Category Archives: Movies

The Crooked Man is Greenlighted

22 Thursday Jun 2017

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The Crooked Man is Greenlighted

The Conjuring 2 contained an eerie children’s nursery rhyme, “There Was a Crooked Man.” It’s based on a real person, Scottish General Sir Alexander Leslie (1582-1661). The rhyme is about relations between Scotland and England. In the movie, it played when a children’s toy was wound and displayed a tall, slender hunched man. It was announced last week that the movie The Crooked Man has been greenlighted with pre-production beginning. It becomes the 4th movie spin-off in the Conjuring franchise. Although a tentative release date has not been released, it will follow The Nun, which hits theaters July 2018.

CrookedMan

Mike Van Waes is attached as the writer. His IMDb.com profile lists two writing projects; neither finished. James Wan will produce for New Line Cinemas. It is unclear if the historical “Crooked Man” will be tied to the movie or if the political tensions between England and Scotland addressed. Audiences will have to patiently wait. In the meantime, enjoy the rhyme.

 

Lyrics:

There was a crooked man,
And he walked a crooked mile,
He found a crooked sixpence
Upon a crooked stile:
He bought a crooked cat,
Which caught a crooked mouse,
And they all lived together
In a crooked little house.

SourceL http://www.rhymes.org.uk/there_was_a-crooked_man.htm

Jaws Debuted 42 Years Ago Today

20 Tuesday Jun 2017

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Jaws Debuts on June 20, 1975

The blockbuster film Jaws (1975) debuted 42 years ago today. It is one of my all-time favorite movies. To celebrate, here are some facts about the movie:

  1. Based on the book by Peter Benchley, who appeared in the movie as the “Interviewer” on the beach. The book is very, very different from the movie.
  2. This was Steven Spielberg’s first large-scale film. He was initially concerned about being typecast and complained: “Who wants to be known as a shark-and-truck director?”
  3. The opening scene, “Chrissie’s Last Swim,” took three days to shoot. It is one of the best opening scenes according to WatchMojo.com (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=74BE-_jsEmc).
  4. Roy Scheider’s famous “You’re gonna need a bigger boat” line was adlibbed.
  5. An alternate title was Stillness in the Water.
  6. The estimated budget was $8,000,000 and grossed over $470,000,000 worldwide. It is the 7th highest grossing ever film in the US.
  7. The film was nominated for 4 Oscars including Best Picture, which it lost. It won for Best Sound, Best Film Editing, and Best Music, Original Dramatic Score.
  8. Three mechanical sharks were built for production and nicknamed “Bruce,” for Spielberg’s lawyer Bruce Ramer. None of the sharks worked well; therefore, the movie doesn’t have many shots of them.
  9. John William’s iconic theme music was dismissed as a joke by Spielberg.
  10. Richard Dreyfuss’ character “Hooper” dies in the novel and original script.

Cast

The movie is a staple of streaming services; however, it is only for rent/purchase. It is summertime after all.

 

 

Dry Spell in Horror Movies

27 Monday Mar 2017

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Dry Spell in Horror Movies

Seems we’ve hit the doldrums for horror movies. A dry spell has taken over. The much anticipated, and over-hyped, 13th installment of Friday the 13th has been shelved—indefinitely. That’s never a good sign. The spell will lift by late April; however, there are 5 movies to plan for.

This summer brings 5 large budget horror movies to the big screen.

  1. The first is the highly anticipated franchise horror film Alien: Covenant, debuting on May 19. Fassbender
  2. The Mummy, reboot of the 1932 Boris Karloff movie of the same name opens June 9th and stars Tom Cruise. Casting is skeptical, which may tank the film before it even opens. BorisKarloff
  3. Stephen King’s book adaptation The Dark Tower arrives July 28, 2017. Idris Elba stars as “The Gunslinger.” He is the actor to watch break out in this genre.  IdrisElba
  4. In the sequel category is Annabelle 2, opening August 11, 2017. This date is tentative as the movie has already been pushed back once. Watch to see if “The Nun” in this movie tied into “The Nun” painting from The Conjuring 2 (2016) and will be a separate storyline in next year’s The Nun. James Wan may have created his own universe where his movies are interwoven more than Patrick Wilson cross-over roles. Annabelle2
  5. Finally, It has a release date of September 8th. This marks Stephen King’s 2nd summer movie and probably most anticipated from his legion of fans. “Pennywise” terrified viewers in the 1990 mini-series. Now he gets the large screen effects to scare a new generation into therapy for coulrophobia. Pennywise

There are other movies to hold us over until summer—just barely. They’re low-budget films that don’t have much star power. However, if the reviews are solid, then check them out.

RIP Bill Paxton

28 Tuesday Feb 2017

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R.I.P. Bill Paxton

William “Bill” Paxton died Saturday, February 25, 2017, at the age of 61. Young. Too young to die from “complications from surgery.” Bill had an extensive career in Hollywood. Often he played soldiers and characters who did not survive. Although he generally appeared in action/adventure films, Bill did appear in a few paranormal-themed films.

alien

The most successful of these films was Aliens (1986). Premiering on July 18, 1986, Alien was a blockbuster sequel with a production budget of $18.5 million dollars. It grossed $77 million dollars in the United States and $45.9 million worldwide. That may not seem like a lot of ticket revenue; however, it made $43 million dollars in video rentals. That’s impressive! Bill played “Private Hudson” in the James Cameron production. Rated R, it has a running time of 2 hours and 17 minutes. This science fiction film finds space marines being dispatched to a moon colony in search of survivors and alien creature.

chet

Bill lives on as “Chet Donnelly” in John Hughes’ coming-of-age, 80s sci-fi comedy teen flick Weird Science. Writing about the film and placing it at #8 in “Pretty in Pink at 30: The Best and Worst Films of John Hughes,” Variety states: “But it’s Bill Paxton who steals the show as the world’s worst older brother.” Catch his performance!

Others to watch include the 80s TV series The Hitchhiker, “Made for Each Other”; Mortuary (1983); and Frailty (2002).

fortworth

Although Bill’s acting legacy will endure, the haunting photograph of him as an 8-year-old boy standing outside the Hotel Texas watching President John F. Kennedy on November 22, 1963, that captivates visitors to the Sixth Floor Museum at Dealey Plaza in Dallas.

 

Cloverfield—9 Years Later

20 Monday Feb 2017

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Cloverfield—9 Years Later

Cloverfield (2008) opened 9 years ago last month, precisely January 18, 2008. Granted, most of the $25 million dollar budget was spent on special effects; however, it rocked the box office. The movie grossed over $80 million in the US alone. It raked in over $170 million worldwide. After all these years, Cloverfield endures as a pretty darn good horror/science fiction hybrid.

creature

When a monster awakens and attacks Lower Manhattan, a group of friends set out on a rescue mission capturing the event on a handheld camcorder. Roger Ebert gave it 3 stars. Other film critics enjoyed the simplistic plot catering to the growing YouTube generation. Comparisons to The Blair Witch Project were eventual; however, this movie fares better. According to Rotten Tomatoes, 68% of users liked it. Further, it garnered a solid 7/10 on IMDB.com.

bad-robot

The only negative is the title. Producer JJ Abrams should have spent more time conceiving a better title. Instead, he attempted to shroud the film in secrecy, like the Godzilla-inspired monster. Bad Robot, where Abrams serves as CEO, is headquartered in Santa Monica, California, where there is a Cloverfield Boulevard. A rural landing strip was renamed “Clover Field” in 1922 to honor fallen fighter pilot Greayer Clover, killed in France during WWI. When the city of Santa Monica purchased the airfield from the US Army in 1927, they renamed it Santa Monica Airport. Abrams took the “Cloverfield” exit on his commute and thought it a good temporary name. Ultimately, what was initially the code word for the film became a nonsensical title.

Cloverfield is streaming on Hulu. Despite its name, it’s worth a binge.

Resident Evil: The Final Chapter Opens at #4

31 Tuesday Jan 2017

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Resident Evil: The Final Chapter Opens at #4

The sixth, and presumably the final, installment in the Resident Evil franchise opened at #4 in the US this past weekend. The film grossed $13.8 million; however, it has already grossed $64.5 million on foreign screens. Although weak for the franchise, the movie has already recouped its production budget of $40 million. The franchise remains incredibly popular and immensely profitable. To date, the franchise has grossed over $994 million worldwide. Don’t be surprised to see another sequel, possibly spinning off the storyline with a new cast.

The Rings Emerges 3 Years Late

30 Monday Jan 2017

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Rings Emerges 3 Years Late

Rings, the third film in the Ring franchise, opens this weekend, Friday, February 3, 2017. Although it wrapped up filming three years ago, the film has endured numerous delays. With a jam packed opening listing, this may be one to miss.

The Ring (2002) was based on the Japanese film, Ringu (1998). A journalist, played by Naomi Watts, investigates the deaths of four teenagers who died after watching a video recording. Shot on a $48 million dollar budget, the film grossed $128 million in the US alone. Worldwide, it grossed over $249 million. The first offering was wildly popular and profitable.

The Ring 2 (2005) followed shortly after. New clues emerge surrounding the curse of a videotape after the killings begin again. Filmed for $50 million, this sequel was not as popular. It only grossed $75 million in the US and $161 million worldwide. Still, it was very profitable.

Rings (2017) is also known as The Ring 3. Due to a curse, a woman will die seven days after watching a video. It brings a new cast to the franchise. Its budget was $33 million. The post-production delays are troublesome. Postponements such as this indicate a weak film. Guess we’ll have to wait and see.

Resident Evil: The Final Chapter Where Evil Comes Home

27 Friday Jan 2017

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Resident Evil: The Final Chapter Where Evil Comes Home

The wildly popular horror/sci-fi Resident Evil movie franchise may be ending. The sixth, and potentially final, installment opens Friday, January 27, 2017 in US theaters.

One of the most financially successful movie franchises, the films have grossed over $916 million worldwide. Comprised of 6 films, the movies popularity has increased more overseas than in the US. This probably explains this movie’s Japanese debut last month, instead of here.

Fans can catch up with online video rentals. The only film currently streaming on Netflix is the 3rd film, Resident Evil: Extinction (2007). The production budget of $45 million was recouped in the US; moreover, it went on to gross $147 million worldwide. That places it 3rd in gross receipts, as well. The most profitable was the 4th film, Resident Evil: Afterlife, grossing $296 million worldwide. The 5th installment, Resident Evil: Retribution, was close behind with $240 million grossed worldwide. This is an immensely popular franchise!

afterlife

For the “final” installment, Milla Jovovich returns as “Alice.” According to director Paul W.S. Anderson, Alice’s character comes full circle in this sequel. The movie returns to the original theme of the secret facility, dubbed “The Hive.” Set designs from 15 years ago had to be located to re-create the original film’s Berlin set in order to remain as consistent as possible. It will be up to the fans on whether the movie succeeded.

One of the film’s taglines is “The journey ends.” Anderson leaves open the possibility of another film, stating that there is much international demand for the franchise to continue.

Snuggle Up with a Few Stephen King Horror Movies

16 Monday Jan 2017

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Snuggle Up with a Few Stephen King Horror Movies

NetFlix has three Stephen King movies streaming this month. If you’ve never seen one of his classics or want to re-watch, here is the essential listing to get you through the month.

Children of the Corn (1984): Based on his short story, a religious cult of children hold a couple hostage. With a reported production budget of 800,000, the movie generated over $14.5 million in its initial run and spawned several sequels and made-for-TV-movies. Rated R and running 1 hour and 32 minutes.

cujo

Cujo (1983): A lovable family pet contracts rabies and turns against the people living in a small American town. This is based on King’s full-length novel of the same name. This movie had a larger budget of $5 million and earned over $21 million in its first run. Rated R and running 1 hour and 33 minutes.

shining

The Shining (1980): Jack Torrance (played by Jack Nicholson) takes his wife and foster son, Danny, to Estes Park, Colorado to be the winter caretakers at The Overlook Hotel. Stanley Kubrick penned the screenplay, based on King’s novel, and directed the $19 million dollar production. Although opening weekend was weak, it earned over $44 million in the United States alone. Rated R; running a long 2 hours and 26 minutes.

There’s nothing like snuggling up to one of the horror master’s classics during the cold January nights.

 

The Bye Bye Man: First Horror Film of 2017

04 Wednesday Jan 2017

Posted by in Books, Colleges & Universities, Conspiracy Theories, Demonic Possession, Ghost Stories, Horror Movies, Movie Reviews, Movies, Ouija Boards, Paranormal, Uncategorized, Universities, Urban Legends

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Movie Poster.

The Bye Bye Man: First Horror Film of 2017

Tagline: Don’t think it; don’t say it.

Time to blame the Ouija Board. Again. The Bye Bye Man (2017) debuts on Friday the 13th, January 2017. It is the first horror movie of 2017 (Amityville: The Awakening was moved from January 6 until June). The trailer portrays a menacing creature who is a cross between Candyman and Slender Man, two contrived characters to seem like an urban legend. The Bye Bye Man media package wants viewers to believe this is based on a true story. That would be a stretch.

byebyemanbook

Republished book cover.

Robert Damon Schneck published The President’s Vampire: Strange-But-True Tales of the United States of America, a collection of short tales, in 2005. It has been republished as The Bye Bye Man: And Other Strange-But-True Tales coinciding with the movie. The movie builds off of the short story “The Bridge to Body Island,” set in the 1990s when three college students move into a house and discover a cursed Ouija Board. Of course they begin to experiment with the board and eek out the story of an abandoned blind albino boy born in rural Louisiana and left on the stoop of an orphanage. The boy, ultimately known as “The Bye Bye Man,” escapes the orphanage traveling vagabond style leaving corpses in his wake. He pines for a “friend” and begins sewing eyes and a tongue together. The creature sets the “friend” down so it may identify the next victim. The doll whistles when a victim is found. The urban legend stops shortly after this and the movie presumably picks up the tale.

The trailer and brief write-ups describe the plot as a mesh of Ouija Board antics, tied to a creature who comes when his name is called or thought (hence the Candyman reference), photobombing pictures like Slender Man, and then leading to possession. Originally rated R, the movie is PG-13. The production budget is $6 million, making it a low-budget movie, but certainly not fatal for a horror movie. Stay tuned for my review after opening weekend. In the meantime…don’t think his name, nor dare say it.

The Bye Bye Man

Kim stands in front of the train.