Mayhem Day One Reviewed

So, I'm still crashing back to reality after the most wonderful time of the year, Mayhem Film Festival! This year had a huge 17 films, a short film showcase & a quiz crammed into four days. The festival is run by Chris Cooke and Steven Sheil who are very approachable and clearly love this weekend as much as the audience. The festival is at Broadway cinema in Nottingham which is very comfortable, the staff are accommodating and friendly, and the sound is excellent (it's even worth the stairs to the screen!). It really is a wonderful film festival with a more intimate, friendly feel than some larger ones I've tried and I would recommend it to anyone. 
A new addition this year was Richard Ramchurn's The Moment which I thoroughly enjoyed. The short film is brain-controlled so a monitor reads your attention levels and adjusts the content accordingly. I was fascinated by this and me & my friend Martyn tried it back-to-back and the results were completely different, not only were there longer scenes in Martyn's version which explained some gaps in mine but even the cuts and music were altered!
I'm going to briefly review each film with my usual ratings and I will include a few photos which were taken by www.coalescapture.co.uk .

Thursday 11th:

Anna & the Apocalypse (2017)

IMDb genre: Comedy/Fantasy/Horror

Written by: Alan McDonald & Ryan McHenry

Directed by: John McPhail

Starring: Ella Hunt, Malcolm Cumming & Sarah Swire

Scottish zombie musical at Christmas. Yes really and it's awesome! The cast are hugely talented & there's some fairly big actors to round out the younger less-known cast (I see you Mark Benton & Paul Kaye).
Although the movie is very funny it doesn't shy away from the drama either and towards the end the horror kicks in a lot more & because the characterisation is also handled brilliantly it packs an emotional punch too.
The fact it's a musical may put some people off but many others at the screening aren't usually fans of musicals and they enjoyed it. The songs don't feel forced; there's quite a while between songs in the middle, and so while the songs definitely add to it and they're brilliantly choreographed it seems to me it's a comedy/horror first and a musical second.
Something that annoys me with zombie movies & TV shows is when they try and push the idea that 'other humans are the real evil not the zombies' but I think this one strikes a good balance with the zombies but also the astoundingly sinister Savage (who also has one of the best songs of the film).
I really don't have any complaints about this film, it was a wonderfully colourful, lively opener to the festival & it was followed by an honest and funny Q & A with director John McPhail:

General Opinion:
🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

I have no complaints so it would be mean to knock any stars off!

Scare Factor:
🕷️🕷️🕷️

It's a comedy/horror so many scares are broken quickly with laughs but it does have its moments (look out for the scene in the Christmas tree market).

Gore:

💉💉💉💉💉💉💉

It's a zombie movie so there was always going to be a good amount of decent gore. I think my favourite zombie death was the first one though.

Clowns:
🤡🤡🤡🤡🤡🤡🤡

A great script with some funny interactions between the characters.

Anna & the Apocalypse is in UK cinemas 30th November

Nightmare Cinema (2018)

IMDb genre: Horror

Written by: Sandra Becerril, Alejandro Brugues,  Lawrence C. Connolly, Mick Garris, Richard Christian Matheson & David Slade

Directed by: Alejandro Brugues, Joe Dante, Mick Garris, Ryuhei Kitamura & David Slade

Starring: Mickey Rourke, Richard Chamberlain & Adam Godley

As I've mentioned several times before I love an anthology movie! This one wasn't perfect but it tried hard with its quite weird connecting story with Mickey Rourke's The Projectionist in a very sinister cinema, even if it needed more details.

As with any anthology there are ups and downs and there's also a vast difference in tone between segments which can be a little jarring. I think ultimately the order is a little off and it was maybe a little ambitious with 5 segments.
The first segment, and my personal favourite (& a lot of other peoples') was Alejandro Brugues 'The Thing in the Woods'. I don't want to spoil it but while it seems like a funny play on typical slasher tropes it develops into so much more, it's incredibly bloody, you won't see it coming & it's entertaining as hell. I think the problem with opening with the strongest segment is that although the others aren't bad they couldn't quite live up to it.
The next segment was Joe Dante's 'Mirari'. It was great to see new work from him & his segment was rather twisted, blackly funny and with a good dose of body horror. It's nothing wildly new but it's entertaining and well-executed. Richard Chamberlain's Dr. Mirari was brilliantly sinister.
Things took a bit of a downward turn next with Ryuhei Kitamura's 'Mashit'. It's brave to attempt a possession film as a short and there are some great visuals (& plenty of blood!) but ultimately it's all a bit style over substance and there's not enough care taken with the plot so it's the most forgettable.
Up next was David Slade's 'This Way to Egress'. This one was dark (& not just because it was in black & white!). There's some seriously scary ideas that are only touched on, this could easily be a feature film. Elizabeth Reaser really pulls it out the bag in the lead role as a woman seeking medical help as things around her inexplicably turn ugly. The way this is presented visually is really creepy, even buildings seem to be going mouldy, but sound is also used to great effect. I would love to see this one explored further.
Closing out the film was Mick Garris' 'Dead'. This one was an emotional ghost story with great acting and a twist at the end that's horrible even if it is a little predictable. As much as I enjoyed this segment it was completely different to the others and it was an odd choice to end on as it's fairly quiet and calm so it doesn't really close the film out on a high.
So overall, not perfect but two great segments do lift it up and it's still a unique collection.

General Opinion:
🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

I'm only ranking on general opinion for this one as the segments would rank very differently for scare factor, gore & clowns and it seems odd to do an average.

There's not currently any UK release information for Nightmare Cinema

Mayhem Short Film Showcase & Surprise Announcement

So guys, it's only a week today until the best weekend, Mayhem Film Festival!

I forgot to post about the short film line-up so here they are:

"This year’s line-up include the following films (in alphabetical order):

AND THE BABY SCREAMED // Dir. Dan Gitsham, UK, 3m29

CATCALLS // Dir. Kate Dolan, Ireland, 8m39

COYOTE // Dir. Lorenz Wunderle, Switzerland, 9m55

DICK AND STEWART: I SPY WITH MY LITTLE EYE // Dir. Richard Littler, UK, 12m49

HEARTLESS (UK PREMIERE) // Dir. Kevin Sluder, US, 12m24

HUNTED (WORLD PREMIERE) // Dir. Owen Tooth, UK, 5m41

MILK // Dir. Santiago Menghini, Canada, 9m48

SALT // Dir. Rob Savage, UK, 2m

THE BLUE DOOR // Dir. Paul Taylor, UK, 9m14

TiCK //Dir. Ashlea Wessel, Canada, 13m5

ULISES (UK PREMIERE) // Dir. Jorge Malpica, Mexico, 8m

WE SUMMONED A DEMON // Dir. Chris McInroy, US, 5m52

Mayhem Film Festival originally started as a single collection of short films before growing into the four-day weekend it is now, and so its Short Film Showcase remains at the heart of the festival with its traditional Saturday slot, and one of the most popular and beloved events of the programme each year."

A great mix with three premieres! I'm loving how many shorts have come from the UK and I'm very intrigued by the fact that one of them is only 2 minutes long.

And just when you thought it couldn't get more exciting, today it was announced that there will also be a brain-controlled film! :

" We are delighted to announce that Richard Ramchurn's brain-controlled film, The Moment, will be screening at Mayhem throughout the festival, and you may be able to change its narrative. 

The Moment is a film set on the cusp of The Singularity. The story explores three narratives in a dystopian future where brain-computer interfaces are both a source of social threat and potential revelation. The film speaks to our present relationships with each other via social media and its facilitation of the rise of far-right ideologies.

The Moment is an interactive film which uses a Brain Computer Interface to collect attention data from the viewer and recombine into a real-time narrative. Each time the film is watched, the rhythms of the viewer's brain data creates a new narrative combination - in total there are 18 billion combinations. The Moment is the second brain-controlled film from writer/director Richard Ramchurn."

Yes please! The film is playing three times a day Thursday-Sunday.

If that's got you excited tickets for the festival are available at www.mayhemfilmfestival.com and if you're under 25 tickets for individual screenings are only £4.5o!

Mayhem Full Line-Up

Now it's September it's time to get excited for Halloween month again!
Mayhem have announced their full line-up, it sounds awesome & you only have one more day to get those early bird tickets!

Mayhem Film Festival is proud to announce the full line-up for its 2018 edition, which will take place at Broadway, Nottingham on 11-14 October. The festival showcases the best features and short films in horror, sci-fi and cult cinema, through premieres, previews, and guested screenings each year.

Mayhem 2018 starts as it means to go on with Scottish zombie musical Anna and the Apocalypse, which opens the festival on Thursday 11 October, and will be followed by a Q&A with director John McPhail. Aislinn Clarke will present a screening of her found-footage chiller The Devil’s Doorway, set in one of Ireland’s notorious Magdalene asylums. Writer-director Marc Price (smash-hit zombie flick Colin) will also attend the festival to present his action-packed crime-thriller Nightshooters, where things get messy when a hapless film crew on a late-night shoot accidentally record a gangland execution.

Mayhem’s 14^th edition will play host to no fewer than three UK Premieres, with exclusive first screenings of Nosipho Dumisa’s Cape Town-set Hitchcock homage Number 37, slow-burning science-fiction indie Prospect, and – as previously announced – Shinsuke Sato’s live-action manga adaptation Inuyashiki.

Already proving popular following last month’s announcement and certain to be festival highlights are Panos Cosmatos’ cosmic fever dream Mandy, starring a truly top-form Nicolas Cage, and Japanese box-office sensation One Cut of the Dead.

Delving into the archives, Mayhem is pleased to present a rare screening of Erik Blomberg’s strange and supernatural 1952 Finnish folktale, The White Reindeer, and the Dario Argento-produced 1985 cult classic Demons.

This year’s edition also includes screenings of horror anthologies Nightmare Cinema and The Field Guide to Evil – both previously announced – as well as preview screenings of Brazilian director Dennison Romalho’s macabre mortuary horror The Nightshifter, Nicolas Pesce’s darkly comicPiercing, starring Mia Wasikowska, the hilariously bad-taste splatterfest Puppet Master: The Littlest Reich, and haunted-house horror The Witch in the Window.Colin Minihan’s grueling survival thrillerWhat Keeps You Alive will close the festival.

The ever-popular short film programme and Mayhem’s fiendish film quiz, The Flinterrogation - hosted by author David Flint - both return to round off this year’s line-up.

Early Bird passes will remain on sale at the discounted price of £65 until 10AM on Monday 10 September,  at which time individual tickets, day passes and full festival passes – at the standard price of £75 – will be made available. For more information, please visit www.mayhemfilmfestival.com

Mayhem Film Festival takes place on 11-14 October 2018 at Broadway, Nottingham.

You can see our full line-up and scheduleHERE.

Mayhem Film Announcements

It's time for Halloween month excitement again!

Ahead of the full line-up announcement in a couple of weeks, Mayhem Film Festival have announced five more feature films and a special guest. They all look good but I'm particularly looking forward to The Devil's Doorway as it's had a lot of festival buzz & another anthology movie. Early bird tickets still available here: www.mayhemfilmfestival.com 

As its 14^th edition creeps ever closer, Mayhem Film Festival is proud to announce the next set of titles from this year's programme.

Mayhem is to present a screening of Aislinn Clarke's found-footage chiller The Devil's Doorway. In rural Ireland in 1960, two Catholic priests are sent from the Vatican to investigate reports of miraculous activity in a remote home for 'fallen women', only to discover that altogether darker forces may be at work. Mayhem is pleased to welcome director Aislinn Clarke to take part in a post-screening Q&A.

Showing in the festival's coveted Friday late-night slot, Nicolas Cage goes full... well, Nicolas Cage with a fantastically high-octane performance in Panos Cosmatos' cosmic revenge thriller Mandy. Pacific Northwest, 1983 AD. Outsiders Red Miller and Mandy Bloom lead a loving and peaceful existence. When their pine-scented haven is savagely destroyed by a cult led by the sadistic Jeremiah Sand, Red is catapulted into a phantasmagoric journey filled with bloody vengeance and laced with fire.

Next up in this year's programme is Colin Minihan's grueling survival thriller What Keeps You Alive. On the eve of their first wedding anniversary, Jules and Jackie become embroiled in a merciless fight for their lives against the most unexpected of adversaries - each other. As violence rains down upon their idyllic forest getaway, the women engage in a frenzied physical - and psychological - battle that tests the very limits of their instinct to survive.

Also screening at this year's festival is Shin'inchiro Ueda's unmissable micro-budget zombie movie, and Japanese box-office sensation, One Cut of The Dead. Playing to sell-out audiences since its release, the film has made more than 250 times its budget, and counting. During the making of a small-scale zombie flick, all hell breaks loose when a real zombie outbreak erupts on set - a gleeful horror-comedy packed with seriously entertaining monster mayhem and an epic 37-minute single-take opening.

Wrapping up this second wave of announcements, Mayhem presents Nightmare Cinema, a new horror anthology uniting masters of genre cinema - including Mick Garris (Sleepwalkers, Masters of Horror) and Joe Dante (Gremlins) - for five gruesome tales of terror featuring sinister surgeons, brain-spiders and killer nuns.

Unfriended: Dark Web Review

                                                   Unfriended: Dark Web (2018)

IMDb genre: Horror
Director: Stephen Susco
Writer: Stephen Susco
Starring: Betty Gabriel, Rebecca Rittenhouse, Colin Woodell
IMDb summary: A teen comes into possession of a new laptop and soon discovers that the previous owner is not only watching him, but will also do anything to get it back.

Let's start this review by saying I'm well aware of all the hate Blumhouse gets and, while they don't always hit the mark, I am a fan. 

I enjoyed the first Unfriended movie (which came out in 2014 somehow, I'm getting old!) but it was more of a typical silly teen slasher; it was entertaining and I liked the gimmick of it all being on a computer but to be honest I didn't really think about it a lot afterwards. However, cut to four years later and they really pulled it out of the bag. A change in writer/director has clearly made an impact but the smartest change was to really make use of the computer gimmick with dark web chatrooms, hidden sinister files etc instead of a supernatural theme. This means it's not overly scary at the time but it stays with you, it's one of those that could happen so you can't quite fully dismiss it. There's still several tense moments though, have no doubt.

The acting this time round, after Get Out we always knew Betty Gabriel would knock any other film out the park but the only one that didn't work for me was Connor Del Rio's AJ but I think that was more in the writing as he was just an annoying character! Representation is important in movies and this movie features a deaf woman and a lesbian couple that aren't treated any differently and I really liked that.

The deaths are enjoyable and inventive but I do think the film would have benefited from a little more gore in those scenes.

I don't want to give anything a way but I do think the ending seemed rushed and was particularly unfair on one character (I will come back to edit this when the film's been available longer to explain more what I mean.)

So, I'd definitely recommend this one, if for no other reason than there's an English character talking about Craigslist with a different pronunciation to everyone else & I appreciated that!

General Opinion:
   

Scare Factor:

More tense than scary but definitely gives you something to think about.

Gore:

The little bit of gore we do get isn't very good, could have done with less cutting away at the critical moment.

Clowns:

Not funny throughout but there's some funny interactions during the set-up.

Unfriended: Dark Web is currently in selected UK cinemas.

Mayhem Film Festival Announcements

Guess what? It's Halloween month excitement again!

Mayhem Film Festival have made their first three film announcements, we get a UK premiere (I haven't seen the anime it's adapting but I think it will be a good watch), a zombie musical (yes please!), and an anthology movie (I'm a sucker for a horror anthology & the teaser images look dark with great visuals).

Below is the official announcement and some teaser images for each movie respectively. I for one am excited, early bird passes are still available at www.mayhemfilmfestival.com for the festival on 11th-14th October.

"With its 14^th edition now just a few of months away, Mayhem Film Festival is proud to announce the first three titles from its 2018 programme.

Mayhem will host the UK Premiere of Shinsuke Sato's Inuyashiki. A turbo-charged live action adaptation of the best-selling sci-fi manga series, Inuyashiki follows a downtrodden middle-aged man and an isolated teenager reborn as indestructible cyborgs after an apparent alien encounter. But whilst one uses his powers for good, the other seeks to wreak murderous havoc on humanity.

Also in this year's line-up is the British zombie musical taking international horror film festivals by storm, Anna and the Apocalypse. When the zombie apocalypse hits the sleepy town of Little Haven, Anna and her friends must brutally battle - as well as sing and dance - their way to safety with an ever-growing horde of the undead in relentless pursuit. It's a 'High School Musical Of The Living Dead' - yes really.

Concluding Mayhem's first round of announcements, the festival will screen the folklore-inspired horror anthology The Field Guide to Evil. From the creators of the cult classic The ABCs of Death, the film sees eight of the finest international directors – including Agnieszka Smoczyńska (The Lure) and Peter Strickland (Berberian Sound Studio) – explore the universal nature of human fear with stories inspired by myths, legends, and strange tales from around the world."

Hereditary Review

                          Hereditary (2018)

IMDb genre: Drama/Horror/Mystery
Director: Ari Aster
Writer: Ari Aster
Starring: Toni Collette, Milly Shapiro, Gabriel Byrne
IMDb summary: After the family matriarch passes away, a grieving family is haunted by tragic and disturbing occurrences, and begin to unravel dark secrets.

I can definitely see why this is one of those 'Marmite' movies but I'm going to be one of those people & say I'm in the middle! The acting was too outstanding for me to say I hated it but the last thirty minutes went too off the rails for me to say I loved it.

First of all let's talk about Toni Collette. She is the glue that holds this film together. Her acting is out of this world; she makes sure you feel the grief right along with her character. We watch this woman fall apart and it hurts. She's also not afraid to get ugly towards the end which I liked.

Although Toni Collette is top of the pile there's no bad acting here. I'm amazed Milly Shapiro is an unknown & she really holds her own. Gabriel Byrne plays his character a little too uptight for my personal liking but it does make an interesting comparison with Toni Collette's character. Last but not least, Alex Wolff is responsible for, in my opinion, the most horrifying moment of the film, it all hangs on his facial expressions & he nails it. Quite the difference from Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle!

This one's definitely a slow burn that keeps you entertained by dropping subtle hints, a confusing timeline & some downright gorgeous shots. However, as it picks up speed in the last half an hour it derails for me. It all gets a bit confusing and loud and the payoff just wasn't there for me.

Speaking of loud, the soundtrack is incredibly unsettling but you're constantly aware of it because it's irritating so it depends what you want in your horror movie soundtrack, for me it was too distracting.

I'd say this is definitely worth a watch, to see what the fuss is about if nothing else!

General Opinion:
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Toni Collette pushes this above average.

Scare Factor:
🕷️🕷️🕷️🕷️🕷️🕷️🕷️
Not a jump scare movie but it's unsettling & I've been thinking about it for days which is a good sign.

Gore:
💉💉💉💉
Surprisingly gory but in my opinion it didn't add anything and felt added purely for shock value.

Clowns:
🤡
This is not a funny movie.