News
William McGregor’s ‘Gwen’ is a Haunting, Dark Welsh Folk Tale
Writer/director William McGregor (His Dark Materials) takes viewers to the stark hills of Wales in Gwen, a dark folk tale built on dread.
It is the 19th century, and Gwen (Eleanor Worthington-Cox) lives with her mother Elen (Maxine Peake) and younger sister Mari (Joddie Innes) alone on a struggling farm. It seems the whole world is turning against her family as Elen succumbs to illness and a local mining company who wants their land successfully turns the local community against them.
Darkness creeps ever closer to the family and McGregor deftly captivates and works the emotions of his audience to keep them guessing if that darkness comes from humans or something even more insidious.
McGregor makes smart choices throughout the film. There is very little score to speak of, so we are left to the sounds of nature, and it isn’t long before creeping winds and crackling fires take on a sinister tone.
Worthington-Cox (The Enfield Haunting) is transcendent in the role of Gwen delivering a flawless performance that is tonally near-perfect throughout. The character is constantly pulled between childlike innocence, teenage stubbornness, and adult responsibilities, the last carrying with it a weighty burden as her mother becomes ill and she must try to keep the farm running on her own.
Likewise, Maxine Peake (Peterloo) radiates the quiet desperation of a mother trying to hold her family together. With the mining company constantly watching she cannot be seen as weak, no matter the circumstances, and we watch as she pricks her fingers in order to draw blood that she massage into her cheeks to give them a healthy glow and walking the great distance to attend church when she can barely stand.
Among the supporting cast, Kobna Holdbrook-Smith stands out as Doctor Wren, a man torn between his allegiances to the mining company and his oaths as a doctor when Gwen begs for medicine for her mother.
Unfortunately, other members of the supporting cast aren’t given much more to do than scowl and look threatening. While it works overall, at the very least the head of the mining company and perhaps the minister could have been given more development to underline why they do what they do.
And then there’s the Welsh countryside itself. There are times when the hills and countryside of sparsely populated filming location, Gwynned, seems to loom over the family and press in on them, underscoring their isolation.
As the elements come together, not only does McGregor manage to convey a nearly consuming sense of dread within his characters, but he pushes it beyond the screen onto his audience.
How can there be nothing to fear after all if we know that something or someone is moving inside the shadows and it will devour us if we allow it?
Gwen will release this Friday, August 16, 2019 in select theaters and video on demand, and it is definitely a film that fans of The Witch will want to see.
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Movies
Trailer for ‘The Exorcism’ Has Russell Crowe Possessed
The latest exorcism movie is about to drop this summer. It’s aptly titled The Exorcism and it stars Academy Award winner turned B-movie savant Russell Crowe. The trailer dropped today and by the looks of it, we are getting a possession movie that takes place on a movie set.
Just like this year’s recent demon-in-media-space film Late Night With the Devil, The Exorcism happens during a production. Although the former takes place on a live network talk show, the latter is on an active sound stage. Hopefully, it won’t be entirely serious and we’ll get some meta chuckles out of it.
The film will open in theaters on June 7, but since Shudder also acquired it, it probably won’t be long after that until it finds a home on the streaming service.
Crowe plays, “Anthony Miller, a troubled actor who begins to unravel while shooting a supernatural horror film. His estranged daughter, Lee (Ryan Simpkins), wonders if he’s slipping back into his past addictions or if there’s something more sinister at play. The film also stars Sam Worthington, Chloe Bailey, Adam Goldberg and David Hyde Pierce.”
Crowe did see some success in last year’s The Pope’s Exorcist mostly because his character was so over-the-top and infused with such comical hubris it bordered on parody. We will see if that is the route actor-turned-director Joshua John Miller takes with The Exorcism.
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News
Win a Stay at The Lizzie Borden House From Spirit Halloween
Spirit Halloween has declared that this week marks the start of spooky season and to celebrate they are offering fans a chance to stay at the Lizzie Borden House with so many perks Lizzie herself would approve.
The Lizzie Borden House in Fall River, MA is claimed to be one of the most haunted houses in America. Of course one lucky winner and up to 12 of their friends will find out if the rumors are true if they win the grand prize: A private stay in the notorious house.
“We are delighted to work with Spirit Halloween to roll out the red carpet and offer the public a chance to win a one-of-a-kind experience at the infamous Lizzie Borden House, which also includes additional haunted experiences and merchandise,” said Lance Zaal, President & Founder of US Ghost Adventures.
Fans can enter to win by following Spirit Halloween‘s Instagram and leaving a comment on the contest post from now through April 28.
The prize also includes:
An exclusive guided house tour, including insider insight around the murder, the trial, and commonly reported hauntings
A late-night ghost tour, complete with professional ghost-hunting gear
A private breakfast in the Borden family dining room
A ghost hunting starter kit with two pieces of Ghost Daddy Ghost Hunting Gear and a lesson for two at US Ghost Adventures Ghost Hunting Course
The ultimate Lizzie Borden gift package, featuring an official hatchet, the Lizzie Borden board game, Lily the Haunted Doll, and America’s Most Haunted Volume II
Winner’s choice of a Ghost Tour experience in Salem or a True Crime experience in Boston for two
“Our Halfway to Halloween celebration provides fans an exhilarating taste of what’s to come this fall and empowers them to start planning for their favorite season as early as they please,” said Steven Silverstein, CEO of Spirit Halloween. “We have cultivated an incredible following of enthusiasts who embody the Halloween lifestyle, and we’re thrilled to bring the fun back to life.”
Spirit Halloween is also preparing for their retail haunted houses. On Thursday, August 1 their flagship store in Egg Harbor Township, NJ. will officially open to start off the season. That event usually draws in hordes of people eager to see what new merch, animatronics, and exclusive IP goods will be trending this year.
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Movies
’28 Years Later’ Trilogy Taking Shape With Serious Star Power
Danny Boyle is revisiting his 28 Days Later universe with three new films. He will direct the first, 28 Years Later, with two more to follow. Deadline is reporting that sources say Jodie Comer, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, and Ralph Fiennes have been cast for the first entry, a sequel to the original. Details are being kept under wraps so we don’t know how or if the first original sequel 28 Weeks Later fits into the project.
Boyle will direct the first movie but it’s unclear which role he will take on in the subsequent films. What is known is Candyman (2021) director Nia DaCosta is scheduled to direct the second film in this trilogy and that the third will be filmed immediately afterward. Whether DaCosta will direct both is still unclear.
Alex Garland is writing the scripts. Garland is having a successful time at the box office right now. He wrote and directed the current action/thriller Civil War which was just knocked out of the theatrical top spot by Radio Silence’s Abigail.
There is no word yet on when, or where, 28 Years Later will start production.
The original film followed Jim (Cillian Murphy) who wakes from a coma to find that London is currently dealing with a zombie outbreak.
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