Luke Owen looks at this year’s FrightFest…
What a year this was. Every time FrightFest rolls around, the four madmen behind the festival promise the ‘best line-up ever’, and this year was no different. Each screen was packed out, there was plenty of surprises on offer and some great interviews with the likes of Barbara Crampton, Neil Marshall and Iain Softley.
As for the movies themselves, we had a great variety. From the terrifying (Demonic) to the utterly bizarre (Ahhhhh!) to the downright brilliant (Turbo Kid), there was something for everyone. There were arty films (Sun Choke), heart-breaking films (These Final Hours) and a movie where Santa Claus fights off zombie eleves (A Christmas Horror Story). What more could you ask for?
Well, here’s the 10 best films of the festival (in no order), according to Flickering Myth:
These Final Hours
Written and directed by Zak Hilditch
Starring Nathan Phillips, Angourie Rice, Katheryn Beck, Daniel Henshall, Jessica De Gouw, Lynette Curran
What would you do in your final hours on earth? That’s what Zak Hilditch’s These Final Hours poses in this utterly gripping and emotionally taut drama that will rock to you to your very core.
Words cannot describe just how emotional and difficult These Final Hours can get. Often at times the words ‘rollercoaster ride of emotion’ are attached to movies, but never have they been truer than with this film. These Final Hours is a superb, fantastic and brilliant movie. It grabs you by the emotional throat, and doesn’t let go until the time is up. A must-see.
Read our ★★★★★ review here.
SEE ALSO: Trailer for apocalyptic thriller These Final Hours
James Wan’s Demonic
Written and directed by Will Cannon
Starring Maria Bello, Frank Grillo, Cody Horn, Dustin Milligan, Megan Park, Scott Mechlowicz, Aaron Yoo, Alex Goode
Seasoned horror fans may find a lot of Demonic a bit ‘paint by numbers, and will most likely bemoan James Wan’s ‘horror movies for the masses’, but this is a cracking example of how to get the genre right. Cannon brings something new and original to an already tired formula and this breath of fresh air is simply tremendous. Demonic may just be one of the best horror films released this year, and we can only hope that we don’t have to wait five more years to get another film from Mr. Will Cannon.
Read our ★★★★★ review here.
Turbo Kid
Written and directed by François Simard, Anouk Whissell, Yoann-Karl Whissell
Starring Munro Chambers, Laurence Leboeuf, Michael Ironside, Edwin Wright. Aaron Jeffery, Romano Orzri, Orphée Ladouceur
Turbo Kid needs sequels, it needs comic books, it needs action figures and it needs to be seen. It should be studied by other filmmakers on how to make a love letter to the VHS era of movies because it gets everything right. There is an argument to be made that the film often tries too hard to be funny when its genuinely hilarious enough, but that is a minor quibbles. If you grew up in an age where going to rent a VHS was the most exciting part of your week and discovering your new favourite movie was a tremendous moment, then Turbo Kid is for you. Funny, heart-warming and gory as hell, Turbo Kid is Turbo-tastic.
Read our ★★★★★ review here.
SEE ALSO: Blu-ray details announced for FrightFest 2015 hit Turbo Kid
Tales of Halloween
Directed by Darren Lynn Bousman, Axelle Carolyn, Adam Gierasch, Andrew Kasch, Neil Marshall, Lucky McKee, Mike Mendez, Dave Parker, Ryan Schifrin, John Skipp, Paul Solet
Here’s the simple truth as to why Tales of Halloween is a fabulous and utterly brilliant film: it has no pretensions about what it’s trying to be. They’re not trying to be outrageous, controversial or subversive, this is a film where a group of producers teamed up with directors they liked who in turn worked with actors they liked to make ten incredibly fun shorts based on All Hallow’s Eve – and it has paid off by the bucket load.
Producer Axelle Carolyn (who also directs the short “Grimm Grinning Ghost”) has said that she wants Tales of Halloween to be a yearly tradition, and if they can keep this level of entertainment and talent up, then so do I. Tales of Halloween is an almost perfect anthology movie and has all the right values in all the right places. It’s swimming in talent and creativity, and is a must-watch this coming Halloween. Grab your friends together with a couple of drinks and enjoy the madness of screen. It’s the best Halloween-based movie since Halloween.
Read our ★★★★ review here.
A Christmas Horror Story
Directed by Grant Harvey, Steven Hoban, Brett Sullivan
In the same vein as Silent Night, Deadly Night, Black Christmas, Santa’s Slay and Christmas Evil, A Christmas Horror Story is here to but a black cloud over the most wonderful time of the year. Only this one is doing things a little different. We’re not just getting one tale of terror, we’re getting four.
Perfectly balancing horror, comedy, thrills, spills and Holiday cheer, A Christmas Horror Story is fan-bloody-tastic and the new benchmark for Xmas related horror films. If this can gain enough of a cult following – which it more than deserves to do – this will long become a favourite among the horror community for Yuletide film watching. It’s always naughty and never nice, and you’re going to love it.
Read our ★★★★ review here.
