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Creepshow – The Friendship of Romero and Stephen King

Published

7 years ago

July 21, 2017

Welcome back Nasties, to Manic’s Monstrosity of Macabre Memories where horror’s dastardly history is celebrated in all it’s ghastliness. Take a seat, cozy up with the ghoul of your dreams as we delve headfirst into the bone-chilling conclusion of George A Romero and Stephen King’s insatiable CREEPSHOW.

George Romero had just released his unique take on vampirism, Martin, and Warner Bros. took notice of the man’s brilliant vision. They suggested he meet up with an up-and-coming writer named Stephen King. After all, Romero had just released a vampire movie and King had just written a new vampire classic, Salem’s Lot. The logic being a vampire director should naturally meet a vampire writer.

That’s how Hollywood works sometimes, and in this case, it was in the best interest of the fans. The studio flew Romero out to meet King for the first time, and Romero admitted he knew of Carrie but – other than that – precious little else concerning Stephen King. The two met and after hanging out for three days they quickly became good friends. It was a friendship that would last until the end.

image courtesy of Warner Bros.

Honestly it was magic – dark, brooding, thunderous magic, but magic nonetheless – in the making. At the end of the trip, the two creative minds talked about bringing The Stand to the silver screen. It was King’s intention for Romero to direct his seminal epic of the apocalypse and the ultimate battle between Good and Evil.

Could you imagine what we almost had if this plan had gone through? It makes the hairs on the back of my neck stand up just thinking about it! The studio – on the other hand – didn’t want to risk taking on such an enormous undergoing and decided to turn it into a made-for-TV special, which has earned itself its own cult following – but oh what we almost had!

However, in spite of this set back the two masters of horror kept in touch, and how lucky for us they did! For as the dark fates would have it Romero had been brewing up an idea for a fresh anthology film and met up with King to discuss the new project.

Stephen King leaped at the idea and without any doubt knew the anthology project had to be based entirely on the old scary comic books released by EC. Today – with all the excitement there is over comic-book cinema – it’s fun to know that Creepshow is in fact among the earliest of the genre. Seems as if our devilish duo were trend-setters.

image via Bloody Disgusting

Stephen King took hold of the script and wrote with such furious passion you would think a demon was driving him to completion. Memories of the good ol’ days flowed from his twisted mind and onto the pages, opening beautifully dark visions of a bygone (spooky) era. An era he fully intended to unleash upon horror fans around the world.

Being the genius that he was, Romero knew King was on to something big and left it in King’s hands. Within a few weeks, King handed a script to Romero and the two made history.

And guess what? It was an instant success!

What touches me most about the origins of Creepshow is the friendships behind the screams. According to interviews by both Stephen King and George Romero, there was never a hint of jealousy or rivalry. These were two masters of the genre who went about telling terror in their own different mediums, but both men respected one other and worked as a team rather than opponents.

It’s refreshing to see men from the same field but with two opposite means collaborating to give fans a hell of an experience. It’s a trait – the gift of friendship – I’d like to see take over more people across the field.

George Romero credited Stephen King for Creepshow. However, both men say (or playfully blame) Romero for casting Stephen King in the role of Jordy Verrill in the fan-praised second segment The Lonesome Death of Jordy Verrill.

image courtesy of Warner Bros.

This was a hilarious treat for fans to get to see Stephen King lumping around as the lovable doofus who has a bad run-in with some “meteor shit.” Trust me, if you haven’t already, you really must go watch this segment right away. You’ll be doing yourself a favor. Honestly, I couldn’t even write about it with a straight face. It’s just some good and goofy fun

Poor ol’ Jordy. Let this be a lesson to us all. If we see a glowing rock fall from the night sky let’s not go picking it up.

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News

Morticia & Wednesday Addams Join Monster High Skullector Series

Published

2 hours ago

May 3, 2024

Timothy Rawles

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.

^{Footwear for Wednesday Addams Skullector doll}

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News

1994’s ‘The Crow’ Coming Back to Theaters for A New Special Engagement

Published

4 hours ago

May 3, 2024

Cameron McFarland

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 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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News

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

Published

5 hours ago

May 3, 2024

Cameron McFarland

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.”

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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