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‘Alive’ Creative Team Discusses the Road to the Big Screen

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It’s difficult to talk about Canadian horror filmĀ Alive without giving away the film’s big twist. The character-driven film almost requires you to go in completely blind to appreciate its subtle complexity.

After seeing Alive at this year’s Nightmares Film Festival in Columbus, Ohio, I knew that I had to write about the film and so I set out to chat with writers Chuck McCue and Jules Vincent and director Rob Grant who came together to make bring this particular creation to life.

“We had been discussing horror movie ideas,” McCue explained, “but we were being really budget conscious. We wanted a story that could be confined to just one or two sets.”

“It almost seems too good or too stupid to be true,” Vincent chimed in, “but during our brainstorming session, this NFL commercial came on in the background and they were using this old [horror] trope for the ad. We weren’t even really watching it but we both kind of looked up and the idea clicked.”

And that was howĀ AliveĀ was born.

In the film, a man (Thomas Cocquerel,Ā Table 19)Ā and woman (Camille Stopps, Killjoys), both seriously injured, awake in an abandoned hospital and find themselves at the mercy of a seriously sadistic caretaker (Angus Macfadyen,Ā Braveheart) who seems obsessively focused on keeping them alive, though he refuses to tell them who they really are or how they came to be there.

The anxiety over their identity was central to McCue and Vincent’s script, but as the latter pointed out in our chat “sometimes the answer to who you are can be the real slap in the face.”

With script in hand, the writers set out to find a director, and after approaching 775 Media, they were introduced to Rob Grant, a young Canadian director who has been making waves with interesting projects like last year’sĀ Fake Blood.

“I read the script and really responded to it,” Grant said. “We got on the phone and talked about our goals and visions of the story and I think Chuck and Jules decided I was the right fit for them.”

The project presented the director with a new set of challenges.

He’d never directed a film for which he hadn’t written the script before, and the process of really getting to know someone else’s writing well enough to take charge took longer than he expected. Still, the story appealed to him on multiple levels and he knew that he wanted to take this journey.

“I have always been a fan of isolated characters and dark mysteries,” he says, “and I felt like I could bring something to the reveal of that story. I was also interested in that sustained suspenseful tone and I took that as an exciting challenge.”

With a director attached, it was soon time for casting and McCue and Vincent were both over the moon that an actor like Angus Macfadyen was interested in the project.

“Angus is so charming,” McCue said. “We needed that. In his character’s mind, he’s doing a great thing, and Angus brings this sort of Scottish charm to everything he does. It’s really hard to dislike him.”

“He’s a top of the list kind of guy for casting,” Vincent added. “His manager told us when he read the script he was like ‘Oh shit, Angus is going to want to do this!’ It was the best kind of back-handed compliment!”

Angus Macfadyen as the mysterious Man in Alive

As far as the other two leads were concerned, the writers both felt like lottery winners.

They had both recently seenĀ Table 19, in which Cocquerel had played a rather charming nice guy, but he had the kind of presence that they knew would lend itself to the role of the male patient.

As for Stopps, she had already worked with director Rob Grant, and he was the one who suggested the casting directors check out her work and reach out to her.

What impressed everyone was the actors’ dedication to the project and their work ethic for bringing the film to life.

“They showed up with very little time before shooting,” Vincent explained. “There was no formal time for rehearsal, so they got together on their own and worked things out building those character relationships.”

“It was pretty incredible to see them spend their weekends off rehearsing the week’s scenes to make sure they were ready,” McCue said. “That time they spent together helped them work out the speed bumps ahead.”

The production lucked out again when it came to their shooting location when the producers at 775 Media suggested an old abandoned hospital for their setting. It was an impressive structure that had been used previously in television shows like “Fargo” and “Heartland”.

“It’s a two story building,” McCue pointed out. “The top floor is really in good shape but the ground level was really beat up and it just really worked for what we needed.”

One pivotal scene involves a meat locker located in the hospital’s basement which the location managers told the crew was reportedly haunted. It was located at the bottom of a set of steep cement stairs, and had once been the location for the hospital’s backup generators.

The crew agreed to keep the stories about the room being haunted from the cast in order to keep things running smoothly, but it seems that one of the actors tuned into it almost immediately.

“Angus walked down into the basement, hit the bottom step, and said, ‘Oh I’m not not staying here. This place is haunted,'” Vincent recalled, laughing. “He immediately turned around and went back upstairs. He tuned into the vibe of the place pretty well.”

After only 16 days of shooting, mostly in sequence, the production wrapped and Grant recalls that it was much the same as any independent film in the end.

“All indie projects seem to possess the same problems…not enough time or money to execute what you have in your head, so you have to adapt,” Grant said. “Without being able to shift the schedule, even just shooting our only two exterior days in weather that suddenly went from hot and dry to wet and freezing was a battle.”

And then there was the post-production process where, Grant says, the challenge became just how much information to include or hold back to make the film’s twist ending work.

Still, if audience reactions are any indication, all of the work has paid off, and both McCue and Vincent said that it’s been amazing to watch that twist land with a live audience.

“It’s reward to see people react and hear that audible gasp,” Vincent said. “What’s really interesting, though, is watching them walk out of the theater talking about all the clues that were there and putting it all together right after the rug is pulled out from under them.”

Alive is currently making its way along the film festival circuit and just recently won the Audience Choice award in the Dark Matters category at the Austin Film Festival, and for those who don’t regularly get to attend festivals, never fear. Jon Sheinberg and Matt Feige of The Machine are currently handling sales and distribution rights are available so there will most likely be more opportunities for you to see the film in the near future.

For more information onĀ Alive you can visit the film’s official website and check out the trailer below!

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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 MartellĀ 

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 childrenā€™s stories as horror tales. Alongside “Winnie the Pooh: Blood and Honey” and its first sequel, the universe includes films such as “Peter Panā€™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. Milneā€™s 1926 childrenā€™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 brothersā€™ film glued to their screen… The script, from beginning to end, is neatly sewn together with an ending thatā€™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 Brothersā€™ 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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