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Festival coverage

Abertoir

6 November – 11 November 2012

Sightseers
Sightseers

Back for its seventh year, Abertoir had a strong selection of horror and cult film fare with which to scare the inhabitants of Aberystwyth. The highly acclaimed American Mary and Antiviral headed the line-up, but there were also old favourites like Quatermass And The Pit and even a special screening of The Rocky Horror Picture Show. Guest of honour Catriona MacColl spoke at a special screening of The Beyond while other guests included Hellraiser star Simon Bamford and director Steven Sheil. Book readings and talks ran alongside the film line-up, plus there was a chance to watch Tod Browning classic The Unknown with live piano accompaniment.

Other years (12)

Box office and information

Latest reviews

  • The Shining
    Review preview for The Shining

    A masterpiece of horror cinema, it features a bleak atmosphere, striking visuals, frenzied performances, and an utterly unshakable, creeping sense of dread.

    James Gracey · 5 out of 5
    After moving his family to a remote hotel with a troubled past, a writer gradually loses his mind.
  • Citadel
    Review preview for Citadel

    Anchored by a sincerely anguished turn from talented young Welsh star Aneurin Barnard.

    David Graham · 4 out of 5
    A bereaved, agoraphobic single father is beseiged by hooded teenagers who may not be quite human.
  • Resolution
    Review preview for Resolution

    Resolution is an excellent amalgamation of horror traits that also stands on its own two feet.

    Michael Pattison · 4 out of 5
    An attempted intervention at the remote woodland home of a troubled addict reveals unexpected dangers.
  • American Mary
    Review preview for American Mary

    An entertaining, intelligent film about how our choices influence our lives.

    Lindis Kipp · 5 out of 5
    A disenfranchised medical student goes AWOL into the lucrative underworld of unnecessary surgery.
  • Sightseers
    Review preview for Sightseers

    If Malick's lands were bad, then Wheatley's are sad, as small injustices, petty jealousies and perceived slights lead to cold blooded murder and childish revenge.

    Neil Mitchell · 4 out of 5
    A young couple on a caravan holiday find themselves going on a killing spree.
  • Dead Sushi
    Review preview for Dead Sushi

    I was crying with laughter 20 minutes into the film and would not stop until the credits rolled

    Lindis Kipp · 5 out of 5
    Attack of the killer mutant sushi! (from Mars?)
  • John Dies At The End
    Review preview for John Dies At The End

    It may sound like a spurious stream-of-consciousness from someone who’s taken too many drugs in their life, but it’s not.

    Sophie Monks Kaufman · 4 out of 5
    Two friends use a drug that enables them to warp space time in an attempt to save the world.
  • M-29
    Review preview for M-29

    M-29 needs sharp dialogue and strong performances to justify its expositionary premise, but doesn't quite achieve either.

    Jennie Kermode · 1.5 out of 5
    With a serial killer on the loose, a young woman accepts a lift through the forest from a stranger.
  • Antiviral
    Review preview for Antiviral

    As a first feature, it may not be totally surprising or very subtle, but it does have some impact, particularly visually.

    Owen Van Spall · 3 out of 5
    In a future where people pay to be infected with the same diseases as their idols, a dealer races to find a cure after a starlet whose illness he has stolen dies.
  • The House By The Cemetery
    Review preview for The House By The Cemetery

    The House By The Cemetery will, as would be expected, offer viewers a shocking and gut-churning expose of Fulci’s directorial penchant for gore.

    Merlin Harries · 3.5 out of 5
    A deranged killer lives in the basement of an old mansion and pops out occasionally to commit grisly murders that include beheadings...

A–Z of Abertoir 2012 reviews

Features

  • Cold cuts
    Antiviral, Dead Sushi, American Mary and more - an Abertoir diary.
  • It's a scream
    Catriona MacColl looks back on her life as a horror heroine.