Sunday 14 August 2011

Richard Driscoll has risen from the grave!

Until a couple of years ago I used to document the amusing boasts and claims (and spelling mistakes) of Richard Driscoll 'the British Ed Wood'. I took down 'The Richard Driscoll Experience' and my reviews of Kannibal, The Comic and Evil Calls (all 22,000 words of it!) after Driscoll started bombarding me with illiterate, threatening e-mails and it turned from a fun sideline into something tedious.

Since then, I have received constant e-mails about Driscoll, many from people who had the 'joy' of working with him. House of Fear went bust a few months ago (the site is now dead) and although I have reliable reports of receiverships and arrests and all sorts of malarkey, it would be impolitic for me to report what is technically hearsay (however amusing/likely it is).

Before he disappeared, when he was shooting Eldorado, Driscoll threatened to re-release his films in 3D - and now he has! A 3D version of Evil Calls, retitled The Legend of Harrow Woods, is now on sale in HMV, Sainsburys and anywhere else that stocks dodgy DVDs. Here's the Amazon page and here's another Amazon page for Head Hunter, a 3D retitling of Kannibal, which is set for release at the end of August.

There's even a couple of reviews of The Legend of Harrow Woods online now. AndyErupts says: "The Legend of Harrow Woods, also known as Evil Calls: The Raven Part 1, is utter garbage. I don’t just say that to be nasty. I don’t do that. It’s genuinely awful. It’s a low-grade Shining clone, with smatterings of The Blair Witch Project thrown in for good measure."

And Nameless Horror says: "I cannot recommend this film to anyone I know since I think they will all hate it . I didn’t hate it but I don’t imagine seeking it out to watch again"

Unlike the previous DVD of Evil Calls, this one is legal as it has a BBFC certificate (it was submitted by a company called Lace Digital Media Sales which seems to be purely a service company that Driscoll has hired).

The actual 'company' releasing the discs is called Moviola 3D. They have a website (registered in Queensland, although I'm sure that's a red herring), a Facebook page and a Youtube channel. They plan to release Eldorado (I literally cannot wait) in 3D and also Cold Light of Day. I can certainly wait for this last one, which is a dull biopic of Denis Nilsen, produced by Driscoll in the 1990s (though he falesly claimed to have directed it too when he listed it as Killer's Kiss on his previous website). There are five other titles listed for 2012 release but we all know how fluid Driscoll's concept of the future is.

I am reliably informed that Driscoll doesn't actually have the rights to Kannibal or Evil Calls (though I suppose he may have copyrighted the 3D versions separately). He almost certainly doesn't have the rights to release Eldorado and there are a bunch of people involved in that film who have never seen a copy and will be very interested if it turns up in HMV. So my advice is to snap these discs up as soon as possible in case they suddenly get pulled from the shelves.

In the meantime, I am resurrecting my three Driscoll reviews and an archive of the old RD Experience, and I'll record here any further news on the man and his work.

45 comments:

  1. Some of us in Redruth are interested to know more about Richard Driscoll. how he manages to pay for all the strange films, where he came from, how many people has he upset , has he ever been taken seriously,where is he now, whats the angle on the arrests you mention, what was he threatening you with in the e mails, how many aliases does he have and do you think he is a little mentally worrying stating he likes to be in total control and making films is like an addiction?Afterall addicts will do anything to feed their habbits which in itself is somewhat scarey when you see what his mind thinks up to put on film. are we safe in Redruth or will the llamas get us. i look forward to hearing from you . Redruth Andy , Ex Devils' Disciples MC Kernow. Now Sharks MC Kernow. Ps Do any of his "films"?! have a gangster taxi driver dressed as a blue fish in them do you know?

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    1. I would be happy to tell you all the stories. I worked on one of the films

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  2. driscoll is an absolute wanker he still has some of my equipment and still owes me money and he uses my music on his dodgy productions without consent

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    1. Your right. Driscoll is an absolute wanker and a control freak and has fucked up evreyone and everything that has come into contact with him. He's a cruel bullying arrogant tosser and I can tell you that those rumours are true

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    2. I think he is selling kit on ebay... and refusing to supply when he doesn't like the price the auction went to.

      Now I am thinking the kit isn't even his to sell...

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  3. I was the gaffer on one of the "films" and I'm still owed over a grand for my services and have witnessed on set bullying by this individual and all sorts of negligence and breach of most of the H/S regulations. We should get together and take him down

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  4. Lots of RD's cast and crew have contacted me over the years with 'interesting' stories, although it would be wrong of me to repeat them on my site, You can always contact me at mjs2000@ntlworld.com

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  5. Interested to hear he objected to your reviews, Mike! Let's see if I hear from Mr Driscoll after my review of THE LEGEND OF HARROW WOODS appears. I won't say where in advance...

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  6. I'm reviewing it too, after Mr Campbell "kindly" loaned me a copy. Maybe I'd better not say where, either...

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  7. The level of control he has over hi films make him an auteur in the true sense of the word. I purchased copies of THE LEGEND OF HARROW WOODS as gifts for friends (I hope they will forgive me in time).

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  8. Come on MJ. Can't wait to see what you make of Eldorado. Your reviews are always highly entertaining.

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  9. The use of the word 'Moviola' stirs a memory.... In St. Ives, several years ago, was a shop of that name, that called itself the 'Movies at Home Store' and had on display original props from Dr Who, including a Dalek and Davros' chair. Apparently the owner was involved with Dr Who conferences. I don't know the identity of the owner, but if I recall, his elderly parents were pressed into service to run the shop. Could this have been Richard Driscoll? From what I have heard, I really wouldn't put anything past him!

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    1. p know for a fact that this was not him,cant blame him for that.

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  10. They say "all publicity is good publicity", so I hope Mr Driscoll is paying you, Mike!!

    As usual, reading your reviews of Mr Driscoll's work gets me chuckling every time and brings some fond lightness to some dark remembered days of the past.

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  11. where is he now that the studio is closed. anyone know?

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    1. hiding from people he owes money to!!!

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  12. this may be of interest. http://www.findaproperty.com/for-sale/property-11824096

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  13. and this


    http://www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-23038473.html

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  14. Eldorado was filmed using the spirit of the west site in Cornwall. I know the folk there and they were used as characters in the film without any release consent forms being signed. The site and characters are still owed in excess of£10,000, yet the film has been released and I know there are some pending legal actions to be taken against Driscoll, as for the film don't bother it's the biggest load of garbage I have ever had the misfortune too see. Ps tosser is to good a name for him.

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  15. He's still in Redruth making films under the same company name. I have his contact details.

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    1. cant be !the farm is up for sale,if he is there i want what he owes me!!!1!

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    2. The internet says the farm is worth half a million. Who knows... If all the people that worked for Richard Driscoll got together they could probably make their own quite good movie.

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  16. He's also using the same address.

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    1. how can he get away with this,he owes money to everyone,uses people then drops them in kack so they drown in it and he swims away

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    2. He owes me £8.000,I got a court judgement,still did'nt get my money, I also want to know how he still carries on tradeing, I wonder if the famous actors got paid.

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    3. I don't suppose David Carradine did.

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  17. I recently met Michael Barber (and purchased a signed copy of HIGHWAY TO HELL a re-jigged ELDORADO or possibly ELDORADO is this film re-jigged) from him.

    I have watched bits but like ELDORADO it made me irritated in parts so I do not really want to experience the entire film again looking for differences, if any.

    As the strange cannibal clown with an irritating voice in ELDORADO (Tommy ?) I told him that I thought the performance was insane.

    Not sure why he seems to have tumours on his head, why he seems to be wearing some sort of brace through the film and also why he has the irritating squeaky voice he does throughout the film but having met him in person now and realising how unlike him the character is it is a hell of a performance and, as I said, quite insane.

    He seems to feel that ELDORADO will not be in stores much longer.

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  18. the farm was up for sale @£350,000. he owes more than that! mind you it was a mortgage snatch back so anyone hoping for money better go ask the north wind! i hear he has big trouble from the vat man coming,cant say i feel any sorrow over that one,

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  19. Shame his intentions, if not his actual actions, in creating a mini-horror studio should be applauded. Being able to let somebody work on his scripts would have worked too.

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    1. what scripts? all plagurised from other flms,not even well done!!!

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  20. This is quite hilarious! I worked with him in 1982, on what must have been one of his first films on an ET rip off called The Elf. I was 10 years old and had a whale of a time, so it's kind of sad to see how much he's fucked people over. Not surprised though, I was never paid for the 6 months of work, not were my parents for all their efforts. I sort of agree with Dean, that there is perhaps an argument to applaud what he tried to do, but it is kinda crushed by the weight of what he did to others and the actual shite he produced.

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  21. Yep, he assaulted me and owes me money. I did get to spend three months in England in 2009 though, and I did meet some great people whom I miss.

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  22. Richard is currently on trial at Southwark Crown court for VAT fraud and other tax related offences amounting into millions, I am happy to be a witness for the prosecution.

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  23. The TWAT has been seen in Redruth on 2 occasions, March/april 2013,

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  24. www.thelawpages.com/court-hearings-lists/Southwark-Crown-Court.php

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  25. Anyone know what the outcome of the court case has been? I like many others on here am owed a lot for work done... Doubt we'll ever see it mind!?

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  26. The jury has only just retired after two months of hearing evidence.

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  27. wow, thats a long case! If anyone finds anything out pls do post it; seems we could all do with keeping tabs on him!

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  28. Guilty. Facing six years. ...


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  29. Driscoll has been found guilty. Will be sentenced next month. I think he 'framed' his co-defendents to take the rap as they have been found not guilty.

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  31. As I no longer update this site, might I suggest that all interested Driscoll fans head over to my other blog at http://british-horror-revival.blogspot.co.uk/ where the conversation can be kept a little more up to date.

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