24th December 2006.

Alan Jones is a bit snowed under with work at the moment, which he will I'm sure fill you in on in his next blog. In the mean time Paul and Ian have manfully stepped into his shoes.

 

Just a few lines from me to say thank you all so much for your support in all things FrightFest this year. It's been a pretty crazy one what with the main August headline event - so many great people and memories that I can't even express in mere words (let's raise a glass to next years), the various local mini events in Glasgow, Cambridge and Brighton. The Hostel one-off day at the Prince Charles which seems soooo long ago now, the continued messages and comments from all you good regular fest folk on the web site, the beer n dancing Christmas night which was lots o fun (we WILL do another), the much-read Cannes and Toronto coverage, Giles and Alan's exceptional regular web blogs, I could go on but... I think next year will see some changes and tinkerings, in fact as I type your 3 regular festival chaps will be meeting in swinging Soho for a Christmas drink and our 1st proper festival 2007 meeting.

 

As in my thread on the forum here are my favourite fantasy flicks of the year:

 

1. Pan's Labyrinth. Guillermo's masterpiece (to date) and what a great film to kick off the event this year.

2. Children of Men. Extraordinary film making of the highest order.

3. The Lost. My personal favourite off-the -wall undiscovered gem of a film from this years festival. I hope this gets UK/US distribution soon.

4. Crank. Pure unadulterated cinematic adrenalin and best watched with a rowdy, boozy, bunch of close mates on a Friday night in London.

5. Severance The comedy and horror just works so well - a very difficult thing to pull off.

6. Hatchet and the lovely Adam Green who has been touring the World praising and plugging the hell out of our festival (thanks mate) and he delivered a great old school horror and followed Mr Del T's genius - a very hard act to follow I'm sure you'll agree.

 

So what's gonna top next years best of lists - and what will we be showing - I will leave the Glasgow event telling or teasing to Mr Rattray - but it IS a cracking February line-up. At the moment who knows as release dates and schedules are an ever-changing thing but we all have The Third Mother, Grindhouse, and a hundred more eagerly awaited titles to look forward to. In fact flicking through the latest issue of Fangoria you fest regs will have seen a bunch of next years US crop already...Pans, Host, Hatchet, Sheitan, Behind the Mask - it reads like the FrightFest brochure!

 

Anyway, before I sign over to Ian just to say thanks to you all and have a fantastic Christmas and a peaceful New Year - see you in 2007! Paul. xx

 

I'm unable to announce the final list of films for our FrightFest Presents event in Glasgow until early January. The information for our 2nd day of Scottish terror on February 17 is embargoed, until the full programme for the Glasgow Film Festival, which our day is part of, is announced. However, no one said that I couldn't drop a few hints. The first two films have already been announced on frightfest.co.uk. As for the remaining three UK premiers - the first is an old style slasher from an "A" list Hollywood actor sitting behind the cameras for the first time, the second is the first of two English language films from Asian horror gods (that one is not to difficult to work out) and finally, some gore in the jungle that was pulled from a previous event. So probably good as announced. The full list will be in the first newsletter that is ready to go and will be sent out just after the New Year, when the web site will also be updated.

 

For me personally 2006 has been a year of new FrightFest challenges. I took over the design and up keep of the web site. I also designed, laid out and supervised the printing of the festival programme on my own for the first time.

 

My favourite film of 2006 was The Host. I'm genuinely surprised that the film has not turned up in more end of year lists. Other faves include, The Departed, United 93, Casino Royale, Hatchet, Puritan, Pan's Labyrinth and Walk The Line.

 

As for 2007, I look forward to making the web site more interesting with more and varied content, beating those f**king spammers, the scourge of the forum at the moment and generally keeping FrightFest ticking over. Enjoy Christmas and I hope 2007 brings you everything that you wish for. Ian. xx

 

Untill the next time.

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