Ghost Dog Films, the British independent film and video game company has released a new version of their award-nominated retro-style gothic thriller Crucible of the Vampire. The 2022 Director’s Cut features new footage and a remastered soundtrack of the imaginative British gothic chiller which has strong echoes of Tigon, Hammer and M R James ghost stories. Theatrically released in the UK through Showcase cinemas in early 2019, Crucible of the Vampire was then released via UK Home Entertainment and nominated for Best Thriller at the National UK Film Awards 2020.
Director Iain Ross-McNamee said:
When Crucible of the Vampire was released in 2019 I realised not everyone was understanding the tone of the film. Lockdown was a great opportunity to go back and rework it in a way that explained the story more clearly. As well as re-cutting the picture edit, I wanted to go further with the atmosphere by changing the colour...
Director Iain Ross-McNamee said:
When Crucible of the Vampire was released in 2019 I realised not everyone was understanding the tone of the film. Lockdown was a great opportunity to go back and rework it in a way that explained the story more clearly. As well as re-cutting the picture edit, I wanted to go further with the atmosphere by changing the colour...
- 7/22/2022
- by Phil Wheat
- Nerdly
Stars: Katie Goldfinch, Florence Cady, Neil Morrissey, Charles O’Neill, Brian Croucher, Aaron Jeffcoate, Larry Rew, Babette Barat, Lisa Martin, John Stirling, Angela Carter, Phil Hemming | Written by Darren Lake, Iain Ross-McNamee, John Wolskel | Directed by Iain Ross-McNamee
[Note: With the film now available on Blu-ray, here's a reposting of my original review of the fantastic British gothic horror Crucible of the Vampire - Phil]
“British horror”, as a genre, has never really gone away but in recent years it seems that this small corner of our cinematic shores has found itself once again. Shying away from the Carry On-esque mixture of dick and fart gags and horror that once marked out British-made fare, filmmakers have instead returned to the genres more gothic roots, taking inspiration from the likes of Hammer and Tigon – yet stil bringing modern sensibilites and concerns to the fore. It’s that mixture that has borne out some great films over the past few years: The Sleeping Room, The Forgotten, Darkness Wakes, Ghost Ship, Ghosts of Darkness… And you can now add Crucible of the Vampire...
[Note: With the film now available on Blu-ray, here's a reposting of my original review of the fantastic British gothic horror Crucible of the Vampire - Phil]
“British horror”, as a genre, has never really gone away but in recent years it seems that this small corner of our cinematic shores has found itself once again. Shying away from the Carry On-esque mixture of dick and fart gags and horror that once marked out British-made fare, filmmakers have instead returned to the genres more gothic roots, taking inspiration from the likes of Hammer and Tigon – yet stil bringing modern sensibilites and concerns to the fore. It’s that mixture that has borne out some great films over the past few years: The Sleeping Room, The Forgotten, Darkness Wakes, Ghost Ship, Ghosts of Darkness… And you can now add Crucible of the Vampire...
- 2/8/2019
- by Phil Wheat
- Nerdly
Making its World Premiere at Cannes Film Festival and garnering rave reviews at other major festivals and even right here on Nerdly, Iain Ross-McNamee’s gothic chiller Crucible of the Vampire comes to UK cinemas today, 1 February 2019, followed by its home entertainment release on 4 February 2019 in dual format DVD and Blu-ray and on digital platforms courtesy of Screenbound Entertainment.
Starring British acting favourite Neil Morrissey, alongside rising stars Katie Goldfinch and Florence Cady, this brooding vampire tale gives a strong nod to classic British horror greats and the genre defining Hammer Horror films.
A young museum curator Isabelle (Katie Goldfinch) is sent to look at an ancient artefact, discovered in the basement of a stately home in Shropshire, to verify its authenticity. If it is, what she hopes it is, it would be a major discovery. Isabelle finds herself welcomed into the sprawling manor house by a seemingly hospitable family...
Starring British acting favourite Neil Morrissey, alongside rising stars Katie Goldfinch and Florence Cady, this brooding vampire tale gives a strong nod to classic British horror greats and the genre defining Hammer Horror films.
A young museum curator Isabelle (Katie Goldfinch) is sent to look at an ancient artefact, discovered in the basement of a stately home in Shropshire, to verify its authenticity. If it is, what she hopes it is, it would be a major discovery. Isabelle finds herself welcomed into the sprawling manor house by a seemingly hospitable family...
- 2/1/2019
- by Phil Wheat
- Nerdly
Historical flashbacks and Hitchcockian references cannot rescue this old-school Brit chiller from looking like a daytime soap
There are one or two enjoyable moments in this cheerfully ridiculous erotic horror from director and co-writer Iain Ross-McNamee; sadly it doesn’t quite work.
This is an old-school Brit chiller with nods to Witchfinder General and The Wicker Man. We get Ott acting and budget effects, people bursting into supernatural flames and an extended cod-Hitchcockian closeup on someone’s screaming face while they’re falling backwards through the air from a great height.
There are one or two enjoyable moments in this cheerfully ridiculous erotic horror from director and co-writer Iain Ross-McNamee; sadly it doesn’t quite work.
This is an old-school Brit chiller with nods to Witchfinder General and The Wicker Man. We get Ott acting and budget effects, people bursting into supernatural flames and an extended cod-Hitchcockian closeup on someone’s screaming face while they’re falling backwards through the air from a great height.
- 1/31/2019
- by Peter Bradshaw
- The Guardian - Film News
Graphic novel by Iain Ross-McNamee | Written by Iain Ross-McNamee, John Wolkskel, Darren Lake | Format: A4 Paperback, 120pp
This is an odd review for me… You see, when I was asked, following my review of the film from its Berlinale screening back in February, if I’d like to review the graphic novel adaptation of Crucible of the Vampire I jumped at the chance, excited to see how the story, which takes cues from classic British horror of old like the films of Hammer and Tigon, would translate into another medium. After all, there have been some Fantastic horror comics over the years, including film adaptations that have gone from comic to movie and movie to comic – adaptations like Tales From the Crypt, which translated the old EC stories to the screen; and the likes of Army of Darkness, which has kept that particular slice of the Evil Dead universe alive...
This is an odd review for me… You see, when I was asked, following my review of the film from its Berlinale screening back in February, if I’d like to review the graphic novel adaptation of Crucible of the Vampire I jumped at the chance, excited to see how the story, which takes cues from classic British horror of old like the films of Hammer and Tigon, would translate into another medium. After all, there have been some Fantastic horror comics over the years, including film adaptations that have gone from comic to movie and movie to comic – adaptations like Tales From the Crypt, which translated the old EC stories to the screen; and the likes of Army of Darkness, which has kept that particular slice of the Evil Dead universe alive...
- 9/26/2018
- by Phil Wheat
- Nerdly
Stars: Katie Goldfinch, Florence Cady, Neil Morrissey, Charles O’Neill, Brian Croucher, Aaron Jeffcoate, Larry Rew, Babette Barat, Lisa Martin, John Stirling, Angela Carter, Phil Hemming | Written by Darren Lake, Iain Ross-McNamee, John Wolskel | Directed by Iain Ross-McNamee
“British horror”, as a genre, has never really gone away but in recent years it seems that this small corner of our cinematic shores has found itself once again. Shying away from the Carry On-esque mixture of dick and fart gags and horror that once marked out British-made fare, filmmakers have instead returned to the genres more gothic roots, taking inspiration from the likes of Hammer and Tigon – yet stil bringing modern sensibilites and concerns to the fore. It’s that mixture that has borne out some great films over the past few years: The Sleeping Room, The Forgotten, Darkness Wakes, Ghost Ship, Ghosts of Darkness… And you can now add Crucible...
“British horror”, as a genre, has never really gone away but in recent years it seems that this small corner of our cinematic shores has found itself once again. Shying away from the Carry On-esque mixture of dick and fart gags and horror that once marked out British-made fare, filmmakers have instead returned to the genres more gothic roots, taking inspiration from the likes of Hammer and Tigon – yet stil bringing modern sensibilites and concerns to the fore. It’s that mixture that has borne out some great films over the past few years: The Sleeping Room, The Forgotten, Darkness Wakes, Ghost Ship, Ghosts of Darkness… And you can now add Crucible...
- 2/19/2018
- by Phil Wheat
- Nerdly
Screenbound International Pictures have announce that they have made an exclusive representation agreement for world sales of the latest movie from Ghost Dog Films, the British vampire film Crucible of the Vampire This Hammer-esque new movie comes from director Iain Ross-McNamee (The Singing Bird Will Come), who continues his passion for strong female leads in a psychological horror setting which helps give the gothic vampire story a thoroughly modern twist as love and sexual repression are compellingly intertwined throughout the film.
Crucible of the Vampire see Isabelle (Katie Goldfinch) as a naive, university researcher who is sent to a foreboding, gothic manor house in rural Shropshire to verify that an ancient crucible is that of a Sorcerer from the 17th Century who was executed for bringing the dead back to life. As Katie delves further into the crucible’s history, it soon becomes apparent that the house holds more than one dark secret…...
Crucible of the Vampire see Isabelle (Katie Goldfinch) as a naive, university researcher who is sent to a foreboding, gothic manor house in rural Shropshire to verify that an ancient crucible is that of a Sorcerer from the 17th Century who was executed for bringing the dead back to life. As Katie delves further into the crucible’s history, it soon becomes apparent that the house holds more than one dark secret…...
- 1/18/2018
- by Phil Wheat
- Nerdly
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