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That New ‘American Horror Story’ Theme Has Us Nostalgic for 1984

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1984

I’ve got a problem. The year 1984 is on my mind and I can’t quite get rid of it since Ryan Murphy announced the year as the theme for American Horror Story season nine.

That first teaser has us thinking it’s a throwback 80s-themed slasher with its own masked killer, and while none of us can ever fully trust Murphy to show his whole hand in the early teasers for the show, it has me thinking back to all of the glorious films from 1984 he could draw upon for inspiration.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wA8oSYeos5A

Now, admittedly, I was only seven years old in 1984, growing up in conservative. religious family, so I didn’t get to see a lot of these movies that year. Luckily for me, however, many of them became iconic.

More than one franchise was born that year. New chapters continued older stories. Cult classics were released upon the world, and Stephen King saw two of his stories come to life on the big screen.

It was just a really great year for horror films!

With that in mind, I thought I’d invite our readers along for a walk down memory lane looking at the films that I love from 1984!

A Nightmare on Elm Street

I mean, is there anywhere else to start?

Wes Craven brought Freddy Kreuger (Robert Englund) onto the big screen via New Line Cinema and horror fans stood up and took notice.

Who can ever forget the first time they heard those knives screech along boiler room pipes? Who can ever forget Johnny Depp in that half shirt?!

Seriously, though, the horror landscape changed with the addition of Kreuger and a brand new crop of scream queens including Heather Langenkamp and Amanda Wyss from that first film alone, both of which have become genre mainstays.

Silent Night, Deadly Night

Elm Street wasn’t the only franchise born in 1984, though it was the most successful by far.

No, the year also brought us Silent Night, Deadly Night.

Charles E. Sellier, Jr. directed the film which centers on Billy (Robert Brian Wilson). As a child, Billy witnessed his family being murdered by a man dressed in a Santa suit after being told by his grandfather that Santa punishes naughty people.

Raised in an orphanage where the nuns underlined that anything of a sexual nature was also naughty, poor Billy spends most of his life confused and terrified. When his boss forces him into a Santa suit at Christmas, his carefully crafted veneer begins to crack, and pretty soon Billy’s on the loose leaving a trail of bodies in his fur-lined red-suited wake.

The film enraged parents at the time, and even Mickey Rooney came forward declaring how terrible it was that a film would use Santa Claus to create something evil…that didn’t stop him from appearing in one of the sequels, however!

Gremlins

Randall Peltzer (Hoyt Axton) really should have listened to that old man in the curio shop. Neither he nor his family were prepared to have a Mogwai as a pet.

Still, when things went awry in this film, they were so gleefully wild we’re glad he brought Gizmo home with him!

Directed by Joe Dante and written by Chris Columbus, Gremlins was the holiday creature feature we didn’t know we needed with an outstanding cast that gave themselves over to the film’s lunacy with gusto!

Aside from Axton, the film featured Zach Galligan, Phoebe Cates, Corey Feldman (did he ever take breaks in the 80s?), Dick Miller, and Polly Holliday.

Friday the 13th: The Final Chapter

Of course, we know it wasn’t the final chapter, but it certainly made for good marketing!

There was so much to love about this particular chapter in the Jason Voorhees saga. Not only did it bring in Corey Feldman and introduce the character of Tommy to the franchise, it also was the last of the films to pick up exactly where the last film left off.

And then there’s Crispin Glover performing the most gloriously bad dancing we’d seen in a horror film EVER. He would hold the title until Mark Patton showed him up in A Nightmare on Elm Street 2 the following year.

The Hills Have Eyes Part II

The sequel to Wes Craven’s 1977 hit The Hills Have Eyes came into this world troubled and stayed that way.

Craven had already started filming The Hills Have Eyes Part II when production was halted due to budget concerns by the studios. After the success of A Nightmare on Elm Street, studio heads begged him to come back and finish the film with the caveat that he use only the footage he already had.

According to the director, filming had only been completed on about 2/3 of the project, and he was forced to cut, re-cut, and then pad out the rest of the film with archival footage from the first in order to create a feature length film.

Upon its completion, Craven washed his hands of the film and never looked back.

While it is decidedly inferior to the original, there are still enough good moments and cool concepts in the film to have garnered its only cult following.

Dreamscape

Dennis Quaid, Max Von Sydow, Kate Capshaw, Christopher Plummer, Eddie Albert, David Patrick Kelly, George Wendt…everyone was in Dreamscape–except for Corey Feldman.

Quaid stars as Alex Gardner, a psychic recruited by the government to participate in a program which will allow him to enter the dreams of other people to implant suggestions into their minds.

Gardner soon realizes, however, that someone in the program has figured out a way to kill people in their dreams, and it’s up to him to find out whose taken the program to this dark extreme.

It’s action-packed, more than a little scary, and made use of every special effect they could throw at it!

The Company of Wolves

There’s a dark, fairy tale-like quality to Neil Jordan’s The Company of Wolves. Blending elements of fantasy, thriller, and horror, he created a werewolf tale that was unlike anything we’d seen before, and because of that, the film got off to a rather bumpy start.

The film boasted an impressive cast including Jordan’s often seen collaborator Stephen Rea, Angela Lansbury, Terence Stamp, and David Warner.

The film told the story of a young girl named Rosaleen (Sarah Patterson) who falls asleep in her home and dreams of a medieval landscape where her grandmother (Lansbury) tells her stories of werewolves along with more than a few warnings about the ways of men themselves.

The Company of Wolves was nominated for multiple BAFTAs and laid the groundwork for Jordan’s reputation as a capable and imaginative director and writer. It was loosely based on the writings of Angela Carter, an accomplished author who helped pen the script, as well.

Night of the Comet

A couple of Valley Girls find themselves fending off zombie-like creatures after a comet buzzes the Earth and wipes out most of the population.

It’s kind of ridiculous. It’s also 80s horror gold.

Thom Eberhardt wrote and directed Night of the Comet and viewing it now, it seems as though everything is concentrated. The emotions, the settings, the clothing, and the dialogue all effectively scream 1984 at anyone who gets near it, and while that works against some films, for whatever reason Night of the Comet endures.

In fact, the film has gone on to inspire other filmmakers. Joss Whedon, for example, credits the film as inspiring him while he was writing the initial drafts of Buffy the Vampire Slayer.

C.H.U.D

“They’re not staying down there anymore!” proclaimed the tagline from 1984’s C.H.U.D.

When you think cult movies from the 80s, this one has to at least cross your mind once.

People in New York City are being murdered in the most gruesome manner, and no one is sure why until a ragtag group of New Yorkers band together to get to the bottom of things.

They’re search takes them into the sewers of the city, only to discover that they’re not so much looking for a “who” as a “what.” Cannibalistic humanoid underground dwellers or C.H.U.D. as they call them are the culprit and it’s up to them–of course it is–to rid the city of these horrifying beasts.

If you’ve never seen it once, you owe it to yourself to watch this one. Where else are you going to get dialogue like, “Are you kidding? Your guy’s got a camera. Mine’s got a flamethrower?”

Okay, maybe you’ll find it in Night of the Comet as well, but still you owe C.H.U.D. at least one courtesy watch.

Children of the Corn

To this day there are still few opening scenes for a horror film that chill me quite the way that Children of the Corn‘s did.

Watching those kids lock down that diner and murder everyone in it was just shocking.

Seeing what the town became after the massacre took it to a whole new level.

Stephen King’s short story of the same name centers on the small town of Gatlin, where the children rise up under the cultish leadership of Isaac (John Franklin) and his goonish enforcer Malachai (Courtney Gains).

Isaac rules with an iron fist, preaching the word of He Who Walks Behind the Rows. Included in the strict code of conduct is an effective age line. There can be no adults in Gatlin and as the children reach a certain age, they sacrifice themselves to their deity by walking out into the corn.

Naturally, all hell literally breaks loose when a young couple (Peter Horton and Linda Hamilton) find themselves trapped in the town, pursued by the children.

There are moments in this film that are completely unforgettable, and Jonathan Elias’s score is still as haunting as it ever was.

Firestarter

The second film of King’s to hit the big screen in 1984, Firestarter tells the story of young Charlie McGee (Drew Barrymore) on the run with her father, Andy (David Keith).

Thanks to a set of experiments Andy took part in years before along with his wife Vicky (Heather Locklear) not only did they walk away with psychic gifts, but their daughter was born with an exception and deadly ability to start fires with her mind.

Vicky was killed by The Shop when they came for Charlie, and Andy, with his ability to influence people’s thoughts, is doing everything he can to keep her safe.

The novel was adapted by Stanley Mann and directed by Mark L. Lester with an exceptional cast that further included George C. Scott as John Rainbird, a mercenary on The Shop’s payroll who views the chance to kill Charlie as equal to killing a God.

This ends well for no one, of course, and the film is an excellent reflection of the book.

Those are some of my favorites from 1984. What are yours?!

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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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‘Strange Darling’ Featuring Kyle Gallner and Willa Fitzgerald Lands Nationwide Release [Watch Clip]

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Strange Darling Kyle Gallner

‘Strange Darling,’ a standout film featuring Kyle Gallner, who is nominated for an iHorror award for his performance in ‘The Passenger,’ and Willa Fitzgerald, has been acquired for a wide theatrical release in the United States by Magenta Light Studios, a new enterprise from veteran producer Bob Yari. This announcement, brought to us by Variety, follows the film’s successful premiere at Fantastic Fest in 2023, where it was universally praised for its creative storytelling and compelling performances, achieving a perfect score of 100% Fresh on Rotten Tomatoes from 14 reviews.

Strange Darling – Movie Clip

Directed by JT Mollner, ‘Strange Darling‘ is a thrilling narrative of a spontaneous hookup that takes an unexpected and terrifying turn. The film is notable for its innovative narrative structure and the exceptional acting of its leads. Mollner, known for his 2016 Sundance entry “Outlaws and Angels,” has once again employed 35mm for this project, cementing his reputation as a filmmaker with a distinct visual and narrative style. He is currently involved in adapting Stephen King’s novel “The Long Walk” in collaboration with director Francis Lawrence.

Bob Yari expressed his enthusiasm for the film’s upcoming release, scheduled for August 23rd, highlighting the unique qualities that make ‘Strange Darling’ a significant addition to the horror genre. “We are thrilled to be bringing nationwide theatrical audiences this unique and exceptional film with terrific performances by Willa Fitzgerald and Kyle Gallner. This second feature from talented writer-director JT Mollner is destined to become a cult classic that defies conventional storytelling,” Yari told Variety.

Variety’s review of the film from Fantastic Fest lauds Mollner’s approach, saying, “Mollner shows himself to be more forward-thinking than most of his genre peers. He’s clearly a student of the game, one who studied his forebears’ lessons with adroitness to better prepare himself to put his own mark on them.” This praise underlines Mollner’s deliberate and thoughtful engagement with the genre, promising audiences a film that is both reflective and innovative.

Strange Darling

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Sydney Sweeney’s ‘Barbarella’ Revival Forges Ahead

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Sydney Sweeney Barbarella

Sydney Sweeney has confirmed the ongoing progress of the much-anticipated reboot of Barbarella. The project, which sees Sweeney not only starring but also executive producing, aims to breathe new life into the iconic character that first captured audiences’ imaginations in the 1960s. However, amid speculation, Sweeney remains tight-lipped about the possible involvement of celebrated director Edgar Wright in the project.

During her appearance on the Happy Sad Confused podcast, Sweeney shared her enthusiasm for the project and the character of Barbarella, stating, “It is. I mean, Barbarella is just such a fun character to explore. She really just embraces her femininity and her sexuality, and I love that. She uses sex as a weapon and I think it’s such an interesting way into a sci-fi world. I’ve always wanted to do sci-fi. So we’ll see what happens.“

Sydney Sweeney confirms her Barbarella reboot is still in the works

Barbarella, originally a creation of Jean-Claude Forest for V Magazine in 1962, was transformed into a cinematic icon by Jane Fonda under the direction of Roger Vardim in 1968. Despite a sequel, Barbarella Goes Down, never seeing the light of day, the character has remained a symbol of sci-fi allure and adventurous spirit.

Over the decades, several high-profile names including Rose McGowan, Halle Berry, and Kate Beckinsale were floated as potential leads for a reboot, with directors Robert Rodriguez and Robert Luketic, and writers Neal Purvis and Robert Wade previously attached to revive the franchise. Unfortunately, none of these iterations made it past the conceptual stage.

Barbarella

The film’s progress took a promising turn approximately eighteen months ago when Sony Pictures announced its decision to cast Sydney Sweeney in the titular role, a move that Sweeney herself has suggested was facilitated by her involvement in Madame Web, also under Sony’s banner. This strategic decision was aimed at fostering a beneficial relationship with the studio, specifically with the Barbarella reboot in mind.

When probed about Edgar Wright’s potential directorial role, Sweeney adeptly sidestepped, merely noting that Wright has become an acquaintance. This has left fans and industry watchers speculating about the extent of his involvement, if any, in the project.

Barbarella is known for its adventurous tales of a young woman traversing the galaxy, engaging in escapades that often incorporate elements of sexuality—a theme Sweeney seems eager to explore. Her commitment to reimagining Barbarella for a new generation, while staying true to the character’s original essence, sounds like the making of a great reboot.

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