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Queer Eye on Horror: MTV’s Teen Wolf and Why It’s Great for LGBTQ Audiences

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Life is strange in Beacon Hills, California.  The woods around the town are filled with werewolves.  The history teacher’s wife and daughter are both kitsune, Japanese fox beings with various mystical powers.  A banshee roams the halls of the school disguised as the pretty girl who’s too smart for her own good and has a knack for knowing when someone is going to die.  The local veterinarian is a former Druid emissary to a family of hunters who have been around since a monstrous beast tormented the gentry of Gevaudan, France in the 18th century.

It’s a wild place to find yourself, but there is one thing that really sets this town apart from any other we have ever really seen on TV, and it’s almost completely unheard of in horror.  In the town of Beacon Hills, California, being gay is totally normal.  I don’t mean it’s just accepted.  I mean it’s considered as normal as going down the street to get a gallon of milk from the grocery store.  Welcome to the world of MTV’s “Teen Wolf”.

Case in point, Danny Mehealani, played by Keahu Kahanui, is a key player on the school’s lacrosse team.  Danny also happens to be gay.  When Stiles, head wolf Scott McCall’s best friend, is worried that people don’t find him attractive, who does he ask?  Danny.  When Scott needs to get into the school dance he’s been denied access to, who does he get to help him?  Danny.  But the best thing about Danny is he is in no way a stereotypical gay teen like we’ve seen in other shows.  Danny is smart, articulate, and masculine.  He’s the face and let’s face it, the body we’ve been waiting to see as a representation of our community.  Now don’t get me wrong, I love the stereotype as much as the next guy, but it’s good to see characters who don’t fit the standard mold from central casting that we normally get.

 

Danny

 

Later on in the series, a pair of twin alpha wolves, Ethan and Aiden, come on board.  They are vicious, brutal killers who infiltrate the school as students intent, initially on getting Scott to join their alpha pack.  Ethan also happens to be gay, and he is immediately drawn to Danny’s character.  While they continue on their mission, we get to see Danny and Ethan develop a relationship that is sweet and gentle.  Ethan, in turn, becomes a real person to the audience.  It was a great bit of duality that played out throughout the season and I really wish Ethan, played by Charlie Carver, could have stayed on longer.

 

Ethan_surpris

 

Aside from the gay positive characters and treatment of gay characters on the show, when you’re making a show about accepting that you’re different from everyone else and that you have a secret that you slowly share with your friends and family taking the chance that they might not accept this part of you, it’s hard not to read the entire show as an allegory for being gay and coming out of the closet. Everyone in our community knows that fear of rejection.  Everyone in our community knows what it’s like to, at some point, fight the against that part of yourself.

In Teen Wolf, you can fight it.  You can wish it would go away, but ultimately, accepting that part of yourself is empowering.  It gives you strength you never dreamed possible.  It does not make your life perfect, but it does help you live the truest life you can lead.  And that, viewers, is the best lesson we can give LGBTQ youth in our country today.  In our society, there are “hunters” out there who want us out of the picture.  There are others in the community who lash out against you because they don’t like they way you carry yourself.  And through it all, we continue to not only survive but thrive in the world around us, and keep our fingers crossed that society at large will catch up with Beacon Hills, CA very, very soon.

 

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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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