News
Stephen King 2017 Roundup
2017 has been the year of Stephen King. With several of his stories becoming films, co-authoring two novels, and two stories becoming television series, it may have been difficult keeping up to date with everything King has accomplished. As we approach the end of 2017 we take time to look back on the year that King has had, and look forward to see what 2018 has in store for his fans.
May
Gwendy’s Button Box
King didn’t start releasing anything this past year until May with the release of Gwendy’s Button Box, a short novella he co-authored with Richard Chizmar. Gwendy’s Button Box took us back to Castle Rock and shows us the story of Gwendy who is given a box one fateful day by a man in a dark suit. Thanks to the box, Gwendy experiences many wonderful things in her life until she decides to push the one button in the box that she shouldn’t have. The box is a fast read at 175 pages and for fans it’s a true joy to return back to Castle Rock, a town us King fans know all too well.
June
The Mist (TV Adaption)
Perhaps the weakest spot of 2017 for King was the abysmal mess that was the television series The Mist, based off of King’s novella found in Skeleton Crew and then released as a Darabont film in 2007. Unfortunately the television show simply could not hold up. With extremely low ratings and mixed reviews Spike cancelled the show after only one season.
July
The Dark Tower (film)
The Dark Tower film was perhaps one of the toughest moments in 2017 for King die hard fans. The creators of the film took The Dark Tower from the book series that includes 8 full novels, some very large, and turned it into an hour and a half film. To make matters worse, the film was only loosely based on its source material. The film grossed $111 million worldwide but only conjured up a measly 15% rating on Rotten Tomatoes.
August
Mr. Mercedes
After two King letdowns, Mr. Mercedes blasted out of the gates as one of the most faithful adaptations to King’s works. It was a fun, exciting series that unfortunately had limited viewership as the series was broadcast on DirecTV’s Applause Network. The series follows retired detective Bill Hodges and mass murderer Brady Hartsfield. Brady Hartsfield, aka Mr. Mercedes, drove a Mercedes through a job fair line in 2009 killing 16 innocent lives. Now, years later, Brady turns his focus on Bill Hodges, the now retired detective that was in charge of the case, to torment him and play games that have deadly consequences.
September
This was the biggest month for King this year. In one month alone King released a novel he co-authored with his son, two Netflix original movies, and the much anticipated remake film IT.
It (September 8)
IT was a groundbreaking film that became the largest selling horror film in history. It’s tough to get accurate numbers at this point, but the last financial statistic showed that IT had made a fitting $666 million dollars. The original film starred Tim Curry as Pennywise the Clown, and in 2017 the role was portrayed by Skarsgard. Although it was a different take on the story, a more sadistic clown and taking place in the eighties instead of the fifties, the roots of the main concept for the story was still there. This was definitely the high point of the year as King took the crown of penning the best selling horror movie in history.
1922 (September 23)
A straight to Netflix film 1922 was a dark and sadistic film about a father and son that murder their wife/mother because she decides to sell the land they own and move. The tale gets darker and more twisted from there as the father and son do everything within their power to cover up their hideous atrocity. With a solid 88% approval on Rotten Tomatoes and a stellar cast led by Thomas Jane, this film based on King’s novella in Full Dark, No Stars was an awesome addition to King’s 2017 releases.
Gerald’s Game September 29
Stephen King’s BDSM tale Gerald’s Game was given the small screen adaptation on September 29th. What on paper didn’t seem like a tale that would be adaptable at all, became one of the most remarkable King films in recent years. Based on a 1992 book, this film had incredible acting, a fast paced script, and stayed close to the source material. The movie was met with a 90% approval rating by Rotten Tomatoes. Carla Gugino shined as a remarkable character that totally descends into madness after her husband dies after a bondage experience goes wrong and leaves her handcuffed to a bed in the middle of nowhere.
Sleeping Beauties (September 26)
Rounding up 2017 is the first book co-authored by Stephen and his son Owen, and is a remarkable social commentary on women’s rights. The tale centers on a world where women begin falling asleep and not waking up, but instead they are being covered in cocoons. If the cocooned women are disturbed in this state they become spectacularly violent. The book is long at 702 pages, but one that is worthy of the King name.
Looking Ahead:
2017 was a remarkable year for Stephen King, a man that has been in the game now for 43 years and appears not to be slowing down anytime soon. Looking toward 2018 and beyond there are several projects that King is involved in that will further cement the master of horror as the King of media. Mr. Mercedes season 2 will make its way to the small screen, King’s written work will have a new novel added to it by the name of The Outsider (possibly an addition to the Mr. Mercedes series), and part 2 of the blockbuster film IT will be coming in 2019. It is an amazing time to be a Stephen King fan!
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Movies
‘The Strangers’ Invaded Coachella in Instagramable PR Stunt
Renny Harlin’s reboot of The Strangers isn’t coming out until May 17, but those murderous home invaders are making a pit stop at Coachella first.
In the latest Instagramable PR stunt, the studio behind the film decided to have the trio of masked intruders crash Coachella, a music festival that takes place for two weekends in Southern California.
This type of publicity began when Paramount did the same thing with their horror movie Smile in 2022. Their version had seemingly ordinary people in populated places look directly into a camera with an evil grin.
Harlin’s reboot is actually a trilogy with a more expansive world than that of the original.
“When setting out to remake The Strangers, we felt there was a bigger story to be told, which could be as powerful, chilling, and terrifying as the original and could really expand that world,” said producer Courtney Solomon. “Shooting this story as a trilogy allows us to create a hyperreal and terrifying character study. We’re fortunate to be joining forces with Madelaine Petsch, an amazing talent whose character is the driving force of this story.”
The movie follows a young couple (Madelaine Petsch and Froy Gutierrez) who “after their car breaks down in an eerie small town, are forced to spend the night in a remote cabin. Panic ensues as they are terrorized by three masked strangers who strike with no mercy and seemingly no motive in The Strangers: Chapter 1 the chilling first entry of this upcoming horror feature film series.”
The Strangers: Chapter 1 opens in theaters on May 17.
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Movies
‘Alien’ Returning to Theaters For a Limited Time
It’s been 45 years since Ridley Scott’s Alien hit theaters and in celebration of that milestone, it is headed back to the big screen for a limited time. And what better day to do that than Alien Day on April 26?
It also works as a primer for the upcoming Fede Alvarez sequel Alien: Romulus opening on August 16. A special feature in which both Alvarez and Scott discuss the original sci-fi classic will be shown as a part of your theater admission. Take a look at the preview of that conversation below.
Back in 1979, the original trailer for Alien was kind of terrifying. Imagine sitting in front of a CRT TV (Cathode Ray Tube) at night and suddenly Jerry Goldsmith’s haunting score begins to play as a giant chicken egg starts to crack with beams of light bursting through the shell and the word “Alien” slowly forms in slanted all caps across the screen. To a twelve-year-old, it was a scary pre-bedtime experience, especially Goldsmith’s screaming electronic musical flourishes playing over scenes of the actual movie. Let the “Is it horror or sci-fi?” debate begin.
Alien became a pop culture phenomenon, complete with kid’s toys, a graphic novel, and an Academy Award for Best Visual Effects. It also inspired dioramas in wax museums and even a frightening setpiece at Walt Disney World in the now-defunct Great Movie Ride attraction.
The film stars Sigourney Weaver, Tom Skerritt, and John Hurt. It tells the tale of a futuristic crew of blue-collar workers suddenly awakened out of stasis to investigate an undecipherable distress signal coming from a nearby moon. They investigate the source of the signal and discover it’s a warning and not a cry for help. Unbeknownst to the crew, they have brought a giant space creature back on board which they find out in one of the most iconic scenes in cinema history.
It is said that Alvarez’s sequel will pay homage to the original film’s storytelling and set design.
The Alien theatrical re-release will take place on April 26. Pre-order your tickets and find out where Alien will screen at a theater near you.
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News
Home Depot’s 12-Foot Skeleton Returns with a New Friend, Plus New Life-Size Prop from Spirit Halloween
Halloween is the greatest holiday of them all. However, every great holiday needs amazing props to go with it. Luckily for you, there are two new amazing props that have been released, which are sure to impress your neighbors and frighten any neighborhood children who are unfortunate enough to wander past your yard.
The first entry is the return of the Home Depot 12-foot skeleton prop. Home Depot has outdone themselves in the past. But this year the company is bringing bigger and better things to their Halloween prop lineup.
This year, the company unveiled its new and improved Skelly. But what is a giant skeleton without a loyal friend? Home Depot has also announced that they will release a five-foot tall skeleton dog prop to eternally keep Skelly company as he haunts your yard this spooky season.
This bony pooch will be five feet tall and seven feet long. The prop will also feature a posable mouth and LCD eyes with eight variable settings. Lance Allen, Home Depot’s merchant of decorative Holliday gear, had the following to say about this year’s lineup.
“This year we increased our realism within the animatronics category, created some impressive, licensed characters and even brought back some fan favorites. Overall, we are most proud of the quality and value we are able to bring to our customers with these pieces so they can continue to grow their collections.”
But what if giant skeletons just aren’t your thing? Well, Spirit Halloween has you covered with their giant life size Terror Dog replica. This massive prop has been ripped out of your nightmares to appear frighteningly on your lawn.
This prop weighs in at almost fifty pounds and features glowing red eyes that are sure to keep your yard safe from any toilet paper throwing hooligans. This iconic Ghostbusters nightmare is a must have for any fan of 80s horror. Or, anyone who loves all things spooky.
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