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Crucible of the Vampire
xxxx“Excited to hear that a stately home
  owner has discovered an ancient
  artefact in his basement that could be
  the missing part of a witch’s cauldron
  the museum has in its collection,
  a curator sends his innocent young
  female assistant to the spooky mansion
  to see it is indeed genuine; where she
  finds herself in a terrifying life-and-
  death battle in the impressive Gothic
  chiller Crucible of the Vampire...”

IN AN ATTEMPT TO BRING HIS DEAD DAUGHTER back to life, a necromancer mixes a potion in a cauldron under cover of Jacob's Wood, but is discovered and hung by an associate of the Witchfinder General Matthew Hopkins in 1649, before he can complete his task.

The cauldron was cleaved in two and one piece ends up in a museum run by curator Professor Hugo Edwards (Phil Hemming), who is contacted in 2017 by Karl (Larry Rew), with news that he has found what appears to be part of a cauldron buried in his basement.

“Crucible of the Vampire
has an intriguing
storyline that you can
sink your teeth into,
gradually building up
tension before swiftly
delivering a chilling
climax...”
Claiming to be too busy to go to investigate himself, Hugo instucts his assistant, the naïve and innocent young Isabelle (Katy Goldfinch), to go to Shropshire to find out if the ancient artefact Karl has discovered really is the missing piece of the Stearne Cauldron that would have played a part in the rebirth of Lydia Stearne (Lisa Martin).

On reaching the rambling stately home Isabelle is welcomed by Karl and his wife Evelyn (Babette Barat), but their daughter Scarlet (Florence Cady) seems rather fey and offhand. Isabelle is inexplicably drawn to Scarlet and the girl takes an unsettling interest in her.

Isabelle stays at the spooky house, suffering disturbing nightmares and visions of a pale, wild-eyed woman who seems intent on doing her harm. Very soon Isabelle is befriended by gardener Robert (Neil Morrisey: Line of Duty; Men Behaving Badly) and is also warned of the dangers of the house by the former gardener's son Tom (Aaron Jeffcoat), whose father met an unfortunate end.

As a dark and malevolent force closes in on Isabelle and the house's terrifying secret is revealed, will she be able to find her way back to a place of safety before she is gone forever?

Having made its World Premiere at Cannes Film Festival, Crucible of the Vampire received rave reviews at other major festivals. Rising stars Katie Goldfinch and Florence Cady are excellent and develop their characters well in this brooding vampire tale that gives a clear nod to classic British Horror and, despite being set in 2017, has a distinctly Seventies feel that works well. Think Hammer Horror greats.

Described as smart, stylish and sexy, Crucible of the Vampire has an intriguing storyline that you can sink your teeth into, gradually building up tension before swiftly delivering a chilling climax.

Crucible of the Vampire also features: Brian Croucher as Ezekiel; Charles O'Neill as Jeremiah; John Stirling as Stearne; and Angela Carter as Veronica.

Original Music is by Michelle Bee and Amanda Murray; Cinematography by Richard Carlton; Written by Ian Ross McNamee, Jon Wolskel and Darren Lake (who also plays The Hooded Figure); Produced by Amanda Murray and Ian Ross-MacNamee; and Directed by Ian Ross-MacNamee.

* Iain Ross-McNamee's gothic chiller Crucible of the Vampire is set to arrive in UK cinemas on 1 February 2019 and will be released in the UK, courtesy of Screenbound Entertainment, on DVD and Blu-ray and digital platforms on 4 February 2019. DVD and Blu-ray: Certificate: 15 | Running Time: 97 Minutes | RRP: £19.99. Digital Release Platforms: Amazon, iTunes, Sky Store, Microsoft, Hoopla, Vubiquity and Indemand.

"Crucible of the Vampire has an intriguing storyline that you can sink your teeth into, gradually building up tension before swiftly delivering a chilling climax" **** — Maggie Woods, MotorBar

"Such an engaging story that is both broodingly ethereal, visually eloquent and thoroughly enjoyable" — Starburst

"There's something of a retro Golden Age of Brit horror kick to Crucible of the Vampire… a joyous nostalgia trip" — Diabolique Magazine

"Cady and Goldfinch deliver equally powerful central performances that hold the film together and are crucial to Crucible of the Vampire's success. And succeed the film certainly does" **** — Nerdly.co.uk
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