I didn't know this, but did you know Universal did something similar to Disney's Wonderful World of Color? Their show is called, Universal's Cinematic Spectacular: 100 Years of Movie Memories.Best yet, the whole thing is narrated by Mr.Likes to take a bath in a casket. Horror starts at 6:29.
In other news:
Universal Pictures has signed a two-year production deal with Alex Kurtzman and Roberto Orci, who are best know for writing "Star Trek" and "Transformers." The duo will kick off their new relationship with modern reboots of Universal's "Van Helsing" and "The Mummy" franchises.
At this point, very little is known about the two films, except that Tom Cruise is attached to produce and star in "Van Helsing," which was turned into a film in 2004 with Hugh Jackman (pictured) playing the title character.
"We're thrilled to call Universal Pictures our home," said Kurtzman and Orci. "They
really understand the importance of building a strong creative team and
giving our shared projects their full support. We're proud to start
making movies that will live as part of Universal's enduring legacy."
Source: Universal Pictures
Personal Comments: I'm personally a fan of the 90s The Mummy. I never saw it as a remake of the Boris Karloff film, but more of a film that paid homage to it. It's one of my personal favorite popcorn films and was one of the first modern horror films I was ever allowed to see.
Van Helsing is another film I sort of grown up with, even though it's kind of bad. I'm actually really curious to see how both these films will turn out.
Oh my goodness it's finally here. The trailer for the film that I've waited a couple of years to see. Lets take a look.
...........Yeah um that's not very Dark Shadowy at all. I know the show was known for its cheesiness, but come on some of the things shown here are a tad ridiculous. Even if the show was a little hooky it still had some class to it and did have a bit of a horror aspect to it even if it wasn't exactly scary. Well maybe its just a bad trailer perhaps the poster will be better.
Well someone discovered the paint overlay option on adobe illustrator.
Next we have the new trailer for Burton's new movie Frankenweenie
This film is a remake of one of Burton's earlier short films. Back in the day the Disney Channel would air the short around Halloween time. It looks really great. Not only does the stop motion look amazing, but it looks like they've improved on the original story a little bit. I can understand why Burton would want to remake this. The original was low budget in comparison and he was probably never able to make the film to his vision.
Now for a historical piece.
The film is produced by Burton and is based off a book written by Seth Grahame-Smith, the writer of Pride and Prejudice and Zombies.
Looks like a busy year for Burton with Zombies, undead dogs, and badass monster fighting presidents. Now we have to wait to see which films will excel and which ones will bomb.
Johnny Depp fangirls can now rejoice becaue there is now going to be a film where Johnny Depp is a vampire. If you haven't heared the new Tim Burton is directing a film adaption to the 1960s supernatural soap opera Dark Shadows. The film is set to debut May 11th, 2012 and is supposed to follow the life of the vampire Barnabus Collins. It has been known that it's been Johnny Depp's lifelong dream to play Barnabus Collins. Beleive it or not the show Dark Shadows was a huge thing for the children of th 60s and 70s. The show also left a huge impact and you'd be pretty surprise by how much it has influenced the horror genre or the world in general. (Probably, should do a post on this.) Anyways in an interview for Entertainment Weekly Johnny, states "I do remember, very vividly, practically sprinting home from school in the afternoon to see Jonathan Frid play Barnabas Collins. Even then, at that age, I knew – this has got to be weird. I loved it. I loved the show,” he says. “This soap opera with gothic vampires. I knew, ‘This is not All My Children.’”
The film has been cast and it's been reported that the filming process is currently happening. Here is the current known cast list. A bit dissapointing to see that a few of my favorite characters will not be included in the film,but what do you expect whenthe film is limited to a 2-hour time restraint.
Cast
Johnny Depp- Barnabus Collins (Great actor, but will probably differ from Johnathin Frid's version.) Helena Bohman Cater-Dr. Julia Hoffman (Freakin called it.) Chloe Moretz- Carolyn Stoddard Eva Green-Angelique Bouchard (Angelique is my fav. character. I'm not sure how I feel about Eva Green in the role because I haven't seen much of her work.) Michelle Pfeiffer-Elizabeth Collins Stoddard (In my opinion Michelle should have been Angelique. No one plays delightfully crazy like she does. Not to mention she actually resembles the orginal actress a bit more apperance wise.) Thomas McDonnel-Young Barnabus Collins (Not surprising since he has been described as looking like a young Johnny Depp.) Jackie Earle Halie-Willie Loomis (Perfect casting here.) Bella Heathcote-Victoria Winters Gulliver McGrath-David Collins
Finally, some good news for Joss Whedon, his horror film The Cabin in the Woods is to finally be released and distributed by Lionsgate. The film is set to be released by October 28th and will be in 3-D. (YAY! A Halloween horror release that is not a sequel)
Joss's film was completed back in 2009 under MGM and was directed by Drew Goddard who also directed Cloverfield. Those who are familiar with Joss Whedon's work will see Amy Acker who starred in Angel as Fred/Illyria and Dollhouse as Dr. Claire Saunders/Whisky and Fran Kranz who starred in Dollhouse as Topher Brink.
Honestly, what is up with the film industry pushing back release dates of any descent horror films. First, we had Trick r' Treat, which got pushed back so much that it hardly had a chance to show in theaters. We have the highly anticipated Don't be Afraid of the Dark and we of course The Cabin in the Woods. You wanna know what all three of these films have in common? They've all received positive test screenings. Hollywood is just hates horror that's all there is to it.
Being that this is a Joss Whedon project there will be no shortage of humor. Here is some terrible device from the man himself on what you should do if you're at a cabin in the woods.(May I also add that if you find a strange book in a cabin in the woods, that it's probably best not to read it.
Just a few months after the final Harry Potter installment, Daniel Radcliff (Harry Potter) is set to make a debut in a horror film called "The Woman in Black.". The film is set to be released in the UK on October 28th. (No word as of yet on if and when it will be released in the U.S) The film seems to be a remake of the 1989 made for TV film as well as a movie adaption to the book that was written by Susan Hill. You can now watch the teaser trailer, which is posted below.
"A young lawyer travels to a remote village to organize a recently
deceased client's papers, where he discovers the ghost of a scorned
woman set on vengeance."-Synopsis of the film.
The synopsis is a bit vague as well as the trailer, but it looks promising. I am curious to see if this film will start off Daniel Radcliff's career as an actor that is known besides his role as "The boy who lived".
If you wish to see the 1989 television film, you can catch it on youtube here. (I have yet to watch it myself,but one I get the chance. I will most likely post a review of it on here.)
You can purchase the book that inspired both film on Amazon here. You can most likely find it at your local library as well.
Note: For a horror blog there has definitely been a lack of horror film review material. I apologize. I'm trying to make a horror review system that will separate us from other horror blogs. Also to note the real world seems to keep me rather busy, but you will begin to see more horror film material either this or next month.
Horror season is upon us. The majority of horror films come during the spring and summer, with usually one horror film during October. (Yeah, I don't get it either.) Let's take a look at what the upcoming year holds for us when it comes to Hollywood Horror.
Holy crap Hollywood, What is it with you and evil children? I'll be honest the film doesn't look to bad and seems to be what " A Haunting in Connecticut" should have been. The film has some promising attributes like the fact that the makers if the two most popular franchises of the past decade are involved. It does seem to follow the typical "My house is haunted,but I'm to much of a dumbass to get the hell out" type of film, even if it's the kid that is haunted. It could be good or ir could be bad, but it will most likely be mediocre.
It's interesting to see how horror films have changed in the past decade. Let's face it horror is a genre that is always evolving and I'm curious to see what the next decade will bring. I can say that actually like the first Scream when it came to terms with the whole rules of horror film. I think Screm 4 won't be as good as the original,but it will be better than Scream 2 and Scream 3.
Upcoming Mainstream Horror Films for 2011
-Dylan Dog:Dead of Night (April 29) (Looks kind of bad and not in so bad it's good kind of way. The movie also didn't get the memo that Aliens are the new werewolves,zombies, and vampires.)
-Priest (May 13, Fiday the 13) (Based on a Tokyopop manga. It looks nice,but that's about it.)
-Super 8 (June 2) (I actually have no idea if this will fit into the horror genre,but the looks pretty cool.)
-Cowboys and Aliens (July 29) (Again,not sure if it's horror,but it is a spectacular throwback to the type of plot that would be in 1950s B-movies, but this time it has a huge budget like Grindhouse.)
-The Darkest Hour (August 5) (Looks to be pretty scary. Aliens seem to be the new horror trend.)
-Don't be Afraid of the Dark (August 13) (Already made a post on this and well I gave out the incorrect date of its release. The film is sure to be fantastic and will probably be the best horror film of the year.)
-Fright Night (August 19) (Brought to you by the wonderful world of Disney, with the Tenth Doctor as Peter Vincent.)
-Final Destination 5 (August 29) ( There are far too many of these films.)
-Paranormal Activity 3(October 21) (Yep, # 2 made money. Lets make another one.)
-Piranha 3DD (November 23) (No idea what that extra D is for.)
Aliens= The new werewolves,zombie, and vampire.
I have no idea what is with the new Alien trend. Maybe it's because of Avatar or Doctor Who.(Doubtful) People are probably just tired of vamps,werewolves, and zombies. Anyways, this years horror list is just kind of average. A few sequels, a few bad films, one or two really great films, and the rest are just mediocre. At least this years remake is not one of the greats like Halloween or Nightmare on Elm Street.
Horror has a known history of being shunned at the Oscars for whatever reason. Probably because the genre is typecasted as being all about blood, guts, and over sexualized screaming teenagers. Even when an insightful horror film comes along and decides to contend with the big boys at the Oscars it still gets overlooked even though most horror films are far more intelligent then people give them credit for.
I suppose it would be interesting to take a look back at the over all history that the Horror genre has had with the Oscars. Has it really been as left out as many say?
In 1932 horror makes an appearance when the classic"Dr.Jekyll and Mr.Hyde" picked up nominations for Best Cinematography, and Best Writing, Adaption. Surprisingly Fredric March wins Best Actor for his portrayal of the mad doctor in the film.
In 1936 Universal's crown jewel of horror classics "The Bride of Frankenstein" is nominated for Best, sound recording. (Not much, but hey at least it got a nomination for something."
In 1961 Alfred Hitchcock influential classic "Psycho" was nominated for Best Actress, Best Black/White Art Direction, Best Black/White Cinematography, and Best Director. Note: Alfred Hitchcock was nominated for best director only four times by the Oscars and he never won. The Oscars was nice enough to give him a memorial award though.
In 1963 "What Ever Happened to Baby Jane" took center stage by picking up nominations for Best Sound, Best Cinematography Black/White, Best Supporting Actor, and Best Supporting Actress for Bette Davis. It only won one award for Best Costume. Random Fact: Did you know that the Oscar supposedly got it's name from Bette Davis naming the award after her ex-husband , Harmon Oscar Nelson, Jr.
In 1969 the Roman Polanski was nominated for Best Adapted screenplay for "Rosemary's Baby". Ruth Gordon took home Best Supporting Actress for her role in the film.
In 1974 "The Exorcist" was nominated for Best Picture, Director, Actress, Cinematography, Editing, Supporting Actor, Supporting Actress, and Art Direction. It won Best Adapted Screenplay and Best Sound.
In 1975 the horror inspired comedy "Young Frankenstein" is nominated for Best Screenplay and Best Sound.
In 1976 Jaws changed things up a bit by winning Best Editing, Best Film Score, (Rightfully so) , Best Sound, but unfortunately didn't win Best Picture when it lost to One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest. (At least it was nominated)
In 1977 Sissy Spacek was nominated for her role as Carrie in the Stephen King adapted film "Carrie". Piper Laurie was nominated for Best Supporting Role Actress.
In 1980 James Cameron's classic "Alien" won for Best Visual Effects. It was only nominated in one other category, which was Best Art Direction. The darn thing should of had nominations such as Best Actress, Best Director, and Best Film. Darn it, Oscar's if Disney found Alien important enough to feature on its great movie ride you could have least given it proper recognition at the Oscars. -sigh- Another example of some good old horror snubbing. That same year The Amittyville Horror was nominated for best musical score.
In 1982 An American Werewolf in London won for Best Makeup.
In 1983 Poltergeist was nominated for Best Visual Effect, Best Sound Editing, and Best Score.
In 1987 "Aliens" won Best Sound Effects and Best Visual Effects. It was nominated for Best Sound,Best Original Score, Best Film Editing, Best Art Direction and Sigourney Weaver was nominated for Best Actress. (She should have won though. -_-) That same year " The Fly" wins for Best Makeup.
In 1989 the Tim Burton horrorish comedy Bettlejuice won for Best Visual Effects.
In1991 Horror makes a splash in the scene by having Kathy Bates taking home an award for Best Actress in the film "Misery"
In 1992 an amazing thing happened "The Silence of the Lambs" swept the Oscars winning Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actor, Best Actress, and Best Screenplay.It was also nominated for Best Sound and Best Editing.(Yeah, I know people bitch about it being more of a thriller than a horror, but many thriller films branch out from horror and "The Silence of the Lambs is one of them.) The Adams family was nominated for Best Costume Design that year. (The first film I ever saw by the way.)
In 1993 Francis Ford Coppola's "Dracula" won Best Costume, Sound Effects Editing, and Makeup. It was also nominated for Best Art Direction. The horror comedy "Death Becomes Her" wins Visual Effects. Oddly Alien 3 was nominated in the same category.
In 1995 Neil Jordan's "Interview with the Vampire" was nominated for Best Art Direction and Best Musical Score. Tim Burton's horror related film "Ed Wood" won Best Supporting Actor and Makeup, Kenneth Branagh's 'Frankenstein' was also nominated in that same category.
In 1996 David Fincher's "Se7en" was oddly only nominated for one Oscar Nomination, which was Best Film Editing. I honestly wonder about the Oscars sometimes. I mean if the Oscars loved 'The Silence of the Lambs" they should also love "Se7en".
In 2000 the now highly controversial M. Night Shymalan's "The Sixth Sense" earned six nominations including Best Picture, Best Actress, Best Supporting Actor, Best Original Screenplay, and Best Editing. Tim Burton's "Sleepy Hallow" was nominated for Cinematography, Costumes, and won an award for Art Direction.
In 2001 Three horror films were nominated for Best Makeup these were "Shadow of the Vampire", "Hallow Man" and "The Cell".
In 2007 Guillermo Del Toro's horror fantasy "Pan's Labryinth" was nominated for Best Original Screenplay, Best Score, and Best Foreign Film. Luckily the Oscars decided that the film did in fact deserve a few awards so the film won for Best Cinematography,Art Direction, and Makeup. (We are expecting great things from you Mr. Toro. Hopefully you can bring the Academy to truly appreciate the horror genre.)
In 2008 Tim Burton's delightful musical adaption of "Sweeney Todd" won for Best Actor, Best Art Direction, and Best Costume Direction. (Homicidal barbers get to be well dressed and groomed.)
In 2010 the beautifully filmed "Black Swan" was nominated for five Best Picture, Best Director, Best Achievement in Editing, and Best Cinematography. Natalie Portman was able to take home the Best Actress award for her role in the film. Oh yeah "The Wolfman" remake was able to earn Best Makeup category.
Yeah, I suppose the Oscar snub of horror isn't too bad when you look at it. I mean at least it gets mentioned here and there, but would it kill the Academy to actually put more horror films in the top contending categories. After all chances are that horror film that is overlooked is far more likely to be remembered and beloved for years to come.
82nd Academy Award tried to appease us horror fans by doing a tribute to horror. Let us see how Successful they were.
-_- Besides the fact Twilight was involved at all I'd say the tribute was descent. There were quite a few films I wouldn't have expected in the tribute, but more variety in the films would have been nice. Eh maybe this means The Oscars will take more interest in horror; after all Black Swan was able to pick up quite a few nominations. Only time will tell.
This movie had me at Guillermo del Toro. The film is a remake of a made for TV horror film and while other horror remakes are doomed from the very start this film seems to be the exception. Guillermo del Toror seems to be a busy little scamp when it comes to moviemaking. He is currently working on a Frankenstein remake and an adventure horror film called At the Mountains of Madness. There is also talk of him producing a Haunted Mansion movie based off the popular Disney theme park ride. Unlike the terrible excuse of a comedy that starred Eddie Murphy del Toror is planning on doing a fantasy historical piece that will probably be similar to the first Pirates of the Carribean film.
I almost want to call this the perfect horror trailer. The trailer only hints at the plot without giving anything away and knows to show just enough to get us wanting more. If this film is half as good del Toro's oprevious work I'll say we are in for a treat.
The director is Troy Nixey and is a newcomer to the directors chair. If the movie is like anything I have seen in the trailer then I can safely say that this director has a bright future.
P.S. The trailer reminds of this lovely picture by Selina Fenech. Called Stolen in her Sleep.
Note: Don't be Afraid of the Dark's release date is set to be August 13.
