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Remembering ‘House’ On Veterans Day

Published

5 years ago

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As we honor those who have served in the military this weekend, let’s take a moment to remember the ghoul in the steel helmet who had an ax to grind in the 1986 movie House: Big Ben.

SPOILERS AHEAD.

It was 32 years ago that during a bit of a horror drought at the box office we got excited that the original Friday the 13th director Sean S. Cunningham had written a film; a haunted house chiller starring one of the hottest television actors of the time, William Katt.

It was also exciting that Steve Miner, the director of Friday the 13th Pt. 2, was going to helm the film and music composer Henry Manfredini was doing the music.

It was a Friday the 13th reunion!

House pulled a lot of elements from popular horror movies of the time, from Poltergeist to Amityville Horror to pinches of Stephen King (Katt plays horror novelist Roger Cobb), the film was also a comedy much more so than Fright Night which came out a year before.

Katt wasn’t the only television star to appear in the film. George Wendt who played the lovable loser Norm from Cheers is in it. Then there was Richard Moll from Night Court who probably has the most important role as Big Ben, the Vietnam vet who haunts Cobb in his dreams.

The reason House is such a great movie to watch on Veterans Day is mainly because of its military plotline. You see, Cobb isn’t going to write another horror novel much to the dismay of his fans, he’s going to write about his experiences in Vietnam, something that he has yet to resolve.

His aunt dies by hanging herself and leaves him a gorgeous Victorian house. Soon after he moves in he begins to see visions of his missing son who disappeared into thin air a few months before.

He also has PTSD nightmares of Big Ben who’s an integral part of Cobb’s military mémoirs because he felt he had abandoned him in the line of duty.

Ben was mortally wounded and asks Cobb to finish him off but he can’t and subsequently, Ben is captured and tortured.

House isn’t the greatest film; much like its main character, it’s caught between two worlds. It doesn’t know whether to be a flat-out comedy or a serious supernatural tale of a house possessed.

But what makes it fun is the special effects. Thirty years ago CGI was in its infant stages so practical effects were the gold standard and House shined in that area.

Creature effects were created by Brent Baker. The flying skull demon is classic Lovecraft.

It even has an homage to Raimi’s Evil Dead in one scene with a cover of “You’re No Good” which comes out of left field.

Of course, there’s that unforgettable medicine cabinet scene; the gag has been mimicked so many times in later films.

But the centerpiece is Moll’s Big Ben who is the scariest with his full body prosthetic and unsettling visage. This pissed off vet isn’t going down without a fight.

In the years since House opened in theaters, the world has had many more wars to fight both domestically and abroad all with devastating results.

The only criticism of House is its lighthearted nature when dealing with PTSD. But given that there are so many iHorror readers who are also servicemembers both past and present, it’s nice to have a little levity in the genre they love so much.

We honor those who have served in the military and have fought for freedoms. iHorror thanks them for their service.

Even Big Ben.

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Netflix Releases First BTS ‘Fear Street: Prom Queen’ Footage

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8 hours ago

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April 30, 2024

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It’s been three long years since Netflix unleashed the bloody, but enjoyable Fear Street on its platform. Released in a tryptic fashion, the streamer broke up the story into three episodes, each taking place in a different decade which by the finale were all tied together.

Now, the streamer is in production for its sequel Fear Street: Prom Queen which brings the story into the 80s. Netflix gives a synopsis of what to expect from Prom Queen on their blog site Tudum:

“Welcome back to Shadyside. In this next installment of the blood-soaked Fear Street franchise, prom season at Shadyside High is underway and the school’s wolfpack of It Girls is busy with its usual sweet and vicious campaigns for the crown. But when a gutsy outsider is unexpectedly nominated to the court, and the other girls start mysteriously disappearing, the class of ’88 is suddenly in for one hell of a prom night.” 

Based on R.L. Stine’s massive series of Fear Street novels and spin-offs, this chapter is number 15 in the series and was published in 1992.

Fear Street: Prom Queen features a killer ensemble cast, including India Fowler (The Nevers, Insomnia), Suzanna Son (Red Rocket, The Idol), Fina Strazza (Paper Girls, Above the Shadows), David Iacono (The Summer I Turned Pretty, Cinnamon), Ella Rubin (The Idea of You), Chris Klein (Sweet Magnolias, American Pie), Lili Taylor (Outer Range, Manhunt) and Katherine Waterston (The End We Start From, Perry Mason).

No word on when Netflix will drop the series into its catalog.

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Live Action Scooby-Doo Reboot Series In Works at Netflix

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9 hours ago

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April 30, 2024

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Scooby Doo Live Action Netflix

The ghosthunting Great Dane with an anxiety problem, Scooby-Doo, is getting a reboot and Netflix is picking up the tab. Variety is reporting that the iconic show is becoming an hour-long series for the streamer although no details have been confirmed. In fact, Netflix execs declined to comment.

Scooby-Doo, Where Are You!

If the project is a go, this would be the first live-action movie based on the Hanna-Barbera cartoon since 2018’s Daphne & Velma. Before that, there were two theatrical live-action movies, Scooby-Doo (2002) and Scooby-Doo 2: Monsters Unleashed (2004), then two sequels that premiered on The Cartoon Network.

Currently, the adult-oriented Velma is streaming on Max.

Scooby-Doo originated in 1969 under the creative team Hanna-Barbera. The cartoon follows a group of teenagers who investigate supernatural happenings. Known as Mystery Inc., the crew consists of Fred Jones, Daphne Blake, Velma Dinkley, and Shaggy Rogers, and his best friend, a talking dog named Scooby-Doo.

Scooby-Doo

Normally the episodes revealed the hauntings they encountered were hoaxes developed by land-owners or other nefarious characters hoping to scare people away from their properties. The original TV series named Scooby-Doo, Where Are You! ran from 1969 to 1986. It was so successful that movie stars and pop culture icons would make guest appearances as themselves in the series.

Celebrities such as Sonny & Cher, KISS, Don Knotts, and The Harlem Globetrotters made cameos as did Vincent Price who portrayed Vincent Van Ghoul in a few episodes.

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BET Releasing New Original Thriller: The Deadly Getaway

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9 hours ago

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April 30, 2024

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The Deadly Getaway

BET will soon be offering horror fans a rare treat. The studio has announced the official release date for their new original thriller, The Deadly Getaway. Directed by Charles Long (The Trophy Wife), this thriller sets up a heart racing game of cat and mouse for audiences to sink their teeth into.

Wanting to break up the monotony of their routine, Hope and Jacob set off to spend their vacation at a simple cabin in the woods. However, things go sideways when Hope’s ex-boyfriend shows up with a new girl at the same campsite. Things soon spiral out of control. Hope and Jacob must now work together to escape the woods with their lives.

The Deadly Getaway
The Deadly Getaway

The Deadly Getaway is written by Eric Dickens (Makeup X Breakup) and Chad Quinn (Reflections of US). The Film stars, Yandy Smith-Harris (Two Days in Harlem), Jason Weaver (The Jacksons: An American Dream), and Jeff Logan (My Valentine Wedding).

Showrunner Tressa Azarel Smallwood had the following to say about the project. “The Deadly Getaway is the perfect reintroduction to classic thrillers, which encompass dramatic twists, and spine-chilling moments. It showcases the range and diversity of emerging Black writers across genres of film and television.”

The Deadly Getaway will premiere on 5.9.2024, exclusively ion BET+.

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