Last month, I had the pleasure of volunteering at Sheffield’s horror film festival Celluloid Screams. The festival takes place the weekend before Halloween every year. It shows a selection of feature length films, some of them UK premieres, as well as short films which are screened before the features. Not to mention, they have a ‘secret film’ which is revealed just before it starts (this year: The Autopsy of Jane Doe). Saturday nights feature their famous all-nighter which typically follows a theme and contains the older classic films, so we can truly appreciate some old horror gems. This year, they showed An American Werewolf in London, The Lost Boys, Teen Wolf and From Dusk Till Dawn.
As well as having entertaining opening and closing galas, the festival also offers a few other extras for their guests and attendees. VR technology is forever growing and is a perfect, fun and experimental medium for horror! This year featured Samsung Gear VR equipment which showed an immersive film-noir detective story titled ‘VR Noir.’ Unfortunately, that was the only programmed VR film available as there was some trouble getting hold of the others! We did, however, manage to show some VR horrors from YouTube including ‘The Room’ and others we downloaded from the Oculus Rift store. Another great way to kill time between film screenings are the booths scattered around the venue. Many independent merchandisers set themselves up to sell horror DVDs, blu-rays, art and more! Cult and classic horror distributor Arrow Video are always a highlight as they display their exciting collection.
Some of the most liked films that screened at Celluloid Screams were: Antibirth, What We Become, The Devil’s Candy, I Am Not A Serial Killer, Trash Fire, Dearest Sister, The Autopsy of Jane Doe and Raw. As I was a volunteer, I did not get a chance to see every film that screened. However, I did manage to catch a few good ones! Here is a selection of short reviews from some of the best and worst. (Note: These are all the feature films I got to see. I saw Dearest Sister and Yoga Hosers after the festival, but decided to include my thoughts!)
Short Films
Death Metal (2016) dir. Chris McInroy (5 mins)
About: A metal head gets passed down a satanic guitar that riffs to shreds.
Verdict: While it’s a very short straightforward and albeit stereotypical story, it’s very enjoyable!
Gwilliam (2015) dir. Brian Lonano (6 mins)
About: A recently released criminal is looking for a good time. He can forget his sins but he can never forget… Gwilliam.
Verdict: Gross, but pretty good and unusual.
Arcana (2016) dir. Jerónimo Rocha (11 mins)
About: Locked away in a dungeon, a heretic prepares some witchcraft to escape.
Verdict: A slow build up, but very effective and unsettling in terms of both visuals and its use of sound.
The Other Side of the Witching Hour (2016) dir. Tavarna Garvey (7 mins)
About: A spellbinding journey into the mind of an insomniac, who spends each night haunted by strange and wonderful illusions from another world.
Verdict: A promising debut with clear influencers from Giallo and psychotic women films of the 70s and 80s. Stunning production.
The Sunken Convent (2016) dir. Michael Panduro (15 mins)
About: An elderly man has a steady routine: working at a gas station, coming home and listening to the neighbours having sex. But something is going on in his own life.
Verdict: Seems perverse just for the sake of it with an unwelcomed scene of necrophilia.
Do You See What I See? (2016) dir. Serena Whitney & Justin McConnell (14 mins)
About: During the Christmas season, two sisters throw a party, unaware that a deadly invader will be crashing the proceedings.
Verdict: An interesting concept showing “video game glasses” where everyone is a monster. However, it was very poorly executed and saved the best bits for last.
Feature Films
Antibirth (2016) dir. Danny Perez (94 mins)
About: In a desolate community full of drug-addled Marines and rumours of kidnapping, a wild-eyed stoner named Lou wakes up after a crazy night of partying with symptoms of a strange illness and recurring visions.
Verdict: A wacky body and pregnancy horror that spins utterly out of control. It’s trashy, disgusting and often funny.
Dearest Sister (2016) dir. Mattie Do (101 mins)
About: A village girl travels to the Lao capital, Vientiane, to care for her rich cousin who has lost her sight and gained the ability to communicate with the dead.
Verdict: An interesting look at life in Lao, but carries a simple story which adds little new to the table. Still enjoyable.
Cat Sick Blues (2016) dir. Dave Jackson (101 mins)
About: When Ted’s beloved cat dies, the trauma triggers a mental breakdown. His broken brain prompts him to bring his feline friend back — all he needs is nine human lives.
Verdict: Interesting and unique with a disturbing blend of dark humour and harrowing subjects. Features an unnerving and unnecessary rape scene which serves no purpose in the story.
Trash Fire (2016) dir. Richard Bates Jr. (93 mins)
About: A man is forced to confront his past when he and his girlfriend end up entangled in a web of lies.
Verdict: From the director of Excision, this film managed to be witty and funny with a constant stream of sardonic dialogue, while still carrying and unnerving sense of dread that builds throughout the film. Worth a watch!
Yoga Hosers (2016) dir. Kevin Smith (88 mins)
About: Two teenage yoga enthusiasts team up with a legendary man-hustler to battle with an ancient evil presence that is threatening their major party plans.
Verdict: Not sure why Kevin Smith is making a comedy-horror, but here we are. Average but very entertaining considering the bizarreness.
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