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‘Beyond The Gates’ Is A Nostalgia-Filled Blast Of Cult Horror

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I remember playing VHS board games as a kid of the 80’s. I had some adventure based ones and even a racing one. I’d spend weekends playing them while eating heaping bowls of Count Chocula cereal. The premise for the games were simple enough, you and some friends would gather around the TV, pop in a VHS tape and let the tape guide your adventure. Usually, they would come with a board game or some sort of “Plug in” peripheral. It was pretty awesome. Beyond The Gates takes the VHS board game to an all-new terrifyingly fun level and my nostalgia thanks it.

When Gordon (Graham Skipper) and John (Chase Williams), two brothers (who don’t get along too well) reunite to sort out their fathers old video store inventory, they discover a VHS board game called Beyond The Gates. Remembering that type of game fondly, they decide to pop the tape in. An mesmerizing and haunting woman, named Evelyn, (Barbara Crampton) introduces herself to the guys and begins the game. Little do Gordon and John know that they just started a game that may lead them to their father who strangely disappeared or to certain death. Once the game begins, these guys are forced to play through until the bloody end.

Every move made in game has consequences in the real-world and forces the brothers to make some pretty brutal decisions the further they advance.

This film has it all, nostalgia fans! Video stores, VCRs, VHS tapes, and an fantasic premise at its core. The film as a whole, feels like a throwback to the 80’s and all the things that we genre fans loved about it.

Beyond

The cast is awesome as well. Skipper (Almost Human, Minds Eye) plays the well-rounded brother. He brings a foundation to  the film and is basically the audience manifested on the screen. Williams, (John Dies At The End) plays the more frenetic brother; more of the wild card. The chemistry between Skipper and Williams works well. Their characters feel organic when bouncing dialogue of each other, leading to the center-piece, estranged family working to pull us in on a believable relationship. The cast also features genre-favorites Crampton (Re-Animator, We Are Still Here) and Matt Mercer (Contracted 1&2). To be honest, this cast alone would have pulled me in to watching.

The film plays out like a mashup of ‘The Ring’ meeting ‘Jumanji,’ with an attached 80’s love letter. For a genre film that features some pretty awesome gore effects, like disembowelment, and a gruesome head explosion, the film has heart. Director, Jackson Stewart does a great job of balancing all the moving parts of a horror, comedy by adding in well-placed family drama into the formula.

I’m a fan, I feel like Beyond The Gates is something I would have randomly discovered on a video store shelf. It has cult staying power, and you can feel that the people that were making the film were doing so out of love for all the things we 80’s lovers were obsessed with.

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Morticia & Wednesday Addams Join Monster High Skullector Series

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Believe it or not, Mattel’s Monster High doll brand has an immense following with both young and not-so-young collectors. 

In that same vein, the fan base for The Addams Family is also very large. Now, the two are collaborating to create a line of collectible dolls that celebrate both worlds and what they have created is a combination of fashion dolls and goth fantasy. Forget Barbie, these ladies know who they are.

The dolls are based on Morticia and Wednesday Addams from the 2019 Addams Family animated movie. 

As with any niche collectibles these aren’t cheap they bring with them a $90 price tag, but it’s an investment as a lot of these toys become more valuable over time. 

“There goes the neighborhood. Meet the Addams Family’s ghoulishly glamorous mother-daughter duo with a Monster High twist. Inspired by the animated movie and clad in spiderweb lace and skull prints, the Morticia and Wednesday Addams Skullector doll two-pack makes for a gift that’s so macabre, it’s downright pathological.”

If you want to pre-purchase this set check out The Monster High website.

Wednesday Addams Skullector doll
Wednesday Addams Skullector doll
Footwear for Wednesday Addams Skullector doll
Morticia Addams Skullector doll
Morticia Addams doll shoes
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1994’s ‘The Crow’ Coming Back to Theaters for A New Special Engagement

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The Crow

Cinemark recently announced that they will be bringing The Crow back from the dead once again. This announcement comes just in time for the film’s 30th anniversary. Cinemark will be playing The Crow in select theaters on May 29th and 30th.

For those unaware, The Crow is a fantastic film based on the gritty graphic novel by James O’Barr. Widely considered one of the best films of the 90s, The Crow’s lifespan was cut short when Brandon Lee died of an accidental on set shooting.

The official synapsis of the film is as follows. “The modern-gothic original that entranced audiences and critics alike, The Crow tells the tale of a young musician brutally murdered alongside his beloved fiancée, only to be risen from the grave by a mysterious crow. Seeking revenge, he battles a criminal underground that must answer for its crimes. Adapted from the comic book saga of the same name, this action-packed thriller from director Alex Proyas (Dark City) features hypnotic style, dazzling visuals, and a soulful performance by the late Brandon Lee.”

The Crow

The timing of this release couldn’t be better. As a new generation of fans eagerly awaits the release of The Crow remake, they can now see the classic film in all of its glory. As much as we love Bill Skarsgard (IT), there is something timeless in Brandon Lee’s performance in the film.

This theatrical release is part of the Scream Greats series. This is a collaboration between Paramount Scares and Fangoria to bring audiences some of the best classic horror films. So far, they are doing a fantastic job.

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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Hugh Jackman & Jodie Comer Team Up for a New Dark Robin Hood Adaptation

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A report from Deadline details director Michal Sarnoski’s (A Quiet Place: Day One) newest project, The Death of Robin Hood. The film is set to feature Hugh Jackman (Logan) and Jodie Comer (The End We Start From).

Michael Sarnoski will write and direct the new Robin Hood adaptation. Jackman will be reunited with Aaron Ryder (The Prestige), who is producing the film. The Death of Robin Hood is expected to be a hot item at the upcoming Cannes film market.

Hugh Jackman, The Death of Robin Hood
Hugh Jackman

Deadline describes the films as the following. “The film is a darker reimagining of the classic Robin Hood tale. Set of its time, the film will see the title character grappling with his past after a life of crime and murder, a battleworn loner who finds himself gravely injured and in the hands of a mysterious woman, who offers him a chance at salvation.”

Lyrical Media will be financing the film. Alexander Black will produce the film alongside Ryder and Andrew Sweet. Black gave Deadline the following information about the project. “We are thrilled to be part of this very special project and to be working with a visionary director in Michael, a phenomenal cast in Hugh and Jodie, and producing with our frequent collaborators, Ryder and Swett at RPC.”

“This is not the story of Robin Hood we’ve all come to know,” Ryder and Swett stated to Deadline “Instead, Michael has crafted something far more grounded and visceral. Thanks to Alexander Black and our friends at Lyrical along with Rama and Michael, the world is going to love seeing Hugh and Jodie together in this epic.”

Jodie Comer

Sarnoski seems to be excited by the project as well. He offered Deadline the following information about the film.

“It has been an incredible opportunity to reinvent and freshly innovate the story we all know of Robin Hood. Securing the perfect cast to transform the script to screen was essential. I could not be more thrilled and trusting in Hugh and Jodie to bring this story to life in a powerful and meaningful way.”

We are still a long way away from seeing this Robin Hood tale. Production is expected to begin in February of 2025. However, it does sound like it will be a fun entry into the Robin Hood canon.

That’s all the information we have at this time.

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