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Getting into Character with Tristan McKinnon in “Alfred J. Hemlock”

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An actor’s process for creating a character is fascinating, unique to themselves and molded by personal experience.  Good actors create a character that elicits an emotional response to a story.  Great actors disappear completely into their character.  We love them; we hate them, but more importantly they become real to us.  When I sat down to chat with Tristan McKinnon from the short film “Alfred J. Hemlock” that will soon be making the festival circuit, I had an idea of who I was about to meet, but I could not have been more wrong and that doesn’t bother me one bit.

It was 8:00 pm on a Saturday night here in Texas, but the sun was shining brightly in Australia when our call connected on Skype.  There sat Tristan McKinnon in a beautifully decorated sitting room.  His brother and sister were in the background smiling and waving and he introduced me to them, explaining that his family had leased the residence together to spend some quality time.

Now, I have to admit I was taken aback.  McKinnon is quite simply, a charming young man with an easy, infectious laugh and leading man good looks.  He is full of life and radiates an almost kinetic energy as he talks about his latest project.  In short, he’s everything his character was not and it was only then that I realized just how great this young actor was.

After a few minutes of chatting and getting to know one another a bit, we got down to the business of talking about his alter ego Alfred, and how he came to create this fiendish creature who feeds on the souls of the lost and lonely.

It all started with a Facebook message.  McKinnon saw that Edward Lyons was working on a different film and sent him a congratulatory message.  A short while later, Lyons replied thanking him but also telling him that he had another film that he was working on and he thought McKinnon would be perfect for the lead.  It wasn’t long before the actor had a script and was diving deep to find out just who Alfred J. Hemlock was.

The actor was immediately struck by the fact that there was an actual story to tell without a lot of extraneous action, and he was over the moon about it.

“It was probably the first short film I’ve done where it was mainly a dialogue driven piece,” he explained.  “It was all set in an alleyway.  It was two characters telling a story.  Coming from a theater background and being a theater actor that was really great to me.  And here’s Hemlock and I get to really explore who he is and why and how he came to be this spirit or demon that he is.”

“Alfred J. Hemlock” does indeed take place in one alleyway late one night.  Emily (Renaye Loryman) is abandoned by her boyfriend, Guy (Christian Charisiou), after he accuses her of flirting with other men at a party.  As broken hearted Emily makes her way down an alley, she meets the villainous Alfred J. Hemlock, a creature intent on taking young Emily’s soul.

Lyons gave Alfred completely over to McKinnon, allowing him to explore the fiend’s personality, search for his voice, and ultimately bring him to devilish life.  It wasn’t until he was in costuming and make-up, however, that he realized what he had created.

“I remember walking out and saying, ‘I think I found the love child of Beetlejuice and Captain Jack Sparrow,'” McKinnon laughed.  “I wasn’t trying to go for that, but I think it just came out.  I think my personality is a bit like Jack Sparrow to begin with and it kind of bled into the work.

There were still elements to be added, however, and many of them fell into place through a run of bad luck.

Still pulled from Alfred J. Hemlock

They were booked for a late night weekend shoot.  Two days were needed to film the short and that first weekend, nature stepped in and rained them out.  Not to be deterred, Lyons booked a second weekend.  They had to bring in a different director of photography as the first had to be on a commercial shoot.  Nature was on their side this time but due to a mechanical error, every single shot was underexposed and too dark to be used.  It was now a matter of principle for Lyons and the cast and crew.  A third weekend shoot was booked, the cast came in and a third DoP was brought in.  Nature and mechanics complied this time and the entire shooting schedule went off without a single hitch.

As frustrating as it all was, McKinnon points out that it allowed him even more time to develop a closer relationship to Alfred and the way he manifested.  It also allowed Lyons to bring even more mania to the section of the film in which Alfred torments and tortures Emily in an attempt to break her.

“There’s this part of the film where I think Ed decided to go wild style.  He threw in homages to Kubrick and Saw and it was all very spontaneous.  It was kind of great this sort of montage of Emily’s torment.  He found this tricycle for me to ride and it worked so well with Hemlock’s personality.  And it’s kind of out there, but it also points back to these films that we all know and love.”

McKinnon lamented the end of shooting and says he’d return to this character again if given the chance.

“It’s funny,” he says, “but you almost want him to win, even though he’s a really bad guy.  It would be fantastic to reach into his history and find out more about him.  Was he cursed?  Is he a demon?  Does he answer to someone else?  In my mind, he might be a demon who fell when Satan had his battle with heaven.  He’s removed from it.  And so he hungers for the light that he is barred from, and he hates that light as much as he hungers for it.  So he seeks it out in the only way he can.  He finds these people whose souls burn brightly and takes it from them.  The problem is it’s never enough.  There’s a lot to explore there.”

I’m with you on that, Tristan.  And with luck, just maybe we’ll see more of Alfred J. Hemlock in the future.

For more information about the film and to keep up to date on festival appearances, you can follow them on Facebook, their website, and on Twitter and Instagram at @AlfredJHemlock.  Currently, it’s slated to make its debut at the Academy Award qualifying Bermuda International Film Festival in May of 2017.

ALFRED J HEMLOCK – TRAILER from Edward Lyons on Vimeo.

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New Poster Reveal For Nicolas Cage’s Survival Creature Feature ‘Arcadian’ [Trailer]

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Nicolas Cage Arcadian

In the latest cinematic venture featuring Nicolas Cage, Arcadian emerges as a compelling creature feature, teeming with suspense, horror, and emotional depth. RLJE Films has recently released a series of new images and a captivating poster, offering audiences a glimpse into the eerie and thrilling world of “Arcadian”. Scheduled to hit theaters on April 12, 2024, the film will later be available on Shudder and AMC+, ensuring a wide audience can experience its gripping narrative.

Arcadian Movie Trailer

The Motion Picture Association (MPA) has given this film an “R” rating for its “bloody images,” hinting at the visceral and intense experience awaiting viewers. The film draws inspiration from acclaimed horror benchmarks like “A Quiet Place,” weaving a post-apocalyptic tale of a father and his two sons navigating a desolate world. Following a catastrophic event that depopulates the planet, the family faces the dual challenge of surviving their dystopian environment and eluding mysterious nocturnal creatures.

Joining Nicolas Cage in this harrowing journey are Jaeden Martell, known for his role in “IT” (2017), Maxwell Jenkins from “Lost in Space,” and Sadie Soverall, featured in “Fate: The Winx Saga.” Directed by Ben Brewer (“The Trust”) and penned by Mike Nilon (“Braven”), “Arcadian” promises a unique blend of poignant storytelling and electrifying survival horror.

Maxwell Jenkins, Nicolas Cage, and Jaeden Martell 

Critics have already begun to praise “Arcadian” for its imaginative monster designs and exhilarating action sequences, with one review from Bloody Disgusting highlighting the film’s balance between emotional coming-of-age elements and heart-pounding horror. Despite sharing thematic elements with similar genre films, “Arcadian” sets itself apart through its creative approach and action-driven plot, promising a cinematic experience filled with mystery, suspense, and relentless thrills.

Arcadian Official Movie Poster

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‘Winnie the Pooh: Blood and Honey 3’ Is a Go with Enhanced Budget and New Characters

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Winnie the Pooh 3

Wow, they’re churning things out fast! The upcoming sequel “Winnie the Pooh: Blood and Honey 3” is officially moving forward, promising an expanded narrative with a larger budget and the introduction of beloved characters from A.A. Milne’s original tales. As confirmed by Variety, the third installment in the horror franchise will welcome Rabbit, the heffalumps, and the woozles into its dark and twisted narrative.

This sequel is a part of an ambitious cinematic universe that reimagines children’s stories as horror tales. Alongside “Winnie the Pooh: Blood and Honey” and its first sequel, the universe includes films such as “Peter Pan’s Neverland Nightmare”, “Bambi: The Reckoning,” and “Pinocchio Unstrung”. These movies are set to converge in the crossover event “Poohniverse: Monsters Assemble,” slated for a 2025 release.

Winnie the Pooh Poohniverse

The creation of these films was made possible when A.A. Milne’s 1926 children’s book “Winnie-the-Pooh” entered the public domain last year, allowing filmmakers to explore these cherished characters in unprecedented ways. Director Rhys Frake-Waterfield and producer Scott Jeffrey Chambers, of Jagged Edge Productions, have led the charge in this innovative endeavor.

The inclusion of Rabbit, heffalumps, and woozles in the upcoming sequel introduces a new layer to the franchise. In Milne’s original stories, heffalumps are imagined creatures resembling elephants, while woozles are known for their weasel-like characteristics and a penchant for stealing honey. Their roles in the narrative remain to be seen, but their addition promises to enrich the horror universe with deeper connections to the source material.

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How to Watch ‘Late Night with the Devil’ from Home: Dates and Platforms

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Late Night With The Devil

For fans eager to dive into one of this year’s most talked-about horror films from the comfort of their own home, “Late Night with the Devil” will be available for streaming exclusively on Shudder starting April 19, 2024. This announcement has been highly anticipated following the film’s successful theatrical release by IFC Films, which saw it earning rave reviews and a record-breaking opening weekend for the distributor.

“Late Night with the Devil” emerges as a standout horror film, captivating audiences and critics alike, with Stephen King himself offering high praise for the 1977-set film. Starring David Dastmalchian, the movie unfolds on Halloween night during a live late-night talk show broadcast that disastrously unleashes evil across the nation. This found footage-style film not only delivers scares but also authentically captures the aesthetic of the 1970s, drawing viewers into its nightmarish scenario.

David Dastmalchian in Late Night with the Devil

The film’s initial box office success, opening to $2.8 million in 1,034 theaters, underscores its wide appeal and marks the highest opening weekend for an IFC Films release. Critically acclaimed, “Late Night with the Devil” boasts a 96% positive rating on Rotten Tomatoes from 135 reviews, with the consensus praising it for rejuvenating the possession horror genre and showcasing David Dastmalchian’s exceptional performance.

Rotten Tomatoes score as of 3/28/2024

Simon Rother of iHorror.com encapsulates the film’s allure, emphasizing its immersive quality that transports viewers back to the 1970s, making them feel as if they are part of the eerie “Night Owls” Halloween broadcast. Rother lauds the film for its meticulously crafted script and the emotional and shocking journey it takes viewers on, stating, “This whole experience will have viewers of the Cairnes brothers’ film glued to their screen… The script, from beginning to end, is neatly sewn together with an ending that’ll have jaws on the floor.” You can read the full review here.

Rother further encourages audiences to watch the film, highlighting its multifaceted appeal: “Whenever it is made available to you, you must attempt to view the Cairnes Brothers’ latest project as it will make you laugh, it will creep you out, it will amaze you, and it might even strike an emotional cord.”

Set to stream on Shudder on April 19, 2024, “Late Night with the Devil” offers a compelling blend of horror, history, and heart. This film is not just a must-watch for horror aficionados but for anyone looking to be thoroughly entertained and moved by a cinematic experience that redefines the boundaries of its genre.

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