The opening and closing films of this year’s FrightFest have been announced. The Ford Brothers The Dead 2: India will kick off proceedings, while the UK premiere of Aharon Keshales and Navot Papushado’s revenge thriller, Big Bad Wolves, will draw things to a close. All the directors and some cast members will be attending the festival, which runs from Thursday 22 August to Monday 26 August at the Empire Cinema, Leicester Square. Tickets for individual films will go on sale from 27 July, while festival and day passes will be available from 29 June.
Horror Legend Shaun Hutson Joins Caffeine Nights
Bestselling British horror writer, Shaun Hutson, has penned a deal with Caffeine Nights to publish his forthcoming novel, Monolith, as well as several titles from his back-catalogue. The first four backlist titles announced are Spawn, Relics, Assassin, and Renegades. Monolith will be published in 2014, and is Hutson’s first original novel since Epitaph in 2010.
Fright Nights: Hellraiser Double Bill
Simon Bamford (Butterball), Nicholas Vince (Chatterer), Kenneth Cranham (Dr Channard), and Geoff Portass (Makeup artist) will be attending a special double bill of Hellraiser and Hellraiser II: Hellbound at the Custard Factory, Birmingham, on 20 July from 4pm. Tickets, are available now from Back To The Theatre.
Corman’s Drive-In is now Live
Maverick movie mogul, Roger Corman, and his long-term partner, Julie, have finally launched Corman’s Drive-In on YouTube. For a small fee, fans will have access to 30 Corman titles per month, as well as new content, making of featurettes, and behind-the-scenes trivia. This month’s offerings include The Crybaby Killer, Little Shop of Horrors, Sorority House Massacre and Attack of the Crab Monsters.
Maniac Cop 2 & 3 to Feature on Blu-ray
Blue Underground is set to release Maniac Cop 2 and its criminally underrated sequel, Maniac Cop 3: Badge of Silence, as collector’s edition blu-ray/DVD combo packs later this year. A release date has yet to be confirmed but commentary tracks by writer, Larry Cohen, and director, William Lustig, are almost a certainty.
ADAM MILLARD