THE HOUSE OF THE DEVIL. (2008) REVIEW BY SANDRA HARRIS.

You're Next DVD Review

Genre:
Horror, thriller
Rating:
18
Distributor:
Lionsgate Films UK
DVD/BD Release Date:
13th January 2014 (UK)
Director:
Adam Wingard
Cast:
Sharni Vinson, Joe Swanberg, AJ Bowen, Joe Swanberg, Ti West
Buy You're Next: DVD or Blu-ray [Amazon]
Adam Wingard and Simon Barrett are making quite a name for themselves as contenders in modern horror. If you check out 2010’s A Horrible Way to Die, then the two VHS films that have appeared since then, you will see a curve of improvement that should garner some keen interest. The pair’s latest offering is their best to date; a home invasion thriller married with horror imagery, family drama, and a sharp black humour.

You’re Next’s premise is simple: a family celebration interrupted by brutal masked mercenaries, who are surprised to find one of their victims has a knack for violence and survival. After a seductive yet brutal prologue, the heat turns down to allow us entry to its characters proving Wingard and Barrett are wise to the pitfalls of the modern horror film: lack of character = lack of shits given when they get dispatched. And make no mistake they get brutally dispatched. Giving us at least half the film to understand the politics of the Davison family could seem a bit overboard in a film of this ilk, but it’s exactly why You’re Next stands out amidst last year’s slashers and terror trips. That, and a blender.

Sharni Vinson’s turn as Erin is one of the strongest points in the feature, remoulding the classic slasher girl into a merciless home-defence guru come brutal combatant. Vinson’s sharp delivery and no-bullshit attitude will have you cheering in an era still too reliant on the utter stupidity of not just its murder-fodder (steroid huffing jocks and fraternity bitches) but its lead roles too. Gushing about the cast doesn’t stop there, Joe Swanberg flaunts perfect comic timing as Crispian’s asshole brother, House of the Devil director Ti West pops up in a minor role, whilst Stuart Gordon regular Barbara Crampton makes a most welcome return to the screen as the Davison children’s mother.

You’re Next flaunts an appreciation for classic horror but doesn’t actively engage, its not taking up the postmodern element but it does feel like a retrospective of late-70’s slasher tropes. Rather than being a rip-off, Wingard and Barrett have recycled some images and tones that bolster their feature as an impressively constructed thriller with moments of horror that actually have the power to intimidate. On a bum note, as the tension winds and the blood splashes, the soundtrack switches to a weird hark-back synth sound, which dangerously compromises the intensity of the film at points. The almost playful scoring highlights why You’re Next works so well: because it doesn’t desperately try to emulate everything that’s gone before.

Genre hybridity does not equal “Game-Changer” however, as many reviews seem to think , and anyone going into the film expecting The Cabin in the Woods will be sorely disappointed. Instead of changing the face of the genre, You’re Next stands its ground as an enjoyable venture by surprising the audience with well executed plot, scares, practical effects, fleshed out characters, and a keen sense of humour. You probably won’t laugh out loud, but there are plenty of moments to remind the audience that Barrett and Wingard are in complete control of their project.

You’re Next is a concise, rip-roaring sort of ride the likes of which only come around every once in a blue moon.  Expertly put together, at points chilling, at points hilarious, always entertaining, here is horror cinema at its most enjoyable from bloody beginning to outrageous ending without forsaking any intensity what so ever.

★★★★☆

Scott Clark

TIFF 2013 Review - The Sacrament

Rating:
15
Directed By:
Ti West
Cast:
Joe Swanberg, Amy Seimetz, AJ Bowen
Release Date:
8th, 10th & 13th September (TIFF)

New Splat Pack maestro Ti West wowed us back in 2009 with House of the Devil then again last year with Innkeepers. Whilst House of the Devil was a slow burning kind of 70’s hark-back, Innkeepers was very much a modern horror.  His latest feature, The Sacrament, played at Toronto’s International Film Festival, but is it any good?

Unfortunately West goes for the slow burning thing again and it doesn’t pull off. Any slower and you’d be catatonic. The Sacrament is a film in the spirit of The Wicker Man but way less spooky. Two reporters ( AJ Bowen and Joe Swanberg) venture into South America after a friend receives a summons from his estranged sister. The trio arrive to discover the sister is living in an idyllic but secluded religious convent lorded over by the mysterious ‘Father’ (Gene Jones). About half way through you’re going to start wondering what the point of the film is, because it certainly isn’t to scare or entertain. Sure there’s an interesting concept here, but when the final act kicks off you realise that this has been a one trick pony: a script formulated around its ending, and no film should merely be a means to its own end.

Step away from the lack of substance and look at it from a different angle, then you can see that there are plenty of great components at work. The set for one is fantastic, no arguments there. But where Eli Roth’s The Green Inferno managed to successfully convey hell in a South American paradise, West squanders a set on an uneventful plotline and flopped mounting tension. By this I mean that West orchestrates his characters into position, presents us with the stage, but then it doesn’t really go anywhere bar its predictable finale. Actually, there’s one sequence of particular merit that ignites interest in the long shadowy boredom of the feature.

The performance of Gene Jones (the only man to win a coin toss in No Country for Old Men) is a carrot on a stick, enticing us through the film. Like Michael parks in Red State, there’s something utterly watchable about religious zealots, and they have the followers to prove it. Jones’s interview sequence with AJ Bowen, is one of the few really great moments in the film, its more intense than most of the film, and shows how much shit the three guys are in. Jones is masterful in his execution of dangerous hospitality and manipulation, as is Amy Seimetz as religious nut Caroline.

Bar a few great performances, West disappoints here with a predictable escapade into religious mania, perhaps faulted by its positioning as a post-Red State feature. Even then it’s still dull as dishwater, void of previously flaunted visual flare, and lacking any real drive to develop its characters. When the inevitable set piece kicks off, you really won’t care who survives.


★½☆☆☆

Scott Clark

The ABC's of Death DVD Review

Rating: 18
Home Release Date (UK):
22nd July 2013
Director:
Adam Wingard, Ti West, Ben Wheatey
Cast:
Erik Aude, Iván González, Lee Hardcastle, Ingrid Bolsø Berdal
Buy:[Blu-ray], [DVD]
The ABC’s of Death is probably one of the most ambitious horror spectacles ever conceived: 25 letters of the alphabet, 25 directors from all over the world, and total free reign on the choice of project other than sticking to your letter. Obviously with something this big, spanning numerous countries and cultures, the outcome was always going to be eclectic and, most of all, utterly bizarre.

Directors like Jason Eisener (Hobo with a Shotgun), Ben Wheatley (Kill List), and Ti West (House of The Devil) answer the call to add their own short vision of horror, but most important perhaps is that the ABC’s consist of new and upcoming talent. Adam Wingard and Ti West are of course no strangers to anthology horror having been responsible for two segments of last year’s VHS, however while Wingard’s humorous Q is for Quack steps out of the screen to offer a break from excessive gore and disturbia, West’s short M is for Miscarriage is a dull and disappointing attempt from an accomplished new name in horror. This perhaps best encapsulates the spirit of the project, the ABC’s is not a compendium of horror shorts, it’s an exploration of the limits and potential contents of horror. Some of the films are wonderful and leave us wanting more than the little peak we’ve had, whilst others can’t finish quick enough.

One of the most endearing qualities of the ABC’s is the vast array of styles and tones which combine to make it a true variety performance. Marcel Sarmiento’s D is for Dogfight channels Guy Ritchie-esque grit whilst boasting one of the roundest and most accomplished stories. Timo Tjahjanto’s L is for Libido is hands-down the most disturbing of the films achieving genuinely sickening reaction and proving to be the most troubling to watch. In terms of visual impact Bruno Forzani and Helene Cattet’s O is for Orgasm wins top prize, addressing the death/sex relationship in the most experimental, beautiful, and accomplished entry to the film. The ABC’s is far from perfect viewing though,  many of the films dwindle into obscurity or punch a little too high, or sometimes even achieve a level of abrasion that surpasses discomfort and goes straight to irritating. F is for Fart and Z is for Zetsumetsu, two of the Japanese entries, are so utterly bonkers and ridiculously anti-narrative that they become tiresome quickly. I could go through the whole lot but it would ruin some wonderful/awful surprises since watching the ABC’s totally blind is perhaps the best way, especially when the titles are often the punch lines to elaborate and unsettling tales.

Horror gets a bad rap as a dead-end genre with little left to say except scream, stab, and torture; there are no more lines to cross, or envelopes to push. Yet here we find a truly interesting cross-section of modern horror from across the globe addressing a varied selection of subjects. The ABC’s of Death are far from perfect, the bad films tend to be the ones that blatantly go for the shock factor, whilst the really bad are the ones that inspire no reaction what so ever. Thankfully there’s not too many of those. Somewhere in there are the makings of something great: many of the entries are unsettling, some are hilarious, others are simply batshit bonkers insane. Key to this film are the constant feelings that things are being examined, mulled over, situations are being addressed whilst the viewer tries to figure out what the hell is going on. The envelope has indeed been pushed.

★★★★☆

Scott Clark

J Is For July Release Of The ABCs Of Death In UK on DVD, BluRay

Monster Pictures announced today the full list of extras that will be included on the UK DVD and Blu-ray release of The ABCs of Death.

The ABCs of Death is perhaps the most ambitious anthology film ever conceived with productions spanning fifteen countries and featuring segments directed by over two dozen of the world's leading talents in contemporary genre film, including the directors of House of the Devil, Hobo with a Shotgun, A Serbian Film, Tokyo Gore Police, You’re Next & four British Directors - Ben Wheatley (Sightseers), Simon Rumley (Red, White & Blue), Jake West (Doghouse) & Leeds based Lee Hardcastle, who with his claymation short, won a competition to be the final Director. Inspired by children’s educational books, the motion picture is comprised of twenty-six individual chapters; each helmed by a different director assigned a letter of the alphabet. The directors were then given free rein in choosing a word to create a story involving death. Provocative, shocking, funny and ultimately confrontational, The ABCs of Death is the definitive vision of modern horror diversity.

This alphabetical arsenal of destruction orchestrated by what has been described as "a stunning roll call of some of the most exciting names in horror across the world." is one of the most hotly anticipated releases for 2013, and will be released on DVD & Blu-ray on 22 July 2013.

The DVD & Blu-ray extras are as follows:

- Filmmaker Commentary
- A Is for Apocalypse - Oil Burns Visual Effects
- B Is for Bigfoot - Making of
- C Is for Cycle - Deleted Scenes
- D Is for Dogfight - Making of
- F Is for Fart - Behind the Scenes
- H Is for Hydro-Electric Diffusion – Behind the Scenes, The Making of Bertie the Bulldog & Frau Scheisse and Finished Short vs. Behind the Scenes
- I Is for Ingrown - Making of
- J Is for Jidai-Geki - Behind the Scenes
- P Is for Pressure - Interviews with Writer/Director Simon Rumley and Producer/Director of Photography Milton Cam
- R Is for Removed - Behind the Scenes Photo Gallery
- T Is for Toilet - Behind the Scenes
- V Is for Vagitus - Deleted Scene, Behind the Scenes and Animatics.
- W Is for WTF! - Behind the Scenes, Bonus Flubs! and Star-Beast Outtakes
- Z Is for Zetsumetsu (Extinction) - Behind the Scenes
- AXS TV: A Look at The ABCs of Death
- Do You Know Your ABCs Trailer
- Redband Trailer

- Greenband Trailer


THE SHORTS
Apocalypse by Nacho Vigalondo (TimeCrimes), Spain
Bigfoot by Adrían Garcia Bogliano (Cold Sweat), Mexico
Cycle by Ernesto Díaz Espinoza (Mirageman; Mandrill), Chile
Dogfight by Marcel Sarmiento (Deadgirl), USA
Exterminate by Angela Bettis (Roman), USA
Fart by Noburu Iguchi, (Robo Geisha), Japan
Gravity by Andrew Traucki (The Reef), Australia
Hydro-Electric Diffusion by Thomas Malling (Norwegian Ninja), Norway
Ingrown by Jorge Michel Grau (We Are What We Are), Mexico
Jidai-Geki by Yudai Yamaguchi (Yakuza Weapon), Japan
Klutz by Anders Morgenthaler (Princess), Denmark
Libido by Timo Tjahjanto (Macabre), Indonesia
Miscarriage by Ti West (House of the Devil; The Innkeepers), USA
Nuptials by Banjong Pisathanakun (Shutter), Thailand
Orgasm by Bruno Forzani & Héléne Cattet (Amer), Belgium
Pressure by Simon Rumley (Red, White & Blue), UK
Quack by Adam Wingard (A Horrible Way to Die), USA
Removed by Srdjan Spasojevic (A Serbian Film), Serbia
Speed by Jake West (Doghouse), UK
Toilet by Lee Hardcastle (T is For Toilet), UK
Unearthed by Ben Wheatley (Kill List), UK
Vagitus by Kaare Andrews (Altitude), USA
WTF! by Jon Schnepp (Metalocalypse; The Venture Bros.), USA
XXL by Xavier Gens (Frontiers; Hitman), France
Youngbuck by Jason Eisener (Hobo With A Shotgun), Canada
Zetsumetsu by Yoshihiro Nishimura (Tokyo Gore Police), Japan

Buy The ABCs Of Death:DVD / BLU-RAY

GFF2013 - ABCs Of Death Getting A UK&Irish April Release

Monster Pictures announced today that The ABCs of Death, an anthology of 26 short films, directed by 26 Directors depicting 26 ways to die will be released theatrically in the UK & Eire in 26 cinemas nationwide on the 26 April 2013.

· 26 Directors

· 26 ways to die

· 26 cinemas

· 26 April 2013

The ABCs of Death is perhaps the most ambitious anthology film ever conceived with productions spanning fifteen countries and featuring segments directed by over two dozen of the world's leading talents in contemporary genre film, including the directors of House of the Devil, Hobo with a Shotgun, A Serbian Film, Tokyo Gore Police, You’re Next & four British Directors - Ben Wheatley (Sightseers), Simon Rumley (Red, White & Blue), Jake West (Doghouse) & Leeds based Lee Hardcastle, who with his claymation short, won a competition to be the final Director. Inspired by children’s educational books, the motion picture is comprised of twenty-six individual chapters, each helmed by a different director assigned a letter of the alphabet. The directors were then given free rein in choosing a word to create a story involving death.

This alphabetical arsenal of destruction orchestrated by what has been described as "a stunning roll call of some of the most exciting names in horror across the world." is one of the most hotly anticipated releases for 2013. When the trailer received its first UK airing, last year, it was screened to a packed audience at the 13th Frightfest, Empire Cinema, Leicester Square, the 2 minute clip received rapturous applause from the attending audience. The film will receive its UK premiere at the this year’s Glasgow Film Festival as part of Film4Frightfest (Tickets for this event are now sold out) and its Irish premiere at the inaugural Twisted Celluloid Film Festival at the Triskel Arts Centre.Cinehouse & The People's Movies will be attending the whole of Film4 Frightfest @Glasgow Film Festival so stay tuned for our review but if you enjoyed the recent V/H/S film you'll dig this one, If your attending do say hello as I'll be one of The Ushers during the weekend.

Monster Pictures UK have also gave us the list of  26 cinemas you can catch ABCs Of Death at before that check out the full list of short films and the 26 directors behind them....

The Short Films & Directors
Apocalypse by Nacho Vigalondo (TimeCrimes), Spain
Bigfoot by Adrían Garcia Bogliano (Cold Sweat), Mexico
Cycle by Ernesto Díaz Espinoza (Mirageman; Mandrill), Chile
Dogfight by Marcel Sarmiento (Deadgirl), USA
Exterminate by Angela Bettis (Roman), USA
Fart by Noburu Iguchi, (Robo Geisha), Japan
Gravity by Andrew Traucki (The Reef), Australia
Hydro-Electric Diffusion by Thomas Malling (Norwegian Ninja), Norway
Ingrown by Jorge Michel Grau (We Are What We Are), Mexico
Jidai-Geki by Yudai Yamaguchi (Yakuza Weapon), Japan
Klutz by Anders Morgenthaler (Princess), Denmark
Libido by Timo Tjahjanto (Macabre), Indonesia
Miscarriage by Ti West (House of the Devil; The Innkeepers), USA
Nuptials by Banjong Pisathanakun (Shutter), Thailand
Orgasm by Bruno Forzani & Héléne Cattet (Amer), Belgium
Pressure by Simon Rumley (Red, White & Blue), UK
Quack by Adam Wingard (A Horrible Way to Die), USA
Removed by Srdjan Spasojevic (A Serbian Film), Serbia
Speed by Jake West (Doghouse), UK
Toilet by Lee Hardcastle (T is For Toilet), UK
Unearthed by Ben Wheatley (Kill List), UK
Vagitus by Kaare Andrews (Altitude), USA
WTF! by Jon Schnepp (Metalocalypse; The Venture Bros.), USA
XXL by Xavier Gens (Frontiers; Hitman), France
Youngbuck by Jason Eisener (Hobo With A Shotgun), Canada
Zetsumetsu by Yoshihiro Nishimura (Tokyo Gore Police), Japan

26 Cinemas
ABERDEEN, The Belmont Picturehouse http://bit.ly/12mkxl8
BELFAST, QFT http://www.queensfilmtheatre.com/films/theabcsofdeath/
BRIGHTON, Duke of York's Picturehouse http://www.picturehouses.co.uk/cinema/Duke_Of_Yorks/
BRISTOL, Watershed http://www.watershed.co.uk/
CAMBRIDGE, Arts Picturehouse http://www.picturehouses.co.uk/cinema/Arts_Picturehouse_Cambridge/
CANTERBURY, Gulbenkian Cinema http://www.kent.ac.uk/gulbenkian/
CARDIFF, Chapter http://www.chapter.org/index.html
DERBY Quad www.derbyquad.co.uk
EDINBURGH, Cameo Picturehouse http://bit.ly/WSBz6o
EXETER, Exeter Picturehouse http://bit.ly/Tyl2EQ
GLASGOW, The Grosvenor Cinema http://www.grosvenorcafe.co.uk/cinema.php
LEEDS, Hyde Park Picture House http://bit.ly/YwrT0s
LEICESTER, Phoenix Square http://phoenix.org.uk/
LONDON, Stratford East Picturehouse http://www.picturehouses.co.uk/cinema/Stratford_London/
LONDON, Clapham Picturehouse http://bit.ly/WSqUbN
LONDON, Hackney Picturehouse http://bit.ly/X9y0ai
LONDON, Greenwich Picturehouse http://www.picturehouses.co.uk/cinema/Greenwich_Picturehouse/
LONDON, Ritzy Picturehouse, Brixton http://bit.ly/URkpFN
LONDON, Prince Charles Cinema http://www.princecharlescinema.com/index.php
LIVERPOOL, Picturehouse at FACT http://bit.ly/VyFZME
NEWCASTLE, Tyneside Cinema https://www.tynesidecinema.co.uk/
NORWICH, Cinema City http://bit.ly/WLv1U5
OXFORD, Phoenix Picturehouse http://bit.ly/Y4RoUN
SOUTHAMPTON, Harbour Lights Picturehouse http://bit.ly/11AGZa2
STRATFORD-UPON-AVON, Stratford Picturehouse http://bit.ly/XiCVnl
YORK, City Screen Picturehouse http://bit.ly/Y4RMCC

Tickets for many of the venues are available to pre-order now. The ABCs of Death will also be previewed in selected cities around the UK. Further details will be announced shortly.

Provocative, shocking, funny and ultimately confrontational, The ABCs of Death is the definitive vision of modern horror diversity.

For further information and details about The ABCs of Death go to the film’s official website www.26waystodie.com and follow on Twitter @26waystodie

A DVD and Blu-ray edition of The ABCs of Death are set to be released on 3 June 2013. Pre-order now from Amazon and other online outlets DVD or BLU-RAY. Details about extras and special features will be announced later this year.

Competition - Win V/H/S On Blu-Ray

“The scariest, rawest horror movie of the year” (Rolling Stone) is shortly upon us; the highly original, brutally uncompromising, creative and diverse V/H/S – out on DVD & Blu-ray January 28th (out in select UK cinemas January 18th) through Momentum Pictures.

To celebrate the release of V/H/S, we’re giving away a copy on Blu-ray!

A small group of misfit friends and petty crooks are hired by a mysterious man to break into a derelict suburban house with the sole purpose of finding and stealing a rare videotape. Their only clue to identifying the tape in question is, “You’ll know it when you see it.”

However, on arrival at the house they soon realize the job isn’t as straightforward as they imagined. In one room they discover the lifeless body of a middle-aged man sitting in an armchair, facing a wall of television sets and a stack of VHS cassettes. A similar bounty of tapes is found in the basement, none of which bears any obvious markings to suggest it is the prize they are seeking. As they search through the tapes, playing them in turn, they are treated to a succession of graphic and apparently genuine video recordings, each one more shocking and bizarre than the last.

To win V/H/S on Blu-ray please answer the following question:

Q.In the Late 1970's into 1980's VHS had a rival video format, what was that format called?

A.Betavideo
B.B-VHS
C.Betamax 

Send your Answer, name, address, postcode ONLY to winatcinehouseuk@gmail.com 

Deadline for entry is 17th February 2013 (2359hrs) (Must aged 18 or Older to enter)

Label your email  V/H/S     Read our DVD Review

Terms & Conditions:1.This prize is non transferable.No cash alternatives apply.UK & Irish entries only.2.The Peoples Movies, Cinehouse and Momentum Pictures . have the right to alter, delay or cancel this competition without any notice 3.The competition is not opened to employees, family, friends of The Peoples Movies, Cinehouse ,Momentum Pictures  employees 4.This competition is promoted on behalf of Momentum Pictures 5. If this prize becomes unavailable we have the right to offer an alternative prize instead 6.To enter this competition you must send in your answer, name, address only, Deadline 17th February 2013 (2359hrs)7.Will only accept entries sent to the correct email (winatcinehouseuk@gmail.com), any other entry via any other email will be void.8.If the above form fails please send the information required from the form email it to win [at] thepeoplesmovies [dot] com (label vhs) If any info required from the form is not sent in the email your entry will be void 9.automated entries are not allowed and will be disqualified, which could result you been banned.10.If you are friend or like us at facebook for every competition you enter you get double entry, but you must stay stay friend/like us all the time,or future entries maybe considered one entry.11.The Peoples Movies, Cinehouse takes no responsibility for delayed, lost, stolen prizes 12.Prizes may take from days to a few months for delivery which is out of our control13.The competition is opened to Aged 18 and over.14. Majority of the prizes on offer will come from representatives of the distributor, no The People’s Movies &Cinehouse, when we do have the prizes we will inform you.15. Unless Stated Please Do Not Include Telephone Numbers, we don’t need them and if you include your telephone number Cinehouse and The People’s Movies are not responsible for the security of the number 16.The winning entries will be picked at random and contacted by email or announced via facebook, sometimes we are unable to confirm winners.17.This competition is bound by the rules of Scotland,England & Wales, Northern Ireland, Ireland.18.By sending your entry for this competition you are confirming you have read and agreed to these Terms & Conditions.

…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..
UK Competitions and Prize Draws at UKwins
Loquax Competitions
Free Competitions
ThePrizeFinder – UK Competitions

This Is Killer Watch New UK TV Spot For V/H/S

In 7 days time The scariest, rawest horror movie of the year as described by Rolling Stone; the highly original, brutally uncompromising, creative and diverse V/H/S - out in UK cinemas January 18th through Momentum Pictures. We caught the film back at its UK premier at last June's Edinburgh Film Festival, how scary is it? Read our review here!

And so to prepare ourselves for what is being heralded as “A surefire candidate for cult status” (Little White Lies), we have a new promo UK TV Spot with a glimpse into the scares and thrills that lie ahead.

A small group of misfit friends and petty crooks are hired by a mysterious man to break into a derelict suburban house with the sole purpose of finding and stealing a rare videotape. Their only clue to identifying the tape in question is, “You’ll know it when you see it.”
However, on arrival at the house they soon realize the job isn’t as straightforward as they imagined. In one room they discover the lifeless body of a middle-aged man sitting in an armchair, facing a wall of television sets and a stack of VHS cassettes. A similar bounty of tapes is found in the basement, none of which bears any obvious markings to suggest it is the prize they are seeking. As they search through the tapes, playing them in turn, they are treated to a succession of graphic and apparently genuine video recordings, each one more shocking and bizarre than the last.

V/H/S wil arrive in UK&Ireland cinematically 18th January but if your unable to see this scare-tastic film, 28th January the film will be available on DVD, Blu-ray.

Learn The Alphabet With Boobs And The Insane ABC's Of Death

We love anthologies especially ones of the horror variety but sometimes the short films that make up the film can be diverse in themes and even quality. We're looking forward to the UK January release of V/H/S and now we can add another anthology film ABCs Of Death and today we have the film's insane red band trailer.

Whilst V/H/S is anthology of 5 or 6 filmmaker ABC's Of Death is 26 directors delivering 26 ways to die in short films keeping the theme death. The directors where given Minuit budget but unlimited creative freedom making sure the film makers provide a little something for everyone. Its an ambitious project which to the untrained eye be a bit inconsistent but a fun film for horror with each director assigned a letter giving us an interesting way to learn A's and B's.The film has been playing on the festival circuit the past few months and if you where at last month's Frightfest Halloween all-nighter you would have enjoyed this film.

Massive roster which includes some big players in horror: aare Andrews (Altitude), USA
Angela Bettis (Roman), USA,Ernesto Diaz Espinoza (Mirageman; Mandrill), Chile
Jason Eisener (Hobo With A Shotgun), Canada,Bruno Forzani & Héléne Cattet (Amer), Belgium,Adrian Garcia Bogliano (Cold Sweat), Mexico,Xavier Gens (Frontiers; Hitman), France
Jorge Michel Grau (We Are What We Are), Mexico, Noburo Iguchi, (Robo Geisha), Japan
Thomas Malling (Norwegian Ninja), Norway, Anders Morgenthaler (Princess), Denmark, Yoshihrio Nishimura (Tokyo Gore Police), Japan, Banjong Pisathanakun (Shutter),Thailand, Simon Rumley (Red, White & Blue), UK, Marcel Sarmiento (Deadgirl), USA,Jon Schnepp (Metalocalypse; The Venture Bros.), USA, Srdjan Spasojevic (A Serbian Film), Serbia, Timo Tjahjanto (Macabre), Indonesia, Andrew Traucki (The Reef), Australia, Nacho Vigalondo (TimeCrimes), Spain, Jake West (Doghouse), UK, Ti West (House of the Devil; The Innkeepers), USA,Ben Wheatley (Sightseers; Kill List), UK,Adam Wingard (A Horrible Way to Die), USA
Yudai Yamaguchi (Yakuza Weapon), Japan and Lee Hardcastle (T Is For Toilet), UK.If your familiar with the list of filmmakers you'll know what you'll get with this horrorfest.

No word on a UK&Irish release but when it does come expect sometime 2013.

sourceYahoo

Frightfest 2012: V/H/S Review

★★★★1/2

Found footage horror, V/H/S has completely revitalised a played-out, repetitive style of filmmaking with six chilling anthology tales. Ti West (House of The Devil), Glenn McQuaid ((I Sell The Dead) and Adam Wingard (A Horrible Way To Die) are just three of the directors to contribute to this chilling anthology.

V/H/S opens with a group of criminals assaulting young women and vandalising property. They are hired by an anonymous client to break into an abandoned house and obtain a mysterious video tape. The group begin to work their way through a series of terrifying tapes, each revealing a different short film.

V/H/S manages to fuse so many horror sub-genres together in an innovative and chilling manner, capturing all that fans love in the genre. However, this is not clear from the shaky onset, where teenagers victimise young women, whilst filmed on a handheld camera - it was a struggle to engage with this. As these young men break into the abandoned house and the horror starts, director, Adam Wingard completely pulls it together. This over-arching story is just as tense and disturbing as any of the segments that it flawlessly seems together.

The first segment from David Bruckner (The Signal) entitled Amateur Night follows three college freshmen with video recording spy glasses, hoping to pick up some easy girls and make a sex tape. However, one of the girls who has been brought back's behaviour is a little troubling. This chilling short film is thoroughly well developed, with some completely unexpected and unsettling gory twists.

This is followed by Ti West's Second Honeymoon, a tale of a loving couple staying at an isolated Texas motel whilst on vacation. However, when a creepy young woman starts banging on the door things take a shocking turn. West's short tackles the idea of home invasion, with the intruder filming the sleeping victims on their own handheld camera, showcasing a disturbing twist on handheld camera norms.

The third short, Glenn McQuaid's Tuesday The 17th follows four teens venturing into the woods, where gruesome murders previously took place. This may read like the traditional Friday The 13th teens in the wood style slasher, but McQuaid's killer is created with a completely innovative twist.

Joe Swanberg's The Strange Thing That Happened to Emily When She Was Younger proves to well-crafted, suspenseful ride. Swanberg's tale follows the Skype conversations of a couple, terrorised by ghosts. As a viewer we are thrust into dark, grainy rooms left to scan for the source of terror.

My personal favourite segment, 10/31/98 by collaborative group called Radio Silence proves to be a spectacularly crafted and completely unsettling piece of filmmaking. It follows four men looking for a Halloween party - they end up at a creaky old house with some macabre practices going on in the attic. Radio Silence allow the house to completely come alive, with walls moving and doors disappearing - it is a true visual feast of terror, fusing elements of The Amityville Horror with Rosemary's Baby.

V/H/S is a sure fire treat for horror fans, bringing a much needed spark of energy to the handheld camera style of filmmaking. Each segment is flawlessly crafted and diverse enough to maintain your interest for the near two hour run time. I would go as far to say that it is the strongest horror film of 2012.

Andrew McArthur

Stars: Calvin Reeder, Joe Swanberg ,Jas Sams  
Directors: Adam Wingard, David Bruckner, Ti West, Glenn McQuaid, Joe Swanberg , Radio Silence Release: 25th August 2012 (Frightfest)

V/H/S Goes Green In New Trailer

One of the big highlights of last month was the British Premier of Horror Anthology V/H/S giving some life back in the old dog called Found footage. We prefer to call it Horror Anthology than found footage, Last month we brought you the film's red band and International trailers  and tonight we go green band for the film's theatrical trailer which is still terrifying as its red band counterpart!

V/H/S is the horror bastard child of upcoming horror directors Ti West (House Of The Devil, The Innkeepers), Adam Wingard and Simon Barret (A Horrible Way To Die), David Bruckner (The Signal), Joe Swanberg (Silver Bullets), Glenn McQuaid (I Sell The Dead). The premise of the story is about a gang of  criminals who are hired to break into a house to steal a VHS tape. To find the tape the gang must trawl through the large collection tapes on offer  watching them one by one watching everything from masked killers, vivisection, sexy female vampire, lots of blood, screaming and did I say screaming? Wishing they probably never watched them!

The film is hyping up horror fans worldwide and we got a sample of the frenzy at Edinburgh  (read our review)when we reviewed it and thankfully it's living up to it's scartastic reputation. Since those previous trailers we still don't have an UK&Irish release date however we have found out, it's looking like Momentum Pictures maybe bringing this gem to Blightly  probably around the same time as USA (October 5th) however if your going to next month's Film4 Frightfest August 24th the film will play.

When a group of petty criminals is hired by a mysterious party to retrieve a rare piece of found footage from a rundown house in the middle of nowhere, they soon realize that the job isn't going to be as easy as they thought. In the living room, a lifeless body holds court before a hub of old television sets, surrounded by stacks upon stacks of VHS tapes. As they search for the right one, they are treated to a seemingly endless number of horrifying videos, each stranger than the last. 

sourceGeektyrant

EIFF 2012: V/H/S Review

★★★★1/2

Found footage horror, V/H/S has completely revitalised a played-out, repetitive style of filmmaking with six chilling anthology tales. Ti West (House of The Devil), Glenn McQuaid ((I Sell The Dead) and Adam Wingard (A Horrible Way To Die) are just three of the directors to contribute to this chilling anthology.

V/H/S opens with a group of criminals assaulting young women and vandalising property. They are hired by an anonymous client to break into an abandoned house and obtain a mysterious video tape. The group begin to work their way through a series of terrifying tapes, each revealing a different short film.

V/H/S manages to fuse so many horror sub-genres together in an innovative and chilling manner, capturing all that fans love in the genre. However, this is not clear from the shaky onset, where teenagers victimise young women, whilst filmed on a handheld camera - it was a struggle to engage with this. As these young men break into the abandoned house and the horror starts, director, Adam Wingard completely pulls it together. This over-arching story is just as tense and disturbing as any of the segments that it flawlessly seems together.

The first segment from David Bruckner (The Signal) entitled Amateur Night follows three college freshmen with video recording spy glasses, hoping to pick up some easy girls and make a sex tape. However, one of the girls who has been brought back's behaviour is a little troubling. This chilling short film is thoroughly well developed, with some completely unexpected and unsettling gory twists.

This is followed by Ti West's Second Honeymoon, a tale of a loving couple staying at an isolated Texas motel whilst on vacation. However, when a creepy young woman starts banging on the door things take a shocking turn. West's short tackles the idea of home invasion, with the intruder filming the sleeping victims on their own handheld camera, showcasing a disturbing twist on handheld camera norms.

The third short, Glenn McQuaid's Tuesday The 17th follows four teens venturing into the woods, where gruesome murders previously took place. This may read like the traditional Friday The 13th teens in the wood style slasher, but McQuaid's killer is created with a completely innovative twist.

Joe Swanberg's The Strange Thing That Happened to Emily When She Was Younger proves to well-crafted, suspenseful ride. Swanberg's tale follows the Skype conversations of a couple, terrorised by ghosts. As a viewer we are thrust into dark, grainy rooms left to scan for the source of terror.

My personal favourite segment, 10/31/98 by collaborative group called Radio Silence proves to be a spectacularly crafted and completely unsettling piece of filmmaking. It follows four men looking for a Halloween party - they end up at a creaky old house with some macabre practices going on in the attic. Radio Silence allow the house to completely come alive, with walls moving and doors disappearing - it is a true visual feast of terror, fusing elements of The Amityville Horror with Rosemary's Baby.

V/H/S is a sure fire treat for horror fans, bringing a much needed spark of energy to the handheld camera style of filmmaking. Each segment is flawlessly crafted and diverse enough to maintain your interest for the near two hour run time. I would go as far to say that it is the strongest horror film of 2012.

Andrew McArthur

Stars: Calvin Reeder, Joe Swanberg ,Jas Sams
Directors: Adam Wingard, David Bruckner, Ti West, Glenn McQuaid, Joe Swanberg , Radio Silence
Release: 28th June (EIFF)

EIFF 2012: Red Band And International Trailer For V/H/S

This coming week here at Cinehouse (& The Peoples Movies) one of the films we're really looking forward too is the screening of Horror Anthology V/H/S. The film looks like it might potentially give the found footage a kick back into popular cinema bringing together 6 of the best /some upcoming horror directors Ti West (House Of The Devil, The Innkeepers), Adam Wingard and Simon Barret (A Horrible Way To Die), David Bruckner (The Signal), Joe Swanberg (Silver Bullets), Glenn McQuaid (I Sell The Dead).

The premise of the story is about a gang of  criminals who are hired to break into a house to steal a VHS tape. To find the tape the gang must trawl through the large collection tapes on offer  watching them one by one watching everything from masked killers, vivisection, sexy female vampire, lots of blood, screaming and did I say screaming? Wishing they probably never watched them! The past few days a red band trailer has found its way online really showcasing the chaos, the shock and screams that lie ahead for the viewer with each director providing a little vignette probably catch some viewers unexpectedly too.

The film has been picking up some great buzz on the festival circuit and this week the film will arrive in UK and Edinburgh Film Festival(stayed tuned for our review) which at the moment is the films only UK date.Once we get word on when this scaremonger of a beast of a film will arrive in blightly we will share the good news with you, our inklings are that the films next UK viewing will be London Film4 Frighfest! It would be a good bet late Ocotber onwards we will see this one be released in UK however August 31st for VOD and October 5th theatrical release dates for USA !

Whilst creating this post the good people at Traileraddict have posted the International trailer for the film which is posted below

 source Yahoo

DVD Review: The Innkeepers

Where's Dr Venkeman When You Need Him? THE INNKEEPERS Review

2 Clips For Ti West's THE INNKEEPERS

THE HOUSE OF THE DEVIL - Ti West Interview

Horror Channel To Screen Ti West's THE HOUSE OF THE DEVIL

Official Trailer For Ti West's The Innkeepers

Frightfest 2011 Review: The Innkeepers