So, here we are exactly 3 weeks before Frightfest 2009 opens its doors. I’ve have my full weekend ticket, flights and accommodation booked and raring to go. I’m not 100% convinced my seat isn’t too close to the screen (B27), but at least that means that I’ll get a good view of the guests! Those guests have also now been confirmed, so let’s see what I think so far, after the jump:

Thursday 27th

Triangle (world première) – The 3rd movie from Christopher Smith, director of Creep and Severance. I enjoyed both of those movies, so this movie – which looks like a kind of ocean-bound slasher flick with supernatural overtones – should be good as well. The director has been confirmed as a guest. Trailer

The Hills Run Red (UK première) – I don’t know too much about this, but it seems to be a kind of meta-slasher movie – a cross between John Carpenter’s Masters Of Horror episode Cigarette Burns and a Wrong Turn-style backwoods horror based around a film set. Director Dave Parker is confirmed as a guest. Trailer

Infestation (world première) – A very fun looking big bug movie, where the people not killed by swarms of insects start turning into one themselves. A lot of comparisons to Eight Legged Freaks in the comments I’ve read so far, and that’s fine by me. Trailer

Friday 28th

For the next 4 days, the festival is split over 2 screens – a little annoying as the films don’t quite match up and you’re forced to choose. Also the smaller screen (titled the “Discovery Screen”) only holds about 100 people, so anything half-decent will probably fill up, especially if word gets around for the second screening. Oh well, at least is means there is a choice if the main feature doesn’t appeal…

Main Screen

The Horseman – An Aussie revenge thriller that’s being hyped in the newest issue of The Dark Side among other places as being particularly brutal and effective. Trailer

Beware The Moon (world première) – Interesting-looking documentary on the making of An American Werewolf in London, in preparation for the new Blu-Ray that will include both a remastered print of the movie and this documentary. Director Paul Davis will be in attendance.

An American Werewolf In London – One of my favourite movies as a kid, and still one of the best horror movies of the 80s. Rick Baker’s ground-breaking special effects are usually the talking point, but John Landis’ script (deftly switching between funny comedy and effective horror) and the performances by the cast make the whole thing truly classic. John Landis is confirmed as a guest, though there is apparently an attempt to get everybody humanly possible on stage. Trailer

Shadow (world première) – I’ve not been able to track down a trailer for this, but it’s being hyped as a real return to classic Italian horror. The synopsis sounds more slasher than giallo, but if it’s even half a return to Argento’s or Fulci’s glory days, then that’s a good thing. Director Federico Zampaglione will be there.

The Horde (“special sneak preview”) – French horror is really getting a lot of attention, as much for extremely effective gore as for the highly effective movies – think High Tension (aka High / Haute Tension), Inside, Frontier(s) and Martyrs. What’s missing from that list? Zombies! The Horde tries to put that right… looks good from the trailer.

Macabre (UK premiere) – Not to be confused with Lamberto Bava’s début, this is a movie from Singapore billed as “the bloodiest movie that Frightfest has ever shown”. Considering last year’s ridiculous Tokyo Gore Police and this year’s equally silly-looking Vampire Girl vs. Frankenstein Girl, this has to be a feat! Trailer

Discovery Screen

Best Worst Movie (UK premiere) – A documentary detailing the cult following that’s built up around Troll 2, considered by many to be the most entertainingly awful movie ever (think Plan 9 From Outer Space). To give you an idea – a young kid stops his family from eating food that would turn them into plants by pissing on it!

I Sell The Dead (first London screening) – Cool-looking anthology movie starring Dominic Monaghan, Ron Perlman and Angus Scrimm. Trailer

I Think We’re Alone Now (first London screening) - Another documentary, this one following two people obsessed with 80s singer Tiffany. Trailer

Colin (first London screening) - Ridiculously hyped British zombie movie, supposedly made for just £50. Confirmed as a guest is director Marc Price.Trailer

Salvage (first London screening) – Psychological thriller – made to celebrate Liverpool’s title as the EU City of Culture 2008 (!) – about a woman whose street is kept under military siege and struggles to locate her missing daughter. Director Lawrence Gough will be there.Trailer

Saturday 29th

Smash Cut (UK première) - Satirical slasher movie with an interesting cast including Sasha Grey (former porn star, recently in Soderburgh’s The Girlfriend Experience), Davis Hess (from the original The Last House on the Left (Unrated Collectors Edition) and The House on the Edge of the Park), Michael Berryman (from the original The Hills Have Eyes and Weird Science and Two Thousand Maniacs). Hess is confirmed as a guest, along with director Lee Demabre. Trailer

Hierro (UK première) – Spanish ghost (I think) story, being inevitably compared to The Orphanage. Trailer

Millennium: The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo (UK premiere) – The first of a trilogy of Swedish movies based on a popular series of novels, this one following a mismatched couple who are caught up in a murder mystery. Trailer

Giallo (first London screening) – The new movie from Dario Argento, starring Adrien Brody and Emmanuelle Seigner. Hmmm… not sure what to make of this one. Argento has not made made a truly decent movie since Opera, and the best thing I could say about Mother Of Tears is that while it was definitely better than the atrocious Phantom of the Opera, it’s still light years away from the quality of Suspiria and Inferno. On the other hand, Quentin Tarantino and Eli Roth apparently love it (though perhaps not for the reasons Argento intended). Argento has been “extended an invitation” to attend the festival, we’ll see if he makes it… Trailer

Trick r’ Treat (UK premiere) - Decent looking Halloween-themed movie that’s been stuck in release hell for a few years – the distributors have been messing around with the release, originally intending to release theatrically but always afraid to go against the Saw franchise at Halloween. Eventually, this will go Trick ‘r Treat in most places, but it’s gotten very good reviews at every festival it’s played. Director Michael Doughtery is a confirmed guest. Trailer

Vampire Girl vs. Frankenstein Girl (UK premiere) - This year’s nutty-looking Japanese gore-fest, with a couple of super-powered schoolgirls fighting it out in ridiculous and gory ways. Essentially made for the Western market from the makers of Machine Girl and Tokyo Gore Police, this should be fun. Trailer

Discovery Screen

Evil Things (world première) - Another “found footage” movie in the style of REC and Cloverfield. Not sure if this style of movie has worn itself out yet, and it’s doubtful that it’ll be as effective as REC, but we’ll see… Director Dominic Perez is a confirmed guest.Trailer

Fragment (world première) - Couldn’t find a trailer for this, but it’s apparently an Aussie movie revolving around snuff movies and reanimation. Could be good…

It’s Alive (UK première) - First remake of the festival (surprising, considering the state of the mainstream industry at the moment), this one based on It’s Alive/It’s Alive 2/It’s Alive 3 killer mutant baby movie. Could be cheesy fun, or terrible. Trailer

Pontypool (first London screening) Not a movie about Welsh rugby, but rather an American zombie movie that’s been getting a lot of buzz from other festivals. Trailer

Sunday 30th

Main Screen

Dead Snow (UK premiere) - An interesting choice, as it’s been out on DVD in the US for a while and is released the next day on DVD. But, it’s a movie about snowbound Nazi zombies – should be good though reviews have been lukewarm. Trailer

Human Centipede (world première) - A Dutch/UK co-production directed by Tom Six, this has been getting a lot of attention with plenty of comparisons to Cronenberg and Miike. I’ve not tracked down a trailer as yet, but check out part of the synopsis on Frightfest’s site: “Internationally respected Siamese twin surgeon Dr. Josef Heiter has a demented vision for mankind’s future existence. He wants to remove human beings’ kneecaps so they have to exist on all fours and then surgically graft them mouth-to-anus to form a centipede chain”. Interesting… Tom Six and producer Ilona Six will be in attendance.

Coffin Rock (world première) - Another Aussie movie, this time about a couple who are unable to have children. The wife sleeps with a stranger during a short affair, falls pregnant and they end up stalked by the psychopathic lover. Star Sam Parsonson is confirmed as a guest. Trailer

Night of the Demons (world première)- Remake of the cult-ish movie, directed by Adam Gierasch who along with Jace Anderson made last year’s Autopsy as well as writing the remake of Toolbox Murders and Mother Of Tears. Jury’s out on this one, though they both seemed like nice people, I thought Autopsy and Mother Of Tears were mediocre at best, though I quite enjoyed The Toolbox Murders. Confirmed guests are Gierasch, Anderson and star John F. Beach.

Clive Barker’s Dread (UK premiere) - A man kidnaps college students to perform a gruesome experiment in the nature of fear. The original short story (from Books of Blood Vol. 2) was one of my favourite Barker short stories, and the only non-supernatural story in the collection. It will be interesting to see how it gets expanded to feature length, though the story really freaked me out when I was a kid. Director Anthony DiBlasi will be there.

Black (UK premiere) - Another French movie, this one set in Africa and billed as a kind of supernatural blaxploitation throwback. Looks good, though sadly this is a last minute bump to replace the “100 Best Deaths” feature I was looking forward to. Director Pierre Laffargue will be there though. Trailer

Discovery Screen

Repeat showings of Salvage, Pontypool, I Think We’re Alone Now, I Sell The Dead & Best Worst Movie

Sunday 31st

Main Screen

Zombie Women of Satan (world première) - Gloriously silly title for this gory-looking British movie about a burlesque group. Director Warren Speed will be there, along with various “zombie women”. No trailer as yet, but I’ve been a bit concerned by the Google search results this brought up!

The House of The Devil (UK première) - Psychological horror from Ti West, director of The Roost and the upcoming Cabin Fever 2. Looks pretty good, West will be in attendance.Trailer

Case 39 (UK première) - Not sure about this one, as it’s a mainstream movie starring Renee Zellweger as a social worker who discovers a major problem with a child under her care. Apparently, the director’s previous movie Antibodies was well-received at a previous Frightfest, but I’m not sure if this will cut the mustard alongside the other movies here (Disturbia and The Strangers both seemed like filler at the 2 festivals I’ve attended before). Trailer

Heartless (world première) - One of the most anticipated movies at this year’s festival, this marks the return to movies of Philip Ridley, whose movie The Reflecting Skin (which I haven’t seen) is meant to be very good and whose previous movie The Passion of Darkly Noon was excellent (even getting a great dark performance from Brendan Fraser!). The director will be there, which is interesting as he’s notoriously reclusive, as well as star Jim Sturgess.

The Descent: Part 2 - The original movie was an excellent movie, and without doubt the best British horror movie of this decade. Now, I’m not sure about this sequel, especially as it seems to be set up to follow the truncated American ending rather than the better original UK ending, but I’ll give it a shot. A decent end to the festival, anyway. Guests include director Jon Harris, producer Christian Colson and some of the cast, and I wouldn’t be surprised if original director Neil Marshall makes an appearance as he’s usually somewhere around.

Discovery Screen

Repeat showings of Colin, It’s Alive, Fragment & Evil Things

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