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Bleeding Hearts this Valentine’s Day thanks to IFI’s My Bloody Horrorthon

Posted on Author Luke DunnePosted in UncategorizedLeave a Reply

When every waking day is scary, the Horrorthon ain’t just for Halloween folks. The Irish Film Institute’s curation of the creepy and crawly, the Horrorthon will be offering a special selection of scares this Valentine’s Day to get your heart pumping and your pulse racing, all available to stream on IFI@Home.

 

The Bleeding Hearts selection will be available to stream on the IFI’s platform in time for Valentine’s Day (that’s Sunday 14th February if you really don’t want to, or have been studiously trying to, forget), with the films going live the morning of this Friday the 12th. A specially collected quadruple of films, My Bloody Horrorthon have themed this programme around horror that explores that loving feeling. Per IFI@Home:

Butterflies in the stomach, trembling, sweating, a dry mouth, and a beating heart – love, or fear? At this time of year that proves romantic to some and horrifying to others, the IFI is delighted to partner with Horrorthon in presenting a selection of new films that explore the darker side of meeting a special someone. Across these films can be seen homicidal rage, mistrust, and resentment, all occasional hallmarks of any relationship, whether coming from a warped psychological experiment, an exciting German addition to the zombie canon, a grim slice of Australian mayhem, or one of the year’s most intriguing horror films. These are films to see while curled up with your nearest and dearest – just watch your back.

Each film is available to rent for €6.99, with a four-film bundle also available for €24.99. Featuring films from Australia, Germany and the US, its an international array of all-new nightmares sure to delight the horror fan in your life. Check out more on the films available as part of My Bloody Horrorthon presents Bleeding Hearts below.

The Slaughterhouse Killer

This uncompromising slice of Ozploitation sees Nathan (James Mason), a recent parolee looking to settle down with his girlfriend, take a job at an abattoir. New colleague Box (Craig Ingham) takes the younger man under his wing. It quickly becomes apparent to Nathan that his mentor derives particular pleasure and satisfaction from the blood-letting element of his work. However, rather than be repulsed or frightened by this, the discovery leads to the forming of a bond between the two, and their homicidal impulses are soon given free rein beyond the workplace. Taking its cue from films such as Henry: Portrait Of A Serial Killer (John McNaughton, 1986) and Snowtown (Justin Kurzel, 2011), this is a visceral, brutal, and disturbing film.

Like Dogs

Perhaps taking inspiration from the infamous Stanford Prison Experiment, Like Dogs sees a team of grad students launch a behavioural experiment in which participants are subjected to conditions and treatment more usually associated with the titular animals. However, it seems that not all subjects are taking part willingly. Lisa (Annabel Barrett) finds herself chained up and isolated in a dog kennel. Stripped of humanity by her faceless captors, she reaches out to a friendly voice in the darkness: Adam (Ignacyo Matynia). A bond forms between the two, and as the days pass, they conspire to escape. This leads to shocking revelations regarding their captors as vengeance and bloodlust come to the fore under the auspices of the dangerous Kennel Master.

Live or Let Die

Live Or Let Die is the feature debut of Manuel Urbaneck, expanded from his well-regarded 2014 short of the same name. Following the outbreak of a deadly virus, the human race has come close to extinction. Zombies walk the earth hunting the few remaining alive, who search with little hope for a better future. One of these survivors, cautious Nick (Jan Bohlenschmidt), is in possession of an old map that he believes will lead him to sanctuary and respite. Following a bloody encounter with the more reckless John (Urbaneck), an uneasy truce is formed, and the two unite in roaming the destroyed land. Their struggle to survive is complicated by their encounters with the dead, and, worse, with the living.

The Stylist

Hairstylist Claire (Najarra Townsend) is an introverted young woman whose quiet manner inspires her clients to confide in her without hesitation or reservation. However, hearing of these fulfilling lives creates resentment in Claire, who turns to murder, using her victims’ scalps as a disguise under which to assume different personae. When one of her regulars, Olivia (Brea Grant, director of last year’s highly entertaining 12 Hour Shift), enlists Claire to style her hair for her upcoming wedding and involves her in her social circle, Claire is conflicted between her desire to be with Olivia, and her desire to be her. An extremely effective and unsettling film with intriguing, subversive subtexts, The Stylist will surely prove one of the year’s discoveries.

About Luke Dunne

Luke is a writer, film addict and Dublin native who loves how much there is for film fans in his home county. In 2016 he founded Film In Dublin to share everything that's happening in the fair city of film and beyond.

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