horror

OFF the coast of Northumberland is a remote, tidal island that you’ll have to time right to visit – as it is cut off from the mainland twice a day.

Called Lindisfarne, or by its other name, Holy Island, it might be familiar to fans of horror movies.

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The island off the coast of Northumberland was used to film post-apocalyptic film, 28 Years Later, which came out just last year.

The 2025 movie was about a group of survivors of the rage virus living on a small island starring actors like Jodie Comer, Aaron Taylor-Johnson and Ralph Fiennes.

Filming spots included the tidal causeway and Lindisfarne Castle which attracts thousands of visitors every year.

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The National Trust took over the property in 1944 and it has been open to the public ever since.

Inside the castle, visitors can explore the different rooms, including a dining room, a kitchen, and bedrooms, as well as the upper battery, which has panoramic sea views.

In addition to exploring the interior of the castle, there are plenty of other things to see.

Entry to the castle is £14.30 for adults and £7.20 for children (between 5-17).

The island is also referred to as Holy Island, and it got its nickname after becoming the centre of Anglo-Saxon Christianity in the 7th century.

It was home to saints and it’s considered a very religious place.

But for those who want to move away from its history, there’s plenty to do on the island, like visit its coffee roastery, Pilgrims Coffee.

The business first set up in a yurt, but now even has a cosy cafe on the island too serving up caffeine hits and homemade cakes.

The family that runs Pilgrims Coffee moved from the mainland to Holy Island in 2022.

Another spot to visit is St Aidan’s Winery, where Lindisfarne Mead is made, and visitors to the island can pop in for tastings and browse the shop that sells its wine and beer.

The island has around 160 permanent residents, but it does have places for visitors to stay from hotels to holiday lets.

One of the top spots on Tripadvisor for Holy Island is Belvue Guesthouse which sleeps two guests.

One guest on Tripadvisor wrote: “We had such a lovely stay in Belvue, I think it was one of the best guesthouses we have ever been to!”

There are also cosy B&Bs as well as rooms in the local Ship Inn Pub.

The pub dates back to the 18th century with a dedicated dining room and a beer garden to the back.

It has also made an appearance on TV and was featured as the fictional ‘Seahorse Pub’ in ITV’s Vera.

Visitors can walk the historic Pilgrim’s Way or visit the Gertrude Jekyll Garden.

For seal spotting, head to the harbour or the sand flats around Lindisfarne National Nature Reserve where there are thousands of grey seals especially between February and October.

To get to Lindisfarne, you have to cross the causeway from the mainland which is only accessible at low tide from the town of Beal.

While the tides can be predicted, holidaymakers will need to check the crossings on the day on the Northumberland County Council website.

Top Gear was suspended before the BBC announced in November 2023 that it would not be returning “for the ­foreseeable future” but now insiders say it is returning

Four years after the horror crash that saw Freddie Flintoff suffer life-changing injuries, the car show Top Gear is being brought back by the BBC according to insiders.

In 2022, Freddie’s life was changed after a car crash while filming BBC1’s Top Gear at Dunsfold Aerodrome in Surrey left him with devastating facial injuries. He underwent extensive reconstructive surgery led by maxillofacial surgeon Mr Jahrad Haq. Freddie is believed to have been paid £9million compensation.

The popular series was suspended before the BBC announced in November 2023 that it would not be returning “for the ­foreseeable future”. However, Prime Video has since announced a reboot of The Grand Tour, the motoring show hosted by Clarkson, May and Hammond after they left Top Gear.

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A new presenting team will replace former hosts Andrew Flintoff, Paddy McGuinness and Chris Harris. BBC Studios has already started work on the reboot, which could be aired next year — half a century after the show launched in 1977.

An insider told The Sun: “BBC bosses are keen to revive Top Gear because they have never filled the space it left behind and so many viewers hanker after a motoring show. And it’s not just in Britain that the programme is much loved, it is a brand in its own right and watched by millions around the globe.

“Which is why it wasn’t just important to satisfy the needs of petrolheads, but also, specifically, fans of Top Gear. They’ll be thrilled to hear it is returning.”

The search is already under way for new presenters for the show.

Hosts over the years

The show’s most successful period came with Jeremy Clarkson and the little-known Richard Hammond and James May — plus the mysterious Stig — from 2002 to 2015.

There was a brief period from 2016 when DJ Chris Evans and Friends star Matt LeBlanc took over. Then in 2019, former England cricket captain “Freddie” Flintoff and comedian Paddy signed up to present alongside motoring expert Chris.

While the BBC insider said the show “is returning” the Beeb and BBC Studios, who produce the show, said they had no updates on whether the show was returning.

A spokesman for BBC Studios said: “The Top Gear brand continues to thrive across digital, publishing, and global formats. As a commercial producer, we’re always exploring new ways to develop the brand and reach audiences by leveraging such iconic IP.”

INVESTIGATORS think Towie star Jake Hall died from a horror chest injury caused by broken glass.

Jake, 35, suffered head wounds after allegedly turning aggressive and trying to harm himself during a party at the £200-a-night Majorcan villa he was renting.

Sources close to the investigation said the worst injury the reality star suffered was a chest wound from a shard of glass after smashing into a door.

The insider said: “The thorax injury was the one emergency responders at the scene felt was the most traumatic one and most likely to have been fatal.”

Jake’s autopsy is expected to take place today in the Majorcan capital Palma, but the results will not be publicly released.

Some believe it was ignored when the Oscar awards were handed out that year

A favourite of an Oscar winning filmmaker can now be streamed on Netflix.

In the latest update of the streaming platform’s library, a 2024 horror fantasy title said to become a generation’s favourite cult movie. I Saw The TV Glow is now available to users of the platform.

The film stars Justice Smith and Jack Haven as Owen and Maddy, two dispirited teenagers who bond over a late night Buffy The Vampire style show called The Pink Opaque, which offers up a vision of a supernatural world beneath their own. However, following traumatic events, the lines between the show and reality soon begin to crack.

It boasts an impressive 85% on website Rotten Tomatoes and earned many rave reviews although it was overlooked on the awards circuit. Something which lead to one critic claiming that “the Oscars and Golden Globes criminally overlooked” the film. However it did manage to receive praise from Hollywood royalty.

Acclaimed director Martin Scorsese singled it out as one of his favourite films of that year. In an interview with AP in late 2024, the maker of Goodfellas and The Wolf of Wall Street, said: “There was one film I liked a great deal I saw two weeks ago called I Saw the TV Glow.

“It really was emotionally and psychologically powerful and very moving. It builds on you, in a way. I didn’t know who made it. It’s this Jane Schoenbrun.”

Scorsese was not alone in his praise as Rolling Stone magazine declared it is ‘Gen Z’s new favourite cult movie.’ Many fans also joined in with their recommendation.

Most admitted to feeling deeply affected by the film, as one said: “This movie hit me hard. Resonated with me so deeply I had to cry through the credits, ruminating on my own life. I think anyone who grew up as an outcast/weird kid, especially in a suburb will relate to the film and characters struggles.”

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Another added: “This film reminded me of the first time I saw Donnie Darko. It left me thinking and needing to watch it again. This film is entirely metaphorical and does not follow an obvious straight forward plot line. It will make you think and try to discern what every scene means and I enjoy that style of filmmaking.”

While another predicted its future status: “A future cult classic that deserves to be seen on the big screen, but it was fitting I saw this with a smattering of others in a matinee. It’s a movie that can change your life if you let it, and is somehow also about the danger of letting media change your life. It walks a delicate balance and is a wholly original work of pastiche filmmaking.”

Someone else stated: “The first time I watched this movie, I couldn’t take my eyes off of the screen. I was mesmerised. while it may not be a movie for everyone, I Saw the TV Glow really touched me in a deep personal space. I Saw the TV Glow is, for me, truly a masterpiece.”

While some disagreed the film should not be considered pure horror, others claimed it was in the right territory. As one person said: “Some REALLY like REALLY good plot twists. It was actually disturbing, I have not gotten creeped out or disturbed at a movie for a while until I saw this. This movie by far has to be THE BEST horror movie of 2024. One more thing this is my opinion but the plot twist was WAY better than The Sixth Sense.”

I Saw The TV Glow is streaming on Netflix.

The DC universe is going full on body horror.

DC Studios released its first trailer for “Clayface” on Wednesday, giving audiences a glimpse of the gruesome origins of the shape-shifting Batman villain.

Set to an eerie rendition of the Flaming Lips’ “Do You Realize??,” the teaser flashes among various images of up-and-coming Hollywood actor Matt Hagen (portrayed by Tom Rhys Harries) before and after a violent encounter as the camera slowly zooms toward his haunted eyes and bloody, bandaged face as he is recovering on a hospital bed.

The clip also includes footage of Hagen’s clay-like, malleable face, which he appears to gain after some sort of scientific procedure.

According to the DC description, “Clayface” will see Hagen transformed into a “revenge-filled monster” and explore “the loss of one’s identity and humanity, corrosive love, and the dark underbelly of scientific ambition.”

“Clayface,” set for an Oct. 23 release, will be the third DCU film to hit theaters since James Gunn and Peter Safran took over DC Studios and reset (most of) its comic book superhero franchise. The studio’s upcoming slate also includes “Supergirl,” which will hit theaters June 26, as well as “Man of Tomorrow,” the sequel to Gunn’s 2025 blockbuster “Superman,” announced for 2027.

Who is Clayface?

Clayface is a DC Comics villain usually affiliated with Batman. The alias has been used by a number of different characters over the years, but they all usually possess shape-shifting abilities due to their clay-like bodies. Created by Bill Finger and Bob Kane, the original Clayface was a washed-up actor turned criminal who first appeared in a 1940 issue of “Detective Comics.”

Matt Hagen was the name of the second Clayface, who first appeared in an issue of “Detective Comics” in the 1960s. He was the first to have shape-shifting powers, which he gained after encountering a mysterious radioactive pool of protoplasm.

Other versions of Clayface have been introduced in various media since.

Who is in ‘Clayface’?

The upcoming film stars Tom Rhys Harries as rising Hollywood actor Hagen. The cast also includes Naomi Ackie, who is seen in the trailer, reportedly as the scientist Hagen turns to for help following his disfigurement. Also set to appear are David Dencik, Max Minghella and Eddie Marsan, as well as Nancy Carroll and Joshua James.

Who are the ‘Clayface’ filmmakers?

Director James Watkins, known for horror films including “Speak No Evil” (2024), is helming “Clayface.” The script was written by prolific horror scribe Mike Flanagan (“The Haunting of Hill House,” “Doctor Sleep”) and Hossein Amini (“The Snowman”).

The producers are Matt Reeves, Lynn Harris, James Gunn and Peter Safran. Exective producers include Michael E. Uslan, Rafi Crohn, Paul Ritchie, Chantal Nong Vo and Lars P. Winther.

How’s Lee Cronin doing? Fine. You know, still making movies. This one’s his third feature. Somebody — perhaps it was Lee Cronin himself, probably not — wanted us to know that his latest project, “Lee Cronin’s The Mummy,” was no mere mummy movie. Certainly not the one you have in mind: bandaged dead guy, ominous hieroglyphics, maybe Brendan Fraser. This is not that mummy movie. This is “Lee Cronin’s The Mummy.”

As for what that possessive credit means, we’re still in a haze. Cronin’s previous outing was “Evil Dead Rise,” a sequel heavily devoted to the gooey game plan mapped out by Fede Alvarez’s 2013 rethink of Sam Raimi’s gross-out comedies. In our current moment, when horror seems to be mining an especially rich vein (we’ve even seen an Oscar go to an unforgettable witch in “Weapons”), Lee Cronin represents the safe old ways of dutiful stewardship, getting the job done for a generic night out.

There are worse sins in the world. And sometimes the best way to introduce an ancient Egyptian curse is via a prologue that’s tonally very much like the one in “The Exorcist.” Who is the spooky, smiling woman beckoning to a young girl at the edge of her garden? No matter. The kid goes missing and, eight years later, her American family, since relocated to suburban New Mexico, is still feeling the loss: TV reporter Charlie (Jack Reynor), his haunted wife Larissa (Laia Costa) and their two semi-surly children, Maud (Billie Roy) and Sebastián (Shylo Molina).

When their precious Katie (a game Natalie Grace) is somehow returned to them, though, nearly catatonic with wrinkled, desiccated skin and gnarly toenails that would make a pedi technician shriek, it’s hard to blame them for feeling euphoric. Working from his own screenplay, Cronin barrels over the gaping plot holes — a doctor might have some thoughts here — and gets to the good stuff with the family at home in squirm-inducing close quarters, a live-in demon resting in her bedroom.

“Lee Cronin’s The Mummy” works best as a variation on Ari Aster’s career-making “Hereditary,” slicker and less guilt-ridden, with Grace’s Katie prone to jaw-snapping clicks and faraway looks, a spin on Milly Shapiro’s hypnotic turn as a doomed host. Eventually, things get more obvious: a levitating wheelchair, some skittering around on the ceiling. If Cronin does have a signature — more of a penchant, really — it’s for juicy gore, Katie’s skin peeling off in sheets. She goes to town on her own teeth.

All these moments are good for audience groans and there’s an enjoyable bad movie here for the seizing — that is when Cronin isn’t steering the action back to Egypt for an underpowered mystery thread involving a one-dimensional Cairo detective (May Calamawy) pursuing the root of the trouble. Why deploy a plummy archaeology professor (Mark Mitchinson) if you’re only going to give him a single scene to cut loose? He’s the kind of character who usually makes it to the big finale.

The film is tangled in its mess of references: a possession thriller that also wants to dish out some grainy video footage à la “The Ring” or “Bring Her Back” along with the expected mouth-to-mouth vomiting. Ironically, an honest-to-goodness mummy movie consumed with exotica (the first one from 1932 was released in the wake of the global mania over King Tut’s tomb) makes a lot of sense right now, with America straying into foreign deserts.

Was that in mind at any point? You’d have to ask Lee Cronin. It’s his movie and these are his mummy issues.