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Now on Netflix: THE DEVIL’S CANDY (2017)

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As a fan of both extreme music and horror movies, I’ve been waiting for a film that really captures the essence of both elements. And yes, you could say that it’s already been done with Deathgasm, but that was an extremely silly slice of ass-kicking gore. Which is not to take anything away from Ol’ ‘Gasm; it’s one of my favorite modern horror-comedies. The key hyphenated word here being “horror-comedy.” And you could also throw a list of great early 2000’s slasher flicks that were chock full of nu metal at me, but the heavy metal in those films wasn’t integral to them. In The Devil’s Candy, I’ve finally got what I’ve been lusting over for so many years: a truly scary horror movie with heavy metal in it that’s not just there for comedic effect.

Sean Byrne’s film focuses around Jesse Hellman (Ethan Embry) and his family, consisting of a loving wife and daughter, as they purchase a new home in the countryside. Jesse is a complex yet highly likable character. He’s a metal head, obsessed with the music and the lifestyle, but he’s also a kind and loving family man. He’s a painter who is forced to paint pretty pictures to support his family when he’d quite obviously be better suited to do album covers, but hey, you’ve got to pay the bills somehow.

Collider

Yet once the Hellmans move into their new house, conveniently low-priced because of a double murder, his paintings because more and more disturbing. It’s as if something horrible and malevolent is inside of him, clawing its way out of Jesse and onto the canvas. And then there’s also the problem of Ray Smilie (Pruitt Taylor Vince), a former inhabitant of the house, who suffered from hearing voices in his head which led him to kill…and he wants back in.

The Devil’s Candy is a stylistic treat in every sense. The sound design is nothing short of phenomenal, and the heavy metal soundtrack doesn’t feel out of place or over the top in any way. One of the greatest movie watching experiences of my entire life may have been hearing the main riff in Pantera’s By Demons Be Driven unexpectedly repeated over and over in a scene that did not include murder. In fact, the heavy music never seems to be accompanying death or destruction in the physical sense. Instead, it is present more often while Jesse brings his demons to life through his paintings. Add one point for avoiding a common horror cliche, and add a whole list of other points for making the characters appear human; Embry’s character work in this film is so on point that I don’t think I’ll ever be able to watch him in another film and not picture his long hair, beard, and Sunn O))) t-shirt (which was yet another incredible surprise; did I mention they contributed to the soundtrack here?).

IMDb

Character study is one thing, but this is a horror movie, so you’re probably asking whether or not The Devil’s Candy delivered on the scare front. To that, I can confidently say that it does. Ray Smilie is a horrific and deranged human being, and the tension whenever he is shown onscreen is overwhelming. The Devil’s Candy did an excellent job at making me feel uncomfortable – it’s a film that works by making you really appreciate the characters and subsequently fear for their lives. Working with a small, amiable cast made it very hard to see any of them in any sort of danger.

And although I’ve said that this film uses heavy metal unironically, it’d be impossible to do that without a little bit of one’s tongue in their cheek. Thankfully, Sean Byrne is very self-aware, and he never takes the music too seriously to the point that it becomes silly. The Devil’s Candy is a well-made slice of scary drama that should be seen by every horror fan.

The Devil’s Candy, written and directed by Sean Byrne, is now streaming on Netflix in the US. Watch it tonight!

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Brad Dourif Says He’s Retiring Except For One Important Role

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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

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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)

Scream Live

Ghostface (2021)

Ghostface

Ghost Face (2023)

Ghost Face

Don’t Scream (2022)

Don’t Scream

Scream: A Fan Film (2023)

Scream: A Fan Film

The Scream (2023)

The Scream

A Scream Fan Film (2023)

A Scream Fan Film
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Movies

Another Creepy Spider Movie Hits Shudder This Month

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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.

Infested

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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