My most anticipated horror films of 2016

2015 has proven to be a strong year for horror films. February saw the release of David Robert Mitchell's 'It Follows,' a creepy 80's throwback with an original story and memorable soundtrack. Later, in Spring, was the surprisingly strong 'Unfriended,' a unique take on the dying found footage genre. During summer, another film I was initially sceptical about was the third chapter in the 'Insidious' franchise. I thought it was a decent sequel with some original scares and I enjoyed it far more than the second.

With 2016 fast approaching, there are many promising films from both indie and mainstream directors to look forward to. Here are five of my most anticipated 2016 horror films.

 1.) K-Shop

First up is an independent horror film that you may not have heard of, from director Dan Pringle. Filmed in the sunny seaside town of Bournemouth, Southern England, 'K-Shop' is a 'Sweeny Todd' inspired story about a kebab shop owner who decides to sort out the town's drinking problems and rowdy behaviour. You definitely won't want to try the donors on this menu! The trailer looks very promising, gritty and should deliver on the gore. Being a local to Bournemouth too, I'm very excited to see this!

Check out the teaser below:

2.) The Conjuring 2: The Enfield Poltergeist

The Conjuring is one of my all time favourite supernatural horrors and in my opinion one of James Wan's best films. I was excited to hear that Wan would return once again to direct the sequel as well as the original cast, who are also returning. Though the plot is currently unknown, I have high hopes that the cast and crew can deliver the tension and scares of the original.

3.) The Forest

This intriguing supernatural horror stars Natalie Dormer as a young woman searching for her missing twin sister in Mount Fuji, Japan. She is led to the mysterious Aokigahara forest, a place where locals come to end their lives. Given only one strict warning, not to stray from the path, Sara must face the restless souls that lie within to discover the truth for herself. Jason Zada's chilling new film is set to be a promising directorial debut.

4.) The Witch

A film generating a lot of buzz recently is from another up and coming director, Robert Eggers. What is particularly interesting about this film is that it is set as a 17th century period horror. The unsettling trailer depicts an isolated family living in rural New England on the edge of a foreboding forest. When sinister events begin to unfold and paranoia arises, the family turn on each other in fear of an evil presence within. Like 'The Babadook', I feel 'The Witch' will rely on disturbing imagery and it's bleak atmosphere to unsettle its audience, rather than jump scares.

5.) The Boy

Continuing 2016's trend of supernatural horrors is William Brent's 'The Boy' which should really deliver on the creep factor. The story follows an American nanny hired by an English family to take care of their "son," who is actually a life-sized porcelain doll. Though comparable to 2013's 'Annabelle,' this film seems more like a classic British ghost story with a foreboding atmosphere and psychological elements.

Anything I've missed? What are you most looking forward to seeing in 2016? Let me know in the comments below.

THORPE PARK FRIGHT NIGHTS 2015 - Scare Attraction Review

The Halloween events industry has become more and more prominent across the UK over the past couple of years, with an ever growing number of "scare attractions" popping up across the country. Thorpe Park were among the first to bring the "Scare maze" or "haunted house" style attraction to the UK, way back in 2002.

I experienced my first scare maze back in 2013, at Chessington's Halloween "Hocus Pocus" event. Admittedly it was a more family orientated event, though some of the attractions did provide a good scare or two!  This year I got the chance to attend Thorpe Park's Fright Nights for the first time! For 2015, the event boasts five mazes, four of which being themed to Lionsgate horror film IPs. These Include; My Bloody Valentine (The forgettable 2009 slasher remake), The Blair Witch Project, (Average, slightly overrated found footage horror), The Cabin In the Woods, (Awesome, horror mash up flick) and finally Saw Alive, (Needs no introduction!). The event also features an original concept maze which was the headline attraction, named "The Big Top", which had a demented circus theme.

Unfortunately, as expected, the park was heaving on the Saturday, therefore we only managed to get in three of the five mazes. Luckily we did manage the three I was most interested in seeing. Here are my reviews of each maze, in order of preference. Be warned, as there will be a few spoilers of both mazes and films!

3.) The Cabin in the Woods

I LOVE this film and I was very much looking forward to seeing what Thorpe had included in the maze. Unfortunately I was a little underwhelmed by this attraction. The idea of choosing your own route is a fantastic concept, especially as "choosing you own fate" is the primary concept of the film. This would definitely make repeat run throughs fun (When the queues is not 120 minutes long!) For me, I felt the maze was just a bit too dark, making it easy to miss key set pieces. Acting was excellent, with some good interaction and startle scares! The ending "outbreak scene" was well executed and captured the chaotic third act of the film very well.

2.5/5

2.) Saw Alive

First off, this is hands down the most visually striking maze at the event, both inside and out. The queue area is much better themed than the other mazes, complete with traps and other contraptions lying around, as well as tall barbed wire fences surrounding the area. Once inside, you are subjected to another of Jigsaws (or Amandas/Hoffmans?) twisted games.  I really liked the pre-show with Billy appearing on the screens, explaining the situation before the timer begins and we're moved on. The sets looked fantastic, with recognisable scenes from various films in the franchise. The actors did a great job of convincing us they were genuinely trapped in the many horrific devices. There were also great uses of lighting and special effects to startle guests. The ending scene featuring a trap from Saw VI was particularly effective! I enjoyed this maze a lot!

3.5/5

3.) The Big Top

This was the main attraction at this years event and it certainly did not disappoint. I was a little sceptical before going in after hearing from previous reviewers that the maze was not completely finished. You begin by having your fortune read before being chased out by a maniacal clown. The attraction then quickly picks up the pace as you enter and exit different tents, filled with bizarre and crazy circus characters. The maze looks very impressive, themed with carnival games and a giant grinning clown facade. Inside is themed to a funhouse with some very lively actors getting very close for comfort. One actor proceeded to follow me, laughing in my ear whilst running his hands through my hair! Lighting was very well used and quite disorientating! The finale features the oldest scare tactic in the book, the chainsaw! I honestly thought it would be a gimmick but when I turned the corner and first saw it, I may have sworn a little and swiftly moved to the exit! My only criticism would be there were a few dead spots, particularly outside where there where either no actors or they just weren't doing a lot. Overall though I was very impressed!

So that was all the mazes we managed. There is an up-charge attraction called "Containment" which is essentially a room escape experience. This wasn't something that particularly interested me and was rather pricey so I gave it a miss. Of course the park is open late so you can enjoy all your favourite rides in the dark. The Swarm and Stealth both looked very impressive at night! The park itself does unfortunately lack in general theming, though it was a nice touch to change the rides audio to fit the whole circus theme.

Overall then, Fright Nights is a great Halloween event for those seeking something a little more intense and physical. I must say that I prefer the more theatrical/atmospheric style mazes at Chessington, however if you want more short, sharp, impact scares, then Fright Nights is definitely for you. I would strongly recommend that you either visit on a Friday or Sunday as the Saturdays do get extremely busy. Frights Nights continue from the 23rd October - 1st November 2015.

Thanks for reading! Have you been to Frights Nights this year? Let me know what you thought in the comments below!

Alien Isolation - Video Game Review

A well crafted horror film is full of tension, shock and atmosphere but a well made video game really adds that extra level of immersion to the player that film just can't deliver. The horror genre hasn't been particularly popular with console gamers for the past few years. However with 2014's mainstream offerings and some promising titles to come, could the genre be making a welcoming comeback? 

I remember hearing about Alien Isolation early last year and I instantly had my doubts , considering this is not the first Alien based game. I didn't particular enjoy AVP and lets not even talk about the diabolical Aliens: Colonial Marines!  Alien Isolation thankfully has different developers, Creative Assembly, who wanted to take a different approach, this time opting for a stealth based, first person, survival horror. Now I was interested! The game is set just 15 years after the events of Ridley Scott's original film. You play as Amanda Ripley, who is on a mission to find out what really happened to her mother aboard the Nostromo. Approached by a member of the Weyland Yutami, Amanda is informed of the whereabouts of the Nostromo's flight recorder, still intact, inside the Sevastopol space station. She agrees to help the team on their mission to retrieve it. Whilst attempting to dock, Amanda becomes separated from the group, left alone, with little supplies and equipment. It soon becomes apparent that something has gone seriously wrong aboard the seemingly deserted Sevastopol.

It was clear off the bat that Creative Assembly had got the tone of the game right, with the use of the classic 20th Century Fox opening titles. The game also uses the original score from the film, which adds to the atmosphere perfectly. Throughout the story there are many easter eggs and plot tie ins that I'm sure will please die hard Alien fans. I got particularly excited near the beginning of the game where you emerge from a hyper-sleep chamber in first person! The Sevastopol itself is beautifully designed and captures the look and feel of the similarly designed Nostromo perfectly. I was playing on Xbox 360 and the graphics were fantastic! so I can only imagine on next gen and PC it must look stunning!

Onto the gameplay itself. Like how a true survival horror game should be, you are given nothing to aid you as you begin your journey through the dark, claustrophobic tunnels of the space station. As the game progresses, you must find flares and materials to craft your own tools to aid your survival. Eventually you will quickly realise that you are not alone. The few remaining crew of the Sevastopol will become hostile towards you, this does mean that some weapon combat is inevitable. Thankfully the game keeps this to a minimum. Excessive gunplay WILL ruin the "horror" of a survival horror. I want to feel vulnerable with only limited ammo, it makes the experience far more unnerving. AI has a perfect amount of gunplay, only used where it's really necessary.

This leads me onto the most critical aspect of the game, stealth. If you don't like stealth games then AI is defiantly not for you. You will spend quite some time hiding inside a locker or under a table but you will quickly understand why when you first encounter the relentless nature of the xenomorpth. I won't spoil it but I loved the introduction of the alien. Like many stealth based games, you can often learn to predict the movements of the AI, however the Xenomorpths movements are completely random. It can appear from vents above or below you and thats when its not stalking the various corridors of the station. You will eventually receive the tracking device to help inform you of its movements, another unique feature, perfect for building tension. Sound plays an important part of the experience and I highly recommend you play wearing headphones, often hearing the xeno crawling through the vents is a good indicator whether its behind you or not.

I literally had moments where I would be hiding in a locker, check the tracker, leave, hear a rumble above and run back into the locker again for another 5 minutes! Yes the game is that nerve-racking at times! Having an enemy you cannot kill or outrun makes for a truly intense experience. I tend to play games on there "normal" difficulty setting, I still probably died hundreds of times. The first person death cutscenes are truly spectacular though!

If the perfect killing machine constantly stalking you wasn't enough, then the incredibly creepy synthetics or "Working Joes" will tip you over the limit! Upon first encounter they seem harmless enough but it soon becomes clear that they are either malfunctioning or just don't like guests...  These fellas are surprisingly scary with their dead, glowing eyes and creepy dialogue. I will never forgot my first encounter with a hostile Working Joe who proceeded to stalk me for 10 minutes, eventually catching me and strangling me to death whilst telling me "I was becoming hysterical!", chilling stuff!

Another aspect I really enjoyed were the playable flashback scenes, prior to the events aboard the Sevastopol. This also gives the player the chance to explore planet LV-426, which was very cool! One other thing to note was the save system. The sheer lack of them makes the experience more intense as you desperately try to run to the next save point without alarming anyone or anything!

Theres very little I can fault with the game. I did encounter the occasional glitch, one amusing moment involving the xeno stuck in the vent, unable to reach me! Another time I was hiding behind a desk and a synthetic appeared to be dancing on the spot? Also some of the tasks you need to complete are sometimes a little repetitive, and uninteresting.

That aside, I thoroughly enjoyed Alien Isolation and would definitely rate it as my favourite survival horror! Not only does it capture the feel of the original film but it delivers an interesting new story and a great protagonist. The most important thing is the game IS actually scary, with few jump scares instead relying on the build up of tension. It's basically a very intense game of cat and mouse, only this time the "cat" has acid for blood!

9/10

As always, thank you for reading! Have you played Alien Isolation? If so let me know what you thought of it in the comments below!

Splinter Movie Review

Yesterday I was traversing the horror collection on Netflix and came across an interesting film from 2008 named Splinter. After reading some very positive comments from horror fans I decided to check it out!


Splinter is a creature feature/SciFi horror, directed by Toby Wilkins, which unfortunately skipped a theatrical release, instead going straight to DVD. I know your probably rolling your eyes but stay with me on this as Splinter is a surprisingly entertaining little gem.

The film is primarily set in the single location of a small gas station in Oklahoma, US. A young romantic couple (Seth, Polly) are trying to find a motel after their unsuccessful camping attempt. Meanwhile an escaped convict and his partner (Dennis, Lacey) are on the run needing a vehicle. Seth and Polly are soon hijacked and kept hostage by Dennis and his drugged girlfriend. Before long the couples are forced to stop at a seemingly empty gas station. To her horror, Lacey finds a half dead man in the restrooms, begging to to killed. The man's limbs grossly distorted and strange "spines" protruding from his skin. Dennis, believing its the drugs talking, dismisses her before Lacey is viciously attacked by the now feral man (if you can call him human). Just minutes after, Lacey's corpse begins to move, eventually splicing itself with the other creature. Now with the remaining three trapped inside the gas station, the group must figure out what the hell the thing is and most importantly, how to escape!

Considering this is a low budget release, the effects are great, with plenty of gore to keep those gorehounds happy! The cast also do a fantastic job, with good character development early in the film and some interesting character dynamics amongst the group. There are clearly some nods to John Carpenter's The Thing and even the Re-animator, with themes of assimilation and resurrecting corpses. The origins of the creature, (first seen in the opening of the film), are never explained, this may frustrate some viewers, though personally I much prefer it that way. My only complaints with the film are that it doesn't really deliver when it comes to outright scares, though some of the more gruesome scenes did force me to look away! Also some of the more action focused scenes revealing the creature, relied a little too heavily on "Shaky cam", making it a little hard to distinguish what was happening at times.

Overall though, I found Splinter a thoroughly entertaining film. If you like your creature features and gore, then this is definitely for you!

4/5