It’ s ghosts, zombies, unicorns and ‘Cage Rage’, fellow Chroniclers it’s Halloween and The Chronicle has an extra episode. In Take 2, myself and Nick Bartlett share our love for all things horror with a chat about The Borderlands, Buddy, Pontypool and Mandy.
Thank you first of all listening to the current episode of the podcast, episode 71. Myself James and Rosie chat about this year’s BFI London Film Festival, you can enjoy the episode here if you haven’t listened yet.
Every year horror fans in October will play their favourite films until the end of days for Hallows Eve. Whilst we’re not dissing those choices, this year’s special we wanted to be different. We’ve went for those films that are unconventional, that are horror but don’t sick to those traditional tropes of the genre. They may not be full of jump scares, they will play on you mind and that existential dread will stalk you.
First up Nick picks The Borderlands, 2013 British found footage chiller staring Gordon Kennedy, Robin Hill, Luke Neal. The Vatican request a teams to investigate an English countryside church which a lot of strange occurrences.
Nick’s second choice is Bruce McDonald’s psychological horror Pontypool. In a crowded zombie genre, this gives that sub-genre a new life with a twist with not a bite but the power of word. Stephen McHattie stars as radio shock jock Grant Mazzy who learns all about the bleak situation whilst live on air.
My choices I start with Casper Kelly‘s Buddy starring Cristin Milioti, Delaney Quinn, Keegan Michael Key, Michael Shannon. Kelly appeared in last year’s show with V/H/S Halloween, this year he has a 1990’s kids TV Show with a giant orange unicorn. All make look innocent, when you don’t do what Buddy says, you better run as it wont end well!
My final choice Mandy gives us one of the iconic ‘Cage Rage’ in a verry long time. Panos Cosmatos cosmic horror fever dream next to Nicolas Cage this also stars Andrea Riseborough, Linus Roache and Olwen Fouere. A man’s secluded life is shattered when a satanic hippie cult kill his girlfriend and he has only one thing on his mind…Revenge!
