DVD Review - Out of the Unknown (TV 1965 - 1971)

Blu-ray Review - I Clowns (1970, Masters Of Cinema Release)

Horror Channel goes under the bed for October premieres

Send In The Clowns As Fellini's I Clowns The Masters of Cinema Series Release

Eureka! Entertainment have announced the release of I CLOWNS [The Clowns], the first ever UK Blu-ray release of Fellini's masterpiece which has been out of circulation for years. The film has long been regarded by Fellini enthusiasts and cinephiles as one of the director's greatest films. The release includes a lengthy essay-film by the greatest Italian critic, Adriano Aprà, and will be released in a Dual Format (Blu-ray & DVD) edition as part of Eureka’s award-winning The Masters of Cinema Series on 20 October 2014.

One of the Fellini films which has been out of circulation for many years, I clowns [The Clowns] has long been revered by Fellini enthusiasts for the several decades since its release as among the Maestro's finest works — a thrilling spectacle, once seen for the first time, — and a picture which after multiple viewings easily takes its place alongside such classics as La strada, Le notti di Cabiria, La dolce vita, Satyricon, Amarcord... but in a register all its own.

I clowns plays out in dazzling colour and in episodic cascade, just as in all of Fellini's late-60s-and-beyond films. As the circus rolls into town, and the big-tent gets erected, the clowns execute their acts with feverish can-you-believe-it bravado. It's all true — and yet not a "documentary" per se; rather, something in-between a dramatic-comedic portrayal of gags-at-play and the memoria of all that makes the spark for childhood inspiration to ignite into creative virtuosity... and/or into something like Federico Fellini.

A great and under acknowledged treasure of the cinema, I clowns takes its place alongside such films as Bergman's Carnies' Twilight, Ophuls's Lola Montès, Étaix's Yoyo, Jerry Lewis's The Day the Clown Cried, and Tati's Parade as one of the grand portraits of the clowning circus, of a bygone era of the wandering entertainer. The Masters of Cinema Series is proud to present Federico Fellini's I clowns in a special Dual Format (Blu-ray + DVD) edition for the first time in the UK.

Watch this rare clip of I Clowns


SPECIAL FEATURES including:

• New high-definition 1080p presentation of feature on the Blu-ray, and in a progressive encode on the DVD
• New and improved English subtitles
• Fellini's Circus — an essay-film about the picture by the great Italian critic and scholar Adriano Aprà
• A 36-PAGE BOOKLET featuring new writing about the film, rare archival imagery, and more!

Hopefully nearer the release we will hope to review I Clowns and the date of Fellini's masterpiece will be 20th October 2014 released on Dual format. You can pre-order/Order your copy of I Clowns (The Clowns) [Masters of Cinema] Dual Format (Blu-ray & DVD) (1970)

Watch New Promo Trailer For School Anime Seitokai Yakuindomo Season 2

One anime which is so popular even this side of the world is school anime or slice of life and Seitokai Yakuindomo will go down well, this afternoon we get a look a the TV shows new season 2 promo trailer.

Based on Tozen Ujiie's manga Seitokai Yakuindomo centres around Ōsai Academy, a former all girls private high school which has recently been integrated with the local boys school. The student council body is split between 524 girls and 28 boys,Takatoshi Tsuda is pushed into becoming the vice president of the student council, a council made up of only girls.



Seitokai Yakuindomo will premier on Tokyo MX TV on 4th January.

source: Animenewsnetwork

Watch First Trailer For Live Action Patlabor TV Series And Film

1990's was a great time to be an anime fan in UK, with no internet, you could buy anime any shop that sold video even better mainstream TV (BBC, Channel 4) screened anime more regularly.Mamoru Oshii's Patlabor was one of the anime's we cherished during the decade and now we have a teaser trailer for Patlabor Next Generation TV Series.

It may only be 32 seconds long but when we have a mecha film the first thing we want to see is the MECHA! and we do! The glimpse we get is of the 8 metre tall robotic mecha AV-98 Ingram with the main cast of the series around the foot of the metallic giant. The series is not going to be a remake of the anime movies or series, set in Tokyo 2013 with the third generation of Patlabor due to the recession The Tokyo Metropolitan Police has been disbanded.

The series  will be shown in 7 parts with the first episode coming April 2014 with a feature film arriving in Summer 2015.



source: Animenewsnetwork

Interstellar 'Boobies' In The English Dubbed Anime Trailer For Space Dandy

He loves his bouncing breasts but we love the surreal weirdness of the interstellar hijinks and the wackiness of Anime's craziest alien space hunter Space Dandy is coming back to Toonami, check out New Trailer.

Sadly at the moment toonami aka Adult Swim is in U.S but there is hope a channel may pick up the rights for directed by the Cowboy Bebop director Shinichiro Watanabe. Whilst this may not be the most politically correct animation in the world  it highlights the industry male dominated is or they don't give a hoot-er what you think. It's action packed, it's funny but in today's climate this is heavy on ad placement (space hooters) but on gender issues this will annoy , judge for yourselves.

Space Dandy will be aired in USA on Adult Swim's Toonami 4th January.

Synopsis

Space Dandy is a dandy in space! This dreamy adventurer with a to-die-for pompadour travels across the galaxy in search of aliens no one has ever laid eyes on. Each new species he discovers earns him a hefty reward, but this dandy has to be quick on his feet because it’s first come – first served! Accompanied by his sidekicks, a rundown robot named QT and Meow the cat-looking space alien, Dandy bravely explores unknown worlds inhabited by a variety aliens. Join the best dressed alien hunter in all of space and time as he embarks on an adventure that ends at the edge of the universe!

Source: Bleeding Cool

Interview With Rabies/Big Bad Wolves Co-Director NAVOT PAPUSHADO

This month Horror Channel is showing the UK TV premiere of RABIES, the first slasher to come out of Israel, One of its directors, Navot Papushado,  took time out to chat about this movie and its equally horrifying shocker Big Bad Wolves due to be released in the UK in January 2014.


RABIES is broadcast on Saturday Dec 28 at 10.50pm.

Q: Have you always been a big horror fan?

NP: Oh yes! We grew up in the 80s and watched everything that came out of the US. We grew up on Steven Spielberg and George Lucas and Wes Craven and John Carpenter, everything that came out of the US. Later on we discovered European and Korean cinema and obviously the Coen Brothers and Tarantino.

Q:: Did your classification system ever censor these films?

NP: No, actually the opposite. The Israeli censorship board don’t take any notice of horror films, for example Piranha 3D came out in Israel at the same time that Rabies did and we got rated 18 and above, whilst Piranha 3D for 14 and above. Kick Ass got 12 and above! I think it has to do with Israeli audiences not being that keen on horror films, even the big US horror films like Saw, Hostel and Paranormal Activity don’t do very well.

Q: Where did the idea for Rabies come from?

NP: We decided we wanted to get rid of the serial killer character and decided that we wanted to have all of the other characters kill each other, so there had to be more than the motive of running away from a serial killer so we had to write more complex characters therefore everyone would need a background story. Everyone would have a motivation to kill. The first story we wrote was the one about the Cop who always leaves messages for his wife who never answers and then he leaves this horrible one and then she answers (laughs) so we realised we had to write all the others to match that dramatic element and character development and that’s how Rabies was born.

Q: Did the script change much from the first draft to the shooting script?

NP: No, we pitched it to a couple of producers, we showed them the draft and they were like, “OK, let’s wait for Government funds” but we didn’t want to do that. Then we met a guy who said, “How much do you want?” and we said an amount and he said, “OK I’ll give you half!” Then he asked, “How many days do you need?” and so we told him at least 20 and he said, “I’ll give you 15!” We got the green light from that script and just went out and shot it.

Q: Was it a tough shoot?

NP: Yes and no. We didn’t realise it at the time that it was tough as it was our first feature even though we had done a few shorts before. But it was a shoestring budget and everyone on set was less experienced than us so we had to hide this from the actors!

Q: Did you have any actors in mind when writing the script?

NP: Yeah, a couple of them. Actually when we pitched we told the producer that we wanted all these actors and they pointed out that we didn’t have that kind of money and we told him not to worry and that we’d take care of that!

Q: Rabies has a very strong story, do you think that helped reach out to audiences?

NP: Thank you very much. One thing is we cast all A-list actors from Israel so it was like seeing Kate Blanchet or Tom Cruise in a horror movie so Rabies was kind of an event. It was more than a horror movie, everyone wanted to see their favourite actor get murdered, or something like that (laughs)

Q: Do you think one of its greatest assets is that most of the effects are practical and old school?

NP: Yeah, even on Big Bad Wolves there is only one shot that lasts only three or four seconds that we had to use visual effects. We believe in getting everyone done on the set.

Q: What did the critics think of Rabies when it was released in Israel?

NP: I think they were split. The older critics didn’t quite get it. They also don’t like violent films so they don’t like Tarantino films or Korean films for example. The younger critics, and when I say younger I mean under 45, they all loved it and gave it 5 stars, they loved it. It was a critical success and a box office success. There was an older critic whom we admire, considered to be the most acclaimed critic in Israel who writes for a newspaper whose logo is, “A Newspaper for Thinking People”, and he loved it! It gained a cult status through VOD and DVD sales.

Q: If you had made Rabies before Big Bad Wolves would you have approached it differently.

NP: That’s a really tough question. Rabies is Rabies because of the time it was shot, because of the budget when it was shot and the ideas that we had at the time and our approach. Rabies was shot hand held in the woods because that is the genre. You have to shoot films and edit films to fit the genre so I’m really pleased with everything we did with Rabies.

Q: Would you make Rabies 2?

NP: Oh, maybe when I’m old and Rabies has gained such a cult status and they give me $10 million dollars and a budget for $100 million dollars (laughs).

Q: Are you pleased Rabies is being shown on the Horror Channel?

NP: Yeah, defiantly. We are huge fans of the UK. The UK has been so kind to us over he last couple of years starting from FrightFest from two years ago when they showed Rabies. You really can’t compete with the British audience. They are fanatics, they love horror films. The screening of Big Bad Wolves earlier this year in front of 1,300 people was incredible. We are extremely happy with what’s going on in the UK with our films. You guys seem to get us!

Q:: So what are you working on at the moment?

NP: We are promoting Big Bad Wolves which is coming out in the UK in January and working on a couple of projects here in Israel that we are starting to push and also receiving a few scripts from the US. We are writing a spaghetti western that’s set in the early 40s and a few science fiction scripts.

Q: Navot Papushado, thank you very much.

Rabies trailer

TV News: Horror Channel goes down under for season of outback slashers

Horror Channel presents an OZploitation season on Fridays @ 22:55 from Jan 4 2014, featuring a dark collection of the best of Australian contemporary horror, Grisly with a capital ‘G’.Plus, there are network premieres for Victor Salva’s box office smash JEEPERS CREEPERS, HALLOWEEN 2 and Steven Spielberg’s TV cult classic SOMETHING EVIL

Fri 3 Jan @ 22:55 – STORM WARNING (2007)

On a weekend boating trip a couple become lost in a heavy storm and end up in a desolate swamp. They come across a decrepit house and discover a large crop of marijuana, suggesting the owners might not welcome their accidental arrival.

Fri 10 Jan @ 22:55 – SAVAGES CROSSING (2011)

When a flood rages around them, a group of strangers are forced to take shelter in an outback roadhouse. But the danger lurking within is far greater than the threat from outside. As the water level rises, so does the tension, as the line between the hunter and the hunted starts to blur.

Fri 17 Jan @ 22:55 – ROAD TRAIN (2010)

Four young people are on a camping trip in the outback. Nina and Craig are enjoying a close relationship, but there's tension between Marcus, and Liz Out of the blue, the quartet find themselves menaced by a road train that runs them off the road.

Fri 24 Jan @ 22:55 – CRAWL (2011)

Claustrophobic heat and brooding tension seep from the screen in this chiller set in an unknown rural town. Seedy bar owner Slim Walding hires a mysterious Croatian hit man to murder a local garage owner. but the plan backfire when an innocent waitress becomes involved.(Read our review)

Fri 31 Jan @ 22:55 – WOLF CREEK (2005)

The Ozploitation season finishes with director Greg McLean’s much acclaimed debut feature – a pulsating, stomach-churning tale based on the true story of the ‘Back Packer Killer’ who held the outback in a grip of early 90s terror. Stars John Jarratt, Cassandra Macgraph and Kestie Morassi. Watch out for the sequel in 2014

Wed 22 Jan @ 16:00 –SOMETHING EVIL (1972)

Considered a cult TV classic, Spielberg showed early signs of his cinematic genius in this possession story of a married couple with two young children whose farmhouse turns out to be inhabited by demons. The oldest child becomes possessed and begins to torment his family and their friends. When the mother begins to sense that something may be wrong with her son, her husband and friends think she is going insane.

Sat 11 Jan @ 22:50 – JEEPERS CREEPERS (2001)

Writer/director Victor Salva came up trumps with this smash-hit teen-slasher flick, produced by Francis Ford Coppola's American Zoetrope studio. Trish and Darry are road tripping home from college across the U.S. After being menaced by a trucker, they see a man dumping a human body into a drainage pipe. Investigating, they become the intended prey of an indestructible, supernatural creature hell-bent on eating them.

Sat 25 Jan @ 22: 45 – HALLOWEEN 2 (1981)

Certainly gorier than the original, Halloween II is the second instalment in the Halloween series and is a sequel to Carpenter's Halloween, picking up where it had left off, set on the same night of Oct 31, 1978 as the seemingly unkillable Michael Myers continues to follow Laurie Strode (Jamie Lee Curtis) to a nearby hospital while Dr. Sam Loomis (Donald Pleasence) is still in pursuit of his patient.


TV: Sky 319 / Virgin 149 / Freesat 138
www.horrorchannel.co.uk | twitter.com/horror_channel

Darknet Webseries Launches Online With Vincenzo Natali Episode

Adapted from Japanese series Tori Hada Darknet has launched it's episode directed by Cube,Splice director Vicenzo Natali. Described as an bitsize nightmare journies into urban horror. 'Darknet offers snippets of people's lives being interrupted by vivid instances of unexpected violence or shocking strangeness. Shot in a visceral style that cranks up the creep factor, viewers become part of Darknet, a mysterious network of disturbing imagery and stories that exist just under the surface of our ordered and safe society.'

The series will run it's full episodes exclusively via newly relaunched Canadian channel Superchannel as well as Darknet website. A total of six episodes will be aired with the first episode starring David Hewlett and Michelle Alexander whose lives become intertwined with Darknet a website where people can submit strange tales of intrigue and murder.


Source: QuietEarth

Horror Channel celebrates British horror classics with a Brit-cult season

November on Horror Channel sees network premieres for a memorable collection of strange cult oddities and forgotten British horror classics, kicking off with the network premiere of Nicolas Roeg’s THE MAN WHO FELL TO EARTH, starring David Bowie. Joining Bowie in the realm of the weird and wonderful is Roy Boulting’s psychological ground-breaker TWISTED NERVE, Michael Powell’s controversial PEEPING TOM, Robert Fuest’s Hitchcockian AND SOON THE DARKNESS and Jimmy Sangster’s Hammer classic FEAR IN THE NIGHT.

Also, there are UK TV premieres for Emmerdale actor Dominic Brunt’s directorial feature film debut BEFORE DAWN, Lulu Jarmen’s disturbing BAD MEAT and Padraig Reynold’s festival favourite RITES OF SPRING.

Fri 1 Nov @ 22:55 – THE MAN WHO FELL TO EARTH (1976)

Based on the 1963 novel of the same name by Walter Tevis, this cult classic stars David Bowies (in his debut film role), as an extraterrestrial who crash lands on Earth seeking a way to ship water to his planet, which is suffering from a severe drought. It also stars Candy Clark, and Hollywood veteran Rip Torn and is produced by Michael Deeley and Barry Spikings, who reunited for work on another epic, The Deer Hunter.

Fri 7 Nov @ 22:55 – AND SOON THE DARKNESS (1970)

Starring Pamela Franklin and Michele Dotrice this on the edge of your seat thriller, tells the story of two young English women on a cycling holiday in the French countryside. Cathy, distracted by a local man, parts company with Jane. When her friend fails to rejoin her, Jane returns to the last place she saw her. Cathy has vanished. Alone and with a limited knowledge of French, Jane frantically searches for her missing friend.

Fri 15 Nov @ 22: 55 – TWISTED NERVE (1968)

Director Roy Boulting brings out the best in actor Hywel Bennett, who plays Martin, a disturbed young man with a dysfunctional mother and a cold-hearted step-father. Martin, pretends, under the name of Georgie, to be mentally retarded to be near Susan (played by Hayley Mills), a girl he has become infatuated with, killing those who get in his way. But when Susan rejects him, she becomes the next target.

Fri 22 Nov @ 22:55 – PEEPING TOM (1960)

Peeping Tom stars Carl Boehm as Mark Lewis a part-time photographer who is a serial killer, murdering women while using a portable movie camera to record their dying expressions of terror. The film's controversial subject and the harsh reception by critics effectively destroyed Michael Powell's career as a director in the UK. However, it attracts a cult following and is now considered a masterpiece.

Fri 29 Nov @ 22:55 – FEAR IN THE NIGHT (1972)

This psychological horror thriller follows a young woman (Judy Geeson), recovering from a nervous breakdown, who takes up a new position working in a boys' boarding school. She soon begins to believe she is losing her mind when she starts being terrorised by a one-armed man. Directed by Jimmy Sangster and produced by Hammer Film Productions, it also stars Joan Collins, Ralph Bates and Peter Cushing.

Wed 6 Nov @ 22:55 – RITES OF SPRING (2011) *UK TV premiere

After kidnapping the nine-year-old daughter of a wealthy socialite and hiding out in an abandoned school, a group of kidnappers falls prey to a recurring terror, a bloodlust that comes every first day of spring. Part kidnap heist, part slasher movie, this is director Padraig Reynolds’s feature film debut, which scored highly on the festival circuit. It stars AJ Bowen, Anessa Ramsey, Sonny Marinelli and Katherine Randolf.

Wed 20 Nov @ 22:55 – BAD MEAT (2011) **UK TV premiere**

In Canadian director Lulu Jarmen’s splatter sensation, a boot camp for troubled teens becomes a nightmarish charnel house when spoiled meat transforms the staff from sadistic fascists into something much, worse. Get ready for spilt blood, vomit, faeces and bile – in the strangest, weirdest destined-for-cult-dom in ages. Stars Elizabeth Harnois, Dave Franco, Mark Pellegrino, & Jessica Parker Kennedy

Sat 23 Nov @ 22:55 – BEFORE DAWN (2012) * UK TV premiere

Dominic Brunt, better known as veterinarian Paddy Kirk in ‘Emmerdale’, has written and directed a terrific zom-rom horror. Alex (Dominic Brunt) and Meg (Joanne Mitchell) go for a weekend in the Yorkshire countryside in an effort to save their relationship. Unfortunately the picturesque holiday area chosen comes under attack from the walking dead and Meg is soon going to find out the depth of Alex’s love.



Plus there are network premiers for Brian Yuzna’s RETURN OF THE LIVING DEAD 3 (1993), Sat 2 Nov, 22:40; David Lynch’s MULHOLLAND DRIVE (2001), Sat 9 Nov, 22:55; Jonathan Levine’s ALL THE BOYS LOVE MANDY LANE (2006), Sat 16 Nov, 22:55 and Greg McClean’s WOLF CREEK (2005), Sat 30 Nov, 22:50.

TV: Sky 319 / Virgin 149 / Freesat 138

www.horrorchannel.co.uk | twitter.com/horror_channel

The Future Of Film is Smart, Its Personal Most Of it's LED

[image source  Sony]

You may have noticed many people constantly saying 'the world is getting  smaller' and  let's be honest that is a true statement. 10, 20 years ago the talk of travelling from UK to the other side of the world was talk of the wealthy but now that is reality. As the world becomes smaller, more cosmopolitan technology is evolving, as are the demand of the film fan, and Sony are in the forefront of  how we get the the ultimate movie experience.

Let's go back 20 plus years to the 1990's- the demise of the local small cinema and the rise of the multiplex cinemas, to many it was the death of film but now 20 years on you could say this is a godsend. As many people don't have access or refuse to pay the expensive cinema ticket prices, The Laptops, the Tablets and Television we sit in front of everyday are the key to how we get out film experience. When you look back 30 years when James Cameron released Terminator you wonder did he know something we didn't know? Technology is getting smaller and smarter, as Sony's Smart TV proves, they are a film fans best friend.

Since the Internet was created it is common knowledge that watching or even downloading a film legally, the buffering and the time a film takes to download, you could do a shopping come back 2 hours later and we wouldn't be much further. Internet has evolved Broadband makes sure things can run smoothly, with technology such as mobiles, tablets, laptops and even TV's  you can enjoy that film or television programme in the comfort of your own surroundings. Now that we can enjoy and get access to  our favourite films or TV Shows on our Smart TVs we want to enjoy those films in the highest quality  and definition, the best way to do that is on an LED TV. 

Now Cinehouse been a blog dedicated to the best in independent, World Cinema and Arthouse movies, fans of these genres may have to travel for hours to get to the nearest cinema. The leading figures amongst the genres such as Curzon, Picturehouse (even some independent cinemas) now know using internet onto smart Tvs is the future.

There’s nothing that smart about trying to watch a film on your smartphone—you know what you really want is a proper big-screen experience, like what you can get with Sony’s new range of TVs and Smart TVs. These tvs can provide the same visual and sound experience as if you where sitting in your local cinema, even the popcorn you have will be cheaper too! The design of these TVs are elegant but what they will do is provide a clearer, crisper and smoother. If your are interacting with the on demand  services for films, you pay the premium you expect these premium quality TVs will provide.

These TVs also give you access to the film and TV fanatic’s friend, Sony’s TV SideView app. Another feature that can link up your gorgeous new TV interactively with an app-equipped phone or tablet. TV SideView lets you pull up all the key details while you watch: cast, episode info and more. You could say they are the equivalent of the extras you get from the Blu-ray's or DVDs. We will ask you, do you really need to buy Blu-rays whilst the slick, smart Led TV can provide the same?

Put this alongside the rest of the innovations Sony has rolled out his time, including 4K Ultra HD and super-sharp 3D, and you’ve got a lot of great reasons to check out Sony’s new TVs and Smart TVs.The future of film is smart, personal, the future is LED TV.       

Sponsored Post

Boardwalk Empire – Season 3 Blu Ray Review

Rating: 15
DVD/BD Release Date: 5th August 2013 (UK)
Creator: Terence Winter
Cast:  Steve Buscemi, Kelly Macdonald, Michael Shannon, Bobby Cannavale
Buy Boardwalk Empire Season 3: [DVD] / [Blu-ray]
Boardwalk Empire – the winner of 12 Emmy Awards – finally sees its third season released on DVD and Blu-ray, and fans of complex television drama will not be disappointed. Picking up sixteen months after season 2’s shocking finale, this latest season kicks off on New Year’s Eve 1923. Nucky (Steve Buscemi) and Margaret’s (Kelly Macdonald) marriage is tense at best, and there is a new high profile bootlegger in town, in the form of Bobby Cannavale’s Gyp Rosetti.

As can be expected, HBO has once again delivered a first rate show; one which not only rivals, but surpasses in quality most Hollywood films right now. In many ways, parallels can be drawn between Boardwalk Empire and The Wire (another much-praised HBO series). Each episode requires the viewer’s utmost attention if they mean to understand the plot fully, for there is a large amount of characters – residing in a variety of US states – for us to follow. This factor has both its upsides and downsides. On the one hand, this means that each individual storyline cannot be given as much air time as – I for one – would like them to; but on the other, this does result in the few moments we have with them seeming all the more exciting. This is none more true than in the case of the excellent Michael Shannon’s government agent turned outlaw Nelson Van Alder, a truly fascinating character, whose narrative I hope will be given more attention next season.

With season 3, Boardwalk creator Terence Winter has delivered a beautifully constructed period piece, filled with impressive performances from its cast, and outstanding production values which really bring the roaring twenties to life. While many of the show’s themes – loss and loneliness for example – are sombre in tone; these are alleviated by a quirky, upbeat jazz soundtrack and magical photography work. Not to be missed.

★★★★★

Sophie Stephenson

Saving The World From Total Boredom This July The Aquabats Season 1 on DVD!

Join a new generation of super hero in The Aquabats: Super Show Complete Season One comes to UK this July.

Taking outrageously fun entertainment to the next level for kids and adults alike The Aquabats looks set to take over TV screens with an offering of rock out tracks and hearty laughs. This hit CITV TV show finds itself on DVD for the first time in the UK. Featuring a former ska band and a number of set pieces reminiscent of 90’s cartoons and the Power Rangers, The Aquabats are ready for just about anything.

From the creators of Yo Gabba Gabba! and frontman Christian Jacobs comes the perfect blend of live-action and animation! Follow the amazingly wild comic antics of The Aquabats the galaxy's first group of musical crime-fighting superheroes! MC Bat Commander Crash McLarson Ricky Fitness Eagle Bones Falconhawk and Jimmy the Robot will take you along on their most outrageous adventures to protect space from the creatures and super villains out to destroy it! All 13 Season One episodes can now be found in one deluxe collection sure to banish boredom and make anyone an instant fan of the world's most inept superheroes!



Aquabats hits every note with rockin’ success. A blending of both humour, action, animation and music, the Super Show packs in a dazzling performance to make a stunning debut season enjoyable for both adults and kids. With references to 90’s ska and some truly out of this world creations, Aquabats places itself centre stage ready to become an instant cult classic.

The Aquabats! Super Show Season One Arrives on DVD in UK 22nd July. The Aquabats are Christian Jacobs, Richard Falomir, James Briggs , Ian Fowles, Chad Larson. Pre-Order or Buy The Aquabats Complete Season 1 (CITV) [DVD] now!

Dr. Who and the Daleks/Daleks' Invasion Earth 2150 A.D. Blu-Ray Review

In this the fiftieth anniversary year of Dr Who, one of the world's most successful television creations, it's inevitable that talk of the show will be everywhere. Despite all the 'Who-ha' however, there seems little if any mention of the film spin-offs made shortly after the Doctor first appeared on the small screen during the early 1960's. So it's timely that STUDIOCANAL have seen fit to release what is surprisingly, considering the Doctor's cult-like status, his only big screen adventures to date.

Dr Who (Peter Cushing) comes up against the mighty force of his most diabolical foe the Daleks, firstly on their home planet of Skaro in Dr. Who and the Daleks (1965) and then on a devastated, futuristic Earth in Daleks' Invasion Earth 2150 A.D.(1966)  Aided by his granddaughter Susan (Roberta Tovey) and various hapless innocents who inadvertently get taken along for the ride, the Doctor must face his biggest fears in order to save the human race yet again.

In the same way that David Niven's outing as 007 in the original film treatment of Casino Royale (1967) is frequently overlooked when discussing the celluloid history of Ian Fleming's super-spy, so too is Peter Cushing's camp though endearingly batty big screen interpretation of the ageless Timelord. Made by Amicus Studios on the back of the BBC series' success, the two films are remarkably similar to the television show at the time, from the age of the Doctor (portrayed as an eccentric, fatherly figure), to him being accompanied by his granddaughter (played in both films by the precocious child star Tovey). On reflection this is hardly surprising considering that Terry Nation, the writer of the television series and creator of the Daleks, was also co-writer of the films along with Amicus supremo Milton Subotsky.

Nation's involvement likely influenced the choice of the Daleks as the enemies in the film adventures. Watching them now the Doctor's most famous adversaries (who really resemble nothing more scary than giant salt cellars on casters), seem created with the big screen in mind. Though it would be several years before the Doctor appeared in colour on television, here he jumps from the screen in vibrant Technicolor as a velvet jacketed nutty professor, whilst the Daleks themselves are given a new vibrancy in acid yellow and neon red as well as the more familiar neutral silver.

Like the television show which suffered when restricted to indoor sets but came alive in later years with the use of outdoor locations, Dr. Who and the Daleks, though undoubtedly fun with its kitsch air of 1960's psychedelia, is pale in comparison to the following year's sequel. Daleks' Invasion Earth 2150 A.D. makes marvellous use of an atmospherically war torn London, when the the Doctor and his companions land the Tardis in a post apocalyptic future. This setting also provides not only the film but perhaps the whole Dr Who mythology with one of its most iconic images - namely the vision of a Dalek emerging from the River Thames, which once seen will remain indelibly etched in the viewer's mind. It is the second film which also introduces a certain risqué'ness in the form of the Dalek's latex clad human slaves - a 'kinky' touch they would likely not have got away with on television during the 1960's.

Apart from the locations, Daleks and a marvellous supporting cast including Roy Castle and Bernard Cribbens, it is undoubtedly Cushing who makes the films comes alive. An actor who was at the height of his fame during the mid 1960's, Cushing had made mad scientists his forte and hence was perfectly suited for the big screen version of Dr Who. Indeed, watching the films now, it is puzzling why he was never asked to take on the role on television as he would undoubtedly have brought a unique zest to the part. A tantalising option fans were unfortunately never to see.

Dr. Who and the Daleks and Daleks' Invasion Earth 2150 A.D. were released on digitally remastered DVD and Blu-ray on 27th May, 2013. Both versions come with a host of extras including audio commentary, cast interviews, still galleries and trailers.

Cleaver Patterson

Dr. Who and the Daleks

★★☆☆☆

Rating: U
DVD/BD Release Date: 27th May 2013 (UK)
Director: Gordon Flemyng
Cast: Peter Cushing, Roy Castle, Jennie Linden
Buy: Doctor Who And The Daleks [Blu-ray]



Daleks' Invasion Earth 2150 A.D.

★★★½☆

Rating: U
DVD/BD Release Date: 27th May 2013(UK)
Director: Gordon Flemyng
Cast: Peter Cushing, Bernard Cribbins, Ray Brooks

Buy: Daleks - Invasion Earth 2150 A.D. [Blu-ray]

Elfie Hopkins To Make UK TV Premier On Horror Channel

Ryan Andrews’ tasty horror thriller, Elfie Hopkins starring Jaime &a Ray Winstone (on screen for the first time together), makes its TV debut on Sat June 27, 22:55, courtesy of Horror Channel.

A twisted tale of cannibalism set in a British rural hunting village, ELFIE HOPKINS stars Jaime Winstone as wannabe detective Elfie Hopkins, whose life changes when a mysterious family moves into her sleepy neighbourhood. Elfie’s appetite for gumshoe excitement is soon matched by the strange and exotic appetites of the sinister Gammons. But will anyone other than best friend Dylan Parker (ANEURIN BARNARD) and local butcher (RAY WINSTONE) believe her before their homeland turns into a cannibal holocaust!

Plus, there are UK TV premieres of three films that are part of the Friday night double-bills that make up the GRINDHOUSE SEASON.(June 7 – June 28) - DEAR GOD NO!, (billed with THE EXTERMINATOR); BARE BEHIND BARS (billed with BAD BIOLOGY and MONSTRO! (billed with 99 WOMEN) The fourth double-bill is NUDE NUNS WITH BIG GUNS, paired with channel favourite THE BEYOND. Welcome to B-Movie heaven – and hell…

June also sees the network premieres of three not-to-be-missed zombie films, George Romero’s classic DAY OF THE DEAD (June 29), the third in his seminal zombie trilogy, Adam Gierasch’s sexy crowd-pleaser NIGHT OF THE DEMONS (June 9) and the all-out Dutch zombie gore-comedy KILL ZOMBIE! (June 16)

Trailers

Elfie Hopkins

Dear God No!

Monstro

Kill Zombie!

TV: Sky 319 / Virgin 149 / Freesat 138
www.horrorchannel.co.uk | twitter.com/horror_channel

BBC Films' West Is West to premiere on BBC Two on Saturday 18th May

BBC Two will premiere West Is West, the sequel to internationally acclaimed and multi-award winning film East is East, on Saturday 18th May at 22:15.

West is Westis a coming of age story about confronting ones true desires and fears, no matter the age.

Thirteen year old Sajid (Aqib Khan) is struggling to meet his Pakistani father’s traditions in his home of Manchester, England. When Sajid finds himself in some trouble after ditching school his father George (Om Puri) decides to send him to Pakistan for a month to live with his first wife, whom he abandoned 30 years ago, to learn discipline and to grow-up. Upon arrival, Sajid finds that his father is not as highly regarded as he may have thought, and that Pakistan is not as idyllic as it was made to seem. George arrives at the end of the month to collect Sajid but is faced with his own self-image issue and realises that he himself has much to learn as well.

Directed by Andy De Emmony, West Is West stars Om Puri alongside Aqib Khan, Linda Bassett, Lesley Nicol, Ila Arun and Jimi Mistry.

interview with Devil's Business director Sean Hogan

On the eve of the UK TV premiere of THE DEVIL’S BUSINESS on Horror Channel, Sean Hogan talks about the future of the horror film industry, the importance of a good script and his forthcoming doc on the UK comic 2000AD.

THE DEVIL’S BUSINESS is broadcast on Sat May 11, 22:55,

Q: How did The Devil’s Business come together?
SH: I’d been waiting a long time for another project to come together, and out of sheer frustration, I had a meeting with my producer Jen Handorf one night and proposed that we made something for very little money, just to get back in the saddle. I’d recently seen Down Terrace and really liked it, and my feeling was that you didn’t need a whole lot of money to make something, just a good script, talented actors and one location. So I sat down and wrote Devil’s Business to be done along those lines. What happened then was, the other project finally happened, but turned out to be a nightmare experience. So once the dust had settled, I really needed to wash the bad taste out of my mouth. So Jen proposed we went back to The Devil’s Business. It came together really quickly after that, we basically pulled it all together in a few months.

Q: Did the script take long to write?
SH: Not really. It was short, for one thing! And I was kind of on a roll when I wrote it; I’d written about five scripts already that year so the gears were well oiled. Besides, it really was one of those times where the characters took over and wrote themselves – it always sounds horribly pretentious when writers say that, but what can I tell you, it’s true! I normally outline much more than I did on Devil’s Business, but in this instance I just sat down and started writing with only a vague sense of what was going to happen. For instance, when I wrote Pinner’s monologue, I didn’t really know what he was going to say or how it would impact the rest of the film; all I knew was that he was going to tell a strange story. And it all just came flooding out. It certainly isn’t always that simple, so I have fond memories of writing it.

Q: Was it a hard movie to cast?
SH: No, we were fairly lucky in that department. We didn’t have a casting director, so it was largely a case of me and Jen scouring Spotlight and looking at showreels etc. That was how we found Billy Clarke, who played Pinner. He was the first person who read for the part and I just loved him immediately. Johnny Hansler was someone I’d auditioned for another film – he wasn’t right for that part but I made a note that if we ever did Devil’s he’d be great for Mr Kist, so we just made him an offer based on that. And Jack Gordon was a recommendation via his agency, who Jen had a working relationship with. Again, he just came in and rocked the audition. Easiest casting process I’ve ever had, despite the lack of resources.

Q: How did you go about funding for the film?
SH: It was private money. We wanted to control the production ourselves - because we’d had enough of meddling, crooked, incompetent executives – so Jen and I invested some money to get things going. And then we approached some other people we knew to kick in some cash as well. We knew that if we tried to get it made through official industry channels it would take forever and we’d have to put up with a ton of less-than-helpful script notes, so we made a decision we’d just do it our way – for less money, but with more control. It was hard work doing it on the budget, but the actual experience of doing it with no outside interference was sheer bliss.
.
Q: The film picked up some great reviews including one that stated “…smart British horror has a touch of the Roald Dahl to it” that’s quite a compliment.
SH: We were very happy with the response, without a doubt. From my perspective, I had no idea how the film would be received; it was just cathartic to make it. I figured that it was such a small production that it might easily disappear without a trace. And besides, it isn’t really a conventional horror film in many ways; it’s quite dialogue-driven and character-based, which always puts some people off. So I was definitely steeling myself for the worst. But then we premiered it at FrightFest and got wonderful reviews, and it went on from there. So I was delighted – I’ve had bad luck with UK distribution in the past, so to get that sort of a reaction was very rewarding. And it definitely made everyone’s hard work worth it.

Q: You must be pleased that the film is getting its UK TV premiere on the Horror Channel?
SH: Certainly am. Again, if you’d said to me when we were shooting it that the film would eventually play cinemas, come out on DVD and then show on TV, I’d have probably asked you what you were on and where could I get some. The Horror Channel has been very supportive of me and so I’m really pleased we’ve found a home here.

Q: What state do you think the British horror movie industry is in?
SH: It’s very tough, certainly at an independent level. DVD sales are down and whilst I think VOD will eventually take up the slack, it isn’t there yet. But horror is reliant on those sorts of areas to make it viable. So you get a lot of distributors asking you to make something along the lines of what was successful last year. Which I hate hearing, not least because that never works. I’ve certainly been asked to make something similar to Kill List, for instance. But Kill List was successful because it wasn’t like anything else at the time, and if you just try and copy that, the audience will smell it a mile off. And anyway, we kept getting compared to Kill List anyway, so why would I want to do that again? I honestly think a lot of it comes down to a lack of respect for the genre; a lot of industry people just see it as product and not worth any serious consideration. Therefore you get a lot of crap being made, just because it ticks certain commercial boxes. And so if you want to do something different, you run into difficulty. But there are definitely good UK filmmakers out there, so I just hope that everyone keeps plugging away and making films one way or another. Because if history shows us anything, it’s that good horror usually comes out of the independent sector anyway.

Q: What advice would you give to anyone wanting to become a director or work in the horror industry?
SH: It’s obvious, but my primary point is always to pay attention to your script. The writing really isn’t worth a damn in most horror films. And yet it costs no money to get your characters and dialogue written properly. So if you can’t write, find someone who can. Similarly, cast good actors – they may not be famous names, but you can certainly find people who can act. Trust me, it’s easy if the script is good – actors are desperate for quality material. Don’t make something that’s just by the numbers – we’ve all seen the classic horror films, doesn’t mean we want to see slavish copies/homages. Figure out what really scares you and put it onscreen – because if it scares you then odds are it will scare someone else. And for god’s sake yes, please try and be scary. Rape and torture are not scary, and I’m so incredibly bored with how much of that we’re seeing right now. It’s easy to be upsetting, but it’s not easy to be scary.

Q: So what are you working on at the moment?
SH: Jen and I are developing a script called No Man’s Land, which is a horror movie set in the trenches of WWI. We’ve had a lot of interest over that, so I’m hopeful we can get that going this year. I’m attached to a bunch of other projects as well, but that’s where I’m focusing right now. I’m also producing a documentary called Future Shock!, which tells the story of the legendary UK comic 2000AD. That’s proving to be a lot of fun, and the response to us making it has been great. That should be ready sometime next year.

Sean Hogan, thank you very much.
Read our review of the Devil's Business here.

TV: Sky 319 / Virgin 149 / Freesat 138
www.horrorchannel.co.uk | twitter.com/horror_channel

SPARTACUS: WAR OF THE DAMNED DVD

Rome, as they say, wasn't built in a day, and neither was the epic television drama series Spartacus which reaches its climax with the third season Spartacus: War of the Damned, newly released on DVD and Blu-ray this week. The series which has won legions of fans since it premiered with Spartacus: Blood and Sand (2010) and continued with Spartacus: Gods of the Arena (2011) and Spartacus: Vengeance (2012), is a show which is definitely not for the faint hearted. It will take those with nerves of steel to endure both the length and sheer violence of a show which brings graphic onscreen brutality and sex to a whole new level.

The fight against Rome and her oppressive regime, headed by rebel leader Spartacus (Liam McIntyre) and his bloodthirsty generals, reaches a bloody climax when he leads his army into a final battle against the empire in the form of Roman military officer Marcus Crassus (Simon Merrells) and his men. In the ensuing confrontation there can only be one victor in a battle of epic proportions.

It's always hard to be subjective if you are coming to an established television series fresh. Many shows take time to grow on you, with the characters becoming as familiar to fans as their own family and friends, with the story-lines progressing over weeks and years. Which might explain why, if this is the first time you will have seen (or in my case) heard of the Spartacus television series, you may not really get it. Having now watched the show, I have to say that I can't work out for the life of me who it's aimed at.

The show's advertising and promotional campaign makes no bones about the fact that it isn't selling itself as anything other than a drama focusing around war and sex - on which basis it is probably a pretty accurate portrayal of the pass-times of much of the Roman Empire at the time. Following the lives and intertwined relationships of Spartacus and his arch enemy Marcus Crassus, the show is a modern, high-tech take on the old Hollywood sword and sandal epic, albeit with a much grittier edge.

However, authenticity (which the show admittedly has in spades) aside, it's not long before each hour long episode starts feeling like a battle to get through. Full-frontal, man on woman, man on man and woman on woman sex which leaves very little to the imagination, as well as gory, visceral violence (including beheadings, disembowelment and crucifixion) that you wouldn't expect to see outside a video nasty, makes for tough viewing, unless you're a prepubescent teenage schoolboy who gets kicks from watching something he knows he shouldn't. The dialogue by Steven S. DeKnight also grates with a stiltedness which is clearly meant to invoke a period feel, but quickly becomes arduous for the viewer to decipher or comprehend. As for the overuse of the 'f' word which litters the character's vocabulary at every opportunity - one is simply left weary by the end.

I genuinely wish I'd got the show, as it clearly has something of interest for a lot of people. However for this critic it was a particularly unpleasant experience of epic proportions and, like the period of time it depicts, better consigned to the annals of ancient history.

★★☆☆☆

Cleaver Patterson

Rating:18
DVD/BD Release Date: 29th April 2013 (UK)
Director:Steven S. DeKnight
Cast: Manu Bennett, Daniel Feuerriegel, Lucy Lawless, Peter Mensah, Liam McIntyre
Buy Spartacus : War Of Damned:Blu-ray / DVD
Win Spartacus : War Of Damned -Enter Here (new window opens)

Horror Channel Does The Devi's Business With Three UK Premieres For May

Horror fans can sink their teeth into all things dark and dangerous as the menacing month of May ushers in three exciting UK TV premieres - Sean Hogan’s haunting THE DEVIL’S BUSINESS Colin Theys’ apocalyptic zombie thriller REMAINS and Keith Wright’s touching horror comedy HAROLD’S GOING STIFF.

Details of the line-up:

22:55. Sat May 4 – HAROLD’S GOING STIFF (2011)
Keith Wright's very funny and surprisingly touching tale investigates a mystery illness turning men in the north of England into something resembling bloodthirsty ghouls. One such victim is Harold (Stan Rowe), an old man whose transformation into something sub-human might just be arrested by the love of Penny (Sarah Spencer), a dedicated home care nurse. But a group of vigilantes have other ideas.



22:55, Sat May 11 – THE DEVIL’S BUSINESS (2011)
Two hit men, Pinner (Billy Clarke), a cynical veteran and the inexperienced Cully (Jack Gordon), are sent to murder an old associate of their underworld boss. But things are not all what they seem in their quarry’s house and the duo descends into the shadowy darkness of their own tortured souls. Exuding a palpable atmosphere of claustrophobic dread, this is an eerily effective gem from director Sean Hogan. [read our review]



22:55, Sat May 18 – REMAINS (2011)
A vacant casino in Nevada becomes a hellish battleground as a group of human survivors fight a hard-core Zombie apocalypse, in which the infected grow smarter and stronger every day. Based on a graphic novel by Steven Nile, Award-winning Director Colin Theys’ graphic feature stars Miko Hughes, who fans may recognise as the little boy from the original ‘Pet Sematary’.



Other highlights to watch out for:

THE NEW ADVENTURES OF WONDER WOMAN. (Series 1, 1975) Weekdays at 18:00 and 09:00 from Mon May 20. Series 1

One of the most popular cult TV shows from the 70s makes its debut on the Horror Channel. Fans will relish another chance to watch the unforgettable Linda Carter kick ass and ‘bust’ the bad guys.



REEL FEAR SEASON. Fridays at 22:55 from May 3
Fans of found-footage movies will love this line-up, which includes the premiere of GRAVE ENCOUNTERS from The Vicious Brothers , WELCOME TO THE JUNGLE, THE BLAIR WITCH PROJECT, SKEW and Julian Richard’s award-winning THE LAST HORROR MOVIE.


DIRECTOR’S NIGHT WITH ELI ROTH. Thurs May 30 from 21:00
Roth, famed director of CABIN FEVER and HOTEL, took time out at FrightFest Glasgow 2013, during the screening of his new film AFTERSHOCK, to wax lyrical on his love of Italian zombie movies as he explains why THE CITY OF THE LIVING DEAD and DEMONS are great movie inspirations for him.


TV: Sky 319 / Virgin 149 / Freesat 138
www.horrorchannel.co.uk | twitter.com/horror_channel