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Late to the Party: ‘Bone Tomahawk’ (2015) – Reveals There are Fates Worse Than Death

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Wishmaster

Bone Tomahawk was S. Craig Zahler’s directorial debut, and only second feature to his credit at the time of its release. Zahler is the primary screenwriter for his films and was even the composer for three of them.

I didn’t get around to watching this movie until about a year after it was released, which is strange for me considering I love westerns and I (obviously) love horror. Bone Tomahawk has received nearly universal acclaim for its acting, story, and direction. Even winning multiple awards such as the critics award for “Best Picture” and “Best Director” upon many others.

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Via Den of Geek

The LA Times, claimed “There’s a humming genre intelligence at work in the grim, witty horror-western Bone Tomahawk.” and my personal favorite from The Hollywood Reporter “a handsome western with horror overtones.”

Yet, the film was rewarded with only a month-long run in select theaters. This seems like a tragedy, but to be fair, this is definitely not a movie for everyone.

Those who appreciate westerns may be repulsed by the level of violence, specifically when it involves the cannibals. But, don’t worry, there are plenty of beautiful tracking shots of the scenery, and genuinely funny frontier banter.

There are a couple of quick moments of genuine horror thrown-in, but it’s not until the climax when our heroes reach their final destination that shit gets really twisted.

Image result for bone tomahawk

Via Brandon’s Movie Memory

Brief Overview:

Purvis (David Arquette) a killer on the run, heads to the small town of Bright Hope, prompting deputy Chicory (Richard Jenkins) to report the stranger to the Sheriff (Kurt Russell), which leads to an altercation.

In the dark of the night, we discover something sinister has been following Purvis’s trail, leaving Bright Hope vulnerable and unprepared.

In the morning, after the discovery of a murder and multiple abductions. The Sheriff calls for a meeting in the saloon. A local Native American recognizes the arrow they found near the body, claiming it’s unique to Troglodytes a clan of highly aggressive and skilled killers without a language…

Image result for bone tomahawk

Via Bloody Disgusting

Bone Tomahawk is a slow burn, but it’s never a chore. We spend time with the characters, and get to know what makes them individuals, so when tragedy strikes we care about them. They aren’t just cannon-fodder, they’re real people that we can relate to.

The cannibalistic Troglodytes are genuinely intimidating. We learn a little about them in the first-act that sets up our expectations. They’re described in essence, as brutal killers. The Native American who the townsfolk refer to as “The Professor” warns the Sheriff, that pursuing the cave-dwellers means certain death for his rescue party.

This was an understatement.

When we meet the cannibals, we discover they’re relentless and efficient. Quickly disarming our heroes, in more ways than one as Brooner will discover. The most disturbing scene in the movie, and one of the most horrific deaths I’ve ever seen ever, takes place with deputy Nick (I won’t spoil anything, but it’s messed up).

The primitive cannibals are portrayed in such a monstrous way, that we hate them by the end. There is no sympathy for their continued existence from the audience. We long for their extinction.

The heart of this movie is most definitely a western. The plot is pretty standard western-fare (a rescue/revenge mission). But, the big difference is the diverse characters who are elevated by the actors outstanding performances.

The score is so discreet, scenes of violence become hyper-realistic and disturbing. The realistic gore accompanied with the performances, makes for unforgiving tension and gut-wrenching suspense.

I personally adore Bone Tomahawk. It’s my favorite western, and one of the best horror films of 2015. A list which includes; Green Room, The Devil’s Candy, The Invitation, The Witch, Crimson Peak, Krampus, and Stung to name a few.

If you haven’t seen any of these… why are you still here? Go–go watch them! Return when you’re worthy.

The director’s latest feature, Brawl in Cell Block 99 starring Vince Vaughn was also a critical success and currently holds a 92% approval rating and the consensus. “Brawl in Cell Block 99 rides a committed Vince Vaughn performance into the brutally violent — and undeniably entertaining — depths of prison-set grind-house genre fare.” 

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Via Den of Geek

Bone Tomahawk (and Brawl in Cell Block 99) can both be streamed for free with Amazon Prime.

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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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