This has been adapted from the Japanese novel “Loving The Dead” by prolific horror author Kei Oishi (novelized “The Grudge”). The plot of the original book concerns depression and loss amidst themes of death and unconventional love. “James decides to commit suicide in the mountains but aborts when he witnesses a mass suicide. One of the dead grabs his attention, captivated by her beauty he takes her back home with him to the suburbs…“
With Saturday a bloody success, the final day of Manchester’s Grimmfest served up some excellent independent horror films both from the UK and stateside.
First up was Sheffield based Safehouse Pictures with their second micro budget feature, The Eschatrilogy; an anthology of stories from the zombie apocalypse tied together by a mysterious traveller played by the writer and director of the movie Damian Morter. Made over the space of a year for less than £15,000 from producer and director couple Nicola and Damian Morter, The Eschatrilogy is a huge credit to UK indie film-making, proving just how much can be achieved with so little. The concept was visually ambitious and the cinematography throughout the feature is far above and beyond what you would expect for a film of this nature. READ MORE
Reviewed by Tim Anderson
“When you go out there, bad things happen.”
The perils of being an agoraphobic serial killer are surface-scratched in Director Paul Davis’ (Beware the Moon: Remembering An American Werewolf in London) short film Him Indoors. Essentially shot as a showcase piece for Davis’ storytelling skills—to show investors for a feature film he is developing—Davis assembled key cast and crew members from that production and fleshed out a twisted little 11-minute black comedy that clearly illustrates he can polish a solid narrative production from behind the lens.
The story follows a few short minutes in the afternoon of Gregory Brewster as he prepares for a dinner/date with his new next door neighbor—played by Pollyanna McIntosh (The Woman). However when she arrives early, nearly catching him in the act of butchering a local delivery boy, Brewster has to call upon his very, very underdeveloped social skills to try and keep her from discovering his dark secret.
Since Brewster is a serial killer, the audience doesn’t need particularly need specific motivation for his actions. We know all we need to know about what kind of man he is in less than 3 minutes. However, as the story twists toward the climactic resolution, the character’s intentions might seem ambiguous unless you were paying closer attention to the opening monologue.
What seems like little more than ramblings at the outset is actually a clever way of imparting a fair amount of motivational information that will be visited later on in the story. This is a nifty trick since short films have so little time to communicate to the viewer the world of the characters that inhabit them. However, audiences that are easily distracted may miss some of the problems Brewster faces, making the film’s turn of events head-scratching or unclear as the production comes to its conclusion.
What minor foibles the plot may have in clarity are easily overshadowed by the spot-on performance from Reece Shearsmith (Shaun of the Dead) as Brewster. Shearsmith affects a nebbish performance and oozes unease with every passing phrase. It’s the very definition of the quiet guy next door—you know, the one that neighbors can’t believe was secretly hacking people up for years. As for Lizzy, Pollyanna McIntosh is, for fans of her feral and vicious performance in Lucky McKee’s The Woman, almost unrecognizably charming.
The production values are slick with excellent cinematography from Eben Bolter and an understated but effective score from Musician/DJ Osymyso. As for the script, and the directing, this makes major narrative film debut from Davis, who made his name as an award-winning horror journalist and as the Director of the An American Werewolf in London retrospective documentary that was included on the Universal Blu-ray release in 2011. And for a debut film, Davis handles the reigns with sure-footedness in the shot composition and pacing, while displaying a good ear for his character’s dialogue. It’s an auspicious start and I expect that we’ll see more from Davis as his feature film gains traction.
As for Him Indoors, it’s getting outdoors as the filmmakers gear up to take it on an international festival run which already includes prestigious stops at London’s famed Frightfest and the Telluride Horror Show. Let’s hope for them, unlike Gregory Brewster, good things happen when they go out there.
Gregory Brewster is a serial killer, only problem is, he’s agoraphobic! Facing an impending eviction from his family home, Gregory has a plan that will save him from being subjected to the one thing he’s terrified of… the outside world. Things don’t quite go to plan however, when a surprise visit from his new neighbor finds him in a very awkward situation.
It was at the New York City Horror Film Festival back in 2005 that I first met director and producer Andrew van den Houten while sitting in the audience at Tribeca Cinema. He and his cohorts were in-house for the world premiere of his first independent venture into horror – Headspace. Unbeknownst at the time, it would firmly set the foundation for Houten’s film company Moderncine (which would later direct and/or produce Jack Ketchum’s The Girl Next Door, Jack Ketchum’s Offspring, Ketchum & McKee’s The Woman, and Brian Keene’s Ghoul) building toward their present day reputation for art house caliber productions, creating gutter-violent and dark, taboo material for those who usually wouldn’t confront such content directly.
In Headspace, Houten’s rookie passion for horror puts forth a psychological yarn knotted with psionic nightmares and beasts that crossover from them. On paper, or from the mind of Troy McCombs who actually milked this plot from a dream – it sounds like a rich, cerebral thriller. With a veteran cast from Olivia Hussey to William Atherton to Udo Kier, and stage caliber talent like Christopher Denham, the original cut of Headspace – even with such a steroidal cast and crew – still manages to land on tails instead of heads. A good looking, well acted, New York City set horror film that just somehow falls flat for oddballs reasons. A bit like Houten’s other film, Offspring. Here’s why. READ MORE
The Woman is the last surviving member of a feral clan that has roamed the Northeast Coast for decades. When the last of her family is killed in a battle with the police, The Woman finds herself alone, severely wounded and vulnerable. Unfortunately, she is now a far too easy prey for local hunter, successful country lawyer and seriously disturbed family man Christopher Cleek. With his twisted set of ideals, Cleek decides to embark upon a deranged project – to capture her and “break” The Woman – a decision that will soon threaten the lives of Cleek, his family and The Woman. Andrew van den Houten and Robert Tonino produce.
What’s up next for Pollyanna Mcintosh, the actress who portray’s the feral animal in Lucky McKee’s The Woman (in theaters this October from Bloody Disgusting Selects)?
Twitch caught up with the actress during a Melbourne, Australia screening of The Woman where she revealed that she’ll be toplining Love Eternal, which is to be directed by Savage‘s Brendan Muldowney.
This has been adapted from the Japanese novel “Loving The Dead” by prolific horror author Kei Oishi (novelized “The Grudge”) and stars Pollyanna and Netherland actor Robert De Hoog (Skin, Dusk).
The plot of the original book concerns depression and loss amidst themes of death and unconventional love. “James decides to commit suicide in the mountains but aborts when he witnesses a mass suicide. One of the dead grabs his attention, captivated by her beauty he takes her back home with him to the suburbs…”
Principal photography begins in Ireland and Luxembourg on the 22nd August
READ MORE
Survivors of a feral flesh-eating clan are chowing their way through the locals. Amy Halbard and Claire Carey strive to survive their abduction by the cannibals and save their children. A subplot involving Claire’s despicable husband, Steven, gives an opportunity to cleverly compare predatory civilized folk to the appetite-driven primitives.
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