Event Coverage: DarkFest 2019
The third annual DarkFest was quite possibly the best yet, so I would like to thank Dark Side Magazine editor Allan Bryce for once again organising such a fantastic day at the Genesis Cinema.
Things kicked off with a screening of the short film Ready for My Close Up, which we reviewed earlier this year. Directed by Jason Read and produced by Stuart Morriss on behalf of Misty Moon Productions, the thirty-minute film stars Lynn Lowry as a former horror star who bites back after a thief posing as a nurse comes to her house to try to steal a valuable prop from one of her films. This may be one of the last opportunities to see Ready for My Close Up on the big screen, so it was certainly a special treat for those who attended.
We were also treated to a screening of The Satanic Rites of Dracula, which, as Hammer enthusiasts will tell you, was the last time Christopher Lee ever played Dracula. Like most of the films in the Hammer series, Lee has very little screen time here (he later claimed he only agreed to make the sequels because he did not want to put the crew out of work), but it was still great to re-experience this cult classic on the big screen. This was followed by José Ramón Larraz’s 1974 semi-erotic horror Vampyres, so it was nice to have a little-known gem included sprinkled in among the cult classics.
Tower of Evil was also screened, and renowned actor and comedian Robin Askwith, who plays a small role, introduced the film with some brilliant stand-up comedy. He mentioned how Mia Farrow, who was shooting another film in the same studio, had asked to have dinner with him. He accepted her offer, but he wasn’t able to attend because he was filming his death scene on that day, and none of the crew members wanted to help him down after he was suspended from a harness with a prop spear stuck to his chest because they were afraid they would get in trouble with different departments. Needless to say, Mia Farrow never asked him to have dinner with her again. By the way, if you didn’t recognise Robin Askwith’s voice in Tower of Evil, it’s because his lines were dubbed by another actor in post-production, who Askwith thinks did a very poor job.
The evening concluded with a screening of An American Werewolf in London. This is a film which every horror fan should try to experience on the big screen at least once, so there was no better way to end such a great day.
Aside from the screenings, one of the most noticeable aspects of DarkFest are the Slaughter Awards, which are given to people who have dedicated their lives to making an impact on the horror genre. This year, the winners included author and journalist Kim Newman and poster artist Graham Humphreys, with the latter also winning an award at last year’s DarkFest. The award for best distributor went to Indicator Powerhouse, and with a name like that, we’d expect nothing less.
Aside from Askwith, Humphreys, and Newman, some of the other guests in attendance included Satan’s Slave screenwriter David McGillivray, Hellraiser II star Kenneth Cranham, renowned horror actress Caroline Munro, and Eileen Dietz, who portrayed the face of the demon Pazuzu in The Exorcist. The friendly atmosphere meant fans could talk to the guests in a calm and relaxed environment, making DarkFest the place to be if you want to have the opportunity to get to know some of your horror icons.
Put simply, if you’re a horror fan living in the UK, or if you’re able to travel to the UK, you need to make the pilgrimage to DarkFest every November.
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