FrightFest was born bloody in a dark corner of Leicester Square in August 2000.

Hosted at the pokey Prince Charles Cinema, it offered gore and more with a line-up that included Dario Argento's The Phantom Of The Opera, Ed Gein, The Lighthouse, J-horror Ringu 2 and docs on Mario Bava and Argento.

It was a screaming success.

Key Movie: Audition, Takashi Miike's slow-burning torture horror.

Controversy: Several unexpecting audience members felt faint after Audition's piano-wire conclusion.