News

Tony Todd and Mick Garris: Two Horror Icons, One Birthday

Published

5 years ago

December 4, 2018

December 4th might seem like just any other day, but horror fans have two reasons to celebrate the day. Tony Todd and Mick Garris, two men who have helped shape the modern face of horror, were born, three years apart, today.

Garris, born in 1951, was already making 8 mm films on his own by the time his parents divorced when he was 12 years old. He moved with his mother to the San Fernando Valley where he cultivated his taste in both films and music which would later serve him as he began to write about both.

By 1980, he was directing “making of” featurettes for films like The Howling and The Thing, further honing his skills an interviewer for which he is also deservedly well known.

By the end of the decade, this genre Renaissance man had written for “Tales from the Crypt” and “Amazing Stories” as well as Psycho IV: The Beginning, which he also directed.

Todd, meanwhile, was carving his own path. The 6’5″ actor was born December 4, 1954 in Washington, D.C., and grew up in Hartford, Connecticut where he began to study theater.

After two years at the University of Connecticut, he received a scholarship to study at the Eugene O’Neill National Actors Theatre Institute, and it seemed there was nothing he could not do.

In 1986, Todd made his feature film debut in Sleepwalk, a fantasy film directed by Sara Driver.

Could either man have known what the changing of decades between would bring?

Garris found himself in the director’s chair in a growing working relationship with Stephen King directing the big screen release Sleepwalkers before taking the reins on the mini-series adaptations of King’s The Stand and The Shining. It was during this time that he also wrote the story on which Hocus Pocus was based.

Gary Sinise and Molly Ringwald in Mick Garris’ adaptation of The Stand

Todd, whose voice and stature seemed ready made for genre work, began the 90s with a began, starring as Ben in the remake of Night of the Living Dead. He then took on titular role in Candyman, the big screen adaptation of Clive Barker’s The Forbidden, co-starring Virginia Madsen.

Tony Todd was the Candyman!

As the 2000s dawned, Todd took on the recurring role of Bludworth, the menacing undertaker in the Final Destination franchise, and Garris was directing Riding the Bullet. The two men had, at this point, circled each other professionally for quite some time, but had yet to collaborate on a project.

That didn’t happen until Garris developed the Masters of Horror television series, an anthology series with genre legends like John Carpenter, John Landis, Stuart Gordon, and Garris himself each directing their own one-off episodes.

It was in this series that Garris and Todd finally combined their considerable talents to create the episode titled “Valerie on the Stairs” based on a story by Clive Barker.

Garris wrote and directed the episode and Todd made an appearance as The Beast in the terrifying tale of a novelist despairing over her anonymity who finds that there are far more serious things to fear.

Since that time, the two have continued their busy careers with Garris writing and directing as well as producing his Post Mortem Podcast in which he interviews the men and women who have helped shape the genre and Todd working almost without stopping between television, film, and theater.

It has been more than a decade since “Valerie on the Stairs”, though, and we here at iHorror wonder when the two might find themselves on the same project again!

Until then, we wish both Tony Todd and Mick Garris a happy birthday, and we encourage our readers to revisit both men’s work to celebrate this auspicious day. We certain will be!

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Movies

Trailer for ‘The Exorcism’ Has Russell Crowe Possessed

Published

3 hours ago

April 25, 2024

Timothy Rawles

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.

'Civil War' Review: Is It Worth Watching?

News

Win a Stay at The Lizzie Borden House From Spirit Halloween

Published

5 hours ago

April 25, 2024

Timothy Rawles

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.”

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A post shared by Spirit Halloween (@spirithalloween)

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.

'Civil War' Review: Is It Worth Watching?

Movies

’28 Years Later’ Trilogy Taking Shape With Serious Star Power

Published

6 hours ago

April 25, 2024

Timothy Rawles

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.

**Jodie Comer, Aaron Taylor-Johnson and Ralph Fiennes**

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.