समाचार

by Chad Kennerk

Images courtesy of Justin Hardy

When six sacks of contents arrived courtesy of a mystery benefactor, filmmakers Justin and Dominic Hardy, sons of The Wicker Man director Robin Hardy, discovered an archive of lost papers, documents and personal effects relating to the making of their father’s seminal 1973 horror cult classic – a film that quite literally tore their family apart. Robin Hardy’s obsession with his directorial debut led to significant personal and financial sacrifices, leaving a mark on his family. Understandably, the brothers developed a complex relationship with their father’s work and the legacy of The Wicker Man.

The lore is legendary – from the beleaguered production, to its disavowal and harsh editing at the hands of distributor British Lion. An initial financial failure, the film remarkably saw a revival, often attributed to a 1977 commemorative issue of Cinefantastique, which called it "the Citizen Kane of horror movies.

The 16th edition of Manchester’s Grimmfest may have come to a close weeks ago, but today the festival revealed the winners of its pretigious awards. Held from 3rd to 6th October at the Odeon Great Northern, this year’s festival showcased 21 feature films and two programmes of short films, many of them world or UK premieres. With an outstanding line-up of horror, sci-fi, and fantasy films, the festival culminated in the much-anticipated announcement of the Grimm Reaper Award winners, recognising the very best in various categories.

The grand winner of the Best Film award was Vardan Tozija’s M, a film that captivated the jury with its emotional intensity and deep thematic exploration. The jury noted that M was a standout in nearly every category it competed in, making it a clear choice for this year’s top honour. Joe DeBoer and Kyle McConaghy’s Dead Mail received a special mention,...

Historically, few horror films have ever excited as much interest as The Wicker Man, which has been the subject of a substantial amount of analysis in the form of essays, books and documentaries. This documentary, however, does something quite different. Made by Justin Hardy and Dominic Hardy, who describe themselves as two of the various spawn of director Robin Hardy, whom he scattered around the world, it explores the personal consequences of the groundbreaking film and, in so doing, provides a new angle on ongoing debates about the way we deal with great art created by messy human beings.

“Why did I want to make The Wicker Man? Why did Ahab want to catch his white whale?” wrote Hardy senior in a letter to Caroline, Justin’s mother, many years after he had abandoned her. Ahab, however, did not draw on his wife’s finances to support his ambition, and his.

The world premiere of Bruce Goodison’s Black Cab starring Nick Frost will open this year’s Grimmfest, a UK horror and sci-fi fantasy festival held in Manchester October 3-6, 2024.

Frost stars in the Shudder title as an erratic cab driver who has no interest in taking the bickering couple he’s just picked up to their destination. Synnøve Karlsen and Luke Norris also star in the film which Sony Pictures Television and Stolen Pictures produce.

Black Cab will screen as part of the festival’s ‘Fear On Four Wheels’ strand which also includes the world premiere of Joey Palmroos...

The 25th edition of Pigeon Shrine FrightFest is set to deliver an exhilarating blend of horror and fantasy films, with the festival moving to a new venue, the Odeon Luxe Leicester Square. Running from Thursday, 22 August to Monday, 26 August, the event will take over all seven screens at the venue, promising an unforgettable experience for horror enthusiasts.

As we can barely contain the excitement, we’re sharing the films on offer in each screen so you can quickly decide which films to add to your ‘must watch’ list.

Pigeon Shrine FrightFest 2024 – Discovery Screen 1 Thursday, 22 August 2024

8:15 Pm – Cinderella’s Curse (World Premiere) Directed by Louisa Warren and starring Kelly Ryan Sanson, Chrissie Wunna, Lauren Budd, and Natasha Tosini, this spine-chilling reimagining of the classic fairytale sees Cinderella summon her fairy godmother from an ancient book to exact bloody revenge on her tormentors.

10:35 Pm – Carnage for Christmas (International Premiere) Directed by Alice Maio Mackay,...

UK-based sales house Unannounced Film Company has boarded international sales on documentary Children Of The Wicker Man for the Cannes Market.

Justin and Dominic Hardy’s film centres around their father Robin Hardy and the making of his 1973 cult horror film The Wicker Man.

Despite being considered one of the greatest films of all time, Hardy’s sons have a complex relationship with the film and the impact it had on their relationship with their father. Along with researcher Chris Nunn, who also directs the documentary, the pair delve into a box of recently discovered production documents from The Wicker Man...

Night Shift: " While working her first night shift at a remote motel, a young woman, Gwen Taylor (Phoebe Tonkin), begins to suspect that she is being followed by a dangerous character from her past. As the night progresses, Gwen’s isolation and safety, however, are made all the more worse when she starts to realize that the motel might also be haunted."

Writer & Director: The China Brothers (Paul & Ben) Cast: Phoebe Tonkin, Lamorne Morris, Madison Hu, Patrick Fischler, Lauren Bowles, Christopher Denham. Producers: Eric B. Fleischman, Maurice Fadida, John Hodges, Bradley Pilz, Dennis Rainaldi Runtime: 82 minutes Rated: TV-ma Distributor: Quiver Distribution

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Queer Horror - A Film Guide: "From the beginning, horror has been part of the cinema landscape. Despite some of the earliest genre films with gay directors such as F.W. Murnau (Nosferatu) and James Whale, Lgbtqia characters have rarely been portrayed in full view. For decades, filmmakers have...