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| FEO NEWS FOR WINTER 2025: - MARCH - The detritus of old Horror/Thriller history can be found here. These are archived news items, many of them linked outside of this website. |
DAWN OF THE DEAD Is Old Enough to Buy Beer
By 2004 George A. Romero's DEAD trilogy was more than canon, it was the template by which all subsequent zombie movies adhered, nearly to the letter. And yet, then Troma famous writer, James Gunn (SLITHER), looking to fend off the stain of being the Scooby-Doo live action movie writer, took a monologue from Ben in the original NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD and expanded on it. "...a big gasoline truck came screaming right across the road! There must've been ten, fifteen of those things chasing after it, grabbing and holding on." Gunn used that for a movie that had zombies that wouldn't slowly walk or crawl toward you, but run at breakneck speed as if they felt no pain or exhaustion. Romero didn't like it and made it clear in interview after interview that he'd forgotten that part of his movie that put him on the map. But George did co-write it, he did shoot it, and he never challenged it for the decades before 2004 when the world saw the way that Zack Snyder directed what James Gunn wrote. It's now nearly 20 years later and DAWN OF THE DEAD [2004], remains the only worthy remake or sequel of the original trilogy. This is why. And - REPO MEN Turns 15
What if you were a Monty Python fan and you wanted to make a dystopian Terry Gilliam/Python-esque movie (Like Terry himself made with BRAZIL)? It's 2003, you have the unpublished novel, and you work on the screenplay. The wheels turn slow for newbies but, by Cthulhu, come 2010 you've got your A-List actors and your movie release! Only then do you realize that your distributor doesn't get what the movie is about and doesn't know how to sell it. So Universal released what appears to be trailers that encapsulate the whole story, Beginning to End, in 3 minutes. Even if there might be a twist ending, who is going to pay theater prices for a 30 second denouement before end credits? That's kind of how it went for the folks who made REPO MEN.
115 Years Ago Today the Creature Came To Life On Screen: FRANKENSTEIN
Watch the restored version of FRANKENSTEIN at Feo Amante Theater. And - THE RING 2 is 20
Dreamworks/Paramount had a full, layered, and deep backstory both from the novel and the many Japanese sequels that expanded the world of Sadako / Samara (U.S.). Would Dreamworks make the superior sequel to their hit or would they go full Hollywood and crank out a paint by numbers sequel in a cynical grab for those first weekend box office receipts? This is the direction they chose with THE RING 2. Plus - HAPPY HORROR THRILLER BIRTHDAYS TO -
Actor Lily Collins (PRIEST, ABDUCTION, MIRROR MIRROR, THE MORTAL INSTRUMENTS: CITY OF BONES, EXTREMELY WICKED SHOCKINGLY EVIL AND VILE, INHERITANCE, WINDFALL, MAXXXINE) is 36.
YOU DUG IT
3. MICKEY 17 drops an unhealthy 61% in its second weekend against no screen cuts, stumbling two steps from #1, which is too bad. The trailer looks great. Along with the posters, it aims itself squarely at the young Comic Con crowd with its SHAUN OF THE DEAD, KICK-ASS, THE BATMAN ethos. But the Warner Bros. marketing folks, with a grave misunderstanding of a genre that folds into the 2010's Golden Age of Superhero movies (which WB also utterly failed to comprehend when they largely slaughtered their own Superhero IP), think Science Fiction is "a cold genre aimed at older men" (marketing-speak for "our movie's failure isn't our fault, its your fault!"). Further muddying the waters are the So-called experts who feel the right comparison for a fast-paced and heartfelt SciFi slapstick like MICKEY 17, should be Denis Villeneauve's slow and methodical puzzle, ARRIVAL (TF?!?). So despite this movie being well-received by Critics and Audiences alike on Rottentomatoes (rare in itself), WB made all the Right moves in production and all the Wrong moves in building anticipation. In production they wanted to find their next Christopher Nolan BATMAN BEGINS in Director Bong Joon Ho (THE HOST), but in building audience for a whole new franchise, they want BLADE RUNNER 2049. So Online talk isn't bad-mouthing it. Worse, they're No-mouthing it. Oh well. At least the Trailer and Poster artists understood the job. 4. CAPTAIN AMERICA: BRAVE NEW WORLD drops from 2 to 4 this week, but the 32% loss in ticket sales, especially against a 230 screen cut, is good news. In its 5th weekend however, its finally squeeked over its budget to Box Office break even point in the world market. How long it can stay in the Top Ten is now crucial to whether this movie has a chance to ignite its own franchise. 5. THE DAY THE EARTH BLEW UP: A LOONEY TUNES MOVIE finally goes full release in its 14th week, grabbing a $3 million plus Box Office on 2,827 screens. This is another Warner Bros. movie that's been poorly marketed. 9. THE MONKEY, despite having a decent 36% drop in ticket sales from last week, went free fall from last week's #4 to where it is now. That said, it's nearly quintupled its budget at theaters so everything is gravy now. YOU BURIED IT 18. IN THE LOST LANDS, based on George R. R. Martin's eponymous short story, crashed and burned as it fell from last week's opening at #10 on the Top Ten to 8 places down in one week. With a 79% drop in ticket sales against a 505 screen cut, this movie, directed by Paul W.S. Anderson and starring Milla Jovovich (of course) and Actor Dave Bautista, may signal the end of an era. All three of those names were also Producers on this movie, along with Anderson's co-writer, Constantin Werner. While Dave should still have plenty of audience cache left, the same cannot be said for Anderson and Jovovich, as except for the final entry in the game-based RESIDENT EVIL, franchise, all their other movies in the last 10+ years have tanked horribly. Depressingly, for all of us long time fans who hoped that, at some point through all of these decades, Anderson could get three hits in a row, and so convince Paramount to give us a Director's Cut of EVENT HORIZON, we might as well throw in the towel. Paul's only unreleased movie is HOUSE OF THE DEAD, which is the second movie in the game-based HOUSE OF THE DEAD franchise after the 2003 Uwe Boll flop of the same name. Being as Paul's only other movie outside of IN THE LOST LANDS is in Pre-Production, he really needed IN THE LOST LANDS to be a hit. Milla has three Actions Thrillers in post production, none of which are close enough to release to have posters. Figures calibrated from reporting by Box Office Mojo and The Numbers. Should there be differences between the two, I err on the side of caution and post the most positive numbers. And - Shudder and IFC Drop THE UGLY SISTER Trailer
Plus - FINAL DESTINATION Turns 25! A Quarter Century of FINAL DESTINATION! This Horror classic ushered in the new millennium with a smart style, concept, and of all things, the ultimate unseen killer: Death itself! E.C. McMullen Jr. takes you back to the cinema and how the original SCREAM generation reacted to the first ever nationwide theatrical showing of FINAL DESTINATION! Also - V FOR VENDETTA Turns 19
What V FOR VENDETTA, the Alan Moore comic was? A protest against Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher. However, Magaret Thatcher retired her role as Prime Minister of England in 1990 and all the evil she would have supposedly ushered in never happened because Thatcher was never anything like Alan wanted her to be. Which made Moore's story outdated and obsolete: A relic forever buried in the 1980s. Any movie to be made needed major turns from what the comic was and in 2004, Moore hated what his V FOR VENDETTA was turning into. The movie was reimagined into a 2000s heavy handed protest against President George W. Bush - except it still took place in England. In a distant future many presidents past the Bush era, which never-the-less will somehow create a fever dream England that is ruled by The Chancellor (heavy-handed hint), the U.K. becomes a Socialist fascist state. One that oppresses its population with endless wars (staggering into Orwell) where fundamentalist Islam and the LGBT community are equally oppressed and so, Best Friends Forever! Which makes no sense either. So Warner Bros. took it away from, who were then the Warchowski Bros., re-edited the movie and added or re-shot some scenes, causing a long delay in release. Did this make the movie version of V FOR VENDETTA better? Finale - HAPPY HORROR THRILLER BIRTHDAYS TO -
Actor Mark Boone Jr. (BORN IN FLAMES, FILM HOUSE FEVER, FORCE OF CIRCUMSTANCE, FEVER, THE PAINT JOB, SE7EN, THE GAME, HACK [1997], John Carpenter's VAMPIRES, I STILL KNOW WHAT YOU DID LAST SUMMER, MEMENTO, ORDINARY MADNESS, DEAD BIRDS, FRANKENFISH, SAWTOOTH, BATMAN BEGINS, THE LEGEND OF LUCY KEYES, WRISTCUTTERS: A LOVE STORY, UNKNOWN, 30 DAYS OF NIGHT, THE DONNER PARTY, Rob Zombie's HALLOWEEN II, GHOST HOUSE, AMERICAN SATAN, BY THE RIVERS OF BABYLON, IDA RED, PARADISE CITY [TV], THE GATEWAY, ATRIBILIOUS, BY THE RIVERS OF BABYLON) is 69. SUNDAY -
Actor Tara Buck (TRUE BLOOD [TV], THE LIFE ZONE, TOMORROW YOU'RE GONE, THE NIGHT VISITOR, AT THE DEVIL'S DOOR, NOISE IN THE MIDDLE) is 50. 46 Years of TOURIST TRAP
46 years: Never a Remake. Never a Sequel. Never an Equal. This is why TOURIST TRAP is one of the best Horror movies ever made. RAVENOUS Turns 26
Cannibal zombies, Cannibal primitive tribes, Cannibal criminals hiding in plain sight. What about just Cannibals as a pronoun? Someone may not have been born a cannibal but feels as though they are a Cannibal and that has to be respected. Because only food wouldn't accept cannibalism and who cares what your food thinks? This movie came out back in 1999, takes place in the century before that, and if it wasn't for the dark humor, it likely would have made Horror fans even more uncomfortable. Mike Bracken The Horror Geek, saw it in the theater lo these many moons ago and this is his take on RAVENOUS. SATURDAY -
Director / Actor David Cronenberg (SHIVERS aka THEY CAME FROM WITHIN, RABID, THE BROOD, SCANNERS, VIDEODROME, THE FLY, THE DEAD ZONE, DEAD RINGERS, NIGHTBREED, LAST NIGHT, RESURRECTION, eXistenZ, JASON X, SPIDER, A HISTORY OF VIOLENCE, EASTERN PROMISES, A DANGEROUS METHOD, DISAPPEARANCE AT CLIFTON HILL, SLASHER [TV], CRIMES OF THE FUTURE, THE SHROUDS) is 82. FORBIDDEN PLANET is 69
I watch this and I see a Nayfack movie that compells me, but one that was flawed even for its time, and I'm not only talking about it being nearly half exposition. "Here is where the Krells would come to to play a game remarkably similar to our Bowling. Their extraordinary skill at ball handling was millions of years in advance of our own. They accomplished this stunning achievement through the use of..." GAH! Its flaws grow larger with age, and if it was at all possible to make things right without adding more wrong, this is a story that could be ageless. Of course, some folks already think FORBIDDEN PLANET is ageless. RESIDENT EVIL is 23
There came a point in the genesis of this movie where George A. Romero, who'd been attached throughout its long gestation, left the project, not wanting to have anything to do with it: At all. That's when the guy who apparently didn't want to direct it, Writer and Producer, Paul W.S. Anderson, found he wasn't able to get anyone else on such short notice. Nearly everyone on this picture was hired, waiting, Production was about to begin, the money clock was ticking and spending, and a quick, cheap, nobody director would need investor approval. So, not wanting to but needing to get this movie made under contractual obligations, Paul directed it himself. This was the result with 2002's RESIDENT EVIL. TERRIFIER Turns 7 (or maybe 9?)
Have you resisted this movie because you've heard about "that" scene and you're not sure if you can "handle" it? Or maybe you started watching it, saw the woman visitor and told yourself, "Nope! Nope! NOPE!" If that happened? Sucks to be you! This is how Ken King, the Fan Behind the Mask, reacted to TERRIFIER.
Magnet's BORDERLINE Hits Theaters and Digital Now!
Yeah, I'm sure theaters are whelmed that people can watc this movie at home on the same day it hits their screens. And what Brill' marketing to interview star, Samara Weaving on what its like to be the movie's "Final Girl". BORDERLINE is Written and Directed by Jimmy Warden, writer of THE BABYSITTER: KILLER QUEEN and COCAINE BEAR. And - NEON Drops Stephen King's THE LIFE OF CHUCK
THE LIFE OF CHUCK hits theaters this June 6, 2025 and is Adapted for the screen and Directed by Mike Flanagan (ABSENTIA, OCULUS, HUSH, BEFORE I WAKE, OUIJA: ORIGIN OF EVIL, GERALD'S GAME, THE HAUNTING OF HILL HOUSE [TV], DOCTOR SLEEP, MIDNIGHT MASS [TV], THE FALL OF THE HOUSE OF USHER [TV]) and stars Plus - THE PROPHECY 3 is 25
With this movie, actor Christopher Walken was able to wrap up his three picture deal in a nice, bright, packag-Ah! He left the franchise, which continued to stumble on without him for another two pictures. If he ever had anything bad to say about the movies I'm unaware of it. I'm also unaware of Christopher ever having anything good to say about THE PROPHECY 3: THE ASCENT. Also - WILLARD is 22.
Did you read the bestseller, RATMAN'S NOTEBOOKS? No? Did you see the first WILLARD movie from 1971? No? Well in the 2003 remake, actor Crispin Glover (FRIDAY THE 13TH: THE FINAL CHAPTER, ALICE IN WONDERLAND [2010]), who handles comedy and sinister with equal aplomb, brought on the full force of alienating creepiness, as only he can turn on whenever he wants to. Holy Crap! This is why Glover IS WILLARD! Wassmor - DOOMSDAY Turns 17
If you ever wanted to escape Back to New York, if you were ever Mad for Max, and you didn't want to wait 28 Days Later for it to happen, this is a Neil Marshall (DOG SOLDIERS, THE DESCENT) movie you are going to want to see but quick. That's the opinion of reviewer Bishop Bettini and I can vouch for DOOMSDAY. Finale - HAPPY HORROR THRILLER BIRTHDAYS TO -
By E.C. McMullen Jr.
THE GHOST OF FRANKENSTEIN Turns 83
1942 and Horror movie icon, Boris Karloff turned in his Frankenstein creature flat top. Gone forever was the gaunt, towering, death come to life, monster that he portrayed. Universal Pictures, under a new and confused management that wanted Monster Movie money without the stain of making monster movies, brought in Long Chaney Jr. Junior's old man did Horror, Junior did Horror, and who was going to tell the difference between a wasted, sunken cheeked creature and one built like a 2 years after retirement pro football linebacker? Plus, it had Bela Lugosi as Igor!* More to the point, who cared? Not the new owners who practically stole Universal Pictures from the Laemmle family after their own Junior acquired a seriously bad loan to make a picture. Early 20th Century Universal Pictures has so many grim lessons to teach modern filmmakers. THE GHOST OF FRANKENSTEIN (now the name of the creature itself) may have run on fumes, but they were powerful enough to represent Mary Shelly Wollstone's monster in our cultureal zeitgiest nearly a century later. *It also had Cedric Hardwicke and Lionel Atwill, who were monster movie masters back then, lending a gravitas touch of sophisticated theater acting to these otherwise Young Adult movies much the same way Christopher Lee did to Count Dooku or Peter Cushing did for Grand Moff Tarkin or Alec Guinness with Obi-Wan Kenobi, or... And - THE EVIL DEAD II is 37
Though Sam Raimi still attempts to have you believe otherwise, this is not a sequel. Ash comes upon the cabin in the woods for the first time, he's not returning to it for a second time. If anything the story was changed from a serious Horror movie to a cornball comedy satirizing itself just enough to be a remake, or a reboot, or a reimagininginginging. You can believe what you like, but since this movie is old enough to be your Father, let's get past all that and treat EVIL DEAD II as a seqboot remock! Plus - HAPPY HORROR THRILLER BIRTHDAYS TO -
By E.C. McMullen Jr.
FINAL DESTINATION: BLOODLINES There are many FINAL DESTINATION movies we're now up to 6. And there are a few Horror sequels with "Bloodline" in the title. Like, for example HELLRAISER: BLOODLINE by Alan Smithee. Often, fans of a franchise are better marketers than the n00bs actually hired to do the marketing. Why? Because the fans know exactly What brings them to the theater, Why it brings them to the theater, and When it brings them to the theater. Wait. "When?" Yes. Because studios should want the audience eager to see it on the very first weekend, and not waiting until $5 dollar Tuesday SO when you're this deep into a franchise that never flushed itself into Direct To Video, the fans have a clear idea of what will make them come running. Not always but often enough. Right now the fans are speaking and I find myself agreeing (being a fan of the franchise and all). And we say The fan poster is better. You decide. The Studio poster?
Or the Fan poster?
Still can't decide? Refresh your memory with this quick look at the trailer for FINAL DESTINATION: BLOODLINES.
And - THE ANDROMEDA STRAIN Turns 54
There are a lot of science fiction movies out there, but extremely few that get the science right. Author Michael Crichton (JURASSIC PARK) was a scientist, as well as a genius, and like other Scientists who were also fiction writers, from Robert A. Heinlein (STARSHIP TROOPERS) to Arthur C. Clarke (2001: A SPACE ODYSSEY) to Isaac Asimov (I, ROBOT), Michael was a stickler for hard science: for reality when faced with the fantastic or unbelievable. When you have a Science Fiction story that sticks to that reality, it sets up the roadblocks that creates suspense and drama that need never occur in any other form of storytelling. No Dues ex machina of the Supernatural, Wizards, Spirits, Angels, or Gods will step in at the last second to save you. So here we are over a half century later and this movie repeatedly makes lists as one of the most intense, suspenseful movies ever made in the history of cinema. The History of Cinema! And yet in 1971 it was rated G! In its era, the 1970s was also known as the "Me Generation" and that significantly-sized herd of self-medicating narcissists went on to raise a generation of wusses. Even four years later in 1975 JAWS was rated only PG. So Michael Crichton (THE TERMINAL MAN) and Director Robert Wise (THE DAY THE EARTH STOOD STILL [1951]) were on the same page and they wanted this movie to grab the audience by the throat. Which meant no distractions: like everyone angrily F-bombing each other like cable Teevee drug-addled street addicts. No side-trips into romance or navel gazing over who in the group might like you. No, in this movie the clock is ticking and the people who are going to save us all have no time for bullshit. As in movies like COLOSSUS, if these scientists can't solve this crisis and quick, we'll all die from THE ANDROMEDA STRAIN. Plus - Charles Band's PARASITE Turns 43
What can be said about this movie that hasn't already been said? Besides the fact that it stars Demi Moore and was released in 3D? Besides the fact that she was such a nobody when this came out that Charles Band kept her off the poster? Or the fact that when she became a somebody years later, Chuck put her on the DVD cover. In fact, she was the only person or thing on the DVD cover who/that is actually in the movie. If you're wondering whether or not you should see it, then for what it's worth, this is my take on 1982's PARASITE 3D. Also - DEMONIC TOYS Turns 33
Few bad Horror movies age into classics. That doesn't mean they don't have their fans. It's just that their fans would rather watch the movie stream free than pay for it. What does that mean? Movies that fans won't pay to see is what a Producer or Director or Agent calls "Interesting". In its own way through just the right skew of the eye and cock of the head, DEMONIC TOYS is Interesting. Finale - HAPPY HORROR THRILLER BIRTHDAYS TO -
Actor Jaimie Alexander (THE OTHER SIDE, REST STOP, HALLOWED GROUND, KYLE XY [TV], THOR, INTERSECTIONS, THOR: THE DARK WORLD, BLIND SPOT [TV], BROKEN VOWS, LONDON FIELDS, THOR: LOVE AND THUNDER, THE MINUTE YOU WAKE UP DEAD) is 40.
THE ASMA JOURNALS
A new episodic Horror series starts on YouTube NOW! And - THX 1138 is 54
Star Wars fans are used to seeing this title in everything George Lucas does, and I don't mean just his theater sound system. Here's a look into the movie behind the title THX 1138. Plus - OUTPOST is 17
There's a subset of Horror movies and that's Zombie. There's a subset of that and it's Cannibal Killer Zombie. But there's even a subset of that and it's called Cannibal Killer Nazi Zombie. And that's where the OUTPOST franchise came in. Also - BATTLE: LOS ANGELES is 14
Return to a time when *Shaky Cam* was at its zenith! And nobody liked it! But Hollywood wanted audiences to prefer it over choreographed fight scenes which cost more money to stage. But audiences still said no! So the fight was on and one of the last Hollywood outposts of *Shaky Cam* was BATTLEFIELD: LOS ANGELES. Finale - HAPPY HORROR THRILLER BIRTHDAYS TO -
Actor David Anders (ALIAS [TV], THE SOURCE, CSI: CRIME SCENE INVESTIGATION [TV], CHARMED [TV], LEFT IN DARKNESS, REVENANT, CHILDREN OF THE CORN [TV - 2009], 24 [TV], HEROES [TV], THE VAMPIRE DIARIES [TV], ONCE UPON A TIME [TV], 24 [TV], iZOMBIE [TV]) is 43.
YOU DUG IT
1. MICKEY 17 debuts at #1. Based on a best selling, yet obscure science fiction thriller, MICKEY 7 that, never-the-less, is enjoying popularity as a series, the big budget Warner Bros, movie, MICKEY 17, directed by Bong Joon Ho (THE HOST, MOTHER) wins the weekend with only $19 million box office. So it has a long way to go to surpass its $118 million budget. Stars Robert Pattinson (THE BATMAN), Toni Collett (THE SIXTH SENSE, FRIGHT NIGHT, KRAMPUS, HEREDITARY), and Steven Yeun (THE WALKING DEAD [TV], MAYHEM). 2. CAPTAIN AMERICA: BRAVE NEW WORLD, with a 43% drop in ticket sales against a -320 screen cut, steps down from its #1 spot in its 4th weekend. Performing far below expectations with a worldwide total of $176 million, this movie remains well below the box office halfway mark to its budget ($180 mill.) in the domestic theatrical market and barely passed the halfway mark to its budget combining domestic with foriegn. In fact, by its 4th weekend, its barely made more in the last 3 weekends combined than it did in its debut weekend. Unless a movie miracle occurs, audiences may bury this one. 4. THE MONKEY in its third weekend, steps down from last week's #3 with a mild 39% drop in ticket sales against a -272 screen cut. This Stephen King, James Wan winner, directed by Osgood Perkins, has more than doubled its Production budget after its 50/50 theatrical split. 10. IN THE LOST LANDS debuts this weekend. Produced, Directed, and co-wrote by Paul W.S. Anderson (EVENT HORIZON, RESIDENT EVIL), its also Produced and stars Milla Jovovich (THE FIFTH ELEMENT, RESIDENT EVIL), of course. And as long as we're talking pedigree, it was also Produced and stars Dave Bautista (GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY, BLADE RUNNER 2049), finally, its based on a short story by George R.R. Martin (GAME OF THRONES). Its distributor, Vertical, did not release the Production Budget figure. Why? Well it was released a few weeks ago in the International market back in February and even counting this weekend's domestic box office, its barely cracked over $1 million in the foreign and domestic theatrical market combined. Ouch! DIG IT UP? 11. NIGHT OF THE ZOOPOCALYPSE debuts at 11 and might be the fun animated Horror comedy you've been looking for. A whopping 27 production companies world-wide provided the budget for this movie inspired by the merest concept from Clive Barker (THE THIEF OF ALWAYS, COLD HEART CANYON, ABARAT, HELLRAISER, NIGHTBREED). YOU BURIED IT 14. HEART EYES, distributed by Sony Pictures, had a big marketing push and advertising as well as a 3,100+ screen opening. That said, Sony had no faith in it, so despite the fact that it drops out of the Top Ten in its fifth weekend with a 57% fall in ticket sales against a 1,198 screen cut means it still outperformed Sony's low expectations for it. So what does it mean when a low budget movie outperforms expectations? In this case, it means that, despite major studio global distribution that included both Sony and Paramount, and a budget greenlight from Screen Gems and Spyglass Media Group, HEART EYES leaves the Top Ten millions of dollars short of its break-even figure. Overall, Horror Thriller audiences aren't happy with the weak 2025 offerings from the major studios. Figures calibrated from reporting by Box Office Mojo and The Numbers. Should there be differences between the two, I err on the side of caution and post the most positive numbers. And - THE CHURCH is 35
Hang on! This movie was co-wrote by Franco Ferrini (PHENOMENA), Michele Soavi (DELLAMORTE DELLAMORE), and Dario Argento (THE BIRD WITH THE CRYSTAL PLUMMAGE)? Damn! I'll take it! It was Produced by Dario Argento (INFERNO) and Directed by Michele Soavi (CEMETERY MAN)? I said I'll take it! It stars Asia Argento (THE STENDHAL SYNDROME)? Hey you MF! Stop F'n teasing me and give me the GD movie already! That's kinda how I am with some Horror movies like THE CHURCH. Plus - DAWN OF THE DEAD is Old Enough to Legally Drink
The fast running zombies that George A. Romero could only write about and have Ben describe to the others in NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD, was shot in stunning full color apocalyptic fury by Zack Snyder and happens in the first ten minutes of his and James Gunn's remake. I was lucky to have Zack Snyder show that ten minute clip to me and a small roomful of others at a convention, back when most folks never heard of Zack Snyder and he needed Guillermo Del Toro to introduce him. Can you believe that Universal Pictures were going to release DAWN OF THE DEAD Direct to Video? Also - THE HILLS HAVE EYES is 19
I was there, at the 2006 Hollywood premiere! As blind luck would have it, I rode the car park elevator alone with practical SFX grandmaster, Greg Nicotero (DAY OF THE DEAD, FROM BEYOND, PREDATOR, ARMY OF DARKNESS, IN THE MOUTH OF MADNESS, FROM DUSK TILL DAWN, SCREAM, THE NIGHT FLIER, MEN IN BLACK, THE FACULTY, HOUSE ON HAUNTED HILL, THE CELL, KILL BILL, SIN CITY, PLANET TERROR, MIRRORS, THE WALKING DEAD [TV], way more!). We had met and attended the same parties more than a few times over the years at that point, but when you're in Greg's line of business, you meet So! Many! Damn! People! Every single day, so I wasn't miffed that he didn't remember me. In fact, pity the poor bastard that, out of the tons of new people he must meet every week, he kept running into me! We went our separate ways at floor level, I got in the special line reserved exclusively for general audience, and while I chatted with my fellow Horror geeks we saw actor Michael Berryman (DEADLY BLESSING, THE DEVIL'S REJECTS, PENNY DREADFUL, way more!) cut the line - as Pluto has every right to do. A young security guard blocked him and we fans were immediately incensed. "Hey! That's Michael Berryman! You can't block Pluto!" we shouted, the whole line sharing the alarm. Someone with a bigger wig rushed forward and guided Michael inside. He turned and waved to us all for our help. And of course, we cheered like the Mutants we are. So that put me in a good mood for watching the reboot that night and this is what I thought of THE HILLS HAVE EYES - 2006. Wassmor - KONG: SKULL ISLAND is 9
In the original KING KONG, they were all sailing on their merry way to Skull Island! Then KING KONG 1976 came out and they were all sailing and sniping on their misbegotten way to a mysterious cloud covered island with the most racist "woke" hero you ever saw. Then KING KONG 2005 came out and they were all forced by circumstance to go and probably die on a godforsaken island of genetically damaged inbreds. But at least they filled the hour or so of sea travel with tedious conversations of sophomore philosophy. If the next reboot was going to avoid being even worse, it had to stop pandering to the inherent sexism and racism of the latest celebrity and Ivy League activist trend and embrace what the original KING KONG was all about! And did it ever! This is the tale of how the wildly popular new KING KONG - GODZILLA franchise was born right under the noses of Disney's once thriving MCU and Amateur Hour Star Wars re-Moot. It all began with KONG: SKULL ISLAND. Finale - HAPPY HORROR THRILLER BIRTHDAYS TO -
Ever since IT CHAPTER TWO, today's birthday girl has become the IT girl for Horror! HAPPY BIRTHDAY to SUNDAY -
Horror Writer Stuart Neild (A HAUNTED MAN, SPRING HEELED JACK AWAKES, TALES TO UNNERVE AND DISTURB, THE FIRST GHOST TOWN, GIANT KILLER EELS, SHOOT) is 56. CHILDREN OF THE CORN Turns 41
Not my thing. Not my thing at all. Maybe it's your thing, but this is why CHILDREN OF THE CORN (1984) is not my thing. 300 Turns 19
If I wasn't already a Zack Snyder fan with DAWN OF THE DEAD (2004), I damn sure became one with Zack's 300. The wildest ride in the theater since I saw THE MATRIX in theaters in 1999, was the whooping and hollering that the audience got into with this movie in 2006. They went bananas for 300 and this is why. SATURDAY -
Actor Nora-Jane Noone (THE DESCENT, DOOMSDAY, BEYOND THE RAVE, INSATIABLE [2008], LEGEND OF THE BOG, SAVAGE, THE DESCENT 2, DAY OF THE TRIFFIDS [2009 - TV], JACK TAYLOR [all], DECEPTION [TV], ESTRANGED, IDENTICALS, 12 FEET DEEP, THE CAPTURE, DARLIN', I HATE THE MAN IN MY BASEMENT, THE IPCRESS FILE [TV], BRING THEM DOWN) is 41. TALES FROM THE CRYPT Is 53
The old Educational Comics Code (E.C.) TALES FROM THE CRYPT, born in 1950, could not stay buried. At 73 years old in its original form, this isn't your parents or grandparents comicbook movie. This is your Great-grandparents comic book and your grandparent's Horror movie, with all of the grim grins you discovered from everything that came after. Not only the old and still popular HBO TALES FROM THE CRYPT, but even R.L. Stine's Goosebumps, which took its cues from TFtC and gave them a bump. Marvel comics struggled so long to adapt their titles before they found their winning formula (which, amazingly enough, was a stricter adherence to the old comics and not dryhumping the latest windy trendy to blow through the ears of the studio experts). TFtC never struggled to find an audience in cinema or TV. This is how TALES FROM THE CRYPT hit the ground running with a 1970s Me Generation full of rebellion and contempt for the 1950s. Wassmor - HELLRAISER: BLOODLINE Is 29
It surprises no Horror fan to read or hear that Horror movies are the profitable red-headed step child of the Hollywood studios. Clive Barker's HELLRAISER found its cult theater audience, gained more traction in home video, and could have easily grown their audience with subsequent sequels. But such is the Hollywood culture of that era that suits only sought to butcher their golden goose instead of thrive on it. After all, Studio heads are a revolving door job. And the value of what you ushered in will be remembered for crashing and burning without you when you leave. Some have the mindset that, as they move to their next job, it pays to have the movies that were profitable under you, fail without you. Or such appears to be said mindset. I could be wrong. Maybe the studio bosses just had no imagination or creativity at all. It certainly feels like one of those two when watching the first Alan Smithee sequel in the Hellraiser franchise (and the final Alan Smithee movie to date). Yet, there's an audience for everything, even formulaic cut & paste assembled by committee. Since we're already talking about HELLRAISER: BLOODLINE...
Trinity Creative Partnership Unleashes RUMPLESTILTSKIN
Released to digital in the UK on April 7 and in the USA on April 8. And - HAPPY HORROR THRILLER BIRTHDAYS TO -
By E.C. McMullen Jr.
THE LAST MAN ON EARTH Turns 61
After over half a century, Horror fans remain divided over this movie. New audiences watching it for the first time are no exception. They either think its a dull dragged out slog, or find it a compelling slow burn that builds to a powerful punch of an ending. Considering that nearly the entire movie rests on the shoulders of a single actor, THE LAST MAN ON EARTH remains a testament to the riveting character command of Vincent Price. And - ANGEL HEART is 37
When it comes to slow burn creepiness I can't think of any movie that beats this one. The only misstep is a corny special effect applied at the wrong time when the actor was already commanding the threat of the moment. Other than that, this is why ANGEL HEART is classic Scary Horror. Plus - WATCHMEN is 16
The task was called impossible. Warner Bros. developed for years trying to bring Alan Moore's comic to the big screen. Yet that was the thing: it was a comic book. Every panel drawn by Dave Gibbons, every page: It was practically a storyboard! An excellent, New York TImes Bestselling blueprint in full color! The only impossible thing about making a movie of it was accepting all of the changes a revolving door of untested, uncreative WB suits, unfamiliar with the book but wanting to make it a better story. All of the changes the disposable Post-It Noters wanted were all garbage And They Knew It. When Writer Alan Moore got wind of it, and after he endured years of endlessly dealing with it, he wanted nothing to do with the nascent movie, broke ties with Warner owned DC comics forever, and sued to have his name removed (it was, eventually). It appeared, to an outsider like myself, that Warner would have thrown in the towel except, stinging at every maor Comic Convention and ceaselessly booed by Alan Moore fans, they stubornly held on just to have the last word. This damn movie had to be made if for no other reason than to spite Alan Moore. We can't let talent get away with having the upper hand like this! Zack Snyder was brought on board and the only way the WB could do that was give him relatively free reign with this movie and make pie in the sky promises. Which, in fact, they followed through upon. Which means that THE WATCHMEN we got in 2009 is as good as it will ever look through WB. Wassmor - HAPPY HORROR THRILLER BIRTHDAYS TO -
By E.C. McMullen Jr.
81 Years of FRANKENSTEIN MEETS THE WOLFMAN
"Meets" being the key word, nearly a misnomer, here. After all, "Meets" implies meeting each other, as in "A cordial meeting." HA! This was no polite introduction over drinks at a party. There's no, "Oh, how do you do?" and "Charmed, I'm sure!" No, this was all ARGH! GRR! ROAR! and "YOUR MOTHER!" Yet, for a Universal Pictures sequel at that time in their history, FRANKENSTEIN MEETS THE WOLF MAN is surprisingly good and this why. And - 71 Years of CREATURE FROM THE BLACK LAGOON
Like many movie franchise monsters (FRANKENSTEIN, GODZILLA, HALLOWEEN, FRIDAY THE 13th), more than one actor played the Creature in its run. Ricou Browning played the Creature in the water in all three movies and Ben Chapman played the Creature on land in the first one. Ricou also paid the rent and put food on the table by being the creator and writer of the popular Flipper movies and TV shows. In case you hadn't already guessed, the Creature design inspired Director Guillermo Del Toro (MIMIC, THE DEVIL'S BACKBONE, BLADE II, HELLBOY, PAN'S LABYRINTH) when he made THE SHAPE OF WATER. Del Toro's "creature" was actor Doug Jones (HELLBOY, UNIVERSAL DEAD, PAN'S LABYRINTH). While Creature Feature fans wait for an amazing reboot, this is what created the enduring legacy of THE CREATURE FROM THE BLACK LAGOON. Plus - 15 Years of ALICE IN WONDERLAND
Whew! If any story could could find a home in Tim Burton's wheelhouse, it had to be this one. Although this is a third and different nearly Lewis Carroll tale of what happened after all of the adventures Through The Looking Glass and in ALICE IN WONDERLAND. Finale - HAPPY HORROR THRILLER BIRTHDAYS TO -
RINGU Turns 27
This movie has reached the age where you're not a kid anymore and you're closing in on 30 so get your act together! The masterful novel by Author Kôji Sozuki (HONOGURAI MIZU NO SOKO KARA aka DARK WATER, JU-ON aka THE GRUDGE) has always had its act together. Made as a TV and movie franchise in Japan, it launched franchise remakes in other countries from the U.S. to South Korea. Its become at least two Video Games and its powerful influence still echoes in non-Sozuki work ranging from 2013's EVIL DEAD to 2022's SMILE. This is the frightening magic of 1998's RINGU. And - THE BATMAN is 3
This baby hasn't had a chance to have any history yet, but this is what I thought of 2022's THE BATMAN. Plus - HAPPY HORROR THRILLER BIRTHDAYS TO -
Writer / Director / Producer, Paul W.S. Anderson (MORTAL KOMBAT, EVENT HORIZON, RESIDENT EVIL, RESIDENT EVIL 2, ALIEN VS PREDATOR, RESIDENT EVIL: EXTINCTION, DEATH RACE, PANDORUM, DEATH RACE 2, RESIDENT EVIL: RETRIBUTION, DEATH RACE INFERNO, RESIDENT EVIL: THE FINAL CHAPTER, DEATH RACE 4: BEYOND ANARCHY, MONSTER HUNTER) is 60.
YOU DUG IT
1. CAPTAIN AMERICA: BRAVE NEW WORLD holds onto #1 for the third weekend in a row, but with an additional 47% drop in ticket sales after last week's huge loss. This weekend it cost the movie 300 screens! Despite that, it remains the biggest box office per screen 2. LAST BREATH debuts in second place earning nearly $8 million on 3,018 screens 3. THE MONKEY steps down one place despite a major 54% drop in ticket sales for its second weekend. It added 27 screens to its talley which makes the steep Box Office drop worse. 8. HEART EYES dips two places from last weekend's #6 in its 4th weekend against a 597 screen cut. Despite its four weekends on the top ten it still is in the loss category despite only having a low $18 mill. big studio (Sony) production budget. I wasn't exactly wowed by the movie trailers and some audience might be sitting the theater experience out. Hopefully this will find an audience in the home market. YOU BURIED IT 19. LOVE HURTS from Universal, went into a 63% free fall in box office, falling off the Top Ten in its 4th week by nine places. Despite its heavy losses, its actually performing better than expected. Horror Thriller audiences are not happy with the weak offerings from the major studios. Figures calibrated from reporting by Box Office Mojo and The Numbers. Should there be differences between the two, I err on the side of caution and post the most positive numbers. And - HAPPY HORROR THRILLER BIRTHDAYS TO -
Actor Jessica Biel (THE TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE [2003], CELLULAR, BLADE: TRINITY, STEALTH, THE ILLUSIONIST, NEXT, THE A-TEAM, THE TALL MAN, TOTAL RECALL [2012], HITCHCOCK, EMANUEL AND THE TRUTH ABOUT FISHES, LIMETOWN [TV], CANDY [TV]) is 43. SUNDAY -
Actor Ingrid Bolsø Berdal (COLD PREY, CODENAME HUNTER, COLD PREY 2, BETRAYAL [2009], CHERNOBYL DIARIES, THE ABCs OF DEATH, ESCAPE [2012], HANSEL & GRETEL: WITCH HUNTERS, WESTWORLD [TV], WITCH HUNT [TV], BLASTED, THE SEED [TV]) is 46. AUDITION Turns 26
For me, this is the movie where Director Takashi Miike gained enough critical mass in the U.S. that when I spoke of him, other people recognized the name. It drove me crazy that nearly every poster and every trailer was full of spoilers. So while you can find those online, this is why you shouldn't before you see AUDITION. ULTRAVIOLET Turns 19
This Milla Jovovich starring role was... Was... in a very Milla Jovovich movie: ULTRAVIOLET. SATURDAY -
Actor Jensen Ackles (DARK ANGEL [TV], DEVOUR, MY BLOODY VALENTINE 3D, SUPERNATURAL [TV], THE BOYS [TV], THE WINCHESTERS [TV]) is 46.
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INTERVIEWS Matt Jarbo's interview with Feo Amante at The Zurvivalist. James Cheetham's Q&A with Feo Amante at Unconventional Interviews *. Megan Scudellari interviews Feo Amante and Kelly Parks (of THE SCIENCE MOMENT) in The Scientist Magazine. Check out our interview at The-Scientist.com. REFERENCES Researcher David Waldron, references my review of UNDERWORLD in the Spring 2005, Journal of Religion and Popular Culture entry, Role-Playing Games and the Christian Right: Community Formation in Response to a Moral Panic (downloadable pdf). E.C. McMullen Jr.
*Linked to archive.org |
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