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Charlie David’s ‘Shadowlands’ is a Lyrical Queer Paranormal Anthology

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Charlie David’s Shadowlands is a film that is, much like the filmmaker, difficult to pin down.

Author, screenwriter, producer, musician, actor, television host…David has worn many hats in his career, and his passion for LGTBQ storytelling has shone through at every step.

Which brings us back to Shadowlands.

Originally released as a three part mini-series in Canada, Shadowlands delves into the depth of folklore, mythology, and urban legend to tell three specific stories in a world where the paranormal overlaps with our daily existence. Each erotically charged story builds upon the last to create a film-scape with the emotional intensity of bel canto opera.

It all begins in the 1920s where a surgeon (Sean C. Dwyer) hosts a decadent, fetish-laden party at his home. He has become a mutated version of Narcissus, no longer content to stare at his own reflection. He is obsessed with perfection, and only the most beautiful are welcome to join him in his revelries.

When that perfection cannot be found, however, his most monstrous qualities emerge, and what begins with murder soon turns inward as he makes one final all-too-gory decision.

In the next segment, a gay couple in 1951, one of whom is a sailor in the Navy, take a camping trip and while out in the woods, discuss whether or not they’d like to open up their relationship, sexually, because they have to spend so much time apart. When a stranger wanders into their camp, their resolve is tested and in a twist worthy of a classic urban legend, the following morning, they wonder if the he had ever been there at all.

And finally, an artist (Charlie David) whose lover has died becomes obsessed with creating a life-like painting of him in a heart-wrenching version of the tale of Pygmalion and Galatea. His love pours onto the painting and so does his life force, seemingly, bringing the film to a tragic close.

It is interesting to watch and dissect the ways in which the films connect. A character who crosses over here, a magical painting that exists when it should not, all of these things work together to connect Shadowlands in an anthology film without a framing story.

Shadowlands is a beautiful film overall. From the sets to the costuming to the lighting, everything is visually stunning with beautiful textures. Likewise, the soundtrack of the film is almost infectious with songs by Michael Daniel Murphy.

The film is not without its foibles, however.

At times the dramatic settings and dialogue almost overshadow the story. That dramatic flair works for the hyper-emotional storytelling of the film, but at moments I almost felt removed from the scene trying to take in the words rather than the story as a whole.

Still, the cast is beautiful, the stories compelling, and by the end of the film I felt as though I’d taken a real journey with David and his cast.

Shadowlands is available for streaming on Amazon Prime. It’s also available in a novelization also on Amazon. Check out the trailer below and give it a watch today!

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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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