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Horror Pride Month: Writer/Director Dutch Marich

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Dutch Marich

The road to filmmaking started early for writer, director, and sometime actor Dutch Marich, and oddly enough, it all began in a barber shop.

He was quite young and his dad had taken him in for a haircut. As they were waiting for their turn, he picked up a book called How It’s Made. The book went alphabetically with different things telling how they were made. Not much interested in “A is for Ambulance,” Marich flipped through the book until he found “M is for Movie.”

“It had a behind the scenes picture of American Werewolf,” the filmmaker said. “It showed the lights and just the drama and theatrics behind it. After my haircut, I asked if I could could come back and read it again and she told me I could take it with me. I reread that page over and over again.”

That single page ignited a fire in him, not only for movies but specifically horror movies, and in many ways, he never looked back. A little later on, he found himself banished from the living room when his mom and sister were watching Copycat starring Sigourney Weaver. He managed to sneak back into the room and watch the film over the back of the couch after which he admits having terrifying nightmares.

The bad dreams eventually fell away and the burgeoning horror fan fell in love with films like Scream and Poltergeist the latter of which also played an important role in another discovery in his life.

Marich says he does not remember a time in his life when he didn’t know he was different. Long before he had the vocabulary to express that he was gay, he remembers having very little interest in girls. He recalls playing t-ball as a kid and a little girl on his team had a crush on him and would sit and play with his hair while they were in the dugout.

“I remember thinking ‘ew’ like this is not my jam,” Marich explained laughing. “I was just never, at all, even in the slightest questioning my identity. When I was also super young I remember watching Poltergeist. When you see the dad with his shirt off! I was like ‘Damn!’ I was too young to be thinking like that but like it really hit me that he is a fine man.”

Later on, when he eventually came out to his family, he was surprised by how well they took it. Coming from the small mining town of Ruth, Nevada, it wasn’t something that people talked about and he was honestly afraid what their reaction might be.

“My dad was born in the town; he was a Vietnam vet. He was like Captain America,” he pointed out. “He was so cool. I came out to my mom first and she was like, ‘Yeah, I knew that.’ She told my dad for me because I was afraid to do it myself. Afterward she told my dad, he was like wanting me to come hang out with him. And he’s like, ‘So you’re mom tells me you’re gay.’ And I said yes. And he said, ‘Awesome.’ It was the only time in my life that I had ever seen my dad nervous.”

He fully admits that his own experience is not indicative to what a lot of people go through in their coming out process, and he adds that this is why inclusion and visibility is so important in film and television.

“No matter how well represented the gay community is in the arts, there are still young people growing up in families where like they’re not being accepted. These kids need that visibility that a lot of us didn’t have.”

With his family firmly in his corner, Marich set out to make his Hollywood dreams come true, enrolling in the American Academy of Dramatic Arts at the age of 17.

He did some acting while working odd jobs here and there to support himself.

Then, in his early 20s, he had an experience that would ultimately alter his path slightly. After being discriminated against for being gay, he decided to take the person to court. It wasn’t about money or anything like that, he says. It was more about holding that person accountable.

While everything was in turmoil, as so many of us do, he lost himself in horror movies, and one specific horror film, The Strangers, over and over again. It was during one of those viewings that it suddenly occurred to him that he could make a movie like this.

The Strangers played an important role in Dutch Marich’s journey to filmmaking. It was the film’s simplicity that got to him most.

“It was a small cast with one or two locations, and just two talented actors and it scares the shit out of me. It’s so simple!”

Marich came out on top in his court case and was well on his way to writing his first script in no time at all.

“[The film] was a total disaster,” he recalled laughing, “but I actually consider that movie film school for me. The amount that I learned about what not to do and what I needed to pay attention to before going to camera. So, that first movie will never see the light of day.”

The filmmaker took those lessons to heart, and since then has written and directed six films, all of which have played various festivals and some you can see on Amazon.

“There’s two things that I love in horror,” Marich said. “One is the fear of the unknown which to me is just the best. It’s hard to top that sort of unsolved mysteries thing. I love the things that push your brain to work.  The second would have to be a straight up, visceral human monster, slasher, or serial killer.”

He’s worked with both of these themes in his films.

Infernum dug into the phenomena knows as “The Hum,” a mysterious sound heard by groups of people around the world at various times that has been the subject of everything from episodes of The X-Files to features on Unsolved Mysteries. In Marich’s film, he uses “The Hum” as a jumping off place for a story about a woman trying to find out exactly what happened to her parents when she was a child.

Then there’s Hunting, which centers on a young woman–played by Marich’s sister–who starts using an app to find “treasures” around Los Angeles only to find herself drawn closer and closer to mysterious events and a bloodthirsty killer.

More recently, his film Reaptown tells the story of a young woman in a work-release program who stumbles upon supernatural horrors while working at the Reaptown Railway Museum and searching for her lost sister.

The film premiered in his hometown at the first ever Ely Nevada Film Festival.

Looking into the future, Marich says, he has lots of ideas and projects in the works including a script for his first full-on gay horror film.

As we concluded our interview, I could not help reflect on Dutch Marich’s story. He’s an out and proud gay filmmaker from a supportive background who loves to scare people, but he’s also a gentle soul, easy to laugh, and passionate about representation and visibility in the genre.

Honestly, I just can’t help but look forward to what he makes next.

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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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