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Groundhog Day Part 12: The Fake Slasher Film in The Monster Squad

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Today is of course Groundhog Day, the one day out of every year where the fate of the seasons lies in the hands of a goddamn rodent. Ole Phil saw his shadow today, which, unfortunately for all of us, means that six more weeks of winter is headed our way.

In the 1980s, the slasher sub-genre pretty much mined every single holiday on the calendar for all they were worth, with films such as Silent Night, Deadly Night, My Bloody Valentine and New Year’s Evil becoming annual traditions for us horror-hounds.

Groundhog Day, however, was left out in the cold – one of the few holidays to not receive its own horror movie. Well, not a real one, at least…

gdy2

It’s not uncommon for movies to feature fake movies within them, as it can be quite costly to acquire the rights to use clips from actual movies. Released in 1987, The Monster Squad did just that, introducing a faux slasher franchise called Groundhog Day.

In the film, horror buff Sean Crenshaw desperately wants to go see the franchise’s 12th installment with his friends one night, though his dad informs him he has to stay home and babysit. In a later scene, Sean is using his binoculars to watch the drive-in film from the roof of his house, where we see a brief snippet of the fake movie.

All that we ever really learn about the franchise is that it centers on a guy with an axe who comes back from the dead with each new installment, and in Groundhog Day: Part 12 he once again crawls out of his grave to do some killing. Typical slasher fun, to say the least.

gday1

Last year, nearly 30 years after the release of The Monster Squad, artist Nathan Thomas Milliner and co-writer/director Fred Dekker teamed up for a fun little art project, which saw Nathan designing a poster for the faux movie. He and Dekker also wrote up a little synopsis of the series, providing the villain with a name and fleshing out the story a bit more.

In Nathan’s words…

Groundhog Day

The Groundhog Day slasher series went on for a record 17 entries beating out the famous Friday the 13th series. The 17th film, GroundHog Day 17: LARS STARS which found our lunatic fighting aliens in space, was the final nail in the coffin. The story was of Gravedigger Lars Murmeltiertag–a Norwegian immigrant who was killed by a group of teenagers one night in 1958 while hanging out in a cemetery one cold night. Lars was pushed into the grave he was digging and broke his neck. It all happened on Groundhog Day and 20 years later, LUNATIC LARS rose from the grave he died in, donning a Groundhog mask and a pick ax and started his bloody revenge.

Not really…

This was the fake movie series within the movie THE MONSTER SQUAD. Fred Dekker and I collaborated on this piece and it was a real pleasure. I hope everyone enjoys it.

So, you see, Groundhog day did in fact get its own slasher series – if only within the confines of one of the best horror movies ever made. For now, it’ll have to do!

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Mike Flanagan Comes Aboard To Assist in Completion of ‘Shelby Oaks’

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shelby oaks

If you have been following Chris Stuckmann on YouTube you are aware of the struggles he has had getting his horror movie Shelby Oaks finished. But there’s good news about the project today. Director Mike Flanagan (Ouija: Origin Of Evil, Doctor Sleep and The Haunting) is backing the film as a co-executive producer which might bring it much closer to being released. Flanagan is a part of the collective Intrepid Pictures which also includes Trevor Macy and Melinda Nishioka.

Shelby Oaks
Shelby Oaks

Stuckmann is a YouTube movie critic who’s been on the platform for over a decade. He came under some scrutiny for announcing on his channel two years ago that he would no longer be reviewing films negatively. However contrary to that statement, he did a non-review essay of the panned Madame Web recently saying, that studios strong-arm directors to make films just for the sake of keeping failing franchises alive. It seemed like a critique disguised as a discussion video.

But Stuckmann has his own movie to worry about. In one of Kickstarter’s most successful campaigns, he managed to raise over $1 million for his debut feature film Shelby Oaks which now sits in post-production. 

Hopefully, with Flanagan and Intrepid’s help, the road to Shelby Oak’s completion is reaching its end. 

“It’s been inspiring to watch Chris working toward his dreams over the past few years, and the tenacity and DIY spirit he displayed while bringing Shelby Oaks to life reminded me so much of my own journey over a decade ago,” Flanagan told Deadline. “It’s been an honor to walk a few steps with him on his path, and to offer support for Chris’ vision for his ambitious, unique movie. I can’t wait to see where he goes from here.”

Stuckmann says Intrepid Pictures has inspired him for years and, “it’s a dream come true to work with Mike and Trevor on my first feature.”

Producer Aaron B. Koontz of Paper Street Pictures has been working with Stuckmann since the beginning is also excited about the collaboration.

“For a film that had such a hard time getting going, it’s remarkable the doors that then opened to us,” said Koontz. “The success of our Kickstarter followed by the on-going leadership and guidance from Mike, Trevor, and Melinda is beyond anything I could have hoped for.”

Deadline describes the plot of Shelby Oaks as follows:

“A combination of documentary, found footage, and traditional film footage styles, Shelby Oaks centers on Mia’s (Camille Sullivan) frantic search for her sister, Riley, (Sarah Durn) who ominously disappeared in the last tape of her “Paranormal Paranoids” investigative series. As Mia’s obsession grows, she begins to suspect that the imaginary demon from Riley’s childhood may have been real.”

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New ‘MaXXXine’ Image is Pure 80s Costume Core

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A24 has unveiled a captivating new image of Mia Goth in her role as the titular character in “MaXXXine”. This release comes approximately a year and a half after the previous installment in Ti West’s expansive horror saga, which covers more than seven decades.

MaXXXine Official Trailer

His latest continues the story arc of freckle-faced aspiring starlet Maxine Minx from the first film X which took place in Texas in 1979. With stars in her eyes and blood on her hands, Maxine moves into a new decade and a new city, Hollywood, in pursuit of an acting career, “But as a mysterious killer stalks the starlets of Hollywood, a trail of blood threatens to reveal her sinister past.”

The photo below is the latest snapshot released from the film and shows Maxine in full Thunderdome drag amid a crowd of teased hair and rebellious 80s fashion.

MaXXXine is set to open in theaters on July 5.

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

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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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