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Dead Northern 2023 Review – It Be an Evil Moon

In a bid to develop a new hair growth formula, scientist Freddy Campbell (Ian Ray-White) develops a secret serum using pickled wolfsbane. However, the strange concoction transforms Freddy from a meek man into a monstrous werewolf hungry for flesh. 

It Be an Evil Moon comes from the mind of Ben Etchells, who in his directorial debut creates a gnarly indie horror steeped in furry madness and bloodthirsty delight, showcasing the true mania of werewolf movies. The film balances its eccentricity thanks to the equal measures of off-kiltered humour that continuously tethers itself to dark comedy, and due to its rather impressive practical effects, particularly concerning the epic lycanthrophic metamorphosis of Freddy. 

Shadowing the cracking exposition of a scientist-turned-werewolf is the film’s unmissable appeasement to classic British wolfman horrors. The Curse of the Werewolf (1961), American Werewolf in London (1981), Dog Soldiers (2002) and Howl (2015) all ooze that quintessential British feel of traditional monotony to terror, with a dose macabre comedy and folkloric undertones. Whilst It Be an Evil Moon in no way mimics the conventionalities of these films, what Etchells does do is extract that same magnetism to conjure a narrative heaped with rural, gothic, sinister connotations. 

Whilst credence is deservedly owed to Etchells for his witty take on werewolf mayhem, it would be beastly to forgo a mention to the vibrant performances throughout. The maniacal and certainly ‘eccentric’ character of Freddy is played by Ian Ray-White, who executes the grisly persona with a savagery that makes for a lasting viewing experience. Seconding the spirited performances is the film’s way with tonality, both visually and narratively.  It Be an Evil Moon exudes a bleak richness that makes the thrills thrive against the mundanity of Freddy’s initial settings and situation – think Sightseers (2012) or Prevenge (2016). 

It Be an Evil Moon takes heed of the classic werewolf tragedy and inspiration from the gloomy yet brilliant portrayals seen within British horror and creates a tale saturated with horror excellence. 

Check out the full festival programme and get your tickets here!!

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Dead Northern Festival News and Reviews Reviews

Dead Northern 2023 Review – Dead on the Vine

From the director of the award-winning ‘Guardians’ (2017) is Mark A. C. Brown’s latest horror film, Dead on the Vine, an intricately woven story that follows two suspicious men who come across a vineyard just in time for a crucial wine tasting evening. 

Dead on the Vine’s closed and extremely intense setting may seem uncomfortably familiar to viewers, which is all thanks to Brown taking heed of the Covid pandemic and creating an isolating, boundary-testing thriller that weaponises the horror of humanity under pressure. Shadowing the brute force of duress is the film’s superb dissection of the psyche, forming a fierce insight into the leaps and bounds we are willing to take to tackle our demons. 

The confrontational spectacle of a cat-and-mouse-like mind game brings to mind films such as Funny Games (1997), where the daunting nature of terrorisation within the home thrives. However, the turbulent twists and turns (which are best left to self-discover) stray from any form of replication or conventionality as you genuinely are left in the dark about what is happening next. The strain of attention-commanding cinema additionally continues in the aesthetics of the film. Not only is the general production value fantastic, with every frame exhibiting absorbingly great camera quality, but the cinematography itself is also beyond admirable, with the visuals taking advantage of the stunning vineyard setting. 


Dead on the Vine is a tense, ticking time bomb that is both a tight-knit character study and an unnerving tale that keeps spiralling right up until the very shocking and heartfelt ending.

Check out the full festival programme and get your tickets here!!

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Dead Northern Festival News and Reviews Reviews

Dead Northern 2023 Review – Perfectly Good Moment

Devotion, intensity, desire, all the small details that make a relationship burst with passion also have the potential to turn poisonous, embedding romance with toxicity. Victim to this cruel spate of love is Ruby (Amanda Jane Stern), who has been with her on-and-off partner David (Stephen Carlilse) for eight years. After a six-month break, Ruby returns to David, hoping for another chance of reconciliation. However, this time round the pair might not make it for another reunion.

Perfectly Good Moment captures the cinematic brilliance of tense, psychosexual thrillers, as director Lauren Greenhall weaponises the small cast to create an intimate and uncomfortably close environment where the deep seeded  trauma of the narrative thrives; particularly at the hands of Ruby. David’s bond with Ruby is rife with manipulation: demanding her on what to do, how to act, how to live. Yet, rather than Greenhall, simply ‘showing’ the pattern of abuse in the archetypal way, she develops Ruby’s character with a spark of agency. Whilst the gritty details are best left to the viewer’s surprise, what can be noted is that Perfectly Good Moment bites back, unveiling ‘hidden’ abuse and showing that Ruby (representing all women) are not weak, feeble beings willing to put up with the David’s of the world. 

The film’s captivating intrigue does not stop at the proverbial narrative buck as Perfectly Good Moment is secondarily adorned with hauntingly raw camerawork that both captivates and intensifies the emotional richness of the story. Greenhall, along with cinematographer Matt Braunsdorf exercise the hazy, deadly romance essence with each frame basking in a dream-like aura that takes advantage of the film’s warm, almost autumnal lighting to create a landscape visually quaint with harmony; which stunningly and strikingly juxtaposes against the film’s brutal, harsh, and sinister undertones.

As if the atmosphere and hazed tonal qualities were not enough, the film further aggravates the impassioned emotionality of it all through the intricate and touching performances from leads, Stern and Carlilse. Together the duo enact a candid relationship, where the vigour of the striking story thrives, propelling Perfectly Good Moment to be a work that truly stands out. 

Check out the full festival programme and get your tickets her

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Dead Northern Festival News and Reviews

Dead Northern 2023 Review – Puzzle Box

Not afraid to plunge right into the deep end of found footage with all of its night vision, shaky cam, and frightful all-of-a-sudden scares is Jack Dignan’s ‘Puzzle Box’, a tale that takes its title literally, with a plethora of enigmas, twists and turns.

Proceeding on from Dignan’s well received 2022 feature ‘After She Died’ is this harrowing horror that follows substance abuser Kait (Kaitlyn Boyé) who is joined by her sister Olivia (Laneikka Denne) as they travel to a secluded house for kait to self-rehabilitate. However, the house’s design begins to shapeshift, becoming an inconceivable labyrinth of a puzzle box…

Taking heed of found footage’s intensive firsthand gaze that deeply immerses the viewer into all of the gritty action is Dignan’s vigorous approach to the unmediated, direct gaze of point of view horror. Whilst carefully teetering around the spoilerific details, during the peak of the action, the camera (yielded by Kait) tours through the house, frantically working around corners and daunting hallways as the building becomes a metamorphic puzzle box. Whilst the context of a tangled house is chilling enough on its own, what deserves a credible mention is how these sequences are seeping with startling images, well-timed jumpscares, and an uncanny creature-like, bloodied woman who stares and screams right down the camera at us. 

The unremitting sweep of emotions felt during Puzzle Box is further fleshed out by the film’s rather robust sense of introspection that forces one to confront their own ensnared position. As Puzzle Box unravels and the dynamic between the almost malleable house and the horrors of addiction come to light, Dignan meticulously crafts a psychical representation of what it means to be trapped, figuratively putting onto screen how easy it is to fall into the tangled maze of our own minds. 

Puzzle Box is a horror film that makes you gasp, shriek, recoil in suspense, and quite powerfully makes us confront our own worst fears about being entombed in our worst nightmare. 

Check out the full festival programme and get your tickets here!!

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Dead Northern Festival News and Reviews Reviews

Dead Northern 2023 – Video Shop Tales of Terror

Botched body modifications, mysterious vampires, deadly honeytraps and a rib-tickling reincarnation of Mary Whitehouse all emerge from this not to be missed, wickedly twisted, anthology feature. 

Bounding these terrifying tales is the overarching premise of an evil video shop housing the VHS-esque short stories, with the crypt keeper of the store (Martin Payne) and his menacing layer providing the perfect backdrop for the unhinged, riotous and absurdly gruesome shorts to come to life. Video Shop Tales of Terror houses some truly exemplary exmaples of indie filmmaking, rife with gnarly effects that will satisfy hardcore gore hounds and more than enough side-splitting laughs. 

One aspect that immediately sparks interest is how individualistic the films are. Not at one moment do you know what is going to happen next, as we are taken from a tale showcasing a gothic victorian story of a troubled asllyum patient to the audacious ‘Chode the Toad’  featuring none other than Laurence R. Harvey (The Human Centipede 2) . 

Bestowing the motley crew of themes is the extensive list of talented filmmakers who all embolden the throwback aesthetics of Video Shop Tales of Terror. Creators, Alexander Churchyard, Michael Fausti, Tom Lee Rutter, Sam Mason Bell, MJ Dixon, Andrew Elias, Geoff Harmer, Tony Mardon all embody that quintessential video-nasty ‘feel’ of the film, epitomising the grungy, exploitative, macabre aesthetics of 1970s/1980s horror.


The segments and fake trailers have a ubiquitous air of originality that further clarifies every filmmaker’s dedication to the genre; essentially, the film is a clear love letter to horror madness. It is an anthology feature that is made by horror fans for horror fans. And no matter what segment you land upon, the enthusiasm for the weird and wonderful dark world of terror and trepidation is always made abundantly clear. 

Check out the full festival programme and get your tickets here!!

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Dead Northern Festival News and Reviews Reviews

Dead Northern 2023 Review- Haunted Ulster Live

From the director of the award-winning short Belfast 1912 is Dominic O’Neill’s blast to the past Haunted Ulster Live, an epically spooky venture into a television broadcast gone wrong. 

On the night of All Hallows Eve 1998, seasoned TV personality Gerry Burns (Mark Claney) joins forces with children’s presenter Michelle Kelly (Aimee Richardson) to solve the ghostly occurences in a Belfast family home. After the live seance goes array, the set is turned into pure mayhem, resulting in an abduction that leaves Gerry and Michelle to face with their worst nightmares. 

Anyone and everyone will remember that shocking night on the 31st of October 1992, when we saw the likes of Michael Parkinson, Sarah Greene, Craig Charles, and Mike Smith succumb to the most horrific paranormal activities. Or at least that’s what we were made to believe. Ghostwatch’s iconic nationwide prank of a faux on-air seance has gone down in history as one of the most beloved hoaxes that fooled and startled an entire nation. However, now 31 years later, Ghostwatch finally meets its match with Haunted Ulster. 

This mockumentary broadcast is the epitome of a riveting experience from start to finish, guiding us by the hand as O’Neill takes us on a cinematic ghost ride brimming with chilling exploits and a barrel of laughs to match. Every scene is met with a perfectly paced step further into the exciting happenings, with Gerry and Michelle being thrown through the rings as they delve deeper into the strange mysteries, leading to quite the finale that takes us through the realm of senses, leaving us anxious to the core.

 The bursting suspense is attributable to the diegetic lens in the form of a miraged mockumentary-televised special that meets found footage feature, with O’Neill weaponising the inherently eerie nature of the firsthand camera to create a riptide of believability that truly mimics our sense of reality in the most sinister of manners. The self-reflexivity does not stop there, as the film is flush with a corpus of socially aware themes. Haunted Ulster’s Northern Irish setting, particularly with its 1998 timeframe, was rife with the fallbacks and tragedies from The Troubles, leaving the landscape haunted by socio-cultural ghosts. Whilst the film chills with its paranormal backdrop, there is a commendable undercurrent of politically conscious events that panic us on a whole other level. 

Haunted Ulster’s expressive descent into harrowing antics makes for an uncanny experience rampant with plenty of Halloween-themed zest that creates the perfect spooky-season must watch!

Check out the full festival programme and get your tickets here!!

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Dead Northern Festival News and Reviews Reviews

Dead Northern 2023 Review – Isaac

The daunting prospect of loss is one that is immune to none; it’s the lingering sense of doom over the injustice of life, the haunting conclusion that we all face. Yet, what if we could banish that dread and thrive in the comfort of blissful existence? This is precisely the colossal scope that Tariq Sayed’s debut feature film Issac considers. 

This must-see feature follows Nicholas (Johnny Vivash) and Sarah (Kathryn Louise), a couple plagued by the death of their child to a genetic disease. In the throes of misery, they join a clinical trial that produces perfectly healthy genetically modified infants. However, it is not long before their new son Issac begins to act increasingly erratic, leaving the couple no choice but to unearth the terrifying secret behind it all. 

Issac flourishes in its soul-tarnishing narrative that explores how far scientific innovation is willing to go to achieve greatness and how the cruel fates of turbulent nature may not be so inferior after all – akin to a Black Mirror episode, but on steroids! Within this same vein, Issac takes heed with its futuristic talons and dares to expand past archetypal sci-fi probings and entwines a brutal strain of reality against the fantastical backdrop. 

Sayed unravels the film in an inherently familiar but chilling environment, the British countryside, which is equipped with all the ominous scenery that woodland habitats innately emit. There is a fitting lack of eccentricity that would have otherwise over-embellished the impeccably written story; instead of soap opera dramatics, the naturally isolating forestry and closed cast act as engrossing prompts for the chaos to ensue. 

Furthering the stunningly nihilistic tonal palette and applaudable cinematography are the fantastic performances from Vivash and Louise, who both ignite the screen with passionate portrayals of parents pushed to the absolute limit. Additionally enriching the film are appearances from the likes of Catriona MacColl, who was a regular Lucio Fulci collaborator, with the actress featuring in classics such as The Beyond, City of the Living Dead, and The House by the Cemetery.

Isaac is a brilliant addition to the world of independent cinema, an ode to the vast capabilities that indie horror consistently offers. Sayed is a creator that should be on everyones ‘to-watch’ list, with the praiseworthy director currently developing more exciting projects to be unveiled in the future…

Check out the full festival programme and get your tickets here!!

 

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Dead Northern Festival News and Reviews Reviews

Dead Northern Review 2023 – Sins of the Father

Conjuring a film permeated with a terrifying, unforgettable tale is Sins of the Father, a work of mysticism from the director of the Oxford Comma Film Cooperative, Vanessa M.H Powers. 

Aden (David Michaeli) and his mother, Sarah (Nora Targonski O’Brien), are faced with the daunting task of selling their old family home, a place filled with troubled memories. In the midst of making the house barren, they discover a mass of menacing secrets…

The film’s diegesis is utterly imbued with an omnipotent nature that calls to one of cinema’s finest keynotes – folk horror. The horticulture of folklore that runs throughout Sins of the Father creates an enchanting landscape brimming with eerie lighting and an unearthly sense of isolation that makes the film’s sinister reveals even more threatening. Seconding the nexus of deadly folkloric tones is the intricate writing from Tristan M. Corrigan, whose blisteringly chilling script absorbs us into the foreboding antics and creates a beyond ominous experience we won’t ever forget. 

It is to no avail that independent film is the backbone of cinema, purporting the veins of filmmaking and ensuring that the brilliant minds such as that of Powers are able to translate their visions. When it comes to Sins of the Father, we can see the beauty of homegrown horror on every inch of the screen. The performances are powerful and an ode to dedicated acting, the setting is quaintly complex, and the cinematography is intense, as each frame seizes our attention. 

The labyrinth of distressing familial undertones is perfectly suited to the likes of Hereditary (2018) and Relic (2020), particularly in the sense of how the deeply embedded lines of generational trauma can have the ability to inflict a sense of harm across every inch of one’s life. Sins of the Father is uncomfortably confrontational, taking heed of its own uneasy atmospheric tone to create a film wrapped up in terror and trepidation. 

Check out the full festival programme and get your tickets here!!

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Dead Northern Festival News and Reviews Reviews

2023 Festival Review – How to Kill Monsters

Jamie Lancaster (Lyndsey Craine) stands bloodied, wielding a chainsaw, surrounded by the gory remains of her friends, before Britain’s take on Gale Weathers enters the frame describing the treacherous crime scene as Jamie is escorted away by police. However, this conclusion is far from over as we learn what really happened that one fateful night, as Jamie joins forces at the station with crooks and officers to fight off a motley crew of bloodthirsty brutes. 

Stewart Sparke’s How to Kill Monsters is a genre busting exploration into monstrous frights as the film takes on a slew of creatures, fanged beasts, and evil mogwai-like savages. Combine this with the throwback vibes to classic 1980s horror that we all know and love (Gremlins, The Thing and Evil Dead 2 to name a few), How to Kill Monsters is a bona-fide must-see for any thrill seeker desperate for a bloodied, hilarious dash of monster madness. 

Taking centre stage is the immense practical effects that would make the likes of Tom Savini proud as each and every inch of the lovecraft-esque creatures are made with old school tender, love and carnage as Sparke utilises specially crafted miniatures and meticulously crafted puppetry to bring the entire film to life.

Complimenting the immersive visuals is the fantastic performances from all, with each character adding an individual flair to the story. Special praise has to be applied to the one and only Jamie Lancaster, played by Britain’s own scream queen, Lyndsey Craine. Sparke and Craine have been collaborating for years, with a particular mention owed to the award winning splatter fest, Book of Monsters(2018). With the duo growing together as creative minds over the years, How to Kill Monsters is a bespoke feature with story beats that feels incredibly natural and despite the fanasticallity. 

Seconding the warmth that the film emits is the quick witted self-reflexivity that runs concurrently with the narrative. Each scene is basked in laugh out loud meta-humour that makes for an entertaining ride from start to finish, with the jokes-a-minute approach giving the likes of Scream, The Cabin in the Woods and Return to Horror High a run for their money. 

How to Kill Monsters is a must-see tale of the unexpected, with every act bashing apart any form of predictability, ultimately making for one hell of a gnarly ride!

Check out the full festival programme and get your tickets here!!

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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!

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