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Nightmares Film Festival Panel Tackles Social Progress Through Horror

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I love a good festival panel.  Seriously, getting a group of filmmakers, actors, etc. together to discuss film is just the kind of thing my inner film geek loves.  Naturally, I was excited when I read that Nightmares Film Festival, for its second year in existence, had added a couple of panel discussions to their schedule.  I was even more excited when I read that one of those panels would focus on the idea of social progress through horror.

For most, social progress and the horror genre could not be more odd bedfellows, but there are those of us who have been discussing the topic for years so I couldn’t wait to hear what the talented panelists had to say on the topic.

Jason Tostevin, co-founder of Nightmares Film Festival, moderated the panel which consisted of Venita Ozols-Graham, Michael Escobedo, Sam Kolesnik, Rakefet Abergel, Lukas Hassel, James Christopher, and Omari Matlock, and he began by stating the panel’s agreed upon definition of social progress:  Equality in thinking, behavior, and opportunity.

With that, the filmmakers began to weigh in on how they see the genre embracing this idea.  (You can view the panel in its entirety at the bottom of this article! Video by VideoBusinessMedia)

“When we talked about doing this panel, it actually made me do some thinking because usually when you think about horror movies, you think about entertainment,” Ozols-Graham began.  “So I did a little research, looked a lot of the horror movies through the years that have affected me personally, and it is actually stunning.  Things like Get Out, socially relevant issues and racism, Rosemary’s Baby feminism, It Follows a metaphor for HIV, Night of the Living Dead racism, The Babadook mental health, Candyman racism, They Live consumerism, and Teeth feminism and rape culture.  The list goes on and on and on and I realized we’re so incredibly influenced by ‘horror movies’.”

From there, the discussion turned to the idea of the empowered, triumphant final girl vs. the gratuitous amount of female nudity in the genre.  One side of the coin looks like the very ideal example of feminism while the other seems indicative of entrenchment in exploitation.  As the panelists weighed in, they got to what is an essential core issue on the topic.

“I think you can make that (nudity) progressive,” Kolesnik pointed out.  “I don’t think that nudity or sex is the problem.  I think it’s the paintbrush, like the way it’s actually painted and the way that American culture receives that and the messages that they paint onto it.”

Kolesnik further stunned the audience when Tostevin, playing Devil’s advocate, pressed her as to why she thought adding naked breasts to a film for no reason other than the audience expects it was socially regressive.

“I don’t know,” she replied.  “have you ever heard anyone say, ‘We need more cock in this film’?”

It’s a valid point and one that was revisited several times throughout the panel.  Why is it that breasts are okay and titillating in a horror movie but a penis brings nothing but nervous laughter and a sense of discomfort?

There is no good answer there.  Lukas Hassel had pointed out earlier in the discussion, “I’m an actor.  I have no problem with being nude but there has to be a reason for my junk to be out there.”

“I think sometimes having boobs in the movie becomes the story as opposed to something to accent the story,” James Christopher added.

As the discussion turned to target demographics, an interesting question was posed by Sam Kolesnik that really stunned the audience.  I’m not sure what it says about us that we might never have considered it in these terms before, but with female nudity versus a target demographic of straight white males 18-25 we have a classic chicken and the egg situation.

Do we include female nudity because of our target audience or did our target audience become fans because of the female nudity?

In addressing the issue, the panelists also began to discuss the obstacle of confronting a system designed to make money that keeps churning out the same things over and over because they’ve made money before which causes, really, an endless loop.

“I think that’s a problem in filmmaking in general,” Rakefet Abergel interjected.  “I work in L.A. in all aspects of film production, and almost all of the time it’s about the money.  Is this going to make money?  Am I going to be able to distribute this?  Am I going to be able to sell this?  Are people going to want to watch it?  And it’s unfortunate because it’s an artform that’s turned into a business.  And that’s why we end up shitty movies!”

At this point, one might be wondering if the entirety of the discussion revolved around nudity, but there was so much more to come from this panel.

“Being a young, black man,” Omari Matlock explained, “I think I deal with issues that are not visited in horror at all.  You know when I watch horror films half the time, I’m like ‘We wouldn’t do that’.  So me, getting started everyone was like ‘Oh you’re going to do a gangster film”, and it was kind of offensive to me because my thought was ‘Is that all you think I am?’ so I decided to stay with horror.  Even when i go to a black film festival, we’re the only ones there with a horror film.”

As the panel ultimately concluded, I sat back for a while and thought about the topics that had been raised as I read through the schedule of films when it suddenly occurred to me that not only had the Nightmares Film Festival crew brought this amazing panel together, but they had put practice behind their words in the programming of their festival.  Here were films made by racially diverse filmmakers, films from straight and queer perspectives, films by women who turned the tropes expected of their gender on their heads, films that exposed mental illness for the true horrors that accompany them.

In fact, though not all of the films included were socially progressive in and of themselves, the entire weekend of programming ultimately was.  You can view the full panel below, and be sure to follow Nightmares Film Festival on Facebook for all the latest news about next year’s exciting festival!

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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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