Here is the new look of horror – now our on blu-ray!!
All Hail Ben Wheatley!
If you don’t know Director Ben Wheatley, you need to in a hurry! His fourth film just won a special jury prize, and it’s a new way to make an unsettling horror film!
First, a bit about the Director:
British Director Ben Wheatley got his start doing commercials and music videos, then made several acclaimed viral videos for the web. That led to him getting the opportunity to direct features. He is a bold new talent emerging from the UK, with a distinctive style, and a twisted sense of humor!
Let’s look at his first three films quickly – all are largely overlooked here in the US, but were critical hits in England: In May 2009 he directed the feature film “Down Terrace” in eight days; it won the Next Wave prize at Fantastic Fest in Austin and Best UK Feature at Raindance in London.
Here’s the trailer:
The plot is very straightforward: A crime family looks to unmask the police informant in their midst who threatens to take down their business. It’s to Wheatley’s credit that he created a critically-acclaimed film with no time or money…
Next up is a very dark and twisted tale of revenge, murder and madness!
Kill List
“I fucking hate dirty soap.”
Nearly a year after a botched job, a hit man takes a new assignment with the promise of a big payoff for three killings. What starts off as an easy task soon unravels, sending the killer into the heart of darkness.
Here’s the trailer!
This film was released “unrated” for a reason – it’s a violent, dark and twisted thriller that doesn’t pull a punch! And speaking of not pulling punches:
Sightseers
“Police are pursuing a ginger-faced man and an angry woman…”
Boy, are they ever! Check out the trailer!
Two lovers travel the countryside, killing anyone who gets in their way…as you can see by the trailer, it’s a British “Badlands meets Natural Born Killers!”
All of this leads to his latest film – released in July in the UK in a unique manner: simultaneously released in theaters, on DVD, and ondemand and download to own…but the plan was to take advantage of publicity to drive maximum value – as the movie is a low budget, black-and-white meditation on horror:
I will followup with this in a moment, but this new way of releasing films across multiple platforms is the “new normal” for film…
A Field In England!
Friend: You think about a thing before you touch it, am I right?
Whitehead: Is that not usual?
Friend: Not in Essex.
Check out the trailer!
Here’s the plot: fleeing for their lives, a small party abandon their Civil War confederates and escape through an overgrown field. Thinking only of what lay behind, they are ambushed by two dangerous men and made to search the field.
Psychedelia, madness and chaotic forces slowly overtake the group as they question what treasure lies within the malignant field.
“A Field In England” just won the special jury prize at the 2013 Karlovy Vary International Film Festival – and is getting rave reviews! Currently, the film has scored an 88% positive rating on Rotten Tomatoes!
Congrats to Drafthouse Films for picking up US rights to the film – go to their website for more info:
http://drafthousefilms.com/film/a-field-in-england
I cannot wait to see this movie – we are entering an exciting era of new Directors offering unique stories and personal visions – very 70’s era!
And, as promised, here is a link to the result of the multi-platform release strategy in the UK – this is the future of film, folks, so it’s interesting to see how a film can perform when released on multiple platforms at once!
http://blog.film4.com/a-field-in-england-multiplatform-release-the-results/
And if you think the best new horror is only coming from overseas, then it is time to remind you that a couple of female twins have a movie for you…
The Soska Sisters!
So don’t forget these two: the twin horror Directors The Soska Sisters! Their new film “American Mary” is a twisted horror film as well! Read all about them by clicking here!
It’s a whole new era or horror for us to enjoy! Let me know what you think by leaving a comment!
Categories: Action Films, Awards, Books / Media, British Cinema, Cannes Film Festival, Exploitation films, Film Noir, Foreign Films, Great Films, Horror films, Independent Cinema, London, Movies, Obscure Movies, Revenge Movies, Talent/Celebrities, Uncategorized
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