Connect with us

News

John Hurt Left an Indelible Mark on Cinema, Including Horror

Published

on

After a career that spanned six decades replete with memorable performances, including a pair of Oscar nominations, John Hurt succumbed to cancer yesterday aged 77,

From a heartbreaking turn as John Merrick in The Elephant Man that earned him a Best Actor nomination to Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows to An Englishman in New York, Hurt demonstrated time and again that he was one of the most gifted and versatile actors audiences have had the pleasure of witnessing.

Whether a film delved into drama, humor or even horror, Hurt was always up to the task.

In 1979, a year after Hurt was nominated for Best Supporting Actor for his role in Midnight Express, he appeared in one of science fiction and horror’s most revered pictures, Ridley Scott’s Alien. As a crew member aboard the ill-fated Nostromo, Hurt’s Kane was the first in a litany of actors to fall prey to a facehugger, and left audiences frozen with fear in a scene that has not lost an ounce of its intended effect nearly forty years after it was seared into our collective memory.

For horror fans, none will ever forget where they were or how they felt the first time they laid eyes on the chestburster scene. The look of disbelief and terror on the faces of Tom Skerritt, Sigourney Weaver, Ian Holm and Yaphet Kotto and the helpless scream of Veronica Cartwright mirrored our own emotions. The word indelible comes to mind, and special effects aside, we have John Hurt to thank for that.

It didn’t end there, however. Hurt was magnificent as High Chancellor Adam Sutler in the Wachowski sisters’ V for Vendetta, a dystopian tale of corruption and oppression that was horrifyingly fascinating on one hand, but possesses a chill that runs much deeper in our present world.

Hurt demonstrated range that offered equal humanity to a character considered a side show attraction and authenticity to a paranoid tyrant. To say nothing of his father-like turn as Trevor “Broom” Bruttenholm in Guillermo de Toro’s Hellboy, a film that found the English actor portray a scientist who raises an infant demon conjured by Nazis with gentleness, affection and understanding.

For all the love and adoration that has poured out from colleagues and fans since news of Hurt’s passing, perhaps none said it better than Hellboy’s writer and director, del Toro.

Hurt himself once said “We are all racing towards death. No matter how many great, intellectual conclusions we draw during our lives, we know they’re all only man-made, like God. I begin to wonder where it all leads. What can you do, except do what you can do as best you know how.”

Hurt’s best was something to behold, and all genre of film, including horror, are forever in his debt.

'Civil War' Review: Is It Worth Watching?

Click to comment

You must be logged in to post a comment Login

Leave a Reply

News

Watch ‘The Burning’ At The Location Where It Was Filmed

Published

on

Fangoria is reporting that fans of the 1981 slasher The Burning will be able to have a screening of the film at the location where it was filmed. The movie is set at Camp Blackfoot which is actually the Stonehaven Nature Preserve in Ransomville, New York.

This ticketed event will take place on August 3. Guests will be able to take a tour of the grounds as well as enjoy some campfire snacks along with the screening of The Burning.

The Burning

The film came out in the early ’80s when teen slashers were being churned out in magnum force. Thanks to Sean S. Cunningham’s Friday the 13th, filmmakers wanted to get in on the low-budget, high-profit movie market and a casket load of these types of films were produced, some better than others.

The Burning is one of the good ones, mostly because of the special effects from Tom Savini who had just come off of his groundbreaking work on Dawn of the Dead and Friday the 13th. He declined to do the sequel because of its illogical premise and instead signed on to do this movie. Also, a young Jason Alexander who would later go on to play George in Seinfeld is a featured player.

Because of its practical gore, The Burning had to be heavily edited before it received an R-rating. The MPAA was under the thumb of protest groups and political bigwigs to censor violent films at the time because slashers were just so graphic and detailed in their gore.

Tickets are $50, and if you want a special t-shirt, that will cost you another $25, You can get all the information by visiting the On Set Cinema webpage.

'Civil War' Review: Is It Worth Watching?

Continue Reading

Movies

‘Longlegs’ Creepy “Part 2” Teaser Appears on Instagram

Published

on

Longlegs

Neon Films released an Insta-teaser for their horror film Longlegs today. Titled Dirty: Part 2, the clip only furthers the mystery of what we are in for when this movie is finally released on July 12.

The official logline is: FBI Agent Lee Harker is assigned to an unsolved serial killer case that takes unexpected turns, revealing evidence of the occult. Harker discovers a personal connection to the killer and must stop him before he strikes again.

Directed by former actor Oz Perkins who also gave us The Blackcoat’s Daughter and Gretel & Hansel, Longlegs is already creating buzz with its moody images and cryptic hints. The film is rated R for bloody violence, and disturbing images.

Longlegs stars Nicolas Cage, Maika Monroe, and Alicia Witt.

'Civil War' Review: Is It Worth Watching?

Continue Reading

News

Exclusive Sneak Peek: Eli Roth and Crypt TV’s VR Series ‘The Faceless Lady’ Episode Five

Published

on

Eli Roth (Cabin Fever) and Crypt TV are knocking it out of the park with their new VR show, The Faceless Lady. For those unaware, this is the first fully scripted VR horror show on the market.

Even for masters of horror like Eli Roth and Crypt TV, this is a monumental undertaking. However, if I trust anyone to change the way that we experience horror, it would be these two legends.

The Faceless Lady

Ripped from the pages of Irish folklore, The Faceless Lady tells the story of a tragic spirit cursed to wander the halls of her castle for all of eternity. However, when three young couples are invited to the castle for a series of games, their fates may soon change.

So far, the story has provided horror fans with a gripping game of life or death that doesn’t look as if it will slow down in episode five. Luckily, we have an exclusive clip that may be able to satiate your appetites until the new premiere.

Airing on 4/25 at 5pmPT/8pmET, episode five follows our final three contestants in this wicked game. As the stakes are raised ever higher, will Ella be able to fully awaken her connection with Lady Margaret?

The faceless lady

The newest episode can be found on Meta Quest TV. If you haven’t already, follow this link to subscribe to the series. Make sure to check out the new clip below.

Eli Roth Present’s THE FACELESS LADY S1E5 Clip: THE DUEL – YouTube

To view in the highest resolution, adjust the quality settings in the bottom right corner of the clip.

'Civil War' Review: Is It Worth Watching?

Continue Reading