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Blu-Ray Release of ‘Schlock,’ Reintroduces Us to John Landis’s Killer Cult Satire

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Schlock

A tagline stating “Due to the horrifying nature of this film, no one will be admitted to the theater” can start all kinds of conversation, and even raise some interest strictly based hyperbolic curiosity. Little did folks in 73’ know that tagline was going to lead them to the magical schlockiness that was John Landis’s, Schlock.

Schlock painted an early picture of what John Landis would later apply to his bigger budget films like American Werewolf in London, The Blues Brothers and Animal House. I say “bigger budget,” but in truth Schlock was practically a no-budget outing and definitely screams proudly and wildly to that point.

A tribute to the b-movie, Trog, this film found Landis in a fully absurdist sandbox that mainly touted to the old as time struggle of the archaic versus the youthful. Damn the man, damn the man hard indeed.

Schlock is a love it or hate it polarizing film. But, for those of us that have a special place in our hearts for it, Schlock is a one of a kind, joyful experience. It not only introduced us to one of my personal favorite directors, but also introduced the world to a very young Rick Baker – Monster Maker, who designed and crafted the killer gorilla suit.

The story, follows the hi jinks of the missing link who has recently been thawed out in an underground cave. Dubbed “The Banana Killer” by the inept police, The Schlockthropus (played by John Landis) runs amok murdering all over the suburbs of Southern California, while finding love amongst all the misadventure and biting satire.

Schlock parodies a lot of greats along the way of the Schlockthropus’ terrorization of Southern Cali. 2001: A Space Odyssey, King Kong, and Keystone Cops are all placed in the cross hairs of Landis’s playful micro-budget first outing. The result is a charming and inspiring outing, that proves Landis’ words of “All you need to do to be a filmmaker is to get out there and make a movie” absolutely true.

Arrow’s 4k restoration from the original negative looks great and comes with a book featuring a piece written by Joe Bob Briggs, new cover art by Graham Humphreys and a whole lot more.

Best of all it comes with feature length audio commentary by John Landis and Rick Baker. This is easily one of my favorite features on a disc this year. Landis and Baker are insightful, hilarious and inspiring. Absolute commentary gold.

Full features include:

  • Audio commentary by writer/director John Landis and makeup artist Rick Baker
  • New video interview with author and critic Kim Newman
  • Birth of a Schlock, a 2017 video interview with John Landis
  • Archival video interview with cinematographer Bob Collins
  • 1972, 1979 and 1982 US theatrical trailers
  • US radio spots
  • FIRST PRESSING ONLY: Illustrated collector’s booklet featuring new writing on the film by Joe Bob Briggs
  • Original lossless mono soundtrack
  • Optional English subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing
  • High Definition Blu-ray (1080p) presentation
  • 4K restoration of the film from the original camera negative
  • Reversible sleeve featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Graham Humphreys

Schlock is out now on Blu-Ray!

 

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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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Original Blair Witch Cast Ask Lionsgate for Retroactive Residuals in Light of New Film

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The Blair Witch Project Cast

Jason Blum is planning to reboot The Blair Witch Project for the second time. That’s a fairly large task considering none of the reboots or sequels have managed to capture the magic of the 1999 film that brought found footage into the mainstream.

This idea has not been lost on the original Blair Witch cast, who has recently reached out to Lionsgate to ask for what they feel is fair compensation for their role in the pivotal film. Lionsgate gained access to The Blair Witch Project in 2003 when they purchased Artisan Entertainment.

Blair witch
The Blair Witch Project Cast

However, Artisan Entertainment was an independent studio before its purchase, meaning the actors were not part of SAG-AFTRA. As a result, the cast are not entitled to the same residuals from the project as actors in other major films. The cast doesn’t feel that the studio should be able to continue to profit off of their hard work and likenesses without fair compensation.

Their most recent request asks for “meaningful consultation on any future ‘Blair Witch’ reboot, sequel, prequel, toy, game, ride, escape room, etc., in which one could reasonably assume that Heather, Michael & Josh’s names and/or likenesses will be associated for promotional purposes in the public sphere.”

The blair witch project

At this time, Lionsgate has not offered any comment about this issue.

The full statement made by the cast can be found below.

OUR ASKS OF LIONSGATE (From Heather, Michael & Josh, stars of “The Blair Witch Project”):

1. Retroactive + future residual payments to Heather, Michael and Josh for acting services rendered in the original BWP, equivalent to the sum that would’ve been allotted through SAG-AFTRA, had we had proper union or legal representation when the film was made.

2. Meaningful consultation on any future Blair Witch reboot, sequel, prequel, toy, game, ride, escape room, etc…, in which one could reasonably assume that Heather, Michael & Josh’s names and/or likenesses will be associated for promotional purposes in the public sphere.

Note: Our film has now been rebooted twice, both times were a disappointment from a fan/box office/critical perspective. Neither of these films were made with significant creative input from the original team. As the insiders who created the Blair Witch and have been listening to what fans love & want for 25 years, we’re your single greatest, yet thus-far un-utilized secret-weapon!

3. “The Blair Witch Grant”: A 60k grant (the budget of our original movie), paid out yearly by Lionsgate, to an unknown/aspiring genre filmmaker to assist in making theirfirst feature film. This is a GRANT, not a development fund, hence Lionsgate will not own any of the underlying rights to the project.

A PUBLIC STATEMENT FROM THE DIRECTORS & PRODUCERS OF “THE BLAIR WITCH PROJECT”:

As we near the 25th anniversary of The Blair Witch Project, our pride in the storyworld we created and the film we produced is reaffirmed by the recent announcement of a reboot by horror icons Jason Blum and James Wan.

While we, the original filmmakers, respect Lionsgate’s right to monetize the intellectual property as it sees fit, we must highlight the significant contributions of the original cast — Heather Donahue, Joshua Leonard, and Mike Williams. As the literal faces of what has become a franchise, their likenesses, voices, and real names are inseparably tied to The Blair Witch Project. Their unique contributions not only defined the film’s authenticity but continue to resonate with audiences around the world.

We celebrate our film’s legacy, and equally, we believe the actors deserve to be celebrated for their enduring association with the franchise.

Sincerely, Eduardo Sanchez, Dan Myrick, Gregg Hale, Robin Cowie, and Michael Monello

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