News

‘M.O.M. (Mothers of Monsters)’ is a Bone-Chilling Thriller

Published

4 years ago

March 12, 2020

M.O.M. (Mothers of Monster), a new found footage style film from writer/director Tucia Lyman will have its big screen debut in Los Angeles on Friday, March 13, 2020 with a release on digital VOD and cable to follow.

The film focuses on Abbey (Melinda Page Hamilton), a single mother who suspects her son Jacob (Bailey Edwards) might be a budding psychopath. Unfortunately, no one will listen to her growing concerns, so she decides to document his behavior for other mothers who might find themselves in the same situation.

Told through cellphone footage, surveillance cameras, and Skype calls, a film whose subject matter is already disturbing delivers a shot of unexpected and uncomfortable realism that will leave audiences squirming in their seats.

Hamilton, who previously appeared in the Netflix series Messiah as well as the ABC hit How to Get Away with Murder, is believable as a woman at the end of her quickly fraying rope. Her emotional arc from anger to vulnerability to fear is utterly captivating.

It’s Edwards, however, in an impressive debut–he’s previously had small roles in film’s like Netflix’s Bright–that will have you on the edge of your seat in M.O.M. He has an unnerving way of staring into the camera, his eyes wide in faux innocence with a dangerous, violent undercurrent just beneath the surface of the mask.

What I found most impressive in his performance was the precision with which he could flip from one emotion to the next in a realistic portrayal of a boy who may have no real emotions at all, but who has learned to mimic what he sees in others. Honestly, it’s the kind of talent one expects from a much older and more experienced actor and it was a pleasant surprise to find in Edwards.

It is ultimately the subject matter, itself, that is most disturbing in M.O.M. Lyman tapped into primal fears of parenthood and the supposed innocence of childhood to craft a story that is tension-filled and compelling.

“I’ve always been intrigued by real-life horror films that use the dysfunctions of society as a vessel to explore the truth,” the filmmaker said in a statement. “M.O.M. is a work of narrative fiction, but much of the behavior, scenarios, and dialogue were borrowed from the journals and publications of real-life school shooters and their parents. It is a very confronting film, much like the subject matter itself, and I hope it will contribute to the national debate surrounding mental health stigma and gun violence in America.”

The realism and the fact that we’ve so many instances of this type of violence in the U.S. rings true throughout. It’s the kind of film that will no doubt fuel discussion in audience members long after its limited release.

M.O.M. will screen for a week at the Arena Cinelounge on Sunset Boulevard in Los Angeles beginning on March 13, 2020 with release dates for home viewing to be determined.

Check out the trailer below, and let us know what you think in the comments.

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News

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

Published

13 hours ago

April 30, 2024

Timothy Rawles

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 IS NOW IN PRODUCTION 🩸 Welcome to Shadyside High. We're gonna have a killer time. pic.twitter.com/jDl0zRa2CH
— Netflix (@netflix) April 30, 2024

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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News

Live Action Scooby-Doo Reboot Series In Works at Netflix

Published

14 hours ago

April 30, 2024

Timothy Rawles

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.

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.

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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News

BET Releasing New Original Thriller: The Deadly Getaway

Published

14 hours ago

April 30, 2024

Cameron McFarland

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 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+.