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TRY THIS: Watch JASON LIVES in Black & White!

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Written by Dr. Jose

One of the extras included in the 2004 DVD boxset From Crystal Lake to Manhattan was an interview with Friday the 13th Part VI: Jason Lives director, Tom McLoughlin, wherein he suggests a unique way to watch the film:

“My main objective was to give the audience a sense of the old gothic horror movies, because I was trying to set a tone right from the beginning that this was going to be like what the Universal horror movies used to be: the stormy night, going to the cemetery, digging up the grave, a monster that is actually dead coming back and is unstoppable. If you turn the color off, this movie would look great in black and white.”

I’d long been aware that McLoughlin used Jason Lives to pay major homage to Frankenstein (a gas station named “Karloff’s”, anyone?), but I’d never considered actually watching it in black and white. So with this great suggestion in mind, I decided to give it a shot. Last night I popped my Friday the 13th Part VI: Jason Lives DVD in the ol’ player, grabbed the remote and dialed the TV’s color down to zero, and strapped in for a watch. And you know what? It totally kind of works!

The moment the old Paramount logo popped up onscreen, I knew I was going to be in for a treat. The entire opening sequence of the film is just a barrage of classic horror imagery, made that much cooler by the fact that it was all in black and white: a shot of the full moon encompassed by ominous clouds; craggy trees and bolts of lightning; a spooky cemetery, shrouded in fog. By the time the opening credits actually start rolling, you’d swear you’d been watching some sort of alternate reality version of Frankenstein or The Wolf Man.

Now, what with being filmed in 1986, not everything works in black and white. A lot of the contemporary elements – the hairstyles, the fashion, and the music – clearly don’t transition all that well. (The scene involving Cort and Nikki in the RV stands out especially.) Still, one of the funny side effects of watching an ’80s movie in black and white is how the lack of color manages to lend an air of class to the proceedings. Martin the Gravedigger saying “farthead” is a far cry from the moving court proceedings in To Kill a Mockingbird, but they’re visually striking just the same.

Another cool result of desaturating the film is how all the jailhouse scenes play out like an old noir film. Now, I don’t know if that was McLoughlin’s intended effect, but with the police officers spouting off dialogue like, “Hit the noise and the cherries!”, “That’s what we call ‘screwin’ the pooch'”, and “Alright, into the can, Flash!”, I’d be surprised if the pulpy, old-timey vibe wasn’t completely intentional.

If you haven’t yet, I highly recommend giving Jason Lives a watch in black and white. If nothing else, it’s simply a new way to watch an old favorite. Below I’ve attached some screen shots I took that showcase the more stunning shots.

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Russell Crowe To Star in Another Exorcism Movie & It’s Not a Sequel

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Maybe it’s because The Exorcist just celebrated its 50th-anniversary last year, or maybe it’s because aging Academy Award-winning actors aren’t too proud to take on obscure roles, but Russell Crowe is visiting the Devil once again in yet another possession film. And it’s not related to his last one, The Pope’s Exorcist.

According to Collider, the film titled The Exorcism was originally going to be released under the name The Georgetown Project. Rights for its North American release were once in the hands of Miramax but then went to Vertical Entertainment. It will release on June 7 in theaters then head over to Shudder for subscribers.

Crowe will also star in this year’s upcoming Kraven the Hunter which is set to drop in theaters on August 30.

As for The Exorcism, Collider provides us with what it’s about:

“The film centers around actor Anthony Miller (Crowe), whose troubles come to the forefront as he shoots a supernatural horror movie. His estranged daughter (Ryan Simpkins) has to figure out whether he’s lapsing into his past addictions, or if something even more horrific is occurring. “

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New F-Bomb Laden ‘Deadpool & Wolverine’ Trailer: Bloody Buddy Movie

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Deadpool & Wolverine might be the buddy movie of the decade. The two heterodox superheroes are back in the latest trailer for the summer blockbuster, this time with more f-bombs than a gangster film.

‘Deadpool & Wolverine’ Movie Trailer

This time the focus is on Wolverine played by Hugh Jackman. The adamantium-infused X-Man is having a bit of a pity party when Deadpool (Ryan Reynolds) arrives on the scene who then tries to convince him to team up for selfish reasons. The result is a profanity-filled trailer with a Strange surprise at the end.

Deadpool & Wolverine is one of the most anticipated movies of the year. It comes out on July 26. Here is the latest trailer, and we suggest if you are at work and your space isn’t private, you might want to put in headphones.

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Original Blair Witch Cast Ask Lionsgate for Retroactive Residuals in Light of New Film

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The Blair Witch Project Cast

Jason Blum is planning to reboot The Blair Witch Project for the second time. That’s a fairly large task considering none of the reboots or sequels have managed to capture the magic of the 1999 film that brought found footage into the mainstream.

This idea has not been lost on the original Blair Witch cast, who has recently reached out to Lionsgate to ask for what they feel is fair compensation for their role in the pivotal film. Lionsgate gained access to The Blair Witch Project in 2003 when they purchased Artisan Entertainment.

Blair witch
The Blair Witch Project Cast

However, Artisan Entertainment was an independent studio before its purchase, meaning the actors were not part of SAG-AFTRA. As a result, the cast are not entitled to the same residuals from the project as actors in other major films. The cast doesn’t feel that the studio should be able to continue to profit off of their hard work and likenesses without fair compensation.

Their most recent request asks for “meaningful consultation on any future ‘Blair Witch’ reboot, sequel, prequel, toy, game, ride, escape room, etc., in which one could reasonably assume that Heather, Michael & Josh’s names and/or likenesses will be associated for promotional purposes in the public sphere.”

The blair witch project

At this time, Lionsgate has not offered any comment about this issue.

The full statement made by the cast can be found below.

OUR ASKS OF LIONSGATE (From Heather, Michael & Josh, stars of “The Blair Witch Project”):

1. Retroactive + future residual payments to Heather, Michael and Josh for acting services rendered in the original BWP, equivalent to the sum that would’ve been allotted through SAG-AFTRA, had we had proper union or legal representation when the film was made.

2. Meaningful consultation on any future Blair Witch reboot, sequel, prequel, toy, game, ride, escape room, etc…, in which one could reasonably assume that Heather, Michael & Josh’s names and/or likenesses will be associated for promotional purposes in the public sphere.

Note: Our film has now been rebooted twice, both times were a disappointment from a fan/box office/critical perspective. Neither of these films were made with significant creative input from the original team. As the insiders who created the Blair Witch and have been listening to what fans love & want for 25 years, we’re your single greatest, yet thus-far un-utilized secret-weapon!

3. “The Blair Witch Grant”: A 60k grant (the budget of our original movie), paid out yearly by Lionsgate, to an unknown/aspiring genre filmmaker to assist in making theirfirst feature film. This is a GRANT, not a development fund, hence Lionsgate will not own any of the underlying rights to the project.

A PUBLIC STATEMENT FROM THE DIRECTORS & PRODUCERS OF “THE BLAIR WITCH PROJECT”:

As we near the 25th anniversary of The Blair Witch Project, our pride in the storyworld we created and the film we produced is reaffirmed by the recent announcement of a reboot by horror icons Jason Blum and James Wan.

While we, the original filmmakers, respect Lionsgate’s right to monetize the intellectual property as it sees fit, we must highlight the significant contributions of the original cast — Heather Donahue, Joshua Leonard, and Mike Williams. As the literal faces of what has become a franchise, their likenesses, voices, and real names are inseparably tied to The Blair Witch Project. Their unique contributions not only defined the film’s authenticity but continue to resonate with audiences around the world.

We celebrate our film’s legacy, and equally, we believe the actors deserve to be celebrated for their enduring association with the franchise.

Sincerely, Eduardo Sanchez, Dan Myrick, Gregg Hale, Robin Cowie, and Michael Monello

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