News
Short Film Review: Jennifer Trudrung’s ‘Here There be Tygers’
Jennifer Trudrung is an emerging talent in the world of indie screenwriters and her most recent work, a Stephen King Dollar Baby based on King’s short story Here There by Tygers, is hitting the festival circuit this year.
For those unaware, back in 1977 when King was beginning to really become a success, he decided to give back to his fellow creatives by creating the Dollar Baby or Dollar Deal program. Basically, aspiring filmmakers, theater producers, and student filmmakers can secure the rights to produce one of his short stories for a total of $1.
Trudrung chose wisely with Here There Be Tygers. It’s one of those short stories by King that never got the kind of recognition it deserved, despite being published in one of his more popular collections, Skeleton Crew. It had previously been published in 1968 in Ubris magazine.
In the original story, a young boy named Charlie is tormented by his teacher, Miss Bird. She mocks him, teases him, and in a pivotal moment, loudly corrects him in class for not asking to go to the restroom when he needs to go.
Young Charles goes to the bathroom, only to discover a tiger hiding in the shadows. To give more away would spoil the story and the short film, but its ending is chilling!
Trudrung, who has previously penned Unbearing, The Ebbing, and The Share, teams up with director Polly Schattel (Quiet River) to bring the short film to the screen while making some interesting changes.
First up, comes a gender flip. Changing Charles to Charlie creates adds an interesting dynamic to this tale that actually improves upon King’s original story. Not only does Charlie, played beautifully by Trudrung’s daughter Penny Munroe, need to go to the restroom but she has also started her period and there is blood on her skirt and leg as she stands up.
Miss Bird (Trudrung) uses the opportunity to call Charlie out further and she also, to an extent, allows another student, Susie (Selah Atwood) to mock Charlie calling her “dirty” and “nasty.”
This kind of shaming is nothing new in a world where the basic biological functions of a woman’s body are mocked and ridiculed, and while Schattel and Trudrung certainly use their platform to spotlight this behavior, they do so in a way that is both subtle and powerful by putting the words in the mouths of other women.
They also found an interesting device with which to portray the tiger, pointing to a more innately primal aspect of our own psyches in the use of an animal mask.
For her part, Munroe does an excellent job of portraying Charlie. Her fear and melancholy are both palpable as she emerges from her desk and makes her way to the bathroom as is her transformation after her experiences there.
Not only does she view her own circumstances differently, but she also sees her classmates in a brand new light.
Schattel and production designer Shane Meador filled the short film with little visual nods to Stephen King and William Blake which add an exciting layer for fans of either or both.
As a whole, Here There Be Tygers is an exciting adaptation of one of King’s less well-known stories, and one that, I think, will do quite well on the festival circuit. It is an atmospheric short film of which the entire cast and crew can and should be proud.
Look for it at horror and film festivals near you!
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Movies
Trailer for ‘The Exorcism’ Has Russell Crowe Possessed
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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News
Win a Stay at The Lizzie Borden House From Spirit Halloween
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.
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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Movies
’28 Years Later’ Trilogy Taking Shape With Serious Star Power
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.
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.
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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