FILM OF THE MONTH: May 2012

The Wicker Tree

____Now I don’t say this too often (the last time being for a non horror film when I reviewed TYRANOSAUR!) but THE WICKER TREE may be my all time favorite British Horror/Thriller to date. I first saw THE WICKER TREE back at FrightFest 2011 and even though there were some mixed feelings amongst the horror parish I for one loved it. I was also very honored to meet the film’s Director Robin Hardy and two of the film’s stars, The American lead Britannia Nicol and the very lovely Jacqueline Leonard but that has nothing to do with the review really *swoons*.

THE WICKER TREE is the first direct sequel of the original (and not the Nic Cage version for our younger readers) THE WICKER MAN which famously starred Sir Christopher Lee, who makes a very quick guest appearance nearer the end of the film. This story is set many years later in the small Scottish town of Tressock where born again Christian rock singer Beth Boothby (Britannia Nicol in her acting debut) and her boyfriend Steve (Henry Garrett – RED TAILS, RE-KILL) have been invited from the US to spread the name of god to the locals by Sir Lachlan Morrison (Graham McTavish – TV’s PRISON BREAK, COLOMBIANA) and his Delia (Jacqueline Leonard – TV’s Eastenders (1996-1997), CHAPLIN). When they arrive the couple are humbled to be asked to join the town’s May Day festivities when Beth is asked to be their May Queen and Steve is asked to be her ‘Laddie’. But not all is as it seems in Tressock with sexual temptation and an evil secret just waiting for the right moment to swallow them both whole.

As I mentioned before there were some mixed feelings at FrightFest when this was originally shown as some of the more hardcore wicker man fans thought the cult classic was better but that is hardcore fans of the original film which I was not. THE WICKER TREE had the genuine classic British feel to it in the same way STRAW DOGS and THE WICKER MAN had an aspect of the film which drew me in more. The acting was polished and all you can really do is be in awe of the direction and screenplay from Robin Hardy.

If you enjoyed THE WICKER MAN or you just love a great British film then you should march down to your local DVD retailer (or quickly jump on to Amazon whatever takes your fancy) and buy this NOW.

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BOOK OF THE MONTH: May 2012

Asbury Park by Rob Scott

__Asbury Park is the second offering following the exploits of Homicide Detective Sailor Doyle from Gollancz writer Rob Scott. His first novel 15 miles introduced you to Sailor, but Asbury Park can be read as a stand alone novel.

Sailor arrives at Belmar on the Jersey Shore, a broken man, not only does Scott manage to show the shattered life that is Sailor's but he describes a place equally as flawed, where once it was a seaside town, it as now deteriorated into a ghetto.

What hooked me straight away was the sheer gritty, no holds barred style of writing, that others fail to accomplish, Sailor is not your atypical protagonist, in fact he has more character faults than most but you do find yourself warming to him, because he behaves in the same way mot of us would.

This is not your usual crime novel and neither is it horror, the world Scott has crafted is actually real, real areas and descriptions and therein lies the horror behind the scenes of American society; the drug problems and corruption.

Running through the novel are slices of supernatural, but because Scott had crafted such a believable story, you find yourself believing the more surreal aspects of the novel, and yes the deaths are grisly and the police procedure extremely thorough.

Sailor is one of the most broken but believable characters coming out of this genre, and Scott's naked truth and depictions of American society are the most refreshing account I have come across since Dennis Lehane (Mystic River). I will certainly be looking out for his first novel 15 miles which introduces us to Sailor.

If you want something new, page turning, attention to detail and beautifully crafted then this novel is for you, in the world of fiction it is immensely pleasing to unearth potentially a new genre fusing crime with realism and supernatural.

FRIGHTFEST E-MAGAZINE

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Download Issue  of the FrightFest E-Magazine.

In the tenth issue of Film4 FrightFest's E-Magazine Stuart Barr talks to Drew Goddard, director of  CABIN IN THE WOODS

Alan Jones recalls his trip to Italy to the set of Dario Argento’s DRACULA 3D, while Nina Romain looks at the Count’s popularity with moviegoers in “Dark Shadows on the Silver Screen”.

They also have the usual collection of reviews and features.