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A Damn Fine Actor: Remembering Miguel Ferrer

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Enthralled is the word I’m going to go with. I was enthralled with Robocop the first time I set eyes on the sci-fi classic. With Peter Weller as the title character to be sure, but also with the young, punk executive who saw an opportunity and seized it. He was no-nonsense, tough and devoured whenever he appeared on screen.

My thoughts mimicked those of his Bob Morton character, “I fuckin’ love that guy!”

His name was Miguel Ferrer, and he succumbed to cancer today at the age of 61.

Funny how someone you never met could have such a lasting impact. Robocop has a special place in my heart because of where I was in my life when I took it all in, and so too Miguel Ferrer.

Forever a character actor who appeared in countless successful films and television projects, I could never shake the thought, “I fuckin’ love that guy!” or wrap my head around the fact that he wasn’t a bigger star.

For years I had described New York Yankees and future Hall of Fame shortstop Derek Jeter as a superstar with the heart of a utility player. Ferrer was the mirror opposite as a performer. Ferrer possessed the talent of a superstar with the heart of a complimentary actor.

And compliment he did.

When I first arrived at iHorror, I was looking for a new addiction, and Patti Pauley put me on to “Twin Peaks.” I cannot thank her enough for exposing me to that beautifully strange slice of pie.

One can imagine my glee when I saw not only the name of Everett McGill in the credits, but Miguel Ferrer as well.

Albert Rosenfield was a bit bereft of “the social niceties.” Put another way, he was a prick of monumental proportion in the early going. Cold, clinical, condescending, cocky. Hell, even Andy (Harry Goaz) called him out, and Andy loved everybody.

Somewhere along the line, though, things changed. Ferrer’s character was no longer unlikable, he ceased spewing anger and began speaking with affection and admiration, and damned if he wasn’t worthy of being a Bookhouse Boy.

It was a turnaround that came about so abruptly that it seemed unreal, but that was in keeping with the charm of “Twin Peaks.” It didn’t have to make sense, you just went with it.

From that moment forward, Ferrer’s presence offered incredible humanity to the show. For all its quirks and over-the-top qualities, Ferrer felt authentic. In his characters’ unrivaled forensic research, comforting Agent Cooper (Kyle MacLachlan) and imploring Cooper and Sheriff Truman (Michael Ontkean) to find the beast before he took another bite.

In short, if you were lucky enough to see Ferrer on screen, you were buying in. Whether it was humor, confidence, abrasiveness, sympathy or concern, you were all-in because Ferrer’s performances felt genuine, even when they were intended to be caricatures of a cliche.

I’ll finish with this, because it just feels like the right way to say goodbye. And I think I speak for “Twin Peaks” fans everywhere when I say “We love you, too.”

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Brad Dourif Says He’s Retiring Except For One Important Role

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Brad Dourif has been doing movies for nearly 50 years. Now it seems he is walking away from the industry at 74 to enjoy his golden years. Except, there is a caveat.

Recently, digital entertainment publication JoBlo’s Tyler Nichols talked to some of the Chucky television series cast members. During the interview, Dourif made an announcement.

“Dourif said that he’s retired from acting,” says Nichols. “The only reason he came back for the show was because of his daughter Fiona and he considers Chucky creator Don Mancini to be family. But for non-Chucky stuff, he considers himself retired.”

Dourif has voiced the possessed doll since 1988 (minus the 2019 reboot). The original movie “Child’s Play” has become such a cult classic it’s at the top of some people’s best chillers of all time. Chucky himself is ingrained in pop culture history much like Frankenstein or Jason Voorhees.

While Dourif may be known for his famous voiceover, he is also an Oscar-nominated actor for his part in One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest. Another famous horror role is The Gemini Killer in William Peter Blatty’s Exorcist III. And who can forget Betazoid Lon Suder in Star Trek: Voyager?

The good news is that Don Mancini is already pitching a concept for season four of Chucky which might also include a feature-length movie with a series tie-in. So, Although Dourif says he is retiring from the industry, ironically he is Chucky’s friend till the end.

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Editorial

7 Great ‘Scream’ Fan Films & Shorts Worth a Watch

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The Scream franchise is such an iconic series, that many budding filmmakers take inspiration from it and make their own sequels or, at least, build upon the original universe created by screenwriter Kevin Williamson. YouTube is the perfect medium to showcase these talents (and budgets) with fan-made homages with their own personal twists.

The great thing about Ghostface is that he can appear anywhere, in any town, he just needs the signature mask, knife, and unhinged motive. Thanks to Fair Use laws it’s possible to expand upon Wes Craven’s creation by simply getting a group of young adults together and killing them off one by one. Oh, and don’t forget the twist. You’ll notice that Roger Jackson’s famous Ghostface voice is uncanny valley, but you get the gist.

We have gathered five fan films/shorts related to Scream that we thought were pretty good. Although they can’t possibly match the beats of a $33 million blockbuster, they get by on what they have. But who needs money? If you’re talented and motivated anything is possible as proven by these filmmakers who are well on their way to the big leagues.

Take a look at the below films and let us know what you think. And while you’re at it, leave these young filmmakers a thumbs up, or leave them a comment to encourage them to create more films. Besides, where else are you going to see Ghostface vs. a Katana all set to a hip-hop soundtrack?

Scream Live (2023)

Scream Live

Ghostface (2021)

Ghostface

Ghost Face (2023)

Ghost Face

Don’t Scream (2022)

Don’t Scream

Scream: A Fan Film (2023)

Scream: A Fan Film

The Scream (2023)

The Scream

A Scream Fan Film (2023)

A Scream Fan Film
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Movies

Another Creepy Spider Movie Hits Shudder This Month

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Good spider films are a theme this year. First, we had Sting and then there was Infested. The former is still in theaters and the latter is coming to Shudder starting April 26.

Infested has been getting some good reviews. People are saying that it’s not only a great creature feature but also a social commentary on racism in France.

According to IMDb: Writer/director Sébastien Vanicek was looking for ideas around the discrimination faced by black and Arab-looking people in France, and that led him to spiders, which are rarely welcome in homes; whenever they’re spotted, they’re swatted. As everyone in the story (people and spiders) is treated like vermin by society, the title came to him naturally.

Shudder has become the gold standard for streaming horror content. Since 2016, the service has been offering fans an expansive library of genre movies. in 2017, they began to stream exclusive content.

Since then Shudder has become a powerhouse in the film festival circuit, buying distribution rights to movies, or just producing some of their own. Just like Netflix, they give a film a short theatrical run before adding it to their library exclusively for subscribers.

Late Night With the Devil is a great example. It was released theatrically on March 22 and will begin streaming on the platform starting April 19.

While not getting the same buzz as Late Night, Infested is a festival favorite and many have said if you suffer from arachnophobia, you might want to take heed before watching it.

Infested

According to the synopsis, our main character, Kalib is turning 30 and dealing with some family issues. “He’s fighting with his sister over an inheritance and has cut ties with his best friend. Fascinated by exotic animals, he finds a venomous spider in a shop and brings it back to his apartment. It only takes a moment for the spider to escape and reproduce, turning the whole building into a dreadful web trap. The only option for Kaleb and his friends is to find a way out and survive.”

The film will be available to watch on Shudder starting April 26.

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