Category: Carrion Films

Carrion Film animation ‘The Screaming Skull’ has won Best Animated Short film at this years ‘A Night Of Horror Film Festival‘ held in Sydney Australia. The award is the second accolade for the horror short which was nominated for Best UK Short film at last years Raindance Film Festival and adds to a clutch of awards picked up thus far by the Penny Dreadful project.

Director Ashley Thorpe told D+C Film yesterday: “It’s an absolute honour to be awarded. I was thrilled just for it to be seen by a new audience let alone this. It just goes to show that there really  is a hunger out there for these sorts of traditional stories and that it’s time for British horror to reclaim its heritage.”

“I also think it’s important to remember that filmmaking is a team effort. Especially with Carrion Film. I’m not a one man band. I rely upon a group of dedicated and talented colleagues and friends to realise these things and a great deal of this film’s strength lies in its soundtrack, an exceptionally wonderful and daring piece of work by Mick Grierson. And of course this thing would not have been made at all if it weren’t for the Exeter Phoenix and all the dedicated staff at Animated Exeter.”

A Night of Horror International Film Festival is Australia’s premiere horror film festival, and  has been said that it is ‘Australia’s first horrorfestival’. It was originally a short film festival, but has since expanded to include feature films and horror themed music videos. Indeed, now that the festival runs for a longer duration, the festival’s name, “A Night of Horror”, is actually something of a misnomer (the 2008 festival actually ran for ten days and nights).

In addition to the principal annual event in Sydney, a “best of” program of films from the festival actually tours within Australia and internationally. Some of these screenings take place at other festivals under the “A Night of Horror” banner, and have included programs at: ‘It Came From Lake Michigan Film Festival‘, ‘Weekend de la Peur‘, and ‘Revelation Perth International Film Festival‘.

GUEST CONTRIBUTOR TO FANGORIA 294

Carrion Film Director Ashley Thorpe has contributed a retrospective piece on early 80’s sci-fi shocker ‘XTRO’ for new ‘Fangoria magazine‘ column ‘Trash Compactor’. The column is the culmination of 2 years of support and enthusiasm from the magazine, in particular Editor in chief Chris Alexander.

“I couldn’t be happier…honestly it was amazing enough to be mentioned, let alone featured, in the magazine, but then as a result to be asked to contribute an original piece of writing is just mind-blowing. It’s a childhood dream…and it’s difficult to convey to people outside the horror community who don’t read it how big a deal this is. When I first opened this magazine I fell in, never entirely to emerge again. Y’know, I’ve read this bloody rag since I was about 14, passing it round under the tables in class, and it really was a gateway into the wild and weird world of  horror films…one of the things that I love about the Penny Dreadful projects is the sharing of an enthusiasm; specifically taking something that is pretty obscure and communicating to a new audience. So when I had the chance to write a feature of my own I tried to think of a film that was something of a curiosity – something that many people wouldn’t touch with a bargepole – specifically from the early/ mid eighties when my hunger for horror was at its height…and out came ‘Xtro’. What can I say, the runts of a litter tell as much about a family as its pride. I’ve got a bit of a taste for writing now  so keep your eyes open for articles in future magazines.” – Ashley Thorpe

D & C Film  will be publishing a specially written article by Ashley on his response to becoming a Fangoria contributor tomorrow (Sat June 5th) on : Devon and Cornwall Film

Carrion Film Director Ashley Thorpe has been interviewed by Caustic Critic Stuart ‘Feedback’ Andrews for Rue Morgue Radio, Toronto’s all horror broadcast. The interview follows the recent release of ‘The Hairy Hands’ and Rue Morgue magazines previous feature on the  animations ‘Scayrecrow‘ and ‘The Screaming Skull‘ for their ‘Abbreviated terrors‘  back in February 2010.

The interview focuses on the processes behind the creation of the short film, the origin of the myth itself  aswell as further reflection upon the previous animations, particularly ‘Scayrecrow‘ and its influences. A brief review of ‘The Hairy Hands‘ will be appearing in a future issue of the magazine.

Stuart ‘Feedback’ Andrews: “This week I’m talking to British filmmaker Ashley Thorpe from Carrion films: a company behind a series of uniquely stylised short horror films which include their masterwork ‘Scayrecrow’: a gorgeously animated hypnotic love letter to both Hammer horror and the folklore of the British highwayman. Their latest short ‘The Hairy Hands‘ is currently playing the festival circuit and was recently featured at the Short Film Corner at the Cannes Film Festival.”

“I have to say that it was a bit of an honour being part of this show actually. I tend to listen to it in the mornings while I’m working, so to actually be on it is pretty bizarre, especially as the films produced thus far have been very low budget short films, very modest little things really, so it’s amazing to receive this kind of attention and enthusiasm…Stuart is another massive Hammer horror fan and I know that he’d really love me to adapt ‘Scayrecrow‘ into a feature length piece, very keen, so as soon as some of these current script commitments are complete …who knows? It would absolutely be the summation of everything I’ve done so far as I’d want it to have the subtlety of performance in ‘The Hairy Hands‘ twinned with the bold painterly qualities of ‘Scayrecrow‘. With this kind of support , y’know, it could really happen...” – Ashley Thorpe

The interview is the culmination of an extraordinary New Year for Carrion films thus far which has seen a wealth of positive reviews for ‘The Hairy Hands’ and features in ‘Fangoria magazine‘ (Issue 293), ‘Rue Morgue magazine’ (Issue 98) and the horror press internationally.

The full interview can be heard via podcast (or downloaded) via Rue Morgue Radio.

DOWNLOAD UPDATE: Since the ‘Monster Invasion‘ feature in Fangoria magazine Carrion film has been inundated with enquiries regarding when / if the film will become available to view online or purchase as a download.

Director Ashley Thorpe: “It’s lovely that people are really anxious to see and own it but the simple answer to this one is – potentially but not imminently. The reason for this is twofold. Primarily it’s a matter of negotiation between the funding sources and if in the near future we can organise how this would work then I’d almost be more tempted to get the films out as a collection on a DVD, ‘Penny Dreadful’s volume One’, all in one place, with perhaps some new exclusive stuff in there to make it worthwhile and desirable. Secondly, with regards to getting the film accepted into festivals internationally, there are still quite a few that are unhappy with a submission being readily available commercially before the festival screenings. Even having a presence on things like Vimeo. So potentially by making the film available you’re  ironically  limiting its chances of being seen. So apologies in the short term but hopefully in the long term something potentially even better might materialise.”

Carrion Film can now announce that Penny Dreadful 4 ‘THE HAIRY HANDS” has been selected to be shown at this years Cannes film festival as part of the Short Film Corner. The announcement means it’s the second consecutive year that a Carrion Film animation has been selected for screening at the prestigious event.

Last year ‘Scayrecrow’ was selected to be screened and its exposure at the festival led to ‘The Screaming Skull‘ being screened at the 17th Raindance Film Festival in London and its subsequent Best UK Short Film nomination. ‘The Hairy Hands‘ producer Tom Atkinson has sent this exclusive report directly from the World famous festival:

“Well, here we are again! Cannes 2010 trembles in its Jimmy Choos as Carrion Film screens its latest frightful flick at the world’s greatest film festival. My hotel room is small, the en suite even smaller and the carpet is certainly not red! However with the 2010 Cannes Film Festival in full swing and ‘The Hairy Hands‘ screening to critics and buyers left right and centre I have little time to dwell on my room or the ridiculous rate I am paying for it.”

“It truly is a glorious place to be when the sun shines, the salty sea ruffles your hair and the smell of money makes your head spin. I have spent the first days of the festival exploring the labyrinthine layout of the festival and bumping into old friends and colleagues, all of whom are twitching with glee at the possibilities this festival can hold for the boldest and luckiest filmmakers who meet the right person who just happens to be looking for exactly what they are screening. Moments like this are the stuff of dreams and yes I am on the lookout for just such an opportunity. Personally I would like to meet a horror mad Hollywood producer whose pockets are weighed down with money, whose brain is addled with champagne and possibly cocaine, whose only aim at the festival is to meet a young British Producer with a stunning, short animated horror film that could (and has) been described as “A tense, playful and ultra-stylized slice of modern gothic macabre…” by such luminaries of the genre as Chris Alexander of ‘Fangoria magazine‘. This is, however, unlikely but where there is hope there is…well, me.”

“This hope was boosted the other day as I sat through a screening of the tawdry and pointless yet much vaunted ‘Robin Hood’. This film is the final nail in the coffin of my already tattered faith in Sir Ridley Scott. It is awful, and to my sense of the ridiculous actually burst off the scale when it was reported to be a more sensible and historically accurate version of the  – by comparison – academically precise, Kevin Costner film from the 90’s. The narrative is choppy and unbalanced, the cinematography is woeful, the accents are questionable in the extreme and the only thing remotely convincing was the filth and the sweat on the actors faces. It was uninspiring and unworthy of opening the festival.”

“By comparison, ‘The Hairy Hands‘ looks glorious up on the big screen and audiences so far have cried out in fear, ooohed and aaahed in the right places and the bubble of chatter during the credits is a very positive sign. Silence as the credits roll is akin to the silence among the crowd after the trap hs dropped and the hooded offender twitches and gurgles in the noose. I am here for the duration and will report back upon my return to the UK or as soon as that champagne addled Hollywood exec puts his arms around my shoulder and says “Hey kid, this is the film I have been looking for!” – Producer Tom Atkinson.

Apart from producing ‘The Hairy Hands‘ for Carrion Film Tom also heads up R3D Films;  an award winning production company that currently has Film, Documentary, Drama and Corporate projects in production.

Atkinson’s work has been highly acclaimed by the press, particularly Film4 . He has produced several films, including The Wrestling (2008) starring Kendo Nagasaki and The Pantomime (2009) narrated by Simon Callow. In 2008, in conjunction with Egmont Publishing Atkinson produced the documentary Roy . This film was made to support the relaunch of legendary comic footballer ‘Roy of the Rovers‘ and the reprinting of his most famous stories. Acclaimed by Film4 in a four star review as “a superb short about a football legend who made up for being a somewhat two-dimensional player by virtue of his formidable haircuts, his nose for scandal and the best eye for goal in the business”, ‘Roy’ won the award for Best Documentary Short at the End of the Pier International Film Festival 2009, gained Official Selection in Rushes (company) Soho Shorts Festival 2009  and also screened at the Cannes Film festival. Atkinson has also worked with Oscar-winning production company Passion pictures on a documentary series screened on both Channel 4and More4.

With director Luke Dormehl, Tom Atkinson makes up the team behind the 10 Pound Horror Film: an independent film production that uses transmedia storytelling and is the world’s first fan-funded horror film.

Director Ashley Thorpe was unable to attend the festival due to writing commitments on a number of future genre projects – information on which will be posted here as soon as it is available.

THE HAIRY HANDS GET THEIR GRIP ON CANNES

Ever supportive legendary magazine ‘Fangoria‘ has posted their own news report on the Cannes screening of  Carrion Film animation ‘The Hairy Hands’:

“The latest animated short from UK-based filmmaker (and Fango contributor) Ashley Thorpe, THE HAIRY HANDS (see Fango #293) looks set to have another “hit with a myth,” having been screened recently at this year’s Cannes Film Festival. The vivid little flick—Thorpe’s fourth in a series of animations that aim to resurrect neglected aspects of British legend—looks set to follow in the footsteps of the award-winning SCAYRECROW and THE SCREAMING SKULL.

Evoking such previous genre treats as THE BEAST WITH FIVE FINGERS, HANDS delivers EC Comics-style chills, telling of a stretch of Dartmoor road haunted by the eponymous fingered fiends. “My interests have always been this perverse blend of high and low art, and that wonderful kaleidoscope where one feeds from the other,” Thorpe tells Fango. “So it’s rather fantastic knowing that a film based upon the B3212 on Dartmoor has been screened at one of the world’s greatest festivals. It’s a bit like having one of your kids amble accidentally into a cover shot for Time magazine and drop his trousers. It’s extraordinary, really. From the windswept moors of Devon to the sunlit beaches of Cannes… But then, I suppose that was always my intention for the Penny Dreadful project. Get these stories out there!”

Due to other writing commitments, including the next Penny Dreadful entry SPRING HEEL JACK, the director was unable to attend the screening, but producer Tom Atkinson, who was present, was left extremely optimistic by the response. “THE HAIRY HANDS looks glorious up on the big screen,” he says, “and audiences so far have cried out in fear, oohed and aahed in the right places, and the bubble of chatter during the credits is a very positive sign.”

Newly appointed editor in chief of legendary  ‘Fangoria magazine‘ (currently celebrating its 30th year in publication) – Chris Alexander – has interviewed  Ashley Thorpe for the magazine’s regular column ‘Monster Invasion’. The issue (293) hit news-stands internationally mid April. Here is a brief excerpt from the published feature…

“Film is a dream, an impression of reality. And when it comes to fantasy, horror or science fiction, that dream should have license to play by whatever unnatural laws it chooses to, bending and abstracting its canvas to both engage the mind and stimulate the eye.”

“That’s this journalist’s opinion anyway. It’s also apparently the point of view shared by British horror enthusiast and experimental animator Ashley Thorpe. A painter by trade, Thorpe has been tirelessly advancing his own unique illustrated, living, breathing, Gothic fairy-tale style: a jittery, jumpy blend of photo-realistic images drenched in hand-etched colour, spilling across fantastical landscapes infused with the most evocative nightmare logic.”

“And while his multiple-award-winning short films ‘Scayrecrow‘ (screened at a recent FANGORIA convention) and its companion piece ‘The Screaming Skull‘ put him on the map and made higher-brow genre fans snap to attention, his latest effort, the partially animated, curiously titled ‘The Hairy Hands‘. demonstrates not only his progression as a manipulator of suspense, but as a genre fan who wears his influences on his blood smeared sleeve…” – Chris Alexander FANGORIA

Director Ashley Thorpe: “I’m so very proud to be part of it…a childhood dream come true really…this magazine was  the catalyst for me as a young teen for my utter horror obsession. The magazine never left my side, riding to school with me camouflaged amongst my homework…back in the day when reading horror magazines in public was tantamount to being caught with pornography, ha ha…we’re talking around 1985 / 86, and the movies, the market and the magazine have changed a great deal since then, but I have a good feeling about Chris’ editorship and the new direction that the magazine is taking. The man lives and breathes film and his passion is infectious. Fangoria is definitely in safe hands.”

Producer Tom Atkinson: “Producing The Hairy Hands has been a roller coaster ride, from long hot shoots in dusty Devon barns to securing the Pinhead and Chatterer from Clive Barker’s Hellraiser the potential for the film has grown and grown. With the premier now behind us and The Hairy Hands entered in festivals around the world legendary Horror magazine Fangoria has thrown its support behind the film. Everyone who is anyone in Horror respects the opinions of Fangoria and to have no less than Chris Alexander the Editor in Chief praise the film is a mighty accomplishment.

“A tense, playful and ultra-stylized slice of modern gothic macabre..” – Chris Alexander, Fangoria.

The level of support for the film has further boosted our conviction here at Carrion Films to explore and develop British Horror. Director Ashley Thorpe is already scripting the next film in the Penny Dreadful series and we can promise it will be bigger, better and probably nastier! I am busy promoting the film in the UK and internationally and will report back with news as and when it happens but can exclusively reveal here that a copy of The Hairy Hands is currently sitting on Clive Barker’s desk at Seraphim Films in LA so watch out for exciting news from the US!”

‘The Hairy Hands‘, Directed by Ashley Thorpe and Produced by Tom Atkinson, was co-funded by the UK Film Council, South West Screen, Exeter Phoenix and Devon County Council and was completed in November 2009, receiving its premiere at Exeter’s ‘Two Short Nights’ Film Festival later that month. The film has subsequently been screened at the Arnolfini in Bristol and is now lined up for screenings in a variety of festivals both in the UK and internationally. Details of these festivals will follow shortly, but in the meantime here’s a small section of the interview, detailing future projects, that was cut:

CA: After Hands…tell me about the next wave of Thorpe’s world domination game?

AT: “…Well, I’m currently at work on scripting ‘Spring Heel Jack‘ my Victorian opus, which is pitched somewhere between Batman and Jack the Ripper – very dark psychological stuff, rich in period detail and based in part upon actual historical reports. He’s a devil that has haunted this spectred isle for over a century, from the frozen rivers of Devon to the rooftops of Liverpool. It’s elegant, horrifying and it’ll certainly press a few buttons. I’ve been waiting a long time to make something archly gothic like this…London fog, resurrectionists…This devil, having long been caged will come out roaring! It’ll be something probably a little closer to the textural qualities of ‘Scayrecrow‘ only in that I’d like to have the time to do a bit more hand painted work again. It’s one that I’ve witheld from some of the smaller grants because it’s a project that I feel very close to and I really want to do it justice. The previous films have been a little compromised by schedules, but I’m aiming for this one to be the next big step for Carrion Film, aesthetically and commercially.”

“I also have plans for a feature. Though I have been asked on numerous occasions about turning either ‘Scayrecrow‘ or ‘The Screaming Skull‘ into full length movies, and I’m not ruling this out as I think both of them have enormous potential for features, I’d like to make the Dartmoor portmanteau ‘Hell Tor‘ – which is pretty much an Amicus film for / of Dartmoor based ghost stories. As to whether this would be a live action film incorporating the animated elements or a completely rotoscoped feature I’ve yet to decide. Personally I’d actually like to see it animated, but funding and distribution will no doubt be a deciding factor.”

“I have a wealth of stories still to tell, a lifetimes work quite probably, and as long as people still watch and enjoy them, still aid their creation, I’ll continue making them...” – Ashley Thorpe

The full article can be read in ‘Fangoria‘ issue 293 (available in the UK via outlets such as ‘Forbidden Planet’ and ‘The Cinema Store). Everyone at Carrion Film would like to thank Chris Alexander and all the staff at ‘Fangoria Magazine‘ for their continued enthusiasm and support and wish them every success with the ‘re-launch’ of the magazine.

With the new ‘Penny Dreadful’ animation ‘The Hairy Hands‘ complete and beginning it’s crawl towards the World’s film festivals – and with the complete film unable to view until those screenings are secured – Carrion film thought what better time to finally reveal the official trailer and give you a taster of what to expect!  The film was produced in co-operation with the UK Film Council, South West Screen, Devon County Council and the Exeter Phoenix and was made between June  and November 2009.

This trailer is perhaps of particular interest as it features a number of sequences that will not be seen in the final film. These shots were not cut from the finished print however, they were actually created especially for the trailer and it also features a section of voiceover (relating to Dartmoor – the film’s setting) recorded especially by Doug Bradley that also isn’t present in the final film.

DOWNLOAD – ‘THE HAIRY HANDS’  Trailer (M4v i-Phone friendly format)

UNRATED REVIEW – Cinema of the Extreme.

Carl Ford (‘Dagon magazine‘)  has posted a review of three short films by Ashley Thorpe on behalf of ‘Unrated magazine‘. Here is a brief excerpt:

“Despite the United Kingdom being fertile territory for horror filmmakers; with its history steeped in an abundance of folklore and myths relating to ghosts, monsters, cryptids and all manner of paranormal activities; few recent filmmakers have turned to its dark terrors for inspiration. Fewer still have exclusively focused their art on these outre occurrences, which is a grand shame since Britain’s heritage boasts a number of ghoulish legends that prove far more interesting than the constant barrage of recycled horror tropes with their inspiration drawn from American culture and rehashed monster movies. Step forward Ashley Thorpe who, under the banner of Carrion Films, has been causing quite a stir amongst horror genre aficionados with a series of creepy animated shorts that have picked up a plethora of awards on the independent film circuit…”

On ‘The Hairy Hands‘ – “…Featuring further nods to AN AMERICAN WEREWOLF IN LONDON, Hammer Films’ BLOOD FROM THE MUMMY’S TOMB (1971), Amicus’ DR TERROR’S HOUSE OF HORRORS (1965) and much of the exposition resembling Marion Crane’s guilt-ridden car journey from Hitchcock’s PSYCHO (1960), THE HAIRY HANDS plays as a road movie along the lines of THE HITCHER meets THE BEAST WITH FIVE FINGERS. There’s very much a 60s/70s feel to proceedings with a scene depicting an outdated rural garage run by an attendant who could have stepped out of THE TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE, and its infusion of foreshadowing via the use of symbols of death and foreboding radio messages (THE WAR OF THE WORLDS). Despite the allusions Thorpe’s film is stylistically unique, combining the use of slow moving camera, and action, bold lighting colouring techniques and stop motion with a fast paced narrative the results of which are impressive as well as damn right spooky!” – Carl Ford UNRATED

To read the full article visit: UNRATED MAGAZINE

BCFM INTERVIEW – ASHLEY THORPE & ED BERRY

Mark LeLeivre of Bristol’s BCFM Radio has interviewed Carrion Director Ashley Thorpe and stalwart actor Ed Berry for their dedicated movie and music show. The interview was broadcast on Saturday 27th of March but can still be heard via podcast or by clicking here: LISTEN TO BCFM INTERVIEW.

“The Hairy Hands” is vibrantly colorful, which owes a lot to the old “Hammer Film’s” and the “lurid” blues, reds and greens of Bava and Argento from the days of the “Technicolor three strip process”, their new film “The Hairy Hands” tells a newly emerged story of a pair of roaming, disembodied hands that haunt a road across the old Moor. Featuring the voices of Doug Bradley (Pinhead: The Hellraiser Films) and Nicholas Vince (The “Chatterer” Cenobite: The Hellraiser Films, Nightbreed). “The Hairy Hands” will undoubtedly do well and I am sure make it to the cinema as a supporting feature and to TV, alongside “Tales of the Unexpected”, “The Twilight Zone” and “Night Gallery” programmes we use to watch as kids back in the 60’s/70’s.” – MARK LeLEIVRE BCFM

Apart from a few candid insights into the animations and their production processes the show also included a widely eclectric selection of music including Fabio Frizzi’s theme to ‘City of the Living Dead‘, the Fantomas cover of ‘Spider Baby, ‘Dracula‘ by James Bernard, ‘The Hunt‘ from Jerry Goldsmith’s score to ‘The Final Conflict’ aswell as a wealth of vintage stingers and trailers.

To join Mark’s online horror / cult / exploitation community – ‘Incredibly Strange Film Club’ – visit Facebook.

THE SCREAMING SKULL ‘DOWN UNDER’

We have just received confirmation that Carrion Films award nominated animation ‘The Screaming Skull’ has been officially selected to be screened at the ‘Night of Horror international film festival‘ held annually in Sydney Australia. The festival runs April 15th – 23rd 2010 and showcases a varied mix of international features and shorts. The festival’s director had this to say (taken from official site):

‘...the best part of being involved in a horror film festival is having the chance to watch a wide variety of cutting edge films made by up and coming genre filmmakers. The horror genre has always provided an outlet for the dark imaginations of cinema’s most talented practitioners: Carl Theodor Dreyer, Fritz Lang, Ingmar Bergman, Roman Polanski, Stanley Kubrick, and Francis Ford Coppola (to name but a few), have all made important and powerful horror films. Hollywood’s current A-list includes several directors – notably Sam Raimi and Peter Jackson – who launched their careers with inventive, low-budget horror masterpieces. And thankfully some of our favorite directors, including John Carpenter, Dario Argento and George Romero, never left the genre that they helped define.’

The Raindance ‘Best UK Short’ nominated  film can be downloaded in its entirety from this site and more details regarding this screening will be posted as soon as we receive them.

Carrion film Director Ashley Thorpe, in light of the release of ‘The Hairy Hands‘,  has been interviewed by Stuart ‘Feedback’ Andrews (host of Rue Morgue Radio) for Canada’s seminal horror periodical ‘Rue Morgue magazine‘ as part of their regular ‘Abbreviated terrors‘ feature on Independent short film.  Stuart  recently posted interviews on Cinephobia held with Malcom McDowell and Ray Harryhausen. The interview will appear in  issue 98 ( a tribute to  the late Spanish horror legend Paul Naschy) and is due to hit stands internationally  on March 1st 2010.

A brief excerpt from the interview: – “…What attracted me to ‘the bloods’, was the same thing that attracted me to the other neglected  English myths; was this idea of ‘lost stories’ populated by sorely neglected and often archetypal gothic characters. The Highwayman is a case in point. In the sixteen and seventeen hundreds these criminals were the rock stars of their day, their executions were attended by tens of thousands of people. Nowadays, you say ‘Highwayman’, people think Adam Ant.
We’re in an age now wherein, for good or ill depending on your point of view, British genre fiction has been swamped by an American style of horror. The days of Kensington gore have long gone. Nothing feels very indigenous anymore. A British zombie movie is still a zombie movie and still ostensibly a love letter to Romero’s legacy, however admirable. We seem to have lost our monsters, our ghosts and our demons, which is bloody criminal as Britain is a country saturated with a rich heritage of horrors – fact and fiction. British genre product rarely reflects and celebrates this fact. What I’m hoping to do is, however modestly, is to at least ‘reconnect’ with that dark vein that runs through our culture and hopefully share a few old tales that I believe are  worth telling.” – Ashley Thorpe

Rue Morgue, based in Toronto,was established in 1997 and dedicates itself to covering “Horror in culture and entertainment,” taking its name from Poe’s short story “The Murders in the Rue Morgue.” It was founded by its original Editor-In-Chief Rod Gudino in 1997 who handed the position off to Jovanka Vuckovic in December 2005. In 2010 those reins were handed over to Dave Alexander.

Rue Morgue covers horror in all media: films, books, websites, comic books, music, etc. Each issue includes feature stories, opinion columns, and numerous reviews. It has quickly become a leading horror magazine on the market as well as having a strong online presence, including weekly broadcasts of Rue Morgue Radio. Rue Morgue has grown into a very active community among horror fans and celebrities, with their annual Rue Morgue Festival Of Fear, as well as their online message board, the Rue Mortuary, and the newest umbrella, Rue Morgue Cinema, that has already landed a selection at the Toronto International Festival with Publisher Rodrigo Gudino’s short films, The Eyes of Edward James, The Demonology of Desire and The Facts In the Case of Mister Hollow.

“I remember buying my first issue of ‘Rue Morgue’ when I had first moved to London, back when I was working on putting ‘The Vampire‘ together.  Apart from being drawn in by the ‘Day of the Dead’ cover (the art and design of the magazine by Gary Pullin is generally fantastic throughout) I subsequently became a dedicate fan due to the magazine’s breadth of coverage on all aspects of horror, and subsequently, after moving to Greece, had it shipped out to me by a friend so that I could continue reading it. Though ‘Fangoria’ remains my ‘first love’ in a sense, mainly due to nostalgic memories of buying it after school and hiding it in my English folder, ‘Rue Morgue’ took its place along side it as I got older due to its sense of community and willingness to dig out the lost or little known gems in the genre. It was importantly also the first place that I encountered Chris Alexander, who used to have a regular column, who has since gone on to champion our work. It was, and is, a magazine that I constantly turn to as a source of inspiration – whether to directly inspire my work, turn me on to alternative authors or filmmakers or to further educate myself in the field. And it’s written with such a genuine passion for horror, it’s infectious, and it’s fun. If ever you felt slightly ‘out of place’ because of your love for the genre, reading ‘Rue Morgue’ is a homecoming celebration. I’m proud to be a part of it.” – Ashley Thorpe

Penny Dreadful four ‘The Hairy Hands‘ was completed late last year and after recent test screenings at Exeter’s ‘Two Short Nights‘ festival and a cast and crew screening for the South West Screen / UK Film Council at Bristol’s Arnolfini Arts Centre, is now taking its first steps out upon the festival circuit. The film features regular Carrion film star Ed Berry and also features voiceover work from Doug Bradley, Nicholas Vince and BBC Radio DJ Jo Loosemore.Watch this site for future screening details and trailer.

Meanwhile…scripting is still in progress on further Penny Dreadful animations including ‘Spring Heel Jack‘ and Carrion Film’s first proposed feature: ‘Hell-Tor‘ – further details and production art to be posted here shortly!

TOM LEINS REVIEWS ‘THE HAIRY HANDS’

Paignton based Film Critic Tom Leins has posted what can only be described as a glowing review of Penny Dreadful number 4: ‘The Hairy Hands‘ for Devon and Cornwall Film:

“Devon filmmaker Ashley Thorpe has forged a solid reputation with his sinister succession of short films based on notorious local legends. His latest offering is The Hairy Hands, a vivid, hyper-stylized horror flick that packs an improbable number of chills into its admirably brisk 11 minute run-time.

With a ghoulish line in atmospherics and a welcome attention to detail, The Hairy Hands has a uniquely disquieting vibe, and the sense of foreboding is cranked up one notch at a time. Thorpe coaxes a nuanced performance out of leading man Edward Berry, and he gives this supernatural tale an all-too-plausible edge.

Make no mistake, Ashley Thorpe’s menacing short film will grab you by the throat with its hairy hands, and not let go until the chilling final frame. Freaky folklore just got re-booted for a new generation. Accomplished stuff.“ – Tom Leins for D & C Film.

Tom Leins spent two years working as a film critic for national movie magazine DVD Monthly. Since the magazine closed down in 2009 he regularly contributes to a variety of websites, not least Devon & Cornwall Film – which showcases ‘Sex, Leins & Videotape’ – his excellent weekly DVD column. Tom’s short stories have been published in magazines all over the world, and can also be found across the web.

On Tuesday 23rd February Carrion Film Director Ashley Thorpe will be joining  Lee Rawlings and Tony Eccles on Phonic FM‘s ‘Spitting Feathers‘ .

The director, following the release of ‘The Hairy Hands‘, has been hard at work on the script for the new Penny Dreadful animation – the sinister Victorian gothic yarn ‘Spring Heel Jack‘ – but will be taking time out from the process to discuss the new animation ‘The Hairy Hands‘; its creation, its soundtrack and a selection of  music that inspired it.

Among the tracks chosen were the theme to Hammer horror’s ‘The Devil Rides Out‘ (composed by James Bernard), the complete end title theme from ‘The Hairy Hands‘ (composed by Mick Grierson), the theme to Alfred Hitchcock’s ‘Psycho‘ (composed by Bernard Herrman), Theme to ‘The Persuaders‘ (by John Barry), ‘Suspiria‘ (by Goblin), ‘Halloween‘ (by John Carpenter), ‘Film 1‘ (by John Foxx) and an excerpt from the ‘Horsell common and the heat ray‘  passage of  Jeff Waynes’s ‘War of the Worlds‘ rock opera.

“This obviously doesn’t represent the extent of my musical tastes by any leap of the imagination, but it certainly represents pretty much what I was listening to during the creation of the film. The soundtrack to ‘Psycho’ for instance was pretty much on constantly whilst scripting the thing, which I think is pretty evident, certainly in the opening sequence of the film. The other selections represent textural elements that I wanted the film to posess and were things that I would regularly either send to Mick or we’d sit and listen to them through and try to incorporate – I mean things like Gary Numan, John Foxx, certainly Carpenter – a blending of influences, enthusiasms, because although I wanted ‘The Hairy Hands’ to have this 1960’s thriller sort of vibe to it I also wanted it to evoke, as the narrative and its iconography switches, the kind of horror films that I first discovered either on VHS or late night on TV when I was young and for it to have a late seventies early eighties feeling to it…Argento, John Carpenter output then certainly. ‘War of the Worlds’ was also a childhood favourite, and it’s another one that I regularly revisit. For all its occasional disco / prog-rock trappings it’s still a wonderfully eerie and evocative album. And…Richard Burton…what more can I say! As for my first pick, well ‘The Devil Rides Out’ was the film that started it all and that Hammer influence is still –  and I suspect always will be –  there in my work.” – Ashley Thorpe

‘Spitting Feathers‘ goes out between 10 – 12pm on Phonic FM 106.8, Tuesday 23rd February, but can also be heard via the Phonic website or via the following links:

phonic-interview-pt1 (interview starts at 5min) . phonic-interview-pt2.

CHRIS ALEXANDER – APPOINTED NEW EDITOR OF FANGORIA MAGAZINE

“Chris Alexander is able to swerve in and out of thoughts and images like travelling through a melody His capacity to intuitively grasp the essence of an artist or film is strong and daring. Because of this, his subjects can be seen under a light otherwise kept in darkness.” – Coralina Cataldi-Tassoni (Dario Argento’s ‘Opera’ & ‘Mother of Tears’.

After weeks of discussion and debate it was recently officially announced that respected genre journalist Chris Alexander – keen supporter of Carrion Film animations –  has been  appointed as the new Editor of legendary horror periodical ‘Fangoria‘ magazine, taking over duties from longtime editor Tony Timpone.

“Since I was a little boy, Fangoria has been mythical; my gateway into a wild, weird world of monsters and mayhem, of sex, blood, death and general taboo bending pulp fiction delirium. Now, after freelancing for this genre entertainment institution for 2 years, I’m both honoured and a little shaken by this new role…my dream job, actually. It’s all rather surreal…

Those of you who have followed my words in the pages of Canadian periodical ‘Rue Morgue’ (where I got my start as a film journalist) or Toronto newspaper Metro, or heard my endless blather on radio or television…you all know one thing is certain: that I absolutely LIVE for cinema, specifically dark, oddball, horror, cult and exploitation cinema.

That passion, that manic, tireless energy has driven me my entire life and it’s that deep love for the history and future of macabre film and fiction that I plan to harness and bring to the pages of Fangoria this year and, hopefully , beyond…

So stay tuned…it’s going to be a wild ride.” – Chris Alexander Feb 2010

Chris has interviewed Carrion Film Director Ashley Thorpe twice so far for ‘Fangoria‘ – most recently back in September 2009, for a piece on the then forthcoming animation ‘The Hairy Hands‘. 

“… visionary UK based filmmaker Ashley Thorpe, an artist whose carefully controlled, creepy and rapturously gothic short films SCAYRECROW and THE SCREAMING SKULL (which screened at this years NYC Fango Con) really left an impression on me.

The man is a stylist supreme, his weird rotoscope approach matched by his respect for myth and I wasn’t the only one who thought so. Both pictures have gone on to win a multitude of awards and earn a plethora of accolades (you can see them for yourself at Thorpe’s site) …See, I’m still convinced this guy is going to be a huge influence in horror for years to come and it appeases my ego to know that I was one of the first genre journalists on these shores to say so…”

Chris’s new book – ‘Blood Spattered Book‘ ( A selection of personal essays on underrated horror, dark fantasy and cult movies that refuse to behave) is available now from Midnight Marquee Press.

The fourth animation in the ‘Penny Dreadful’ series – The Hairy Hands – is now complete and  received its premiere at the ‘Two Short Nights‘ festival in Exeter, UK, on the 28th of November.

The film, produced with the assistance of the UK Film Council, South West Screen, Devon County Council and the Exeter Phoenix features – amongst others –  the talents of Doug Bradley, Nicholas Vince, local BBC DJ Jo Loosemore and another star turn from Carrion Film regular Ed Berry.

Though the film was initially screened in an unfinished cut, response to the screening was extremely good and the evening, hosted by the Exeter Phoenix, was a lively showcasing of Devon talent. The final mixed version of the film will subsequently be screened at the ‘Arnolfini‘ Arts centre ( a fantastic waterside location at the heart of Bristol’s harbourside)  on December the 16th as part of the ‘Digital shorts‘ Cast and Crew evening with ‘The Hairy Hands‘ ending the nights screening. Subsequent screenings of the film will be posted here over the next few months and the trailer for the complete film, very much inspired by the ‘Britsploitation‘ horror films of the 1970’s, will be available to view on this site in the very near future. Watch this space!

“‘The Hairy Hands” came pretty hot on the heels on ‘The Screaming Skull‘. Originally it was planned to be the bookend story for ‘Hell-Tor‘ where the protagonist holes up at the Warren Inn on Dartmoor because of bad weather and then in classic Amicus fashion hears these ghost yarns before setting off again with one of the featured ghosts in his car. When the Digital Shorts commission came through I had very limited time during the ‘fallout’ of making the last film to come up with a story that was realistic to shoot and animate in keeping with the deadline. ‘Hands‘ sort of fitted the bill. The other stories I’d planned to start later in the year (‘Spring heel Jack‘ and ‘The Lambton Worm‘) were too ambitious in terms of production design, so I took the bookend story idea and gave it a touch of ‘Vault of Horror’. It’s a nice little story and I’m quite proud of it.  It’s lean yet has some nice subtexts and some fun generic quotes. It’s also a bit of a departure from the previous films in that it’s ‘contemporary’, which I was initially hesitant about as I have little to no interest in being contemporary purely to be more accessible. But by constantly referencing Hitchcock and John Carpenter I believe we managed to fulfill that criteria whilst actually not really being very contemporary at all! That goes for the music too. Though the score is far more contemporary than the previous films it’s actually referencing music from the sixties, John Barry certainly,  and the early synth work of Carpenter and artists like John Foxx (circa 1979). And like the images, this wasn’t done necessarily as a gimmick or any kind of ‘post-modern’ stance, rather trying to draw together what initially appeared to be rather disparate elements and unifying them, due to a sincere love of the material and its textural qualities.”

“It’s been an extraordinary year for the films: starting with recognition in the local press through Cannes, the Media Innovation award, the reviews in Fangoria and the subsequent screenings in New York during the summer, the Raindance nomination for ‘Best UK Short’ and now ‘The Hairy Hands‘ and the participation of  not only the UK Film Council but also BBC DJ Jo Loosemore and Doug Bradley, for a small British Independent adapting local myths you couldn’t really ask for more. Now, in 2010, Carrion Films will be pushing forward with a number of projects of varying complexity and length and seeing where it takes us. I have high hopes for ‘The Hairy Hands‘ – I believe it to be a good indication and celebration of where we’ve come from… and potentially where we are going.” – Director Ashley Thorpe

‘REAL HORROR SHOW’ – CHAPEL SCREENING FOR THE MORGUE

In  the wake of a recent interview between ‘Rue Morgue Radio‘ host Stuart Feedback Andrews  and Carrion film Director Ashley Thorpe (more to be posted on this site early next year), a special screening of ‘Scayrecrow‘ was held at the Rue Morgue offices…

Stuart Feedback Andrews – “We had an annual Rue Morgue contributors Christmas party a couple of weeks ago and I treated everyone to a screening of  ‘Scayrecrow’ which went over very well. Rue Morgue is situated in an old funeral home and what formally the chapel is now a screening room with a large screen and a video projector – so it was great to see your mini-masterpiece on the big screen.”

Stuart, a massive Hammer, Amicus and dark animation fan (especially Ray Harryhausen and Jan Svankmeyer) was born in Liverpool, England in the same maternity ward where some of the more cheerful members of the Beatles first came into being. But unlike his loveable moptop brethren, Feedback did not enter the world kicking and screaming, he came in black and blue and barely breathing, with the umbilical cord wrapped firmly around his neck so it’s no surprise that he ended up writing for RUE MORGUE. Feedback produces weekly interview segments for RUE MORGUE Radio and forms one half of The Caustic Critics. Feedback also hosts CKLN Radio’s weekly film show Cinephobia and is the director of the infamous sub cult classic, The Goldfarb Variations, the film that does for latent homosexuality what Gary Glitter did for child pornography.

Further details of the interview between Stuart and Ashley will be posted here early next year. Between Dec 4th – Jan 7th Rue Morgue Radio is podcasting an interview  with horror legend Roger Corman, and by going to Cinephobia radio you can hear an interview with animation legend Ray Harryhausen.

“I am thrilled to welcome to Cinephobia Radio, legendary visual effects genius and the man responsible for igniting the imaginations of kids all over the world, Mr. Ray Harryhausen. At the tender age of 13, Ray fell madly in love with the 1933 classic King Kong. From that moment on, all his thoughts were bent on a career in stop motion animation. Back in March, Mr Harryhausen and his co-writer Tony Dalton were kind enough to chat with me on the phone about their fantastic new book. So join me as we celebrate the career of a geniune living legend and one of the most beloved figures in American cinema.” – Stuart Andrews. Be sure to tune in.

Respected British genre actor Doug Bradley, perhaps most renowned for portraying the lead Cenobite – or ‘Pinhead’ in the ‘Hellraiser‘ franchise,  has joined the cast of Carrion films fourth animation ‘The Hairy Hands‘.

Doug Bradley provides the voice of of ‘Mr Brook’, the suspicious boss of the film’s protagonist that rumbles Cole’s betrayal and instigates his pursuit. Recording was completed in Soho on November 4th with Actress Sam Burgess as the voice of ‘Susie’ the secretary.

“The part of Mr Brook required someone who could evoke a certain authority, a certain dreadful gravitas…someone that when the audience heard them would instantly understand that Cole’s crimes would have dire consequence…and  I kept thinking of Doug Bradley – partially because of the ‘Pinhead’ thing but actually more because of his portrayal of  Elliot Spencer, the Cenobites human counterpart.  For all its bizarre Americanisms, I love ‘Hellraiser’ ironically for its strange English subtleties…I like its gothic sensibilities, I love Julia’s sordid seductions to murder – crimes that evoke a peculiar British grubbiness… Also, I have to say that, perhaps naively, from the outset I desperately wanted a respected genre actor to play a part in this film, but I never really genuinely thought that something would actually come out of it. I think that’s hats off to Tom’s (Atkinson) professionalism  and also testament to Doug Bradley’s commitment to independent Cinema and the sincerity of his love for the genre.  It was fascinating talking to Doug about his experiences in the horror field and especially hearing his passionate views on the current state of the horror genre. It’s always a worry to meet someone that you’ve  had a great deal of admiration for, but Doug was an absolute gentleman, expressing a sincere interest in Carrion Film’s ongoing horror projects. And Nicholas Vince is absolutely one of the most friendly and charming people I’ve ever met. I’m very proud to have worked with Doug and Nicholas and sincerely hope to do so again in the near future. ” – Ashley Thorpe

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Doug Bradley was born in Liverpool, England, and is a longtime close friend of horror/fantasy novelist Clive Barker, the two having met when they attended secondary school, and has worked with Barker in various capacities (from the ‘Dog theatre company’  to the Hellraiser films) since the early 1970s. As well as the ‘Hellraiser’ series, Doug has starred in Clive Barker’s ‘Nightbreed’,  and in two award-winning short horror films ‘On Edge’ and ‘Red Lines’.

Bradley is also the author of an autobiography, as well as a volume “Sacred Masks: Behind the Mask of the Horror Actor“ which explores the history of masks in society, and their applications in Horror Movies. In 2010 apart  from ‘The Hairy Hands‘  he will also feature in the British/Spanish horror film ‘Exorcismus‘. Doug is also working on a series of classic horror audio readings which intend to revolutionise the medium. The following is taken from Doug’s official site: http://www.dougbradley.co.uk/

“…We have produced what is planned to be the first in ongoing series which we’re calling ‘Doug Bradley’s Spine Chillers’ and the first of these is now available. It’s H P Lovecraft’s short story ‘The Outsider’. At the moment we’re making it available as a download. You can check out a free preview or pay for the whole thing:www.renegadeartsentertainment.com/spinechillers

It started life as a half-baked idea from me which popped into my head while recording ‘Mr B Gone’ and was essentially no more than the feeling that the ‘talking book’ hadn’t moved forward since the days of the cassette tape and that it really should be possible to offer more in the digital age. And it sprang from that to a finished product in pretty short order. Through the good offices of Digital Deli it was recently screened at BAFTA and I was delighted by the response. We will soon be making it available in hard copy and will present it in multiple platforms, the idea being you could play it as a DVD, mount it on your PC/iPod/phone in audio-visual form or listen to it as a good old audio book in the car on your way to work.

When Renegade’s present project is finished – the video to accompany a track from Judas Priest’s new album ‘Nostradamus’, we will commence work on the second Spine Chiller which is slated to be Edgar Allen Poe’s ‘The Tell Tale Heart’. If the series takes off, I hope to expand it to use other actors and contemporary and unsigned authors.” – Doug Bradley

Aswell as Doug Bradley, ‘Hellraiser‘ actor Nicholas Vince has also joined the voiceover cast of ‘The Hairy Hands‘. Nicholas portrayed the ‘Chatterer’ Cenobite in ‘Hellraiser‘ aswell as Kinski in ‘Nightbreed‘ and has lent his vocals to that of the radio caller on a supernatural phone-in (hosted by BBC Radio DJ Jo Loosemore) that forms the film’s expositional frame.

Apart from acting Nicholas has also written (though not exclusively) for comics; writing stories for the ‘Hellraiser‘ and ‘Nightbreed‘ comics plus the series ‘Warheads‘ and ‘Mortigan Goth‘. He also modelled for the art of John Bolton, Dave McKean in ‘Cages‘ and was the model used by Clive Barker for the covers of the seminal ‘Books of Blood’. He served as both secretary and chairman of the Comics Creators Guild. One of his short stories features in the new Hellraiser universe based anthology ‘Hellbound Hearts‘.

“Nicholas was a wonderful person to work with: very friendly, very charming… we actually spent a lot more time talking about both the Carrion film projects and ‘Hellraiser’ than actually recording anything! A very generous and charming man, with an infectious laugh!”

The finished film, made in association with the UK Film Council, South West Screen, Devon County Council and the Exeter Phoenix, will make its premiere at this years ‘Two Short Nights‘ festival to be held at the Exeter Phoenix, November 28th.

Fangoria journalist Chris Alexander, straight from interviewing genre legends Roger Corman and George Romero, has interviewed Carrion film director Ashley Thorpe as the eagerly awaited Penny Dreadful number 4: ‘The Hairy Hands‘ nears completion. The interview also reflects upon all that has transpired with the previous films (‘Scayrecrow‘ and ‘The Screaming skull‘) since the previous interview held with Chris back in March 2009. The interview also gains an exclusive first mention of the proposed future short ‘Night of the Kraken‘. Here is a brief excerpt from the interview:

Chris Alexander – “… visionary UK based filmmaker Ashley Thorpe, an artist whose carefully controlled, creepy and rapturously gothic short films SCAYRECROW and THE SCREAMING SKULL (which screened at this years NYC Fango Con) really left an impression on me.

The man is a stylist supreme, his weird rotoscope approach matched by his respect for myth and I wasn’t the only one who thought so. Both pictures have gone on to win a multitude of awards and earn a plethora of accolades (you can see them for yourself at Thorpe’s site) and I thought it was high time to play catch up with the man.

See, I’m still convinced this guy is going to be a huge influence in horror for years to come and it appeases my ego to know that I was one of the first genre journalists on these shores to say so.

Are you ready, then? Good. Here we go.

Ladies and lads Ashley Thorpe…
CA: Tell me about your next film THE HAIRY HANDS. What’s the premise?

AT: Well, THE HAIRY HANDS, as daft or odd as the title may sound, is based on a Dartmoor ghost story. It tells the tale ostensibly of a haunted stretch of road that cuts straight across the moor. Travellers on this road have, since the early part of the last century, told of the sudden manifestation of a pair of disembodied spectral hands that suddenly seize the wheel and violently steer their vehicle off the road. It was a story that gained notoriety nationwide in Britain during the 1920’s when a Dartmoor prison officer died on that road, and his surviving daughters reported ‘strange phenomena’ at the time of the crash.

CA: Is it straight horror? How would you classify it, or do you even bother doing that?

AT: Straight horror, yeah, absolutely! It would be easy to take the Evil Dead 2 route with this one and play the creeping hands for laughs, and as much as I love that movie it’s not the approach that I want to take with it. I remember being particularly taken – hell, haunted –  by a sequence in the Amicus studio film DR. TERROR’S HOUSE OF HORRORS wherein Christopher Lee is an art dealer who is stalked by the severed hand of an artist he’s maimed. Ok,  the effects are a little suspect now, but it was played straight and that idea of a severed hand crawling round the house, or in my case your car, like an unseen spider, still gives me the shivers.

I don’t personally like to classify the films. I hate all that nonsense about whether PSYCHO is really a horror film – please! Unlike the previous two, this one actually has many aspects of the thriller, they’re stylistic devices to lead us into the story, but it’s still ultimately – and quote unashamedly – a horror film. If anything the thriller elements used in this one have made it resemble the EC horror comics. It’s very TALES FROM THE CRYPT actually, pulp horror at its finest, with a smattering of HAMMER HOUSE OF HORROR and the odd nod to Hitchcock…

To read the complete interview visit Chris Alexander’s ‘Blood Splattered Blogs’ on the Fangoria website.

‘The Hairy Hands‘, produced with the assistance of South West Screen, the UK Film Council and Exeter Phoenix,  is set for completion  Halloween 2009 with appearances at festivals and interviews scheduled to coincide, full details of which will be posted here.

Chris Alexander recently, and in a bizarre co-incidence,was involved in a serious car crash (read his blog at www.fangoria.com: ‘TIFF 2009 ends with a bang and a screech, a crash, a crush, screams, sirens etc‘). Miraculously Chris only suffered relatively minor injuries. Ashley and all at Carrion Film would like to personally wish Chris Alexander a speedy recovery and also extend him and all at Fangoria magazine sincere thanks for their continued enthusiastic support.

BEST ANIMATION AWARD NOMINATIONS AT HORROR UK

In an extraordinary stroke of good fortune, both selections – ‘Scayrecrow‘ and ‘The Screaming skull‘ have  been nominated for ‘Best animation’ at this years Horror UK festival. The films are both set to be screened as part of this years ’28 Hours later’ Horror Marathon.

“This festival is a little different to most horror film festivals.  Some smaller festivals show all their films in one go on one night, other festivals show a large number of films over a number of nights.  We have combined the two, and show a large number of films in one go, only this one go lasts for twenty eight hours.  Think of us as the longest horror marathon that you have ever attended.”

“The good news for horror fans, is that it is free entry to come along and watch the films.  If you feel that you would like to pay something for watching the films, then you can make a donation on the night to our selected charity, the Pam Brown childrens cancer ward.”

Full details for the event – programme, tickets and local accomodation – can be found via the official website : www.horroruk.com/28

SCAYRECROW NOMINATED FOR BEST ANIMATED SHORT – B-MOVIE FEST NYC 2009

Announced today (25th September) Penny Dreadful number 2 – ‘Scayrecrow‘  has been nominated for Best Animated Short 2009 at the B-Movie Festival in New York City.

“The B-Movie Festival began in 1999 and in the last few years has grown into a major North East event! We have helped bring exposure to over 10,000 movies, shorts and documentaries from around the world. Many of the movies that have played at our festival have gone on to distribution success with companies like Maverick, Image, Barnholtz, and are available in place like Blockbuster, Best Buy and Walmart. Be a part of the one film festival that showcases the underdog movies!”

The festival runs November 06, 2009 to November 08, 2009. More updates will be posted here as soon as the press releases appear.