Runtime: 95 mins Directed by: #JustinDix Starring: #RobertTaylor, #AlyssaSutherland, #NathanPhilips, #ChristopherKirby, #JohnLloydFillingham Grimmfest Feature by: Darren Tilby Synopsis: Somewhere in the North Atlantic, late 1945, a life raft is adrift at sea and in it, the survivors of a torpedoed hospital ship. With no food, water, or shelter, all seems lost – until an abandoned German minesweeper drifts ominously towards them, giving them one last chance at survival. Grimmfest say: As if war doesn’t have horrors enough already… Juggling its genres with considerable cunning, this savvy little shocker splices story tropes from Bram Stoker and John W. Campbell (by way of John Carpenter) into a gripping. fast-paced wartime “men on a mission” narrative, as the bickering band of mismatched survivors must overcome their differences and work together to defeat a greater evil even than the Nazis. The sharply played characters ring deft changes on familiar war movie archetypes without ever feeling stereotyped; there’s a focus on professionalism over heroic bluster which recalls the work of Howard Hawks, and some of the hardboiled cynicism of Robert Aldrich or Sam Fuller. In short, you are in the hands of filmmakers who know their stuff. And who are not afraid to throw a few unexpected curveballs along the way. It’s a real crowd-pleaser. What I'm Expecting: I can’t begin to express how excited I am for Blood Vessel. It’s been far too long since we had a good ghost ship-based creature-feature. I grew up on creature-features – a personal favourite of mine was the criminally underrated Deep Rising (1998) – but the last half-decent of these films to have had this setting, that I can remember, was Ghost Ship (2002). But with the recent release of the movie-like game Man of Medan, and now Blood Vessel, I’m cautiously optimistic that this shockingly underused setting is making a comeback. And the most enjoyable aspects of horror movies with the ghost ship setting? The mystery and unravelling of events and the claustrophobic atmosphere. That’s what I’d like Blood Vessel to be: a simmering pot of suspense and tension, preferably laden with good and bloody practical special effects. But most of all, I want the opportunity to reconnect with the sub-genre of horror I grew up loving.

Runtime: 78 mins Directed by: #TomBotchii Starring: #ChaseWilliamson, #LaurenAshleyCarter, #JerryGAngelo, #MattMercer, #GavinWhite Grimmfest Feature by: Darren Tilby Synopsis: A comic book obsessed serial killer teaches his son how to get away with murder, until the boy befriends a mysterious man, Holton, who threatens to expose their horrifying family secret. As Holton gets closer to the truth, he must not only fight for the young boy’s life, but for his own. Grimmfest say: Maybe Dr Fredric G. Wertham was right after all. Maybe comics are a bad influence… Tom Botchii’s feature film debut confronts the issue head on, in this contemporary rural Gothic spin on classic fairytale archetypes, as straight-edger Knight of Pure Heart, Horton (Chase Williamson from JOHN DIES AT THE END) is sent to rescue abducted children from the ogre Artik (the impressively brutish Jerry G. Angelo) and his monstrous wife, Flinn (Lauren Ashley Carter). Beautifully shot, with a fine eye for its New Mexico locations, and a great soundtrack, the film is as stark and brutal as a story by Flannery O’Connor, and offers a similarly extreme confrontation between opposing moralities. And if that all sounds a bit too high-falutin’, there’s also an impressively staged – and very brutal – knock-down, drag out fight between Carter and Williamson. What I'm Expecting: One of the best films I saw at last year's #Grimmfest was a really interesting movie called I'll Take Your Dead. I'll Take Your Dead mixed a contemporary and isolated #rural setting, with a Grimm-like #gothic aesthetic. The excellent performances from the cast added real depth to their characters, and, despite the gruesome subject matter, the film served more as a character study for the central father-daughter relationship than it did as just another 'nasty' #horror film. What I'm saying is...more of that would most certainly be welcome. From what I've read, I believe #Artik will fail or succeed on the strength of its cast and the film-maker's ability to properly exploit the characters' situation and their relationships. This could be great, and I remain hopeful that it will be.

★★★ Directed by: #AndyMuschietti Written by: #GaryDauberman Starring: #BillSkarsgård, #JamesMcAvoy, #JessicaChastain, #BillHader Film Review by: #BradyClark Set 27 years after Chapter 1 and completing a whopping 5 hours and 21 minutes, 2-film adaptation of Stephen King’s horror, It Chapter 2 sees the return of The Losers Club, and concludes their three-decade battle with Pennywise the Dancing Clown. The cast has aged well, into the likes of James McAvoy, Jessica Chastain and the hilarious Bill Hader. And whilst It Chapter Two is a solid sequel and gripping conclusion, it does seem to lack the impressive creativity and creepy tone of its predecessor. The scares are still epic and Skarsgård as the titular antagonist is perhaps even more impressive this time around (which is certainly saying something). But this sequel seems to rely heavily on nostalgia deriving from memories not well-enough established as well as a need to include every character and plot point from the first film, even when these clash too heavily with the more developed characters that we are watching. That’s not to say the older cast aren’t entertaining and imposing – McAvoy and Chastain lead well whilst Hader and James Ransone closely follow – but the return of the likes of Finn Wolfhard, Sophia Lillis and Jack Dylan Grazer as young Richie, Beverly and Eddie are moments to be cheered. Chapter 2 is seemingly a case of ‘bigger is not always better’, but it doesn’t prevent the entire event from being a successful version of one of King’s most popular novels. But it could be tighter if it took away focus from irrelevant separating side plots, cringey fortune cookie CGI and numerous script simplicities that make it seem as though this film is from completely different creators than the first. It is at it’s best when Skarsgård is allowed to go off on one of his creepy, dribbling monologues, or when Chastain uses her terrific non-verbal acting skills, and perhaps most of all, every time there is a shiny red balloon floating across the camera, suggesting it’s all about to go down.

★★★★★ Directed by: #MatthewKyleLevine Written by: Matthew Kyle Levine Starring: #MaddyMurphy, #TimothyJCox, #ZachAbraham Short Film Review by: Benjamin Schofield Carly is Miss Freelance. She gets paid to have sex with men. She doesn’t seem to need the money though. Unlike many prostitute characters, there is no implication that is she is pressured into this situation, she doesn’t work for anyone (hence the title of Miss Freelance), she’s not addicted to heroin, she isn’t constantly finding herself in situations of physical danger and assault. Miss Freelance throws out these conventions, these perhaps misogynistic and outdated representations of woman in this profession as trashy whores, sluts, junkies, girls that need to be punished for their promiscuity, and are done so in violent bloodbaths. Instead, Carly’s suffering appears to be more mental. She is not in the job for the money, or for drugs, but seemingly for validation. She appears lost and confused, and she’s looking for her place in this strange world. This is what separates Miss Freelance as a special #shortfilm. It deals with the subject matter with subtlety and finesse. One of its shining features is Murphy’s performance as Carly; at times she seems perfectly in control, there is a robotic-like quality to her unwavering stoicism, yet at other times, she is childlike, naïve and unassuming. The result is something quietly disconcerting but simultaneously immediately likeable – you’ll watch in equal parts confusion, sympathy and horror. The #cinematography adds to this feeling of unrest. The camera is never steady, never quite in proper focus, never centring the action. The film is packed full of close-ups on Carly’s face, drawing you in to her mesmerising performance, she’s almost always shot from slightly above, highlighting this childlike quality that is so uncomfortably at odds with her occupation. The editing, too, is uneasy, awkward, never quite right. We cut from one thing to the next the way a child stops playing with one toy and grabs another: without warning, or clear motivation, yet somehow naturally. Despite these great visuals, it is the sound that is perhaps best at creating the film’s strange mood, which is impressive given that there’s so little of it. Trains, cars, footsteps, and crucially, television shows, make the film’s ambient soundtrack. It is this white noise that crackles and hums in the background that creates the awkward tensions and demonstrates Carly’s isolation. Particularly during the sex scenes, in which heavy breathing and bed rustling is set against silence, drawing painful attention to how uncomfortable and disconcerting the whole situation is. When describing how her clients feel about her, Carly says “when they open the door and see me standing there, I can see it in their eyes, they’re so excited. It’s as if all of their fantasies have come true”; well, that’s sort of how I feel about this film. Maybe try to not think too much into that one...

Runtime: 82 mins Directed by: #StatenCousinsRoe Starring: #KatieBrayben, #PoppyRoe, #SianClifford Grimmfest Feature by: Darren Tilby Synopsis: Self-help addict Lou wants nothing more than to escape the dead-end seaside town where she grew up, but when an opportunity to leave presents itself she finds herself on an unexpected killing spree with her strange and strikingly confident new life coach, Val. Grimmfest say: The title and synopsis might suggest a broad, brash black farce, but Staten Cousins-Roe’s deceptively beguiling debut feature downplays it all the way. The result is a low-key, understated, almost wistfully comic study of loneliness, thwarted lives, and the desire for self-realisation and acknowledgement. The obvious points of reference are Ben Wheatley’s SIGHTSEERS, both in tone and in its eye for rural landscape, and the work of Chuck Palahniuk in some of the satiric targets chosen, but there are echoes too of Mike Leigh in the social observation and the eye for the absurd, and even of Andrea Arnold or Lynne Ramsay in the restless camerawork and washed out colour palette. It’s a very… British depiction of serial killers on the road. A country road of course. Somewhere in the home counties. What I'm Expecting: While it's tempting to jump straight in and assume that A Serial Killer's Guide to Life will be a Thelma & Louise clone, I really hope it isn't. There will be similarities, of course, there will be. Much like Thelma & Louise, I'd thoroughly expect to see the film assiduously explore the complexities of female companionship. But being a British-made film, I'd also hope the film-makers have made use of the drab, gloominess of the English countryside, perhaps in such a way which supports a study of isolation and loneliness. And, of course, no British film would be the same without the dark and dry humour we all know and love. I have high hopes for A Serial Killer's Guide to Life, but I know I won't be disappointed.

★★★★★ Directed by: #RichardJMoir Starring: Richard J Moir, #ChristieWright, #TimCharles, #ChristopherRithin, #DavidLandau, #FionaGent Indie Film Review by: #NathanialEker Through a cold open showing a monochrome view of a rough, harsh, and unyielding London, Temptation immediately establishes its tone of strife. What it doesn’t prepare us for is the willingness of director Richard J Moir to dive into the rabbit hole of art cinema, marrying the genre with a character focused narrative that effectively and consistently delivers emotional gut punches. The dehumanised ‘boy’ is all we ever know our lead as, but a meticulously crafted narrative combined with scenes of pure symbolism, soon align us with his plight, without ever letting up. The boy is established as weak, almost childlike as we follow him through the dangerous streets of the big smoke, alone; a sex worker, abused by his pimp and clients alike. Illuminating flashbacks reveal a sinister nature lurking beneath and we struggle alongside him to resist the temptation to see him take vengeance on those abusers. Moir makes the clever decision to remove a sense of time from the narrative. The lack of clarity is one of the experimental elements that he employs to throw us, like the boy, down a rabbit hole of trauma and repressed psychosis, making it often unclear what is real. While there are undoubtedly overtones of social commentary, be it the treatment of sex workers, familial abuse, and queer theory, the focus stays where it should be; the cognitive war inside the boy’s mind. Shooting entirely in black and white is an obvious, yet subtly effective tool to initially hint at his mental state. Moir says a lot with little dialogue, showing the boy’s depression through his choice of colour palette and costume. As the boy appears to climb out of his hole and carve a life of attempted normalcy, he switches from his all black ensemble to the sort of outfit a mid-twenties lad tends to wear, complete with hipster buttoned up collar. Music, as it should always be, is key here. From the beginning, we explore the boy’s love of all things classical, so the melancholy sound of violins use as a leitmotif for our protagonist feels appropriate. Moir knows how to utilise sound on a practical level too, as during one scene we find ourselves undertaking a slow-motion penance walk towards his next abuser, only to be snapped back to reality by a sharp edit and startling sound. The only elements that seem disparate are the 80s infused compositions which clash with the tone, and remove the film from its timeless aesthetic. As the boy dives deeper into his psyche, it becomes clear that all we’re shown isn’t to be taken literally. The dinner party scene - written with finesse - allows the film to slowly reveal its hand, as the eclectic guests are more than hinted to be mere Kubrickian manifestations. A less proficient writer would’ve crafted a scene reeking of on-the-nose dialogue, but Moir creates something sad, frightening, and intriguing all at once. This is perhaps due in part to the stellar #cinematography, which removes all semblance of life, plunging the boy into an absolute darkness, with only the odd set piece to remind us of where he once was. Temptation wants you to take its tale seriously, a modus operandi that’s clear immediately from its grim tone. Moir is believable and sympathetic as the boy; undoubtedly the most important character to nail. Regrettably, there are one or two performances that while visually effective, veer into hammy acting territory. Austin, for example, is slightly too exaggerated, a creative choice that might’ve worked for the more experimental scenes, but when grounded in reality, alienates the audience from the film’s stoic atmosphere. His character sadly reminds us that Temptation is simply what it is; a film. That said, these niggles are scarce as the vast majority of the cast perform with either gritty realism or an otherworldly gusto. To conclude, Temptation is masterful. A stunning experimental character study with visual influences from Lynch, Kubrick, and beyond, it’s an emotionally charged triumph from start to finish. The film doesn’t overstay its welcome either, keeping the runtime to a snappy, yet satisfying 68 minutes. Moir excels in his roles as director, writer, and lead performer, and is an exciting discovery; brimming with talent and one to watch.

★★★★★ Directed by: #MarcusThomas Written by: Marcus Thomas Starring: #EmanuelGue, #ArnoldChukwu, #LucasBubzyWalters, Marcus Thomas British Urban Film Festival Review by: #IeuanWalker ‘Ain’t you gotta get paid?’ is a question that is put to the music video director protagonist of Marcus Thomas’s No Exposure. Yet such a straightforward query is given significant existential profundity within this innovative reimagining of the neorealist film movement. No Exposure centres around Benjamin, a talented London based photographer who utilises his skills to supplement his income and care for his dementia affected grandmother. The freelance nature of his work garners him employment to create a music video for an upcoming albeit intimidating rap trio. However, as the day progresses into the night, so too do the musicians descend into an array of criminal activities of which Benjamin becomes a reluctant bystander. The amount of freewill that people have in a chaotic world has been a central debate amidst philosophers for generations. Similarly, this sentiment is comprehensively vitalised through the character Benjamin within Thomas’s intricate screenplay. As a creator of art, one would suspect that the protagonist’s imaginative use of his camera would allow him to transcend his otherwise hostile reality. Nevertheless, whether he is proposing shots, or he is questioning the legality of his footage, Benjamin’s ideas are frequently repudiated by his employers. Why does he allow this? Because he relies on payment to provide for himself and his grandmother. Thus, as the spectator occasionally views the world through Benjamin’s camera, there remains an underlying sense that even his visions, like his social situation, is out of his control. The increasingly antagonistic milieu that Thomas constructs in No Exposure is meticulously construed to be oppressive to Benjamin’s creative freedom and freewill. Notwithstanding, the intricacy and graceful pacing of Thomas’s work would be undeniably dismantled without the impeccable performances within the film. Emanuel Gue particularly stands out due to the subdued frustration with which he performs the role of Benjamin. At once, Gue skillfully crafts a character who is desperate to escape his position, but in the meantime realises that he has no influence on the circumstances that define him. This is directly contrasted by the trio of rappers each portrayed with controlled excellence by Arnold Chukwu, Lucas ‘Bubzy’ Walters, and Marcus Thomas himself. Whereas Benjamin is constrained in his efforts to make an honest living, the criminals’ act in accordance to their own rules with little respect for others. The antithetical performances consequently cultivate the philosophical dynamic that resides throughout Thomas’s screenplay. The filmic study of an individual’s freewill within the broader society permeated the immediate post-war cycle of Italian films, including Rome, Open City and Umberto D, which became collectively known as neorealism. Although one would not necessarily associate the use of original hip-hop compositions and the employment of different cameras with these works, their stylistic and conceptual sentiments are shared with No Exposure. The realistic #cinematography coupled with a lack of dramaturgy and narrative closure throughout No Exposure allows one to fully sympathise with Benjamin’s plight despite his fictional status. However, Thomas’s skillful revival of neorealist forms alongside excellent performances create an allegory for a reality that becomes strenuous to deny which remains with the spectator long after the film’s conclusion.

★★★★ Directed by #SusanJohnson Written by #SofiaAlvarez Starring: #LanaCondor #NoahCentineo #JanelParrish #AnnaCathcart #IsraelBroussard Netflix Film Review by: #ChrisBuick Hidden away in a corner of Lara Jean Covey’s room is a box of love-letters that she has written but never sent to every boy she has ever liked over the years, instead preferring to settle for the daydreams and fantasies buried in her numerous romance novels. Not to mention these letters include one to her current crush Josh (Israel Broussard), who just so happens to be the literal boy-next-door and her older sisters’ ex-boyfriend. Bit awkward. Until one fateful day, those letters get out to the boys in question. Expecting horrendous humiliation and embarrassment, Lara Jean (Condor) is surprised to find that instead of ridicule, one of the other recipients of a letter and former crush Peter (Noah Centineo) comes to her with a proposition; that they pretend to be a couple in order to get the attention of their actual intended partners. As you might imagine, things get a bit complicated from there. Based on the New York Times Best Seller by Jenny Han, To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before tries to do something different with the YA rom-com genre and actually manages to create something that is unashamedly sweet, funny and quite enjoyable. The film is filled with the spirit of many rom-coms that came before it, with several outright nods to the classics such as John Hughes’ Say Anything, while also echoing similar beats from other high-school movies such as Mean Girls, 10 Things I hate About You and the like. At times it might seem be going down some well-travelled roads, but it helps give the film a level of comfort and familiarity that can only make you smile, and it does well to steer clear of the more obvious tropes you might expect from this genre, while presenting some fresh ideas and a more believable and grounded teen rom-com for which director Susan Johnson deserves a fair deal of credit. But of course, any film that hinges on romance is only as good as the two leads you are meant to be rooting for. And this is where To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before really hits the nail on the head. Lara Condor is great to watch as emotional bag-of-nerves Lara Jean, trying to navigate her way through these uncharted waters, which is then perfectly balanced by the charming Centineo as Peter, sidestepping all the obvious pitfalls and stereotypes that his character would typically be stuffed with. On top of that they are rounded-off with a refreshingly diverse cast of actors whose characters each bring a little something of their own to the proceedings. It’s easy to see why two sequels have already been green-lit, with the second already wrapped. Sure it might be predictable (it is a rom-com after all) and the premise while different might be a bit out there, To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before will become a firm favourite for fans of the genre and most likely quite a few who aren’t.

Runtime: 88 mins Directed by: #MarianoCohn Starring: #LuisBrandoni, #DadyBrieva, #PeterLanzani Grimmfest Feature by: Darren Tilby Synopsis: A high-end 4×4 is parked on a street of a typical neighbourhood in Buenos Aires. A man breaks into it to steal whatever he can find, but when he tries to get out he finds that the doors and windows are locked tight like an armoured bunker. He is trapped. Someone on the outside is in control of the vehicle, and they seem to have a plan. Grimmfest say: Anybody who parks their shiny new 4×4 in an impoverished neighbourhood is just asking for trouble, right? Or maybe they’re actively inviting it. Mariano Cohn’s fiendish high-concept thriller develops its simple premise into a nightmare of suffocating claustrophobia and cold-blooded cat and mouse cruelty, before pulling a deft shift in focus which places the situation into a wider sociopolitical context. The end result is a nail-bitingly tense, deeply uncomfortable study in petty criminality, revenge, and the breakdown in social responsibility – a narrative in which there can be no winners, only victims. Make sure you are sufficiently hydrated beforehand, folks, because this one will have you sweating buckets. What I'm Expecting: The synopsis and Grimmfest's write-up for the film make me wonder whether Speed, Dredd and Death Proof had some kind of secret cinematic love child, born out of a strange (but hugely thrilling) ménage a Trois—and this is the result. 4x4 is an Argentinian Spanish-language film supposedly rife with socio-political commentary, claustrophobic atmosphere, and "cold-blooded cat and mouse cruelty" at its core. And honestly, I don't quite know what to expect. It could go in any direction; this one has me intrigued beyond reason. One thing I'm sure of, however, is that 4x4 will stand out at Grimmfest, being much less a horror film and much more a thriller—a highly intense and nail-biting thriller at that.

Runtime: 90 mins Directed by: #DavidMarmor Starring: #NicoleBrydonBloom, #NaomiGrossman, #GilesMatthey, #AlanBlumenfeld, #TaylorNichols, #CelesteSully, #SusanDavis, #ClaytonHoff, #EarnestinePhilips Grimmfest Feature by: Darren Tilby Synopsis: After leaving behind a painful past to follow her dreams, Sarah scores the perfect Hollywood apartment. But something is not right. Unable to sleep, tormented by strange noises and threatening notes, her new life quickly starts to unravel. Caught in a waking nightmare, Sarah must find the strength to hold onto her crumbling sanity…or be trapped forever in an existential hell. Grimmfest say: You’ve seen them in dozens of movies and TV shows: those anonymous-looking Hollywood apartment complexes. Places where dreams come to die; motel rooms turned permanent residences. And just as likely to be crime scenes. What kinds of people live there? What kinds of communities can possibly develop? Writer-Director David Marmor’s stunning debut feature offers a few uncomfortable suggestions. There are obvious parallels to be drawn with such real-life Hollywood-based cultism as Scientology and NXIVM, but in its cold, alienated atmosphere, the film also recalls Philip Kaufman’s 1970s LA based version of INVASION OF THE BODY SNATCHERS. And the final scene is genuinely bone-chilling. What price Hollywood? Trust us – you really don’t want to know. What I'm Expecting: Talk of #cults, #alienation, and "crumbling sanity" immediately makes me think this could be narratively and tonally similar to #Hereditary. For me, this is both a blessing and a curse: I love that sort of set-up, the mix of social commentary and atmosphere of lingering dread can be devastatingly effective weapons for a #horror movie to wield, but I am one of them—admittedly few—people who didn't enjoy #Hereditary. Which has left me feeling slightly cautious of such films. What I need from this film is a more understated and creepy film, and one with a considerably less obvious and ridiculous ending. And from what I've read, I remain hopeful that #1BR can be that movie.

★★★★ Directed by: #RamiElHarayri Written by: Rami El Harayri Animated & Edited by: #JohnMcGrew Short Film Review by: Will Girling An Unfinished Love (2019) is the sixth directorial effort from Rami El Harayri. A charmingly crafted stop motion short, the film possesses a tender subtlety that belies its 4-minute run-time, exceptional pacing throughout, and enough writing tricks up its sleeve to deliver a superb emotional punch at the end. In an idyllic village park on a sunny day, Robert proposes to Sarah and she gladly accepts. Their peace is short-lived, however, as the scene fades out and comes back to reveal the war-torn trenches of World War One. Robert has been enlisted and placed on the frontlines, but his thoughts never stray too far from Sarah, even when he narrowly avoids the bullet with his name on it. After accidentally losing a letter he is writing to send her, Robert returns from France to find a different world from the one he left behind. Now, without Sarah and without a purpose, he must find a reason to keep living. Despite the lack of dialogue between the characters, An Unfinished Love succeeds in conveying the bond that Robert and Sarah share, and particularly the pining affection that Robert feels as he literally fights for his life. The transitions between periods of time are well executed by El Harayri; it is a lean story with no filler and with every scene contributing to the overall piece. There is a faux-resolution towards the end when Robert is an old man that I was genuinely moved by, as it expressed a bittersweet yearning that most films simply can’t achieve. The only qualm I have with the story is the lack of explanation for why Sarah goes missing from Robert’s life, particularly considering the ultimate resolution. Couldn’t he have just written another letter? I suppose the army was just very tight on paper and ink rations… However, it is the truly fantastic animation by John McGrew that steals the show. In a story orbiting around the sun of innocence and the subsequent loss of it, stop motion provides the perfect aesthetic compliment: child-like, whimsical and full of heart. For me, it’s reminiscent of Mary and Max (2009) and it’s a real pleasure to watch a film where the story-telling medium is so interconnected with the story itself. Particularly praise should go to McGrew for the way in which he makes the action-figure faces, with very little contortion, express such a spectrum of emotions; an arching of the eyebrows and a pursing of the lips is sometimes all it takes, and the audience is never in doubt as to what’s on the character’s minds. Coupled with a bright and breezy orchestral score through-out, this feels like something that could be a children’s classic straight out of the late 60’s/early 70’s. I had a lot of fun watching An Unfinished Love: it has the charm of The Clangers or Wallace and Gromit and the unity of concept of a Bob Dylan song. We can only hope, with the quality of this output, that El Harayri and McGrew team up again in the near future. Any lover of animated cinema should see and appreciate this movie. #WillGirling

Runtime: 110 mins Directed by: #JenSoska, #SylviaSoska Starring: #LauraVandervoort, #BenjaminHollingsworth, #PhilBrooks (C.M. Punk) Grimmfest Feature by: DarrenTilby Synopsis: Rose dreams of becoming a famous fashion designer, but a terrible accident leaves her scarred beyond recognition. Undergoing a radical untested stem cell treatment, Wallflower Rose becomes the belle of the ball and starts to realise her ambitions. But everything in life comes at a price and Rose's new found perfection is no exception as she unwittingly sets off a bloody spiral of contagion. Grimmfest say: The Soska Sisters' much anticipated reimagining of the Cronenberg classic dials down the bleak psychosexual despair and nihilism of the original in favour of something rather more mischievous. Walking a graceful line between uncomfortably creepy and oddly comic, and filled with in-jokes and sly nods to the entire Cronenberg oeuvre, the film engages with the themes and spirit of the original, but stirs some sly satire into the mix, too. Vandervoort makes for a strong and sympathetic lead, MacKenzie Gray delivers a show stealing turn as the fashion industry guru, Gunther (imagine David Johansen channelling Udo Kier), plus there's a typically eccentric turn from the great Stephen McHattie, as the world's most insensitive doctor, and the Soskas themselves cameo as spiteful twin models Bev and Ellie. In short, it's a whole lot of unwholesome fun. But be careful: it's got sharp teeth, too – and it bites. What I'm Expecting: #Cronenberg's #Rabid – one of his earliest pieces – is a peculiar beast: it's rife with the kind of #Cronenbergian #bodyhorror so many of us horror fans would come to revere, and there are hints of the greatness #Cronenberg would achieve later on in his career. And yet, I really don't care for it. It's not that it's bad, not at all, it's just not that interesting either. In fact, it's, dare I say it, quite tame, at least by #Cronenberg’s standards. And I think this is why the word "#reimagining", instead of “#remake”, interests me so much. It's a word that not only #Grimmfest has used, but the #Soskas themselves...and it excites me very much. This is exactly what I would hope to see: a film that doesn't try to imitate what the original did but rather uses that premise to tell its own version of that story for a more modern audience. For me at least, Jen and Sylvia #Soska's #Rabid has the potential to greatly surpass the original—and I couldn't be more excited to see it.