Lists
Xenomorphs Unleashed: 6 Lesser-Known Facts of the Alien Franchise
The Alien franchise is very popular among horror and sci-fi fans alike. It has spawned several prequels, sequels, crossover movies, video games, and comic books. The first two films typically make it on the list of greatest horror films of all time and sometimes even the greatest movies of all time. While the movies after the first 2 are mixed among fans, the Alien franchise is still very popular today and still making new material including a new movie, tv series, and video game. With this in mind, we are going to dive into interesting facts you may not have known about the Alien franchise.
The first movie was originally called Star Beast
While it’s hard to believe this franchise being called anything else, at the time it was originally going to be called Star Beast. It stayed as the working title for a while, but scriptwriter Dan O’Bannon hated this title. He decided to change the title to Alien after seeing the word appear in the script several times. Both O’Bannon and other scriptwriter Ronal Shusett agreed that this title was much better and sounded much simpler.
The actor’s reactions during the chestburster scene in Alien were real
The famous chestburster scene from the first Alien movie is iconic, to say the least, but what may surprise you is that the cast’s reaction is legitimate. During the filming of this scene, they were aware that an alien puppet was going to burst out of his chest, but they didn’t know about the blood spraying everywhere. When this happened, the shocked faces were real, and the freakout reaction from actress Veronica Cartwright was legit.
The knife trick scene from Aliens was actually sped up
One of the most iconic scenes in Aliens is where bishop the android performs the knife trick over Hudson’s hand. It was actually performed at a slower speed while filming and was sped up in post-production. Also, this scene was not in the script and was only known about by certain actors, not including Bill Paxton so his reaction was genuine. Seems like there’s a trend of not telling actors about certain things in this film franchise.
James Cameron wrote the script for Aliens during downtime while making The Terminator
You heard that right, but it’s not exactly what you think. There was a 9-month hiatus while filming The Terminator due to Arnold Schwarzenegger having a contractual obligation and having to go work on another film. During this time, Cameron wrote the screenplay and after the success of The Terminator, the studio decided to hire him as the director for the film as well.
Alien 3 went through development hell
It’s a miracle that this movie was even made, to say the least. It went through several scripts that were thrown out and a ton of concepts that never saw the light of day. So much so that even a comic line following one of the lost Alien 3 scripts was made. It even started filming when the script was only halfway complete.
The shooting of the film was harsh and was cut by 70 days out of nowhere which made it even more difficult to make. It was such a bad experience that even the director of the movie David Fincher disowns the film. When it came out, it was met with mixed reviews and was the first of the franchise to do so.
Ron Perlman almost died while filming Alien: Resurrection
As crazy as it sounds, this was almost the case. When filming the underwater sequence for the movie, Perlman accidentally hit his head on a sprinkler in the water and passed out. The crew had to move quickly to get him out of the water. It was definitely a scary situation, to say the least.
There are so many interesting facts about the Alien franchise, it’s impossible to mention them all here. Did you know any of these or do you know some that weren’t mentioned here? Let us know in the comments below.
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Lists
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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