News
Horror TV Shows That Need To Make A Comeback!
Horror TV is now more popular than ever, and I for one could not be more thrilled to see the genre get so much love from basic cable networks. The huge success of AMC’s The Walking Dead set off a chain reaction and one after another, we began to see more horror syndicated television such as Hannibal (still hoping for this show to get picked up somewhere), Z Nation and Fear The Walking Dead which is premiering this weekend! However, once upon a time it was an even bigger monster than it is today. The eighties and early nineties sparked a huge surge in horror TV and our eyes beheld the glory of terror on television. As far as I’m concerned for us horror fans, that truly was the golden age of TV and well, I want it back. As with all trends, things must go away and it’s a shame that these gems did as well. The fact that we’re getting Twin Peaks, The X-Files and (hopefully) a GOOD TV series of Friday The 13th is a grand start. Regardless, I’m here to scream that these national treasures should; NO, NEED to make a triumphant return to the silver screen! Join me as I hash though some of the best of must see horror TV and maybe, if the right person is reading this, “Cough cough HBO and John Kassir“, my pathetic attempt may strike a chord in your hearts to give us a Cryptkeeper cackle one last time.
Tales From The Darkside
The horror anthology series that ran from 1983 to 1988 was a force to be reckoned with. Dealing with everything from the supernatural to the downright creepy. I always thought of Tales From The Darkside to be almost like a sister show to the Twilight Zone as it deals with similar tales and opens up with a narrator in the opening credits of each program. There were plans to reboot the program on the CW, but shit happens and plans fell through. The creators are hoping the series gets picked up by another station and MAYBE we can hear this beautiful monologue once more: The darkside is always there, waiting for us to enter – waiting to enter us. Until next time, try to enjoy the daylight.
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Are You Afraid Of The Dark?
Ahh. Sweet, sweet childhood nostalgia. That first magic dust throw into the campfire of The Midnight Society had me hooked. Syndication started on Nickelodeon in 1991 until 1996 and a failed reboot later in 1999. The weekly tales had the right amount of spook and surprise endings to keep me coming back wanting more. I often think a reunion of the original Midnight Society and at least ONE season of this, would give me some satisfaction. Oh, and another episode with Zeebo. Love that creepy bastard clown.
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Freddy’s Nightmares
Ok, so maybe it wasn’t the greatest of all these listed. But hey, it had its moments. Grant it, they were mostly WTF moments, but great nonetheless. Of course, we had the ever so nightmarish Robert Englund hosting in the full Freddy get up so that’s an added bonus. The very first episode is actually quite brilliant and a great little precursor to the original Nightmare On Elm Street giving Freddy’s back story and his time in court. Yeah ok, so we ALL KNOW how Englund has said he can’t be Freddy again due to his age, however, if he’s just standing around hosting a TV show; I don’t see an issue here! With some talented writers on board and Robert donning the makeup, this could be a massive hit. Hell, I’d watch.
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Masters Of Horror
In case you aren’t familiar, Masters Of Horror is an anthology series that ran for 2 seasons on the Showtime network in 2005- Currently streaming on Hulu for anyone interested. Each episode had a different badass director, hence the name Masters Of Horror, with legendary names such as John Carpenter, Tom Holland, and Tobe Hooper. This series ended way too quickly for my liking and I would love to see this get another shot for a network run.
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The Outer Limits
The Outer Limits started way back in 1963 and was then revived successfully in 1995. So why not again?! The hour-long sci-fi program dealt with the paranormal, time travel, and murder for just a few examples. It explores just how far people will go when put in unusual circumstances. The show showcases some serious brains with storytelling paired with history lessons and it is phenomenally well done. If they can come back around a third time, one can only imagine with what they would put on the table for us again!
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The Twilight Zone
There is a fifth dimension beyond that which is known to man. It is a dimension as vast as space and as timeless as infinity. It is the middle ground between light and shadow, between science and superstition, and it lies between the pit of man’s fears and the summit of his knowledge. This is the dimension of imagination. It is an area which we call the Twilight Zone.
What can I possibly say that hasn’t already been said about the epic nature of The Twilight Zone? It’s already been revived twice from the original series that started in 1959 and I say we need more! This anthology can go on forever as far as I’m concerned and I don’t think anyone could tire from it. Just about every entry from this show is pure gold with its exploration of the human condition and how people react to the unknown. Let’s get one more reboot and let it run for eternity please.
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Tales From The Crypt
The glory days of the Cryptkeeper seem so far behind us. From the kid friendly Saturday morning cartoon to the late night HBO viewings, Tales From The Crypt was an era of pure delight in pushing the boundaries with sex and violence in just under 30 minutes. Some of the best episodes have stuck with me still to this day for a list of what I think 10 of the best click here– and find myself running marathons quite frequently. Though I don’t tire of them, I would love to see that maniacal puppet make a triumphant return to the silver screen once more and give us another dose of the cheesiest horror puns we’ll ever hear.
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Maybe I’m reaching a little too far here, but I would earnestly love to see some of these shows make a return once more. In the meantime, Netflix, Hulu and good ol’ DVD/ Blu-Ray will have to suffice.
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News
Brad Dourif Says He’s Retiring Except For One Important Role
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
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)
Ghostface (2021)
Ghost Face (2023)
Don’t Scream (2022)
Scream: A Fan Film (2023)
The Scream (2023)
A Scream Fan Film (2023)
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Movies
Another Creepy Spider Movie Hits Shudder This Month
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.
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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