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Scary Stories To Tell In The Dark Documentary Almost Completed; Watch The First Ten Minutes Now!

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Written by Patti Pauley

What a glorious time to be a horror fan eh? Scary Stories To Tell In The Dark, the beloved trilogy of books that lined our school’s book fair shelves when we were much shorter horror enthusiasts, is not only rumored to be getting a feature film by Guillermo del Toro and company (more on that as we hear any updates), but an upcoming documentary based on the twisted tales and the illustrations that gave us nightmares for weeks. The upcoming Scary Stories To Tell In The Dark documentary is the product of SS fanatic Cody Meirick alongside his tireless crew who have worked for three years to bring this idea to fruition.

The project that so many of us are anxious to peek our little eyeballs at, is according to Meirick 90% completed and have indeed filmed over 36 interviews ranging from the family of the author of the legendary books Alvin Schwartz, who sadly passed away in 1992; to Goosebumps author R.L. Stein along with other children’s horror authors, and artists/fans who have been inspired by the books.  The documentary also interviews notable scholars from universities who excel in folklore and children’s literature in an effort to help explore the cultural impact these stories had on us, and continue to do so generation after generation.

Per the official Indiegogo page:

Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark is a 3-book anthology of folk tales and urban legends by Alvin Schwartz and originally illustrated by Stephen Gammell. The Scary Stories book series were steeped in mythology that has been handed down for many years. The detailed appendices and source materials listed in the books invite us into a fascinating exploration involving some of the foundations of cultural storytelling. Fear, death, the unknown. And it allows us to take a mindful look at the way we entertain children, pass down our heritage, and influence them through the stories we tell.

Along with the tales, the illustrations by Stephen Gammell have had an endearing impact, as well as an interesting history. Influencing artists for years, they have made an indelible impression on so many who grew up thumbing through the pages. The vivid and haunting images can be considered some of the most influential illustrations of modern children’s literature. Delving into their gothic and ancient influences as well as looking at their captivating impact on modern artwork can illuminate the deep impression illustrations can have on the stories we tell our children.

In addition, to tackle the books as a subject inevitably involves the topic of censorship amongst children’s literature. Using arguably the most censored modern example, this documentary intends to shine a light on the practice and explore the many facets and opinions involved with challenging children’s books in America.

 

The documentary has been crowdfunded before to get things moving, and filmmaker Cody Meirick is asking for the fans help one last time to get this doc edited, a proper musical score inserted, professionally done graphics, and some wicked animation to give us the Scary Stories doc we legitimately want, and who am I kidding-NEED. I don’t think I need to convince a whole lot of you to help out, however the campaign is offering an incentive if you donate a flat $50 to get the project done and in our hands, a chance to IMMEDIATELY watch the first ten minutes of the documentary! How cool is that? Other perks include an official Scary Stories t-shirt, an original piece of tribute art, and even a kick-ass poster! If this is something you’d be interested in helping contribute to, you can check out the rest of the perks and full details at the official Indiegogo page by clicking here!

 

 

 

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The Original ‘Beetlejuice’ Sequel Had an Interesting Location

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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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