Movie News

The latest news from the film industry


[It Came From the ’80s] The Slimy Creatures and Pineal Glands ‘From Beyond’

With horror industry heavy hitters already in place from the 1970s, the 1980s built upon that with the rise of brilliant minds in makeup and effects artists, as well as advances in technology. Artists like Rick Baker, Rob Bottin, Alec Gillis, Tom Woodruff Jr., Tom Savini, Stan Winston, and countless other artists that delivered groundbreaking, mind-blowing practical effects that ushered in the pre-CGI Golden Age of Cinema. Which meant a glorious glut of creatures in horror. More than just a technical marvel, the creatures on display in ‘80s horror meant tangible texture that still holds up decades later. Grotesque slimy skin to brutal transformation sequences, there wasn’t anything the artists couldn’t create. It Came From the ‘80s is a series that will pay … [Read More...]

(Re)Ranking All 12 Films in the ‘Friday the 13th’ Franchise!

Two and a half years ago I took on the task of ranking all of the Friday the 13th films for Bloody Disgusting. Admittedly, I made that list based off of my memory of the films, some of which I hadn’t watched in several years. This year I remedied that by actually watching them all over the course of a weekend (that’s almost 20 hours of movies, you guys) and let me tell you, doing that really gives you a new perspective on certain entries. I discovered that while some of the films were just as good (or bad) as I remember, my opinion on others had changed drastically. Because of that I thought it might be beneficial to set the record straight and update my … [Read More...]

‘A Quiet Place’ Making Noise at the Box Office With $50M Opening Weekend!

Paramount Pictures’ A Quiet Place is making noise this weekend, pulling in an estimated $50M through Sunday. To put it in perspective, this $17M-budgeted creature feature topped both Get Out and Split‘s opening weekend, proving that horror is still hotter than ever. With a $50M opening, we can expect it to top $100M domestically through its full theatrical run. Also, an updated report adds $21M internationally in 40 markets for a $71M worldwide opening! In John Krasinski‘s directorial debut (read our review out of SXSW), a family lives an isolated existence in utter silence, for fear of an unknown threat that follows and attacks at any sound. Krasinski costars with his wife, Emily Blunt. Critics adore this instant masterpiece that … [Read More...]

Beware the Full Moon: The History of Werewolves in Film

Myths and folklore of werewolves were widespread across Europe during the medieval period. Though they weren’t really considered myths, but truth back then. There were even werewolf witch trials in Estonia and Livonia that began early 15th century, advanced through Europe, and finally waned in the 18th century. The concept of werewolves spread, eventually spilling over into the New World. That werewolves have been so deeply ingrained in worldwide culture for centuries makes it no surprise that werewolf folklore would pervade fiction and film. As our culture has shifted, so have werewolves, both in design and metaphor. While there are hundreds of films about werewolves, here’s a condensed history highlighting the essentials and how they evolved over the years: Early 20th Century The first werewolf film made … [Read More...]

The Greatest Accomplishment of ‘A Quiet Place’ is Getting Audiences to STFU

One of the best horror movies in years is also one of the best theatrical experiences. Since movies are both my passion and my job, I go to the movies pretty often. And most of the time, it’s horror movies that I’m paying to see up on the big screen. Unfortunately, there’s a big time downside of supporting horror in theaters, and it’s got nothing to do with the movies themselves. Rather, it has everything to do with the crowds. Out of all the different types of movies, I’ve found horror movie audiences to be the most disruptive when the lights go out. This is particularly the case when it comes to PG-13 horror movies, which allow anyone 13 or older to buy … [Read More...]

Highly Political ‘The First Purge’ Trailer Brings Out the Good and Evil In Everyone

Behind every tradition lies a revolution in The First Purge, arriving July 4, 2018… Universal Pictures has just shared the first official trailer for The First Purge, which takes us back to the very beginning. While it boasts a similar setup, it does introduce a new angle – the government has found a way to justify genocide. It’s highly political and socially relevant to a lot of what’s going on in today’s news, which usually makes for a solid horror movie. Politics aside, the trailer shows there are some unique new costume designs and they’re going super raw with some of the weaponry. Here’s a look at the Nation being reborn… The First Purge is directed by Gerard McMurray (Burning Sands), working from … [Read More...]

[It Came From the ’80s] Minions From Hell in ‘The Gate’

With horror industry heavy hitters already in place from the 1970s, the 1980s built upon that with the rise of brilliant minds in makeup and effects artists, as well as advances in technology. Artists like Rick Baker, Rob Bottin, Alec Gillis, Tom Woodruff Jr., Tom Savini, Stan Winston, and countless other artists that delivered groundbreaking, mind-blowing practical effects that ushered in the pre-CGI Golden Age of Cinema. Which meant a glorious glut of creatures in horror. More than just a technical marvel, the creatures on display in ‘80s horror meant tangible texture that still holds up decades later. Grotesque slimy skin to brutal transformation sequences, there wasn’t anything the artists couldn’t create. It Came From the ‘80s is a series that will pay … [Read More...]

The Easter Segment of ‘Holidays’ is the Best Easter Horror Movie We’ve Yet Seen

“It’s a special day tomorrow. Someone’s coming tonight. He’s furry. And he hops…“ When Silent Night, Deadly Night was released, Leonard Maltin infamously wrote a scathing review of the Christmas slasher, pondering if the next step on the horror genre’s path to perverting all things wonderful and joyous was a horror movie about a demented Easter bunny. Over 30 years later, we’re still without a truly great Easter horror movie. Mind you, a handful of independent horror movies over the years have attempted to fill that void, including Peter Rottentail, Easter Bunny Bloodbath and Beaster Day, but the holiday is still without its own Halloween or Black Christmas, so to speak. The best attempt we’ve seen to date? That’d … [Read More...]

[It Came From the ’80s] A Theater Full of Hungry ‘Demons’

With horror industry heavy hitters already in place from the 1970s, the 1980s built upon that with the rise of brilliant minds in makeup and effects artists, as well as advances in technology. Artists like Rick Baker, Rob Bottin, Alec Gillis, Tom Woodruff Jr., Tom Savini, Stan Winston, and countless other artists that delivered groundbreaking, mind-blowing practical effects that ushered in the pre-CGI Golden Age of Cinema. Which meant a glorious glut of creatures in horror. More than just a technical marvel, the creatures on display in ‘80s horror meant tangible texture that still holds up decades later. Grotesque slimy skin to brutal transformation sequences, there wasn’t anything the artists couldn’t create. It Came From the ‘80s is a series that will pay … [Read More...]

Six of the Strangest Episodes of “Supernatural”!

These days, it’s hard to imagine that Supernatural once dominated the CW as one of the highest rated programs on television. Featuring urban-legend inspired monsters of the week, angsty hunters and an iconic cast, this used to be a show that united horror geeks and TV drama fanatics alike on a weekly basis. Of course, thirteen seasons and several end-of-the-world scenarios later, the once-beloved show has since become entangled in the ever-expanding web of its own mythology, slowly transforming into an over-the-top telenovela with occasional conflicts with God, the Devil and everything in between. That being said, in the span of nearly 300 episodes, the writers have had to come up with some seriously weird stuff in order to … [Read More...]

Best Horror Movies of All Time – 1960s

Best Horror Movies of All Time – 1970s / 1980s / 1990s / 2000s / 2010s If you followed along with our Best Horror Movies of All Time series by decade, there was an absent decade; the 1960s. But, as the formative bridge between the atomic horror of the 1950s and the new wave of horror in the 1970s, the 1960s deserve inclusion too. The rubber-suited monsters of the previous decade gave way to more psychological rooted fears in line with the social climate nurtured by the Vietnam war, the Kennedy administration, the Manson murders, and a loosening film censorship that allowed more freedom in expression of sex and violence. The 1960s also began with a bang, marking the final and arguably most influential decade of Alfred Hitchcock’s career in … [Read More...]

[Butcher Block] The Martial Arts Splatter Fest of ‘Riki-Oh: The Story of Ricky’

Butcher Block is a weekly series celebrating horror’s most extreme films and the minds behind them. Dedicated to graphic gore and splatter, each week will explore the dark, the disturbed, and the depraved in horror, and the blood and guts involved. For the films that use special effects of gore as an art form, and the fans that revel in the carnage, this series is for you. In terms of sheer quantity of blood splattered across the screen, the early ‘90s wins for bringing the two bloodiest films to ever grace film. The first is, no surprise, Peter Jackson’s Dead Alive for delivering a torrential geyser of zombie carnage by way of lawnmower. The second is Hong Kong’s 1991 martial arts-exploitation film Riki-Oh: The Story … [Read More...]

[SXSW Review] ‘Unfriended: Dark Web’ Shows Just How Scary the Internet Can Be

Three years ago Blumhouse released Unfriended to raised eyebrows and chuckles. After all, how could a horror film told entirely on one teenage girl’s laptop be any good, much less scary? As it turned out, it could. Unfriended turned a tidy profit for Blumhouse (a worldwide gross of $64 million on a $1 million budget) while also managing to be a critical success, so a sequel was inevitable. Filmed over the course of one week in late 2016, Unfriended: Dark Web comes to us courtesy of first-time director Stephen Susco (screenwriter of The Grudge and The Grudge 2) and producer Timur Bekmambetov (Wanted, Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter). It is every bit as fun and even more terrifying than its predecessor. After bringing home a used laptop, … [Read More...]

[It Came From the ’80s] The Ozploitation Horror of ‘Razorback’

With horror industry heavy hitters already in place from the 1970s, the 1980s built upon that with the rise of brilliant minds in makeup and effects artists, as well as advances in technology. Artists like Rick Baker, Rob Bottin, Alec Gillis, Tom Woodruff Jr., Tom Savini, Stan Winston, and countless other artists that delivered groundbreaking, mind-blowing practical effects that ushered in the pre-CGI Golden Age of Cinema. Which meant a glorious glut of creatures in horror. More than just a technical marvel, the creatures on display in ‘80s horror meant tangible texture that still holds up decades later. Grotesque slimy skin to brutal transformation sequences, there wasn’t anything the artists couldn’t create. It Came From the ‘80s is a series that will pay … [Read More...]

Intro to Spanish Horror: 5 Must See Horror Films!

With Paco Plaza’s Veronica taking Netflix by storm, and many touting it to be one of the most terrifying film in years, it’s time to highlight that Spain has been responsible for some of the scariest horror films for a while now. When it comes to foreign horror the explosive wave of brutal films that emerged from France in the early 2000s, often referred to as New French Extremity, made the rest of the world take notice with films like Inside, High Tension, Martyrs, and so much more. The wave emerged as the boom of J-horror began to wane. Between the extreme visceral horror of the French, and the instantly iconic long-haired female ghosts of Asian horror, a very vital voice in worldwide horror had … [Read More...]

Where Does the ‘SAW’ Franchise Go From Here?

For a movie that is theoretically meant to relaunch the franchise, Jigsaw leaves the Saw series in a strange place. So much of the film is built around finding a one-time excuse for Tobin Bell to return over a decade after his character’s death, and by the end, we aren’t really excited to see the series continued in the present timeline with Jigsaw’s latest apprentice. But now, it appears that the games have just begun, and there will be a ninth Saw film. So where does the series go from here? After the disappointing but not altogether worthless Jigsaw, is it possible that the franchise can course correct and deliver an utterly fantastic ninth outing? Or are Saw’s glory days behind it? To figure that out, … [Read More...]

James Wan’s ‘Death Sentence’ Remains the Best ‘Death Wish’ Movie

Even Brian Garfield, the author of the 1972 novel that soon became the Charles Bronson-starring Death Wish, has gone on record as stating that Death Sentence, the 2007 (loose) adaptation of his own Death Wish sequel, more effectively captured the themes present in his tales of vigilante justice than any of the Death Wish films managed to. And after seeing Eli Roth’s remake of Michael Winner’s 1974 original, released into theaters this weekend, we’ve got a strong feeling Garfield’s stance won’t be changing. Bruce Willis, as he’s apt to do, sleepwalks through Death Wish, a tone-deaf remake that sure doesn’t denounce vigilante justice as a viable means of protecting one’s family and/or one’s city. In fact, it likens … [Read More...]

[Butcher Block] Banned Underground Splatter ‘The Burning Moon’

Butcher Block is a weekly series celebrating horror’s most extreme films and the minds behind them. Dedicated to graphic gore and splatter, each week will explore the dark, the disturbed, and the depraved in horror, and the blood and guts involved. For the films that use special effects of gore as an art form, and the fans that revel in the carnage, this series is for you. After the fall of the Third Reich, Germany very rarely made horror films in an attempt to shed its violent image. What little horror was released tended to underperform. But in the mid to late ‘80s, an underground movement emerged; a handful of low budget, straight to video extreme films that gained an audience despite a ban from the … [Read More...]