GoreZone Magazine: Weekend of Horror

GoreZone Magazine’s first-ever Weekend of Horror, hosted by that Diva of Darkness Emily Booth, was a wicked delight, bringing 13 of the best – and not-so best – examples of the genre to a London cinema filled with hungry gorehounds. From the big-screen fright-fest that was The Midnight Meat Train to the bargain-basement delights of DVD offerings such as Frat House Massacre and Werewolf in a Women’s Prison, there was something from everyone – including an exclusive sneak peek at Channel 4’s gory week long Halloween horror drama, Dead Set (check out this week’s TV&Satellite Week for a preview).

Here’s my pick of GoreZone Magazine’s Weekend of Horrors:

THE MIDNIGHT MEAT TRAIN (In cinemas from 31 October)

This Halloween cinema release is a one-way ticket to terror. Based on a Clive Barker Books of Blood short tale, the film centers on photographer Leon (Bradley Cooper) who finds himself in a nightmarish hell when his pursuit of the perfect photo leads him directly into the path of the century-old serial killer Mahogany (our very own Vinnie Jones, thankfully silent). Clive Barker fans will rejoice with director Ryuhei Kitamura’s action-packed bloodfest, as – not since Hellraiser – has there been such a well-crafted translation of Barker’s dark imaginings. Let’s hope, however, the censors don’t interfere too much with Mahogany’s gruesome methods of dispatching his victims – they truly are eye-popping!

Check out the trailer.

TOKYO ZOMBIE (Out now on DVD)

This wild and wacky Japanese take on the zombie-genre is an over-the-top comedy in which two garage workers, dim-witted Fujio and his jujitsu mentor Micchan, find themselves battling zombies after they bury a corpse in a mountainous rubbish dump where the dead are returning to life. Filled with quirky characters, cracking dialogue and a rocking soundtrack, Tokyo Zombie is not so much a Japanese Shaun of the Dead as a live-action manga cartoon, which spoofs zombie themes and satirizes contemporary Japanese morals. While the film’s first half follows our two heroes hilarious efforts to escape the growing zombie epidemic, the second half turns into a Rocky-inspired parody as Fujio (now a famous jujitsu champion) tries to win a better life for his selfish girlfriend and their young daughter by fighting zombies for the entertainment of Tokyo’s elite. But, unlike the nihilism present in most Romero-inspired zombie movies, this is a genuinely light-hearted romp with an uplifting ending. I do hope someone brings out action figures of Fujio and Micchan in their colourful little van – they’d be a winner.

Check out the trailer!

NO MAN’S LAND: THE RISE OF REEKER (Out now on DVD)

This inventive prequel to 2005’s Reeker is packed with thrills and some decidedly nasty chills. After a gory opening, a serial killer known as the Death Valley Drifter gives himself up to the local sheriff and is sent to the electric chair. Fast-forward to the present day and it’s the sheriff’s last day on the job. But all hell breaks loose when the sheriff (Robert Pine) and his son open fire on some escaping fugitives and a gas explosion leaves them, and the remaining occupants of a remote diner, trapped in a supernatural plane between night and day. But worse is yet to come as the Reeker (the Death Valley Drifter supernaturally transformed) sets out to collect their souls… This is a great Halloween DVD treat, with some clever twists and a sick sense of humour. Be warned though – after watching this, you will never use a roadside toilet ever again!

Check out the trailer!

THE VANGUARD (Out now on DVD)

In this British-made post-apocalyptic vision of the future, the planet’s oil has been used up and a nasty Corporation has created a euthanasia drug to cull the Earth’s population. Only problem is, the scientists have turned on their masters and altered the drug to turn humans into growling, ape-like, savages known as Biosyns. The first half of director Matthew Hope’s grim film follows human survivor Max as he travels the bleak landscape on a kid’s chopper, living by his wits. Here we are in I Am Legend territory and its compelling stuff with some great camera work, brilliant editing and amazing use of landscapes. Unfortunately, the film soon shifts away from Max’s mute, lonely point-of-view to a subplot involving him being man’s hope of a cure. Ultimately, the film ends up becoming a heady mix of 28 Days, Mad Max and even Rambo. Still, it’s a worthy effort and it’s British!

Check out the trailer!

GUTTERBALLS (To be Released)

This perverted, blood-drenched Canadian gore fest comes courtesy of Ryan Nicholson, who works mostly in the make-up departments on sci-fi favourites like Stargate SG-1 and glossy films like Ghost Rider. Following a particularly nasty rape that brings back memories of 1988’s The Accused, a group of obnoxious bowling fanatics are picked off one-by-one a masked killer who goes by the moniker BBK. Shot like a sleazy video nasty, and moving to a pumped-up rock soundtrack, this lurid low-budget slasher features a veritable feast of inventive gruesome deaths (and some so shocking I wonder if they’ll make it pass the censors) that will satisfy most gorehounds. But, while the acting and sound quality detracts from the overall enjoyment of the film, the amazing Wax-O-Matic machine – which seems to have a life of its own – is the film’s biggest star.

Check out the trailer! But it’s not for the squeamish!

SICK GIRL (To be Released)

There’s been a real buzz surrounding director Eben McGarr’s debut indie horror and granted it’s a disturbing, bloody tale – if a little let down by the poor sound quality. Unstable Izzy is living in a small rural town with her two brothers and no parents. Izzy has the hots for her big brother, who decides to leave town to join the Marines. Izzy, who cannot control her psychopathic tendencies, then goes on a killing spree when her little brother gets bullied at school. Leslie Andrews, who plays Izzy, really gives the role gusto and is sure to win over horror fans. But it’s the final scenes that have had gorehounds talking – and these are not for the faint-hearted. With a cracking soundtrack and a cameo from Fright Night’s Evil Ed Stephen Geoffreys, Sick Girls looks set to gain cult status.

Check out the trailer! But beware, as it’s very gory.