Dead By Dawn update

It’s now less than a month to one of the best horror events of the year, the annual Dead by Dawn horror film festival in Edinburgh. Adele who works as tirelessly as any zombie in a Cornish mine (how’s that for an obscure horror reference?!) has announced more details about this year’s programme, including a world premiere:

“There are two fantastic takes on escalating urban nightmares. One is the UK Premiere of The Dark Hours from Canadian film-maker Paul Fox - the story of a shrink with whose Hippocratic oath hasn't stopped her from testing a potential cure in a non-FDA-approved drug on one of her seriously unstable patients. Sadly for her and those she loves, he survives long enough to start asking some deeply unpleasant questions. It all culminates in a game of truth or dare. Which he insists on playing with a pair of pliers...

Another glorious discovery is Jim McMahon's movie Bloodshed. On an American farm, a man and his traumatised younger brother try to survive in the wake of a family tragedy. Only, malicious local gossip has it that the brothers murdered their parents. Who knows? They certainly seem a bit odd. Anyway, happily for horror movie fans, a bunch of arrogant local teens decide to taunt the brothers and as is the way of these things, incur the wrath of two men capable of much worse than even the rumours could ever guess. Director Jim McMahon, his co-writer, the leads and other cast and crew will introduce and discuss this World Premiere.”

From Germany there’s Night of the Living Dorks which Adele promises is a wonderfully funny horror. Indie Japanese flick Gusher No Binds Me (The Bottled Fools) which she describes as “a bizarre little claustrophobic, skin-crawly surreal nightmare...as if lifts weren't horrible enough already.” Alex Turner's excellent civil war horror movie Dead Birds, after screening at Midnight Madness in Toronto gets its UK Premiere.

There’s a huge list of other shows, shorts, trailers, guests and readings which you can check out via the official Dead By Dawn website and if your're in town for the festival don't forget to visit our Edinburgh store on South Bridge where we'll help you bring out your inner ghoul.