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Late to the Party – Ghoulies

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I am a grown ass man and I’m sitting in the dark at four in the morning watching Ghoulies. It’s at this point that one is given pause to ponder upon the decisions made in life. Then it hits me – Ghoulies is giving me an existential crisis? OK, so we won’t go all that far, but it has made me question my choices. I gladly volunteered to tackle this edition of Late to the Party – one of my favorite segments to cover here – and I had the option to review either Phantasm II or this… I chose Ghoulies. I’m almost ashamed of myself.

Oh boy, where to start? So I have not ever seen this movie until now, but (like most people) I know this movie from it’s infamous cover it – which upon reflection should have qued me in to what I could expect from this film. That being a little green Ghoulie rising out of a toilet. Somehow I used to think this was such a cool design. I was also seven at the time. Back then you could go to any movie rental, trick your parents that you were going to go check out Nintendo games and then sneak your way over to the horror aisle. There among all the Friday the 13th and Freddy movies you would see Ghoulies in all its toilet goodness. Something about that little green monstrosity was amazing to my little naive mind.

 

Ghoulies was also a product of the infamous Satanic Panic era that ran wild in the 80’s. If you grew up in a church-going home back then you’re probably well aware that Satan wanted nothing more than to rip out our little kiddie souls. According to the ultra conservative crowds NOTHING was safe. Smurfs were evil, He-Man figures were dragging us to Hell, and Saturday Morning cartoons were the portal to Satanism. You younger readers may think I’m over-exaggerating this a bit, but oh no. It was really that bad. Let my buddy the Cinema Snob tell you more about it right here:

 

 

The Satanic Panic was a very real thing. So naturally movies about demons and Satanism were all the craze, and a lot of times they went a little too far (little demon popping out of a toilet for example).

 

image via giphy

 

Ghoulies is all about Satanic practices. Our lead character Jonathan (Peter Liapis) inherits an old house from his father. Come to find out dear ol’ dad was deeply involved in the Occult, so much so that he nearly killed little baby Jonathan in a botched ritualistic sacrifice. Now, years later (and with no memory of nearly being a burnt offering as a babe of course) Jonathan discovers his dead father’s Satanic paraphernalia. What do you do when you find an old moldy book of black magic demon summoning spells? Why you throw a party and summon yourself some snotty nosed little demons right in front of your friends of course!

 

image via ComingSoon

 

 

Demons – oh sorry, Ghoulies – are raised from Hell. Jonathan is impressed by his own demonic awe and makes it rain in his basement. He runs around in some really silly looking robes and uses an elementary-school theater prop as a trident of power! I’m sure this sounded absolutely killer on paper when the screenplay was hot off the press. What we get though is pure silliness as evil shenanigans take place in the house of goofy Hell. And they all play it so fucking seriously.

 

I know this movie is categorized as horror/comedy, but we gotta be honest here. American Werewolf in London, Return of the Living Dead, Evil Dead 2, Army of Darkness, Rocky Horror Picture Show, Little Shop of Horrors, Ghostbusters, Snakes on a Plane are all examples of how that genre works. Ghoulies feels like it falls into this category by default and not intentionally. The movie does feel like it could exist in the same universe of the Troll movies. Just as silly.

 

We are treated to some of the greatest over-acting imaginable as Jonathan grows in evil power, so much so that his eyes glow lime green. His evil Satanic dad is resurrected from the grave (I think completely by accident too) out in the back yard and it becomes a battle of the necromancers!  I mean just look at this nonsense.

 

 

This is a movie I had way too much fun watching. I wish I could divide the film up into sections and just review or comment on each fragment. If ever a film deserved the Manic treatment it’s this one right here. So this has been you pal, Manic Exorcism. Thanks for joining me as we waded along the green stinking sewers of horror’s history. I hope everyone has a very Happy Thanksgiving. Safe travels to everyone, eat up, make memories and be safe on Black Friday. And once you’ve filled up on all the turkey or pumpkin pie Thanksgiving provides and make your way to the bathroom…be sure to check your toilet. This movie promises that they will get you in the ‘end’.

 

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Trailer for ‘The Exorcism’ Has Russell Crowe Possessed

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The latest exorcism movie is about to drop this summer. It’s aptly titled The Exorcism and it stars Academy Award winner turned B-movie savant Russell Crowe. The trailer dropped today and by the looks of it, we are getting a possession movie that takes place on a movie set.

Just like this year’s recent demon-in-media-space film Late Night With the Devil, The Exorcism happens during a production. Although the former takes place on a live network talk show, the latter is on an active sound stage. Hopefully, it won’t be entirely serious and we’ll get some meta chuckles out of it.

The film will open in theaters on June 7, but since Shudder also acquired it, it probably won’t be long after that until it finds a home on the streaming service.

Crowe plays, “Anthony Miller, a troubled actor who begins to unravel while shooting a supernatural horror film. His estranged daughter, Lee (Ryan Simpkins), wonders if he’s slipping back into his past addictions or if there’s something more sinister at play. The film also stars Sam Worthington, Chloe Bailey, Adam Goldberg and David Hyde Pierce.”

Crowe did see some success in last year’s The Pope’s Exorcist mostly because his character was so over-the-top and infused with such comical hubris it bordered on parody. We will see if that is the route actor-turned-director Joshua John Miller takes with The Exorcism.

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Win a Stay at The Lizzie Borden House From Spirit Halloween

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lizzie borden house

Spirit Halloween has declared that this week marks the start of spooky season and to celebrate they are offering fans a chance to stay at the Lizzie Borden House with so many perks Lizzie herself would approve.

The Lizzie Borden House in Fall River, MA is claimed to be one of the most haunted houses in America. Of course one lucky winner and up to 12 of their friends will find out if the rumors are true if they win the grand prize: A private stay in the notorious house.

“We are delighted to work with Spirit Halloween to roll out the red carpet and offer the public a chance to win a one-of-a-kind experience at the infamous Lizzie Borden House, which also includes additional haunted experiences and merchandise,” said Lance Zaal, President & Founder of US Ghost Adventures.

Fans can enter to win by following Spirit Halloween‘s Instagram and leaving a comment on the contest post from now through April 28.

Inside the Lizzie Borden House

The prize also includes:

An exclusive guided house tour, including insider insight around the murder, the trial, and commonly reported hauntings

A late-night ghost tour, complete with professional ghost-hunting gear

A private breakfast in the Borden family dining room

A ghost hunting starter kit with two pieces of Ghost Daddy Ghost Hunting Gear and a lesson for two at US Ghost Adventures Ghost Hunting Course

The ultimate Lizzie Borden gift package, featuring an official hatchet, the Lizzie Borden board game, Lily the Haunted Doll, and America’s Most Haunted Volume II

Winner’s choice of a Ghost Tour experience in Salem or a True Crime experience in Boston for two

“Our Halfway to Halloween celebration provides fans an exhilarating taste of what’s to come this fall and empowers them to start planning for their favorite season as early as they please,” said Steven Silverstein, CEO of Spirit Halloween. “We have cultivated an incredible following of enthusiasts who embody the Halloween lifestyle, and we’re thrilled to bring the fun back to life.”

Spirit Halloween is also preparing for their retail haunted houses. On Thursday, August 1 their flagship store in Egg Harbor Township, NJ. will officially open to start off the season. That event usually draws in hordes of people eager to see what new merch, animatronics, and exclusive IP goods will be trending this year.

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’28 Years Later’ Trilogy Taking Shape With Serious Star Power

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28 years later

Danny Boyle is revisiting his 28 Days Later universe with three new films. He will direct the first, 28 Years Later, with two more to follow. Deadline is reporting that sources say Jodie Comer, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, and Ralph Fiennes have been cast for the first entry, a sequel to the original. Details are being kept under wraps so we don’t know how or if the first original sequel 28 Weeks Later fits into the project.

Jodie Comer, Aaron Taylor-Johnson and Ralph Fiennes

Boyle will direct the first movie but it’s unclear which role he will take on in the subsequent films. What is known is Candyman (2021) director Nia DaCosta is scheduled to direct the second film in this trilogy and that the third will be filmed immediately afterward. Whether DaCosta will direct both is still unclear.

Alex Garland is writing the scripts. Garland is having a successful time at the box office right now. He wrote and directed the current action/thriller Civil War which was just knocked out of the theatrical top spot by Radio Silence’s Abigail.

There is no word yet on when, or where, 28 Years Later will start production.

28 Days Later

The original film followed Jim (Cillian Murphy) who wakes from a coma to find that London is currently dealing with a zombie outbreak.

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