Horror Channel UK announces FrightFest Short Film Showcase line-up

Maniacs, monsters, demons, creepy kids, apocalyptic visions, phobias, heavy metal meltdown and snails… Welcome to this year’s wild and eclectic mix of cutting edge short films from the global arena of the fantasy and 
horror genre. The ninety-minute film extravaganza is a tasty selection box of Sunday afternoon treats, sponsored once again by Horror Channel.  It will kick-off at 1pm on Sunday 26^th August at the Empire Cinema in London’s Leicester Sq.

Chello Zone's Chief Programming Officer Chris Sharp said today: “It’s another fantastic line-up we’re proud to be sponsoring at FrightFest.  Supporting new talent is key to Horror Channel’s success. With most directors starting their careers with a short film, we’ll be keeping a beady-eye on this year’s showcase.  Our very own Emily Booth and team will be there capturing all the mayhem and interviewing the top talent for our viewers and website visitors.  We’ll also be broadcasting from the festival to our Horror Channel viewers in Italy and are especially impressed by the calibre of Italian film-makers attending this year.  Get your autograph books ready!”

Horror Channel, part of the CBS Chello Zone portfolio of channels, has been involved with FrightFest for the past eleven years and in August will be screening FrightFest Director's Nights Season, where the team behind FrightFest pick their favourites from the festival's past 13 years.

PROGRAMME – SUNDAY 26 AUGUST, 1pm onwards

THE HALLOWEEN KID UK Dir. Axelle Carolyn 7.20
8-year-old Henry, a lonely and imaginative child, can only finds happiness on Halloween...Narrated by Derek Jacobi and starring Anna Walton, Julian Glover, Dave Legeno and Leo Donnelly

ALEXIS Spain Dir. Alberto Evangelio 9.45
Nine year old Alexis has killed his parents, but can concerned officials uncover the supernatural truth?

GARGOLS! (SNAILS!) Spain Dir Geoffrey Cowper 16.57
Three friends are partying in a park, when suddenly, Joey sees his first girlfriend, Eva. Joey decides to go talk to her, and when he finally tells her that he's still in love with her, a king-kong size snail appear to ruin his night.

MY BROTHER’S KEEPER (OR HOW I LEARNED TO SURVIVE THE APOCALYPSE) UK Dir. Jen Moss 5.51
Holed up at the end of the world with her well-meaning but dim-witted brother Jo Alex Esmail), Jess (April Pearson) isn’t sure what will destroy her will to live first: the zombies or Jo’s incessant optimism.

LOT 254 UK Dir. Toby Meakin 13.00
A Collector discovers that a vintage cine camera bought at auction is broken. Repairing it unlocks the hidden terror of LOT 254.

UN JOUR SANG France Dir. Steven Pravong 14.00
She's not free. He will destroy her, ruin her, profane her...This story is not new. Let's tell it differently...

METAL CREEPERS Spain Dir J Oskura Najera and Adrian Cardona 11.00
A popular glam metal band is in the recording studio putting together their next record. Their producer hands them some strange scores that supposedly have magic powers.

TOKOPHOBIA UK Dir, Evrim Ersoy, James Pearcey and Russell Would 6.25
A young woman, alone in her house on a sunny afternoon, discovers she is pregnant and in her mind there can only be one course of action.

THE CAPTURED BIRD Canada Dir. Jovanka Vuckovic 10.00
In this dark fable, a little girl is drawn to a mysterious mansion where she witnesses the birth of five horrifying apparitions

TV: Sky 319 / Virgin 149 / Freesat 138

 www.horrorchannel.co.uk | twitter.com/horror_channel

Film4 FrightFest The 13^th runs from Thurs 23 August to Monday 27 August at the Empire Cinema, Leicester Square.

Tickets for individual films go on sale from 28^th July. Bookings: 08 714 714 714 or www.empirecinemas.co.uk

The Brooklyn Brothers Beat The Best Review

★★★☆☆

Throwing their guitars into the back of a car and rolling into a venue near you are The Brooklyn Brothers, starring as they do, in The Brooklyn Brothers Beat the Beast. An all encompassing feature for writer/director/star Ryan O’Nan whose Alex character is half of the titular band. The other half of the playground folk pop duo, Jim (Michael Weston) is not his brother and by their own admission the name “sounds like a black funk band from the 70’s”. There was however, little time to discuss name suggestions in the hasty assembly of the act.

         Alex is a down-on-his-luck songwriter in all ways a songwriter can be – failing to earn a living through music, failing to find a 5th audience member for his bands shows even, a band he subsequently gets booted out from by a caricature of a lead guitarist. He is also suffering from a broken heart, a crushingly fruitless job as an estate agent and sidelining as a pink moose performing songs to mentally challenged children. At a similar dead-end is Jim who forces, quite literally, his way into Alex’s life. Having been a quarter of the audience at Alex’s previous gig Jim detects in him a kindred spirit of sorts whose less than positive songs work perfectly for his taste “fuck positive songs, positive songs are for hippies”. Jim doesn’t quite share Alex’s levels of misanthropy but equally views the world as an outsider looking in. He also possesses an impulsive energy that kick-starts the unlikely formation of the band, immediately embarking on an already booked tour for Jim’s previous band (one that he too was kicked out of) and culminating in a surely redemption filled battle of the bands competition. Without a thought for Jim’s sickly yet aggressively mannered granddad they pinch his beloved rusty car and set off on their hair brained scheme.

         We are passengers on an American road trip so we get all the usual out-of-window sights – farms, meadows, cloudy skylines and stretching highways as our drivers plough mile after mile simultaneously trying to get acquainted and write songs. Jim’s inability to play actual instruments has lead to him owning and mastering a series of child friendly toy versions. While in the driving seat he tunefully bashes away on pre-school keyboards, xylophones and accordions as well as strapping an amplified kazoo around his neck. While perhaps not being the soundest driving advice, it seems to be a fruitful song writing method as the lo-fi recording set-up churns out catchy playschool tunes laced with Alex’s darker lyrics.

         So charming they are they attract the attentions of Cassidy (Arielle Kebbel) a booking agent at their first venue who sees a glint in their eye and a way out of town as she joins the pair becoming road manager. Her description of their music as “what David Bowie would write if he was six” is not quite as accurate as “the Shins meets Sesame Street” one that comes their way later on, either way it’s a sound not unfamiliar to ones you would usually find in these types of films.

         Of course each of our protagonists has something they are running from/ searching for which makes for a film that at times delves into many a sub-genre from road movie to romantic comedy and buddy movie to a belated coming of age tale, few styles are off limits. Despite this it seldom sees overstretched with O’Nan doing well to keep us interested in the relationships between the leads. Elements of the humour are at times a bit too broad and, the scenes with Alex’s real estate colleagues in particular, painted on a bit too thick and while offering nothing new in terms of plot surprises (each one you can predict from some distance) there’s a charm about the characters and the unlikely central pairing that keeps us entertained. The dialogue between the two band members holds the majority of the wittiest and sharpest lines as O’Nan tends to get the balance of laughs over shmultz about right.

Matthew Walsh

UK Rating: 15
Release Date: 20th July, 2012
Directed By: Ryan O'Nan
Cast: Ryan O'Nan, Michael Weston, Arielle Kebbel, Melissa Leo, Jason Ritter

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Watch Askel Hennie In 90 Minutes Trailer

In Headhunters he was a corporate Headhunter sleek, sharp with a side business of stealing works of art now Askel Hennie a killer in 90 Minutes (90 Minutter). Ever wondered what drives a person to kill? In Eva Sørhaug's film we track the final 90 minutes of a man about to commit murder. Simple but powerful looking film and with the popularity of Scandinavian thrillers outside their native lands you can see this one coming to a local arthouse cinema or DVD player near you.

What happens in the last 90 minutes of a human life before they commit murder?
In 90 Minutes we follow Johan who is making a lavish last meal for his wife, Fred who is on his weekly visit with the kids and Trond who completely has lost control of his use of violence towards his young wife who just gave birth to a child. Before the irretrievable act of murder happens, these men are still considered as human beings. 90 Minutes don't try to give any answers or to find psychological explanations, but simply to follow these men's perspective and stay with them and share the minutes just before it's too late.

sourceTwitch