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Review: Lin Shaye and Robert Englund Reunite in “The Midnight Man”

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There’s a brand new movie monster heading your way. He’s called The Midnight Man and he’ll be invading your homes on Video On Demand this week in a movie by the same name!

It all begins in the 1950s when a group of young friends play a game that invokes the titular character. It’s a dangerous game and one by one they die by not following the rules.

When only one is left, it seems the game is over and a young girl named Anna is finally safe.

But we’re horror fans and we know better than that, right?

Moving forward in time we find that Anna still lives in the same home, and is succumbing to dementia. Her granddaughter, Alex, has come to stay with her, and late one night the girl discovers the rules for the game in the attic.

Naturally, she and her friends decide to play.

The film, though problematic at times, is quite entertaining and has genuinely scary moments largely thanks to Lin Shaye’s performance as the older Anna and Kyle Strauts in the role of the monstrous Midnight Man who uses your own fears to kill you.

Shaye never brings less than her A-game and she uses her considerable talent to own the role of Anna. She is vulnerable, sad, menacing, and terrifying at once as she weaves in and out of her haze of supposed dementia.

Kyle Strauts fully embodies the Midnight Man sweeping in and out of the darkness with murderous gusto. His 6’9″ presence is enhanced by the the makeup designs by Doug Morrow and his team.

Speaking of darkness…it’s a sad thing when technical decisions end up detracting from rather than enhancing a film. The Midnight Man unfortunately suffers at the hands of its cinematographer, Gavin Kelly, with many scenes so dark it was hard to see facial expressions or distinguish details onscreen.

Likewise, the film’s editing which was uneven at best, led to pacing problems especially toward the climax of the film which made Robert Englund’s arrival, to warn that perhaps Anna isn’t suffering from dementia after all, a welcome boon.

It was good to see Englund and Shaye together again. They last co-starred in 2005’s remake of 2001 Maniacs, and their chemistry onscreen is horror perfection.

Englund brings a stage showman’s polished dramatics to the screen providing a balance to Shaye’s more raw and primal performance. It’s a standoff worthy of the early Universal monster movies, and one of the best moments in the film.

Gabrielle Haugh, Emily Haine, and Grayson Gabriel fill the roles of the Alex and her friends Kelly and Miles, respectively. Of the three, only Grayson Gabriel really seems to commit fully to his role making Miles the most believable and likable of the three.

Technical problems aside The Midnight Man is a fun flick worth a watch to see the fine performances from some of the genre’s finest actors.

Keep your eyes peeled for The Midnight Man on Video on Demand from IFC Releasing on January 22, 2018. Check out the trailer below!

Featured Image from IMDb.com

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Trailer for ‘The Exorcism’ Has Russell Crowe Possessed

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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.

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Win a Stay at The Lizzie Borden House From Spirit Halloween

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lizzie borden house

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.

Inside the Lizzie Borden House

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.”

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.

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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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