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Late to the Party: ‘Spider Baby’ (1967)

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It’s October! That marvelous month of the macabre and mayhem. With a wealth of horror movies to catch up on, I decided to go for something a little retro and that has a lot of retaining influences. With Kelly’s last LTTP post on The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, I thought it would be fun to follow up with another tale of cannibal clans, madness, and backwoods terror; Jack Hill’s Spider Baby or The Maddest Story Ever Told!

And what a story of madness it is.

Image via Wikipedia

The film starts off with a musical cartoon montage about the ‘maddest story ever told’ to set the mood. Then, a man with a book on rare diseases discusses “Merrye Syndrome.” A genetic disorder which causes a degeneration of the inflicted’s physical and mental state, causing them to become childish sociopaths. The last three known Merryes are Ralph, Virginia, and Elizabeth. Ralph is a mute but excitable manchild (played by none other than Sid Haig!). Elizabeth (Beverly Washburn) is the more restrained and bullied sibling. And Virginia (Jill Banner) is a violent womanchild obsessed with bugs and spiders. The titular Spider Baby ‘trapping’ a deliveryman in her web before brutally stabbing him to death. Using a pair of knives as her pincers. The guardian of the trio and the estate is their chauffeur Bruno (Lon Chaney Jr.), a kindly old man who just wants to keep the poor remnants of the Merrye family afloat and sane. But when distantly related Merrye family members arrive to claim the estate, it will turn into the most fearsome family reunion ever!

Watching the film, it’s interesting to see it as the ‘missing link’ of sorts between the ghosts and ghouls of the early 60’s to the more visceral and brutal human killers of the 70’s and onward. Despite being a more grindhouse style film, there’s a lot of heart to these madmen. Bruno sees the trio of siblings as kids, despite their age, size, and homicidal tendencies. He made a vow to watch over the Merrye clan to the family patriarch, and he intends to keep that oath. Ralph, Elizabeth, and Virginia are sympathetic in that their lot is of no fault to their own, but due to a cruel genetic disease. Virginia also keeping a collection of pet tarantulas such as Barney and Winifred.

Image via Youtube

All three stand out in their own ways. Ralph is playful and funny (The scene of Sid Haig having to wear an ill fitting schoolboy suit to dinner is as hysterical as it is weird) but still a giant of a man. Elizabeth and Virginia are like any bickering sisters, though with a proclivity for blades. And unlike most stories of psychopathic families, we get a lot of perspective from the cannibal clan themselves, something not oft done even in modern horror.

While not necessarily a frightening movie, it really sets the mood. The black and white tones making the dark and forbidding Merrye estate all the more suffocating and eerie. With a subdued pace, it can feel almost like a character study at times. Like an exploitation version of Who’s Afraid Of Virginia Woolf. Even doing something most films of its time never did, in becoming meta about the horror genre. In a tense but delightful scene around dinner, the visiting Merryes decide to spend the night at the estate despite Bruno’s warnings against the idea. Peter and Ann joking about the place being haunted and their love of horror movies with vampires and werewolves when Bruno notes that there’s a full moon that night before panning to the deranged trio of siblings.

Image via Youtube

A delightfully deranged tale of 60’s style madness and murder, for anyone interested in digging deeper into the roots of these kinds of horror tropes, Spider Baby is worth a visit to the Merrye family…

Join us next week when James Jay Edwards goes the greatest show to ever visit Earth with Killer Klowns From Outer Space!

Feature Image Courtesy Chris Fischer

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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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