Grimmfest 2019 Festival Report – Day 4





grimmfest 2019

The final day of Grimmfest opened with the cheeky little title of DEAD DICKS. Whilst yes, it may have featured full front male nudity at the beginning of the movie, that’s about as much real todger that the film is about. Instead, this film focuses on a guy named Richard who suffers from depression and after killing himself, discovers that he is reborn through a vagina (or it could be an arsehole) on his bedroom wall. After killing himself three times and returning to life, he calls his sister to help him solve the mysterious phenomena localised entirely in his flat.

Whilst in many ways quite funny and dark, DEAD DICKS is actually a tragic, touching story on mental health and living with it, whether yourself or with a loved one. It deals with the difficult subject matter in such a brilliant way that actually explains it better than I could have imagined. A bit of a tearjerker in many respects. The filmmakers and one of the stars were present for a Q&A after the film to discuss the movie in more detail.

This was followed by the chilling 1BR. The film centres on a young woman, new to LA, who moves into a new apartment community. Everything seems to be moving in the right direction as she starts to gain independence and work towards becoming a dressmaker but her dream accommodation soon turns into a living nightmare when she starts to receive anonymous threatening letters and endure sleepless nights from the clunking pipework.

I unfortunately missed I SEE YOU and HARPOON due to interviews with HARPOON director Rob Grant and the Soska Sisters, but I did get seated for the Twisted Twins remake of David Cronenberg’s RABID and it did not disappoint. The colours and setting draw you in with Laura Vandervoort’s performance a compelling watch. Jen and Sylvia have truly made the film their own yet stayed true to the Cronenberg essence. I can’t think of anyone better to have tackled the remake. The Soska sisters were bursting with positive energy throughout the Q&A and even stayed an hour post-screening to hug, greet and sign stuff for every single fan. Truly a couple of filmmakers who love what they do and love their fans even more.

The night ended with a screening of LITTLE MONSTERS and short film LOOM to wrap up the Grimmfest 2019 festival.

With an abundance of guest attendees, all of whom ticketholders could meet, along with Q+A sessions, quizzes before screenings (complete with prizes!) and segments with Horror Channel, who were sponsors of the event and filming interviews throughout the fest, the Grimmfest team have once again knocked it out the park. As a Northerner, I wholeheartedly thank the Grimm team for what they do by bringing horror to Manchester every year and to have seen it grow into the festival it is today is truly amazing. Grimmfest never fail to have a stellar choice of horror that manages to cater to all tastes of genre film. The love for horror film is truly alive and kicking in the North West thanks to Team Grimm and if you’ve never been, it is most definitely a genre film festival you need to check out.

So as we wave goodbye to Grimmfest 2019 and catch up on some much needed sleep, be sure to keep your eyes on HCF for full reviews and interviews with some of the stars from the festival.

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About Bat 4368 Articles
I love practical effects, stop-motion animation and gore, but most of all I love a good story! I adore B-movies and exploitation films in many of their guises and also have a soft spot for creature features. I review a wide range of media including movies, TV series, books and videogames. I'm a massive fan of author Hunter S. Thompson and I enjoy various genre of videogames with Kingdom Hearts and Harvest Moon two of my all time favs. Currently playing: The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, Yakuza Zero and Mafia III.

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