The Last Horror Movie

Last updated

The Last Horror Movie
TheLastHorrorMovie.jpg
Directed by Julian Richards
Written byJames Handel
Julian Richards
Story byJulian Richards
Produced byZorana Piggott, Julian Richards
Starring Kevin Howarth
Mark Stevenson
CinematographyChris St. John-Smith
Edited byClaus Wehlisch
Music bySimon Lambros
Release date
  • 24 August 2003 (2003-08-24)(London FrightFest Film Festival)
Running time
80 minutes
CountryUnited Kingdom
LanguageEnglish

The Last Horror Movie is a 2003 British found footage horror film directed by Julian Richards. On 24 August 2003 it premiered at the London FrightFest Film Festival and stars Kevin Howarth and Mark Stevenson. The Last Horror Movie was released onto DVD through Fangoria's Gore Zone label on 7 December 2004. [1]

Contents

Plot

The film follows Max Parry (Kevin Howarth), a disturbed wedding video cameraman, and his unnamed assistant (Mark Stevenson) as they perform several murders that they have videotaped. The two have used a video store tape in order to record the proceedings, breaking the fourth wall, and insinuating that the copy of the film being watched is the only existing version of the tape. Throughout the film, Max uses meta-references in order to show off his gruesome activities as a serial killer. The film raises questions surrounding visceral pleasure, this can be seen in one scene in particular during which the audience cannot see the victims (two at once) being murdered, Max Parry then asks the audience, "I bet you wanted to see that, and if you didn't, why are you still watching?"

At the end of the film the audience is left to believe that since they are watching the only copy of the film, that they will potentially become one of Max's victims.

Cast

Development

Richards stated that he was inspired to create The Last Horror Movie after reading Stephen King's Danse Macabre . [2] Richards was also inspired by "the idea of using horror fiction to help people explore their anxieties about difficult issues", as he has the main character of Max Parry using it as a way to "justify his crimes to the world". [2] The movie was filmed with a small crew on a limited budget, with most of the film's issues stemming from the prosthetic make-up effects, as they "had to work real time whilst remaining hidden from the camera". [2]

Release

Hart Sharp Video released the DVD Director's Cut and normal cut versions of the film on 7 December 2004. Arts Alliance America also released the film on DVD that same day. Hart Sharp Video has re-released the film several times since their original releases of the film as a part of several multi-disk sets on 4 October 2005 and 2 October 2007. The film was last released on DVD by Jinga Films on 26 August 2014. [3]

Reception

On Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds an approval rating of 56% based on 9 reviews, with a weighted average rating of 5.9/10. [4] ReelFilm criticized the movie as being "repetitive" and that the film would have worked better as a short. [5] Peter Bradshaw from The Guardian awarded the film 1/5 stars, calling it "smug and drearily nasty". [6]

In contrast, Dread Central gave a more positive review and stated that "It's a movie that makes you think, and that's far too rare nowadays." [7] Marc Savlov from Austin Chronicle gave the film 2.5 out of 5 stars, writing, " Despite the film’s horrific verisimilitude... and a genuinely smart screenplay by Richards and James Handel that simultaneously rubs our noses in the horror while allowing us to savor the flavor – and thereby become complicit in Max’s onscreen theatrics" [8]

Awards

Sequel

Richards first expressed interest about creating a sequel in 2003, where he remarked that if it was created, the film would either remain in the found footage video diary format of its predecessor or be a "more conventional slasher movie". [2] In 2012 Richards confirmed that he is actively developing a sequel and that it would be set several years after the events of the first film. [9] The sequel would have Max living in Los Angeles and showing an obsession with social networking sites, which he uses to select his victims. [9]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Alice Krige</span> South African actress and producer

Alice Maud Krige is a South African actress and producer. Her big break came in 1981, when she starred as the Gilbert and Sullivan singer Sybil Gordon in the British historical film Chariots of Fire, and as Eva Galli / Alma Mobley in the American supernatural horror film Ghost Story. She received a Laurence Olivier Award for her performance in the West End theatre production of Arms and the Man (1981) and later joined the Royal Shakespeare Company.

<i>Cube 2: Hypercube</i> 2002 film by Andrzej Sekula

Cube 2: Hypercube is a 2002 Canadian science fiction horror film directed by Andrzej Sekuła, written by Sean Hood, and produced by Ernie Barbarash, Peter Block, and Suzanne Colvin. It is the second film in the Cube film series and a sequel to Cube.

<i>Dead End</i> (2003 film) 2003 French film

Dead End is a 2003 English-language French horror film written and directed by Jean-Baptiste Andrea and Fabrice Canepa, and starring Alexandra Holden, Ray Wise, Lin Shaye, Mick Cain, Billy Asher, and Amber Smith. It tells the story of a dysfunctional family who find themselves on a never-ending road in the middle of a forest during a routine drive on Christmas Eve, while under pursuit of a mysterious hearse and a woman dressed in white.

<i>Epidemic</i> (film) 1987 Danish film

Epidemic is a 1987 Danish experimental medical dark comedy-horror film co-written and directed by Lars von Trier; it is the second installment of Trier's Europa trilogy, following The Element of Crime (1984) and succeeded by Europa (1991).

<i>BloodRayne</i> (film) 2005 film by Uwe Boll

BloodRayne is a 2005 action horror film directed by Uwe Boll, from a screenplay written by Guinevere Turner. It is based on the video game franchise of the same name, from Majesco Entertainment and game developer Terminal Reality, of which it acts as a loose prequel to the first game. It is also the third video game film adaptation made by Boll, who previously made House of the Dead and Alone in the Dark. The film stars Kristanna Loken, Michael Madsen, Matthew Davis, Will Sanderson, Billy Zane, Udo Kier, Michael Paré, Meat Loaf, Michelle Rodriguez, Ben Kingsley and Geraldine Chaplin.

<i>Society</i> (film) 1989 film by Brian Yuzna

Society is a 1989 body horror comedy film directed by Brian Yuzna and starring Billy Warlock, Devin DeVasquez, Evan Richards, and Ben Meyerson. Its plot follows a Beverly Hills teenager who begins to suspect that his wealthy parents are part of a gruesome cult for the social elite.

<i>A Tale of Two Sisters</i> 2003 South Korean film

A Tale of Two Sisters is a 2003 South Korean psychological horror film written and directed by Kim Jee-woon. The film is inspired by a Joseon dynasty-era folktale entitled "Janghwa Hongryeon jeon", which has been adapted to film several times. The plot focuses on a recently released patient from a mental institution who returns home with her sister, only to face disturbing events.

<i>Hatchet</i> (film) 2006 American film

Hatchet is a 2006 American slasher film written and directed by Adam Green. The film has an ensemble cast, including Joel David Moore, Tamara Feldman, Deon Richmond, Mercedes McNab, Parry Shen, Joleigh Fioreavanti, Joel Murray, Richard Riehle, Patrika Darbo, Joshua Leonard, Tony Todd, Robert Englund, and Kane Hodder. The plot follows a group of tourists on a New Orleans haunted swamp tour, who accidentally get stranded in the wilderness, only to be hunted by a vengeful, supernatural deformed man who kills anyone that enters the swamp.

<i>The Mangler</i> (film) 1995 film by Tobe Hooper

The Mangler is a 1995 horror film directed by Tobe Hooper and written by Hooper and Harry Alan Towers. The film is based upon the Stephen King 1972 short story of the same name, which appeared in his 1978 inaugural short story collection Night Shift. It stars Robert Englund and Ted Levine. It also spawned two direct-to-video sequels, The Mangler 2 and The Mangler Reborn.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Steve Balderson</span> American film director

Stephen Clark Balderson is an American film director.

<i>Dracula II: Ascension</i> 2003 vampire film by Patrick Lussier

Dracula II: Ascension is a 2003 direct-to-video American-Romanian vampire film, directed by Patrick Lussier. It stars Jason Scott Lee, Stephen Billington and Diane Neal. Filmed entirely in Romania by Castel Film Studios, the film is the sequel to Dracula 2000. It was released direct-to-video on June 7, 2003.

<i>Rec</i> (film) 2007 film by Jaume Balagueró and Paco Plaza

Rec is a 2007 Spanish found footage horror film co-written and directed by Jaume Balagueró and Paco Plaza. The film stars Manuela Velasco as a reporter who, with her cameraman, accompany a group of firefighters on an emergency call to an apartment building to discover an infection spreading inside, with the building being sealed up and all occupants ordered to follow a strict quarantine.

<i>Scar</i> (film) 2007 American film

Scar is a 2007 American slasher film directed by Jed Weintrob, written by Zack Ford, and starring Angela Bettis.

<i>Summer Scars</i> 2007 British film

Summer Scars is a 2007 British thriller film produced and directed by Julian Richards. It is based on a hostage situation that Richards experienced during his childhood. The cast includes Kevin Howarth, Ciaran Joyce, Amy Harvey, Darren Evans, Jonathan Jones, Chris Conway, Ryan Conway and Chole Parfitt.

Darklands is a British horror film written and directed by Julian Richards, starring Craig Fairbrass, Jon Finch, Rowena King, which was released in 1997.

<i>The Horde</i> (2009 film) 2009 French horror film

The Horde is a 2009 French horror film co-written and directed by Yannick Dahan and Benjamin Rocher. It stars Claude Perron, Jean-Pierre Martins, Eriq Ebouaney and Aurélien Recoing.

<i>The ABCs of Death</i> 2012 American film

The ABCs of Death is a 2012 American comedy horror anthology film produced by international producers and directed by filmmakers from around the world. The film contains 26 shorts, each by different directors spanning fifteen countries, including Nacho Vigalondo, Kaare Andrews, Adam Wingard, Simon Barrett, Banjong Pisanthanakun, Ben Wheatley, Lee Hardcastle, Noboru Iguchi, Ti West, and Angela Bettis.

Kevin Howarth is a British film actor, known for his roles as Max in The Last Horror Movie, Peter in Summer Scars and Viktor in The Seasoning House.

<i>Tusk</i> (2014 film) Body horror comedy film by Kevin Smith

Tusk is a 2014 American independent body horror comedy film written and directed by Kevin Smith, based on a story from his SModcast podcast. The film stars Michael Parks, Justin Long, Haley Joel Osment, Genesis Rodriguez, Lily-Rose Depp and Johnny Depp. The film is the first in Smith's planned True North trilogy, followed by Yoga Hosers (2016).

<i>The Final Girls</i> 2015 American comedy horror film

The Final Girls is a 2015 American comedy slasher film directed by Todd Strauss-Schulson and written by M.A. Fortin and Joshua John Miller. The film stars Taissa Farmiga and Malin Åkerman, with supporting performances from Adam DeVine, Thomas Middleditch, Alia Shawkat, Alexander Ludwig, and Nina Dobrev. The plot follows a group of high school students who are transported into a 1986 slasher film called Camp Bloodbath.

References

  1. ↑ "Review: THE LAST HORROR MOVIE (2004)". JoBlo.com. Retrieved 20 September 2013.
  2. 1 2 3 4 "INT: JULIAN RICHARDS". JoBlo.com. 23 November 2004. Retrieved 20 September 2013.
  3. ↑ "The Last Horror Movie (2003) - Julian Richards". AllMovie.com. AllMovie. Retrieved 24 September 2015.
  4. ↑ "The Last Horror Movie (2004) - Rotten Tomatoes". Rotten Tomatoes.com. Flixer. Retrieved 30 June 2018.
  5. ↑ "MiniReviews: The Last Horror Movie (October 8/05)". ReelFilm. Retrieved 20 September 2013.
  6. ↑ Bradshaw, Peter (21 July 2008). "The Last Horror Movie". The Guardian.com. Peter Bradshaw. Retrieved 30 June 2018.
  7. ↑ Butane, Johnny (4 December 2004). "Review: Last Horror Movie". Dread Central. Retrieved 20 September 2013.
  8. ↑ Savlov, Marc. "The Last Horror Movie - Film Calendar - The Austin Chronicle". Austin Chronicle.com. Marc Savlov. Retrieved 30 June 2018.
  9. 1 2 Turek, Ryan. "Julian Richards to Make Sequel to The Last Horror Movie". Shock Till You Drop. Retrieved 20 September 2013.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.