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They’ll Scare Us No More: Horror Entertainers We Lost in 2014

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As 2014 comes to a close, we on the iHorror staff remember those members of the horror community who died this year.  Gone but not forgotten, their frightening work will live on in our nightmares.  This is not an all-encompassing list, but those that stick out most in my mind.

H.R. Giger

HR-Giger

Born in Chur, Switzerland in 1940, the world lost a masterful visual artist on May 12, 2014, when H.R. Giger passed from this world.  Known for his organic, reptilian artwork combining elements of anatomy and mechanics, Giger, together with Ridley Scott, designed the alien creature and set designs for Scott’s film, Alien which went on to produce several sequels.  He also directed several films and produced numerous volumes filled with his surrealist artwork.  His vision will truly be missed.

Billie Whitelaw

Billie

 

A foremost interpreter of the theatrical works of Beckett and a bit of an acting prodigy, Billie Whitelaw was an actress who never stopped working from her debut on the radio at age 11.  It was in 1976, though, that she truly made her mark in the horror world with her turn as Mrs. Baylock, the Satanic nanny who came to care for Damien in The Omen.  Her menacing performance is not easily forgotten.  She would continue to turn up in supernatural roles throughout her career, and even voiced the character Aughra in Jim Henson’s The Dark Crystal.

Harold Ramis

Harold-Ramis-Dead

 

Harold Ramis will live on in our minds forever for his dry delivery as genius Dr. Egon Spengler in the Ghostbusters franchise, but let’s not forget that he also co-wrote the films that made us all want our own containment units for the ghosts that everyone in my generation was sure lurked just around every corner after seeing the first film in 1984.

Mickey Rooney

mickey

 

Once upon a time in 1984, Mickey Rooney wrote a letter proclaiming the makers of Silent Night, Deadly Night should be run out of town for having a killer dressed as Santa Claus.  Seven years later, he would star in Silent Night, Deadly Night 5: The Toy Maker and he was over the top brilliant in it.  Rooney was a master of comedy and will be remembered by most for his films with Judy Garland, but for many a horror fan it will be Joe Petto in SNDN 5 that will live on for us.

Leslie Carlson

Les

 

The brilliant character actor Leslie Carlson had a prolific career that did not actually begin on screen until he was nearly 40 years old.  Before then, his work had been seen solely on the stage.  From early in his big screen career, though, you will find him in some of your favorite horror and sci-fi films.  He appeared in Black Christmas (1974)Videodrome, The Dead Zone (1983), and The Fly (1986) to name just a few.

Ruby Dee

Ruby

A singularly talented actress and a tireless champion of equality, Ruby Dee made only one real stop in our horror world, but you can be sure that it was one that will be remembered.  Taking on the iconic role of Mother Abigail in Mick Garris’ adaptation of Stephen King’s The Stand, Dee stole the show more than once from her co-stars.  Her talents will surely be missed.

Casey Kasem

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When he wasn’t hosting his weekly countdown of the biggest hits in pop music, Casey Kasem was lending his voice to many iconic animated characters from the late 60s until he began to succumb to illness in 2013.  In this writer’s eyes, he will always be the one and only Shaggy in the various incarnations of “Scooby Doo” over the years and he is sorely missed.

Marilyn Burns

marilyn

If you ever come across a list of the greatest scream queens of all time and Marilyn Burns’ name isn’t on the list, move on, because the writer probably doesn’t know what he or she is talking about.  The image of her running from Leatherface at the end of 1974’s The Texas Chainsaw Massacre will forever be burned into my mind.  Her career never really solidified but she did make cameo appearances in later sequels to the original and she also appeared in the TV movie “Helter Skelter” based on the real life horrors perpetrated by Charles Manson and his followers.  Marilyn passed in August of this year.

Elizabeth Pena

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Sultry voiced Elizabeth Pena was the rare mixture of grace, talent, and beauty that somehow never fully adds up to mainstream stardom here in the U.S.  She remained from her earliest films an indie darling, however, and still managed to find her way into a few box office hits throughout her career.  He stunning performance in Jacob’s Ladder is a personal favorite of mine.

That concludes my lineup of the voices we lost this year.  As I said before, this is in no way a comprehensive list of those from the horror world, but just a list of those I, personally, will miss greatly.

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Panic Fest 2024 Review: ‘Never Hike Alone 2’

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There are fewer icons more recognizable than the slasher. Freddy Krueger. Michael Myers. Victor Crowley. Notorious killers who always seem to come back for more no matter how many times they are slain or their franchises seemingly put to a final chapter or nightmare. And so it seems that even some legal disputes cannot stop one of the most memorable movie murderers of all: Jason Voorhees!

Following the events of the first Never Hike Alone, outdoorsman and YouTuber Kyle McLeod (Drew Leighty) has been hospitalized after his encounter with the long thought dead Jason Voorhees, saved by perhaps the hockey masked killer’s greatest adversary Tommy Jarvis (Thom Mathews) who now currently works as an EMT around Crystal Lake. Still haunted by Jason, Tommy Jarvis struggles to find a sense of stability and this latest encounter is pushing him to end the reign of Voorhees once and for all…

Never Hike Alone made a splash online as a well shot and thoughtful fan film continuation of the classic slasher franchise that was built up with the snowbound follow up Never Hike In The Snow and now climaxing with this direct sequel. It’s not only an incredible Friday The 13th love letter, but a well thought out and entertaining epilogue of sorts to the infamous ‘Tommy Jarvis Trilogy’ from within the franchise that encapsulated Friday The 13th Part IV: The Final Chapter, Friday The 13th Part V: A New Beginning, and Friday The 13th Part VI: Jason Lives. Even getting some of the original cast back as their characters to continue the tale! Thom Mathews being the most prominent as Tommy Jarvis, but with other series casting like Vincent Guastaferro returning as now Sheriff Rick Cologne and still having a bone to pick with Jarvis and the mess around Jason Voorhees. Even featuring some Friday The 13th alumni like Part III‘s Larry Zerner as the mayor of Crystal Lake!

On top of that, the movie delivers on kills and action. Taking turns that some of the previous fils never got the chance to deliver on. Most prominently, Jason Voorhees going on a rampage through Crystal Lake proper when he slices his way through a hospital! Creating a nice throughline of the mythology of Friday The 13th, Tommy Jarvis and the cast’s trauma, and Jason doing what he does best in the most cinematically gory ways possible.

The Never Hike Alone films from Womp Stomp Films and Vincente DiSanti are a testament to the fanbase of Friday The 13th and the still enduring popularity of those films and of Jason Voorhees. And while officially, no new movie in the franchise is on the horizon for the foreseeable future, at the very least there is some comfort knowing fans are willing to go to these lengths to fill the void.

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New Vampire Flick “Flesh of the Gods” Will Star Kristen Stewart and Oscar Isaac

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Kristen-Stewart-and-Oscar-Isaac

80s nostalgia is still going strong in the horror community. As proof of this, Panos Cosmatos (Mandy) is developing a new 80s themed vampire film. However, unlike some of the other nostalgia bait films that have come out recently, Flesh of the Gods is packing some serious talent.

First, the film is written by the legendary Andrew Kevin Walker (Se7en). If that wasn’t enough, the film will star Oscar Isaac (Moon Knight) and Kristen Stewart (Underwater).

Kristen Stewart
Oscar Isaac, Flesh of the Gods article

Variety gives us a glimpse into the story line, stating that: “Flesh of the Gods is set in glittering ’80s L.A., where married couple Raoul (Oscar Isaac) and Alex (Kristen Stewart) each evening descend from their luxury skyscraper condo and head into the city’s electric nighttime realm. When they cross paths with a mysterious and enigmatic figure known as Nameless and her hard-partying cabal, the pair are seduced into a glamorous, surrealistic world of hedonism, thrills and violence.”

Cosmatos offers his own opinion of the film. “Like Los Angeles itself, ‘Flesh of the Gods’ inhabits the liminal realm between fantasy and nightmare. Both propulsive and hypnotic, ‘Flesh’ will take you on a hot rod joy ride deep into the glittering heart of hell.”

Producer Adam McKay (Don’t Look Up) seems to also be excited about The Flesh of the Gods. “This director, this writer, these incredible actors, vampires, choice ’80s punk, style and attitude for miles… that’s the film we’re bringing you today. We think it’s wildly commercial and wildly artful. Our ambitions are to make a movie that ripples through popular culture, fashion, music and film. Can you tell how excited I am?”

Flesh of the Gods is set to begin filming later this year. It will launch at Cannes with WME Independent, CAA Media Finance, and XYZ Films. The Flesh of the Gods does not currently have a release date.

That’s all the information we have at this time. Make sure to check back here for more news and updates.

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The Pope’s Exorcist Officially Announces New Sequel

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The Pope’s Exorcist is one of those films that’s just fun to watch. It isn’t the most terrifying film around, but there’s something about Russel Crow (Gladiator) playing a wise cracking Catholic priest that just feels right.

Screen Gems seems to agree with this assessment, as they have just officially announced that The Pope’s Exorcist sequel is in the works. It makes sense that Screen Gems would want to keep this franchise going, considering the first film scared up almost $80 million with a budget of only $18 million.

The Pope's Exorcist
The Pope’s Exorcist

According to Crow, there may even be a The Pope’s Exorcist trilogy in the works. However, recent changes with the studio may have put the third film on hold. In a sit-down with The Six O’Clock Show, Crow gave the following statement about the project.

“Well that’s in discussion at the moment. The producers originally got the kick off from the studio not just for one sequel but for two. But there’s been a change of studio heads at the moment, so that’s going around in a few circles. But very definitely, man. We set that character up that you could take him out and put him into a lot of different circumstances.”

Crow has also stated that film’s source material involves twelve separate books. This would allow the studio to take the story in all kinds of directions. With that much source material, The Pope’s Exorcist could even rival The Conjuring Universe.

Only the future will tell what becomes of The Pope’s Exorcist. But as always, more horror is always a good thing.

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