Tuesday Feb 07

FrightFest 2010

Feature

The full line-up for FrightFest 2010 promises enough thrills and chills to please the most hardened horror fan...

There's less than two months to go until the 2010 Film4 FrightFest turns London's Leicester Square into a four-day orgy of horror heaven, and today the official line-up has been revealed. With a stonking 36 films playing across two screens at the famous Empire Cinema (including 20 European premieres) and a clutch of special guest appearances, the festival is a highlight in the calendar of any genre fan - read on for more...

Kicking off proceedings in style is Adam Green's Hatchet II, the long-awaited sequel to his 2006 backwoods slasher homage Hatchet, and Green - a big fan of the festival - will be in attendance along with his cast.

Read Hatchet II Director & Cast Q&A

Read Hatchet II Review

And the film closing the festival is equally as exciting; Daniel Stamm's The Last Exorcism. Stamm will be at the screening, along with producer Eli Roth.

The Loved OnesIn between there is a smorgasbord of splatter, chills and spine-tinglers, including Tammi Sutton's Brit gangland horror Isle of Dogs, Paul Andrew Williams' harrowing Cherry Tree Lane and horror Western Red Hill (starring True Blood's Ryan Kwanten). Other highlights will surely be the Cannes-hyped African zombie shocker The Dead and Aussie chiller The Loved Ones (right).

Unmissable, too, will be the celebration of horror icon Tobe Hooper. Not only will there be a screening of Hooper's seminal The Texas Chainsaw Massacre on the big screen, alongside his little seen 1969 debut Eggshells, but Hooper himself will be making his first visit to the UK for 18 years to be interviewed on the FrightFest stage.

And alongside all the major players, you can also check out some up and comers and newly discovered gems on the Discovery Screen, including Colm McCarthy's Outcast (starring James Nesbitt), the Christina Ricci-starrer After.Life and Kyle Newman's Star Wars horror pastiche Fanboys.

"The Film4 FrightFest line-up this year is stronger, pioneering and more relevant to our core followers than ever before," says Alan Jones, co-director of FrightFest. "With the Hollywood mindset focused on safe bets and creative bankruptcy, we've gone back to the roots of what true horror fantasy should be about - exploring daring ideas with innovation using new conjugations of shock from exciting new talent. There's something for everyone in Film4 FrightFest 2010, if you dare look!"

Simply put, if you're a fan of exciting, groundbreaking and genuine horror, you absolutely have to be at FrightFest. For a full lineup and ticket information - be warned, it sells out fast - visit the Official FrightFest Website.

And watch this space for the dedicated Roll Credits FrightFest page, that will be live until the end of the festival for news, reviews and more!


Movie Highlight

Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides

Has Jack Sparrow met his match? He’s in London, facing piracy charges, has no crew, no ship and – seemingly – no hope. But, of course, keeping Jack behind bars wouldn’t make for much of a film and so, following a beautifully-choreographed escape through the streets of London, a scene-stealing cameo from Keith Richards as Jack’s worldly-wise father and reunion with feisty former love Angelica (Penelope Cruz), Jack is soon ensconced on the ship of the legendary Blackbeard (Ian McShane), on the hunt for the fabled Fountain of Youth. On his tail is pirate nemesis Captain Barbossa (Geoffrey Rush) but, as the journey gets increasingly dangerous, the old foes may find that they need to work together if they are to make it home alive…

READ FULL REVIEW:  On Stranger Tides

DVD Highlight

The Walking Dead

The living dead have been a mainstay of horror cinema for decades. Now they maraud onto the small screen in Frank Darabont’s adaptation of the graphic novel by Robert Kirkman, Tony Moore and Charlie Adlard.

Brit favourite Andrew Lincoln (This LifeTeachers) adopts a convincing drawl to take on the role of sheriff Rick Grimes, who wakes from a coma to find the local residents have become flesh-eating ghouls. While the initial set-up is reminiscent of 28 Days Later, these zombies are not Danny Boyle’s fast moving monsters, but the lumbering breed of tradition. That doesn’t dilute their impact; as Rick teams up with other survivors, the zombies are relentless in their pursuit and the tension builds to unbearable levels.

READ FULL REVIEW: The Walking Dead

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