Shot in high contrast black and white with splashes of colour, Jack Falls is reminiscent of Sin City, but with a more gritty, realistic edge. The film stars Tamer Hassan (The Business, Layer Cake), Simon Phillips (Jack Said, Jack Says), Alan Ford (Snatch), Olivia Hallinan (Lark Rise to Candleford, Sugar Rush), Dexter Fletcher (Lock Stock and Two Smoking Barrels, Stardust), Adam Deacon (Adulthood, Kidulthood), Doug Bradley (Hellraiser), Zach Galligan (Gremlins), Jason Flemying (Lock Stock, Kick Ass) and Martin Kemp (The Krays).

Brought to the screen by Press On Features, the company behind the previous Jack films and post-apocalyptic thriller The Last Seven (out at the end of August), the film has gone back to the roots of the original graphic novels written by Paul Tanter, who as well as scripting the film also directs this installment with co-director Alexander Williams. Jack Falls is due an Autumn release.

Hellraiser star Doug Bradley features in Jack Falls as a sarcastic but talented Doctor who has a hand in saving Jack.

Check out the teaser featuring the horror legend here :

On the 7th of August 2010, the lovely folks at Cigarette Burns will be hosting an evening of horror shorts. Night Of The Long Shorts features a stellar line-up of films that includes Can Evrenol’s My Grandmother, Life After Beth and Wishing Well. Comprising of 9 films in total, each will be shown twice for the benefit of latecomers and those that have to get away early; no-one need miss out. Night Of The Long Shorts will be the UK premiere for almost all of the 9 films. Can Evrenol will be in attendance as a precursor to his latest movie’s unveiling at this years FrightFest, as will some cast members from a few of the other shorts.

The event is due to take place at Rosemary Branch, 2 Shepperton Road, London, N1, the price on the door will be a measly £2 and the showings are scheduled for 8-10pm and again at 10pm-12am. The full list of shorts is as follows;

• Wishing Well
• Queen Of Spades
• Halloween Before Christmas
• Life After Beth
• Séance
• Ay Up Me Duck Of The Dead
• Donna
• My Grandmother
• Night Of The Milk Beast

You can visit the Cigarette Burns website and find out even more about the event at www.cigaretteburnscinema.com

Thanks to the very nice people at Revolver Entertainment, we have a couple of copies of Salvage to give away on DVD this week! Simply answer the question below to be in with a chance of winning. Please send your answers to mail@gorepress.com with the title ‘Win a DVD’. We will accept entries up to and including July 24th 2010.

Salvage shares its set with which now defunct soap opera?

• a) Eldorado
• b) Crossroads
• c) Brookside

Salvage is out on UK DVD and as of this month is also available on Region 1 US DVD! Available at all good retailers!

The second feature from British director Steve Lawson (Just For The Record), the vampires-meet-gangsters horror romp Dead Cert marks a welcome return to a fun, almost traditional British horror filmmaking style that affectionately evokes the spirit of the contemporary-set movies of Amicus and Hammer – particularly the latter’s Dracula A.D. 1972 and The Satanic Rites Of Dracula.

An inventive hybrid of the vampire and Cockney gangster movie genres that comes complete with all the standard ingredients of both – creepy monsters, beautiful, scantily-clad women, tough-talking wise guys, guns, stakes, gratuitous bloodshed and a seemingly crazy vampire hunter – Dead Cert features a star-studded cast of familiar British acting talent that includes Craig Fairbrass (The Shouting Men; The Bank Job; Rise Of The Footsoldier), Billy Murray (Rise Of The Footsoldier; Essex Boys), Dexter Fletcher (Kick-Ass), hot newcomer Lisa McAllister (How To Lose Friends And Alienate People; Pumpkinhead: Ashes To Ashes), Steven Berkoff (44 Inch Chest), Dave Legeno (Harry Potter And The Half-Blood Prince), Jason Flemying (Clash Of The Titans; Kick-Ass) and, in a brilliantly judged cameo, Danny Dyer (Dead Man Running; Adulthood).

When respected but small-time gangster Freddie ‘Dead Cert’ Frankham (Craig Fairbrass) is unexpectedly given the chance to make a tentative leap into the big leagues with the opening of his new nightclub in London’s East End, he doesn’t quite realize what he is getting into. Unknown to Freddie and his partners, the club stands on the former site of a Black Church, established as a temple of evil in the 17th Century by a Romanian warlord-turned-vampire known as The Wolf. Flushed out of the city by emissaries of the Vatican during the Great Fire of London, and since then exiled in mainland Europe, The Wolf and his undead disciples have now returned to England to continue their diabolical plans to expand their legions and overcome mankind.

On the opening night of the club, Freddie is approached by an uninvited guest in the form of Dante Livienko, an Eastern European businessman, gangster and drug-dealer with a fearsome reputation. Livienko and his associates want ownership of the club and are prepared to make Freddie an offer he can’t refuse in order to get what they want. But to Freddie, his new, legitimate business means far more to him than money and he’s not about to give up his hard-earned turf without a fight. What he doesn’t know, but is soon to find out, is the man he is about to cross is a 500-year-old vampire determined to rebuild his empire of evil on its original, unhallowed site.

Produced by horror specialists Black & Blue Films and recalling the previously mentioned Hammer classics, as well as later vampire movies such as Vamp and The Lost Boys, Dead Cert is a bloodsucking feast with more bite than most and one that horror fans will defininely enjoy getting their teeth into – especially now that it has been selected for the opening night of the prestigious FrightFest horror film festival.

The World Premiere of Dead Cert will take place 11.30pm on Thursday 27th August at The Empire Cinema in Leicester Square, London, on the opening night of the FrightFest horror film festival. Talent confirmed as attending include Craig Fairbrass, Lisa McAllister, Billy Murray, Dexter Fletcher, Jennifer Matter and screen legend Steven Berkoff along with director Steve Lawson, Executive Producer Martin Kemp and Producer Jonathan Sothcott who commented, “I’m so excited we’re going to Frightfest – it really is the best horror film festival in Europe and its a real honour that they’ve taken Dead Cert. Craig Fairbrass and I went last year and were blown away by what a quality event it is.”

Dead Cert (cert. 18 tbc) will be released on DVD by Momentum Pictures on 27th September 2010.
Keep up with Dead Cert on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Dead-Cert/109724659050084

After an evening lecture, the sensitive Stephen meets the enigmatic Quaid. A friendship is tentatively formed and the two decide to make a film together, for Stephen’s thesis, taking their inspiration from Kinsey’s sex studies but instead focusing on people’s deepest, darkest fears and the origin of dread. They enlist Stephen’s classmate and crush Cheryl to edit the project and the three set about interviewing strangers in order to “chase the beast” and discover what motivates people’s fears and phobias. Initially disappointed with the results, the troubled Quaid, haunted by nightmares of his tragic past, takes things a step further and Stephen is forced to step outside of his meticulously mapped out life and stare down his own demons. As Quaid’s behaviour becomes more erratic, he goes to increasingly extreme lengths to keep the project alive and to conquer his own fears in the process.

Filmed between Boston, USA and Surrey, UK, Dread stars almost an entire cast of unknown Brits, with the exception of leading man Jackson Rathbone (going some way to eradicating the memory of his part in the deplorable Twilight movies). Everyone involved does a sterling job in their respective roles with particular mention going to the central trio (Rathbone, Shaun Evans and Hanne Steen), as well as Laura Donnelly, who plays the role of a girl whose birthmark covers half her body, with an assured sincerity and quiet vulnerability.

Evans is a revelation, his American accent wavering only very occasionally, he is able to look wide eyed and innocent in one shot and psychopathic the next, always managing to exude a dangerous charisma that makes him a believable force to be reckoned with.

The direction is a mixed bag, given DiBlasi’s involvement in so much of the recent Clive Barker output, he is obviously a man with a deep love of the source material and while some of the direction is pretty standard stuff, other moments are visually stunning. Special mention has to go to a couple of inspired axe-eye view shots and some low angles with incredible depth of field, assisting the movie in being truly memorable. It’s also testament to his talent as a director that he was able to cultivate such startlingly real performances from his young cast.

Without the need for buckets of gore or the inclusion of some tired torture porn (although there are certainly elements of torture), Dread is a superbly crafted tale of the very roots of fear and manages to be both disturbing and utterly compelling. Hinged largely on the excellent performances of its cast, it also has a fantastic soundtrack, some genuinely shocking moments and a plausible script written by DiBlasi. The pacing is near perfect as it never slows down to a crawl but still allows its characters room to breathe whilst ramping up some serious tension. It’s a standout piece that’s miles away from the usual fare that centres around college students. Do yourself a favour and watch it.

Rating: 7 out of 10 stars

Six months later…Maria is fighting to overcome the pain of her loss, to pick up the pieces and continue with her life, when she receives an unexpected call. A child’s body has been discovered; she must return to El Hierro. On the island, in this strange and threatening landscape, surrounded by sinister, malevolent characters, Maria is forced to confront her worst nightmares. As she travels the terrible path that may lead to her son, Maria will make the most unbearable discovery of all- that some mysteries should be never be revealed.

Emotionally devastating, visually stunning and truly terrifying, a Spanish genre thriller in the tradition of JA Bayona’s THE ORPHANAGE and Guillermo del Toro’s PAN’S LABYRINTH, HIERRO depicts one woman’s desperate journey into a nightmare vortex of horror and loss.

Hierro is out now at UK cinemas and will be released on DVD through Optimum Home Entertainment on July 26.

Watch the trailer here:

The students of Cradle Bay have been acting a little strangely recently. Instead of late night parties, drinking and the expected aberrant teenage behaviour, they’ve joined a club called the Blue Ribbons and have been knuckling down to schoolwork, respecting their elders and over-achieving. New kid Steve spots something is amiss right away and with the help of pseudo goth kids Rachel, Gavin and UV, sets about trying to get to the bottom of the sinister mystery surrounding Cradle Bay’s newly conformist student body.

The casting of Disturbing Behaviour is a little hit and miss. James Marsden does the clean-cut, square-jawed American shtick that we’ve become accustomed to seeing him do so well, Nick Stahl is good as the know-it-all, wise cracking stoner kid and veteran character actor William Sadler barely needs to exert any effort whatsoever in order to embody the simpleton janitor, albeit a wholly unnecessarily exaggerated performance. Katie Holmes plays against type as sultry, sniping goth girl Rachel and despite the fact that she looks the part, something is lacking, but the real travesty is Chad Donella as ‘pigmentally challenged’ UV, who chews through his lines as though he thinks he’s making Bill and Ted’s Body Snatcher Adventure. There are a few other familiar faces in the form of Bruce Greenwood, Katherine Isabelle and Steve Railsbeck but they’re mostly wasted in brief, throwaway roles.

The plot is ripped straight from classics like Invasion Of The Body Snatchers and The Stepford Wives so there are absolutely no marks for originality here. In fact, if those two movies were to get together and have a bastard love child, then Disturbing Behaviour would undoubtedly be it’s awkward teenage years. Aside from the fact that the focus of the story is teenagers, everything else about the movie possesses a nagging familiarity and although the story is handled quite well, there’s no getting away from the fact that Disturbing Behaviour is horror-lite; a film for kids who aren’t yet old enough to watch a proper horror movie.

There are a number of wasted opportunities and inexplicable additions to the plot in Disturbing Behaviour. The inclusion of a side-story about a dead brother is thoroughly glossed over, the fact that none of the teenagers parents seem remotely concerned about their children’s rapid behaviour alteration is baffling and the second half of the movie is stuffed with dialogue so cheesy, it’ll make your toes curl in embarrassment but overall, if you adjust your expectations before watching, you won’t be disappointed.

Despite a multitude of plot-holes, a thoroughly derivative and predictable story and some questionable performances, Disturbing Behaviour does what it’s supposed to do. It’s a movie about teenagers, for teenagers and for that, it can’t really be faulted. There are one or two pleasant surprises and it’s nice to be able to root for the ‘bad kids’ for a change but there’s not a lot about this movie that the average movie-goer won’t have seen a thousand times before. It’s not particularly memorable but it’s entertaining enough and there are certainly worse ways to spend an hour and a half.

Rating: 5 out of 10 stars

“The web series follows a group of post-apolocalyptic refugees, struggling for survival in an abandoned movie theater. As the group faces dwindling supplies, they realize that in order to ensure survival, they must face the unknown monsters lurking outside of the theater. The arc finale will tell the story of a small group of the survivors finally venturing outside for the first time.”

Distributed by Blip.tv, the series is going from strength to strength with new episodes tentatively planned for an Autumn 2010 release date. Check out the full trailer below, and watch the first three episodes at www.exilewebseries.com.

Hannover House, the entertainment distribution division of Target Development Group, Inc., has partnered with producer Roham Ghodsi’s Illusion Film Studios for the production of ‘Dances With Werewolves,’ a thriller by screenwriter David Chirchirillo based on the legendary, supernatural transformative powers of some Native American Indian warriors. The film will be produced in 3D for theatrical release in 2012 through Hannover House, which will also represent the film for sales and licensing throughout all of North and South America. Chad Ferrin (pictured) will direct the film with Nicole Reid and Niklas Larsson sharing producing duties with Ghodsi. Hannover House principals Eric Parkinson and Fred Shefte are executive producers - Market Watch.

The synopsis is as follows : “Winter, 1864. William Singer and his young brother Henry, along with four other Confederate POWs, escape from a Union prison camp just outside of Chicago. The ragged band soon find refuge aboard a moving locomotive, only to wake the next morning, train stopped, and the passengers brutally butchered by what appears to be the work of a wild animal. Trekking through the frozen wasteland the rebels discover that “wild animal” is no animal at all, but a pack of Native American shape-shifting werewolves with an insatiable hunger for human flesh. Relentlessly tracked by the Union Army, hunted by werewolves, trapped within the bitter cold with no food, no water and nowhere to go, they soon discover the hell they left is nothing compared to the horrors all around them.”

Exciting news, we think you’ll agree! Hopefully we’ll have more information on this project when new developments are made so keep your eyes peeled.

A group of young medical students decide to experiment with a drug called Taldon, which causes their perceived reality to blur around the edges. When their friend dies in suspicious circumstances, having been quite literally raped to death whilst on the drug, the friends find themselves the unwitting victims of 70’s serial killers/rapists John and Wilma Hopper who have somehow re-emerged in the present to continue their reign of depraved and vicious sexual terror.

Not only is the story at the heart of SKATD shockingly original, it’s also remarkably solid. The film has been lauded as a ‘genre-defying grindhouse throwback’ but to a certain extent, this phrase actually does it a disservice. Genre-defying? Certainly. Grindhouse throwback? Not so much. While it has shades of the gritty exploitation flicks of the 1970’s, it’s also a lot more than that, it’s very stylised but not in a derivative way. SKATD certainly takes its cues from that era and definitely evokes the films it pays homage to but the visual style is all [Chad] Ferrin’s own.

The cast is made up largely of unknowns, with the exception of Noah Segan, Ezra Buzzington and a brief appearance by Lew Temple. The entire cast are believable in their roles but the star of the show is definitely Buzzington. He emits a snarling but calm air of menace throughout and presents a terrifying and palpable threat. It’s testament to Ferrin’s assured direction that the performances from all involved are not only plausible but suit the material to a T.

Thankfully, and surprisingly, for a movie that relies quite heavily on shock value the gore effects are kept to a relative minimum. When used though, they’re effectively disgusting and may even prove to test the gag reflex of some of the most hardened gorehounds. Weak stomachs and those of a sensitive disposition need not apply here. Most importantly though it is resolutely CGI free and in this computer-reliant age of moviemaking, for that alone, the makers should be praised.

Thankfully, SKATD isn’t played completely straight. The obvious difference between this and other serial killer movies is that the weapons here aren’t a knife, or an axe, a gun, or even a machete, but a deadly, man-eating vagina and a 15 inch long wang. If there hadn’t been at least a few laughs then the whole thing could have fallen on its humourless face but mercifully, there is enough dark comedy present to ensure that it never feels forced or po-faced. Lines like, “His colon was perforated by a phallus nearly 4 inches in diameter and 15 inches in length.” “Woah, we’re looking for a black man?” help to elevate the film above the usual grindhouse influenced fare and despite the subject matter, give it a cheeky edge.

In the same way that movies like Irreversible used sound effects that were specifically designed to make the viewer feel nauseas, SKATD uses staccato noises and jarring sounds to submerse the audience in the protagonists’ surreal circumstances and make them feel ill-at-ease. It’s a risky technique but Ferrin has managed to pull it off and, along with a soundtrack of distinctive, psychedelic songs, has created a strangely atmospheric, nightmarish ride.

My only real complaints are that, at times, there are glimpses of what could be seen as anti-drugs propaganda, although I’m almost positive that this was never the intention, and it clocks in pretty short at well under 90 minutes.

SKATD is subversive without ever being preachy, funny without resorting to splatstick and astoundingly visceral without being overly gratuitous. It will undoubtedly offend, shock, repulse and sicken but it’ll also thoroughly entertain if you go into it with an open mind and a desire to watch something that’ll push a boundary or two. I would be incredibly surprised if Someone’s Knocking At The Door doesn’t become a cult classic sometime in the future and while it is absolutely not to everyone’s tastes, it deserves to find its audience.

Rating: 7.5 out of 10 stars

The story follows the two Graves sisters as they embark on a road trip which is supposed to broaden little sister Abby’s horizons before big sister Megan goes off to start a new life in New York. Stopping off at a diner on a stretch of dusty highway, they soon realise that they’re lost and are persuaded by a local waitress (A Nightmare On Elm Street’s Amanda Wyss) that they should visit Skull City Mine instead of their intended destination. Once they arrive, their sightseeing trip turns into a fight for survival, as the occupants of Skull City want them dead.

Beginning with some horribly cliché camcorder footage as the girls make a home video as a keepsake, The Graves is a laughably bad experience. The acting, particularly from Clare Grant (a.k.a. Mrs. Seth Green) is shockingly awful and as the movie picks up speed, any semblance of realism is left firmly by the roadside thanks to an array of poor performances from all involved. Only the charismatic Bill Moseley offers anything approaching a decent character and he relishes his part as a murderous hick. The Candyman himself, Tony Todd is at his hammy worst, playing a ridiculously over-the-top Preacher and leaving any self respecting horror fan wondering where he might have misplaced his talent.

The sisters, despite being plucky and self assured (well, one of them is anyway) make the same terrible decisions as every horror movie protagonist that’s gone before them so although we’re promised ass-kicking Goth heroines, we’re actually treated to slightly more concentrated, slightly more cloying versions of the average scream queen. They’re Goths for the Hot Topic generation and sadly, won’t fool anybody that knows any better.

The Graves’ story is wafer thin, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing, some of the best films have the simplest of storylines, but the movie suffers from some confusingly convoluted moments that don’t fit the framework. The inclusion of a supernatural element to the story is both unnecessary and also poorly executed consisting mainly of some badly done CGI effects and a deafening screechy noise following each death.

Speaking of the CGI, almost all the blood and gore has been added in post-production and unfortunately, it’s glaringly obvious at every turn. Aside from a couple of inspired moments, including a nasty nose-biting incident, most of the deaths and violence that we see on screen are pretty by-the-book but without the lamentable decision to include so much CGI blood, would have been entertaining and not so frustratingly rage-inducing.

The Graves is redeemed by a suitably grimy psychobilly soundtrack and a brief appearance by horror-punk legends Calabrese in the first five minutes but these things alone cannot make up for the cavalcade of awfulness present elsewhere. It’s a film that has clearly been made by people with a big love for the horror genre and while they obviously understand their audience, they don’t seem to realise that filling a movie with veteran horror actors will please your core audience but not in lieu of anything else to enjoy. If you don’t mind watching a couple of girls in tight vests and jeans running around trying to evade their redneck captors then you could do worse than to watch The Graves. Everyone else should probably avoid.

Rating: 3 out of 10 stars

Their journey is long and brutal; encountering deadly bandits, vicious witch-burnings and their own impending sense of doom. Though it’s upon entering the village that their true horror begins…”

Black Death is out in cinemas across the UK today (11/6/10) and as you can see, the people frequenting the Thames have been privy to a very interesting marketing technique in the form of a hanging, replica, plague-ridden corpse. Read our review of the movie here!

The investigation, conducted by Inspector Corvin (Stanley Baker, The Guns of Navarrone, Zulu), leads to Carol’s arrest, however she is released after a mysterious man confesses to Scotland Yard that he is the murderer. Not convinced of Carol’s innocence, Corvin continues to investigate the murder and unearths new disturbing clues … Did Carol really do it or is she being framed? Where do her dreams end and reality begin?

This thriller from Lucio Fulci (Perversion Story, The Eroticist) is acclaimed as a masterpiece of the Italian giallo thriller genre and its psychedelic Ennio Morricone score ranks among the best of Il Maestro’s work.

“In order to produce the most complete version of the film ever available on DVD, shots have had to be inserted from different sources. In some places only Italian audio is known to exist, in which case we have retained and subtitled the scenes. The restoration has been overseen by acclaimed film writer Marc Morris (The Art of the Nasty).” Optimum Releasing.

A Lizard In A Woman’s Skin is available now on DVD from Optimum Classic, in it’s most uncut form to date.

We have a couple of copies of The Living Dead At The Manchester Morgue to give away thanks to the good people at Optimum Releasing. To be in with the chance of winning one, simply email your answer to the following question to mail@gorepress.com with the title “Win a DVD”.

Which hospital was used for the external shots in the movie?

• a)Barnes Hospital, Cheadle
• b)Manchester Royal Infirmary
• c)Withington Community Hospital

Please note, this is the UK Region 2 release. The closing date of the competition is the 24th June 2010.

A couple of weeks ago, at Canterbury’s Gulbenkian Cinema, I had the chance to see one of my favourite horror movies on the big screen. First released in 1980 and now at the grand old age of 30 years old, it was still as thrilling, chilling and crucial to the genre as I have always believed it to be. Seeing those rivers of lurid blood pour out of the elevators and down the otherwise silent Hotel corridor on an imposing cinema screen is something that will undoubtedly never be expunged from my memory, whether I want it to be or not.

The Shining, alongside The Exorcist and Psycho, is arguably one of the most referenced and parodied horror movies of all time. Its impact on pop culture is obvious to even the most casual of cinephiles. If imitation truly is the sincerest form of flattery then that small fact alone is enough to secure The Shining’s place in the annals of horror movie greatness. That fact aside though, Stanley Kubrick’s masterpiece boasts an absolutely astounding pivotal performance from Jack Nicholson, a claustrophobic tension that’s seldom been matched, some of the most memorable and iconic imagery ever committed to celluloid and a discordant, menacing score.

For the benefit of the uninitiated, The Shining is the story of Jack Torrance who interviews for, and gets the job of seasonal caretaker at the majestic Overlook Hotel. During the harsh winter, he is expected to heat and repair the impressive building during 5 months of off-peak downtime. Taking his wife Wendy, son Danny and Danny’s curious ‘imaginary friend’ Tony, Jack hopes for 5 months of sobriety, seclusion and productivity. The hotel and its chequered, murderous past, coupled with the inescapable sense of isolation however, have other plans and Jacks sanity and grip on reality, slowly begins to unfurl, leaving his family in grave danger.

The Shining, directed by Stanley Kubrick and adapted from the Stephen King novel of the same name, is famously one of King’s least favourite of the many adaptations of his stories. Kubrick chose to change certain aspects of Kings story tremendously, which is where the rift is documented to have stemmed from. Much of the most celebrated imagery and unforgettable dialogue are exclusive to the film and feature nowhere in the novel. Some of it, including the now much copied “Here’s Johnny!” was even ad-libbed. King is rumoured to have been dissatisfied with the casting of Nicholson in the central role and wanted the character to be closer to his depiction in the novel, an entirely more sympathetic characterization of Torrance. The bare bones of the story might have been Stephen King’s brainchild, but to my mind the film would have been altogether less accomplished without Kubrick behind the lens. You only have to take a cursory glance at the truly awful 1997 made-for-TV mini-series, of which King is so fond, to see what could have been if Kubrick hadn’t had so much free reign with regard to the plot and characterization.

Stephen King adaptations, as we all know, can differ spectacularly in terms of faithfulness and quality. For every Carrie, there’s a god-awful Langoliers, for every Stand By Me, there’s a Tommyknockers just waiting to suck and for every The Shining, there’s a pointless, author-commissioned The Shining TV mini-series. Thankfully, 1980’s The Shining succeeds in taking King’s idea to fruition and turning it into a wildly memorable and truly horrific affair.

At the heart of the film is Nicholson’s remarkably manic, peerless, tour de force performance. It’s difficult to imagine how anyone else could have embodied the role and made it their own like he did. Nicholson is a living, breathing, Jack Torrance. Not simply an actor playing a part, you get the impression that Nicholson could himself have been on the brink of a descent into madness, so authentic is his representation. Kubrick is rumoured to have considered Robert De Niro and Harrison Ford for the role and even, far more bizarrely, Robin Williams. Thankfully, each was ruled out for various reasons and the role was left for Nicholson to play with.

Shelley DuVall, as his wife Wendy has often been criticised for her exaggerated, cartoonish performance but her gawky, wide-eyed innocence is the perfect foil for Nicholson’s menacing, demented and self-assured soon-to-be madman. Danny Lloyd as the pair’s son also manages to hold his own. As child actors go, he elicits the appropriate level of sympathy and has a believable rapport with those around him. (It’s sad then, that he chose to leave the profession with only this one credit under his belt.)

The real magic of The Shining though, lies in its magnificent, inspired imagery. Trying to choose a favourite image from The Shining is akin to asking a fat kid to choose which of the Baskin Robbins 31 flavours of ice cream he’d like. It’s a near impossible task as there’s so much to choose from and it all looks so damn good. The ghostly twin girls in their blue dresses standing silently and holding hands, the cackling old lady rotting in the bath tub, the lush but terrifyingly complex hedge maze, pages and pages of manuscript that simply read ‘all work and no play makes Jack a dull boy’, a hotel employee being fellated by someone in a bear costume, the Hotels regal dance hall, the list is simply endless.

Kubrick’s direction is brave and assured throughout, displaying absolute control of his environment and a vast knowledge of filmmaking from beginning to end. From the opening aerial shots of the mountains leading up to the Overlook Hotel to the prolonged steadicam shots following Danny in his pedal car through the hallways and corridors to the tracking shots in the hedge maze, it all looks exquisite. The Hotel itself is as much a character as any of the actors. Its impressively high ceilings, elegant décor and desolate emptiness all add to the mounting sense of tension and dread throughout the film. Which brings me to the sublime score. Composed in part by Wendy Carlos and Rachel Elkind with the remainder coming in the form of classical pieces, the imposing, discordant music sets the tone adeptly. Sometimes favouring a loud, grandiose backing but occasionally opting for a simple heartbeat as the soundtrack, the film wouldn’t have been nearly as tense or claustrophobic without it and even listening to it without the aid of the visuals has the power to send a chill down my spine.

The Shining had a notoriously troubled history; from certain shots taking up to an entire year to complete, to Kubrick’s infamous disagreements with DuVall over her performance, to the many script changes that reportedly angered cast and crew on a regular basis. Strangely, although many people now reference The Shining as a superb genre-defining classic, reception of the film was not so favourable upon its release. It remains the only one of Kubrick’s films not to have received any Oscar nominations and actually garnered itself Razzie nominations for Worst Actress, not to mention the ridiculously undeserved Worst Director. Stephen King might have been convinced that Stanley Kubrick had no knowledge of the horror genre before making The Shining and it certainly looks and feels like nothing else of that era but it’s impossible not to note the effect it had on audiences and the influence it’s had in the three decades since.

Although arguably containing some impressive subtext pertaining to ghosts, Indian burial grounds, famous literary connections and social commentary, in truth no-one but Kubrick really knows what was intended and he’s no doubt taken some of those secrets to his grave. Whatever its true meaning, The Shining is best viewed as a straightforward exercise in tension. While it may not be able to offer as much to some of today’s ADHD-riddled teenybopper crowd who are solely interested in frenetic, fast-paced, kill-a-minute, music video-esque horror movies (I’m pointing the finger squarely at you, Rob Zombie), those who are invested in the genre in some way and can appreciate a fantastic slow-burn, psychological, nightmare-inducing horror classic, will find The Shining to be near filmic perfection. It will certainly always be one of my firm favourites.

George is an antiques dealer on his way to deliver an artefact; Edna is a young woman driving to visit her drug-addicted sister. On their journey they meet and through unforeseen circumstances are forced into sharing Edna’s car. Before long, Edna is attacked by what appears to be a re-animated corpse and later, they discover that her sister’s husband has been killed. Putting the pieces together, they slowly realise that the dead may be coming back to life in order to kill and eat the living. Not only that but they’re being tailed by a policeman who suspects them of committing the murders themselves.

Ray Lovelock and Christina Galbo make for a lovably flawed and interesting on-screen pairing. The fact that their circumstantial, tentative relationship is believable is core to the film’s success. Some of the other actors don’t quite pull their weight and some of the dubbed accents are questionable but these are minor complaints in an otherwise entertaining film.

The story is solid enough, although not necessarily particularly original, it’s saved from being uninventive by some fascinating little touches, such as a zombie infant, an environmental angle and some straight-talking, larger than life characters.

The Living Dead At The Manchester Morgue is equal parts dated and fresh. Thanks to some nifty digital restoration, its colourful, crisp look belies its 36 years, although some of the dialogue has aged badly and gives it away. There’s some quality misogyny, a bit of casual homophobia and a startling lack of professionalism on the part of the police, all of which are present in movies today but are presented in such a manner here that is very much ‘of its time’. This doesn’t necessarily aggravate though, rather it gives the film a sort of vintage charm.

The gore effects are commendably achieved for a film of this age and budget, most don’t ever quite look as though they could have been real but are still vastly preferable to today’s over-use of CGI and shoddy computer assisted effects. The zombie make-up is subtle but the use of red contact lenses and slow, almost mechanical movements gives the film a few genuinely chilling moments.

Maybe it’s the fact that I’m from Manchester, or just that I’m a sucker for a good zombie film but I’ll always have a soft spot for The Living Dead At The Manchester Morgue. Recommended.

Rating: 7 out of 10 stars

Carol Hammond has been having strange, erotic dreams about her neighbour Julia, that she writes down and relates to her psycho-analyst. She becomes particularly perturbed when, after a particularly troubling dream in which she stabs and kills her neighbour, Julia turns up dead in her apartment, having been killed in the same manner and with the same weapon as in the dream. Carol begins to question her own sanity when events take increasingly bizarre turns, her ability to distinguish between fact and fiction becomes questionable and nobody is sure whether or not she committed the crime, least of all herself.

Typically of Italian made horror movies, the dialogue is almost exclusively dubbed. Occasionally this can ruin enjoyment of a film and prove irritatingly distracting but in this case, it’s done fairly well. For a film that’s fast approaching it’s fortieth birthday, A Lizard In A Woman’s Skin also looks fantastic. Fulci had a history of making films with rich, bordering on decadent cinematography and this is certainly no exception. The visuals are crisp, clear, and colourful and help to create a wonderfully tense, sometimes surreal atmosphere.

While it shares many of the hallmarks of the giallo greats of the same period and while often mentioned in the same breath as the films of Argento and Bava, A Lizard In A Woman’s Skin isn’t strictly speaking, a giallo film. In truth, it’s actually much more than that. As well as being a visually stunning movie, it’s also a twisting, turning, competent thriller that kept me guessing until the final act. That’s not to say that there aren’t moments of grotesque horror though, coming from such a pioneer of gore it would be strange if there hadn’t been any present. There are stabbings, slashings, a shooting and the most infamous scene of all; a series of semi-dissected, still breathing dogs, for which Fulci was taken to court over accusations of animal cruelty, so realistic were the effects.

The performances from the international cast are hit and miss for the most part but Florinda Bolkan (Flavia; The Heretic) manages to convince as the confused, emotionally fragile lead.

Although paced quite slowly, the editing here is superb. The story is a slow-burn one and so, while it doesn’t zip along at a rollercoaster pace, there is plenty to keep most viewers interested, particularly the mystery at the heart of it all. Add to all that Ennio Morricone’s excellent, jazzy, and suitably sleazy score and A Lizard In A Woman’s Skin is an admirable, well-rounded flick. Reportedly now released in its most uncut form to date, it will not be to everyone’s tastes but if you’re a fan of Italian genre cinema and lost horror classics, this is well worth your time and attention.

Rating: 7.5 out of 10 stars

At the centre of From Within is a great idea but its execution could have been much better. Certain plot strands are a little muddled, meaning that what could have been a terrific little supernatural horror, is somewhat marred by some confusing subtext and a lack of any real scares or tension.

The film is carried by Elizabeth Rice who manages to conjure up the necessary emotional depth and therefore gets the audiences sympathy which is integral to whether the film works or not. The Sarah Connor Chronicles’ Thomas Dekker on the other hand, substitutes enigmatic and troubled for moody and mumbly and while he’s not awful, he could surely have plumbed the acting depths for something a bit more than is offered. The adults are all played well, Laura Allen is a believably troubled alcoholic and the always watchable Adam Goldberg is given a chance to step outside his usual neurotic Jewish shtick and flex his serious acting muscles for a change. Rumer Willis and Jared Harris are also good in brief but essential roles in the first half of the flick.

Directed by accomplished cinematographer Phedon Papamichael, From Within looks fantastic. Most scenes are bathed in hues of either red and gold or blues and greens, depending on the mood of the particular scene, but all look amazing. He might not have any experience behind the lens but what he lacks in directorial know-how, he more than makes up for in visual proficiency.

Blurring the line between good and evil and questioning the beliefs that many hold true, From Within is a neat little horror that suffers from some confused plot developments, a few too many characters and no real tension to speak of. The film is saved by some outstanding visual flourishes, some good performances and a chillingly memorable finale that plays out while the end credits roll. From Within is one of the better films to come out of the Horrorfest 8 Films To Die For stable recently, if nothing else.

Rating: 6 out of 10 stars

Elizabeth Harnois is Megan, a girl whose twin sister committed suicide six months previously. On the eve of the summer solstice, her friends decide that the best way to get her out of her own head is to take her on a trip to her families lake house where they plan to spend the weekend drinking and reminiscing. Whilst there, she begins to suffer from nightmares and hallucinations and with the appearance of handsome local mini-mart employee Nick and redneck loner Leonard (the always amazing but vastly underused R. Lee Ermey) things start to get weirder still and she believes her deceased sister might be trying to give her a message from beyond the grave.

The cast is fleshed out by pretty young things Shawn Ashmore (Frozen, The Ruins), Amanda Seyfriend (Jennifer’s Body, Alpha Dog), Matt O’Leary (Sorority Row) and Hilary Burton, all of whom look the part but sadly fail to conjure any genuine emotion or warrant any real sympathy, with the possible exception of Seyfried. Harnois is a perfectly able actress but never seems to step outside of the safety of the doe-eyed damsel in distress stereotype here, which is a shame given that she showed so much promise in black comedy Pretty Persuasion.

Some of the storytelling devices and sub-plots in Solstice are entirely pointless and seem to serve to either offer explanation or pad out the running time. One particularly irritating inclusion involves the rather pointless and under-written character Nick whose sole purpose is to provide supposed insight into the strange events and to act as romantic interest for our main character. Both are reasons that appear to have been sloppily crow barred into the script and are riddled with cliché.

Despite one or two scenes (including one moderately nasty incident involving a fingernail), Solstice is almost entirely gore-free which isn’t surprising for this sort of supernatural horror. Unfortunately, Solstice is also resolutely scare-free and despite the fact that Myrick seems to be attempting to emulate the atmospheric tension of Asian horror cinema, he falls vastly wide of the mark. Given its 15 certificate in the UK and the inclusion of so many teen-favourites from TV and film, it’s safe to assume that Solstice is aimed squarely at the Twilight crowd who may actually find something to enjoy here. Sadly, for the rest of us self-respecting, adult-aged moviegoers, Solstice offers nothing of any interest. The plot is wafer thin and predictable, the acting merely so-so and the direction is pretty bog standard. Avoid.

Rating: 3.5 out of 10 stars

Chad Ferrin made his first movie ‘Unspeakable’ a decade ago. Since then he’s been working hard to create a name for himself and with his fourth directorial effort ‘Someone’s Knocking At The Door‘ in the bag and due for release in the US on the 25th of May, he’s certainly doing just that. Gorepress was lucky enough to catch up with him for an email interview recently; here’s what he had to say.

GP : You seemed to break into the industry at a relatively young age and went from Production Assistant to Producer in a short space of time. What do you attribute that to?

CF : Passion. When I was 8 years old my father took me to see Quest For Fire and its graphic images of SEX and VIOLENCE were seared into my young brain, from that moment on, I knew what I wanted to do. I sold my house to make Unspeakable, and then my 1968 ½ Ford Mustang to fund The Ghouls. I’ll sell my organs next if I have to.

Gorepress are big fans of the Troma ‘grass-roots, anything-goes’ way of filmmaking. Were you a fan of Lloyd Kaufman’s ideologies before you became involved with Troma?

Not really. I mean, I’m all for ‘grass roots, anything goes’ but to be honest, I don’t think much of Lloyd Kaufman.

And how did your affiliation with them come about?

I had sent Troma a copy of Unspeakable and they liked and picked it up. Now, ten years later, I still have not seen a dime from them. At this point I wish they would just give me my film back. Maybe we can start a petition?

You seem like a director that has veered away from the mainstream. Was it a conscious choice or an organic process?

Organic, I do everything from my gut. From writing, placing the camera, cutting, I go with what feels right at the moment.

You’ve taken on a huge number of different roles behind the camera. Was it mostly circumstantial or do you just enjoy adding new strings to your proverbial bow?

It’s both. I’ve had to work every job and I’ve enjoyed those experiences and the knowledge that they have given me. It’s made me unafraid of the machine.

You’ve repeatedly worked with ‘Deadgirl’ scribe Trent Haaga, does that working relationship stem from your time with Troma?

Come to think of it, Trent was the one who championed Unspeakable to Lloyd…that son of a bitch!

And do you have any plans to continue working together?

Not now after you reminded me that it’s all his damn fault.

Recently, at Easter, I noticed that there was a distinct lack of seasonal horror movies, only to stumble upon ‘Easter Bunny, Kill Kill!‘ Did you look for a gap in the market or did the murderous easter bunny concept come first?

The director of Christmas Evil had told me a story of how he turned down an Easter themed horror film in the 1980’s. It got me thinking and Easter Bunny, Kill! Kill! was born. And, it actually just premiered on cable VOD and will hit DVD June 1st from Breaking Glass Pictures. I am very proud and excited to have it hopping out to the world.

Your movies have already garnered cult status. Is the potential audience a big factor when you’re making films or do you just make movies that you would want to watch?

It all starts with what I would want to watch, but I do have to restrain myself at times because some of my ideas actually frighten me and ultimately, I do want my work to reach the widest possible audience.

Your latest directorial outing is on grindhouse homage ‘Someone’s Knocking At The Door‘. How did it all come about?

Out of the blue, I received an e-mail from producer Roham Ghodsi asking for my help selling a film he had just completed. I asked “why me?”. He said he had seen The Ghouls and was impressed not only in the film but the fact that it’s available all over the world. So, we set up a meeting, and he flew to LA from Australia the next week. We spent 3 hours smoking cigarettes, talking cinema and then suddenly he asked if I’d be interested in directing a script he had written. Without hesitation, I said “Yes”. He sent me the script for Someone’s Knocking At The Door and with his blessing I started a re-write on it. I worked out a story where this drug these kids take opens a door to some sort of Hell, unleashing all sorts of horrors. I sent the script to Noah Segan and we wound up fleshing out the more existential elements. One month later we were shooting. Of course, then there are the stories of losing almost $15k to currency conversion and having to go to illicit measures to make up that end of the budget… Let us just say the cash arrived in a paper sack. Thank heavens for Rich Wolff and Richard Ross of Breaking Glass Pictures for having the guts to put out the film and in a sense save my life… or at least my legs.

Are there any specific films that inspired you with regard to visual style, for this particular project?

If Dario Argento fucked Russ Meyer while Sam Fuller watched, Someone’s Knocking At The Door would be the stain left on the sheets.

Rumour has it that before a screening of SKATD, Gorepress favourite ‘Mark Macready & The Archangel Murders’ was shown. Did you hand-pick it?

No, I had no input on that.

And what are some of your favourite short horror movies?

Luis Buñuel’s Un Chien Andalou, Robert Enrico’s La Rivière Du Hibou and every single episode of Rod Serling’s The Twilight Zone

Finally, what does the future hold for you? Do you have any other projects on the horizon that you can mention?

Well, my next project is again with Roham and is called Dances With Werewolves. The film is set in the aftermath of the Civil War, centring on Confederate soldiers having escaped a Union prison camp, only to be hunted by Native American shape-shifting werewolves. With a little luck, we’ll have it rolling at the end of the year.

And when can the UK look forward to the release of SKATD?

We are working on that as we speak, and any help we can get from our UK fans would be greatly appreciated. Please write to your favourite horror distributor and tell them you want to see it!

Marie is a talented athlete, training for a competition in the Netherlands, when she collapses in a shop one day and is subsequently informed by her doctor that her body is in bad shape and that she must rest for a number of weeks. Not knowing quite what to do with herself she moves away from her over-protective Mother and in with her new boyfriend Bobby, to his apartment in Left Bank. Initially, the fledgling relationship is exciting and helps her fragile frame of mind but its not long before Marie meets the neighbours and discovers some unnerving truths about the previous tenants mysterious disappearance. She shrugs the events off as tall tales until she starts suffering from the same headaches and nausea that her neighbours complain of. When she begins to investigate, Marie uncovers things that probably should have remained a mystery and her grip on reality loosens.

First time director, Pieter Van Hees clearly has an eye for a great shot and understands the importance of the artistry in good direction. The movie is packed full of interesting techniques and startling imagery which goes a long way to suggesting that he might be one to watch in the future. Taking a lot of his cues from Asian cinema (if someone had told me this was a Japanese horror remake, I probably wouldn’t have batted an eyelid), he builds on it and creates his own distinct look and feel. There are close-ups, mixed with shaky cam, interspersed with astoundingly beautifully framed landscape shots but throughout, he seems to have hung onto the ‘less is more’ approach with no technique ever feeling tired or over-used.

Eline Kuppens makes for a startlingly watchable but simultaneously unassuming leading lady. She carries the film like a seasoned professional despite being a newcomer, and is ably assisted by the charismatic Matthias Schoenaerts as Bobby.

The storyline itself is solid and interesting enough, although it had me feeling a little baffled at times. I can only assume the misdirection is intended, as Left Bank threw me for a loop and ended somewhere completely different than I could ever have anticipated. It’s this freshness and unpredictability that both hampers and benefits the movie, in equal measure.

Containing some truly graphic sex scenes, the nudity never feels purely gratuitous, instead helping us to build an idea of the much-needed passion that’s been introduced into our protagonist’s normally solitary life. Left Bank is almost completely devoid of blood and gore, instead using disconcerting music and sound effects to help ramp up the tension, which works wonderfully.

Left Bank is chock full of symbolism and theology and is best approached with an open mind but it’s also a surprisingly beautiful movie that will no doubt have you both gripped and thoroughly disoriented, and despite a few inconsistencies and a rather muddled climax, is well worth a watch.

Rating: 6.5 out of 10 stars

Their passionate relationship at first seems to help her recovery, until she discovers that the previous tenant of the flat mysteriously disappeared.

Marie begins to doubt whether she can really trust her boyfriend. Life in Left Bank, once envisaged as a dream town, starts to become an alienating nightmare and slowly, she begins to lose her grip on reality.

Left Bank; an atmospheric Belgian horror film made in 2008, will be released in the UK on the 10th May by Exposure Cinema. To win a copy simply answer the following question:

Belgium is famous for which 1992 satirical crime mockumentary?

• A. One Man And His Dog
• B. Man Bites Dog
• C. Mean Dog Blues

Send your answer to mail@gorepress.com and we’ll pick the winners from a hat at random. The closing date is the 10th of May. DVD’s will be Region 2 which will play on all UK DVD players and all multi-region DVD players.

Edward Hogg stars as the adult version of Jesco White and is an absolute revelation, both charismatic and enigmatic but also frighteningly unhinged. From his first frame to his last, he submerses himself in the role completely and is outstanding, demanding the audience’s attention be on him throughout. With regard to the rest of the cast, the only member worth mentioning is Carrie Fisher. She’s convincing throughout and it’s nice to see her in a role that’s not a cameo or involves her playing herself or a parody of Princess Leia for a change. As for the rest though, it’s really a one-man show with Hogg stealing most of the screen time and dialogue. He also handles the Southern American accent with aplomb and had I not checked beforehand, I would have had absolutely no idea that he’s British.

The film, essentially, is British too. From the UK Film Council, made with lottery money, this is a far cry from their usual efforts. The relatively small budget is hidden well too. With not much need for special effects, this gritty tale is kept afloat by the performances of its competent cast and by the interesting visuals on display from first time director Dominic Murphy.

White Lightnin’ has an almost constant matter-of-fact narration from right inside the head of White and although this technique is so prominent, occasionally verging on being over-used, it seldom grates and serves to punctuate the story with some genuine insight from its protagonist. At times this can seem like merely a lazy storytelling procedure but here it’s almost necessary.

White Lightnin’s soundtrack is utterly incredible. Its grimy, scuzzy mixture of psychobilly and bluegrass, with a hint of country helps to create an almost surreal, but eminently dangerous world in which the characters live. The films look also assists in that department, using filters to appear as though the movie is almost entirely devoid of colour, with only a little more saturation creeping in towards the end. Both these aspects are as key to the storytelling as the dialogue and action are and both are done wonderfully.

While White Lightnin’ isn’t really a horror movie, it contains some truly shockingly violent scenes and although most of the violence occurs off screen, what we’re left with remains immensely wince inducing, despite the absence of gore for the most part.

The movie contains some quite heavy-handed and occasionally laboured religious aspects and while it never comes close to attempted indoctrination, it becomes confusing until the final act, which in and of itself is quite confusing. Clearly fabricated, it still packs a pretty hard punch, which might allow you to forgive the obvious liberties that Murphy has taken with the real life story of Jesco White. A moment’s research will allow you to learn that White is a very interesting man and quite a larger-than-life character so it’s not surprising someone has chosen to make a film about him (in addition to the already existing documentaries).

White Lightnin’ is a wonderfully made film. It’s sometimes difficult to watch, a tad repetitive at times but beautifully shot and almost always engrossing.

Rating: 7 out of 10 stars

To boil it all down, Outpost is about a group of top mercenaries from all over the World who are sent on a mission in Eastern Europe, mid-war. They arrive at their destination, an old Nazi bunker, and find themselves confronted by something far more menacing than anything they could possibly have imagined.

Filled with a cast of, largely, Brits who’ve paid their dues on the UK TV circuit, the men that make up the team of mercenaries are a mostly credible bunch, lead by the charismatic Ray Stevenson. Amongst them are faces that you’ll no doubt be familiar with (Spaced fans might get a particular kick from seeing ‘Tyres’ in a very, very different role) and despite being hardened killers, you may well still find yourself rooting for them, which is testament to both the characterisation and the acting skills on display.

While there are plot holes and staggering inaccuracies galore, Outpost offers up much of entertainment value if you switch your brain firmly to its ‘suspend disbelief’ setting. The antagonists themselves, essentially a sort of Nazi zombie/ghost hybrid, are chillingly portrayed and are very much the stuff of nightmares. Until the second half of the movie, they are also, thankfully, little seen and this works wonderfully in creating an air of palpable tension and keeping them shrouded in mystery until the reveal. When the threat is unknown, there is much more to fear and the makers seemed to realise this and certainly don’t blow their load too early.

The lighting and use of sound is one of the films major strengths. While it might be a little far fetched to expect the viewer to believe that even modern day, war-torn Europe might look as grimy and dilapidated as it does here, the atmosphere it helps to create is one of serious unease. The washed-out, low saturation photography that Outpost has might be an over-used technique these days but it never distracts and in the context, seems almost essential to the overall look and feel of the movie.

Outpost’s downfall comes in the form of what turns out to be one of its major plot points. The explanation for the soldier’s re-animation and its subsequent sub-plot requires the audience to stretch their bullshit tolerance to the limit. It’s poorly executed, particularly in the final act but is also, sadly, fundamental to the story. While the ending doesn’t truly suffer from this far-fetched madness, it hampers an otherwise terrifying story of a supposedly undefeatable foe.

Outpost steers clear of obvious clichés and with the exception of one or two of the performances and plot devices, is a well-made horror with a splash of subtle dark humour, some excellent gore and a wonderfully atmospheric feel. While it’s a completely different animal to its stable-mate Dog Soldiers, comparisons are inevitable and in that respect it doesn’t quite measure up. That’s not to say that it isn’t worthy of your time though, it is. Disengage your brain and discover another reason to hate the Fuhrer.

Rating: 7 out of 10 stars

Jimmy has just lost his Dad in a mugging-turned-stabbing incident after a trip to see Death Wish 2 at the flicks. He is taken in by his Dad’s brother; Uncle Leonard, a seemingly morally confused man who runs a long term storage facility in which people rent space to store their belongings. Jimmy goes to work for Leonard and spends most of his days drooling over his colleague Zia and watching people come and go on the CCTV monitors.

One day, Jimmy becomes suspicious of a surly man who appears to have something untoward that might just link him to a murder hidden in his storage space. Roping in Zia to help him, they investigate further, only to be plunged headlong into affairs they were best left out of.

Having seen the trailer before watching the film, I was expecting something completely different than what I was actually presented with. I mean this in the best possible way though, it meant nothing was given away and there were still lots of surprises at every turn.

Although clearly made with a relatively low budget, Storage still looks great and parts are filmed very stylishly, with particular mention going to a couple of slow-mo scenes involving fire. The direction is nothing out of the ordinary but there is enough variation in the techniques used to ensure that it almost always looks interesting. While not superbly visually arresting, this is a film that will almost certainly hold your attention for its 95 minute running time.

The acting is a mixed bag throughout. The only cast member who really manages to shine is Damien Garvey as Uncle Leonard. He’s created a wonderfully ambiguous character whom you are never sure whether to root for or despise until the third act when he is finally shown in his true light. Matthew Scully and Saskia Burmeister make for a believable pair with only Scully’s exaggerated facial expressions letting him down in the realism stakes. Besides that, they have credible enough chemistry and an authentic mutual attraction.

Despite having had little fanfair on its recent DVD release, Storage is a surprisingly effective little thriller. It’s unpredictable, well made and in places, truly shocking. Watch it.

Rating: 6.5 out of 10 stars