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'SAW Alive' Opening Night at Thorpe Park!
From category: General Horror
Following on from last years grand opening of the unpredictably popular 'SAW: The Ride', that opened at UK based theme park Thorpe Park, they've gone and done it again with the celebrity opening launch night of 'SAW Alive: The Live Action Horror Maze'. And my colleague and I were lucky enough to attend.
"Be forced to 'Face Your Fears' by navigating that attraction's six rooms depicting the most grisly and iconic scenes from the six 'Saw' movies to date. Those who survive Jigsaw's ultimate test, 'SAW Alive', will also have their nerves pushed to the absolute limit on Thorpe Park's adrenaline-fuelled rides. The nation's thrill capital just became a whole lot more terrifying. Can you handle it?"
The evening kicked off with everyone's favourite experience, the FREE bar. And so after a few bottles and glasses of wine were necked we were all herded and forced to congregate outside in the bitter cold. Amongst the celebrities (can I use that term loosely here?) in attendance were previous Celebrity Big Brother housemates Lady Sovereign and Chantelle Houghton, mockney tit Danny Dyer, Gary Lucy, Bill Bailey, Hollyoaks stars Mark Littler and Darren Jeffries (Max and OB), along with dancer Brendan Cole and music stars Dizzee Rascal and Lemar. Amongst others.
And with our drinks well dispensed, our electric-shock warning waiver forms(!) and tightening feelings in our chest we made our way over to 'SAW Alive'. My expectations for this new 'experience' were actually quite high, possibly too much so. I for one am a bit of thrill seeker and am happy to take on any ride big or small. This however had a whole different feeling to it. It's effectively a walk-thru horror house - each room mapped out and decorated as memorable scenes from all 6 'Saw' movies (to date). And the one thing that disturbed me beforehand was the mention of live actors being allowed to touch you!
A small group of us were led into the warehouse building and instructed to place our hands on the shoulders of the person in front of us as we were led around. As we entered the initial room a maniacal actor playing the part of some kind of security guard who had had waaaay too much coffee began hyperventilating and instructing us to watch a video of the infamous Jigsaw puppet. And as the clock ticked down we entered the next room. And fans of the 'Saw' franchise would have instantly picked up that this room was the bathroom from the first 'Saw' movie. Complete with actors crawling across the floor to another sawing off his foot in the corner. YES! These guys grab your ankles.
Next up you're met with people jumping at walls, person or persons walking around in cloaks and pig heads, but more notably a topless actress hanging in a cold-room scenario (from part 3 I believe) and you could tell it was a COLD room! Apparently there was some form of electric shock administered throughout the maze, however, no one could be quite sure where and when it happened. And ultimately the whole experience was over in a matter of minutes. Whether this is due to the hysterical bunch of girls in front of us (leading this bizarre conga) racing through each room and not really stopping to see just what the hell was going on. Asides from that it wasn't bad. I'm just trying to imagine when it opens officially if they would be letting in people under a certain age as there are some quite graphic elements included in the experience that I'm not sure parents would want their son or daughter to be subjected to.
After all that excitement (or lack of(!?)) it was time to head back over to the one THEY GOT RIGHT! 'SAW: The Ride' - with the UK's most vertical drop (Oblivion at Alton Towers? PAH!). Having been on the ride numerous times now in the past year it still holds as one of the best rides I've been on ever. And experiencing it in the dark is a must.
After assimilating ourselves into numerous groups and once again sneaking our way into the celeb group being marched around privately we were able to enjoy a number of other night time goes on Thorpe Parks more popular rides. All in all it was a pretty successful night.
Thorpe Park reopens its doors for the 2010 season on Thursday 18th March! And you can win tickets to go right here on the Horror Asylum. Win FREE Thorpe Park tickets!
And don't forget that 'Saw VI' is now available on DVD and Blu-Ray from all good stockists. And if you'd like to win your very own copy simply enter our latest Saw VI Blu-Ray and DVD Giveaway.
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After Dark Horrorfest 4 - 8 Films To Die For
From category: General Horror
The "8 Films To Die For" returns to selected theaters with 8 new horrors on January 29th. This is the fourth year of the After Dark Horrorfest, and looks to be an awesome line up. I talked with Sara Finder a couple days, Director of Horrorfest. She gave me a little background on After Dark Films, and how they put together each years release.
It started a little over four years ago when Lionsgate noticed Courtney Solomon's An American Haunting. Mr. Solomon and Lionsgate made a distribution deal and started looking at horror films from all over. Checking out events like Sundance, New York, and Toronto Film Festivals he discovered many great horror movies that deserve a theatrical release. Within four months of collaborating with Lionsgate, the first After Dark Horrorfest was set to go. Included with the 8 movies every year, After Dark Films throws in a foreign film too. Sara made special mention about the movie Frontiere(s). Its an After Dark Films movie. The movie was never included in the horrorfest because the MPAA wanted to cut it down to fit into an R rating. The films need to be rated R to make it into the festival.
Sara says, "We refused to cut the movie down, so we pulled it. We wanted to put the movie out as it should be seen. Its an incredible film. It ended up getting its own release." She went on to say that it is probably one of her favorites and she highly recommends it.
You can keep checking the website for updates and more info on the movies. Trailers, pictures, and everything you need to find out where the movies are playing in your area. Also, if you don't have the option to see these in the theater, don't worry. All 8 of the movies will be released for rental and purchase towards the end of March.
Listed below are the movies and links to the After Dark Films and Horrorfest websites to check out. As well as links to Facebook and Twitter. Be sure to also check out the movies from Horrorfest 1, 2 and 3.
"Its the 4th year of After Dark's Horrorfest. We're back!" - Sara Finder, Director of Horrorfest.
Dread
Staring - Jackson Rathbone, Shaun Evans, Laura Donnelly, Hanne Steen
Synopsis – This is the second in Clive Barker's Book of Blood franchise. Three college students making a documentary about what people dread in life. But they have no idea that their partner Quaid, witnessed his parents being murdered by an axe-wielding lunatic and wants to make others experience his own personal horror.
Hidden
Staring – Arthur Berning, Knut Morten Brekke, Gabriel Gjonnes.
Synopsis - Kai Koss unwillingly returns to the small town he ran from 19 years ago. His cruel mother has recently died, and left him the house he grew up in. He means to leave as soon as he has made all the necessary arrangements, but with his heritage comes dark and deadly secrets, and he soon finds himself tangled up in a series of event that seem beyond anyone’s control.
Kill Theory
Staring – Don McManus, Ryanne Duzich, Teddy Dunn
Synopsis - Are you capable of the unthinkable? That’s the question seven college students face when they visit a secluded vacation home to celebrate graduation and are put to a horrific test by a mysterious killer. By 6 am the following morning, only one of them can remain alive. Whoever that person is will be allowed to walk away with his or her life. However, if morning comes and more than one is still breathing, everyone dies.
Lake Mungo
Staring – Rosie Traynor, David Pledger, Martin Sharpe
Synopsis - In Lake Mungo, sixteen-year-old Alice Palmer drowns while swimming in the local dam. When her body is recovered and a verdict of accidental death returned, her grieving family buries her. The family then experiences a series of strange and inexplicable events centered in and around their home. The Palmers seek the help of psychic and parapsychologist, Ray Kemeny. Ray discovers that Alice led a secret, double life.
The Final
Staring – Marc Donato, Jascha Washington, Whitney Hoy, Justin Arnold
Synopsis - Dane, an awkward student with a deadly vendetta and suicidal tendencies, leads a group of outcasts who plot to avenge the years of humiliation they faced by the popular students at Hohn High School. Employing ideas inspired both from their classes as well as from horror films they watched, the outcast turn the tables on the popular students who made sport of them.
The Graves
Starring – Clare Grant, Jillian Murray, Bill Moseley, Tony Todd
Synopsis - On their last weekend together, Megan and Abby Graves are lost in a remote part of the Arizona desert where they are lured to Skull City Mine, an abandoned mine town. But they soon learn Skull City is anything but abandoned, and there’s no way out. The sisters are now prey, forced to unleash their most primitive instincts in a desperate, all-out battle for survival against unspeakable horrors, both human, and supernatural.
The Reeds
Starring – Scarlett Alice Johnson, Geoff Bell, Will Mellor
Synopsis - A boating party loses its bearings and cuts through the vast reedy tidewater in search of the main channel. After the first casualty by a freak accident, the boat runs aground. One by one the friends are terrorized by young punks and killed by a hooded man with a gun. There is no escaping this vast waterway, a place of endless return, presided over by Croker who killed a group of young people decades before and initiated the hellish curse which traps all who take passage on the Corsair Star.
Zombies of Mass Destruction
Staring - Janette Armand, Doug Fahl, Cooper Hopkins, Bill Johns
Synopsis - In ZMD, a conservative island community is under attack! Port Gamble, Washington is being overrun with braineaters, and the people seem powerless to stave them off. A rag tag band of rebels led by Frida (Janette Armand), an Iranian college student suspected of being an Iraqi terrorist, and Tom (Doug Fahl), a gay business man who has returned to town with his partner to come out to his mother, tries to turn the tide and push the invading hoards of undead back.
Official website: http://www.horrorfestonline.com/
Follow on Twitter: afterdarkfilms
Follow on Facebook: After Dark Films and After Dark HorrorFest: 8 Films To Die For
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Trailer for Adam Green's 'Frozen'
From category: Horror Pics and Trailers
Three skiers get stranded on a chairlift and need to start figuring out how the hell they are going to stay alive. Its a long way down, and the lift isn't moving anytime soon. Gotta act soon, or freeze to death.
Frozen looks awesome. I can't wait till the release.
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