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‘Antichrist Superstar’ Turns 20 This Month, Reissue Out October 20th

Published

8 years ago

October 17, 2016

Whether or not you’re a fan of his music, you’ve heard of Marilyn Manson. And more than likely, you’ve also heard some of his music on the radio. The opening percussive beat of “The Beautiful People” may help refresh your memory, in case you’re unsure. The song, included on the 1996 album Antichrist Superstar, marked a turning point in the artist’s career due to its success and controversy.

Marilyn Manson is the surname Brian Hugh Warner, the singer of the band – which, also happens to be called Marilyn Manson. The name came about from combining two opposites of pop culture, Marilyn Monroe and Charles Manson. The band was founded by Warner and guitarist Scott Putesky (better known as Daisy Berkowitz) as an artistic statement on the hypocrisy that the two found to be prevalent in the American Mainstream. Most notably would be the fixation on the serial killer and the pop star almost indiscriminately; something both fascinating and, to many, very sick.

The band was originally formed in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, in 1989, originally being named Marilyn Manson and the Spooky Kids. Combining a heavy form of music while an outlandish stage show, Marilyn Manson began to quickly garner the attention of the public. Most importantly, they were able to catch the eye of Nine Inch Nails frontman Trent Reznor, who would go on to help produce the pivotal Antichrist Superstar album in 1996.

antichrist superstar Marilyn Manson

The music on the album, their second full-length after 1994’s Portrait of an American Family, would push the limits as to what American pop culture could handle much past their limits. Topics including violence, sex, and suicide, dominated the album, angering parents and elected officials all across the United States. The first single “The Beautiful People”, released on September 22nd, would feature one of the most iconic music videos of all time (directed by Italian filmmaker Floria Sigismondi) and undoubtedly helped kickstart the sales of the album upon its October 8th release. It would debut at number 3 on the Billboard charts, reportedly selling 132,000 copies the first week of its release.

Antichrist Superstar is a ripping, volatile piece of music that feels very much like a surrealistic nightmare in sonic form. Though there is much importance put into the fierce and shocking imagery of the band, there is just as much attention put into the music itself. This is not, in any way, a throwaway album; it’s an album strong enough to define both the band and the person of Marilyn Manson as a whole. It’s a heavily layered album, featuring a patchwork of noisy guitars, industrial overtones, and Manson’s immediately recognizable vocals to tie everything together.

antichrist superstar marilyn manson brian warner

As rebellious works generally go, there was an immediate opposition to the album by the conservative media. The topics contained within Antichrist Superstar and the band’s heavy anti-Christian outlook shook things up, to say the least. This only caused the popularity of the band to rise, which would continue until sometime in the mid-2000’s. It would seem that Marilyn Manson thrives on controversy, much like any truly rebellious artist. Manson would become one of the biggest things ever to come out of the 1990’s, and while he may not be as controversial as he was when Antichrist Superstar was released, that may be saying more about the sensitivity of the general public than the artist was ever able to say in his own words.

To celebrate the 20th anniversary of the album, a special edition will be released on October 20th, containing a video that was created during the 1996/1997 world tour, which was at the time considered too shocking to be released. According to an interview with MetalInsider.net:

We’re putting out a box set on October 20th, and it has a legendary video that I had to put into a safe for the past 15 years, for reasons that will be revealed when you watch it. I had innocently thought that it was acceptable to use it as sort of a bonus feature on my Dead to the World video for the Antichrist Superstar tour. However, the legal department and my management informed me otherwise. But now it is going to be seen by all. I won’t say anything else to spoil it, just that it captured a moment in time, after I had just moved to Los Angeles. I was living with Twiggy and I had just come off a tour where I got death threats every day. It’s an interesting portrayal of what was happening at the time, but strangely, it doesn’t seem any different than the way I behave now, except that I’m wearing a cowboy hat. That’s about it.

Intriguing. We’ll have to wonder only a few more days until we can all find out what the video contains, but rest assured, the Marilyn Manson fans who have stuck with him since 1996 will be waiting with bated breath.

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News

Jake Gyllenhaal’s Thriller ‘Presumed Innocent’ Series Gets Early Release Date

Published

1 hour ago

April 26, 2024

Timothy Rawles

Jake Gyllenhaal’s limited series Presumed Innocent is dropping on AppleTV+ on June 12 instead of June 14 as originally planned. The star, whose Road House reboot has brought mixed reviews on Amazon Prime, is embracing the small screen for the first time since his appearance on Homicide: Life on the Street in 1994.

Jake Gyllenhaal’s in ‘Presumed Innocent’

Presumed Innocent is being produced by David E. Kelley, J.J. Abrams’ Bad Robot, and Warner Bros. It is an adaptation of Scott Turow’s 1990 film in which Harrison Ford plays a lawyer doing double duty as an investigator looking for the murderer of his colleague.

These types of sexy thrillers were popular in the ’90s and usually contained twist endings. Here’s the trailer for the original:

According to Deadline, Presumed Innocent doesn’t stray far from the source material: “…the Presumed Innocent series will explore obsession, sex, politics and the power and limits of love as the accused fights to hold his family and marriage together.”

Up next for Gyllenhaal is the Guy Ritchie action movie titled In the Grey scheduled for release in January 2025.

Presumed Innocent is an eight-episode limited series set to stream on AppleTV+ starting June 12.

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Movies

Trailer for ‘The Exorcism’ Has Russell Crowe Possessed

Published

20 hours ago

April 25, 2024

Timothy Rawles

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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News

Win a Stay at The Lizzie Borden House From Spirit Halloween

Published

22 hours ago

April 25, 2024

Timothy Rawles

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 following Spirit Halloween‘s Instagram and leaving a comment on the contest post from now through April 28.

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.”

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A post shared by Spirit Halloween (@spirithalloween)

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.