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Late To The Party: THE BURNING (1981)

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Hello again, readers, for another fashionably Late To The Party entry! This week, I’ll be discussing perhaps an underrated, yet quintessential Summer-time slasher movie just in time for the dog days of summer; The Burning! Featuring the most iconic portrayal of the New York boogeyman and urban legend known as Cropsy. I had heard of this one for a long, long time, yet I simply never had the opportunity to watch. Something I’ve been kicking myself over as I have a soft spot for good Summer Camp based terror. Having gone to a sleepaway camp for several years when I was a kid, nothing beat telling ghost stories around the fire, and the adrenaline of being surrounded by the forbidding woods, making The Burning a perfect film for me!

burn2

As the story goes (like so many do) a group of campers at Camp Blackfoot have had enough of the abusive, drunkard caretaker by the name of Cropsy. Deciding to give the boozer the scare of his life involving a rotting skull with burning eyes… things don’t end so swell for Cropsy when he accidentally sets himself on fire. Burned beyond recognition, left for dead, the former caretaker has only one thing on his mind after being let out of the hospital after all these years… vengeance! Hedgeclippers in hand, he simply wishes to murder everyone in sight.

I was fortunate enough to catch this one at a revival screening a couple weeks back, and I am overjoyed that my first brush with The Burning was on a big screen in glorious 35mm! The film still captures a lot of tension that many modern slashers miss. Strengthened by a fantastic cast and sympathetic campsite of characters. I was pleasantly surprised to see Jason Alexander of all people play the comic relief, delivering the kind of quips he’d be more known for. Not to mention debuting Fisher Stevens and Holly Hunter.

The rest genuinely feel like atypical teens and counselors simply wishing to have a fun summertime experience… when the murders happen. Which is key in making a Summer Camp based horror film that many imitators miss. We need a bunch of victims, sure, but we also need them to at least somewhat feel like actual campers. The best even feel more like Summer Camp Comedies like Meatballs with a masked maniac thrown into the mix. I was further surprised by some of the crew involved as well. Harvey and Bob Weinstein, of The Weinstein Brothers Hollywood filmmakers, produced and co-wrote the story, and the melodic soundtrack was composed by Yes member Rick Wakeman. Making for a beautiful and eerie synthesized score that sets the scenes and the kills perfectly.

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Speaking of, Cropsy still stands as a terrifying slasher. Disfigured beyond comprehension by the prank gone wrong, and already a pretty rotten guy, he doesn’t have anything to lose in going after his young quarry. The most interesting thing I found was the heavy Giallo influence of the film. The slasher movie certainly owes a lot to the Giallo genre, even serving as an evolution, and The Burning wears that influence proudly on it’s crispy sleeves. Cropsy covers his disgusting form in a burly trench-coat, black leather gloves, and at one point, hat. Not to mention his signature weapon, a super strong and super sharp pair of hedgeclippers. Which make for some great kills and great visuals, especially for the infamous “Raft Massacre” scene that originally gave the film a notorious “X” rating.

Needless to say, I picked up the special-edition blu-ray from Scream Factory right after seeing The Burning in theaters. Much like in the movie, this is a horror story that will live on by campfire or by the light of a screen forever… Thanks for reading, and join us next week when Landon sees what all the buzz was about with David Cronenberg’s The Fly!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yTMkCN7MKh4

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New to Netflix (U.S.) This Month [May 2024]

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atlas movie Netflix starring Jennifer Lopez

Another month means fresh additions to Netflix. Although there aren’t many new horror titles this month, there are still some notable movies well worth your time. For instance, you can watch Karen Black try to land a 747 jet in Airport 1979, or Casper Van Dien kill giant insects in Paul Verhoeven’s bloody sci-fi opus Starship Troopers.

We are looking forward to the Jennifer Lopez sci-fi action movie Atlas. But let us know what you are going to watch. And if we have missed something, put it in the comments.

May 1:

Airport

A blizzard, a bomb, and a stowaway help create the perfect storm for the manager of a Midwestern airport and a pilot with a messy personal life.

Airport ’75

Airport ’75

When a Boeing 747 loses its pilots in a midair collision, a member of the cabin crew must take control with radio help from a flight instructor.

Airport ’77

A luxury 747 packed with VIPs and priceless art goes down in the Bermuda Triangle after being hijacked by thieves — and time for a rescue is running out.

Jumanji

Two siblings discover an enchanted board game that opens a door to a magical world — and unwittingly release a man who’s been trapped inside for years.

Hellboy

Hellboy

A half-demon paranormal investigator questions his defense of humans when a dismembered sorceress rejoins the living to wreak brutal vengeance.

Starship Troopers

When fire-spitting, brain-sucking bugs attack Earth and obliterate Buenos Aires, an infantry unit heads to the aliens’ planet for a showdown.

May 9

Bodkin

Bodkin

A ragtag crew of podcasters sets out to investigate mysterious disappearances from decades earlier in a charming Irish town with dark, dreadful secrets.

May 15

The Clovehitch Killer

The Clovehitch Killer

A teenager’s picture-perfect family is torn apart when he uncovers unnerving evidence of a serial killer close to home.

May 16

Upgrade

After a violent mugging leaves him paralyzed, a man receives a computer chip implant that allows him to control his body — and get his revenge.

Monster

Monster

After being abducted and taken to a desolate house, a girl sets out to rescue her friend and escape from their malicious kidnapper.

May 24

Atlas

Atlas

A brilliant counterterrorism analyst with a deep distrust of AI discovers it might be her only hope when a mission to capture a renegade robot goes awry.

Jurassic World: Chaos Theory

The Camp Cretaceous gang come together to unravel a mystery when they discover a global conspiracy that brings danger to dinosaurs — and to themselves.

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Movie Reviews

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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News

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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