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Horror Pride Month: Writer/Director Marc Cartwright

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Marc Cartwright

There are few things writer and director Marc Cartwright loves more than a good suspenseful horror film with a well-placed twist, and anyone who has seen one of his films knows he’s very good at creating them.

The co-owner of Glass Cabin Films has a handful of short films that have won major awards at festivals around the world including Best Director at last year’s iHorror Film Festival. Though he’s constantly working, he took some time out of his busy schedule to chat with me for Horror Pride Month, a celebration of LGBTQ creatives working in horror.

“I’ve always loved horror movies,” he explained as we began. “Horror movies tell another side of life. They’re the parts of life that we sometimes think about, but hope we don’t see playing out in front of us. I’ve always seen them as a way to explore the darker sides or the twists in life. I think my first inspiration for that would be more like the Alfred Hitchcock type. Things are going along seemingly fine and then there’s that sort of horrific twist.”

If suspense and tension are your cup of tea, there are few filmmakers who ever did that better than Hitchcock, and Cartwright said that Rope particularly stands out for him.

“For a film to occur in one room and to have you on the edge of your seat the entire time? That’s really hard to do,” he said, and anyone who has seen the film is sure to agree.

Cartwright with his iHorror Award which he won for Best Director at the 2019 iHorror Film Festival.

Still, loving horror films and making them are two different monsters. Cartwright was primarily a photographer, and until he met his business partner–actor and co-owner of Glass Cabin Films Baker Chase Powell–he had not entirely considered filmmaking as a creative outlet.

“Baker was doing a web series,” Cartwright said. “I saw what they did in their first go at it, and I thought I could make it look better. So I said, ‘Let me try the cinematography on this.’ We did that and I ended up directing it. And then Baker and I were talking and I said, ‘We should do more of this. Let’s make some short films.’ We both had a love of horror, and that sort of started that whole process.”

Cartwright is still a photographer but since the decision was made, he’s been developing his voice as a director, and you can see that progression watching his work.

The director said he loves looking at characters who are in some sort of downward spiral, pointing to his film We Die Alone as an example.

In that film, Powell plays Aidan, a young man with crippling insecurities who craves connection, but who compulsively ghosts every woman he meets on dating apps out of fear. When he meets Chelsea, a young woman who moves into the apartment across the hall from him, he finds himself dangerously obsessed with her which leads to an brutal, emotional ending you have to see to believe.

“I love watching that kind of character play out,” he explained. “Someone I like who does that a lot would be like Daron Aranofsky in his movies. Black Swan and The Wrestler or even like mother!, someone trying to get stability in this crazy situation.”

On the set of We Die Alone

Cartwright says he’s also learned a great deal about collaboration and sharing control by working in film.

“It’s definitely been an adventure, and it’s been a learning process for me,” he said. “Learning to hand off something and trust that someone is going to do it with integrity. You learn how to get what you need while still empowering people. You want it to be a collaboration.”

Clarifying his voice as a director has also helped to focus his thoughts on LGBTQ representation within the horror genre and filmmaking in general, and looking back on his own coming out as a gay man, points him toward a future he hopes that every member of the LBGTQ community can experience.

“I was fortunate. It wasn’t a negative experience for me,” Cartwright said. “I know a lot of people go through so much whether it’s an unsupportive family or a bad environment. It’s scary when you realize who you are in that kind of situation, but I didn’t really have that pushback that I know a lot of people have.”

And where the film and television world is concerned, he hopes that we can leave behind some of the tired tropes that have plagues so many queer characters in the past.

“I think a lot of LGBT films and characters before now were always about the same thing,” he pointed out. “It was always either sexually driven or they were experiencing some personal crisis around coming out all the time. I think now, it’s time to create shows that show that LGBT people are just like everyone else. We aren’t all either dying or constantly clubbing. They say Hollywood is opening up and telling more diverse stories, but I find that they still act like they have to tell you if they’re doing a show about a Latin person or a black person or gay person. They feel like they have to underline that point heavily, but in my experience people don’t live their lives like that.”

That sort of normalized representation both inside and outside of the genre is something many of us in the community are striving toward and having a filmmaker like Cartwright on the front lines of that feels like the work is actually being done.

To see some of Marc Cartwright’s film work, check out the Glass Cabin Films YouTube Channel.

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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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