Poor Deborah Harry…or rather, poor Nicki, the character she played in David Cronenberg’s classic horror/science-fiction hybrid movie Videodrome back in 1983. The sexy star of radio and pop videos made her major motion-picture debut after a string of underground and independent film appearances and made a major impact playing Nicki Brand, a sadomasochistic psychiatrist and radio host. Her character becomes caught up in an investigation into a potentially dangerous illegal satellite TV station and disappears when she goes to Pitsburgh to audition for a sex and torture show being made and broadcast by the channel.

To find out what happens next you really need to go along to the SHIVERS Canadian Genre Film Festival on Sunday 20th May at the Roxy Bar & Screen in London! Videodrome is playing alongside a whole heap of other Canadian cult and exploitation flicks starting at 3pm!

Buy tickets from here!

Read why SHIVERS festival supports the Classic Horror Campaign here!

Check out the SHIVERS official website here!

Read Rue Morgue magazine’s  in-depth interview with festival organiser Vince D’Amato here!

The Classic Horror Campaign has teamed up with Diabolique Magazine to offer a fangtastic prize in our latest Creepy Competition!!  You, yes YOU dear reader could win a one year FREE SUBSCRIPTION to the awesome Diabolique Magazine by answering one simple question -

The brand new Tim Burton movie DARK SHADOWS starring Johnny Depp is based on -

A. An old daytime soap opera?

B. A recently discovered secret novel by Bram Stoker?

C. An eighties sitcom starring David Hasselhoff?

 Just email the correct answer to us at admin@classichorrorcampaign.com including your name and address and we shall pick one winner at random after Monday 18th June!

Diabolique is the magazine for the horror connoisseur covering the horror genre in film, literature, art, music, history and culture.

Check out the Diabolique website here!

Listen to Diabolique Radio here!

I was lucky enough to meet the much-loved character actor and horror film star David Warner at the London Film Memorabilia Convention yesterday and we spoke briefly about some of his horror film roles and his career over the years. When I brought up the subject of his part in The Omen (1976) he said “The Omen is not a horror film….it’s an ‘atmosphere’ film…” and he added that in the scene where his character is decapitated by a flying sheet of glass “there wasn’t blood spurting everywhere” by which he meant that the film was much more concerned with creating  a creepy atmosphere than just shocking people with gory special effects. He also revealed that when he was first approached to be in the film, The Omen was originally going to be called Birthmark, which of course alludes to the ’666′ birthmark hidden under Damien’s hair and is a sign of the Devil.

Warner also told me about his upcoming role in a new BBC television production of James Herberts novel The Secret of Crickley Hall. He said it was a three part adaptation of Herberts best selling ghost story which was to be screened over the Hallowe’en period on BBC One. The series also stars Suranne Jones, Douglas Henshall and Tom Ellis.

I was also lucky enough to get to talk to Vera Day, glamorous star of such horror flicks as Quatermass II (1957), Grip of the Strangler (1958) and The Woman Eater (1958) as well as more recent fare as Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels (1998). She said that she was a relative newcomer to film conventions and related events but enjoyed meeting film fans and sharing stories and memories with those that attended. Something tells me that Vera will be attending a lot more of these events in the coming months and that can only be a good thing for classic horror fans!

 After speaking to Vera Day I then had a good chat with British actress Sylvia Syms who would be known to classic horror aficionados for her appearance in the 1972 Amicus production Asylum. This highly regarded performer has also become very well known for her extensive charity work and was particularly pleased to be able to talk about her work with the young persons charity Intermission Youth Theatre which engages young people from London’s inner-city communities by way of of drama workshops.

As well as being able to meet such iconic stars, the London Film Memorabilia Convention also gave me the opportunity to check out the amazing dealers who had come from all over the world to attend the event. Autographs, film posters, monster movie magazines, dvds, VHS videos, lobby cards, vintage film programmes all clamoured for my attention as well as a rare publicity still of Max Shreck from the original Nosferatu (1922) worth thousands of pounds! Needless to say, I shall definately be returning on July 14th to meet special guests Fenella Fielding (Carry On Screaming) and Hammer horror star Valerie Leon (Blood From the Mummy’s Tomb).

If you’re a fan of classic Hammer horror films you need to check out this competition on the Top10Horror website where you could win one of 3 Special Edition copies of The Reptile and Plague of the Zombies Blu-ray & DVDs (double play) courtesy of StudioCanal. Slither across to the Top10Horror site now and tell them the Classic Horror Campaign sent you!

Magdalena is an orphaned teenager who lives at a girls boarding school. After her grandfather is crucified by a prostitute (!) she becomes possessed by the Devil in this hilariously bad German rip-off of The Exorcist. The plot itself is at times incoherent but don’t let that spoil things for you; if you’re a fan of trashy exploitation movies just sit back and enjoy the ride.

Once Magdalena becomes possessed her symptoms include fainting, being rude to priests and running around in the nude a lot. The headmistress of the girls school initially dismisses this strange behaviour, acting as if the girl has nothing more than a bad cold despite being witness to levitating furniture, demonic noises, a satanic cat and Magdalena kicking a door in with her bare feet. Elisabeth Volkmann’s performance as the headmistress (in cahoots with whoever dubbed her voice into English) put me in mind of Celia Imrie’s portrayal of Miss Babs in the iconic soap opera spoof Acorn Antiques and this certainly adds to the general air of slapdash that permeates the film.

After being subjected to medical tests Magdalena is diagnosed with possession, runs around in the nude some more, tries to seduce various male cast members and then accuses them of rape and is sexually abused by an invisible spirit a few times. All in all, just another day in the life of a possessed teenage girl. More highlights: dopey dialogue, dodgy disco dancing, more gratuitous nudity and did I mention the outrageously bad dubbing?

If you want to witness this movie car-crash for yourself Magdalena is available on dvd on a double-bill with blaxploitation Exorcist rip-off Abby.

Review by Richard Gladman

We recently asked classic horror film fans on Twitter and over on Facebook on the Classic Horror Campaign page and in the We Belong Dead group the following question :

Here is a selection of comments we received from classic horror film fans over on Facebook :

Darrell Buxton said : “As the Squire hints, the ‘Golden age’ of classic horror is notable for its weirdness – from THE UNKNOWN (1927) through to ABBOTT AND COSTELLO MEET FRANKENSTEIN (1948), just write down the actual plots of some of these pictures, take a step back, and scratch your heads! THE OLD DARK HOUSE might well get my vote – I’ve seen it many times, and love it, but what on earth is it about?!”

Joe OBrien said: “I’m going to have to say Tod Browning’s “Freaks”. I don’t think you’ll find a more wtf/strange movie anywhere!”

Peter Benassi said: “I have to admit that the first time I saw THE WICKER MAN (1973) on late night TV (before it became so enormously popular) I was fascinated and highly amused with its use of songs scattered throughout – making the climax all the more sobering and utterly horrifying. Not obscure anymore, but it is certainly bizarre and far from predictable. Another most peculiar horror film is THE REDEEMER (1977) – anyone who has seen this one will agree, I’m sure.”

 Dan Tunstall said: “The Shout is also fairly peculiar.”

Audrey A’Cladh said: “Mantango, I first saw it under the name Attack of the Mushroom People!”

Julian Hobbs said: “Lemora: A Child’s Tale of the Supernatural. It’s Night of the Hunter meets Count Yorga via Night of the Living Dead and then some. Messiah of Evil and Let’s Scare Jessica to Death are also great arty horrors from the early seventies.”

 And on Twitter we received the following comments:

@HoboRobot said:  “Not a classic, but very subtle & creepy: 70s “Let’s Scare Jessica to Death” got me pretty good – especially the twist ending”

@FilmAdTvMusic said: “Does ‘Thundercrack’ count?”

@garetpayne said: “I’d say I Drink Your Blood is high up on the list. It’s about a Satanic hippie cult with rabies.”

Amanda Norman is not only the UK’s most famous gothic horror photographer and jewellery designer but she also designed the Classic Horror Campaign logo and was instrumental in helping to set up the campaign in its early days! Amanda was recently interviewed by the fangtastic Bryan Schuessler on SHU-IZMZ radio. Follow the link and hear what the lovely Amanda Norman has to say about classic horror films, dark photography and a whole lot more!

Amanda Norman on SHU-IZMZ Radio

Amanda Norman website

Cyberschizoid interviews Amanda Norman

The amazing Filmbar70 is proud to fly the flag as they celebrate the British Thriller of the Seventies! They’ll be screening the original And Soon the Darkness (’70), and guiding you through this long neglected aspect of our cinematic heritage with their very own Top Ten Brit Thrills of the ‘70s. Also on hand will be Mr Eldiabolik himself – bringing his World of Psychotronic Soundtracks to bear on the best of British film grooves from the decade.

When two young female nurses (Filmbar fave Pamela Franklin and Michele – “oh Frank” – Dotrice) embark on a cycling holiday around southern France, nothing had prepared them for the sheer monotony of their trip. As tempers are tried and bickering flares, the couple decide to split – an action that leaves them more vulnerable than they could have ever imagined. For this alien, expansive landscape has a dark history, a history involving the unsolved abductions of a number of young women…
An excursion into the very, very eerie, And Soon the Darkness wrings incredible suspense from its minimal resources. Dearly departed arch stylist Robert Fuest imbues the wide, sunny spaces of the French countryside with palatable dread and cloying claustrophobia, tightening the screws of tension to breaking point.

So come and join in this celebration of  ’70s British Thrillers at The Roxy Bar & Screen from 7pm on Thursday May 17th!

Useful links:

Filmbar70

Roxy Bar & Screen

Check out the And Soon The Darkness remake

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Shock Horror Magazine is teaming up with the Classic Horror Campaign to celebrate horror host Cyberschizoid’s birthday on Sunday June 3rd! No-one really knows how ancient Cyberschizoid really is, not even his glamorous co-host Scare Sarah so we can only imagine how many candles there will be on the cake but you are all invited to join the horror party of the year at the CYBERSCHIZOID BIRTHDAY PARTY MONSTER MASH!

Taking place at the Roxy Bar & Screen near London Bridge, Cyberschizoid and Scare Sarah will be presiding over the festivities sponsored by the UK’s Shock Horror Magazine from 3pm and will be screening HOW TO MAKE A MONSTER (1958) followed by DR PHIBES RISES AGAIN (1972) and giving away prizes courtesy of the guys and ghouls at Shock Horror!

HOW TO MAKE A MONSTER (1958) is a sequel of sorts to A.I.P. classics I WAS A TEENAGE WEREWOLF and I WAS A TEENAGE FRANKENSTEIN while DR PHIBES RISES AGAIN (1972) is a direct sequel to THE ABOMINABLE DR PHIBES!

Useful links:

Buy your tickets now from WeGotTickets!

Roxy Bar & Screen

Shock Horror Magazine

Cyberschizoid

Classic Horror Campaign on Facebook

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In response to many of the comments and suggestions we’ve received from our supporters and followers on our Classic Horror Campaign survey, here is a link to our Youtube playlist on the Cyberschizoid Channel. So many of you have told us that you want to see more classic horror trailers and the Classic Horror Campaign playlist includes the trailers from all of the films we’ve screened so far at our events around the UK…plus a few extra surprises!!  Who says we don’t listen!??