Connect with us

News

Have Horror Fans Become Movie Snobs?

Published

on

I love horror movies. I rarely miss a theatrical release if I can help it, I have a collection of promising trailers saved on YouTube, and waiting for The Babadook to get a US release nearly killed me. I spend entire paychecks on Halloween décor. I write for a website called iHorror. I am a rabid horror fan, which is why it pains me to say

Horror fans are snobs.

Are you rolling your eyes? Do you feel self-righteously indignant? Did you read this out loud to a friend and then insult my mother? Let me just throw a word out at you: remake.

Ridiculous, how could they, what are they thinking, don’t touch it, etc. We’ve all heard it/said it before. We’ve all gotten more than a little crazy when a studio announces a remake of a beloved, or hell, even a universally despised, horror flick. Does anyone else remember the absolute madness than ensued when it was announced (The) Evil Dead would be remade without Ash?

sexyface

Throwing around the R-word with horror fans is generally guaranteed to lead to screaming, yelling, maybe a few tears, and an all-around headache. I definitely count myself among those who have, on occasion, thrown a hissy fit over a movie being redone (ok, but really? How many times do we need to see Carrie? IT NEVER CHANGES) even if the end result is pure gold. “Well, it was good, but it wasn’t nearly as good as the original.” It’s like we have an instinct to arrogantly align ourselves with whatever came first and simultaneously announce to the world that we are so entrenched in our freaky passion that all our devotion has been set aside for “the classics.” By declaring our loyalty, we establish that we are superior enough in our genre knowledge not to be won over by shiny new effects or a fresh spin on an old story. We were there before they became “mainstream.” Even if a remake is more gory, more intense, with better acting and cinematography, we won’t ever turn our backs on The Almighty Original. I agree, sometimes the remake is sucko, but not every time, guys.

fans despairing over admittedly shitty reboot news

And the R-word isn’t the only grenade to be thrown. Although not likely to incense as many fans, “sequel” is another sore subject with many devotees. Not necessarily because we think they shouldn’t be done; after all, Horror is a genre know for it’s franchises as the most arguably notable killers (Myers, Krueger, and Voorhees) each have their own, but because one film clearly has to be a standout, and everyone obviously has their own opinion on which film that is and why, and of course no one can ever agree on which one it is.

Shyamalanian twists? “I saw it coming sooooo stupid #yawn.” A PG-13 rating? “Not unless I’m babysitting LOL.” Seriously, are any other genre fans as uppity as us? To be fair, the seemingly endless amount of sub-genres expand the fan base by a significant amount, which may account for some of the cattiness. In a big ocean, there’s bound to be more than  a few pissed off fish. But at least we’re all in this together, right? Except oh wait! Because we can’t even agree on what Horror is. Psychological-horror, supernatural-horror, B-movie horror, creature features…at some point, the line gets blurry. Not too long ago, several writers from this site had a discussion on whether ‘The Shining’ and ‘The Silence of the Lambs’ were horror. Surprise, surprise: we didn’t all agree.

valid point, or nitpicky?

valid point, or nitpicky?

Personally, I don’t know that “horror” can be defined. It’s more of a “you know it when you see it” kinda thing.  A lot of people have taken to placing horror in a very clearly defined box, with rigid parameters. The rule seems to be: “If it doesn’t scare ME, then it isn’t horror.” And that’s some harsh law to lay down, because I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but everybody is going about this “growing up” business. At some point we start fearing curfews over killers, bills over the Boogeyman, and mortgages over machetes. The fact is, horror demands a suspension of disbelief. It requires us to tap into our inner child and believe that the baddest of bad things are real and they live under our beds.

I do it all the time. I still haven’t seen ‘Ouija‘ because it’s rated PG-13 and I thought I shouldn’t even bother. But every time I watch the trailer, I’m intrigued. I need to check my own ridiculous prejudices, because there’s an extensive list of PG-13 movies that I’ve really enjoyed, and I definitely don’t want to miss out on a potential goldmine. ‘When a Stranger Calls’ is one of my favorite movies to throw on when I’m home alone. ‘Insidious’, ‘The Possession’, ‘They’…there’s a lot to be appreciated out there if we chill the fuck out and just enjoy these movies for what they are: someone’s version of a campfire story. Let’s sit back, shut up for once, and enjoy the “Boo!”

c'mon, guys, can't we just love each other?

c’mon, guys, can’t we just love each other?

Except for ‘As Above, So Below’ because what the shitty shit shitburgers was that bullshit?

Sorry. Old habits.

'Civil War' Review: Is It Worth Watching?

1 Comment

You must be logged in to post a comment Login

Leave a Reply

Movies

The Original ‘Beetlejuice’ Sequel Had an Interesting Location

Published

on

beetlejuice in Hawaii Movie

Back in the late ’80s and early ’90s sequels to hit movies weren’t as linear as they are today. It was more like “let’s re-do the situation but in a different location.” Remember Speed 2, or National Lampoon’s European Vacation? Even Aliens, as good as it is, follows a lot of the plot points of the original; people stuck on a ship, an android, a little girl in peril instead of a cat. So it makes sense that one of the most popular supernatural comedies of all time, Beetlejuice would follow the same pattern.

In 1991 Tim Burton was interested in doing a sequel to his 1988 original, it was called Beetlejuice Goes Hawaiian:

“The Deetz family moves to Hawaii to develop a resort. Construction begins, and it’s quickly discovered that the hotel will be sitting on top of an ancient burial ground. Beetlejuice comes in to save the day.”

Burton liked the script but wanted some re-writes so he asked then-hot screenwriter Daniel Waters who had just got done contributing to Heathers. He passed on the opportunity so producer David Geffen offered it to Troop Beverly Hills scribe Pamela Norris to no avail.

Eventually, Warner Bros. asked Kevin Smith to punch up Beetlejuice Goes Hawaiian, he scoffed at the idea, saying, “Didn’t we say all we needed to say in the first Beetlejuice? Must we go tropical?”

Nine years later the sequel was killed. The studio said Winona Ryder was now too old for the part and an entire re-cast needed to happen. But Burton never gave up, there were a lot of directions he wanted to take his characters, including a Disney crossover.

“We talked about lots of different things,” the director said in Entertainment Weekly. “That was early on when we were going, Beetlejuice and the Haunted MansionBeetlejuice Goes West, whatever. Lots of things came up.”

Fast-forward to 2011 when another script was pitched for a sequel. This time the writer of Burton’s Dark Shadows,  Seth Grahame-Smith was hired and he wanted to make sure the story wasn’t a cash-grabbing remake or reboot. Four years later, in 2015, a script was approved with both Ryder and Keaton saying they would return to their respective roles. In 2017 that script was revamped and then eventually shelved in 2019.

During the time the sequel script was being tossed around in Hollywood, in 2016 an artist named Alex Murillo posted what looked like one-sheets for a Beetlejuice sequel. Although they were fabricated and had no affiliation with Warner Bros. people thought they were real.

Perhaps the virality of the artwork sparked interest in a Beetlejuice sequel once again, and finally, it was confirmed in 2022 Beetlejuice 2 had a green light from a script written by Wednesday writers  Alfred Gough and Miles Millar. The star of that series Jenna Ortega signed on to the new movie with filming starting in 2023. It was also confirmed that Danny Elfman would return to do the score.

Burton and Keaton agreed that the new film titled Beetlejuice, Beetlejuice wouldn’t rely on CGI or other other forms of technology. They wanted the film to feel “handmade.” The film wrapped in November 2023.

It’s been over three decades to come up with a sequel to Beetlejuice. Hopefully, since they said aloha to Beetlejuice Goes Hawaiian there has been enough time and creativity to ensure Beetlejuice, Beetlejuice will not only honor the characters, but fans of the original.

Beetlejuice, Beetlejuice will open theatrically on September 6.

'Civil War' Review: Is It Worth Watching?

Continue Reading

News

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

Published

on

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. “

'Civil War' Review: Is It Worth Watching?

Continue Reading

Movies

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

Published

on

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.

'Civil War' Review: Is It Worth Watching?

Continue Reading