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Review: Misery (Collector’s Edition) (Blu-Ray)

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Regarded as one of the best of the Stephen King film adaptations, 1990’s Misery, based on King’s 1987 novel, revolutionized how King’s work was perceived in Hollywood.  A box office and critical success, Misery brought the first, and so far only, Academy Award to the King cinematic universe, when Kathy Bates won the best actress Oscar for her memorable portrayal of Annie Wilkes.  The prestige that Misery attracted transferred itself to the King-inspired films The Green Mile and The Shawshank Redemption, two Oscar-nominated films that further enhanced the credibility of King’s work in Hollywood and in the minds of audiences.

Misery highlights one of King’s essential gifts as a writer, which is his uncanny ability to connect suspense and tension to seemingly ordinary settings and situations.  In the film, Paul Sheldon, played by James Caan, is a best-selling novelist who, as the film opens, finds himself incapacitated when his car spins off a road in the midst of a blinding blizzard.  Paul is rescued by Bates’s Annie Wilkes, a seemingly pleasant woman who nurses Paul back to health in her secluded home.  Trapped in bed, his legs badly broken, Paul discovers that Annie is his “number one fan,” someone who is completely infatuated with Paul’s writing, to the point where she’s unable to distinguish fiction from reality.  As his attempts to make contact with the outside world are rebuffed, Paul eventually discovers that Annie is a demented, unhinged woman who intends to keep Paul as her prisoner.

More than a quarter of a century after its theatrical release, Shout! Factory has immortalized the film’s legacy with their new Blu-Ray release, Misery: Collector’s Edition, which documents every element of the making of the film, from page to theatrical release.  Along with a 4K restoration of the film, which was culled from the film’s original elements, the Blu-Ray contains new interviews with director Rob Reiner and special makeup effects artist Greg Nicotero.

Anchoring the Blu-Ray are the commentaries provided by Reiner and screenwriter William Goldman, both of whom go into painstaking detail regarding the challenges they faced in bringing King’s novel to the screen.  For Reiner, who had previously directed Stand by Me, based on the King novella The Body, Misery was a transforming moment in the director’s career, allowing him to fully make the transition from comedy to broader material.  In addition to the commentaries, several documentaries explore the elements and themes contained within in the film, which are mostly-related to stalking as it relates to Annie Wilkes’s twisted psyche.

Although Misery has long been a staple of cable television, Shout! Factory’s release serves as the last word on this now classic film and is a recommended addition to any genre fan’s library.

The Misery: Collector’s Edition Blu-Ray is available on November 28, 2017. 

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Trailer for ‘The Exorcism’ Has Russell Crowe Possessed

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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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Win a Stay at The Lizzie Borden House From Spirit Halloween

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lizzie borden house

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.

Inside the Lizzie Borden House

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.”

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.

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’28 Years Later’ Trilogy Taking Shape With Serious Star Power

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28 years later

Danny Boyle is revisiting his 28 Days Later universe with three new films. He will direct the first, 28 Years Later, with two more to follow. Deadline is reporting that sources say Jodie Comer, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, and Ralph Fiennes have been cast for the first entry, a sequel to the original. Details are being kept under wraps so we don’t know how or if the first original sequel 28 Weeks Later fits into the project.

Jodie Comer, Aaron Taylor-Johnson and Ralph Fiennes

Boyle will direct the first movie but it’s unclear which role he will take on in the subsequent films. What is known is Candyman (2021) director Nia DaCosta is scheduled to direct the second film in this trilogy and that the third will be filmed immediately afterward. Whether DaCosta will direct both is still unclear.

Alex Garland is writing the scripts. Garland is having a successful time at the box office right now. He wrote and directed the current action/thriller Civil War which was just knocked out of the theatrical top spot by Radio Silence’s Abigail.

There is no word yet on when, or where, 28 Years Later will start production.

28 Days Later

The original film followed Jim (Cillian Murphy) who wakes from a coma to find that London is currently dealing with a zombie outbreak.

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