Mayhem Horror Film Festival is one of the many current
cutting edge events that will bring to the screens the very best in our
favourite genre; including both film and television with a showcasing of the
best selection of shorts.
The festival will run from Thursday 31st
October to Sunday 3rd November 2013, at the Broadway Cinema, in
Nottingham; a great start to Halloween. Now the festival is in its ninth year
it promises to bring the audiences gut-wrenching and spine tingling horror. Steven Sheil director of Mum and Dad (2008), who
runs the festival (with fellow Nottingham filmmakers Chris Cooke and Gareth
Howell) states that there should be 16 films as well as a selection of shorts
for us all to enjoy.
"They'll all be preview screenings; they won't have
been released in the UK yet, and some of them won't be released until next
year."
And it's not just horror at Mayhem. Steven states that
"We make it quite broad. It's not just ultra-gory
stuff; its ghosts to splatter films and everything in between, plus sci-fi and
cult. And these are films from around the world. We try to give a snapshot of
what's happening in the world of horror and cult cinema at Mayhem every
year."
He adds:
"We do TV as well. A few years ago we had the cast and
crew of Being Human here to talk about the series and introduce the new one.
That was quite a big hit."
The event attracts around 2000 people with some attendees -
regulars – who will book a holiday off work to attend. There will be premieres, new releases and even previews to
cult classics. And of course we can’t forget to mention the special screenings,
breakthrough shorts and a host of special guests - usually directors and
producers – with a questions and answers session to ask them all you would like
to know about their horror film.
This will be a very unique experience- one which I will
gladly go through. Mayhem will offer some exciting viewing for the audiences
attending across the four days of horrific madness and mayhem.
I have been lucky enough to be given a day pass granting me the
opportunity to attend the festival on Saturday 2nd of November 2013.
I will be viewing the following films that are sure to
delight and disturb…
THE DEMON'S ROOK
- Dir. James Sizemore, 2013 (USA) (James Sizemore, Ashleigh Jo Sizemore)
After making a childhood pact with a demon; a grown-up
Roscoe returns from the underworld with mystical powers. But three demons
pursue him: one who possesses the minds of all she crosses, another who can
transform a man into a beast and the third who commands an army of the dead.
Utterly hysterical blood-spurting fun - a DIY homage to all pre-CGI gore
effects. “Insane.” Dread Central!
KISS OF THE DAMNED
- Dir. Xan Cassavetes, 2013 (USA) (Roxane Mesquida, Joséphine de La Baume)
Having sworn off humans, young vampire Djuna finds peace
with her new partner, only for her less hung-up sister to invade their
tranquillity and threaten the whole vampire community. An impressively stylish,
slyly funny and decadent mix of 70s sexy vampirism: think Tony Scott's The
Hunger crossed with Jean Rollin. “Pure kitsch. Sumptuously goofy gothic.” L.A.
Times.
THE BORDERLANDS
with special guests Director Elliot Goldner and Producer Jennifer Handorf
Dir. Elliot Goldner, 2013 (UK), (Gordon Kennedy, Robin Hill)
A couple of Vatican investigators head to an isolated
country church to report on supernatural activity and find much more than they
bargained for in this chilling tale co-written by Severance Screenwriter James
Moran. Is what haunts this remote location fake or horribly real? Expertly
using sound to create genuine chills, Goldner slowly moves the story from
humour to true horror.
SCARY SHORTS - Dir. Various. 2013 (International)
A stunning showcase of the best new short film talents from
across the globe and closer to home, featuring Bio-Cop from Astron-6, the team
behind last year’s amazing hit Manborg. This selection brings you a cornucopia
of creeps, a menagerie of monstrosity and a smorgasbord of scares.
THE MACHINE with
special guests Director Caradog James and Producer John Giwa-Amu
Dir. Caradog James. 2013 (UK), (Toby Stephens, Caity Lotz)
In a near-future cold war, Britain is on the brink of
developing a game-changing weapon, ‘The Machine’. But when a programming error
causes the prototype to run amok, scientist Vincent McCarthy decides to create
a truly conscious killing machine. Incredibly designed and thoroughly human,
The Machine is a dazzling triumph of independent British cinema. “Slickly
designed and beautiful... radical.” Fangoria.
I am genuinely looking forward to seeing what new horror
will disturb and excite me. With previous films such as American Mary (which is
personally one of my favourites at the minute), there is a lot to be expected.
Will Mayhem excite, disturb, tease and inspire our film lovers this year? All
shall be revealed…
