Grimm up North – Halloween Season

October is in full swing so it is time for SCARY movies, Tom takes a look at GRIMM’s Halloween Season

Manchester’s premier cult and horror film festival Grimmfest is sadly over for this year (and what a festival it was)! but that’s not to say that the team are leaving us high and dry without our horror fix over the next few weeks. Having just announced the lineup for their special halloween events, I know that this is set to be a very intense series of evenings, with some of the scariest films ever made being shown on the big screen at Stockport Plaza and Manchester Dancehouse.

Kicking off the series in style, we have The Exorcist on halloween night itself, which is widely regarded as one of the scariest horrors ever made, if not the scariest, and the film still has the capability to terrify audiences fourty years on from its initial release. Based on William Blatty’s novel, The Exorcist focuses on the battle between an evil demon who possesses an innocent young girl and a doubtful priest who begins to question his faith.

Showing at Stockport Plaza, a suitably creepy venue that is the perfect setting to add to the unsettling ambience of the film, The Exorcist is the only way to begin Halloween this year. I’m also very intrigued about the spooky goings on which are set to take place after the film, with these words straight from the Grimm up North website:

‘Weve been told there will also be a paranormal tour of the historic venue after the screening! We’ll be along to offer scary merchandise and a few prizes for the night!’

Paranormal tours are great fun at the best of the times, but with an audiences nerves completely torn to shreds by The Exorcist beforehand, this could be a very unsettling experience indeed.

If you are not too scared to leave the house after viewing the Exorcist the previous night, you then have the opportunity to catch what is arguably Dario Argento’s finest film Suspiria followed by a special preview of the highly anticipated Excision, which has already made waves in the horror community after its early success at Frightfest.

Suspiria is a supernatural horror set in a ballet academy, and a number of suspicious deaths lead to a students realisation that witchraft may be involved. Featuring incredibly well executed death scenes and a punding score from Italian prog rock band Goblin, Suspiria is an important landmark in 70′s horror that should not be missed on the big screen. Excision also examines the obstacles a student faces, albeit this time a disturbed medical student who goes to extreme lengths to please her controlling mother. Said to be highly disturbing but also chock full of black comedy, this should be the perfect partner to Argento’s infamous classic

Finally there is a screening of Stanley Kubrick’s bonechilling horror The Shining based on the Stephen King novel of the same name followed by Room 237, a documentary that explores the layers of hidden meanings  and theories behind Kubrick’s classic. When the Torrance family head to an isolated hotel for the winter, a spiritual presence begins to turn the father violent as he questions his sanity and takes out his anger on his psychic son. The Shining is said to be full of almost impenetrable hidden meanings and Room 237 examines these theories in depth to provide the viewer with a whole new take on a horror masterpiece. For a more in depth view on the film why not take a look at my Director Showcase on Stanley Kubrick:

Director Showcase – Stanley Kubrick

Here are the dates and locations of the films to add to your diary:

Wed 31st October – The Exorcist – Stockport Plaza

Thurs November 1st – Suspiria and Excision – Manchester Dancehouse

Tues November 6th – The Shining & Room 237 – Manchester Dancehouse

For more details on the halloween events and to buy tickets visit www.grimmfest.com before they sell out! Earlier coverage of all things Grimmfest including our festival reviews can be found HERE