It looks like Danny Boyle’s Trance is going to be a lot more gory than you might expect, especially if you know the premise, which sounds like a pretty standard thriller. However this new Red Band trailer shows us we’re going inside James McAvoy’s mind for some strange sights, where not even having half his head blown off can stop Vincent Cassel’s character.

Here’s the synopsis: ‘Simon (James McAvoy), a fine art auctioneer, teams up with a criminal gang to steal a Goya painting worth millions of dollars, but after suffering a blow to the head during the heist he awakens to discover he has no memory of where he hid the painting. When physical threats and torture fail to produce answers, the gang’s leader Frank (Vincent Cassel) hires hypnotherapist Elizabeth Lamb (Rosario Dawson) to delve into the darkest recesses of Simon’s psyche. As Elizabeth begins to unravel Simon’s broken subconscious, the line between truth, suggestion, and deceit begin to blur.’

The movie hits UK cinemas on March 27th, with an April 5th US release set.

When Nivea asked me to test out their Stress Protect deodorant, I had to think about what sort of things might make me sweat and would be suitable for this site (and a family audience). I decided to lower the lights, switch on the TV and go for an Exorcist marathon, and see if this anti-perspirant could keep me fresh through all five films, as stress is apparently the 2nd most common cause of sweating. And even worse, it has a more rapid onset and smells much worse, making it harder to control.

And it’s not just the scariness of the first film the Stress Protect anti-perspirant had to keep me going through, but also the dreadful confusingness of the second, which lets off such a stink on its own I wouldn’t have been surprised if the smell lingered on me.

The deodorant contains a unique formula which combines two ingredients – Stress Protect Actives and a Zinc Complex – which work together to help provide protection in stressful situations. Added Avocado Oil also helps to care for and moisturise underarm skin.

I wish I could say I waited until it was dark outside, but with nine hours of films to get through, I had to pull the blinds, switch the lights off and fire the DVD player up midway through the afternoon. Of course I also had to put on the anti-perspirant, so I decided to do a highly unscientific experiment. I used the roll-on on one armpit and the stick on the other, to see if one helped more than the other.

The first film, 1973’s classic The Exorcist, is definitely the scariest, with Linda Blair spinning her head, doing very naughty things with a crucifix and vomiting pea soup all over the place. Thankfully though, the Stress Protect anti-perspirant kept me fresh for the running time. I can’t say it removed the stress induced the movie, but at the end of the film I still smelled nice. Indeed that was one of the things I liked best about these products, that they smelled fresh and clean, but don’t overpower your nostrils with wafts of gag inducing faux-manliness.

Nope, they just make you smell quite nice while you’re hiding behind a cushion because Pazuzu is possessing a little girl.

I was also fine through Exorcist II: The Heretic, although I wasn’t very stressed by that movie, except by the fact it seems like it’ll never end. It was worth rewatching it though, as I’d nearly forgotten what a strange movie it is, with its confusing visions and refusal to decide what the plot is.

Things improved with The Exorcist III, which may not be as good as the first movie, but is an intriguing and often creepy film with plenty of interesting ideas.

After nearly six hours I have to admit I was considering giving up, and I wasn’t sure I had the stamina for both prequels after having already spent almost six hours in the company of demonic entities. Luckily though, even at this point those demonic entities did not include my armpits, which were dry as a bone.

I persevered though, deciding to go for Renny Harlin’s ‘official’ prequel first, Exorcist The Beginning. It’s not a bad movie, even if it does sometimes delve a bit too far into Hollywood silliness rather than genuinely trying to scare us. Then it was time to cap my marathon off with Paul Schrader’s Dominion: Prequel To The Exorcist.

If you don’t know the tale behind this film, Warner Bros. gave Schrader the cash to make the film, but balked when they saw what he’d produced, a character driven psychological thriller that they thought would be impossible to market. As a result they refused to release to movie and instead got Renny Harlin to reshoot about 75% of it to make it more like modern horror movies. After calls from fans to see what Schrader had produced, Warner eventually brought the movie out on DVD as Dominion.

It’s a bit odd really, as while Schrader’s movie is no masterpiece it’s actually the closest of the sequels/prequels to the tone of the first film. It’s interesting and has some genuinely unnerving moments, so if you haven’t seen it, I’d suggest you try and track down a copy.

After nine hours and five scary movies, had Nivea’s Stress Protect anti-perspirant worked? I have to say it did. I can’t even say I noticed much difference from the armpit I’d used the roll-on on to the one with the stick, although I think there was a little more of the smell of the roll-on left. While I didn’t have to worry too much anyway about nauseating people with my stench sitting alone watching horror movies, they’d certainly be good if you’re worried about overpowering people’s olfactory senses in the cinema. Indeed I might use them for just that.

NEW NIVEA STRESS PROTECT IS IN STORE NOW AT TESCO, BOOTS AND SUPERDRUG
Beiersdorf RRP: 250ml spray £3.29, 150ml spray £2.29, Sticks £2.49, Roll On £2.03 – find out more on the Nivea Website 

I’m crawling through a dark tunnel, with just some faint light at the end and lots of dry ice obscuring my vision when, out of nowhere, a ghostly girl crawls in front of me, her face as white as snow and lips red as a rose. Just as my heart rate returns to something like normal, the black wall to my left starts moving and bulging towards me. Welcome to your worst nightmare.

The Freak Week Festival at Hop Farm in Kent, sponsored by Blinkbox, is a must for horror fans, and ideal for halloween. Set inside various buildings on the large farm, the event involves lots of actors dressed up for the part, and they might pounce on you at any time. Let’s be clear here, this is not an attraction for kids, you have to be made of strong stuff.

The first attraction, The Hatch, is probably the scariest. It’s based on the idea that six children drowned down a storm drain in 1973, and their ghosts still haunt the drains. You enter through a small door, then crawl through to the other side. When you watch a cheesy horror film you sometimes wonder what’s so scary about seeing a ‘ghost’ coming towards you, but when it’s actually happening, trust me, it’s terrifying. There is dry ice and some very loud sound effects, and it’s adrenaline-pumping stuff.

If you survive that the next challenge is the Fun House – at least with this one you’re standing up. It’s an ultra-violet lit maze, featuring clowns coming at you from all directions and doing some grisly stuff. The combination of scary clowns and kids’ toys is quite disturbing, and again having live humans chasing after you is hair-raising stuff.

The Slaughter House is pretty self-evident, another maze in which you walk through blood-spattered curtains into rooms covered in blood, and with all sorts of monsters leaping out at you, some armed with chainsaws. Some seem to have faces made of skin stitched together, none of them look pretty. The woman screaming for help was pretty disturbing.

There are six attractions in all on the farm, and once you’ve had your fill you’re ushered across a field and into a viewing room, the Living Room, to watch Cabin In The Woods. It has a bar, and believe me you’ll need a stiff drink after all the scares you’ve had. Of course, this is no ordinary viewing room – while the film is playing, well, let’s just say things might happen. Hold on to your partner’s hand, the effects are certainly scarier than Joss Whedon’s film which is pretty inane, although quite funny.

All in all it’s a great fun way to celebrate Halloween, and it’s genuinely scary. One of my party was so freaked out she nearly punched one of the zombies who was attacking her – it does say on the disclaimers that these are actors and they won’t touch you, so don’t touch them. Easier said than done when you’re being chased by a ghoulie. You’re also encouraged to dress up in costume, as long as your face isn’t covered.

Food and drink are available, including hog roast and hot dogs burgers. The Peckish Peacock will serve a full selection of vegetarian / gluten free food, and Dorset cider and beer will be on offer served from the Slaughtered Lamb tavern.

The blinkbox Freak Week experience will be open to the public from October 25th till the October 31st

http://www.hopfarmfreakweek.co.uk/ or call 01622 872068

Writer: Mike Martin

Two great national institutions celebrate their fiftieth anniversaries this year and next: James Bond and Doctor Who. On the face of it, the two franchises could not be more different. One is a sci-fi TV series arguably aimed at children, the other a serious of sexually charged action films. But beneath the surface, the two are more similar than they seem. Consider the similarities:

1. Both began at a very similar time. The first Bond film Dr No was released in October 1962, the same month as the Cuban Missile Crisis. Doctor Who first graced British TV screens on November 23rd 1963: the day after President Kennedy’s assassination.

2. Both fizzled out in 1989: Timothy Dalton’s second Bond film License to Kill turned out to be the last for a while. Some blamed the end of the Cold War. The Berlin Wall had fallen: who should Bond fight now? In fact, the success of Die Hard raised the stakes as far as action film budgets were concerned and with the British film industry then in the Thatcher-era doldrums, Bond couldn’t compete. Doctor Who’s end, meanwhile, is sometimes blamed on the malice of BBC controller Michael Grade. Grade freely admits he disliked the series. But in truth, like Bond, Doctor Who had been in a state of decline for some time.

3. Both came back in the mid-Nineties (sort of): Bond returned in style with Goldeneye in 1995 and a new Bond, Pierce Brosnan. Brosnan would star in three more Bond films. Doctor Who’s “comeback” in a 1996 TV movie starring Paul McGann was a total flop. Although ironically the show did see the Doctor behaving more like James Bond.

4. Both came back AGAIN about six years ago: Brosnan was replaced with Daniel Craig and the whole franchise got a reboot with Casino Royale in 2006. The year before Russell T Davies finally re-launched Doctor Who properly with Christopher Eccleston enjoying a one series run as the Doctor and ex-teen pop star Billie Piper as assistant Rose Tyler. The Doctor has regenerated twice since then but has been with us ever since.

5. Both franchises replace their star every few years: The Doctor famously regenerates whenever the lead actor fancies calling it quits, something that first occurred when the elderly first Doctor William Hartnell left early in the series’ life in 1966 and transformed into the physically dissimilar Patrick Troughton. The “regeneration” device has proven very handy over the years. Matt Smith became the Eleventh Doctor in 2010. As there is no obligation for the Doctor’s different personas to physically resemble each other, this has led to some wide ranging choices. Generally the actors seem to have got gradually younger over time, although all have been male. Bond, in contrast, doesn’t regenerate and is supposed to be the same character. Casting directors have generally gone for known but not famous thirty something British actors for the role: Craig is more different than any of the others, simply because he’s blonde. There is no sci-fi element to Bond, of course, but it is odd that we are expected to believe the same man has stayed roughly the same age for fifty years.

6. Doctors on average change at a faster rate than Bonds. Assuming Matt Smith is still Doctor in one year, there will have been on average one doctor for every four and a half years. Bond actors usually last for an average of just over eight years. There have been six so far.

7. Iconic music and title sequences: The haunting Who theme has changed gradually over time as the floating head has (until recently) changed from one Doctor’s into another during the title sequence. The main Bond theme has remained unchanged through the decades although each film has, of course, seen a range of different themes by artists as diverse as Nancy Sinatra, Duran Duran, Tom Jones and (on three occasions) Shirley Bassey. The Bond title sequences have also grown increasingly imaginative and, at times, eccentric.

8. Girls: Bond girls have ranged from Ursula Andress, Barbara Bach, Kim Basinger and Halle Berry. The Doctor, in dramatic contrast seems almost completely asexual. Yet his “companions” (who are occasionally male) have included Bonnie Langford, Katy Manning and many others.

9. Taking the piss: Bond has been parodied extensively. The 1967 Casino Royale (an overblown mess starring Orson Welles, Peter Sellers and Woody Allen) took the piss out of Bond from within. Since then Austen Powers and Johnny English have done so more effectively. Rowan Atkinson interestingly has parodied both Bond (in Johnny English and the TV ads which spawned it) and played a comic Doctor Who in a Comic Relief spoof alongside Julia Sawalha. Filmed in 1999, it was “The Curse of Fatal Death”, which was the closest thing to a new Doctor Who anyone had seen in years.

Writer: Chris Hallam

 

This feature originally appeared on ChrisHallamWorldview

There are a lot of bloggers who dream of writing a movie, but few who actually manage it, especially teaming up with the producer of Paranormal Activity and the director of The Exorcism Of Emily Rose. However that’s what’s C. Robert Cargill has done. After writing for the likes of AintItCool, Cargill got together with Scott Derrickson to write Sinister, which stars Ethan Hawke and hits cinemas today. You can read our review of the film here. We caught up with Cargill to find out a bit more.

Where did the idea for Sinister come from?
I had a terrible dream after seeing THE RING. I was climbing into my attic when I saw a box with Super 8 films and a projector in it. I spooled up the first film and it was the opening image of SINISTER. That nightmare stuck with me for a while and eventually I realised it might make a for a pretty good horror movie.

Are you a big horror/thriller fan?
Huge. I’m a hardcore movie lover in general, which is what led me to film criticism, but I’ve always had a serious love of horror.

Were there any movies that acted as a particular inspiration for Sinister?
THE CHANGELING. Classic 1980 George C. Scott horror masterpiece that has sadly become mostly forgotten over time, but ripped off by so many other films. It’s a really great story about a guy trying to come to grips with the sudden death of his family, while discovering the ghost of a little boy in the new home he’s moved into. Really scary stuff. There’s a scene with a staircase and a ball that makes most grown men quiver in their seats. That was a core inspiration for the pacing and characterisation of SINISTER.

I believe you used to review movies for the likes of AintItCool. Did spending time reviewing movies act as good preparation for writing Sinister?
That’s entirely how I viewed my tenure as a critic. I always knew I wanted to write fiction – whether as novels or films – and treated film criticism as an expanded masters class in storytelling. Each movie was a new assignment and millions of readers were grading me on each outing. When I was afforded the chances, I picked the brains of the masters it put me in contact with: Tarantino, Rodriguez, Avery, del Toro, Black, Wright…there were so many talented writers and directors who gave me advice along the way in great conversations over beers or after films. All of that was filed away as a student would lectures or lessons. SINISTER is the culmination of those lessons and my chance to test and prove some of the theories I developed during that time.

How did you end up working with Scott Derrickson to write Sinister?
Scott and I were friends for a long time before SINISTER. He was a reader of mine who began writing me letters after I had turned him onto some particularly great films that other critics had written off. A friendship slowly evolved and we happened into one another while both on vacation in Vegas. We had several drinks, got to talking and I pitched him SINISTER. He immediately wanted to make it and a week and a half later we were in Jason Blum’s office pitching to him and Brian Kavanagh Jones. They loved it and wanted to move forward quickly.

Is it true that you and Scott wrote the script in just five weeks?
Yep. 100% true. The first draft took 2-3 weeks and the remaining time was going through a number of different drafts. 5 weeks was how long it took before we had a draft we shared with everyone else.

I was wondering when I was watching the film, if there was almost a meta-narrative idea about found footage movies (although of course Sinister isn’t a found footage film itself). One of the complaints about those sorts of films is about why someone would film everything, but in Sinister there’s a reason why murders and strange events have to be on film and why the footage would come to light. Was that deliberate?
Absolutely.

Ethan Hawke’s character, Ellison, is a very understandable person, but he’s not always very likable. Was it difficult to maintain the balance between making him a complex, driven, somewhat selfish man and not making the audience hate him?
Not on the page. That was pretty easy. In print people accept unlikable characters much easier than on the screen. The real trick was finding the right actor who the audience wouldn’t turn easily on. Someone like Jon Hamm in MADMEN or Bryan Cranston in BREAKING BAD. Ethan was an inspired choice on Scott’s part and we got very lucky in being able to get him. A lot of things had to fall into place to make that work and we were blessed. The movie probably wouldn’t have worked without someone with as powerful an onscreen presence as Ethan.

Early on in the film, it’s not clear whether we’re dealing with a serial killer investigation film, the supernatural or something else. Were you deliberately trying to keep the audience guessing?
Yes. While the marketing has undone a lot of that, we were writing a story for people who go in blind to really puzzle over. Meanwhile, it afforded us the ability to explain why Ellison wouldn’t be so quick to bolt from the house. It’s tough for an audience to maintain believability in a story if they reach a point at which they can’t understand why anyone would still live in a house like that.

Making people jump is always an important part of horror. I was wondering how much of those moments come from the script and how much from the director fashioning them on set? And does it help having the director also working on the script?
Half and half. Some of the jumps were written, but most got their power from execution. Some weren’t written as jumps at all but became them on set – or had been all along in Scott’s mind and he simply hadn’t shared that fact with me. There were a few of the latter for sure.

The movie sets up a mythology (while leaving plenty of mystery) that could easily lead into sequels. Was there a deliberate thought while you were writing the script about creating something that could become a franchise?
No. The idea was to create a single, frightening horror film that would encourage the audience to revisit the film to put the pieces together. The idea of leaving it “open to sequels” was developed more in vein to hint at the audience that this horrible thing could still be out there. Go home and check your attic. You could be next!

If there is a follow-up, where do you see things going in a sequel?
In a different direction. I certainly don’t want to tell the same story over again.

Is it a dream to have something you’ve written being released around the world, especially with some good buzz surrounding it?
Who *hasn’t* dreamed about that? This has been a dream come true. But right now I’m just hoping my luck holds and people really enjoy the film.

Are you working on any other movies, and if so, is there anything you can tell us about them?
We have projects in the pipe, but nothing we’re far enough along to talk about yet, sadly.

Thank you.