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Interview: Tony Todd Talks Candyman, His Passions, and ‘Tales From the Hood 3’

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Tony Todd

Genre icon Tony Todd’s career is expansive, with credits in classics like Candyman and Final Destination, TV appearances in Star Trek and The X-Files, and an impressive history with theatre… and he’s not stopping anytime soon. Todd has an astounding 230 acting credits to his name, with 13 of those currently in pre-or-post-production. His most recent film (aside from the yet-to-be-released Candyman) is the newest entry in the visionary horror anthology series, Tales From the Hood 3

In Tales From the Hood 3, Todd is our through-line for each story as he (William) and a young girl (Brooklyn, played by Sage Arrindell) flee an unspeakable evil. As they hide from their pursuers, Brooklyn tells William a series of scary stories that come to life on screen. Ah, horror from the mouths of babes.

I recently had the opportunity to talk with the wonderful and talented Tony Todd about his career, his passions, Candyman, and Tales From the Hood 3.

Tales From the Hood 3 landed on DVD and digital on October 6, and premiers on SYFY October 17th at 9pm


Kelly McNeely: The first Tales From the Hood in 1995 was very prescient in its segments with police violence and racist politicians. And this particular entry — Tales From the Hood 3 — addresses the current cultural division within America. Horror has always been a socially conscious medium because of its exploration of societal fears, I think. Do you think we’ll ever take the hint and learn from it? Could horror make the world a better place?

Tony Todd:  I think that good film makes the world a better place. I’ve been a mainstay of some horror stuff, and I’ve been a mainstay of straight films. I love storytelling. And I think what Tales From the Hood 3 does is — all of them actually — is telling three or four segments that act like slices of life in America, as the filmmakers see it. And horror films have always been cautionary tales anyways, so it’s a good way for people to look and say “ok, I don’t ever want to make that mistake”.

Kelly McNeely: Now, you’ve been involved in some films that have become iconic, particularly Candyman and its representation of a community that’s often been underrepresented in film. Now with Tales From the Hood 3 — which has such a strong voice as an anthology franchise, how does it feel to be such a vital part of genre history?

Tony Todd: I’m humbled. You know, when I was in high school, and I was pulling girls’ hair, and putting tacks on teachers’ seats, I never dreamed that I would be on the big screen. But I knew that I wanted to act, I’m a theatre guy. So that’s where I first started, that’s what I always go back to. As soon as you believe the hype, then the hype is gone, and so I always learned to keep my feet grounded and my aspirations looking forward. If that makes any sense. I appreciate you telling me I’m an icon, but I don’t walk around beating my chest saying “I’m an icon”, then I would lose the charm [laughs].

Night of the Living Dead (1990)

Kelly McNeely: Is there a role or film or play — as I understand that you have done a lot of theater — that really inspired you to become an actor?

Tony Todd: I’m a huge Billy Wilder fan, he wrote so many great films. I remember seeing Sunset Boulevard with William Holden and Gloria Swanson when I was like 12, and being in pure rapture over the storytelling, the acting, the stylistic techniques. When I went to acting school, we were all infatuated by what Robert De Niro was doing with Taxi Driver and Raging Bull, you know, cutting edge stuff. He’d change the look, and you’d look at the world in a different way through a camera perspective, and you seek out a good eye. Whether it’s horror, thriller, psychological drama, straight up drama, comedy, I’m a huge Richard Prior fan for example. And that’s the cycle despite itself. It’s great to have the great spices, but it’s good to have the ones people don’t know about that well. 

Kelly McNeely: I understand the backstory you created for the Candyman was used to inform the sequel, were you able to have any collaborative process on the new film at all? Just out of curiosity, I don’t know if you can even talk about it at all.

Tony Todd: My collaborative process was they mined what had already been established. It’s in great hands, Jordan [Peele] wrote it and gave it to Nia [DaCosta] and it’s wonderful to have a feminine perspective telling the story. And we’re back in Cabrini-Green — which no longer exists — so that’s a wonderful feel. I wish that the film was able to drop when we last said it was, October 16th, but the powers that be want the most people in the seats when it does, because I think it’s going to be a phenomenon. Everybody’s anticipating it, everybody’s waiting for everyone’s waiting for it, which is great. To be in one of the top 5 horror movies that are most anticipated, it’s a blessing.

Candyman

Kelly McNeely: The anthology format allows Tales from the Hood to address a lot of different real life issues such as racism and gentrification. I know you’re a passionate writer. Would you ever want to tackle the anthology format?

Tony Todd: I am a writer, but I’m more into creating a complete story with a beginning, a middle, and an end. Not that this isn’t an important one — I mean I grew up with The Twilight Zone which was a half hour drama every week, you never knew if you were going to be on a planet, or a train, or a plane, you know, it was crazy. So I appreciate the form, but I’m more into a long day’s journey into night when it comes to scripting, I write way too much [laughs] then I edit it down over time.

Kelly McNeely: Now doing these press junkets, you’re invariably asked the same questions all day. So what’s your favorite topic to discuss? Or is there something that you’re really passionate about that you like to talk about or discuss?

Tony Todd: Well, theatre. Theatre saved me, I’ve also been a teacher and helped save young students who were directionless and finally found their passion. One of the best experiences of my life was working with the late, great August Wilson, I debuted King Hedley II. And talking about the writing process, when we opened that for the public it was a four-hour production. By the time we hit Seattle, we were getting it down to three- hours and fifteen. Because a good writer learns. You don’t edit, you vomit it out, it’s the passion of the moment. So those are the moments that changed my life. And I’ve also been working on a one man show about Jack Johnson called Ghosts in the House. As long as the world keeps turning the way it is and keeps surprising us, we all have inspirations that we can reach out and pluck.

Hell Fest

Kelly McNeely: Now again, I know that you do have your history with theater, and I work in theatre as well. So just out of curiosity — and this may be a loaded question — what do you think is the future of theatre with everything that’s sort of going on right now?

Tony Todd: Well, I think this is gonna be a fervent time for writers. We’ve all been in lockdown for almost a full year. Writers have had to endure relationships and buckle down and find new economic streams of revenue, and I think three or four years from now, we’ll start to emerge from that. Bernard Rose and I — who directed the first and adapted Candyman — are working on a project that’s going to be quite extraordinary, so that’ll come out sometime next year, and that’s all they’ll allow me to say about that [laughs]. We shot it in real time at the beginning of the pandemic. 

Kelly McNeely: With your career, you’ve obviously been a part of several major genre franchises like the DCU, Star Trek, The X-Files, Stargate… Do you have a personal favorite or certain one that you haven’t done yet that you’d really kind of secretly like to do?

Tony Todd: I always look for good father roles every now and then. I’ve been able to do a few, but not to the level I want. I’ve got two grown kids, and I always wanted to give them something that they can watch. I like surprises. They keep surprising me, I think my agents and my people now are pushing me towards television, so we’ll see. I know there are two projects that are being developed, so we’ll see what happens. And I always want to go back to teaching, I love teaching, there’s nothing more rewarding than that. 

Kelly McNeely:  You’ve been teaching for quite some time. 

Tony Todd: Yeah, I mean, off and on, you know, you’ve got to give back. I got a free scholarship to a wonderful program at the Eugene O’Neill Theatre Center, and then Trinity Rep Conservatory, and they let me in, they said to pay it forward, and that’s what I try to do. When I got in a play, I went back to my hometown of Hartford, Connecticut, and I worked with some… we’ll call them incorrigible students, and we were able to make them corrigible [laughs]. And well spoken and passionate. 

Immortal

Kelly McNeely: I know there’d been some ridiculous sequel ideas floating around, such as Candyman versus Leprechaun. 

Tony Todd: Yeah, we shot that down. You don’t want to put Candyman in the camp category. He’s a well-loved horror character for a reason. And I was the one that squashed the Leprechaun idea. But I think the new film will open up all kinds of new avenues and possibilities. I’m pretty sure they’re not going to stop with just one. 

Kelly McNeely: Do you think that there’s one villain that the Candyman couldn’t win against, if they were to decide to make one of those movies? 

Tony Todd: No. No, I do not, no. [Laughs] None of them are as grounded in reality as he is. And I’m saying that with a smile.

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New Poster Reveal For Nicolas Cage’s Survival Creature Feature ‘Arcadian’ [Trailer]

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Nicolas Cage Arcadian

In the latest cinematic venture featuring Nicolas Cage, Arcadian emerges as a compelling creature feature, teeming with suspense, horror, and emotional depth. RLJE Films has recently released a series of new images and a captivating poster, offering audiences a glimpse into the eerie and thrilling world of “Arcadian”. Scheduled to hit theaters on April 12, 2024, the film will later be available on Shudder and AMC+, ensuring a wide audience can experience its gripping narrative.

Arcadian Movie Trailer

The Motion Picture Association (MPA) has given this film an “R” rating for its “bloody images,” hinting at the visceral and intense experience awaiting viewers. The film draws inspiration from acclaimed horror benchmarks like “A Quiet Place,” weaving a post-apocalyptic tale of a father and his two sons navigating a desolate world. Following a catastrophic event that depopulates the planet, the family faces the dual challenge of surviving their dystopian environment and eluding mysterious nocturnal creatures.

Joining Nicolas Cage in this harrowing journey are Jaeden Martell, known for his role in “IT” (2017), Maxwell Jenkins from “Lost in Space,” and Sadie Soverall, featured in “Fate: The Winx Saga.” Directed by Ben Brewer (“The Trust”) and penned by Mike Nilon (“Braven”), “Arcadian” promises a unique blend of poignant storytelling and electrifying survival horror.

Maxwell Jenkins, Nicolas Cage, and Jaeden Martell 

Critics have already begun to praise “Arcadian” for its imaginative monster designs and exhilarating action sequences, with one review from Bloody Disgusting highlighting the film’s balance between emotional coming-of-age elements and heart-pounding horror. Despite sharing thematic elements with similar genre films, “Arcadian” sets itself apart through its creative approach and action-driven plot, promising a cinematic experience filled with mystery, suspense, and relentless thrills.

Arcadian Official Movie Poster

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‘Winnie the Pooh: Blood and Honey 3’ Is a Go with Enhanced Budget and New Characters

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Winnie the Pooh 3

Wow, they’re churning things out fast! The upcoming sequel “Winnie the Pooh: Blood and Honey 3” is officially moving forward, promising an expanded narrative with a larger budget and the introduction of beloved characters from A.A. Milne’s original tales. As confirmed by Variety, the third installment in the horror franchise will welcome Rabbit, the heffalumps, and the woozles into its dark and twisted narrative.

This sequel is a part of an ambitious cinematic universe that reimagines children’s stories as horror tales. Alongside “Winnie the Pooh: Blood and Honey” and its first sequel, the universe includes films such as “Peter Pan’s Neverland Nightmare”, “Bambi: The Reckoning,” and “Pinocchio Unstrung”. These movies are set to converge in the crossover event “Poohniverse: Monsters Assemble,” slated for a 2025 release.

Winnie the Pooh Poohniverse

The creation of these films was made possible when A.A. Milne’s 1926 children’s book “Winnie-the-Pooh” entered the public domain last year, allowing filmmakers to explore these cherished characters in unprecedented ways. Director Rhys Frake-Waterfield and producer Scott Jeffrey Chambers, of Jagged Edge Productions, have led the charge in this innovative endeavor.

The inclusion of Rabbit, heffalumps, and woozles in the upcoming sequel introduces a new layer to the franchise. In Milne’s original stories, heffalumps are imagined creatures resembling elephants, while woozles are known for their weasel-like characteristics and a penchant for stealing honey. Their roles in the narrative remain to be seen, but their addition promises to enrich the horror universe with deeper connections to the source material.

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How to Watch ‘Late Night with the Devil’ from Home: Dates and Platforms

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Late Night With The Devil

For fans eager to dive into one of this year’s most talked-about horror films from the comfort of their own home, “Late Night with the Devil” will be available for streaming exclusively on Shudder starting April 19, 2024. This announcement has been highly anticipated following the film’s successful theatrical release by IFC Films, which saw it earning rave reviews and a record-breaking opening weekend for the distributor.

“Late Night with the Devil” emerges as a standout horror film, captivating audiences and critics alike, with Stephen King himself offering high praise for the 1977-set film. Starring David Dastmalchian, the movie unfolds on Halloween night during a live late-night talk show broadcast that disastrously unleashes evil across the nation. This found footage-style film not only delivers scares but also authentically captures the aesthetic of the 1970s, drawing viewers into its nightmarish scenario.

David Dastmalchian in Late Night with the Devil

The film’s initial box office success, opening to $2.8 million in 1,034 theaters, underscores its wide appeal and marks the highest opening weekend for an IFC Films release. Critically acclaimed, “Late Night with the Devil” boasts a 96% positive rating on Rotten Tomatoes from 135 reviews, with the consensus praising it for rejuvenating the possession horror genre and showcasing David Dastmalchian’s exceptional performance.

Rotten Tomatoes score as of 3/28/2024

Simon Rother of iHorror.com encapsulates the film’s allure, emphasizing its immersive quality that transports viewers back to the 1970s, making them feel as if they are part of the eerie “Night Owls” Halloween broadcast. Rother lauds the film for its meticulously crafted script and the emotional and shocking journey it takes viewers on, stating, “This whole experience will have viewers of the Cairnes brothers’ film glued to their screen… The script, from beginning to end, is neatly sewn together with an ending that’ll have jaws on the floor.” You can read the full review here.

Rother further encourages audiences to watch the film, highlighting its multifaceted appeal: “Whenever it is made available to you, you must attempt to view the Cairnes Brothers’ latest project as it will make you laugh, it will creep you out, it will amaze you, and it might even strike an emotional cord.”

Set to stream on Shudder on April 19, 2024, “Late Night with the Devil” offers a compelling blend of horror, history, and heart. This film is not just a must-watch for horror aficionados but for anyone looking to be thoroughly entertained and moved by a cinematic experience that redefines the boundaries of its genre.

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