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6 Essential Wes Craven Films

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With the passing of the great Wes Craven (1939-2015) comes great feelings of sadness and loss within the horror community. Many of you, with myself included, have decided to pay homage to the legendary filmmaker by having movie marathons in his honor. To add to the appreciation for our lost icon, here areĀ 6 Essential Wes Craven Films that deserve a rewatch in the coming days. If you haven’t gotten the chance to but are planning on having one this weekend, here are some great ideas. Even if you’re not planning on having one, maybe this can change your mind.

 

Wes Craven’s New Nightmare (1994)[youtube id=”TV8za5nWxwo” align=”right”]

New Nightmare is a great film with a great idea behind it. The Freddy Krueger in this film takes on a new appearance and more menacing attitude like Wes had originally planned for him to be. The whole idea of taking Freddy out of his own film and coming to life in the “real world” was a great decision, and breathed new life into the franchise. Personally, I am a huge fan of Freddy being darker, as he is in this film.

The Last House on The Left (1972)[youtube id=”n_HUvEpwL1I” align=”right”]

A very violent exploitation film, this movie had been the subject of much controversy since its release, and understandably so. The sexual violence in this film is incredibly hard to stomach, but that’s what makes it so terrifying. It doesn’t rely on fantasy and monsters to create nightmares. The monsters in this one are simply people, like you and me. Except, I’m not a horrible, violent, rapist, and I hope whoever reading this is not either.

The Serpent and the Rainbow (1988)[youtube id=”EPWTvbTWhZc” align=”right”]

Wes Craven’s franchise films have been so successful, that the common person outside of the horror community may have forgotten many of his other gems, and I find that incredibly unfortunate. The Serpent and the Rainbow is one of the films that falls victim to this injustice, but you can help! Watch this movie, and show everyone you know! We need more Haitian zombie films.

The Hills Have Eyes (1977)Ā [youtube id=”edn5EzHXVBU” align=”right”]

Michael Berryman!Ā MICHAEL BERRYMAN!Ā Come on, who doesn’t love this guy? I sure do. Yet another film by Wes Craven that has garnered a lot of controversy around the violence. A classic film for people of all ages in which an innocent family is hunted down by savages in the desert. Now isn’t that just so sweet?

 

Scream (1996)[youtube id=”23jmjs-rMGI” align=”right”]

An extremely clever film, with so many horror movieĀ references that it’s hard to count, although I’m sure somebody has, and I’m sure you could find it on Wikipedia or something. This film keeps you guessing the entire way through, and the payoff at the end is absolutely worth it. There have been three sequels, but the original is undeniably my favorite.

A Nightmare On Elm Street (1984)[youtube id=”jdb_HSvf2Zk” align=”right”]

Robert Englund stars here in his first role as Freddy Krueger. It’s scary. It’s gory. It’s amazing. This film has instilled the love of the horror genre in so many people over the years, that it is hard to comprehend. Thank you, Mr. Craven. Thank you for Freddy. Thank you for everything.

 

Wesley Earl Craven, 1939-2015. You will be missed dearly.

 

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Trailer for ‘The Exorcism’ Has Russell Crowe Possessed

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The latest exorcism movie is about to drop this summer. It’s aptly titled The Exorcism and it stars Academy Award winner turned B-movie savant Russell Crowe. The trailer dropped today and by the looks of it, we are getting a possession movie that takes place on a movie set.

Just like this year’s recent demon-in-media-space film Late Night With the Devil, The Exorcism happens during a production. Although the former takes place on a live network talk show, the latter is on an active sound stage. Hopefully, it won’t be entirely serious and we’ll get some meta chuckles out of it.

The film will open in theaters on June 7, but since Shudder also acquired it, it probably won’t be long after that until it finds a home on the streaming service.

Crowe plays, “Anthony Miller, a troubled actor who begins to unravel while shooting a supernatural horror film. His estranged daughter, Lee (Ryan Simpkins), wonders if he’s slipping back into his past addictions or if there’s something more sinister at play. The film also stars Sam Worthington, Chloe Bailey, Adam Goldberg and David Hyde Pierce.”

Crowe did see some success in last year’s The Pope’s Exorcist mostly because his character was so over-the-top and infused with such comical hubris it bordered on parody. We will see if that is the route actor-turned-director Joshua John Miller takes with The Exorcism.

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Win a Stay at The Lizzie Borden House From Spirit Halloween

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lizzie borden house

Spirit Halloween has declared that this week marks the start of spooky season and to celebrate they are offering fans a chance to stay at the Lizzie Borden House with so many perks Lizzie herself would approve.

The Lizzie Borden House in Fall River, MA is claimed to be one of the most haunted houses in America. Of course one lucky winner and up to 12 of their friends will find out if the rumors are true if they win the grand prize: A private stay in the notorious house.

“We are delighted to work with Spirit Halloween to roll out the red carpet and offer the public a chance to win a one-of-a-kind experience at the infamous Lizzie Borden House, which also includes additional haunted experiences and merchandise,” said Lance Zaal, President & Founder of US Ghost Adventures.

Fans can enter to win by followingĀ Spirit Halloween‘s InstagramĀ and leaving a comment on the contest post from now throughĀ April 28.

Inside the Lizzie Borden House

The prize also includes:

An exclusive guided house tour, including insider insight around the murder, the trial, and commonly reported hauntings

A late-night ghost tour, complete with professional ghost-hunting gear

A private breakfast in the Borden family dining room

A ghost hunting starter kit with two pieces of Ghost Daddy Ghost Hunting Gear and a lesson for two at US Ghost Adventures Ghost Hunting Course

The ultimate Lizzie Borden gift package, featuring an official hatchet, the Lizzie Borden board game, Lily the Haunted Doll, and America’s Most Haunted Volume II

Winner’s choice of a Ghost Tour experience in Salem or a True Crime experience in Boston for two

“Our Halfway to Halloween celebration provides fans an exhilarating taste of what’s to come this fall and empowers them to start planning for their favorite season as early as they please,” said Steven Silverstein, CEO of Spirit Halloween. “We have cultivated an incredible following of enthusiasts who embody the Halloween lifestyle, and we’re thrilled to bring the fun back to life.”

Spirit Halloween is also preparing for their retail haunted houses. On Thursday, August 1 their flagship store in Egg Harbor Township, NJ. will officially open to start off the season. That event usually draws in hordes of people eager to see what new merch, animatronics, and exclusive IP goods will be trending this year.

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’28 Years Later’ Trilogy Taking Shape With Serious Star Power

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28 years later

Danny Boyle is revisiting his 28 Days Later universe with three new films. He will direct the first, 28 Years Later, with two more to follow. Deadline is reporting that sources say Jodie Comer,Ā Aaron Taylor-Johnson,Ā andĀ Ralph Fiennes have been cast for the first entry, a sequel to the original. Details are being kept under wraps so we don’t know how or if the first original sequel 28 Weeks Later fits into the project.

Jodie Comer, Aaron Taylor-Johnson and Ralph Fiennes

Boyle will direct the first movie but it’s unclear which role he will take on in the subsequent films. What is known is Candyman (2021) director Nia DaCosta is scheduled to direct the second film in this trilogy and that the third will be filmed immediately afterward. Whether DaCosta will direct both is still unclear.

Alex Garland is writing the scripts. Garland is having a successful time at the box office right now. He wrote and directed the current action/thriller Civil War which was just knocked out of the theatrical top spot by Radio Silence’s Abigail.

There is no word yet on when, or where, 28 Years Later will start production.

28 Days Later

The original film followed Jim (Cillian Murphy) who wakes from a coma to find that London is currently dealing with a zombie outbreak.

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