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7 Dysfunctional Horror Families to Get You Through Thanksgiving with Yours

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Thanksgiving.  It’s a time to get together with family, eat until we can’t move, and in general, be thankful for the things we have.  Right?

Right?

Okay, well, maybe that’s how it happens on Hallmark Channel, but we’re horror movie fans, and I like to think that makes us a little more realistic about these things.

We know that family get-togethers aren’t always what they’re cracked up to be.  We know that mom resents dad just a little for leaving her alone in the kitchen all day cooking while he sat in the living room watching football.  We know that Aunt Marge is going to spend most of her day telling you what you’ve done wrong with your life in the most passive aggressive manner possible.  And we know that Uncle Joe is going to get plastered and pass out in a corner after making inappropriate comments to everyone in the family.  At some point, in all of that, at least three of your cousins are going to hit the boiling point and throw a couple of punches.

Okay, so maybe all of that doesn’t happen, but it’s not all sunshine, rainbows, and being thankful and we know it.  It’s drama and pain and desperately trying to find something to be thankful for.something…anything.

With that in mind, I put this little list together.  Some of these horror movie families are just the worst, and maybe, just maybe, when your own family is getting you down, these will help you get through.

And hey, maybe if you’re lucky, you can actually throw one in the DVD player and watch together!

#1 The Man, The Woman, & The Children in The People Under the Stairs

Back in 1991, Wes Craven blessed and confused us us with The People Under the Stairs.  The Man and the Woman were brother and sister, but there was something else going on there.  I mean, that Gimp suit?!  And then all the children they had living in their walls…yeah, if anything is going to make you feel better about your family, this would be it.

#2 The Sawyer Family in The Texas Chain Saw Massacre

They’re psychopaths…cannibals…and big brother Leatherface literally wears masks made from human faces.  This is a perfect movie to remember when your relatives start yelling at one another over Thanksgiving dinner  I mean, at least there isn’t a screaming woman tied up and bloody at the end of the table.  I hope you don’t…

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vs3981DoINw

#3 The Davison Family in You’re Next

OK, so at first glance, this family is ridiculously perfect.  Wealthy…good looking…they’ve got it all.  Then you find out one of the brothers has hired assassins to take everyone out at a family gather.  What?!  Yeah, that’s why it made the list.

#4  The Family in The Hills Have Eyes

OK, so lets start by clarifying that I’m not talking about the traveling family.  I’m talking about the actual “family” of deformed, cannibalistic people who attack the traveling family.  And I don’t think I need to explain why that particular family made this list.

#5 The Sharpes in Crimson Peak

Whereas the implication was there that the Man and Woman in The People Under the Stairs were involved in some sort of incestuous relationship, Crimson Peak didn’t play around.  Jessica Chastain and Tom Hiddleston play a sister and brother with a creepy old house and a history of sexy relations.  It’s a hell of a ghost story with a dysfunctional family front and center.

#6 The Torrances in The Shining

Doesn’t matter which version you pick, the Gods and Stephen King came together to create the perfect storm of dysfunctional families in The Shining.  Domestic violence, abuse, alcoholism, you name it.  It’s all there.  Just imagine your family gathering at the Overlook and things might be just a little better.

#7 Every single family in IT

I mean, was there a single family in the film IT that was just normal?  Bill’s family ignoring the death of their son Georgie; Beverly Marsh’s pedophile father; Eddie’s overbearing mother?  These kids had some messed up families and they all lived in the same place!

Well, there you are!  Seven completely messed up families that ought to at least take some of the pressure off your Thanksgiving!  They’re some of my favorites.  What are some of your?  Let us know in the comments!

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News

Brad Dourif Says He’s Retiring Except For One Important Role

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Brad Dourif has been doing movies for nearly 50 years. Now it seems he is walking away from the industry at 74 to enjoy his golden years. Except, there is a caveat.

Recently, digital entertainment publication JoBlo’s Tyler Nichols talked to some of the Chucky television series cast members. During the interview, Dourif made an announcement.

“Dourif said that he’s retired from acting,” says Nichols. “The only reason he came back for the show was because of his daughter Fiona and he considers Chucky creator Don Mancini to be family. But for non-Chucky stuff, he considers himself retired.”

Dourif has voiced the possessed doll since 1988 (minus the 2019 reboot). The original movie “Child’s Play” has become such a cult classic it’s at the top of some people’s best chillers of all time. Chucky himself is ingrained in pop culture history much like Frankenstein or Jason Voorhees.

While Dourif may be known for his famous voiceover, he is also an Oscar-nominated actor for his part in One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest. Another famous horror role is The Gemini Killer in William Peter Blatty’s Exorcist III. And who can forget Betazoid Lon Suder in Star Trek: Voyager?

The good news is that Don Mancini is already pitching a concept for season four of Chucky which might also include a feature-length movie with a series tie-in. So, Although Dourif says he is retiring from the industry, ironically he is Chucky’s friend till the end.

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Editorial

7 Great ‘Scream’ Fan Films & Shorts Worth a Watch

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The Scream franchise is such an iconic series, that many budding filmmakers take inspiration from it and make their own sequels or, at least, build upon the original universe created by screenwriter Kevin Williamson. YouTube is the perfect medium to showcase these talents (and budgets) with fan-made homages with their own personal twists.

The great thing about Ghostface is that he can appear anywhere, in any town, he just needs the signature mask, knife, and unhinged motive. Thanks to Fair Use laws it’s possible to expand upon Wes Craven’s creation by simply getting a group of young adults together and killing them off one by one. Oh, and don’t forget the twist. You’ll notice that Roger Jackson’s famous Ghostface voice is uncanny valley, but you get the gist.

We have gathered five fan films/shorts related to Scream that we thought were pretty good. Although they can’t possibly match the beats of a $33 million blockbuster, they get by on what they have. But who needs money? If you’re talented and motivated anything is possible as proven by these filmmakers who are well on their way to the big leagues.

Take a look at the below films and let us know what you think. And while you’re at it, leave these young filmmakers a thumbs up, or leave them a comment to encourage them to create more films. Besides, where else are you going to see Ghostface vs. a Katana all set to a hip-hop soundtrack?

Scream Live (2023)

Scream Live

Ghostface (2021)

Ghostface

Ghost Face (2023)

Ghost Face

Don’t Scream (2022)

Don’t Scream

Scream: A Fan Film (2023)

Scream: A Fan Film

The Scream (2023)

The Scream

A Scream Fan Film (2023)

A Scream Fan Film
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Movies

Another Creepy Spider Movie Hits Shudder This Month

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Good spider films are a theme this year. First, we had Sting and then there was Infested. The former is still in theaters and the latter is coming to Shudder starting April 26.

Infested has been getting some good reviews. People are saying that it’s not only a great creature feature but also a social commentary on racism in France.

According to IMDb: Writer/director Sébastien Vanicek was looking for ideas around the discrimination faced by black and Arab-looking people in France, and that led him to spiders, which are rarely welcome in homes; whenever they’re spotted, they’re swatted. As everyone in the story (people and spiders) is treated like vermin by society, the title came to him naturally.

Shudder has become the gold standard for streaming horror content. Since 2016, the service has been offering fans an expansive library of genre movies. in 2017, they began to stream exclusive content.

Since then Shudder has become a powerhouse in the film festival circuit, buying distribution rights to movies, or just producing some of their own. Just like Netflix, they give a film a short theatrical run before adding it to their library exclusively for subscribers.

Late Night With the Devil is a great example. It was released theatrically on March 22 and will begin streaming on the platform starting April 19.

While not getting the same buzz as Late Night, Infested is a festival favorite and many have said if you suffer from arachnophobia, you might want to take heed before watching it.

Infested

According to the synopsis, our main character, Kalib is turning 30 and dealing with some family issues. “He’s fighting with his sister over an inheritance and has cut ties with his best friend. Fascinated by exotic animals, he finds a venomous spider in a shop and brings it back to his apartment. It only takes a moment for the spider to escape and reproduce, turning the whole building into a dreadful web trap. The only option for Kaleb and his friends is to find a way out and survive.”

The film will be available to watch on Shudder starting April 26.

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