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[SXSW ’12] Irish Horror ‘Citadel’ Joins Texas Film Fest
Now that Sundance has come and gone it’s time to focus on the SXSW Film Festival, which takes place this March in Austin, Texas. Bloody Disgusting learned today that the Irish Citadel has been officially selected, via the IFB.
The Irish/UK co-production is directed by hot new writer-director Ciarán Foy. The film features Aneurin Barnard (Ironclad, Hunky Dory, Guinea Pigs) in the lead role of Tommy, alongside Scotland’s finest, James Cosmo (Braveheart, Troy, The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, The Runway) in the role of The Priest, and Wunmi Mosuka (I am Slave, One Night in Emergency) as Marie. Co-stars include Ingrid Craigie and Amy Shiels.
‘Citadel is a story about pure terror. Packs of twisted feral children prowl the dark urban landscape of Edens town, the council estate from Hell. Concealed beneath hooded tops, they attack innocent adults with septic syringes to harvest their blood and abduct small children to swell their ranks. Abandoned by the police, the small community that remains is plagued by the brutal and rampant gangs that few truly understand. Emerging at night, they are especially drawn to anyone showing fear – in fact they can see it and sense it. When Tommy¹s pregnant wife Joanne is viciously attacked, it turns his world upside down. Joanne is left in a coma. As a result of the trauma, Tommy suffers crippling agoraphobia rendering him housebound and barely able to look after their infant daughter Elsa. Trapped in Edenstown, Tommy desperately needs to leave. Before he can escape however, Tommy’s worst nightmare comes true – Elsa is kidnapped. To save his daughter, he is forced to trust a vigilante priest who understands the horrific truth about the gangs. Tommy must now face the demons of his past by entering the one place that he fears the most – an abandoned tower block called the Citadel.”
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We have an exclusive first look at A Man in the Woods With an Axe, a blood-soaked, genre-twisting homage to 1980s slasher films.
Spanning four decades, A Man in the Woods With an Axe begins in the summer of 1987 before pushing into the modern era, weaving together timelines and perspectives in a way that builds both dread and intrigue.
Drawing inspiration from genre standouts like Tucker and Dale vs. Evil, Hatchet, and The Cabin in the Woods, the film blends visceral horror with moments of dark humor, creating a uniquely balanced experience that honors tradition while carving its own identity.
Writer-director Dillon Brown (Primal Darkness) aims to deliver everything fans crave from a slasher while boldly subverting expectations with a mid-film twist that redefines the story.
“This is an unapologetic love letter to the films that made me fall in love with horror,” Brown tells Bloody Disgusting. “But I didn’t just want to recreate that feeling; I wanted to challenge it. About halfway through, the film takes a turn that completely changes how you view not only this story, but the genre itself.”
Brown describes the vintage-inspired production as “far and away the bloodiest film I’ve ever made,” with practical effects helmed by Cody Ruch (The Mill, Pig Hill), an instructor at Tom Savini’s Special Make-Up Effects Program.
From Horror Dadz Productions, A Man in the Woods With an Axe is currently in production and targeting an early 2027 release.
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