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Incredible Horror Props Go Up For Auction
You can take your horror movie fandom to the next level with these actual props from some of your favorite films. Heritage Auctions is a collectibles auctioneer house selling movie memorabilia from classic movies.
Keep in mind these things aren’t cheap, so unless you’ve got a surplus of money in your bank account you may want to take heed. But it sure is fun to browse through what they have to offer, knowing that some lots contain iconic props used in classic films. Make sure to review the descriptions carefully, as they differentiate between ‘Hero’ items, which are used on screen, and others that are original reproductions. We have selected a few items from their website to showcase below.
Bram Stoker’s Dracula Vlad the Impaler red armor display figure with a current bid of $4,400.
Bram Stoker’s Dracula (Columbia, 1992), Gary Oldman “Vlad the Impaler” Red Armor Display Figure. Original reproduction armor made from molded fiberglass components covering a ribbed, cotton body suit with separate arm extensions. Armor includes full head helmet and corresponding plate guards. Display figure features a foam body with wire armature mounted on a wooden support platform for easy display. It measures approx. 71″ x 28″ x 11″ (wood base to mask horns). The figure is dressed in the iconic red armor that Vlad/Dracula (Gary Oldman) wore at the beginning of the Francis Ford Coppola film. Exhibits display wear, chipping in fiberglass pieces, detached components, cracking, discoloration and general age. Special shipping arrangements will apply. Obtained from technical advisor Christopher Gilman. Comes with a COA from Heritage Auctions.
The Shining (Warner Bros., 1980), Jack Nicholson “Jack Torrance” Hero Axe. Vintage original hero axe from Stanley Kubrick’s horror classic film. Jack Nicholson famously wields this axe in a quintessential horror sequence, as he murders Dick Hallorann (Scatman Crothers), terrorizes his wife Wendy Torrance (Shelley Duvall) hacking through the bathroom door, and stalks his son Danny (Danny Lloyd) through the Overlook Hotel’s snowy maze. This custom axe was ground and polished by the studio to accentuate light reflection for dramatic effect. Axe measures 35.5″ in length and axe head is 11.5″ wide.
During the iconic bathroom sequence, over Wendy’s screams, the camera cuts towards the door in close-up, as Jack tears through the wood, and delivers one of the most famous lines in cinema history, “Heeeeere’s Johnny!” – a line the actor ad-libbed in the moment of shooting. Adding to the scene’s terror is director Stanley Kubrick’s choice to whip-pan the camera towards the door – timed perfectly to Nicholson’s axe swings. As the legend goes, 60 takes were needed before Kubrick was satisfied with the door-hacking sequence. Exhibits production wear, including scuffing and abrasions in the wooden handle near the axe head. Obtained from Bapty & Co. Comes with a COA from Heritage Auctions.
Jurassic Park (Universal, 1993), Wayne Knight “Dennis Nedry” Hero Dinosaur Embryo Cryogenic Smuggling Device. Original hero cryogenic containment prop disguised as a can of Barbasol shaving cream measuring 6.25″ tall and 8.25″ in circumference constructed of milled metal, aluminum and plastic with branded decals and labeling. Comprised of (2) main components including (1) faux Barbasol can sleeve with plastic cap and exterior company branding fashioned of thin aluminum with a milled aluminum interior cap to perfectly house (1), cryogenic containment unit measuring 4.5″ tall, hand-milled from aluminum and featuring a rotating base with a rubber O-ring seal for fitting to the aluminum sheath and 2-circular metal rings around a central metal stem with 10-holes each to house plastic conical vessels. Included are seven labeled embryo vials reading:
TR-1.024 (Tyrannosaurus Rex)
VR-1.011 (Velociraptor)
BA-1.034 (Brachiosaurus)
PR-2.012 (Proceratosaurus)
PA-3.011 (possibly Parasaurolophus)
PA-2.065 (possibly Parasaurolophus)
HE-1.0135 (possibly Herrasaurus)
Designed to hold and preserve dinosaur embryos for 36 hours, the can is highly visible early in the film as Dennis Nedry (Wayne Knight) meets with his Biosyn contact, Lewis Dodgson (Cameron Thor), who gives him the can and explains its features while devising a plan to steal dinosaur DNA samples from John Hammond’s (Richard Attenborough) InGen. Later in the film, Nedry uses the can as he infiltrates the cold storage facility on Isla Nubar and secures the DNA samples. The can is ultimately lost as it falls from Nedry’s jeep, washed away in churning mud when the deceitful computer programmer meets his demise in the jaws of a Dilophosaurus. Chosen by Art Director John Bell, the Barbasol brand can was a perfect fit for its aesthetics and instant recognizability which would help it stick out in its scenes and draw the audiences’ eyes. Since the film’s 1993 release, Barbasol, and their can’s classic design, have become synonymous with the Jurassic Park franchise. Exhibits production and display wear with scuffing to the finish, oxidation across the metal components, color fading, and adhesive loosening to the vial’s labels. Vials contain remnants of the clear yellowish liquid used to fill them during production, with the “PR-2.012” vial missing its cap. Comes with a COA from Heritage Auction.
Hocus Pocus (Walt Disney, 1993), Bette Midler “Winifred Sanderson” Static Book of Spells. Original static Book of Spells measuring 14″ x 10″ x 3.5″ constructed of lightweight wood, dense foam rubber, metal and other multimedia materials. Features intricately detailed features, including a cover and spine made of wood but finished with a foam rubber exterior, designed to mimic human flesh bound with twine stitching. Adorned with a closed-lidded eye, silver serpents with plastic jeweled eyes, and a metal clasp that displays a molded claw and eye relief with a plastic yellow jewel. The interior pages are crafted from dense foam rubber, molded and painted to resemble ancient, worn paper.
This prop was primarily used in the film by the character Winifred Sanderson (Bette Midler), who affectionately refers to it as “Book.” The Book of Spells, a sentient book of magic, had various behind-the-scenes versions and builds, including lightweight static versions like this one. These were utilized in scenes where the book needed to be carried or held without requiring animatronics or the ability to be opened and read from. Integral to the film’s whimsical special effects, the Book of Spells has become not only an iconic prop but also a beloved character among fans of this classic Halloween-themed classic. Exhibits production and display use with light scuffing to the paint, chipping and aging typical of foam rubber, and three drill holes located on the back at the center, top left, and bottom left corners – which were used for previous display and placement. Obtained from Walt Disney Pictures. Comes with a COA from Heritage Auctions.
All images courtesy of Heritage Auctions
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Thrills and Chills: Ranking ‘Radio Silence’ Films from Bloody Brilliant to Just Bloody
Matt Bettinelli-Olpin, Tyler Gillett, and Chad Villella are all filmmakers under the collective label called Radio Silence. Bettinelli-Olpin and Gillett are the primary directors under that moniker while Villella produces.
They have gained popularity over the past 13 years and their films have become known as having a certain Radio Silence “signature.” They are bloody, usually contain monsters, and have breakneck action sequences. Their recent film Abigail exemplifies that signature and is perhaps their best film yet. They are currently working on a reboot of John Carpenter’s Escape From New York.
We thought we would go through the list of projects they have directed and rank them from high to low. None of the movies and shorts on this list are bad, they all have their merits. These rankings from top to bottom are just ones we felt showcased their talents the best.
We didn’t include movies they produced but didn’t direct.
#1. Abigail
An update to the second film on this list, Abagail is the natural progression of Radio Silence’s love of lockdown horror. It follows in pretty much the same footsteps of Ready or Not, but manages to go one better — make it about vampires.
#2. Ready or Not
This film put Radio Silence on the map. While not as successful at the box office as some of their other films, Ready or Not proved that the team could step outside their limited anthology space and create a fun, thrilling, and bloody adventure-length film.
#3. Scream (2022)
While Scream will always be a polarizing franchise, this prequel, sequel, reboot — however you want to label it showed just how much Radio Silence knew the source material. It wasn’t lazy or cash-grabby, just a good time with legendary characters we love and new ones who grew on us.
#4 Southbound (The Way Out)
Radio Silence tosses their found footage modus operandi for this anthology film. Responsible for the bookend stories, they create a terrifying world in their segment titled The Way Out, which involves strange floating beings and some sort of time loop. It’s kind of the first time we see their work without a shaky cam. If we were to rank this entire film, it would remain at this position on the list.
#5. V/H/S (10/31/98)
The film that started it all for Radio Silence. Or should we say the segment that started it all. Even though this isn’t feature-length what they managed to do with the time they had was very good. Their chapter was titled 10/31/98, a found-footage short involving a group of friends who crash what they think is a staged exorcism only to learn not to assume things on Halloween night.
#6. Scream VI
Cranking up the action, moving to the big city and letting Ghostface use a shotgun, Scream VI turned the franchise on its head. Like their first one, this film played with canon and managed to win over a lot of fans in its direction, but alienated others for coloring too far outside the lines of Wes Craven’s beloved series. If any sequel was showing how the trope was going stale it was Scream VI, but it managed to squeeze some fresh blood out of this nearly three-decade mainstay.
#7. Devil’s Due
Fairly underrated, this, Radio Silence’s first feature-length film, is a sampler of things they took from V/H/S. It was filmed in an omnipresent found footage style, showcasing a form of possession, and features clueless men. Since this was their first bonafide major studio job it’s a wonderful touchstone to see how far they have come with their storytelling.
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Editorial
7 Great ‘Scream’ Fan Films & Shorts Worth a Watch
The Scream franchise is such an iconic series, that many budding filmmakers take inspiration from it and make their own sequels or, at least, build upon the original universe created by screenwriter Kevin Williamson. YouTube is the perfect medium to showcase these talents (and budgets) with fan-made homages with their own personal twists.
The great thing about Ghostface is that he can appear anywhere, in any town, he just needs the signature mask, knife, and unhinged motive. Thanks to Fair Use laws it’s possible to expand upon Wes Craven’s creation by simply getting a group of young adults together and killing them off one by one. Oh, and don’t forget the twist. You’ll notice that Roger Jackson’s famous Ghostface voice is uncanny valley, but you get the gist.
We have gathered five fan films/shorts related to Scream that we thought were pretty good. Although they can’t possibly match the beats of a $33 million blockbuster, they get by on what they have. But who needs money? If you’re talented and motivated anything is possible as proven by these filmmakers who are well on their way to the big leagues.
Take a look at the below films and let us know what you think. And while you’re at it, leave these young filmmakers a thumbs up, or leave them a comment to encourage them to create more films. Besides, where else are you going to see Ghostface vs. a Katana all set to a hip-hop soundtrack?
Scream Live (2023)
Ghostface (2021)
Ghost Face (2023)
Don’t Scream (2022)
Scream: A Fan Film (2023)
The Scream (2023)
A Scream Fan Film (2023)
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Lists
Horror Movies Releasing This Month – April 2024 [Trailers]
With only six months until Halloween, it is surprising how many horror movies will be released in April. People are still scratching their heads as to why Late Night With the Devil wasn’t an October release since it has that theme already built in. But who’s complaining? Certainly not us.
In fact, we are elated because we are getting a vampire movie from Radio Silence, a prequel to an honored franchise, not one, but two monster spider movies, and a film directed by David Cronenberg’s other child.
It’s a lot. So we have provided you with a list of movies with help from the internet, their synopsis from IMDb, and when and where they will drop. The rest is up to your scrolling finger. Enjoy!
The First Omen: In theaters April 5
A young American woman is sent to Rome to begin a life of service to the church, but encounters a darkness that causes her to question her faith and uncovers a terrifying conspiracy that hopes to bring about the birth of evil incarnate.
Monkey Man: In theaters April 5
An anonymous young man unleashes a campaign of vengeance against the corrupt leaders who murdered his mother and continue to systemically victimize the poor and powerless.
Sting: In theaters April 12
After raising an unnervingly talented spider in secret, 12-year-old Charlotte must face the facts about her pet-and fight for her family’s survival-when the once-charming creature rapidly transforms into a giant, flesh-eating monster.
In Flames: In theaters April 12
After the death of the family patriarch, a mother and daughter’s precarious existence is ripped apart. They must find strength in each other if they are to survive the malevolent forces that threaten to engulf them.
Abigail: In Theaters April 19
After a group of criminals kidnap the ballerina daughter of a powerful underworld figure, they retreat to an isolated mansion, unaware that they’re locked inside with no normal little girl.
The Night of the Harvest: In theaters April 19
Aubrey and her friends go geocaching in the woods behind an old cornfield where they are trapped and hunted by a masked woman in white.
Humane: In theaters April 26
In the wake of an environmental collapse that is forcing humanity to shed 20% of its population, a family dinner erupts into chaos when a father’s plan to enlist in the government’s new euthanasia program goes horribly awry.
Civil War: In theaters April 12
A journey across a dystopian future America, following a team of military-embedded journalists as they race against time to reach DC before rebel factions descend upon the White House.
Cinderella’s Revenge: In select theaters April 26
Cinderella summons her fairy godmother from an ancient flesh-bound book to get revenge on her evil stepsisters and stepmother who abuse her daily.
Other horror movies on streaming:
Bag of Lies VOD April 2
Desperate to save his dying wife, Matt turns to The Bag, an ancient relic with dark magic. The cure demands a chilling ritual and strict rules. As his wife heals, Matt’s sanity unravels, facing terrifying consequences.
Black Out VOD April 12
A Fine Arts painter is convinced that he is a werewolf wreaking havoc on a small American town under the full moon.
Baghead on Shudder and AMC+ on April 5
A young woman inherits a run-down pub and discovers a dark secret within its basement – Baghead – a shape-shifting creature that will let you speak to lost loved ones, but not without consequence.
Infested: on Shudder April 26
Residents of a rundown French apartment building battle against an army of deadly, rapidly reproducing spiders.
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