Weekly Horror Round up - Saturday 6th June 2015

From an iconic screen legend to a legendary fictional sleuth Bradley Hadcroft returns for his Weekly Horror Round up of goings on in the world of the macabre and the suspenseful…

– Betsy Palmer

It was a week tinged with sadness for horror fans as another iconic genre legend died.Betsy Palmer(Death Tide) was beloved to the horror convention circuit and had a reputation as a kind and generous individual among her many fans and film makers alike.

The role that would immortalise her in horror history was of course that of the woman who gave birth to the ultimate slow walking slasher Jason Voorhees.According to CNN it was a job she only took because she felt sure that nobody would see the film and was desperate for the money to buy a car at the time.

The actress who once lived with the ultimate movie icon James Dean(Giant) for 8 months ed away from natural causes aged 88 years old.

– The Dark Tower

Easily one of the most ambitious projects in TV and film out there at the moment this adaptation of the outrageously violent sprawling soap opera from Steven King has appointed the director of it’s movie portion this week.The man charged with the task of overseeing a re-write and then steering the franchise in the right direction is Danish helmer Nikolaj Arcel.

He is critically acclaimed for his multi award winning work A Royal Affair but it is his writing credentials that could give a more solid pointer as to where the series may go.He penned the screenplays for Island of Lost Souls and 2009’s The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo and acted as story consultant on Ronal the Barbarian.This shows he can handle humour and grit a talent essential for coping with the source material.

Expect more news soon including who gets the job of dealing with the TV side of this monstrous epic.

– Scream TV Series

There was much axe grinding and fanboy teeth gnashing down in comment city this week.The source of this consternation was the first image of the new Ghostface mask(see above) for MTV’s reworking of the popular franchise.

“The new mask is cool and scary and takes the series into a new direction,” said Scream creator Wes Craven “It also ties into the story, which I won’t give away.”

“Is the new Ghostface supposed to scare people by giving blow-jobs? Seriously MTV, get rid of all the crap you have now (including this) and give us new episodes of Beavis and Butt-Head.” was one example of fan input indicative of the ensuing furor.

The series is set to premiere on June 30th and rumour has it Wes Craven has already booked a room in Tom Six’s critic proof anti-vitriol bunker.

– It Came From The Desert

This was originally a computer game for the Commodore Amiga(ask your dad)released in 1989 and based in the world of B-Movie cheese in general.More specifically it embraced the colony of aggravated mutant ants lovingly portrayed in 1954’s Them!. Now the eusocial insects have re-emerged from their “Mile deep Catacombs” by means of this weeks increasingly ubiquitous proof of concept video.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OYk4ZgqKk-w

– Trailer Watch

– We Are Still Here

Darling of the festival circuit and champion of all that is practical in effects this small but powerful horror film released it’s trailer online this week.The film has been recently endorsed by the directors of horror hit Starry Eyes as “a fun and effective ode to Fulci(The Beyond)” and it features a turn from scream queen Barbara Crampton(You’re Next).The actress and indeed her career continues to undergo a startling revitalisation and you can read a fascinating interview with her here at Influx.

Here is a synopsis taken from the movies world premiere at SXSW Film Festival :

“After their teenage son is killed in a car crash, Paul and Anne move to the quiet New England countryside to start over. But the grieving couple unknowingly become prey to a family of vengeful spirits that reside in their new home, and before long they discover that the seemingly peaceful town they’ve moved into is hiding a terrifyingly dark secret.”

We Are Still Here goes limited theatrical and VOD stateside on 5th June 2015 and is currently locking down a UK release.

– The Redwood Massacre

This UK made 80’s slasher homage upped it’s prominence this week with a blood soaked trailer.Clocking in at over 100 pints of claret for it’s death scenes it should satisfy the appetites of gore-hounds and retro heads alike.Here is the official synopsis of the flick from executive producer Lorraine Keith(Attack of the Herbals):

“For five adventurous friends, visiting the legendary murder site of the Redwood House has all the hallmarks of being an exciting and thrilling camping weekend away. A popular site for revellers and party goers, each year on the exact date of the famous local family massacre, people from around the country head out to the site to have fun and scare each other. Events take a bloody turn for the worse when the innocent campers discover the Redwood legend is in fact a horrible bloody reality, which turns the unsuspecting victims into prey for a mysterious axe wielding maniac that has remained dormant for 20 years.”

Before the trailer take a look at this awesome one off figure depicting the films killer :

The Redwood begins flowing with the red stuff on DVD & VOD 27th July 2015 in the UK and you can Pre-order here.

– Extinction

A new take on the zombie apocalypse is always welcome and this new effort from Vertical Entertainment certainly seems original if the latest HD trailer is anything to go by.Here is the official synopsis :

“Suddenly, overnight, the world came to a halt. Two men, two survivors, one kid, and a hatred that separates them. A place forgotten by everyone, including the creatures that inhabit the Earth… until now.”

Directed by Miguel Ángel Vivas, who was responsible for the ambitions calling card that was stunning home invasion masterpiece Kidnapped,the movie looks like it could break from convention in both content and style.

Keep an eye out for this super talented directors adaptation of Miguel Sáez Carral’s novel Apaches, a story of one mans immersion into a spiral of theft, assault and murder that could be breath taking in the right hands.

Extinction has already been released in Spain and is imminent stateside.

– Alleluia

At last an official trailer for this stupendous film surfaced on line this week along with the news of a dual theater and VOD release in the U.S. on July 17th 2015.

This terrifying melodrama is not just one of the best horror films of the year it is quite simply one of the best films of any kind of any year.Director Fabrice Du Welz(Calvaire) crafts an examination of obsessional love that starts off as laughable and ends up crawling so far under the skin it wraps itself around bone.

Frightfest carried this spot on synopsis when the film appeared as part of it’s 2014 line-up :

“Internet dating crook Michel meets his murderous match when he hooks up with damaged single mother Gloria who falls hopelessly in love with him despite realising his conman modus operandi. Oscillating between tension-filled gritty drama, mordant Sweeny Todd imagery (complete with song!) and enigmatic shock horror, Lola (VOLVER) Duenas shines as needy Gloria who will stop at nothing to get what she wants and whose all-consuming sexual intensity is frightening even to the demented Michel, an equally stunning turn from CALVAIRE’s Laurent Lucas.”

As soon as UK distribution details are known it will be reported here.

Blu ray release of the week :

Arrow Video is on fire as it locks down this accolade for a second week running with a classy and comprehensive presentation of Conan Doyle’s mystery horror classic.

Peter Cushing(The Beast Must Die) as Sherlock Holmes and André Morell(Stolen Face) as Watson investigate a case of supernatural canine activity in this faithful adaptation courtesy of Hammer productions.

A fine performance from Christopher Lee(Scars of Dracula) as Sir Henry Baskerville and astute direction from legendary genre director Terence Fisher(The Devil Rides Out) keeps the film consistently entertaining.

The movie also boasts a wonderfully subtle and expressive score from James Bernard(The Quatermass Xperiment )and appropriately atmospheric cinematography from Jack Asher best known for his work on the award winning Douglas Bader biopic Reach for the Sky.

The extras on the disc are ludicrous in their largess including :

Isolated Music and Effects Soundtrack
Release the Hound! – a brand new documentary looking at the genesis and making of the Hammer classic, featuring interviews with hound mask creator Margaret Robinson, film historian Kim Newman, actor/documentarian and co-creator of BBC’s Sherlock Mark Gatiss, and others
New audio commentary with Hammer experts Marcus Hearn and Jonathan Rigby

The Hound of the Baskervilles is easily up there with some of Hammer Films finest output and you can buy it in glorious High Definition (1080p) here .