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[REVIEW] Debut Episode of Shudder’s ‘Creepshow’ is Nostalgic Fun

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Shudder Creepshow

We’re only nine days out from the debut of Shudder’s new series, Creepshow, and if the debut episode is any indication, we’re in for a real treat.

Based on the concept from 1982’s Creepshow written by Stephen King and directed by George A. Romero, each episode features two creepy stories filled with comic panels, frenetic scene changes, and of course, the ever presenter Creeper.

The first episode fittingly begins with an adaptation of King’s “Gray Matter,” the story of a man whose drinking habit, exacerbated by his wife’s death, leads to an insatiable hunger for more.

The segment stars genre icon Adrienne Barbeau, who appeared as the obnoxious alcoholic Billie in the first Creepshow film, as well as Tobin Bell (Saw) and Giancarlo Esposito (Better Call Saul). All three stars seem to be having the time of their lives as they navigate the story’s increasingly strange landscape.

Barbeau, in particular, stands out. Let’s face it, part of any horror story is embracing the weird and sometimes absurd, and the woman who once found herself fed to a monster in a crate does so with style and a feverish sense of urgency that really sells the story she’s telling.

Director Greg Nicotero (The Walking Dead), meanwhile, pulled out all the stops for “Gray Matter,” filling the story with a ton of Easter eggs for fans of Stephen King and the original Creepshow while driving home the creepy/fun combination that makes this feel like a deleted segment of the original film.

What is most surprising, however, is that “Gray Matter” ultimately feels like a savory appetizer setting the audience up for the main course in the second segment of the episode titled “The House of the Head.”

Written by Josh Malerman (Bird Box) and directed by John Harrison (Tales from the Darkside: The Movie), the story concerns a young girl named Evie (Cailey Fleming) who is given an elaborate, beautiful dollhouse by her parents. She spends her time playing with the family who lives in her own little imaginary world until one day when a tiny severed head appears from nowhere and life inside the dollhouse takes a decidedly dark turn.

Malerman crafts an intense and satisfying story in the most unlikely of spaces, creating real terror from inanimate objects.

Fleming (The Walking Dead) proves she can carry a story all by herself. Her performance is beautifully measured throughout as she scrambles to thwart an inexplicable evil while keeping her parents, played by Rachel Hendrix and David Shae, completely in the dark.

Harrison, again, taps into the nostalgia of Creepshow to create visuals that are stunning and ever so slightly tongue-in-cheek to entertain while creating a real sense of dread.

Creepshow is set to debut on September 26, 2019 at 9 pm EST on Shudder and On Demand, and after seeing this initial episode, I personally cannot wait to see what the rest of the series has in store.

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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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