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[REVIEW] ‘All The Creatures Were Stirring’ Brings Out The Eerie Holiday Spirit.

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The holiday season is upon us. A time for Christmas lights, decorations, gifts, evergreens in our homes. Colder nights, festive parties, it’s the most wonderful time of the year, or is it? On the outside the holiday season appears to be wonderful, however, behind this façade lurks loneliness, darkness, and evil. People tend to go a little bonkers this time of year with their lives filled with dread, watching everyone around them making connections with those they love, can draw a person into profound emotional isolation, causing madness! All The Creatures Were Stirring sets us up with two people not wanting to be alone going on an awkward Christmas Eve date to the theatre. With the Holiday Spirit very much present, this tiny production that the friends endure escorts them through a variety of short stories that make up this holiday horror anthology film.

This new Holiday anthology consists of five chilling unique tales, (1) The Stockings Were Hung, (2) Dash Away All, (3) All Through The House, (4) Arose Such A Clatter, & (5) In A Twinkling. Typically I have a difficult time choosing my favorites out of an anthology, but to my surprise, my favorites of the five were The Stockings Were Hung and Dash Away All. 

The Stockings Were Hung opens at an office Christmas Party, a really dull office Christmas Party, you would probably need to be drunk before attending to get through it, however, the lameness of this party quickly dissipates when the lives of each employee are threatened by a madman who has delivered, rigged presents. I found this segment to be frightening as workplace violence is now an issue that our local news reports quite frequently, and the episode starts off with a bang, literally! This was a fantastic opener to the film and will not disappoint, in the tradition of Saw, you will enjoy The Stockings Were Hung.

My next favorite Dash Away All introduces a man who is just trying to get home for Christmas Eve, but last minute shopping has made him very late. Eric is one of the last shoppers to vacate to the chilling, snow-covered parking lot and during is mad rush to load up the car he accidentally locks himself out. The parking lot is deserted except a van, that Eric approaches occupied by two women who offer him help, or so he thinks. This tale is fueled by the building of tension and proves to be the most unique and satisfying of all the tales for myself. With solid practical effects, Dash Away All delivers insightful thrilling holiday horror.

Overall All The Creatures Were Stirring has proven to be another Christmas holiday horror film worthy enough of a top ten list! Husband and wife duo Rebekah & David McKendry who served as writers and directors of the film, executed a well balanced low budget horror film with nicely done visual aspects and use of practical effects. My Christmas wish is for this team to deliver us similar films, or better yet, a sequel. This film will for sure bring Yuletide Joy to horror fans around the globe, be sure to add it to your list.

In addition to the film now available on DVD, On Demand and Digital Video, the film will also be premiering on Shudder on December 13th.

The official synopsis for All the Creatures Were Stirring:

When an awkward date on Christmas Eve leads a couple into a strange theater, they’re treated to a bizarre and frightening collection of Christmas stories, featuring a wide ensemble of characters doing their best to avoid the horrors of the holidays. From boring office parties and last-minute shopping to vengeful stalkers and immortal demons, there’s plenty out there to fear this holiday season.

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‘The Strangers’ Invaded Coachella in Instagramable PR Stunt

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Renny Harlin’s reboot of The Strangers isn’t coming out until May 17, but those murderous home invaders are making a pit stop at Coachella first.

In the latest Instagramable PR stunt, the studio behind the film decided to have the trio of masked intruders crash Coachella, a music festival that takes place for two weekends in Southern California.

The Strangers

This type of publicity began when Paramount did the same thing with their horror movie Smile in 2022. Their version had seemingly ordinary people in populated places look directly into a camera with an evil grin.

The Strangers

Harlin’s reboot is actually a trilogy with a more expansive world than that of the original.

“When setting out to remake The Strangers, we felt there was a bigger story to be told, which could be as powerful, chilling, and terrifying as the original and could really expand that world,” said producer Courtney Solomon. “Shooting this story as a trilogy allows us to create a hyperreal and terrifying character study. We’re fortunate to be joining forces with Madelaine Petsch, an amazing talent whose character is the driving force of this story.”

The Strangers

The movie follows a young couple (Madelaine Petsch and Froy Gutierrez) who “after their car breaks down in an eerie small town, are forced to spend the night in a remote cabin. Panic ensues as they are terrorized by three masked strangers who strike with no mercy and seemingly no motive in The Strangers: Chapter 1 the chilling first entry of this upcoming horror feature film series.”

The Strangers

The Strangers: Chapter 1 opens in theaters on May 17.

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‘Alien’ Returning to Theaters For a Limited Time

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It’s been 45 years since Ridley Scott’s Alien hit theaters and in celebration of that milestone, it is headed back to the big screen for a limited time. And what better day to do that than Alien Day on April 26?

It also works as a primer for the upcoming Fede Alvarez sequel Alien: Romulus opening on August 16. A special feature in which both Alvarez and Scott discuss the original sci-fi classic will be shown as a part of your theater admission. Take a look at the preview of that conversation below.

Fede Alvarez and Ridley Scott

Back in 1979, the original trailer for Alien was kind of terrifying. Imagine sitting in front of a CRT TV (Cathode Ray Tube) at night and suddenly Jerry Goldsmith’s haunting score begins to play as a giant chicken egg starts to crack with beams of light bursting through the shell and the word “Alien” slowly forms in slanted all caps across the screen. To a twelve-year-old, it was a scary pre-bedtime experience, especially Goldsmith’s screaming electronic musical flourishes playing over scenes of the actual movie. Let the “Is it horror or sci-fi?” debate begin.

Alien became a pop culture phenomenon, complete with kid’s toys, a graphic novel, and an Academy Award for Best Visual Effects. It also inspired dioramas in wax museums and even a frightening setpiece at Walt Disney World in the now-defunct Great Movie Ride attraction.

Great Movie Ride

The film stars Sigourney Weaver, Tom Skerritt, and John Hurt. It tells the tale of a futuristic crew of blue-collar workers suddenly awakened out of stasis to investigate an undecipherable distress signal coming from a nearby moon. They investigate the source of the signal and discover it’s a warning and not a cry for help. Unbeknownst to the crew, they have brought a giant space creature back on board which they find out in one of the most iconic scenes in cinema history.

It is said that Alvarez’s sequel will pay homage to the original film’s storytelling and set design.

Alien Romulus
Alien (1979)

The Alien theatrical re-release will take place on April 26. Pre-order your tickets and find out where Alien will screen at a theater near you.

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Home Depot’s 12-Foot Skeleton Returns with a New Friend, Plus New Life-Size Prop from Spirit Halloween

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Halloween is the greatest holiday of them all. However, every great holiday needs amazing props to go with it. Luckily for you, there are two new amazing props that have been released, which are sure to impress your neighbors and frighten any neighborhood children who are unfortunate enough to wander past your yard.

The first entry is the return of the Home Depot 12-foot skeleton prop. Home Depot has outdone themselves in the past. But this year the company is bringing bigger and better things to their Halloween prop lineup.

Home Depot Skeleton Prop

This year, the company unveiled its new and improved Skelly. But what is a giant skeleton without a loyal friend? Home Depot has also announced that they will release a five-foot tall skeleton dog prop to eternally keep Skelly company as he haunts your yard this spooky season.

This bony pooch will be five feet tall and seven feet long. The prop will also feature a posable mouth and LCD eyes with eight variable settings. Lance Allen, Home Depot’s merchant of decorative Holliday gear, had the following to say about this year’s lineup.

“This year we increased our realism within the animatronics category, created some impressive, licensed characters and even brought back some fan favorites. Overall, we are most proud of the quality and value we are able to bring to our customers with these pieces so they can continue to grow their collections.”

Home Depot Prop

But what if giant skeletons just aren’t your thing? Well, Spirit Halloween has you covered with their giant life size Terror Dog replica. This massive prop has been ripped out of your nightmares to appear frighteningly on your lawn.

This prop weighs in at almost fifty pounds and features glowing red eyes that are sure to keep your yard safe from any toilet paper throwing hooligans. This iconic Ghostbusters nightmare is a must have for any fan of 80s horror. Or, anyone who loves all things spooky.

Terror Dog Prop
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