Video Shop Tales of Terror is a new horror anthology that brings together some of the UK’s best indie horror filmmakers. An idea that was originally conceived by Singh Lall, the Curator of the Horror on Sea Video Club.
With the Indiegogo now coming to an end on 1st December, Blazing Minds have been talking with the directors of each segment and are giving you a sneak peek as to what you can expect.
In the fourth breakdown of the series director Thomas Lee Rutter talks about his horror segment These Burnt Children.
About the Director Thomas Lee Rutter
I’m a filmmaker based in the West Midlands/ Worcestershire and am very passionate about carrying the torch for that indie spirit of presenting ideas and approaches to film in a way that you simply wouldn’t find in the mainstream. It is what indie is all about for me. My feature films are Day of the Stranger (2019) and the upcoming The Pocket Film of Superstitions (2023) as well as featurettes Bella in the Wych Elm (2017) and Dr. Balden Cross: Beyond the Void (2018) I take my cues from styles and approaches to film lost to the sands of time with a healthy dose of post-modernism on top to address the balance.
The very wonderful Singh Lall approached me sometime last year when things were a wee bit quiet about being a part of a horror anthology film with filmmaker friends he admired and befriended on the very welcoming Brit horror circuits. This is a result of pure community spirit so am honoured that he thought of me.
Horror Segment: These Burnt Children.
These Burnt Children is about a failed filmmaker who hit rock bottom and has stayed there ever since. He is suddenly haunted by the ideas of projects he failed to realise. They are demons who urge him to exact vengeance on those who saw him fail in order to appease the celluloid god and that he can finally come out on top. It is a story I’d been trying to film in some form or other for years. At some point, I even started it as a stop motion animation film and had undergone so many different directions in terms of script. I think the short form format for an anthology is the perfect home for it as it distils down the essentials of the concept. I think it is a welcome addition to the anthology as not only is it a blackly comic horror tale but also a very relatable little ditty on the woes and harsh realities of the creative process.
The Cast
In the lead role is Cy Henty as Ron Bayliss. You’d recognise CY from the films of Pat Higgins and he also makes a wonderful appearance in my latest feature The Pocket Film of Superstitions. Apart from being an all-around fantastic bloke, CY has what it takes to embody the unhinged and the likeable.
Dani Thompson is Paula Valentine as Suzanna Diamond; Ron’s estranged wife and film actress – so at some point, I think Dani will be four names deep! Dani needs no introduction, and I was also lucky to work with her on The Pocket Film of Superstitions and cannot wait to work with her again!
Last but by no means not least we have Philip Rogers as Benny Southpaw; a scumbag movie producer of low-rent gangster films. Philip is an avid supporter of indie film with a taste for acting and really wanted more roles to sink his teeth into. After an absolutely blinding audition reel I couldn’t possibly find anybody better to fill the shoes of that flash geezer Southpaw! I’m really looking forward to welcoming him onto our set!
You can find out more about Video Shop Tales of Terror on the Indiegogo campaign here and the following social media Instagram – Facebook
Published in various websites, Philip is a reviewer who is best known for his interviews and media coverage of independent projects including; films, books, theatre and live events. Always on the lookout for something different to cover!
