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Fantastic Fest 2018: ‘Apostle’ Is Filled With Evil, Corruption and Razor-Sharp Folk Horror

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Apostle

Lovecraftian sensibilities converge in the hellish ride that is Director, Gareth Evans latest offering, Apostle.

This film checks each and everyone of Fantastic Fest’s boxes in terms of genre greatness. Apostle offers up a healthy helping of dread, packed into a period piece that echoes of the best of 70s horror. Particularly the kind of 70s horror that dealt with evil cults and otherworldly worship.

Apostle finds Thomas Richardson (Dan Stevens) sent on a mission to find and save his sister from the clutches of a enigmatic cult. The cult prides themselves on equality among all of its members by sharing everything and by allowing repentant criminals seeking redemption into its ranks. But, with corruption at an arms reach, and evil forces in the woods, the amiable face of the mysterious cult may not be the paradise its followers signed up for.

Director, Gareth Evans helmed martial arts badass fests The Raid 1 & 2, and switches to an entirely new genre in the field of supernatural, mystic horror with Apostle. The result proves that this dude, can just about do anything and make it look and feel great.

What Evans does particularly-well is bring over his experience with big action sequences and contains them into tiny pockets of intensely gory set pieces. These sequences are peppered in over the films runtime and are each more viscerally-potent and bone rattling than the last. In other words, when shit goes down, shit really goes down.

Apostle, is a period piece and uses the tongue and fortitude of the time, to tell the perplexing mystery that comes undone in layers throughout. Paranoia and evil run rampant as Richardson tries to conceal his identity and intentions among the cult and its forefathers. The result is a strange, thickly layered tension that methodically eats away at the audience.

The film does a great job of exploring corruption within bodies of power and ultimately religion. The deconstruction of higher powers who use their will as a tool that leads to ultimate corruption is at play throughout. The whole thing makes it a hoot to look at our current state of the political and the religious where possible good intent can and will sour.

The score by Fajar Yuskemal and Aria Pryogi is just as rattling as Evans intensely well-capture big gore moments. Strings cut through the tension while also creating a melting pot of east, west and everything in between to showcase the variety of folks who have come to call this cult home.

Evans and his team sure as hell know how to kill folks in creative ways and follows the cine-testament of “the worst the person is the harder they have to die.” Apostle constantly doubles-down on its next explosive gore scene by coming up with devilish ways to lay waste to anyone who stands in the way.

Stevens who we genre fans know from The Guest and Legion is in it to win it here. His straight-laced and laudanum-addicted character has room to play, in his near madness. Stevens takes full advantage of this by steering hard into the period piece with a large performance that matches the carnage going on around him.

There is a lot more I want to go into about the more supernatural of the elements at work here, and how that extends deeply into certain brilliant takes on mythology. But its really something that is best experienced rather than discussed here.

Apostle is a ferocious, Lovecraftian experience that pushes the envelope in perilous directions. It’s cast and crew went to work in a scattered evil, gothic folk tale that will leave you with your jaw on the floor in all the genre film loving, best possible ways.

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New Poster Reveal For Nicolas Cage’s Survival Creature Feature ‘Arcadian’ [Trailer]

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Nicolas Cage Arcadian

In the latest cinematic venture featuring Nicolas Cage, Arcadian emerges as a compelling creature feature, teeming with suspense, horror, and emotional depth. RLJE Films has recently released a series of new images and a captivating poster, offering audiences a glimpse into the eerie and thrilling world of “Arcadian”. Scheduled to hit theaters on April 12, 2024, the film will later be available on Shudder and AMC+, ensuring a wide audience can experience its gripping narrative.

Arcadian Movie Trailer

The Motion Picture Association (MPA) has given this film an “R” rating for its “bloody images,” hinting at the visceral and intense experience awaiting viewers. The film draws inspiration from acclaimed horror benchmarks like “A Quiet Place,” weaving a post-apocalyptic tale of a father and his two sons navigating a desolate world. Following a catastrophic event that depopulates the planet, the family faces the dual challenge of surviving their dystopian environment and eluding mysterious nocturnal creatures.

Joining Nicolas Cage in this harrowing journey are Jaeden Martell, known for his role in “IT” (2017), Maxwell Jenkins from “Lost in Space,” and Sadie Soverall, featured in “Fate: The Winx Saga.” Directed by Ben Brewer (“The Trust”) and penned by Mike Nilon (“Braven”), “Arcadian” promises a unique blend of poignant storytelling and electrifying survival horror.

Maxwell Jenkins, Nicolas Cage, and Jaeden Martell 

Critics have already begun to praise “Arcadian” for its imaginative monster designs and exhilarating action sequences, with one review from Bloody Disgusting highlighting the film’s balance between emotional coming-of-age elements and heart-pounding horror. Despite sharing thematic elements with similar genre films, “Arcadian” sets itself apart through its creative approach and action-driven plot, promising a cinematic experience filled with mystery, suspense, and relentless thrills.

Arcadian Official Movie Poster

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‘Winnie the Pooh: Blood and Honey 3’ Is a Go with Enhanced Budget and New Characters

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Winnie the Pooh 3

Wow, they’re churning things out fast! The upcoming sequel “Winnie the Pooh: Blood and Honey 3” is officially moving forward, promising an expanded narrative with a larger budget and the introduction of beloved characters from A.A. Milne’s original tales. As confirmed by Variety, the third installment in the horror franchise will welcome Rabbit, the heffalumps, and the woozles into its dark and twisted narrative.

This sequel is a part of an ambitious cinematic universe that reimagines children’s stories as horror tales. Alongside “Winnie the Pooh: Blood and Honey” and its first sequel, the universe includes films such as “Peter Pan’s Neverland Nightmare”, “Bambi: The Reckoning,” and “Pinocchio Unstrung”. These movies are set to converge in the crossover event “Poohniverse: Monsters Assemble,” slated for a 2025 release.

Winnie the Pooh Poohniverse

The creation of these films was made possible when A.A. Milne’s 1926 children’s book “Winnie-the-Pooh” entered the public domain last year, allowing filmmakers to explore these cherished characters in unprecedented ways. Director Rhys Frake-Waterfield and producer Scott Jeffrey Chambers, of Jagged Edge Productions, have led the charge in this innovative endeavor.

The inclusion of Rabbit, heffalumps, and woozles in the upcoming sequel introduces a new layer to the franchise. In Milne’s original stories, heffalumps are imagined creatures resembling elephants, while woozles are known for their weasel-like characteristics and a penchant for stealing honey. Their roles in the narrative remain to be seen, but their addition promises to enrich the horror universe with deeper connections to the source material.

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How to Watch ‘Late Night with the Devil’ from Home: Dates and Platforms

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Late Night With The Devil

For fans eager to dive into one of this year’s most talked-about horror films from the comfort of their own home, “Late Night with the Devil” will be available for streaming exclusively on Shudder starting April 19, 2024. This announcement has been highly anticipated following the film’s successful theatrical release by IFC Films, which saw it earning rave reviews and a record-breaking opening weekend for the distributor.

“Late Night with the Devil” emerges as a standout horror film, captivating audiences and critics alike, with Stephen King himself offering high praise for the 1977-set film. Starring David Dastmalchian, the movie unfolds on Halloween night during a live late-night talk show broadcast that disastrously unleashes evil across the nation. This found footage-style film not only delivers scares but also authentically captures the aesthetic of the 1970s, drawing viewers into its nightmarish scenario.

David Dastmalchian in Late Night with the Devil

The film’s initial box office success, opening to $2.8 million in 1,034 theaters, underscores its wide appeal and marks the highest opening weekend for an IFC Films release. Critically acclaimed, “Late Night with the Devil” boasts a 96% positive rating on Rotten Tomatoes from 135 reviews, with the consensus praising it for rejuvenating the possession horror genre and showcasing David Dastmalchian’s exceptional performance.

Rotten Tomatoes score as of 3/28/2024

Simon Rother of iHorror.com encapsulates the film’s allure, emphasizing its immersive quality that transports viewers back to the 1970s, making them feel as if they are part of the eerie “Night Owls” Halloween broadcast. Rother lauds the film for its meticulously crafted script and the emotional and shocking journey it takes viewers on, stating, “This whole experience will have viewers of the Cairnes brothers’ film glued to their screen… The script, from beginning to end, is neatly sewn together with an ending that’ll have jaws on the floor.” You can read the full review here.

Rother further encourages audiences to watch the film, highlighting its multifaceted appeal: “Whenever it is made available to you, you must attempt to view the Cairnes Brothers’ latest project as it will make you laugh, it will creep you out, it will amaze you, and it might even strike an emotional cord.”

Set to stream on Shudder on April 19, 2024, “Late Night with the Devil” offers a compelling blend of horror, history, and heart. This film is not just a must-watch for horror aficionados but for anyone looking to be thoroughly entertained and moved by a cinematic experience that redefines the boundaries of its genre.

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