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This Day in Horror History: February 4th

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This Day in Horror History February 4th edition celebrates the birth of a legend, some of our favorite stars, and two great movies!

George A. Romero born February 4, 1940

He’s the father of the modern zombie film, creating a phenomenon when he released Night of the Living Dead in 1968, but that was only the beginning for George A. Romero. He would go on to create his own brand of horror providing social commentary while chilling audiences with puzzling vampires, creeping zombies, and so much more!

It was a sad day, when we lost this gentle giant last July at the age of 77. His influence on the genre will live forever, however, and for that, we are indeed grateful.

66ème Festival de Venise (Mostra) By nicolas genin [CC BY-SA 2.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons

John Schuck born February 4, 1940

Many will remember John Schuck for the character actor’s comedic roles, but let’s not forget that he used those comedic chops in films and television shows that walked the line between comedy and horror.

He played two different versions of Frankenstein’s monster, for instance,  in The Halloween that Almost Wasn’t (1979) and when he took on the role of Herman Munster in “The Munsters Today” (1988-91)

Conrad John Schuck at the opening for the new play Annie at Pantages Theatre, Hollywood, California..Ref: RE 041005 B ..Splash News and Pictures.Los .New . (Newscom TagID: spnphotos219651) [Photo via Newscom]

Alice Cooper born February 4, 1948

Alice Cooper has always had a flair for the dramatic. The shock-rocker has made it a point to include horror elements in almost every major tour he’s made.

Perhaps it was only natural that he would find himself appearing in horror movies. In fact, it seemed predestined.

He’s appeared in Prince of Darkness, Freddy’s Dead: The Final Nightmare (in which he played Freddy Kreuger’s abusive father), and even made an appearance as himself in the the Tim Burton/Johnny Depp re-imagining of Dark Shadows!

Alice Cooper as Freddy’s father in Freddy’s Dead: The Final Nightmare via New Line Cinema

Michael Beck born February 4, 1949

Tall and handsome with a winning smile and just the right amount of dangerous charm made Michael Beck a perfect choice for the pivotal role of Swan in 1979’s The Warriors.

Michael Beck in The Warriors

Jenette Goldstein born February 4, 1960

Jenette Goldstein made her screen debut as Private Vasquez in 1986’s Aliens. She would go on to appear in Near Dark opposite Lance Henriksen and Terminator 2!

Jenette Goldstein in Aliens

Videodrome releases February 4, 1983

Oh David Cronenberg…what would we do without your weird? I’m not even going to try to describe Videodrome.

I’m just going to set the trailer down here and let you watch it for yourself.

Scream 3 releases February 4, 2000

The final chapter (or so we thought) of the Scream franchise took us to Hollywood to school us on the rules of a successful trilogy as Neve Campbell, Courtney Cox, and David Arquette were joined by Patrick Dempsey and Parker Posey to dig into Maureen Prescott’s past.

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The Original ‘Beetlejuice’ Sequel Had an Interesting Location

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beetlejuice in Hawaii Movie

Back in the late ’80s and early ’90s sequels to hit movies weren’t as linear as they are today. It was more like “let’s re-do the situation but in a different location.” Remember Speed 2, or National Lampoon’s European Vacation? Even Aliens, as good as it is, follows a lot of the plot points of the original; people stuck on a ship, an android, a little girl in peril instead of a cat. So it makes sense that one of the most popular supernatural comedies of all time, Beetlejuice would follow the same pattern.

In 1991 Tim Burton was interested in doing a sequel to his 1988 original, it was called Beetlejuice Goes Hawaiian:

“The Deetz family moves to Hawaii to develop a resort. Construction begins, and it’s quickly discovered that the hotel will be sitting on top of an ancient burial ground. Beetlejuice comes in to save the day.”

Burton liked the script but wanted some re-writes so he asked then-hot screenwriter Daniel Waters who had just got done contributing to Heathers. He passed on the opportunity so producer David Geffen offered it to Troop Beverly Hills scribe Pamela Norris to no avail.

Eventually, Warner Bros. asked Kevin Smith to punch up Beetlejuice Goes Hawaiian, he scoffed at the idea, saying, “Didn’t we say all we needed to say in the first Beetlejuice? Must we go tropical?”

Nine years later the sequel was killed. The studio said Winona Ryder was now too old for the part and an entire re-cast needed to happen. But Burton never gave up, there were a lot of directions he wanted to take his characters, including a Disney crossover.

“We talked about lots of different things,” the director said in Entertainment Weekly. “That was early on when we were going, Beetlejuice and the Haunted Mansion, Beetlejuice Goes West, whatever. Lots of things came up.”

Fast-forward to 2011 when another script was pitched for a sequel. This time the writer of Burton’s Dark Shadows,  Seth Grahame-Smith was hired and he wanted to make sure the story wasn’t a cash-grabbing remake or reboot. Four years later, in 2015, a script was approved with both Ryder and Keaton saying they would return to their respective roles. In 2017 that script was revamped and then eventually shelved in 2019.

During the time the sequel script was being tossed around in Hollywood, in 2016 an artist named Alex Murillo posted what looked like one-sheets for a Beetlejuice sequel. Although they were fabricated and had no affiliation with Warner Bros. people thought they were real.

Perhaps the virality of the artwork sparked interest in a Beetlejuice sequel once again, and finally, it was confirmed in 2022 Beetlejuice 2 had a green light from a script written by Wednesday writers  Alfred Gough and Miles Millar. The star of that series Jenna Ortega signed on to the new movie with filming starting in 2023. It was also confirmed that Danny Elfman would return to do the score.

Burton and Keaton agreed that the new film titled Beetlejuice, Beetlejuice wouldn’t rely on CGI or other other forms of technology. They wanted the film to feel “handmade.” The film wrapped in November 2023.

It’s been over three decades to come up with a sequel to Beetlejuice. Hopefully, since they said aloha to Beetlejuice Goes Hawaiian there has been enough time and creativity to ensure Beetlejuice, Beetlejuice will not only honor the characters, but fans of the original.

Beetlejuice, Beetlejuice will open theatrically on September 6.

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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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