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David Gordon Green’s ‘Halloween’ Out on Blu-Ray and DVD Today!

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The moment has finally arrived. Halloween, co-written by David Gordon Green, Danny McBride, and Jeff Fradley with Green directing, is out on 4K Ultra HD, Blu-Ray, DVD, and ON DEMAND today!

Taking place 40 years after the original, the new Halloween is a direct sequel to the 1978 film. Laurie Strode (Jamie Lee Curtis) has never fully dealt with the trauma of that long ago night, and her PTSD has effected the lives of everyone around her, including her daughter (Judy Greer) and granddaughter (Andi Matichak).

The film was box office gold for Blumhouse and Universal and while it has been available for a couple of weeks on digital streaming services, today is the day that physical media collectors have waited for.

Why, you ask? We want the special features, of course!

Halloween comes with a few select special features including deleted/extended scenes and five short featurettes.

The deleted and extended scenes here are exactly what one would expect on a release like this. These are the scenes that ran too long or simply slowed down the pace of the film, ultimately, though I wonder if two scenes in particular weren’t cut for another reason.

I’m going to include a brief synopsis of these scenes which contain some spoilers. If you want to see them for yourself, skip everything between the “***” above and below the information.

If you’re curious about my theory or want to know more before watching, read on!

***

In a scene titled, “Extended Shooting Range–Deleted Suicide Thoughts”, we see a much longer scene of Laurie on the shooting range and then back in her home cleaning her guns and making sure they’re in working order. As the scene comes to a close Laurie loads a single bullet into the revolver and places it under her chin, losing herself for a moment as if she’s actually considering shooting herself.

Given her mental state in the film, thoughts of suicide would not be uncommon, and it’s a poignant and powerful scene. However, for many, this is a disturbing and triggering topic and the studio may have cut this one short in order to avoid those issues.

Likewise, in “Jog to a Hanging Dog”, we see Laurie’s granddaughter out for a morning jog when she comes upon the police and a disturbed family who have found their dog hanging from his haunches in their tree.

His head is bloody and it’s just, in general, rough to see, though it echoes Michael killing a dog in the original film. In a day and age where websites exist to let people know whether animals and dogs in particular are killed in a film, it’s highly likely again that the studio pulled this scene to avoid potential backlash.

***

Back with me? Okay, here we go.

The five featurettes on the physical media release are pretty standard behind the scenes fare.

“Back in Haddonfield: Making Halloween” gives a few quotes and glimpses of the making of the film while “The Original Scream Queen” focuses on Jamie Lee Curtis’s return to the franchise.

“Journey of the Mask” features FX Make Up Designer Christopher Nelson discussing the creation of the new mask while honoring the legacy of the original interspersed with brief clips of James Jude Courtney, Jamie Lee Curtis, and David Gordon Green discussing what the mask has meant to them.

Particularly interesting are Courtney’s comments on how his whole demeanor seemed to change when he donned the mask, himself.

“The Legacy of Halloween” finds Green, Carpenter, and Curtis together with Jason Blum discussing their own thoughts on why the original film worked and how they connected it with the new film. It’s a great little feature, though very brief, and exciting to see these creative people exchanging ideas and comments with Curtis sort of acting as moderator.

Finally, and my favorite of the features, “The Sound of Fear” takes us inside John Carpenter’s studio where he and his son, Cody, and Dan Davies created the score for the new film.

The three really created something special with the score and not only do they describe their creative process, but we’re also given glimpses of them writing and working together.

While all of the features are entertaining, my biggest complaint is that it is all so brief. It took barely a half hour to watch the special features on the Blu-Ray, which also lacks a feature commentary.

Perhaps I’m showing my age, but one of the reasons I began collecting physical media was because of all the amazing hours of bonus footage, feature length documentaries, etc. that were once standard on most big film releases.

In recent years, however, those seem to be either gone all together or they only become available on later “anniversary” releases, special editions, etc.

I’m not entirely certain why this came to be, but as a fan and collector I’m left wanting more when I reach the end of a special features list and find I’ve still got hours left to my evening.

Still, what is available is great, and the film itself is well worth owning for fans of this classic franchise!

Halloween is available today, January 15, 2019, on 4K Ultra HD, Blu-Ray, and DVD at retailers across the country and online, and ON DEMAND.

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Childhood Memories Collide in New Horror Film ‘Poohniverse: Monsters Assemble’

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It looks like ITN Studious and Jagged Edge Productions are going the Avengers: Infinity War route with their upcoming film Poohniverse: Monsters Assemble. From the deranged mind of Rhys Frake-Waterfield (Winnie the Pooh: Blood and Honey) comes this belligerent mash up of beloved childhood icons.

According to an article out of Variety today, Poohniverse: Monsters Assemble will consist of Winnie the Pooh, Bambi, Tinkerbell, Pinocchio, Peter Pan, Tigger, Piglet, The Mad Hatter, and Sleeping Beauty. All of these iconic figured will be warped into nightmarish versions of their former selves. Poohniverse: Monsters Assemble is set to be released upon the world sometime in 2025.

Poohniverse

Actor-producer Scott Chambers (Malevolent) had the following to say about Poohniverse: Monsters Assemble. “As horror fans, we would love an Avengers that is all villains. It’d have Freddy Krueger, Jason, ‘Halloween,’ ‘Scream,’ all of those. Obviously that will never happen, but we can make it happen in our own little way, and that’s where this film has been born.”

Poohniverse: Monsters Assemble will be a part of The Twisted Childhood Universe. Just like the MCU, each character will first get a standalone film. After introductions are made, they will be reunited in an Avengers style film. Although they will be killing off the survivors from the previous films, they won’t be working together.

Chambers describes this as an “epic sequences of monster vs. monster.” And I don’t know what more fans could ask of the studio. This fantastical idea is a huge risk but Poohniverse: Monsters Assemble sounds amazing.

That’s all the information we have at this time. Check back here for more updates on Poohniverse: Monsters Assemble. If you haven’t already, check out the trailer for Winnie the Pooh: Blood and Honey 2 below.

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Blumhouse’s ‘The Wolf Man’ Reboot Kicks Off Production with Leigh Whannell at the Helm

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Blumhouse Productions has officially commenced filming its reboot of the Universal Monsters legend, “Wolf Man”. Under the direction of Leigh Whannell, known for his acclaimed work on “The Invisible Man” (2020), the project promises to breathe new life into the iconic tale. The film is slated for a theatrical release on October 25th, marking a new chapter in the storied franchise.

Wolf Man

The journey of a “Wolf Man” reboot began in 2020 when actor Ryan Gosling presented a fresh take on the classic story to Universal. This concept quickly evolved into a screenplay crafted by the talented duo Lauren Schuker Blum and Rebecca Angelo, who are known for their work on “Orange Is the New Black,” alongside contributions from Whannell and Corbett Tuck. The narrative is set in contemporary times, drawing inspiration from the atmospheric tension of Jake Gyllenhaal’s “Nightcrawler,” albeit with a distinct supernatural twist.

The film has seen its share of directorial and casting shifts, with Whannell initially signing on to direct in 2020, only to step away and then return to the project after Ryan Gosling and director Derek Cianfrance exited. The lead roles have been filled by Christopher Abbott and Julia Garner, both of whom bring significant talent to the screen. Abbott portrays a man whose family faces the terror of a lethal predator, with Garner likely playing his wife, sharing in the familial peril. The storyline also hints at a daughter named Ginger, adding a layer of depth to the family’s harrowing experience.

Julia Garner and Christopher Abbott

This reboot represents a collaboration between Blumhouse and Motel Movies, with Jason Blum producing. Ryan Gosling remains involved as an executive producer, alongside Ken Kao, Bea Sequeira, Mel Turner, and Whannell himself. The announcement of the film’s production start was made by Jason Blum, who shared an exciting glimpse of Whannell on set, signaling the beginning of what is hoped to be a memorable addition to the horror genre.

As the “Wolf Man” reboot moves forward, fans and newcomers alike are eager to see how this modern interpretation will pay homage to its roots while offering a fresh and thrilling experience. With a talented cast and crew at the helm, the film is poised to reintroduce the timeless tale of transformation and terror to a new generation.

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‘Immaculate’ Stars Reveal Which Horror Villains They Would “F, Marry, Kill”

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Sydney Sweeney is just coming off the success of her rom-com Anyone But You, but she’s ditching the love story for a horror story in her latest film Immaculate.

Sweeney is taking Hollywood by storm, portraying everything from a love-lusting teenager in Euphoria to an accidental superhero in Madame Web. Although the latter got a lot of hate among theater-goers, Immaculate is getting the polar opposite.

The film was screened at SXSW this past week and was well-received. It also gained a reputation for being extremely gory. Derek Smith of Slant says the, “final act contains some of the most twisted, gory violence this particular subgenre of horror has seen in years…”

Thankfully curious horror movie fans won’t have to wait long to see for themselves what Smith is talking about as Immaculate will hit theaters across the United States on March, 22.

Bloody Disgusting says that the movie’s distributor NEON, in a bit of marketing smarts, had stars Sydney Sweeney and Simona Tabasco play a game of “F, Marry, Kill” in which all their choices had to be horror movie villains.

It’s an interesting question, and you might be surprised at their answers. So colorful are their responses that YouTube slapped an age-restricted rating on the video.

Immaculate is a religious horror movie that NEON says stars Sweeney, “as Cecilia, an American nun of devout faith, embarking on a new journey in a remote convent in the picturesque Italian countryside. Cecilia’s warm welcome quickly devolves into a nightmare as it becomes clear her new home harbors a sinister secret and unspeakable horrors.”

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