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REVIEW: ‘Cult of Chucky’ Shines on Multiple Levels

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Chucky movies have grown into much more than what they originally were: a commentary on obsessive retail hoarding behaviors. Besides everyone does their ordering online now and that Christmas gift that everyone wants can be bought on Ebay. Perhaps Black Friday is the last remnant of consumer fanaticism in a pay-check-to-paycheck, “People of Walmart” world.

The original Child’s Play hinted at the consumer craze of the 80’s, but offered a solid horror movie with a serial killer, a memorable monster and preteen in distress. Horror gold!

The one thing all of these movies have in common is Don Mancini, the George Lucas of horror. Although not as publically scrutinized for changing things up in the fourth and fifth films as Lucas was with his, Mancini gives the fans what they want, and if they want to see more comic relief that’s what they get. More blood? Check.

But that was so 2004. With these last two Child’s Play sequels, Mancini has left most of the outrageousness behind and concentrates on elements of tension instead of acerbic wit. And that is just fine.

Curse of Chucky (2013) was one of the best horror films I’ve seen in a long time, it built up suspense amid the walls of a creepy old house with a wheelchair-bound heroine and a cast of fleshed-out characters which left me wondering why Mancini hasn’t put more effort on anything else but his beloved franchise.

In his latest installment the buzzword-worthy Cult of Chucky, he moves the claustrophobic atmosphere into a psych ward and again twists his story into multiple knots which get untangled through eye-catching imagery, solid performances, and sickening kills.

With less slapstick and more realism, this entry may be equal to or even better than his last. Humor is still present, but the charm is in its subtly, not the foul-mouthed doll. In an inspired bit, Chucky leaves a message in a pool of blood that proves he doesn’t have to say anything to make you chuckle.

This time around Chucky and his nemesis Nica are left to battle it out inside an asylum. Four years after the events of the last film, Nica is still struggling with reality. Her co-patients have heard the lore about her time in the outside world and are quick to deem her a mass murderer.

Left to live life in a wheelchair, Nica is already compromised, and her mental state is also in question, something her therapist is trying to break through, but he may not be who he seems.

Sad news comes in the form of visitor Tiffany played by the always enjoyable Jennifer Tilly, who also brings Nica a gift in the form of a Chucky doll. Nica’s niece has died and has somehow bequeathed the doll to Nica at the hospital.

But we already know this isn’t the real Good Guy doll, or is it?

Original Child’s Play hero Andy Barclay is revealed in the very beginning to have the original Chucky who he tortures in retribution on a daily basis. Yes, Alex Vincent returns to his original role in a satisfying “where are they now” moment.

Nica’s current restrictive digs become a bloodbath and more than one showdown later, Mancini puts a final twist into what we thought was a fitting end. It’s as if he’s thought ahead to the next three movies.

Fiona Dourif was born to play this part. The welds in her acting filigree are tempered just right. She brings a level of complexity to her performance that feels very dedicated to the design of the material. Which is to say, she might be over-qualified.

This same commitment is true for Brad Dourif who voices Chucky, making this one of the most memorable Villain vs. Hero dichotomies in recent horror movie history.

Cult of Chucky is a rare franchise much like, say Star Trek: It can re-imagine itself, and do it well because of the talent behind it.

The brilliance of writing carried out by dedicated and talented actors are really what horror fans want. If you think about it, we may complain about a remake-this or a re-boot-that, but we will follow as long as the material treats us with respect.

And that’s what Mancini does here, and then some. He gives us “Chucky” but doesn’t insult our intelligence with mindless re-hashing of things that may have “worked” in the previous films. Instead, he keeps changing it up, developing these characters, breathing fresh life into them. And that goes for the production design too. Ironically, he has given us a franchise which exemplifies something inspired by the first film: the compulsive need for more.

An impeccably paced sequel, with a screenplay filled with surprises, Cult of Chucky devoutly gives fans something more than they expect. It doesn’t insult their intelligence but manages to appease those looking only for blood.

It’s gruesomeness with heart, smarts and plenty of soul.

Cult of Chucky is now available on Blu-ray, digital and VOD. You can also check out this latest installment on Netflix starting today.

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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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New ‘Faces of Death’ Remake Will Be Rated R For “Strong Bloody Violence and Gore”

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In a move that should surprise absolutely no one, the Faces of Death reboot has been given an R rating from the MPA. Why has the film been given this rating? For strong bloody violence, gore, sexual content, nudity, language, and drug use, of course.

What else would you expect from a Faces of Death reboot? It would honestly be alarming if the film received anything less than an R rating.

Faces of death
Faces of Death

For those unaware, the original Faces of Death film released in 1978 and promised viewers video evidence of real deaths. Of course, this was just a marketing gimmick. Promoting a real snuff film would be a terrible idea.

But the gimmick worked, and franchise lived on in infamy. The Faces of Death reboot is hoping to gain the same amount of viral sensation as its predecessor. Isa Mazzei (Cam) and Daniel Goldhaber (How to Blow Up a Pipeline) will spearhead this new addition.

The hope is that this reboot will do well enough to recreate the infamous franchise for a new audience. While we don’t know much about the film at this point, but a joint statement from Mazzei and Goldhaber gives us the following info on the plot.

“Faces of Death was one of the first viral video tapes, and we are so lucky to be able to use it as a jumping off point for this exploration of cycles of violence and the way they perpetuate themselves online.”

“The new plot revolves around a female moderator of a YouTube-like website, whose job is to weed out offensive and violent content and who herself is recovering from a serious trauma, that stumbles across a group that is recreating the murders from the original film. But in the story primed for the digital age and age of online misinformation, the question faced is are the murders real or fake?”

The reboot will have some bloody shoes to fill. But from the looks of it, this iconic franchise is in good hands. Unfortunately, the film does not have a release date at this time.

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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Panic Fest 2024 Review: ‘The Ceremony Is About To Begin’

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People will look for answers and belonging in the darkest places and the darkest people. The Osiris Collective is a commune predicated upon ancient Egyptian theology and was run by the mysterious Father Osiris. The group boasted dozens of members, each forgoing their old lives for one held in the Egyptian themed land owned by Osiris in Northern California. But the good times take a turn for the worst when in 2018, an upstart member of the collective named Anubis (Chad Westbrook Hinds) reports Osiris disappearing while mountain climbing and declaring himself the new leader. A schism ensued with many members leaving the cult under Anubis’ unhinged leadership. A documentary is being made by a young man named Keith (John Laird) whose fixation with The Osiris Collective stems from his girlfriend Maddy leaving him for the group several years ago. When Keith gets invited to document the commune by Anubis himself, he decides to investigate, only to get wrapped up in horrors he couldn’t even imagine…

The Ceremony Is About To Begin is the latest genre twisting horror film from Red Snow‘s Sean Nichols Lynch. This time tackling cultist horror along with a mockumentary style and the Egyptian mythology theme for the cherry on top. I was a big fan of Red Snow‘s subversiveness of the vampire romance sub-genre and was excited to see what this take would bring. While the movie has some interesting ideas and a decent tension between the meek Keith and the erratic Anubis, it just doesn’t exactly thread everything together in a succinct fashion.

The story begins with a true crime documentary style interviewing former members of The Osiris Collective and sets-up what led the cult to where it is now. This aspect of the storyline, especially Keith’s own personal interest in the cult, made it an interesting plotline. But aside from some clips later on, it doesn’t play as much a factor. The focus is largely on the dynamic between Anubis and Keith, which is toxic to put it lightly. Interestingly, Chad Westbrook Hinds and John Lairds are both credited as writers on The Ceremony Is About To Begin and definitely feel like they’re putting their all into these characters. Anubis is the very definition of a cult leader. Charismatic, philosophical, whimsical, and threateningly dangerous at the drop of a hat.

Yet strangely, the commune is deserted of all cult members. Creating a ghost town that only amps up the danger as Keith documents Anubis’ alleged utopia. A lot of the back and forth between them drags at times as they struggle for control and Anubis keeps continuing to convince Keith to stick around despite the threatening situation. This does lead to a pretty fun and bloody finale that fully leans into mummy horror.

Overall, despite meandering and having a bit of a slow pace, The ceremony Is About To Begin is a fairly entertaining cult, found footage, and mummy horror hybrid. If you want mummies, it delivers on mummies!

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