Showing posts with label Ireland. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Ireland. Show all posts

23 January 2013

Monsters Pictures To Release The Fallow Field. A throwback to 1970's British Horror

No comments:
Press Release:

MEMENTO meets WOLF CREEK set against the backdrop of English harvest time’

THE FALLOW FIELD is one of the most original but twisted British horror films to be seen in years, and the debut feature from British filmmakers Leigh Dovey & Colin Arnold.

Not for the first time, amnesiac Matt Sadler (Steve Garry) awakes alone in the middle of a wilderness with no recollection of the past seven days. Finding his way home he discovers a life rapidly falling apart: his wife is convinced he’s hiding an affair, the police are suspicious of his repeated disappearances and now he is plagued by terrifying nightmares when he closes his eyes.

As disturbing slithers of memory gradually return to Matt he retraces his steps to uncover his missing actions during the blackouts. Matt’s search leads him out of the city and in to the countryside, to a remote farm owned by loner Calham (Michael Dacre). The cold farmer is suspicious of Matt but instantly sparks a dark sense of dĂ©jĂ  vu in his visitor. But Calham turns on Matt, imprisoning and interrogating him, before forcing him on a terrible journey of abduction and slaughter to show the amnesiac the twisted games they used to play together. As Matt’s fogged memory slowly begins to clear and he learns the two men share a violent history, the horrors of their past come skipping out of the darkness to greet them….

Genuinely dark and quintessentially English, The Fallow Field is a throwback to brutal horrors and thrillers made in the ‘70s.  Capturing some of the genre’s bleak tones and threat, its twisting plot, slowly building sense of dread as well as sudden shocks and visceral scenes make The Fallow Field a genuinely terrifying film. 

THE FALLOW FIELD will be released by Monster Pictures in the UK on DVD on 11 March 2013.



EXTRAS

·         Commentary with Director Leigh Dovey and Producer Colin Arnold
·         Trailer
·         Stills slideshow
·         The making of The Fallow Field 

“THE FALLOW FIELD is a handsome, thrilling and strange movie.”  John Landis (American Werewolf in London, )

Pre-Order/Buy:FALLOW FIELD, THE (Monster Pictures) (DVD)

27 August 2012

Frightfest 2012: The Inside Review

No comments:
Opening with a man pawning a ring for 75 euros and a camcorder, all accompanied by the voiceover of a radio DJ talking about three girls going missing of the streets of Dublin, The Inside soon transforms into yet another found-footage film as the man discovers the camcorder still has a tape in it and plays it back. However what he sees isn’t merely footage of a group of girls on a night out, but footage of the girls descent into madness and the very depths of hell. I absolutely hated (and I really mean hated) The Inside for the first 35 minutes of its running time. Shot in a first person perspective, the film started out with a group of obnoxious girls on a night out. It then descended into a series of jump-cut scenes of three psychos attacking and raping the girls in an abandoned warehouse (a stupid place for the girls to party in the first place). Between the ridiculous shaky-cam footage and the annoying screams of the girls I was ready to call it a day on the film. But then something happened. Mid-rape one of the three psychos is suddenly torn off the girl he is molesting, followed swiftly by the girl disappearing too! From then on the film takes a turn for the bizarre as it turns out the girls and the psychos are (possibly) not alone… To be brutally honest The Inside is not my type of genre film. By now, given the fact I mention it every time I’m lumbered with reviewing one, you all know I hate found-footage films. Nine times out of ten the filmmakers behind them get it wrong – both in terms of what makes a successful found-footage flick, but also what makes a really bad one. More often than not the choices behind making such a film err on the side of bad. The Inside however sits somewhere in the mid-ground. Yes, the film makes a lot of stylistic errors, none more so than too much shaky-cam, too much incessant screaming and not enough plot. But it does – at times – feature some particularly creepy imagery, akin to that of Perry Teo’s Necromentia or John Michael Elfers’ Finale (which also screened at Frightfest back in 2010) and to some extent Guillermo Del Toro’s Pans Labyrinth. And whilst it can’t compare to those films, what The Inside does do is offer up some interesting questions about what is worse: man or monster? And where do you draw the line? For that the film has to be commended. It’s just a shame that such a fantastic idea had to be wrapped up in such an annoying movie. If the main crux of the film had been as good as the films central theme, and its creepy final moments, then perhaps writer/director Eoin Macken (who also stars in the movie as the man in the pawn shop who obtains the tape) would have been on to a winner with The Inside. As it is now he gets an “A for effort” and a commendation for trying to bring a more philosophical question to a much-maligned genre. Was a review by Phil From Blogomatic3000 Rating: 18 Release Date: 26th August 2012 (world premier, Frightfest), 2013 (UK DVD) Directed By:Eoin Macken Cast:Karl Argue, Kellie Blaise, Siobhan Cullen, Brian Fortune,

16 July 2012

Irish Creature Feature GRABBERS Gets full Trailer!

No comments:























When it comes to Irish films they seem to be a little stereotypical, lots of booze and comedy but would you include Creature features? No but now you can as the full trailer for Jon Wright's GRABBERS. 

The film made it's U.K debut back in June at this years Edinburgh Film Festival (world premier Sundance) and left with some really positive reviews but now the film has 2 important dates coming up next month, it's Irish cinema release and a second U.K appearance this time at the mighty Film4 Frightfest (the 13th). Starring Richard Coyle, Russell Tovey and Ruth Bradley, the film is been described as 'Father Ted meets Aliens' even 'The Guard meets Tremors' with those quotes you can see why people are buzzing about this comedy horror. You could say this is Ireland's homage to HP Lovecraft with a big doze of Irish hospitality and laughs with Tremors invited along.

We caught the film at Edinburgh Film Festival , read our review and check out the films new poster  below. No UK or USA release dates, August 10th will be the official Irish release date and on August 23rd the film will appear at Film4 Frightfest.

Grabbers Official Trailer #1 (2012) HD Movie Published via LongTail.tv

Something sinister has come to the shores of Erin Island, unbeknownst to the quaint population of this sleepy fishing village resting somewhere off Ireland’s coast. First, some fishermen go missing. Then there is the rash of whale carcasses suddenly washing up on the beach. When the murders start, it’s up to two mismatched cops–an irresponsible alcoholic and his new partner, a by-the-book woman from the mainland–to protect the townsfolk from the giant, bloodsucking, tentacled aliens that prey upon them. Their only weapon, they discover, is booze. If they want to survive the creatures’ onslaught, everyone will have to get very, very drunk!

25 June 2012

EIFF 2012: Grabbers Review

No comments:
★★★1/2☆
Jon Wright's Irish set horror, Grabbers, feels like a welcome return to the days of the 1980s creature features laced with comedy. So far, it is also the most entertaining horror film of this years' Edinburgh International Film Festival.

After several dead whales wash up on the shores of Erin Island, Garda Officers CiarĂ¡n O'Shea (Richard Coyle) and Lisa Nolan (Ruth Bradley) are set on the case. They soon discover the presence of blood-sucking, tentacled aliens  on the island, promptly named "grabbers". However, it soon becomes clear that these creatures have an aversion to alcohol - so let the drinking ensue!

Part of the joy of Grabbers, is that it never takes itself too seriously, balancing both comedic and horror elements single handedly. It replicates the effortless whimsical charm of timeless monster features like Gremlins, Tremors and Critters - ensuring this is a fun watch from start to finish. Even the basic premise of Grabbers gives you an insight into the cheeky nature of the film - who doesn't want to see a town of drunks battle against aliens?

Grabbers may be fun, but it does not skimp on the darker horror elements. There are plenty of unexpected jumps and scares spread throughout - something that many other of Festival's horror films have been lacking. Wright's uses the eerily isolated Irish coastline for numerous creepy set pieces, from an attack on the beach to a country house invasion. There are also a variety of sweeping aerial shots capturing the picturesque qualities of the Irish setting.

Many a horror film has been let down by the eventual unveiling of its antagonist. Sometimes not seeing the source of the terror is far scarier than what is actually presented. However, the creature effects team behind the monsters in Grabbers, ensure that this is not the case. These are convincing, nasty looking monsters that are just as sinister on screen as they are when out of shot.

Grabbers also boasts a strong cast of excellent British character actors in well-written and engaging roles. Richard Coyle, who excelled in this year's Pusher remake, brings a truly endearing performance to Grabbers, whilst also proving to be equally talented whilst handling more comedic elements. The relationship between his slack, heavy drinking Garda officer and Ruth Bradley's straight-laced, young recruit, provides some welcome laughs. Bradley shows a wonderful sense of comic talent in Lisa Nolan's transformation from loveable prude to an even more loveable drunk - she is completely terrific throughout. Russell Tovey pops up for a smaller supporting role which provides a few laughs, but as good an actor as he is, the role is more annoying than entertaining.

A hilarious supporting cast continue Grabbers' charm offensive from Pascal Scott's turn as the town's cheeky GP to David Pearse and the excellent Bronagh Gallagher as the quaint local pub landlords.
Grabbers is a thoroughly enjoyable return to classic creature feature horror/comedy. Atmospheric direction, a perfectly comic screenplay and charming performances help Grabbers stand out from the rest of the festival's horror pictures. It is great fun.

Andrew McArthur


Stars: Richard CoyleRuth Bradley, Russell Tovey
Director: Jon Wright
Release: 25th June 2012(EIFF)

Grabbers trailer clip-2012-HD.mp4 Published via LongTail.tv