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‘The Dark Pictures: Man of Medan’ Takes ‘Choose Your Own Adventure’ Terror to New Heights’

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Medan

If you had told me that one day it would be possible to turn ‘Choose Your Own Adventure’ books into deeply involved, and absorbing game narratives, I would have found a way to build a frickin’ time machine in order to reach said future all the faster. The Dark Pictures: Man of Medan is that future, and accomplishes that Choose Your Own Adventure brought to life in pretty mesmerizing ways.

Supermassive Games is the team behind 2015’s sleeper hit Until Dawn. Much like Dawn’s meticulous branching story lines based on choice, Man of Medan is deeply involved and ever revolving.

Man of Medan follows a foursome and their boat captain as they head out for an underwater diving expedition to sculp a sunken WWII plane. Brothers Alex and Brad paired with Alex’s girlfriend, Julia and her brother Conrad make up the cast of main characters and are what brings the familial and relationship drama into the fold. All this while, Fliss captain’s the boat and tries to remain as neutral (but headstrong) as possible. When the crew is eventually hijacked by pirates who believe there is gold to be found, our group of characters are forced to board a WWII ghost ship that hides some terrifying secrets.

Medan

The story setup is straight out of something that is half 90s horror and half JJ Abrams. It definitely has familiar, fun b-movie tropes but it also pushes into the mysteries that would have fit in with Abrams’ Lost series.

Much like Until Dawn the dialogue and its many splitting trees are written by horror alum, Graham Reznick and Larry Fessenden. They clearly speak the genre lingo and do a great job of bringing that horror movie experience to the cast of characters in exceedingly creative and swell ways.

The voice acting is on par too and with a game so focused on the characters, it really had to be. Conrad played by Shawn Ashmore is no stranger to the world of acting in games following his starring role in Remedy’s Quantum Break. Mannerisms and mocap magic really work to create fleshed out and a believable set of characters.

The Dark Pictures Anthology clearly signifies that we are going to have many genre titles coming out of this world. The totem of the series being The Curator, a mysterious sort of guide who unfurls the story to you allowing you to make choices for the characters their in. Think of The Curator as the Rod Serling to Twilight Zone or the Crypt Keeper to Tales from The Crypt. Save for, he allows you to write the story and choose characters’ fates.

Since everything you say and certain actions you take have constant consequences, Man of Medan comes with several different endings. These endings are based on the lives you save during your play through. There is a way to have everyone survive and there is a way to have everyone meet their grisly end. Now, the goal might be to have everyone come out hunky all hunky-dory but there is significantly more fun and a lot more frights from allowing your characters to die.

Medan

Man of Medan offers you the choice to play alone to enjoy the experience via co-op. The multiplayer section breaks into playing online with other and a movie night couch party mode that allows you and your friends/family to play through using one controller. In this mode, each person selects which character(s) they will play as, when it comes to their turn a prompt comes up that lets you know to pass the controller. When I first heard about this mode, I thought it would be kind of intrusive and break the spell, but it comes off nice and organic and doesn’t interfere with gameplay at all.

Much like Until Dawn, this one is told through a variety of static third person angles. Instead of letting this format strictly be the angles we are watching a story unfold, Supermassive Games uses these angles as a way to scare the absolute soul out of you. Some of the best scares in the game take place in the periphery of those points of view. Either eluding to someone watching you, spooky things existing in foregrounds as well as backgrounds and to just throw something directly at you. On one occasion while walking through one of the ghost ships corridors I, saw a woman facing the wall in an odd spot. When I went back to look she was gone. It was an instant and could have easily been missed. But the care was there to put her there anyways. I really love how the team fully understands not all gamers are going to be looking in the same spot, so to take advantage of that they place different subtle scares throughout the game.

The Dark Pictures: Man of Medan is a great start to this anthology. It’s characters and story consumes you whole. I absolutely didn’t want to stop playing the game, like a good book, I couldn’t put it down. The team at Supermassive Games has carved out a very special niche in the genre by bridging what we all love about horror with everything we revere in gaming, all while not having any problem with keeping it weird and terrifying.

The Dark Pictures: Man of Medan is out now on PC, PS4, and Xbox One.

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New Poster Reveal For Nicolas Cage’s Survival Creature Feature ‘Arcadian’ [Trailer]

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Nicolas Cage Arcadian

In the latest cinematic venture featuring Nicolas Cage, Arcadian emerges as a compelling creature feature, teeming with suspense, horror, and emotional depth. RLJE Films has recently released a series of new images and a captivating poster, offering audiences a glimpse into the eerie and thrilling world of “Arcadian”. Scheduled to hit theaters on April 12, 2024, the film will later be available on Shudder and AMC+, ensuring a wide audience can experience its gripping narrative.

Arcadian Movie Trailer

The Motion Picture Association (MPA) has given this film an “R” rating for its “bloody images,” hinting at the visceral and intense experience awaiting viewers. The film draws inspiration from acclaimed horror benchmarks like “A Quiet Place,” weaving a post-apocalyptic tale of a father and his two sons navigating a desolate world. Following a catastrophic event that depopulates the planet, the family faces the dual challenge of surviving their dystopian environment and eluding mysterious nocturnal creatures.

Joining Nicolas Cage in this harrowing journey are Jaeden Martell, known for his role in “IT” (2017), Maxwell Jenkins from “Lost in Space,” and Sadie Soverall, featured in “Fate: The Winx Saga.” Directed by Ben Brewer (“The Trust”) and penned by Mike Nilon (“Braven”), “Arcadian” promises a unique blend of poignant storytelling and electrifying survival horror.

Maxwell Jenkins, Nicolas Cage, and Jaeden Martell 

Critics have already begun to praise “Arcadian” for its imaginative monster designs and exhilarating action sequences, with one review from Bloody Disgusting highlighting the film’s balance between emotional coming-of-age elements and heart-pounding horror. Despite sharing thematic elements with similar genre films, “Arcadian” sets itself apart through its creative approach and action-driven plot, promising a cinematic experience filled with mystery, suspense, and relentless thrills.

Arcadian Official Movie Poster

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‘Winnie the Pooh: Blood and Honey 3’ Is a Go with Enhanced Budget and New Characters

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Winnie the Pooh 3

Wow, they’re churning things out fast! The upcoming sequel “Winnie the Pooh: Blood and Honey 3” is officially moving forward, promising an expanded narrative with a larger budget and the introduction of beloved characters from A.A. Milne’s original tales. As confirmed by Variety, the third installment in the horror franchise will welcome Rabbit, the heffalumps, and the woozles into its dark and twisted narrative.

This sequel is a part of an ambitious cinematic universe that reimagines children’s stories as horror tales. Alongside “Winnie the Pooh: Blood and Honey” and its first sequel, the universe includes films such as “Peter Pan’s Neverland Nightmare”, “Bambi: The Reckoning,” and “Pinocchio Unstrung”. These movies are set to converge in the crossover event “Poohniverse: Monsters Assemble,” slated for a 2025 release.

Winnie the Pooh Poohniverse

The creation of these films was made possible when A.A. Milne’s 1926 children’s book “Winnie-the-Pooh” entered the public domain last year, allowing filmmakers to explore these cherished characters in unprecedented ways. Director Rhys Frake-Waterfield and producer Scott Jeffrey Chambers, of Jagged Edge Productions, have led the charge in this innovative endeavor.

The inclusion of Rabbit, heffalumps, and woozles in the upcoming sequel introduces a new layer to the franchise. In Milne’s original stories, heffalumps are imagined creatures resembling elephants, while woozles are known for their weasel-like characteristics and a penchant for stealing honey. Their roles in the narrative remain to be seen, but their addition promises to enrich the horror universe with deeper connections to the source material.

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How to Watch ‘Late Night with the Devil’ from Home: Dates and Platforms

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Late Night With The Devil

For fans eager to dive into one of this year’s most talked-about horror films from the comfort of their own home, “Late Night with the Devil” will be available for streaming exclusively on Shudder starting April 19, 2024. This announcement has been highly anticipated following the film’s successful theatrical release by IFC Films, which saw it earning rave reviews and a record-breaking opening weekend for the distributor.

“Late Night with the Devil” emerges as a standout horror film, captivating audiences and critics alike, with Stephen King himself offering high praise for the 1977-set film. Starring David Dastmalchian, the movie unfolds on Halloween night during a live late-night talk show broadcast that disastrously unleashes evil across the nation. This found footage-style film not only delivers scares but also authentically captures the aesthetic of the 1970s, drawing viewers into its nightmarish scenario.

David Dastmalchian in Late Night with the Devil

The film’s initial box office success, opening to $2.8 million in 1,034 theaters, underscores its wide appeal and marks the highest opening weekend for an IFC Films release. Critically acclaimed, “Late Night with the Devil” boasts a 96% positive rating on Rotten Tomatoes from 135 reviews, with the consensus praising it for rejuvenating the possession horror genre and showcasing David Dastmalchian’s exceptional performance.

Rotten Tomatoes score as of 3/28/2024

Simon Rother of iHorror.com encapsulates the film’s allure, emphasizing its immersive quality that transports viewers back to the 1970s, making them feel as if they are part of the eerie “Night Owls” Halloween broadcast. Rother lauds the film for its meticulously crafted script and the emotional and shocking journey it takes viewers on, stating, “This whole experience will have viewers of the Cairnes brothers’ film glued to their screen… The script, from beginning to end, is neatly sewn together with an ending that’ll have jaws on the floor.” You can read the full review here.

Rother further encourages audiences to watch the film, highlighting its multifaceted appeal: “Whenever it is made available to you, you must attempt to view the Cairnes Brothers’ latest project as it will make you laugh, it will creep you out, it will amaze you, and it might even strike an emotional cord.”

Set to stream on Shudder on April 19, 2024, “Late Night with the Devil” offers a compelling blend of horror, history, and heart. This film is not just a must-watch for horror aficionados but for anyone looking to be thoroughly entertained and moved by a cinematic experience that redefines the boundaries of its genre.

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