location with MOTHER SUPERIOR

MOTHER SUPERIOR is your debut feature. How did you decide that this was the film you wanted to make?

To be honest, I didn’t know Mother Superior was to become my feature debut when I first started the project – we were planning for a long short film. Over the course of the production the scenes grew bigger, the characters developed, everyone added their magic; and finally, in the editing suite, we realised we had made a short feature film. (We never tried to reach a certain length, we just let the story decide its own flow.)

I was drawn to making a period horror film dealing with a cult. I’ve been curious about faith and ideology for ages. The power of imagination fascinates me. Insofar, the connection between fascism and occultism is a theme that I have been researching for years. The existence of NS-devoted women’s movements was something new to me. So I decided to look deeper into this paradox.

Meanwhile Covid was raging and camps with conflicting positions teamed up – esoteric naturopaths who suddenly agreed with Trump; left-wing liberals who fell for ultranationalist conspiracy theories. I was baffled and confused and reflected on how naively we put labels on values – good/evil, permitted/forbidden, rational/odd – and how many combination possibilities there are in fact. So it felt like a fitting time to pick up on the subject of “brown esotericism” and, more generally, to raise awareness of the danger that despicable worldviews may walk hand in hand with appealing ideals.

How would you describe it?

It is a quest for self-discovery but on her journey, Sigrun is lead astray. Her desire to belong overrides her moral compass. She opens herself to an insidious, warped truth with gruesomely false ideals.

The ending may be interpreted however one prefers – most people, I assume, will read it as a supernatural phenomenon, a transmigration of the soul. This is what the signs are hinting at, and it is a genre film after all. Nevertheless, there is also a realistic interpretation: Sigrun may have been manipulated/brainwashed so much that she eventually follows the footsteps of the Baroness out of choice. This is even darker and where the warning is embedded.

When writing the script, did you always visualise it as a genre movie? Were there any particular influences in that area?

Yes, I definitely wanted this to be a genre film. Somehow, raw reality is not how my brain works. Our subjective perception creates its own fiction all the time. We are consumed by much more than the tangible here+now. To be able to portray the inner mind, to visualise the psychological projections of a character is such a fantastic way to bring across emotion, desire, fear.

Influences were 60s/70s horror films like Rosemary’s Baby and the old Suspiria but also the documentary Grey Gardens about Little and Big Edie.

You are also a multimedia artist. How did your background, particularly in art, influence the film?

I guess my art background shines through in my compulsive love for details. There is not a single prop or fleck of colour in each frame that I didn’t thoroughly think about. While creating all these old documents and indexes, we would not only consider the paper, ink and font, and authentically faking imperial eagle stamps (our paper bin started looking rather dubious) but also the small print such as the title of the issuing authority – aware that no one will ever see this. It disturbs me if things are a quick fix, no matter if they end up being in the far background, or even out of shot. Entering a set and fully immersing in a different era or realm makes it so much more real. For me, it is not just about telling a story but physically forging its entire world.

You deal with themes that you call fictional reality: faith, fanaticism and ideology – and also historical family disfunction. Were there any personal experiences that you brought to the writing or filming process?

There is no personal experience or family history that would explain my interest in the topics of my film. If anything, my heritage being Austrian and growing up with the horrors of the 2nd WW but learning hardly anything about the mythological backbone of the NS ideology which I think is so crucial in order to understand how such an insane worldview can take over.

As mentioned before, I’m highly fascinated by the power of imagination since I believe it influences all human motives. I always say we live in a grey zone between reality and fiction.

There is no objective truth as such – I don’t mean that there is ultimately no right or wrong but there is an explanation for every decision. Our values and worldviews depend on our upbringing, our influences. A person who stones a homosexual is terribly wrong but they are acting according to their personal truth. This is certainly not an excuse but the better we understand a narrative the easier it is to change it.

The performances are all exceptional. Take us through the key casting decisions. In particular, Isabella Händler as Sigrun.

My DoP had been working with Isabella Händler before, loved her energy and introduced us. We bonded immediately, did a reading rehearsal and that was that – she was my Sigrun. Isabella is of course a very different person in real life but she has that strong will, yet gentle spirit and untainted curiosity that I was looking for. We ended up shaping the character together over the course of several months and discussed every little possible backstory of Sigrun’s life.

The Baroness on the other hand was a longer search. I had a very fragile, petite lady in mind who refuses to eat but the actresses I cast were either too young for the role or too old for the challenging filming process. One day, a friend sent me Inge Maux’s demo reel. I had seen her in theatre plays before and thought her brilliant but hadn’t considered a corpulent Baroness. Slowly I began to fall in love with the idea and adapted the screenplay a little. Inge has Jewish roots, is often cast for Yiddish characters and adored the irony of playing a Nazi-Baroness. It was a perfect fit.

Image from the movie Mother Superior — Isabella Händler as Sigrun in MOTHER SUPERIOR

The film won Best Feature at the Brooklyn Horror Film Festival 2022. Has that put more pressure on you, do you think?

No. Receiving these amazing awards (Best Feature and Best Director in fact) I couldn’t believe my ears!. It was a confidence boost and a reassurance that the team, the cast and I did something right. This was my first time working with experienced actors and directing long dialogue scenes. I was asking myself before if I have enough to offer that helps them bring these characters to live. But I realised there are many approaches, mine is empathy and sensitivity to everyone’s needs, and openness to the input of others. We were a really strong team and everyone was in it for the project and not for the (tiny) cash. There was a certain magic on set that made us all go the extra mile. Still, I’m incredibly humbled for such a huge recognition.

You studied art in Edinburgh, so is FrightFest Glasgow a kind of homecoming for you?

Indeed, Scotland is a homecoming for me. My mother and I moved to Edinburgh when I was 15 and I went to school there for a year. Later on, I returned for my studies and graduated in Film at the ECA. I adore the wild nature and crazy weather, the gothic architecture with its overgrown graveyards and dark alleyways, the sinister folk stories and tragic song lyrics. Scotland has definitely left a strong impact and shaped me into who I am.

The ending to the film suggests we haven’t seen the last of Sigrun. Are there plans for a sequel?

Funnily enough, there are plans for a kind of prequel. During my research I stumbled again and again upon the grandmother of esotericism as we understand this expression today – a spiritual teacher of the 19th century called Madame Blavatsky. There are photographs of her in the Baroness’ chambers in Mother Superior. There’s no film about Helena Blavatsky even though she has paved the way for all New Age movements we can think of nowadays. Her teachings are very controversial and she wasn’t necessarily a genuine person but her life story is spectacular and her theories are omnipresent. I’m not sure if this will be a biopic or more fiction, knowing myself it will explore the supernatural either way.

2022 was a great year for the genre. What have been your outstanding film choices?

The Innocents by Eskil Vogt

Luzifer by Peter Brunner

Huesera by Michelle Garza Cervera

Blaze by Del Kathryn Barton

Moloch by Nico van den Brink

Something in the Dirt by Aaron Moorhead &Justin Benson

What’s next for you?

Apart from researching for the Madame Blavatsky film, I’m co-writing a Christmas folk horror with a wonderful US author called Elise Salomon. It picks up on the ancient myth of the Wild Hunt, an eerie procession of ghost riders in the winter skies. Again, there is a strong female character with rather ambivalent motives.

MOTHER SUPERIOR is showing at the Glasgow Film Theatre on Friday 10 March, 6.45pm, as part of FrightFest Glasgow 2023. Marie Alice will be attending.