Creep (2004)
The Movie : Added to the FF 2004 line-up at the last minute, Creep brought horror to London – literally, with its tale of underground kidnapping. Director Christopher Smith and star Franka Potente were in attendance for a Q&A.
Why It's Great: It’s all about the double whammy – go watch Creep , then brave the tube home and hope you don’t get locked in with a tunnel-dwelling psycho. Shiver.
Detention (2011)
The Movie : Awarded the Biggest Surprise Award at last year’s FrightFest, Detention ’s a witty, acerbic high school horror in the Scream mould – but also so, so much more.
Why It's Great: You have to see it to believe it. No really, it’s out on DVD next week, go get yourself a copy.
Behind The Mask: The Rise Of Leslie Vernon (2006)
The Movie : FrightFest 2006 saw the unveiling of this American mockumentary, which features horror goliath Robert Englund.
Why It's Great: With cameos by Zelda Rubinstein and Kane Hodder, Behind The Mask is a horror film made by fans for fans – yes, that old chestnut. It’s also a deadpan delight with oodles of style.
Insomnia (2002)
The Movie : Chris Nolan attends the fest for the first time in 2002, bringing with him Insomnia , his frosty and effective remake of the Norwegian thriller.
Why It's Great: Bringing a splash of class to the fest, this is a psychological horror story that’s all the more terrifying because it could really happen.
Dark Water (2002)
The Movie : Two years after he unveiled Ringu 2 at FrightFest, director Hideo Nakata returns with this chilly offering about a haunted block of flats.
Why It's Great: Insidious, eerie, compelling… Despite Nakata’s questionable delve into English-language films, it’s stuff like Dark Water that proves what a fantastic horror director he really is.
The Roost (2005)
The Movie : The Innkeepers director Ti West makes his FrightFest debut with The Roost , his second auteur effort and a crazy terror trip featuring murderous bats and zombies.
Why It's Great: It provided an early look at what West was capable of. Though he was strapped for cash, stylistically he’s on his way to something special – and boy does he know how to create tension.
The Machinist (2004)
The Movie : Director Brad Anderson debuts his troubling drama, with Christian Bale as an emaciated insomniac who starts to lose his grip on reality.
Why It's Great: The film’s pretty galling on its own, but then there’s the sight of a withered, puckered Christian Bale, who lost 60 pounds for his role. Talk about a fright.
Severance (2006)
The Movie : While Edgar Wright presented an exclusive first look at the trailer for Hot Fuzz at FF2006, Severance kept the Brit laughs coming with its sick (and slick) horror shenanigans.
Why It's Great: The concept’s typical British black humour, with a group of co-workers going on a bonding trip only to get cut down by some guy with a love of the red stuff. Awesome.
The Host (2006)
The Movie : Bong Joon-jo’s Korean monster movie rampages into FrightFest 2006, with its impressive CGI effects and commentary on the American military’s presence in Korea.
Why It's Great: It manages to shoehorn monsters into a film that has a political point to make. Kudos.
Grindhouse (2007)
The Movie : We get our first glimpse at Grindhouse as the fake trailer for Don’t (directed by Edgar Wright) is screened exclusively at the Fest.
Why It's Great: Grindhouse was one of the coolest movie events of 2007, and this was an enticing look at what was to come.
