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.

Mayhem Festival New Logo & Tickets

It's time to start thinking about Halloween month again my friends!
Mayhem film festival have released their early bird tickets, link to buy below. Just £65 secures you entry to all screenings for the full festival, Thursday-Sunday.

Not only that but they also want your shorts for their always spectacular shorts showcase, national & international welcomed. Your film must be less than 18 months old & under 25 minutes long. Horror, sci-fi & cult shorts requested, there's always a good range.
The deadline is 17th August & you can submit them to Melissa Gueneau at mayhemfilmfest@gmail.com

And if that still wasn't enough excitement for you they also have a stunning new logo by Forecast Designs to celebrate 200 years since the publication of Frankenstein.

If that's whet your appetite buy your early bird tickets here: http://www.mayhemfilmfestival.com/

The Strangers: Prey at Night Review

            The Strangers: Prey at Night (2018)

IMDb genre: Horror
Director: Johannes Roberts
Writer: Bryan Bertino & Ben Ketai
Starring: Christina Hendricks, Bailee Madison, Martin Henderson
IMDb plot summary: A family of four staying at al secluded mobile home park for the night are stalked and then hunted by three masked psychopaths.

I know a lot of people rave about the first installment but I was never a huge fan. Maybe I watched it after it was hyped up to me too much so it couldn't live up to those expectations. Regardless, the trailer for this one looked good so I gave it a go.
Unfortunately it was completely average and forgettable.
The actors really do try their hardest, I loved Bailee Madison in Don't Be Afraid of the Dark (and some of the terrible Christmas movies that she's been in) and she showed the same talent here.
The gore is also there, there's plenty of blood & a couple of really gross close-ups.
To be frank though what's not there is an interesting plot or any significant scares.
This movie felt like it wanted to be an 80's horror movie with the credits font & the music choices, plus a scene 'inspired by' (read ripped off from) Texas Chainsaw Massacre, which I know is 1974 but you get my drift. However, because it's not actually set in the 80's we instead have a very forced reason why they can't just use their phones & what feels like a rehash rather than nostalgia.
There's no real effort made for characterisation but there's also not enough deaths for it to be a mindless slasher so it sits awkwardly in the middle.
It's not very eloquent but my overall opinion on this movie is: meh!

The Strangers: Prey at Night is in UK cinemas now.

General Opinion:
⭐⭐⭐
Without Bailee Madison this would have been a two.
Scare Factor:
🕷️🕷️
A couple of jump scares but not many & one they gave away in the trailer.
Gore:
💉💉💉💉💉💉💉
It does do its gore well.
Clowns:
🤡🤡
A couple of throwaway funny lines at the beginning but not hugely funny.

Happenstance Horror Festival 2018

CALL TO SUBMIT HORROR SHORTS TO A COOL FESTIVAL. Happenstance Horror Festival is happening in June in the US & it's had great reviews in the past. It's run by a guy who makes horror shorts so you know you'll have a blast if you go. Full press release, submission details & wonderfully creepy promo picture below.

The 2018 Happenstance Horror Fest

June 12 2018

Chunky's Cinema and Pub

Haverhill, Massachusetts

The third annual Happenstance Horror Fest is here. Presented by George James Fraser of Stained Glass and Blood Bath Productions. The HHF features the very best of independent horror short films from around the word. Taking pride in its punk rock party atmosphere the HHF hosts of variety of artists and horror themed vendors from the New England area. Special guests and judges will be in attendance as well as many filmmakers.

George James Fraser started the film festival in 2016 as a way to present independent horror to a large audiences. Each year a Fraser/Stained Glass and Blood Bath film is premiered. This year that film is Salt and Iron starring William DeCoff and Marissa Joy. 

Awards are presented for best local, national, and international. The audience will also get the chance to vote for their favorite films in various categories including best death, best score, best FX, and more. 2018 will feature the very first recognition of women in horror award sponsored by Morbidly Beautiful.

Chunkys Cinema and Pub has been home to the HHF since the beginning. Offering a full menu of food and adult beverage, the venue has a comfortable atmosphere where servers will keep your drinks full as you enjoy sitting in the seats that are actually pulled from old Cadillacs and other classic cars. 

Fraser's goal in this event is to hold a film festival that stands out from the rest. The HHF encourages a rowdy crowd and hopes to hear every bit of screams and laughter without concern. And there will be plenty to be had. 

The festival is taking submissions for films under 20 minutes as well as trailers. HHF is also seeking sponsors that are available to take part at any budget.

Facebook Facebook.com/happenstancehorrorfest

Entries Filmfreeway.com/happenstancehorrorfest

Tickets happenstancehorrorfest.ticketbud.com

Stained Glass and Blood Bath Facebook

Facebook.com/stainedglassandbloodbathproductions

Ghost Stories Review

                      Ghost Stories (2017)
IMDb genre: Drama/Horror
Director: Jeremy Dyson & Andy Newman
Writer: Jeremy Dyson & Andy Newman
Starring: Andy Newman, Martin Freeman, Paul Whitehouse
IMDb plot summary: Arch skeptic Professor Phillip Goodman embarks upon a terror-filled quest when he stumbles across a long-lost file containing details of three cases of inexplicable 'hauntings'.

                 *SMALL SPOILERS AHEAD*

I was lucky enough to catch this one early at Odeon's Scream Unseen on Monday & I'm still a little freaked out by it a week later. Before we get into this review, I haven't seen the play (& having seen the film I think I'd probably have a heart attack) so there won't be comparisons to it but as it's made by the same people I'm just going to assume they're happy with it.

Let's get the bad bits out of the way first. The music is occasionally a bit "much". I know horror movies & creepy music go hand-in-hand but don't blow out my eardrums. Also, if you've seen the trailer you know Andy Newman's character is talking to the camera from behind a desk. I've seen it & I still don't know who he was supposed to be talking to. It's not a big niggle but there we go. On to the positives!

The acting is outstanding from everyone & they don't put a step wrong directing in my opinion. It's definitely one to make you proud to be British!

I know many horror movies are marketed as 'the scariest of all time', 'make audience members throw up/pass out' etc & it's always a bit of a disappointment when they're just a normal horror movie. This one though is the other way around, I've seen it called 'terrifying' in the marketing but that's pretty normal horror movie marketing talk. In reality though this film is almost too scary at points.

It's sort of an anthology film in that Andy Newman's character is investigating, and trying to debunk, three cases of supernatural encounters and each is shown separately. The first is the most effective building of tension that I've seen in some time and whereas a lot of horror movies are 'build tension, jump scare, start over' this segment is more 'build tension, scare, increase tension, scare, increase tension, big scare'. The second shows excellent pacing for the film as a whole & while it's still creepy in places it also provides some well-needed comic relief (the paranoid Simon screaming 'fuck that!' & running after a goat-like creature climbs into the back of his car & hisses 'stay' got a huge laugh I think both because of the scares beforehand & also because it's how we all like to think we'd react). The third case ramps up the scares again & also adds an emotional level that makes you more attached, Martin Freeman's character is strange to say the least but he creates a relatable, complex character in very little screen time.

I don't want to spoil the ending but I would say that it gets a little weird at a point but stick with it. It's a payoff that you won't see coming & it will get under your skin & stay there.

As I know do my blog on my phone sometimes it's a pain with importing pictures so I'm going to use similar emojis instead in some blogs, starting with this one.

General Opinion:

🏅🏅🏅🏅🏅🏅🏅🏅🏅🏅
Maximum stars, no question!

Scare Factor:

🕷️🕷️🕷️🕷️🕷️🕷️🕷️🕷️🕷️
Scariest film I've seen it some time & I couldn't stop thinking about it.

Gore:
💉
Basically none but it doesn't need it.

Clowns:
🤡🤡🤡
The middle case is funny but good grief do you need it with all the other scares! Definitely not a horror comedy.

Ghost Stories is in UK cinemas Friday 6th April

Mayhem 2018 Date Announcement

It's not even Spring but it's time to start thinking about Halloween month already because Mayhem have announced that their 14th film festival will take place in the second weekend in October, 11th-14th.
Last year boasted a screening of Mayhem at Mayhem & Friday the 13th shown in gloriously terrible 3D on Friday the 13th. I'm not sure we'll get that literal again but we're sure to get another year of great previews, Q&As, shorts from around the world & a bastard hard quiz: not to be missed!
Here's the announcement from Mayhem themselves, I'll post updates as we get them:

SAVE THE DATE - 11-14 OCTOBER 2018!

We are delighted to announce that we will return for our 14th edition this autumn, from 11-14 October at Broadway, Nottingham.

We're in the initial stages of planning but as always, you can expect previews, premieres, guests and special events, as we work to bring you the best of horror, sci-fi and cult cinema over our four-day weekend. We'll have more information on Early Bird Passes and film submissions soon, so watch this space for more from us

Soska Sisters Massive Blood Drive Part 1

As you may or may not know, February is Women in Horror month! That also means it's time for the Soska Sisters Blood Drive PSAs.

The pair do this every year to promote the incredibly important cause of blood donation & the theme this year was rightfully 'be a hero'. Here in the UK we need 6,000 donations per day so if you can be one of those heroes visit blood.co.uk to find a donation session near you.

This year was the biggest year yet for the Blood Drive with 28 PSAs, one from a different filmmaker every day so plenty of inspiration to get your red stuff flowing! It attracted a massively high level of talent as always & they're all worth watching but some aren't for the easily grossed out!

I'm a little behind with them, the last one was released two days ago, so this post will highlight the first 14, then a second post will follow in a few days for the other half when I'm caught up.

Day 1: Be Positive by Joe Magna
This one was a great way to start, a funny ending & a great big screw you to Harvey Winesnob!
https://youtu.be/_9qJvqPNnow

Day 2: Be A Hero by Vanessa Ionta Wright
Short but sweet, stunning visuals & very literal with the theme.
https://youtu.be/6bvYMvulwEo

Day 3: Sanguino by Dana Noffke
Black & white fun, some great visuals effects & proof everyone likes jam sandwiches 😂. Starring Madaline Brumby & an 8-year-old monster maker!
https://youtu.be/YkGQtcWOqtQ

Day 4: The Coming Dawn Ministry by Mark Alan Miller & Christian Francis
This one's very creepy! Great acting & the end was superb. The sound is a little quiet near the beginning but it kicks in louder at the end so don't turn it up too high & deafen yourself like I did!
https://youtu.be/V_wFp-MhEgg

Day 5: Got Blood? by Aislinn Clarke
Another short but sweet one, I loved the style of this one & it was hilarious. Lots of blood thrown around in this one & make sure to look for a funny addition to the end of the credits.
https://youtu.be/uHFTdcCgiig

Day 6: Red Light by Lex Lybrand
Subtitled (these filmmakers are from across the world) & with a moment you won't see coming. Interesting filming style too.
https://youtu.be/kA8ASHWRicc

Day 7: Type O Negative Man by Maude Michaud
I think this is my favourite so far. A hilarious  mockumentary with a great cast & makes sure it gets the serious message across too.
https://youtu.be/3gznzs1F2tk

Day 8: Party Prick by Samantha Hawkins & Kimberley Pipkin
This one is by a team who were one of the winners of the American Mary Sweden competition & this is in a similar style. Another one that had a lot of fun with the theme & made sure to push the message too.
https://youtu.be/dse5uBYjQHE

Day 9: It's In You by Izzy Lee
I love how this one looks, there's a brilliant comedy twist & the monster design is just brilliant. Apparently it's being expanded into a longer short which is brilliant news.
https://youtu.be/8WzlpmdwHjo

Day 10: My Father, My Hero by Andrew Hass & Kynda Laufmann
Another black and white one with a great concept & a sitcom laugh track which fits really well. This one was also featured on the director's local news so the important cause has had a great reach this year.
https://youtu.be/TeLqWdkeSgg

Day 11: Sammy by Aleah Anseth
This one is a bit warped but it was really on my wavelength, beautifully filmed & great child actors. Plenty of the red stuff too!
https://youtu.be/RAIXsco5iXg

Day 12: Bitch by Stephanie Dugan
Socially relevant beginning, some gorgeous shots & a surprise comedy ending. I very much enjoyed this one.
https://youtu.be/2yokvOWMymg

Day 13: Haemo Eradication Services by Angela Nolan & Martyn Fleetwood
That's right I was honoured to have a slot this year! We took the theme quite literally & I hope you enjoy it, I'd love to know what you think. I can't donate blood for health reasons so I was very pleased to be able to support the cause in another way
https://youtu.be/65GDUdjahR8

Day 14: Donor by Atropa Films
Definitely not for the faint of heart! One of the longer & gorier entries it's all from first-person view & has an interesting story, great acting & really grossed me out!
https://youtu.be/1cv2hhVf0II

That's it for this entry, part two coming soon, please share the PSAs because blood donation is such an important cause all year round not just February!