Every year in the days leading up to Halloween, among the symphony of firecrackers being set off around the city centre, you can hear screams of terror emanating from Eustace Street in Temple Bar. But don’t be afraid, as they are the screams of the film fans that enjoy nothing more than a good fright. Horrorthon has returned, and this year’s line-up looks to be one of its best yet. In that case, maybe you should be afraid after all..
Running from October 25th to 29th in the Irish Film Institute, this year’s Horrorthon line-up is another great example of the brand new and the classics, the best of the home-grown and the best of the international, the undiscovered gems and the crowd-pleasing favourites - there is something for every type of scary movie fan.
This year’s Guest Of Honour is none other than Danielle Harris, a veteran of the genre, and she will be on hand to introduce her horror acting debut Halloween 4: The Return Of Michael Myers, as well as 2011’s psychological thriller Shiver. But perhaps most impressively, Harris will introduce and then take part in a post-screening Q&A with the cast and crew of her directorial debut, Among Friends. But Harris won’t be the only special guest of the Horrorthon, as Nightbreed: The Cabal Cut – which is also the festival’s closing movie - will be introduced by its supervising director Russell Cherrington, as well as director Ciaran Foy who will introduce and answer any questions you might have about the critically acclaimed Irish horror Citadel.
As there are over thirty movies showing over the five days, you may find the breath of choice daunting. But don’t worry, your friendly local movie reviewers are here to make some recommendations for you:
Antiviral – Directed by Brandon (son of David) Cronenberg, this movie proves that he is a chip off the old body-horror block, as Antiviral tells the story of a clinic that sells injections of illnesses harvested by sick celebrities to their obsessed fans. But when a celebrity suddenly dies horrifically, one of the people infected the virus must unravel the mystery of her death before he it kills him. As the Horrorthon’s opening movie, this certainly sets the scary tone for what is to come.
Sleep Tight – A concierge with a truly disdainful outlook on life finds himself thoroughly infatuated with a new tenant in his building, despite how much he hates her positive outlook on life. If this sounds like the opening scene of a cute rom-com, it absolutely isn’t! From the co-director of the first two entries in the amazing [REC] series comes a thriller that is sure to have anyone living in an apartment complex sleeping with the lights on.
V/H/S – A group of people are hired by a mysterious stranger are hired to recover an old video tape from a desolate house. But once they get there, they discover the house is filled with video tapes, and the only way to find the right one is to watch them all. What follows is a collection of short horrors directed by some of the best genre film-makers, and a movie which proved a huge hit at Sundance and Frightfest Festivals earlier this year.
Silent Hill: Revelation – While many may not agree, in my opinion the first Silent Hill movie was terribly underrated, and is by far the best video game-to-movie adaptation to date (although admittedly, it doesn’t have much competition in that regard). The sequel picks up with a young girl turning 18, her father suddenly disappearing, and all clues telling her that he has been taken to the abandoned town of Silent Hill. Returning cast members Sean Bean, Radha Mitchell and Deborah Kara Unger join new arrivals Carrie-Anne Moss, Malcolm McDowell and Game Of Throne’s Kit Harrington. Expect nightmare-ish visuals and lots of scary monsters.
Surprise Movie - One of the most popular screenings every year at the Horrorthon, and usually one of the first to sell out (so get your tickets ASAP), the Surprise Movie is exactly what it says on the tin. There’s always the buzz of the guessing game on the way into the screen – this year the guesses are already coming thick and fast on Twitter – as everyone tries to be the one who gets to say 'I knew it!'
If any of those sound too horrific to pass up, or you want to get more information on the other movies on show, as well as the times, prices and details on the festival passes, visit www.ifi.ie/horrorthon for all your scary movie needs. Sweet dreams… Muhahahahahahaha…
