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Sneak Peek At Universal’s HHN 2019!

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Sneak Peek At Universal’s HHN 2019. John Murdy – Has been the Creative Director/Executive Producer of Halloween Horror Nights at Universal Studios Hollywood since 2006. Prior to that Murdy had a long career with Universal Creative as a Show Writer and Creative Director, working on projects like The Revenge of the Mummy Ride and the re-invention of the world-famous Universal Studio Tour. Today we were fortunate enough to receive a glimpse of Halloween Horror Nights 2019 with an exclusive day time tour of three mazes: Creepshow, Frankenstein Versus The Wolfman, and Killer Klowns From Outer Space. 

Tickets Can Be Purchased By Clicking here!

The terror begins Friday, September 13th and on select evenings through November 3rd!

Outside The ‘Creepshow’ Maze At Universal Studios Horror Nights Hollywood. Photo Courtesy of Ryan T. Cusick @Nytmare112

Creepshow was the first of the three mazes that we toured on a very warm August afternoon. The artwork is absolutely beautiful and creepy, the comic book was really the inspiration for this entrance. Halloween Horror Nights Creative Director, John Murdy, explains what to expect in Creepshow.

“There are five stories that you go through when you through the maze. Three from the 1982 film and two from the upcoming Shudder series which airs this September and also the Prologue and Epilogue inspired by the film.” Murdy further explains “Working with Greg [Nicotero] and knowing him for so long one of the big advantages first and foremost is that he is a makeup artist. So when we got into the new TV Series we were able to use the actual molds that Greg created for all of the creatures and monsters on his new show. So when you see the mazes what you see are the characters wearing the exact same things that were used from the television series. Part of the conversation with Greg was how to approach the maze and we both kind of landed on the same idea. Creepshow is inspired by comic books specifically DC Horror comics from the 1950s, so we decided to really embrace that comic book esthetic in the maze.”

‘Creepshow” At Universal Studios Halloween Horror Nights

‘Creepshow’ At Universal Studios Halloween Horror Nights

“The very first part of the maze we are going to walk through is if you are walking through the panels of the comic book, we are using those to foreshadow the five stories that you are going to experience in the maze. The other thing that we thought that would be fun to include the kind of goofy adds that you would always find in the back of the comic books – The 99-pound weakling that gets sand kicked in his eyes, how to become a muscle man, or how to get an authentic monkey’s paw, or giant inflatable monster, so we have those re-created as well in the maze.”

‘Creepshow’ At Universal Studios Halloween Horror Nights

‘Creepshow’ At Universal Studios Halloween Horror Nights

‘Creepshow’ At Universal Studios Halloween Horror Nights

‘Creepshow’ At Universal Studios Halloween Horror Nights

The second maze was one that I did not know too much about, ‘Frankenstein Meets Wolfman.’ Murdy talks about his love for Universal Monsters and how this particular maze was important to him. So last year (2018) we did Universal Monsters I resisted doing that maze for thirteen years because I am a huge, huge fan of those films and that is the whole reason I do what I do today. From the age of four, I was obsessed with the classic monsters and I always have been. I have always been fairly realistic about my love for the Universal Monsters and I know in heart of hearts as much as I love those movies it is really hard to scare people the same way you could scare them in 1931 or in some of these cases the 20s. At the same time, I really hated the idea of completely throwing away what was iconic and classic about it for the sake of reinvention.”

Not Too Creepy During The Day – Outside The ‘Frankenstein Meets Wolfman’ Maze At Universal Studios Halloween Horror Nights.

‘Frankenstein Meets Wolfman’ Maze At Universal Studios Halloween Horror Nights.

‘Frankenstein Meets Wolfman’ Maze At Universal Studios Halloween Horror Nights.

‘Frankenstein Meets Wolfman’ Maze At Universal Studios Halloween Horror Nights.

‘Frankenstein Meets Wolfman’ Maze At Universal Studios Halloween Horror Nights.

‘Frankenstein Meets Wolfman’ Maze At Universal Studios Halloween Horror Nights.

‘Frankenstein Meets Wolfman’ Maze At Universal Studios Halloween Horror Nights.

The third and final maze we visited really needs no introduction, as soon as I saw the outside of the maze there was no doubt that we are going to be in for a treat – Killer Klowns From Outer Space. This maze is going to be based on the cult 1980s film and the maze will transport guests to the small town of Crescent Cove that has been taken over by a pack of murderous clowns, but this isn’t any clowns they’re from Outerspace! Cotton candy, circus tents, and ice-cream – you’ll come face to face with these sinister klowns! The production team didn’t hold back on any details, this is very evident in the photos below.

Outside The Maze ‘Killer Klowns From Outer Space’ At Universal Studios Halloween Horror Nights.

Recognize Anyone? ‘Killer Klowns From Outer Space’ At Universal Studios Halloween Horror Nights.

‘Killer Klowns From Outer Space’ At Universal Studios Halloween Horror Nights.

‘Killer Klowns From Outer Space’ At Universal Studios Halloween Horror Nights.

‘Killer Klowns From Outer Space’ At Universal Studios Halloween Horror Nights.

‘Killer Klowns From Outer Space’ At Universal Studios Halloween Horror Nights.

‘Killer Klowns From Outer Space’ At Universal Studios Halloween Horror Nights.

‘Killer Klowns From Outer Space’ At Universal Studios Halloween Horror Nights.

‘Killer Klowns From Outer Space’ At Universal Studios Halloween Horror Nights.

We just scraped the surface of what to expect at Halloween Horror Nights this year! And without a doubt, I am sure this event will be monumental, with practical and special effects and original ideas, guests are going to have a hell of a time!

 

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Brad Dourif Says He’s Retiring Except For One Important Role

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Brad Dourif has been doing movies for nearly 50 years. Now it seems he is walking away from the industry at 74 to enjoy his golden years. Except, there is a caveat.

Recently, digital entertainment publication JoBlo’s Tyler Nichols talked to some of the Chucky television series cast members. During the interview, Dourif made an announcement.

“Dourif said that he’s retired from acting,” says Nichols. “The only reason he came back for the show was because of his daughter Fiona and he considers Chucky creator Don Mancini to be family. But for non-Chucky stuff, he considers himself retired.”

Dourif has voiced the possessed doll since 1988 (minus the 2019 reboot). The original movie “Child’s Play” has become such a cult classic it’s at the top of some people’s best chillers of all time. Chucky himself is ingrained in pop culture history much like Frankenstein or Jason Voorhees.

While Dourif may be known for his famous voiceover, he is also an Oscar-nominated actor for his part in One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest. Another famous horror role is The Gemini Killer in William Peter Blatty’s Exorcist III. And who can forget Betazoid Lon Suder in Star Trek: Voyager?

The good news is that Don Mancini is already pitching a concept for season four of Chucky which might also include a feature-length movie with a series tie-in. So, Although Dourif says he is retiring from the industry, ironically he is Chucky’s friend till the end.

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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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Movies

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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