News

Late to the Party: Predator (1987)

Published

7 years ago

January 11, 2017

So there I was, flipping through the cable guide on New Year’s Day looking for something to watch. I came across the original 1987 Predator on one of the movie channels, and realized that I had never seen it. With the new reboot, or sequel, or whatever it’s going to be, coming soon, I figured now was as good a time as any to show up Late to the Party for this one.

Predator (1987), courtesy Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation

Of course, I knew plenty about Predator going in. As a huge fan of the Alien franchise, I had seen both Alien vs. Predator movies, so I was very aware of what the titular creature was capable of doing. I also knew that it starred Arnold Schwarzenegger, because who doesn’t know that? Other than that, I was going in blind…or so I thought.

As it turns out, I wasn’t. I recognized one of the first scenes from a unit on Machismo and Patriotism in a Race and Gender in American Cinema class I had in college. The scene from class was when Dutch, played by Arnie (I’m not going to keep typing Schwarzenegger over and over), first was brought in and sees his old chum Dillon, played by Carl Weathers. The two engage in an awkwardly extended faux-arm wrestling match, each waiting for the other to weaken and call uncle. That pretty much sets the tone for Predator.

Predator (1987), courtesy Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation

The rest of the movie fit in perfectly with my initial impressions. It’s much more of an action movie than it is a horror movie, regardless of how badass the monster is. Heck, the audience doesn’t even see the alien until halfway through the movie, thanks to some awesome chameleonic special effects and a little of the old killer POV shot, so they’re as unsure of what the soldiers are up against as the soldiers themselves. The way the alien works its way through the members of Arnie’s platoon is slasher-worthy. So maybe Predator is a horror movie?

Predator is a complete product of the Reagan era. It very obviously was made in the same decade as movies like First Blood and Commando, with sweaty men flexing their biceps as they fire guns that they shouldn’t even be able to lift by themselves, let alone shoot with one hand. Predator is a whole lot of that. Except, instead of shooting at an invading Russian army or a storming band of Sandinistas , Arnie and his boys are shooting at an alien that they can’t see. Groovy.

Predator (1987), courtesy Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation

Predator actually has a very universal message. If it were made in the fifties, it would be a Rod Serling-esque commentary on the paranoia of the McCarthy-era, with a bunch of hearty, true red-white-and-blue Americans fighting something that blends in seamlessly with its surroundings. If it were made in the sixties, it could have been read as a statement about the conflict in Vietnam. As it stands, one could argue that it’s a reaction to the brinkmanship of the nuclear arms race of the eighties. But that may be overthinking it. Put all of that aside, and just enjoy the ride.

Maybe it’s because I was already familiar with both the alien and the leading man, but nothing about Predator surprised me. Predator is exactly the movie that I thought it would be, nothing more, nothing less.

Predator (1987), courtesy Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation

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Russell Crowe To Star in Another Exorcism Movie & It’s Not a Sequel

Published

18 hours ago

April 22, 2024

Timothy Rawles

Maybe it’s because The Exorcist just celebrated its 50th-anniversary last year, or maybe it’s because aging Academy Award-winning actors aren’t too proud to take on obscure roles, but Russell Crowe is visiting the Devil once again in yet another possession film. And it’s not related to his last one, The Pope’s Exorcist.

According to Collider, the film titled The Exorcism was originally going to be released under the name The Georgetown Project. Rights for its North American release were once in the hands of Miramax but then went to Vertical Entertainment. It will release on June 7 in theaters then head over to Shudder for subscribers.

Crowe will also star in this year’s upcoming Kraven the Hunter which is set to drop in theaters on August 30.

As for The Exorcism, Collider provides us with what it’s about:

“The film centers around actor Anthony Miller (Crowe), whose troubles come to the forefront as he shoots a supernatural horror movie. His estranged daughter (Ryan Simpkins) has to figure out whether he’s lapsing into his past addictions, or if something even more horrific is occurring. “

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Movies

New F-Bomb Laden ‘Deadpool & Wolverine’ Trailer: Bloody Buddy Movie

Published

22 hours ago

April 22, 2024

Timothy Rawles

Deadpool & Wolverine might be the buddy movie of the decade. The two heterodox superheroes are back in the latest trailer for the summer blockbuster, this time with more f-bombs than a gangster film.

‘Deadpool & Wolverine’ Movie Trailer

This time the focus is on Wolverine played by Hugh Jackman. The adamantium-infused X-Man is having a bit of a pity party when Deadpool (Ryan Reynolds) arrives on the scene who then tries to convince him to team up for selfish reasons. The result is a profanity-filled trailer with a Strange surprise at the end.

Deadpool & Wolverine is one of the most anticipated movies of the year. It comes out on July 26. Here is the latest trailer, and we suggest if you are at work and your space isn’t private, you might want to put in headphones.

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Original Blair Witch Cast Ask Lionsgate for Retroactive Residuals in Light of New Film

Published

2 days ago

April 21, 2024

Cameron McFarland

Jason Blum is planning to reboot The Blair Witch Project for the second time. That’s a fairly large task considering none of the reboots or sequels have managed to capture the magic of the 1999 film that brought found footage into the mainstream.

This idea has not been lost on the original Blair Witch cast, who has recently reached out to Lionsgate to ask for what they feel is fair compensation for their role in the pivotal film. Lionsgate gained access to The Blair Witch Project in 2003 when they purchased Artisan Entertainment.

However, Artisan Entertainment was an independent studio before its purchase, meaning the actors were not part of SAG-AFTRA. As a result, the cast are not entitled to the same residuals from the project as actors in other major films. The cast doesn’t feel that the studio should be able to continue to profit off of their hard work and likenesses without fair compensation.

Their most recent request asks for “meaningful consultation on any future ‘Blair Witch’ reboot, sequel, prequel, toy, game, ride, escape room, etc., in which one could reasonably assume that Heather, Michael & Josh’s names and/or likenesses will be associated for promotional purposes in the public sphere.”

At this time, Lionsgate has not offered any comment about this issue.

The full statement made by the cast can be found below.

OUR ASKS OF LIONSGATE (From Heather, Michael & Josh, stars of “The Blair Witch Project”):

1. Retroactive + future residual payments to Heather, Michael and Josh for acting services rendered in the original BWP, equivalent to the sum that would’ve been allotted through SAG-AFTRA, had we had proper union or legal representation when the film was made.

2. Meaningful consultation on any future Blair Witch reboot, sequel, prequel, toy, game, ride, escape room, etc…, in which one could reasonably assume that Heather, Michael & Josh’s names and/or likenesses will be associated for promotional purposes in the public sphere.

Note: Our film has now been rebooted twice, both times were a disappointment from a fan/box office/critical perspective. Neither of these films were made with significant creative input from the original team. As the insiders who created the Blair Witch and have been listening to what fans love & want for 25 years, we’re your single greatest, yet thus-far un-utilized secret-weapon!

3. “The Blair Witch Grant”: A 60k grant (the budget of our original movie), paid out yearly by Lionsgate, to an unknown/aspiring genre filmmaker to assist in making theirfirst feature film. This is a GRANT, not a development fund, hence Lionsgate will not own any of the underlying rights to the project.

A PUBLIC STATEMENT FROM THE DIRECTORS & PRODUCERS OF “THE BLAIR WITCH PROJECT”:

As we near the 25th anniversary of The Blair Witch Project, our pride in the storyworld we created and the film we produced is reaffirmed by the recent announcement of a reboot by horror icons Jason Blum and James Wan.

While we, the original filmmakers, respect Lionsgate’s right to monetize the intellectual property as it sees fit, we must highlight the significant contributions of the original cast — Heather Donahue, Joshua Leonard, and Mike Williams. As the literal faces of what has become a franchise, their likenesses, voices, and real names are inseparably tied to The Blair Witch Project. Their unique contributions not only defined the film’s authenticity but continue to resonate with audiences around the world.

We celebrate our film’s legacy, and equally, we believe the actors deserve to be celebrated for their enduring association with the franchise.

Sincerely, Eduardo Sanchez, Dan Myrick, Gregg Hale, Robin Cowie, and Michael Monello