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Late to the Party: ‘Bone Tomahawk’ (2015) – Reveals There are Fates Worse Than Death

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Bone Tomahawk was S. Craig Zahler’s directorial debut, and only second feature to his credit at the time of its release. Zahler is the primary screenwriter for his films and was even the composer for three of them.

I didn’t get around to watching this movie until about a year after it was released, which is strange for me considering I love westerns and I (obviously) love horror. Bone Tomahawk has received nearly universal acclaim for its acting, story, and direction. Even winning multiple awards such as the critics award for “Best Picture” and “Best Director” upon many others.

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Via Den of Geek

The LA Times, claimed “There’s a humming genre intelligence at work in the grim, witty horror-western Bone Tomahawk.” and my personal favorite from The Hollywood Reporter “a handsome western with horror overtones.”

Yet, the film was rewarded with only a month-long run in select theaters. This seems like a tragedy, but to be fair, this is definitely not a movie for everyone.

Those who appreciate westerns may be repulsed by the level of violence, specifically when it involves the cannibals. But, don’t worry, there are plenty of beautiful tracking shots of the scenery, and genuinely funny frontier banter.

There are a couple of quick moments of genuine horror thrown-in, but it’s not until the climax when our heroes reach their final destination that shit gets really twisted.

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Via Brandon’s Movie Memory

Brief Overview:

Purvis (David Arquette) a killer on the run, heads to the small town of Bright Hope, prompting deputy Chicory (Richard Jenkins) to report the stranger to the Sheriff (Kurt Russell), which leads to an altercation.

In the dark of the night, we discover something sinister has been following Purvis’s trail, leaving Bright Hope vulnerable and unprepared.

In the morning, after the discovery of a murder and multiple abductions. The Sheriff calls for a meeting in the saloon. A local Native American recognizes the arrow they found near the body, claiming it’s unique to Troglodytes a clan of highly aggressive and skilled killers without a language…

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Via Bloody Disgusting

Bone Tomahawk is a slow burn, but it’s never a chore. We spend time with the characters, and get to know what makes them individuals, so when tragedy strikes we care about them. They aren’t just cannon-fodder, they’re real people that we can relate to.

The cannibalistic Troglodytes are genuinely intimidating. We learn a little about them in the first-act that sets up our expectations. They’re described in essence, as brutal killers. The Native American who the townsfolk refer to as “The Professor” warns the Sheriff, that pursuing the cave-dwellers means certain death for his rescue party.

This was an understatement.

When we meet the cannibals, we discover they’re relentless and efficient. Quickly disarming our heroes, in more ways than one as Brooner will discover. The most disturbing scene in the movie, and one of the most horrific deaths I’ve ever seen ever, takes place with deputy Nick (I won’t spoil anything, but it’s messed up).

The primitive cannibals are portrayed in such a monstrous way, that we hate them by the end. There is no sympathy for their continued existence from the audience. We long for their extinction.

The heart of this movie is most definitely a western. The plot is pretty standard western-fare (a rescue/revenge mission). But, the big difference is the diverse characters who are elevated by the actors outstanding performances.

The score is so discreet, scenes of violence become hyper-realistic and disturbing. The realistic gore accompanied with the performances, makes for unforgiving tension and gut-wrenching suspense.

I personally adore Bone Tomahawk. It’s my favorite western, and one of the best horror films of 2015. A list which includes; Green Room, The Devil’s Candy, The Invitation, The Witch, Crimson Peak, Krampus, and Stung to name a few.

If you haven’t seen any of these… why are you still here? Go–go watch them! Return when you’re worthy.

The director’s latest feature, Brawl in Cell Block 99 starring Vince Vaughn was also a critical success and currently holds a 92% approval rating and the consensus. “Brawl in Cell Block 99 rides a committed Vince Vaughn performance into the brutally violent — and undeniably entertaining — depths of prison-set grind-house genre fare.” 

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Via Den of Geek

Bone Tomahawk (and Brawl in Cell Block 99) can both be streamed for free with Amazon Prime.

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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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Part Concert, Part Horror Movie M. Night Shyamalan’s ‘Trap’ Trailer Released

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In true Shyamalan form, he sets his film Trap inside a social situation where we aren’t sure what is going on. Hopefully, there is a twist at the end. Furthermore, we hope it’s better than the one in his divisive 2021 movie Old.

The trailer seemingly gives away a lot, but, as in the past, you can’t rely on his trailers because they are often red herrings and you are being gaslit to think a certain way. For instance, his movie Knock at the Cabin was completely different than what the trailer implied and if you hadn’t read the book on which the film is based it was still like going in blind.

The plot for Trap is being dubbed an “experience” and we aren’t quite sure what that means. If we were to guess based on the trailer, it’s a concert movie wrapped around a horror mystery. There are original songs performed by Saleka, who plays Lady Raven, a kind of Taylor Swift/Lady Gaga hybrid. They have even set up a Lady Raven website to further the illusion.

Here is the fresh trailer:

According to the synopsis, a father takes his daughter to one of Lady Raven’s jam-packed concerts, “where they realize they’re at the center of a dark and sinister event.”

Written and directed by M. Night Shyamalan, Trap stars Josh Hartnett, Ariel Donoghue, Saleka Shyamalan, Hayley Mills and Allison Pill. The film is produced by Ashwin Rajan, Marc Bienstock and M. Night Shyamalan. The executive producer is Steven Schneider.

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Woman Brings Corpse Into Bank To Sign Loan Papers

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Warning: This is a disturbing story.

You have to be pretty desperate for money to do what this Brazilian woman did at the bank to get a loan. She wheeled in a fresh corpse to endorse the contract and she seemingly thought the bank employees wouldn’t notice. They did.

This weird and disturbing story comes via ScreenGeek an entertainment digital publication. They write that a woman identified as Erika de Souza Vieira Nunes pushed a man she identified as her uncle into the bank pleading with him to sign loan papers for $3,400. 

If you’re squeamish or easily triggered, be aware that the video captured of the situation is disturbing. 

Latin America’s largest commercial network, TV Globo, reported on the crime, and according to ScreenGeek this is what Nunes says in Portuguese during the attempted transaction. 

“Uncle, are you paying attention? You must sign [the loan contract]. If you don’t sign, there’s no way, as I cannot sign on your behalf!”

She then adds: “Sign so you can spare me further headaches; I can’t bear it any longer.” 

At first we thought this might be a hoax, but according to Brazilian police, the uncle, 68-year-old Paulo Roberto Braga had passed away earlier that day.

 “She attempted to feign his signature for the loan. He entered the bank already deceased,” Police Chief Fábio Luiz said in an interview with TV Globo. “Our priority is to continue investigating to identify other family members and gather more information regarding this loan.”

If convicted Nunes could be facing jail time on charges of fraud, embezzlement, and desecration of a corpse.

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