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Horror Pride Month: Film Composer Edwin Wendler

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Edwin Wendler

Edwin Wendler was born to music. His Japanese mother, a pianist and vocalist, was studying music at Rutgers when her professor mentioned that if she was really serious, he had a contact in Vienna, Austria who could further train her to sing. She, of course, leaped at the opportunity. She had been there only a short time when she met Wendler’s father, an Austrian opera singer and operetta director.

“I grew up with music,” Wendler explained as we sat down to chat as part of iHorror’s Horror Pride Month celebration. “My dad took me to rehearsals sometimes and I watched a lot of opera and ballet performances. We, as a family, would often go to classical music concerts. So that was my background. I realize that a vast majority of film composers now, their backgrounds are in bands—all types of different bands—and interesting musical adventures. Mine was super traditional. I became a Vienna Choir Boy, not because I wanted to but because my mom wanted me to. I was never quite happy there, but I learned a lot.”

What he learned were the fundamentals of music: melody, harmony, rhythm, and tone. As part of being a member of the Vienna Boys Choir, he was required to learn an instrument. He chose piano and was soon composing and improvising his own music rather than practicing the pieces he was given to learn.

In the meantime, his father would add an additional element to the budding composer-to-be’s toolbox.

“I had always been a fan of film music since early childhood,” the composer said.. “My dad had a collection of albums—like everybody at the time—of the Star Wars movies and Superman and he even had Tron which surprised me. I listened to those. I remember as a kid one of my earliest memories of wanting to see a movie was E.T. because there was such a hype around the movie. My dad was kind of sick and tired of hearing about it, and he didn’t want to see it. So I saved up what little money I had as a kid and presented my dad with pocket change saying, ‘I’m going to pay for your ticket.’ So he took me, and I was absolutely mesmerized by that music.”

The steady diet of James Horner, Jerry Goldsmith, John Williams, and even Alan Silvestri’s Back to the Future score set the young man’s imagination on fire.

Portrait of a composer at work. Photo by Peter Hackman

Despite Wendler’s artistic background, it was also a very conservative one. His mother, especially, held onto very strict social ideas. Thus, when he came out around the age of 22, she had a harder time dealing with the news than his father who did his best to reassure his son that though he was surprised, he still loved his son very much.

“I was studying film music here in LA about a year later, and I called my mom on Mother’s Day and wished her a happy mother’s day and she said, ‘There’s nothing to celebrate,'” he said. “I asked why and she said, ‘Because I gave birth to you.’ I realize that was the depression speaking but that strikes you to the core when you hear that from your own mother. We’ve gotten better since then but there’s always a coldness there when I talk to her. I think she’s still not over the gay thing.”

It’s a situation that’s sadly all too common in the LGBTQ+ community, and one that we all face in our own way. Still, Wendler’s career was beginning to take flight and the work itself is therapeutic.

So how exactly does someone transition from loving the score to Star Wars to scoring, I Spit on Your Grave 3?

Well, like most of us, the groundwork for the love of genre films was also laid at an early age. Wendler’s mother was working for the United Nations at the time. They actually had a video store that stocked international films. As he grew up, there were no few horror titles in the mix including the films of John Carpenter. He watched The Prince of Darkness and The Thing–a film that remains one of his favorites to this day due in no small part to the incredible score created for the film by Ennio Morricone.

“In horror,” he said, “you can write really crazy music. It’s the kind of stuff that would be approved in no other genre. It’s the kind of thing that you write the unexpected and you are welcomed. That freedom is something that’s very attractive to me and any chance I can get to experiment and do crazy stuff with music I embrace. ”

One of his earliest jobs was came with NBC’s Fear Factor, the competition show which had contestants facing their fears to try and win a cash prize.

The task? Make the music more cinematic.

“Some might argue that the concept of Fear Factor might be ridiculous,” Wendler explained. “You have these people who make fools of themselves on national television, but I treated it like it was a hundred million dollar action movie. The second segment was always the scary segment. That’s where I got some of my horror scoring chops. I learned a lot by treating it seriously and I think filmmakers appreciate that approach.”

Then came the magical year when he had three horror projects almost simultaneously: UnnaturalTales of Halloween, and I Spit on Your Grave 3: Vengeance is Mine.

 

With Unnatural, the task was create a score as cold as the landscape in the Alaska where the film takes place. With Tales of Halloween, it was three days work, composing for a brief sequence in the anthology that recalled Friday the 13th and the work of Harry Manfredini. This was particularly fun for Wendler as Manfredini had composed one of his personal favorite film scores with House.

When it came to I Spit on Your Grave, the filmmakers decided to hire Wendler based on music he’s written for another film called Broken Angel. That score was meant to be a dramatic score that telegraphed no emotional cues. Something in that music resonated for them the creative team who were trying to bring a different energy to the franchise by the third film.

“The main character is in a dilemma,” Wendler said. “She was a mass murderer that we could also relate to. So I had to telegraph all of that through music. It was an exciting project. I just felt blessed that I was able to explore all those things. It shows you how versatile and multi-faceted horror can be.”

The composer continues to work, despite setbacks due to the Covid-19 pandemic. He’s been scoring video games for Chinese-based game company, Tencent, and has worked on films like Walpurgis Night, which is currently listed in post-production on IMDb.

“I always feel lucky to have any work at all,” he said. “My philosophy and my attitude is that I want to work on every project as though it will be my last. I listen to tons of film music and some of it sounds by-the-numbers. I want to do my best so if they don’t call back to work with me again at least I can say I tried. Hopefully, I won’t feel too much like it’s my fault. I always mention John Williams. I remember listening to the first piece on the Harry Potter soundtrack and I thought, this is incredibly busy writing. John Williams did not make it easy for himself even though he has all these Academy Awards and accolades, and I really admire that he gives everything all the time. That attitude has served me well.”

It certainly has, and we’re looking forward to the next Wendler score!

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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 Martell 

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 children’s stories as horror tales. Alongside “Winnie the Pooh: Blood and Honey” and its first sequel, the universe includes films such as “Peter Pan’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. Milne’s 1926 children’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 brothers’ film glued to their screen… The script, from beginning to end, is neatly sewn together with an ending that’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 Brothers’ 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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