You might not realise it, but Doomsday is fast approaching.
May 9, to be precise, is when Doomdsay, Neil Marshall’s loving homage to the post-apocalyptic actioners of his ’80s youth, will be hitting Britain’s multiplexes. So if you are a fan of The Road Warrior (1981), Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome (1985) and Escape from New York (1981), if you cannot get enough of CG-free stuntwork, utterly gratuitous swearing and grindhouse sensibilities, or even if you just fancy some good old fashioned Glaswegian hooliganism, this is one date with the end of days that you will not want to miss.
Can’t wait? Then here’s your chance to see it a whole week earlier, with bells and whistles. On Saturday May 3, the good folk at Film4 FrightFest, who have long recognised Marshall’s genius with genre, are putting on a one-off all-day event dedicated to the writer-director. Kicking off at 11.40am at the Odeon West End, there will be a retrospective of his two previous films, the highlands werewolf shocker Dog Soldiers (2002) and the terrifying ‘underground’ psychochiller The Descent (2005), followed by the London premier of Doomsday.
What is more, the event will be attended by Marshall himself and a bevy of cast members from all his films. Expect director’s intros for each film, post-screening Q&As, and signings galore – as well as the opportunity to catch the end of the world before all your friends.
Day Passes are £16 (tickets for individual films will not be available), and can be purchased now from the Odeon West End box office during cinema opening hours, the Odeon ticket call centre on 0871 22 41 983 daily and on-line from www.odeon.co.uk. More information can be found at www.frightfest.co.uk/doomsdayday.html.
It beats stuffy British period pieces or tired old kitchen sink dramas any day.
