Ayvianna Snow (LOLA, White Colour Black, Black Lake, Barun Rai And The House On The Cliff, Hollow, The Lockdown Hauntings) stars in the new horror anthology, Video Shop Tales of Terror (Vergessen) directed by Michael Fausti and produced by Singh Lall.


Video Shop Tales of Terror brings together and celebrates the best of British independent horror under one banner, kickstarting a soon-to-be cult anthology film series!


The film features a sinister video rental store offering a portal into six individual tales of terror, including Vergessen, where a group of women find themselves trafficked to a Nazi brothel that functions as a honeytrap to blackmail the rich and powerful. When the opportunity to see beyond the shadows of their confinement presents itself to the women, the balance of power begins to shift. Ayvianna Snow plays Ilsa Lall, an unwilling participant in 'Operation Vergessen', who, together with her fellow occupants of the 'Frau Haus', seeks to escape her confines and exact revenge upon her tormentors by any means possible. Video Shop Rales of Terror – Vergessen draws upon the notorious European Arthouse Films of the 1970s. In particular, Liliana Cavani's The Night Porter and Tinto Brass's Salon Kitty.  


Ayvianna Snow joins a host of horror royalty, including Laurence R Harvey and Scream Queen Dani Thompson, for Video Shop Tales of Terror's provocative, satirical and terrifying action.


Video Shop Tales of Terror will have its World Premiere on Saturday, 21st January 2023, at The Horror on Sea Film Festival, Southend and screening on 24th February 2023 at the Romford Horror Festival.


Ayvianna says: "I am so excited to be working on this film alongside so many amazing genre filmmakers. This film means a lot to me as it is a true story detailing women's experiences in the Second World War, and I feel women's wartime stories are often overlooked."


Ayvianna continues to embrace her dark side, playing the lead in Michael Fausti's forthcoming feature film, Burnt Flowers (due for release in 2024) & returning for Video Shop Tales of Terror II: Lust & Revenge (scheduled for production Q1 2023).

At The Mercury Theatre in London's West End, rumours are circulating of a curse.

It is said that the lead actress Lilith has made a pact with Melpomene, the tragic muse of Greek mythology, to become the greatest actress to ever grace the stage. Suspicious of Lilith, the jealous wife of the theatre owner sends dresser Jenny to spy on her, and desperate for the money to help her family, Jenny agrees.

What Jenny finds is a woman as astonishing in her performance as she is provocative in nature. On stage, it's as though Lilith is possessed by the characters she plays, yet off stage she is as tragic as the Muse who inspires her, and Jenny, sorry for her, befriends the troubled actress. But when strange events begin to take place around the theatre, Jenny wonders if the rumours are true, and fears that when the Muse comes calling for payment, the cost will be too high

Since the release of her first Gothic novel The Silent Companions, Laura Purcell has cemented her place as one of the foremost writers in the form, captivating readers with a series of superb supernatural books. And to celebrate Laura’s headline slot at the UK Ghost Story Festival this February, we’ve got two copies of her new release THE WHISPERING MUSE to give away, courtesy of Raven Books!

The UK Ghost Story Festival takes place over the weekend of 15th-19th February, with an online preview night followed by four exciting days of activity at Derby’s Museum of Making. The line-up for this year includes not only Laura Purcell but an exciting range of writing talent including Michelle Paver, Camilla Bruce, Dan Schreiber, Emma Stonex, CJ Cooke, Stephen Volk and more than 25 other authors for a mix of workshops, panels, readings, talks, interviews and much more. You can check out the website at https://www.ukghoststoryfestival.co.uk/ or visit the ticket portal at https://www.ticketsource.co.uk/ukghoststoryfestival

Laura’s author interview at the UK Ghost Story Festival takes place at 6pm on Friday 17th February and you can win your copy of The Whispering Muse by answering one simple question…

What is the title of Laura Purcell’s debut Gothic novel?
A) The Loud Companions
B) The Quiet Companions
C) The Silent Companions

Send you answers to alexdavisevents@hotmail.co.uk by FRIDAY 10TH FEB  for your chance to win! UK ENTRY ONLY.

TERMS AND CONDITIONS

Entrants will receive an email reply to acknowledge their entry. Only winning entries will receive a further email. Email addresses will not be retained or added to any mailing lists. Two winning entrants will receive one copy of THE WHISPERING MUSE in hardback. Competition closes on ????? with winners drawn and contacted the following day. Competition is open to UK entrants only.

Laura Purcell is a former bookseller living in Colchester, Essex with her husband and pet guinea pigs.

She began her career with two historical novels about the Hanoverian monarchs, Queen of Bedlam and Mistress of the Court before her break-out Gothic ghost story The Silent Companions.

The Silent Companions won the WHSmith Thumping Good Read Award in 2018 and was shortlisted for the Goldsboro Glass Bell. It was selected for both the Radio 2 Book Club and Zoe Ball's ITV Book Club.

The Shape of Darkness won a Fingerprint Award for Historical Crime Book of the Year 2022 and was shortlisted for both an Edgar Award and a Dead Good Readers' Award.
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Laura's short stories have been published in a number of collections including the Sunday Times best-selling The Haunting Season. She recently worked as lead writer on Roanoke Falls, a Realm podcast executive produced by John Carpenter and Sandy King Carpenter. It won a silver Signal Award for Best Scripted Fiction.
Please note that in the USA Laura is published by Penguin Books, where The Corset is titled The Poison Thread and Bone China is called The House of Whispers.

In his Masterclass, Neil Gaiman talks about compost heaps and seeds. Not the loamy mounds one might find in a backyard, but the mental kind that fertilize a writer’s imagination and nourishes the seeds that grow into short stories, novellas, and novels. One of the many aspects of writing that always fascinates me is how stories take shape and evolve, and how we as writers evolve right with them.

My debut novel, PORTRAIT OF A NUCLEAR FAMILY, didn’t start as a novel, but instead as the idea for a short story. With the birth of my first child, my mind swirled with possibilities. The gift and burden of every writer is the constant question, “What if?” For a horror writer, we tend to find the darker ideas more compelling to tell our tales. While the endings can bring both light and darkness in varying measure, we run our characters through the gauntlet of our worst nightmares.

In my case, the idea blossomed, “What if I discovered my child had done something horrific? How would I react? How much is too much to forgive?” From that seed, I nurtured a story about a boy, Nathan, who discovers Christmas presents hidden in an attic for himself and his little brother. The narrative found Nathan escaping his overbearing parents into the woods where he experiments on various animals. As the story came to an end, I knew I had written an absolute piece of garbage. 

It was boring. The main character was unsympathetic and emotionless. Nothing about the piece worked. After setting it aside for nearly a month, letting the idea grow and develop in the compost heap of the writer’s mind, the solution presented itself. While Nathan was the center of the story, it was Wanda, the mother, who drove the story’s emotional impact. From there a short story followed. It was by far a better version. 

Except, this version needed more. Wanda demanded more. The ending, while answering some questions and delivering on some of the promises, didn’t provide a proper, overall resolution. 

A new story grew out of the desperation and madness left in the wake of the first. I used the opportunity to explore what a parent might do to protect and repair reputations. As the second story took shape, I was able to explore Wanda more deeply that before. She moved from being horrified to being inspired by her older son’s deeds and she herself expanded on his work leading to some very dark and unsettling consequences.

Once finished, a friend suggested they be combined into a novella. It was an opportunity to create something that could stand on its own on a shelf. While melding the two pieces together, I discovered the need to reorganize the events, to build the tension in different ways, and establish character motivations. What started as a small project ballooned. New characters were born, old side characters grew into prominence, and new themes required more victims.

The plan to finish the novella in three months went the way of a Douglas Adams deadline. “I love deadlines. I like the whooshing sound they make as they fly by.” While that makes me sound like a slacker, and there is some truth to that, something more interesting occurred. During each draft, new possibilities emerged. A history of obsession around art and perfection. A marriage framed around the lessons her mother browbeat into her. A best friend who represented desired choices and unfulfilled dreams. A yearning for a life filled with inspiration.

From a simple short story about a Christmas gone horribly wrong, the narrative expanded into a novel about family, mental illness, expectations, regrets, and the flawed search for perfection. What started as a week or two project turned into a three-year journey. 

Hemingway (and so many more) said, “Writing is rewriting.” With each new pass, a new idea came which, like a stone thrown into a pond, sent ripples through the narrative. Each new idea revealed the possibility of even larger pebbles, some of which were undeniable in their ability to elevate the story I wanted to tell. 

PORTRAIT went through, roughly, eleven drafts from short story to finished novel. Each draft represented a new structure, a new emotional through-line, a new sub-plot. One of the interesting aspects of so many rewrites was how the words began to blur together. When you’ve read something ten times, you can’t shake the feeling that you’ve repeated yourself. But in the end, with integral assistance from a talented writer, editor and friend, Heather Straub, I was able to finish the book. 

Kerouac told us, “to kill your darlings.” Writers often refer to their work as children. Sometimes the story we envisioned fails to thrive, sometimes it grows into everything we imagine it to be, and sometimes it develops into a tale far more engrossing and expansive than we ever intended. In these ways, stories come alive and breathe their own truths and revelations into the simple seed we started with. 
​
Writing is full of surprises. I started out with the idea of a short tale about a boy who lashes out at a world that doesn’t meet his expectations and ended up with a novel about a mother who refuses to accept that kind of world, forcing her will on anything and everything that tries to pollute it. In the end, PORTRAIT OF A NUCLEAR FAMILY, became a wonderful surprise and so far, a well-received novel thanks to D&T Publishing. So go out and plants some seeds and be open to the occasional surprise harvest.

Know How to Hit that Pokies Jackpot

​No matter what you call them, pokies are usually the first thing people go for, whether at a land-based venue, pub or one of the best NZ online casinos. 

Some punters just like to spin the reels to see if they strike a lucky streak, while others like to use a strategy. What links both together is the excitement that they might hit the jackpot, so knowing how the jackpots work is a massive step to choosing the most suitable online pokies to play. 

With so many online pokies, deciding which will suit their taste and style can be confusing, especially for new players. Below are a few tips and ideas to make that choice more straightforward and, hopefully, more rewarding. 

• Many punters love to play progressive jackpot pokies that offer life-changing jackpot prizes. Progressives work by adding a small percentage from each bet made to the pot. Considering that most online casinos are open 24/7 and many progressive pokies are supplied by sites from a linked network, it becomes apparent how quickly the jackpot can grow and how big it can get. When playing progressive jackpot pokies, you need to be aware that you should be the maximum amount to be in with a chance of winning the biggest jackpots. Lower-staked spins will get the same multiplier as larger stakes, but the payout will not be as significant. 
• Some pokies boast many paylines, fancy bonuses and other ways to win. These games are a ton of fun to play, but the odds of winning are lower than if you were to play more straightforward pokies. Of course, the wins on the more straightforward pokies will be less generous.
• A great tip for deciding which pokies games you will enjoy playing is to test the games for free. Online casino sites offer pokies with free spins (demo mode)  when you sign up with the site. Of course, you won’t win any real cash if you hit a lucky streak, but it is a great way to find your way about the game.
• One of the most important things to remember when playing any casino game, including online pokies, is not to chase your losses. Creating a budget for yourself and not going over it can help, as can deciding what amount you are willing to lose when playing progressive pokies where you will be staking the maximum amount each spin. You should never play with money you cannot afford to lose, and as long as you keep in mind that you are playing primarily for entertainment and fun, then you are good to go. 
• Finally, know when to stop. This tip might sound silly, but it is a golden rule for any situation, whether you are visiting a brick-and-mortar casino or are online. If you cannot stop playing, you might develop a bad habit. Always take breaks, and do not spend your agreed budget in one sitting. 

The best advice anyone can have is to have fun and play around with different pokies games until you find which game and strategy work for you. There is no real “right” or “wrong” way to play pokies, and at the end of the day, if you can end playing with a smile on your face (especially if Lady Luck) has been kind, then you have used the game as it was intended.




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​After two successful runnings in 2020 and 2021, the UK Ghost Story Festival will be back for a third time over the weekend of 16th-19th February in ‘the UK’s most haunted city’ of Derby. At its new venue of the Museum of Making, the Festival will be presenting fifty events over four in-person days of the event. With a mix of interviews, talks, readings, panels, workshops and performances, there’s bound to be something for both readers and writers of supernatural fiction.

Taking part in the 2023 event will be Michelle Paver (author of Dark Matter, Thin Air and Wakenhyrst), Laura Purcell (The Whispering Muse, The Shape of Darkness, Bone China), Camilla Bruce (All the Blood We Share, The Witch in the Well), Dan Schreiber (No Such Thing as a Fish podcast, The Theory of Everything Else), Emma Stonex (The Lamplighters), Stephen Volk (Ghostwatch, Afterlife) and many more. To see the full list of speakers, visit https://www.ukghoststoryfestival.co.uk/speakers

Derby’s Museum of Making is located close to Derby’s Market Place, ideally placed for the town centre, and the Festival has arranged a hotel deal with the Leonardo Hotel Derby (formerly Jurys Inn) for anyone travelling from outside Derby and looking to stay over for the event. For more information on the accommodation deal, visit https://www.ukghoststoryfestival.co.uk/hotel-deal

Event co-ordinator Alex Davis said: ‘I’m delighted to be working with an exciting new venue for 2023, not to mention some absolutely phenomenal talent in the world of ghost stories. The schedule is packed with all sorts of informative and entertaining sessions, and I can’t wait to get stuck in to the event!’

Tickets are available for individual festival events, as well as full event passes, weekend passes and day passes for the Saturday of the festival.

For more information on the UK Ghost Story Festival, visit https://www.ukghoststoryfestival.co.uk/home

To book tickets for the event, including our online preview night, visit
https://www.ticketsource.co.uk/ukghoststoryfestival

Find us on Facebook at
https://www.facebook.com/events/1211119869444098

Find us on Twitter at @ghoststoryfest

Find us on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/ghoststoryfestival/

2022 has been such a gift for fans of the horror genre. It is not just the quantity or even quality of the films that impresses me, so much as the vast range of stories that have been told. This has been a rare year where there is a little something for everyone. As for me, I feel almost overwhelmed at the massive amount of amazing films I’ve seen. It is an honor to be featured on this website that has meant so much to me and the indie horror community, but I am especially grateful to be curating a Top 20 list in a year where I had to fight and argue with myself to get it down to just 20.


‘Top’ is a word that is open to interpretation. For me, and for the list that I am about to present to you, it falls somewhere in between “favorite” and “best.” Some of these, especially as you work your way to my Number 1 slot, are pieces of art that I believe speak for themselves critically. Others, especially near the bottom, are movies whose messiness I can forgive simply because they succeeded in making me feel something, whether that be fear or delight. I have done my best to provide context with each title as to what put it above the others.


Believe me, there were others. 20 seems like a lot of horror movies for one year, but it pales in comparison to the number of amazing titles that have been released over the last twelve months. With all that said, I am so excited to share my pick for the Top 20 Horror Movies of 2022.


20. The Watcher


This was the hardest spot to pick. I had about twelve movies left that I felt needed to go on this list and only one slot remaining. One thing all my other selections had in common was that I was not sure where they fell into the genre. The Watcher stood out because while it may be an agonizingly slow burn, there is no doubt that this is a horror film. The tension here is rivaled only by sympathy for the protagonist in a world where her every concern is called into question.


19. Terrifier 2


On the exact opposite side of that spectrum, we have Terrifier 2. This film lacks any semblance of subtlety. It is gory, self-indulgent, and absolutely over the top. The critic in me hesitated to include this on my list, but to leave it off would be to deny the unbridled joy that watching it brings me. Embracing the gory and eccentric roots of the slasher genre, this is a wild ride. Art the Clown’s success at the box office was a win for indie horror and it’s not hard to see how he got there. Terrifier 2 brought fantastic character design, creative kills, and the sort of practical effects that can only be achieved in a labor of love.


18. Nanny


Of all the movies on this list, Nanny may be the hardest to classify. The plot is driven by the amazing cast, and the unease builds from multiple sources. There are supernatural and psychological aspects that are escalated by the isolation faced by the movie’s protagonist. Though the film lacked many outright scares, there is a lingering sense of dread that comes with the story. Often it is the things we don’t know that have a way of haunting us.


17. Mad God


Though Mad God made its festival debut in 2021, the US release came in June of this year. It is an unflinchingly brutal look at what it takes to survive in a world of monsters. Though the experimental narration style leaves much open to interpretation by the audience, the cruelties are hard to watch all the same. The stop-motion animation style is rendered with such attention to detail, and is strangely beautiful to watch in spite of all its horrors.


16. Hellraiser


2022’s Hellraiser is a masterclass in remakes. While it takes thematic inspiration from Clive Barker’s original story, the source material has been reshaped to give us something new and fresh. Everything about this movie makes it feel less like competition to the original, and more like a companion piece. It works beautifully as a stand-alone film, giving us a taste into the reimagined world without rehashing the pieces that have become overfamiliar throughout the long chain of quality diminished sequels. There was something here for fans and critics of the franchise alike.


15. Satan’s Slaves: Communion


Everything that I loved about Satan’s Slaves was present in this sequel. It kept the core cast, added onto the mythology, and kept the same haunting vibes in its new, claustrophobic setting. The tension was ramped up, the stakes felt higher, and the imagery is unforgettable. Even with the abundance of jump scares, which would usually turn me off to a movie, the visuals were strong enough to keep me feeling uneasy in the best way.


14. Deadstream


Horror comedy is at its best when it the scares still keep pace with the laughs. This brilliant satire strikes a great balance in this regard. The discomfort of the situation continues to ramp up to absurd levels that only a desperate content creator would invite into their lives. While the movie plays best to those familiar with live-streaming culture, there is something so human about the plot that it could play to anyone.


13. The Sadness.


Speaking of humans, we often make the scariest monsters. That concept is pushed to its absolute limits in this Taiwanese horror film. Though it was another one finished in 2021, 2022 saw its US release when it came to Shudder with an advisory warning. Terrifier 2 may have been the bloodiest movie to hit American theaters this year, but it did not hold a candle to The Sadness in terms of gore or violence. If you think your stomach is strong enough to handle the utter depravity of this film, then you are in for a treat. Where many extreme horror films conform entirely to the gross out method, The Sadness offers a human story that is truly terrifying underneath the blood and guts.


12. Scream


As a strong testament to the competition of this list, this January started with me declaring that Scream may well be my movie of the year. While that ended up to not be the case, this was the first hurdle that every subsequent choice had to crawl its way over. Hellraiser set a new high bar for remakes, but Scream set a new standard for the “requels.” As the movie itself will tell you, it has everything; a new core cast, a few legacy characters, and a Ghostface unafraid to raise the stakes with their brutality.


11. Resurrection


This one lingers just outside my Top 10, but it may well be the only movie on this entire list that I don’t think I’ll be watching again any time soon. Though it starts off as a slow burn, this movie was unafraid to get dark and personal. There are topics touched on too dark to be shown on screen, and they are approached in such a matter of fact, haunting way. Though Resurrection has its “exaggerated” moments and a strange premise, the psychological component serves to make it feel like one of the realest horrors.


10. The Black Phone


Would you believe I was actually disappointed with this movie when I saw it the first time? As a fan of the short story, I felt let down by the way the tale was expanded. It didn’t highlight the psychological aspect that had drawn me in, so much as created a new supernatural element that I hadn’t asked for. The rewatch, however, got me. While it was not the movie I had hoped it would be, it’s hard to argue that it excels at what it is, which is a spine chilling ghost story where not even the children are safe.


9. Hellbender


It’s hard to even describe this film, which came to the US this February. While there are many recognizable aspects in this familial, isolation horror, they are woven together in a way that feels fresh. It is led by two strong characters who are unafraid to surprise the audience. I also loved the LGBTQ+ themes, which were strong without ever becoming the primary focus, or detracting from the horror.


8. Pearl


I was concerned about Pearl. As a prequel that is also the middle part of a trilogy born from what easily could have been a stand-alone film, this had every chance to make me regret its existence. In a wonderful turn of events, it crept right up onto my list of favorites. Though I can see the argument that it didn’t need to be made, I’m very grateful that it was made. Pearl offers great insight into one of the genre’s most complex characters, while also managing to ask more questions than it answers. It was a great addition to the story, and to this year’s horror roster.


7. Speak No Evil


This one nearly flew under my radar. I didn’t see much promotion for it and many critics never seemed to pick it up. Fortunately, I stumbled across a couple of my friends discussing on social media how this movie traumatized them, and I knew I had to check it out. This is a title that is almost too uncomfortable to be considered a slow burn. Whether or not you’re able to sleep after watching it seems to hinge on whether or not you’ve had children, but it’s an unforgettable experience even to us non-parents in the audience.


6. Incantation


This was the rare horror film that lived up to the hype surrounding it. It is a Taiwanese found footage film that knows just how to play its audience. Right from the beginning, you have empathy for the characters that only continues to build as we watch their struggle unfold. The visuals were horrifying, and the audience feels almost implicated by the time the credits roll.


5. Fresh


This is the sort of movie that, in another year, easily could have been my top pick. It has a little bit of everything; an amazing protagonist, body horror, levity, and a healthy dose of blood. There are even a couple of really terrible puns. Though the premise requires a high suspension of disbelief, the film takes its time with the set up and gets you invested in the characters to help you along. All in all, it was very satisfying.


4. Glorious


Cosmic horror is amazing, but it can be difficult to get right. This title perfectly balances its immediate threat with existential dread and perfect comedic timing. There was nothing about this movie that wasn’t perfectly executed.


3. A Wounded Fawn


I had all but entirely finalized this list of 20 movies when this one dropped on Shudder and threw everything into question. This giallo-inspired film is captivating from the moment it starts and kept me guessing through to the very end. It is surreal, and beautiful, and explores all the best and worst of humanity as though it were a mere afterthought.


2. Barbarian


This is probably the most divisive movie on my list. It seems to be one that audiences love or hate. Either way, I think you have to applaud the chances that it took, and for me every single one of its risks paid off in the best way. There was social commentary, the subversion of some hated tropes, edge-of-the-seat tension, and laugh-out-loud funny moments. If you have not seen this one, you should absolutely get on that.


1. X


Ti West cracks into my top 10 once again.


Anyone that knows me or has talked to me since March of this year is not going to be surprised by this top pick. I saw it in theater opening day, and went back to see it about a dozen times after that. I listen to the soundtrack every day at work. It has very possibly unseated the 10-year reigning champion for the title of my favorite film of all time.


It feels like a movie that was made for me. The French inspiration in the editing combined with the perfect throwback to the 70’s grindhouse film hits all my horror sweet spots. It even has my favorite underutilized trope of “dancer who snaps.”


Even putting some of my own biases aside, I believe X to be worthy of the slot. The subtle foreshadowing and well-rounded characters give the title endless re-watchability. There are laughs. There are tears. There is the perfect amount of gore, even as the true horror of the film comes from a deeper, emotional place. It features stunning performances from Jenna Ortega and Mia Goth, two absolute queens of the genre. It encompasses everything that I loved about the horror of 2022, and I have never been so certain of a pick.