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Review: ‘Little Dead Riding Hood’ A Frighteningly Fun Fairy Tale Book

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Grimm’s various fairy tales have been adapted and translated into a variety of forms across so many different mediums. Some rooted in the original’s… grim tone and style, while others opting for more lighter and child friendly fare. Now we have a gory cartoonish version that veers straight into splatstick comedy territory with Little Dead Riding Hood!

Image via Bill Kopp Animation

The book was written and drawn by Two-time Academy Award-winner Bill Kopp. His numerous credits include co-creating and voicing the titular character of Fox Kids TV series Eek! The Cat, the cartoon segments of Better Off Dead and One Crazy Summer, and the final episode of Tales From The Crypt: The Third Pig which he wrote and co-directed. Little Dead Riding Hood sharing a similar style and content as that infamous fable finale. And told entirely in rhyme! If you’re a fan of that particular Tales episode, this storybook is for you.

Image via IMDB

The plot follows a nasty, voracious Wolf as he stalks the forest for some easy prey to devour to try and sate his endless hunger. Soon encountering a rather naive Little Red Riding Hood and offering to accompany her to grandma’s house for a birthday party… only to guide her into his bloodthirsty jaws instead! Despite the usual story taking a downer turn, it’s not the end. As the Wolf soon finds himself haunted by his misdeeds and ghosts from his past out for a brutal revenge against the big bad beast!

Little Dead Riding Hood is a fun twist on an old classic. The main highlight being the various illustrations by Kopp which range from cartoonishly sweet and fantastical to absurdly gory and bloody! Featuring the Wolf biting his way through his Red Riding Hood dinner and stalked by his supernatural comeuppance.

It’s an interesting mix that emphasizes the horror comedy core of the book. The Wolf isn’t just an animal, but a homicidal, sociopathic killing machine. And a hungry one at that. His is the narrative we follow and includes such rhymes as “His sharp teeth could cut with amazing precision. He could even eat YOU, if that was his decision.” The climax evocative of EC Comics of old and the previously stated ‘Third Pig’ tale as the Wolf gets his just desserts, with the book standing out on its own.

Little Dead Riding Hood is an entertaining read with fantastical illustrations and well worth checking out if you fancy your fairy tales with a heaping dose of ultra violence and bloody hilarious rhymes. The book is available on Bill Kopp’s website along with information on convention appearances (Including this weekend’s upcoming Long Beach Comic-Con) and additional info.

Image via Bill Kopp Animation

 

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Brad Dourif Says He’s Retiring Except For One Important Role

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Brad Dourif has been doing movies for nearly 50 years. Now it seems he is walking away from the industry at 74 to enjoy his golden years. Except, there is a caveat.

Recently, digital entertainment publication JoBlo’s Tyler Nichols talked to some of the Chucky television series cast members. During the interview, Dourif made an announcement.

“Dourif said that he’s retired from acting,” says Nichols. “The only reason he came back for the show was because of his daughter Fiona and he considers Chucky creator Don Mancini to be family. But for non-Chucky stuff, he considers himself retired.”

Dourif has voiced the possessed doll since 1988 (minus the 2019 reboot). The original movie “Child’s Play” has become such a cult classic it’s at the top of some people’s best chillers of all time. Chucky himself is ingrained in pop culture history much like Frankenstein or Jason Voorhees.

While Dourif may be known for his famous voiceover, he is also an Oscar-nominated actor for his part in One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest. Another famous horror role is The Gemini Killer in William Peter Blatty’s Exorcist III. And who can forget Betazoid Lon Suder in Star Trek: Voyager?

The good news is that Don Mancini is already pitching a concept for season four of Chucky which might also include a feature-length movie with a series tie-in. So, Although Dourif says he is retiring from the industry, ironically he is Chucky’s friend till the end.

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Editorial

7 Great ‘Scream’ Fan Films & Shorts Worth a Watch

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The Scream franchise is such an iconic series, that many budding filmmakers take inspiration from it and make their own sequels or, at least, build upon the original universe created by screenwriter Kevin Williamson. YouTube is the perfect medium to showcase these talents (and budgets) with fan-made homages with their own personal twists.

The great thing about Ghostface is that he can appear anywhere, in any town, he just needs the signature mask, knife, and unhinged motive. Thanks to Fair Use laws it’s possible to expand upon Wes Craven’s creation by simply getting a group of young adults together and killing them off one by one. Oh, and don’t forget the twist. You’ll notice that Roger Jackson’s famous Ghostface voice is uncanny valley, but you get the gist.

We have gathered five fan films/shorts related to Scream that we thought were pretty good. Although they can’t possibly match the beats of a $33 million blockbuster, they get by on what they have. But who needs money? If you’re talented and motivated anything is possible as proven by these filmmakers who are well on their way to the big leagues.

Take a look at the below films and let us know what you think. And while you’re at it, leave these young filmmakers a thumbs up, or leave them a comment to encourage them to create more films. Besides, where else are you going to see Ghostface vs. a Katana all set to a hip-hop soundtrack?

Scream Live (2023)

Scream Live

Ghostface (2021)

Ghostface

Ghost Face (2023)

Ghost Face

Don’t Scream (2022)

Don’t Scream

Scream: A Fan Film (2023)

Scream: A Fan Film

The Scream (2023)

The Scream

A Scream Fan Film (2023)

A Scream Fan Film
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Another Creepy Spider Movie Hits Shudder This Month

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Good spider films are a theme this year. First, we had Sting and then there was Infested. The former is still in theaters and the latter is coming to Shudder starting April 26.

Infested has been getting some good reviews. People are saying that it’s not only a great creature feature but also a social commentary on racism in France.

According to IMDb: Writer/director Sébastien Vanicek was looking for ideas around the discrimination faced by black and Arab-looking people in France, and that led him to spiders, which are rarely welcome in homes; whenever they’re spotted, they’re swatted. As everyone in the story (people and spiders) is treated like vermin by society, the title came to him naturally.

Shudder has become the gold standard for streaming horror content. Since 2016, the service has been offering fans an expansive library of genre movies. in 2017, they began to stream exclusive content.

Since then Shudder has become a powerhouse in the film festival circuit, buying distribution rights to movies, or just producing some of their own. Just like Netflix, they give a film a short theatrical run before adding it to their library exclusively for subscribers.

Late Night With the Devil is a great example. It was released theatrically on March 22 and will begin streaming on the platform starting April 19.

While not getting the same buzz as Late Night, Infested is a festival favorite and many have said if you suffer from arachnophobia, you might want to take heed before watching it.

Infested

According to the synopsis, our main character, Kalib is turning 30 and dealing with some family issues. “He’s fighting with his sister over an inheritance and has cut ties with his best friend. Fascinated by exotic animals, he finds a venomous spider in a shop and brings it back to his apartment. It only takes a moment for the spider to escape and reproduce, turning the whole building into a dreadful web trap. The only option for Kaleb and his friends is to find a way out and survive.”

The film will be available to watch on Shudder starting April 26.

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