Jonny's Cult Films

VESPER - Mayhem Festival Favourites

noreply@blogger.com (Jonnyscultfilms) — Wed, 26 Oct 2022 09:15:00 -0700

Hello Folks,

Following on from the 1st favourite of mine Wolf Manor from this years great Mayhem Festival next up is Vesper.

It was a film I had seen a few stories about and I couldn't quite put my finger on what had grabbed my attention but there was something about the film that really peaked my interest and I must say it surpassed all my expectations.

Its a story of a young girl named Vesper played brilliantly by Rafiella Chapman who was also in Tim Burton's Miss Peregrine's home for for Peculiar Children and as a young actress she is superb in this and definitely has a very bright future ahead of her.

It tells the story of the collapse of earth's eco-system and is focused on a group of survivors trying to get some kind of normality back and do what they can to keep the human race alive. This particular group have a leader, Jonas played by Eddie Marsan who personally has become a favourite British actor of mine in the last few years, problem is he is a total shit head!

Vesper has her bed ridden father who can communicate through a floating droid that follows her around and has a painted face similar to Wilson from the Tom Hanks movie "Castaway" who helps her out when he can and does his bed ridden best to keep her spirits up.

Vesper is a lot more intelligent than basically all the people around her give her credit for but when a craft crashes in the woods it changes everything. She has a plan to get planet earth back on track to being how it was before the eco disaster, But will she succeed?

That's all I can really say without spoiling it and I was going to put a trailer on but that could spoil things so you haven't got one !

One thing that did surprise me was how great the special FX were and the scenery was brilliant, Some have said that it lays on the message of climate change a bit heavy but honestly lets face it if we do carry on like we are we are actually fucked, So it may well do but don't be an arsehole and rant about that if that's your opinion just enjoy it for a bloody great dystopian look into the future and if you do get chance to see it in a big screen please do, It looked great and I would definitely love to see it on the big screen again.

8/10 From Jonny T.

Wolf Manor - Mayhem Festival Favourites

noreply@blogger.com (Emma) — Wed, 19 Oct 2022 10:10:00 -0700

Wolf Manor,

UK 2022, 85 Minutes,

Directed by Dominic Brunt,

Starring James Fleet, Nicky Evens, John Henshaw.

"Shooting a vampire movie in an old abandoned house should have worked like a dream. However, with the full moon, The nightmare begins, The body count rises as the cast and crew encounter the mansion's resident werewolf."

Hello Folks!

I recently attended Mayhem festival in Nottingham and it was brilliant as always! The setting is Broadway cinema in Nottingham which is a fantastic cinema. If you've never been you really should.

So the next few posts will be some reviews of my favourite films of the weekend starting with a new British Werewolf movie "Wolf Manor" known in the USA as "Scream of the wolf"

So, It was Thursday and the start of Mayhem Film Festival and first up was Wolf Manor, From Director and Emmerdale star Dominic Brunt and it was bloody great! Set in an old mansion house it is based around the making of a vampire movie with a superb performance by James Fleet who plays Oliver, A pretty much washed up older actor that is to reprise his vampire role one last time, He does moan about a lot of stuff(and drinks a lot!) which is hilarious and if you have ever read about Christopher Lee by the time he got to Dracula A.D.1972 you can definitely see where the influence comes from!

This brings me to the Q&A session after the screening with Dominic Brunt, Joel Ferrari the writer of Wolf Manor who was a man of few words but hilarious! He has also written an upcoming horror called Pandora which i would also keep your eye on if Wolf Manor is anything to go by.

One of the Joel did say was that "it is a horror films written by horror fans for horror fans." And that summed up Wolf Manor perfectly.

It's basically a homage to many classics, I especially noticed many references to An American werewolf in London but there were loads more. When the Wolf arrives at the Manor it turns into a classic werewolf/ movie with the body count mounting up and some brilliant kills. Also a great thing to see was al the practical FX, The wolf itself also looked great and as menacing as can be.

Th gore level is super high as well as the laughs, Over the last few years there has been a few classic British werewolf films such as Howl and of course Dog Soldiers and i personally would put this easily up there with those movies.

Wolf Manor is a solid entry into the genre and destined to become a future favourite of many many horror fans, Like Joel said "It is a horror film written by horror fans for horror fans" Go see it as soon as you can.

A Very Solid 8.5/10

'Censor' Prano Bailey-Bond’s acclaimed ‘thrilling, dizzying debut’ is set for its release on Standard Edition Blu-ray on 31 October from Second Sight

noreply@blogger.com (Jonnyscultfilms) — Mon, 17 Oct 2022 04:23:00 -0700

Hello Folks!

Some great news that the fantastic movie "Censor" is getting a release on Halloween!

If you've not seen it yet I strongly suggest you do it's one of the best movies this year,

Please see details below a well as a pre-order link from Second Sight films,

Jonny,

PRE-ORDER LINK BELOW

https://secondsightfilms.co.uk/products/censor-standard-edition

Following its highly praised Limited Edition release from Second Sight Films, Prano Bailey-Bond’s acclaimed ‘thrilling, dizzying debut’ Censor is set for its release on Standard Edition Blu-ray on 31 October, perfect for Halloween viewing.

The film features the incredible Niamh Algar in a mesmerising performance as a dedicated, intense film censor during Britain’s infamous ‘video nasty’ era, whose work slowly becomes intertwined with her past, in this brilliantly dark and disturbing British horror

‘This thrilling, dizzying debut... is a nostalgic treat for anyone old enough to remember the infamous "video nasties" scare of the early 80s’ Mark Kermode

‘Feels lovingly worked-at, slathered in period detail and aesthetic beauty’

The Independent

‘Bailey-Bond displays a tricky skill: moving from realism to nightmarish oddness while taking viewers along with you’

Sunday Times

Saint Maud comes to all formats and mega competition!

noreply@blogger.com (Jonnyscultfilms) — Sun, 24 Jan 2021 04:09:00 -0800

Hello Folks,

Some new that the brilliant Saint Maud comes to all formats on February 1st, To celebrate the release I have teamed up with Organic for a competition to win some fantastic Saint Maud goodies, These include a T-Shirt, Posters and of course a Blu-Ray release of the movie, All you have to do is answer the question below and email me at jonnyscultfilms@gmail.com it's that easy!

Competition closes 1st February 2021, Contest open to UK residents,

Thank you and good luck!

Jonny.

QUESTION - Name the Director of the fantastic Saint Maud.

The Guardian ***** Daily Telegraph ***** The Independent ***** The Sun *****

Daily Mirror ***** Metro ***** Evening Standard *****Time Out ***** Digital Spy *****

The Observer ***** SFX ***** Den of Geek *****

THE MOST TALKED-ABOUT BRITISH FILM OF 2020

SAINT MAUD

DVD, Blu-ray and Limited Edition Steelbook artwork WRITTEN & DIRECTED BY ROSE GLASS STARRING MORFYDD CLARK and JENNIFER EHLE ON DVD, BLU-RAY, LIMITED EDITION STEELBOOK and DIGITAL RELEASE FROM 1ST FEBRUARY 2021

“One of the best British debuts of all time” | Charlotte O’Sullivan | Evening Standard

“Extraordinary" | Matt Glasby | Total Film "Utterly original" | Rosie Fletcher | Den of Geek

Following its breakthrough cinema release, STUDIOCANAL are excited to announce the DVD, Blu-ray, limited edition SteelBook® and digital release of Rose Glass’ universally acclaimed directorial debut SAINT MAUD, starring Morfydd Clark and Jennifer Ehle, on 1 st February 2021. Available to pre-order now from Amazon on Digital, DVD & Blu-ray.

The Zavvi exclusive limited edition SteelBook® can be preordered HERE. Live-in nurse Maud (Morfydd Clark) arrives at the home of Amanda (Jennifer Ehle), a famous dancer now frail from illness and trapped in her grand, isolated house. At first Amanda is intrigued by this religious young woman, who provides distraction from her failing health. Maud, in turn, is bewitched by her new patient. But Maud is not all that she seems. She is tormented by a violent secret from her past and by ecstatic messages she believes are directly from God. She becomes convinced she has been sent to Amanda not simply as a nurse, but to serve a divine purpose. As her grip on reality slides out of control, Maud's care turns into a deadly mission to save Amanda’s soul, by any means necessary. Screen ‘Star of Tomorrow’ Morfydd Clark and BAFTA and Tony Award-winner Jennifer Ehle come together in this electrifying psychological horror from debut writer/director and Screen ‘Star of Tomorrow’ Rose Glass. Extras: • Audio Commentary with writer director Rose Glass & editor Mark Towns • Virtual Q&A with Rose Glass & film critic Robbie Collin • Constructing the Scene featurette • Maud and Amanda featurette • Creating the World featurette SAINT MAUD will be released on DVD, BLU RAY, Limited Edition steelbook and Digital platforms on 1st February 2021

0.00MHZ -Reviewed

noreply@blogger.com (Jonnyscultfilms) — Mon, 27 Apr 2020 10:48:00 -0700

It was a Sunday night on lock-down and i was looking for something to watch, I'd been through Netflix as we all do trying to find something which can take as long as it takes to watch a film!Netflix options were exhausted and nothing peaked my interest, So i was flicking through my phone on the Shudder app and came across an interesting Asian title called "0.0MHz". And as you all know we love a good Asian horror over here so decided to give it a go.

The movie opens up with a ceremony outside a remote hut with the local villagers in attendance, They appear to be trying to eradicate a spirit that it seems to have caused a woman to hang herself in the cabin, This ceremony goes not as planned resulting in both of the people trying to rid the demon dead, In particularly gruesome ways.

Then we cut to a group of "Ghost Hunters" teenagers with a bit of knowledge and some equipment to be honest, The are called the 0.0Mhz club as that is the frequency where the spirits appear and cross over, Or something like that but you get the idea. As with all standard movie group of teens you have the couple,The geeky one, The weird one ETC. They load up the vehicle and stop off on the way to get supplies of food and Beer where they are warned by a local not to disrespect the dead basically do not have a party there,Do they listen? Of course not!!

They start their ghost hunt with drinks and piss taking but it all starts to go very very wrong, Surprisingly they all make it out and back to the vehicle, But have they done everything the should have to leave the spirit behind? Once again, Of course not!!!

So, You get the idea. It was i thought anyway great, Kind of seen it all before, The great long haired ghost is present as always and the settings and atmosphere is great, One part actually made me really jump! The only down side i would say i that some of the CGI is at time a little ropy but you can forgive that for the most part.

So, In summing up don't expect anything too original but it does have some good twists and some genuinely creepy bits, Well worth a watch 0.0MHz is now streaming on Shudder.

7.5/10

Jonny T.

The Occupant - Reviewed

noreply@blogger.com (Jonnyscultfilms) — Sat, 25 Apr 2020 02:13:00 -0700

Hello Folks,
Whilst going through the international section on Netflix came across The Occupant, I had read about it and love the lead actor Javier Gutierrez so i decided to give it a go.
It tells the story of a failing Advertising executive who is looking for work but not much success, This ultimately leads to him having to move out of his beloved apartment with his wife and son in tow.
But what gives it a twist is that he still holds a key to his old apartment, He returns to spy on the new occupants then eventually lets himself back in whilst they are out, From here on in we see his mental state deteriorate as he slowly befriends the new owners without them having a clue of who he is or what the hell he has been up to in their absence
There are some real tense moments and even though you know what he is up to i personally felt some sympathy for him at first anyway!.
He basically gets to know the young couple and manipulates them in i must say some very clever if horrible ways against each other, i shall say no more.
All i would say is watch it, I thought it was great, Javier is great and slimy horrible in equal measures, It's got that feeling that it's bound to be if already not remade for the Hollywood audience but please watch this version, It's solid.
8/10.
Jonny T.

Sea Fever - Reviewed.

noreply@blogger.com (Jonnyscultfilms) — Mon, 13 Apr 2020 04:44:00 -0700

The crew of a West of Ireland trawler, marooned at sea, struggle for their lives against a growing parasite in their water supply.

Director: Neasa Hardiman

Writer: Neasa Hardiman

Stars: Connie Nielsen, Hermione Corfield, Dougray Scott

From Irish female director Neasa Hardiman Comes Sea Fever, She's mostly known for directing TV shows such as Jessica Jones,Inhumans and Happy Valley and it's great to see her direct a full feature and the result is pretty good in my opinion.

When student Siobhan (Hermione Corfield) is set with the task to join a crew of an Irish Trawler to undertake studies on the catch and note any anomalies she takes on the job but it turns out a lot more than anomalies she will be up against. Not the most confident of people she boards the ship and doesn't feel comfortable trying to be a part of the crew family so just finds various places to do her studies and keeps her self to her self.

The captain gets a radio message from the coast guard about the course they are taking that will be leading them into an exclusion zone and to change course. One thing that Siobhan asks the crew when she boards is that she has to do a short dive whilst out at sea. The trawler comes to an abrupt stop as if it has hit something, Reluctant but asked by the captain she takes that dive and what she finds below the surface that is holding the trawler is not what she or anyone on-board expects.

I really did enjoy Sea fever, I found it to have elements of many other movies such as The Abyss, The Thing to name just a couple, The acting was solid as were the FX for a low budget movie, It's one of those films where you really don't know who will survive, It has it's gory moments and i would say if you are squeamish about "eye" things you may want to look away once or twice!

So in summing up, A great little independent horror movie and keep your eye out for, You can do a lot lot worse like all the crap that comes out of big Hollywood studios, Well worth a look,

7.5/10,

Jonny T.

The Decline - Reviewed

noreply@blogger.com (Jonnyscultfilms) — Sun, 12 Apr 2020 04:07:00 -0700

A fatal accident at a remote survivalist training camp sends participants into a panic - and sets the stage for a chilling showdown.

Director: Patrice Laliberté

Writers: Charles Dionne, Nicolas Krief

Stars: Marc Beaupré, Réal Bossé, Marilyn Castonguay

Hello Folks,

Hope your'e all keeping safe. I came across The Decline whilst bored the other day and adding a ton of stuff to my Netflix list, The thing is with Netflix i always find it a pain in the arse to find good stuff and there are some great international movies if you do a bit of digging, I found The Decline and it had good reviews and a story line i always like, I do have a soft spot for remote survival based horror so it ticked my boxes so i decided to give it a go and after watching The Room i needed something good and this certainly was.

It starts off with a family practising an escape plan to see how long it would take to escape in the wake of a disaster, This disaster is not a virus like we are experiencing but a natural climate disaster with ice melting, Communities disappearing and migrants/immigrants basically coming to take what is yours and what you would need to survive, We then see Alain who releases survival tips videos online on how to survive in the on coming days of doom, He also runs a survivalist weekend where those folks who get chosen get to spend a whole weekend as we see later setting snares, Traps, Loading weapons and even bomb making, Alain ain't messing about, He takes it very very seriously indeed!

We get introduced to the various characters on the weekend and their backgrounds, When one of the exercises goes wrong it's down hill from there on in and it's pretty relentless. A short running time of 1hr 25mins is pretty spot on as it never seemed to drag in my opinion, The landscapes and some of the overhead shots are stunning, It does have a fair share of gore and when it does come it's shocking, There are also some great twists which i personally didn't see coming, So if you get chance i know it's on Netflix here in the UK but not sure about overseas but please seek it out it's a solid watch. I would also say as a final note that i watched the trailer after i had watched the film and i would say don't watch it as it does contain some slight spoilers!

8/10

Jonny T

The Room - Reviewed

noreply@blogger.com (Jonnyscultfilms) — Sat, 11 Apr 2020 06:10:00 -0700

So,The Room starts off with a young attractive couple buy a remote house, They are decorating it when the man discovers a locked door hidden behind some wallpaper, He remembers he threw a similar looking key for the lock away earlier, He opens the door to an empty room, But then the lights starts to flicker, So hey guess what he calls a local electrician who comes and has a look, On leaving the electrician is surprised by the fact that the new owner doesn't know the story of the previous owners being murdered! So from this brief description you get the idea right?
I have seen this plot a million times before as i'm sure many of you have, The only difference is that the room gives you anything you wish for, anything at all. That part of it peaked my interest for about 30 minutes but to be honest after that i just kept loosing interest, It's an easy watch to be fair but honestly don't expect anything groundbreaking or to be honest even remotely scary, The couple have the usual blazing rows whilst weird stuff is happening but for me the last half hour was so dull and by the time it finished i honestly couldn't give a shit about the characters, I found them unlikable from the start!
So all in all, it's not as bad as i am probably making it out to be for me it was terrible!
5/10
Jonny T

Judy And Punch - Reviewed.

noreply@blogger.com (Jonnyscultfilms) — Fri, 10 Apr 2020 04:25:00 -0700

It's apparent from the outset that Mr Punch is an arsehole and he most certainly is that!

Struggling to make it in the big time his and Judy's puppet show has returned after touring to a town called Sea Side, It is getting rave reviews in the town and playing to a packed theatre also attracting interest from the "Big Smoke" but the trouble is Mr Punch can't control his thirst for the booze, After an accident involving their baby Judy returns home to find an intoxicated Punch who turns full on rage and appears to beat her to death, He then carries her out and buries her in the nearby woods where (Slight Spoiler) she regains consciousness and is taken in by a group of outcasts who live in the woods called "Hexens".

Mr Punch then blames the two old loyal servants for the death of his child and the mysterious death of his wife. It's set in medieval times, Times where if you cast the wrong shadow you are classed as a witch and duly stoned to death or hung without any hope of a fair trial.

I must say i hadn't really read much or seen much about Judy and Punch but the poster and story-line peaked my interest so i decided to give it a go and i'm really glad i did,The sets and indeed the setting where the tale takes place looks great, It reminded me in parts of classics such as Blood On Satan's Claw and Witchfinder General but with more of a dark comedic twist.

It's got some great character's and twists, All in all a pleasant surprise, Like i said before the lead character of Mr Punch is played brilliantly by Damon Herriman who also recently played Charles Manson in the superb Netflix series "Mindhunter". I found as much as i hated his character i also loved it in equal measures, Also the other lead Judy played by Mia Wasikowska who's best known for her portrayal of Alice in Tim Burton's Alice In Wonderland and the Adaptation of Ryu Murakami's book Piercing which i would say if you've not seen that or read the book you really should. She's brilliant in this, You really feel for her the whole way through and i for one was routing for her all the way.

In summing up i would say it's definitely well worth tracking down,

8/10,

Jonny T.

The Hunt - Reviewed

noreply@blogger.com (Jonnyscultfilms) — Mon, 30 Mar 2020 10:31:00 -0700

Hello All,

It's been a while to say the very least! Since we were here last the world has indeed gone completely insane, I was saying to Big Man Gav the other day (From a safe distance!) It's like every film we've ever seen on the subject but it's actually happening, We know how to be prepared for the zombies but the boredom is a whole new level, On a serious note though folks i hope you and your families are all keeping safe and as well as can be and you yourselves are being sensible and keeping away from people, If any of you want a chat about anything or any help just hit me up on Facebook and i'd be happy to oblige.

I'm going obviously like you to be watching a ton of stuff over the next few weeks so i'll review all that i can, Starting with today's watch The Hunt.

So i'd seen quite a lot of hype lately about The Hunt and a poster with a pig and lot's of quotes about how violent it is,So it was time to check it out.
It starts off on s 1st class plane when one of the "Passengers" from the back of the plane is said to have woke up early, This is swiftly dealt with in a very violent manner,Next cut to a field where there a number of people with gags locked into their mouths and a mysterious wooden crate. It's revealed what is in the large crate and then the bullets and everything else starts flying, it seems that The Hunt is on!

And that is pretty much it as regards plot line, Characters last about as long as they do in a Game Of Thrones episode, Dispatched on both sides with every increasing shocking deaths,
It does have political and social undertones and commentary running throughout but never goes too deeply into them to turn it into just that kind of movie, Quite a short running time that seemed to me to drag out a bit near the end, Especially the long They Live grilled cheese sandwich fight.
In summing up i found it great fun in all, A good Saturday night/Sunday afternoon easy watch, Don't believe the hype too much i would say, Just stick it on and turn your brain off from all the crap in the world at the moment and have a blast.
7.5/10.
Stay Safe all!
Jonny T.

MAYHEM Festival-Day 3- Super Saturday!

noreply@blogger.com (Jonnyscultfilms) — Mon, 21 Oct 2019 11:20:00 -0700

Up nice and early we arrived just in time to grab a coffee again and get our seats for the long but brilliant MAYHEM Saturday. It kicked off at 12 with a film I had been looking forward to The Pool. A simple tale of a man who falls asleep on a lino as the pool is drained and he is trapped. Sounds simple enough right? But oh no it certainty isnt! My description is actually very sketchy as quite a bit does lead up to the draining of the pool but it's one of those films that you could easily spoil as it has so many twists and outright bonkers situations. Another mad think about it is that's its sponsored by pizza hut!

There is also Lucky the dog who stays around the top of the pool hopelessly trying to help out his stranded master. I shall say no more apart from it was one of my favourites of the weekend. 9/10 from me! Up next was one I was also very intrigued by She never died. After last years superb He never died and talk of it becoming a TV series I was looking forward to what they would do with it. Not a direct sequel but set in the same universe it was great and very very violent.

This time it followed the story of Cannibal Lacey when she does a deal to catch a local particularly nasty gang who deal in snuff movies. It's greatly paced and the lead is superb. It does set it up for a sequel or indeed as I mentioned even a TV series. If you liked He never died or I would say even if you didn't this is one we'll worth catching when you can.

After the great She Never Died next up was Something Else.It was i found a nice easy watch with one of the most WTF?? Moments of any films of the festival! I told the story of small town life with a house renovation and love story but when the girlfriend has had enough and just leaves a note and leaves he is left alone, With a great house, No Motivation, Beer, A sofa and a Monster that tries to smash the front door down every night, It's not your usual love story!

The local Sheriff is his ex girlfriends brother and stories leak back to the town that he says he sees a monster and he's lost the plot, To be fair it doesn't help that he shoots at passing cars. Like i said it was a nice easy watch, At a point near the end i did get a bit fidgety thinking it was going on a bit but then.......Just watch it and you'll see what i mean! A great laugh.

Next up was one of my favourite parts of and indeed the heart of the festival the Short Film Showcase. Filled with the Brilliant, The Weird and the downright bizarre! Its usually about 2 hours long and goes so fast,
My favourites this year were "Creaker" A funny take on the monster under the bed story,

"Unmade" a very welcome and creepy return from MAYHEM director Steven Sheil,

"A little taste" Old school witches on a see-saw! "Frost Bite" a beautifully shot zombie short with some of the best looking zombies i have seen for a long time.

"Toe" A strange little animated Tim Burton style short

"Limbus" Very short but hilarious hitch hiker tale!

"Wild Love" An ice age style gore fest where nature really hits back, And to be honest the fate of some of the animals in this weekends films it was great to see them get revenge!

Last but by no means least was my favourite out of the all, "It's Not Custard" It is available on YouTube and i have stuck it below, Be warned, Don't eat whilst watching!!!

The Next film up was The Cop, The Gangster and The Devil, A film based on true story of a serial killer that is hunted down by both the police and the mob after a literal run in one night with the boss of the mob! It was yet another great UK premier for MAYHEM and it was brilliant, Fast paced, Superb acting, Extremely violent and as you expect with great Asian cinema loads of insane twists. This was one of my highlights of MAYHEM and yet another one you need to keep an eye out for.

The last film of the evening was the cheese fest that was Nicolas Cage in Kiss of the Vampire, Sadly i had to miss out on this one but from all accounts as with this slot in previous years the late night showing went down a storm, Taxi home, Early (ish!) night and back up tomorrow for the final day of MAYHEM, It's gone so fast again!!

Mayhem Festival 2019 Day 2.

noreply@blogger.com (Jonnyscultfilms) — Thu, 17 Oct 2019 10:56:00 -0700

Nice lay in on a day off. Breakfast sorted, Coffee brought then up to the screen for day 2.

The day started with now a regular feature of mayhem showing something obscure and usually slightly out there. Today was no different with 60s Russian film VIY. It was an old folklore tale of a young monk summoned to oversee the funeral arrangements of a young girl who's passed away. Seems pretty straight forward but far from it. The visuals for a 60s movie were brilliant very much Jack the giant killer or some of the old Yokai Monster movies. The acting was bonkers as was the drinking vodka whilst chomping on a bunch of spring onions(That was in the film not me!) One part when they stopped on the way at an inn they all drank copious amounts of vodka and started a sing song, I though to myself "Bloody hell its IDLES band!!"

The young monk has to spend 3 nights in a Chapel with the deceased girl. Each night gets crazier and the third night is truly bonkers and nightmarish and reminded me a lot of Encounters of a spooky kind,Apparently it has been picked up finally for distribution and its one I definitely will be adding to my collection and so should you!

Next up was a UK premier of Sword Of God. Aka The Mute. The story told of 2 missionaries washed up on a remote island who try to convince the local village that their God is wrong and the is only 1 God. It was very heavy but beautifully shot and brutal. The scenery was stunning as we're the performances from the lead 2 missionary's. It's one I did like but not sure I'd watch again. But well worth seeing once even if its just to see how beautifully shot it is.

Up next was Girl in the 3rd floor. A tale of a house renovation that disturbs the spirits that formally occupied the house. It was pretty much a one man (and dog) movie that at points was totally Evil Dead Ash level. It was dark, Funny and extremely gory in places! The story slowly unravels to reveal the reasons behind the haunting and its bleak! The main guy i thought was a bit of a dick from the beginning and this is proven later on, Oh and more goo from this one! White weird stuff coming from the plug sockets,Yuk! It was a nice easy watch after Sword Of God one you should look out for.

Sadly we couldn't make it for te last two movies Color out of space but it seemed it was this years equivalent of last years MANDY, The Marmite movie of MAYHEM, Some loved it some hated it, I must say i am intrigued to see it, Also we Missed the 80's cheese fest The Hidden but i have seen that and apparently it was great fun on the big screen.

So after we had left i looked on the ever awesome flyer and looked through the line up for tommorow, It looked solid, One film i was really looking forward to since the announcement was The Pool and this opened the festival bright and early on the Saturday at 12pm and i was not disappointed.

HARPOON launches ARROW VIDEO CHANNEL this Friday 18 Oct

noreply@blogger.com (Jonnyscultfilms) — Thu, 17 Oct 2019 10:48:00 -0700

HIT HORROR ‘HARPOON’ PREMIERES EXCLUSIVELY ON

THE ARROW VIDEO CHANNEL FROM 18 OCTOBER 2019

ON APPLE TV AND AMAZON PRIME VIDEO

UK: Tuesday 1st October 2019 – Today Arrow Video is thrilled to officially announce that hit horror HARPOON will premiere exclusively on its Cult Film video-on-demand service THE ARROW VIDEO CHANNEL from 18 October, just in time for Halloween. The Arrow Video Channel is now available to UK customers of Apple TV channels in the Apple TV app on iPhone, iPad, Apple TV and select Samsung smart TVs, in addition to Amazon Prime Video subscribers.

Hot on the heels of its UK Premiere at Arrow Video FrightFest where it received critical acclaim, HARPOON is written, directed and edited by Rob Grant (Alive, What Doesn’t Kill You), Produced by Michael Peterson and Kurtis David Harder and stars Munro Chambers (Cardinal, Turbo Kid, Degrassi: The Next Generation), Emily Tyra (Code Black, Boardwalk Empire), Christopher Gray (The Mist, The Society, Sell By) with narration by Brett Gelman (Fleabag, Stranger Things, The Other Guys).

With his perfect family and perfect upbringing, Richard (Christopher Gray) appears to have it all. So when he thinks that his long-term girlfriend, Sasha (Emily Tyra), and best friend, Jonah (Munro Chambers), are having an affair, it sends him into a fit of rage that leaves Jonah a bloody mess. Once Jonah and Sasha convince Richard the allegations are false, Richard tries to buy back their trust by taking them out for a day-trip on his family’s yacht.

Tension boils over once out at sea, and to make matters worse, the yacht’s engine fails. Stranded without food and supplies, the trio must set aside their differences in order to survive. One-part post-modern Edgar Allan Poe adaptation, one-part Knife in the Water with the cast of Seinfeld, Harpoon is a wickedly humourous and bloody deconstruction of friendship and love.

The ARROW VIDEO CHANNEL service gives cult film fans the opportunity to watch a varied and curated selection of films that the ARROW VIDEO brand has been famous for with many film fans all over the world. From horror to sci-fi, thrillers to westerns, the ARROW VIDEO CHANNEL will launch with classic cult films such as the Jake Gyllenhaal starring Donnie Darko, Heathers starring Winona Ryder, the horror classic Hellraiser, and the Japanese horror masterpiece Ringu. In addition to these Cult Classic films, the ARROW VIDEO CHANNEL will continue to premiere exclusive brand-new films on the service beginning the critically acclaimed indie-horror-comedy from Canada Harpoon in October, German period horror Hagazussa in November and in December the Rory Culkin and Emory Cohen starrer Lords of Chaos.

The ARROW VIDEO CHANNEL will also host a growing collection of documentaries, interviews and never-before-seen content from the Arrow Video archives, as well as newly produced material. These documentaries will breathe new life on the ARROW VIDEO CHANNEL, giving film fans an immersive look into the creation of many cult film classics such as Donnie Darko and Hellraiser. The service will be updated regularly with new content, new curation focus and never-before-seen content, all hand-picked by the Arrow Video team.

UK: Tuesday 1st October 2019 – Today Arrow Video is thrilled to officially announce that hit horror HARPOON will premiere exclusively on its Cult Film video-on-demand service THE ARROW VIDEO CHANNEL from 18 October, just in time for Halloween. The Arrow Video Channel is now available to UK customers of Apple TV channels in the Apple TV app on iPhone, iPad, Apple TV and select Samsung smart TVs, in addition to Amazon Prime Video subscribers.

Hot on the heels of its UK Premiere at Arrow Video FrightFest where it received critical acclaim, HARPOON is written, directed and edited by Rob Grant (Alive, What Doesn’t Kill You), Produced by Michael Peterson and Kurtis David Harder and stars Munro Chambers (Cardinal, Turbo Kid, Degrassi: The Next Generation), Emily Tyra (Code Black, Boardwalk Empire), Christopher Gray (The Mist, The Society, Sell By) with narration by Brett Gelman (Fleabag, Stranger Things, The Other Guys).

With his perfect family and perfect upbringing, Richard (Christopher Gray) appears to have it all. So when he thinks that his long-term girlfriend, Sasha (Emily Tyra), and best friend, Jonah (Munro Chambers), are having an affair, it sends him into a fit of rage that leaves Jonah a bloody mess. Once Jonah and Sasha convince Richard the allegations are false, Richard tries to buy back their trust by taking them out for a day-trip on his family’s yacht.

Tension boils over once out at sea, and to make matters worse, the yacht’s engine fails. Stranded without food and supplies, the trio must set aside their differences in order to survive. One-part post-modern Edgar Allan Poe adaptation, one-part Knife in the Water with the cast of Seinfeld, Harpoon is a wickedly humourous and bloody deconstruction of friendship and love.

The ARROW VIDEO CHANNEL service gives cult film fans the opportunity to watch a varied and curated selection of films that the ARROW VIDEO brand has been famous for with many film fans all over the world. From horror to sci-fi, thrillers to westerns, the ARROW VIDEO CHANNEL will launch with classic cult films such as the Jake Gyllenhaal starring Donnie Darko, Heathers starring Winona Ryder, the horror classic Hellraiser, and the Japanese horror masterpiece Ringu. In addition to these Cult Classic films, the ARROW VIDEO CHANNEL will continue to premiere exclusive brand-new films on the service beginning the critically acclaimed indie-horror-comedy from Canada Harpoon in October, German period horror Hagazussa in November and in December the Rory Culkin and Emory Cohen starrer Lords of Chaos.

The ARROW VIDEO CHANNEL will also host a growing collection of documentaries, interviews and never-before-seen content from the Arrow Video archives, as well as newly produced material. These documentaries will breathe new life on the ARROW VIDEO CHANNEL, giving film fans an immersive look into the creation of many cult film classics such as Donnie Darko and Hellraiser. The service will be updated regularly with new content, new curation focus and never-before-seen content, all hand-picked by the Arrow Video team.

ARROW VIDEO’s Head of Digital Daniel Perry said:

“We are honoured and excited to be launching HARPOON on the ARROW VIDEO CHANNEL exclusively as our first premiere title on the service this October. HARPOON is a perfect example of the quality of film we will be bringing every month to the Channel, supporting stand out new release cult films that fit perfectly with our brand and our extensive list of curated catalogue titles such as Donnie Darko and Heathers”.

A wider Home Entertainment release including Blu-ray is planned for HARPOON in early 2020.

HARPOON will be available exclusively on the ARROW VIDEO CHANNEL on Amazon Prime Video and Apple TV from 18th October.

MAYHEM 2019 FESTIVAL DAY ONE.

noreply@blogger.com (Jonnyscultfilms) — Tue, 15 Oct 2019 10:34:00 -0700

We arrived nice and early for day one of Mayhem 2019! Two films were showing the first night,Extra Ordinary and Daniel isn't real. We were here once again (our 7th full year) for the weekend so got our passes and headed up to the cinema with its new super plush seats, Complete with drinks holders, I do have to say about the seats that they are a big improvement especially when watching one of the many subtitled movies, And the new sound system is bloody marvellous!
The opening film was Irish Satanic/Paranormal comedy Extra Ordinary (Yes i know it's one word but that's explained why in the film!) The film opened VHS style from Rose Dooley's Father who was a paranormal investigator who died from a tragic accident caused apparently by his guilt ridden daughter who has since dismissed anything to do with the paranormal and now runs her own driving school.

She still sees paranormal things but refuses to acknowledge their existence. We then move on to Martin Martin (Barry Ward) Who's wife has recently deceased and her spirit refuses to leave the family home. I shall say no more but the two of them meet up and the rest of the movie is hilarious. There is also a sub plot of one hit wonder singer Christian Winter (Will Forte) who moved into a local big castle with the royalties of his Chris De Burg style smash hit and is so desperate to get success again he does a satanic pact and all he needs is a virgin for a sacrifice!
Needless to say it was hilarious. Some great special FX for a low budget film and it certainly didn't skimp on the gore level. The performances from the two main characters were spot on. The ectoplasm parts were gross but extremely funny which set up for a weekend of Mayhem Goo!Definitely one to keep your eye out for.

Next up was Daniel isn't real and you not could get more change in direction from Extra Ordinary this was certainly that!
Daniel was the imaginary friend of a young Luke (Miles Robbins) But when he makes him do something really bad his mum makes him banish him and lock him in a dolls house. Years later he returns home his mums mental state has deteriorated severely and this then leads to him releasing his imaginary friend Daniel from the dolls house with very dire consequences.

The performances were superb, Especially surprising for myself was the performance by Arnold Schwarzenegger's son Patrick Schwarzenegger, He was truly bonkers, The weird thing was that from certain angles he looked just like him and that for me made it more unsettling.
It delves into very dark areas of schizophrenia with a booming soundtrack and visuals to match.
So that was the 1st two films of mayhem 2019 done and next up was Friday with an earlier start with the very intriguing looking VIY.

And soon the darkness and Fright reviewed!

noreply@blogger.com (Jonnyscultfilms) — Mon, 14 Oct 2019 08:13:00 -0700

Director: Robert Fuest
Writers: Brian Clemens (original story), Terry Nation (original story).
Stars: Pamela Franklin, Michele Dotrice, Sandor Elès |

Just released on the Studio Canal Vintage Classics label its great to see the 1970 classic"And Soon The Darkness"finally get a well deserved UK Blu-Ray release,
It tells the tale of 2 English girls who decide to take a cycling trip off the beaten path into rural France. Whilst having a break in a local cafe they see a very cool Serge Gainsbourg look alike who one of the girls takes a secret fancy to, They finish up and decide to carry on with the journey and the cool dude passes them on his scooter, He stops at another cafe, They carry on and decide to have a break, At which point they argue about how its "Too Hot" and "You don't like the food" In of course a typical British manner!
One of the girls then decides to take off on her own leaving the other to chill out and do a bit of sunbathing, Things then go rapidly downhill from there!
The print on the new release is superb with super vibrant colours and the booming 70's cheesy soundtrack, I know it got remade in 2010 but the remake as with most is not a patch on the original.The story by the always brilliant Brian Clemens is full of mystery right up to the final frame. So for me it's a solid 9/10 and one i'll be more than happy to see on my shelf. And with this and the release of Fright i personally can't wait to see what else Studio Canal Vintage Classics will be releasing,

Young babysitter Amanda arrives at the Lloyd residence to spend the evening looking after their young son. Soon after the Lloyds leave, a series of frightening occurrences in the gloomy old house have Amanda's nerves on edge. The real terror begins, however, when the child's biological father appears after recently escaping from a nearby mental institution.

Director: Peter Collinson

Writer: Tudor Gates

Stars: Honor Blackman, Susan George, Ian Bannen , George Cole.

Also Just released another on the Vintage Classics label "Fright". Starring a great cast of British household names. I haven't seen it in years so of course being a huge fan of 70's British its one i had to get and so glad i did. At first i was surprised to see it has an "18" certificate but after the re-watch i can certainly see why! As with "And Soon The Darkness" the print again is superb, The setting of the story is fantastic and that other British Classic "Killers Moon" the good old 70's loony bin comes into play, In some places it is a hard watch and if made today i suppose they would have to change a fair few things about it to say the least! Another solid 9/10 from me, So that's my 1st 2 reviews for the Vintage Classics label and watch this space for (fingers crossed!) many, many more.

Jonny T.

BOTH ARE NOW AVAILABLE FROM STUDIO CANAL VINTAGE CLASSICS.

And Soon The Darkness Blu-Ray - AMAZON LINK

Fright - Blu-Ray - AMAZON LINK

'Upgrade' with Logan Marshall-Green on Limited Edition Blu-ray 18 November

noreply@blogger.com (Jonnyscultfilms) — Mon, 14 Oct 2019 07:22:00 -0700

Hello Folks,
Just bringing you the news that UPGRADE is getting a very limited edition Blu-Ray release on 18th November, You may have seen it on a certain streaming site but come on admit it there is nothing like actually having a physical copy is there!
It also looks like it's packed with extras so this is one i'll definitely adding to my collection and you should to. Watch this space for a review coming very soon,
Jonny T.

‘A sardonic blend of The Six Million Dollar Man and Dr Faustus…a satire that cleaves dangerously close to reality at times’

****

The Times

‘Wildly inventive, brutally violent and glossily designed’

****

Daily Mirror

‘A brutal and brilliant film’

****

HeyUGuys

‘Upgrade is as fluid and exhilarating as anything the Wachowskis signed their names to in the days when they were brothers: the kind of nifty, sometimes nasty surprise our multiplexes sorely need’

****

The Guardian

The critically acclaimed breakout Sci-Fi hit of 2018, Upgrade from director Leigh Whannell (Insidious, Saw) and the team behind Get Out, gets its highly anticipated enhanced release as a Limited Edition Blu-ray, complete with a host of brand new special features from Second Sight Films.

In a near-future world, where technology controls everything, technophobe Grey Trace (Logan Marshall-Green – The Invitation, Spider-Man: Homecoming) is the victim of a brutal mugging that leaves his wife dead and him paralysed. A reclusive billionaire inventor offers him an experimental cure, an A.I. implant called STEM. Grey accepts and is immediately transformed into an unstoppable killing machine with enhanced strength and agility. Now it’s payback time.

Genre specialist Blumhouse and the visionary creator of the Saw franchise team up to create an instant cyberpunk classic.

Your Upgrade is due on 18 November 2019.

Tigers are not afraid - Reviewed.

noreply@blogger.com (Jonnyscultfilms) — Mon, 23 Sep 2019 20:28:00 -0700

"A dark fairy tale about a gang of five children trying to survive the horrific violence of the cartels and the ghosts created every day by the drug war."

Well. I have had Shudder for quite a while now and to be honest i have never really watched much on it, I saw on twitter the other day that someone i follow had watched a film called "Tigers are not afraid" and was raving about it so i decided to give it a go and i am very glad that i did.

It tells the story of street kids in Mexico that are orphaned through the local cartels killing off their parents and that is how they are all brought together by their tragedies, The main character in it is a young girl called Estrella, Her mother has been kidnapped and she hangs on for slim hope that on day she may return.

During one of her school days there is a shooting that takes place and whilst the children cower on the floor the teacher gives her three sticks of chalk and grants her three wishes,Needless to say these don't turn out well.

The school is then closed until further notice when Estella starts to feel things in her apartment relating to her mother, On her own and terrified she decides to leave and hook up with a young gang of street orphans led by a young boy named El Shine.

They have tales about the children being kidnapped by the cartel and taken to satanic rituals and eaten, The theft by El Shine of one the cartels leading members phone opens up something far more dangerous than any of them could have hoped for.

Ok so it sounds like a bunch of kids on a dangerous adventure but this certainly isn't Stranger things!

The locations and story are grim, A true reflection of the life of these kids, The acting from everyone of them is top notch as is the pacing, At first after seeing the poster and trailer i felt that both were a little misleading but i guess that's what the selling point is, Its far from your usual Insidious/The Nun jump scare movie. It has so much more depth and heart than the whole of that franchise put together, It certainly has it's creepy moments and some genuinely sad moments, So in summing up don't be taken in by the western style poster and marketing, This has way more depth than a creepy poster and trailer, Seek it out when you can you won't be disappointed. This has also renewed my interest in Shudder along with the excellent Witch in the window, With the Creepshow series also coming soon to Shudder i'll be going through it a lot more and if i find any more gems i'll be sure to let you know.

8/10

Jonny.

Logan Marshall-Green stars in taut psychological thriller 'The Invitation' arrives on Blu-ray 4 November

noreply@blogger.com (Jonnyscultfilms) — Mon, 16 Sep 2019 09:44:00 -0700

‘Tense and elegant…treats its audience like adults’

★★★★

The Guardian

‘Relentlessly creepy…classic can't look but can't look away cinema’

The Independent

‘Tense, moody thriller’

The Telegraph

‘A masterful exercise in unbearable tension’

Bloody Disgusting

‘Slow-simmering psychological thriller…this is an Invitation you should RSVP with a will attend’

RogerEbert.com

From acclaimed director Karyn Kusama (Girl Fight, Jennifer’s Body, Destroyer) comes taut psychological thriller The Invitation, which premiered to great acclaim at London Film Festival and now gets a Blu-ray release, complete with a slew on special features from Second Sight on 4 November 2019.

Reluctantly accepting a dinner party invitation from his ex-wife Eden (Tammy Blanchard – Into the Woods) at the house they once shared, Will (Logan Marshall-Green – Spider-Man: Homecoming, Prometheus) and his new partner Kira (Emayatzy Corinealdi – Roots, Ballers) gather with old friends to toast new beginnings.

But Will and his ex-wife share a tragic past, and as paranoia mounts and tensions build, he begins to wonder what is real and what is imagined. As the claustrophobic evening grows increasingly sinister, Will starts to realise the lives of everyone he loves might be in danger…will they make it through the night?

PRE ORDER HERE --- The Invitation-pre-order-available-4th-november

Toby Jones 'glows' in psychological thriller Kaleidoscope directed by brother Rupert Jones - coming to DVD 23 September

noreply@blogger.com (Jonnyscultfilms) — Sat, 14 Sep 2019 04:28:00 -0700

‘Intricately crafted, infinitely wrongfooting psychological thriller…A sharply styled debut feature’

Variety

On digital 12 August 2019

On DVD 23 September 2019

‘Slippery psychological thriller…facts of the story are fractured and distorted, seen through the prism of a broken mind’

««««

The Observer

‘Haggard, painful, longing, poignant, confused, alarmed, amused, dejected, sinister... [Toby] Jones can be all

these things without saying a word. You're with him all the way, trying to decode the mysteries of his life and psyche’

Time Out

GARNERING CRITICAL acclaim on its theatrical release, one of Britain’s greatest actors of today Toby Jones ‘glows’ (The Guardian) as the lead in Kaleidoscope, a bleak, nightmarish psychological thriller written and directed by brother Rupert Jones in his feature film debut.

This intense thriller ‘adds a decidedly 21st century bent to Hitchcockian suspense’ (Spectrum Culture) and is set to arrive on UK digital platforms on 12 August 2019, followed by its DVD release on 23 September 2019. The cast includes Sinead Matthews (Jellyfish), Cecilia Noble (Danny and the Human Zoo) and a stand out turn from national treasure Anna Reid, MBE (Last Tango in Halifax).

A sparse, drab flat, on a housing estate in London, loud frantic knocking and a dog barking. We meet Carl Woods (Toby Jones – Don’t Forget the Driver, Detectorists, Tinker Tailor, Soldier Spy), an ex-prisoner with dreams of starting a gardening business, as he’s abruptly awoken from his sleep on the sofa. He goes to the door…no-one is there. Exploring the house, he notices lipstick traces on a glass, an ashtray full of cigarette butts, he goes upstairs and finds a shocking discovery, a dead body in the bathroom. But is everything as it seems?

As the narrative twists and turns we follow Carl’s footsteps as he chats with his neighbour Monique (Noble), prepares for his first date in 15 years with someone he met online, Abby (Matthews) and gets a message announcing an impending, unwanted visit from his overbearing mother (Reid)…

With time running out, Carl’s relationship with his mother and the ramifications of his night with Abby now collide in dramatic, surprising, unforgettable ways.

FRIGHT & AND SOON THE DARKNESS | ON BLU-RAY & DVD - 14TH OCTOBER 2019

noreply@blogger.com (Jonnyscultfilms) — Thu, 12 Sep 2019 10:07:00 -0700

Hello Folk,
News came in today to Jonny HQ(A place that doesn't actually exist) that British Classics Fright and Soon the Darkness are getting a BLU-RAY release! I have seen both these films in the past on dodgy 5th gen VHS and DVD and they are British gems of the highest order, So to see them both getting (finally) a BLU-RAY release is awesome. I've put all the details below of release date and watch this space for reviews of these releases coming very soon,
Jonny T.

Two genre-defining British horrors from the 70s, both fully restored and on Blu-ray™ for the first time, FRIGHT and AND SOON THE DARKNESS will be released courtesy of Studiocanal’s Vintage Classics Collection on 14TH October 2019 and are available to pre-order now: And Soon The Darkness Blu-Ray and Fright - Blu-Ray

FRIGHT (1971)

Directed by Peter Collinson (The Italian Job, Straight on Till Morning), this original British slasher film from 1971 stars Honor Blackman (Goldfinger), Susan George (Straw Dogs), Ian Bannen (The Flight of the Phoenix), George Cole and Dennis Waterman (Minder)

Young babysitter Amanda (Susan George) arrives at the Lloyd residence (Honor Blackman and George Cole) to spend the evening looking after their young son. Soon after the Lloyds leave, a series of frightening occurrences in the gloomy old house have Amanda's nerves on edge. The real terror begins, however, when the child's biological father appears after recently escaping from a nearby mental institution.

Pre-dating the release of Halloween by seven years, FRIGHT was the groundbreaker for the ‘terrorized babysitter’ variation of the ‘home invasion’ horror genre.

CERTIFICATE: 18

RUN TIME: 87 mins

EXTRAS: Interview with Kim Newman; Interview with Susan George; Behind the Scenes Stills Gallery

AND SOON THE DARKNESS (1970)

Directed by Robert Fuest (The Abominable Dr. Phebes, Wuthering Heights) AND SOON THE DARKNESS is a unique and suspenseful thriller starring Pamela Franklin (The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie) and Michelle Dotrice (The Blood on Satan’s Claw).

Two young English nurses, Jane (Pamela Franklin) and Cathy (Michele Dotrice) embark on a cycling holiday in the French countryside. They happen upon a mysterious man, Paul (Sandor Eles), who seems interested in them. Cathy is intrigued by the man, but suspicious Jane wants to continue on the journey. The two split up but when Jane returns to the village where they are staying, her friend is nowhere to be found. Frantic, she searches for Cathy, but who can she trust, and will she find her in time.

AND SOON THE DARKNESS cleverly confounds expectations and extracts the maximum amount of suspense, sustaining jeopardy and a sense of claustrophobia despite the story all taking place in wide open spaces in complete daylight.

CERTIFICATE: 15

RUN TIME: 99 mins

EXTRAS: Interview with Kim Newman; Audio commentary with Brian Clemens & Robert Fuest; Audio commentary with Film Historian Troy Howarth

MAYHEM FESTIVAL 2019 LINE UP REVEALED!

noreply@blogger.com (Jonnyscultfilms) — Sun, 8 Sep 2019 02:10:00 -0700

Hello Folks,
It's that time of year again, The time that this years line up for the fantastic MAYHEM festival has been revealed!
Running from October 10th-13th this years line up looks as always superb and diverse as ever, Lots of world cinema this year that always proves hugely popular as well as the obscure, A Nicolas Cage classic and of course the mind boggling quiz!
The line up is below and i'll do a more detailed breakdown in the next few days,
Get those tickets booked!
Jonny.

Thursday 10 October

7.30PM - EXTRA ORDINARY // Dirs. Mike Ahern & Enda Loughman

9.45PM - DANIEL ISN'T REAL // Dir. Adam Egypt Mortimer

Friday 11 October

1.45PM - VIY (12) // Dirs. Konstantin Ershov & Georgi Kropachyov

3.30PM - SWORD OF GOD (THE MUTE) - UK Premiere // Dir. Bartosz Konopka

6PM - GIRL ON THE THIRD FLOOR // Dir. Travis Stevens

8PM - COLOR OUT OF SPACE //Dir. Richard Stanley

10.45PM - THE HIDDEN (15) // Dir. Jack Sholder

Saturday 12 October

12PM - THE POOL - UK Premiere // Dir. Ping Lumpraploeng

1.45PM - SHE NEVER DIED // Dir. Audrey Cummings

3.30PM - SOMETHING ELSE // Dirs. Jeremy Gardner & Christian Stella

6PM - Short Film Showcase // Dir. Various (Full line-up announced soon)

8.15PM - THE GANGSTER, THE COP, THE DEVIL - UK Premiere // Dir. Lee Won-tae

10.30PM - VAMPIRE'S KISS (18) // Dir. Robert Bierman

Sunday 13 October

12PM - BULLETS OF JUSTICE // Dir. Valeri Milev

1.45PM - DOOR LOCK // Dir. Kwon Lee

3.45PM - WHY DON'T YOU JUST DIE! // Dir. Kirill Sokolov

5.15PM - The Flinterrogation

6.30PM - VIVARIUM // Dir. Lorcan Finnegan

8.45PM - COME TO DADDY // Dir. Ant Timpson

I SPIT ON YOUR GRAVE:DEJA VU - REVIEWED

noreply@blogger.com (Jonnyscultfilms) — Sun, 9 Jun 2019 07:44:00 -0700

Well i have seen the original I spit on your grave a couple of times. I remember it being one of the notorious "Video Nastie's" which transpired to be one of the hardest of the so called "Video Nasties" to come by.
At the time paranoia was the panic plant seed that was planted in all our brains that societies downfall was film, load of bollocks that turned out to be, our politicians have done a much better job of screwing everything up rather than low budget film makers, rant over, i'll stop now .
It was the talk of the whole school and when we found out a mates dad had a copy on VHS we all went to watch it when his parents weren't there of course! It was bloody grim and stuck with me for a long time. A few years later I revisited it and it was equally as grim as I remember. A while ago it got a remake which in my opinion was pretty good.There have been also quite a few spin off/rip offs but i'd avoid them if i were you.
I then saw a few months back that there was another addition to the series I spit on your grave: Deja vu. So more so out of curiosity course I had to see it.

It stars Camille Keaton again and is set a forty years after the horrific events where she has a best selling book that tells her side of the story. She now has a daughter who helps her with the publicity of the book.
The film starts with some rednecks listening to her talking about and defending what happened that fateful day. It turns out they are related to those that committed the crimes and weirdly hail the criminals as hero's.
Next up you see her as her daughter leaving the restaurant when they are both kidnapped by the relatives and driven back to the grim town.
I'll say no more of what happen as that would be spoiler filled!
For me the 1st half hour or so was interesting with the back story and flashbacks but once that was gone through it went downhill for me faster than Chevy Chase in National Lampoons Christmas Vacation!(You know the scene)
It just seems to drag on and on. The family try to be Texas chainsaw/ Devil's rejects style but go so over the top it borders upon laughable. There is a few twists and turns but honestly by the time they happened I had given up caring. The end scene honestly goes on and on and on and was just plain ridiculous. Just keep an eye out for example of the girls face covered in blood, it changes loads from scene to scene and they are only talking!
It leaves it open of course for more follow ups but for me I think I'm done with the series.
4/10
Jonny T

MAYHEM Sunday- The Final Day!

noreply@blogger.com (Jonnyscultfilms) — Wed, 31 Oct 2018 11:05:00 -0700

Hi Folks,
Sorry for the delay on getting my review of the last day of MAYHEM up but it's been manic here, you know what Halloween time is like for all us horror fans!Anyway enough on my ramblings on to the final day of MAYHEM.
After the brilliant late night showing of Demons and a trip to various Nottingham bars I awoke had some coffee and headed down to Broadway, more coffee was definitely needed!
First up for the day was the UK premiere of Inuyashiki. A live manga-amine adaptation and it certainly blew the Saturday night cobwebs away! It tells the story of an old guy and a young boy who both witness weird lights late one night in the same park then later realise that they have both somehow to develop incredible superpowers. One obviously turns out good the other bad, A proper stinker he is! The pacing was spot on and the special FX were amazing, easily equalling any big budget Hollywood movie. The characters were also superb especially the old guy who I personally was really cheering on, oh and his dog! Not sure when this will get a UK release but one you should definitely keep your eye out for.

Next up was The Field Guide To Evil an anthology of 8 stories from the creators of ABC's of death which was a great idea of all the stories being inspired by different folklore tales from around the world. This to me was very similar to ABC's of death where some worked and others I thought were really quite poor. In saying that the 117m running time went pretty quick and you could do a lot worse on a rainy day. Worth a look but don't expect to be blown away.

On to the next, For me this was definitely in my top 3 of the festival The Witch in the window. When I read about it I thought it sounded like just another insidious/The Conjuring style movie but I couldn't have been more wrong. Yes it has jump scares and boyt did they make us all jump! But for me aside from the horror elements the thing that made it work really well was the father and son relationship. I can't really say much more but you should definitely catch it as soon as you can. I know it's available on Shudder so that's well worth it. Solid.

Unfortunately we had to skip this year's quiz as we hadn't eaten a thing all day but as usual I heard it was brilliant fun as always.

Our penultimate film for the final day was the Brazilian movie The Nightshifter, It told the story of Stenio a mortician who can talk to the recently deceased, Basically he is their last chance of communication before going to the big man upstairs or the horny fellow downstairs. Upon his slab are various dead folk who tell him secrets of drug deals gone wrong and even things involving his ever nagging wife. I can't tell you what this leads to but it has a great and fantastic pay off. Very violent in places and I personally loved it. It's one to seek out and I will definitely be adding it to my collection.

The last film of the festival was upon us already, it seemed to go so quickly!
That film was What keeps you alive, on the eve of there 1st wedding anniversary two women go off to a beautiful forest getaway for the weekend and all is going lovingly well until.........
Yeah you know the score right? Possibly, possibly not! It has a twist,Then another! It really kept me guessing what would be the outcome right until the end. The two lead female rolls are acted superbly and the chemistry on screen between them really worked for me. Well worth a look even though a little predictable towards the end.

So that was that, Mayhem finished for 2018 but what a festival it was. Like I said in an earlier post I have been coming to MAYHEM for many years and this for me and indeed Emma agrees that this was the best one yet. Roll on MAYHEM 2019 which by the way is the 15th anniversary!
See you there!!
Thank you for reading and happy Halloween!

MAYHEM - Super duper Saturday!!

noreply@blogger.com (Jonnyscultfilms) — Tue, 23 Oct 2018 12:29:00 -0700

After quite a late Friday it was up early for us to get into town and book into our hotel and kick back and relax for the 2 final days of MAYHEM.

First up on the Saturday was One cut of the dead, I didn't really know much about this apart from the synopsis of it was a Zombie outbreak whilst a people are filming a zombie film! Now, You may just think that it sounds like yet another zombie movie but believe me that couldn't be further from the truth, I don't want to give any spoilers away as you need to see it as soon as possible! After the first 40 minutes you may think "Hey, What the bloody hell is going on???"But honestly stick with it, The pay off is brilliant and one of the most original ideas i have seen in years, 10/10 for me on this one and possible my favourite of the festival!

Next up was Prospect, A sci-fi movie about a father and daughter who visit a remote poisonous moon on the search for a rare valuable substance but come up against a fight for survival, For me personally i couldn't get on board with it, Maybe it was because it was after One cut of the dead and this felt like a long drawn out come down but i really can't put my finger on why it didn't work for me, Although saying that Emma loved it! I'll say that this would be the Marmite movie of Mayhem, Love it or hate it?

Next up was the quite brilliant Number 37, Described as a homage to the classic Hitchcock movie Rear Window and that's pretty much what it is, Set in the grim Suburbs of South Africa this really gets under your skin from the off, The premise of the story is that a a small time gangster has been paralysed in a drive by shooting and is confined to a wheelchair and his apartment. his girlfriend gets him a pair of binoculars so at least he can spend some of his time looking a the world going by, This also means he can see into another apartment block which he witness a murder, He is also in debt to a particularly nasty gangster to whom he owns quite a large amount of cash, He is given a deadline date to pay up or else, When he witnesses the murder he comes up with the idea of blackmailing the killers, Sounds like a good plan but oh no, It is a brilliant film and take on rear window. The characters are brilliantly played by a superb cast and you really feel for them especially for his girlfriend who just wants to do the right thing by all involved, Some great plot twists along the way kept me well and truly gripped, One definitely to keep your eyes out for.

Next up was the always hugely popular Short films showcase, MAYHEM originally started out as just a short film festival and the showcase is now a regular and very welcome staple of the festival. As with every year they were brilliant, My personal favourites were Mermaid, Bitch and from the always brilliant Alice Lowe a creepy in fact VERY creepy short called Salt. Ill try and get some more information on the shorts and hopefully do a post about all of them very soon, Watch this space folks!

Next up was new found footage movie The Devils Doorway, When i heard it was yet another found footage movie i was i have to be honest not too bothered about seeing it but it was great! Set in an Irish nunnery in the 60's after an anonymous letter two priests are sent to try and explain a phenomena of statues crying blood which was being hailed as a miracle, Little known to them there was a hell of a lot more behind it and a very creepy dirty little secret that is kept in the basement! My apprentice from work Joe came for the Saturday this year and after the showing he was saying how much it freaked him out and it also made him jump so much at one part that he actually bit his tongue! It did carry quite a heavy and very poignant message as a thread throughout the film that was explained in more detail after the showing by director in attendance Aislinn Clarke. Running at a good time of 78 minutes it felt just the right length, You should seek out, turn the lights out, Turn the volume up and try not to bite your tongue!

Last but by no means least was a screening that i had been waiting for since it was announced, An 11PM showing of the Lamberto Bava/Dario Argento classic Demons. But before that was a very special screening of what is said to be Astron Six last film(i hope not!) called Chowboys and it was one of their best ever, make more please!!!
Along with other classics shown at this slot on a Saturday in previous years such as Suspiria, The Texas chainsaw massacre and Planet of the vampires to name but a few the announcement that it would be Demons was hugely popular and it showed by the amount of people that were in the cinema for the great late night showing. MAYHEM even had a cool Demons shrine that i had loaned my very own Gerreta Geretta Demons doll.

Filled with cheese, Puss, Gore, ridiculously overacted and a soundtrack featuring the likes of Go West and Saxon it went down a storm and a fantastic way to end a simply brilliant Saturday at MAYHEM. So it was yet again off to Brewdog for a pint that then followed a trip to the curious tavern for another beer where we spotted director of The Devils Doorway Aislinn Clarke sat on her own so we all said a quick hello then Joe headed off for his taxi and we headed back to the hotel only to discover that the bar was 24 Hours! Just another quick one? Bad head tomorrow? Ah fuck it, It's only once a year! Coming up next MAYHEM super Sunday,
Thanks for reading folks,
Jonny T.