News

Horror Short, Tailypo, is Fearfully Charming

Published

9 years ago

August 23, 2015

Over the last couple of years, I have become a big fan of short form horror films. Like a great short story and its novel counterpart, the form allows for a chilling tale to be told, generally in under a half hour, that encompasses everything a feature length film offers in a fraction of the time. It’s not an easy feat when one considers everything that must be accomplished in that brief period of time. Most shorts seem to go for the jump scare or a big shock to get its point across. There is nothing wrong with this and I enjoy them as much as any other, but every once in a blue moon, a horror short comes along that manages to captivate and intrigue the imagination. Cameron McCasland’s new short film, Tailypo, manages to do just that.

McCasland went way back into the folklore of the Appalachian Mountains to bring us the tale of an old man and his faithful dog who happen upon something not so natural in the woods outside their cabin. The old man is hungry and game has been scarce. His eyesight is failing him so when he sees something wandering about in the woods, he fires at the creature hoping for a decent meal. He and the dog scramble forward to see what they’ve bagged, only to find a tail lying on the ground. He examines it and decides there is enough meat on the tail to make a stew and heads back to his cabin. As night closes in, he and his dog enjoy the stew and settle in to bed, not knowing that the creature is coming back for his tail and will have it one way or another.

As I said before, this is an old tale from the Appalachian region of the United States but one the managed to travel to a campfire in Texas when I was a boy. I remember it scaring me to death and I couldn’t help but imagine the voice in the night as Tailypo looked for his missing tail. McCasland’s film stays true to the legend. Tailypo is described variously as a cat or dog like creature with glowing eyes and razor sharp teeth. It’s certainly not a creature you want to piss off.

That’s not the only throw back to this film, however. There is a certain “Tales from the Crypt” feel to the story and the way that it is filmed. I half expected the Cryptkeeper to show up to finish out the tale after its explosive ending and I mean that in the best possible way. As the credits rolled by at the end, I was filled with a feeling of nostalgia. Too many of these stories no longer get passed on and that, as my mother would say, is a crying shame.

Tailypo will be releasing soon and making its way to computer screens and film festivals near you in no time, and this is what I encourage you to do. Get your kids, nieces, nephews, (anyone over the age of say 8) together. Build a blanket fort. Tell a few ghost stories, and then turn on Tailypo just before turning the lights out for bed. Then sneak back in and whisper, “Tailypo, tailypo…who has my tailypo” and watch them come unglued. It’s what we did when we were kids and that needs to be passed on to the next generation.

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News

Netflix Releases First BTS ‘Fear Street: Prom Queen’ Footage

Published

16 hours ago

April 30, 2024

Timothy Rawles

It’s been three long years since Netflix unleashed the bloody, but enjoyable Fear Street on its platform. Released in a tryptic fashion, the streamer broke up the story into three episodes, each taking place in a different decade which by the finale were all tied together.

Now, the streamer is in production for its sequel Fear Street: Prom Queen which brings the story into the 80s. Netflix gives a synopsis of what to expect from Prom Queen on their blog site Tudum:

“Welcome back to Shadyside. In this next installment of the blood-soaked Fear Street franchise, prom season at Shadyside High is underway and the school’s wolfpack of It Girls is busy with its usual sweet and vicious campaigns for the crown. But when a gutsy outsider is unexpectedly nominated to the court, and the other girls start mysteriously disappearing, the class of ’88 is suddenly in for one hell of a prom night.”

Based on R.L. Stine’s massive series of Fear Street novels and spin-offs, this chapter is number 15 in the series and was published in 1992.

FEAR STREET: PROM QUEEN IS NOW IN PRODUCTION 🩸 Welcome to Shadyside High. We're gonna have a killer time. pic.twitter.com/jDl0zRa2CH
— Netflix (@netflix) April 30, 2024

Fear Street: Prom Queen features a killer ensemble cast, including India Fowler (The Nevers, Insomnia), Suzanna Son (Red Rocket, The Idol), Fina Strazza (Paper Girls, Above the Shadows), David Iacono (The Summer I Turned Pretty, Cinnamon), Ella Rubin (The Idea of You), Chris Klein (Sweet Magnolias, American Pie), Lili Taylor (Outer Range, Manhunt) and Katherine Waterston (The End We Start From, Perry Mason).

No word on when Netflix will drop the series into its catalog.

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News

Live Action Scooby-Doo Reboot Series In Works at Netflix

Published

17 hours ago

April 30, 2024

Timothy Rawles

The ghosthunting Great Dane with an anxiety problem, Scooby-Doo, is getting a reboot and Netflix is picking up the tab. Variety is reporting that the iconic show is becoming an hour-long series for the streamer although no details have been confirmed. In fact, Netflix execs declined to comment.

If the project is a go, this would be the first live-action movie based on the Hanna-Barbera cartoon since 2018’s Daphne & Velma. Before that, there were two theatrical live-action movies, Scooby-Doo (2002) and Scooby-Doo 2: Monsters Unleashed (2004), then two sequels that premiered on The Cartoon Network.

Currently, the adult-oriented Velma is streaming on Max.

Scooby-Doo originated in 1969 under the creative team Hanna-Barbera. The cartoon follows a group of teenagers who investigate supernatural happenings. Known as Mystery Inc., the crew consists of Fred Jones, Daphne Blake, Velma Dinkley, and Shaggy Rogers, and his best friend, a talking dog named Scooby-Doo.

Normally the episodes revealed the hauntings they encountered were hoaxes developed by land-owners or other nefarious characters hoping to scare people away from their properties. The original TV series named Scooby-Doo, Where Are You! ran from 1969 to 1986. It was so successful that movie stars and pop culture icons would make guest appearances as themselves in the series.

Celebrities such as Sonny & Cher, KISS, Don Knotts, and The Harlem Globetrotters made cameos as did Vincent Price who portrayed Vincent Van Ghoul in a few episodes.

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News

BET Releasing New Original Thriller: The Deadly Getaway

Published

17 hours ago

April 30, 2024

Cameron McFarland

BET will soon be offering horror fans a rare treat. The studio has announced the official release date for their new original thriller, The Deadly Getaway. Directed by Charles Long (The Trophy Wife), this thriller sets up a heart racing game of cat and mouse for audiences to sink their teeth into.

Wanting to break up the monotony of their routine, Hope and Jacob set off to spend their vacation at a simple cabin in the woods. However, things go sideways when Hope’s ex-boyfriend shows up with a new girl at the same campsite. Things soon spiral out of control. Hope and Jacob must now work together to escape the woods with their lives.

The Deadly Getaway is written by Eric Dickens (Makeup X Breakup) and Chad Quinn (Reflections of US). The Film stars, Yandy Smith-Harris (Two Days in Harlem), Jason Weaver (The Jacksons: An American Dream), and Jeff Logan (My Valentine Wedding).

Showrunner Tressa Azarel Smallwood had the following to say about the project. “The Deadly Getaway is the perfect reintroduction to classic thrillers, which encompass dramatic twists, and spine-chilling moments. It showcases the range and diversity of emerging Black writers across genres of film and television.”

The Deadly Getaway will premiere on 5.9.2024, exclusively ion BET+.