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Remembering ‘House’ On Veterans Day

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As we honor those who have served in the military this weekend, let’s take a moment to remember the ghoul in the steel helmet who had an ax to grind in the 1986 movie House: Big Ben.

SPOILERS AHEAD.

It was 32 years ago that during a bit of a horror drought at the box office we got excited that the original Friday the 13th director Sean S. Cunningham had written a film; a haunted house chiller starring one of the hottest television actors of the time, William Katt.

It was also exciting that Steve Miner, the director of Friday the 13th Pt. 2, was going to helm the film and music composer Henry Manfredini was doing the music.

It was a Friday the 13th reunion!

House pulled a lot of elements from popular horror movies of the time, from Poltergeist to Amityville Horror to pinches of Stephen King (Katt plays horror novelist Roger Cobb), the film was also a comedy much more so than Fright Night which came out a year before.

Katt wasn’t the only television star to appear in the film. George Wendt who played the lovable loser Norm from Cheers is in it. Then there was Richard Moll from Night Court who probably has the most important role as Big Ben, the Vietnam vet who haunts Cobb in his dreams.

The reason House is such a great movie to watch on Veterans Day is mainly because of its military plotline. You see, Cobb isn’t going to write another horror novel much to the dismay of his fans, he’s going to write about his experiences in Vietnam, something that he has yet to resolve.

His aunt dies by hanging herself and leaves him a gorgeous Victorian house. Soon after he moves in he begins to see visions of his missing son who disappeared into thin air a few months before.

He also has PTSD nightmares of Big Ben who’s an integral part of Cobb’s military mémoirs because he felt he had abandoned him in the line of duty.

Ben was mortally wounded and asks Cobb to finish him off but he can’t and subsequently, Ben is captured and tortured.

House isn’t the greatest film; much like its main character, it’s caught between two worlds. It doesn’t know whether to be a flat-out comedy or a serious supernatural tale of a house possessed.

But what makes it fun is the special effects. Thirty years ago CGI was in its infant stages so practical effects were the gold standard and House shined in that area.

Creature effects were created by Brent Baker. The flying skull demon is classic Lovecraft.

It even has an homage to Raimi’s Evil Dead in one scene with a cover of “You’re No Good” which comes out of left field.

Of course, there’s that unforgettable medicine cabinet scene; the gag has been mimicked so many times in later films.

But the centerpiece is Moll’s Big Ben who is the scariest with his full body prosthetic and unsettling visage. This pissed off vet isn’t going down without a fight.

In the years since House opened in theaters, the world has had many more wars to fight both domestically and abroad all with devastating results.

The only criticism of House is its lighthearted nature when dealing with PTSD. But given that there are so many iHorror readers who are also servicemembers both past and present, it’s nice to have a little levity in the genre they love so much.

We honor those who have served in the military and have fought for freedoms. iHorror thanks them for their service.

Even Big Ben.

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

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28 years later

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.

28 Days Later

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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Watch ‘The Burning’ At The Location Where It Was Filmed

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Fangoria is reporting that fans of the 1981 slasher The Burning will be able to have a screening of the film at the location where it was filmed. The movie is set at Camp Blackfoot which is actually the Stonehaven Nature Preserve in Ransomville, New York.

This ticketed event will take place on August 3. Guests will be able to take a tour of the grounds as well as enjoy some campfire snacks along with the screening of The Burning.

The Burning

The film came out in the early ’80s when teen slashers were being churned out in magnum force. Thanks to Sean S. Cunningham’s Friday the 13th, filmmakers wanted to get in on the low-budget, high-profit movie market and a casket load of these types of films were produced, some better than others.

The Burning is one of the good ones, mostly because of the special effects from Tom Savini who had just come off of his groundbreaking work on Dawn of the Dead and Friday the 13th. He declined to do the sequel because of its illogical premise and instead signed on to do this movie. Also, a young Jason Alexander who would later go on to play George in Seinfeld is a featured player.

Because of its practical gore, The Burning had to be heavily edited before it received an R-rating. The MPAA was under the thumb of protest groups and political bigwigs to censor violent films at the time because slashers were just so graphic and detailed in their gore.

Tickets are $50, and if you want a special t-shirt, that will cost you another $25, You can get all the information by visiting the On Set Cinema webpage.

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‘Longlegs’ Creepy “Part 2” Teaser Appears on Instagram

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Longlegs

Neon Films released an Insta-teaser for their horror film Longlegs today. Titled Dirty: Part 2, the clip only furthers the mystery of what we are in for when this movie is finally released on July 12.

The official logline is: FBI Agent Lee Harker is assigned to an unsolved serial killer case that takes unexpected turns, revealing evidence of the occult. Harker discovers a personal connection to the killer and must stop him before he strikes again.

Directed by former actor Oz Perkins who also gave us The Blackcoat’s Daughter and Gretel & Hansel, Longlegs is already creating buzz with its moody images and cryptic hints. The film is rated R for bloody violence, and disturbing images.

Longlegs stars Nicolas Cage, Maika Monroe, and Alicia Witt.

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