Film / Features
Bristol horror film Sacrilege gets nationwide cinema release
You know the deal. You get together with a bunch of pals for a relaxing weekend in a remote country lodge. Then a bunch of pesky Pagans pitch up bent on sacrificing you to their Goddess.
The victims in ‘cabin in the woods’ horror flicks tend to be buff-but-dim young Americans foolishly vacationing in Hickland (or, in the case of Midsommar, rural Sweden). But why can’t Brits be polished off just as bloodthirstily in our own creepy backwoods like, er, Wotton-under-Edge and the Forest of Dean? Now they can, thanks to Bristol’s very own Bad Blood Films.
Shot last summer using extras recruited from Bristol and surrounding areas, Sacrilege launched the ambitious company with its recent premiere at the Cineworld Leicester Square. The film has now received a full nationwide release through the Cineworld chain and is showing at 42 cinemas nationwide. Already a hit with audiences, it has been retained for a second week at the Cineworld Hengrove.
is needed now More than ever
The Sacrilege launch event at Cineworld Bristol (left to right): Steve (Bristol Cineworld General Manager), Mark Kenna (Sacrilege producer), Nadine (Cineworld team member), David Creed (Sacrilege director). “Cineworld have been absolutely awesome,” says Mark of the chain’s support
Seeking to follow in the footsteps of the all-conquering US Blumhouse production company, and revive the spirit of classic Hammer Horror, Bad Blood Films was co-founded by Mark Kenna and David Creed. They follow a script-to-screen business model whose tight budgeting does not lead to corner-cutting in the quality department. Indeed, Sacrilege is the first independent local feature film to feature a soundtrack mixed in state-of-the-art Dolby Atmos.
Warning: Sacrilege may do unpleasant things to your eyes
They’re not hanging about, either. Four additional scripts are already completed, with another in final development. Bad Blood Films is seeking investment to produce two films in 2020 and three more in 2021. As producer Mark explains, the studio is also making extensive use of the wealth of Bristol production talent: “Bad Blood Films is built on innovative contributors here in the South West, with Evolution TV Bristol being the backbone of our post-production, facilitating this project from file management all the way through to a 4K cinema-ready movie. We’re always looking to push the boundaries in filmmaking, whether that’s being the first film production company to use a robot dolly provided by Motion Impossible, sourcing cast members from new online platform WeAudition, or partnering with cutting-edge cloud post-production company Sundog Tools – all based in Bristol. It’s all part of our mission to use homegrown talent and resources.”
All images supplied by Bad Blood Films
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