Having had my jaw dropped by Jen and Sylvia Soska’s great and grotesque body (modification) horror AMERICAN MARY at this years Grimmfest, it gives me great pleasure in bringing our Brit THN readers news of a limited cinema run.
The film sees Katharine Isabelle give a career-best performance as passionate medical student/surgeon Mary Mason, who, after struggling to keep up the expense of her dream profession, encounters a host individuals eager to take advantage of her predicament and skills. AMERICAN MARY is a unique film experience (catch our review here) and here is the press release giving all the details of where you’ll be able to catch the film before its DVD/Blu-ray release on the 21st January 2013.
Following its recent successful UK festival run, including the world’s first screening at Film4 FrightFest in London in August, the smart and stylish horror thriller AMERICAN MARY will return to UK cinemas for a theatrical tour from January 11 2013, courtesy of FrightFest Presents.
Additionally, Canadian-born writer/directors Jen and Sylvia Soska, and Mary Mason herself, lead actress Katharine Isabelle (GINGERS SNAPS) will all be returning to the UK to introduce the screenings, starting at the Prince Charles Cinema on Friday January 11, followed by shows around the UK including Glasgow, Edinburgh, Brighton and Leeds.
The tour will take in seven cities over seven dates, with introductions and post-film Q&As from the filmmakers, compered by FrightFest’s Alan Jones and Paul McEvoy.
Ian Rattray of FrightFest Presents commented:
“After the fantastic reception both American Mary and the Soska Sisters got at FrightFest, we’re immensely proud to be able to partner Universal Pictures UK for the theatrical opening of the film. This is FrightFest Presents’ first step into theatrical distribution and American Mary is the perfect fit for us”.
Jen & Sylvia Soska commented:
“After being given an opportunity of a lifetime for a filmmaker by having our first American Mary screening at the fantastic FrightFest, the festival organisers and Universal are doing it again by bringing us out to travel with the film in the UK for its theatrical tour. We are so thrilled to be coming back where our career first kicked off with the first film and cannot wait to experience the new film with all the filmgoers in the darkened theatres. Looking so forward to meeting you all and seeing you there!”
Katharine Isabelle commented:
“American Mary is dark, twisted, smart and beautiful. When I first read Jen and Sylv’s script, I knew it would be an incredible professional adventure. The twins’ ingenuity and wit is just undeniable and I am so excited to share the result with audiences in the United Kingdom this January”.
Full cinema listings:
Fri January 11 – Prince Charles Cinema, London
020 7494 3654, www.princecharlescinema.com
Sat January 12 – Edinburgh Filmhouse
0131 228 2688, www.filmhousecinema.com
Sun January 13 – Glasgow Film Theatre
0141 332 6535, www.glasgowfilm.org/theatre
Mon January 14 – Sheffield Showroom
0114 275 7727, www.showroomworkstation.org.uk
Tue January 15 – Hyde Park Picture House, Leeds
0113 275 2045 www.hydeparkpicturehouse.co.uk
Wed January 16 – Bristol Watershed
0117 927 5100, www.watershed.co.uk
Thu January 17 – Duke’s at Komedia, Brighton
www.picturehouses.co.uk/cinema/Dukes_At_Komedia
Synopsis:
One of the year’s most horrific highlights, AMERICAN MARY tells the story of broke student Mary Mason (Katharine Isabelle) who grows disenchanted with medical school and the doctors she once idolised.
The allure of easy money sends a desperate Mary through the gruesome world of underground surgeries but soon finds they leave more marks on her than the so-called freakish clientele…
Smart, sexy, funny and utterly gorgeous to look at, AMERICAN MARY features a standout lead performance from award-winning actress Katharine Isabelle (Ginger Snaps), and puts the Soska Sisters, aka the Twisted Twins, squarely at the forefront of modern genre filmmaking. On both sides of the Atlantic, Jen and Sylvia Soska’s AMERICAN MARY has already been celebrated with more than a dozen international film festival honours, including Best Picture (LA ScreamFest, Shudder Fest) as well as Best Director and Best Actress (Toronto After Dark, LA Screamfest, Shudder Fest).
Total Film Magazine voted Katharine Isabelle Best Actress at London’s Film4 FrightFest in August, whilst SFX Magazine called AMERICAN MARY the ‘Best of the Fest’. It will be released theatrically through FrightFest Presents at selected cinemas nationwide from January 11th 2013.
