Horror Channel recently celebrated the controversial side of cinema with Season Of The Banned, a selection of movies that tested the BBFC to the limit. So we thought it would be cool to chat to the cast of The Human Centipede 2 which was banned in the UK earlier this year and has only been released after a selection of cuts were made. Here we ask actress Emma Lock about her role in the movie and her plans for the future.

HC: Are you a big fan of horror cinema?

EL: I am a huge fan. Growing up in the far East you can imagine some of the horrors I was exposed to pretty early. My favourite horrors involve the dead, like Ju-on.

HC: Had you seen the original movie? If so, what were you initial thoughts aft ... »

During November Horror Channel showed a series of movies that pushed the boundaries of taste and what was deemed as acceptable under the title of Season Of The Banned. We chatted to those who grew up during this time and here we chat to respected journalist Billy Chainsaw about what he recalls of the Video Nasties era and what he’s working on at the moment.

HC: Can you remember the first horror you saw?

BC: It was James Whale's 1931 classic Frankenstein - on TV.

HC: Was this the movie that made you a fan of the horror genre?

BC: Film-wise, yes. However, it was my mom (RIP) who was really responsible for infecting me with the horror bug: unbeknownst to my dad, she'd let me stay up late and watch old h ... »

Horror Channel is celebrating the controversial side of cinema with Season Of The Banned, a selection of movies that tested the BBFC to the limit. So we thought it would be cool to chat to the cast of The Human Centipede 2 which was banned in the UK earlier this year and has only been released after a selection of cuts were made. Here we talk to rising star Katherine Templar about her role in the movie and her plans for the future.

HC: Are you a big fan of horror cinema?

KT: When I was a child I simply couldn't watch horror. I had a worryingly overactive imagination. In fact I still do! It was only later that I started watching horror and was inst ... »

The British Board of Film Classification was established in 1912 and at that time it was known as the British Board of Film Censors. Their role – as their mission statement says - is it classify and empower the public into making informed viewing choice and protect the public and especially children from content which might raise harm risks. As we're having a season which contains some movies that were originally banned we thought we should chat to Craig Lapper, a Senior Examiner at the BBFC about his role and the BBFC as a whole.

HC: What sort of background do you need to become an Examiner for the BBFC?

CL: There is no specific background or set of qualifications required in order to be an examiner and we have examiners from a wide range of backgrounds. However experience of a working env ... »

HC: We know you mainly in the UK for Amsterdamned and more recently Killer Babes but your output very varied. Is there one genre you like working in the most?

DM: I like to work in different genres. I started with a horror movie called The Lift. I made action movies like Amsterdamned and Do Not Disturb (aka The Shaft) and I did comedies, The Flodder trilogy, Killer Babes. Saint again is a horror/action movie and currently I'm editi ... »

Jake West (pictured left) is one of the UKs most talented directors. The man behind the hits Razor Blade Smile, Evil Aliens and Doghouse also runs the DVD label Nucleus with writer Marc Morris which specialises in releasing polished editions of cult movies. Jake, along with Marc will be here every Friday throughout November to introduce the movies in our Season Of The Banned celebration. To kick off the season Horror Channel is having a world TV premiere showing of their stunning documentary Video Nasties: Moral Panic, Censorship And Videotape on November 4th at 10.55pm. Her ... »

The Caller, the latest movie from director Matthew Parkhill is out on Blu-ray and DVD from 24th October. It's a tense, psychological shocker so we decided to have a chat with Matthew about this movie, his thoughts on censorship and his plans for the future.

HC: It's been a while since your first feature, was this a deliberate choice of yours?

MP: Not really. I was attached to a couple of feature films which fell apart, which happens more than you'd think. In the meantime I worked on a couple of films for TV and some commercials. I also write for other directors, so that's been keeping me busy. Hopefully it won’t be that long again before my next feature.

HC: Are you a fan of the horror genre?

MP: I am. I'm more ... »

One of the most original movies at this year's FrightFest event was Cristian Solimeno's The Glass Man. Beautiful, emotional and raw film it's a film that left a lasting impression on me, not only because the script and direction by Cristian are so solid but because the cast give superb performances, in particular FrightFest favourite Andy Nyman. I decided to chat with Cristian about this cracking movie and also the plans this multi-talented guy has for the future.

HC: How did you get your big break into the industry?

CS: It's hard to say if I have had a big break yet! It certainly doesn't feel that way. Doing Footballer's Wives was something that gave me some visibility and a bit of cache but not in a way that was I was able ... »

During October the Horror Channel is showing a season of classic horror movies from the legendary Hammer studios. Each movie will be introduced by acclaimed journalist and author Kim Newman so we decide to chat to Kim about Hammer and which of the five movies being shown is his favourite

HC: Can you recall the first Hammer movie you saw?

KN: It was probably She – a 16mm screening at a camp-site while on holiday in the late 1960s. It's still a film I like, and it's typically Hammer in that it has Cushing and Lee and ends with a disintegration scene. The first Hammer horror film I remember seeing on television was The Abominable Snowman, which had a prime-time slot on BBC1 sometime around 1970-71.

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Black And Blue Films is quickly becoming one of the UK's leading independent producers of genre related movies. In this the second of two interviews highlighting their diverse range of horror films we chat to Martin Kemp. Martin first found fame as the bassist in recently reformed 80s supergroup Spandau Ballet. As an actor he won worldwide acclaim for his compelling star turn in iconic gangster movie The Krays and after a string of Hollywood movies again as suave club boss Steve Owen in UK soap EastEnders. Martin's 'golden handcuffs' deal with UK broadcaster ITV made him one of Britain's most popular actors and he now works behind the camera too... Here's what Martin had to say about his directorial debut, Stalker w ... »

Black And Blue Films is quickly becoming one of the UK's leading independent producers of genre related movies. In this the first of two interviews highlighting their diverse range of horror films we chat to stunning actress Adele Silva who has a starring role in their wonderfully titled Strippers Vs Werewolves which is due for release soon.

Adele is better known as super bitch Kelly in ITV's Emmerdale so we chatted to her about what we can expect from the movie (though the title is a bit of a giveaway!) and what it was like to work alongside horror legend Robert Englund.

HC: What's the premise of the film, other than the obvious?

AS: It's 'Girl Power' in an unexpected way. It's a great combination of action, h ... »

Guy Adams is one of the most original writers around. His books The World House and its sequel Restoration gained huge acclaim upon their release. He also penned bestselling humour titles based on TV show Life On Mars and original Torchwood novels.

More recently Guy has written one of the first titles to be released under the Hammer banner, Kronos. Guy took time out of his busy schedule to chat with us and if you fancy trying to win a copy of Kronos as well as two other Hammer titles click here. (Guy Adams photo by Peter Cole ... »

Midnight Son is a gem of a vampire move that I was lucky enough to see at this year's FrightFest event. The lead character of Jacob is played by Zak Kilberg, a talented actor who gives a stunning performance of a young man who is desperately trying to come to terms with the fact that he's a little bit different to everyone else. We spoke to Zak about this and his plans for the future.

HC: Did you know from a young age that you wanted to be an actor?

ZK: Oh yes! Took my first acting class at 7 years old and fell in love with it.

HC: Where did you get your first big break?

ZK: Still waiting on that. Maybe Midnight Son! I've acted in 12 Indie films over the past 6 years but Midnight Son is by far my favourite. T ... »

Andy Nyman is one of our finest character actors. He's also an accomplished magician, voice-over artist, director, in fact the list just goes on. At FrightFest 2011 he gave a career best performance in Cristian Slomineo's stunning feature The Glass Man. We chatted to Andy about this beautiful film and his plans for the future.

HC: You're a FrightFest regular, what do you think it is about this festival that makes it so special?

AN: I've been attending FrightFest since its very first year; I always look forward to it. The first thing that makes it so special is the fact that Alan, Paul, Ian and Greg all adore the movies that they show. It is so born out of passion it is impossibly infectious. The second really notable thing a ... »

The urban vampire movie Midnight Son was one of my favourites of FrightFest 2011. A realistic blend of human emotions and pure horror it proved that the vampire genre was far from dead thanks to a very intelligent script and a superb cast. Maya Parish plays the female lead Mary and we’ve been luck enough to talk to her to bring you this exclusive interview.

HC: Did you know from a young age that you wanted to be an actress?

MP: I did, yes. I started doing theatre at five years old and I've always felt at home on the stage. Both acting and dance have been very important in my life from childhood on. They are the forms of expression that I've found that bring me the most freedom, stillness, and ability to be completely present from one moment t ... »

Audaciously filmed as one continuous tracking shot, The Silent House is at once a love letter to cult horrors from the annals of cinema history and a daring experiment that delivers its scares in a truly unique way. It's coming to DVD on August 1st so we chatted to director Gustav Hernandez about the inspiration for the movie and his plans for the future.

HC: Have you always been a fan of horror movies?

GH: No, although I have watched horror films at different stages in my life. I must say that in my childhood (and even as a teenager) I had a really hard time watching horror films. When I grew older and became a bit braver, I started enjoying the genre.

HC: Where did the idea from The Silent House come from? Is it real ... »

Tom Elliot started his horror career as the co-host of The Gentlemen's Grindhouse podcast, as well as being the horror reviewer at GeekPlanetOnline.com. He's currently writing for Scream: The Horror Magazine where he's interviewed some of horror's greats, including Doug Bradley, Kane Hodder and Joe Pilato. When he's not up to his neck in blood and guts he hosts the official Twilight Zone forum at Cult-Labs, and writes the official Twilight Zone Blog. If that wasn't enough Twilight Zone for you, Tom is also the host of The Twilight Zone Podcast. Seeing as though the Horror Channel is showing »

Jen and Sylvia Soska are twins who enjoy the darker side of cinema and their first movie, the wonderfully titled Dead Hooker In A Trunk is getting its UK TV premiere on Horror on July 29th. It's so cool Eli Roth called it "F***ing awesome" so we decided to have a quick chat with this talented pair.

HC: Would you consider yourselves to have had a normal childhood?

Jen: I would say so, but what do I know? It was my childhood and it's all I've ever known. To me, it was very normal. People ask me all the time what it is like to have a twin and it's kind of funny. I couldn't possibly know what it's like to not ... »

The Resident, a new chiller from Hammer FIlms has just been released into UK cinemas. It boasts a cast that includes Academy Award winner Hillary Swank and Hollywood legend Christopher Lee. Notable for Lee's return to Hammer for the first time in over 30 years, it has been directed by newcomer Antti Jokinen and we caught up him to discover how he came to direct one of Hammer's most famous actors.

HC: You hail from Finland, are Hammer films well known over there?

AJ: Well, I don’t think that Hammer Films are that well known in Finland, but I think that they are well known within the film industry and among film fans and horror film fans, and I think those are the people that will always know Hammer Films well. But obviously I don’t think that we [as a ... »

Writer/director Adam Mason is one of the rising talents of the movie industry. His films Broken and The Devil's Chair pushed the horror genre into very raw and dark places, earning him a reputation of an artist who doesn't shirk from dissecting the dark side of the human soul. One of his latest movies, the acclaimed Blood River is showing on the Horror Channel in July so we decided to chat to this very honest man about his career so far.

HC: We first spoke some years back at FrightFest when you showed Broken, can you recall the reception that movie got?

AM: I think that was 2006. What I remember more than anything was that I'd just got back from LA the day before - where I ... »

Respected journalist, author and all-round nice guy Kim Newman is best known for his vast knowledge of movies of the fantastical variety, faultless article writing and enlightening reviews. His brilliant and critically acclaimed novel Anno Dracula has just been re-released by Titan in a special updated edition so I thought it was time to chat to one the finest writers around.

HC: Do you recall the first movie that really caught your imagination?

KN: The first film I was taken to see at the cinema was The First Men In The Moon, the Ray Harryhausen-Nigel Kneale-HG Wells picture. I was four or five. I don't think I've ever got over it. My younger sister had a screaming fit a few minutes into the film and we had to leave the cinema, so I nagged my ... »

Fans of our Sexy Killers season can’t have failed to have noticed that Emily Booth has been joined by two actresses to help introduce each movie, Victoria Broom and Victoria Hopkins who both star in Zombie Women Of Satan. We’ve already had a chat Victoria Broom see we decided to catch up with Victoria Hopkins and chat about her varied career and what she can recall about making the movie.

HC: Are you a big fan of the horror genre?

VH: Yes absolutely love Horr ... »

A few weeks ago we brought you news of the anticipated movie Julia's Eyes (Los Ojos de Julia), the Spanish thriller which is directed by Guillem Morales and produced by Guillermo del Toro. It hits UK cinemas on 20th May. We decided we should chat to this exciting director so here he chats about the film and how the film came together.

HC: Are you a big horror fan?

GM: Yes, from silent films to current films, I find horror films the most interesting because they show a fascinating side to human nature.

HC: Julia's Eyes is your second full length feature, were you nervous before shooting started?

GM: No, luckily – otherwise I couldn’t do my work! Other things make me nervous though like h ... »

During June Horror Channel is celebrating the work of Jesus Franco with a special season of his movies showing under the banner of Eurotica. Each movie is introduced by Stephen Thrower who is an expert on all things Franco so we decided to have a chat with this interesting guy about his knowledge of the genre, Franco's cinematic legacy and why Franco was a true original.

HC: When did you first become aware of the Eurotica genre?

ST: It was back in 1981, when the so-called "video nasty" era started. Suddenly the cinema of the whole world was there on the shelves of your local video emporium. Horror films from Italy and Spain in particular which were far more sexually provocative than most British and American titles, they mi ... »

Things are hotting up on Horror during May with a short season of shockers showing under the banner of Sexy Killers. Each of these steamy fright flicks (three of which are premieres) will be introduced by our Diva of the Dark Side Emily Booth who is joined by two of the stars from Zombie Women Of Satan, Victoria Broom and Victoria Hopkins. Here Victoria Broom chats about her career so far and her time on the set of Zombie Women Of Satan.

HC: Did you know from a young age that you wanted to be an actress?

VB: I knew from when I was three, that all I ever wanted to do was perform, it was ... »

During April the Horror Channel celebrates the best of contemporary British horror with a special season of UK TV premieres under the banner Cruel Britannia which showcases some of the finest home-grown directorial talent around. You'll find sadistic killers, destroyed families, violent paranoia and self-destruction. Each movie is accompanied by a filmed introduction with the directors and keep tuning in as the season is being promoted on-air with some specially shot sequences presented by femme fatale Emily Booth.

The season continues on April 29th with Simon Rumley's critically acclaimed chiller The Living And The Dead. Here he chats about how the f ... »

During April the Horror Channel celebrates the best of contemporary British horror with a special season of UK TV premieres under the banner Cruel Britannia which showcases some of the finest home-grown directorial talent around. You'll find sadistic killers, destroyed families, violent paranoia and self-destruction. Each movie is accompanied by a filmed introduction with the directors and keep tuning in as the season is being promoted on-air with some specially shot sequences presented by femme fatale Emily Booth.

The season continues on April 22nd with Lawrence Gough's urban shocker Salvage. Here he chats about how Salvage came abo ... »

During April the Horror Channel celebrates the best of contemporary British horror with a special season of UK TV premieres which showcases some of the finest home-grown directorial talent around. You'll find sadistic killers, destroyed families, violent paranoia and self-destruction.

The season continues on April 15th with Gerard Johnson's, Tony: London Serial Killer. This dark, brutal and bleakly amusing shocker has drawn favourable comparisons to John McNaughton's seminal Henry: Portrait Of A Serial Killer and features a star-making lead performance from Peter Ferdinando - probably the most alarming cinematic anti-hero since Taxi Driver's Travis Bickle. We chatted to Gerard recently an ... »

During April the Horror Channel celebrates the best of contemporary British horror with a special season of UK TV premieres which showcases some of the finest home-grown directorial talent around. You'll find sadistic killers, destroyed families, violent paranoia and self-destruction. Each movie is accompanied by a filmed introduction with the directors and keep tuning in as the season is being promoted on-air with some specially shot sequences presented by femme fatale Emily Booth.

We start the season on April 8th with Steven Sheil’s twisted tale of terror, Mum & Dad. Here he talks about how he started in the movie industry and his honest thoughts on the state ... »

Rachel Allen is a thirty-six year old who lives with her Bengal cat, Hobbs. A huge horror fan (Rachel, not Hobbs) she is also AA Home Cook Of The Year and writes for her own blog. As part of our connection with the recent Bloody Women event at the Birds Eye View 2011 Film Festival we chat to her about how horror has played such an important role in her life and her honest opinion of women in horror cinema.

HC: Do you recall the first horror movie you saw and was it this one that stirred your interest in the genre?

RA: The first horror movie I rented out (underage and in secret) was Killer Klowns From Outer Space I was thirteen and it was a demented comedy horror complete with humans bei ... »

Doctor Karen Oughton is a multi talented woman. A film journalist, lecturer, broadcaster, researcher and PR advisor she is also a lifelong horror fan. Here she talks about her passion for horror and how talking the terrifying with seasoned scream fans and friends new to the fray, has changed her career.

HC: Can you recall the first horror movie you saw?

KO: I think it was The Watcher In The Woods. There are some terrifically spooky scenes and a giant church bell falls on another girl called Karen. I was terrified - and haven't gone near a bell since!

HC: Why do you think horror movies captured your attention so much?

KO: Because I'm interested in extremes of emotion, from excitement to fear and the process of catharsis ... »

HC: Can you recall the first horror movie you saw?

EB: I have vague memories of surreptitiously sneaking behind my parents sofa at night to watch Hammer Horror movies when I was really young but I think the first films that ensnared me into this genre were Cat People in 1982 and Company Of Wolves»

Jen Moss is a multi-talented lady who loves horror movies. She works in the music industry but recently dipped her toe into movie production, writing and directing the acclaimed horror short, Dumped. Here she chats about her life long appreciation of the horror genre and how she feels about women's role within it.

HC: Can you recall the first horror movie you saw?

JM: My earliest horror memory has got to be watching The Shining when I was about 9 (my babysitter's boyfriend was a big horror fan!). Of course, I didn't actually understand any of it but I do remember being fascinated by the sheer weirdness of it all. Funnily enough, more so than the twins in the corridor or Jack Nicholson’s axe wielding, it was the guy in the teddy bear costume that scared me the ... »

Starting as a journalist, Jonathan Sothcott was running a TV channel by the time he was 24, before changing gears and moving into feature film production in 2006 with the acclaimed urban horror movie Wishbaby.

Partnering with Martin Kemp in early 2007 he spent two years carefully developing four features – stylish thriller Stalker (written and directed by Kemp and starring Jane March), comedy Just For The Record, vampire/gangster action film Dead Cert and apocalyptic zombie blockbuster Devil's Playground. Jonathan found time in his busy schedule to talk to us about his busy career.

HC: At only 30 years of age you’ve already produced 8 pictures but did you always ... »

Writer/Director Sean Hogan is one of the new exciting talents around at the moment. His writing skills have been called upon on several notable features and his latest work, Little Deaths will be getting its premiere at the Glasgow FrightFest later this month. In this candid interview Sean talks openly about his inspirations, this new project plus you can catch him on Horror on February 24th introducing three movies in another edition of our Director’s Night series.

HC: Did you know from a young age that you wanted to work in the movie industry?

SH: Well, I was always into films, but the idea of actually making them probably didn't occur to me for quite a while. When I was growing up, there wasn't much of a UK industry to speak of, and this was way before high ... »

Chris Smith is one of the most exciting directors around at the moment. His CV includes the movies Creep, Severence, Triangle and Black Death and he recently hosted his own Director's Night event on Horror. We decided to pose some questions to this multi talented man to discover where his ideas come from and what he thinks of the current state horror cinema is in today. (Photo credit: Julie Edwards)

HC: You came to prominence with Creep, a movie you also wrote. Where did the idea come from?

CS: I think the core of the idea came in my teens when I first saw American Werewolf In London. During th ... »