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‘Gehenna: Where Death Lives’ – Indie Horror Movie is a Practical Effects Masterpiece

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You have got to see this! As I was killing time doing my weekly scroll of Kickstarter (KS) my eyes immediately halted at a project called GEHENNA: Where Death Lives. Maybe it was the eerie image of a decrepit humanoid creature, or the wording used in the opening statements that grabbed my interest, I’m not sure. What was obvious to me from the get-go, is that this is not your ordinary KS project.

Here at the iHorror.com offices, the gang will discuss new crowd-funded projects at length on a daily basis. Mainly due to the fact that horror is a prominent genre within these circles and after all they give us movies like The Babadook. Unfortunately, there are a lot of duds on said communities that never come to fruition. But I believe GEHENNA: Where Death Lives is going to make its mark in the horror world.  The mainstream industry giants who have never before worried about the little man should pay attention to this up-and-coming ensemble of movie makers.

Hiroshi Katagiri with one of his creations

The brains behind it all is Hiroshi Katagiri (image above) and he is a legend in the practical effects world; combining sculpting, makeup, and classic on-screen effects to get a “realer than real” result. Katagiri, having worked as the special effects guy on movies such as The Hunger Games and Cabin in the woods (see image above), and rubbing elbows with legends like Steven Spielberg,  clearly feels it is his time to take to the seat and show his peers how it is done. Check out his IMDb here.

Reading further on into the project info on KS, I was delighted with another little gem. Clearly GEHENNA: Where Death Lives is a horror movie with great practical effects – which means creatures of some sort, and who better to embody the characteristics of such a creature? None other than Doug Jones!  I am a huge fan of Doug’s work and if you don’t know who I am referring to, shame on you, as you sure as hell would have seen a creature he has played. He’s in Pan’s Labyrinth, Hellboy, Fantastic Four, Men in Black 2, and the list goes on.

Doug Jones in makeup

(Image above is Mike Elizalde, owner of Spectral Motion, working on Jones as The Creepy Old Man, as Hiroshi looks on. Mike and Spectral Motion are both fully on board with the film.)

Finally, the plot for this film sounds original, not a spin on something we have already seen.  If you look at Hiroshi’s bio pages, he really has a grip on what makes a good movie and just as importantly what makes it scary.  And he is clear on the point that you do NOT need excess gore and vulgarity to scare people, instead, you immerse your audience in the story with uses of traditional techniques; the scares will come from his ability to bring his creatures to life with practical effects, not computer ones.

Personally, after reading the info on the Kickstarter page I am excited to see what is made of this project. With a few hundred backers already I have no doubt it will reach its goal.  If you would like to be part of Hiroshi and the team’s creation, get your ass over to the KS page and back the project.  You might even get a sculpture of your own head done personally by Hiroshi himself.

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Childhood Memories Collide in New Horror Film ‘Poohniverse: Monsters Assemble’

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It looks like ITN Studious and Jagged Edge Productions are going the Avengers: Infinity War route with their upcoming film Poohniverse: Monsters Assemble. From the deranged mind of Rhys Frake-Waterfield (Winnie the Pooh: Blood and Honey) comes this belligerent mash up of beloved childhood icons.

According to an article out of Variety today, Poohniverse: Monsters Assemble will consist of Winnie the Pooh, Bambi, Tinkerbell, Pinocchio, Peter Pan, Tigger, Piglet, The Mad Hatter, and Sleeping Beauty. All of these iconic figured will be warped into nightmarish versions of their former selves. Poohniverse: Monsters Assemble is set to be released upon the world sometime in 2025.

Poohniverse

Actor-producer Scott Chambers (Malevolent) had the following to say about Poohniverse: Monsters Assemble. “As horror fans, we would love an Avengers that is all villains. It’d have Freddy Krueger, Jason, ‘Halloween,’ ‘Scream,’ all of those. Obviously that will never happen, but we can make it happen in our own little way, and that’s where this film has been born.”

Poohniverse: Monsters Assemble will be a part of The Twisted Childhood Universe. Just like the MCU, each character will first get a standalone film. After introductions are made, they will be reunited in an Avengers style film. Although they will be killing off the survivors from the previous films, they won’t be working together.

Chambers describes this as an “epic sequences of monster vs. monster.” And I don’t know what more fans could ask of the studio. This fantastical idea is a huge risk but Poohniverse: Monsters Assemble sounds amazing.

That’s all the information we have at this time. Check back here for more updates on Poohniverse: Monsters Assemble. If you haven’t already, check out the trailer for Winnie the Pooh: Blood and Honey 2 below.

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Blumhouse’s ‘The Wolf Man’ Reboot Kicks Off Production with Leigh Whannell at the Helm

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Blumhouse Productions has officially commenced filming its reboot of the Universal Monsters legend, “Wolf Man”. Under the direction of Leigh Whannell, known for his acclaimed work on “The Invisible Man” (2020), the project promises to breathe new life into the iconic tale. The film is slated for a theatrical release on October 25th, marking a new chapter in the storied franchise.

Wolf Man

The journey of a “Wolf Man” reboot began in 2020 when actor Ryan Gosling presented a fresh take on the classic story to Universal. This concept quickly evolved into a screenplay crafted by the talented duo Lauren Schuker Blum and Rebecca Angelo, who are known for their work on “Orange Is the New Black,” alongside contributions from Whannell and Corbett Tuck. The narrative is set in contemporary times, drawing inspiration from the atmospheric tension of Jake Gyllenhaal’s “Nightcrawler,” albeit with a distinct supernatural twist.

The film has seen its share of directorial and casting shifts, with Whannell initially signing on to direct in 2020, only to step away and then return to the project after Ryan Gosling and director Derek Cianfrance exited. The lead roles have been filled by Christopher Abbott and Julia Garner, both of whom bring significant talent to the screen. Abbott portrays a man whose family faces the terror of a lethal predator, with Garner likely playing his wife, sharing in the familial peril. The storyline also hints at a daughter named Ginger, adding a layer of depth to the family’s harrowing experience.

Julia Garner and Christopher Abbott

This reboot represents a collaboration between Blumhouse and Motel Movies, with Jason Blum producing. Ryan Gosling remains involved as an executive producer, alongside Ken Kao, Bea Sequeira, Mel Turner, and Whannell himself. The announcement of the film’s production start was made by Jason Blum, who shared an exciting glimpse of Whannell on set, signaling the beginning of what is hoped to be a memorable addition to the horror genre.

As the “Wolf Man” reboot moves forward, fans and newcomers alike are eager to see how this modern interpretation will pay homage to its roots while offering a fresh and thrilling experience. With a talented cast and crew at the helm, the film is poised to reintroduce the timeless tale of transformation and terror to a new generation.

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‘Immaculate’ Stars Reveal Which Horror Villains They Would “F, Marry, Kill”

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Sydney Sweeney is just coming off the success of her rom-com Anyone But You, but she’s ditching the love story for a horror story in her latest film Immaculate.

Sweeney is taking Hollywood by storm, portraying everything from a love-lusting teenager in Euphoria to an accidental superhero in Madame Web. Although the latter got a lot of hate among theater-goers, Immaculate is getting the polar opposite.

The film was screened at SXSW this past week and was well-received. It also gained a reputation for being extremely gory. Derek Smith of Slant says the, “final act contains some of the most twisted, gory violence this particular subgenre of horror has seen in years…”

Thankfully curious horror movie fans won’t have to wait long to see for themselves what Smith is talking about as Immaculate will hit theaters across the United States on March, 22.

Bloody Disgusting says that the movie’s distributor NEON, in a bit of marketing smarts, had stars Sydney Sweeney and Simona Tabasco play a game of “F, Marry, Kill” in which all their choices had to be horror movie villains.

It’s an interesting question, and you might be surprised at their answers. So colorful are their responses that YouTube slapped an age-restricted rating on the video.

Immaculate is a religious horror movie that NEON says stars Sweeney, “as Cecilia, an American nun of devout faith, embarking on a new journey in a remote convent in the picturesque Italian countryside. Cecilia’s warm welcome quickly devolves into a nightmare as it becomes clear her new home harbors a sinister secret and unspeakable horrors.”

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