Scott Derrickson on Friday Night Frights

Scott Derrickson, director of Sinister (2012) and The Exorcism of Emily Rose (2005) is my guest on this week's Friday Night Frights podcast. Check it out here.

Return to Mayhem

Steven Sheil and Chris Cooke creating Mayhem

Readers of this blog will recall that I went to the Mayhem Film Festival in Nottingham last October and posted several reviews over at Starburst Magazine.

With many of the films shown at Mayhem - such as Maniac and American Mary - now on release (or about to open), I thought it would be good to catch up with the curators of Mayhem, Steven Sheil (who directed the brilliant Mum and Dad, 2008 ) and Chris Cooke (who made the equally sublime One for the Road, 2003) to pick over the bones of Mayhem 2012. To listen go here.

Friday Night Frights - Elias on 'Gut'.

Elias, writer/director of 'Gut' (2012)
 

Happy New Year!

On a recent trip to LA I interviewed director, Elias, about his debut feature, 'GUT', a stark psychological thriller about two friends' obsession with a snuff movie they discover on line. To listen to the podcast go here.

To find out more about 'GUT' and to watch it VOD visit the website www.gutmovie.com

Exquisite Terror 3 - now in Stock

"Featuring the cat and his ubiquitous presence in horror, an in-depth talk with notorious film-maker Jorge Buttgereit and an examination of the enduring ability of The Exorcist to frighten the viewer* - and, of course, more - this latest instalment of Exquisite Terror is a must-read for all thinking horror fans"

(*written by yours truly)

The Casebook of Eddie Brewer

Birmingham shot indie feature The Casebook of Eddie Brewer features in the latest Friday Night Frights over at Starburst Magazine. I recorded the podcast with director, Andrew Spencer, producer Sean Connelly and star, Ian Brooker, at the Mayhem Horror Film Festival in November, and since then the film has gone from strength to strength with more festival showings in the States due in 2013. Check it out here.

Barbie Wilde on this week's Friday Night Frights

It's always been my intention to include horror novelists as guests on my weekly horror podcast Friday Night Frights, especially those connected in some way to movies. So it's my pleasure to welcome to this week's show the actress, short story writer and novelist, Barbie Wilde.

With her debut novel, The Venus Complex, Barbie has written a disturbing, compelling and transgressive tale of a serial killer sexually obsessed by a female forensic psychologist.  It's a remarkable piece of work and Barbie speaks candidly about the inspiration behind writing it. Enjoy.

Go here.

Friday Night Frights - Ian McCulloch on Zombie Flesh Eaters

I still remember the weekend that my family got their first VCR. Back then in 1981 you could rent such machines and the guy from 'Radio Rentals'  also brought with him a couple of VHS tapes for us to watch, so that we could fully experience the delights of this new phenomenon called Home Video.

The first film was some tosh starring Britt Ekland called The Ultimate Thrill (from Guild Home Video). The other was Zombie Flesh Eaters. The former I watched only twice, the latter I watched four times that weekend alone - I couldn't get enough of it - and rented countless times afterwards, until the day it was unceremoniously taken from the shelves of my local video store during the 'Video Nasties' furore. (I'm talking the Strong Uncut Version!!!)

Now Arrow Video is releasing Zombie Flesh Eaters in a brand spanking new remastered, restored Steelbook/Blu Ray/DVD edition on 3rd December. To read a review of  it by Starburst's Paul Mount go here

And on Friday Night Frights this week it is my absolute pleasure to interview the star of Zombie Flesh Eaters, Ian McCulloch. To listen to Ian's comments on the film (and on working with Lucio Fulci) go here

Leatherface Speaks!

I am honoured to have Gunnar Hansen (who played Leatherface in the original Texas Chainsaw Massacre) as my guest on Friday Night Frights this week. Gunnar also features in the latest retread of TCM (in 3D) and shares memories, thoughts and insights on the cultural phenomenon that is Chain Saw. Thank you, Gunnar.

Go here.

Starburst Magazine 383 - Texas Chain Saw Massacre Special

 

This month's Starburst Magazine is a Texas Chainsaw Massacre Special. With articles galore on Chain Saw and its sequels/remakes/reboots, including a preview of the forthcoming Texas Chainsaw 3D (and a retrospective of the 1974 original, written by yours truly), no self-respecting Saw-head will want to be without it. It also includes an interview I conducted with the original Leatherface himself, Gunnar Hansen. We discuss his role in the new film and also look back at his part in the Tobe Hooper classic.

And there's something a little different this week over at my podcast, Friday Night Frights. Earlier this month I was lucky enough to attend the Bram Stoker International Film Festival in Whitby, North Yorkshire. A great festival in the perfect setting (Whitby is, of course, the location of Stoker's original Dracula). The Bram Stoker Festival is now in its fourth year and going from strength to strength. To hear my report from this year's festival go here

Friday Night Frights - James Gracey on Dario Argento

James Gracey, as anyone who follows his blog Behind the Couch knows, is a gentleman and a scholar. So it was my absolute pleasure to invite him to discuss the films of Dario Argento for Friday Night Frights. James is highly qualified to discuss Argento as he has written an excellent book about him (available from Kamera Books). The depth of his knowledge on Argento is astounding, so this week's podcast is a bumper edition, and covers the entire Argento career from his early days as a scriptwriter, to the classic era of Deep Red and Suspiria, to the latest release of Dracula 3D. Thank you, James, for a fantastic podcast.

Go here.