Shiver me Timbers! – World Premier At Romford Horror Festival

By Holly Larkin – Guest Writer and Film and Threatre Reviewer

In the summer of 1986 in sunny Northern California, Olive Oyl embarks on a fun, once in a lifetime camping trip with her friends and brother – Castor – to witness a radiant meteor shower. When Halley’s comet hits earth, an old frail sailor turns into a lethal force.

Premiering at Romford’s Horror Film Festival, Paul Steven Mann’s slasher film is hilariously bloody and gory, inspired by the fictional cartoon character ‘Popeye’ – a sailor with herculean might. A clear mirror image of the cartoon character is encrypted through the sanguinary interactions with the young teenagers. The film’s editing and use of CGI for the slasher scenes was incredibly well done for both shock value and comedy, created by perfecting pace to be introduced to the characters before their demise.

Filmed in Edinburgh, the film takes place in the US. Though, it seems as if this did limit the film’s premise. There’s no doubt that the raunchy teenagers had great chemistry, larking around while unaccompanied in the forest. The setting of the rural trees created clear unease during chase scenes, feeling endless for the characters, though, that was all. Obviously taking inspiration from the beloved slasher genre, the fatal American Summer route is a popular choice to draw inspiration from, Mann being no exception as the film’s writer. Perhaps the film could’ve implemented its own personal twist to the infamous slasher genre by incorporating a British twist, the deadpan and dry humor. The jokes did land within the film, thanks to the actor’s perfect comedic timing, however a possible approach to flip the genre’s standards would have been appealing.

Amy Mackie perfects the character trope of the ‘Final Girl’ in her portrayal of ‘Olive’. Her quick-wit and sharp tounge helps create the visual of a resourceful character, using her scientific skills that previously got her accepted into a prestigious college. The film does include the stereotypical character tropes, including the ‘Quarterback’ , ‘Cheerleader’ and the ‘Funny’ friend who dies first, giving the audiences a sense of familiarity when watching the film. In a Q & A after the film’s premier, Director and Writer Paul Steven Mann commented how the film contains ‘Everything [he’d] like to see’ in a horror film covering the slasher sub-genre. The use of familiar character tropes was perfectly executed, the film’s script writing giving audiences clear indication of what character plays what role, and what to expect from each of them.

Shiver me Timbers will Premier April in the UK, and will soon make its way to the rest of the world to see; in places including Canada, North America and possibly Japan.
And finally, Mann even teased at the film’s future.

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