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Interview: Betty Buckley talks M. Night Shyamalan’s “Split”

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Betty Buckley will do anything to work with M. Night Shyamalan“I love working with the best people, and Night is a master filmmaker,” says the actress, who is best known for her performance as gym teacher Miss Collins in the classic 1976 horror film Carrie. “He’s a uniquely gifted filmmaker, and I love watching him work.”

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Buckley proved her dedication when she was cast in Shyamalan’s 2008 film The Happening. “I’d been up for roles in two or three of Night’s previous films, and I really wanted to work with him,” says Buckley. “I got to know Douglas Aibel, Night’s longtime casting director, and he sent me sides, scenes from the script, and he wanted me to record the audition and then download it to a Mac system, so they could look at my audition within twenty-four hours and make a decision.

“I was at my ranch in Texas, and I went to this camera store in Fort Worth and bought an expensive camera for the audition,” Buckley continues. “The guy at the store told me we could use it to download the audition. We did the audition in my kitchen, at my ranch, with my assistant holding the camera. I was outside with my horses when Cathy, my assistant, called me and said she couldn’t download it.

“We took the camera back to the store and asked them to download it. They couldn’t do it. I said to Cathy, ‘Okay, let’s pack up the camera and take it to the nearest Federal Express location.’ I sent the camera to Douglas, who called me the next day and said he’d only been joking. He thought it was so funny that I would do something like that, and when I met with Night, he also thought it was hilarious that I mailed the camera to them. I asked them to return the camera, which they did, and I had a great time working with Night and Mark Wahlberg on that film.”

In Shyamalan’s latest film, Split, Buckley plays Dr. Fletcher, a psychologist who specializes in split personality disorders. Fletcher’s most challenging patient is Kevin, played by James McAvoy, a man whose fractured psyche holds more than twenty different personalities. “I try to help Kevin manage his various personalities and integrate them into one being,” says Buckley. “I try to help Kevin figure out who he really is.”

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Buckley did intense research for her role in the $5 million film, which was produced by low budget horror specialist Jason Blum. “I met with a psychologist and did research about this, because I wanted to get everything right,” says Buckley. “I wanted to research the complexity of multiple personalities. Fletcher believes that severe DID [Dissociative Identity Disorder] patients like Kevin have the ability to change their body chemistry through their thoughts. She’s written papers on this, which her colleagues have dismissed. Fletcher knows that Kevin is in trouble in the film, but she has a willful apprehension about Kevin, in terms of how dangerous he really is. She doesn’t see the Def-Con stage that he’s really in.”

Although Split was filmed in Shyamalan’s native Pennsylvania in the fall of 2015, the end of filming wasn’t the end for Buckley. “Night has been continually tinkering with the film since we finished filming,” says Buckley. “Throughout 2016, I’d be traveling, I’d be in New York, and Night would call me and tell me he wanted me to record some new dialogue. He’s a perfectionist, which I really admire.”

Between the big budget The Happening and the contained Split, Buckley doesn’t believe that Shyamalan has changed as a filmmaker. “I think he’s as good as he’s ever been,” says Buckley. “We shot The Happening in Philadelphia, mostly at a studio, and it was the same with Split. When I arrived, we had a script reading, one week of rehearsals, and I met James, who was very humble and down to earth, which is refreshing to see from such a big star.

“I think Night has thrived with these low budget films because he hasn’t changed his approach to filmmaking,” continues Buckley. “He keeps most of the same crew with him, so there’s a lot of consistency. I loved his last film, The Visit, which I thought was a master example of filmmaking. I saw The Visit in a theater, and I was amazed by how he was able to maintain suspense and tension while interjecting humor. I think The Visit is one of the great scary movies of recent years.”

Buckley has similar expectations for Split. “I think James is absolutely amazing in the film, in terms of all the different personalities he portrays in the film,” says Buckley. “We have several therapy scenes in the film, and those were some of the most exciting, intense scenes I’ve ever been part of in a film.”

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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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