The Devil’s Business is a 2011 British horror film directed by Sean Hogan and starring Billy Clarke, Jack Gordon, and Jonathan Hansler.

Plot teaser:

Veteran hitman Pinner (Billy Clarke) and his young, inexperienced ward Cully (Jack Gordon) break into a house at night, awaiting the return of owner Kist (Jonathan Hansler) whom their gangland boss Bruno (Harry Miller) wants dead, with no questions asked. As midnight approaches, Pinner keeps the nervous Cully entertained with an eerie story about a previous hit he had carried out on a beautiful striptease dancer. Before he can finish his tale, a sound from outside the house draws them into the night, and to a horrifying discovery that plunges them into the shadowy darkness of their own tortured souls. The Devil hasn’t finished with them yet…

The film was shot in just ten days and features only five actors. It was released at the same time as another British film with a similar horrific premise, Kill List.

Buy The Devil’s Business on Mondo Macabro Blu-ray form Amazon.com | Amazon.co.uk

Reviews:

“Director Sean Hogan (Little Deaths) keeps things well under control for the unusually short running time (just over an hour), resulting in a modest but effective little chiller that achieves far more than its means. It definitely won’t be a film for all tastes (there’s good reason Harold Pinter keeps being brought up by critics), but for anyone who likes a dose of cerebral art house attitude with their English chills, this one’s quite tasty.” Mondo Digital

“Amidst a slew of hackneyed, ill thought out horror the occasional gem shines like a bright beacon and this truly is the business. I can’t wait to see what Sean Hogan comes up with next.” Starburst

“The Devil’s Business is a likable micro-budget offering from a promising young indie writer-director who, with a little more money at his disposal, will surly have a good deal more to offer the genre in the future. This is an interesting attempt at traditional ghostly storytelling surrounded by the conventions of a contemporary crime thriller, and it is well worth giving it a chance.” Horrorview

Read an interview with Sean Hogan at Fangoria.com

IMDb

WH

The Mummy can, in many respects, hold claim to being the most unloved of the classic movie monsters – if not, then surely the most inconsistently served. The oft-quoted line from Kim Newman, that the issue lies with “no foundation text” upon which to base the creature, certainly carries some weight, though Mummies had certainly been written about in the 19th Century – notable works include Poe’s short story, Some Words With a Mummy (1850), Conan Doyle’s Lot No. 249 (1892), the latter establishing the Mummy as a malevolent predator seeking revenge, as well as touching upon elements also explored in later films, such as the methods of resurrection and the supernatural control of a ‘master’.

Poe’s tale is rather more barbed, the bandaged cadaver reanimated by electricity and quizzed upon its ancient knowledge (or lack of), a side-swipe at both modernist self-aggrandising and the Egyptomania which had swept through both America and Europe since Napoleon’s Egyptian Campaign of 1798-1801. The fascination of the general public in all levels of society lasted throughout the Victorian era, peaking again when Howard Carter uncovered Tutankhamun’s tomb in 1922. This obsession didn’t stop with the collection of Egyptian artworks and an influence on fashion and architecture – it was not uncommon in both America and Europe (though England especially) for the upper classes to purchase sarcophagi containing mummified remains at public auctions and then charging interested parties to a literal unveiling at what became known as ‘mummy unwrapping parties’. Though many of these were under the slightly dubious guise of scientific and historical investigations, the evidence of publicity material listing admission prices for children rather suggests a more obvious parallel of the fascination with freak shows, as well as the ever-popular grave robbing and body snatching.

It is such unbalanced factors which contributed to the Mummy onscreen as such a difficult to pin-down character. Bram Stoker’s 1909 novel, The Jewel of Seven Stars, concentrated on the attempts to resurrect a mummified Egyptian Queen but is full of the author’s own clear obsession with the subject, detailing minute features of objects and environment. Even looking at these three texts, very different perspectives are offered:

1. The curse
2. The resurrection (either via electricity, potion or supernatural means)
3. Love across the ages
4. The exotic nature and history of Egypt

Mummy films are somewhat doomed to pick one or more elements of this and then factor in the very nature of a Mummy – a zombie with bandages with a grudge. Most films dealt with this threat as a singular foe, one with pre-determined victims in a relatively limited environment (either in his native Africa/South America or relocated to a museum elsewhere). Fundamentally, it’s not easy the share the fear of the pursued – the regularly featured greedy archaeologist or treasure hunter clearly would not have many rooting for them, the similarly omnipresent character of the innocent damsel being mistaken by old clothy for his bride from B.C. is often equally wretched.

The first documented films concerning Mummies are 1899’s Georges Melies‘ Cleopatra (French: Cléopâtre), also known as Robbing Cleopatra’s Tomb, which, at only two minutes in length, is pretty much the synopsis, action and epilogue all in one. Despite a false alarm in 2005, no copy of the film now exists, a fate shared by another French film, 1909’s The Mummy of the King Rameses (French: La Momie Du Roi). Though literature was raided for ideas in some of these early efforts, in particular 1912’s The Beetle, based on the Rich Marsh 1897 novel of the same name, the general tone was of mystery, over-egged comedy and slushy drama, the long-lost tombs of nobility and monarchy gripping audiences without the need for too much in the way of ravenous corpses.

1932’s Chandu the Magician just pipped Universal to the post as an Egyptian villain stalked America’s screens with a recognisable actor in the role of the baddy, Bela Lugosi kidnapping all and sundry in a bid to possess a death ray (he later appeared as the hero in the follow-up, 1934’s Return of Chandu). As with so many of Universal’s introductions of classic monsters, many elements of 1932’s The Mummy leeched into films right up to the present day. For first-time viewers, the biggest surprise is the incredibly short screen time of the bandaged one, though the slowly-opening eyes of the revived Mummy is one of the great moments in horror film.

It is as the reawakened Ardath Bey that Boris Karloff spends most of the film; Jack Pierce’s excellent make-up giving ‘life’ to a cadaverous-featured, be-fezzed Casanova seeking his love whom he believes has been reincarnated. The Egypt of the film is populated by aloof and cultured Westerners working in a land of subservient and befuddled locals, including Horrorpedia favourite, Noble Johnson as ‘The Nubian’ and can be seen as a view of a colonial viewpoint of ‘foreigners and their strange ways’, sometimes quasi-religious, at others playing on the public awareness of the so-called Curse of King Tut’s Tomb, an event only a decade prior. Egypt is still as remote, uncouth and dangerous as the forests of Romania and the invented village of Vasaria – the notion that this place actually exists and that tombs were still being uncovered lending an extra, illicit thrill, modern science at war with religious belief and customs. Bey/Imhotep stalks his beloved in a more stealthy manner than that of Dracula, the quick nip on the neck replaced by a rather more sinister, unspoken threat of capture, death and sex, the latter two being interchangeable. This, of course, remains unspoken but presumably an inevitability, Universal instead charging the film with shots of unbridled romance, both in set-design and, importantly, a specifically-composed score by James Dietrich and Heinz Roemheld, the first for a Universal Horror. This was underpinned by passages from Tchaikovsky’s Swan Lake, another nod to Transylvania.

Though a success at the box office, it was a full eight years before Universal unleashed a Mummy again, the 1940 film The Mummy’s Hand not being a sequel but rather a reintroduction of the monster. Universal flex their creative muscle here, rather like 1941’s The Wolf Man, their invented lore (the poem of how a man is doomed to turn to beast) it is a given ‘fact’ that a Mummy can be brought back to life and indeed sustained by a potion of ‘tana leaves’. Evidently aware of the lack of an actual Mummy in its 1932 effort, the studio pushed the bandaged monster to the fore, plot and backstory being secondary to getting him on screen and tormenting people. It was a simple enough conceit that it was this Mummy, Kharis who would appear in the film’s sequels, The Mummy’s Tomb, The Mummy’s Ghost and The Mummy’s Curse, all of which would feature Lon Chaney Jr as the monster, the quality always sinking ever lower but still with Pierce’s sterling work on the costume and make-up, much to Chaney’s chagrin.

If the lack of genuine horror in the films wasn’t enough, the ever-present comedy or cartoon featuring Mummies again gave the character a persona that was not to be taken seriously. No matter how hard you tried, if you put bandages on a violent, ever-living zombie, there was a danger of farce. This can be evidenced with attempts such as the RKO-distributed Wheeler & Woolsey film, Mummy’s Boys (1936), The Three Stooges’ We Want Our Mummy (1939) and Mummy’s Dummies (1948) and on to Abbott and Costello’s encounters in Abbott and Costello Meet the Mummy (1955), a threadbare affair in both costume and entertainment – comedy often leaned on the fact Mummy is an un-threatening sounding word with two meanings as well as the opportunity to sing and dance in a manner audiences might expect from Egyptians (or not). Bandage unravelling was a given.

It would be two other countries which would rescue the Mummy from the filmic doldrums, at least in sparking an audience’s interest. 1957 saw the release of two Mexican films – The Aztec Mummy (Spanish title: La Momia Azteca) and The Curse of the Aztec Mummy (Spanish: La maldición de la momia azteca), neither likely to win awards for outright quality but giving Mummies in new life in a new environment, the ancient Aztec culture and wacky wrestling superhero (in this case El Ángel) marrying easily with the tropes already laid down by the earlier American films. The films offered enough promise for Jerry Warren to recut, dub and add additional scenes for an American audience. The films were a success in both markets and led to two further sequels, The Robot Vs. The Aztec Mummy (1958) and Wrestling Women vs.The Aztec Mummy (1964).

Britain’s bandaged offering, inevitably from Hammer, was 1959’s The Mummy. Here, Hammer borrowed heavily from Universal (again, overlooking the studious 1932 film and cutting straight to the monster-driven sequels) but brought out the big guns; Terence Fisher directing and the double-whammy of Lee and Cushing. For all the film’s faults, and there are several, the film finally gives the monster the strength and terror that his complex evolution and background demands. Here, Lee towers over the other characters both literally and metaphorically, emerging from a swamp in a scene which should be considered as iconic as any in Hammer’s canon. No longer a shuffling bag of bones, the Mummy here is athletic and merciless, with the strength and stature of Frankenstein’s Monster with the eternal threat of Dracula. Two sequels misfired quite badly, 1964’s Curse of the Mummy’s Tomb and 1971’s Blood From the Mummy’s Tomb both having the odd moment of inspiration (the latter’s scenes involving Valerie Leon in particular!) but running out of things for the Mummy to do.

Interestingly, Egypt’s own attempt at filming its own national monster feasted liberally on Abbott and Costello romping, the result being 1953’s Harem Alek (literally ‘shame on you’, retitled as Ismail Yassin Meets Frankenstein). Shrieking and gurning abound in a very close relation to the American comedians in their meeting of Frankenstein, the mummy in question being much nearer to the bolted creature.

Grabbing the monster by the scruff of the neck was Spain’s Paul Naschy, never one to tip-toe around a subject. 1973’s Vengeance of the Mummy (Spanish: La vengance de la momia) is gory, lurid and enormous fun, the hacking and head-crushing monster being completely self-governing and with the added bonus of an alluring assistant, played by Helga Liné, though sadly her rumoured nude scenes have yet to surface. Naschy played the Mummy once more, in the all-star monster fest of 1988’s Howl of the Devil.

The Mummy often appeared as part of an ensemble of monsters, giving the film-maker an answer as to what to do with it – from singing puppet mayhem of Mad Monster Party? and 1972’s animated semi-prequel Mad Mad Mad Monsters to encounters with Scooby Doo and rock band Kiss, the monster remained an also-ran and supporting character. Though managing to get on screen in 1987’s Monster Squad, missing out on the action of 1981’s The Monster Club suggests his standing in the pantheon of monsters was less than stellar.

1980’s The Awakneing was a latter-day attempt at filming Stoker’s novel – though managing to capture visually a sense of antiquity and some pleasing shots of Egypt, it lacks fire and threat and once again a classic monster is reduced to dreary, slow-paced banality. On the other side of the coin was Frank Agrama’s 1981 brutal guts and gusto Dawn of the Mummy, which sees the restless ones reanimated by the hot lights of a fashion shoot. This at least forgives lots of manic running around and a conflict between the modern day and the ancient, gloves off and with little regards to sense or history. The title alone should lead the audience to expect a more zombie-based event and though frequently silly and frayed, largely due to the low budget, it does at least give the sub-genre a shot in the arm.

Later films perhaps tried too hard – 1982’s Time Walker pitched the Mummy as actually being an alien in stasis; 1983’s baffling and boring Scarab throwing Gods, Nazis and scientists into the mix but only ending up with a mess; Fred Olen Ray’s breast-led 1986 effort, The Tomb. None came very close to succeeding in any sense.

The 1990’s was possibly the most desperate time for Mummies worldwide – whether it was the schlock of Charles Band (The Creeps, 1997), the critically-mauled 1998 film Bram Stoker’s Legend of the Mummy or Russell Mulcahy’s flying Mummy of Talos the Mummy (1998), the monster suffered more than most at the hands of those trying to use new technology at the expense of plot and character to succeed. Only in 2002 with Don Coscarelli’s film Bubba Ho-Tep did The Mummy make a meaningful return, pleasing both fans of Bruce Campbell and too-cool-for-school scouts for cults as they happen, as well as horror fans desperate to see their bandaged hero as a tangible threat.

When Hollywood finally decided to throw some money at a reborn franchise, there was to be disappointment – the Indiana Jones-type action of 1999’s The Mummy, as well as its sequels and spin-offs were an exercise in CGI and tame thrills. Speakers were blown, images were rendered but whatever fun audiences had, omitted the scare factor. 2014’s R-rated The Pyramid promises Rec-style horrors and a return, successful or not, to the concept of a straight-forward monster released from its tomb. Further field, Universal have promised/threatened to relaunch their entire world of monsters, beginning with The Mummy from 2016.

Daz Lawrence, Horrorpedia

 Mummy Filmography 

1899 – Cleopatra

1909 – The Mummy of the King Rameses (aka. La momie du roi)

1911 – The Mummy

1912 – The Mummy

1912 – The Vengence of Egypt

1912 – The Mummy and the Cowpuncher

1913 – The Egyptian Mummy – comedy short

1914 – Naidra, The Dream Worker

1914 – The Necklace of Rameses

1914 – Through the Centuries – short comedy

1914 – The Egyptian Princess

1914 – The Mummy

1915 – The Dust of Egypt

1915 – When the Mummy Cried for Help

1915 – Too Much Elixir of Life

1916 – Elixir of Life – comedy short

1916 – The Missing Mummy – comedy short

1917 – The Undying Flame

1917 – The Eyes of the Mummy

1918 – Mercy, the Mummy Mumbled – comedy short

1921 – The Lure of Egypt

1923 – The Mummy

1923 – King Tut-Ankh-Amen’s Eighth Wife

1926 – Mummy Love

1926 – Made For Love

1932 – Chandu the Magician

1932 – The Mummy

1933 – The Ghoul

1934 – The Return of Chandu

1936 – Mummy Boy

1939 – We Want Our Mummy

1940 – The Mummy’s Hand

1942 – The Mummy’s Tomb

1943 – The Mummy Strikes

1944 – The Mummy’s Ghost

1944 – A Night of Magic

1945 – The Mummy’s Curse

1953 – The Mummy’s Revenge (Spain)

1953 – Harem Alek (Egypt)

1955 – Abbot and Costello Meet the Mummy

1957 – Curse of the Aztec Mummy (Mexico/USA)

1957 – Castle of the Monsters

1957 – Curse of the Pharaohs

1957 – Robot versus the Aztec Mummy (aka “La momia azteca contra el robot humano, Mexico)

1958 – Dos Fantasmas y una Muehacha (Mexico)

1958 – House of Terror (aka “Face of the Screaming Werewolf,”  Mexico/USA)

1958 – The Man and the Monster (Mexico)

1959 – The Mummy

1960 – Rock n Roll Wrestling Woman vs the Aztec Mummy

1962 – I Was a Teenage Mummy

1963 – Attack of the Mayan Mummy

1964 – Curse of the Mummy’s Tomb

1965 – Mummy’s Dummies

1965 – Orgy of the Dead

1966 – Death Curse of Tarta

1966 – Mad Monster Party?

1967 – The Mummy’s Shroud

1968 – El Santo and Blue Demon vs. the Monster (Mexico)

1969 – The Mummy and the Curse of the Jackals

1970 – Santo in the Vengeance of the Mummy (aka Santo En La Venganza de la Momia, Mexico)

1970 – Dracula vs. Frankenstein” (aka ‘Assignment Terror, Italy/Spain/Germany)

1970 – The Mummies of Guanajuato (Mexico)

1971 – Blood From the Mummy’s Tomb

1972 – Mad, Mad, Mad Monsters

1972 – Dr Phibes Rises Again

1973 – Vengeance of the Mummy (La vengance de la momia, Spain)

1973 – The Cat Creature

1973  – Chabelo y Pepito vs. Los Monstruos” (Mexico)

1973 – Son of Dracula

1975 – Demon and the Mummy (US TV Movie)

1978 - Kiss Meets the Phantom of the Park

1980 – Fade to Black

1980 – The Awakening

1981 - Dawn of the Mummy

1981 – The National Mummy (La Momia Nacional, Spain)

1981 – Sphinx

1982 – Secret of the Mummy (Brazil)

1982 – Time Walker

1982 – Scarab

1985 – The Tomb

1985 – Dear Mummy (Hong Kong

1985 – Transylvania 6-5000 (US/Yugoslavia)

1987 – Night of the Living Duck ( US animated short)

1987 – The Monster Squad

1988 – Howl of the Devil

1988 – Saturday the 14th Strikes Back

1988 – Scooby-Doo and the Reluctant Werewolf (US animated short)

1988 – Waxwork

1989 – Encounters of the Spooky Kind 2 (Hong Kong)

1990 – I’m Dangerous Tonight (US TVM)

1990 – Tales from the Darkside: The Movie

1990 – I’m Dangerous Tonight

1992 – I was a Teenage Mummy

1992 – Nightmare Asylum

1992 Franky and his Pals

1992 – Bloodstone: Subspecies II

1993 – Bloodlust: Subspecies III (US/Romania)

1993 – The Mummy Lives

1993 – The Mummy A.D. 1993

1993 – The Mummy’s Dungeon

1994 – Stargate

1995 – Monster Mash

1996 – Le Siege del l’Ame (France)

1996 – The Mummy (Pakistan)

1996 – Birth of a Wizard (Japan)

1996 – La Momie Mi-mots” (aka “Mummy Mommy, France)

1996 – The Seat of the Soul” (aka “Le siege del Time, Canada)

1997 – The Creeps

1997 – Bram Stoker’s The Mummy

1997 – Mummy’s Alive

1997 – Under Wraps (TV Movie)

1998 – Trance

1998 – Talos the Mummy

1999 – Ancient Desires

1999 – The Mummy

2000 – Curse of the Mummy

2000 – Lust in the Mummy’s Tomb

2000 – Ancient Evil – Scream of the Mummy

2001 – Mummy Raiders

2001 – The Mummy Returns

2002 – Bubba Ho-Tep

2002 – The Scorpion King

2002 – Mummy’s Kiss

2005 – Legion of the Dead

2005 – The Fallen Ones

2006 – Seven Mummies

2006 – The University of Illinois vs. a Mummy

2007 – Mil Mascaras vs. the Aztec Mummy

2008  – The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor

2008 – Scorpion King 2: Rise of a Warrior

2010 – The Extraordinary Adventures of Adèle Blanc-Sec

2012 – Scorpion King 3: Battle for Redemption

2014- Scorpion King 4 – Quest for Power

2014 – The Mummy Resurrected

2014 – The Pyramid

The Conjuring 2: The Enfield Poltergeist is a forthcoming 2016 American horror film directed by James Wan from a screenplay by Chad and Carey Hayes, the pair that wrote the first film. Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga will return to reprise their roles as Ed and Lorraine Warren.

The Warner Bros. backed film had been scheduled for release on October 23, 2015, but it has been pushed back to June 10, 2016 in favour of an unnamed New Line horror film, according to Hollywood Deadline.

The plot will be based upon a series of poltergeist disturbances that apparently occurred in a council house in Enfield, North London, during late 1977. The strange case, the highlight of which was an eleven-year-old girl who repeatedly “levitated” above her bed, was widely reported in the British press and images such as those below later appeared in a book, This House is Haunted: The True Story of a Poltergeist (1980).

IMDb

Zombie is a song by British singer/songwriter Jamie T and is the second single to be taken from his 2014 Virgin Records album Carry on the Grudge.

The promotional music video for “Zombie” features the singer and his backing band The Pacemakers gradually turning into the living dead whilst performing at a soulless, lifeless English pub.

The video was directed by James Slater and the gory makeup and special effects were designed by Natasha Lawes.

Buy Zombie on MP3 from Amazon.co.uk

The Devil’s Chimney is a limestone rock formation that stands above a disused quarry in Leckhampton, near Cheltenham, Gloucestershire, England.

It is named for its peculiar shape, that of a crooked and twisted chimney rising from the ground. The Devil’s Chimney is a local landmark, but its origins are uncertain. In 1926 it survived a minor earthquake, but not without a few cracks. In 1985 it was repaired and protected from further erosion.

Legend holds that the Devil’s Chimney is the chimney of the Devil’s dwelling deep beneath the ground. Supposedly the Devil, provoked by the many Christian churches of the area, would sit atop Leckhampton Hill and hurl stones at Sunday churchgoers. However the stones were turned back on him, driving him beneath the ground and trapping him there so he could not further harass the villagers. Now he uses the mass of stones as his chimney to let free the smokes of Hell.

Visitors to the Devil’s Chimney would leave a coin on top of the rock as payment to the Devil in exchange for his staying in his underground home and not leaving to create mischief and spread evil in the local area.

The 19th-century geologist S. Buckman suggested that the strange shape of the Devil’s Chimney could be put down to differential erosion, involving the softer outer rock being worn away to leave only the inner harder rock remaining. However, this would require some explanation of why there was a column of harder rock there in the first place.

The truth is probably that the Devil’s Chimney was left behind by 18th-century quarry workers, who quarried around it as a joke.

The Devil’s Chimney in Gloucestershire should not to be confused with two other British landmarks, a rock cleft in the Isle of Wight and a rock formation at Beachy Head.

Wikipedia

“In an urban society, everything connects. Each person’s needs are fed by the skills of many others. Our lives are woven together in a fabric. But the connections that make society strong also make it vulnerable”.

Threads is a 1984 British television drama, produced jointly by the BBC, Nine Network and Western-World Television Inc. Written by Barry Hines (Kes) and directed by Mick Jackson (Volcano), it is a docudrama account of nuclear war and its effects on the city of Sheffield in northern England.

The primary plot centres on two families, the Becketts and the Kemps, as an international crisis between the United States and the Soviet Union erupts and escalates, mimicking the real-life tensions but allowing the threatened Cold War to escalate beyond the hypothetical and into a fully-blown attack.

As the United Kingdom prepares for war, the members of each family deal with their own personal crises, the rigors of family life, not least the unplanned pregnancy of Ruth Beckett (Karen Meagher; 28 Weeks Later) and urgent requirement for some new wallpaper not halting, as a much larger-scale danger develops. As Ruth and her boyfriend, Jimmy Kemp (Reece Dinsdale, best known for his role opposite John Thaw in the deadly dull sitcom, Home to Roost), we observe the political angle, members of Sheffield City Council, on the orders of the Home Office, setting up northern headquarters in the basement of Sheffield Town Hall, closely monitoring news reports of an American submarine going missing off the coast of Iran and the mobilisation of Russian troops on the ground.

With the Americans launching a counter-offensive, occupying Iranian oil fields, tensions in the UK begin to spill over, the populous involving themselves in demonstrations (ironically, not just pro-CND but demanding more jobs) or looting shops and businesses. Nuclear exchanges are reported near the Russians’ base in Masshad, Iran, after which a flimsy truce is declared. The civil defence arrangements become increasingly panicked and stretched as it seems the worst scenario is looking evermore likely. After an American attempt at diplomacy is rebuffed, the conflict appears to quieten, though UK civilians fruitlessly attempt to withdraw their savings and take to the roads in a bid to find safe ground, the consequence being endless traffic jams and further unrest.

At 8:30 a.m. (3:30 a.m. in Washington, D.C.) on 26 May, Attack Warning Red is transmitted, and Sheffield’s air raid sirens sound. A warhead air bursts over the North Sea, obliterating many communications systems, then another hits RAF Finningley, 20 miles away from Sheffield. Although the city is not heavily damaged, chaos breaks out. Jimmy is last seen attempting to reach Ruth. Shortly after the first strike, Sheffield is hit by a one megaton warhead over the Tinsley Viaduct, causing enormous destruction. A title card states that strategic targets, including steel and chemical factories in the Midlands, are attacked, with two-thirds of all homes being destroyed and immediate deaths ranging between 17 and 30 million.

There is chaos at the Town Hall, partially demolished in the blast with the surviving civil servants trapped beneath, armed with little, though conflicting information, dwindling supplies and inevitable communication problems. We are also reminded that they too have loved ones on ‘the outside’, their fates unknown. Having witnessed the devastation of the blast; from melting milk bottles, to fires taking hold, to fried cats, we now see the nuclear radiation and its effects on the survivors, already struggling to escape the rubble but now faced with agonising illnesses, lack of running water and medical supplies and a fractured government authorising killing squads to shoot looters and deserters on-sight.

We re-visit the affected after a month, then a year, the dead remaining unburied, the country’s infrastructure almost non-existent, disease rife and the on-set of a nuclear winter, the perpetual dusk destroying crops. Later, the sun returns but only to highlight the squalor the remaining injured must endure. With much of the ozone layer decimated, cancer and other conditions are commonplace, the search for food and shelter remaining the overriding concern.
Many years later, Britain is depicted as having returned to the Dark Ages; ragged clothing, primitive farming techniques and a mangled version of language being employed by a population reduced from 11 million people to 4. The film ends with no redemption and little hope, the future bleak for all and life forever changed.

30 years on, Threads remains one of the most shocking and affecting film shown on British television. Coming 20 years after another nuclear parable, The War Game (ironically, originally not shown on the BBC under orders from the Wilson government), Threads is far more unflinching in its assessment of a nuclear attack, using a largely unknown cast (including many who weren’t recognised actors at all), an ‘anywhere’ location and the depiction of very real fears and logistics. To compound the unremitting tension, the action is interspersed with genuine news reports, Civil Defence announcements and public information films (Protect and Survive, an upsetting watch at the best of times), are a reminder that the mid-80’s were still shrouded in Cold War tensions, Threads serving as a stark picture of a very real possibility.

Mick Jackson was hired to direct the film, as he had previously worked in the area of nuclear apocalypse in 1982, producing the BBC Q.E.D. documentary A Guide to Armageddon. By undergoing rigorous research to capture the actual plans in place should such a catastrophe take place, the documentary feel overtakes the film from the very start, though some may find the later scenes of grey ruins and uneducated survivors a little too stretched and film-like. The film was shot on a budget of £250,000–350,000, much of the budget going on a rare depiction of post-attack scenes, the majority of previous efforts only showing up to and including the dropping of the bomb. Remarkably, Jackson went on to have mainstream success as the director of Hollywood smash, The Bodyguard.

Allegedly viewed after broadcast by then-US President Ronald Reagan, as well as Party Leaders in the UK, the initial screenings in Britain, America and Australia were accompanied by studio discussions, debating the issues raised in the film. Although distinctly anti-nuclear, the events are shown as being part of a much bigger picture, the lack of preparation and planning by the Government being as damning as the hopeless brinkmanship of the Americans and Russians. Threads was also shown in British schools, both as an example of storytelling and the use of documentary-style filming.

Daz Lawrence

Buy Threads on BBC DVD from Amazon.co.uk

Frankenstein’s Cat is a 2007 children’s picture book created by Curtis Jobling (Dinosaurs After Dark; Haunt; Wereworld series) that follows the exploits of Doctor Frankenstein’s first experiment. The cat is created by the Doctor out of nine different cats, leading to his name being Nine. He has no friends and feels lonely, which leads up to him asking the Doctor to create him a friend. Nine learns to be “careful what you wish for”, as the Doctor creates a companion that is more than Nine can handle.

Animated series:

Curtis Jobling’s book has been adapted into an animated series by MacKinnon & Saunders (UK) and Kayenta Productions (France), although it should not be confused with the 1942 Mighty Mouse cartoon Frankenstein’s Cat. A digital animation made entirely in Flash, the modern Frankenstein’s Cat is aimed at the 6-11 age group and consists of thirty 11 minute episodes. The series generally follows the exploits of hyperactive Franken-pet Nine and his best (and only) friend Lottie as they outwit, outrun and generally outdo the citizens of Oddsburg.

France 3 aired the premiere the Monday before Halloween in 2007, the BBC aired the show in January 2008. Thus far, Frankenstein’s Cat has been distributed to Spain, Benelux, Southeast Asia, Latin-America, Israel, Australia, France and Britain.

Characters:

Nine

Nine is Dr Frankenstein’s first creation: a monster stitched together out of nine different cats (his name is also a pun on the myth that cats have nine lives). Unfortunately for the Doctor, Nine isn’t very menacing, although many might consider his smell to be quite frightening. Like all cats, he is naturally curious, and very playful. He might make mistakes sometimes, but he always means well. He is often tricked or bullied by his three ugly sisters, Igora, Heidi and Fifi. His best (and only) friend is Lottie, and he is fiercely protective of her. Nine is voiced by Joe Pasquale for CBBC.

Lottie

8-year-old Lottie is the only girl in Oddsburg, and a relative newcomer. She is on good terms with Doctor Frankenstein, and considers Nine to be her best (and only) friend. She is mischievous by nature, but also kind-hearted, if a little lazy at times. Lottie is also fiercely determined and quite intelligent, easily able to hold her own with the boys. Lottie is voiced by Alex Kelly for CBBC.

Dr Frankenstein

German-accented Dr Frankenstein aspires to be a brilliant mad scientist like all of his forefathers, and most of his time is spent dreaming up mad experiments. Unfortunately, most of his experiments turn out to be failures. Whenever he discards a failed monster, he throws it down into the castle’s “Wrong Things” dungeon. Although Heidi, Igora and Fifi treat Nine with disdain, the Doctor isn’t bothered with his first creation, although he wishes he could create something more fearsome. He doesn’t seem to mind Lottie, and sometimes sends her strange gifts via Nine as a thank-you for sorting monster-related issues out. His voice is provided by Keith Wickham.

Fifi, Heidi and Igora

A dog, hamster and chicken, respectively. Nine’s three ugly sisters are all very vain, and are fond of teasing Nine and playing nasty tricks on him. They seem to view the doctor with some contempt, and long for a more glamorous life. Heidi stands out from the others by being a “were-hamster”.

Pipsquawk

Pipsquawk is the diminutive son of Oddsburg’s Mayor, who constantly spoils him. He is the leader of the town’s gang of four boys, and is usually the loudest one in proclaiming his hatred of girls. His arch-rival is Lottie, who is not only a girl, but a girl who is more talented than he is. His voice is provided by Keith Wickham.

Trevor

Clever Trevor is Oddsburg’s token Nerd, and the second-in-command in Pipsquawk’s gang. With big cokebottle glasses, and sporting a lisp, Trevor is the custodian of the inaugural Big Boy’s Book of Big Boy Stuff. Voice provided by Keith Wickham.

Sweeny

Sallow-skinned, goggle-eyed Sweeny is one of the four boys in Oddsburg and is considered to be the most disgusting. He takes an extensive interest in anything slimy, smelly or snotty, and also likes morbid and “scary” things. Voice provided by Teresa Gallagher.

Bigtop

Bigtop is the gentle giant of Oddsburg’s four boys. He has a simple mind and is often amused by things that would normally seem unbecoming of an Oddsburg boy. His father reads accountant tales to him as bedtime stories. He is voiced by Jimmy Hibbert.

Mr Crumble

Mr Crumble is Oddsburg’s only teacher. His personality often variates between affable and paranoid, and usually utilizes both traits whilst teaching. He appears to be quite fond of Lottie because she actually takes an interest in learning. Voice provided by Jimmy Hibbert.

Gutner Van Halen

Van Halen, the “Monster Man” is a monster hunter who, as he puts it, “dedicated his life and limbs to their destruction”, which is saying something, as he has sustained a few scars in his career; he lost his left arm whilst capturing a Two-Headed Transylvanian Zombie and lost his nose to a Giant Blood-Sucking Leech of the Black Lagoon. How he lost his left eye and his right leg are not known.

Wikipedia

The Frozen Dead is a 1966 British science fiction horror film written, produced and directed by Herbert J. Leder (It!; Doomsday Machine) and starring Dana Andrews (Night of the Demon), Anna Palk (The Skull; The Nightcomers; Tower of Evil) and Philip Gilbert (Die! Die! My Darling!). Edward Fox (Skullduggery; The Cat and the Canary; Lost in Space) has an early role as Prisoner #3.

Hammer horror regulars Don Banks (The Evil of Frankenstein; The Reptile; The Mummy’s Shroud) composed the strident score, whilst Scott MacGregor provided the art direction (Taste the Blood of Dracula; The Vampire Lovers; Frankenstein and the Monster from Hell).

Although shot in Eastmancolor, US distributors Warner-Seven Arts chose to release it in black and white to save money duplicating prints!

Plot teaser:

A Nazi scientist plans to revive a dozen frozen Nazi leaders…

Reviews:

“Unlike It!, where a simple premise gets madder and madder, The Frozen Dead has a grand idea but doesn’t really seem to know what to do with it. We’re only treated to one rampaging Nazi zombie (as played by Edward Fox, no less), but even he’s a bit crap. However, it’s worth noting that the “Elsa’s head in a box” scenes are incredibly effective, and almost make it worth seeking out the film by themselves. Bathed in an eerie blue light and glaring balefully at her captors, she’s the real star of the show.” British Horror Films

Buy The Frozen Dead from Amazon.co.uk | Amazon.com

“Dana Andrews is actually quite good in this mess, giving his character of Dr. Norberg some layers that went above and beyond the call of duty for a film of this caliber. Character actor Alan Tilvern plays a goofy Igor-like character who manages to spice things up by going bat-guano crazy. It’s too bad the rest of the movie didn’t give these two more to work with.” Victor Medina, Cinelinx

“The Brain That Wouldn’t Die is noteworthy for Virginia Leith’s talkative, taunting performance as that film’s body-less head. In The Frozen Dead, the honor goes to Kathleen Breck as the hapless Elsa. Her subtler, more tortured and mostly mimed performance is actually quite good, in unrealistic surroundings realistically expressing the horror of finding oneself disembodied and at the mercy of loopy scientists. A couple of (stationary matte?) effects shots showing the disembodied head are also well done. And she gets the film’s memorable last line, dialogue which, given all the absurdities that preceded it, is admirably haunting.” Stewart Galbraith IV, DVD Talk

“Seriously, folks: despite being an enjoyably bad b-movie, The Frozen Dead has a somewhat disturbing quality to it that won’t let you forget about it. But, of course, on the upside, we do get to see a wall of severed arms come to life and strangle Nazis. I mean, you can’t go wrong with that, right?” Luigi Bastardo, Cinema Sentries

“The best things about this unscary movie are the art direction and the living head which features prominently in the production.” Alan Frank, The Horror Film Handbook

Choice dialogue:

“Bury me, bury me…”

Cast:

• Dana Andrews – Dr. Norberg
• Anna Palk – Jean Norburg
• Philip Gilbert – Dr. Ted Roberts
• Kathleen Breck – Elsa Tenney
• Karel Stepanek – General Lubeck
• Basil Henson – Dr. Tirpitz
• Alan Tilvern – Karl Essen
• Anne Tirard – Mrs. Schmidt
• Edward Fox – Norburg’s Brother (Prisoner #3)
• Oliver MacGreevy – Joseph the Butler
• Tom Chatto – Inspector Witt
• John Moore – Bailey the Stationmaster
• Charles Wade – Alfie the Porter

Wikipedia | IMDb

Fear was a British full-colour magazine published by Newsfield between 1988 and 1991. It was edited by John Gilbert and as well as covering just horror films, it also provided a showcase for both established authors and first-timers with a section dedicated to short fiction.

Gilbert was formally deputy editor of the home computer magazine Sinclair User but as the console market was starting to leave behind the age of rubber keys and unreliable cassettes, he was keen to find a new niche in the magazine marketplace in which to set-up shop. Horror was to provide this and the first issue was a mix of both horror film and book reviews, news of forthcoming genre activity and a section towards the middle of horror, science fiction and fantasy fiction from a variety of writers.

Whilst this was a period when many of the more unusual, European or unreleased/banned films were receiving attention from a myriad of self-published fanzines, Fear provided information for eager horror fans to find out more about their passion on a monthly basis in many newsagents and shops on the high street. Sales were unremarkable but strong enough to ensure the magazine survived for the period Newsfield was operating. The equal coverage the magazine gave to authors was well-received by both readers and writers and the first works by the likes of Peter F. Hamilton sat alongside established masters of the art such as Ramsey Campbell, Brian Lumley, James Herbert and Clive Barker (who, towards the end of the magazine’s life appeared with head-spinning regularity throughout).

So successful was the literary section that a spin-off magazine appeared, Frighteners, which solely served this purpose. Sadly, its success was short-lived; the first issue featured a story by Graham Masterton entitled, ‘Eric the Pie’ which saw a young chap discovering his fondness for eating live animals descending into more cannibalistic behaviour, all of which was a bit too much for newsagent chain WH Smith who pulled it from their shelves. Given that one issue of Fear had covered the cannibal genre, specifically cannibals in films, in some depth, you can understand the disappointment of both fans, author and publisher. The sticking point was the lack of any warning that the magazine was intended for an adult audience – such was the power of WH Smith at the time that this was financially ruinous for Newsfield who had little option to accept the first issue was a huge loss.

The covers to the magazine featured the stunning artwork of Oliver Frey, whose painted designs were often worthy of purchasing the magazine in themselves. Only a couple of issues featured images from films in lieu of his work. Oliver and his brother, Franco, as well as mutual friend Roger Kean, were actually the founders of Newsfield and had developed it to provide a platform for their ZX Spectrum magazine, Crash and later, Sinclair User. Crash also used Frey’s distinctive artwork on the cover. The ‘Eric the Pie’ fiasco naturally affected both magazines due to the financial impact of the magazines withdrawal, indeed the liquidators for Newsfield also pointed out that the other major national magazine retailer, John Menzies, had too refused to stock the magazine, after a customer complained about the content. In the face of adversity, a spirited defence was launched, with issue 33 of Fear (August, 1991) published an article supporting both the story and the decision to publish it, whilst a second issue of Frighteners also appeared, though now with the missing warning in place. Readers were invited to purchase the banned issue direct from the supplier for the cover price alone in an attempt to repair the damage but sadly, the end was nigh and only issues 2 and 3 of Frighteners appeared with issue 33 being the final issue of Fear.

Fear‘s piece on the incident reveals Frighteners as being “withdrawn from sale after legal advice” and Fear editor, Gilbert, spoke to author Graham Masterton who describes ‘Eric the Pie’ as: “a satire to show the grisly realities of the human diet”, whilst going on to clarify that the tale, “is no more disturbing than the meat counter at Sainsbury’s”. Describing the story’s strongest scene featuring a still (not for long) breathing calf, Masterton says, “There is nothing in the scene that tends to deprave or corrupt, but it should rightly evoke outrage. ‘Eric the Pie’ is a serious story with a serious purpose. I hope very much that it will be taken as such.” He has since admitted it may have been a bit strong for many audiences.

As well as many of the authors who appeared within the pages, others, such as regular reviewer, Mark Kermode, went on to achieve great success after the magazine’s closure. Fortunately, Gilbert has remained determined to resurrect the hugely-missed magazine and a relaunch is planned at some point in 2015…

Daz Lawrence, Horrorpedia

Noted British screenwriter and producer Brian Clemens has died, aged 83.

Clemens is best known for his TV work, often in fantasy-based action series. His most famous creation is TV series The Avengers, which ran from 1961 to 1969, and was relaunched as The New Avengers in 1976.

He also produced action series The Professionals between 1977 and 1983 (with The New Professionals appearing in 1999) and Bugs between 1995 and 1999. As a writer, he contributed to the likes of popular TV productions Adam Adamant Lives, The Baron, The Champions, The Persuaders, Remington Steele and many more.

Yet, running throughout his career, was an involvement in the horror genre. In 1960, he wrote his first horror film, The Tell Tale Heart, based (very) loosely on the Poe story, and in 1965 he co-wrote Lindsay Shonteff’s Curse of the Voodoo.

In the early Seventies, he took a break from TV to concentrate on screenplay writing. His impressively low-key psycho thriller And Soon the Darkness (remade in 2010) was directed by Avengers alumni Robert Fuest, and he followed it with another psycho movie, Blind Terror, a year later.

These two films would ultimately form the template for his hit TV series Thriller, which ran from 1973 to 1976 and tended to specialise in ‘woman in peril’ stories, often treading the fine line between psychological thriller and horror, and occasionally crossing the line into outright supernatural stories.

For Hammer, he wrote Dr Jekyll and Sister Hyde, a film that belied its gimmicky title and somewhat subverted the Hammer gothic style, mixing Stevenson’s story with Burke and Hare and Jack the Ripper in a genre mash-up that was decades ahead of its time.

He followed this with Captain Kronos Vampire Hunter in 1972, which would be his only directorial credit. The film attempted to breathe new life into Hammer’s vampire cycle – by now flogged to death – by combining it with swashbuckling action courtesy of superhero-like Kronos. The movie blended humour, horror and action, and aside from a rather stiff central performance by Horst Jansen, proved to be tremendous fun.

It could’ve been a fresh start for Hammer, but they had no idea what to do with it and considered the film too weird. It was eventually slipped out as the bottom half of a double bill with last-gasp Frankenstein film Frankenstein and the Monster from Hell. Plans for further Kronos adventures were dropped, though the character did briefly live on, appropriately enough, as a comic strip in early issues of House of Hammer.

Between the Hammer films, Clemens wrote the Ray Harryhausen fantasy The Golden Voyage of Sinbad, and in 1980 he was the screenwriter for Disney’s family-oriented horror / science fiction crossover The Watcher in the Woods, which mixed haunted house spookiness with alien invasion. John Hough’s film was badly edited (with a new ending) in initial release, but has since built a strong reputation.

In the 1980s, Clemens once again concentrated on TV, writing one episode of horror anthology The Dark Room (1981) and two instalments of Hammer House of Mystery and Suspense (1984).

He wrote science fiction TV movie Timestalkers in 1987 and three episodes of supernatural anthology Worlds Beyond and one episode of Alfred Hitchcock Presents around the same time. His final cinematic writing credit was for the story for Highlander II: The Quickening in 1991.

IMDb

DF

‘Instrument of terror!’

The Brain is a 1962 science fiction murder mystery film with horror touches directed by Freddie Francis (Paranoiac; The Skull; The Vampire Happening) from a screenplay by Robert Stewart and Philip Mackie, loosely based upon Curt Siodmak novel Donovan’s Brain.

The film stars Anne Heywood (Ring of Darkness), Peter van Eyck (The Thousand Eyes of Dr. Mabuse), Cecil Parker, Bernard Lee, Maxine Audley and Jeremy Spenser. It was British-West German co-production, also released as Ein Toter sucht seinen Mörder (translation: “A Dead Man Seeks His Murderer”). The English language working title was Vengeance.

Plot teaser:

Called to a private aircraft crash scene, Dr. Peter Corrie (Peter van Eyck) tries to save the only survivor but realising their is no hope, decides to use the dying man’s brain in his own unique experiments.

However, it emerges that the brain belonged to ruthless millionaire industrialist Max Holt, a man with many enemies. The doctor soon finds that he has been possessed by the dead tycoon’s dominating personality and becomes obsessed with finding out who murdered him…

Reviews:

“Freddie Francis shoots in intensive closeups on forelit faces all in black-and-white, which emphasises a stark naked tension that was characteristic to 1960s thrillers. One of the more unusual parts is the casting of Peter Van Eyck. Van Eyck’s clipped Germanic directness and single-minded determination gives the film undeniable resonances of WWII German experiments.” Moria

“This is a slick science fiction/mystery story that kept me absorbed for the full 83 minutes. The cast is packed with faces familiar to fans of British films of the late 50s and 60s and every performance is great. I should mention that very surprisingly there is a brief bit of nudity from the gorgeous Anne Heywood that caused me to choke on my tea. Very nice!” Rodney Barnett, Bloody Pit of Rod

“Francis, always a better director of than of science fiction, plods through Mackie and Stewart’s well-thumbed script.” Phil Hardy (editor), The Aurum Film Encyclopedia: Science Fiction

” …makes the old material work effectively.” John Stanley, Creature Features

Choice dialogue:

“I’m in no mood to listen to a violent psychopath!”

Cast:

• Anne Heywood as Anna Holt
• Peter van Eyck as Dr. Peter Corrie
• Cecil Parker as Stevenson
• Bernard Lee as Dr. Frank Shears
• Jeremy Spenser as Martin Holt
• Maxine Audley as Marion Fane
• Ellen Schwiers as Ella
• Siegfried Lowitz as Mr. Walters
• Hans Nielsen as Immerman
• Jack MacGowran as Furber
• Miles Malleson as Dr. Miller
• George A. Cooper as Thomas Gabler
• Victor Brooks as Farmer at Crash Site (uncredited)
• Allan Cuthbertson as Da Silva (uncredited)
• John Junkin as Frederick (uncredited)
• Bryan Pringle as Dance-Hall MC (uncredited)
• Patsy Rowlands as Young Woman at Dance Hall (uncredited)
• Alister Williamson as Inspector Pike (uncredited)

Wikipedia | IMDb

The Nightmare is a 1781 oil painting by Anglo-Swiss artist Henry Fuseli (1741–1825). Since its creation, it has remained Fuseli’s best-known work. With its first exhibition in 1782 at the Royal Academy of London, the image became famous; an engraved version was widely distributed and the painting was parodied in political satire. Due to its fame, Fuseli painted at least three other versions of the painting.

The painting depicts a sleeping woman draped over the end of a bed with her head hanging down, exposing her long neck. She is surmounted by an incubus that peers out at the viewer. The sleeper seems lifeless, and, lying on her back, she takes a position believed to encourage nightmares. Also in attendance is a horse…or at least a horse’s head, which is looming through partially parted curtains.The colour palette, applied with oil paint, consists mostly of dark colours—black, deep greys, shades of brown, and blood red—with the exception of the young woman and the bed which she is laying upon, which are made up of more heavenly whites and gold tones. It is a relatively large piece, standing three-and-a-half feet tall and just over four feet wide.

Opinion of the painting’s meaning has long divided critics but, understandably, most presume the peering horse and imp/demon on the woman’s chest are the manifestation of a nightmare she is experiencing. Others have ascribed specific meanings to the uninvited bedroom visitors, whilst others have largely ignored these aspects and frothed at the mouth at the perceived overt sexuality of the woman. Other thoughts see it as being an image of the woman’s wanton desire or simply a painting of a piece of literature read by Fuseli. The contrast of light and dark shadow, as well as the motionless imp make the picture particularly creepy, the horse’s head both bizarre and perverse. The horse could possibly be viewed as the ‘mare’ of the ‘nightmare': more revealing is that the origins of the word mare are derived from the Old English word maere, which referred to a goblin or incubus. Another meaning of nightmare derives from mara, a Scandinavian mythological term referring to a spirit sent to torment or suffocate sleepers. The early meaning of “nightmare” included the sleeper’s experience of weight on the chest combined with sleep paralysis, dyspnea, or a feeling of dread.

When first exhibited at the Royal Academy of London in 1782, the overwhelming reaction was one of shock, the demonic aspect and the revealing of female flesh too much for many. Though the woman is not directly being attacked in any way, viewers understood the painting to portray a sexual invasion of a white, virginal innocent. The incubus would be read by many as being synonymous with nightmares. More learned students of art would have known Fuseli more for his previous paintings which tended to revolve around religious themes. Fuseli, who never revealed his personal motives for creating the image, sold the painting the same year for twenty guineas. A less valuable engraving by Thomas Burke was widely displayed in its place, accompanied by a poem:

So on his Nightmare through the evening fog

Flits the squab Fiend o’er fen, and lake, and bog;
Seeks some love-wilder’d maid with sleep oppress’d,
Alights, and grinning sits upon her breast.

The painting became so well known that it was commonly used for satirical reasons with characters in the painting being replaced by the likes of British Prime Minister William Pitt and French Emperor Napoleon Bonaparte in later years. Later still, the painting became a huge influence on writers. The Nightmare likely influenced Mary Shelley in a scene from her famous Gothic novel Frankenstein, or, The Modern Prometheus (1818). Shelley would have been familiar with the painting; her parents, Mary Wollstonecraft and William Godwin, knew Fuseli. The iconic imagery associated with the Creature’s murder of the protagonist Victor’s wife seems to draw from the canvas: “She was there, lifeless and inanimate, thrown across the bed, her head hanging down, and her pale and distorted features half covered by hair.”

Another literary giant also drew on the painting for inspiration: Edgar Allan Poe may have evoked The Nightmare in his short story “The Fall of the House of Usher” (1839). His narrator compares a painting hanging in Usher’s house to a Fuseli work, and reveals that an “irrepressible tremor gradually pervaded my frame; and, at length, there sat upon my heart an incubus of utterly causeless alarm”

Ken Russell’s Gothic (1986) features various interpretations of Nightmare as a central theme. Even more recently, The 2011 film The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn – Part 1 displays the painting in a sequence where Edward Cullen researches demon children on the Internet.

The painting is now owned and displayed by the Detroit Institute of Arts, where it is valued upwards of £4million.

Daz Lawrence

‘Love is sticky’

He Took His Skin Off For Me is a 2015 British short film directed by Ben Aston based on a short story by Maria Hummer. It stars Sebastian Armesto and Anna Maguire.

The story of a man who takes his skin off for his girlfriend, and why it probably wasn’t the best idea…

Aston says: “He Took His Skin Off For Me‘ is a practical SFX fairytale. No CGI whatsoever. Based on the short story by Maria Hummer it is my grad film from the London Film School. It took myself and producer Fiona Lamptey two years, 217 Kickstarter backers and a whole lot of fake blood to pull off.

SFX legend Colin Arthur (NeverEnding Story, 2001: A Space Odyssey) helped us achieve the impossible, allowing SFX Supervisor Jen Cardno and her team set a new standard for anatomical practical effects. Actor Sebastian Armesto (Anonymous, Pirates of the Caribbean) spent as long as 8hrs in makeup each day to bring this story to life. Alongside Anna Maguire (Saving Private Ryan, Parade’s End) they both give us something wonderful, horrible and completely unique. I don’t want to tell people what the film should be. Even finding a genre to describe it is difficult. I want people to come to this film just like I came to the original story, completely unprepared.

Extra Materials:

Behind the Scenes documentary (23mins) – vimeo.com/116467047
Maria Hummer reads her original story – vimeo.com/67548806
Early makeup tests – vimeo.com/67283889
Teaser Trailer (aka deleted scene) – vimeo.com/77898342

Web:

hetookhisskinoffforme.com
facebook.com/HeTookHisSkinOffForMe
twitter.com/SkinShortFilm
benastondirector.com
twitter.com/BenAstonDir

Thanks to Rue Morgue for recommending

‘Moving house can be torture’

Spiderhole is a 2010 British horror film written and directed by Daniel Simpson. The film is Simpson’s feature film directorial debut. It stars Amy Noble, Emma Griffiths Malin, George Maguire, Reuben-Henry Biggs.

Official plot teaser:

Molly, together with her three art student friends, embark upon a mission to find an empty house in London, with the view to the living as squatters, free from rent, and free to party. Having found the ideal squat, they break in and go about the merry business of dressing the stark interior to reflect their artistic selves. Darkness pervades their new dwelling place, a darkness through which they discover the full implications of their intrepid choice.

A nightmare unfolds that traps the viewer and protagonists alike in a terrifying and unforgiving new reality. Who or what is orchestrating their bloody demise and why? The house appeared to be empty and yet a malevolent force is clearly at work…

Buy Spiderhole on DVD | Instant video from Amazon.co.uk

Buy Spiderhole on DVD | Instant video from Amazon.com

Reviews:

” …not bad enough to qualify as a train wreck, and what little it does (relatively) right has been done better. If you want to see kids get killed, the body count is too low and kills too bland to compete even with 1980s sequels, let alone newer stuff. If you want torture, the Hostels deliver AND give decent stories to go along with them … And hell, if you just want a killer doctor, just watch Dr. Giggles. At least the title is more fitting.” Horror Movie a Day

“Spiderhole had promise, theoretically, but it fails to generate much in the way of suspense or scares. Shots of dusty pipes, slime dripping from faucets, and spiders crawling about are no substitute for real atmosphere, character development, and emotional investment.” Rob Hunter, Film School Rejects

“A sizeable chunk of the budget looks like it has been spent on lashings of blood, fake appendages, rubbery eyeballs and a gleaming set of surgical apparatus (there’s a maniac in the basement wearing scrubs). But for all the gore, Spiderhole wants for genuine frights; it’s a kind of Saw for beginners. Still, it might just work as a public service film: kids, squatting is bad – leave those bolt cutters alone.” Cath Clarke, The Guardian

Wikipedia | IMDb

Video Nasties trump cards are being sold by new British company Gods and Monsters.

The debut set is Series One of the Video Nasties collection. Each card features a reproduction of the original iconic VHS video sleeve artwork from the notorious, previously banned, video nasties – 72 films split across the two sets (Series Two is out in the Spring), printed on glossy card and housed in a clear plastic keep case.

As well as the 36 cards in each series, they come with an original cover card featuring a notorious anti-nasty campaigner rendered in vivid cartoon form.

The Video Nasties Series One trump cards are available in a limited first run edition from Gods and Monsters.

Related:

Ban the Sadist Videos! The Story of Video Nasties

Video Nasties: The Complete Illustrated Checklist

Video Nasties: The Definitive Guide Part Two, Draconian Days

The Food of the Gods and How It Came to Earth is a science fiction novel by H. G. Wells, first published in 1904. The novel is one of his lesser known works.

The Food of the Gods is divided into three “books”: “Book I: The Discovery of the Food”; “Book II: The Food in the Village”; and “Book III: The Harvest of the Food.”

Buy The Food of the Gods novel from Amazon.com | Amazon.co.uk

Book I introduces Mr. Bensington, a research chemist specialising in “the More Toxic Alkaloids,” and Professor Redwood, who after studying reaction times takes an interest in “Growth.” After a year of research and experiment, he finds a way to make what he calls in his initial enthusiasm “the Food of the Gods,” but later more soberly dubs Herakleophorbia IV. Their first experimental success is with chickens that grow to about six times normal size.

Unfortunately Mr. and Mrs. Skinner, the slovenly couple hired to feed and monitor the chickens, allow Herakleophorbia IV to enter the local food chain, and the other creatures that get the food grow to six or seven times their normal size: not only plants, but also wasps, earwigs, and rats. The chickens escape, over-running a nearby town.

As debate ensues about the substance, popularly known as “Boomfood,” children are being given the substance and grow to enormous size: Redwood’s son, Cossar’s three sons, and Mrs. Skinner’s grandson, Caddles. These massive offspring eventually reach about 40 feet in height. At first the giants are tolerated, but as they grow more and more restrictions are imposed.

With time most of the English population comes to resent the young giants as well as changes to flora, fauna, and the organisation of society that become more extensive with each passing year. Bensington is nearly lynched by an angry mob.

Book II offers an account of the development of Mrs. Skinner’s grandson, Albert Edward Caddles. Wells takes the occasion to satirise the conservative rural gentry (Lady Wondershoot) and Church of England clergy (the Vicar of Cheasing Eyebright) in describing life in a little village.

Book III recounts how British society has learned to cope with occasional outbreaks of giant pests (mosquitoes, spiders, rats, etc.), but the coming to maturity of the giant children brings a reactionary politician, Caterham, into power. Caterham has been promoting a program to destroy the Food of the Gods and hinting that he will suppress the giants, and now begins to execute his plan.

By coincidence, it is just at this moment that Caddles rebels against spending his life working in a chalk pit. In London he is surrounded by thousands of tiny people and confused by everything he sees. He demands to know what it’s all for and where he fits in; after refusing to return to his chalk pit, Caddles is shot and killed by the police.

The conclusion of the novel features a romance between the young giant Redwood and an unnamed princess. Their love blossoms just as Caterham, who has at last attained a position of power, launches an effort to suppress the giants. But after two days of fighting, the giants, who have taken refuge in an enormous pit, have held their own. Their bombardment of London with shells containing large quantities of Herakleophorbia IV forces Caterham to call a truce. The British leader is satirised as a demagogue, a “vote-monster” for whom nothing but “gatherings, and caucuses, and votes – above all votes” are real.

Caterham employs Redwood père as an envoy to send a proposed settlement whose terms would demand that the giants live apart somewhere and forgo the right to reproduce.

The novel concludes with the world on the verge of a long struggle between the “little people” and the Children of the Food…

Perhaps inevitably, it is mostly through the movies that the story is best known. The Food of the Gods was released by American International Pictures (AIP) in 1976, written, produced, and directed by Bert I. Gordon. Based on a portion of the book, it reduced the tale to an ‘Ecology Strikes Back’ scenario, common in science fiction movies at the time.

Buy on MGM DVD from Amazon.co.uk | Amazon.com

Earlier, Bert I. Gordon had written, produced, and directed Village of the Giants (1965), also very loosely based on the book. The substance, called simply “Goo”, is developed by an 11-year-old Ron Howard. This is consumed by a gang of teenaged troublemakers (led by Beau Bridges) who become giants and take over the town, turning the tables on the knee-high adults. They are eventually defeated by other teens (led by Tommy Kirk). With the substance scientifically created and the giants coming into conflict with the little people, it actually was closer to the book than the later effort – though not by much.

Buy Village of the Giants on MGM DVD from Amazon.co.uk | Amazon.com

In 1989, Gnaw: Food of the Gods, Part 2 was released, written by Richard Bennett and directed by Damian Lee. Dealing with a pack of giant lab rats wreaking havoc on a college campus, it was even further removed from the book than Gordon’s attempts.

Buy Food of the Gods II on DVD from Amazon.com | Amazon.co.uk

The Food of the Gods was first adapted for the comics in January 1961, for Classics Illustrated No. 160, with a painted cover (see above) by Gerald McCann, script by Alfred Sundel and interior artwork by Tony Tallarico. The giant wasps were shown in only two panels and the rats weren’t shown at all.

A more dynamic and dramatic version, “told in the mighty Marvel manner,” was found in Marvel Classics Comics No. 22 (1977). Writer Doug Moench improved on the Classics Illustrated script while Sonny Trinidad produced striking artwork.

“Deadly Muffins” in Secrets of Sinister House No. 13 (DC Comics, 1973) is an uncredited version of the story written by John Albano and drawn by Alfredo Alcala.

Wikipedia

Monster Munch is a British baked corn snack although there have been variants with the same name in Ireland and France.

Monster Munch was launched in 1977 by Smiths (who also produced Horror Bags snacks). Originally called “The Prime Monster”, the decision was taken to rename the snack “Monster Munch” in 1978. Advertised as “The Biggest Snack Pennies Can Buy” – in reference to the large size of the crisps – each pack featured a different monster on the front of the packet.

The snack was supported by a “Monster Munch Club”, whose members received a “Monster Munch Munchers” membership pack which included a membership card, pen, several story books, and a story tape which included six “tall stories” and accompanying songs.

By the late ’80s there were four main monsters featured on the packaging, although originally a total of six featured in the advertising:

Monster Munch was available in a variety of flavours over the years including Roast Beef, Pickled Onion, Saucy Tomato, Bacon, Cheese & Onion, King Prawn and Salt & Vinegar. Pickled Onion has remained in the selection throughout the years, with Roast Beef appearing in almost every combination. By the 1990s the four main flavours available were Pickled Onion, Roast Beef, Smokey Bacon and Saucy.

The original Monster Munch used two different snack shapes, related to two of the Monsters. The shape known as a “monster paw” that is still used today has long been the subject of dispute over whether it represents a paw or, instead, the eye and lashes of a monster. The other represented the gangly, long-tongued pink monster: circular with two bumps on the top for eyes, protrusions on either side and a tongue dangling down. For a limited time in the early 1990s, there were also spider-shaped Monster Munch with a smokey bacon flavour.

A short-lived range of Monster Munch themed drinks – Monster Fizz – was available in the 1980s.

In 1995, the Monster Munch brand was taken over by Walkers who relaunched them with a range of four flavours and smaller crisps. The monster characters were also redesigned.

Since then, the range of flavours has changed several times, such as Cheesy replacing Spaghetti Sauce (and the Blue Monster being recoloured yellow). A wide range of Tazos, featuring images of the monsters, was produced, with one Tazo included in each bag.

In September 2008, Walkers re-launched Monster Munch, based on the original Monster Munch from the Smiths days. The crisps returned to their original larger size (now referred to as “Mega”), and the packs include retro designs based on the original packs, featuring three of the original four monsters.

Throughout the years there have been several limited edition flavours available. A Baked Bean flavour was made available in 2003 for Comic Relief. A Vanilla Ice Cream flavour was released in 2004, and was received with mostly negative reaction. There were also variants that could turn the consumer’s tongue a different colour. This usually meant the tongue was turned blue, though a variant that could turn the tongue either blue or green was available for a time.

A Product Called “Mega Monster Munch Webs” was sold for halloween 2013 and came in a bacon flavour.

Wikipedia | Image thanks: The Cobwebbed Room

Boris the Spider is a song written by The Who‘s former bass guitarist, John Entwistle. It appears as the second track of their 1966 album A Quick One. This song is claimed to be Entwistle’s first composition, and became a staple of live shows. Boris the Spider was written swiftly as a joke after Entwistle had been out drinking with the Rolling Stones‘ bass guitarist, Bill Wyman.

The chorus of “Boris the Spider” was sung in basso profundo by Entwistle (which possibly helped give birth to the “death growl“), with a middle eight of “creepy crawly” sung in falsetto. These discordant passages and the black comedy of the theme made the song a stage favourite and it was the only song from that album which lasted throughout the Who’s live career.

According to Pete Townshend in his song-by-song review of Meaty Beaty Big and Bouncy for Rolling Stone, it was Jimi Hendrix’s favourite Who song. There is a Long Island beer company named Spider Island that produces a “Russian Imperial Stout” named Boris the Spider…

Wikipedia | Metal Injection

Avoid the Horror is a January 2015 British advertising campaign by conference call provider Powwownow.com that focuses on the nightmare of commuting to work and travelling to meetings. The company is suggesting that rather than travelling to meetings, on often overcrowded transport, it’s easier to make a conference call.

The campaign, which runs for several weeks, is being featured across several radio stations including Magic, Absolute, Capital London, LBC and Talk Sport.

Plus, there are ads on the London Underground, taxis and at mainline rail stations.

Elfie Hopkins - aka Elfie Hopkins: Cannibal Hunter – is a 2012 British horror film directed by Ryan Andrews from a script co-written with Riyad Barmania. It stars Jaime Winstone, Ray Winstone, Steven Mackintosh, Rupert Evans, Aneurin Barnard and Kimberley Nixon.

The film was released in the UK on 20 April 2012 by Black & Blue Films and Kaleidoscope Entertainment.

Plot teaser:

Twenty-two-year-old slacker Elphie Hopkins (Jaime Winstone) is a “wanna-be” detective who lives in a sleepy village. She is a stoner and an animal lover, and haunted by the death of her mother. Surrounded by her broken father and alcoholic step-mother, Elfie seeks solace and inspiration from the old school detectives in The Maltese Falcon and Chinatown. She entertains herself, along with her geeky best friend, Dylan (Aneurin Barnard), by investigating the villagers and upsetting everyone with their imaginative allegations. Elfie’s mundane existence is thrown for a spin with the arrival of a family of trendy city dwellers, the Gammons.

The Gammons weave tales of adventure and seduce the villagers with offers of exotic hunting holidays around the world. It is not long before the villagers are flying off to the four corners of the world. Elfie, despite her best efforts, is not free to the Gammons’ charms, but soon smells a rat. Elfie and Dylan begin investigating the Gammons’ life. Bloody violence and pandemonium soon starts to rage in the village and it is no longer just the blood of animals. Elfie discovers the villagers are not making those flights and when she finally uncovers the truth, it is darker than she could have ever imagined…

Buy on DVD | Instant Video from Amazon.co.uk

“It’s Ryan Andrews’ first feature film and he’s piled it high with cinematic references. He aims to evoke the provincial charm of Miss Marple, the deliciously ironic dialogue of Brick and the blood-splattered thrills of a gaudy B-horror. You so want him to pull it off, but most of the time you’d just rather watch the movies he’s been watching.” Jessica Lambert, Little White Lies

“The big problem is the character of Elfie who dresses kookily with blue streaks in her peroxide hair but is far less exciting than the filmmakers must assume, and a laidback Winstone plays her with little energy or charm. There’s a hint of camp pleasure to be gained from the film’s early soft-focus domestic scenes and late hysterics, but ‘Elfie Hopkins’ is sunk by a lame script and mannered performances.” Dave Calhoun, Time Out

” …an orgy of mistimed jokes, stumbling narration and dim performances. I felt like taking my felt pen to the film’s poster and turning the overindulged star’s name into “J’aime pas Winstone”. Phillip French, The Observer

“There’s a decent support cast including Ray Winstone and Gwyneth Keyworth, who’s suitably creepy as the childlike girl next door. But Jaime feels miscast and the dialogue, direction and tone waver wildly before getting completely lost. There’s kitsch value in the themes and costumes, but any cult appeal is not likely to be the kind the film was seeking.” Anna Smith, Empire

Cast:

• Jaime Winstone as Elfie Hopkins
• Aneurin Barnard as Dylan
• Steven Mackintosh as Michael
• Rupert Evans as Mr Gammon
• Kate Magowan as Mrs Gammon
• Julian Lewis Jones as Harry Hopkins
• Kimberley Nixon as Pippa
• Gwyneth Keyworth as Ruby Gammon
• Will Payne as Elliot Gammon
• Ray Winstone as Butcher Bryn
• Richard Harrington as Timothy Jenkins

Filming locations:

Wales

Useful links:

Wikipedia | IMDb | Facebook | Kaleidoscope Film Distribution