It’s raining sharks – the joyfully bonkers world of Sharknado
Comedy / Film / Horror / Science fiction

It’s raining sharks – the joyfully bonkers world of Sharknado

What could be more terrifying than combining extreme weather and a shark attack? That’s why those wonderful people at The Asylum and SyFy Films gave us the Sharknado movies – a gloriously outrageous series of horror-sci-fi-comedies, directed by Anthony C. Ferrante. The six Sharknado films have become modern cult classics. From their outrageous premises to … Continue reading

Crucible of the Vampire – now hear the horror
Film / Horror / Writing

Crucible of the Vampire – now hear the horror

British independent film company Ghost Dog Films, who have already branched into graphic novels and video games, have now produced a first ebook and audiobook. It’s based on Ghost Dog’s 2019 film Crucible of the Vampire, which also spawned the excellent graphic novel, which I featured previously. The story – set in a spooky old … Continue reading

Short films project finds success in competitions
Comedy / Film / Horror / Music / Romance / Science fiction / Writing

Short films project finds success in competitions

A series of short screenplays, known as The Annalium Project (featured in this blog earlier this year), has been finding success in international competitions.  The project’s creator (my pal) Robert Lancey had been hoping to have started filming the first film ‘Sssss’ by now, but the continuing COVID-19 pandemic has kept that on hold until … Continue reading

Interacting with horror: ‘I Saw Black Clouds’
Film / Horror

Interacting with horror: ‘I Saw Black Clouds’

The idea of ‘interacting’ with a horror film isn’t new – famous examples include the ‘punishment poll’ in William Castle’s Mr Sardonicus (1961) and the ‘werewolf break’ in The Beast Must Die (1974). But these days, things are much, much more sophisticated, as the forthcoming British horror I Saw Black Clouds shows. This latest offering … Continue reading

Over the forest and into adventure – Annalium goes online
Comedy / Film / Horror / Romance / Science fiction / Writing

Over the forest and into adventure – Annalium goes online

An intriguing series of short, dialogue-free screenplays, has now gone online. Annalium is the work of Cardiff-based writer (and my pal) Robert Lancey, who has created a website to showcase the screenplays and their potential to be realised on screen. Each opens with a flight over a forest, and then a descent through the treetops … Continue reading

Arrr! Long John Silver and Dracula’s innkeeper went to my old school
Comedy / Drama / Film / Horror / Television

Arrr! Long John Silver and Dracula’s innkeeper went to my old school

I was delighted to discover recently that two great West Country actors went to my old school. Robert Newton, who played the archetypal Long John Silver (and arguably originated the ‘pirate accent’) and George Woodbridge, the classic Hammer horror innkeeper and comedy policeman, were both students of Exeter School in Devon. Newton, born in Dorset … Continue reading

Under fire – three dragon films you may have missed
Documentary / Film / Horror / Science fiction

Under fire – three dragon films you may have missed

Dragons are perhaps the most feared, and almost certainly the most spectacular, of mythical creatures. So it’s no surprise they’ve often featured in movies. Recent incarnations include the awe-inspiring dragons in TV’s Game of Thrones and cinema’s Hobbit films, and Starburst listed 10 of the best in this 2019 feature. Impressive as those blockbusters are, … Continue reading