Horror Channel Presenter Emily Booth To Produce And Star In Selkie

Horror Channel presenter and actress Emily Booth steps behind the lens to make her first short film – SELKIE, a dark revenge fairytale, in which she also stars in the title role - as a beautiful and vengeful sea creature.

The plot, based on an ancient Celtic myth, sees Selkie enslaved to a drunken fisherman when he finds her shedded skin on the beach. Refusing to return her skin to her, the Selkie law of nature means she is now bound to him as his 'land wife' unable to return to her true form, and to the sea. Until one day, many years later, when she exacts her revenge and finally is able to transform back into her true form.

Emily assembled her own team for the project including concept artist Danny McMahon (who came up with the original drawings of the Selkie creature) and SFX artist Robbie Drake (Nightbreed, The Seasoning House)

Emily said today: “My aim is to create something truly unique and memorable, a dark and haunting adult fairytale, with a spectacular creature transformation sequence, all shot in Medieval locations. Yes it’s a challenge and will not be cheap which is why I’m using the innovative crowd funding site Kickstarter.”

Check out concept art image for Selkie below  and for more information plus a video of Emily Booth sharing her passion for the project head over to the film's Kickstarter page where you also donate to the film too.

Selkie Kickstarter Page link 

FF2013 - History Repeats Itself In the UK Trailer For Renny Harlin's The Dyatlov Pass Incident

Yipee Kai Yeh Mother Russia! If there was a action thriller to be made in the 1990's you could bet Renny Harlin (Die Hard 2, Cliffhanger) would be involved in some shape or size. Since then his career has sidelined into mostly direct to DVD affairs and for his latest we will be trekking wintery climbs of The Urals for the trailer for The Dyatlov Pass Incident.

Called The Devil's Pass in USA,The Dyatlov Pass Incident follows 5 American students who head into the Urals in Russia to investigate the mysterious deaths of 9 skiers in 1959 from extremely odd circumstances. 50 plus years on as the team try to uncover the mystery, strange phenomena start to affect them looking like history is about to repeat itself.

When 'Based On True Events' and found footage find themselves in the same sentence  it doesn't hold well amongst cinehepiles, however when done right it can be insanely stupid most of all highly entertaining. For those fortunate to have caught this have enjoyed the questionable CGI.

New Blair Witch Project? Find out on 23rd August when the The Dyatlov Pass Incident gets a limited release in UK &USA and Film Four Frightfest when the film opens the festivals first full day. The film stars Gemma Atkinson, Matt Stokoe, Richard Reid, Holly Goss and Luke Albright.

Synopsis

In February 1959, nine ski hikers went missing in a remote area of the Ural Mountains in Russia. Two weeks later all nine were found dead, half dressed and hundreds of yards from their camp, their bodies giving off high levels of radiation and bearing severe internal injuries, including broken ribs and fractured skulls, but showing no discernible external wounds or any signs of a struggle. Their deaths have remained a mystery, with rumours attributing the incident to everything from alien encounters, government conspiracies and the supernatural.
Now, five American college students are hoping to solve the mystery of what has become known as the Dyatlov Pass Incident by retracing the steps of the original ill-fated expedition and documenting their findings on film. But what they are about to discover in the remote, icy wastes will prove to be more shocking and unexpected that anything they could possibly have imagined.

Watch Provocative New Trailer For Francios Ozon's Jeune Et Jolie (Young & Beautiful)

Whilst Cannes might be missing eccentrics and controversies of Lars Von Trier, whilst Nymphomaniac might not be ready Francois Ozon's Jeune Et Jolie might deliver what they might be missing.  With the film focused on teenage girl and sex , a 17 year old prostitute it's obvious eyebrows are going to be raised maybe not so much Von Trier but Ozon. No matter what the story that surrounds premise underage girl, sex will raise a scandal whatever country.

Jeune Et Jolie (Young&Beautiful) tells the story of 17 year old Isabelle (Marine Vacth) who comes from a well of family goes on a sexual adventure of self discovery. A coming of age story set over four seasons with four distinctive songs. .

With French release only 11 days away a brand new trailer has been released curiosity will drive people to see how far Ozon will go. Isabelle's relationship with her parents and what made her become a prostitute ?

Jeune Et Jolie arrives in French Cinemas 21st August.

source:QuietEarth

Woody Allen's Blue Jasmine Has UK Trailer, Watch Now

After To Rome To Love you wondered if Woody Allen has finally lost his unique touch? Fear not next month the old magic looks like it's returning when Blue Jasmine is Released and this afternoon we have the film's official UK trailer.

Starring Cate Blanchett as Jasmine a middle aged New York Socialite whose life has went from riches to rags thanks to the action of her husband (Alec Baldwin). With no Jasmine is forced to move to San Francisco to stay with her sister (Sally Hawkins) to attempt to get her life back together whilst drinking the the remainder of her drinks cabinet.

When you start talking about Oscars when when talking about Woody Allen films you know the film has a sign of quality. With the film already out Stateside some of the reviews are saying Cate Blanchett has delivered one of her best performances in a long time and others are saying Blue Jasmine is up there with the likes of Annie Hall which will please Allen's loyal fanbase.



Blue Jasmine will be out in UK on 27th September,the film co-stars Alec Baldwin, Sally Hawkins, Andrew Dice Clay ,Bobby Cannavale , Louis C.K and Peter Sarsgaard.

Synopsis

After everything in her life falls to pieces, including her marriage to wealthy businessman Hal (Alec Baldwin), elegant New York socialite Jasmine (Cate Blanchett) moves into her sister Ginger’s (Sally Hawkins) modest apartment in San Francisco to try to pull herself back together again.
Jasmine arrives in San Francisco in a fragile mental state, her head reeling from the cocktail of anti-depressants she’s on. While still able to project her aristocratic bearing, Jasmine is emotionally precarious and lacks any practical ability to support herself. She disapproves of Ginger’s boyfriend Chili (Bobby Cannavale), who she considers another “loser” like Ginger’s ex-husband Augie (Andrew Dice Clay). Ginger, recognizing but not fully understanding her sister’s psychological instability, suggests that she pursue interior design, a career she correctly intuits that Jasmine won’t feel is beneath her. In the meantime, Jasmine begrudgingly accepts work as the receptionist in a dentist’s office, where she attracts the unwanted attentions of her boss, Dr. Flicker (Michael Stuhlbarg).
Feeling that her sister might be right about her poor taste in men, Ginger starts seeing Al (Louis C.K.), a sound engineer whom she considers as a step up from Chili. Jasmine sees a potential lifeline when she meets Dwight (Peter Sarsgaard), a diplomat who is quickly smitten with her beauty, sophistication and style.
Jasmine’s flaw is that she derives her worth from the way she’s perceived by others, while she herself is blind to what is going around her. Delicately portrayed by a regal Cate Blanchett, Jasmine earns our compassion because she is the unwitting instrument of her own downfall. Woody Allen’s new drama BLUE JASMINE is about the dire consequences that can result when people avert their eyes from reality and the truth they don’t want to see.

FF2013 -They Are Amongst Us, They Know Who You Are, Watch The Conspiracy UK Trailer

Come off the fantastic reviews and buzz from the likes of Fantastic Fest, their now coming to the UK to take us over, who are they? Watch the UK trailer For The Conspiracy.

Conspiracy theory films are that can of worms we love filmmakers to open, sadly not enough as the world of possibilities is endless. If your looking for the darker more sinister theory film  The Conspiracy might just deliver what your looking for. The buzz from the film's early festival reviews  have been nothing but fantastic and it been a  'found footage' film makes it even more intriguing making wonder if there;s still life left in the old dog?

The film follows a couple of young  documentary film makers(Aaron Poole & James Gilbert) who track down,a seemingly mad  conspiracy  theorist Terrence(Alan C.Peterson)  suddenly disappears.The pair begin to uncover some unnerving truths  in Terrence's patterns and as they retrace his work, which leads them into the depths of a terrifyingly powerful secret society known as the  The Tarsus Club.



Will The Conspiracy deliver the answer to all those theories who desire to be answered? Is Elivs  alive? The Freemasons? Who killed Kennedy? September 11th who is responsible? Who are the Illuminati ?Hopefully one theory maybe revealed the one of who are The Taurus Club?

The Conspiracy will be released in UK cinemas 11th October then on DVD, Blu-ray 14th October but if your heading to Film4 Frightfest this month you can catch the film's UK premier Sunday 25th August (6.45pm)

Synopsis

When two young filmmakers select a crazed conspiracy theorist as the subject of their new work the task seems simple enough: Befriend him, gain his trust, and let the madness speak for itself. But things prove more complicated than that. Despite his street preaching their subject proves to be an articulate and intelligent man. One prone to seeing patterns others do not, yes, but hardly the expected lunatic. Listen long enough and his arguments even start to make an unnerving sort of sense. It’s enough to make them wonder if maybe, somehow, there’s some basis to what he’s saying...

And then he simply disappears. No word. No trace. Just gone.

While one of the filmmaking pair is prepared to walk away the other becomes obsessed. This shouldn’t be possible. People do not just disappear…. unless someone wants them to. What if he was correct? What if he was on the verge of exposing some greater scheme? And what if he was taken? So begins an obsessive effort to reconstruct his work, an effort that points the duo to a high-powered retreat and networking organization for the political and business elite.

Inspired by real conspiracy theories and secret organisations, THE CONSPIRACY is more than just entertainment. It is a sharp, topical commentary of a world in which the most important question is not “What happened?” but “Who is telling us?”
source:ThePeoplesMovies

Australian cult classic Wake in Fright To Get The Masters of Cinema Release In UK.

Eureka! Entertainment are delighted to announce the theatrical and home video releases of Ted Kotcheff's cult classic Wake in Fright (1971) as part of The Masters of Cinema Series, a fascinating rediscovery of a key work of the "Australian New Wave" and so-called "Ozploitation" movement, which was nominated for the prestigious Palme d'Or at the 1971 Cannes film festival.

Neglected for decades, Wake in Fright was expertly restored in 2009 by Australia's National Film and Sound Archive and hand-selected by legendary film director Martin Scorsese to screen at Cannes once more. Wake in Fright's reputation as a brutally haunting, psychologically gripping one-off has been growing exponentially since, and we are proud to be able to bring this seminal shocker to audiences in the UK and Ireland.

Wake in Fright's theatrical run will be co-ordinated by Eureka! Entertainment with screenings in selected cinemas nationwide in early 2014, following a première at the Film4 FrightFest fantasy and horror film festival in London, August 22–26, 2013.

Blu-ray/DVD releases will follow, in very special editions with a raft of special features to be announced nearer the release date, as part of Eureka! Entertainment's award-winning The Masters of Cinema Series.

Wake in Fright is based on the 1961 novel by Kenneth Cook and stars Gary Bond and Donald Pleasance. It was first released under the title Outback, describing the film's arid, sweltering, wasteland setting of Bundanyabba ("The Yabba"), an earthy mining town where schoolteacher John Grant (Gary Bond) descends into a living hell when he is stranded on his way to meet his girlfriend in Sydney. Struggling to escape a men-gone-wild nihilistic world of binge drinking, habitual gambling, and senseless violence, Grant plunges headlong towards his own destruction, joined for the ride by alcoholic doctor "Doc" Tydon (masterfully played by Donald Pleasance).

Ron Benson, head of Eureka! Entertainment, comments: “This once-feared-lost Australian cult classic is a hugely welcome rediscovery, a film that is at once both grimly horrific and frightfully compelling.”


"Have a drink, mate? Have a fight, mate? Have a taste of dust and sweat, mate? There's nothing else out here."

Boardwalk Empire – Season 3 Blu Ray Review

Rating: 15
DVD/BD Release Date: 5th August 2013 (UK)
Creator: Terence Winter
Cast:  Steve Buscemi, Kelly Macdonald, Michael Shannon, Bobby Cannavale
Buy Boardwalk Empire Season 3: [DVD] / [Blu-ray]
Boardwalk Empire – the winner of 12 Emmy Awards – finally sees its third season released on DVD and Blu-ray, and fans of complex television drama will not be disappointed. Picking up sixteen months after season 2’s shocking finale, this latest season kicks off on New Year’s Eve 1923. Nucky (Steve Buscemi) and Margaret’s (Kelly Macdonald) marriage is tense at best, and there is a new high profile bootlegger in town, in the form of Bobby Cannavale’s Gyp Rosetti.

As can be expected, HBO has once again delivered a first rate show; one which not only rivals, but surpasses in quality most Hollywood films right now. In many ways, parallels can be drawn between Boardwalk Empire and The Wire (another much-praised HBO series). Each episode requires the viewer’s utmost attention if they mean to understand the plot fully, for there is a large amount of characters – residing in a variety of US states – for us to follow. This factor has both its upsides and downsides. On the one hand, this means that each individual storyline cannot be given as much air time as – I for one – would like them to; but on the other, this does result in the few moments we have with them seeming all the more exciting. This is none more true than in the case of the excellent Michael Shannon’s government agent turned outlaw Nelson Van Alder, a truly fascinating character, whose narrative I hope will be given more attention next season.

With season 3, Boardwalk creator Terence Winter has delivered a beautifully constructed period piece, filled with impressive performances from its cast, and outstanding production values which really bring the roaring twenties to life. While many of the show’s themes – loss and loneliness for example – are sombre in tone; these are alleviated by a quirky, upbeat jazz soundtrack and magical photography work. Not to be missed.

★★★★★

Sophie Stephenson

FrightFest, Horror Channel & Movie Mogul reveal their top six finalists for 666 Short Cuts To Hell

FrightFest and Movie Mogul, in association with Horror Channel, challenged aspiring filmmakers all over the country to make a short horror film, but 666 Short Cuts To Hell was no ordinary film competition. Entrants had to follow a series of 'killer' restraints such as a maximum of 6 lines of dialogue, a maximum of 6 cast and crew members and a maximum budget of £666.

A staggering 157 entries made the grade and the overall winner will be announced at FrightFest 2013 on Sunday Aug 25 after the screening of all six films. On hand to congratulate all six finalists will be the distinguished judging panel; Horror Channel presenter Emily Booth, FrightFest director Paul McEvoy, Movie Mogul’s John Shackleton, Filmmaker Paul Hyett and journalist Rosie Fletcher. Tom Six is planning to attend subject to his commitments on Human Centipede 3.

Apart from the honour of being showcased at the UK’s biggest genre festival, the six finalists will also have their films screened on Horror Channel, with the overall winner receiving £6,666 courtesy of Horror Channel and the opportunity to develop a feature film under mentorship from Movie Mogul.

Chris Sharp, Chief Programming Officer, Chello Zone, said today:: “The film industry has some incredible talent emerging as seen in our inaugural 666 Short Cuts To Hell competition. It’s been a huge but highly enjoyable task to watch all 157 entries and a very difficult decision process to select the final six. Many more of the short films deserve recognition and exposure so we pledge to broadcast as many as we can on the channel. I’m proud Horror Channel is a platform for rising stars in the industry and we will continue to do all we can to support young talent.”

John Shackleton, M.D of Movie Mogul added: ".This competition exceeded our expectations by a long way. So many terrific short films, but so little space in the top 6! I'm thrilled with the final selection and can't wait to see who wins!"

Here are the six films…

Six Degrees of (Limb) Separation.
Directed by Mikel Iriarte Cast: Leo Charlton, Madeleine Dunbar, Sam Atkind.

6 Seconds To Die.
Directed by Rick James. Cast: Emma Drysdale, Emily Petrolo & John Rackham

6 Shooter
Directed by David Wayman. Cast: Ed Judd, Aston Fisher, Tom Murton, Teya Simone, Kym Chapman, Dan Lord.

6th Sense
Directed by Alice Moet, CAST: Ellie Manson, Bethany Jackson, Oanne Mitchell, Angela Beadle, Dominic Brunt, Mark Newby.

6 Feet Under
Director: Weronika Tofilska. Cast: Harriet Neville. Jon Readwin, Ewan Stewart, Stephanie Blake & Agis Pitlis.

Six Feet Under
Directed by Joe & Lloyd Stas. Cast: Helen Booden, Tom Stas, Lloyd Stas, Ben Galler

Blancanieves Blu-Ray Review

Rating: 12
DVD/BD Release Date:
5th August 2013 (UK)
Director:
Pablo Berger
Cast:
Maribel Verdú, Daniel Giménez Cacho, Ángela Molina
Buy Blancanieves:
Blancanieves - Collector's Edition [DVD]

Somewhat unfairly lumbered alongside The Artist as a Spanish retort to Michel Hazanavicius’ neo-silent award-guzzler, Blancanieves is proof that merely appearing in black and white does not a mimic make. This year alone sees a host of new features, from Noah Baumbach’s Frances Ha, through Ben Wheatley’s A Field in England to the upcoming Alexander Payne feature Nebraska that revel in the majesty of monochrome to tell a host of tales, ranging wildly in both style and story. Director Pablo Berger’s feature utilises the format to bring us an inventive and incredibly stylish take on the Brothers Grimm classic Snow White – the title being the literal Spanish translation and the name given to our heroine by her accompanying dwarves.

Turning the familiar fairytale on its head Berger relocates the tale of fair-skinned beauty to the home of a more sun-kissed disposition, setting the film in Spain at the heart of its cultural tapestry– the bullfighting ring. Born the daughter of the renowned matador Antonio Villalta, Carmencita is forced to live with her grandmother after her mother dies during childbirth and the subsequent heartache forces her paralyzed father (gorged in the ring at the hands of a ferocious bull) to reject the newborn. Before long her famed father remarries the conniving money-grabbing nurse who manipulatively aided his recovery. Their lavish lifestyle is light-years away from the humble yet happy existence she carves out in the rural countryside until her doting grandmother suffers a sudden and fatal heart attack, forcing the young Carmencita to become the unwanted house guest at her father’s vast new marital home.

Ably pulling off a tonal shift, Berger transports our young lead from warm, jovial, sun-drenched villas and plunges her into a Dickensian, chore-laden life under long shadows and dark surroundings. It’s one of the many impressive visual touches pulled off by Berger and his cinematographer who manage to seamlessly sit handheld close-ups comfortably alongside long range, held shots of sweeping vista’s, rolling Iberian countryside and quaint villas. Taking their lead from the greats of cinematic history the pair create a nuanced and knowing visual display, even recollecting the matchstick men communities of Lowry in the communal procession to the dominating bullfighting coliseums.

Eventually Carmencita inadvertedly finds herself on the strictly out-of-bounds second floor of the palatial pad where she chances upon her father for the very first time – his wheelchair bound slumped figure contrasting greatly to the powerful image in the grand foyer painting. The two bond instantly and secretly, away from the prying eyes of Encarna and before long Carmencita learns the ways of the matador under the expert tutelage of her esteemed father.

Years pass and Encarna’s disdain for her adoptive child grows, hatching a plan to rid her of this burden for good, a plan that, once thwarted, leads Carmencita to her six (not seven) minutely proportioned saviours, travelling Toledo’s who entertain the crowds at ramshackle bullfighting outposts battling against the less fearsome, but equally sized, calves.

Berger directs with a trained eye on the classic tale and another firmly on the stylistic touches of film-makers down the years. The dreaded apple is presented with knowing significance, brandished like a gun while elsewhere shadows and score create suspense akin to Hitchcock. Not that everything on show trawls through the past. The returning theme of fame trickles through the film with each of the leads having their own, ultimately doomed, brush with the limelight suggesting Berger has as much to say on this modern obsession as he does it’s genesis. One particular public mourning resembles a disturbing scene at Madame Tussards and there’s a nod too to the prized cover-shoot of Hello-like magazines thrown in for good measure while the freak show ending signals a bleak parallel with what we view as entertainment and those who peddle it.

So no, not merely a reactionary piece jumping aboard the Artist bandwagon (although there are similarities - for Uggie the dog, see Pepe the chicken) but Blancanieves has more up its sleeve to be written off so easily. A silent triumph in its own right.

★★★★☆

Matthew Walsh

Berserk Movie 2: Battle For Doldrey Blu-Ray Review

Rating: 15
BD Release Date: 12th August 2013 (UK)
Director:Toshiyuki Kubooka
Cast: Hiroaki Iwanaga, Toa Yukinari, Takahiro Sakurai
Buy:Berserk: Movie 2 - The Battle For Doldrey [Blu-ray]
Griffith's words about true friends still resound in Guts' head. They haunt him on the battlefield and in his downtime, making him question his moves and motivation. This doesn't stop him from fighting for Griffith as the Band of the Hawk joins the other forces of the king to take down Doldrey, a nigh impregnable fortress that has never been successfully besieged. In between battles, Guts continues to ponder where his life is headed if he sticks with the Band of the Hawk, strengthens his bond with woman warrior Casca, and ultimately makes a decision that will have a great impact not only on his future, but on the rest of the Hawks' as well.

I first encountered Berserk when I picked up a copy of it in my library and I remember how different it was to other manga’s. It was more violent and graphic than other manga’s I had encountered (I had still to discover things like Ninja Scroll and Fist of the North Star) and I went to great lengths to acquire the other volumes. I then discovered that there was an anime of Berserk and since these were the dark ages before internet shopping became so easy to use (yes I am that old now shush) I had to scour DVD shops, HMV’s, charity shops and Forbidden Planet’s to find a boxset. But eventually I acquired it and myself and some other anime obsessed mates sat down to watch it. Wow were we disappointed! It was just a bit pathetic compared to the excellent manga we had all been reading.

Years later in 2012 I would go to the Scotland Loves Anime festival in Edinburgh where they were showing the new Berserk OVA’s and I will admit I was not that excited about these films. However I was blown away by not only the quality of the animation but the skill and time taken to properly translate Kentaro Miura’s manga to anime. Studio 4˚C brought their unique animation style that had been used to great success on their previous film Steamboy and from what I heard in the interviews after the films they went to great lengths to honour the original manga, including visiting Edinburgh to get a feel of medieval cities (shameless flattery to the Edinburgh fanbase I think though). The animation style is a mixture of CGI and hand drawn styles. Now this works for most of the film with the bodies and action being mostly CGI but the faces and emotions all being hand drawn but occasionally you will see the two styles clash with one another but this rarely happens and so the action scenes and battles look amazing and you get amazing characterisation and emotion from the animation. However many of the battle scenes do seem to be fought by armies of clones and so there is often very little variety in some of the larger battles and since this film focuses on a major battle it is slightly disappointing.

This film focuses on the interaction between two of the main characters Guts and Casca and the development of their friendship while fighting in the Band of the Hawk. These two characters form the basis of the Berserk series and it is their interactions and what happens to them that progresses the story. Casca is a great character and moves away from the standard warrior woman in manga and anime by having actual motives to fight alongside men rather than just being the regular chain mail bikini clad warrior. Saying this though her design does slightly drop her into this trope as she rides into battle with thigh high boots and armour that has its own cleavage.

Guts is a rather simple character but this is what drives him. He spends the film questioning what he is doing and if it is what he wants in life. He is left with a choice that means either staying with Band of the Hawk or trying to make his own life by himself. His growing friendship with Casca makes him want to stay but his desire to make his own life away from Griffith conflicts with this and the ending is suitably tragic for them all.

The voice acting of the Japanese actors is brilliant with Hiroaki Iwanaga, Toa Yukinari and Takahiro Sakurai as voices of Guts, Casca and Griffith. The English voice work is good but doesn’t sound as good as the Japanese. It’s not because they are bad but mainly because the Japanese language suites the melodrama of the series over the English.

Now the film is very good but what lets it down is the editing. Every so often there are scenes that seem to be missing. You will be watching it then suddenly the characters will have changed location or something would have been said that makes little sense. Overall this doesn’t affect the plot but affects the viewing experience and makes it look rather sloppy.

Overall though it is a great film for fans of the manga or any other anime fans.

★★★☆☆

Adam Cook