Vampire

The Thompsons (2012)

Posted on by Kent Film Office
A white background. On the right side of the image is an open mouth with sharp fangs and a long tongue sticking out. Blood is dripping off the tongue. On the left side of the image in red text is written the words The Thompsons.

The Thompsons (2012) © Film Harvest

Director: Mitchell Altieri, Phil Flores
Starring: Cory Knauf, Elizabeth Henstridge, Joseph McKelheer, Mackenzie Firgens
Production Company: Film Harvest, Industrial City Films, San Francisco Independent Cinema, Sawhorse Productions, Snowfort Pictures, Straightwire Films
Kent Locations Used: Ringlestone Inn – Harrietsham, Romden Castle, Ashford

The Thompsons (2012) follows the Hamiltons, America’s most wanted vampire family. On the run from the law, the family travel to England to find an ancient vampire clan with the knowledge and skills to save their lives. Unbeknownst to them, what the clan has planned is quite the opposite.

Directed by Mitchell Altieri and Phil Flores (The Hamiltons, The Violent Kind) also known as The Butcher Brothers, the film stars Cory Knauf (Grown, A Beginner’s Guide to Snuff) as Francis, Elizabeth Henstridge (Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D, Suspicion) as Riley Stuart, Joseph McKelheer (The Hammer, Godspeed) as Wendell and Mackenzie Firgens (Rent, Groove) as Darlene.

Most of the film was shot in Kent. The Ringlestone Inn in Harrietsham features as the pub owned by the Stuart vampire clan and Romden Castle in Smarden doubles as the home of the Stuarts. Tufton Street in Ashford is the setting for a fight scene between David (Samuel Child), Lenny (Ryan Hartwig) and Stuart crony Cyrus (Sean Cronin), doubling for London.

Dating back to 1533, The Ringlestone Inn is a Grade II listed building, originally used as a hospice for monks. Now a country pub, the building has beamed ceilings, large inglenook fireplaces, stone floors and original brick and flint walls. The village of Harrietsham features in Kind Hearts and Coronets (1949).

Romden Castle is a large guest house situated between the villages of Smarden and Bethersden. The site benefits from an outdoor swimming pool, tennis court, barn, woods and fields.

Ashford is a busy market town with a bustling town centre that boasts two shopping malls, vibrant cafés and pubs, alleyways, and a partly pedestrianised high street.

The Thompsons (2012) was released on Sunday 26th August 2012 and is now available to purchase on DVD.

For more information about Kent’s Filming History please visit our Movie Map.

Doctor Who – The Curse of Fenric (1989)

Posted on by Kent Film Office
head shot of Sylvester McCoy as Doctor Who looking concerned, looking away from the camera

Sylvester McCoy as Doctor Who © BBC

Director: Nicholas Mallett

Starring: Sylvester McCoy, Sophie Aldred, Dinsdale Landen, Alfred Lynch, Nicholas Parsons

Production Company: BBC

Kent locations used: Lillesden Manor, Roses Farm, St Lawrence Church in Hawkhurst

The Curse of Fenric is a four part story of popular sci-fi show, Doctor Who, starring Sylvester McCoy. The Doctor and his companion, Ace, arrive at a secret military base during World War II where a Viking curse has been awakened.. Confronted by vampires emerging from the sea and Russian commandoes closing in, the Doctor and Ace need to find a way to defeat an old evil to secure a better future for mankind.

Sylvester McCoy (Frank Stubbs, Rab C. Nesbitt) stars as the seventh Doctor alongside Sophie Aldred (Corners, Melvin and Maureen’s Music-a-grams), Dinsdale Landen (Devenish, Mickey Dunne), Alfred Lynch (Jackanory, West 11) and Nicholas Parsons (The Arthur Haynes Show, Sale of the Century).

The production visited Lillesden Manor which doubled as the laboratory under the church. It is situated in Hawkhurst and is set in 200 acres of land, and was built in 1853 by Edward Lloyd. Just after World War I, the mansion was sold and became a girl’s school which closed in 1999.

The production also visited listed timber framed cottage, Roses Farm in Hawkhurst, which doubled as Mrs Hardaker’s Cottage and St Lawrence Church in Hawkhurst which doubled as St Judd’s Church.

Doctor Who: The Curse of Fenric was first shown in 1989 and is now available to buy on DVD.

 

For more information about Kent’s Filming History please visit our Movie Map.