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Revisiting Clive Barker’s ‘The Scarlet Gospels’ and the End of Pinhead

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Cliver Barker hates the name Pinhead.

In fact, it was never his intention for his creation to be called such a silly name; one that Barker has called “undignified”. Truth be told, he hasn’t really been happy with his Hell Priests onscreen representation for some time. Though numerous sequels have depicted the demon, he’s only ever appeared in one piece of the horror author’s writings.

That changed in 2015 when Barker set out to reclaim and subsequently kill his creation in The Scarlet Gospels, a novel detailing Pinhead – er, the Hell Priest’s final days. And don’t worry, I’m not spoiling anything the author himself wouldn’t want you to know. All things considered, it would be nothing short of anticlimactic if Barker decided to let his iconic cenobite return for even more after promising his demise for so long.

The book is nothing short of fascinating due to Barker’s less-than-stellar outlook on the Hellraiser franchise. Truth be told, most of them haven’t been the greatest. The original 1987 and its sequel are classics. The rest? Well, some are pretty good. Some are unwatchable – especially the most recent offering. But I don’t want to talk about that, and you probably don’t either.

Not all of the reviews upon the book’s release have been favorable, but years later, it’s had some time to digest, guts and all. The prose is very straight to the point and doesn’t contain much of Barker’s usual poetic acrobatics, but there are times when his genius really shines through the blood and the exposed brain. There are also times when it’s necessary to look away from the pages and take a breather; passages containing extreme gore here dictate a moment of watching puppy videos on YouTube and a cold shower.

The Scarlet Gospels finally gives Barker and outlet for his depictions of Hell, the cenobite’s dwelling place, and this is really where the book shines. You can tell the author has been clamoring to accomplish such a feat for years – decades even – and it is completely apparent throughout the bloodsoaked pages of the book. Interestingly enough, it even shows a side of the Hell Priest the audience has never seen before. There’s true weakness and anger, desperation and grief. Who would have thought?

Clive Barker, that’s who, and that’s also the only person who should have ever been able to pilot who we have come to know and love as Pinhead. The Scarlet Gospels is an incredible look into not only the future of Barker’s hellish creation but the relationship the creator has with his monster. That alone is worth the price of admission.

With the release date of the newest Hellraiser still up in the air, now is a better time than ever to read what is intended by Barker to be the end of the Hell Priest. And please, for the love of both pleasure and pain, stop calling him Pinhead, okay? It’s demeaning. Shame on you.

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The Original ‘Beetlejuice’ Sequel Had an Interesting Location

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beetlejuice in Hawaii Movie

Back in the late ’80s and early ’90s sequels to hit movies weren’t as linear as they are today. It was more like “let’s re-do the situation but in a different location.” Remember Speed 2, or National Lampoon’s European Vacation? Even Aliens, as good as it is, follows a lot of the plot points of the original; people stuck on a ship, an android, a little girl in peril instead of a cat. So it makes sense that one of the most popular supernatural comedies of all time, Beetlejuice would follow the same pattern.

In 1991 Tim Burton was interested in doing a sequel to his 1988 original, it was called Beetlejuice Goes Hawaiian:

“The Deetz family moves to Hawaii to develop a resort. Construction begins, and it’s quickly discovered that the hotel will be sitting on top of an ancient burial ground. Beetlejuice comes in to save the day.”

Burton liked the script but wanted some re-writes so he asked then-hot screenwriter Daniel Waters who had just got done contributing to Heathers. He passed on the opportunity so producer David Geffen offered it to Troop Beverly Hills scribe Pamela Norris to no avail.

Eventually, Warner Bros. asked Kevin Smith to punch up Beetlejuice Goes Hawaiian, he scoffed at the idea, saying, “Didn’t we say all we needed to say in the first Beetlejuice? Must we go tropical?”

Nine years later the sequel was killed. The studio said Winona Ryder was now too old for the part and an entire re-cast needed to happen. But Burton never gave up, there were a lot of directions he wanted to take his characters, including a Disney crossover.

“We talked about lots of different things,” the director said in Entertainment Weekly. “That was early on when we were going, Beetlejuice and the Haunted MansionBeetlejuice Goes West, whatever. Lots of things came up.”

Fast-forward to 2011 when another script was pitched for a sequel. This time the writer of Burton’s Dark Shadows,  Seth Grahame-Smith was hired and he wanted to make sure the story wasn’t a cash-grabbing remake or reboot. Four years later, in 2015, a script was approved with both Ryder and Keaton saying they would return to their respective roles. In 2017 that script was revamped and then eventually shelved in 2019.

During the time the sequel script was being tossed around in Hollywood, in 2016 an artist named Alex Murillo posted what looked like one-sheets for a Beetlejuice sequel. Although they were fabricated and had no affiliation with Warner Bros. people thought they were real.

Perhaps the virality of the artwork sparked interest in a Beetlejuice sequel once again, and finally, it was confirmed in 2022 Beetlejuice 2 had a green light from a script written by Wednesday writers  Alfred Gough and Miles Millar. The star of that series Jenna Ortega signed on to the new movie with filming starting in 2023. It was also confirmed that Danny Elfman would return to do the score.

Burton and Keaton agreed that the new film titled Beetlejuice, Beetlejuice wouldn’t rely on CGI or other other forms of technology. They wanted the film to feel “handmade.” The film wrapped in November 2023.

It’s been over three decades to come up with a sequel to Beetlejuice. Hopefully, since they said aloha to Beetlejuice Goes Hawaiian there has been enough time and creativity to ensure Beetlejuice, Beetlejuice will not only honor the characters, but fans of the original.

Beetlejuice, Beetlejuice will open theatrically on September 6.

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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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