A struggling vampire romance novelist must defend herself against real-life vampires during Christmas in Lake Tahoe.
Director Sean Nichols Lynch
Writer Sean Nichols Lynch
Stars Dennice CisnerosNico BellamyLaura Kennon
Author: The Mad Shnarffler
Rocking it with Willow the Whisp and Black Chuck out in the misty marshy fens.
Categories
Horror in the Happiest place
Harrogate, the pretty spa town nestled between York and Leeds in North Yorkshire isn’t the first place that comes to mind when thinking about horror, or horror film festivals for that matter. Whilst the town may be better known for tea, flowers and the happy folk that live here it’s not all about quintessentially English pastimes. A quote from Charles Dickens illustrates Harrogate best.
‘Harrogate is the queerest place with the strangest people in it, leading the oddest lives of dancing, newspaper reading and dining.’
Charles Dickens
It’s his observation of Harrogate’s extraordinary explains why the town is the perfect place to host a horror film festival like Dead Northern.
Perhaps it’s the spring water but the town was full of oddities o long before Charles Dickens made these observations. Back in the 1600’s Mother Shipton was predicting the future. The 1700’s Blind Jack was building roads and in the 1800’s Samson Fox was lighting the town from his hidden laboratory.
When Agatha Christie disappeared from her home back in 1926 she was found at the Crown hotel, the same Crown Hotel that Dead Northern held our 2020 Horror Film Festival (one of the few live horror film festivals on the planet in 2020)
Strange folk and oddities aside, Harrogate towns history is one of eating, drinking and entertainment. For hundreds of years, the town has been attracting tourists from all over the world. Visitors came to indulge in spa water, fresh air, beautiful hotels, fine dining and cosy pubs. Moving into modern times the convention centre has been hosting concerts, events and exhibitions since the early 1980’s. Harrogate also hosts a plethora of smaller, unique venues, surrounded by fantastic places to eat, drink and sleep, and make ideal venues for Dead Northern to host our unique brand of popup events, both large and small.
Harrogate and the surrounding area also have a long history of film. With TV soaps such as Emmerdale filmed just outside of the Town. The music video for the Sex Pistols hit Madame Butterfly was filmed in the Turkish Baths. All the way to Hollywood blockbusters such a Hunters Prayer and Paddington 2. Even the critically acclaimed horror movie Ghost Stories had scenes filmed in the town.
The combination for an affinity of the strange, well-established facilities and rich history of film & entertainment is why Harrogate is the perfect location for Dead Northern to host our horror film festival and other pop up events. Remember Dead Northern is about more than the films, our USP is putting the festival in the film festival, And we’ve already hosted a banquette in a Church, had Valentine’s day in a Brewery and held a Film Festival in a haunted hotel. Going forward we don’t just plan on hosting unique events, like the odd townsfolk before us we plan on leaving our own strange mark on the town.
At the end of the day, if Harrogate can host the Eurovision song contest then a Horror Film festival should feel right at home!
Categories
The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (Video Game)
The Texas Chainsaw Massacre was one of the first horror genre video games and one of the first video games to be based on a movie license. Released on the Atari 2600 back in 1983 it was developed by VSS, Inc, Published by Wizard Video Games, with lead design by Ed Salvo (who also worked on the Halloween video game in the same year).
The Texas Chainsaw Massacre Video Game puts the player in control of the movie’s antagonist Leatherface, then sets them on a murderous rampage across Texas. As video games go the objective is pretty much a standard affair, kill everything, in this case, teenage Texans.
Now we’re not sure if this is canon but in the video game, Leatherface and his trusty chainsaw are conjoined into some sort of hellish cyborg which is fuelled by the blood of teenagers, should the chainsaw run out of fuel they both die. This does add a bit of logic to why he’s such a murderous bastard but still doesn’t explain the creepy mask. If I needed the blood of teenagers to stay alive I’d probably try and lure them in rather than scare them off by wearing some nightmare fuel outfit. Perhaps use a mockup of an off-license with a bench outside, then get them when the tallest one asks “Oi mate, can you get us some cigs?” FYI it takes the blood of 5 Texan teenagers to refuel a chainsaw, B&Q don’t stock it (I did ask) and I’d hazard a guess neither do hardware stores in the USA hence the murder spree.
Given that the game was released in 1983 and even then the Atari 2600 was hardly a graphical powerhouse, the visual representation of the sparse Texan landscape is pretty accurate, it’s flat, littered with trees and fences with the odd cow skull laying around. The same can’t be said for the chainsaw-wielding Leatherface sprite which looks like a pumpkin wielding an industrial size rampant rabbit, the sound is similar too (so I hear). The rest of the sprites are serviceable given the era and technological limitations. For a video game based on such a violent movie, there’s a distinct lack of blood and given the controversy of the game at the time is a strange omission.
Another take from the video game, and again I’m not sure this is canon but Leatherface can be stopped by wheelchairs, fences, tumbleweed and the cow skulls you’ll find littering the Texan terrain. So if you do find yourself being pursued by the mask wielding maniac try any of the above for better chance of escape. That said, given that this information may not be canon don’t blame us if you end up as the cheek on an elaborate Halloween costume.
Here’s the real kicker. My first search result to buy the game was for just the manual and that was $65.00! Other sites are showing that you can get a physical copy for somewhere between $114.00 and $420.00. Unless you’re a huge fan of the franchise and a completionist when it comes to merch I’d recommend watching a few minutes of the game on Youtube, then watching it again on x2 speed to get the whole experience. If you really do need to get a Leatherface kick from a video game you can find the character as DLC in Mortal Kombat X and Dead by Daylight.
The arbitrary Dead Northern score for The Texas Chainsaw Massacre the game, One Lone Star.
So we’ve been having a little chat with Charlie Bond and she had some very exciting news to share with Dead Northern!
So without further ado…
JINX MEDIA LTD in association with DEADLOCKED FILMS and SUN ROCKET FILMS are delighted to announce their latest feature!
On the eve of a televised talent show, an enthusiastic but dysfunctional cheerleading troop is on the brink of falling apart. But when a cursed necklace turns their rival act into a screeching gang of zombies, the girls must learn to use their wits, friendship and assorted powertools before the TV finale takes a turn for the apocalyptic…
POWERTOOL CHEERLEADERS VS THE BOYBAND OF THE SCREECHING DEAD is a full-tilt horror/comedy/musical featuring toe-tapping songs and geysers of gore. Expect laughs, loud guitars, terrifying monsters and great songs like ‘I’m Just a Guy Dying on the Floor’. The film is being produced by CHARLIE BOND, who also stars as head cheerleader Emily.
“It’s fun, fantastically self-aware and constantly ripping apart classic tropes to create a troupe of fearless, brilliant women. I had to get involved to make this happen and, as a female producer, this fun, feminist wildcard of a movie is a dream to work with”
– Charlie Bond
The film is written and directed by PAT HIGGINS (previously responsible for cult favourites like THE DEVIL’S MUSIC and KILLERKILLER, and the original creator of STRIPPERS VS WEREWOLVES).
“The world needs fun. The world needs movies with good gore and good jokes and characters you like spending time with. The world needs films that are genuinely warm-hearted even when they’re spraying blood up the walls. The world needs cheering up. The world needs Powertool Cheerleaders vs the Boyband of the Screeching Dead”
– Pat Higgins
The film also stars JAMES HAMER-MORTON, DANI THOMPSON, CY HENTY, MEGAN ROSE
BUXTON, CARRIE THOMPSON, LIZ SOUTER and FAITH ELIZABETH.
The Kickstarter campaign at jinx.uk is offering exclusive perks including premiere tickets, downloads and even
the chance to get the Powertool Cheerleaders to cheer out your name from the set!
facebook.com/powertoolcheerleaders
@cheerleadersv on Twitter
Categories
The Book of Horror
In these times of genuine horror, the horror genre has never been more relevant. And for those of us who take comfort in the darkness, the horror community is one of the most welcoming. It’s all about the outsiders, not the elite, and the only qualification for entry is a genuine love of horror, no matter what kind.
I’ve been a horror obsessive since childhood, when I realised the world was more Stephen King than Steven Spielberg, and it’s informed almost every aspect of my life.
For the last two decades I’ve worked as a writer for the likes of Total Film, SFX and the Radio Times, and I think people would be surprised how many film critics love horror most of all. Why? Because, at its best, it represents a very pure form of cinema. After all, for a horror film to work, it doesn’t require witty dialogue, nuanced performances or big-budget effects, all it needs to do is scare you.
When it comes to books about horror films, however, there’s often a double standard. There’s the films we love, and the films we admire, and the books tend to focus on the latter, putting box office and historical significance over the only metric that really matters: are they scary?
Over the last five years, I’ve been lucky enough to write three books about the movies. Based around the illustrations of Andy Tuohy, A-Z Great Film Directors examined the men and women who made the classics. Featuring interviews with the likes of Irvine Welsh, Edgar Wright and Simon Pegg, Britpop Cinema: From Trainspotting to This Is England looked at the UK film industry boom of the 1990s/2000s. But closest to my heart is my latest, The Book of Horror: The Anatomy of Fear in Film, an attempt to find the scariest movies ever made and examine exactly how they work.
With beautiful black-and-white illustrations by Barney Bodoano, plus infographics and recommendations for further viewing – some I hadn’t even heard of until I started digging really deep – it’s the culmination of decades of searching, watching and scaring myself silly.
My conclusion? Whether slasher or ghost story, J-horror or New French Extremity, frightening films have more in common with each other than not – just like the rest of us. I can’t wait to see what you think.
The Book of Horror: The Anatomy of Fear in Film by Matt Glasby with illustrations by Barney Bodoano is out 22 September, order it here https://www.quartoknows.com/books/9780711251786/The-Book-of-Horror.html?direct=1
Categories
Walters Fragile Skull
Have you ever wanted to know what it feels like to have a skull made of glass? Read on…
Absinthe, Absinth, Absinth. Is it legal? Will it make you go mad, lob off your ear and gift it to a hooker? At 69% Alcohol does it kill Covid? Does the Hulk bleed it? Can you clean the grime off the engine of a 1991 imported Mk2 Toyota MR2? And how long will a friend lie in the fetal position on a driveway after drinking 3/4’s of a bottle?
All good questions. All questions we have no idea what the answers are.
Well, with the exception of the last two, which are, yes, but it’s an expensive way to clean a car engine. And, around 3 hours give or take.
So if you’re planning on a lie down on a driveway or fancy taking a dive into post-impressionist oil painting you’re going to need;
- Absinthe (do check it’s legal where you are)
- Glasses (we used a massive glass Skull called Walter)
- Sugar cubes (like the ones you feed to horses)
- A Slotted Spoon (our slotted spoon came with the bottle of Absinthe)
- An Absinthe fountain or some means of dripping cold water
We’re going to go out on a limb here and say that you don’t have a traditional Absinthe fountain, they are bloody cool though.
We are going to assume you have a sink with a tap.
- Pour 1oz/30ml of absinthe into your glass
- Place a slotted spoon over the glass, put a sugar cube on it and slowly drip water over the top so it dissolves into the glass. You should look to have about four to six parts water per one part absinthe.
- Give it a stir and “enjoy”
Other methods involve fire. Which we’re not going to tell you how to do because we don’t like lawyers, even if they’re defending us from you because you got drunk and burned your house down.
The last option is to just fill a shot glass and neck it. Just don’t you heathen.
What ever your chosen method you can be sure that you’re going to feel like you’ve got a fragile skull the next day.
Categories
Accepting Submissions for 2020
We are currently accepting submissions for the Dead Northern Horror Film Festival in Harrogate, North Yorkshire October 2020 via Film Freeway
The deadline for features and shorts is the 7th of September 2020. We are open to short films, feature and documentary, fantasy, thriller, and horror films of all production techniques, forms, and budgets.
We look forward to seeing your submissions –
The Dead Northern Team
We’ve all got a little bit more time on our hands nowadays, but it’s not all bad!
Here are our top 8 horror flicks worth watching on Netflix right now:
1. IT (2017)
A Stephen King classic, with a very different tone to its predecessor; it ticks all the boxes for a great horror movie – Fantastic cast and team, great special effects and a solid well-developed plot. Skaarsgard fills Pennywise’s oversized clown shoes with his own sinister brand of fear (although Tim Curry still has the edge in our opinion).
It’s not the scariest film out there, but what it does well is spend time and care on the depth of the characters providing some satisfying frights and major payoffs.
‘IT’ smashed all the box office records for a reason – Enjoyable creepy fun for the avid fans and newcomers to horror alike.
4.5/5
2. Hush (2016)
Blumhouse contribute a mighty pile of horror for us every year, Hush is one of their greats. Acclaimed director Mike Flanagan champions this horror-thriller, telling the story of a deaf writer who retreats to the woods for a solitary life, when a masked psychotic killer appears in her window.
What unfolds is a tense game of cat and mouse between Maddie (Kate Siegel) and the killer, pushing her mental and physical limits to survive the night.
We highly recommend this heart pumping thriller!
4.5/5
3. A Quiet Place (2018)
Another brilliant film for those dipping their toe in the pool of horror, John Krasinski (The Office US) stars and directs this post apocalyptic/thriller and genuine parent’s nightmare.
Giant creatures have taken over the world as we know it, and even the smallest sound brings death to everything near it.
Krasinski spend all his waking moments trying to keep his family alive with on- and off-screen wife Emily Blunt. All the cast have genuine chemistry and within minutes you are rooting for them.
With the sequel coming later this year it is the perfect time to watch/re-watch this monster horror.
4/5
4. Insidious (2010)
Another Blumhouse film and part of James Wan’s solid directorial catalogue (Saw, The Conjuring, Annabelle), Wan is a master of psychological horror. This supernatural flick sees an American couple and three small children move to a new house where paranormal happenings ensue.
Apart from a shaky final act, Insidious packs some big scares which pay off all the more for it’s slow pace. Haunted house, creepy kids, possessions, and things that go bump in the night well worth a watch!
3.5/5
5. Cabin in the woods (2012)
This is one for the horror geeks out there, Drew Goddard and Joss Whedon (Buffy the Vampire Slayer) team up for this meta gory horror – giving nods to many classics of the genre, from the more obvious Evil Dead references to a very special cameo from a certain xenomorph slaying legend.
It’s a story as old as time, teenage kids go for a weekend away in a secluded cabin and things take a turn for the worst, all the classic characters are there; the jock, the geeky one, the pretty girl, the stoner – it all seem pretty standard but the creative twists and turns delivered in devlish ways makes it a really fun watch.
It is really a love/hate letter from Goddard and Whedon about the state of the horror genre, turning all the common tropes on their collective head.
Oh and it’s also a great film for persuading your partner to watch a horror movie, it’s gory yes, but it also stars Chris Hemsworth so there is something for everyone…
4/5
6. Nightmare on Elm Street (2010)
Samuel Bayer takes a run at the 80’s dream invading slasher, providing a darker tinge to its predecessor.
Having re-watched both the original and the 2010 reboot recently, I have got to say Jack Earle Hayley fills the bladed gloves brilliantly. Compared to Englund more charismatic and more humorous baddie, Hayley is downright creepy and more realistic Kruger. He is unfortunately let down by a mediocre re-telling of the Freddy origin story.
There are some visually stunning scenes, including all those classic claw in the bath, wall stretching moments. Overall Elm Street does not fail to entertain and is a solid addition to the franchise.
3/5
7. The Exorcism of Emily Rose (2005)
If you see the word exorcist and think this movie is going to be all projectile green vomit and spinning heads, think again!
Scott Derrickson delivers an art house horror, which negates gore for a courtroom style telling of the death of a young girl during an exorcism – made all the more terrifying that it is loosely based on real events.
I was actually only 13 when this movie came out but stole a copy from my friends’ older brothers room one Saturday night and it scared us all so bad I slept with the light on for days after!
I recommend watching this one by yourself in the dark, so it really gives you the chills.
4/5
8. Final Destination 5
The idea that death is chasing you constantly after unnaturally surviving a disaster is a brilliant concept, after watching the first Final Destination over a decade ago I was genuinely freaked out for weeks after watching it.
By the time the 5th addition to the franchise comes along however, I am just here eagerly waiting, popcorn in hand, for the next hilariously gruesome death – each more ridiculous than the next. This one should satisfy those looking for the blood gore and guts for sure.
3.5/5
Ingredients
50ml measure of Dead Mans Finger Spiced Rum
200ml bottle of Coca Cola Signature Woody
A handful of crushed ice
A large glass – Ideally a glass skull called Walter
Method
Pre Chill the Rum, Coca Cola Signature Woody and Glass
Stick the crushed ice in the glass
Pour the 50ml of Dead Mans Fingers Spiced Rum over the ice
Pour in the Coca Cola Signature Woody
A quick stir
Enjoy!
The original scream queen Jaime Lee Curtis will make her directorial debut with ‘Mother Nature’ a horror film as part of a three-year deal with Comet Pictures (Lee Curtis’s own company) and Blumhouse Productions.
It should come as no surprise to horror fans that Lee Curtis is working with Blumhouse, as they produced the 2018 reboot of Halloween a direct sequel to the 1978 classic, forming a new trilogy.
Very few details have been revealed about the project, we do know the movie is centred around climate change.
Jason Blum, Blumhouse CEO and founder, said: “Jamie is a force of nature and was a real partner on Halloween. So it’s both an honour and incredibly apt that she’s making her first feature film as a director with ‘Mother Nature’.”
Here at Dead northern we cannot wait to see how it turns out!
