In just a few sweet days, horror fans across the UK will be flocking to the Showroom cinema in Sheffield for Celluloid Screams. The genre festival will turn fifteen this year, and to celebrate, the organisers have cooked up an exceptional line-up. THN will be in attendance, bringing reviews throughout the weekend. Here are some of the movies and events that we are most looking forward to.
We Are Zombies
The Opening film is an obvious no-brainer at any film festival, but We Are Zombies looks especially good. Directed by the directing trio known as RKSS, of Turbo Kid fame, We Are Zombies is based on the comic book series ‘The Zombies That Ate The World.’ Given the heritage of RKSS, we’re certain that We Are Zombies is going to provide gore by the bucket, and will be the perfect way to kick off Celluloid Scream’s fifteenth year.
In a city where non-cannibalistic zombies (known as the “living-impaired”) roam the streets and exist alongside the living population, the presence of the powerful Coleman Corporation looms large. The shadowy corporate entity offers a retirement plan for the undead populace that includes collecting them from their families’ homes in order to study their condition, supposedly on an entirely safe and humane basis. Having seized an opportunity to make some easy money, three slacker friends pose as Coleman staff to steal zombies in order to sell them on, but soon enough the real Coleman employees discover the ill-advised operation. To cover their lost wages, they decide to kidnap the group’s grandmother and hold her to ransom, forcing the trio to take on a series of dangerous assignments for an assortment of lowlifes and criminals to come up with the cash.
Hellbound: Hellraiser II
Celluloid Screams doesn’t just celebrate the best and brightest in new movies, the festival also champions the classics. This year’s retrospective is especially exciting with both Killer Klowns From Outer Space and Hellbound: Hellraiser II appearing on the big screen. It’s the perfect time for fans to see some beloved gems in a cinema, surrounded by like-minded souls. While Killer Klowns from Outer Space is sure to end the opening night on a high, it is Hellbound: Hellraiser II that THN is most excited to catch.
Pinhead and his pals return in this dazzlingly depraved, no holds barred sequel to 1987’s HELLRAISER. A downright unhinged follow-up to the original, Hellbound: Hellraiser II delivers all the gruesome carnage and exquisite suffering you’d expect from within the Lament Configuration, tracking a terrifying descent into depths of hell that Hellraiser barely scratched the surface of. With a nightmarish, gothic aesthetic and sprawling, macabre worldbuilding, prepare to plunge into a hopeless eternity of unspeakable pain and torture. The doctor will see you now…
Adam Buxton’s Bug: Video Nasties
Following on from last year’s excellent Ghostwatch event, the Celluloid Screams team have invited British writer, comedian and podcast host, Adam Buxton, to entertain the masses on Friday evening. Attendees will get to enjoy an exclusive special Video Nasties edition of BUG, the long running sell-out BFI music video show. Expect a selection of brilliantly horrific, unsettling and just plain weird music videos from across the years, variously unhinged comments from the online community, and other nonsense from Adam’s laptop.
Short Films
Whereas so many of their peers programme their short films together into one or two short film showcases, Celluloid Screams does something different. Instead of clumping them together, the programmers instead carefully curated shorts to compliment the features, paired them together. It’s like taking a trip back to the old days of cinema, with each film granted a little mini feature to get the fun started. Soho Horror Fest also follows this model and it really is the best way for short format movies to get the respect and attention they deserve.
Secret Movies
The secret film is a staple of Celluloid Screams. And when we say secret we mean exactly that. No hints are provided and the audience won’t find out what is screening until the team is just about to press the play button. Last year the surprise film was the excellent Barbarian so hopes are very high for this year. As an added bonus, for the fifteenth anniversary, attendees will have two secret treats to look forward to. The two movies will play back-to-back, and who doesn’t love a mystery double-bill?
The Chapel
Just as the opening film of a festival is vital viewing, so too is the closing film. This year’s closing film is The Chapel and it is directed by PIGGYs Carlota Pereda. PIGGY was a brilliant and brutal tale that placed its lead character, and the audience, in a moral conundrum. The Chapel appears to be a very different kind of horror, but we can’t wait to experience one last Celluloid Screams scare.
Eight-year-old Emma’s life is in turmoil. Her mother is terminally ill and unable to care for her, and given Emma’s erratic behaviour, she may soon be taken into care. In addition to this, Emma is obsessed with a local chapel, which is steeped in legend about the so-called ‘bird men’ – nightmarish doctors who inhabited the area during a 17th century plague – and the spirit of a girl who has spent centuries trapped inside. Emma believes that if she can connect with this spirit, she’ll be able to utilise her own psychic gift to communicate with her mother after death. She seeks out the help of Carol, a local medium, who is sceptical and reluctant to assist. However, Carol doesn’t realise Emma’s gift is very real, and if she continues to try and use it on her own, the consequences could be disastrous. With Emma’s young life in danger, and her mother’s condition deteriorating, time is running out for both of them.
Celluloid Screams is held at Showroom cinema in Sheffield and will run from Thursday 19th October – Sunday 21st October. For more information, head to the website.
