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Combining found footage horror, folklore and a nostalgia for regional television, Haunted Ulster Live recreates a familiar world of 90’s light entertainment which, much like Belfast itself during the Northern Ireland Troubles, is haunted by something unseen and sinister. Written and directed by Dominic O’Neill we grabbed the man himself for a chat about his favorite scary movie.

On Halloween night 1998, Northern Ireland TV veteran Gerry Burns teams up with popular new children’s presenter Michelle Kelly to investigate poltergeist activity in a reputedly haunted house in Belfast. Light entertainment turns to horror when an unseen terror reveals itself.

The film premiered at FrightFest 2023 with an Irish premiere at Belfast Film Festival and earned acclaim at leading international genre film festivals including Fantaspoa and Panic Fest Haunted Ulster Live is available on UK and Ireland digital platforms now.

Below Dominic details the horror film that means the most to him...

Amiable lo-fi horror film presents itself as a live broadcast from a haunted suburban home. It’s well crafted – though unlikely to scare viewers the way the 1992 BBC mockumentary did

On Halloween in 1992, the BBC spooked the nation with the mockumentary Ghostwatch, an apparently live broadcast from Britain’s most haunted house. Despite its being advertised as drama, many viewers believed it was real; some even thought that presenter Michael Parkinson was actually possessed by a poltergeist called Pipes. Naturally the complaints poured in. Ghostwatch’s cult status will get a boost from this affectionate tribute from Northern Ireland: a nicely acted, good-natured lo-fi horror with some creepy moments but nothing properly scary to keep you awake.

It is 1998. A Northern Irish TV channel is broadcasting live on Halloween from a suburban house where a poltergeist has been terrorising a mum and her two kids. Inside the house is Gerry Burns...

Fans of mockumentary horror such as Ghostwatch or the more recent Late Night With the Devil prepare to add another to your nightmarish collection with Haunted Ulster Live, which takes viewers back to Halloween night, 1998, where a live broadcast from a haunted house in Belfast goes hauntingly wrong. The footage is so disturbing that it hasn’t been seen in 25 years.

Bloody Disgusting is excited to share the Halloween-themed horror now available across all platforms, including our Screambox streaming service.

Haunted Ulster Live takes place on Halloween night. Gerry Burns (Mark Claney) teams up with popular children’s presenter Michelle Kelly (Aimee Richardson) to investigate poltergeist activity in a haunted house in Belfast. Dead Northern writes: “Ghostwatch finally meets its match with Haunted Ulster Live!”

Written and Directed by Dominic O’Neill (“Belfast 1912”), the film also stars Siobhan Kelly.

“We’re found footage fanatics, and devotees of the genre will hopefully...

Fans of mockumentary horror such as Ghostwatch or the more recent Late Night With the Devil prepare to add another to your nightmarish collection with Haunted Ulster Live, which takes viewers back to Halloween night, 1998, where a live broadcast from a haunted house in Belfast goes hauntingly wrong. The footage is so disturbing that it hasn’t been seen in 25 years.

Bloody Disgusting is excited to share the Halloween-themed horror that will be released across all platforms, including our Screambox streaming service, on October 8th.

Haunted Ulster Live takes place on Halloween night. Gerry Burns (Mark Claney) teams up with popular children’s presenter Michelle Kelly (Aimee Richardson) to investigate poltergeist activity in a haunted house in Belfast. Dead Northern writes: “Ghostwatch finally meets its match with Haunted Ulster Live!”

Written and Directed by Dominic O’Neill (“Belfast 1912”), the film also stars Siobhan Kelly.

“We’re found footage fanatics, and devotees...

Screambox has unleashed its October line-up, promising an eerie selection of horror films and series to keep viewers on edge as the spooky season sets in. The latest batch of releases features a mix of original content, cult classics, and frightful exclusives that will surely satisfy horror lovers, just in time for Halloween. Among the titles are Tales from the Void, Crackcoon, and Haunted Ulster Live, each bringing a different flavour of fear.

Leading the charge this month is Tales from the Void, a Screambox Original anthology series that taps into some of the most bone-chilling tales from Reddit’s famed NoSleep community. With new episodes arriving every Sunday from October 13 to October 27, this horror anthology draws inspiration from the viral stories that have haunted the dark corners of the internet. Featuring segments from notable directors like Joe Lynch (Mayhem) and John Adams & Toby Poser (Hellbender), Tales from the Void...

Fans of mockumentary horror such as Ghostwatch or the more recent Late Night With the Devil prepare to add another to your nightmarish collection with Haunted Ulster Live, which takes viewers back to Halloween night, 1998, where a live broadcast from a haunted house in Belfast goes hauntingly wrong. The footage is so disturbing that it hasn’t been seen in 25 years.

Bloody Disgusting is excited to share the trailer for Halloween-themed horror that will release across all platforms, including our Screambox streaming service, on October 8th.

Haunted Ulster Live takes place on Halloween night. Gerry Burns (Mark Claney) teams up with popular children’s presenter Michelle Kelly (Aimee Richardson) to investigate poltergeist activity in a haunted house in Belfast. Dead Northern writes: “Ghostwatch finally meets its match with Haunted Ulster Live!”

Written and Directed by Dominic O’Neill (“Belfast 1912”), the film also stars Siobhan Kelly.

“We’re found footage fanatics, and...

Cineverse has acquired the North American rights for Dominic O'Neill's found footage horror flick from Ireland, Haunted Ulster Live.   On Halloween night, Gerry Burns teams up with popular children's presenter Michelle Kelly to investigate poltergeist activity in a haunted house in Belfast.   Not unlike the UK classic Ghostwatch or contemporary offerings like Wnuf Halloween Special or Late Night With The Devil the Irish horror flick takes on the live broadcast format and injects it with local folk stories and the effects of the conflict in Ireland at the time. That should be interesting.   Cineverse will release Haunted Ulster Live this Fall across all platforms, including Screambox.    Cineverse...

[Read the whole post on screenanarchy.com...]...

Fans of mockumentary horror such as Ghostwatch or the more recent Late Night With the Devil prepare to add another to your nightmarish collection with Haunted Ulster Live, which takes viewers back to Halloween night, 1998, where a live broadcast from a haunted house in Belfast goes hauntingly wrong. The footage is so disturbing that it hasn’t been seen in 25 years.

Bloody Disgusting acquired all North American rights to the Halloween-themed horror with plans to release the film this fall across all platforms, including our Screambox streaming service.

The news was first reported by Dread Central this morning.

Haunted Ulster Live takes place on Halloween night. Gerry Burns (Mark Claney) teams up with popular children’s presenter Michelle Kelly (Aimee Richardson) to investigate poltergeist activity in a haunted house in Belfast. Dead Northern writes: “Ghostwatch finally meets its match with Haunted Ulster Live!”

Written and Directed by Dominic O’Neill (“Belfast...

Stars: Mark Claney, Aimee Richardson, Dan Leith, Siobhan Kelly, Libby McBride, Jay Lowey, Antoinette Morelli, David Fleming | Written and Directed by Dominic O’Neill

Haunted Ulster Live is part homage to, and part parody of the BBC’s infamous Ghostwatch. For those unfamiliar with it, it was a 1992 Halloween special hosted by Michael Parkinson and presented as a live broadcast from a haunted house. Unfortunately, many viewers didn’t know it wasn’t the real thing and the BBC ended up fielding over 1,000,000 from concerned viewers. An early entry in the mockumentary/found footage genre it’s also the precursor of films like Kild TV, Deadstream, and The Cleansing Hour.

It’s Halloween night in 1998, TV veteran Gerry Burns and children’s TV presenter Michelle Kelly along with radio DJ Declan broadcasting live from the attic of an allegedly haunted house. They’re joined by the home’s owner Sarah, her daughter Rose,...