Phillip Escott is a filmmaker who has worked across both narrative and documentary film. His 2016 feature, Cruel Summer, is a devastating tale of bullying gone too far, and his documentaries, which include The Found Footage Phenomenon and The Legacy of the Texas Chain Saw Massacre, have both received high praise. For his latest documentary, Generation Terror, Escott reunites with his The Found Footage Phenomenon co-director, Sarah Appleton. This time, rather than focus on one sub-genre, the duo are tackling a whole era and movement of movies.
Horror bleeds into the 21st Century in an incisive documentary looking back at the late 1990s film industry on a global scale, to find out what happened at the turn of the millennium to allow for the huge wealth of horror films flooding out from all corners of the globe. From Scream(1996), The Blair Witch Project (1999) and Final Destination (2000), to Wrong Turn (2003), Hostel (2005) and Saw (2004), with insight from Joe Lynch, Xavier Gens and Bill Malone who track the technology, the industry and the societal changes behind the next generation of horror films.
The partnership of Phillip Escott and Sarah Appleton is magic. Both have years of experience within the world of DVD and Blu-ray production, the two being responsible for the extras found on films for the likes of Second Sight, Arrow, and more. Their combined expertise always guarantees a fascinating watch and Generation Terror is no exception. Ahead of the world premiere on Monday 26th August, THN was able to speak with Phillip Escott to find out more about the lifespan of a documentary, as well as asking if he will be returning to the world of fiction to conjure up more nightmares for us all.
Generation Terror screens at Pigeon Shrine FrightFest on Monday 26th August. More information on the film and tickets can be found on the FrightFest website.
