In the UK? Here’s the Grimm Up North Winter Screening Schedule!
Steve Barton
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Grimm Up North, Manchester’s home of horror and cult films, is continuing its monthly movie nights in the new year, and we have all the info you need on the upcoming Mon Ami/Chop, The Tall Man/Martyrs, and Citadel/Sleep Tight screenings.
First up on January 31st are two new hilarious black comedies that have both made waves on the international film festival circuit: Mon Ami and Chop.
MON AMI: Two slacker hardware store clerks decide to kidnap their boss’ daughter and hold her to ransom. Things don’t go according to plan, and they are left with a body to dispose of. Then things start to get a whole lot worse. Pitched somewhere between Clerks, The Cottage, and the films of Martin McDonagh, this droll, deadpan, darkly comic gem has been garnering critical acclaim, rapturous audience response, and nice shiny awards wherever it plays. Regional premiere.
CHOP: An obnoxious yuppie has his life – and ultimately his body – pulled apart by a mysterious figure from his past with an inexplicable grudge. By turns nasty, gory, and grimly hilarious, this is a movie that traces its lineage back to the outrageous cult exploiters of the infamous Troma studios; a joyously mean-spirited and flat-out weird little romp that marks the directorial debut of cult actor and screenwriter of the critically-acclaimed Deadgirl, Trent Haaga.
Venue: Stockport Plaza. Start time: 7.15pm. Click here for ticket info.
Next, on February 7th, it’s Pascal Laugier night with the regional premiere of his latest feature, The Tall Man, alongside Martyrs, the film that made him (in)famous.
THE TALL MAN: In a small, rundown Canadian mining town, children have begun disappearing on a regular basis, and the abductions are being blamed on a local legend, known as “The Tall Man”. When her own child disappears, a young widow is forced to investigate. But nothing is quite as it seems… Drawing on the urban myth of the slender man, this new film from Pascal Laugier confounds all expectations by focusing not on graphic cruelty and visceral horror, but on psychological unease, unfolding mystery, and social observation. But the end result remains the same – the film will both unsettle you and make you think about what you have seen.
MARTYRS: A young woman’s quest for revenge against the people who kidnapped and tortured her as a child leads her and a friend and fellow victim into a terrifying world of cold-blooded cruelty and horror. This cold, clinical exploration of the nature of cruelty is one of the most harrowing, horrifying cinema experiences of recent years. Not so much sadistic as Sadean, it combines some of the most shocking scenes ever committed to camera with a philosophical debate on the nature of martyrdom and spiritual transcendence. This is a film that fits form to subject matter, in which the audience members genuinely finds themselves dreading what will happen next and wondering why exactly they have chosen to subject themselves to such a grueling experience. A truly challenging and confrontational film in every respect, it is most definitely not for the squeamish or the faint of heart.
Venue: Stockport Plaza. Start time: 7.15pm. Click here for ticket info.
Finally, on February 21st, is the best of the bunch: a double-bill of Citadel and Sleep Tight.
CITADEL: The dilapidated suburbia of Edenstown casts a shadow over Tommy Cowley’s life. Trapped there by his agoraphobia since his wife was fatally attacked by twisted feral children, he now finds himself terrorized by the same mysterious hooded gang, who seem intent on taking his baby daughter. Torn between the help of an understanding nurse and a vigilante priest, he discovers that to be free of his fears, he must finally face the demons of his past and enter the one place that he fears the most… the abandoned tower block known as the “Citadel.” Making strong use of its dark, dank urban locations, this critically acclaimed, chokingly claustrophobic psychological horror film brings a whole new meaning to the term “feral youth.”
SLEEP TIGHT: Apartment concierge Cesar is a bitter, hateful man who believes he was born without the ability to be happy. As a result, he makes it his mission to make life hell for everyone around him. Most tenants are easy to agitate, but Clara (Marta Etura) proves to be more of a challenge. So Cesar goes to increasingly disturbing extremes to push her towards a breakdown. The latest thriller from Spanish maestro Jaume Balaguero (Nameless, [REC]), this bone-chilling study in misanthropy and manipulation takes the terrors of home invasion and psychological assault to their very darkest place and features a truly terrifying performance from Luis Tosar as Cesar.
Venue: The Dancehouse. Start time: 7.30pm. Tickets on sale soon.
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