Over two days, the Glasgow Film Theatre (GFT) was again the host to FrightFest, as part of the annual Glasgow Film Festival. This was the first year I had been able to attend, was determined to make the most of it.
The event, held in conjunction with The Horror Channel had a wide selection of films. We had a fantasy film set in China, Godzilla destroying Tokyo (again), Found Footage, thrillers, serial killers, cannibals, vampires, hunting of humans, zombies and a man trying to lose his virginity!
The event was hosted by Alan Jones, Paul McEvoy, Ian Rattary and Greg Day, who gave introductions to the films shown, often with the help of the guests, the directors and actors of the films being shown. There was a world premiere (Bloodlands), some UK premiere's and some preview screenings. The guests were insightful, often humorous and I think enjoyed their time at FrightFest as much as the crowd did.
And it's the crowd that helps at an event like this. A lot of these films wouldn't, I think, appeal to a mainstream audience, but those at the event were horror film fans and you tell the whole audience was in the mood to enjoy themselves.
So did the films allow them too? Well let's see. I'll give more detailed reviews of each film when it is released, but below are brief thoughts on each film.
The Warrior's Gate
This Luc Besson production, co-written by Besson and Robert Mark Kamen and directed by Matthias Hoene is a fantasy film aimed at a family audience. I did hear some say they felt it didn't fit in with FrightFest, which I can understand. The story about a teen transported to the past in China was okay, if nothing special.
It Stains The Sands Red
This film was one of the standouts of FrightFest. The story of a woman (very well played by Brittany Allen) being pursed across the desert by a lone zombie. At first, I thought it was simply It Follows with a zombie, but it's certainly not that. The woman, Molly, is broken at the start of the film, but gradually becomes whole and stronger as her journey progresses with only the zombie for company. It's a surprisingly touching story in parts, well directed by Colin Minihan (who co-wrote with Stuart Ortiz) and I really liked it a great deal.
The Transfiguration
The Transfiguration could be described as a combination of George Romero's film Martin, combines with Henry Portrait Of A Serial Killer, with influences from Let The Right One In. But even then, that is doing the film a disservice. The story of a youth, Milo (well played by Eric Ruffin) who kills people, drinking their blood, is told well by writer and director Michael O'Shea, the deaths brutal but shot in a very matter of fact way. It doesn't need to linger on the deaths. The relationship with an abused girl (played well by Chloe Levine) adds to the story very well indeed. It's a film well worth checking out.
Shin Godzilla
The return of Godzilla to the big screen was probably the biggest (no pun intended) film of day one. Forget the recent Hollywood film. Shin Godzilla stamps all over that one. With impressive scenes of destruction and carnage in Tokyo, along with some good humour about the way political decisions are made and also some good political barbs aimed right at America, this was great fun indeed.
Happy Hunting
The final film of day one, Happy Hunting a story or a town that hunts so-called degenerates, low-lifes and those who are trouble in their town was a flawed film, but not terrible. The co-writers and directors, Joe Dietsch and Louie Gibson do show promise with this film, with some good, well shot action moments and I did enjoy the final moments, which I think surprised many.
Cage Dive
Day two kicked of early, with the first of seven films to be shown a found footage film called Cage Dive. The story, of three people left stranded in shark filled waters is one that brought to mind films like Open Water and Adrift. However, in truth I didn't like the film. The characters were annoying and although I enjoy the found footage sub-genre, this was one that simply didn't work at all. Couple that to some really, and I do mean really stupid decisions, this was by far the worst film of FrightFest.
Fashionista
Fashionista is a film that I think some will be baffled and infuriated by. The story of a fashion obsessed woman (brilliantly played by Amanda Fuller) who gets drawn into a twisted relationship with a man, after he husband has cheated on her, doesn't have a straight, linear line through it. It switches between the past, present and further into the past, which director Simon Rumley said in the Q+A, was reflected on how memory works. The final 'twist' did I think throw some off, but even so, it does work well in a very compelling film.
Bloodlands
The world premiere of Bloodlands was attended by several of the cast, a producer and the film's writer and director Steven Kastrissios. A co-production between Albania and Australia, the story of a blood feud (known as a Kanun) between a family and a group of people living in deep in the woods has a supernatural twist with stories of a witch also out there. It's a slow burner of a film as the tension rises, building to a very tense and brutal climax. I loved the film and like It Stains The Sands Red was one of the highlights of FrightFest.
Detour
Christopher Smith is a director who never seems to like repeating himself. I loved Severance and Black Death and was impressed with Triangle. Detour, as Smith himself said in the Q+A after, does owe a nod to his own Triangle, but is more a thriller than horror perhaps. The time shifting aspect is well done, even if you figure it out, but the three leads, Ty Sheridan, Emory Cohen and Bel Powley are very good indeed. As I mentioned more a thriller than horror perhaps but as a noir thriller it's a good one.
Raw
Raw is a twisted film, the story of Justine (sensationally played by Garance Marillier) a vegetarian who develops a taste for meat after being forced to eat a piece of it during an initiation at Vet college. As her fondness for it grows she discovers her sister has a taste for it too. It's brutal and bloody, yet never gratuitous at any point, leading to a very twisted final scene. I liked it a great deal.
Hounds Of Love
Simply put, I think Hounds Of Love might be one of the best films I see this year. It's a chilling, disturbing film, about a couple who abduct and murder teen girls. The writer and director, Ben Young wisely chooses not to show what the victims go through. We get terrified muffled screams and whimpers from the victims, glimpses of what has been used on them and what was done, but Youngs lets the audience imagine what is happening to them and it gets under your skin and stays there. The three leads, Emma Booth, Ashleigh Cummings and Stephen Curry are superb. Hounds Of Love is not an easy film to shake (the opening minutes, where we never see the victim just hear her are really unsettling as is the sounds later on from behind a door especially). It's not easy to watch but it's a stunning film.
The Night Of The Virgin
The final film, The Night Of The Virgin was the sort of film needed after a film like Hounds Of Love. With a fun introduction by two of those involved, one of whom started to give an impromptu director's commentary at times, it's a very gross, but quite funny film about a young man determined to lose his virginity one New Year, and who this gets him into trouble. The film owes a debt to the early works of Peter Jackson with its mix of gore, semen, poo and just about everything else in the mix! It's a barmy, over the top horror comedy, one the audience really enjoyed, bringing FrightFest to an end.
As I said, I'd never been to FrightFest before, but I thoroughly enjoyed the event. The guests were entertaining, with only one film Cage Dive that could be considered a disappointment. I will definitely be returning to next years event if possible and hopefully to the main event in London in August.
Credit to the Glasgow Film Theatre, and the organisers for putting on a hell of a two day film festival.
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