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www.stack.net.auEXTRAS
NEWS
F
rom classics like
Creepshow
and
Tales
from the Crypt
to the
more recent
V/H/S
franchise, horror
anthologies give you more blood
for your bucks. In 2013, the format
was given a unique new makeover
that delivered even better value:
The ABCs of Death
enlisted 26
directors – both established genre
pros and exciting newcomers –
who were each assigned a letter of
the alphabet and given creative and
artistic freedom to shoot a short
film focusing on the subject of
death.
The ABCs of Death
was the
brainchild of producers Ant
Timpson and Tim League, who
seized the opportunity to subvert
the familiar, educational ABC books
for children into a visual medium
depicting the inevitability of death.
“There’s a humorous irony that
early forms of the ABC books used
fear of punishment to ‘teach’ the
young,” notes Timpson.
In allowing the filmmakers’
imaginations and creative impulses
free reign, Timpson and League
largely relinquished editorial control
ABCs of Death 2
is even more
ambitious than its predecessor;
it’s a truly global experience
with Nigerian, Israeli, Japanese,
Austrian, Canadian, UK and French
filmmakers all contributing twisted
tales to the project. “The idea of a
genre-driven creative omnibus on
DVD & BLURAY
IN STORES DEC 17
26 NEW
DIRECTORS,
26 NEW
WAYS TO DIE!
over the final film. “We made
an early decision that because
we were asking a lot from all the
directors involved, the best gift
we could give them was not to
interfere,” Timpson explains. “We
were there to offer feedback to all
the directors involved and when
we felt something might be an
issue (when seen in the larger
picture of the finished
feature), we discussed
it with them.”
The results
were bizarre,
perverse,
shocking,
grotesque
and humorous.
This successful
experiment offered bite-sized
portions of horror that proved
perfect fodder for late night
viewing with a rowdy
gathering – and now it has
spawned a sequel.
Direct from its Monster Fest premiere,
ABCs OF DEATH 2
hits DVD and Blu-ray
in time for Christmas.
The overall quality appears
higher and the variety of films is
even more diverse