HeadStuff Podcasts presents The Greatest Matter, an original full-cast audio drama podcast series launching on 24th September 2024. Trailer out now!
The Greatest Matter is a gothic crime tale set in Victorian Dublin, in which a visiting Italian criminologist gets caught up in a mysterious murder in Phoenix Park. The podcast will be released weekly for 12 episodes from September to December.
The show was written and directed by multi-award-winning podcast producer Conor Reid (creator of Words To That Effect), with a cast including Donncha O’Dea, Margaret Mc Auliffe, Amy O’Dwyer and Darragh Smith
The Greatest Matter will be of interest to lovers of gothic and the supernatural, as well as fans of crime, mystery, and all things Victorian. Whether it’s audio dramas like Welcome to Nightvale, The Magnus Archives, or Victoriocity; TV shows such as Penny Dreadful, Sherlock, or Carnival Row; or classic fiction from Arthur Conan Doyle and Bram Stoker...
The Greatest Matter is a gothic crime tale set in Victorian Dublin, in which a visiting Italian criminologist gets caught up in a mysterious murder in Phoenix Park. The podcast will be released weekly for 12 episodes from September to December.
The show was written and directed by multi-award-winning podcast producer Conor Reid (creator of Words To That Effect), with a cast including Donncha O’Dea, Margaret Mc Auliffe, Amy O’Dwyer and Darragh Smith
The Greatest Matter will be of interest to lovers of gothic and the supernatural, as well as fans of crime, mystery, and all things Victorian. Whether it’s audio dramas like Welcome to Nightvale, The Magnus Archives, or Victoriocity; TV shows such as Penny Dreadful, Sherlock, or Carnival Row; or classic fiction from Arthur Conan Doyle and Bram Stoker...
- 9/23/2024
- Podnews.net
Warning: this Inside No. 9 review contains spoilers.
The curse of the ninth. What could be a more fitting inspiration for one of these demonically clever stories? If it hadn’t already existed, they’d have had to invent it.
Inside No. 9’s creators Steve Pemberton and Reece Shearsmith didn’t invent this superstition but they used it to make perhaps their most elegant story yet.
The plot was a trap, avoided. Composer Nathaniel Burnham (Eddie Marsan) had taken his own life after being haunted by a curse that struck artists upon reaching their ninth symphony. Years later, his cash-strapped widow Lillian (Natalie Dormer) ensnared piano tuner Jonah (Reece Shearsmith) to first grave-rob and then complete Nathaniel’s unfinished work, intending to sacrifice him to the fatal curse so that she could profit from the final product. Instead, Jonah turned the tables on Mrs Burnham and, in a sequence beautifully presented by director Guillem Morales,...
The curse of the ninth. What could be a more fitting inspiration for one of these demonically clever stories? If it hadn’t already existed, they’d have had to invent it.
Inside No. 9’s creators Steve Pemberton and Reece Shearsmith didn’t invent this superstition but they used it to make perhaps their most elegant story yet.
The plot was a trap, avoided. Composer Nathaniel Burnham (Eddie Marsan) had taken his own life after being haunted by a curse that struck artists upon reaching their ninth symphony. Years later, his cash-strapped widow Lillian (Natalie Dormer) ensnared piano tuner Jonah (Reece Shearsmith) to first grave-rob and then complete Nathaniel’s unfinished work, intending to sacrifice him to the fatal curse so that she could profit from the final product. Instead, Jonah turned the tables on Mrs Burnham and, in a sequence beautifully presented by director Guillem Morales,...
- 6/5/2024
- by Louisa Mellor
- Den of Geek
From author & illustrator Norm Konyu, who we previously covered when he released A Call To Cthulhu, we have an exclusive preview of his latest book, Downlands! Available just in time for Halloween and illustrated in Norm's unique style, Downlands will be available from Titan Comics on October 1st, and the new book is described as a "wonderfully evocative ghost story in the great tradition of M. R. James and Daphne Du Maurier with a contemporary edge."
“Every village has its stories – those of the living – and those of the dead.”
After the sudden death of his twin sister, 14 year old James Reynolds becomes obsessed with her tale of a black hound, a folkloric creature that is regarded as a portent of death. Enlisting the aid of his elderly neighbour, who the local children call ‘The Witch’, he delves into the centuries of village history, folklore, and ghosts, until he uncovers...
“Every village has its stories – those of the living – and those of the dead.”
After the sudden death of his twin sister, 14 year old James Reynolds becomes obsessed with her tale of a black hound, a folkloric creature that is regarded as a portent of death. Enlisting the aid of his elderly neighbour, who the local children call ‘The Witch’, he delves into the centuries of village history, folklore, and ghosts, until he uncovers...
- 5/29/2024
- by Jonathan James
- DailyDead
Old-school point-and-click adventure gamers can rejoice, as Postmodern Adventures’ throwback tribute to the genre with An English Haunting is out now on Steam and itch.io. In fact, you can grab it with a time-limited 10% discount until June 5. And for those on the fence, there’s also a demo available on Steam.
From the creator of the award-winning Nightmare Frames and Urban Witch Story, and inspired by the works of horror authors M.R. James, Algernon Blackwood, and Arthur Machen, An English Haunting takes place in 1907 London, where spiritualism has gripped the populace. Séances and theatrical shows where spirits make contact with their living families are all the rage, and there are a legion of investigators trying to discover the secrets of the supernatural. Professor Patrick Moore is one such investigator, who unfortunately has a bit of a problem: he’s got 72 hours to prove the existence of the Great Beyond, or...
From the creator of the award-winning Nightmare Frames and Urban Witch Story, and inspired by the works of horror authors M.R. James, Algernon Blackwood, and Arthur Machen, An English Haunting takes place in 1907 London, where spiritualism has gripped the populace. Séances and theatrical shows where spirits make contact with their living families are all the rage, and there are a legion of investigators trying to discover the secrets of the supernatural. Professor Patrick Moore is one such investigator, who unfortunately has a bit of a problem: he’s got 72 hours to prove the existence of the Great Beyond, or...
- 5/27/2024
- by Mike Wilson
- bloody-disgusting.com
After making his inordinately stylish and often hilarious slasher film Stagefright, Dario Argento protégé Michele Soavi teamed up with the maestro for 1987’s The Church, a hallucinatory gothic concoction that was originally intended as the third entry in the Demons series before Lamberto Bava passed the directorial torch to Soavi. Although vastly different in tone and atmosphere than the Bava films, The Church still bears distinct traces of their core idea: Ravening demons are inadvertently let loose to run gruesomely amok within a confined space, in this instance a gothic cathedral located somewhere in Germany.
Where the Demons films take visual media as their primary mode of representation, Soavi and co-writers Argento and Franco Ferrini imbue The Church with a literary bent, which is apt for a story that centers around the interpretation of medieval texts. What’s more, the film overtly references works as disparate as M.R. James’s...
Where the Demons films take visual media as their primary mode of representation, Soavi and co-writers Argento and Franco Ferrini imbue The Church with a literary bent, which is apt for a story that centers around the interpretation of medieval texts. What’s more, the film overtly references works as disparate as M.R. James’s...
- 5/16/2024
- by Budd Wilkins
- Slant Magazine
In the last 5-10 years, the found footage format has shifted more from feature-length horror films to short analog horror projects and alternate reality games on TikTok and Twitter. The analog horror emphasizes the nostalgic yet uncanny feeling conveyed by the technology of decades past.
The Ar games, on the other hand, use modern smartphones to convey a Pov atmosphere no worse than the student filmmakers of The Blair Witch Project could do with professional and amateur cameras.
And yet, no movie makes you feel for the characters like a found-footage movie. And when you add to the formula a skillful and clever approach to production and cinematography, as well as no less intriguing elements of supernatural and folk horror to the story, the result can be one of the scariest and most uncomfortable movies you've ever seen.
That's exactly what The Borderlands, released 11 years ago, turned out to be,...
The Ar games, on the other hand, use modern smartphones to convey a Pov atmosphere no worse than the student filmmakers of The Blair Witch Project could do with professional and amateur cameras.
And yet, no movie makes you feel for the characters like a found-footage movie. And when you add to the formula a skillful and clever approach to production and cinematography, as well as no less intriguing elements of supernatural and folk horror to the story, the result can be one of the scariest and most uncomfortable movies you've ever seen.
That's exactly what The Borderlands, released 11 years ago, turned out to be,...
- 4/30/2024
- by louise.everitt@startefacts.com (Louise Everitt)
- STartefacts.com
From author & illustrator Norm Konyu, who we recently covered when he released A Call To Cthulhu, we have the first details and an exclusive look at the cover art from his next book! Available just in time for Halloween and illustrated in Norm's own gorgeous style, Downlands will be available from Titan Comics on October 1st, and the new book is described as a "wonderfully evocative ghost story in the great tradition of M. R. James and Daphne Du Maurier with a contemporary edge."
“Every village has its stories – those of the living – and those of the dead.”
After the sudden death of his twin sister, 14 year old James Reynolds becomes obsessed with her tale of a black hound, a folkloric creature that is regarded as a portent of death. Enlisting the aid of his elderly neighbour, who the local children call ‘The Witch’, he delves into the centuries of village history,...
“Every village has its stories – those of the living – and those of the dead.”
After the sudden death of his twin sister, 14 year old James Reynolds becomes obsessed with her tale of a black hound, a folkloric creature that is regarded as a portent of death. Enlisting the aid of his elderly neighbour, who the local children call ‘The Witch’, he delves into the centuries of village history,...
- 2/23/2024
- by Jonathan James
- DailyDead
The novel The Woman in Black recently celebrated its 40th anniversary. Released in Fall of 1983, The Woman in Black has become a much loved and much reimagined story. During its history it has been adapted into a TV movie, Hollywood film – with sequel, radio play and theatre production – which was the 2nd longest run of any play in London’s history. The apparition of The Woman in Black has taken many impressive shapes. What’s more impressive is that: the author, Susan Hill had never had a ghost story published prior to this one; the theatre adaptation was penned by a soap opera writer; and the first performance took place in a canteen - possibly a pub - in the northern coastal town of Scarborough (which is some 20 miles away from Dracula’s Whitby).
The story itself revolves around a young solicitor, Arthur Kipps who is sent to a very...
The story itself revolves around a young solicitor, Arthur Kipps who is sent to a very...
- 1/5/2024
- by James Doherty
- DailyDead
Mark Gatiss’ revival of A Ghost Story for Christmas, a British strand of one-off specials infrequently aired around the holidays since 1971, continues with what is possibly its best entry yet: Lot No. 249. The League of Gentlemen alum has maintained a substantial interest in horror, much like comrades Steve Pemberton and Reece Shearsmith, but unlike the Inside No. 9 duo, Gatiss digs up neglected works from classic British literature — before now, namely M. R. James — and reintroduces them to contemporary audiences.
In Lot No. 249, Kit Harrington plays the prying university student who acts on suspicions about his odd neighbor (Freddie Fox). The Egyptologist in question is not only guilty of certain “perversions” he is also using a reanimated mummy — the story’s otherwise nameless namesake — to carry out his wicked plans. This includes murdering his various rivals on campus. The protagonist later intervenes, only to then make a startling, if not belated realization about his enemy.
In Lot No. 249, Kit Harrington plays the prying university student who acts on suspicions about his odd neighbor (Freddie Fox). The Egyptologist in question is not only guilty of certain “perversions” he is also using a reanimated mummy — the story’s otherwise nameless namesake — to carry out his wicked plans. This includes murdering his various rivals on campus. The protagonist later intervenes, only to then make a startling, if not belated realization about his enemy.
- 12/27/2023
- by Paul Lê
- bloody-disgusting.com
It’s beginning to look a lot like… well, November.
But while it’s certainly pretty Novembery at the time of writing this, there’s already a sleighful of excellent UK Christmas TV to look forward to – from festive funnies like Not Going Out and the last ever episode of Ghosts to Christmassy crime dramas like Beyond Paradise and brand-new Agatha Christie adaptation Murder Is Easy.
And of course, every Whovian’s Christmas wish has been answered with the return of the Doctor Who Christmas special!
There’s a festive feline theme to family viewing, with Julia Donaldson’s annual animated gift to parents being Tabby McTat, and Channel 4 giving us an all-star adaptation of Mog’s Christmas. And, as dependable as cranberry sauce and family arguments, there are all your favourite Christmas special episodes, from Taskmaster to Qi and beyond.
So stock up on the Quality Street, test...
But while it’s certainly pretty Novembery at the time of writing this, there’s already a sleighful of excellent UK Christmas TV to look forward to – from festive funnies like Not Going Out and the last ever episode of Ghosts to Christmassy crime dramas like Beyond Paradise and brand-new Agatha Christie adaptation Murder Is Easy.
And of course, every Whovian’s Christmas wish has been answered with the return of the Doctor Who Christmas special!
There’s a festive feline theme to family viewing, with Julia Donaldson’s annual animated gift to parents being Tabby McTat, and Channel 4 giving us an all-star adaptation of Mog’s Christmas. And, as dependable as cranberry sauce and family arguments, there are all your favourite Christmas special episodes, from Taskmaster to Qi and beyond.
So stock up on the Quality Street, test...
- 11/30/2023
- by Louisa Mellor
- Den of Geek
The director of The Eternal Daughter and its star are old friends, in an ‘Og working relationship’. But the timing had to be right to make this gothic tale. ‘I got derailed by worries,’ she says
The nights are drawing in. There’s frost underfoot. You can see your breath in the air. It’s the time of year for a chilly tale of the unexpected. And according to none other than Martin Scorsese, director Joanna Hogg is at the perfect point in her career to direct such a film. “He was trying to encourage me to make a ghost story,” Hogg recalls. “He just thought maybe it’s a direction I could go in. So I said: ‘Well, you know, give me some ghost stories to read.’” Scorsese was as good as his word – his suggestions included Rudyard Kipling’s They, Casting the Runes and The Mezzotint by Mr James,...
The nights are drawing in. There’s frost underfoot. You can see your breath in the air. It’s the time of year for a chilly tale of the unexpected. And according to none other than Martin Scorsese, director Joanna Hogg is at the perfect point in her career to direct such a film. “He was trying to encourage me to make a ghost story,” Hogg recalls. “He just thought maybe it’s a direction I could go in. So I said: ‘Well, you know, give me some ghost stories to read.’” Scorsese was as good as his word – his suggestions included Rudyard Kipling’s They, Casting the Runes and The Mezzotint by Mr James,...
- 11/18/2023
- by Catherine Bray
- The Guardian - Film News
Exclusive: Sherlock co-creator Mark Gatiss has adapted a short story from the detective’s creator, Arthur Conan Doyle, as his annual Christmas ghost story for the BBC. Kit Harington (Game of Thrones) and Freddie Fox (Slow Horses) are attached to star.
Gatiss has penned a version of Conan Doyle’s Lot No. 249, having adapted various Sherlock Holmes novels for the Beeb betweenn 2010 and 2017, alongside former Doctor Who showrunner Steven Moffat.
The special will air as part of the BBC’s winter schedule and comes after Gatiss adapted The Tractate Middoth in 2013, The Dead Room (2018), Martin’s Close (2019) The Mezzotint (2021) and Count Magnus (2022) – four of which were based on works by M.R James.
Lot No. 249 follows group of Oxford students, one of whom undertakes research into the secrets of Ancient Egypt and becomes the talk of the college. “Can these experiments truly breathe life to the horrifying bag of bones which is the mysterious Lot.
Gatiss has penned a version of Conan Doyle’s Lot No. 249, having adapted various Sherlock Holmes novels for the Beeb betweenn 2010 and 2017, alongside former Doctor Who showrunner Steven Moffat.
The special will air as part of the BBC’s winter schedule and comes after Gatiss adapted The Tractate Middoth in 2013, The Dead Room (2018), Martin’s Close (2019) The Mezzotint (2021) and Count Magnus (2022) – four of which were based on works by M.R James.
Lot No. 249 follows group of Oxford students, one of whom undertakes research into the secrets of Ancient Egypt and becomes the talk of the college. “Can these experiments truly breathe life to the horrifying bag of bones which is the mysterious Lot.
- 10/19/2023
- by Jesse Whittock and Max Goldbart
- Deadline Film + TV
Be sure to lock your doors when you get home this Halloween, for a sinister, unearthly presence willing be walking the streets this All Hallow’s Eve.
We don’t mean actual ghosts, obviously, we’re talking about all those precocious costumed youths in shoddily applied face paint having the audacity to knock on your door demanding some of the multipack of snack-size sweets you got from Tesco on the way home from work. Bought them for trick-or-treaters? Pffft. Those Haribo were all for you, and you know it.
So embrace the darkness (and the sugar), draw the curtains, and shut out the world ready to scare yourself silly with these classic British TV ghost stories.
Whistle and I’ll Come to You (1968)
A classic in the ghost story genre, this deeply atmospheric and unnerving production is Jonathan Miller’s adaptation of the 1904 M. R. James tale “Oh Whistle, and I’ll Come to You,...
We don’t mean actual ghosts, obviously, we’re talking about all those precocious costumed youths in shoddily applied face paint having the audacity to knock on your door demanding some of the multipack of snack-size sweets you got from Tesco on the way home from work. Bought them for trick-or-treaters? Pffft. Those Haribo were all for you, and you know it.
So embrace the darkness (and the sugar), draw the curtains, and shut out the world ready to scare yourself silly with these classic British TV ghost stories.
Whistle and I’ll Come to You (1968)
A classic in the ghost story genre, this deeply atmospheric and unnerving production is Jonathan Miller’s adaptation of the 1904 M. R. James tale “Oh Whistle, and I’ll Come to You,...
- 10/16/2023
- by Lauravickersgreen
- Den of Geek
For those fancying a return to old-school point-and-click adventure titles, Postmodern Adventures’ An English Haunting looks to fill that niche. No relation to the Charlie Steeds film of the same name, the game is inspired by the works of horror authors such as M.R. James, Algernon Blackwood, and Arthur Machen, and is currently in development for release on Steam.
An English Haunting sees an enthusiasm for spiritualism gripping 1907 London. Séances and theatrical shows where spirits make contact with their living families are all the rage, and there are a legion of investigators trying to discover the secrets of the supernatural. Among them is Professor Patrick Moore, who is faced with a dilemma: he’s got 72 hours to prove the existence of the Great Beyond, or else his Metapsychic Investigations Department will be shut down forever.
Racing against the clock, with the help of a fake medium named Beatrice Shaw, he...
An English Haunting sees an enthusiasm for spiritualism gripping 1907 London. Séances and theatrical shows where spirits make contact with their living families are all the rage, and there are a legion of investigators trying to discover the secrets of the supernatural. Among them is Professor Patrick Moore, who is faced with a dilemma: he’s got 72 hours to prove the existence of the Great Beyond, or else his Metapsychic Investigations Department will be shut down forever.
Racing against the clock, with the help of a fake medium named Beatrice Shaw, he...
- 7/14/2023
- by Mike Wilson
- bloody-disgusting.com
Stars: Natasha Linton, Rosanne Priest, Bryony Harvey, Sean Botha, Helene Udy | Written by Kemal Yildirim, Mike Hallett | Directed by Kemal Yildirim
Appropriately enough for a ghost story, The Haunting of the Lady-Jane begins at a funeral. As Lily O Cleirigh’s father, her mother, and sister confront her accusing her of causing her father’s death with her sins and keeping his soul away from God.
Six months later while Lily is on a book tour, her sister Kayleigh calls her from the same church and asks her to come home telling her “we miss you”. Lily for some reason is not interested. She’s planning a trip with Zara an aspiring influencer whom she met via her blog, and who also seems to have some family issues.
The offer of a free barge trip brings them into contact with Willard Monk a large man with his own issues. It...
Appropriately enough for a ghost story, The Haunting of the Lady-Jane begins at a funeral. As Lily O Cleirigh’s father, her mother, and sister confront her accusing her of causing her father’s death with her sins and keeping his soul away from God.
Six months later while Lily is on a book tour, her sister Kayleigh calls her from the same church and asks her to come home telling her “we miss you”. Lily for some reason is not interested. She’s planning a trip with Zara an aspiring influencer whom she met via her blog, and who also seems to have some family issues.
The offer of a free barge trip brings them into contact with Willard Monk a large man with his own issues. It...
- 3/28/2023
- by Jim Morazzini
- Nerdly
When I left England in 2009 to live in the Czech Republic, I was totally done with the whole thing. I was broke, had no career prospects, and hated the lifestyle. If it wasn't for family and a few close friends I would have gladly never set foot on the island again. That disillusionment might have lasted forever if it wasn't for folk horror which, in its strange way, helped me reconnect with my home country.
It was the BBC's wonderfully chilling adaptation of "A Warning to the Curious" that really got me into it. Based on the ghost story by M.R. James, many scenes were filmed in Aldeburgh on the Suffolk coast not far from where I grew up. That really gave me a jolt of recognition; I love the county's desolate beaches and big open skies, and I was suddenly filled with affection and longing for England for...
It was the BBC's wonderfully chilling adaptation of "A Warning to the Curious" that really got me into it. Based on the ghost story by M.R. James, many scenes were filmed in Aldeburgh on the Suffolk coast not far from where I grew up. That really gave me a jolt of recognition; I love the county's desolate beaches and big open skies, and I was suddenly filled with affection and longing for England for...
- 1/19/2023
- by Lee Adams
- Slash Film
It’s Christmas Eve, and you’re as ready as you’ll ever be. Presents under the tree? Check. Turkey in the fridge? Check. Mince pie for Father Christmas and a carrot for Rudolf on the hearth? Check. The thinning of the veil between this world and the next, allowing unquiet spirits to walk the Earth and the long shadows in the moonlit, frosty lanes to shift and darken with things not of this world? Check, check and check.
Because while Christmas might traditionally be the season of goodwill, comfort and joy, it is also very much the time of ghosts. And no one appreciates that quite as much as Mark Gatiss.
Gatiss is one of our most recognisable TV actors and writers, making his name with the surreal comedy of The League of Gentlemen and cementing his reputation with a starring role in Sherlock, his TV take on Dracula,...
Because while Christmas might traditionally be the season of goodwill, comfort and joy, it is also very much the time of ghosts. And no one appreciates that quite as much as Mark Gatiss.
Gatiss is one of our most recognisable TV actors and writers, making his name with the surreal comedy of The League of Gentlemen and cementing his reputation with a starring role in Sherlock, his TV take on Dracula,...
- 12/23/2022
- by David Barnett
- The Independent - TV
Count Magnus, this year’s BBC Christmas ghost story special, blends the holiday spirit of reconnecting with family origins with the terror of reawakening a supernatural being that should have been left alone. Although many may associate the concept with the ghosts that haunt Scrooge in A Christmas Carol, UK TV viewers traditionally welcome the holiday season with filmed adaptations of M.R. James’ early 20th-century ghost stories, a BBC tradition revived by Mark Gatiss since 2013.
In this year’s M.R. James adaptation, Jason Watkins plays Wraxhall, a man digging into his distant ancestors from Sweden. His curiosity leads him to the final resting place of Count Magnus, a 16th-century noble who died mysteriously after a trip abroad. He receives multiple warnings that the crypt is haunted but he insists on opening up the tomb.
Den Of Geek spoke to screenwriter, director and actor Mark Gatiss to get the inside...
In this year’s M.R. James adaptation, Jason Watkins plays Wraxhall, a man digging into his distant ancestors from Sweden. His curiosity leads him to the final resting place of Count Magnus, a 16th-century noble who died mysteriously after a trip abroad. He receives multiple warnings that the crypt is haunted but he insists on opening up the tomb.
Den Of Geek spoke to screenwriter, director and actor Mark Gatiss to get the inside...
- 12/23/2022
- by Louisa Mellor
- Den of Geek
Warning: this review contains spoilers.
There you have it: the perfect Inside No. 9 specimen. Macabre, comedic, cleverly plotted, with a little bit of pathos and a gruesome end that – unlike ‘The Devil of Christmas’ – punishes the right person. If this show were taught in schools, ‘The Bones of St Nicholas’ would be the exemplar used to illustrate the classic ingredients of Reece Shearsmith and Steve Pemberton’s show. The setting, the characters, the gags, the reveal, a gross bit about pickling murdered children in brine… this half-hour has it all.
It opens on a snowy and howling Christmas Eve, with the arrival of Pemberton’s Dr Jasper Parkway at a church (filmed at St Mary’s in Rostherne) decorated with twinkling lights and a festive tree. He’s there as part of the C of E’s church-camping or ‘champing’ fundraising initiative – a real programme that lets paying customers bunk...
There you have it: the perfect Inside No. 9 specimen. Macabre, comedic, cleverly plotted, with a little bit of pathos and a gruesome end that – unlike ‘The Devil of Christmas’ – punishes the right person. If this show were taught in schools, ‘The Bones of St Nicholas’ would be the exemplar used to illustrate the classic ingredients of Reece Shearsmith and Steve Pemberton’s show. The setting, the characters, the gags, the reveal, a gross bit about pickling murdered children in brine… this half-hour has it all.
It opens on a snowy and howling Christmas Eve, with the arrival of Pemberton’s Dr Jasper Parkway at a church (filmed at St Mary’s in Rostherne) decorated with twinkling lights and a festive tree. He’s there as part of the C of E’s church-camping or ‘champing’ fundraising initiative – a real programme that lets paying customers bunk...
- 12/22/2022
- by Louisa Mellor
- Den of Geek
When it comes to the tradition of telling ghosts stories during Christmas, Charles Dickens still reigns supreme, with medieval scholar M.R. James in a very close second place. But in recent years, actor, writer, and director Mark Gatiss has quickly earned mention alongside those two by reinvigorating the United Kingdom’s heritage of holiday horror.
Best known for his work on Doctor Who, Sherlock, Dracula, and the comedy troupe League of Gentlemen, Gatiss has become the force behind the BBC’s revival of A Ghost Story for Christmas series of television films. The original run of annuals was largely helmed by Lawrence Gordon Clark, and aired from 1971 until ’78, before returning sporadically in 2005. Gatiss made his directorial debut in 2013 with The Tractate Middoth, the Ghost Story adaptation of James’ work. He has since written and directed three more for the series — James adaptations Martin’s Close and The Mezzotint, and the...
Best known for his work on Doctor Who, Sherlock, Dracula, and the comedy troupe League of Gentlemen, Gatiss has become the force behind the BBC’s revival of A Ghost Story for Christmas series of television films. The original run of annuals was largely helmed by Lawrence Gordon Clark, and aired from 1971 until ’78, before returning sporadically in 2005. Gatiss made his directorial debut in 2013 with The Tractate Middoth, the Ghost Story adaptation of James’ work. He has since written and directed three more for the series — James adaptations Martin’s Close and The Mezzotint, and the...
- 12/21/2022
- by John Saavedra
- Den of Geek
These days it seems like Christmas and horror go together like hot cocoa and candy canes sharpened to a deadly point, but in the long history of film, this is a relatively recent development. Of course there are a few exceptions, but before 1972, it was a rarity to enjoy a vicious Christmas at the local theater. As to why horror was not set at Christmas for so long is an interesting question. Perhaps it was considered off limits to use what many consider a sacred holiday for such dark purposes. But then, holidays of any kind, including Halloween, were rarely seen in horror films before the seventies. In those days, studios would often roll out their theatrical releases over long periods of time, and limiting the reliable market fulfilled by horror films to the small window of the holiday season was likely a risk they were unwilling to take. In the golden age of Hollywood,...
- 12/20/2022
- by Brian Keiper
- bloody-disgusting.com
You’ve just finished making your way through the industrial nightmare of Steel City, a land populated by exploited workers, animated forges and vicious rust wolves. Upon finally reaching the Lord of the Land, a former industrialist warped into an undead wizard known as the Furnace Lich, you brandish your sword and pistol, prepared for battle.
And that’s when your gun starts whispering to you.
This is the type of scenario you can expect in Hollows, the new tabletop roleplaying game from Rowan Rook and Decard’s Grant Howitt and Christopher Taylor, the designing duo behind award-winning games like Heart: The City Beneath and Spire: The Tower Must Fall, among many others. They’ll be releasing a playtest version of the game sometime later this year, so Christopher Taylor sat down to chat with us about their latest project.
Photo Credit: Lucas Utani
Hollows throws you into horrific landscapes that twist and rot,...
And that’s when your gun starts whispering to you.
This is the type of scenario you can expect in Hollows, the new tabletop roleplaying game from Rowan Rook and Decard’s Grant Howitt and Christopher Taylor, the designing duo behind award-winning games like Heart: The City Beneath and Spire: The Tower Must Fall, among many others. They’ll be releasing a playtest version of the game sometime later this year, so Christopher Taylor sat down to chat with us about their latest project.
Photo Credit: Lucas Utani
Hollows throws you into horrific landscapes that twist and rot,...
- 12/8/2022
- by Aaron Boehm
- bloody-disgusting.com
It’s the most wonderful tiiiiime of the yeeeeear! Wherever you fall on a festive scale of Scrooge to Elf, it’s certainly the best time of year for good telly: Christmas TV is every channel and streaming service’s time to shine, as they adorn their listings with sparkly specials and festive films. 2022 is no different, with everything from Christmas comedy offerings from Inside No. 9, to Ghosts and Detectorists, a new animated family film from the team behind The Gruffalo, and brand-new soppy festive rom-coms.
There’s also a growing selection box of Christmas dramas – including the last ever episode of Doc Martin – which is just as well considering this will be the first holiday season without a special Doctor Who episode since the show relaunched back in 2005.
We’ll keep this list updated with announcements and release dates as the Christmas TV schedules are confirmed, but for...
There’s also a growing selection box of Christmas dramas – including the last ever episode of Doc Martin – which is just as well considering this will be the first holiday season without a special Doctor Who episode since the show relaunched back in 2005.
We’ll keep this list updated with announcements and release dates as the Christmas TV schedules are confirmed, but for...
- 12/2/2022
- by Lauravickersgreen
- Den of Geek
This post contains spoilers for "Smile."
There's no denying that audiences love "Smile." It's the horror breakout hit of the year in a year chock-full of horror breakouts -- aren't we lucky to be alive right now? -- and despite its familiarity in structure, it is truly full of surprises. From the top-notch performances of "13 Reasons Why" alum Sosie Bacon and "Scream" star Kyle Gallner to the impeccable and original creature design, this new horror story offers a new spin on old successful genre structures. After all, there's a reason why some conventions keep returning generation after generation; It's because they work.
In the spirit of those tropes we return to over and over, and the surprises that can come from repeating history, I sat down with director Parker Finn to talk shop about his debut feature. We tackle everything from the film's familiar structure to our own fears within the "Smile" universe,...
There's no denying that audiences love "Smile." It's the horror breakout hit of the year in a year chock-full of horror breakouts -- aren't we lucky to be alive right now? -- and despite its familiarity in structure, it is truly full of surprises. From the top-notch performances of "13 Reasons Why" alum Sosie Bacon and "Scream" star Kyle Gallner to the impeccable and original creature design, this new horror story offers a new spin on old successful genre structures. After all, there's a reason why some conventions keep returning generation after generation; It's because they work.
In the spirit of those tropes we return to over and over, and the surprises that can come from repeating history, I sat down with director Parker Finn to talk shop about his debut feature. We tackle everything from the film's familiar structure to our own fears within the "Smile" universe,...
- 11/18/2022
- by Lex Briscuso
- Slash Film
One of Amazon Prime’s most recent releases, The Devil’s Hour premiered on 28th October, and is a twisty, high-concept thriller that will keep you guessing all the way through its six episodes.
The series is written by Tom Moran, and comes from the team behind Sherlock and Dracula, including former Doctor Who showrunner Steven Moffat. The plot centres on a troubled woman who wakes up every night at 3.33am – the so-called devil’s hour – and sees terrifying visions, which get her caught up in a series of brutal murders and a disappearance from many years ago.
The show boasts an impressive lineup of acting talent – so let’s meet the cast of The Devil’s Hour:
Peter Capaldi as Gideon Shepherd
Capaldi plays the reclusive Gideon, an apparently murderous obsessive on a mission, and a mysterious, enigmatic figure. We’ve recently rounded up Peter Capaldi’s best roles, but...
The series is written by Tom Moran, and comes from the team behind Sherlock and Dracula, including former Doctor Who showrunner Steven Moffat. The plot centres on a troubled woman who wakes up every night at 3.33am – the so-called devil’s hour – and sees terrifying visions, which get her caught up in a series of brutal murders and a disappearance from many years ago.
The show boasts an impressive lineup of acting talent – so let’s meet the cast of The Devil’s Hour:
Peter Capaldi as Gideon Shepherd
Capaldi plays the reclusive Gideon, an apparently murderous obsessive on a mission, and a mysterious, enigmatic figure. We’ve recently rounded up Peter Capaldi’s best roles, but...
- 11/1/2022
- by Lauravickersgreen
- Den of Geek
If you listen closely, every year around October 1st you’ll start to hear things go bump in the night… but don’t worry, instead of g-g-g-ghoooosts it’s mostly just the sound of props department interns who have been made to stay late and dig out boxes of bat bunting, dry ice machines and facepaint ready for another round of Halloween TV specials.
Halloween episodes are now a spooky season staple on both sides of the pond, but while the US has been producing Halloween hits like It’s The Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown and The Flintstones’ ‘A Haunted House is Not A Home’ since the early 1960s, the American tradition didn’t properly catch on in the UK until the 1970s.
Dig through the archives, and – while a couple of spooky stories were read out on Jackanory in the late 1960s, including Doctor Who’s own Jon Pertwee’s memorable reading of Ghoulies,...
Halloween episodes are now a spooky season staple on both sides of the pond, but while the US has been producing Halloween hits like It’s The Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown and The Flintstones’ ‘A Haunted House is Not A Home’ since the early 1960s, the American tradition didn’t properly catch on in the UK until the 1970s.
Dig through the archives, and – while a couple of spooky stories were read out on Jackanory in the late 1960s, including Doctor Who’s own Jon Pertwee’s memorable reading of Ghoulies,...
- 10/18/2022
- by Lauravickersgreen
- Den of Geek
Britain is a pretty spooky place. Not only is it one of the most densely haunted countries in the world, but each region is also thick with its own myths and legends. There is nothing quite as eerie as the English countryside, something I feel so nostalgic for now that I live abroad. I especially miss the lonely lanes, empty fields, and deserted beaches of my home county Suffolk, which also inspired some of the most famous ghost stories of M.R. James.
Suffolk was witchcraft country back in the day and the wicked Witchfinder General, Matthew Hopkins, plied his trade there. A merman was once caught in the waters near Orford and was held for interrogation at the castle, while up the coast in Blythburgh, the demon dog Black Shuck burst into the church and frazzled a few of the congregation with his fiery breath.
My favorite tale when I...
Suffolk was witchcraft country back in the day and the wicked Witchfinder General, Matthew Hopkins, plied his trade there. A merman was once caught in the waters near Orford and was held for interrogation at the castle, while up the coast in Blythburgh, the demon dog Black Shuck burst into the church and frazzled a few of the congregation with his fiery breath.
My favorite tale when I...
- 10/7/2022
- by Lee Adams
- Slash Film
The phrase “Joanna Hogg’s Shutter Island” is not a line that many critics expect to bust out in their lifetimes, but with her sixth feature the British director has made a fascinating foray into genre cinema that, while firmly in keeping with the rest of her quasi-autobiographical works, makes a surprising departure from the upper-middle-class realism of her signature film The Souvenir.
Venice competition entry The Eternal Daughter stays very much in the same social milieu, and reunites Hogg with Tilda Swinton in a dual role, but there is also a tremendous sense of unease here, whether one sees it as a spooky story about a woman’s search for self or what it’s like to book a staycation in the UK these days.
Venice Film Festival 2022 Photos
Swinton plays Julie, a filmmaker who is taking her mother Rosalind (also Swinton) on a birthday trip to an ancestral home,...
Venice competition entry The Eternal Daughter stays very much in the same social milieu, and reunites Hogg with Tilda Swinton in a dual role, but there is also a tremendous sense of unease here, whether one sees it as a spooky story about a woman’s search for self or what it’s like to book a staycation in the UK these days.
Venice Film Festival 2022 Photos
Swinton plays Julie, a filmmaker who is taking her mother Rosalind (also Swinton) on a birthday trip to an ancestral home,...
- 9/6/2022
- by Damon Wise
- Deadline Film + TV
Click here to read the full article.
After the success of her paired portrait-of-the-artist features The Souvenir and The Souvenir Part II, British writer-director Joanna Hogg takes a stylistic swerve with The Eternal Daughter, a melancholy winter’s tale with horror elements.
It’s effectively a third chapter in the Souvenir story, one that jumps into the present day after the 1980s setting of Part II. This time, Tilda Swinton takes over the role of Hogg’s fictional avatar Julie (originally played by Swinton’s daughter, Honor Swinton Byrne) and also reprises the role of Julie’s contained, genteel mother Rosalind, affording the actor a chance to indulge her enthusiasm for complex hair and make-up disguises. The two women travel to a remote hotel in Wales for a sentimental journey, one that stirs up both happy and unhappy memories. In the end, it plays a little too often like an...
After the success of her paired portrait-of-the-artist features The Souvenir and The Souvenir Part II, British writer-director Joanna Hogg takes a stylistic swerve with The Eternal Daughter, a melancholy winter’s tale with horror elements.
It’s effectively a third chapter in the Souvenir story, one that jumps into the present day after the 1980s setting of Part II. This time, Tilda Swinton takes over the role of Hogg’s fictional avatar Julie (originally played by Swinton’s daughter, Honor Swinton Byrne) and also reprises the role of Julie’s contained, genteel mother Rosalind, affording the actor a chance to indulge her enthusiasm for complex hair and make-up disguises. The two women travel to a remote hotel in Wales for a sentimental journey, one that stirs up both happy and unhappy memories. In the end, it plays a little too often like an...
- 9/6/2022
- by Leslie Felperin
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Ghost Dog Films, the British independent film and video game company has released a new version of their award-nominated retro-style gothic thriller Crucible of the Vampire. The 2022 Director’s Cut features new footage and a remastered soundtrack of the imaginative British gothic chiller which has strong echoes of Tigon, Hammer and M R James ghost stories. Theatrically released in the UK through Showcase cinemas in early 2019, Crucible of the Vampire was then released via UK Home Entertainment and nominated for Best Thriller at the National UK Film Awards 2020.
Director Iain Ross-McNamee said:
When Crucible of the Vampire was released in 2019 I realised not everyone was understanding the tone of the film. Lockdown was a great opportunity to go back and rework it in a way that explained the story more clearly. As well as re-cutting the picture edit, I wanted to go further with the atmosphere by changing the colour...
Director Iain Ross-McNamee said:
When Crucible of the Vampire was released in 2019 I realised not everyone was understanding the tone of the film. Lockdown was a great opportunity to go back and rework it in a way that explained the story more clearly. As well as re-cutting the picture edit, I wanted to go further with the atmosphere by changing the colour...
- 7/22/2022
- by Phil Wheat
- Nerdly
Ghost Dog Films, the British independent film and video game company has released a new version of their award nominated retro-style gothic thriller Crucible of the Vampire. The 2022 Director’s Cut features new footage and a remastered soundtrack of the imaginative British gothic chiller which has strong echoes of Tigon, Hammer and M R James …
The post Crucible of the Vampire Director’s Cut 2022 appeared first on Horror News | Hnn.
The post Crucible of the Vampire Director’s Cut 2022 appeared first on Horror News | Hnn.
- 6/23/2022
- by Adrian Halen
- Horror News
Stars: Rory Kinnear, Nikesh Patel, John Hopkins, Robert Bathurst, Frances Barber | Adapted by Mark Gatiss
The Mezzotint is the latest instalment of the BBC’s A Ghost Story for Christmas. The original series from 1971 to 1978 is justifiably considered a highlight of televised horror and its influence on later works is covered extensively in Woodlands Dark and Days Bewitched: A History of Folk Horror. Since then, there have been sporadic attempts to revive the tradition, most recently by writer/director Mark Gatiss who has delivered seasonal shudders in 2013, 2018 and 2019, as well as this year.
Edward Williams is the curator of the Cambridge University Museum. He receives a mezzotint from a London art dealer as a potential addition to the Museum’s collection. He’s not impressed, deeming it a very ordinary picture of an estate house. But he becomes interested when a friend points out some features he somehow failed to notice,...
The Mezzotint is the latest instalment of the BBC’s A Ghost Story for Christmas. The original series from 1971 to 1978 is justifiably considered a highlight of televised horror and its influence on later works is covered extensively in Woodlands Dark and Days Bewitched: A History of Folk Horror. Since then, there have been sporadic attempts to revive the tradition, most recently by writer/director Mark Gatiss who has delivered seasonal shudders in 2013, 2018 and 2019, as well as this year.
Edward Williams is the curator of the Cambridge University Museum. He receives a mezzotint from a London art dealer as a potential addition to the Museum’s collection. He’s not impressed, deeming it a very ordinary picture of an estate house. But he becomes interested when a friend points out some features he somehow failed to notice,...
- 12/21/2021
- by Jim Morazzini
- Nerdly
Excavate!, a collection of essays inspired by the music and world of the Fall and Mark E. Smith, is set to be published in the U.S. for the first time on June 22nd via Faber Books.
The book, previously available overseas, features contributions from a variety of writers, as well as a collection of previously unreleased artwork, rare ephemera, and handwritten material. Bob Stanely and Tessa Norton edited Excavate! which includes essays from Grant Showbiz, Michael Clark, Elain Harwood, Ian Penman, Paul Wilson, Owen Hatherley, Mark Fisher, Mark Sinker,...
The book, previously available overseas, features contributions from a variety of writers, as well as a collection of previously unreleased artwork, rare ephemera, and handwritten material. Bob Stanely and Tessa Norton edited Excavate! which includes essays from Grant Showbiz, Michael Clark, Elain Harwood, Ian Penman, Paul Wilson, Owen Hatherley, Mark Fisher, Mark Sinker,...
- 4/22/2021
- by Jon Blistein
- Rollingstone.com
Exclusive Preview Pages from Daphne Byrne #4 and Q&a with Writer Laura Marks and Artist Kelley Jones
A 14-year-old girl battles for her life and sanity after a deceptive demon invades her psyche in Daphne Byrne. One of several new series at Joe Hill's Hill House Comics imprint at DC, the fourth issue (of six) of Daphne Byrne will be unleashed on April 28th, and ahead of its release, we've been provided with exclusive preview pages to share with Daily Dead readers, along with a new Q&a with writer Laura Marks and artist Kelley Jones.
You can read our Q&a and exclusive preview pages below, and to learn more about Daphne Byrne #4, visit DC Comics and Previews World online.
Thanks for taking the time to answer questions for us, Laura and Kelley, and congratulations on Daphne Byrne! How and when did you come up with the idea for this story?
Laura: Joe Hill approached me and asked if I had an idea for a comic.
You can read our Q&a and exclusive preview pages below, and to learn more about Daphne Byrne #4, visit DC Comics and Previews World online.
Thanks for taking the time to answer questions for us, Laura and Kelley, and congratulations on Daphne Byrne! How and when did you come up with the idea for this story?
Laura: Joe Hill approached me and asked if I had an idea for a comic.
- 4/27/2020
- by Derek Anderson
- DailyDead
As Grimmfest prepares to infest Manchester, England once again the festival has announced that they will work with production company Greenacre Films to create a horror anthology TV series called Fear Machine. Fear Machine will be UK centric, but the UK's long history of horror has had global appeal. From the writings of authors like M.R. James, through Hammer's irreplacable contributions in film and culture to contemporary creators like Wheatley and Wright, horror's British Invasion has been going on for decades. The typical UK show model suggests that the series may only be half a dozen hour long episodes per season but every opportunity for more horror, and a stage for the UK to show its horror fortitude is a welcome one. Hopefully...
[Read the whole post on screenanarchy.com...]...
[Read the whole post on screenanarchy.com...]...
- 9/20/2019
- Screen Anarchy
Doctor Who‘s Peter Capaldi and Mark Gatiss were both last seen on the show back in 2017’s Christmas special “Twice Upon a Time,” but they’ll be teaming up again this yuletide for a chilling new ghost story.
Gatiss, who’s also the co-creator of Sherlock alongside former Doctor Who showrunner Steven Moffat, has penned Martin’s Close, a 30-minute adaptation of a classic tale from Victorian horror author M.R. James that’s set to arrive on the BBC this December. James’ story is presented as a record of the trial of John Martin, a man accused of killing his lover, who may just be haunted by her vengeful spirit.
The Twelfth Doctor himself will feature in the cast as barrister Dolben. He’ll be joined by Wilf Scolding, Simon Williams, Sara Crowe, Fisayo Akinade and Elliot Levey. Martin’s Close follows on from 2018’s The Dead Room, an...
Gatiss, who’s also the co-creator of Sherlock alongside former Doctor Who showrunner Steven Moffat, has penned Martin’s Close, a 30-minute adaptation of a classic tale from Victorian horror author M.R. James that’s set to arrive on the BBC this December. James’ story is presented as a record of the trial of John Martin, a man accused of killing his lover, who may just be haunted by her vengeful spirit.
The Twelfth Doctor himself will feature in the cast as barrister Dolben. He’ll be joined by Wilf Scolding, Simon Williams, Sara Crowe, Fisayo Akinade and Elliot Levey. Martin’s Close follows on from 2018’s The Dead Room, an...
- 8/21/2019
- by Christian Bone
- We Got This Covered
Peter Capaldi is to star in a Mark Gatiss-penned ghost story for the BBC. The Doctor Who star is to feature in Martin’s Close, an adaptation of the M.R. James story, for BBC Four alongside Wilf Scolding, Simon Williams, Sara Crowe, Fisayo Akinade and Elliot Levey.
Written by Doctor Who and Sherlock writer Gatiss, who also starred in Game of Thrones, the story follows the murder trial of John Martin. It is presented as a report of the trial in 1684, where Martin has been accused of murdering a young girl named Ann Clark, with whom he had a one-sided romance. The prosecution presents the case that Martin murdered Ann Clark, because she ruined a good marriage proposal for him. During the trial, an event is described in which Martin acted in a guilty manner when confronted with a possible apparition of the girl. In the end, Martin...
Written by Doctor Who and Sherlock writer Gatiss, who also starred in Game of Thrones, the story follows the murder trial of John Martin. It is presented as a report of the trial in 1684, where Martin has been accused of murdering a young girl named Ann Clark, with whom he had a one-sided romance. The prosecution presents the case that Martin murdered Ann Clark, because she ruined a good marriage proposal for him. During the trial, an event is described in which Martin acted in a guilty manner when confronted with a possible apparition of the girl. In the end, Martin...
- 8/21/2019
- by Peter White
- Deadline Film + TV
In today's horror highlights: first details on the London Lovecraft Festival lineup, Nitehawk Cinema Williamsburg screenings include an "M. Nite" screening series, and a trailer for The Drone from the makers of Zombeavers:
London Lovecraft Festival 2019 Lineup Revealed: "From the depths, it rises - the 2019 London Lovecraft Festival, seven days of celebrating the mythos-making mind of H.P. Lovecraft! This year the festival is one day longer and many productions larger, with several one-off performances especially created for the festival. This includes a staged reading of “Cool Air” originally done at the 2005 Seattle Lovecraft Festival, a production of “Shivers,” the cult favorite spooky tales and music event, and a first-ever “Night of a Thousand Tentacles” Lovecraft burlesque evening on opening night, co-produced with the Clocktopus Cabaret. There is also an interactive production “Patient 4620” taking place overall Seven days of the festival, offsite at the Royal Museum of Contemporary Art. What...
London Lovecraft Festival 2019 Lineup Revealed: "From the depths, it rises - the 2019 London Lovecraft Festival, seven days of celebrating the mythos-making mind of H.P. Lovecraft! This year the festival is one day longer and many productions larger, with several one-off performances especially created for the festival. This includes a staged reading of “Cool Air” originally done at the 2005 Seattle Lovecraft Festival, a production of “Shivers,” the cult favorite spooky tales and music event, and a first-ever “Night of a Thousand Tentacles” Lovecraft burlesque evening on opening night, co-produced with the Clocktopus Cabaret. There is also an interactive production “Patient 4620” taking place overall Seven days of the festival, offsite at the Royal Museum of Contemporary Art. What...
- 1/3/2019
- by Tamika Jones
- DailyDead
Alec Bojalad Feb 14, 2018
FX juggernaut Ryan Murphy will be joining streaming juggernaut Netflix in a massive overall production deal...
If you felt a massive disturbance in the force last night, it was probably because Netflix sent a massive ripple through the TV universe by inking TV-producing titan Ryan Murphy to a massive overall production deal.
See related Requiem episode 2 review Requiem episode 1 review Celebrating the chilling ghost stories of M.R. James
Murphy, whose The Assassination Of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story is currently airing on FX, signed a deal reportedly worth $300 million to produce new series and films for Netflix starting July 1st, 2018. That's 2007 Alex Rodriguez money.
Murphy is perhaps the biggest name in television producing, aside from maybe Shonda Rhimes (who Netflix also inked to a deal in 2017, ending her 15-year relationship with ABC). He came to prominence with early FX show Nip/Tuck and then stayed in the Fox family with the attention-grabbing Glee.
FX juggernaut Ryan Murphy will be joining streaming juggernaut Netflix in a massive overall production deal...
If you felt a massive disturbance in the force last night, it was probably because Netflix sent a massive ripple through the TV universe by inking TV-producing titan Ryan Murphy to a massive overall production deal.
See related Requiem episode 2 review Requiem episode 1 review Celebrating the chilling ghost stories of M.R. James
Murphy, whose The Assassination Of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story is currently airing on FX, signed a deal reportedly worth $300 million to produce new series and films for Netflix starting July 1st, 2018. That's 2007 Alex Rodriguez money.
Murphy is perhaps the biggest name in television producing, aside from maybe Shonda Rhimes (who Netflix also inked to a deal in 2017, ending her 15-year relationship with ABC). He came to prominence with early FX show Nip/Tuck and then stayed in the Fox family with the attention-grabbing Glee.
- 2/14/2018
- Den of Geek
Kirsten Howard Feb 7, 2018
Classic Doctor Who adventure The Enemy Of The World is heading for a new home release on 19th March. Here are the details...
The Beeb is all set to release the recovered and restored classic Doctor Who adventure The Enemy Of The World on DVD on 19th March, and most dedicated Whovians will be familiar with what they can expect from the string of once-thought-lost or only partially recovered episodes, which are now positively gleaming in this upcoming bit of physical media.
See related Requiem episode 1 review 70 genuinely creepy horror movies Celebrating the chilling ghost stories of M.R. James
For those that need a little memory jolt, though, here's a quick synopsis of the Patrick Troughton-starring arc:
The Tardis lands on an Australian beach in the 21st century. But this is no seaside holiday - within minutes, the Doctor, Jamie and Victoria are under attack. They...
Classic Doctor Who adventure The Enemy Of The World is heading for a new home release on 19th March. Here are the details...
The Beeb is all set to release the recovered and restored classic Doctor Who adventure The Enemy Of The World on DVD on 19th March, and most dedicated Whovians will be familiar with what they can expect from the string of once-thought-lost or only partially recovered episodes, which are now positively gleaming in this upcoming bit of physical media.
See related Requiem episode 1 review 70 genuinely creepy horror movies Celebrating the chilling ghost stories of M.R. James
For those that need a little memory jolt, though, here's a quick synopsis of the Patrick Troughton-starring arc:
The Tardis lands on an Australian beach in the 21st century. But this is no seaside holiday - within minutes, the Doctor, Jamie and Victoria are under attack. They...
- 2/7/2018
- Den of Geek
For those who haven’t heard of them, Cadabra Records is a boutique record label that specializes in creating audio plays of fantastic horror stories. They did it with The Yellow Sign by Robert W. Chambers and have done stories from Bram Stoker and H.P. Lovecraft. Today we’re thrilled to help them announce their new project, […]
The post Exclusive: Cadabra Brings Chilling Eeriness With M.R. James’ Casting the Runes appeared first on Dread Central.
The post Exclusive: Cadabra Brings Chilling Eeriness With M.R. James’ Casting the Runes appeared first on Dread Central.
- 12/14/2017
- by Jonathan Barkan
- DreadCentral.com
Filmmaker Sean Hogan talks to host Stuart Wright about 5 Great British Horror Films, his book about Brit horror classic Death Line and his new short film – We Always Find Ourselves in the Sea.
We Always Find Ourselves in the Sea enjoys it’s World Premiere at the launch night of the book: Yuletide Terror: Christmas Horror On Film And Television on Dec 14th at Horse Hospital, London
We close out Miskatonic London’s fall season with a celebration of holiday horror as renowned authors Stephen Thrower (Nightmare USA) and Derek Johnston (Haunted Seasons) talk Santa slashers and ghost stories for Christmas to coincide with the new anthology book Yuletide Terror: Christmas Horror On Film And Television. For many, Christmas is an annual celebration of goodwill and joy, but for others, it’s a time to curl up on the couch in the dead of winter for a good old fashioned fright.
We Always Find Ourselves in the Sea enjoys it’s World Premiere at the launch night of the book: Yuletide Terror: Christmas Horror On Film And Television on Dec 14th at Horse Hospital, London
We close out Miskatonic London’s fall season with a celebration of holiday horror as renowned authors Stephen Thrower (Nightmare USA) and Derek Johnston (Haunted Seasons) talk Santa slashers and ghost stories for Christmas to coincide with the new anthology book Yuletide Terror: Christmas Horror On Film And Television. For many, Christmas is an annual celebration of goodwill and joy, but for others, it’s a time to curl up on the couch in the dead of winter for a good old fashioned fright.
- 12/13/2017
- by Stuart Wright
- Nerdly
Louisa Mellor Dec 13, 2017
We’ve taken a highlighter to this year’s Christmas and New Year TV schedules and circled what we’ll be watching this festive season…
Amid the cosy repeats and cranberry-stuffed cookery shows on TV over the next few weeks are a few gems. There’s no Sherlock or Charlie Brooker’s TV Wipe this year, but there are plenty of treats, not least the return of The League Of Gentlemen for a three-part anniversary series and Peter Capaldi’s last hurrah in the Tardis in the Doctor Who Christmas episode.
See related 26 new TV shows to watch in 2017
Over on Netflix, six new episodes of Black Mirror are coming to usher in the New Year, two days into which we welcome the return of Reece Shearsmith and Steve Pemberton’s genius anthology Inside No. 9.
Not to gloss over a spooky M.R. James night on BBC Four,...
We’ve taken a highlighter to this year’s Christmas and New Year TV schedules and circled what we’ll be watching this festive season…
Amid the cosy repeats and cranberry-stuffed cookery shows on TV over the next few weeks are a few gems. There’s no Sherlock or Charlie Brooker’s TV Wipe this year, but there are plenty of treats, not least the return of The League Of Gentlemen for a three-part anniversary series and Peter Capaldi’s last hurrah in the Tardis in the Doctor Who Christmas episode.
See related 26 new TV shows to watch in 2017
Over on Netflix, six new episodes of Black Mirror are coming to usher in the New Year, two days into which we welcome the return of Reece Shearsmith and Steve Pemberton’s genius anthology Inside No. 9.
Not to gloss over a spooky M.R. James night on BBC Four,...
- 12/12/2017
- Den of Geek
The Victorian era, which saw a surge in literary realism, also witnessed a growing fascination—maybe obsession—with spiritualism. Ghost stories and accounts of hauntings were hugely popular, especially around a Christmas fire. Several authors, including M.R. James, F. Marion Crawford, and Edith Wharton, contributed to its popularity. Most of these tales revolve around some anonymous narrator encountering the supernatural—good for nothing but a nice chill and moment of fear. Irish author Joseph Sheridan Le Fanu sets himself apart by summoning his spirits through psychology, even if his version of it is often backwards.
Like the anecdotal, often epistolary stories of M.R. James, many of Le Fanu’s tales read as true hauntings written in an analytical or reminiscent style from the perspective of a witness. “An Account of Some Strange Disturbances in Aungier Street” or “An Authentic Narrative of a Haunted House” are, as they sound, entertaining reports.
Like the anecdotal, often epistolary stories of M.R. James, many of Le Fanu’s tales read as true hauntings written in an analytical or reminiscent style from the perspective of a witness. “An Account of Some Strange Disturbances in Aungier Street” or “An Authentic Narrative of a Haunted House” are, as they sound, entertaining reports.
- 12/8/2017
- by Ben Larned
- DailyDead
Featured in Heather Wixson's holiday gift guide, the new book Yuletide Terror: Christmas Horror on Film and Television could be the perfect stocking stuffer for the horror fan in your life this holiday season, but Spectacular Optical is giving you the chance to take your gift one step further with their interactive book tour this December that includes screenings, lectures, and other live celebrations tied to the book's seasonal themes:
Press Release: For many, Christmas is an annual celebration of goodwill and joy, but for others, it’s a time to curl up on the couch in the dead of winter for a good old-fashioned fright. The festive holiday season has always included a more somber side, and scary tales of child-stealing demons to ghost stories told ‘round the fireplace go back to pre-Christian celebrations. These long-standing traditions have found modern expression in the Christmas horror film, a unique...
Press Release: For many, Christmas is an annual celebration of goodwill and joy, but for others, it’s a time to curl up on the couch in the dead of winter for a good old-fashioned fright. The festive holiday season has always included a more somber side, and scary tales of child-stealing demons to ghost stories told ‘round the fireplace go back to pre-Christian celebrations. These long-standing traditions have found modern expression in the Christmas horror film, a unique...
- 12/4/2017
- by Derek Anderson
- DailyDead
Mark Harrison Oct 31, 2018
Want to enhance your horror movie? Make sure you sign up a cat...
This article comes from Den of Geek UK.
This feature contains broad spoilers for several horror movies featuring cats, including Alien, Cat People, Drag Me To Hell, Fallen, A Girl Walks Home Alone At Night, Pet Sematary and The Voices.
The relationship between humans and cats over time has given way to a number of cultural impressions and outright superstitions. Ancient Egyptians associated them with gods. In the Middle Ages, they were linked with witches and killed en masse, which probably hastened the spread of the Black Plague through the rodent population. And in the modern day, it's interchangeably lucky or not if a black cat crosses your path.
Like anything with such a wide array of symbolic links, movies have presented cats as characters in different ways over the years. It's their abiding...
Want to enhance your horror movie? Make sure you sign up a cat...
This article comes from Den of Geek UK.
This feature contains broad spoilers for several horror movies featuring cats, including Alien, Cat People, Drag Me To Hell, Fallen, A Girl Walks Home Alone At Night, Pet Sematary and The Voices.
The relationship between humans and cats over time has given way to a number of cultural impressions and outright superstitions. Ancient Egyptians associated them with gods. In the Middle Ages, they were linked with witches and killed en masse, which probably hastened the spread of the Black Plague through the rodent population. And in the modern day, it's interchangeably lucky or not if a black cat crosses your path.
Like anything with such a wide array of symbolic links, movies have presented cats as characters in different ways over the years. It's their abiding...
- 10/31/2017
- Den of Geek
Mark Harrison Oct 31, 2017
Want to enhance your horror movie? Make sure you sign up a cat...
This feature contains broad spoilers for several horror movies featuring cats, including Alien, Cat People, Drag Me To Hell, Fallen, A Girl Walks Home Alone At Night, Pet Sematary and The Voices.
The relationship between humans and cats over time has given way to a number of cultural impressions and outright superstitions. Ancient Egyptians associated them with gods. In the Middle Ages, they were linked with witches and killed en masse, which probably hastened the spread of the Black Plague through the rodent population. And in the modern day, it's interchangeably lucky or not if a black cat crosses your path.
Like anything with such a wide array of symbolic links, movies have presented cats as characters in different ways over the years. It's their abiding association with the supernatural – whether as an omen...
Want to enhance your horror movie? Make sure you sign up a cat...
This feature contains broad spoilers for several horror movies featuring cats, including Alien, Cat People, Drag Me To Hell, Fallen, A Girl Walks Home Alone At Night, Pet Sematary and The Voices.
The relationship between humans and cats over time has given way to a number of cultural impressions and outright superstitions. Ancient Egyptians associated them with gods. In the Middle Ages, they were linked with witches and killed en masse, which probably hastened the spread of the Black Plague through the rodent population. And in the modern day, it's interchangeably lucky or not if a black cat crosses your path.
Like anything with such a wide array of symbolic links, movies have presented cats as characters in different ways over the years. It's their abiding association with the supernatural – whether as an omen...
- 10/29/2017
- Den of Geek
December 25th is internationally marketed as a day of cheer, togetherness, and bright lights during one of the darkest nights of the year. But, there are those of us who want to indulge in that darkness. There is a wealth of terror to be found in winter nights, and the following stories are perfect fodder for that breed of dread. Curl up by the fire, turn the lights off, and read... if you dare.
"The Wendigo" by Algernon Blackwood: A group of hunters in snowbound Montana encounter a windy, wintry forest spirit in one of Algernon Blackwood’s scariest tales. By taking an ancient, metaphorical legend and bringing it face-to-face with research and authentic characters, Blackwood forms an account of elemental terror that freezes the soul. Nothing is creepier—or more fun—on a windy December night.
"The Yattering and Jack" by Clive Barker: A family, tormented by...
"The Wendigo" by Algernon Blackwood: A group of hunters in snowbound Montana encounter a windy, wintry forest spirit in one of Algernon Blackwood’s scariest tales. By taking an ancient, metaphorical legend and bringing it face-to-face with research and authentic characters, Blackwood forms an account of elemental terror that freezes the soul. Nothing is creepier—or more fun—on a windy December night.
"The Yattering and Jack" by Clive Barker: A family, tormented by...
- 12/23/2016
- by Ben Larned
- DailyDead
Gem Wheeler Dec 21, 2016
We celebrate the work of M.R. James, whose eerie ghost stories were made into a festive tradition by the BBC...
A shadow lurking just beyond the edge of the vision. Dusty manuscripts bearing fragments of ancient testimony, conflicting and confounding. The sickening touch of a decayed hand, grasping at us from the darkness. The imagery of the ghost story may differ between cultures, but the sense of creeping dread left by the most effective tales remains universal.
See related Jonathan Creek review: The Clue Of The Savant's Thumb Alan Davies interview: Jonathan Creek, Qi, "Creek Geeks" & more... Rik Mayall interview: Jonathan Creek, Bottom, Hooligan's Island, & more... Sheridan Smith interview: Jonathan Creek & more... David Renwick interview: Jonathan Creek, One Foot In The Grave, & more...
One name stands out in the grim roster of English purveyors of the form: Montague Rhodes James, an eminent medievalist with a sideline in...
We celebrate the work of M.R. James, whose eerie ghost stories were made into a festive tradition by the BBC...
A shadow lurking just beyond the edge of the vision. Dusty manuscripts bearing fragments of ancient testimony, conflicting and confounding. The sickening touch of a decayed hand, grasping at us from the darkness. The imagery of the ghost story may differ between cultures, but the sense of creeping dread left by the most effective tales remains universal.
See related Jonathan Creek review: The Clue Of The Savant's Thumb Alan Davies interview: Jonathan Creek, Qi, "Creek Geeks" & more... Rik Mayall interview: Jonathan Creek, Bottom, Hooligan's Island, & more... Sheridan Smith interview: Jonathan Creek & more... David Renwick interview: Jonathan Creek, One Foot In The Grave, & more...
One name stands out in the grim roster of English purveyors of the form: Montague Rhodes James, an eminent medievalist with a sideline in...
- 12/20/2016
- Den of Geek
Kirsten Howard Dec 20, 2016
Based purely on pageviews, these were the ten most popular movies over at IMDb...
Right out of the gate, let's put the assumption that the movies on the list below are in any way reflective of overall quality, or IMDb users' personal preference, to bed. The movie database site's new "best of 2016" rundown is based purely on pageviews - clicks that people usually make when they're either having thoughts like "this Jai Courtney dude looks pretty familiar, but I...ohhh, yeah" or when they need the answers to fairly standard questions, such as "have I seen anything else this guy directed?"
See related Inside No. 9 series 2: Pemberton & Shearsmith's twisted genius Conflicts in the work of screenwriter Nigel Kneale Celebrating the chilling ghost stories of M.R. James Inside No. 9 series 2 episode 2 review: The 12 Days Of Christine Inside No. 9 episode 1 review: Sardines
IMDb's decision to...
Based purely on pageviews, these were the ten most popular movies over at IMDb...
Right out of the gate, let's put the assumption that the movies on the list below are in any way reflective of overall quality, or IMDb users' personal preference, to bed. The movie database site's new "best of 2016" rundown is based purely on pageviews - clicks that people usually make when they're either having thoughts like "this Jai Courtney dude looks pretty familiar, but I...ohhh, yeah" or when they need the answers to fairly standard questions, such as "have I seen anything else this guy directed?"
See related Inside No. 9 series 2: Pemberton & Shearsmith's twisted genius Conflicts in the work of screenwriter Nigel Kneale Celebrating the chilling ghost stories of M.R. James Inside No. 9 series 2 episode 2 review: The 12 Days Of Christine Inside No. 9 episode 1 review: Sardines
IMDb's decision to...
- 12/20/2016
- Den of Geek
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