News
Puzzle Boxes and Card Games: How Clive Barker’s ‘Hellraiser’ Inspired The ‘Yu-Gi-Oh!’ Anime/Manga
It’s always fascinating to see how horror from one culture can affect and influence another. America had a large fascination with J-Horror for a good chunk of the mid-2000s, producing remakes of staples such as The Ring and The Grudge. On the other side, while there haven’t been any outright remakes of American properties in Japan, the influences can be seen far and wide. But who would expect that the most prominent work of Clive Barker would inspire in part an anime and manga series about games, Yu-Gi-Oh! by Kazuki Takahashi.
Image via Wikipedia.com
The premise of Yu-Gi-Oh! followed young Yugi Mutou, a reserved high schooler with a love of puzzles and the most ridiculous hairstyle outside of a Final Fantasy character. He receives an ancient Egyptian artifact from his grandfather called ‘The Millenium Puzzle.’ Naturally, he solves it, only to unlock a dark, magical spirit that possesses him called ‘Yami Yugi’ or Dark Yugi. Whenever Dark Yugi assumes control, he subjects a usually deserving bully, criminal, or foe to a Shadow Game, with the loser’s very soul and mind subjected to a hellish ‘penalty game.’
Images via Amazon.com
For example, in the first chapter, Yugi and his friends are beaten up and mugged by a bully. Dark Yugi challenges him to a game that involves stabbing through held stacks of cash just enough without cutting themselves. When he loses, Dark Yugi drives him insane, forcing the bully to imagine everything around him as money. In another, an escaped convict holds Yugi and his friends hostage at a restaurant where Dark Yugi challenges him to a game involving lit cigarettes and cups of vodka, leading to him being lit on fire. Dark Yugi makes a rich, arrogant gamer named Seto Kaiba imagine he’s being attacked by his own monster cards. Needless to say, quite a lot for a series marketed more toward kids.
Image via yugioh.wiki
The influences are pretty easy to see with the dark, magical puzzle box. Though, themed on puzzles and punishment rather than brutal pleasures/pains of the flesh. Dark Yugi having some traits in common with Pinhead, outside of spiky hair rather than a spiky head. Both being supernatural sticklers for rules and order. And horrifically punishing those to try and cheat, be it contracts or puzzle games. With much of the original Yu-Gi-Oh! plotline featuring Dark Yugi doling out some brutal punishments upon the wicked and those seeking wicked goals via these life or death games. Even some of the cards seem to have a bit of a ‘Barker’ style design, such as the Cenobite-lite like Jinzo card below.
Image via yugioh.wiki
Takahashi even admitting in the 36th volume of the manga that the series was intended to rest in the horror genre, but as time went on, the series realigned toward the games (specifically the real life card game) and adventure rather than the horror, shifting the focus considerably. Dark Yugi revealed to be the spirit of an ancient pharaoh, and the more macabre elements toned down. So, while the original horrors of the plot dissipated, it made enough of an impression to give what is a substantially successful franchise its start. And while many would choose The Lament Configuration over The Millenium Puzzle, it would be interesting to see Pinhead try the pleasures of a tabletop game.
Feature Image via youtube.com
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Movies
Trailer for ‘The Exorcism’ Has Russell Crowe Possessed
The latest exorcism movie is about to drop this summer. It’s aptly titled The Exorcism and it stars Academy Award winner turned B-movie savant Russell Crowe. The trailer dropped today and by the looks of it, we are getting a possession movie that takes place on a movie set.
Just like this year’s recent demon-in-media-space film Late Night With the Devil, The Exorcism happens during a production. Although the former takes place on a live network talk show, the latter is on an active sound stage. Hopefully, it won’t be entirely serious and we’ll get some meta chuckles out of it.
The film will open in theaters on June 7, but since Shudder also acquired it, it probably won’t be long after that until it finds a home on the streaming service.
Crowe plays, “Anthony Miller, a troubled actor who begins to unravel while shooting a supernatural horror film. His estranged daughter, Lee (Ryan Simpkins), wonders if he’s slipping back into his past addictions or if there’s something more sinister at play. The film also stars Sam Worthington, Chloe Bailey, Adam Goldberg and David Hyde Pierce.”
Crowe did see some success in last year’s The Pope’s Exorcist mostly because his character was so over-the-top and infused with such comical hubris it bordered on parody. We will see if that is the route actor-turned-director Joshua John Miller takes with The Exorcism.
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News
Win a Stay at The Lizzie Borden House From Spirit Halloween
Spirit Halloween has declared that this week marks the start of spooky season and to celebrate they are offering fans a chance to stay at the Lizzie Borden House with so many perks Lizzie herself would approve.
The Lizzie Borden House in Fall River, MA is claimed to be one of the most haunted houses in America. Of course one lucky winner and up to 12 of their friends will find out if the rumors are true if they win the grand prize: A private stay in the notorious house.
“We are delighted to work with Spirit Halloween to roll out the red carpet and offer the public a chance to win a one-of-a-kind experience at the infamous Lizzie Borden House, which also includes additional haunted experiences and merchandise,” said Lance Zaal, President & Founder of US Ghost Adventures.
Fans can enter to win by following Spirit Halloween‘s Instagram and leaving a comment on the contest post from now through April 28.
The prize also includes:
An exclusive guided house tour, including insider insight around the murder, the trial, and commonly reported hauntings
A late-night ghost tour, complete with professional ghost-hunting gear
A private breakfast in the Borden family dining room
A ghost hunting starter kit with two pieces of Ghost Daddy Ghost Hunting Gear and a lesson for two at US Ghost Adventures Ghost Hunting Course
The ultimate Lizzie Borden gift package, featuring an official hatchet, the Lizzie Borden board game, Lily the Haunted Doll, and America’s Most Haunted Volume II
Winner’s choice of a Ghost Tour experience in Salem or a True Crime experience in Boston for two
“Our Halfway to Halloween celebration provides fans an exhilarating taste of what’s to come this fall and empowers them to start planning for their favorite season as early as they please,” said Steven Silverstein, CEO of Spirit Halloween. “We have cultivated an incredible following of enthusiasts who embody the Halloween lifestyle, and we’re thrilled to bring the fun back to life.”
Spirit Halloween is also preparing for their retail haunted houses. On Thursday, August 1 their flagship store in Egg Harbor Township, NJ. will officially open to start off the season. That event usually draws in hordes of people eager to see what new merch, animatronics, and exclusive IP goods will be trending this year.
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Movies
’28 Years Later’ Trilogy Taking Shape With Serious Star Power
Danny Boyle is revisiting his 28 Days Later universe with three new films. He will direct the first, 28 Years Later, with two more to follow. Deadline is reporting that sources say Jodie Comer, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, and Ralph Fiennes have been cast for the first entry, a sequel to the original. Details are being kept under wraps so we don’t know how or if the first original sequel 28 Weeks Later fits into the project.
Boyle will direct the first movie but it’s unclear which role he will take on in the subsequent films. What is known is Candyman (2021) director Nia DaCosta is scheduled to direct the second film in this trilogy and that the third will be filmed immediately afterward. Whether DaCosta will direct both is still unclear.
Alex Garland is writing the scripts. Garland is having a successful time at the box office right now. He wrote and directed the current action/thriller Civil War which was just knocked out of the theatrical top spot by Radio Silence’s Abigail.
There is no word yet on when, or where, 28 Years Later will start production.
The original film followed Jim (Cillian Murphy) who wakes from a coma to find that London is currently dealing with a zombie outbreak.
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