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Review: ‘Black Water: Abyss’ Flounders In The Dark

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There’s just something about predator animals and natural disasters that really strikes a nerve with the primal psyche. Asa species, we have advanced to the point where we don’t have to worry about something above us on the food chain taking a bite out of us. But yet, the fear remains. Which also explains why real life incidents of animal attacks are so newsworthy. Every time a bear or a shark attacks someone, that’s a headline. As was the case when in 2003 when a trio of young people went out into the Northern Australian wilderness and found themselves under siege by a voracious crocodile. This served as the basis for the 2007 movie, Black Water. Now, some 13 years later, a sequel arises from the outback with Black Water: Abyss.

 

Taking the setting back to Northern Australia, Jennifer (Jessica McNamee) spurred on by her daredevil boyfriend Eric (Luke Mitchell) and friends Yolanda, Viktor, and Cash (Amali Golden, Benjamin Hoetjes, Anthony J. Sharpe) decide to go spelunking in the wilderness. Descending into a newly formed and seemingly untouched cave system. As misfortune would have it, a storm hits, flooding the caves and sealing them in. And if that wasn’t bad enough, they have some very hungry reptile guests to deal with.

Image via IMDB

Director Andrew Traucki co-directed the original story of crocodile survival in Black Water and did work on the similar animal isolated danger of The Reef featuring swimmers vs sharks. Now, returning solo, he has gone back to his roots with this spiritual sequel. Unfortunately despite the potential of the setting and plot and the everlasting terror of crocodiles, the movie in’t that enthralling. In the wake of such movies as Crawl and 47 Meters Down that managed to up the stakes to as high of a level as they could go. So, while Black water: Abyss has an interesting premise that promises a lot of danger, the action and horror of the crocodile foes tends to slog on.

A major focus of the plot often falls to the characters many dysfunctions and in-fighting as they struggle to survive. Which is good to filling out their character’s depths more, but at the same time falls into soap opera like drama. Such as Viktor’s recovery from cancer and some rather overt twists and turns in the characters relationships and revelations. And let’s face facts, we’re here for the monsters, in this case, the crocs. With the way the movie is filmed we don’t get as much of them as we’d like and the scares aren’t wholly effective.

Some of my favorite scenes in the movie are actually at the beginning during the prologue of sorts. A couple of Japanese tourists (Louis Toshio Okada, Rumi Kikuchi) are bickering in the outback when they accidentally crash down into the croc cave systems below. It makes for a real burst of adrenaline despite being short. And the movie does make good use of the Jaws like credo of the less you see, the scarier it is. Some of the more tense moments are when characters have to wade through the occupied waters, unsure when one of those scaly beasts will attack.

It’s not really groundbreaking, but if you’re in the mood for a quick story of spelunkers vs crocodiles underground, this is for you.

Black Water: Abyss hits VOD on August 7th, 2020

Image via IMDB

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Childhood Memories Collide in New Horror Film ‘Poohniverse: Monsters Assemble’

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It looks like ITN Studious and Jagged Edge Productions are going the Avengers: Infinity War route with their upcoming film Poohniverse: Monsters Assemble. From the deranged mind of Rhys Frake-Waterfield (Winnie the Pooh: Blood and Honey) comes this belligerent mash up of beloved childhood icons.

According to an article out of Variety today, Poohniverse: Monsters Assemble will consist of Winnie the Pooh, Bambi, Tinkerbell, Pinocchio, Peter Pan, Tigger, Piglet, The Mad Hatter, and Sleeping Beauty. All of these iconic figured will be warped into nightmarish versions of their former selves. Poohniverse: Monsters Assemble is set to be released upon the world sometime in 2025.

Poohniverse

Actor-producer Scott Chambers (Malevolent) had the following to say about Poohniverse: Monsters Assemble. “As horror fans, we would love an Avengers that is all villains. It’d have Freddy Krueger, Jason, ‘Halloween,’ ‘Scream,’ all of those. Obviously that will never happen, but we can make it happen in our own little way, and that’s where this film has been born.”

Poohniverse: Monsters Assemble will be a part of The Twisted Childhood Universe. Just like the MCU, each character will first get a standalone film. After introductions are made, they will be reunited in an Avengers style film. Although they will be killing off the survivors from the previous films, they won’t be working together.

Chambers describes this as an “epic sequences of monster vs. monster.” And I don’t know what more fans could ask of the studio. This fantastical idea is a huge risk but Poohniverse: Monsters Assemble sounds amazing.

That’s all the information we have at this time. Check back here for more updates on Poohniverse: Monsters Assemble. If you haven’t already, check out the trailer for Winnie the Pooh: Blood and Honey 2 below.

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Blumhouse’s ‘The Wolf Man’ Reboot Kicks Off Production with Leigh Whannell at the Helm

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Blumhouse Productions has officially commenced filming its reboot of the Universal Monsters legend, “Wolf Man”. Under the direction of Leigh Whannell, known for his acclaimed work on “The Invisible Man” (2020), the project promises to breathe new life into the iconic tale. The film is slated for a theatrical release on October 25th, marking a new chapter in the storied franchise.

Wolf Man

The journey of a “Wolf Man” reboot began in 2020 when actor Ryan Gosling presented a fresh take on the classic story to Universal. This concept quickly evolved into a screenplay crafted by the talented duo Lauren Schuker Blum and Rebecca Angelo, who are known for their work on “Orange Is the New Black,” alongside contributions from Whannell and Corbett Tuck. The narrative is set in contemporary times, drawing inspiration from the atmospheric tension of Jake Gyllenhaal’s “Nightcrawler,” albeit with a distinct supernatural twist.

The film has seen its share of directorial and casting shifts, with Whannell initially signing on to direct in 2020, only to step away and then return to the project after Ryan Gosling and director Derek Cianfrance exited. The lead roles have been filled by Christopher Abbott and Julia Garner, both of whom bring significant talent to the screen. Abbott portrays a man whose family faces the terror of a lethal predator, with Garner likely playing his wife, sharing in the familial peril. The storyline also hints at a daughter named Ginger, adding a layer of depth to the family’s harrowing experience.

Julia Garner and Christopher Abbott

This reboot represents a collaboration between Blumhouse and Motel Movies, with Jason Blum producing. Ryan Gosling remains involved as an executive producer, alongside Ken Kao, Bea Sequeira, Mel Turner, and Whannell himself. The announcement of the film’s production start was made by Jason Blum, who shared an exciting glimpse of Whannell on set, signaling the beginning of what is hoped to be a memorable addition to the horror genre.

As the “Wolf Man” reboot moves forward, fans and newcomers alike are eager to see how this modern interpretation will pay homage to its roots while offering a fresh and thrilling experience. With a talented cast and crew at the helm, the film is poised to reintroduce the timeless tale of transformation and terror to a new generation.

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‘Immaculate’ Stars Reveal Which Horror Villains They Would “F, Marry, Kill”

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Sydney Sweeney is just coming off the success of her rom-com Anyone But You, but she’s ditching the love story for a horror story in her latest film Immaculate.

Sweeney is taking Hollywood by storm, portraying everything from a love-lusting teenager in Euphoria to an accidental superhero in Madame Web. Although the latter got a lot of hate among theater-goers, Immaculate is getting the polar opposite.

The film was screened at SXSW this past week and was well-received. It also gained a reputation for being extremely gory. Derek Smith of Slant says the, “final act contains some of the most twisted, gory violence this particular subgenre of horror has seen in years…”

Thankfully curious horror movie fans won’t have to wait long to see for themselves what Smith is talking about as Immaculate will hit theaters across the United States on March, 22.

Bloody Disgusting says that the movie’s distributor NEON, in a bit of marketing smarts, had stars Sydney Sweeney and Simona Tabasco play a game of “F, Marry, Kill” in which all their choices had to be horror movie villains.

It’s an interesting question, and you might be surprised at their answers. So colorful are their responses that YouTube slapped an age-restricted rating on the video.

Immaculate is a religious horror movie that NEON says stars Sweeney, “as Cecilia, an American nun of devout faith, embarking on a new journey in a remote convent in the picturesque Italian countryside. Cecilia’s warm welcome quickly devolves into a nightmare as it becomes clear her new home harbors a sinister secret and unspeakable horrors.”

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