Category: Horror

“65” starring Adam Driver – A Second Poster and Trailer are Here!

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Here we have a second poster and trailer for 65 starring Adam Driver.  I like this poster even better than the first.  The outline of the T-Rex behind them is ominous.  The trailer kicks the action up a notch as well. Deal me in!

They must fight to survive. From the writers of A Quiet Place and producer Sam Raimi, #65movie is Only In Cinemas March 17.

After a catastrophic crash on an unknown planet, pilot Mills (Adam Driver) quickly discovers he’s actually stranded on Earth…65 million years ago. Now, with only one chance at rescue, Mills and the only other survivor, Koa (Ariana Greenblatt), must make their way across an unknown terrain riddled with dangerous prehistoric creatures in an epic fight to survive. From the writers of A Quiet Place and producer Sam Raimi comes 65, a sci-fi thriller starring Adam Driver, Ariana Greenblatt, and Chloe Coleman. Written and directed by Scott Beck & Bryan Woods and produced by Sam Raimi, Deborah Liebling and Zainab Azizi. Also produced by Scott Beck and Bryan Woods.

Written and Directed by:
Scott Beck & Bryan Woods

“We Have a Ghost” starring David Harbour, Jahi Winston & Anthony Mackie – The Poster and Trailer are Here!

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We Have a Ghost starring David Harbour, Jahi Winston and Anthony Mackie looks like a lot of fun.  Deal me in.

Finding a ghost named Ernest haunting their new home turns Kevin’s family into overnight social media sensations. But when Kevin and Ernest go rogue to investigate the mystery of Ernest’s past, they become a target of the CIA.

“The Black Phone” (2021) starring Ethan Hawke / Z-View

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The Black Phone (2021)

Director:  Scott Derrickson

Screenplay: Scott Derrickson, C. Robert Cargill based on “The Black Phone” short story by Joe Hill

Stars: Mason Thames, Madeleine McGraw, Ethan Hawke, Jeremy Davies and E. Roger Mitchell

Tagline: Never Talk to Strangers

The Plot…

A sadistic serial killer of children has been dubbed The Grabber by news media.  Despite multiple kidnappings and murders, the killer leaves no clues.  When Finney, a thirteen year old boy, wakes up in a locked basement, he comes to realize that The Grabber plans to torture and kill him… unless Finney can find a way out.

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…

Although The Grabber’s “name” isn’t that scary, the masks he wears are.  The scene (picture below) of the serial killer sitting shirtless, in a mask, whip in hand waiting in the kitchen to see if Finney will come up is truly creepy.

The Black Phone has a supernatural aspect to it that makes it less scary in my opinion.  A kid, alone in a serial killer’s basement is frightening.  When he begins getting “help” from beyond, it is much more likely that he’ll survive.

There are couple of cool plot twists and the ending works well.

The Black Phone earns 3 of 5 stars.

BLACKULA: RETURN OF THE KING by Rodney Barnes and Jason Shawn Alexander is Coming Soon!

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Blacula: Return of the King by Rodney Barnes and Jason Shawn Alexander will be released later this month.  Here’s the lowdown…

Los Angeles – the City of Angels. Two souls, one is looking for vengeance and one is looking for the truth. They share one thing in common, they are both searching for the legendary vampire Blacula. Tina Thomas is a reporter for the blog Dark Knights, which chronicles all things unnatural, uneasy, and undead. She meets a young man named Kross whose family was forever changed by the vampire. Kross asks Tina to help him kill Blacula.

Blacula too is on a mission, he is searching for the one who forever changed his life centuries ago. His name is Count Dracula.

“The Invitation” (2022) starring Nathalie Emmanuel & Thomas Doherty / Z-View

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The Invitation (2022)

Director:  Jessica M. Thompson

Screenplay:  Blair Butler

Stars: Nathalie Emmanuel, Thomas Doherty, Sean Pertwee, Hugh Skinner and Scott Alexander Young

Tagline: You are cordially invited to a nightmare generations in the making.

The Plot…

“Evie” Jackson (Emmanuel) is a struggling artist who, after a DNA test, learns she has relatives in England.  One of them, Oliver (Skinner) reaches out to Evie.  They meet and hit it off. Oliver informs Evie that her great-grandmother had a secret child with one of the family’s African-American servants.  It was quite the scandal at the time!  Oliver invites Evie to attend an up-coming wedding in England – all expenses paid.  Although hesitant at first, Evie accepts.

When Evie arrives at New Carfax Abbey, she meets Walter De Ville (Doherty) lord of the manor, and host of the wedding.  Evie is shocked at the opulence on display, but has to admit she’s attracted to De Ville.  It’s obvious he feels the same towards her.  But something isn’t right.  Everything feels a bit off.  Evie will find out too late why.

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…

I liked the slow buildup to the reveal the wedding.  It’s not much of a spoiler to say that there are quite a few Dracula Easter eggs throughout the film – everything from character names to locations.  If you’re not a Dracula fan and miss them, it won’t take away from the film.  If you do recognize them, they should enhance your viewing.

Nathalie Emmanuel is best known for her role in Game of Thrones.  I first saw her in Furious 7 and thought she had star power then.  She’s excellent as Evie.  I look forward to her future projects. Thomas Doherty is well cast as De Ville.  I’d never see Doherty before.  He has charisma and at times reminded me of a young Sean Connery.  Perhaps he could be the next 007.

The Invitation begins with the feel of a love story, then morphs into psychological horror and ends as a pedal to the floor vampire flick.  I liked it better than most so your mileage may vary.  For me…

The Invitation earns 4 of 5 stars.

“Disquiet” starring Jonathan Rhys Myers – The Poster and Trailer are Here!

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It took me a second to see the creature’s shadow behind Jonathan Rhys Myers in the poster.  Well played.  The trailer is interesting as well.  I just hope that Disquiet doesn’t turn out to be one of those it was all in his head movies.

Available on Digital and on Demand February 10

Jonathan Rhys Meyers stars in the terrifying, edge-of-your-seat thriller. After a near-fatal car accident, Sam (Meyers) wakes to discover he is trapped in an abandoned hospital by mysterious and sinister forces that have no intention of letting him leave…

Featuring: Jonathan Rhys Meyers, Rachelle Goulding, Elyse Levesque, Lochlyn Munro, Garry Chalk, Trezzo Mahoro, Anita Brown, Bradley Stryker

“Renfield” – The Poster and Trailer are Here!

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I’ve watched the Renfield trailer twice and like it better with the second viewing.  At first glance there seemed to be too much comedic angst, but comedy and horror can work well together.  (See Abbott & Costello or The Three Stooges when they meet up with monsters.)  I’m still not sold, but watching on streaming would be a no-brainer.

🩸LET’S EAT🩸Sink your teeth into the new trailer for #RenfieldMovie, in theaters April 14th.
—
Renfield
Only in Theaters April 14
www.renfieldmovie.com

Evil doesn’t span eternity without a little help.

In this modern monster tale of Dracula’s loyal servant, Nicholas Hoult (Mad Max: Fury Road, X-Men franchise) stars as Renfield, the tortured aide to history’s most narcissistic boss, Dracula (Oscar® winner Nicolas Cage). Renfield is forced to procure his master’s prey and do his every bidding, no matter how debased. But now, after centuries of servitude, Renfield is ready to see if there’s a life outside the shadow of The Prince of Darkness. If only he can figure out how to end his codependency.

Renfield is directed by Chris McKay (The Tomorrow War, The LEGO Batman Movie) from a screenplay by Ryan Ridley (Ghosted series, Rick & Morty series), based on an original idea by The Walking Dead and Invincible creator Robert Kirkman.

The film co-stars Awkwafina (The Farewell, Marvel’s Shang-Chi and the Legend of Ten Rings), Ben Schwartz (Sonic, The Afterparty) and Adrian Martinez (The Secret Life of Walter Mitty, Focus).

Renfield is produced by Skybound Entertainment partners Robert Kirkman and David Alpert (The Walking Dead, Invincible), co-presidents Bryan Furst (Daybreakers) and Sean Furst (Daybreakers) and by Chris McKay. McKay’s producing partner Samantha Nisenboim (co-producer, The Tomorrow War) will executive produce.

“Gone in the Night” (2022) starring Winona Ryder / Z-View

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Gone in the Night (2022)

Director:  Eli Horowitz

Screenplay:  Eli Horowitz, Matthew Derby

Stars: Winona Ryder, Dermot Mulroney, John Gallagher Jr., Owen Teague and Brianne Tju 

Tagline:  None.

The Plot…

When Kath (Ryder) and her younger boyfriend Max (Gallagher) arrive at a remote cabin they’d rented, it’s occupied by another couple.  Al (Teague) and Greta (Tju) claim to have booked the cabin as well.  Unable to reach the owner, the four decide to make the best of it and share the cabin for the night.

As the evening wears on, Greta appears to be a wild child.  And attracted to Max.  Kath decides to call it a night and heads to bed.  Max says he’ll be in shortly.  When Kath wakes up the next morning, it’s clear she’s slept alone.  She goes out looking for Max.  Instead she finds Al who is upset.  He says that Greta and Max took off in the night.

Kath is visibly shaken.  She drives home.  She’s done with Max, but obsessed with the girl who stole her boyfriend.  As she follows clues to learn about Greta, Kath finds that the evening at the cabin wasn’t as random as it appeared.  Digging too deep could get her killed.

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…

It’s interesting that Gone in the Night and Barbarian both have a similar start.  But then Gone in the Night becomes a mystery thriller while Barbarian is straight up horror.

Winona Ryder’s character is obsessed with finding out the truth about the evening / Greta, but also with having a man.  I wish her character was stronger and made better decisions.  The writers did give her a smart move near the end of the movie.  Dermot Mulroney doesn’t have a lot to do, but it’s good seeing him on screen.  The surprise star was Brianne Tju.  She owns every scene she’s in.  I’d seen Tju before in 47 Meters Down: Uncaged, but she didn’t make the impact she does here.  Tju is someone to watch.

The plot twist in Gone into the Night isn’t one you’ll see coming, even if you do kind of figure out what’s going on.  I almost gave Gone into the Night a higher rating, but I don’t do half stars, so…

Gone in the Night earns 2 of 5 stars.

“Bermuda Island” – It’s a Horror Flick – The Poster and Trailer are Here!

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Bermuda Island has all the makings of a drive-in movie.  It has a former big name star (Tom Sizemore) along with recognizable faces in a low-budget horror film.  Checks all the boxes.

The marketing on this one is strange.  It’s a horror movie, but the poster makes it look like a disaster flick.  The title, Bermuda Island, doesn’t even hint at what the audience should expect.  Is it a love story? A teen flick? A documentary?  Who can tell from the title?  No one.  The tagline stinks: Stranded in Paradise… Until the Sun Goes Down.  So are they no longer stranded once the sun sets?

With all that said, Bermuda Island looks like something I’d check out late at night for fun.

SYNOPSIS: Passengers on their way to a tropical paradise crash at sea and find themselves on a deserted island. Desperate to survive the elements and infighting between survivors, they find that the island has more in store for them than they could ever imagine.

Craig’s “The Best of 2022”

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As we start 2023, let’s pause for a look at the BEST OF 2022. I hope you see something that you enjoyed or gets you interested to check out. Here we go…

Movies and Limited Series

In 2022, I watched 409 movies and limited series. That number is up 37 from last year. None were seen in a theater! My favorite films and limited series released in 2022 included (in alpha order):

  • The Batman
  • Better Call Saul: Final Season
  • The English
  • God Forbid
  • Interceptor
  • Interview with a Vampire: Season 1
  • Ozark: Final Season
  • The Patient
  • Primal: Season 2
  • Reacher: Season 1
  • RRR
  • Star Trek: Strange New Worlds
  • Top Gun: Maverick
  • Werewolf By Night

Tulsa King would have made the list, but since the season hasn’t finished yet, I haven’t added it. It will definitely make next year’s Best Of list.

Books

In 2022, I read 37 books (2 less than last year). My favorites from this year included (in the order I read them):

  • Love & Bullets Megabomb Edition by Nick Kolakowski

  • Boise Longpig Hunting Club by Nick Kolakowski

  • The Devil’s Own Piss… by Whiskey Leavins

  • 61 Hours by Lee Child

  • Ice Station by Matthew Reilly

  • At Their Own Game by Frank Zafiro

  • IQ by Joe Ide

  • Murder in Grease Paint by Whiskey Leavins

  • And Sometimes I Wonder About You by Walter Mosley

  • Righteous by Joe Ide

  • Trouble is What I Do by Walter Mosley

  • Once Upon a Time in Hollywood by Quentin Tarantino

  • Later by Stephen King

  • Down the River unto the Sea by Walter Mosley

I’m surprised I didn’t read anything by Joe Lansdale this year. How did that even happen??

My Most Popular Posts of the Year

I continue to find some surprises in what became my most popular posts each year. Here are the top ten for 2022 and some thoughts for each…

10. Top 10 Most Iconic Horror Movie Villains – Dropped from #7 last year. Second year in a row to drop.

09. Batman & Manbat by Marshall Rogers & John Beatty! New to the list!

08. The Different Covers for David Morrell’s First Blood. New to the list!

07. “Clean” starring Adrian Brody – The Poster and Trailer are Here! New to the list!

06. Gadot & The Rock Strike a Pose – was in the 8th spot last year.

05. Evidence Points to NEW Suspect as the Zodiac Killer. New to the list!

04. Louis Meyers: Evidence He was the Zodiac Killer – came in the #3 spot last year and #2 the year before.

03. Dracula Through the Ages – was in our 4th spot last year. Flipped places with Louis Meyers.

02. The TWILIGHT ZONE New Year’s Eve Marathon is Coming and the Full Schedule is Out! – was the most popular post last year but was beat out this year by Schwarzenegger and Williams.

01. Schwarzenegger in “King Lear” & Robin Williams in “Jack and the Beanstalk” – regains the #1 spot for the year.

My All-Time Most Popular Posts

The top 4 didn’t change and only one new post broke in to the All-Time most popular posts. Let’s see how things shook out…

10. Joel Osteen in Jacksonville – dropped from 7th to 10th. Two years in a row of drops. May not make the list next year.

09. Gadot & The Rock Strike a Pose – was in the 9th spot for the last two years.

08. The TWILIGHT ZONE New Year’s Eve Marathon is Coming and the Full Schedule is Out! – New to the list!  I love the love that the TZ is getting!

07. Steve Reeves as Superman – was the #5 all-time most popular post last year.

06. Dracula Through the Ages – up from the 10th spot. Vampires are in.

05. TOP 10 MOST ICONIC HORROR MOVIE VILLAINS! – from 6th to 5th. Two years in a row of moving up!

04. New Billy the Kid Photo Discovered – No change!

03. Zodiac Killer Code Cracked? – No change!

02. Louis Meyers: Evidence He Was the Zodiac Killer – No change!

01. Schwarzenegger in “King Lear” & Robin Williams in “Jack and the Beanstalk” – was #1 last year and continues to be our most popular post of all-time.

It’s always interesting to see which topics resonate with fans and continue to be popular long after their initial post.

“The Watcher”: Season 1 (2022) / Z-View

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The Watcher: Season 1 (2022)

Directors:  Ryan Murphy (episodes 1, 3); Paris Barclay (episodes 2, 4); Jennifer Lynch (episodes 5, 7); Max Winkler (episode 6)

Teleplay: Ryan Murphy & Ian Brennan (episodes 1 – 5); Ian Brennan & Reilly Smith (episode 6); Ian Brennan & Reilly Smith & Todd Kubrak & Ryan Murphy (episode 7)

Stars: Naomi Watts, Bobby Cannavale, Mia Farrow, Terry Kinney, Henry Hunter Hall, Isabel Gravitt, Luke David Blumm, Jennifer Coolidge, Christopher McDonald, Noma Dumezweni, Margo Martindale, Richard Kind, Seth Gabel, Michael Nouri and Susan Merson

Tagline: None.

The Plot…

Soon after Dean, Nora and their two kids move into their beautiful dream house, anonymous threatening letters begin to arrive.  As the letters become more menacing, it becomes clear that whoever is sending them has access to their house.  The letters contain information about their kids, private conversations and are always signed The Watcher.

The police are unable to help.  Dean and Nora install a new security system. It doesn’t stop the strange events.  The letters keep coming.  As Dean and Nora become more paranoid, every neighbor becomes a suspect.  They cannot sell the house because they mortgaged everything to afford the place.

Who is The Watcher?  What does he/she want?

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…

The Watcher is based on real events.  A family purchased their dream home and began receiving threatening letters from a stalker who signed off as The Watcher.  The family ultimately sold the house at almost a $400,000 loss and moved out of town!  The Watcher was originally conceived as a limited one season series.  Thanks to good ratings, a second season was ordered.

I enjoyed The Watcher.  For me the journey was better than the destination.  In all fairness, I thought this was a limited series of one and done.  Therefore I was looking for a definite conclusion.  I’m not sure if the ending was the one planned or if it changed due to a second season order.

The Watcher is extremely well cast. Mia Farrow is perfect as an irritating, crazy neighbor. Jennifer Coolidge is a scene stealer as the unlikeable “friend”.  Naomi Watts and Bobby Cannavale are excellent as the leads.  Familiar faces show up in supporting roles: Terry (Oz) Kinney, Christopher (Family Law) McDonald, Margo (Justified) Martindale; Richard (Spin City) Kind and Michael (Flashdance) Nouri.  I’d never seen Noma Dumezweni and Henry Hunter Hall before, but will be watching for them in the future.

The story has twists and turns in every episode.  As the tension increases, so do mistakes made by Nick and Nora as far as blaming the wrong (?) people.  As unbelievable as the twists become, because the story is based on a real incident and because the acting is so good, I went with it.  The Watcher was a fun ride.  I just wish the final episode was more satisfying… but then again, that might have negated the need for a season two.

The Watcher earns 4 of 5 stars.

“Knock at the Cabin” (2023) Directed by M. Night Shyamalan – The Second Trailer is Here!

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Here is the second trailer to M. Night Shyamalan’s Knock at the Cabin.  Deal me in.

Knock at the Cabin – Only in Theaters February 3, 2023
https://www.knockatthecabin.com/

While vacationing at a remote cabin, a young girl and her parents are taken hostage by four armed strangers who demand that the family make an unthinkable choice to avert the apocalypse. With limited access to the outside world, the family must decide what they believe before all is lost.

From visionary filmmaker M. Night Shyamalan, Knock at the Cabin stars Dave Bautista (Dune, Guardians of the Galaxy franchise), Tony award and Emmy nominee Jonathan Groff (Hamilton, Mindhunter), Ben Aldridge (Pennyworth, Fleabag), BAFTA nominee Nikki Amuka-Bird (Persuasion, Old), newcomer Kristen Cui, Abby Quinn (Little Women, Landline) and Rupert Grint (Servant, Harry Potter franchise).

Universal Pictures presents a Blinding Edge Pictures production, in association with FilmNation Features and Wishmore Entertainment, an M. Night Shyamalan film. The screenplay is by M. Night Shyamalan and Steve Desmond & Michael Sherman based on the national bestseller The Cabin at the End of the World by Paul Tremblay. The film is directed by M. Night Shyamalan and produced by M. Night Shyamalan, Marc Bienstock (Split, Glass) and Ashwin Rajan (Servant, Glass). The executive producers are Steven Schneider, Christos V. Konstantakopoulos and Ashley Fox.