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Fresh from directing the latest series of Gangs of London, horror aficionado and friend of Empire, Corin Hardy (The Nun, The Hallow), is hosting a Halloween horror weekend at The Picture House Cinema in Uckfield. Dubbing it the ‘Horrorthon’, he’s lined up a terrifying mix of classic horrors, many of which are celebrating landmark anniversaries – and there’s also an all-ages animated spook-fest featuring a Tim Burton double bill, so smaller family members don’t feel left out.
“Halloween is very important to me,” Hardy says. “I used to put on a night of horror movies for my friends entitled ‘The Horrorthon’. This would normally take place in my bedroom, then my parents lounge and now, thanks to The Uckfield Picture House, I get to screen my favourite Halloween movies at the cinema with you!”
The weekend kicks off on Friday 28 October – here’s the schedule in full.
The Lost Boys – Friday 28 October, 6:45pm
“Sleep all day. Party all night. Never grow old. Never die. It’s fun to be a vampire.”
The poster quote could have been, and most likely was the one-line pitch for The Lost Boys – the definitive teenage vampire movie of all time. Directed with rebellious candour by Joel Schumacher, it features an incredible ‘brat-pack’ cast including Kiefer Sutherland, Jason Patrick and Coreys Haim & Feldman. The Lost Boys mischievously inflects the legend of Peter Pan with an 80s dose of sex, drugs and rock & roll vampire horror, balancing comedy, coming-of-age and wicked, sometimes graphic horror to exhilarating and original effect. Incorporating impressive and much-imitated special makeup FX design, non-stop quotable lines, inventive cinematography and a truly killer soundtrack of gothic hits, The Lost Boys is a real must see on the big screen.
Bram Stoker’s Dracula – Friday 28 October, 9:10pm
“I have travelled oceans of time to find you”
Bram Stoker’s 1897 novel Dracula is the biggest selling book of all time – apart from The Bible. And Francis Ford Coppola’s Bram Stoker’s Dracula is certainly the most lavish cinematic rendition of the definitive vampire story. Coppola goes all out, combining wonderfully inventive, non-computer generated set design, Oscar winning special FX makeup and lavish costumes to create a romantic, erotic, gothic horror that deliciously earns its 18 certificate. Starring Gary Oldman in a truly iconic performance as the ancient lovesick vampire, alongside Keanu Reeves (Jonathan Harker), Winona Ryder (Mina Harker) and Anthony Hopkins as the deranged Van Helsing, Dracula, celebrating its 30th anniversary, is the perfect movie to help kick off this year’s Halloween Horrorthon!
Frankenweenie – Saturday 29 October, 10:30am
“When you lose someone you love, they never really leave you. They just move into a special place in your heart.”
Frankenweenie is a stop-motion animated film by visionary director Tim Burton; his homage to the story of Frankenstein and other classic monster movies. It is also a remake of his own short film of the same name, concerning an oddball loner, Victor Frankenstein, and his beloved dog Sparky, who is reanimated after a fatal accident claims his life. Frankenweenie features Burton’s individualistic trademark elements of combining a strong, gothic-horror aesthetic with a heartfelt, tender and frequently funny children’s ‘horror’ story – it’s macabre, fun and super spooky. His films are meticulously designed and crafted, and Frankenweenie is no different, rendered in gloriously stylish black and white.
The Corpse Bride – Saturday 29 October, 1:45pm
“A tragic tale of romance, passion, and a murder most foul!”
The second in the Halloween Horrorthon Family Double-Bill, The Corpse Bride is another beautifully macabre, dark and fantastical world: a funny and whimsical model-animated feature film directed by Tim Burton. When Victor (Johnny Depp), due to pre-wedding jitters, accidentally places his wedding ring on an old, wizened tree branch, he brings to life the Corpse Bride (Helena Bonham Carter) and must step into her undead world to figure out exactly what he wants most.
Nosferatu – Sunday 30 October, 3:30pm
One can only imagine what it must have been like to visit the cinema in 1922, during the early years of silent movies, to witness one of the first horror films of all time. This Horrorthon will celebrate the 100thanniversary of Nosferatu, F.W. Murnau’s German Expressionistic interpretation of Count Dracula (renamed ‘Count Orlok’ for the German audience and iconically played by the menacing Max Schreck), with a live piano accompaniment orchestrated in the cinema by Olivier Award-winning composer and conductor, Terry Davies. This is sure to be a seriously unique Halloween experience!
The Thing – Sunday 30 October, 8:30pm
“Man is the warmest place to hide”
John Carpenter’s The Thing is a remake of the 1951 Howard Hawks B-movie The Thing From Another World. It is an innovative and intense, beautifully made creature feature ‘whodunnit’ set in Antarctica, and it is also Corin Hardy’s favourite movie of all time. It stars charismatic, grizzled Kurt Russell as Macready, a helicopter pilot who is working with a team of researchers when they discover a parasitic organism buried under the ice. The film features some incredible performances from its many ensemble character actors and explores themes of paranoia and trust as each of the men fall victim to the terrifying human-assimilating monster hiding within them. The special effects, make-up and creature FX (by young genius Rob Bottin) were ground-breaking in 1982 and are still a benchmark in the history of practical FX and creature design. If you haven’t seen The Thing on the big screen before, you are in for a truly monstrous treat as we celebrate its 40th anniversary.
Poltergeist – Monday 31 October, 8:30pm
“They’re here…”
Released the same year as The Thing, director Tobe Hooper’s terrifying (and fun) supernatural shocker Poltergeist took an all-American middle-class family home setting, made famous by the likes of Steven Spielberg, and haunted it with a nightmarish visitation in the guise of an invisible and malignant paranormal entity. In fact, the film was produced by Spielberg and his production company Amblin, who together with films like Jaws, Indiana Jones, Close Encounters Of The 3rd Kind and E.T. (also released in 1982 – what a year!), managed to maintain a delicious recipe that combined a thrilling cinematic rollercoaster ride with elements of horror, and in never more potent a concoction than here. Celebrating it’s 40th anniversary, Poltergeist is made to be seen in the cinema – the perfect movie to close this year’s Halloween Horrorthon!
Across the weekend, The Picture House Restaurant will be hosting the Horrorthon Bar, with spooky specials including Corin’s own delicious pumpkin soup and creepy cocktails. There are also free popcorn for punters wearing fancy dress, and the best costume wins a Picture House voucher. If you’ve never caught these classics on the big screen previously, now’s your chance!
To book tickets, visit www.picturehouseuckfield.com, or phone 01825 764909.
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