Sunday 28 June 2020

Normal People confess sins to Fleabag’s Hot Priest



Daisy Edgar-Jones and Paul Mescal reprise their roles of Marianne and Connell respectively from Normal People opposite Andrew Scott’s Hot Priest (Fleabag) for RTE Does Comic Relief.

“I feel like I’m causing pain to the person that I love,” Connell reveals to the priest. “I’m just really torn. You know, the physical side of things is great, that’s always been so powerful. It's when I try to talk, you know, when I try to express what I’m feeling at the time that’s when things get confused.”



The skit, recorded socially distanced due to coronavirus, has become a huge hit with fans (myself included) of Normal People and Fleabag.

Saturday 27 June 2020

The Last of Us Part 2 surpasses Spider-Man sales



The Last of Us Part II has eclipsed Marvel's Spider-Man to become the fastest-selling PlayStation exclusive in Sony's history with more than 4 million copies sold worldwide.

"The Last of Us Part 2 represents large scale innovation in gaming with a great blend of excellent gameplay mechanics and masterful storytelling," Eric Lempel, senior vice president of worldwide marketing for Sony PlayStation, said in a statement. "We strive to bring you unique, engaging experiences."

Neil Druckmann, vice president of Naughty Dog and director of The Last of Us Part II said:

“We are so immensely grateful to the millions of fans around the world that have played The Last of Us Part II and shared their experiences with us over the last week. We set out to tell a new kind of story, one that deals with difficult themes and would challenge you in unexpected ways. Hearing how the experience has resonated with so many of you and witnessing the type of thoughtful discussions it has sparked has been so incredible. We’ve also been so inspired by your creativity – whether it’s your gorgeous Photo Mode shots, jaw-dropping gameplay GIFs, or the songs you’ve recorded using Ellie’s guitar.

The Last of Us Part II was made possible thanks to the efforts of the hundreds of talented and passionate developers here at Naughty Dog. We can imagine no greater honour than seeing that same passion mirrored by the people playing it. Thank you for helping us reach this amazing milestone.”

Not only is The Last of Us Part II one of the greatest video game sequels ever made, Ellie is an openly gay female protagonist and I, for one, can't wait for HBO's live-action adaptation.

Friday 26 June 2020

Cyberpunk 2077 trailer channels Blade Runner



CD Projekt Red has released an official trailer for Cyberpunk 2077. The long-awaited role-playing video game adaptation has been delayed until November. Positive comparisons with Grand Theft Auto (GTA) and Blade Runner franchises are inescapable.



New gameplay footage was revealed, showcasing extensive character customisation options (a staple of RPGs), alongside unanimously rave reactions from hands-on impressions.



As part of yesterday's Cyberpunk 2077 - Night City Wire event, an anime series tie-in from Netflix was announced for 2022.

"Wherever there are nerds, there's gonna be anime fans," Saya Elder, a Japan-based producer on the show, says in a preview video. "When we began this project, we were certain that we didn't want to make a recreation of the game," she adds. "Cyberpunk: Edgerunners is a standalone story set in the same universe. The stage is still Night City, but everything else is totally new: new characters, new story."

The developer behind The Witcher 3 has, justifiably, garnered goodwill from the gaming community for consumer-friendly practises. So, I've pre-ordered Cyberpunk 2077 digitally for Xbox One X. The upcoming title is optimised for Xbox Series X at no additional cost.

Cyberpunk 2077 is available for pre-order (affiliate link).

Thursday 25 June 2020

Three Doctors unite on HBO Max



Every season of Doctor Who since 2005 is now available exclusively on HBO Max. To celebrate, 3 Doctors, played by David Tennant, Matt Smith and Jodie Whittaker, are reunited on Zoom with IGN's Terri Schwartz moderating the online panel.



“‘Doctor Who’ is one of television’s all-time, most beloved series, on both sides of the pond, and we are happy to be the exclusive streaming stewards for this BBC gem,” said Kevin Reilly, chief content officer at HBO Max and president of TNT, TBS, and truTV. “Another series to further define the high-quality content experience consumers can expect from HBO Max.”

Are you excited Doctor Who is on HBO Max? Let me know in the comments below.

Tuesday 23 June 2020

Foundation teased for Apple TV+



A free 12-month Apple TV+ subscription, included with a recent iPhone SE purchase, couldn't have come at a better time. Not only has Fraggle Rock been rebooted, but next year a lavish adaptation of Isaac Asimov's Foundation series is coming to the Cupertino-based company's streaming service.

During yesterday's Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC), Apple released a first look at Foundation with David S. Goyer (The Dark Knight Trilogy).



My earliest memory of reading Foundation was whilst on a school summer holiday in Spain. The prose were beyond my adolescent years, but I quickly deciphered how it had influenced popular sci-fi culture including George Lucas' Star Wars.

“Foundation was an enormous influence for Star Wars,” Goyer says. “It was the greatest science fiction work of all time. The scope is sprawling. It unfolds over the course of 1,000 years.”

Are you looking forward to Foundation on Apple TV+? Let me know in the comments below.

Sunday 21 June 2020

Normal People triumphs in the ‘new normal’



When we went into lockdown in March due to the coronavirus pandemic, Fox's Anglo-French adaptation (I use the term very loosely) of War of the Worlds had already started. It was certainly no seminal sci-fi mini-series (read Andrew Lewin's review here), but I stoically stuck with it, unlike the much-maligned BBC adaptation which wasn't helped by being scheduled after BBC/HBO's phenomenal His Dark Materials in the run-up to last Christmas - seemingly several lifetimes ago in the wake of our shared trauma.

Daisy Edgar-Jones played Emily Gresham who regained her eyesight whenever near an alien invader. For a while, War of the Worlds was a fun post-apocalyptic romp in the style of The Walking Dead until it became abundantly clear we weren’t going to see any tripods! Le sigh!

The later episodes washed over me in a comfortingly forgettable fashion given the emergent coronavirus crisis and the knowledge that, like so many, I would need to shield due to disability and asthma. Seeing family and friends would be reserved for social media, FaceTime and fond memories for the foreseeable future.



So, when Normal People, a BBC co-production with Hulu, started streaming on BBC iPlayer with considerable fanfare, I didn't appreciate it was the actress from War of the Worlds, playing Marianne opposite newcomer Paul Mescal's Connell, until a few episodes into this astonishing adaptation of Sally Rooney's award-winning book about millennials.

Amidst the modern-day trappings of 24/7 digital connectedness and iPhones (I belatedly jumped onto the bandwagon with the new SE), Edgar-Jones and Mescal’s performances harken back to the silent era in this bittersweet examination of first love imbued with bokeh beauty. The brittleness of their on-off relationship distilled in lush, aching, glances. The leads inhabit their roles from divergent worlds so absolutely; a former college lecturer and family friend suggested I should never read the book; wise words.



The series, directed by Lenny Abrahamson (Room) and Hettie Macdonald, triggered a multiplicity of marvellous and malignant memories from high school, college and university. Cognisant of the, crushingly, inescapable notion of imposter syndrome haunting so many of us throughout our lives.

How I yearned for a place at drama school as I tackled, with the support of family and NHS healthcare professionals, the challenging aftermath of a traumatic life-changing head injury. Finding myself mocked and ridiculed for being the only school student with a visible disability who had romantic crushes like everyone else.

Alas, there was no TARDIS, X-wing or Batmobile (Edgar-Jones reminds me of Anne Hathaway who played Catwoman in The Dark Knight Trilogy) in which to escape beyond the metaphorical. That said, I'll be forever grateful to my late mum for fighting to secure a return to mainstream school and this facilitated further disabled students' entry (where appropriate). Pathfinding is never easy as history attests.

It would be disingenuous not to suggest that I've always found making friends easy, but within the context of being disabled and, by extension, oftentimes discriminated against, each new encounter felt like another tiresome battle of wits to justify one's existence. None of this is in anyway unique to me, and I hope it doesn't detract from sharing my enjoyment of Normal People by becoming a worthless exercise in self-indulgence.



The creative arts gave me sanctuary and college was a second chance at an education stifled by systemic streaming and the need for years of rehabilitation. So much so, I was afforded the privilege of unconditional offers on several art courses at degree level. A far cry from what a career tutor prophesied in the final year of high school; having tried to sabotage a college application; an abject lesson in how not to inspire pupils.

The lecture scenes in Normal People resonated. This Gen X'er was transported back to English Literature class and debating the subtext of H.G. Wells' The War of the Worlds, a critique of British imperialism (infesting our current political discourse), which is where this journey of introspection began.

Like pop-cultural touchstones The Wonder Years and My So-Called Life, Normal People is one of the most deeply affecting rites of passage in any medium. The fates of its charismatic characters will haunt you long after the end credits have rolled.

Thursday 18 June 2020

Star Wars: Squadrons gameplay at EA Play Live



Star Wars: Squadrons was teased on Monday and gameplay will be revealed during today's EA Play Live event.



The upcoming EA Motive title is set in the aftermath of Return of the Jedi and the destruction of the second dreaded Death Star. The single player campaign follows pilots from the Empire and New Republic.

A demo will be available for EA Access subscribers (myself included) when Star Wars: Squadrons is released for PS4, Xbox One and PC this October. EA has announced it will feature cross-play and virtual reality (VR) support for PS4 and PC.

Let's hope EA can build on the goodwill for Jedi: Fallen Order and put Battlefront II's infamous loot boxes behind it.

Star Wars: Squadrons is available for pre-order (affiliate link).

Wednesday 17 June 2020

Warner Bros. announces free DC FanDome



On Tuesday Warner Bros. announced its own free 24-hour online-only event for DC Comics fans (myself included) 22nd August. This follows news of the free Comic-Con@Home from 22nd-26th July.

DC FanDome will include virtual panels for The Batman, Wonder Woman 1984, The Suicide Squad, Stargirl, more details from the Snyder Cut of Justice League for HBO Max and much more.

“There is no fan like a DC fan," said Ann Sarnoff, Chair and CEO of Warner Bros. "For more than 85 years, the world has turned to DC’s inspiring heroes and stories to lift us up and entertain us, and this massive, immersive digital event will give everyone new ways to personalize their journey through the DC Universe without lines, without tickets and without boundaries. With DC FanDome, we’re able to give fans from around the world an exciting and unparalleled way to connect with all their favorite DC characters, as well as the incredible talent who bring them to life on the page and screen.”

What do you most hope to see at DC FanDome? Let me know in the comments below.

Tuesday 16 June 2020

Coming of age in unprecedented times



Paul Moxham, our resident film critic, editor and cameraman, continues his movie odyssey during the coronavirus pandemic lockdown. Incidentally, Paul's a fellow PlayStation fan and I'm secretly hoping he'll review The Last of Us Part II, but that's between us, OK?

Guest post by Paul Moxham

I’ve only gone and done it; I’ve watched two previously unseen by me, non-franchise based films in a week. Lady Bird directed by Greta Gerwig and Booksmart helmed by Olivia Wilde. Between these and mine and Mrs. Moxham’s binge on Normal People, it has been quite the time for coming of age narratives at Moxy Towers.

Coming of age films are one of those genres that will never die. As long as people are growing up they’ll want to see films that reflect and remind them how devastatingly amazing and horribly devastating their formative years were. That strange combination of reminding us of the good and the bad whilst suggesting that everything will make sense once we’re a grown up. I’m still awaiting the arrival of the certificate.

I am a complete and unapologetic sucker for them; which initially seems strange considering my own adolescence felt largely like that feeling you get between tripping over something, and the moment you hit the floor with your head. In slow motion. Although I imagine that’s exactly why I like them so much; crystallised moments of teenage triumph that you always wish you were cool enough to have experienced. I imagine we all feel somewhat the same.

Booksmart is all about that moment of triumph, only not in the way the main characters envision. Amy and Molly have their eyes on the prize, top grades leading to top jobs. This pursuit has led them to eschew all forms of extra-curricular activity, parties etc. Necessary sacrifices surely, until on the eve of graduation they learn their classmates have forgone none of these heady delights and are on course for equally rewarding futures. They have one night to make up for lost time. The tension of ticking as much off the teenage experiences list in just one night, like a thrill-seeking Father Christmas, makes for a fun and lively adventure. The balance between the meaningful, the funny and the weird is a joy. Plus a sense of pathos that is genuinely earned without feeling forced or tacked on is a treasured thing.

Lady Bird also focuses on someone who is certain they have life planned out, if only everyone understood her. Although Lady Bird’s realisation that she doesn’t have all the answers is a less high-concept structure. I imagine enjoyment of the film might depend on how much sympathy you can muster for someone who changes their name to Lady Bird and shouts at their mother. Saoirse Ronan has yet to put a foot wrong (check out Brooklyn as well, so very good), she expertly balances between someone feeling their way towards maturity and all the vulnerability that entails, whilst fooling themselves that they exist in the universe to tell everyone else how much they’re getting it wrong. Witnessing the birth of her understanding does elicit a degree of empathy. I’m just not sure it was quite enough for me to completely forgive everything. Maybe that’s my failing; you don’t have to like a character to empathise with them, just understand where they’re coming from. And on that front Lady Bird puts Lady Bird’s case very well.

I can see why Greta Gerwig’s film was so richly lauded when released. It didn’t quite hold me the way her follow up Little Women did. So that’s a long way round of saying I preferred the characters and humour of Booksmart. Now I think I’ll have a lie down, all this angst is exhausting. I don’t know how I ever did it full time.

Saturday 13 June 2020

Pilots wanted for Star Wars: Squadrons



Lock S-foils in attack position! After the Microsoft Store prematurely leaked Star Wars: Squadrons, EA has officially confirmed the upcoming title, codenamed Project Maverick, ahead of EA Play on 18th June with a trailer dropping on Monday.



Squadrons is expected to be an aerial combat video game in the spirit of Rogue Squadron and seemingly overlaps with stablemate Star Wars Battlefront. It's the first new title from EA Motive and Criterion, who developed the space combat for Battlefront, doesn't appear to be involved.

EA has a chequered history with the storied franchise. However, Battlefront II has improved immeasurably since launching in 2017 and Respawn's Jedi: Fallen Order is one of the best spin-offs in years. Both are highly recommended.

Star Wars: Squadrons is available for pre-order (affiliate link).

Friday 12 June 2020

Aloy and Spider-Man showstoppers on PS5



Sony's delayed PlayStation 5 (PS5) future of gaming event delivered and then some on Thursday.



Whilst the Xbox Series X third-party showcase slipped into controversy, PlayStation dropped Marvel's Spider-Man: Miles Morales without warning and it's coming to PS5 this holiday season from the newly-formed PlayStation Studios in conjunction with Marvel Studios.

Sony's VP head of European Business, Simon Rutter told The Telegraph: "I guess you could call it an expansion and an enhancement to the previous game.

"There's a substantial Miles Morales component—which is the expansion element—but also within the game as well there's been major enhancements to the game and the game engine, obviously deploying some of the major PlayStation 5 technology and features."

Rutter continued: "I think what is very interesting for everyone to see is how familiar games might be to some degree changed through the workings of PlayStation 5."



Sackboy made a surprise return and Horizon Forbidden West is a direct sequel to the award-winning Horizon Zero Dawn with the continuing adventures of Aloy in a gorgeous post-apocalyptic world. Incidentally, I bought Horizon Zero Dawn Complete Edition in the Days of Play sale, but will save it for PS5.



The event culminated in the reveal of the PS5 itself. There'll be two SKUs. One with a 4K UHD Blu-ray disc drive (oddly omitted from the PS4 Pro) and a digital-only model. I'm going all digital (as I have on Xbox One X), but need an optical drive for those shiny silver platters I still own. The PS5 is a sleek slice of anime-inspired tech and can be stored vertically or horizontally. Yay!



Given the impact of current world events, the PS5 will most likely be in short supply this holiday season and the anticipated high price point maybe a barrier for consumers wanting to upgrade from PS4 in the short to medium term.

Your move Microsoft...

Thursday 11 June 2020

San Diego Comic-Con at home for free



Like E3 and the Apple Worldwide Developer Conference (WWDC), San Diego Comic-Con (SDCC) is a summer staple for geeks (myself included). This year, SDCC will be going virtual due to the coronavirus pandemic:

"Plans for Comic-Con@Home include an online Exhibit Hall complete with everyone’s favorite exhibitors offering promotions, specials, and limited-edition products unique to the celebration. As well, Comic-Con@Home promises exclusive panels and presentations about comics, gaming, television, film, and a wide variety of topics from publishers, studios, and more. As if that weren’t enough, Comic-Con@Home will also have a Masquerade, gaming, and many other activities in which fans can participate from their own homes."

“For the first time in our 50-year history, we are happy to welcome virtually anyone from around the globe,” said SDCC spokesperson David Glanzer. “Though stay-at-home conditions makes this a very difficult time, we see this as an opportunity to spread some joy and strengthen our sense of community.”

Comic-Con@Home will run online from 22nd-26th July and is free. Online attendees are encouraged to use the official #ComicConAtHome hashtag to be included in the virtual activities.

Wednesday 10 June 2020

The future of Destiny 2



Yesterday Bungie outlined the future roadmap for Destiny 2. The online sci-fi shooter will continue until at least 2022 with three major expansions announced.



The Beyond Light expansion is released on 22nd September and focuses on the frozen moon of Europa. This expansion will be followed by The Witch Queen in 2021 and then Lightfall in 2022. The expansions are coming to PS5 (supports cross-play with PS4) and Xbox One X. There are currently no plans for Destiny 3 in the wake of Bungie breaking ties with publisher Activision.

Longtime readers may recall I was a huge fan of the original Destiny in 2014 and embraced the notion of a decade-spanning story. However, the release of Destiny 2 marred the experience to the point where I stopped playing, entirely, within weeks. When the game went free-to-play, I briefly revisited the title but it failed to rekindle my enthusiasm.

Are you excited for the Destiny 2 expansion Beyond Light or is CD Projekt's Cyberpunk 2077 more your thing this September? Let me know in the comments below.

Tuesday 9 June 2020

Bill & Ted Face the Music in excellent teaser trailer



The titular time travellers are back in Bill & Ted Face the Music and it's excellent news for fans.

The third instalment, coming almost thirty years after Bill & Ted's Bogus Journey, sees Alex Winter (Bill) and Keanu Reeves (Ted) reprise their iconic roles for some timey-wimey fun travelling in a phone box that isn't bigger on the inside. The dudes should have borrowed Doctor Who's TARDIS!

Back in 1989, I was studying at Exeter College and only interested in the Back to the Future trilogy when Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure debuted on cinema screens.

The first teaser trailer has been released and the dudes encourage everyone to be excellent to each other.



Bill & Ted Face the Music party's on 21st August.

Sunday 7 June 2020

The Mandalorian: Behind the Camera



Disney Gallery: The Mandalorian, streaming exclusively on Disney+, is a weekly behind-the-scenes documentary series delving into the legacy of Star Wars and the making of The Mandalorian.

Series showrunner Jon Favreau (The Lion King) moderates a roundtable with cast and crew in a fun and accessible format. For fans (myself included) who can't get enough of this, there's ATX TV... from the Couch!

The 3-day virtual series (available on YouTube) includes a pre-recorded panel with creator and writer Jon Favreau, executive producer and director Dave Filoni, alongside guest directors Rick Famuyiwa, Deborah Chow, Bryce Dallas Howard, and Taika Waititi discussing season one of The Mandalorian.

Favreau had a clear vision for The Mandalorian from the get-go: “It was specifically doing a version of Star Wars that felt small and felt like it reflected the genres that influenced George [Lucas] originally: space adventure, westerns, samurai films, WWII adventure films — those are the genres that inspired the tropes.”

Favreau added, “These were at once original, but also a reflection of our cinematic past.” The approach has culminated in, arguably, the best Star Wars spin-off to date.



The Mandalorian is expected to return to Disney+ this October as principal photography on the second season was completed before the coronavirus pandemic lockdown.

Friday 5 June 2020

The Force is strong with Jimmy Kimmel Live



During the coronavirus pandemic, folks on the frontline deserve our admiration, respect and support both now and for the future.

Jimmy Kimmel Live surprised a frontline nurse, Chloe Ducose from San Diego, who is a Star Wars superfan with an appearance from Mark Hamill (Luke Skywalker).



Ducose began to tear up as Hamill told her, "The force is strong with you."

Hamill also added, "I applaud you for having seen the Star Wars movies more than I have."

So much live-affirming joy in these dark times.

Thursday 4 June 2020

ILM celebrates Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back



To celebrate the 40th anniversary of Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back, Lucasfilm livestreamed a conversation with visual effects luminaries from Industrial Light & Magic (ILM) who worked on Star Wars and Battlestar Galactica.

This is a must-see for fellow Star Wars fans and anyone with a modicum of interest in film production. Of particular note is the AT-AT attack utilising stop motion animation pioneered by Ray Harryhausen.



"A special livestream conversation with effects legends Dennis Muren, Joe Johnston, Phil Tippett, and Lorne Peterson in celebration of the 40th Anniversary of Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back. ILM's VFX Supervisor Bill George will moderate the discussion."

I vividly remember reading The Empire Strikes Back Official Poster Monthly Issue 2, which focussed on the Empire. Learning that Stormtroopers were in fact clones and not robots, as I'd erroneously thought, was quite the revelation for my young mind.

Wednesday 3 June 2020

Stormtroopers patrol Disney Springs



Disney Springs has enlisted First Order Stormtroopers to enforce social distancing as lockdown eases during the coronavirus pandemic. Ordinarily, this would be fun for Star Wars fans (myself included), and the playful banter between the troopers and crowd interaction is wholly appropriate.



However, due to current socio-political events unfolding in the US, the optics are inherently problematic and seemingly shows the House of Mouse as tone deaf. Now, there's no suggestion that this is the intention, but perhaps it would be an act of good faith to immediately change tack for the foreseeable future?

What do you think? Let me know in the comments below.

Monday 1 June 2020

Digging Eight Graves



Nick Smith, our resident US-based stellar scribe, has a new movie out and is eager to share the macabre making of Eight Graves (available on Amazon Prime).

Guest post by Nick Smith

On a remote former plantation in South Carolina, two actresses are performing an intense scene. One of them is playing a scaredy-cat character, wary of the house she’s staying in. The other character is more cynical but she listens to her friend’s fears. The sun is setting and the wind barely gasps through tall marsh grass. The scene must be completed before the natural light of the ‘golden hour’ is lost to the night.

‘Cut!’ the director has to stop the scene. Something’s rustling in the marshland.

It’s not a ghost or a murderer as the movie’s title, Eight Graves, suggests. It’s not a coyote either. As the crew takes a closer look, a head pops up from behind a bush. On the other side of the actresses, another head pops up. It’s the gamekeepers who cultivate the land around that scary house. They wanted to have a ringside seat on the shoot and they have just photobombed a feature film.

Once the rubberneckers have been cleared away, the scene gets completed just as the last drop of light fades. It’s time to rest up; the cast and crew watch horror flick The Descent - research - before getting some sleep. The next day has another long list of shots to cover.



There’s nothing shockingly new about Eight Graves’ storyline – a group of young women stranded in a haunted house – although there is a spine-tingling twist. As screenwriter, I focus on making the characters distinctive. A bossy lawyer. A poor little rich kid. A new parent with baby daddy issues. A mouse and a cynic. The women all have a unique voice but they all look forward to a getaway in the country, away from kids, money worries, job angst, all responsibilities.

And what a country. The first sight for the film crew driving into Georgetown, SC is the old steel mill, faded and eaten by Robocop rust. The crew, pumped up with a hearty Burger King breakfast, marvel at the old town, a skeleton of its former industrialized self.

Georgetown has a low-run local newspaper, an independent movie theatre, a Main Street and a barbecue joint or two. But it’s the plantation house that attracts us, old and full of stuffed hunting trophies. The house creaks and settles in the night. We don’t get much sleep.

We have fun during filming, though. To escape the tropes of our horror film, I’ve injected plenty of humour into the dialogue and early character interactions before people start… disappearing. The one joke I’m not sure about is from the director, Gus Smythe. A girl from Eastern Europe must be starving because she’s from…

Hungary? I groan, but Gus keeps it in (it turns out to be one of the audience’s favourite gags). There’s also an oddball character called Mitch, an oily hick of a tow truck driver played by Braxton Williams. Brax makes the guy highly memorable but chews a little too much tobacco and makes himself nauseous. Don’t try that at home kids!

Other cast members include Daniel Jones (Logan Lucky, Revolution) and Jessica Slaughter (One Tree Hill). Jessica plays one of the heroines who spends part of the movie drunk. We don’t ask her how she prepares for those scenes.

Surviving sleepless nights in a house we become convinced is haunted are a minor inconvenience compared to our postproduction problems. Our original editor drops out; some original footage goes missing, presumed wiped (luckily we have different-quality copies); a flood in our editing HQ in Charleston, SC delays us further, while our location in Georgetown is also threatened with flooding, hopefully washing any wraiths away. It’s only thanks to the unceasing hard work of Gus and Braxton, the latter taking on the challenge of completing the film, that it gets released at all.

Eight Graves is my third feature film and like the others it’s a labour of love, the fulfilment of a dream that began with experiencing the thrills and chills of Spielberg and Lucas films as a kid and greedily reading copies of Starburst, Monster Monthly and Fangoria. Even though the project cost my friends and I a cemetery’s worth of time and money, I would make another horror movie in a heartbeat… but it would mean going back to that dark, foreboding house.