THE RAYGUN NEWSLETTER :: WEEK COMMENCING SEPTEMBER 1 2024

BBFC FURTHERS NETFLIX DEAL

ERA APPOINTS WALKER AS CHAIR

FRIGHTFEST SCORES BIG WITH HORROR FANS

ICON’S RELEASE IS DARLING OF THE FEST…

…AND SIGNATURE CLOWNS AROUND AT THE EVENT

KEYS OPENS DOORS AT FRIGHTFEST

A DIFFERENT RELEASE FROM LIGHTBULB

SAINTLY HORROR DUE FROM 101…

…AS COMPANY DRAWS ITS SWORD

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO STRIKE

‘MAN’ CELEBRATES 75TH WITH SPECIAL SCREENING

HERON READY TO TAKE FLIGHT

COUNTDOWN TO MINUS ONE STARTS…

…AS ANIME LIMITED LINES UP BUSY AUTUMN

ARROW’S ON TO A SHAW THING

TRAILERS OF THE WEEK

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It was a good week for… The big FrightFest hits, as interest builds for both Strange Darling and The Substance, among others – we've seen the former and it's ace and can't wait for the other…

It was a bad week for… While doing some research, we stumbled across this, Variety's obituary for VHS

We have been watching… The BFI's excellent forthcoming folk horror Starve Acre, FrightFest hit Strange Darling (it really is everything it's cracked up to be), Indonesian surf doc Point Of Change on the consequences of discovering paradise and The Third Man, which looks sumptuous. Follow us on Letterboxd, (we're TheRaygun)…

Its annual report for 2023 has yet to come out – political comings and goings in Westminster will have held things up as they did when previous elections have taken place – but the BBFC made a sizeable announcement this past week with the news that it has signed on the dotted line with Netflix once more, extending its relationship with the streamer for another four years. The collaboration will continue until at least 2028 and sees Netflix continuing to rate its own content on the platform and offer up advice on what it features in line with the ongoing and recently improved BBFC guidelines. The partnership kicked off in 2019 and sees the classification organisation continuing to audit titles to ensure Netflix is getting it right. The BBFC has once again pointed to its own research which suggests that people want consistent age rating across cinemas, home entertainment and VOD. The organisation added: “The BBFC’s partnership with Netflix is an important way in which the BBFC fulfils its mission to support safer viewing experiences for UK audiences, wherever and however they choose to watch content.” David Austin OBE, Chief Executive, BBFC said: “We’re incredibly proud of our partnership with Netflix, the first streamer to enter into a self-rating partnership with the BBFC. Our groundbreaking work together has made a significant contribution to child protection and audience empowerment in the UK, and we’re delighted that it will continue for at least another four years.BBFC age ratings reflect the needs and expectations of UK audiences. Our recent Classification Guidelines research highlighted that trust and confidence in our work is higher than ever. People expressed just how much they value seeing recognised guidance when streaming content at home. This collaboration is a gold-standard example of industry best practice, and one we hope to replicate with others in this space for the benefit of families across the UK.” Benjamin King, Senior Director, Public Policy - UK & Ireland, Netflix added: “Our members are our number one priority, and we’re committed to delivering an experience that not only meets but exceeds their expectations. That’s why, as the first streaming service to voluntarily carry BBFC age ratings on 100% of our catalogue, we’re proud to extend our rating agreement with BBFC for a further four years. This partnership builds on our wide range of parental controls including PIN-protected profiles, maturity filters, profile locks and viewing history, empowering parents to make the right viewing choices for their families.”

Retail trade body ERA, the digital entertainment and retail association, has appointed industry stalwart Linda Walker as its chair. Walker, most recently SVP for commercial partnerships and analytics at Warner Music UK, succeeds Ben Drury and will take up the role from this month. She started her career in retail, behind the counter at Shooting Star Records in the East Midlands, before crossing over to Warner Music. ERA CEO Kim Bayley said: “Linda Walker’s experience spans all areas of ERA’s membership from independent stores to some of the world’s largest streaming services, and she brings with her a reputation for clarity of thought and pragmatic commercialism, making her the ideal candidate for ERA Chair. “ Linda Walker commented: “Digital services and retailers are the unsung heroes of the entertainment industry, playing a crucial role in turning artistic achievement into commercial success and generating more than £11bn in annual retail revenues for the music, video and games businesses. For artists and creators to succeed they need digital services and retailers to prosper too and I look forward to playing my part in ensuring we create the conditions which make that possible.” ERA Executive Board member and YouTube Head of Music EMEA Dan Chalmers noted: “I’ve known Linda both as a colleague and a commercial partner and her skillset and personal qualities make her the ideal choice to lead ERA. She has a deep understanding and feel for what makes the entertainment industry tick and an ability to get things done. At a time when all sides of the industry need to work ever more closely to sustain growth, Linda is perfectly positioned to facilitate that process.” Fellow Executive Board member and HMV Managing Director Phil Halliday added: “This is a great appointment. From starting her career behind the counter of a record shop to running commercial for a major record company, Linda Walker understands the levers of success in music and beyond. In a complex landscape her broad perspective and pragmatic approach will bring significant value to ERA’s work. We are delighted to be working with her.”

The end of the August Bank Holiday traditionally, to all intents and purposes, makes the end of the summer and, equally importantly, the end of the five-day marathon that is Pigeon Shrine FrightFest, which closed off with one of the most eagerly awaited films of the year (certainly round these parts) in the shape of Coralie Fargeat’s The Substance (MUBI has snagged it for UK release). It went down a storm according to our sources, and the whole weekend was deemed a success by those we chatted to in the subsequent days. As ever, the event provides the perfect launchpad for films at cinemas and also home entertainment too. Commenting on the event, FrightFest co-director Alan Jones told The Raygun: “FrightFest 2024 was a brilliantly ramped up event for so many reasons. Being situated at the Odeons Leicester Square was a dream come true, the talent and the audiences loved the superior presentation in every venue and, of course, the comfort levels due to the reclining seating had viewers sighing with delight. The Odeon staff could not have been more accommodating either. FrightFest always was a class act, and now for our 25th Anniversary we became classic. The films that did extraordinarily well were the sly SHELBY OAKS, the sneaky DEAD MAIL, presented by superfan Mark Kermode, STRANGE DARLING, which will be a huge hit for Kaleidoscope based on its ecstatic reception with us, the oddly charming BOOKWORM from Signature and the Cannes sensation THE SUBSTANCE , with director Coralie Fargeat in the house. The latter brought the house down and many are already calling it the best closing film we've ever presented. I entered this FrightFest with a very relaxed attitude if the truth be known. We had the fantasy movies everyone wanted to see in an environment that was second to none. What could have been better!"

One of the undoubted success stories of this year’s FrightFest, in terms of audience and critical reaction, was Strange Darling, due at cinemas from Icon in September and a film whose word of mouth from the event has only enhanced its stature ahead of theatrical. As one review at Hey U Guys noted: "In fact, this writer would go so far as to say that Strange Darling is the most exciting genre movie of the year. The sort of electric, razor sharp, morally hideous one-off that forces you to remember exactly where you were and who you were with when you first laid eyes on it. Before desperately wanting to go back for seconds, thirds and probably even fifteenths, while you unpack whatever the f*ck it was you just saw.” Filmhounds added: "Strange Darling lives up to the promise of being one of the wildest thrillers viewers will have ever seen. It veers in unpredictable directions with little warning, taking viewers on an exploration of lust, desire, and obsession that is equal parts vulnerable and raw as it is cold-blooded and vicious. Come here, kitty kitty, and enjoy what is sure to be one of the top films of the year.” Icon CEO Spencer Pollard said: “We are very excited to be bringing Strange Darling to audiences next month. If Stephen King can call the film ‘a clever masterpiece’ that is high praise indeed. The film looks so good on the big screen we cannot wait for people to enjoy it. Just remember – no spoilers as the film is best watched knowing nothing.”

Signature has had a long and fruitful relationship with FrightFest and this year’s event was no different, with Signature’s ads for its forthcoming one-night-only double bill of the first two Terrifier films and the new release of the third outing of the franchise were trailed heavily over the weekend between films, and some of the distributor’s offerings were also on show at the event. The company’s Cliff Green said: “This year, Signature Entertainment made a strong impression at the festival with four standout films. First up was Survive, a gripping survival thriller featuring killer crabs and a catastrophic event that keeps viewers on the edge of their seats. Next was Schlitter: Evil in the Woods, a haunting tale of generational revenge, now available on digital platforms. We also presented Azrael: Angel of Death, where Samara Weaving delivers a powerful performance, battling for her life in a post-apocalyptic world against a relentless religious sect. Rounding out our lineup was Bookworm, a family-friendly adventure from directer Ant Timpson, starring Elijah Wood, that promises to entertain audiences of all ages. Festival-goers were also treated to surprise previews of our Terrifier 3 theatrical teaser, along with the Terrifier and Terrifier 2 Double Bill trailer which has helped create momentum on the lead up to both theatrical releases this spooky season. The Terrifier and Terrifier 2 double bill is in cinemas for one night September 27 and highly anticipated Terrifier 3 is only in cinemas nationwide October 11.”

Another well received title at Pigeon Shrine FrightFest was 7 Keys, another homegrown Brit horror outing which also earned plaudits from critics and attendees alike, with the word of mouth again providing a strong launchpad for the film. Joy Wilkinson, director of 7 Keys said: "For a thriller set in London over a wild weekend, it made perfect sense to have our UK Premiere at FrightFest. I'd always wanted 7 KEYS to play there, so I was both excited and daunted to get the primetime Saturday night slot in the Fresh Blood strand, but I needn't have feared. The audience really got the film and there was a great buzz in the room and afterwards from the genre press. FrightFest really cares about genre fans and wants to give them the best time with the best films, so to be part of that is a fantastic launchpad."

Also scoring well at FrightFest was the latest from indie Lightbulb Film Distribution (currently riding high with Hundreds Of Beavers) in the shape of its forthcoming Things Will Be Different. The film, from the team behind Marvel’s Loki, Justin Benson and Aaron Moorhead, is a time travelling thriller directed by Michael Felker, who was on hand for some post-screening audience questions. Lightbulb’s Matthew Kreuzer said: “The screening was packed, and the film was very well received – and about two thirds of the audience stayed for the Q&A with the director Michael Felker.”

101 Films was also out and about at FrightFest, with the company showing off its future release Saint Clare, due on digital from the company. Reviewers such as Macabre Daily noted: “Saint Clare is an entertaining and slickly made horror thriller that puts a fun, martyr-inspired twist on the revenge genre.” And My Bloody Reviews added “You might think that you know how this is going to play out, but instead it continually surprises throughout. This is more complex and darker than you may have originally considered it to be. Bella Thorne is terrific as feisty, focused, kick-ass Clare, and both Ryan Phillippe and Rebecca de Mornay make welcome turns as investigating detective and grandmother, respectively.” 101 Films’ Tim Scaping told The Raygun: “We were excited to bring SAINT CLARE to FrightFest and its new home at the Odeon Leicester Square over the Bank Holiday weekend and were lucky enough to have director Mitzi Peirone in town for the premiere. The film went down very well with the FrightFest faithful and stars Bella Thorne as a young woman hellbent on ridding her town of people with evil intentions but finds herself dragged down a rabbit hole of corruption, trafficking and twisted visions from the beyond. SAINT CLARE also stars Ryan Phillippe and Rebecca De Mornay and we're looking forward to bringing the film to a wider audience in the coming months.”

Sticking with 101 Films and the company has announced the latest addition to its collectors’ imprint the Black Label, with The Sword And The Sorcerer landing in October. Comment came from the label’s Tim Scaping, who said: “This October we're giving 80s fantasy THE SWORD AND THE SORCERER a long overdue high def release, with its UK debut on both Blu-ray and 4K UHD. Released at the height of the swashbuckling fantasy craze of the 1980s, the film was a box office success despite falling foul of the critics and launched the career of B-movie icon Albert Pyun. Underseen compared to comparable movies of the era, this epic adventure has all the bloody battles, valiant warriors, fair maidens and savage sorcerers to more than justify its place among the fantasy classics of the decade. Our three-disc limited edition ‘rigid box’ package is title number 039 on the 101 Films Black Label, and features a third disc packed full of special features along with a poster, art cards and booklet.”

And a happy birthday to our old chums at PR agency Strike Media, who celebrated the company's 15th anniversary with a soiree on the roof of the Ham Yard Hotel in London’s Soho. A raft of distributors, journalists, sales agents, designers, writers and more were out in force for the event and we got a chance to catch up with old pals, familiar faces and made some new friends too. Congratulations to Strike, especially founder Wez Merchant, who not only gave a brilliant speech, but also provided us with a comment for the newsletter, saying: “Five years ago we celebrated 10 years of Strike at the exact same location. Since then we’ve seen Covid in and out, scrapped for the industry and our existence, and had twins just to round things off. Five years ago to now is like chalk and cheese - twice as many clients and friends, and twice the cost! It was a great night and nice to celebrate 15 years with everyone old and new.”

To the Charlotte Street Hotel in London’s Fitzrovia for a special screening of classic post-war, pre-Cold War thriller The Third Man, which is celebrating its 75th anniversary with a 4K restoration airing at cinemas from this coming Friday (September 6) ahead of a home entertainment release in a collector’s edition later this autumn. The film has never looked better and is a real joy to see on the big screen, while Studiocanal pulled out al the stops by getting original crew member Angela Allen, continuity supervisor (a role now more generally known as script supervisor) along for a Q&A before the screening. Now in her 90s but very spritely and hugely entertaining, Allen recalled director Carol Reed’s benzedrine use, filming in post-war Vienna, tracking down star Orson Welles in nightclubs and more during the fascinating session. “Oh, Orson Welles was very hard to find. They would send somebody to Paris to get him, he would fly to Rome, so they would go to Rome and he’d go somewhere else. He was very elusive – he was always chasing money for his own films…” Keep an eye out for the theatrical re-release from Friday and the special edition due on physical formats later this year…

The Boy And The Heron is now the biggest ever Studio Ghibli film at cinemas in the UK – no mean feat given the Japanese animation giant’s impressive track record at the box office over the years – and Elysian has now unveiled its release plans for the latest masterpiece from legendary director Hayao Miyazaki. In a series of firsts, the September 16 digital release marks the first time a Ghibli film has been available to rent or buy digitally in the UK, while its 4K UHD bow on September 23 is the first time one of the studio’s films has been made available on the ultra high definition format on these shores. The same day also sees standard Blu-ray and DVD SKUs released, as well as a limited edition 4K and Blu-ray version complete with artcards available exclusively via hmv. A limited edition Steelbook featuring 4K and Blu-ray Discs is due on October 7. The home entertainment release, in partnership with Anonymous Content and Bleecker Street, contains both original language and dubbed versions, the latter boasting a wealth of big name talent, including Willem Defoe, Christian Bale, Florence Pugh and Gemma Chan. The film, which arrives with a clutch of awards under its belt, including Best Animated Oscar, BAFTA and Golden Globe statues, took more than £5 million at UK cinemas. Mikey Ellis, who is working on the title at Elysian, said: “Following the amazing theatrical release, we're excited to be releasing the award-winning The Boy And The Heron on Steelbook, Blu-ray and DVD, and, for the first time ever for a Studio Ghibli title, a 4K UHD. The Blu-ray is packed with bonus features and is included together in both Steelbook and UHD SKUs. We're also thrilled to be releasing a limited edition UHD and Blu-ray SKU with HMV which includes exclusive artcards. Hopefully there's something for all Studio Ghibli fans.”

The wait is finally over… Almost. For Anime Limited has this week confirmed that the Godzilla Minus One, the latest take on the monster legend from the creature’s native Japan, will be landing on 4K in standard and collector’s edition SKUs, as well as Blu-ray and DVD ”in time for the holiday season” later this year. The acclaimed take on the kanji is one of the most successful films ever in the long-running series and this week became the most popular Japanese film ever released in the US. It took more than £2 million at UK cinemas at the end of 2023 and beginning of 2024, another record-breaking performance, including a mammoth haul of £800,000 in its opening weekend, an unheard of feat for a film of this stature, and an opening day that made it the biggest for a Japanese film for almost a quarter of a century.. It’ll be able to add to that total with a theatrical re-release this autumn, as the film returns in both standard version and the eagerly awaited Godzilla Minus One/Minus Colour edition, a black and white take on the creature feature. The physical media release will be further enhanced by the streaming-based boost the film has got since going on to Netflix in the UK earlier this year, which has only heightened its status, reputation and word of mouth – all of which bodes well for later this year. Comment came from Anime Limited’s Kerry Kasim who said; “We're very excited to partner up with Toho Co. Ltd. to re-release Godzilla Minus One in cinemas across the UK and Ireland this winter. Its reputation and regard has just grown exponentially since the original run and there's so much interest in seeing it on the big screen again - especially for those who may have missed it the first time. The opportunity to bring the Godzilla Minus One / Minus Color version to audiences and cinemas is an important one for us. An incredible amount of work was done to fully realise this version at such quality, that really the best way to appreciate it is to see it on the big screen. The sheer scale and wonder of it, especially in black and white, really can only be done justice in cinemas. We are passionate about physical media of course, especially when it comes to beautiful products that celebrate a film or tv series. There are some exciting plans for Godzilla Minus One's home video release which cater to different kinds of fans - whether casual or collector. We continue to be a massive proponent of physical media because it really is the highest quality viewing experience for audiences - especially on Blu-ray or 4K UHD. And you don't have to wait long to get your hands on it."

Godzilla forms a key part of what is set to be a busy final few months of 2024 for Anime Limited. This will include a theatrical release for its latest and eagerly awaited anime series DanDaDan (“a wild and heartfelt love letter to B-movies with the soul of a teen romcom”), due to debut at cinemas with the first three episodes pulled together for a special one night only cinema screening on September 13 – it’s day and date with the US premiere to maximise promotional opportunities. This is followed by a further theatrical for Macross Plus. And on home entertainment there’s two Bleach releases, with new iteration Thousand-Year Blood War due at the end of September, with the original series on Blu-ray for the first time in November. There’s also Naruto due too, with a first ever Blu-ray release for the long-standing favourite due in November, making, as Anime Limited noted, for a Anime Limited’s Kerry Kasim added: “Q4 2024 seems to be the time for bringing classic Shonen series to Blu-ray finally! It's exciting having such well loved and highly regarded tentpole series such as Bleach and Naruto in the Anime Limited vaults and we're thrilled to be working on them - especially as fans. The release of Bleach Thousand Year Blood War on home video allows us to connect the older and newer Shonen series and bring them to a new audience."

And the final Friday of the month, just ahead of the end of August, saw Arrow unveiling its titles, revealing its plans for its November releases. And it has firmed up some of the plans for its latest box set looking at the legendary martial arts studio run by the Shaw Brothers, as ell as adding some new titles to its range too. Here’s the company’s James Flower on its forthcoming goodies. He said: “After taking a year’s ‘break’ to bring out last year’s barnstopping Bruce Lee at Golden Harvest boxset instead (because we can only manage one backbreaking Hong Kong action boxset a year, it seems), Arrow Video is back on Shaw Brothers territory with Shawscope Volume Three, which might be the best one yet. After the first two volumes focused mainly on kung fu cinema, this time we’ve turned our attentions to the wuxia genre, the next stage in our ongoing effort to chronicle Shaws’ varied output as much as possible – next year we’ll be zeroing in on Shaws’ sci-fi/horror/fantasy films for Volume Four! We’ve upped the ante in several ways this time around compared to the first two volumes: every single film in the set is from a new restoration (and we’ve restored all the original trailers to boot!); every film has a commentary track from an expert on the genre (a couple of films even have more than one commentary); and we’ve been able to dig up additional, unseen footage for three of the films too. After two years of anticipation, we’re sure Arrow Video and Shaw Brothers fans will be delighted by the box of sword-wielding delights we’ve cooked up for this November.

James Flower continued on the other non-Shaw titles due in November from Arrow, saying: “The rest of our November slate isn’t to be missed either – a much-beloved J-Horror classic with Tomie; a 4K upgrade of camptastic 80s horror/comedy favourite Elvira, Mistress of the Dark; a new UHD special edition of the most recent iteration of the Body Snatchers mythos, The Invasion, ripe for reappraisal; and last but not least, James Foley’s deeply underrated crime drama, At Close Range, with an amazing cast led by Sean Penn and Christopher Walken firing on all cylinders. An eclectic line-up with something for everyone!”

SPOTTED OUT AND ABOUT

Despicable Me 4 home premiere on the tube in the heart of London (at Piccadilly Circus)…

TRAILERS OF THE WEEK

The first two Terrifiers paired together…

https://youtu.be/2F5xO3RJUeY

And here’s the third…

https://youtu.be/0EDDtgWnSeY?si=R1I_i4usf_5Xr9B2

One of FrightFest’s biggest this year

https://youtu.be/Za191t0nbSo?si=ZdFeu5BRntw7iz7Y