PENNY DREADFUL
SFX's high priestess of horror
She delivers each column tattooed on the corpses of Victorian convicts, you know.
HOMEFEST 2020
Strange days continue, and it’s time to accept we’ll have to get our horror fix in new ways. August bank holiday weekend (28-31) marks the inaugural FrightFest Online, a purely digital version. There’ll be celeb intros and Q&As, a quiz on the Thursday night, and a “horror in lockdown” panel on the Sunday, as well as more than 20 movies – all world or UK premieres. You can see the complete line-up at frightfest.co.uk; here’s a few that caught my eye.
A Ghost Waits: a low-key black and white comedy romance about a depressed man who falls in love with a ghost, which has good buzz. The Honeymoon
Phase: a high-concept sci-fi horror about a couple who enter a testing facility which studies couples in isolated smart homes. Dark Place: an Australian anthology movie telling indigenous tales of post-colonial Aboriginal history – sounds original, and it’s only 75 minutes long. Also keep an eye out for documentary The
Horror Crowd, about the
Hollywood horror community. THE ANATOMY OF FEAR
The Book Of Horror (due 22 September) is a new non-fiction exploration of the scariest movies of all time and what exactly it is that makes them scary. This isn’t just another “100 Best” list or similar, but an analytical journey into the how and why of fear. It’s separated into seven sections, each exploring a different facet of fear, from the grotesque to the uncanny to the unexpected, using infographics and black and white illustrations. Written by author, journalist and proper horror nerd Matt Glasby, this is the definitive guide to what properly messes us up.
What might the new normal look like in the world of horror? Or perhaps sound like…
DREAM PROJECT
Now Covid-19 has ballsed-up film and TV, my attention has turned to audio. July saw the release of the first proper adaptation of Neil Gaiman’s seminal horror comic The Sandman, as (in the words of director Dirk Maggs) an “audio movie”. It’s got an all-star cast, with James McAvoy as Dream and Gaiman himself narrating. Tackling the first three collections, it’s genuinely brilliant. Much of it was recorded during lockdown too, with McAvoy using a makeshift spare bedroom studio. Social distancing suddenly isn’t such a problem! Fictional horror podcasts aren’t new (I’d recommend Limetown and The Horror Of Dolores Roach), but Sandman could change the game with its A-list cast and beloved material. Adaptations of classic horror stories with auteur directors and quality casts? I’m so up for that. BLIND AMBITION
Which leads me to Malorie, published in July: a sequel to Josh Malerman’s Bird Box, the wonderful book that inspired the Netflix movie. That didn’t entirely work, since the book’s about creatures which cannot be looked at by human eyes without the looker going nuts and killing themselves. Both film and book were a big success, so a follow-up was no surprise – and until the very rushed ending, it’s good. Again though, it’s predicated on the characters staying blindfolded. Since no one’s filming anything soon, and Sandra Bullock no doubt costs a few quid, this’d be a perfect choice for an “audio movie”. Netflix surely has the option; what an amazing chance for them to expand into audio while Disney+ is nicking back all the superhero shows. You’re welcome, guys!