Category: Movies

11 Chilling Facts About Shirley Jackson’s “The Haunting of Hill House”

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Anna Green and Mental Floss present 11 Chilling Facts About Shirley Jackson’s The Haunting of Hill House.  Using just Green’s list, here are three of my favorites …

2. JACKSON HAD A TERRIFYING SLEEPWALKING EXPERIENCE WHILE WRITING THE NOVEL …
Early on in the writing process, Jackson awoke one morning to find something terrifying atop her writing desk: A note, with the words “DEAD DEAD” scrawled upon it, written in her own handwriting. Jackson, who loved ghost stories but did not believe in ghosts, brushed the strange discovery off as sleepwalking. In “Experience and Fiction,” she wrote that she used the strange note to motivate her, explaining, “I decided that I had better write the book awake, which I got to work and did.”

3. … AND MADE AN UNSETTLING DISCOVERY WHILE RESEARCHING HAUNTED HOUSES.
Before she began writing The Haunting of Hill House, Jackson scoured magazines and newspapers for photos of houses that seemed haunted. During her research, she stumbled upon a photo of a house in California that had a particular air of “disease and decay.” She was so struck by it, she asked her mother, who lived in California, if she could find any additional information about the house. Her mother’s response shocked Jackson: Not only was she familiar with the house, but Jackson’s own great-grandfather had built it. After standing empty for many years, the house had been set on fire—possibly by a group of townspeople.

11. THE NOVEL HAS A LOT OF FAMOUS FANS.
Stephen King, Neil Gaiman, Guillermo del Toro, and Carmen Maria Machado are all huge fans. Del Toro included Hill House in a series of six classic horror novels he curated for Penguin, Maria Machado called it “the scariest novel I’ve ever read,” and Neil Gaiman has written that, while plenty of novels have scared him, Hill House “beats them all.” Stephen King, meanwhile, has written that Hill House has one of the best openings he’s ever read, calling it “the sort of quiet epiphany every writer hopes for.”

The 13 Most Disturbing Moments in Stephen King Adaptations

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Sharon Knolle and SyFy Wire present: The 13 Most Disturbing Moments in Stephen King Adaptations.  You know how this game is played:  Using just Knolle’s list, here are my top three (beware for spoilers follow) …

3.  Salem’s Lot (1979): “Let me in!”
If you’ve seen the 79 adaptation of Salem’s Lot, then you know the scene.  Our young hero, Mark, is in bed on a foggy night mourning the death of his friend Danny.  Slowly out of the fog Danny floats up to Mark’s bedroom window and repeatedly scratches on the glass with an evil smile.  Oh, and did I mention that the bedroom is on the second floor?

2. Carrie (1976): “Do it!”
I’m changing the game just a bit.  Knolle picks the classic horror film Carrie and the pig killing scene.  I agree with the choice of the movie, but I’ll take a different scene, if you don’t mind.  See, I saw Carrie at a midnight movie during it’s first release.  I had just turned 18 and was there with my girlfriend.  I’ve always been one who jumped a lot during scary movies, but being a young man with a girl to impress, I had to stay cool… macho.  I’m proud to say I made it through Carrie without embarrassing myself.  We were at the last scene, Carrie’s friend was laying flowers on her grave and soon credits would roll.

Then Carrie’s hand suddenly shot out of the fresh grave and grabbed her friend’s wrist.  I let out a scream (a manly scream I assure you) and nearly jumped out of my seat and into the row behind me.  That disturbs me to this day.

1.  The Mist (2007): That ending
The ending of The Mist stayed with me for a long while.  Although it was a bold choice, I didn’t like it on my first viewing as much as I’ve grown to.  Now, I believe that the decision to go with the ending selected is one of the reasons the movie is so powerful.

David, his young son, and three others have faced monsters and murderous people and survived.  Their hope was to drive out of the mist and to safety.  Sadly their car runs out of gas and they’re still in the mist surrounded by monsters.  To leave the car will bring the monsters and certain death.  To stay in the vehicle means a slow death by starvation.  David has a gun with 4 bullets.  The adults agree a fast death by bullet is the best alternative.  David kills all four including his sleeping son, but has no bullet left for himself.  He leaves the car expecting a painful death from a monster when he hears… and then sees army vehicles breaking through the fog with other survivors.  If they’d just held on for a few more minutes…

 

10 Twisted Facts About “The Cabin in the Woods”

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Scott Beggs and Mental Floss present 10 Twisted Facts About The Cabin in the Woods.   If you haven’t seen The Cabin in the Woods, you’re in for a treat.  It is one of the most unusual horror films in recent years.  I loved how it was able to hit all of the expected genre cliches in a totally unexpected way.  With that said, here are three of my favorite Twisted Facts About The Cabin in the Woods.

1. THE OPENING SCENE WAS MEANT TO CONFUSE AUDIENCES.
“Opening the movie with this scene is one of my favorite things that we accomplished,” co-writer/producer Joss Whedon said in the DVD commentary about the early sequence where Bradley Whitford and Richard Jenkins chit-chat in a hallway about childproofing cabinets and an office betting pool. They purposefully wanted people to think they’d sat down for the wrong movie and had to convince the studio that people wouldn’t walk out.

5. DREW GODDARD AND JOSS WHEDON MADE IT AS A “LOVING HATE LETTER.”
The reason The Cabin in the Woods works for horror fans and non-fans alike is that it hews closely to the classic rules for the genre to deliver the scares, but also mocks them mercilessly. Whedon saw it as both an exercise in how much fun they could have (they wrote it over a single weekend) and as a serious critique of a genre they loved that had descended under a wave of needless torture and stupid characters crafted solely to be killed in terrible ways.

8. THE FULL LIST OF MONSTERS INCLUDES A NOD TO SIN CITY.

There are too many baddies to name here (so here’s a list), but among the witches, sexy witches, mermen, and unicorns, there’s Kevin. He’s a kind-seeming dude who might show you where the movie section is in Best Buy but dismembers people during his time off. It’s possible that he’s a reference to the relaxed, quietly sadistic slasher played by Elijah Wood in the movie version of Sin City.

The 10 Scariest PG-Rated Horror Movies

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Jacob Trussell and FilmSchoolRejects present The 10 Scariest PG-Rated Horror Movies.  Here are my picks and comments for the top three…

6.  Race With The Devil (1975)  I saw Race With The Devil during its initial theatrical release and loved it.  Two couples (Warren Oates, Loretta Swift, Peter Fonda and Lara Parker) have taken their camper out into the backwoods when they stumble across a devil worshiping cult in the middle of a human sacrifice.  The movie then becomes a race to safety with the cultists closing in at every turn.  As a kid I loved the combination of horror and action.  Several years ago I decided to give Race With The Devil another viewing and found that it didn’t hold up as well as I remembered.

2.  Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1978)  Is another film I saw during it’s initial theatrical release.  While I prefer the original to the 78 version, I do have to give it up for the remake’s ending final scene!

1.  Jaws (1975) Since Jaws made Trussell’s list and it is the scariest of all the movies he selected, I had to pick it as well.  My quibble is that I really don’t consider Jaws a horror movie.

“Die Hard” – The Ultimate Visual History!

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On November 13, 2018, Die Hard: The Ultimate Visual History will be released!  Featuring a forward by Die Hard director John McTiernan and written by James Mottram and David S. Cohen, this book will live up to its title…

Yippee-ki-yay . . . Discover the explosive story behind the creation of the Die Hard saga in this visually stunning, behind-the-scenes look at the adventures of detective John McClane.

Thirty years after the release of the groundbreaking action film, Die Hard: The Ultimate Visual History takes an in-depth look at the entire Die Hard saga, from the original movie through to the hit sequels, comics, video games, and other extensions of hero John McClane’s story.

Loosely based on Roderick Thorp’s novel Nothing Lasts Forever, Die Hard, released in 1988, saw Moonlighting star Bruce Willis seamlessly make the transition from TV success to movie stardom in a film so taut, explosive, and full of suspense that it would come to define the action movie genre for decades to come. Directed by John McTiernan (Predator), Die Hard also starred revered British stage actor Alan Rickman who turned lead villain Hans Gruber into a presence so deliciously malevolent, audiences didn’t know whether to love him or hate him.

For the first time, Die Hard: The Ultimate Visual History tells the complete story of the making of Die Hard and its sequels, through exclusive interviews with the cast and crew of each film and a wealth of rare and unseen imagery, including set photography and concept art. Also exploring Die Hard comics, video games, and other merchandise, this book will tell the full story of the saga and its remarkable thirty-year legacy.

Follow this link to Amazon to see pages from the book and perhaps even place an order! Yippee-ki-yay, indeed!

Vin Diesel is Bloodshot!

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Vin Diesel’s next film is Bloodshot based on the Valiant comic book character created by Kevin VanHook, Don Perlin, and Bob Layton.  The art above (autographed by Diesel and featuring him as Bloodshot) was created by Lewis LaRosa for Paul Walker’s Reach Out Worldwide charity.

Check out Chris Evangelista’s post Vin Diesel As ‘Bloodshot’ Revealed in Concept Art at /Film to learn more about the movie, the comic character and to see a larger version of the art above.

Victor Santos’ Polar Movie and Graphic Novels News!!

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Three years ago this month, I posted Victor Santos’ Polar Headed to the Big Screen!  Well, guess what!  Premiering in 2019, on Netflix, Polar: Came from the Cold, the movie adaptation (directed by Jonas Åkerlund and starring Mads Mikkelsen) follows a retired assassin who finds himself and his child the target of assassins.  In anticipation of the film Dark Horse has prepared a second edition of Polar: Came from the Cold (the graphic novel that started the series).

Santos followed the original story with Polar Volume 2: Eye for an Eye.  Here’s the synopsis:

Left adrift in arctic waters with a gunshot wound to the head, adrift in arctic waters, Christy White was rescued from an icy death by a mysterious man. She craved retribution, and he taught her how to get it–how to make sense of her past and how to kill. They tried to freeze her out, but they should have finished the job, because now she’s back with a vengeance!

Santos was on a roll, so next came…

Polar Volume 3: No Mercy for Sister Maria…

After two years on the run, mob boss Don Cagliostro discovers his young wife, Maria–seeking escape from a life of organized crime–has been hiding in a nunnery in northern Europe. What the don doesn’t know is that his right-hand man, Sullivan, who’s been tasked with bringing the girl back home, is actually an undercover FBI agent seeking out Maria as a star witness in his case against the family. A simple-enough task . . . until info on Maria’s whereabouts leaks. When mobsters, mercenaries, and hit men converge on the convent in the hopes of collecting a reward for bringing Maria to the don, the holy ground becomes a battleground!

Up to this point, all the Polar stories first appeared at Santos’ Polarcomic.com before being reprinted in hardcover editions.  Santos surprised his fans recently with the announcement that a fourth Polar volume would be coming out on April 2, 2019!

Polar Volume 4: The Kaiser Falls…

An indomitable, yet aging spy assimilates to retirement in Miami, until a rookie assassin locates him and challenges him to his crown.
Living a simple life down in the Miami sunshine gets complicated when Black Kaiser’s housemaid has some problems involving a local gang. However, resurfacing to maintain the peace, puts him right in the new adversary’s crosshairs. Buckle up because Black Kaiser’s last ride is going to get rough!

Wait!  There’s more!

What?  How can that be if Polar Volume 4 is the final chapter?

I’m glad you asked.  You see, Santos originally published an origin story in Spain that has never seen print in the US!  But thanks the fine folks at Dark Horse and Victor Santos we’ll get to see the original story but remastered to make it look even better!

Polar Volume 0: The Black Kaiser…

The Black Kaiser, a name whispered in dark corners amongst power czars across the globe. A cold knife in the dark. A secret agent. Delve into the origin of the most feared assassin as his current mission lands him on American soil and in direct conflict with the nefarious agency known as the Damocles Initiative.

New York Times Bestseller Victor Santos (Filthy Rich, Violent Love) takes you back to the beginning with the origin of his iconic character Black Kaiser! A violent and fast-paced thriller. Now a Major Motion Picture.

I’m stoked for the continuation of the Polar series.  Polar is unique in that in each volume a new (or returning character) becomes the star for that volume.  Black Kaiser was the lead in the first book, but was a supporting player in the next tale with the Christy White character getting the starring role. The third volume was set in the Polar universe and with the fourth volume the Kaiser returns to center stage.

I’ve gotten the first three Polar volumes and look forward to revisiting that universe with Volumes 4 and 0.  And if the movie is good, that’s just a bonus!

 

The 10 Best 70s Action Movies

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Guy Vizard and ComingSoon present The 10 Best 70s Action Movies.  First of all hats off to Vizard on his list.  Usually I have to create my own Top 3 photo for the top of the post.  My top three matched Vizard’s photo perfectly.  With that said, using just Vizard’s list, here are his comments (and mine) for my top three:

Dirty Harry (1971)

When a crazed sniper attacks random citizens in San Francisco, Inspector “Dirty” Harry Callahan is charged with bringing the madman to justice. Between this role, and his Western roles, it’s easy to see why Clint Eastwood is the bad-ass who inspired generations of bad-asses to come. Callahan is the original tough-guy cop who carries a big gun. He doesn’t need words. He just understands that scum breeds more scum, and a man’s gotta do what a man’s gotta do. Dirty Harry offers some extreme violence for the time, and brings up very realistic fears which are still relevant to this day. This movie, along with The French Connection, laid the ground work for every cop movie and TV show that followed.

Craig’s comments:  Dirty Harry is a classic.  I was 13 when I saw it on its initial theatrical release.  I don’t know how many times I’ve seen DH over the years, but it hasn’t lost any of its luster.  Vizard is on point when he says Dirty Harry “laid the ground work for every cop movie and TV show that followed.”

Enter the Dragon (1973)

Enter the Dragon is one of the most important martial arts movies of all time. This was the first time Hollywood had produced this type of film, and it brought Bruce Lee into the mainstream American cinema. The story follows a secret agent who must go undercover at a madman’s martial arts competition on an isolated island to uncover a secret opium-selling operation. Bruce Lee choreographed the amazing fights and stunt work. There are some truly notable fights in this movie, including the scene where Lee single-handedly takes on 50 men. The importance of this movie for both Chinese and American cinema, plus video-games and cartoons, cannot be overstated. There would be no Mortal Kombat without this movie.

Craig’s comments:  Enter the Dragon is probably the movie I’ve seen more times than any other outside of Rocky.  It was the first VHS movie I ever owned and I watched it repeatedly.  Enter the Dragon was Bruce Lee’s tour de force and is THE best martial acts movie of all time.

The Warriors (1979)

Based on a novel by Sol Yurick and directed by Walter Hill, The Warriors is a taut little action flick about a tough street gang wrongfully accused of killing the most powerful gang leader in the city. They must fight their way back to their home turf while avoiding every other gang that’s out for blood. Walter Hill brings such a cool style to this story about rival thugs, capturing some of the most fun characters and fistfights of the time. The music, lingo, and clothing are all fantastic. This is a fun, funky ride with crazy street warfare, all wrapped up in a colorful bow with a nice quick run time. Can you dig it?

Craig’s comments: Like Dirty Harry and Enter the Dragon, The Warriors is a classic action film.  No matter how many times you view The Warriors you can’t help but get sucked into the film as they battle their way back to safe ground.

The Top 20 Underrated Action Movies

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Riley Jones and Goliath present The Top 20 Underrated Action Movies.  Using just Jones’ list, here are his comments (and mine) for my top three:

The Last Boy Scout (1991)
Released in the early 90s, The Last Boy Scout features the unlikely duo of Bruce Willis and Damon Wayans. The story follows an LAPD detective (Willis) investigating a murder surrounding a football team. With the help of the victim’s former boyfriend (Wayans), the two embark on an action-packed adventure filled with explosions, gunfights, and hilarious one-liners.

Considering how popular Willis was as an action star at the time following the wildly successful Die Hard and its sequel, it’s surprising that The Last Boy Scout only grossed a mere $59.5M at the box office. Despite Wayans being relatively new to the scene, the film featured an entertaining and equally ridiculous story full of laughs and excitement that will keep you hooked from start to finish.

Craig’s comments: I think two things hurt The Last Boy Scout: 1) Many viewed it as more of a comedy than action film and 2) The opening scene of the football player running down the field and then pulling out a gun to shoot opposing players turned people off.   I loved The Last Boy Scout.  I felt it was the right mix of action and comedy with many memorable scenes including two of my favorites: “If you touch me again, I’ll kill you” and the scene in the alley when Bruce Willis is about to get killed and survives because of a, pardon the expression, “killing joke.”

The Rundown (2003)
This little known 2003 buddy comedy, directed by Peter Berg (Hancock) and starring Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson and Sean “That Guy Who Played Stiffler” William Scott, is an absolute hoot to watch. One of our personal favorites, The Rundown isn’t a great movie by any stretch; it features a fairly predictable plot and some pretty corny moments, but damn if it isn’t just a whole lot of fun to watch. Great cast chemistry can often elevate an average film, and that’s most definitely the case here, as Johnson and Scott play well with each other, while Christopher Walken’s villain is also a surprisingly organic contribution to the film. Is it going to win any Oscars? Definitely not, but it’s the kind of movie we’ll never turn off if we stumble upon it when we’re scrolling through the channels late at night. Also starring Rosario Dawson, it’s a nifty little movie with some really great fight scenes.

Craig’s comments: If The Rundown had been made a little later in Dwayne Johnson’s career, I believe it would have been a hit.  The Rundown is a great, fun buddy-movie.  What’s equally surprising to me (that it wasn’t a hit), is that there was never a sequel.

The Way of the Gun (2000)
Before he was directing the aforementioned Jack Reacher, Christopher McQuarrie was best known for both writing The Usual Suspects (1998) and directing this cult classic starring Ryan Phillippe, Benicio Del Toro, Juliet Lewis, Taye Diggs and James Caan. Following two ill-advised career criminals as they kidnap the surrogate mother of a strange and mysterious man, The Way of the Gun was the subject of many a lukewarm film review upon its release; however, like a fine wine its reputation has gotten much better with age. Now considered an underrated film in the action genre, The Way of the Gun features a particularly strong turn from the savvy veteran Caan.

Craig’s comments:  I love The Way of the Gun.  Admittedly, it’s not for everyone.  At times it’s profane, not politically correct and gory.  Still, The Way of the Gun is so unlike most Hollywood movies, with characters (and a great cast) in a story that’s so compelling, it draws me in any time it’s on or I pull out the dvd.

Craig’s additional comments: There were two Stallone movies (Demolition Man and Cliffhanger) that made Jones’ list that I almost put in my top three.  The reason I decided against including them is because, they’d be obvious choices for me and I think these other three films deserve greater notice as well.  I also didn’t include John Wick because I don’t think it is underrated.  Doesn’t everybody love John Wick?