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Patrick Stewart is the Genre Film Genius We All Deserve

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Sir Patrick Stewart, born July 13, 1940, is a living legend for fans of just about every genre. He is best known for such iconic roles as Jean-Luc Picard on Star Trek: The Next Generation and Professor Charles Xavier in the X-Men franchise, but in his wildly diverse portfolio, he has also provided his velvet voice to Castlevania: Lords of Shadow and TMNT.

His genre roles extend to Dune and Lifeforce, but my absolute favorite has to be Green Room. He blends in perfectly and embraces the harrowing tone of the film, showing us a side of Stewart we haven’t seen before.

Image via GeekHard

Stewart’s performance as Darcy breathes a calm intensity. There is a quiet and tense physical communication. We see it in his stern and tired expression. He doesn’t pontificate like most villains – thanks to Jeremy Saulnier’s rock-solid script – and he truly doesn’t need to in order to get his point across.

Stewart commands respect in every role (who else could get away with playing Poop in The Emoji Movie?), but in Green Room, the respect granted to Darcy is unshakable. He has a powerful hold over his group of followers – they do whatever he asks without hesitation.

There is no remorse for the fate of the young punk rockers – they are simply collateral damage. Darcy’s reserve is unsettling and he is frightening in his indifference.

Image via Variety

That being said, Darcy is not a psychotic monster. He is deeply human with his own complexities and motivations, forced to facilitate an unexpected clean-up. He has total control of the situation, and every coaxing word he says to The Ain’t Rights is designed to maintain that control.

Green Room may be Stewart’s first real foray into horror (aside from smaller roles in Lifeforce and The Doctor and the Devils), but he proves that a truly skilled actor can master any genre. Although there is nothing to disguise his appearance – aside from the beard – he is virtually unrecognizable.

With such a dark movie, Stewart’s seamless performance has us all shook. This type of role is a whole different ball game, but he absolutely knocks it out of the park.

Image via SlashFilm

In both Green Room and Logan, Stewart transforms in dramatically different ways. Logan sees Charles Xavier as a frail and damaged shell of the mighty mutant he once was. Stewart’s portrayal of this change in character is heartbreaking. In an ultra-violent film, he is the heart and soul of the action (and – because the man has range – occasionally the comedic relief).

Stewart is hardly thought of as a genre film actor, but his impeccable contributions to various niche projects have been a gift to us all. In a world of hokey B-moves and overacting, we can always rely on Patrick Stewart to brings a gravitas to every role that is simply unparalleled.

His willingness to explore different characters (again, Poop) means that we get to enjoy his thespian genius across different genres. So, today, on his birthday, let’s toast this wonderful gem of a man, and pray that he spends a bit more time in horror.

 

Check out the trailer for Green Room here!

Featured image via Screen Anarchy

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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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Exclusive Sneak Peek: Eli Roth and Crypt TV’s VR Series ‘The Faceless Lady’ Episode Five

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Eli Roth (Cabin Fever) and Crypt TV are knocking it out of the park with their new VR show, The Faceless Lady. For those unaware, this is the first fully scripted VR horror show on the market.

Even for masters of horror like Eli Roth and Crypt TV, this is a monumental undertaking. However, if I trust anyone to change the way that we experience horror, it would be these two legends.

The Faceless Lady

Ripped from the pages of Irish folklore, The Faceless Lady tells the story of a tragic spirit cursed to wander the halls of her castle for all of eternity. However, when three young couples are invited to the castle for a series of games, their fates may soon change.

So far, the story has provided horror fans with a gripping game of life or death that doesn’t look as if it will slow down in episode five. Luckily, we have an exclusive clip that may be able to satiate your appetites until the new premiere.

Airing on 4/25 at 5pmPT/8pmET, episode five follows our final three contestants in this wicked game. As the stakes are raised ever higher, will Ella be able to fully awaken her connection with Lady Margaret?

The faceless lady

The newest episode can be found on Meta Quest TV. If you haven’t already, follow this link to subscribe to the series. Make sure to check out the new clip below.

Eli Roth Present’s THE FACELESS LADY S1E5 Clip: THE DUEL – YouTube

To view in the highest resolution, adjust the quality settings in the bottom right corner of the clip.

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