Australia. One of the largest, least densely populated countries on Earth.
Sadly, if you talk about Australian entertainment to most people in the UK they immediately think of nothing more than Steve Irwin, Neighbours and Kylie Minogue. At a push, maybe Mad Max. A damn shame that, as Australia has produced some rather fine horror films in recent years, such as Wolf Creek, Snowtown, Lake Mungo and The Loved Ones.
Hoping to add to that list, is director Paul China’s Crawl, which receives its UK Premiere at Glasgow Frightfest on Friday, February 24th.
The synopsis offered by Frightfest is as follows,
Claustrophobic heat and brooding tension seep from the screen in this character-driven hi-tone chiller set in an unknown rural town. Seedy bar owner Slim Walding hires a mysterious Croatian hit man to murder a local garage owner over a shady business deal gone bad. The crime is indeed carried out by the stone-faced stranger but a planned double-crossing backfires when an innocent waitress becomes involved. Much of what makes this study in slow-burning terror so nail-bitingly effective is the silence that director China employs for long periods, coupled with the deep, shadowy corners of the picture frame – and minds of the captivating lead characters.
Having been seen to largely positive reviews, Crawl has been described as “a chilling piece of genre cinema yet one that pays heartfelt homage, at times in minute detail, to the best exponents of the artform”, this is a film that I, personally, am greatly looking forward to.
Written and directed by China, Crawl stars Georgina Haig (Underbelly), as Marilyn Burns, an homage to the actress who appeared in Tobe Hooper’s Texas Chainsaw Massacre, Andy Barclay (though I’m not sure if his real name is an homage to the kid character from Child’s Play) as Marilyn’s boyfriend, Travis.
In addition to the screening of the film, as a wee bonus, Paul China and his producer brother Ben will be travelling from Australia for the UK premiere of the film.
Crawl can be seen at Glasgow FrightFest, part of the Glasgow Film Festival, at 18.30pm on Friday, February 24th, 2012.
Tickets are available from the Glasgow Film Theatre website which can be found here, then click on Festival, then What’s On and on the page that opens in the top left-hand corner you will find all the strands with in the festival. A link to the dedicated FrightFest page is there. All the films are listed on this page and you be able to buy your passes and single tickets.
You can also buy your tickets from the Glasgow Film Theatre, 22 Rose Street, Glasgow, G3 6RB or by calling 0141 332 6535.
See you there…
