News

Eight Horror Cameos Sure to Bring a Smile to Your Face

Published

8 years ago

August 17, 2016

Is there anything better than watching a horror flick you’ve been waiting to sink your teeth into only to discover a little slice of fried gold briefly dropped right in the middle which leaves you feeling as though it were put there just for you?

You’re not alone.

Though there have been far too many cameos to cover in one list, here are a few (in no particular order) which always leave me smiling.

Hopefully they’ll leave you feeling…wait for it…

Simon Pegg & Edgar Wright as Photo Booth Zombies (Land of the Dead, 2005)

When interviewed for the Shaun of the Dead DVD extras, Bill Nighy noted that the trio of Pegg, Wright and Nick Frost had more or less memorized every zombie movie George A. Romero had ever made, adding “These kids are sick.”

Even sicker? When Frost shouted “We’re coming to get you, Barbara” through the phone at Shaun’s bitten mum, I was (to my shock) the only one in the Mall of America theatre who laughed. That confusion remained until I learned that Romero himself missed the nod to his Night of the Living Dead the first time he watched the funniest horror comedy this side of Army of Darkness.

And if you blinked back in ’05, you may have missed this photo op with the catalysts for Shaun of the Dead.

Ken Foree as Televangelist (Dawn of the Dead, 2004)

“When there is no more room in hell, the dead will walk the Earth.”

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: Never has a recycled line felt less forced or been delivered as convincingly. Press pause for a moment to consider that despite different context, Foree was speaking the same words which had bounced off the abandoned walls of the Monroeville Mall nearly thirty years earlier.

Roger Corman as FBI Director Hayden Burke (The Silence of the Lambs, 1991)

With a laundry list that includes Jack Nicholson, Ron Howard and Martin Scorsese, Corman helped many an industry heavy get a foothold in show business, and was clearly never forgotten.

Corman refers to them as his “graduates,” and they like to place him in their films from time-to-time. Joe Dante and Francis Ford Coppola made it happen in The Howling and The Godfather: Part II, respectively, but Jonathan Demme could not have communicated his feelings for Corman more lucidly than when he cast him as the Director of the FBI in Silence.

Joining Coppola, it was the second time Corman appeared in a protege’s film that took home the Academy Award for Best Picture.

Annie Potts as Desk Clerk (Ghostbusters, 2016)

For my money, the best cameo from the new Ghostbusters isn’t even a discussion. With all due respect to Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd, Ernie Hudson and Sigourney Weaver (spoiler alert — The end credits? Really?) this one is all Janine Melnitz.

Pott’s brief reveal notched not only my biggest smile, but the best nod to the original in the entire film. I mean, the spunky actress was handling calls behind a desk, asked whomever was on the other line to give her a second, pressed the phone against her jacket and offered a perturbed “Whattaya want?”

Like deja vu all over again.

Janet Leigh (Halloween H20: 20 Years Later, 1998)

Yes, Leigh was Jamie Lee Curtis’ mother and the shower victim in Alfred Hitchcock’s iconic Bates Motel shower scene, but Leigh and Curtis had already appeared in John Carpenter’s The Fog. So what set this cameo apart from just another spot appearance?

Leigh was named Norma (Hint #1), effortlessly dropped a line from another Leigh (Sheriff Brackett), her vehicle sure rang a bell and as she began to walk toward said ride, we were exposed to a few subtle notes from Bernard Herrmann’s Psycho score.

Magic.

Wes Craven as Fred the Janitor (Scream, 1996)

Like Hitchock before him, Craven appeared in many of this films, but this particular tip of the fedora to Craven’s most iconic character was absolutely priceless.

The beauty was that the first time I watched Scream, it was on VHS, so there was that moment of “Whaaat?! Let me rewind!” Then came confirmation that it hadn’t been imagined. It was very real, very awesome and to this day, never gets old.

Richard Dreyfuss as Matt Boyd (Piranha 3D, 2010)

It had a little bit of everything. Dreyfuss bearing a strong resemblance to one Mr. Hooper, the song on the radio (Show Me the Way to Go Home) was the same one the schockered Quint and Brody belted with Hooper in the Orca’s cabin and damned if that bottle of beer that went overboard didn’t resemble the bloodied great white’s post-smile carcass as it cascaded through the water.

Oh, and Boyd probably could have used a bigger boat.

Chris Sarandon as Jay Dee (Fright Night, 2011)

I’m sorry, but I have no choice but to offer the gold to the original Jerry Dandridge simply for the fact that by that point in the reboot, I was resigned to the idea that none of the original cast members were going to make an appearance.

Then, boom.

I also remember chuckling with a very audible “Yes!” in the theatre, but it only resulted in strange stares from those around me. Once again, it was a fly by. One for which I was (and continue to be) less forgiving than the Shaun incident, however. Tom Holland’s original was made in 1985, not the late sixties as with Romero’s Night. so give me a break — how could an entire theatre of people assembled to see Fright Night not have seen Fright Night?!

In any event, to wrap up, enjoy Sarandon own for a few precious moments.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uCDRFMr77d8

What are your favorite horror cameos? Tell us all about them in the comments section below.

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Editorial

Yay or Nay: What’s Good and Bad in Horror This Week: 5/6 to 5/10

Published

2 days ago

May 11, 2024

Timothy Rawles

Welcome to Yay or Nay a weekly mini post about what I think is good and bad news in the horror community written in bite-sized chunks. This is for the week of May 5 through May 10.

Yay:

In a Violent Nature made someone puke at the Chicago Critics Film Fest screening. It’s the first time this year that a critic got sick at a movie that wasn’t a Blumhouse film.

Nay:

Radio Silence pulls out of remake of Escape From New York. Darn, we wanted to see Snake try to escape a remote locked-down mansion full of distopean New York City “crazies.”

Yay:

A new Twisters trailer dropped, focusing on the powerful forces of nature that tear through rural towns. It’s a great alternative to watching candidates do the same thing on local news during this year’s presidential press cycle.

Nay:

Producer Bryan Fuller walks away from A24’s Friday the 13th series Camp Crystal Lake saying the studio wanted to go a “different way.” After two years of development for a horror series it seems that way doesn’t include ideas from people who actually know what their talking about: fans in a subreddit.

Yay:

Finally, The Tall Man from Phantasm is getting his own Funko Pop! Too bad the toy company is failing. This gives new meaning to Angus Scrimm’s famous line from the movie: “You play a good game…but the game is finished. Now you die!”

Nay:

Football king Travis Kelce joins new Ryan Murphy horror project as a supporting actor. He got more press than the announcement of Dahmer’s Emmy winner Niecy Nash-Betts actually getting the lead.

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Movies

‘Clown Motel 3,’ Films At America’s Scariest Motel!

Published

2 days ago

May 11, 2024

Ryan T. Cusick

There is just something about clowns that can evoke feelings of eeriness or discomfort. Clowns, with their exaggerated features and painted-on smiles, are already somewhat removed from typical human appearance. When portrayed in a sinister manner in movies, they can trigger feelings of fear or unease because they hover in that unsettling space between familiar and unfamiliar. The association of clowns with childhood innocence and joy can make their portrayal as villains or symbols of terror even more disturbing; just writing this and thinking about clowns is making me feel quite uneasy. Many of us can relate to each other when it comes to the fear of clowns! There is a new clown film on the horizon, Clown Motel: 3 Ways To Hell, which promises to have an army of horror icons and provide tons of bloody gore. Check out the press release below, and stay safe from these clowns!

The Clown Motel named the “Scariest Motel in America,” is located in the quiet town of Tonopah, Nevada, renowned among horror enthusiasts. It boasts an unsettling clown theme that permeates every inch of its exterior, lobby, and guest rooms. Situated across from a desolate cemetery from the early 1900s, the motel’s eerie ambiance is heightened by its proximity to the graves.

Clown Motel spawned its first movie, Clown Motel: Spirits Arise, back in 2019, but now we are on to the third!

Director and Writer Joseph Kelly is back at it again with Clown Motel: 3 Ways To Hell, and they officially launched their ongoing campaign.

Clown Motel 3 aims big and is one of the biggest networks of horror franchise actors since the 2017 Death House.

Clown Motel introduces actors from:

Halloween (1978) – Tony Moran – known for his role as the unmasked Michael Myers.

Friday the 13th (1980) – Ari Lehman – the original young Jason Voorhees from the inaugural “Friday The 13th” film.

A Nightmare on Elm Street Parts 4 & 5 – Lisa Wilcox – portrays Alice.

The Exorcist (1973) – Elieen Dietz – Pazuzu Demon.

Texas Chainsaw Massacre (2003) – Brett Wagner – who had the first kill in the film as “Kemper Kill Leather Face.’

Scream Parts 1 & 2 – Lee Waddell – known for playing the original Ghostface.

House of 1000 Corpses (2003) – Robert Mukes – known for playing Rufus alongside Sheri Zombie, Bill Moseley, and the late Sid Haig.

Poltergeist Parts 1 & 2—Oliver Robins, known for his role as the boy terrorized by a clown under the bed in Poltergeist, will now flip the script as the tables turn!

WWD, now known as WWE – Wrestler Al Burke joins the lineup!

With a lineup of horror legends and set at America’s Most terrifying motel, this is a dream come true for fans of horror films everywhere!

What’s a clown movie without actual real-life clowns, though? Joining the film are Relik, VillyVodka, and, of course, Mischief – Kelsey Livengood.

Special Effects will be done by Joe Castro, so you know the gore will be bloody good!

A handful of returning cast members include Mindy Robinson (VHS, Range 15), Mark Hoadley, Ray Guiu, Dave Bailey, DieTrich, Bill Victor Arucan, Denny Nolan, Ron Russell, Johnny Perotti (Hammy), Vicky Contreras. For more information on the film, visit Clown Motel’s official Facebook Page.

Making a comeback into feature films and just announced today, Jenna Jameson will also be joining the side of the clowns. And guess what? A once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to join her or the handful of horror icons on set for a one-day role! More info can be found on Clown Motel’s Campaign page.

**Actress Jenna Jameson joins the cast.**

After all, who wouldn’t want to be killed by an icon?

Executive Producers Joseph Kelly, Dave Bailey, Mark Hoadley, Joe Castro

Producers Nicole Vegas, Jimmy Star, Shawn C. Phillips, Joel Damian

Clown Motel 3 Ways to Hell is written and directed by Joseph Kelly and promises a blend of horror and nostalgia.

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Movies

First Look: On Set of ‘Welcome to Derry’ & Interview with Andy Muschietti

Published

3 days ago

May 10, 2024

Timothy Rawles

Rising from the sewers, drag performer and horror movie enthusiast The Real Elvirus took her fans behind the scenes of the MAX series Welcome to Derry in an exclusive hot-set tour. The show is scheduled to release sometime in 2025, but a firm date has not been set.

Filming is taking place in Canada in Port Hope, a stand-in for the fictional New England town of Derry located within the Stephen King universe. The sleepy location has been transformed into a township from the 1960s.

Welcome to Derry is the prequel series to director Andrew Muschietti’s two-part adaptation of King’s It. The series is interesting in that it’s not only about It, but all the people who live in Derry — which includes some iconic characters from the King ouvre.

Elvirus, dressed as Pennywise, tours the hot set, careful not to reveal any spoilers, and speaks with Muschietti himself, who reveals exactly how to pronounce his name: Moose-Key-etti.

The comical drag queen was given an all-access pass to the location and uses that privilege to explore props, facades and interview crew members. It’s also revealed that a second season is already greenlit.

Take a look below and let us know what you think. And are you looking forward to the MAX series Welcome to Derry?