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Horror Master George Romero has Died

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It is a sad day for horror fans.  George A. Romero whose work defined an entire sub-genre of horror died today after a brief battle with an aggressive form of lung cancer.  The director and writer was 77 years old.

Romero burst onto the scene with his 1968 classic Night of the Living Dead.  The film centered on a group of survivors taking refuge in a secluded home as flesh eating zombies closed in on them.  It was a standout film for multiple reasons, not the least of which was his casting of Duane Jones, a black man, as the lead.  The controversial move made movie goers sit up and pay attention.  On the surface, this was a horror movie, but down deep, they knew it was something more.

Romero would add Dawn of the Dead, Day of the Dead, Land of the Dead, Diary of the Dead, and Survival of the Dead to his zombie family over a period of 41 years.  He used the films to voice his opinions of the changing world and the socio-political climate of the times they were released.  In 1978 when he saw the U.S. being consumed by materialism his survivors hid out in a shopping mall.  In 2005, he took on the modern caste system, as his survivors lived inside a gated city, but only the truly wealthy could find a place in the inner sanctum and count themselves safe from zombie attack.

In each scenario, Romero picked apart societal norms and pointed a bloody finger at the people who were the real monsters.  He was never heavy handed with the symbolism, however.  He never felt the need to be.

“I don’t try to answer any questions or preach,” he once said.  “My personality and my opinions come through in the satire of the films, but I think of them as a snapshot of the time. I have this device, or conceit, where something happens in the world and I can say, ‘Ooo, I’ll talk about that, and I can throw zombies in it! And get it made!’ You know, it’s kind of my ticket to ride.”

It wasn’t only zombies for Romero, however.  Many will remember his strange vampire story Martin from 1978.  It was, according to legend, Romero’s favorite of his own films because the final product was the closest to his own beginning vision.  A young man named Martin, who claims to be nearing 90, believes he is a vampire.  He arrives at his uncle’s home seeking salvation from his thirst but all does not go according to plan.  It’s a masterpiece that isn’t shown nearly enough during Halloween horror marathons.

Along the way, he also gave us The Dark Half (adapted from Stephen King’s novel), Monkey Shines, and the cult anthology Creepshow (for which I will personally be eternally grateful).

Romero, at 6’5″ towered over most of his stars, but he was the gentlest of giants, and fans and collaborators took to social media to remember the legend as word spread.

According to reports from the L.A. Times, Romero died at home while listening to his favorite film score, 1952’s The Quite Man  His wife, Suzanne, and daughter, Tina, were at his side.

The horror world will never be the same without this steady, Brooklyn-laced voice of the common man within it. We at iHorror extend our condolences to Mr. Romero’s family.  We mourn with you…

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Brad Dourif Says He’s Retiring Except For One Important Role

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Brad Dourif has been doing movies for nearly 50 years. Now it seems he is walking away from the industry at 74 to enjoy his golden years. Except, there is a caveat.

Recently, digital entertainment publication JoBlo’s Tyler Nichols talked to some of the Chucky television series cast members. During the interview, Dourif made an announcement.

“Dourif said that he’s retired from acting,” says Nichols. “The only reason he came back for the show was because of his daughter Fiona and he considers Chucky creator Don Mancini to be family. But for non-Chucky stuff, he considers himself retired.”

Dourif has voiced the possessed doll since 1988 (minus the 2019 reboot). The original movie “Child’s Play” has become such a cult classic it’s at the top of some people’s best chillers of all time. Chucky himself is ingrained in pop culture history much like Frankenstein or Jason Voorhees.

While Dourif may be known for his famous voiceover, he is also an Oscar-nominated actor for his part in One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest. Another famous horror role is The Gemini Killer in William Peter Blatty’s Exorcist III. And who can forget Betazoid Lon Suder in Star Trek: Voyager?

The good news is that Don Mancini is already pitching a concept for season four of Chucky which might also include a feature-length movie with a series tie-in. So, Although Dourif says he is retiring from the industry, ironically he is Chucky’s friend till the end.

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Editorial

7 Great ‘Scream’ Fan Films & Shorts Worth a Watch

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The Scream franchise is such an iconic series, that many budding filmmakers take inspiration from it and make their own sequels or, at least, build upon the original universe created by screenwriter Kevin Williamson. YouTube is the perfect medium to showcase these talents (and budgets) with fan-made homages with their own personal twists.

The great thing about Ghostface is that he can appear anywhere, in any town, he just needs the signature mask, knife, and unhinged motive. Thanks to Fair Use laws it’s possible to expand upon Wes Craven’s creation by simply getting a group of young adults together and killing them off one by one. Oh, and don’t forget the twist. You’ll notice that Roger Jackson’s famous Ghostface voice is uncanny valley, but you get the gist.

We have gathered five fan films/shorts related to Scream that we thought were pretty good. Although they can’t possibly match the beats of a $33 million blockbuster, they get by on what they have. But who needs money? If you’re talented and motivated anything is possible as proven by these filmmakers who are well on their way to the big leagues.

Take a look at the below films and let us know what you think. And while you’re at it, leave these young filmmakers a thumbs up, or leave them a comment to encourage them to create more films. Besides, where else are you going to see Ghostface vs. a Katana all set to a hip-hop soundtrack?

Scream Live (2023)

Scream Live

Ghostface (2021)

Ghostface

Ghost Face (2023)

Ghost Face

Don’t Scream (2022)

Don’t Scream

Scream: A Fan Film (2023)

Scream: A Fan Film

The Scream (2023)

The Scream

A Scream Fan Film (2023)

A Scream Fan Film
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Movies

Another Creepy Spider Movie Hits Shudder This Month

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Good spider films are a theme this year. First, we had Sting and then there was Infested. The former is still in theaters and the latter is coming to Shudder starting April 26.

Infested has been getting some good reviews. People are saying that it’s not only a great creature feature but also a social commentary on racism in France.

According to IMDb: Writer/director Sébastien Vanicek was looking for ideas around the discrimination faced by black and Arab-looking people in France, and that led him to spiders, which are rarely welcome in homes; whenever they’re spotted, they’re swatted. As everyone in the story (people and spiders) is treated like vermin by society, the title came to him naturally.

Shudder has become the gold standard for streaming horror content. Since 2016, the service has been offering fans an expansive library of genre movies. in 2017, they began to stream exclusive content.

Since then Shudder has become a powerhouse in the film festival circuit, buying distribution rights to movies, or just producing some of their own. Just like Netflix, they give a film a short theatrical run before adding it to their library exclusively for subscribers.

Late Night With the Devil is a great example. It was released theatrically on March 22 and will begin streaming on the platform starting April 19.

While not getting the same buzz as Late Night, Infested is a festival favorite and many have said if you suffer from arachnophobia, you might want to take heed before watching it.

Infested

According to the synopsis, our main character, Kalib is turning 30 and dealing with some family issues. “He’s fighting with his sister over an inheritance and has cut ties with his best friend. Fascinated by exotic animals, he finds a venomous spider in a shop and brings it back to his apartment. It only takes a moment for the spider to escape and reproduce, turning the whole building into a dreadful web trap. The only option for Kaleb and his friends is to find a way out and survive.”

The film will be available to watch on Shudder starting April 26.

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