FrightFest is back to deliver more gory, goopy genre treats and indie gems. After the jump, check out our full coverage of the fest, and don’t miss many of these features when they release later in the year!
Films
THE DARKSIDE OF SOCIETY
Full review at the link.
GOOD BOY
Full review at the link.
THE J-HORROR VIRUS
Full review at the link.
PIPER
A horror movie involving the Pied Piper and his overly-CGI’d army of rats, aptly titled Piper, heads to this year’s FrightFest on the incredible merit of co-writer/director Anthony Waller. Waller’s own Mute Witness and An American Werewolf in Paris are underrated 90s gems; my hope was that Waller would deliver an entertaining film, his first narrative feature since 2010’s The Singularity is Near. After an ultra-cheesy opening kill sequence and melodramatic scoring, I quickly began to lose hope. The story involves a mother, Liz (Elizabeth Hurley), and her teenage daughter, Amy (Mia Jenkins), relocating to the cozy German town of Hamelin. Amy will receive a private education for virtually nothing, whilst Liz gets paid better than the states to teach there. Cue: train attacks, creepy children, a mysterious recurring piper-man who blows on his flute, a romance with an older musician, and strange whisperings from a gypsy caravan. Liz’s past begins to rear its ugly head, and the Pied Piper grows ever-closer. At nearly two hours in length, Piper could use some serious trimming to dig clearly and concisely into its horror-roots. As it stands, this Piper’s melody is irrevocably off-key.
THAT’S A WRAP
Previously reviewed at this year’s Popcorn Frights.
THORNS
As a self-proclaimed expert on all things Hellraiser, the very concept of Thorns piqued my interest. A throwback passion project to 80s cosmic horror, teeming with celestial demons and gory delights, and featuring Doug Bradley in a supporting role, appears utterly irresistible in theory. In Thorns, Gabe (Jon Bennett) is headed to conduct a compliance audit for Iron Mountain Observatory, charged with investigating a strange frequency signal that left the observatory silent after receiving it. Hellish imagery awaits Gabe as he finds his way into the seemingly abandoned Observatory. Everything from goopy transformations to creepy-crawly-space worms jump out at the audience. A cenobite-equivalent baddie torments Gabe around every corner. Are the horrors scientific, or perhaps religious in nature? The answer is definitely not for the squeamish, nor the devoutly faithful. This surreal, nightmarish horror written and directed by Douglas Schulze may be a bit rough around the edges, but it is an undeniably entertaining movie with a killer twist.
WHAT YOU WISH FOR
Full review at the link.
For more information about UK’s exciting Pigeon Shrine FrightFest, head over to the official website. See you next year!