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The Oscars of Horror: How ‘Get Out’ and Horror is Changing The Academy Awards

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2017 was the biggest year for horror

Movies like ITGet OutSplit, Happy Death Day, drew in humongous numbers in the box office as well as telling truly compelling and entertaining stories. Tonight marks the 90th Academy Awards ceremony with Get Out nominated for four categories. If won, the movie would join the ranks of classics that took home the gold like Misery, AlienThe Fly and Rosemary’s Baby, just to name a few.

When looking at the gross for 2017, horror movies made over a whopping 943 million. This number was calculated with data found on Box Office Mojo. Dominated by clowns, racists and killer dolls, 2017 has become the biggest grossing year in horror movie history. IT alone has made more than $327 million in sales. Even in the climate we are currently in, people are still drawn to these grim worlds in order to escape from their real ones. It proves that nothing truly compares to a good scare. Other years that struck gold with horror were 1987 with $293.6 million, 1999 with $574.6 million, and 2000 with $617.7 million in gross income according to The New York Times. However, Inflation was not factored into these statistics.

Warner Bros.

Horror hasn’t always been seen in a positive light, especially when it comes to the Oscars. In fact, in the past 89 years, fewer than 20 horror movies have won awards at the Academy Awards with most nominated in categories such as sound editing, lighting and makeup. The number of horror flicks nominated for Best Picture prior to Get Out can be counted on one hand: JawsThe ExorcistSilence of the LambThe Sixth Sense, and Black Swan.

This time around, The Academy has chosen to go against typical conservative choices and opted for more risqué nominations like Get Out. Get Out was not only a horror movie but it was also a reflection of our own society and the objectification of black men and women in America. It resonated with viewers through its compelling storyline that kept you on edge at all times. It was horror but still remained lighthearted and comical.

With four nominations under its belt, it was suspenseful to see which way the pendulum was going to swing. Though Get Out did not take home awards for other categories like film of the year, it still was a win for Peele. His emotional acceptance speech retold the story of how the script became (or almost didn’t become).

Entertainment Weekly/Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences

He spoke of the fear he experienced: Fear of rejection, fear of not being good enough, fear of what other’s might think of a horror movie that explores race as its core element. He thanked his mom for always teaching him to love even in the face of fear and to us, the movie watchers.

This moment marked a win for diversity in film, a win for any person who dreams of making a movie, and a win for the horror genre that has been brushed to the side like a secondary thought. With 2018 looking like a promising year for Horror, next year’s Oscars should be a delightful fright!

Also, shout out to Guillermo Del Toro for creating such a beautifully crafted movie. The Shape of Water is visually stunning with an equally beautiful storyline and creature.

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

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The Blair Witch Project Cast

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.

Blair witch
The Blair Witch Project Cast

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.”

The blair witch project

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

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