Now in its seventh year the Fantastic Films Weekend is going from strength to strength. Like many of the smaller, weekend-long horror/fantasy festivals, such as Dead By Dawn and Frightfest, it has garnered a steady following and grows in stature each year.
This year, in fact, marks a new venture for the Bradford-based extravaganza, as they collaborate with Frightfest for the first time. They've teamed up with the London-based fest to present sleazy revenge spectaculars Vigilante, with Robert Forster, and Linda Blair-starrer Savage Streets.
Originally focussing on classic ghost stories, the festival has now expanded to include sneak peaks of upcoming films - such as this year's preview of The Mist. Based on the Stephen King novella, this tale of a sinister fog that leaves locals trapped in a supermarket won't be on general release until July.
The Festival kicks off on June 13 with Peter Jackson's classic comedy gorefest Braindead. If a zombie baby isn't enough to whet your appetite for horror, then maybe one of the other vintage shockers will do the trick. Also featured in the programme is slasher precursor to Halloween, Black Christmas - cruelly subjected to a much inferior remake in 2006, this is a chance to see Bob Clarke's suspenseful 1974 original on the big screen.
Four classic films also get the widescreen treatment - with Outland, Poltergeist, Terminator 2 and The Thing all receiving a 70mm airing.
The highlight of the weekend for many, however, will be the chance to hear some of the people behind the movies talk about their work. British director Robert Fuest was due to attend but has had to drop out due to ill health. His films The Abominable Dr Phibes and Dr Phibes Rises Again! will still show as a double-bill on June 16, however, and there is talk of Jenny Agutter managing to make an appearance - although this has yet to be confirmed.
Director Peter Duffell will also be attending the festival to talk about his film debut, the Amicus anthology The House That Dripped Blood, while Belgian director Harry Kümel will be onhand to talk about two of his films that are screening - erotic vampire flick Daughters of Darkness and gothic mystery Malpertuis.
Rounding out the guest list are the team responsible for spooky curio Blood On Satan's Claw - director Piers Haggard and writer Robert Wynne-Symmons.
Throw in screenings that include 1942 chiller Cat People and Pakistani flesh-eating gorefest Hell's Ground among others and it promises to be a weekend you can really sinkyour teeth into.
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