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Now Streaming: ‘The Blackcoat’s Daughter’ is Atmospheric and Haunting

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By now, many horror aficionados have witnessed and basked in the quiet, eerie glory of Oz Perkin’s I am the Pretty Thing that Lives in the House. The film, released straight-to-Netflix last year, took just about everybody by surprise; there was seemingly no promotion for the film whatsoever. One day, it was just there. It was a true Halloween treat if I’ve ever seen one, and I became an immediate fan of Perkins.

What many don’t know, however, is that Pretty Thing is actually the director’s second film. His first, The Blackcoat’s Daughter, wrapped up filming in 2015. It took over a year until it got US distribution, and was finally shown in the States this February. Two years after the film’s completion, I’ve finally seen The Blackcoat’s Daughter – and what I’ve seen is nothing short of amazing.

IMDb.com

The film, starring Emma Roberts, follows two girls left alone in a private school. At the same time, a mysterious girl (Roberts) is on a mission to get to the school for reasons unknown. To say any more of the plot would be spoiling it, as it is a film that holds many surprises. What I can say, however, is it deals with numerous cliches of the horror genre and turns them on their heads. This is mainly a movie about possession. Make no mistake, however; another clone of The Exorcist this is not.

Much like Pretty Thing, The Blackcoat’s Daughter is drenched in atmosphere. Yet there is a heavy amount of contrast between the two films. Whereas Pretty Thing is ethereal and hauntingly beautiful, The Blackcoat’s Daughter is drowning in blackness and dread. Roberts’ performance here is stellar. Her character is enigmatic and intriguing, and though many may be turned off by her presence due to a dislike of her previous work in Scream Queens and American Horror Story, to think the actress’ inclusion of the film would hamper the effect is nothing short of foolish. Her performance in Perkins’ film proves that she has the chops to take on much more than fun and campy television.

Kiernan Shipka and Lucy Boynton both give great performances as well as the two girls left in their desolate Catholic school, but their story becomes all the more compelling given the factor of Roberts’ parallel story. Why does she want to get to the school so bad? What connection, if any, does she have with these girls? And will she ever even make it to the school, or will something happen to her beforehand?

IMDb.com

Rest assured, these questions will be answered by the end of the film. I can tell you this much, however; it’s most definitely not what you’d expect. I was certainly taken off-guard by the conclusion. It ends on a powerful and thought-provoking note – The Blackcoat’s Daughter is in no rush to spell things out for you. What this movie means and what actually occurred will take a small amount of analyzation. It’s nothing as vague as something from the mind of David Lynch, but it is incredibly smart in its effort to “show, don’t tell” nonetheless.

The Blackcoat’s Daughter is now streaming on Amazon Prime. It is highly recommended. Ambient, dark, and spooky, this isn’t a film for everyone. Yet if you give it a chance, you might walk away satisfied.

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The Original ‘Beetlejuice’ Sequel Had an Interesting Location

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beetlejuice in Hawaii Movie

Back in the late ’80s and early ’90s sequels to hit movies weren’t as linear as they are today. It was more like “let’s re-do the situation but in a different location.” Remember Speed 2, or National Lampoon’s European Vacation? Even Aliens, as good as it is, follows a lot of the plot points of the original; people stuck on a ship, an android, a little girl in peril instead of a cat. So it makes sense that one of the most popular supernatural comedies of all time, Beetlejuice would follow the same pattern.

In 1991 Tim Burton was interested in doing a sequel to his 1988 original, it was called Beetlejuice Goes Hawaiian:

“The Deetz family moves to Hawaii to develop a resort. Construction begins, and it’s quickly discovered that the hotel will be sitting on top of an ancient burial ground. Beetlejuice comes in to save the day.”

Burton liked the script but wanted some re-writes so he asked then-hot screenwriter Daniel Waters who had just got done contributing to Heathers. He passed on the opportunity so producer David Geffen offered it to Troop Beverly Hills scribe Pamela Norris to no avail.

Eventually, Warner Bros. asked Kevin Smith to punch up Beetlejuice Goes Hawaiian, he scoffed at the idea, saying, “Didn’t we say all we needed to say in the first Beetlejuice? Must we go tropical?”

Nine years later the sequel was killed. The studio said Winona Ryder was now too old for the part and an entire re-cast needed to happen. But Burton never gave up, there were a lot of directions he wanted to take his characters, including a Disney crossover.

“We talked about lots of different things,” the director said in Entertainment Weekly. “That was early on when we were going, Beetlejuice and the Haunted MansionBeetlejuice Goes West, whatever. Lots of things came up.”

Fast-forward to 2011 when another script was pitched for a sequel. This time the writer of Burton’s Dark Shadows,  Seth Grahame-Smith was hired and he wanted to make sure the story wasn’t a cash-grabbing remake or reboot. Four years later, in 2015, a script was approved with both Ryder and Keaton saying they would return to their respective roles. In 2017 that script was revamped and then eventually shelved in 2019.

During the time the sequel script was being tossed around in Hollywood, in 2016 an artist named Alex Murillo posted what looked like one-sheets for a Beetlejuice sequel. Although they were fabricated and had no affiliation with Warner Bros. people thought they were real.

Perhaps the virality of the artwork sparked interest in a Beetlejuice sequel once again, and finally, it was confirmed in 2022 Beetlejuice 2 had a green light from a script written by Wednesday writers  Alfred Gough and Miles Millar. The star of that series Jenna Ortega signed on to the new movie with filming starting in 2023. It was also confirmed that Danny Elfman would return to do the score.

Burton and Keaton agreed that the new film titled Beetlejuice, Beetlejuice wouldn’t rely on CGI or other other forms of technology. They wanted the film to feel “handmade.” The film wrapped in November 2023.

It’s been over three decades to come up with a sequel to Beetlejuice. Hopefully, since they said aloha to Beetlejuice Goes Hawaiian there has been enough time and creativity to ensure Beetlejuice, Beetlejuice will not only honor the characters, but fans of the original.

Beetlejuice, Beetlejuice will open theatrically on September 6.

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

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

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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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