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‘Dragula’ Is a Netflix Horror Drag Competition Worth Binging On

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The Boulet Brothers are the connoisseurs of filth so it makes sense that their competition reality series Dragula is an unsettling experience for player and viewer alike.

The show, now streaming on Netflix (US), can be characterized as sort of the antiRu-Paul’s Drag Race because Dragula finds artists who are into gore, horror and all things disgusting whereas RuPaul seems to want her queens to represent the cleaner-cut side of the femme-mystique.

For Dragula the whitebread usually served to the public as drag, is burnt to a crisp, covered in maggots then force-fed to the contestants.

Yes, these are men who dress in drag, but it depends on what their definition of that is. Is it a cannibalistic creature with copious amounts of blood oozing from their mouth, or is it the classic silhouette of the wicked witch, it depends on your perspective, and in Dragula, that perspective is often terrifying.

What’s more, Dragula was the first to feature a drag king, something never-before-done in any show of this type.

For each colorful episode, the brothers sit behind a judge’s table and assign challenges with a specific horror theme in mind, usually one with a freaky undertone. The players then create a look that epitomizes that prompt.

The endgame is to be able to score high in the categories of “Drag”, “Filth”, “Horror” and “Glamour.”

Included in those assignments, are events that mess with the player’s minds. Called “extermination challenges,” these grim tasks are never easy and push the player’s threshold for trauma to the very edge.

The over-the-top nature of the tests can be physical, psychological or both. Players have had to lay in coffins and get buried alive with roaches and water pumping in, forced to eat disgusting foods, or in one episode, survive an extreme haunt.

The loser is the one who fails to impress the judges and is then killed off at the end of each episode in a murderous skit.

In 2016, The Boulet Brothers brought the series to life on the small screen after its huge success at drag clubs. The Canadian network OutTV snatched up the show and gave it an extended full season with two more to follow.

Fans immediately fell love with the punk aesthetic which is rarely seen on the more pallid Drag Race. Part special effects challenge, part freaky cabaret show, Dragula allows artists a platform to beat their faces in blood, not bronzer.

The Boulet Brothers have become world-renown drag producers second only to RuPaul in the world of televised drag reality series.

If you find yourself all binged out on laugh-tracky sitcoms and questionable big cat docs, you, especially as a horror fan, should queue this up and check it out.

Bring your strongest stomach.

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‘The Strangers’ Invaded Coachella in Instagramable PR Stunt

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Renny Harlin’s reboot of The Strangers isn’t coming out until May 17, but those murderous home invaders are making a pit stop at Coachella first.

In the latest Instagramable PR stunt, the studio behind the film decided to have the trio of masked intruders crash Coachella, a music festival that takes place for two weekends in Southern California.

The Strangers

This type of publicity began when Paramount did the same thing with their horror movie Smile in 2022. Their version had seemingly ordinary people in populated places look directly into a camera with an evil grin.

The Strangers

Harlin’s reboot is actually a trilogy with a more expansive world than that of the original.

“When setting out to remake The Strangers, we felt there was a bigger story to be told, which could be as powerful, chilling, and terrifying as the original and could really expand that world,” said producer Courtney Solomon. “Shooting this story as a trilogy allows us to create a hyperreal and terrifying character study. We’re fortunate to be joining forces with Madelaine Petsch, an amazing talent whose character is the driving force of this story.”

The Strangers

The movie follows a young couple (Madelaine Petsch and Froy Gutierrez) who “after their car breaks down in an eerie small town, are forced to spend the night in a remote cabin. Panic ensues as they are terrorized by three masked strangers who strike with no mercy and seemingly no motive in The Strangers: Chapter 1 the chilling first entry of this upcoming horror feature film series.”

The Strangers

The Strangers: Chapter 1 opens in theaters on May 17.

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‘Alien’ Returning to Theaters For a Limited Time

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It’s been 45 years since Ridley Scott’s Alien hit theaters and in celebration of that milestone, it is headed back to the big screen for a limited time. And what better day to do that than Alien Day on April 26?

It also works as a primer for the upcoming Fede Alvarez sequel Alien: Romulus opening on August 16. A special feature in which both Alvarez and Scott discuss the original sci-fi classic will be shown as a part of your theater admission. Take a look at the preview of that conversation below.

Fede Alvarez and Ridley Scott

Back in 1979, the original trailer for Alien was kind of terrifying. Imagine sitting in front of a CRT TV (Cathode Ray Tube) at night and suddenly Jerry Goldsmith’s haunting score begins to play as a giant chicken egg starts to crack with beams of light bursting through the shell and the word “Alien” slowly forms in slanted all caps across the screen. To a twelve-year-old, it was a scary pre-bedtime experience, especially Goldsmith’s screaming electronic musical flourishes playing over scenes of the actual movie. Let the “Is it horror or sci-fi?” debate begin.

Alien became a pop culture phenomenon, complete with kid’s toys, a graphic novel, and an Academy Award for Best Visual Effects. It also inspired dioramas in wax museums and even a frightening setpiece at Walt Disney World in the now-defunct Great Movie Ride attraction.

Great Movie Ride

The film stars Sigourney Weaver, Tom Skerritt, and John Hurt. It tells the tale of a futuristic crew of blue-collar workers suddenly awakened out of stasis to investigate an undecipherable distress signal coming from a nearby moon. They investigate the source of the signal and discover it’s a warning and not a cry for help. Unbeknownst to the crew, they have brought a giant space creature back on board which they find out in one of the most iconic scenes in cinema history.

It is said that Alvarez’s sequel will pay homage to the original film’s storytelling and set design.

Alien Romulus
Alien (1979)

The Alien theatrical re-release will take place on April 26. Pre-order your tickets and find out where Alien will screen at a theater near you.

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Home Depot’s 12-Foot Skeleton Returns with a New Friend, Plus New Life-Size Prop from Spirit Halloween

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Halloween is the greatest holiday of them all. However, every great holiday needs amazing props to go with it. Luckily for you, there are two new amazing props that have been released, which are sure to impress your neighbors and frighten any neighborhood children who are unfortunate enough to wander past your yard.

The first entry is the return of the Home Depot 12-foot skeleton prop. Home Depot has outdone themselves in the past. But this year the company is bringing bigger and better things to their Halloween prop lineup.

Home Depot Skeleton Prop

This year, the company unveiled its new and improved Skelly. But what is a giant skeleton without a loyal friend? Home Depot has also announced that they will release a five-foot tall skeleton dog prop to eternally keep Skelly company as he haunts your yard this spooky season.

This bony pooch will be five feet tall and seven feet long. The prop will also feature a posable mouth and LCD eyes with eight variable settings. Lance Allen, Home Depot’s merchant of decorative Holliday gear, had the following to say about this year’s lineup.

“This year we increased our realism within the animatronics category, created some impressive, licensed characters and even brought back some fan favorites. Overall, we are most proud of the quality and value we are able to bring to our customers with these pieces so they can continue to grow their collections.”

Home Depot Prop

But what if giant skeletons just aren’t your thing? Well, Spirit Halloween has you covered with their giant life size Terror Dog replica. This massive prop has been ripped out of your nightmares to appear frighteningly on your lawn.

This prop weighs in at almost fifty pounds and features glowing red eyes that are sure to keep your yard safe from any toilet paper throwing hooligans. This iconic Ghostbusters nightmare is a must have for any fan of 80s horror. Or, anyone who loves all things spooky.

Terror Dog Prop
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