DEAD BY DAWN 24 – 27 April, 2008

Thursday 24

T + Guests

EATER + ITSY BITSY + THE DESCENDENT + OUTPOS

2315 – 0150

Friday 25

1200 – 1530 SUSPIRIA + INFERNO 1550 – 1625 WHAT YOU MAKE IT Short film programme, Part 1 2000 – 2200 THE ANGEL + FIVE ACROSS THE EYES + Guests 2230 – 2255 Lone Sausage presents DR TRAN and GRANDPA 2315 – 0150 THE DEMONOLOGY OF DESIRE + DEATH NOTE

Saturday 26

1300 – 1500 BUTCHER’S HILL + SUICIDE CLUB 1600 – 1815 CUTTING EDGE Short Film Competition 1900 – 2130 BITTEN + THE MIST 2215 – 2300 WHAT YOU MAKE IT Short film programme, Part 2 All-Nighter: RD + Guests SPIDER + WAT A WONDERFUL DAY + THE VANGUA HYPERACTIVE INGREDIENTS + MACHINE GIRL INVASION OF THE BODYSNATCHERS

0000 – 0210 0230 – 0420

0445 – 0645 0645 – 0730 Breakfast break 0730 – 0905 SENSELESS 0920 – 1100 WIZARD OF GORE

Sunday 27

1530 – 1715 MOTHER OF TEARS 1800 – 1940 LAPSUS + PHANTASM 2015 – 2200 MOMENT DE GLOIRE + STUCK 2245 – 2315 -deprived idiocy Competition announcements, give-aways, general sleep 2315 – 0130 I LOVE YOU + DOOMSDAY + Guests Some times may be subject to slight change

ts of the festival until 3am Filmhouse has a late licence for all four nigh

Welcome to Dead by Dawn 2008. I tried making a list and it went something like this…demonic children, sharks, clowns, monsters, possessed houses (also cars, sheds, hair, TVs), evil nuns, genetic mutations, unstable rural types, unstable city types, toxic infections, cannibals, angry ghosts, zombies, vampires and at least one Indian burial ground. I may have missed one or two but the point is, there are a limited number of horror stories and the job of Dead by Dawn as a discovery festival is to find the film-makers and films that make the familiar feel fresh, reinvigorated and profoundly unsettling. Dead by Dawn exists not only to showcase potential and vibrant emerging talent, but also to provide the widest possible range of what can be described as horror, to indulge in occasional reminders about past cinematic glories and to give dozens of gorgeous, twisted short films a chance to reach their audience. I hope you have a great festival!

James

Adèle

James McKenzie Chief Operations Officer, Filmhouse

Adèle Hartley Festival Director

We’d like to thank all our sponsors and affiliates for their support

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USA / 2007 / 97 mins Director: Jeremy Kasten Producers: Christopher Duddy, Glenn W. Garland, Daniel Gold, Dan Griffiths Writer: Zach Chassler Music: Steve Porcaro DoP: Christopher Duddy Editor: Jeremy Kasten F/X: Jason Collins, Brie Ford, Elvis Jones Cast: Kip Pardue, Bijou Phillips, Crispin Glover, Jeffrey Combs, Joshua John Miller, Brad Dourif, Garz Chan, Tim Chiou, Kenneth Moskow, Amina Munster, Cricket Suicide, Flux Suicide, Nixon Suicide, Bob Rusch, Joe Bucaro III

Night after night, Montag the Magnificent takes the stage, choosing a volunteer from the audience to assist him with his Grand Guignolstyled illusions. After they are eviscerated, beheaded, or otherwise horribly dispatched, the volunteers miraculously get up and return to their seats, a bit dazed, often naked, but fine. As the publisher of the alternative newspaper the Cacophony Gazette, Edmund Bigelow regularly delves into the darker corners of the Los Angeles nightlife, so when he notices that Montag’s volunteers keep turning up dead the day after their performance, he starts investigating. But sometimes

when you ask the right questions, the answers you get seem all wrong, and soon Edmund is spiraling down the rabbit hole into his own obsessions and madness. Director Jeremy Kasten recasts Herschell Gordon Lewis’ cult classic as a gleefully gory murder mystery and wickedly funny satire on the underground art scene. With

a hallucinogenic eye, Kasten and cinematographer Christopher Duddy so manipulate their view of Los Angeles’ seedier side it’s difficult to know whether to believe your eyes or not. Starring Kip Pardue, Bijou Phillips, Brad Dourif, a barely recognizable Jeffrey Combs, and everyone’s favorite alt pin-ups, the Suicide Girls, Wizard

of Gore is bound to be a cult favorite, especially with the devilishly theatrical performance of Crispin Glover as Montag, resplendent in his white tuxedo — even when it’s covered in blood. Review by Doug Jones for the Los Angeles Film Festival

Japan / 2008 / 96 mins Director: Noboru Iguchi Producers: Yoshinori Chiba, Yôko Hayama, Satoshi Nakamura Writer: Noboru Iguchi Music: Takashi Nakagawa DoP: Yasutaka Nagano Editor: Kenji Tanabe FX: Tsuyoshi Kazuno Cast: Asami, Honoka, Yûya Ishikawa, Ryôsuke Kawamura, Noriko Kijima, Kentarô Kishi, Nobuhiro Nishihara, Ryôji Okamoto, Kentarô Shimazu, Tarô Suwa, Demo Tanaka, Erika Terajima, Hiroko Yashiki, Minase Yashiro

‘What Robert Rodriguez can do, we can do better,’ director Noboru Iguchi must have thought. And although we won’t easily forget one-legged Cherry Darling from Planet Terror, this Japanese director outdoes Rodriguez in the over-the-top department. Machine Girl is pure low-budget pulp, getting the maximum effect from the fascination with Japanese schoolgirls in uniform and very large machine guns. The machine girl herself is called Ami, and

l r i G e n Machi

she’s seeking revenge for the murder of her little brother. The boy was thrown out of a window by the youngest offspring of a renowned Yakuza family, after which Ami single-handedly opens the attack on the crime clan. That may have been a bit overambitious, because the hot-headed student is easily defeated at her first attempt and loses her left arm in the process. Fortunately, Ami manages to escape and her friend Miki, a garage owner, equips her with a quick-firing prosthesis. With a huge machine gun where her lower arm used to be, and Miki at her side, Ami is ready for the final confrontation. Who cares about a few blood stains on her sailor suit? The film takes a while to get started, but it’s all worth it in the end. With teen idol Minase Yashiro in the lead

and supporting roles for porn actresses Asami and Honoka, Machine Girl culminates in an absurdist bloodbath. The efforts of special effects-creator Yoshihiro Nishimura wouldn’t go down too well in Hollywood, but you won’t hear us complain. Who else is going to bring back the flying guillotine? Thanks to Barend de Voogd for his review

CUTTING EDGE SHORTS BY APPOINTMENT ONLY

Criticized

Jane has left the big city behind in search of a more peaceful, country life. On her way to a house viewing her car breaks down but the locals are determined to help her find her dream home and insist on driving her to the remote location.

A prominent film critic writes a scathing review of a new horror film and is abducted by the film’s director who was clearly not ready to send his art out into the public domain. The critic, it seems, is entitled to his opinion, so long as it’s favourable.

USA / 2006 / 20 mins

USA / 2007 / 18 mins

Director: John Faust

Director: Richard Gale

Hollow

ONE MORE TIME

9 year old Josh has a loving mother, a nice home and a stepfather who cares. In fact, there isn’t much he has to worry about at all…until he is blamed for opening the red door which had always remained locked.

Every night Ethan is ripped from sleep to find himself in an abandoned shack with someone different chained to a chair. He has five minutes to free that person or they’re killed. It seems like things can’t get any worse, but this is a horror film, so that’s never true…

USA / 2007 / 9 mins Director: Paul Bickel

USA / 2007 / 6 mins Director: Jesse Grce

PEEKERS

THE GIRLS

An elderly man tries to convince his neighbour to investigate a strange phenomenon. But it’s getting tiresome. This is hardly the first time he’s asked and every time it’s turned out to be nothing. Still, there’s something to be said for being a good neighbour…

A father returns home from work to find his two young daughters playing in the garden. Despite his tiredness, he agrees to play a little while but soon finds himself outwitted by the girls. As dusk begins to fall the mood begins to darken. Sometimes games just aren’t fun.

USA / 2007 / 9 mins

UK / 2007 / 10 mins

Director: Mark Steensland

Director: Sebastian Godwin

Metamorphosis

The Election

It’s a beautiful day and a young couple lie in an idyllic field in the shade of a tree. There are lots of people who like to watch their partner sleep, wondering what they dream of. But how much can you really tell about a person when they are asleep? Norway / 2007 / 4 mins

On the eve of the most important election of their career, a horrible event forces John and Abby to make a difficult decision. They are under so much pressure to remain in the race that a solution must be found. The answer, while distasteful, seems to solve their problem.

Director: Geir Hansteen Jörgensen

USA / 2007 / 8 mins Director: Padraig Reynolds

Side Effect

THE WAKE

Lauren is an attractive, over-achieving young woman and the new babysitter for the friendly, upper-middle-class couple, the Allen’s. With the trusted Lauren in charge of their adorable children, the couple head out for the night.

In this ‘American southern gothic’ folk tale, a boy is tied to a table for days at the mercy of a mysterious woman. A bell is rigged to his ropes so he can’t move without alerting her.

USA / 2008 / 14 mins

Director: Matt Byrne

Director: Liz Adams

USA / 2006 / 19 mins

UK / 2008 / 105 mins Director: Neil Marshall Producers: Benedict Carver, Steven Paul Writer: Neil Marshall DoP: Sam McCurdy Editors: Andrew MacRitchie, Neil Marshall F/X: Kevin Adcock, Axelle Carolyn, Paul Hyett, Kristyan Mallett Cast: Caryn Peterson, Adeola Ariyo, Emma Cleasby, Christine Tomlinson, Vernon Willemse, Paul Hyett, Daniel Read, Karl Thaning, Stephen Hughes, Jason Cope, Ryan Kruger, Nathan Wheatley

From legendary horror writer/director Neil Marshall (The Descent and Dog Soldiers) comes the action-packed thriller DOOMSDAY. Full of kick-ass action, explosive stunts and buckets of gore, DOOMSDAY heralds the dawning of a new dark age. Set in Scotland and amidst a ghoulish terrain of corpse-strewn cities, this ‘aftermath’ thriller takes a bizarre and brutal look into a near future where our very existence is threatened by a horrific virus. 2008: Within days of outbreak, the horrific ‘Reaper Virus’ has infected millions in Scotland. The British government declares Scotland a ‘hot zone’ and quarantines the entire country to contain the ‘Reaper’s’ spread. Imprisoned by military blockades, Scotland is sealed off from the rest of the world, and left to die… 2035: The ‘Reaper Virus’ has resurfaced – this time in London. Faced with apocalypse, the Prime Minister (Alexander Siddig, 24) and the true power behind his office, Michael Canaris (David O’Hara, The Departed), summon police chief Bill Nelson (Bob Hoskins, Hollywoodland), to reveal satellite images of survivors in the streets of Glasgow. Nelson assembles a crack team of specialists to retrieve ‘the cure’. Led by feisty female major, Eden Sinclair (Rhona Mitra, Shooter), the team venture into a forgotten Scotland….where they discover the true horror of the Reaper’s legacy and two warring tribes, ruled by Dr. Kane (Malcolm McDowell, A Clockwork Orange) and his estranged son, Sol (Craig Conway, The Descent). Neil Marshall’s debut feature (as both writer and director), Dog Soldiers (2002), became a cult hit in both the UK & US after a wealth of positive reviews. His second, groundbreaking feature came in the form of The Descent (2005), the underground horror film which went on to win a Saturn Award for Best Horror Film, two British Independent Film Awards (for Best Director and Best Editor) and the Empire Award for Best Horror Film. DOOMSDAY is Neil’s much anticipated third feature. Rogue Pictures and Intrepid Pictures present DOOMSDAY – a Crystal Sky Pictures production, in association with Scion Films which will be released by Universal Pictures in the UK on May 9 2008. We are delighted to welcome back festival favourite, director Neil Marshall, who will host a Q&A after the screening, followed by a signing session in the bar.

SUSPIRIA

After the success of Deep Red in 1975, Dario Argento considered adapting the work of H.P. Lovecraft. Among the themes Lovecraft obsessively proposed was a pantheon of awesomely powerful ancient beings, whose practise of the black arts had banished them to an outer darkness, from which they continually strove to return; occasionally succeeding to cause madness, mutation and havoc in Man and the material world. Perhaps because it required too great a devotion to another artist’s inventions, Argento decided against working from Lovecraft, but he didn’t entirely abandon the train of thought. Still drawn to the uncanny, he turned instead to his partner Daria Nicolodi’s stories of her grandmother’s experiences at a finishing school with occult connections.

The result was Suspiria. It was a totally new experience, and even the mainstream critics had to admit it: “a deliberately overblown bit of Gothic ghoulishness that makes other tales of terror look anaemic” opined Alexander Walker. Thunderous in volume, grotesque and yet beautiful, and soaked in outrageous washes of pure primary colour, it’s an unforgettable piece of cinema. Telling a story of the supernatural, of witches and malefic influence, it shows Argento shaking free from the threads of logic and reason altogether, and unconditionally embracing the mystical beliefs of Nicolodi, herself a practitioner of witchcraft. The simple story tells of the experience of Suzy Banyon, a pretty young dance student who enrols at a sinister Bavarian Dance Academy and discovers that the staff are actually a secret coven of witches, under the reign of the terrifyingly powerful ‘Black Queen’, Helena Markos.

Suspiria drops its audience straight into the heart of a storm, literally and figuratively, a maelstrom of sound and visual excess. The opening sequence, designed by Argento with the utmost confidence, transports us effortlessly into a violent, hyperkinetic new world, with only the briefest of ‘once upon a time...’ preludes. Suspiria incorporates music as a key element, in conjunction with colour, and in a more general way Argento approaches the composition of his film as a musician would. Music, of all the arts, is perhaps the most intangible, its effect most often likened to magic, to the casting of a spell. The flawless melding of sound and image in the major set-pieces of Suspiria is probably the film’s greatest innovation. Argento aims for a synaesthetic sensation, obsessively plastering light and sound into a malevolently pulsating whole. Such a powerful musical presence goes well beyond anything previously attempted in the horror genre and provides a definitive stamp to this period of the director’s creativity. Review by Stephen Thrower, from the FAB Press book Art of Darkness: The Cinema of Dario Argento. The print of Suspiria was loaned to the festival by the National Media Museum/ Fantastic Films Weekend (Bradford)

Italy / 1977 / 92 mins Director: Dario Argento Producer: Claudio Argento Writers: Dario Argento, Daria Nicolodi Music: Dario Argento, Goblin DoP: Luciano Tovoli Editor: Franco Fraticelli F/X: Germano Natali Cast: Jessica Harper, Stefania Casini, Flavio Bucci, Miguel Bosé, Barbara Magnolfi, Susanna Javicoli, Eva Axén, Rudolf Schündler, Udo Kier, Alida Valli, Joan Bennett, Margherita Horowitz

Inferno is a special, entirely one-ofa-kind film whose power over me grows and grows with each awe-struck revisit. There are countless moments in the film that connect me to a sense of wonder and dread that I can only really associate with my childhood. In other words, it makes me feel like a frightened child, and as such, it is nothing short of exhilarating. It is an aria of seemingly disconnected yet oddly fused fragments of subconscious triggers and pure, atmospheric dread. There are moments in the film, where Emerson’s music crescendos with camera movements and cuts, that get me emotional beyond expression, and this is achieved almost purely through abstraction. Very few films harness that sort of power (David Lynch’s Lost Highway is the only recent example that comes to mind). While it might not have benefited from the stunning - and now sadly, obsolete - three strip Technicolor dye transfer stock that Suspiria was shot on, I think it’s inarguable that Inferno’s lighting schemes are equally, if not surpassingly, startling and creative, not to mention mind numbingly beautiful. Inferno’s cinematographer Romano Albani (who later lensed Phenomena) is every bit as innovative as Suspiria’s Luciano Tovoli. I would even go so far as to say that Inferno is one of the most beautifully lit films I’ve ever seen, with incredible configurations of deep blues, ambers and reds pulling painterly patterns across spectacular

Infe

sets and locations in a manner which I’ve never seen replicated. On a screen it is almost paralyzingly beautiful, and seeing it projected was without a doubt one of the strongest experiences I’ve ever had in a cinema. It is nothing short of breathtaking and totally, absolutely inspirational. It is fascinating to observe the many ways in which Argento incorporates the film’s principal colour schemes of blue, red and amber into aspects of ‘rational’ light sources. For example, lightning flashes in deep red bursts, and the police car’s lights at Sara’s apartment flush Mark’s face with deep blue hues - as do the lights of the fire trucks at the film’s close. These richly saturated colours are first introduced in intensely supernatural atmospheres, but before long, they become ubiquitous, cleverly reinforcing Suspiria’s theme that “magic is everywhere”.

The Third Mother is the final film in Argento’s trilogy known as The Three Mothers. The trilogy is loosely based on characters from “Levana and Our Ladies of Sorrow”, a section of Thomas de Quincey’s Suspiria de Profundis. The prose poem outlines the existence of three women that are the personification of sorrow: Mater

Lachrimarum. Breaking the seal heralds the return of the beautiful yet malefic sorceress’ powers, and the world is plunged into chaos. A wave of suicides and crime sweeps over Italy’s capital as witches congregate to pay homage to their reborn queen. Sarah must eventually discover her latent supernatural powers with the help of

Mother of Tears

Review by Mitch Davis, from the FAB Press book Art of Darkness: The Cinema of Dario Argento. Italy / 1980 / 107 mins Director: Dario Argento Producer: Claudio Argento Screenplay: Dario Argento Music: Keith Emerson DoP: Romano Albani Editor: Franco Fraticelli F/X: Germvano Natali Cast: Leigh McCloskey, Irene Miracle, Eleonora Giorgi, Daria Nicolodi, Sacha Pitoeff, Alida Valli, Veronica Lazar, Gabriele Lavia, Feodor Chaliapin, Leopoldo Mastelloni, Ania Pieroni

rno

Lachrymarum, Mater Suspiriorum, and Mater Tenebrarum. Argento and Daria Nicolodi recast de Quincey’s Three Sorrows as three malevolent witches who rule the world with tears, sighs, and shadows. When released in 1977 the first film, Suspiria introduced the major stylistic elements of the series, including the bold use of primary colors and elaborate setpieces for each murder. The sequel, Inferno, developed the overarching plot continuities concerning the three central witches when released in 1980. And in Mother of Tears: The Third Mother, Sarah Mandy (Asia Argento) - an American studying art restoration at the Museum of Ancient Art in Rome - examines an urn found at an ancient, decrepit grave near Viterbo. Bound within are the relics of a witch known as the Mother of Tears, Mater

her deceased mother (Daria Nicolodi) and confront Lachrimarum at the opulent Palazzo Varelli. From the Mother of Tears Wikipedia entry Italy / 2007 / 98 mins Director: Dario Argento Producers: Claudio Argento, Dario Argento, Giulia Marletta Writers: Jace Anderson, Dario Argento, Walter Fasano, Adam Gierasch, Simona Simonetti DoP: Frederic Fasano Editors: Walter Fasano Music: Claudio Simonetti F/X: Sergio Stivaletti Cast: Asia Argento, Cristian Solimeno, Adam James, Moran Atias, Valeria Cavalli, Philippe Leroy, Daria Nicolodi, Coralina Cataldi-Tassoni, Udo Kier, Robert Madison, Jun Ichikawa, Tommaso Banfi, Paolo Stella, Clive Riche Thanks to Optimum Home Entertainment

When they come as thrilling as Don Siegel’s 1956 classic, “Invasion of the Body Snatchers”, it seems ludicrous to attempt a remake. Yet director Philip Kaufman did just that in 1978, and produced a film every bit as chilling. WD Richter updates and relocates Jack Finney’s original story to San Fransisco, where health inspector Donald Sutherland is the shoulder that colleague Brooke Adams cries on. Her boyfriend Art Hindle has suddenly become very emotionally detached from both her and the world around him. Sutherland enlists the help of his psychiatric buddy Leonard Nimoy, who is only too happy to try and explain the problem. What he is less able to resolve is the bizarre spidery webs and pink flowers that have descended over the city, and people claiming that their partners and family have been have been replaced with soulless look-a-likes. He puts it down to a “hallucinatory flu going round”, but Sutherland begins to suspect otherwise. The signs are all there, courtesy of Kaufman, who weaves an increasingly sinister cityscape through prowling camerawork and a highly effective stereo score. Sutherland delivers a performance that conveys beautifully the terrifying realisation that he is one of a diminishing group yet to be overwhelmed by an alien force that bears the faces of the loved and trusted. Review by Almar Haflidason for BBCi Films

USA / 1978 / 115 mins Director: Philip Kaufman b H. Solo Producer: Robert Screenplay: W.D. Richter based on the novel by Jack Finney Music: Denny Zeitlin DoP: Michael Chapman Editor: Douglas Stewart FX: Russ Hessey, Dell Rheaume Cast: Donald Sutherland, Brooke Adams, d Jeff Goldblum, Veronica Cartwright, Leonard Nimoy, Art Hindle, Lelia Goldoni, Kevin McCarthy, Don Siegel, Tom Luddy, Stan Ritchie, David Fisher

That’s the definition given to the title of this 1979 horror masterpiece, and to that I’d like to add: One hell of a scary film. Speaking as a horror fan, I have to make this confession -- I am jaded. It takes a lot to frighten me, and I can name the few films that have done so by counting on one hand. Don Coscarelli’s Phantasm is on that small list and with good reason. There is just some otherworldly magic associated with this set of films. Some type of captured and bottled lightning that keeps the viewer locked in place during even the weakest entries of the franchise. The world of Phantasm is a universe in and of itself, painted with rich characters and a disturbing premise that asks the ever thought-provoking question - What happens to us when we die? If you listen to The Tall Man, we don’t go to Heaven. We go to him. Death is a subject that has frightened and compelled us all for years. It can be USA / 1979 / 88 mins Director: Don Coscarelli Producers: D.A. Coscarelli, Paul Pepperman Writer: Don Coscarelli Music: Fred Myrow, Malcolm Seagrave DoP: Don Coscarelli Editor: Don Coscarelli Cast: Michael Baldwin, Bill Thornbury, Reggie Bannister, Kathy Lester, Terrie Kalbus, Ken Jones, Susan Harper, Lynn Eastman, David Arntzen, Ralph Richmond, Bill Cone, Laura Mann, Mary Ellen Shaw, Myrtle Scotton, Angus Scrimm

argued that mankind’s greatest fear is death itself. That’s one of the keys to this series’ success! Phantasm not only explores that phobia but shoves it right down our throats. To further make things interesting, the Phantasm tales (beginning of course with this one) are told in a blurry fashion, meaning there is no line separating our reality from that of The Tall Man’s. As a result, the film experience ends up feeling as surreal as an out-of-body experience. Coscarelli makes a point of not spoonfeeding us this pound of flesh, so a lot is left up to the audience in terms of what they think is really happening. The world of Phantasm is vast in its mystery and rife with fan speculation. I’m sure people will be talking about it for many years to come. From a review by Uncle Creepy for Dread Central

I don’t know how many indie films you may have watched in your time as a horror fan, but there’s a moment, usually in the first ten minutes, when you know if what you’re about to spend the next 80 minutes of your life with is worth the oxygen and lack of movement on your part, or if you should consider heading to the gym instead. As soon as Five Across the Eyes (which just might be the coolest title ever) opened, I had the “oh my God, this is shot on DV” moment of terror and feared the worst. Then that 10-minute mark hit and I realized I was in the

hands of a couple of directors who had a very clear idea of what they wanted to do, and though it might take a while for them to get there, when it dawned on me that they had a plan, I was in for the ride. Five Across the Eyes is the story of five girls on their way home from a high school football game who decide to take a detour to try and get home quicker. As is always the case in horror movies, this is a terrible idea. As it gets later and they get more and more lost, they eventually stop and ask for directions. On the way out of the parking lot, they accidentally hit another person’s car but instead of sticking around to apologize just take off and hope no one notices. At first it all seems all right, like maybe they actually got away with it, but as is also always the case in horror movies, they most definitely did not. And

really, when you come down to it, they couldn’t have planned to hit a more psychopathic person’s car if they aimed for Michael Myers himself because their lives become a living hell for the next 75 minutes. That timing is important because, for all intents and purposes, Five Across the Eyes is a “real time” movie. Just how they did it I’m not sure, since most of it takes place inside the van while it’s actually moving, but somehow they have two cameras capturing all the action from start to finish, with very few edits and none that show any passage of time. Because of this you’re stuck with five teenage girls as they go from a normal, understandable level of annoyance (they are teenagers, after all) to a panic-inducing frenzy when they realize just how bad of a mistake they made by hitting that other car. It’s a hard movie to watch for two reasons; the problem is if you experience one you won’t likely experience the other. You will either have an issue with the violence that goes down, both implied and otherwise (and once it’s up and running, it gets pretty damn vicious) or the simple fact that these five girls are freaking out, yelling, screaming or pleading for their lives for the bulk of the film’s run time. So if all the screaming annoys you (as, admittedly, it did me), the violence will only add to it since you know it’s going to give them another reason to freak out for 30 minutes. If you’re freaked out by the violence, the kinetic nature of the pacing in Five Across the Eyes will likely make it even worse, giving the girls’ inability to deal with their situation in a calm manner (and who could blame them?) even more poignancy.

Points need to be given to these girls, too. Like I said, for the most part there’s very little editing so who knows how long it actually took them to film this. Given that, these five girls, all of who actually look like the age they’re supposed to be, do a commendable job of keeping their reactions realistic. Throughout the film, as things get worse and worse, they go through a wide range of emotions and you really get the sense that this is causing some major long-term issues. Five Across the Eyes isn’t perfect, but it is a very strong debut for a couple of guys from Tennessee, and I’m interested to see what they could do with more of a budget since they managed pretty well on what had to have been a miniscule spending account for this flick. If you’re all right with girls screaming for 90 minutes, escalating violence, and barely a second of time to catch your breath, you’ll dig FAtE, too. Thanks to Johnny Butane at Dread Central for the review. We are delighted to welcome co-directors Greg Swinson and Ryan Thiessen and lead actress Sandra Paduch to the festival. USA / 2006 / 95 mins Directors: Greg Swinson, Ryan Thiessen Producers: Rick Stroud, Greg Swinson, Ryan Thiessen Screenplay: Greg Swinson Music: Shannon McDowell, David Risdahl DoP: Ryan Thiessen Editor: Ryan Thiessen F/X: Greg Swinson, Ryan Thiessen Cast: Jennifer Barnett, Angela Brunda, Veronica Garcia, Danielle Lilley, Sandra Paduch, Mia Yi, Dave Jarnigan

WHAT YOU MAKE IT SHORT FILMS

COLGADOS

MAQUINA

Paula comes home from the supermarket to find her boyfriend,

A young woman’s life is filled with confusion but one day she

Luis, in an odd position. Paula unpacks her shopping and

discovers her new nature and while it is a little surprising, it

explains that they must soon go up to the roof to help search for

helps her to finally achieve harmony and inner peace.

their elderly neighbour’s cat.

Spain / 2006 / 16 mins

Luis doesn’t want to go.

Director: Gabe Ibáñez

He’s busy. Spain / 2007 / 13 mins Director: Manolo Vazquez

GUILT

KARAOKE SHOW

A young man finds himself being pressured by his family to

At the age of 14, animation director Karl Tebbe wanted to dance

donate his heart to his dying mama. Their relationship hasn’t

like the best dancer alive. But you either have rhythm in your

always been perfect, but with his girlfriend, two very persuasive

blood or you don’t. Now 22 years later, stop-motion-animation

Yiddish aunts and the medical

has allowed him to finally fulfil

staff all insisting it’s the right

his lifelong dream.

thing, what’s a guy to do?

Germany / 2007 / 5 mins

USA / 2006 / 15 mins

Director: Karl Tebbe

Director: Bill Oliver

EGGS

UNIVERS PARALITS

The rolling green hills of rural Ireland are not as innocent as they

Eugène, lying in his bed, waits for his wife to come out of the

seem. Lurking in those fields are the church’s secret weapon,

bathroom. But then he turns over and finds himself next to one

unseen and patient, waiting for the right moment to emerge and

of his old girlfriends who talks to him about getting married, as if

convert the wicked.

they were still together.

Ireland / 2005 / 3 mins

France / 2007 / 6 mins

Director: James Cotter

Director: Tommaso Volpi

PUPPET

THE END IS NIGHT

A young man makes a sock puppet, surely the most innocent of

While erecting fence-posts one day, a farmer discovers an ancient

objects, not knowing the abuse it will soon inflict. Through an

amulet with extraordinary power….the kind of power that could

escalating series of tortures, the possessed puppet takes on the

warp a mind, drive him to the brink of insanity, tempt a mere

embodiment of fear, chaos and

mortal to interfere. So he goes

wilful self-destruction.

right ahead and does what any of

When socks go bad!

us would do…

USA / 2006 / 7 mins

Ireland / 2007 / 4 mins

Director: Patrick Smith

Director: James Cotter

UK / 2007 / 89 mins Director: Matthew Hope Producers: Robert Henry Craft, Steve Dann, Anthony Delany, Harry F. Rushton Writer: Matthew Hope Music: Mark Delany DoP: David Byrne Editors: Simon Adams, Larry Trybec F/X: Phil Anderson, Robbie Drake Cast: Ray Bullock Jr, Emma Choy, Karen Admiraal, Steve Weston, Bahi Ghubril, Farhan Khan, Jack Bailey, Christopher Hatherall, Martin Hobbs, Shiv Grewal

THE VANGUARD

2015 – the world is in chaos – the last known oil fields have been vanquished, over-opulation has reached critical levels and mankind is about to become a thing of the past.

hunter-gatherer – the Biosyns are the enemy and must be fought in order to preserve his very existence. Max has forged a life without human contact and every day is a battle to stay alive.

Out of this apocalyptic nightmare, an entity known only as The Corporation devises a course of action to cull the human race and initialise a depopulation programme. But in a last ditch attempt to save mankind, the scientists tasked with this act revolt and crate a drug that reduces humans to a primitive ape-like state. These regressive creatures are known as Biosyns. With their sight reduced to virtual blindness, the Biosyns rely on scent and sound to hunt and to survive.

And then the Biosyns begin to evolve – learning first to communicate then banding together, their vision slowly returning – and now they’re coming for Max.

But for Max – a young man cast adrift into the wilderness to live as a

Unbeknownst to Max, the Corporation has despatched a group of genetically engineered soldiers – known as Trackers – to hunt down and kill him, fearing he may have more power than is safe for them. When one of the Trackers finally locates Max – at the climax of a brutal fight with a group of Biosyns – Max’s first instinct is to kill him, but something stops him. As rudimentary trust is established, the Tracker reassesses his original mission and his

own survival chances, and persuades Max that he must give up his rural stronghold and head South. With rumours rife of a resistance, it is not long before Max’s isolated existence is infiltrated further and new, dreadful truths are revealed. We are delighted to welcome director Matthew Hope and star Ray Bullock Jnr to the festival.

Horror, first and foremost, deals with cautionary tales and with the current state of the world (thanks to the lunatic in the oval office) it’s high time we had a film deal with that age old theme: vulgar displays of power. Thankfully Death Note is here to fill the void courtesy of master filmmaker Shusuke (Gamera trilogy) Kaneko. Having stumbled with the disappointing Azumi 2, Kaneko-san jumps back on track with the first installment in his adaptation of the popular manga, which has been split into two volumes a la Kill Bill. The story revolves around Light (Fujiwara), a young law student disgusted with society’s criminals and the lenient justice system. One evening, all his wishes are granted when he happens across a notebook dropped by the God of Death. The owner of this “Death Note” can kill someone simply by writing their name in the book and, through proper rules of conduct, even use it to manipulate the events surrounding that person’s demise. Viewing himself as a moral avenger, Light assumes the identity of “Kira” and begins to punish known criminals on a global scale. Light/Kira eventually becomes the latest controversial media sensation,

attracting an equal amount of supporters and critics. Teaming up with the Ryuuk, the God of Death himself (a winged vaudevillian demon that’s a cross between The Joker and Sid Vicious) Light is quickly corrupted by his newfound power and begins to use it against the opposition. As the body count rises, authorities are approached by the mysterious “L” (Ken’ichi Matsuyama) a bizarre hyper-intelligent detective with a task force hellbent on discovering Kira’s real identity. Death Note is a total departure from the usual J-horror fare of recent years. Gone are all traces of long-haired spirits and curses as well as the traditional uber-serious dread tone. At the same time, Kaneko doesn’t take the easy route and resort to Final Destination level slice n’ dice (most of the deaths occur via heart attack, the book’s main method of dispatch). Rather the focus is on the tense cat-and-mouse game between two eccentric characters and the script packs in enough twists and intrigue to fill ten movies. This is an epic pulsepounding mystery with dark fantasy overtones, and to be honest, there’s nothing else quite like it. Leave it to

Japan to show us that horror can be used for something other than remakes and dead-teen flicks. After taking the moral high road as Battle Royale’s doe-eyed protagonist, Fujiwara makes the perfect leap to cold-blooded killer in a dense multilayered performance. The supporting cast is equally solid across the board, but it’s Matsuyama’s “L” who completely runs away with this movie. Acting almost entirely through his unusual looks and body language, he’s one of the most lovable oddballs to ever grace the screen. As for the demon Ryuuk, he looks exactly like what he is; a low-grade CGI character. Thankfully, his performance is so animated, it’s easy to forget that fact and embrace him as a vital part of the cast. Death Note is an engaging and stunningly original horror-fantasy with enough thrills and brains to make one salivate for the next installment. From a review by Andrew Kasch for Dread Central

Death Note currently on selected cinema release. Due on DVD/Blu Ray Special Edition in July. Japan / 2006 / 126 mins Director: Shusuke Kaneko Producers: Toyoharu Fukuda, Takahiro Kobashi, Takahiro Sato Screenplay: Tetsuya Oishi based on the comic by Tsugumi Ôba & Takeshi Obata Music: Kenji Kawai DoP: Hiroshi Takase Editor: Yousuke Yafune FX: Kikuo Notomi Cast: Tatsuya Fujiwara, Ken’ichi Matsuyama, Asaka Seto, Shigeki Hosokawa, Erika Toda, Shunji Fujimura, Takeshi Kaga, Yu Kashii, Shido Nakamura © 2006 Death Note Film Partners Film Shown courtesy of 4Digital Media / NTV / Death Note Film Partners.

OUTPOST But behind the bullshit and bravado of tough men posturing with guns lies a truer portrait. They were all men who once fought for a cause and now do so to pay the bills, bar tabs and the alimony of lives which once had purpose.

Outpost is a darkly atmospheric and vicious supernatural horror that follows a group of world-weary mercenaries lain siege by a ghostly legion of the undead. When we first meet DC he is in a bar in an unidentified nation ravaged by civil war and he is negotiating with Hunt, an engineer who has apparently been retained to survey for mineral wealth in the area, Hunt wants DC – a jaded ex-Royal Marine turned soldier of fortune – and a team of his choosing to provide a secure escort o a remote forest locale that Hunt has been commissioned to investigate. With the finances settled, the team DC assembles are a rag-tag bunch of six mercenaries. Although they are largely strangers (only DC and his occasional right-hand man, a tough, potentially psychotic American called Prior (Richard Brake), have worked together before) they have all served as professional soldiers and sold their skills in conflicts across the globe.

Led by DC, they make their way into the forest to secure Hunt’s prized location; a place, until now, viewed only from satellite photographs and after a long cautious walk through harsh landscape, bordered on all sides by hostile, opposing forces, they arrive at Hunt’s coordinates. And it’s clearly not a site survey for minerals. What they find is a barren outpost offering little more than a flagpole and an underground hatch in a rough clearing in the trees. Further investigation reveals an underground bunker complex; the long abandoned remains of a medical facility and a containment chamber. Before they can begin to piece together the clues, they fall almost immediately under fire from an unseen enemy out in the woods. Outpost is a horror movie that mutates several genres to provide its impact. The scares come through suspense built on atmosphere and lighting rather than relying on effects or prosthetics; employing the brutal no-nonsense techniques that made the genre classics of the late seventies and early eighties so powerful. Outpost adapts the aesthetics of modern combat films to create characters who would be more at home

in Unforgiven or The Wild Bunch than your typical horror movie. These men are not scared of the dark or anything in it. But their growing realization of just how impotent they are in the face of this seemingly unstoppable enemy forces them to confront the fact that in many ways they are the mirror image of the creatures they’re fighting.

We are delighted to welcome director Steve Barker to Dead by Dawn UK / 2007 / 90 mins Director: Steve Barker Producers: Arabella Page Croft, Kieran Parker Writer: Rae Brunton Music: James Brett DoP: Gavin Struthers Editor: Alastair Reid FX: Hybrid Enterprises Cast: Ray Stevenson, Julian Wadham, Richard Brake, Paul Blair, Brett Fancy, Enoch Frost, Julian Rivett, Michael Smiley, Johnny Meres, Xuki Robeli, Scott Peden, Mark Smith, Charlie Jeffrey, Graeme Temple

Suicide Club

Japan / 2002 / 99 mins Director: Sion Sono Producers: SirLaosson Dara, Masaya Kawamata, Junichi Tanaka, Toshiie Tomida, Seiji Yoshida Writer: Sion Sono Music: Tomoki Hasegawa Dop: Kazuto Sato Editor: Masahiro Onaga F/X: Yoshihiro Nishimura Cast: Ryo Ishibashi, Akaji Maro, Masatoshi Nagase, Saya Hagiwara, Hideo Sako, Takashi Nomura, Tamao Satô, Mai Hosho, Yoko Kamon, Rolly, Kimiko Yo

Newspaper headlines are howling about a rash of suicides. 54 college students have thrown themselves under subway cars and more bodies are piling up all over Tokyo and beyond. And after each suicide, a gruesome discovery is made. The situation defies explanation. Something is afoot in the shadows, but what?

The investigation is entrusted to two police officers. To them, the key to this enigma lies with the youth. As they ask themselves how, why and most importantly when and where these suicides will take place next, the phone rings and an angelic young voice, strangely knowledgeable for its age, thickens the intrigue. At the same time, a hot new pop hit is released by the country’s latest sensation Dessert, a syrupy pair of 10 year old girls. Is there some connection? Engagingly cryptic, Suicide Club will sink its hooks into many a film fan, while putting all the recent, substandard Ring clones from Asia and elsewhere in their place. It positions itself exactly between the films of Kiyoshi Kurosawa (Cure, Kairo) for his complex existentialist reflections, and those of Takashi Miike (Ichi the Killer, Visitor Q) for his deranged excesses of rebellious provocation. Recognizing that this movie matches the talents of those two is one thing. How far the film’s unflinching cynicism goes above and beyond either of those film-makers’ works is something

that has to be seen to be believed. It’s equally a biting black comedy, an excessively graphic horror film, a musical (check out the incredible scene with the goth-punk band singing about dying like Joan of Arc in a Robert Bresson film), a thriller in the style of Hypnosis and a deeply moving work along the lines of The Virgin Suicides (the director is also a published poet). It deals eloquently with the growing problem of suicide in Japan, a frequent subject for film-makers from that country. What’s surprising is how it bypasses the socio-economic angle and dives into a more intimate, philosophical approach Review by Julien Fonfrede for FantAsia Dead by Dawn would like to thank the Great Britain Sasakawa Foundation for their generous assistance in making this screening possible.

Inspired by a real-life incident so bizarre it’s already been referenced in a ‘Law & Order’ episode, Stuck is ingeniously nasty and often shockingly funny as it incrementally worsens a very bad situation, then provides a potent payoff with the forced feeding of just desserts. Working from a crafty script by John Strysik, Gordon establishes a heightened-reality tone of bleak hilarity early on while introducing two lead characters: Tom (Stephen Rea), a sad-eyed schlump who has lost his job to downsizing; and Brandi (Mena Suvari), a dedicated retirement-home caregiver who devotes far too much of her downtime to partying, drinking and drugging. After enduring a long day of frustrations and humiliations – he’s kicked out of his apartment, then brushed off by a state employment office clerk – Tom thinks he’s hit rock bottom when he’s reduced to spending the night on a park bench. Unfortunately, he winds up in the wrong place at the wrong time just as Brandi puts pedal to the metal. Brandi is understandably upset when Tom’s broken body flies through her windshield. Still, she has sufficient presence of mind to drive home, stow her car in her garage – even as a semiconscious, sporadically moaning Tom remains stuck in place – and, come morning, take a cab to work. She’s really bummed out by what has happened, but she knows that spilling

the beans about her hit-and-run accident might dampen her possible promotion. So Brandi asks Rashid (Russell Hornsby), her drug-dealing boyfriend, to dispose of the inconvenient body. But there’s a complication: the body isn’t quite dead. Indeed, the longer he remains trapped in the windshield, the more time Tom has to gather strength for the slow and painful process of escape. Given Gordon’s notoriety as the cultfave auteur of Re-animator (1985) and From Beyond (1986), it shouldn’t be surprising that Stuck includes a few quease-inducing scenes of messy mayhem and seriocomic suffering. But the movie is more unsettling – and most hilarious – when the violence is emotional, not physical, as Brandi gradually reveals the full measure of her sociopathic selfishness. Gordon and Strysik advance their mordantly outrageous yet perversely logical narrative through the steady accumulation of unlucky breaks, impulsive decisions and ironic twists. Up to a point, audiences may actually view the increasingly frantic Brandi as deserving of at least some sympathy.

Once that point is past, however, Stuck kicks into overdrive, propelled by the giddy exhilaration always ignited when filmmakers more or less announce that all bets are off. Suvari is fearlessly effective as she charts Brandi’s devolution from distraught screw-up to unhinged harpy, making each step in the transformation seem at once unexpected and inevitable. She offers excellent counterpoint to Rea, whose pitchperfect performance suggests that the best hope for a loser is to be placed in a situation where you have absolutely nothing left to lose. Hornsby earns his own share of laughs by playing toughtalking Rashid as no match for toughertalking women. Canada/USA/UK / 2007 / 94 mins Director: Stuart Gordon Producers: Jay Firestone, Ken Gord, Robert Katz Screenplay: John Strysik Music: Bobby Johnston DoP: Denis Maloney Editor: Andy Horvitch F/X: Laird McMurray, Mike Measimer, Sylvie Mazerolle Cast: Mena Suvari, Stephen Rea, Russell Hornsby, Rukiya Bernard, John Dartt, Mauricio Hoyos, Patrick McKenna

senseless Elliot Gast was cruising on the road to success, until he became violently overturned by a group of political extremists and brutally tortured for acts he wasn’t even aware he had committed. Now, as his torment is streamed across the net as the most graphic and disturbing reality show yet, Elliott has nothing left but the will to fight back against the evils and try to plead to the masses as they safely watch from the other side of their computer screens. In this intense thriller where desperation and pain become the new currency, we expose a raw view of commercialism, capitalism, and the American Dream according to the new order of radical extremists.

UK / 2008 / 87 mins Director: Simon Hynd Producers: Micky McPherson, Nigel Thomas Screenplay: Simon Hynd based on the novel by Stona Fitch DoP: Trevor Brooker Editors: Bill Gill Music: Iain Cook F/X: Robbie Drake, Meg Speirs, Perry Costello Cast: Jason Behr, Emma Catherwood, Joe Ferrara, Sean O’Kane, Jacques Kerr, Toby Marlow, Helen Mallon

My thanks to all those without whom… To all the EFFFF Bunnies - FTP ITB. United We Stand! Adam Lowe, Alan Simpson, Alicia Reginato, Allan Macraild, Andrew Kirkham, Andy Lobban, Andy Waller, Anthony Timpson, Arabella Page Croft, Arna Marie Bersaas, Audra Jacombs, Audrey Delaney, Áurea Ribeiro, Axelle Marshall, Ben Friedman, Bernard Tourre, Bill Oliver, Breehn Burns, Brian Baglow, Brian Block, Caitlin Robertson, Carey Williams, Carla Alonzo, Chris Ferrise, Chris Rice, Claire Mendez, Clare Dundrow, Colin Fair, Colin McDermott, Craig Docherty, Dan Griffiths, Dave Alexander, Dave Barclay, David Boyd, David May, Derek Horne, Diane Henderson, Dries Phlypo, Eduardo Panizzo, Edward Murphy, Eleanor McKeown, Eva de Moor, Fionnuala Watters, Freddy Bozzo, Fumiko Nagata, Gareth Lowrie, Grant Cunningham, Greg Swinson, Harry Guerro, Harvey Fenton, Helen Mullane, Hubi Liel, Jack Stevenson, James Cotter, James McKenzie, James Rice, Jan Doense, Jason Noto, Jayne Fortescue, Jean Luc Addams, Jean-Marc Cambier, Jennifer Chen, Jennifer Hall, Jenny Leask, Jesse Grce, John-Paul Burgess, Johannes Von Mallinckrodt, John Carchietta, John Faust, John Norris, John Treadgold, Johnny Butane, Joseph Alberti, Josh Booth, Jovanka Vuckovic, Juan Pablo Zaramella, Junko Takekawa, Karl Tebbe, Kevin Barrett, Kier-la Janisse, Kieran Parker, Kristine Estorninos, Lara Matthews, Laura Dickens, Laura Vogel, Linda Hunt, Liz Adams, Louis Savy, Manolo Vazquez, Marco Pecota, Marjorie Bendeck, Mark Steensland, Matt Smith, Matthew Hope, Mayumi Nagumo, Michael Rothstein, Micky McPherson, Mike Modro, Mitch Davis, Morvern Cunningham, Morven Richardson, Myassa Kerrad, Mylene Bradfield, Nami Sugai, Nash Edgerton, Nayana Sen, Neil Marshall, Nick Chaffaut, Nick Ligonis, Nik Jardine, Niven Govinden, Noelle Vaccese, Pamela Rodi, Patrick Smith, Paul Bickel, Paul Hough, Peter Cowan, Phil Ilson, Ray Bullock Jnr, Richard Gale, Richard Moore, Rick Yankowski, Robert Glickert, Rod White, Rodrigo Gudino, Rory Kindersley, Rusty Nails, Ryan Thiessen, Sarah Drummond, Scott McKinnon, Sebastian Godwin, Seth McAnespie, Simon Hynd, Sophie Garrett, Steve Barker, Theresa Valtin, Tim League, Tommaso Volpi, Tony di Paolo, Tony Earnshaw, Travis Stevens, Trevor Piecham, Tristan Versluis, Txema Muñoz, Uncle Creepy, Victor Bonacore, Virginia Newcomb, Wendy Wolverton, Yucca Seki, Yutaka Morohashi. We’d like to thank the following distributors and sales agents for their assistance in putting this year’s programme together: Anchor Bay Home Entertainment Ltd, Black Camel Pictures, Content Films International, Criterion Pictures, Fox UK, Fox USA, High Fliers Films, Imagination Worldwide, Kadokawa Pictures, Lions Gate, Media 8 Entertainment, Media Blasters Releasing, Momentum Pictures, Myriad Pictures, National Media Museum/Fantastic Films Weekend, Nippon Television Network Corporation, Opera Film, Optimum Releasing, Plum Films, Revolver Entertainment, Rigel Entertainment, Sick-O-Scope, Silk Purse Enterprises, Universal Pictures International, Vertigo Films, Thanks also to all the Front of House and Bar staff at Filmhouse and you, for making the effort to be here and to anyone I’ve missed out – your help and support does not go unnoticed or unappreciated.

Legal Notice Dead by Dawn is a festival owned and run by Adèle Hartley. All rights reserved. Dead by Dawn is proud to be running in association with Filmhouse this year. All contents of this programme were correct to the best of our knowledge at the time of going to press. We can accept no responsibility for changes to timetabling nor for inaccuracies due to circumstances beyond our control. The logos, photographs and reviews throughout this programme are copyright of their original owner and our use of them does not constitute a challenge to that ownership.

The Mist feels like the definitive Stephen King film, which probably comes as no surprise considering director Frank Darabont is responsible for the best adaptations in the author’s 30+ year history. The novella has stood out as one of King’s most celebrated works and has cried out for a movie version, but it’s faced a long road to the screen. Thankfully, it was worth the wait. The Mist is a modern day horror classic in the spirit of movies like Jaws, The Thing, and more recently, The Host. Following a violent thunderstorm, artist David Drayton (Thomas Jane) and his son find themselves in a world of trouble when a bizarre supernatural mist floods their small Maine town. Taking shelter in the local supermarket, the townsfolk discover the fog conceals vicious Lovecraftian monsters and try to formulate a survival plan. But what lurks outside is nothing compared to what rages inside the minds of men. Mrs Carmody (Marcia Gay Harden), an Old Testament religious nut, views the threat as God’s wrath and takes it upon herself to convert followers into her own warped doomsday cult. As fear gives way to distrust, allegiances are drawn between the panicky survivors and David finds himself going to extreme lengths to protect his son. The Mist is a classy pic that works on all levels: As a minimalist suspense thriller, a creature feature, and most of all, a dark character drama. Normally when A-list talent collides with the horror genre the results can be pretty dismal (Dreamcatcher, anyone?) but Darabont, a veteran horror writer and all-around genre geek, has a perfect understanding of the material (and even throws in several homages for diehard King fans). This is the rarest of

films; an atmospheric thrill ride that’s both scary and smart. Darabont never goes for the cheap shocks and builds the terror through mood and anxiety. And like all great monster flicks, The Mist is more focused on the humans than the beasts, weaving an intense character study on how people face fear in a completely hopeless situation. The ensemble cast, comprised of several King-movie veterans, turn in solid performances across the board. Just as in Shawshank, Darabont finds a way for you to connect with every character on some level, no matter how small their roles are. In particular, Thomas Jane gets his chance to shine in his tortured hero role, while Toby Jones easily takes the crowd favorite as Ollie, the geeky take-charge store manager. But it’s Harden who steals the show, winning the Captain Rhodes Award as a villain you will hate with every fiber of your being. Imagine Carrie’s mom cranked up on speed, and even though Darbont humanizes the character, it doesn’t make her any less frightening. The creatures themselves are almost entirely CG but they’re some of the most memorable movie monsters to run amok thanks to the design talents of KNB and artist Bernie Wrightson. Aside from one or two shoddy digital effects during the first attack scene, the CaféFX work looks remarkable in spite of the budget, and Darabont wisely keeps the creatures hidden for most of the running time. The dread relies more on your imagination, with brilliant sound design and a sparing use of music that builds the tension right from the very first frame. Rest assured though, Darabont still has some fun with several gooey set-pieces that are guaranteed to make your skin crawl.

THE MIST

There is one element of The Mist that will be a source of major controversy: The ending. Without giving anything away, Darabont expands on King’s ambiguous finale and delivers an emotional gut punch so shocking it’s a wonder it ever escaped through the studio system. It may very well be the ballsiest ending in horror cinema, and mainstream audiences and King purists will no doubt be screaming for Darabont’s blood when the credits roll. Heated arguments will rage over the point of the new ending, but it’s far more dramatically satisfying, keeping in line with the tone and themes of the film. Detractors will hate it simply because it’s too effective and that’s the brilliance of The Mist – it divides those who want cheap escapist thrills from those who like their horror with real heart, brains, and courage. Review by Andrew Kasch for Dread Central USA / 2007 / 126 mins Director: Frank Darabont Producers: Frank Darabont, Anna Garduno, Liz Glotzer, Denise M. Huth, Randi Richmond Screenplay: Frank Darabont, based on the novella by Stephen King Music: Mark Isham DoP: Ronn Schmidt Editor: Hunter M. Via F/X: Howard Berger, Gregory Nicotero, Andy Schoneberg, Bernie Wrightson, Ray Brown Cast: Thomas Jane, Marcia Gay Harden, Laurie Holden, Andre Braugher, Toby Jones, William Sadler, Jeffrey DeMunn, Frances Sternhagen, Nathan Gamble, Alexa Davalos, Chris Owen, Sam Witwer, Robert C. Treveiler, David Jensen, Melissa McBride, Andy Stahl, Buck Taylor, Brandon O’Dell, Jackson Hurst

MAIN SHORTS BITTEN

EATER

Authorities have ordered all citizens of a small rural village to stay indoors and avoid any contact. But one night a young woman is pursued by an armed man but she manages to take refuge with a couple on their isolated farm. The farmer steps outside to face the would-be attacker, but he doesn’t get quite the reception he’s expecting.

To make ends meet, rookie cop Bannerman works the gruelling night shift for the NYPD. On this particular night, the senior officers are abuzz with rumours about a new prisoner held in the upper floor jail cell: Mellor, a notorious serial killer with a habit of eating his victims. USA / 2007 / 18 mins Director: The Duffer Brothers

France / 2007 / 14 mins Director: David Morley

BUTCHER’S HILL

ITSY BITSY

It’s the middle of the 17th Century and a brother and sister are hiding in the garden of an isolated cottage in rural New England. When they investigate the kitchen, they gorge themselves on the tempting cakes covering the table. It seems too good to be true.

David is in the kitchen holding the engagement ring he plans to give to his girlfriend. But he’s freaking out. Marriage is definitely the most frightening thing in David’s life. Well, it was, right up until the point that something with eight legs came in from the cold.

UK/USA / 2007 / 9 mins

USA / 2006 / 9 mins

Directors: Rory Kindersley, Jason Noto

Director: David May

Hyperactive Ingredients

Moment de Gloire

A mischievous young boy mixes drinks out of random household items ranging from mayonnaise to laundry detergent. He experiments with three different drinks and forcibly tests them on the nearest available subjects with varying results. There’s a reason why these things say ‘keep out of the reach of children’.

Sam is ready to do anything in order to achieve worldwide fame... and he has got a very good plan. Really, what could possibly go wrong? And unless you crave winning a Darwin Award (which is slightly incompatible with staying alive), do not try this at home!

USA / 2006 / 4 mins

Belgium / 2006 / 8 mins Director: Hendrik Moonen

Director: Trevor Piecham

LAPSUS

SPIDER

Juan Pablo Zaramello is an Argentinian animator whose El Desafio a la Muerte – about a guru who could blend and reanimate himself - screened at Dead by Dawn 2006. Now, a curious nun ventures into the dark side only to be punished in a variety of inventive ways.

It’s a bad day for Jack and Jill. He did something wrong and she’s mad at him. She thinks he’s immature. He thinks of a way to apologise. All Jill wants is a little sincerity but she’s with a man who doesn’t really ‘do’ sincerity.

Argentina / 2007 / 4 mins

Director: Nash Edgerton

Director: Juan Pablo Zaramella

Australia / 2007 / 9 mins

THE DESCENDENT

Wat a Wonderful Day

Two hitmen park in a dark lane and make their way to the given address. Creeping through the quiet house they soon come face to face with their target and find he is so much more than he seems. This job may not be quite so straightforward.

A cute bunny lies on a hillside, enjoying the sunshine. The flowers are pretty, fluffy clouds float by, a tree is beautiful, a little worm pops up to say hello. It’s all just so idyllic. It makes the bunny feel so good. So very, very good.

USA / 2006 / 16 mins

Canada / 2005 / 3 mins

Director: Robert Glickert

Director: Philip Eddolls

Dr. Tran

Beyond Grandpa I & II

Here Comes Dr. Tran opens upon a small 5-year old boy, presumably with the last name Tran, eating an apple in what appears to be a hut in an Eastern tropical locale, possibly Vietnam. Suddenly, a voice, who is unseen, begins to deliver a bombastic movie trailer-style monologue praising the boy as the greatest action hero the world has ever known-- an action hero whom the narrator calls “Dr. Tran.” The small boy, initially confused, grows increasingly aggravated with the intruding voice and repeatedly expresses that he is neither a doctor nor an action hero and asks the voice to leave. The voice doesn’t leave. It gets weirder. But not nearly as weird as it gets during Dr Tran’s Quiet Log Time. These yummy little adventures of Dr Tran are accompanied by Beyond Grandpa and Super Beyond Grandpa II Turbo, which are hard to describe without spoiling the joy of watching grown men get away with filthy, puerile, bodily-fluidobsessed animation and calling it a real job. I am so jealous. These cartoons are not technically horror (ok, they’re not even remotely horror) but they are freaky, cruel, crass and disgusting, and that’s good enough for me. Enjoy :) Here Comes Dr Tran / Dr Tran’s Quiet Log Time

Beyond Grandpa I & II

USA / 2003 / 8 mins

USA / 1998 / 4 mins

Directors: Breehn Burns, Jason Johnson

Director: Breehn Burns

THE ANGEL

The Demonology of Desire

In the bowels of an old, decrepit hospital, young Ting comforts her dying grandmother. Her wildest fears are realised as Death enters the room. Ting cannot bear to lose her beloved granny, but is it really the old woman’s time to go? All may not be lost.

Rue Morgue founding editor Rod Gudino’s new short is about a woman with a very unusual need. Late one night, Ramona makes a powerful wish, setting in motion a bizarre chain of events. As Fantasia Fest had it, this is a “brave, provocative, blackly comic and deeply perverse film”.

USA / 2007 / 8 mins

Canada / 2007 / 23 mins

Director: Paul Hough

Director: Rodrigo Gudiño

I lOVE YOU A man sits at a table his thoughts meditated, a focused state with his body about to run on instinct driven by the passion for love. The love for his women. The kind of love that would make him tear at his chest, desperate to expose and present his trophy of love. This ritual should turn your stomach with love. UK / 2008 / 6 mins Director: Tristan Versluis

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In a Kicking-Bishop-Brennan-Up-The-Arse stylee, we want to know who you most want to kick up the arse and why (in no more than 25 words, please!) and the best one will win a prosthetic leg from The Vanguard. The form is in your goodie bag and the suggestion box is on our desk.