Five FrightFest Facts From Mike Lombardo indie horror filmmaker and feature subject of The Brilliant Terror

2021 has been a strange year and although things may not have completely returned to normality one thing to be thankful for is the return of the Arrow Video FrightFest which takes place for real this year at Cineworld, Leicester Square in central London.
The annual five-day four-screen 50+ film extravaganza runs between 26th and 30th August and after a year online, it is wonderful to have FrightFest back with a hybrid event featuring in-cinema and online components bringing audiences a whole host of truly terrifying and terrific horror films.

Below we feature one of those monstrously amazing movies with our regular exclusive interview feature Five FrightFest Facts From and these five are from Mike Lombardo – indie horror filmmaker and feature subject of the documentary The Brilliant Terror:

1. Tell us about your film?
The film I’m in, “The Brilliant Terror” is a behind-the-scenes documentary about the grassroots horror movement and some of the unknown auteurs and fans who make and consume it. Obviously I have an extreme bias because I’m in it, but I also hate seeing myself on camera and think I always sound like a clueless jackass when I speak, but I think the film is a hilarious and oftentimes beautiful look at what the world of no budget film making is like. If I weren’t involved I would still watch this thing over and over to pump myself up for a new project. It’s like American Movie mixed with Nailgun Massacre. The people featured (it’s not just about me, there a whole host of other amazing filmmakers) are so joyous to watch and their stories and thoughts on this insane pursuit are so inspiring. This is a look at the world of micro-budget cinema and what it takes to get your project to the screen and I’ve never seen anything quite like.

2. How did you get into making horror movies?I was a video store kid. I used to practically live in the horror section staring at all the lurid vhs box art and fantasizing about what the actual movies were going to be like and I would save up my lunch money instead of eating at school so I could buy tapes. Every moment of my free time was spent on watching movies, playing with fake blood, and writing stories. My mom always tells people that she thought I was either going to grow up to be a serial killer or a doctor. I guess I shot down the middle and became an indie filmmaker. When I was about 11, I got my first camera, a vhs camcorder and I immediately took to the backyards of my suburban town wrangling the neighbourhood kids and my friends making zombie movies and weird comedies. From there my chances at a respectable life and occupation only went downhill. I was obsessed with Tom Savini and George Romero, Sam Raimi and Peter Jackson. The behind the scenes of their films only fuelled the insanity and flash forward 20+ years and here we are!

3. What film would you love to see screened at FrightFest and why?
I would love to see Bubba Ho-Tep, which I think is an absolute masterpiece. Bubba Ho-Tep is just the perfect mixture of B movie insanity and a really poignant meditation on grief and ageing. The original novella by Joe Lansdale is also incredible and Coscarelli captured every ounce of melancholy and hilarity in it with his adaptation. I’d also love to see Christmas Evil, which is my favorite Christmas horror movie. I feel like it got the short end of the stick with its marketing and title selling it as a cheap slasher movie. It’s just such a bizarre and beautiful character study, and Brandon Maggart’s performance is damn unhinged. I feel like he is going to do something new every time I watch it.

4. If you could create your own award to give at the FrightFest, what would it be and why?
The Guerrilla Spirit Award. I love films of all budgets, but I am infinitely more impressed by filmmakers who use creativity and DIY ethics to make something amazing with limited means. Nothing inspires me more than seeing people with more heart than resources knock it out of the park.

5. If your life was made into a horror film, what would it be called and who would play the starring role?
“Lights! Camera! Autopsy!” and it would of course star the always amazing Clint Howard.

The Brilliant Terror plays THURSDAY 26TH AUGUST 2021 – 8.50 PM Find our more and book your tickets HERE