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TADFF Review: Supernatural Comedy ‘Extra Ordinary’ Will Lift Your Spirits

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Extra Ordinary

Few things are as instantly uplifting as a good horror comedy. It’s a difficult balance to strike, but when done well, they can win over even the darkest of hearts. If you’re in need of a good laugh and a heartwarming story, quirky Irish horror comedy Extra Ordinary is a solid selection. 

Extra Ordinary follows driving instructor Rose Dooley (Maeve Higgins) who has done her best to suppress her former life as a psychic after her supernatural talents caused the accidental death of her father. When a ritual prepared by one-hit-wonder Christian Winters (Will Forte) leaves his daughter floating and possessed, Martin Martin (Barry Ward) calls on Rose to help, and she reluctantly agrees to dust off her skills to save the day. 

via IMDb

Written and directed by Mike Ahern and Enda Loughman, Extra Ordinary is a delightful feature film debut. Blessed with a quick wit and a perfect cast — including comedic heavyweight Will Forte (Last Man on Earth) and comedy darling Claudia O’Doherty (Love) — it skips through each scene with a lighthearted ease. 

Forte and O’Doherty ham it up, but they keep it at just the right energy so that it never feels excessive. Their passive bickering hits each comedic tone perfectly, really selling the exhausted nature of their relationship. They milk every scene for all it’s worth, and they’re both just so damn good at it.

Higgins as Rose is so instantly likable that you’re on board with her through the whole film. She has an innocent pleasence, and it’s thoroughly charming. Ward shows his versatility as an actor when his role demands a certain unexpected duality, which he pulls off to great comedic effect. 

via IMDb

Together, Higgins and Ward have great chemistry with an awkward yet endearing romantic shuffle. Rose is flustered by her feelings, and it’s a very sweet peek at the early days of love. She seeks a confidant in her fiercely supportive sister, Sailor (Terri Chandler); the two have a no-questions-asked acceptance that is actually quite moving. Relationships are a focal point in Extra Ordinary, easing the story forward and giving it a bit more depth. Each performance is well developed and played with full commitment. 

The film has a sensible enchantment; it’s modest with sparse yet well shot settings that are very down-to-earth. At risk of over-using the adjective, it’s just incredibly charming. The laughs are genuine and the spooky bits are vital yet never heavy-handed. 

via IMDb

Extra Ordinary balances its humor with its horror very well. It’s definitely skewed more in the comedic direction, but it uses horror elements as a baseline and jumping off point for the story. Demons, dark rituals, sacrifices, and lingering spirits are the bread and butter of the film — literally everything revolves around the supernatural in one way or another. But because of the lighter tone, Extra Ordinary is broadly accessible. You could watch this with a friend who has no interest in the horror genre and they’d have a good time. 

That said, there’s an excellent bloody surprise or two to keep your baser needs satisfied. The comedic vibe is ever-present, but it’s not at all afraid to dip into the dark side. As far as horror-comedies go, Extra Ordinary is rather sly. Where some films in the subgenre can feel a bit disjointed — jumping between tones and tripping in the process — the film’s two sides layer rather than compete. The story requires both to really work. The team of Ahern and Loughman have quickly found their footing, and as a result, Extra Ordinary hits the ground running.

Cheeky, charming, and completely enjoyable, the film spins a supernatural tale with a good sense of humor and pitch-perfect performances. If you’re in the mood for a horror comedy with a lot of heart and a great ghostly story, let Extra Ordinary lift your spirits.

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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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