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Essential Reading: 8 Stephen King Novels

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Everyone knows who Stephen King is at this point. And if you don’t, you should probably get acquainted with him immediately. Which is what I’m here for. You may have seen a film based on one of his books, but if you’ve never read any Stephen King novels, here is a list of 8 to choose from. Many of these are considered his greatest or most iconic – some are also on here just because I think they’re the best. Because I have good taste. You do believe me, don’t you?

“Reading makes me cuh-razy!”

Cujo (1981)

Cujo is almost exactly like Marley and Me, except the dog in this book is evil and wants to kill people. So, it’s actually nothing at all like Marley and Me, but come on. I was trying to make a joke. Didn’t work, did it? King plays on a very common fear in this early novel of his: the fear of dogs. Especially hungry, scary big dogs.

Carrie (1974)

This is one of the most important Stephen King novels for the sole fact that it was his first and his first big breakthrough. Carrie was a success from the start. Unlike many other of his works, the books is comparatively small. In fact, after reading some of this later stuff, you may consider this more of a short story! If you’re interested in getting acquainted with his novels but aren’t ready to read a book that’s over a thousand pages yet, this is a suitable alternative. Bloody. Sad. Scary.

Pet Sematary (1983)

Another book that plays on a common fear – this time, as King puts it, it’s the fear of “what if?” In the introduction to the novel, Stephen King describes a time in which his two-year old son was running straight for the road while a truck sped by. Thankfully, he caught his child. But what if he didn’t? The thought was so disturbing to the author that he almost thought he had gone too far and that he shouldn’t publish the book. Thankfully, he did publish it, and it continues to scare the living Hell out of readers to this day.

The Stand (1978)

King originally envisioned this gigantic story of his to be his version of The Lord of the Rings but in a modern setting…so that should tell you something about the length of it. It’s a post-apocalyptic story where 99.4% of the human population is wiped out by a strain of influenza, and that alone is terrifying.

The Gunslinger (1982)

The entire Dark Tower series is highly recommended, so by all means, read them all. Start with the first one, though. The Gunslinger introduces you to the series’ main protagonist, Roland Deschain. A film adaption is finally coming, so read this before it’s out!

It (1986)

Pennywise is best known as looking like Tim Curry’s portrayal of a scary clown, but in the book, that’s more of a rare occurrence. The character of It here is a shapeshifting demon capable of taking on the shape of your deepest, darkest fears. So, technically, if you’re afraid of Pickles, there is a good chance that he could appear as a pimply green thing. That does actually sound kind of scary, to be honest.

The Shining (1977)

Isolation. Insanity. Snow. While King was already an up and coming author, with the release of The Shining in 1977, King was propelled straight to the top. Based on King’s own experience and struggles with alcohol, the book centers around the Torrence family. Jack, the father, is a writer and an alcoholic who accepts a job of taking care of the Overlook Hotel in Colorado during the off-season. The hotel is big. Really big. Once there, it is discovered that his son Danny possess what is known as “The Shining” – a psychic ability. And then there’s his wife, Wendy, who in the film version is more or less just stuck in the middle of everything to scream and cry. Due to this, King has been outspoken about his distaste for the film. Regardless, both the film and novel are considered some of the best in their league. Read it.

‘Salem’s Lot (1975)

King at his creepiest. Hands down. The author himself considers it his favorite as well – or at least, this is what he said in 1983. In it, a writer from Maine (sounds familiar) returns to the small town in which he grew up in, Jerusalem’s Lot, only to find that there are vampires running amok. There’s something terrifying about a sleepy town being taken over by the undead. And I should know; my neighbor is Nosferatu.

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Russell Crowe To Star in Another Exorcism Movie & It’s Not a Sequel

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Maybe it’s because The Exorcist just celebrated its 50th-anniversary last year, or maybe it’s because aging Academy Award-winning actors aren’t too proud to take on obscure roles, but Russell Crowe is visiting the Devil once again in yet another possession film. And it’s not related to his last one, The Pope’s Exorcist.

According to Collider, the film titled The Exorcism was originally going to be released under the name The Georgetown Project. Rights for its North American release were once in the hands of Miramax but then went to Vertical Entertainment. It will release on June 7 in theaters then head over to Shudder for subscribers.

Crowe will also star in this year’s upcoming Kraven the Hunter which is set to drop in theaters on August 30.

As for The Exorcism, Collider provides us with what it’s about:

“The film centers around actor Anthony Miller (Crowe), whose troubles come to the forefront as he shoots a supernatural horror movie. His estranged daughter (Ryan Simpkins) has to figure out whether he’s lapsing into his past addictions, or if something even more horrific is occurring. “

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New F-Bomb Laden ‘Deadpool & Wolverine’ Trailer: Bloody Buddy Movie

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Deadpool & Wolverine might be the buddy movie of the decade. The two heterodox superheroes are back in the latest trailer for the summer blockbuster, this time with more f-bombs than a gangster film.

‘Deadpool & Wolverine’ Movie Trailer

This time the focus is on Wolverine played by Hugh Jackman. The adamantium-infused X-Man is having a bit of a pity party when Deadpool (Ryan Reynolds) arrives on the scene who then tries to convince him to team up for selfish reasons. The result is a profanity-filled trailer with a Strange surprise at the end.

Deadpool & Wolverine is one of the most anticipated movies of the year. It comes out on July 26. Here is the latest trailer, and we suggest if you are at work and your space isn’t private, you might want to put in headphones.

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Original Blair Witch Cast Ask Lionsgate for Retroactive Residuals in Light of New Film

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The Blair Witch Project Cast

Jason Blum is planning to reboot The Blair Witch Project for the second time. That’s a fairly large task considering none of the reboots or sequels have managed to capture the magic of the 1999 film that brought found footage into the mainstream.

This idea has not been lost on the original Blair Witch cast, who has recently reached out to Lionsgate to ask for what they feel is fair compensation for their role in the pivotal film. Lionsgate gained access to The Blair Witch Project in 2003 when they purchased Artisan Entertainment.

Blair witch
The Blair Witch Project Cast

However, Artisan Entertainment was an independent studio before its purchase, meaning the actors were not part of SAG-AFTRA. As a result, the cast are not entitled to the same residuals from the project as actors in other major films. The cast doesn’t feel that the studio should be able to continue to profit off of their hard work and likenesses without fair compensation.

Their most recent request asks for “meaningful consultation on any future ‘Blair Witch’ reboot, sequel, prequel, toy, game, ride, escape room, etc., in which one could reasonably assume that Heather, Michael & Josh’s names and/or likenesses will be associated for promotional purposes in the public sphere.”

The blair witch project

At this time, Lionsgate has not offered any comment about this issue.

The full statement made by the cast can be found below.

OUR ASKS OF LIONSGATE (From Heather, Michael & Josh, stars of “The Blair Witch Project”):

1. Retroactive + future residual payments to Heather, Michael and Josh for acting services rendered in the original BWP, equivalent to the sum that would’ve been allotted through SAG-AFTRA, had we had proper union or legal representation when the film was made.

2. Meaningful consultation on any future Blair Witch reboot, sequel, prequel, toy, game, ride, escape room, etc…, in which one could reasonably assume that Heather, Michael & Josh’s names and/or likenesses will be associated for promotional purposes in the public sphere.

Note: Our film has now been rebooted twice, both times were a disappointment from a fan/box office/critical perspective. Neither of these films were made with significant creative input from the original team. As the insiders who created the Blair Witch and have been listening to what fans love & want for 25 years, we’re your single greatest, yet thus-far un-utilized secret-weapon!

3. “The Blair Witch Grant”: A 60k grant (the budget of our original movie), paid out yearly by Lionsgate, to an unknown/aspiring genre filmmaker to assist in making theirfirst feature film. This is a GRANT, not a development fund, hence Lionsgate will not own any of the underlying rights to the project.

A PUBLIC STATEMENT FROM THE DIRECTORS & PRODUCERS OF “THE BLAIR WITCH PROJECT”:

As we near the 25th anniversary of The Blair Witch Project, our pride in the storyworld we created and the film we produced is reaffirmed by the recent announcement of a reboot by horror icons Jason Blum and James Wan.

While we, the original filmmakers, respect Lionsgate’s right to monetize the intellectual property as it sees fit, we must highlight the significant contributions of the original cast — Heather Donahue, Joshua Leonard, and Mike Williams. As the literal faces of what has become a franchise, their likenesses, voices, and real names are inseparably tied to The Blair Witch Project. Their unique contributions not only defined the film’s authenticity but continue to resonate with audiences around the world.

We celebrate our film’s legacy, and equally, we believe the actors deserve to be celebrated for their enduring association with the franchise.

Sincerely, Eduardo Sanchez, Dan Myrick, Gregg Hale, Robin Cowie, and Michael Monello

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