© London FrightFest Ltd. 2000-2007

20th February 2007.

Just back from the FrightFest one-day event as part of the Glasgow Film Festival. And to say we were really pleased by the reaction is an understatement. Numbers were well up on last year (helped by all you lovely people who travelled to support us) and our nicely rounded five-film programme seemed to go down well. As usual people’s opinions varied dramatically but the world premiere of The Tripper played better than expected. So did Turistas that will finally open in the UK under the new title Paradise Lost in June. Both S&Man and the Pang Brothers’ American debut The Messengers came in for as much praising as trashing, completely echoing general worldwide reactions. Motel Hell proved a retro blast for those in for the day pass long haul and then it was out with Paul and Ian to some dodgy Northern Soul club for most of the London contingent. What was particularly gratifying was how many Scottish horror fans came up to offer us their appreciation.  This was not lost on GFF co-director Allison Gardner who has already asked us back again next year.  We will be delighted of course.

Here’s a quick round up of mostly everything I’ve seen for review recently. Ghost Rider is a pretty silly popcorn picture and probably the most conventional superhero origin story of all. Directed by Mark Steven Johnson of Daredevil infamy so what did anyone expect? .300 should have been better. It’s a faithful adaptation of Frank Miller’s graphic novel about the Battle of Thermopylae in 480 BC. As thrilling, stylish and gory as the CGI rendering is, its historical two-dimensionality gradually saps excitement. You want Spartan King Gerard Butler to stop shouting his lines in top pitch too although Old Compton Street hordes will line up for the buff bodies on continuous display. The Breed is the Wes Craven produced canine Night of the Living Dead movie we tried to show at FrightFest 2006 because it has enough jumpy business going on to separate it from the routine Cujo pack. Don’t get me started on Transylvania, a gypsy road movie that screeches to a halt every so often to showcase Romany chanting, dancing and folk singing. For the Asia Argento completist only. Or Factory Girl starring Page 3 celebrity (i.e. non-entity who can’t act) Sienna Miller as doomed Andy Warhol muse Edie Sedgwick. I was part of the Factory crowd in the early Seventies (yet more for the autobiography) and if it had been like the way director George Hickenlooper paints it, I would never have got involved. How anyone could make such an interesting life so banal and boring is beyond me!  Away From Her is the directorial debut of Dawn of the Dead remake star Sarah Polley, long considered a Canadian talent to watch. It’s a challenging look at the effect of Alzheimer’s disease on a long marriage and features an incredible performance from Sixties Brit dolly bird Julie Christie. The recent Oscar race is over but Christie will definitely be a contender next year. Another powerful masterpiece, and one of my two current favourites, is the Best European Film 2006 The Lives of Others. A gripping and moving story about oppression in East Germany just prior to the Berlin Wall falling, you should not miss this on any account. Nor the other April release I’m currently championing, Danny Boyle’s dazzling Sunshine that brings 2001 thought provocation and fabulously designed special effects back to the moribund sci-fi genre.

Until the next time.