Movies
AFM ’09: Urban Horror Pic ‘Comedown’ to Debut
Comedown, an urban horror pic set in London, is the latest project of producers Dominic Norris (“Guilty Hearts”) and Gareth Wiley (“Vicky Cristina Barcelona”). The pic, which takes place in a condemned tower block, was penned by Steven Kendall and will be helmed by Menhaj Huda, whose first feature “Kidulthood” won him recognition. It’s about six youths who are targeted by a psychopath when trying to set up a relay aerial for a local pirate radio station. Cast includes Geoff Bell from Guy Ritchie’s “RocknRolla” and Martin Compston (“Red Road”). Norris said, “Comedown will be a tense and truly terrifying film that will take audiences on a journey with a set of characters they wouldn’t necessarily expect to be rooting for.” London-based sales outfit AV Pictures has picked up worldwide sales rights to the pic and will be launching it to buyers at AFM.
In the wake of Backrooms and Obsession, everyone is prowling YouTube for horror shorts to adapt and horror filmmakers to scoop up, so don’t be surprised to see a whole bunch of upcoming articles about YouTube success stories crossing over into theaters. One horror short that’s already been picked up for expansion is Dolly director Rod Blackhurst’s Alone Time.
The 12-minute short was uploaded in 2014 and has amassed nearly 2 million views at the time of this article being written, and Deadline reports that it’s getting a feature adaptation.
Witchcraft Motion Picture Company & Fever Dream will turn the viral short into a feature film.
Alone Time follows Ann Saunders, a young NY professional whose carefully constructed life begins to unravel following a devastating personal loss. “Seeking refuge from a collapsing relationship, a deteriorating family situation, and mounting emotional trauma, Ann reluctantly joins her closest friend on a remote camping trip deep in the Adirondack wilderness.”
The synopsis continues, “When her friend mysteriously disappears, Ann becomes convinced that an unseen figure is stalking her through the forest. What begins as a survival nightmare slowly transforms into something far more disturbing as fractured memories, conflicting realities, and hidden truths force Ann to confront the possibility that the greatest threat may not be lurking in the woods at all, but buried deep within her own psych.”
“Alone Time has quietly followed me for over a decade,” director Rod Blackhurst said in a statement. “What began as a short film about isolation and the weight of life now feels more relevant than ever. The original short found its audience organically online long before that was considered a legitimate path for filmmakers. Bringing it to life as a feature allows us to explore those themes on a much larger and more psychologically unsettling canvas.”
Blackhurst is directing the feature length expansion.
You can watch the original Alone Time short film below.