Taking place at The Empire Cinema, Leicester Square, London from August 27th to 31st is the ultra popular Film4 Frightfest UK, which features all sorts of local premieres that are sure to fill the seats. Beyond the break you can check out all of the films that will be playing, this is one not to miss!

MAIN PROGRAMME – EMPIRE 1

THURSDAY 27 AUGUST

18.30 TRIANGLE (World Premiere)

The Boat That Shocked! Film4 FrightFest is delighted to open this year’s festival with the first ever showing of British director Christopher Smith’s latest spellbinding horror fantasy. When Jess (Melissa George) hits a seagull driving to her local harbour little does she know it signals a harrowing omen for her yachting trip with friends. From epic ocean vistas to poignantly shocking finale, TRIANGLE is Smith’s best, polished and most mature work.

95 minutes Director: Christopher Smith UK/Australia 2009

Melissa George – Jess
Liam Hemsworth – Victor
Rachael Carpani – Sally
Emma Lung – Heather
Michael Dorman – Greg

21.15 THE HILLS RUN RED (UK Premiere)

Not since SCREAM has there been a better tribute to the slasher. Film student Tyler is obsessed with the infamous slasher film `The Hills Run Red’. No known print of the film exists, but he locates the director’s daughter and persuades her to take his film crew into the backwoods where the film was shot. Once there, they realize, too late, that the film never ended…

81 minutes Director: Dave Parker USA 2009

Tad Hilgenbrink – Tyler
Sophie Monk – Alexa
William Sandler – Wilson Wyler Concannon
Mike Straub – Gabe
Raicho Vasilev – Babyface

23.15 INFESTATION (UK premiere)

Writer/director Kyle Rankin’s top-ranking comedy horror is an enormously entertaining creature feature starring FANBOYS’ Chris Marquette as Slacker Cooper. Oversize insects have suddenly taken over the world and taking charge of a rag-tag group of survivors Cooper heads for the nest to destroy the colossal pests breeding within. Superb special effects continually propel this inventively shudder-some creepy-crawly action thriller.

93 minutes Director: Kyle Rankin USA 2009

Chris Marquette – Cooper
Brooke Nevin – Sara
Kinsey Packard – Cindy
Ray Wise – Ethan
Bru Muller – Roger

FRIDAY 28 AUGUST

11.00 THE HORSEMAN

This unflinchingly violent thriller is compelling to the max. After learning of the suspicious death of his teenage daughter, Christian (Peter Marshall) is sent a pornographic video of what may have been her last hours alive. This leads him to track down those responsible and exact the most horrific forms of retribution imaginable. Grounded by Marshall’s incredibly moving performance, this discomforting road movie is an unforgettable experience. Be strongly forewarned!

110 minutes Director: Steven Kastissios Australia 2008

Peter Marshall – Christian
Caroline Marohasy – Alice
Brad McMurray – Derek
Jack Henry – Finn
Evert McQueen – Jim

13.45 BEWARE THE MOON: REMEMBERING AN AMERICAN WEREWOLF IN LONDON (World Premiere)

Everything you ever wanted to know about John Landis’ classic chiller is here in this superb documentary written and directed by Paul Davis. There are Interviews with all the cast and crew, plus never-before-seen unused and test footage. Reminiscences from David Naughton, Griffin Dunne, Jenny Agutter, John Woodvine and even the cast of the porno film-within-the-film `See You Next Wednesday’ make this `Making of’ one of the most detailed and very best.

98 minutes Director: Paul Davis UK 2009

John Landis – Himself
Rick Baker – Himself
Jenny Agutter – Herself
David Naughton – Himself
Griffin Dunne – Himself

16.15 AN AMERICAN WEREWOLF IN LONDON (World Premiere)

Director John Landis’ classic 1981 horror set the standard for the modern werewolf movie and is one of the most influential horror movies ever in terms of gory comedy horror, Now, fully restored and on the big screen just around the corner from where its stunning action climax was filmed in Piccadilly Circus, Film4 FrightFest will be assembling as many of the cast and crew we can muster on the Empire stage.

96 minutes Director: John Landis USA 1981

David Naughton – David Kessler
Griffin Dunne – Jack Goodman
Jenny Agutter – Nurse Alex Price
John Woodvine – Dr. Hirsch
Lila Kaye – Barmaid

19.30 SHADOW (World Premiere)

Writer/director Federico Zampaglione’s stunning genre debut is a genuine FrightFest discovery. When David (Jake Muxworthy), a young soldier returning from Iraq, goes on a mountain biking adventure in Europe he has no conception of the terrors that lie in store when a mystifying local legend forces him to face something more terrifying than any wartime tour of duty. Interestingly, Zampaglione is the frontman of `Tiromancino’, a successful pop rock band.

90 minutes Director: Federico Zampaglione Italy 2009

Jake Muxworthy – David
Karina Testa – Angeline
Chris Coppola – Buck
Emilio de Marchi – Doctor
Nuot Arquint – Mortis

21.40 THE HORDE (Special Sneak Preview)

From executive producer Xavier Gens (FRONTIER(S)’ director) comes another major shock to the action horror system. In order to avenge the murder of one of their own by a group of ruthless gangsters, four corrupt Paris cops go on a rampage. Then the unimaginable occurs. Hordes of rage-fueled zombies suddenly appear. Let the End of Days battle begin between cops, gangsters and the Living Dead in a world with no future.

90 minutes Directors: Yannick Dahan & Benjamin Rocher France 2009

Eriq Ebouaney – Adewale
Joe Prestia – Greco
Aurelien Recoing – Jimenez
Jean-Pierre Martins – Ouessem

Midnight MACABRE (UK Premiere)

A gore galore shocker from The MO Brothers whose quest to crash-marry the sleekness of East-Asian horror movement with the stylishness of the American terror wave triumphs in this feature remake of their acclaimed short DARA. Dara is a woman of ageless enigma and horrifying tastes who has raised three deadly protégés in a cult of cannibalism. The bloodiest movie Film4 FrightFest has ever shown, MACABRE is a grisly masterpiece of unhinged mayhem.

93 minutes Directors: The MO Brothers Singapore 2009

Shareefa Daanish – Dara
Julie Estelle – Ladya
Imelda Therrine – Maya
Sigi Wimala – Astrid
Ario Bayu – Adjie

SATURDAY 29 AUGUST

11.30 SMASH CUT (UK Premiere)

David Hess, star of THE LAST HOUSE ON THE LEFT (1972), gives a dizzying portrayal as Able Whitman, a troubled genre director, who rescues his fading career by killing people and using their body parts as props, When his newfound `realism’ gets universally acclaimed it’s down to detective Isaac Beaumonde to stop Able’s string of stomach-churning murders. Also starring are splatter movie godfather Herschell Gordon Lewis and adult movie actress Sasha Grey

90 minutes Director: Lee Demabre Canada 2009

David Hess – Able Whitman
Sasha Grey – April Carson
Jesse Buck – Isaac Beaumonde
Michael Berryman – Philip Farmsworth Jr
Herschell Gordon Lewis – Fred Sandy

13.45 HIERRO (UK Premiere)

From the producers of PAN’S LABYRINTH comes director Gabe Ibanez’ atmospheric Spanish chiller. Maria (Elena Anaya) is taking her young son on holiday to the remote island of El Hierro when he suddenly vanishes. Six months later, a child’s body is discovered. Left alone on the island while results of a DNA test are carried out Maria learns of another missing boy. The unusual location and stunning cinematography keep the mysterious intrigue flowing as the wonderfully cast Anaya gets submerged into her deepest and darkest fears.

90 minutes Director: Gabe Ibanez Spain 2009
Elena Anaya – Maria
Kaiet Rodriguez – Diego
Jon Arino – Forense
Miriam Correa – Julia
Mar Sodupe – Tania

15.45 MILLENNIUM: THE GIRL WITH THE DRAGON TATTOO (UK Premiere)

Based on the European bestseller `The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo’ by Swedish journalist Stieg Larsson, director Niels Arden Oplev’s strikingly original thriller introduces the provocative odd couple of a disgraced financial journalist and a multi-pierced hacker with severe social behaviour problems. Together they attempt to uncover an undetected chain of serial killings. With very disturbing and intense scenes, and an international superstar-making performance from Noomi Rapace, MILLENNIUM is the Euro sensation of the moment.

150 minutes Director: Niels Arden Oplev Sweden 2009

Michael Nyqvist – Mikael Blomqvist
Noomi Rapace – Lisbeth Salander
Peter Haber – Martin Vanger
Sven-Bertil Taube – Henrik Vanger
Marika Lagencrantz – Cecilia

19.00 GIALLO (London Premiere)

From Dario Argento, the undisputed Master of Italian horror, comes a startling thriller sporting a title referring to the genre of sex-studded violence he popularized in the 1970s with THE BIRD WITH THE CRYSTAL PLUMAGE. After being abandoned by his junkie prostitute mother at birth, the disfigured serial maniac known as Yellow chooses his victims based on their beauty. Fashion model Celine is his latest prey. When her sister Linda reports Celine missing she’s sent to Inspector Avolfi – who has made it his mission to bring Yellow to justice. Then Yellow sees Linda…

90 minutes Director: Dario Argento USA/Italy 2009

Adrien Brody – Inspector Enzo Avolfi
Emmanuelle Seigner – Linda
Elsa Pataky – Celine
Robert Miano – Inspector Mori
Byron Deidra – Yellow

21.00 TRICK `R TREAT (UK premiere)

The quintessential haunted spirit of the autumn holiday is used with élan not seen since John Carpenter’s HALLOWEEN in writer/director Michael Dougherty’s winning horror anthology. Mirthful, nasty, poignant yet always sinister, terror tales involving vampires, zombies, werewolves and serial killers are given a wickedly EC Comic edge. as they intermingle during one night of costumed celebration in Smalltown USA. Fabulous direction, beautiful photography, stunning art direction and wonderful creepshow special effects mark this warm and delightful homage to the horror calendar date an instant classic.

95 minutes Director: Michael Dougherty USA 2008

Brian Cox – Mr Kreeg
Dylan Baker – Steven
Anna Paquin – Laurie
Quinn Lord – Sam
Leslie Bibb – Emma

23.15 VAMPIRE GIRL VS. FRANKENSTEIN GIRL (UK Premiere)

After welcoming new flesh for old in TOKYO GORE POLICE, special effects genius/director Yoshihiro Nishimura goes for more splatter slapstick in this freaky face-off co-directed with Naoyuki Tomomatsu of EAT THE SCHOOLGIRL fame. Based on a manga by Shungiku Uchida, two `unearthly; schoolgirls pine for the same handsome student Mizushima. Let the fighting, beating, stabbing, chewing, clawing showdown high atop Tokyo Tower begin.

85 minutes Directors: Yoshihiro Nishimura and Naoyuki Tomomatsu Japan 2009

Yuki Kawamura – Monami
Elly Otoguro – Keiko
Takumi Saitoh – Mizushima
Eihi Shiina – Monami’s mother
Takashi Shimizu – Professor

SUNDAY 30 AUGUST

11.30 DEAD SNOW (UK Premiere)

When eight medical students go on a weekend ski trip to Øksfjord in Norway, the last thing on their minds is an army frozen Nazi zombies. Get ready for a goose-stepping gore-fest, with gruesome beheadings, snowmobile dismemberment, intestinal disembowelling aplenty and an awesome body count. Director Tommy Wirkola’s outrageous sub-zero shocker is a fast, furious and funny valentine to the early works of Peter Jackson and Sam Raimi.

90 minutes Director: Tommy Wirkola Norway 2009

Charlotte Frogner – Hanna
Ørjan Gamst – Herzog
Stig Frode Henriksen – Roy
Vegar Hoel – Martin
Jeppe Laursen – Erlend

13.45 THE HUMAN CENTIPEDE (FIRST SEQUENCE) (World Premiere)

You won’t have seen anything quite like Dutch avant-garde artist Tom Six’ totally bizarre off-the-wall oddity. Surgeon Dr. Josef Heiter has a vision for mankind’s future existence. He wants to remove the kneecaps so humans have to exist on all fours and then surgically graft them mouth-to-anus to form a centipede chain. When two stranded female Americans arrive at his luxury home-cum-hospital looking for help, his long-gestating plan swiftly moves into chilling action with a shocking force. The First Sequence in Six’s intended trilogy features an all-consuming mad doctor performance from German superstar Dieter Laser.

92 minutes Director: Tom Six Holland 2009

Dieter Laser – Dr. Josef Heiter
Ashley C. Williams – Lindsay
Ashlyn Yennie –
Akihiro Kitamura –

15.50 COFFIN ROCK (World Premiere)

From the producer of WOLF CREEK and writer/director Rupert Glasson making his feature debut, comes a skilfully woven tale of palpable unease and gripping suspense. In the small coastal town of Coffin Rock, Rob and Jess live an almost idyllic life, their relationship marred only by their inability to have children. In a

weak moment Jess sleeps with a stranger and later learns she’s pregnant. But
the shocking truth is Evan targeted her the moment she walked into the fertility
clinic where he worked. Now Jess’ guilt turns to full-blown horror as Evan begins a petrifying transformation from menacing stalker to unhinged psychopath….

87 minutes Director: Rupert Glasson Australia 2009

Lisa Chappell – Jess
Terry Camilleri – Rob
Sam Parsonson – Evan
Robert Taylor
Geoff Morrell

18.45 NIGHT OF THE DEMONS (World Premiere)

From Adam Gierasch, director of AUTOPSY and co-writer with Jace Anderson of MOTHER OF TEARS, comes the highly anticipated remake of the 1988 cult classic. Maddie and her girlfriends are partying at the notorious Broussard Mansion in New Orleans But during the wild sex-and-drugs abandon it becomes clear supernatural forces are at work. The mansion is home to demons that need to possess seven vessels to break free of an ancient curse. Can Maddie make it through the night and keep evil forces from spreading into the world?

90 minutes Director: Adam Gierasch USA 2009

Monica Keena – Maddie
Shannon Elizabeth – Angela
Eddie Furlong – Colin
Bobbi Sue Luther – Suzanne
John F. Beach – Jason

21.00 CLIVE BARKER’S DREAD (UK Premiere)

Adapted by writer/director Anthony DiBlasi from the Clive Barker novella in `Books of Blood Volume II’ this psychological horror tale is intense, grim and nasty – the shock ending the stuff of appalling nightmares. Three Boston college students join forces to helm a Kinsey-style documentary study on the subject of fear. But two of the unholy trio are unaware the third is haunted by past demons causing chilling sociopath behaviour and a driven need to explore people’s innermost terrors to extreme limits.

95 minutes Director: Anthony DiBlasi UK 2009

Jackson Rathbone – Stephen Grace
Hanne Steen – Cheryl Fromm
Shaun Evans – Quaid
Laura Donnelly – Abby
Carl McCrystal – Axe Man

MONDAY 31 AUGUST

11.00 ZOMBIE WOMEN OF SATAN (World Premiere)

Rock singer Skye Brannigan is on a quest to find her missing sister who has been abducted by a strange cult. Caught up in her mission is the bizarre burlesque troupe Flesharama. Will Skye and her merry entertainment freak show band survive attacks from all sides by the zombie women of Satan and their crazy creators, the Zander family?
* Prior to the screening there will be a traditional mass Zombie Walk through Leicester Square in conjunction with The Zombie Times and Terror4fun.

90 minutes Directors: Warren Speed & Steve O’Brien UK 2009

Victoria Hopkins – Skye Brannigan
Warren Speed – Pervo the Clown
Christian Steel – Tycho Zander
Seymour Mace – Johnny Dee Hellfire
Kate Soulsby – Harmony Starr

13.15 THE HOUSE OF THE DEVIL (UK Premiere)

From THE ROOST director Ti West comes old school psychological horror at its finest, freakiest and most fiendish. Answering a campus advert for a babysitter, student Samantha ends up at the old remote country home of a strange couple. But something is clearly wrong. There seems to be no child. A total lunar eclipse is about to further darken the night skies. And Samantha’s blood-freezing satanic panic begins…West’s occult chiller is eerily subtle before slamming home a tension-laden devilish finale. One of the best independent horrors of the year.

89 minutes Director: Ti West USA 2009

Jocelin Donahue – Samantha
Greta Gerwig – Megan
Mary Woronov – Mrs Ulman
Tom Noonan – Mr Ulman
Dee Wallace – Landlady

15.30 CASE 39 (UK Premiere)

Family services social worker Emily Jenkins (Oscar-winning Renee Zellweger) thinks she’s seen it all when given her newest, most mysterious assignment. For troubled 10 year-old Lillith Sullivan seems to be the victim of horrendous child abuse at the hands of her mother and father. And Emily’s worst fears are confirmed when Lillith’s parents are caught trying to viciously kill their only daughter. But Emily’s quick intervention saves Lillith and she decides to take her in herself until the right foster family can be found. Then the stark, staring real horror begins…

90 minutes Director: Christian Alvart USA 2009

Renee Zellweger – Emily Jenkins
Jodelle Ferland – Lillith Sullivan
Ian McShane – Detective Mike Barron
Kerry O’Malley – Margaret Sullivan
Callum Keith Rennie – Edward Sullivan

18.30 HEARTLESS (World Premiere)

From the director of THE REFLECTING SKIN comes HEARTLESS, a menacing and magical tale of Jamie (Jim Sturgess) born with a heart-shaped birthmark on his face. Shunned by those who find him repulsive, the photographer’s son lives in a part of London’s East End notorious for gang violence. When his mother is viciously murdered, Jamie realizes the thugs aren’t wearing disguises at all; they really are demons and hell on earth is beginning to plague the capital city. Yet all is not what it seems in enfant terrible Ridley’s unique horror fantasy landscape ingeniously informed by the current climate of fear running through every strata of modern society.

90 minutes Director: Philip Ridley UK 2009

Jim Stugess – Jamie Morgan
Timothy Spall – George Morgan
Clemence Poesy – Tia
Noel Clarke – AJ
Joseph Rawle – Papa B

21.15 THE DESCENT: PART TWO (World Premiere)

Terror mounts as fear cuts deeper in the chilling continuation to the globally successful horror hit THE DESCENT. Traumatized, Sarah Carter (Shauna MacDonald) emerges alone from the cave system where she confronted her darkest dread. With no rational explanation to what happened, the authorities force her back into the subterranean depths to help locate her five missing girlfriends. But as the rescue party enters further uncharted domains, flashbacks start haunting Sarah as shocking memories of the past hit home. For they are venturing into the habitat of a new tribe of Crawlers, even more viciously feral than Sarah faced before.

105 minutes Director: Jon Harris UK 2009

Shauna MacDonald – Sarah Carter
Natalie Mendoza – Juno Kaplan
Douglas Hodge – Dan Shepherd
Krysten Cummings – Elen Rios
Gavan O’Herlihy – Sheriff Vaines

DISCOVERY PROGRAMME – EMPIRE 4

FRIDAY 28 AUGUST

12.00 BEST WORST MOVIE (UK Premiere)

Michael Stephenson’s documentary on the US cult of TROLL 2, considered the worst movie ever made, is a consistently funny delight. Stephenson was a child actor when he appeared in director Claudio Fragasso’s wildly incompetent TROLL 2 and was amazed to learn it had become a fan-boy favourite. So too was dentist George Hardy who, in 1989, answered a casting call to star in the low budget horror. Their journey to learn why this exercise in ineptitude touched the soul of Nerd Nation is strangely moving and hilarious.

93 minutes Director: Michael Stephenson USA 2008

George Hardy – Himself
Michael Stephenson – Himself
Darren Ewing – Himself
Jason Wright- Himself
Claudio Fragasso – Himself

14.15 I SELL THE DEAD (London Premiere)

Director Glenn McQuaid’s brilliant homage to 60s Amicus anthologies and Hammer horror was a hit at Film4 FrightFest Glasgow in February. So here’s another chance to see this witty and wacky high-calibre cult hit. 18th century justice has finally caught up with two of the craftiest grave robbers in town. With only a few hours to go before his date with the guillotine, body snatcher Arthur Blake (LOST and LORD OF THE RINGS star Dominic Monaghan) tells his life story to Father Francis Duffy (HELLBOY’s Ron Perlman).

85 minutes Director: Glenn McQuaid USA 2008

Dominic Monaghan – Arthur Blake
Ron Perlman – Father Francis Duffy
Larry Fessenden – Willie Grimes
Angus Scrimm – Dr. Quint
John Speredakos – Cornelius Murphy

18.45 COLIN (Preview Screening)

The sensation of the Cannes Film Festival 2009, this film was made for an alleged