News
Kevin Smith Wants to Direct Universal’s ‘Creature from the Black Lagoon’
Universal Studios’ Dark Universe is off to a rocky start. Rumors say that the Dark Universe production offices are a ghost town with most of the projects being “postponed or “possibly canceled.” The future for Universal to establish a monster cinematic universe looks grim.
However, not everyone is so pessimistic towards the possibilities of Dark Universe. Writer and director Kevin Smith spoke about his interest in tackling one of the Universal monsters on his podcast Fatman on Batman. Smith goes on to say:
“I’ll do one! If they want me to do Creature from the Black Lagoon. I would do that in a fuckin’ heartbeat! That would be amazing. I don’t know what the story would be, but I would tell you this much Creature from the Black Lagoon from the guy who made TUSK at the budget of TUSK? I would see that fucking movie. Then again, I saw TUSK too and I was alone when I saw it so…”
Most of the mainstream movie audience may know Kevin Smith as more of a personality from his many convention and Q&A appearances, as well as for his slicker comedies such as Dogma, Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back, and of course the movie that started it all; Clerks. Yet what you may not know is he has experience, passion and the ability to craft a solid creature feature. His off kilter modern Kafkaesque horror tale entitled Tusk is proof of that.
What originally began as a classified advertisement on a home rental website for a man seeking out an nontraditional roommate. This roommate would have to dress up like a walrus. Suffice it to say, the wheels in Smith’s head began to turn wildly as he conversed with his co-host Scott Mosier on their podcast, SModcast, about the ad. Fleshing this idea out in a haze of medicinal marijuana and just pure Smith genius the idea for Tusk was born!
While Tusk is more of a dark comedy, Smith is not afraid of diving into dark realms. The director has tackled material that has been more serious than comedic, such as his 2011 movie Red State. Red State, featuring the late and great Michael Parks, focuses on a fanatical religious cult who deal with those who do not see eye to eye with their world view in particularly gruesome ways.
Given the damsel in distress scenario that is so indicative of the old school Universal films and the era they were originally released in, Smith would need to sharpen up the dialogue – something he does very well. His love of Spielberg’s Jaws would further strengthen some of the areas where a possible remake would become more of an action flick as opposed to a small, unsuccessful dark thriller. If anyone could breathe life into and resurrect the Dark Universe my money is on Smith.
For more on Universal Studios’ Dark Universe, click here
Listen to the 'Eye On Horror Podcast'
Movies
‘The Strangers’ Invaded Coachella in Instagramable PR Stunt
Renny Harlin’s reboot of The Strangers isn’t coming out until May 17, but those murderous home invaders are making a pit stop at Coachella first.
In the latest Instagramable PR stunt, the studio behind the film decided to have the trio of masked intruders crash Coachella, a music festival that takes place for two weekends in Southern California.
This type of publicity began when Paramount did the same thing with their horror movie Smile in 2022. Their version had seemingly ordinary people in populated places look directly into a camera with an evil grin.
Harlin’s reboot is actually a trilogy with a more expansive world than that of the original.
“When setting out to remake The Strangers, we felt there was a bigger story to be told, which could be as powerful, chilling, and terrifying as the original and could really expand that world,” said producer Courtney Solomon. “Shooting this story as a trilogy allows us to create a hyperreal and terrifying character study. We’re fortunate to be joining forces with Madelaine Petsch, an amazing talent whose character is the driving force of this story.”
The movie follows a young couple (Madelaine Petsch and Froy Gutierrez) who “after their car breaks down in an eerie small town, are forced to spend the night in a remote cabin. Panic ensues as they are terrorized by three masked strangers who strike with no mercy and seemingly no motive in The Strangers: Chapter 1 the chilling first entry of this upcoming horror feature film series.”
The Strangers: Chapter 1 opens in theaters on May 17.
Listen to the 'Eye On Horror Podcast'
Movies
‘Alien’ Returning to Theaters For a Limited Time
It’s been 45 years since Ridley Scott’s Alien hit theaters and in celebration of that milestone, it is headed back to the big screen for a limited time. And what better day to do that than Alien Day on April 26?
It also works as a primer for the upcoming Fede Alvarez sequel Alien: Romulus opening on August 16. A special feature in which both Alvarez and Scott discuss the original sci-fi classic will be shown as a part of your theater admission. Take a look at the preview of that conversation below.
Back in 1979, the original trailer for Alien was kind of terrifying. Imagine sitting in front of a CRT TV (Cathode Ray Tube) at night and suddenly Jerry Goldsmith’s haunting score begins to play as a giant chicken egg starts to crack with beams of light bursting through the shell and the word “Alien” slowly forms in slanted all caps across the screen. To a twelve-year-old, it was a scary pre-bedtime experience, especially Goldsmith’s screaming electronic musical flourishes playing over scenes of the actual movie. Let the “Is it horror or sci-fi?” debate begin.
Alien became a pop culture phenomenon, complete with kid’s toys, a graphic novel, and an Academy Award for Best Visual Effects. It also inspired dioramas in wax museums and even a frightening setpiece at Walt Disney World in the now-defunct Great Movie Ride attraction.
The film stars Sigourney Weaver, Tom Skerritt, and John Hurt. It tells the tale of a futuristic crew of blue-collar workers suddenly awakened out of stasis to investigate an undecipherable distress signal coming from a nearby moon. They investigate the source of the signal and discover it’s a warning and not a cry for help. Unbeknownst to the crew, they have brought a giant space creature back on board which they find out in one of the most iconic scenes in cinema history.
It is said that Alvarez’s sequel will pay homage to the original film’s storytelling and set design.
The Alien theatrical re-release will take place on April 26. Pre-order your tickets and find out where Alien will screen at a theater near you.
Listen to the 'Eye On Horror Podcast'
News
Home Depot’s 12-Foot Skeleton Returns with a New Friend, Plus New Life-Size Prop from Spirit Halloween
Halloween is the greatest holiday of them all. However, every great holiday needs amazing props to go with it. Luckily for you, there are two new amazing props that have been released, which are sure to impress your neighbors and frighten any neighborhood children who are unfortunate enough to wander past your yard.
The first entry is the return of the Home Depot 12-foot skeleton prop. Home Depot has outdone themselves in the past. But this year the company is bringing bigger and better things to their Halloween prop lineup.
This year, the company unveiled its new and improved Skelly. But what is a giant skeleton without a loyal friend? Home Depot has also announced that they will release a five-foot tall skeleton dog prop to eternally keep Skelly company as he haunts your yard this spooky season.
This bony pooch will be five feet tall and seven feet long. The prop will also feature a posable mouth and LCD eyes with eight variable settings. Lance Allen, Home Depot’s merchant of decorative Holliday gear, had the following to say about this year’s lineup.
“This year we increased our realism within the animatronics category, created some impressive, licensed characters and even brought back some fan favorites. Overall, we are most proud of the quality and value we are able to bring to our customers with these pieces so they can continue to grow their collections.”
But what if giant skeletons just aren’t your thing? Well, Spirit Halloween has you covered with their giant life size Terror Dog replica. This massive prop has been ripped out of your nightmares to appear frighteningly on your lawn.
This prop weighs in at almost fifty pounds and features glowing red eyes that are sure to keep your yard safe from any toilet paper throwing hooligans. This iconic Ghostbusters nightmare is a must have for any fan of 80s horror. Or, anyone who loves all things spooky.
Listen to the 'Eye On Horror Podcast'
-
Trailers6 days ago
James McAvoy Captivates in the New Trailer for ‘Speak No Evil’ [Trailer]
-
Trailers5 days ago
Watch the trailer for ‘Under Paris,’ the movie people are calling ‘French Jaws’ [Trailer]
-
Movies5 days ago
Ernie Hudson To Star In ‘Oswald: Down The Rabbit Hole’
-
News5 days ago
Paramount and Miramax Team Up to Reboot the “Scary Movie” Franchise
-
News2 days ago
Read Reviews For ‘Abigail’ The Latest From Radio Silence
-
Editorial3 days ago
Rob Zombie’s Directorial Debut Was Almost ‘The Crow 3’
-
News1 day ago
This Horror Film Just Derailed a Record Held by ‘Train to Busan’
-
Movies1 day ago
Watch ‘Immaculate’ At Home Right Now
You must be logged in to post a comment Login