Month: August 2023

Categories
Curiosity Corner Dead Northern Festival News and Reviews

Parable games – Shiver

Have you ever watched someone run upstairs, when you know that you would have run outside? Have you yelled at the screen, because there’s a killer stalking right behind those happy campers? Do you secretly want to be in your own scary movie? Then there’s good news – because we did too.


Parable Games is proud to present to you: SHIVER – the Horror Movie Role-playing Game! Now you and your friends can find out once and for all who would survive a rampaging killer at summer camp, who would make it through the zombie apocalypse, and which one of you is most likely to use the others as bait for a hissing alien monster!

SHIVER is a tabletop role-playing game, or an “RPG” – but what does that actually mean? Well, it means that it’s a game where you play as individual characters, playing out a story created by another player – known as the Director, and the other players make up the cast of characters.

These characters are the kind you’d usually find in a horror movie: a jock, a cheerleader, an Antarctic scientist, a space marine… Whatever, wherever or whenever your story takes place, SHIVER gives you simple tools to make sure your characters fit in to your world.

“This sounds a little complicated” you might be thinking, and you’d be right. It does “sound” complicated – but it actually isn’t! Parable Games loves games (surprise-surprise), but what we love more is getting new people to play games. SHIVER is designed to be a game that you can pick up and have fun with, even if you’ve never played anything more complicated than snakes and ladders.

So, how does it work? SHIVER uses an intuitive symbol dice system, where each symbol represents a different “skill” – or to put it a different way, a different way your characters might solve problems. Solving problems with your fists? Then you’re lying on your Grit skill. Maybe you face your challenges more with your brain than your brawn? Then that’s Smarts. Different characters have different skill strengths and weaknesses based on their personality, but each of them can try anything – here’s nothing like learning a new skill when your (fictional) life is on the line!

Why not gather your friends round for a scary movie night, but this time you’re all going to be in the movie! All you need to get started is the SHIVER Core Rulebook. With this simple and easy to read guide to the dark and unknown (world of RPG rules), you’ve got all you need to get started. We have a free online digital dice roller so if you wanted to roll ‘dem bones virtually, go ahead and give it a try.

With the SHIVER Core Rulebook you can run stories anywhere from a cabin in the woods to the International Space Station, and any-when from the dawn of mankind to the space faring future. Whatever your imagination can conjure up, SHIVER can help you turn it into an interactive, spooky experience.

Of course, horror is a varied and many headed beast. We know that. That’s why we’re always working on expansions for the game – new books themed around some of our favourite horror sub-genres…

Gothic horror – with Vampires, Frankenstein’s Monster, and the Wolfman fighting supernatural horrors in Victorian London? We’ve got it covered in SHIVER Gothic.

Maybe your tastes lie less in the fantastical – maybe you’re more of a “nothing’s scarier than a guy with a knife who just… SNAPS” type. If that’s your modus operandi, then you’d need to keep an eye out for SHIVER: Slasher. A decades spanning story where the killers always come back, but the survivors aren’t guaranteed as much.

If you struggle with the hardcore violence in horror, or maybe you want a more safe way to introduce your love of the genre to sceptical friends or family – then SHIVER: Blockbuster is the answer you’re looking for. Giant Sharks, Spaceship Adventures, Ghost Pirates and Skeletal Dragons? Launch your own mega-horror-franchise with bang!

We love horror, and we love horror movies. It’s why we’re proud to sponsor Dead Northern, and why we can’t wait to be there, but most of all it’s why we made SHIVER to begin with. We wanted to play our favourite horror movies, but also make our own – and besides, how many games can you play where you actually get to kill your friends and still get to keep your friends? Not many, I’ll tell you!

Want to give SHIVER a try? You can sign up to our mailing list and receive a copy of our QuickStart version of the game!

Categories
Curiosity Corner Dead Northern Festival News and Reviews

Unusual Horror – Underground Horror Apparel

Created in 2020, ‘Unusual Horror’ has been bringing the brutality of underground horror and metal to market, giving fans of slam, death metal and extreme horror a means to express themselves. The brainchild of someone whose two obsessions of extreme metal and horror have culminated in the creation of brutal apparel and accessories for the community.

‘Unusual Horror’ focuses on 3 main areas: Horror inspired prints, slam & death metal merchandise and underground/extreme horror licensed merchandise. Through collaborating with underground bands, directors and independent artists, you are guaranteed to get a once in a lifetime piece of merchandise. From the likes of t-shirts, hoodies and other apparel donning edgy death metal script and independently designed artworks, those in the alternative community have a new way to express themselves.

Initially starting with a handful of pieces that donned edgy prints of Nuns in illicit situations and other quintessential metal-like prints, like Baphomet at a ritual, etc, the brand has grown significantly. With popular designs such as the ‘Sisters of …’, ‘Ritualistic Offering’ and ‘GoreChrist’ being repeatedly re-printed due to high demand – the want for more extreme prints is simply growing. It appears that people in the alternative circle are sick of the tame designs from the likes of Killstar and are now hunting down these sorts of designs, which ‘Unusual Horror’ are serving up to the masses. They pride themselves in collaborating with independent artists to offer the best quality and unique pieces, which give the buyers a unique item and the artist more exposure for their work. With new designs very much on the way, ‘Unusual Horror’ fans are in for a hell of a ride with their new signature collections and not to mention new additions to the ‘Sisters of…’ collection.

Unusual Horror Store


On top of their signature pieces, ‘Unusual Horror’ also gives a home to those fans of extreme & underground horror; creating licensed collections of some of cinema’s most controversial titles. With titles like ‘Deathgasm’, ‘Septic’, ‘Nekromantic’ & ‘American Mary’, the store’s collection only seems to grow with each release. Boasting a huge accomplishment with their latest release, their ‘A Serbian Film’ collection is classed as the only licensed merchandise collection for the film (worldwide) and has received a huge amount of interest since its pre-order release.

Unusual Horror Store


‘Unusual Horror’ prides itself in collaborating with these underground and extreme film makers, to allow them to have the same type of platform that the more mainstream horrors get. Regardless of backlash from people who aren’t fans of the extreme side of horror, it appears that, thanks to ‘Unusual Horror’, the world of extreme horror is simply growing, simply due to people wearing the merchandise and boasting their interests in this type of film – something that many fans have had to suppress due to lack of representation in clothing and also the fear of judgement.


It isn’t just licensed merch that they are passionate about on the front of extreme horror, their newest venture will see them distributing new underground/extreme horrors. They have recently received the distributing rights to up and coming Italian, queer extreme horror films
‘ELDORADO’ and ‘La Perdición’ by renowned director Domiziano Cristopharo, who directed films like ‘House of Flesh Mannequins’ and ‘Xpiation’. Filmed in Gran Canaria, Director Cristopharo boasts that these films are the quintessential watch for any extreme horror fan that has an interest in queer cinema. These are aiming to be released in December 2023 with a brand new range of merchandise for each film that should tantalise any extreme horror fan.

It’s clear that ‘Unusual Horror’ doesn’t just make merchandise, but have now expanded their options by creating distribution options for underground extreme horror; a feat many small brands couldn’t accomplish. Their final pillar of interest is mainly focussed on the slam/death metal/deathcore scene; this has always been a focus for the brand, with their logo invoking similarities to a lot of death metal band logos. This passion for underground music has been a catalyst for the brand, with them creating merchandise for local and home-grown death metal bands and allowing fans to show off their favourite underground metal bands, while also letting these smaller bands have the option to promote themselves. They have created merch for bands like ‘Guttural Slug’ and ‘Devourment’, while also showcasing smaller local bands by the likes of ‘Coprocephalic Mutation’ and ‘357 Homicide’.

‘Unusual Horror’ have been at the forefront of providing good quality pieces with brutal designs that have satisfied the masses of slam and death metal fans world wide, but their efforts to preserve and support the community don’t end with merchandise creation and distribution.
‘Rancid Offal Promotions’ was set up in 2022 by a member in the scene, as a means to get these underground slam, death metal and grindcore bands on stage and touring; there was a knowledge there that there was a huge fan base, who simply didn’t have the opportunity to see these bands live.

‘Unusual Horror’ began to collaborate with the original team of RxOx, in the way of merchandising and advertising and soon was adopted under the brand after the success of their first event. Thanks to RxOx and the collaboration with ‘Unusual Horror’, underground metal has a home for live performance. Starting with their first ever festival ‘Offal Fest’ in March 2023, the event showcased bands like ‘Crepitation’ and ‘Twitch of the Death Nerve’, while also bringing over ‘Guttural Slug’ to perform ‘Megalodon’ in full.

This was a huge moment for the scene, as this was ‘Guttural Slug’s’ debut live show, with them also playing one of the most influential albums in the scene. This event was not some local affair, patrons from overseas came from the likes of America and Canada just to check out the first ever ‘Offal Fest’. Since its creation RxOx has been planning and creating more events for the community to feast their eyes on. They have many upcoming events, like ‘Goremageddon’ and ‘Cannibalising the UK’, showcasing bands like ‘Torsofuck’ and the reunion of ‘Pivorapist’. RxOx are now the heart of the community and are bringing these brutal lineups to the masses, and their reign of terror will not end, as the next ‘Offal Fest’ is looming over the horizon.

In short, ‘Unusual Horror’ is a home for those who have been ostracised because of their interests in extreme horror and music. Their space and apparel are for those who stray between the lines of brutality and extremity, who don’t wish to align with societal norms. Whether you are an extreme horror or music fan looking to showcase your favourite niche band or film, or an alternative person looking for something just a bit more heavy to wear out and about, ‘Unusual Horror’ has it all for you. This is only the beginning for them, not just merchandise wise, but also in the sense of live music and film distribution.

When you buy your first piece from this incredible small brand, you will not just be holding a piece of merchandise, you will now be a part of an ever-growing community of fans who walk to their own beat. Make sure to keep an eye on both ‘Unusual Horror’ and ‘Rancid Offal Promotions’, as you are in for a treat and don’t want to miss out on what’s coming.

Buy online at https://store.unusualhorror.com/

Instagram instagram.com/unusualhorrorstore

Facebook facebook.com/unusualhorrorstore

Categories
Dead Northern Festival News and Reviews Events Food and Drink News

SINNERS GIN

Sinners-Gin-logo
Sinners-Gin-logo
Sinners-Gin-logo
Sinners-Gin-logo

Gin and horror films – a combination as old as time, no? Well, at the Sinner’s Distillery, we make gin and happen to love horror films, so they work well together in our mind! Imagine then, when we got offered the chance to team up with the gang at Dead Northern, how could we say no? Adding our little slice of hell to their horror film Mecca was a no-brainer. Sinner’s Gin was born out of a want to polarise audiences with our adoration of rock music and demonic imagery, and because we’re big horror buffs ourselves, it was a marriage made South of Heaven!

We’re Tom & Alex, the team behind Sinner’s Gin! Come say hi at the Dead Northern Film Festival in September, we’ll be hanging around all weekend flogging merch, taking orders for bottles of alcohol, and talking all things from Yorkshire Tea to the Terrifier franchise.

So, what is Sinner’s Gin? Sinner’s is a London Dry Gin, which amazingly doesn’t mean it is made in London! For those unfamiliar, a London Dry Gin means it is made traditionally in a pot still, with the predominant ingredient in the botanical mixture being juniper berries. Aka, a proper gin (but one that doesn’t taste like paint stripper). Coming from sunny Wakefield (read: some dive in West Yorkshire), we had to bring a little bit more than just a traditional flavour palate to our concoction, which is why we used a few botanicals to hail where we’re from.

Liquorice root is a traditional botanical in gin, and we use it in tribute to our nearby town of Pontefract (think Pontefract cakes). Liquorice adds a notable sweetness to gin, and adds viscosity to the liquid, giving it a lovely mouth feel.

Ginger and a ginger peppercorn called Grains of Paradise, are used by us to add a bit of depth and peppery heat to the gin. This is in tribute to Yorkshire being the place where ginger beer was first created many moons back in the 1700’s – bet you didn’t know that one!

Finally, we always joke that Wakefield is famous for 2 things – the maximum-security prison that holds Britain’s most dangerous criminals, and less interestingly, forced rhubarb, grown in the winter. We’re part of what is known as the Rhubarb Triangle, and so we had to incorporate a good whack of that pink goodness into our gin. It makes Sinner’s a little sweet, a bit sharp, and really delicious!

So, what about the bottle? We enlisted a well-known tattoo artist from Leeds to help craft the attitude on display. The bottle will always grab your attention on a shelf, but the taste will keep it. We put a blank canvas in front of Simon, gave him the brand name, and said “we don’t want to be in a Tesco. Make it outrageous.”

A few weeks later, he stuck Baphomet, a deity of hell, on the front of the bottle and the F-word on the back – can’t ask for much more outrageous than that, can you? We knew we were onto something when the 8th generation Master Distiller we designed our recipe with, who was going to produce our first batch while we were setting up, turned around and said to us that unless we changed the branding, he would refuse to distil for us. Rock and Roll!

Sinner’s works exceptionally well in most gin cocktails too! The reason being that we pack so many citrus notes in, that normally go undercover in a G&T, cloaked by the allure of delicious rhubarb, but come out swinging with the right love and attention, as do the ginger and cinnamon when called upon in heavier situations like a Negroni. We often have fun creating brand new cocktails, and we will be for the York event in September, but a crowd pleaser we crafted some time back was our gin-based tribute to the classic Lynchburg Lemonade cocktail, named after Lynchburg, Tennessee – the home of the Jack Daniels distillery. Instead, we lovingly named ours after an area of Wakefield reputable for widespread graffiti and adoration for cheap booze. Here’s how to make the Lupset Lemonade:

Ingredients:

  • 50ml Sinner’s Gin, or another contemporary London Dry Gin. (Think Fifty Pounds or Monkey 47)
  • 25ml Cointreau
  • 25ml fresh lemon juice
  • Grapefruit Bitters (or your favourite alternative)
  • Citrus of choice to garnish
  • Lemonade to top up

Method:

The best way to start is by garnishing your glass. Firstly, give a couple of good shakes of grapefruit bitters into a glass and give it an upside-down twirl to encourage maximum coverage of your vessel. Angostura bitters work fine, and it is more traditional for the bourbon cocktail we based this off, but the smell of clove can be a bit overpowering if you’re heavy handed, so we recommend citrus-based or even rhubarb bitters should you feel inclined!

Then stack ice cubes and your favourite citrus slices into the glassware – you can make it as artistic as you like! We typically use lemon and lime to encourage the Sinner’s gin to start singing, but orange or grapefruit are excellent too.

In a cocktail shaker, pour your gin, Cointreau, and lemon juice, top up with as much ice seems sensible, pop your top on and give it all you’ve got! We find that shaking with fresh lemon juice works best, you oxidise some of the oilier compounds, and it takes the right edge off everything being just too strong. Stirring works nicely if you’re not confident with a cocktail shaker, but try them side by side and you’ll understand what we mean.

Strain the cocktail shaker and pour into your glass, about 70-80% full. Then top up with a classic lemonade to taste. Feel free to garnish with whatever you like to wow your guests, some candied rhubarb and dried orange works nicely, but the result should be a real sucker punch of sweet citrus, with a refreshing tang from the lemon juice and the bitters. Crucially here, the gin isn’t the notable star, because it forces everything else into the spotlight. The orange peel and rhubarb we pack into Sinner’s pushes the Cointreau onto the palate, with the coriander seed and liquorice root adding a delicate lemon sweetness to the cocktail.

Feel free to experiment and make this little sip of enticement your own though! We’ve made it with blood orange juice in the past, as the picture below, and it worked exceptionally with the more bitter notes in there than the traditional lemon.

Stay hydrated you reprobates; we’ll see you in September!

For more info on Sinners Gin go to

Website www.sinnersgin.co.uk

Instagram instagram.com/sinnersginuk

Facebook facebook.com/sinnersginuk

Twitter twitter.com/sinnersginuk

Categories
Curiosity Corner Dead Northern Festival News and Reviews News

Dead Evil Clothing

Dead Evil Clothing
Dead Evil Clothing

Dead Evil Clothing is a grass roots start up horror & alternative apparel brand based in York, the most haunted city in Europe!

We are life long horror fans, and our mission is simple: to clothe the masses in the darkest and most spine-chilling fashion possible. We believe that true style comes from embracing your inner demons and wearing them on your sleeve (or on your t-shirt, hoodie, or hot-pants, for that matter). 

Bringing a new, exciting perspective to horror & alternative fashion, our ghouls will be creating designs that celebrate the genre in a unique and memorable way.  We aim to build a community of horror enthusiasts who have a passion for the genre, and who are not afraid to express their love for the macabre and unconventional.

We have big goals and aspirational plans for Dead Evil, and our focus will not only be apparel but we aim to move into home decor, a podcast, a sister alcohol brand and eventually a physical themed shop for all you ghouls out there. The final piece of the puzzle will be Dead Evil Films, who are currently underway creating their first horror short.

Alongside this we have also created the Dead Evil Initiative, a community program created to support and inspire the creative side of the alternative and horror community. Our goal is to provide a platform for horror artists, musicians, and other creatives to showcase their unique and imaginative works. Every time you buy an item you are essentially helping the horror community thrive.

As part of the initiative, we pledge to donate 5% of our yearly profit to support and promote the most innovative and boundary-pushing projects in the community. Whether it’s an underground horror film or an alternative art exhibit, we want to help make these projects a reality and push the limits of what’s possible. So join us in supporting the Dead Evil Initiative, and let’s celebrate the spirit of creativity in the horror and alternative community!

Did your rotting hearts beat at what you’ve just read, well if you’re ready to embrace your dark side, come join us at Dead Evil Clothing. We promise you won’t be disappointed – or if you are, it’s probably because one of our cursed items has possessed you. Either way, it’s a win-win in our book.

Check out more Dead Evil Clothing at

Buy online at www.deadevilclothing.com

Intstagram instagram.com/dead_evil_clothing

Facebook facebook.com/deadevilclothinghorrorapparel

Categories
Events News

Spark and Refuse films present a Troma film night

spark and refuse films present a troma film night

Saturday, 19th August

6:00PM – 10:30PM

Join us on Saturday 19th August at 6pm for a special Troma film event, featuring the viewing of two exceptional films, My Bloody Banjo and Eating Miss Campbell – both directed by a great local talent, Liam Regan. After a successful tour in the U.S. with Lloyd Kaufman and Troma Enterprises (The Toxic Avenger and Class of Nuke Em High), Liam is excited to be hosting this one off double bill screening. This is a must see event for horror and B movie fans alike!

Get your tickets here

Only 50 tickets available for this special event!!

The screening will also be accompanied by:

Q&A with director Liam Regan after both screenings

Signing and photo ops from director & lead actor Lyndsey Craine

Chance to win Troma merch and props 

Exclusive recorded intro by Lloyd Kaufman (EMC producer and creator of the Toxic Avenger) 

And MORE surprises!

Food and drinks available from SPARK traders and bars

On-site toilets available including accessible facilities

Air conditioned venue space

LIMITED TICKET AVAILABLE, SO BOOK YOUR SPOT NOW!

STRICTLY 18+ EVENT so please bring ID

WARNING: These movies are not for the faint hearted or easily offended!

*T&C’s By purchasing the ticket for this event, you consent to receive occasional promotional emails from sparkyork.org. You can unsubscribe at any time

Categories
Reviews

Talk To Me (2023) – Review

(HeyUGuys, 2023)

Clever and socially provocative, Talk to Me is the horror breakout of not only the summer but the year. It centres around grief stricken teenager Mia (Sophie Wilde) who, along with a group of high school friends, experiments with an embalmed hand that possesses the special ability to connect with the dead and allows users to grant spirits permission to enter their bodies.

This innovative picture comes from the minds of Australian filmmakers Danny and Michael Philippou known primarily for their pioneering Youtube content on their channel RackaRacka. Talk to Me premiered at Sundance Film Festival and was rightfully an instant hit with audiences and film companies alike; the movie was picked up by infamous production and distribution company A24. Not only does Talk to Me provide a haunting yet beautiful viewing experience, it dives into the importance of identity and tackles the idea of how a horror movie would play out in the modern, digital age.

The film’s directors have spoken about how Talk to Me explores the theme of connection and how Mia, shrouded in grief from the recent loss of her mother, is yearning for a connection to anyone or anything that will make her feel something (Fandango, 2023). Though what stood out to me the most was Mia’s connection to herself; her sense of identity. As aforementioned, Mia is struggling to cope with the passing of her mother and the consequential grief that has begun to consume her. As a result we realise that a part of Mia has died along with her mother, leaving a gaping hole in her sense of self that she is desperate to fill. Enter the embalmed hand which allows one’s body and soul to be consumed by a relentless cycle of spirits.

This addictive activity works on two levels to fill the void left by Mia’s mother. Firstly, the euphoric feeling of being possessed functions like a drug, providing her with temporary relief from the hopelessness and loss that currently defines her. Secondly, the act of allowing a spirit to physically force itself inside her shows Mia’s desperation to find an identity again, even if it is not her own. Talk to Me follows Mia on her distorted and somewhat futile journey to find herself again and warns that altering your reality – using drugs or possession – cannot change the circumstances under which your identity was broken in the first place.

(ScreenRant, 2023)

Elaborating on the subject of reality, Talk to Me further examines a world in which we are perceived and scrutinised through a digital eye. We are introduced to the hand via a snapchat story in which a girl is clearly suffering at the hands of whichever spirit is coursing through her. When the camera draws back we see her distress illuminated by the light of several phone cameras, eager to document her torment. Furthermore at all
the parties hosted by Joss (Chris Alosio) and Hayley (Zoe Terakes) – the current owners of the hand – every possession is filmed and made public.

This highlights the significance social media has on an individual’s reputation as, a humiliating experience with the hand would obviously bring with it an embarrassing reputation, later exhibited when Daniel (Otis Dhanji) has a turn with the hand. The film encourages viewers to
realise the importance society places on a social media presence and a digital reputation; this generation is so immunised to the pain and suffering of others that they will happily record and publicise it if it promises a positive online reaction for themselves. It is only when Mia requests they use the hand outside the presence of phones and social media that the focus shifts from creating thrills and a viral video to Mia’s dependency on possession in order to feel whole again.

(BlackGirlNerds, 2023)

Talk to Me not only blurs the lines between the real world and the digital one but as the story develops we see Mia’s reality and the spirit world begin to intertwine. In between Mia’s innumerable possessions she begins to encounter spirits outside the use of the hand. Specifically she starts to see her mother who makes her question what is right and wrong and encourages her to inch further away from her own sanity.

Mia is presented with a morally impossible decision in order to save her friend with the manipulative spirit of her mother looming over her shoulder, trying to force her decision. The climax of Talk to Me is beautifully twisted as it portrays a loving mother-daughter relationship ripped apart by death and warped by grief. Here the Philippou brothers stunningly capture the fragility of the human mind and how the death of a loved one can cause our tether to reality to unravel.


Talk to Me exhibits all the shock and exhilaration ever present in Danny and Michael Philippou’s work and presents a unique ability to portray dark, mature and malevolent themes in a heartfelt and delicate way. The film emphasises a modern society’s dependence on a sense of identity established through our connections to one another and governed by how we present ourselves online.

Talk to Me sheds light on the fact that we are all one emotionally wrenching experience away from losing our grip on reality and severing all ties from our own sense of self.

Hope Lelliott-Stevens