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4 Movie Eclipses Worth Seeing

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So, for anyone who hasn’t heard, there’s a full solar eclipse crossing the United States this Monday the 21st. Eclipses are seen in many cultures as omens of change, and in some, of evil.

Those views have passed on to portrayals of them in books, TV, and movies. While they’re really only a bit more common in movies than they are in real life, they’re no less dramatic most of the time and often serve as a plot point or occur during a major scene.

Without further ado, here’s four movies where you’ll find an eclipse watching over the events.

1. Hellboy (2004)

One of the themes of this movie is finding your purpose in life. Hellboy’s purpose, it turns out, is to unlock a door that uses a total solar eclipse as it’s pathway to allow a bunch of Lovecraftian god-beings through time and space to our world. The other theme is that you can choose your own purpose if you don’t like the one you’re given. The movie starred the impeccable Ron Perlman (Pacific Rim, Sons of Anarchy) as the title character. It also starred John Hurt (Harry Potter) and Selma Blair (The Fog) and was written and directed by Guillermo Del Toro. It’s worth seeing if you haven’t already and love superhero movies.

2. Little Shop of Horrors (1986)

Really, who couldn’t use a few guys following you around, livening up your day with a little Shoo-de-bop-bop? Yes, this is a musical, but it is also horror, being about a carnivorous talking plant that slips between dimensions during a total eclipse to arrive on our world. It’s discovered and taken home by a nerdy florist, who then ends up finding love and success with the plant’s help. It stars Rick Moranis (Honey I Shrunk The Kids, Spaceballs) and features a small role by comedic genius Steve Martin (The Jerk, Father of the Bride). If you like mixed-genre movies, definitely hit this one up, it’s a classic.

 

3. Dolores Claiborne (1995)

While more of a drama-thriller than outright horror, there’s no denying this piece, originally written by the master Stephen King, can get under your skin at times. A blend of past and present, a big city journalist must return to her small hometown when her mother, played by Kathy Bates (American Horror Story), is accused of murdering the wealthy woman she works for. As the story unravels, dark family secrets are revealed, culminating in a flashback which occurred during the solar eclipse of 1963. While not usually listed among the best adaptations of King’s work, it has graced a few lists, and is hardly counted among the worst. If you’re a fan of King, it’s worth giving a shot.

4. Pitch Black (2000)

Any list of movies that have or feature eclipses has to include Pitch Black. The sci-fi-action-horror flick stars Vin Diesel (Fast and the Furious, Guardians of the Galaxy) as the main character, a convict who’s transport ship crashes on a remote planet en route to delivering him to prison. They find the ruins of an outpost whose occupants have all fallen victim to vicious nocturnal predators. Before the crew can figure out how to fix their ship though, an eclipse begins. One that’s due to last for a full month. Then it becomes a race to get the outpost’s ship functional before they all get devoured.

Have I missed any other good ones? Leave your suggestions in the comments below so we don’t forget when the next eclipse comes around in 2024.

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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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Part Concert, Part Horror Movie M. Night Shyamalan’s ‘Trap’ Trailer Released

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In true Shyamalan form, he sets his film Trap inside a social situation where we aren’t sure what is going on. Hopefully, there is a twist at the end. Furthermore, we hope it’s better than the one in his divisive 2021 movie Old.

The trailer seemingly gives away a lot, but, as in the past, you can’t rely on his trailers because they are often red herrings and you are being gaslit to think a certain way. For instance, his movie Knock at the Cabin was completely different than what the trailer implied and if you hadn’t read the book on which the film is based it was still like going in blind.

The plot for Trap is being dubbed an “experience” and we aren’t quite sure what that means. If we were to guess based on the trailer, it’s a concert movie wrapped around a horror mystery. There are original songs performed by Saleka, who plays Lady Raven, a kind of Taylor Swift/Lady Gaga hybrid. They have even set up a Lady Raven website to further the illusion.

Here is the fresh trailer:

According to the synopsis, a father takes his daughter to one of Lady Raven’s jam-packed concerts, “where they realize they’re at the center of a dark and sinister event.”

Written and directed by M. Night Shyamalan, Trap stars Josh Hartnett, Ariel Donoghue, Saleka Shyamalan, Hayley Mills and Allison Pill. The film is produced by Ashwin Rajan, Marc Bienstock and M. Night Shyamalan. The executive producer is Steven Schneider.

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