Lordi hopes for monster hit with horror film debut

06.02.2008 19:00 Arts - Source: cbc.ca

A horror film starring Lordi, the unlikely winners of the 2006 Eurovision Song Contest, has its premiere in Oulu, Finland's northernmost city, on Wednesday.

The film, Dark Floors, features a theme song by the Finnish hard rockers, who never appear without their latex masks and monster costumes.

The premiere, in a hockey arena that sits north of the Arctic Circle, will be followed by a performance by Lordi.

The film opens in commercial cinemas Friday in Finland.

Pete Riski, who directed all of Lordi's music videos, directed the film from a concept created by himself and Lordi lead singer, Tomi Putaansuu, who goes by the name, Mr. Lordi. Riski is a childhood friend of Putaansuu.

It is a slasher film, set in an American hospital, which follows a small group of people trying to escape while being hunted by zombies and monsters.

The five members of Lordi race through the hospital in full costume, leaving bloody, mutilated bodies in their wake.

"This film is not about music or Lordi as a band," said Rampe Toivonen, of production company Solar Films. "We can say it's a traditional horror movie that contains psychological suspense elements."

The film has a sound track of metal-ripping blasts and concludes with Lordi playing Beasts of Paradise.

Toivonen said the film "does not fall into the splatter genre because there are no gory scenes."

The $6-million US film was shot in June and July. Other stars include Britons Ronald Pickup and 12-year-old Skye Bennett.

The film will also be screened in Germany at the Berlin Film Festival, which kicks off Thursday and hopes to find a distributor to take it throughout Europe or to the U.S.

Lordi was a shocking choice as winner of the Eurovision Song Contest in 2006 as the contest is usually won by upbeat poppy hits or crooners.

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