It's the biggest attraction of the year for horror fans, and 2010's Film4 FrightFest has lots of terrifying treats in store. The five day event will see no fewer than 36 films shown across two screens in London's Empire Cinema, Leicester Square. Among them are ten impressive British contributions.
"The Film4 FrightFest line-up this year is stronger, pioneering and more relevant to our core followers than ever before," said festival co-director Alan Jones. "With the Hollywood mindset focused on safe bets and creative bankruptcy, we've gone back to the roots of what true horror fantasy should be about - exploring daring ideas with innovation using new conjugations of shock from new exciting talent."
The festival will open with Adam Green's Hatchet II, a sequel with a little something extra that reveals the secrets behind the mad axeman's presence in the swamp. The closing gala will be The Last Exorcism, in which an earnest churchman finds himself out of his depth when encountering the evil that possesses a teenage girl on a backwoods Louisiana farm. Other highlights include Paul Andrew William's nerve-jangling home invasion story Cherry Tree Lane, which left our reviewer in a state of shock all evening, and the controversial remake of original video nasty I Spit On Your Grave.
Expanding on this theme, Jake West's incisive documentary Video Nasties: Moral Panic, Censorship And Videotape explores the political issues behind government reactions to horror films, and the director will be on hand to talk to the audience afterwards. He's one of an impressive number of special guests attending, who include the reclusive Texas Chainsaw Massacre director Tobe Hooper, Eli Roth, Craig Fairbrass and former Spandau Ballet stars turned actors Martin and Gary Kemp. There will be numerous Q&As, signings and competitions, plus a challenging horror film quiz.
Frightfest will run between the 26th and 30th of August, but it's a good idea to book your tickets early. Individual screenings cost £11 and it's £150 for a full five day pass. And if you're unable to attend, never fear - or perhaps we should say, go ahead and fear - because Film4 will be running a special season of horror films alongside it.
