GLASGOW ROUND UP Okay, so we lost Adam Green on some FROZEN snowbound runway in New York, and Vincenzo Natali had to SPLICE us out of his agenda due to crucial test screenings in America. But even with these Glasgow glitches, I think its fair to say that everyone thought our Scottish FrightFest was the best ever. Thanks to all our faithful Scottish fans for attending what has now become a firm date within the ever-growing-in-importance Glasgow Film Festival. You love your horror movies, you are intelligent and articulate about them when pounced on for your opinions, and we really do appreciate you spending time with us lowly Sassenach southerners. And thanks to all our other UK travelers and our intrepid London band who take trains, planes and automobiles for their mid winter Frightfest fix in anticipation of the August main event. How could we ever do without you?
Just as frightening as FROZEN were Adam’s valiant efforts to get to Glasgow for the European premiere of his Stateside hit. We knew he was pushing it really leaving the HATCHET 2 New Orleans locations for one day in FrightFest Land. But we couldn’t persuade him otherwise so it's doubly sad that all his Herculean efforts were finally scuppered by the airlines and blizzard weather. At one point Adam’s plane veered off the runway into a snowdrift. It was then we knew it was all over and Chris Smith was asked to step in with a preview of BLACK DEATH. All the Adam news was relayed by 2001 MANIACS: FIELD OF SCREAMS director Tim Sullivan who kicked off FrightFest in brilliant style with a funny and meaningful monologue. We would like to take the opportunity to thank Tim for bringing a real sense of occasion to our opening night when it could have proved a disappointment. We are pleased his movie played well and it seems that we have another friend for life in Tim who really stepped up the mark and couldn’t have been any nicer about it. (Alan still loves AVATAR though, for those who were there!)
Everyone felt STAG NIGHT had the best death scene and director Peter Dowling was clearly delighted by the reception to his world premiere. This one is really worth checking out when released by Kaleidoscope soon. Although it wasn’t the final re-mastered or restored print of A LIZARD IN A WOMAN’S SKIN as promised by Optimum Releasing because of time factors, it was the fully uncut version of Lucio Fulci’s giallo as painstakingly assembled by Nucleus Films Marc Morris from a myriad of different sources. Its experimental form was the perfect lead in to AMER, which as has been the case throughout its festival life, is a love it/hate it experience. Co-directors Helene Cattet and Bruno Forzani and producer Francois Cognard however couldn’t have been more pleased with the response. They deemed it their best festival experience ever, and felt double-billing AMER with a classic giallo was an inspired idea. That way an audience is completely put in the mood for understanding the art form.
[REC] 2 played through the roof as expected, especially as we had launched the first film in Glasgow two years ago. Before it our special guest Jake West did a brilliant presentation of the never-before-seen cut scenes from DOGHOUSE. Neil Marshall did his CENTURION bit before SPLICE too and stayed around with his wife Axelle Carolyn to hand out loads of freebies. Our last film was HARPOON: REYKJAVIK WHALE WATCHING MASSACRE, introduced by two of its leading players Miranda Hennessy and Terence Anderson, and it proved the ideal late night gore-fest treat.
Thanks again to all our guests who really made FrightFest Glasgow extra-special this year. Thanks Play.com (we loved the fab T-shirts). Thanks Allison Gardener and Allan Hunter for having us as part of their great Glasgow Film Festival. Thanks to everyone in the audience for their fantastic questions. And thanks to Adam Green who is probably still stuck in snow somewhere in America.
|
