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Eight Horror Movies By Non-Horror Directors

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There’s little doubt that the horror genre has its heroes.  Filmmakers like John Carpenter, Wes Craven, and Tobe Hooper know how to make a good horror film, so that’s what they do.  Every once in a while, though, a director from outside the genre will momentarily set foot into the realm of terror to give us a classic movie, only to go right back to making “normal” movies when they’re done.  Here are eight horror movies by non-horror filmmakers who crossed over to the dark side just once.

 

1. Child’s Play – Sidney Lumet

Child's Play (1972)

Sidney Lumet’s Child’s Play (1972)

Sidney Lumet made some of the most important movies in cinematic history, movies like 12 Angry Men, Network, and Dog Day Afternoon.  Lumet had a way of coaxing brilliant performances out of his actors, and that gave his films heart.  In 1972, he made his only horror film, Child’s Play.  This is not the film about the demonic doll named Chucky, this is an adaptation of a Broadway play about bullying at a catholic boys school that is the result of demonic possession.  Sadly, Lumet died in 2011, so Child’s Play will always be his only horror film.

 

2. The Exorcist – William Friedkin

The Exorcist (1973)

William Friedkin’s The Exorcist (1973)

The Exorcist is easily one of the top five movies on any horror fan’s list (if it isn’t consistently number one), but the 1973 classic is director William Friedkin’s only horror film.  Choosing story over comfort, Friedkin dipped his foot into many different genres, making documentaries like The People vs. Paul Crump, crime dramas like The French Connection, and action films like To Live and Die in L.A., but only wandered into horror again for a few television episodes of The Twilight Zone and Tales from the Crypt.  And speaking of The Exorcist

 

3. Exorcist II: The Heretic – John Boorman

Exorcist II: The Heretic (1977)

John Boorman’s Exorcist II: The Heretic (1977)

Most moviegoers know John Boorman as the director of seminal films such as Deliverance and Excalibur, but he was tapped in 1977 for the inevitable sequel to The Exorcist, appropriately titled Exorcist II: The Heretic.  The film was a flop, and to this day is considered a black eye in the history of the franchise.  Maybe that explains why Boorman never made another horror film?

 

4. What Lies Beneath – Robert Zemeckis

What Lies Beneath (2000)

Robert Zemeckis’ What Lies Beneath (2000)

Robert Zemeckis is better known for shaping the youth of the eighties with his Back to the Future trilogy and for winning Oscars with Forrest Gump.  Although he dabbled a little bit in horror on television, directing episodes of Amazing Stories and Tales from the Crypt, his only big-screen fright flick is the 2000 Hitchcockian ghost story What Lies Beneath.  Despite a strong script and a big-name cast that included Harrison Ford and Michelle Pfeiffer, What Lies Beneath was a box-office disappointment, so Zemeckis went back to making movies that he knew would be successful – and immediately made the Tom Hanks vehicle Cast Away.

 

5. Near Dark – Kathryn Bigelow

Near Dark (1987)

Kathryn Bigelow’s Near Dark (1987)

Before she was making Oscar bait films like The Hurt Locker and Zero Dark Thirty, Kathryn Bigelow made action movies like Point Break and Strange Days.  However, even before that, she made Near Dark, a 1987 movie that, along with The Lost Boys, would challenge all of the preconceived notions about vampires.  Bigelow’s direction coupled with the natural chemistry of the cast (Bigelow basically used onetime husband James Cameron’s Aliens cast, a group that consisted of Lance Henriksen, Bill Paxton, and Jenette Goldstein) turned Near Dark into an instant revisionist western classic vampire movie.  Then, she moved on to making war movies.

 

6. 28 Days Later… – Danny Boyle

29 Days Later... (2002)

Danny Boyle’s 28 Days Later… (2002)

For a while, Danny Boyle was England’s hippest director, making too-cool movies like Trainspotting and The Beach.  In 2002, he turned the zombie subgenre on its ear with 28 Days Later… and its fast-moving, athletic pack antagonists.  This was two years before Zack Snyder’s remake of Dawn of the Dead would bring quick zombies into the lexicon.  Boyle didn’t return for the sequel, 28 Weeks Later, instead opting to win a few Oscars with Slumdog Millionaire and 127 Hours.  As of now, he has never made another horror movie.

 

7. The Omen – Richard Donner

The Omen (1976)

Richard Donner’s The Omen (1976)

Richard Donner got his start in television, directing episodes of old westerns like The Rifleman and Have Gun – Will Travel before helming some of the best episodes from the final season of The Twilight Zone in 1964.  His sole contribution to horror history is the 1976 anti-Christ movie The OmenThe Omen was a huge box office success and is largely considered one of the best horror films of all time, but Donner parted ways with the genre, moving on to more family accessible films like Superman, The Goonies, and Ladyhawke.  He would end up directing a few episodes of Tales from the Crypt in between making Lethal Weapon movies, but The Omen remains his only horror film.

 

8. Misery – Rob Reiner

Misery (1990)

Rob Reiner’s Misery (1990)

A child star who got his big acting break playing Meathead on All in the Family, Rob Reiner stuck gold with his directorial debut, the cult classic mockumentary This is Spinal Tap.  Reiner’s film resume includes softies like The Princess Bride and When Harry Met Sally…, but his adaptation of Stephen King’s short story “The Body” into the coming of age film Stand by Me impressed King so much that, in 1990, the writer let Reiner have a shot at directing one of his more frightening books – Misery.  Reiner’s direction combined with knockout performances by James Caan and Kathy Bates turned Misery into a classic horror film, and Rob Reiner dropped the mic and went back to making dramatic comedies.

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Russell Crowe To Star in Another Exorcism Movie & It’s Not a Sequel

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Maybe it’s because The Exorcist just celebrated its 50th-anniversary last year, or maybe it’s because aging Academy Award-winning actors aren’t too proud to take on obscure roles, but Russell Crowe is visiting the Devil once again in yet another possession film. And it’s not related to his last one, The Pope’s Exorcist.

According to Collider, the film titled The Exorcism was originally going to be released under the name The Georgetown Project. Rights for its North American release were once in the hands of Miramax but then went to Vertical Entertainment. It will release on June 7 in theaters then head over to Shudder for subscribers.

Crowe will also star in this year’s upcoming Kraven the Hunter which is set to drop in theaters on August 30.

As for The Exorcism, Collider provides us with what it’s about:

“The film centers around actor Anthony Miller (Crowe), whose troubles come to the forefront as he shoots a supernatural horror movie. His estranged daughter (Ryan Simpkins) has to figure out whether he’s lapsing into his past addictions, or if something even more horrific is occurring. “

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New F-Bomb Laden ‘Deadpool & Wolverine’ Trailer: Bloody Buddy Movie

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Deadpool & Wolverine might be the buddy movie of the decade. The two heterodox superheroes are back in the latest trailer for the summer blockbuster, this time with more f-bombs than a gangster film.

‘Deadpool & Wolverine’ Movie Trailer

This time the focus is on Wolverine played by Hugh Jackman. The adamantium-infused X-Man is having a bit of a pity party when Deadpool (Ryan Reynolds) arrives on the scene who then tries to convince him to team up for selfish reasons. The result is a profanity-filled trailer with a Strange surprise at the end.

Deadpool & Wolverine is one of the most anticipated movies of the year. It comes out on July 26. Here is the latest trailer, and we suggest if you are at work and your space isn’t private, you might want to put in headphones.

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Original Blair Witch Cast Ask Lionsgate for Retroactive Residuals in Light of New Film

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The Blair Witch Project Cast

Jason Blum is planning to reboot The Blair Witch Project for the second time. That’s a fairly large task considering none of the reboots or sequels have managed to capture the magic of the 1999 film that brought found footage into the mainstream.

This idea has not been lost on the original Blair Witch cast, who has recently reached out to Lionsgate to ask for what they feel is fair compensation for their role in the pivotal film. Lionsgate gained access to The Blair Witch Project in 2003 when they purchased Artisan Entertainment.

Blair witch
The Blair Witch Project Cast

However, Artisan Entertainment was an independent studio before its purchase, meaning the actors were not part of SAG-AFTRA. As a result, the cast are not entitled to the same residuals from the project as actors in other major films. The cast doesn’t feel that the studio should be able to continue to profit off of their hard work and likenesses without fair compensation.

Their most recent request asks for “meaningful consultation on any future ‘Blair Witch’ reboot, sequel, prequel, toy, game, ride, escape room, etc., in which one could reasonably assume that Heather, Michael & Josh’s names and/or likenesses will be associated for promotional purposes in the public sphere.”

The blair witch project

At this time, Lionsgate has not offered any comment about this issue.

The full statement made by the cast can be found below.

OUR ASKS OF LIONSGATE (From Heather, Michael & Josh, stars of “The Blair Witch Project”):

1. Retroactive + future residual payments to Heather, Michael and Josh for acting services rendered in the original BWP, equivalent to the sum that would’ve been allotted through SAG-AFTRA, had we had proper union or legal representation when the film was made.

2. Meaningful consultation on any future Blair Witch reboot, sequel, prequel, toy, game, ride, escape room, etc…, in which one could reasonably assume that Heather, Michael & Josh’s names and/or likenesses will be associated for promotional purposes in the public sphere.

Note: Our film has now been rebooted twice, both times were a disappointment from a fan/box office/critical perspective. Neither of these films were made with significant creative input from the original team. As the insiders who created the Blair Witch and have been listening to what fans love & want for 25 years, we’re your single greatest, yet thus-far un-utilized secret-weapon!

3. “The Blair Witch Grant”: A 60k grant (the budget of our original movie), paid out yearly by Lionsgate, to an unknown/aspiring genre filmmaker to assist in making theirfirst feature film. This is a GRANT, not a development fund, hence Lionsgate will not own any of the underlying rights to the project.

A PUBLIC STATEMENT FROM THE DIRECTORS & PRODUCERS OF “THE BLAIR WITCH PROJECT”:

As we near the 25th anniversary of The Blair Witch Project, our pride in the storyworld we created and the film we produced is reaffirmed by the recent announcement of a reboot by horror icons Jason Blum and James Wan.

While we, the original filmmakers, respect Lionsgate’s right to monetize the intellectual property as it sees fit, we must highlight the significant contributions of the original cast — Heather Donahue, Joshua Leonard, and Mike Williams. As the literal faces of what has become a franchise, their likenesses, voices, and real names are inseparably tied to The Blair Witch Project. Their unique contributions not only defined the film’s authenticity but continue to resonate with audiences around the world.

We celebrate our film’s legacy, and equally, we believe the actors deserve to be celebrated for their enduring association with the franchise.

Sincerely, Eduardo Sanchez, Dan Myrick, Gregg Hale, Robin Cowie, and Michael Monello

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