frightfest 2006

august bank holiday weekend just wouldn't be the same without frightfest and we have been (for the seventh year running) treated to some superb films. and of course some stinkers too. like broken. trust me. don't ever watch this film!!! frostbite (a swedish vampire film is being re-made as 30 days of night) was dire too... the marsh was pretty awful.





mark gatiss was there to introduce the first films - a hammer horror trio - pictured here with paul and the back of ian's head, two of the wonderful organisers. note the severance poster in the background. we saw it as a special charity screening (in aid of teenage cancer trust) on the thursday evening.





films i recommend are:


pan's labyrinth (director guillermo del toro was there for q&a afterwards).
hatchet (good ol' low-budget slasher starring harmony from angel).



isolation (a gruesome film starring cows. yes, cows. director billy o'brien there for q&a).
adrift was actually ok. so much better than open water!!!! but then i knew nothing about it beforehand.

the living and the dead was amazing (in spite of the dodgy title), so well shot, such brilliant acting, (director simon rumley there for q&a).

them could (should) have been so much better.

as could grimm love (aka butterfly). why was it shot with germans speaking in english with dodgy german accents???

the lost was ok, the redeeming feature being the nastiness of the lead character.

sheitan was a brilliant, grotesquely disturbing film, especially vincent cassel's character. he was so creepy!


on the last day we saw h6:diario de un asesino which was another shockingly disturbing film. not recommended as it was too horrible.

ghost of mae nak was good, if a little predictable in places. spooky enough though.

puritan was good enough, mainly because the cast were on-hand to regale us with anecdotes! and as it was david soul's birthday we all signed a huge birthday card for him and sang happy birthday!!!



behind the mask was as amusing as it was slasher, giving us all the tricks of the trade of your average serial killer, like freddie and jason!


the final film of the festival was by far the best. the host was brilliant in every way and i thoroughly recommend it.




edgar wright also visited, and showed us a special trailer for hot fuzz which was hilarious!!! really can't wait....