\n Ian Ray-White, Mark Standeaven, Nigel Batty and Ian Torkington, all now in their 60s, first met as teenagers at Horsforth School in the early 1980s. Back then, they created and starred in a 20-minute Super 8 comedy horror film titled Splatter \u2014 a tongue-in-cheek spoof of popular slasher films of the era, such as Friday the 13th and Halloween.\n<\/p>\n
\n Nigel Batty, Ian Ray-White and Mark Standeaven (Image: submitted)\n<\/p>\n
\n More than 40 years on, the quartet have reunited to revisit that early project, appearing in a low-budget, full-length feature film inspired by their original mini masterpiece. The new film, Trail of Splatter, has been written and directed by Ian Ray-White, who has since gone on to become a professional actor.\n<\/p>\n
\n \u201cI\u2019d always dreamed of expanding the old film into a \u2018proper\u2019 movie,\u201d said Ian. \u201cI only wish I\u2019d done it earlier.\u201d\n<\/p>\n
\n Ian Ray-White, Kelly Dawn Taylor, and Mark Standeaven (Image: submitted)\n<\/p>\n
\n Although the friends had stayed in touch over the years, they had not met in person for a long time, making the production a genuine reunion when filming began in the summer of 2024.\n<\/p>\n
\n \u201cI was amazed how easily we all stepped back into the characters we played all those years ago,\u201d Ian added. \u201cIt was as if we\u2019d never been apart.\u201d\n<\/p>\n
\n Mark Standeaven as Norman Eclair (Image: submitted)\n<\/p>\n
\n Ian\u2019s journey into acting came later in life. After many years working in the sign industry, redundancy prompted a dramatic career change.\n<\/p>\n
\n \u201cI\u2019d always wanted to be an actor as a kid but didn\u2019t have the confidence,\u201d he said. \u201cWhen I lost my job, I thought, \u2018What have I got to lose?\u2019\u201d\n<\/p>\n
\n He signed up with an extras agency and soon found himself appearing on major productions including Darkest Hour and the Dad\u2019s Army remake, before progressing to speaking roles.\n<\/p>\n
\n Mark Standeaven and Ian Ray-White (Image: submitted)\n<\/p>\n
\n Spending long hours on set between takes ultimately inspired him to try directing himself. He began raising funds to bring Trail of Splatter to life.\n<\/p>\n
\n While Ian describes the film as \u201cnot exactly a big-budget Hollywood production\u201d, it has already secured a significant milestone, being accepted into the Filmhub distribution network. The platform aims to bring independent films to major streaming services, meaning audiences may soon be able to watch Trail of Splatter on platforms such as Amazon Prime and others.\n<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
\n The film was shot entirely in Horsforth, giving it a strong local connection as well as nostalgic appeal for its creators.\n<\/p>\n