Grimmfest May Madness

Tom Grieve, Contributing Writer

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Grimmfest May Madness

29-31 May 2021

Always double check opening hours with the venue before making a special visit.

Grimmfest
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Grimmfest return with another online event set to delight (and possibly disturb) fans of horror and cult cinema. Scheduled across the Bank Holiday Weekend, May Madness is a series of three double bills that featuring everything from slick psychological thrillers to outrageous splattery satires.

Included in the programme is the world premiere of The Nest, an eco-horror spin on the Bodysnatchers template, directed by James Suttles and written by Grimmfest alum Jennifer Trudrung.

Max Reload & the Nether Blasters is a retro-styled gaming fantasy which packs star power, with the likes of Lin Shaye (Insidious), Greg Grunberg (Star Wars: The Force Awakens), Martin Kove (Karate Kid) and Kevin Smith (Clerks) all making an appearance.

“a mix of fun, crazy, scary and downright weird movies for you all to enjoy on the cusp of summer.”

Meanwhile, we like the sound of Lapsis, a lo-fi sci-fi, the fiction-feature debut from doc maker Noak Hutton. Billed as a gig economy satire with echoes of Philip K. Dick and Charlie Kaufman, this one should be interesting at the very least.

Speaking about the event, Simeon Halligan, festival director said: “This is likely to be our last fully online gig as UK cinemas begin to open this summer. We wanted to welcome brighter times into our lives and say goodbye to darkness through a mix of fun, crazy, scary and downright weird movies for you all to enjoy on the cusp of summer.”

For full timings and line-up click through to the Grimmfest website.

Where to go near Grimmfest May Madness

Manchester
Restaurant
Maki & Ramen

Japanese sushi and ramen restaurant on High Street, Northern Quarter, founded by Teddy Lee. House-made noodles, eight-hour broths, plus sushi, donburi and vegan options.

Restaurant Orme
Manchester
Restaurant
Restaurant Örme

A hidden gem in the suburbs of Greater Manchester, serving high-level British small plates to a soundtrack of indie rock and roll.

The Abbey
Manchester
Restaurant
The Abbey

Historic Hulme pub with a very good live gig space, brought to you by the very capable team behind YES, Gorilla, Now Wave and Manchester Psych Fest.

Manchester
Bar or Pub
Pigeon Beer Wanderer

Pigeon Beer Wanderer brings wine-level ceremony to Manchester’s new “Beermuda Triangle”, courtesy of Joshua Lightfoot and his crack team of booze experts.

Image courtesy of Unitom.
Castlefield
Gallery
UNITOM Projects

The exhibition arm of Manchester indie bookshop UNITOM is a dedicated space for contemporary visual culture in the St John’s neighbourhood.

City Centre
Restaurant
Portfolio

Portfolio is a Champagne boutique on Manchester’s Bridge Street, offering a set menu of fine-dining small bites.

Manchester
Gallery
Gwafu Vegan
at Bridge 5 Mill

Cameroonian chef Ngwafu Tansie brings allotment-grown, plant-based cooking to Bridge 5 Mill’s solar-powered Ancoats venue, pairing bobolo with cabbage parcels and live vinyl.

1853 gallery 1
Manchester
Gallery
1853 Studios

1853 Studios and Gallery is a Creative Studios and community of creative professionals occupying the 3rd floors of Osborne Mill, Oldham.

Deansgate
Restaurant
Podium

Podium delivers high-end, seasonal dishes, largely geared around produce and ideas from the British Isles, but with a few deft twists and turns.

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