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‘Life’ – A Tension Building Terrifying Experience! [Review & Interviews]

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We recently were granted the incredible opportunity to speak to writers of the film Life – Rhett Reese & Paul Wernick. Rhett and Paul are the hottest duo in Hollywood right now, with hits such as Zombieland and Deadpool under their belts and with upcoming projects: Zombieland 2 and Deadpool 2, it should come to no surprise that the sci-fi thriller, Life turned out so well. In our interview, we discuss the film and scrape the surface of Zombieland and Deadpool 2. This interview contains devastating spoilers for the film Life, so please keep that in mind before reading on. Enjoy!

Paul Wernick & Rhett Reese (Photo Courtesy of Zimbio.com).

Interview With Writers Paul Wernick & Rhett Reese.

 

Both: Hey Ryan!

Ryan T. Cusick: Hey guys, how’s it goin?

Both: Good, how are you?

RTC: I’m good, good. Thank you so much for speaking with me today.

Rhett Reese: Thanks for taking the time, Our pleasure.

RTC: I just want to tell you first and foremost this movie was brilliant, I absolutely loved it.

Both: Thank you.

RTC: I think for me, it was the fact that it had that constant feeling of tension and it felt very real, and we could see Earth most of the time made it feel very real because we were not in deep space.

Rhett Reese: Yeah that was kind of the mandate of what makes it feel like this could happen today on the International Space Station which actually exists, you can go out and look at the sky and see, that was the plan from the beginning, and I hope that it paid off.

RTC: Oh yeah, it most definitely did, and I thought that was the selling point, that and Calvin. Calvin was crazy, just the fact that it felt so real and it was so sophisticated it was one of the main characters.

Paul Wernick: Yeah, you know were inspired by Alien and that was a great movie. You know it was a sentimental movie of our childhood and yet it is a 38-40-year-old movie. We really wanted to make our generations Alien where it was not many generations into the future it was today, rovers on Mars probing for soil samples as we speak here today, this makes it even scarier than science fiction because this is science faction and it makes it all the scarier.

RTC: Most definitely. It was very terrifying, for me if Calvin did make it to Earth it really made me think of what would or could happen, and obviously, it did make it to Earth at the end.

RR: We have always pictured a sequel being possible, just trying to contain the thing could play out on a much larger scale on Earth, so that would be very interesting to us if we could find the audience.

RTC: I know that after people see this, I feel that you guys will have an audience for something like that. When you guys were writing this film, did you reach to any biologists or anyone outside of the production team to help with your research?

PW: Research when writing it was mainly a lot of internet research, there were a lot of NASA and astronauts on board the ISS, they had Twitter feeds and such basically a chronicle of life on the ISS and what that would be like. We did do our fair share of research on that. Once we finished the script and got it into the hands of astrophysicists and microbiologists, that is when we really got into the nitty gritty of how this creature would function, what it would be made up of and so forth. We started moving forward with real specialists once we had 115 pages written.

RTC: That is great. It feels like there is so much more behind this and so much backing to this story, more so than just a simple idea, with the relevance. Like I said, it really felt so real.

RR: We wanted to make it feel like these were smart professional people who had both the best interest for both the station and Earth in mind that were trying to do the right thing and were making smart decisions, but things just kept spiraling out of control. One problem led to the next, led to the next. What we didn’t want to do is fall for some of those Hollywood tropes where there is one bad guy on board who is trying to smuggle things down to Earth to make it a weapon, that feels very written. With this, we wanted to feel as if these were real astronauts that we were watching.

PW: The only villain in the piece is Calvin, again there is not one of the astronauts on board who is sabatoshing the efforts of the other astronauts. Calvin is our villain, and we really wanted to run with that idea because that is what would happen, these are well trained, intelligent, you know the best of the world, and so we wanted to portray that on screen.

RTC: You guys definitely captured that and when writing Calvin how close did production get to your portrayal with how you wrote it?

RR: Yeah, it is tough because you can only communicate something so much of something that is visual on a page. Calvin does not look in the movie how I pictured him looking in my head. There is only so much you can communicate with regards to what he looks like on the page, and then you bring in a team, you bring in a creature designer, you bring in director, and you build it in a computer with the effects people. It does look different from what you had envisioned, not better, not worse, just different. Even Paul and I have a different vision in our head for what Calvin would look like.

David Jordan (Jake Gyllenhaal) in Columbia Pictures’ LIFE.

RTC: Do the two of you have any creative differences with each other? What is the writing process for the two of you?

PW: Absolutely we do have creative differences

RR: [Jokingly] No We don’t!

Both: [Laugh]

PW: We have been partners 17+ years, we have known each other since High School in Phoenix, so we have tremendous respect and love for one another, and I think how we resolve those creative differences is we have a rule which is, “whoever cares the most wins, whoever is most passionate about the idea wins.” 9 times out of 10 we are one pipeline, we like to finish each others….

RR: [Jokingly] Sentences.

RTC: [Laughs]

PW: ..it really is a pretty magical partnership.

RTC: It shows in all of your films that you have done, they have all been absolutely stunning, it really does show that relationship that you have together.

RR: Thank you so much.

RTC: When you guys met in high school, is this what you knew that you wanted to do? How did that start?

PW: No. I graduated high school, and I got into local news producing around the country. Rhett came to Los Angeles as a screenwriter for mostly kid stuff for many years. I jumped from news to reality TV, and I got Rhett booked on a reality TV show I was working on called Big Brother. We were sitting around one day, and we said, “you know we should come up with our a reality show, ” and we came up with the Joe Schmo show which, I don’t know if you saw, but it is a combination of the scripted and non-scripted element. That was our first collaboration, and that was in 2000ish, 2001. We were both in LA at the time, and one thing led to another, we jumped from reality into TV, more scripted stuff and then Zombieland came about, and it has been blue sky’s ever since.

RTC: That is really awesome! Speaking of Zombieland, are you in the process of writing the sequel right now?

RR: We are, yeah. We have a script now that everyone is happy with, and we are hoping the budget numbers come together that the studios want, so that is what is happening right now, it is being budgeted, and they are looking at actors deals and things like that. So we really do hope that it comes together and there is a very good chance that it will.

RTC: That’s great. That is really the buzz right now, is Zombieland 2 and it has been like that for quite some time. I know that you guys are also doing the Deadpool sequel, is there anything else that you are currently working or going to be working on in the future?

PW: Deadpool is our primary focus right now, it has been our focus for the last 18 months or so. We are in pre-production right now, and we will shoot the movie in a couple of months, and then we will be on set every day up in Vancouver, it is going to be our life for the next year and a half, almost exclusively.

RTC: Are you guys pretty much on set every day?

PW: Yeah we are. On Deadpool for sure, we were on set for the first one every day and will be for the second one, and that’s the testament to Ryan and our director David Leitch and just being collaborative, embracing us as creative voices that are not threatening, simply just trying to make the movie as good as we can.

RTC: I am sure that it will be, no doubt about that. Back to Life, with Ryan Reynolds did you guys receive any Flack for killing him off so quickly?

RR: [Laughs} We may have a lot of woman getting pretty pissed over that, but I do think that people who go into horror movies tend to expect people to get knocked off, the question is just when? Hopefully, that is something that just comes with the territory.

PW: That is another thing that is like to have Ryan be the first to die felt like a really bold choice much like the ending of the movie where Calvin comes down on Earth. As predictable as movies can be, we wanted to keep the audience on the edge of their seat. The idea of one of the biggest movie stars in the world is the first to die, felt to us like we are setting the tone that anything can happen in this movie and that to us is thrilling to take the audience on that ride.

RTC: I definitely agree, and it was a bold move for that at for the ending, but I think that it was needed, for me the payoff was great.

RR: You are a pretty big horror fan I assume.

RTC: Yes, yes.

RR: How do you think this is going to fit into the horror landscape. We are curious because horror is rarely done at this budget level. Does it feel like it is kind of classic horror? Different somehow? I don’t know. I am just curious because we do watch some horror movies but we are not the biggest horror fans on Earth.

RTC: You know I am not a big Sci-Fi, so I was kind of worried going into it. For me it felt straight out like a horror film, it was terrifying. Almost in a way it kind of had that slasher feel to it, just because you had your villain knocking everyone off. I think it will appeal to the science fiction community and to the horror community for sure.

RR: Hopefully, yeah because we have not talked to a lot of real horror aficionado people that don’t come from a sci-fi world but come more from a horror world.

RTC: It was great, and I am going to see it again. Going back to what you were saying about films being predictable, my wife is a good one for trying to figure out a film, and I told her, “Good luck with this one because I know that you are not going to get it.” Let see if she is going to figure out the ending.

RTC: Well, that is all I have for today.

RR: Thank you, Ryan, so very much.

PW: Thanks, Ryan.

RTC: Take Care and just keep doing what you are doing. You guys are the hottest thing out there right now. Keep doing it; we love you guys.

Both: Thank you.

 

 

-About The Author-

Ryan T. Cusick is a writer for ihorror.com and very much enjoys conversation and writing about anything within the horror genre. Horror first sparked his interest after watching the original, The Amityville Horror when he was the tender age of three. Ryan lives in California with his wife and Eleven-year-old daughter, who is also expressing interest in the horror genre. Ryan recently received his Master’s Degree in Psychology and has aspirations to write a novel. Ryan can be followed on Twitter @Nytmare112

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New Poster Reveal For Nicolas Cage’s Survival Creature Feature ‘Arcadian’ [Trailer]

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Nicolas Cage Arcadian

In the latest cinematic venture featuring Nicolas Cage, Arcadian emerges as a compelling creature feature, teeming with suspense, horror, and emotional depth. RLJE Films has recently released a series of new images and a captivating poster, offering audiences a glimpse into the eerie and thrilling world of “Arcadian”. Scheduled to hit theaters on April 12, 2024, the film will later be available on Shudder and AMC+, ensuring a wide audience can experience its gripping narrative.

Arcadian Movie Trailer

The Motion Picture Association (MPA) has given this film an “R” rating for its “bloody images,” hinting at the visceral and intense experience awaiting viewers. The film draws inspiration from acclaimed horror benchmarks like “A Quiet Place,” weaving a post-apocalyptic tale of a father and his two sons navigating a desolate world. Following a catastrophic event that depopulates the planet, the family faces the dual challenge of surviving their dystopian environment and eluding mysterious nocturnal creatures.

Joining Nicolas Cage in this harrowing journey are Jaeden Martell, known for his role in “IT” (2017), Maxwell Jenkins from “Lost in Space,” and Sadie Soverall, featured in “Fate: The Winx Saga.” Directed by Ben Brewer (“The Trust”) and penned by Mike Nilon (“Braven”), “Arcadian” promises a unique blend of poignant storytelling and electrifying survival horror.

Maxwell Jenkins, Nicolas Cage, and Jaeden Martell 

Critics have already begun to praise “Arcadian” for its imaginative monster designs and exhilarating action sequences, with one review from Bloody Disgusting highlighting the film’s balance between emotional coming-of-age elements and heart-pounding horror. Despite sharing thematic elements with similar genre films, “Arcadian” sets itself apart through its creative approach and action-driven plot, promising a cinematic experience filled with mystery, suspense, and relentless thrills.

Arcadian Official Movie Poster

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‘Winnie the Pooh: Blood and Honey 3’ Is a Go with Enhanced Budget and New Characters

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Winnie the Pooh 3

Wow, they’re churning things out fast! The upcoming sequel “Winnie the Pooh: Blood and Honey 3” is officially moving forward, promising an expanded narrative with a larger budget and the introduction of beloved characters from A.A. Milne’s original tales. As confirmed by Variety, the third installment in the horror franchise will welcome Rabbit, the heffalumps, and the woozles into its dark and twisted narrative.

This sequel is a part of an ambitious cinematic universe that reimagines children’s stories as horror tales. Alongside “Winnie the Pooh: Blood and Honey” and its first sequel, the universe includes films such as “Peter Pan’s Neverland Nightmare”, “Bambi: The Reckoning,” and “Pinocchio Unstrung”. These movies are set to converge in the crossover event “Poohniverse: Monsters Assemble,” slated for a 2025 release.

Winnie the Pooh Poohniverse

The creation of these films was made possible when A.A. Milne’s 1926 children’s book “Winnie-the-Pooh” entered the public domain last year, allowing filmmakers to explore these cherished characters in unprecedented ways. Director Rhys Frake-Waterfield and producer Scott Jeffrey Chambers, of Jagged Edge Productions, have led the charge in this innovative endeavor.

The inclusion of Rabbit, heffalumps, and woozles in the upcoming sequel introduces a new layer to the franchise. In Milne’s original stories, heffalumps are imagined creatures resembling elephants, while woozles are known for their weasel-like characteristics and a penchant for stealing honey. Their roles in the narrative remain to be seen, but their addition promises to enrich the horror universe with deeper connections to the source material.

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How to Watch ‘Late Night with the Devil’ from Home: Dates and Platforms

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Late Night With The Devil

For fans eager to dive into one of this year’s most talked-about horror films from the comfort of their own home, “Late Night with the Devil” will be available for streaming exclusively on Shudder starting April 19, 2024. This announcement has been highly anticipated following the film’s successful theatrical release by IFC Films, which saw it earning rave reviews and a record-breaking opening weekend for the distributor.

“Late Night with the Devil” emerges as a standout horror film, captivating audiences and critics alike, with Stephen King himself offering high praise for the 1977-set film. Starring David Dastmalchian, the movie unfolds on Halloween night during a live late-night talk show broadcast that disastrously unleashes evil across the nation. This found footage-style film not only delivers scares but also authentically captures the aesthetic of the 1970s, drawing viewers into its nightmarish scenario.

David Dastmalchian in Late Night with the Devil

The film’s initial box office success, opening to $2.8 million in 1,034 theaters, underscores its wide appeal and marks the highest opening weekend for an IFC Films release. Critically acclaimed, “Late Night with the Devil” boasts a 96% positive rating on Rotten Tomatoes from 135 reviews, with the consensus praising it for rejuvenating the possession horror genre and showcasing David Dastmalchian’s exceptional performance.

Rotten Tomatoes score as of 3/28/2024

Simon Rother of iHorror.com encapsulates the film’s allure, emphasizing its immersive quality that transports viewers back to the 1970s, making them feel as if they are part of the eerie “Night Owls” Halloween broadcast. Rother lauds the film for its meticulously crafted script and the emotional and shocking journey it takes viewers on, stating, “This whole experience will have viewers of the Cairnes brothers’ film glued to their screen… The script, from beginning to end, is neatly sewn together with an ending that’ll have jaws on the floor.” You can read the full review here.

Rother further encourages audiences to watch the film, highlighting its multifaceted appeal: “Whenever it is made available to you, you must attempt to view the Cairnes Brothers’ latest project as it will make you laugh, it will creep you out, it will amaze you, and it might even strike an emotional cord.”

Set to stream on Shudder on April 19, 2024, “Late Night with the Devil” offers a compelling blend of horror, history, and heart. This film is not just a must-watch for horror aficionados but for anyone looking to be thoroughly entertained and moved by a cinematic experience that redefines the boundaries of its genre.

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