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Late to the Party: MISERY (1990)

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Stephen King is one of my favorite authors. I write for a horror publication – is that so hard to believe? His movies seem to be hit or miss, and that’s not the man’s fault. It’s always interesting to see how one person’s story is seen through another’s retelling. I loved his novella, The Mist. The film adaption, though? Could not stand it. On the other hand, I thought that the film version of Stand By Me (which was based on another novella, titled The Body) was ten times more enjoyable.

Never reading King’s original book, however, I thought that Misery would be a fun experiment for me. In almost every occasion, I’ve experienced King’s stories through text first and moving picture later. I wondered how it would be to watch something of his first, and then read it.

Well, I haven’t gotten around to reading Misery yet, but I think that’s understandable given that I just finished the movie last night. So, I can’t speak on how it compares to the book, but maybe I don’t need to. Film and literature are two completely different animals, and I treat them as such. In any case, I enjoyed Misery very much.

The plot of the film is pretty damn straightforward. An author, Paul Sheldon (James Caan) gets in a car wreck during a snowstorm and is rescued by his “biggest fan,” Annie Wilkes (Kathy Bates). She nurses him back to health, but there’s something a little off about her. In other words, she’s completely nuts. Wilkes forces Sheldon to write another sequel to his “Misery” novels when she reads the ending of the most recent one and decides that she doesn’t like it. The rest of the film follows an act of give and pull between the two as Sheldon attempts to survive Wilkes’ psychosis.

Caan and Bates both excel in their roles, and while at first I was expecting Bates to steal the show, I ended up completely enamored with James Caan’s portrayal of the writer. The man brings a lot of personality and humanity to the role; with Bates, well, she did the whole “crazy bitch” thing perfectly as well. I loved how obsessive and ridiculous the character was.

But besides the two of them, my favorite part of the film would probably be the scenery. The snow gave a very pleasing backdrop to a sadistic situation, which made Sheldon’s situation all the more sinister. Wilkes is a monster, through and through. The beauty of her character (and the horror, for that matter) is how deceptive her sinister-ness is (I don’t think that’s a word – just go with it). She doesn’t look like anyone overtly threatening, and she certainly doesn’t sound it. Wilkes is very much the definition of a wolf in sheep’s clothing.

There were no big surprises for me to be found in Misery. If I could complain about one thing, it would be how straightforward the plot was. But then again, maybe that’s the beauty of the film. It’s such a simple premise. There could have realistically been one or two endings to the situation – Sheldon lives or Sheldon dies. While there was a degree of tension throughout, it never got to heart racing levels. Still, the strength of the characters in the film make for a highly enjoyable watch.

Misery is a horror film for those who don’t particularly enjoy horror films. It’s got great character acting and a steady, believable plot. The absence of anything too gory or violent besides one or two scenes will make it fine enough for anyone looking for a chill that won’t run unsettlingly deep.

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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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Watch ‘The Burning’ At The Location Where It Was Filmed

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Fangoria is reporting that fans of the 1981 slasher The Burning will be able to have a screening of the film at the location where it was filmed. The movie is set at Camp Blackfoot which is actually the Stonehaven Nature Preserve in Ransomville, New York.

This ticketed event will take place on August 3. Guests will be able to take a tour of the grounds as well as enjoy some campfire snacks along with the screening of The Burning.

The Burning

The film came out in the early ’80s when teen slashers were being churned out in magnum force. Thanks to Sean S. Cunningham’s Friday the 13th, filmmakers wanted to get in on the low-budget, high-profit movie market and a casket load of these types of films were produced, some better than others.

The Burning is one of the good ones, mostly because of the special effects from Tom Savini who had just come off of his groundbreaking work on Dawn of the Dead and Friday the 13th. He declined to do the sequel because of its illogical premise and instead signed on to do this movie. Also, a young Jason Alexander who would later go on to play George in Seinfeld is a featured player.

Because of its practical gore, The Burning had to be heavily edited before it received an R-rating. The MPAA was under the thumb of protest groups and political bigwigs to censor violent films at the time because slashers were just so graphic and detailed in their gore.

Tickets are $50, and if you want a special t-shirt, that will cost you another $25, You can get all the information by visiting the On Set Cinema webpage.

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‘Longlegs’ Creepy “Part 2” Teaser Appears on Instagram

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Longlegs

Neon Films released an Insta-teaser for their horror film Longlegs today. Titled Dirty: Part 2, the clip only furthers the mystery of what we are in for when this movie is finally released on July 12.

The official logline is: FBI Agent Lee Harker is assigned to an unsolved serial killer case that takes unexpected turns, revealing evidence of the occult. Harker discovers a personal connection to the killer and must stop him before he strikes again.

Directed by former actor Oz Perkins who also gave us The Blackcoat’s Daughter and Gretel & Hansel, Longlegs is already creating buzz with its moody images and cryptic hints. The film is rated R for bloody violence, and disturbing images.

Longlegs stars Nicolas Cage, Maika Monroe, and Alicia Witt.

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