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Leigh Whannell on Splicing Horror and Science Fiction in ‘Upgrade’

Published

6 years ago

April 29, 2018

Leigh Whannell says that his film ideas arrive to him in a flash. “My story ideas just appear in my head randomly,” says Whannell, the co-creator of the Insidious and Saw horror film franchises. “They seem to arrive when they want to, not when I want them to.”

This was the case with Whannell’s latest film, Upgrade, which combines horror and science fiction. “I remember that I was sitting in my backyard one day, many years ago, when the image of a quadriplegic being puppeteered by a computer just popped into my head,” says Whannell. “I was instantly excited about it, and that moment began the long, long journey of getting an independent film made.”

Upgrade tells the story of Grey Trace, a technophobe who is the victim of a brutal mugging that leaves him paralyzed and his wife dead. “Grey’s goal in the beginning of the film is to find his place in this new technological world,” says Whannell. “He wants to know where he fits in. Then, when his wife is taken from him, he wants revenge, and he uses technology to aid him in that quest.”

Revenge is made possible through an experimental computer chip implant called Stem. “Technology gives him [Grey] a chance at a new life,” says Whannell. “Someone who previously hated technology becomes technology, and he sees how intoxicating and overpowering that can be.”

Whannell says that Upgrade was heavily influence by the 1980s science fiction films that Whannell grew up watching. “I think the horror that exists in the film is of the ‘body-horror’ variety and the idea of technology intruding on human flesh,” says Whannell. “My influences were definitely sci-fi films from the 1980s. There was always a horror tinge to many of the sci-fi films of that time, perhaps born out of the practical FX boom. I’m talking about films like The Terminator, Scanners, Robocop, Videodrome, Aliens, The Thing, Total Recall, and The Fly. They were grimy and icky. They were not slick. They were violent and raw. I wanted to capture that again with Upgrade—a time when sci-fi was contained and very practical FX-driven.”

The making of Upgrade represented a triumphant homecoming for Whannell, who shot the film entirely in his hometown city of Melbourne, Australia. “The one memory that stands out the most for me happened when we were filming in an area where I used to live in Melbourne,” recalls Whannell. “We had found this old technical school that had closed down and was lying abandoned. There were so many rooms of such different sizes in the building that we ended up using it as a kind of back-lot for so many of the scenes. We turned rooms there into a morgue, a dive bar, a minimalist loft apartment.”

“This building was next door to a pub called The Tote,” continues Whannell. “It’s kind of a legendary music venue in Australia; it’s beautifully grimy and grungy, and it almost exclusively hosts rock ‘n’ roll and punk bands. It’s the CBGB’s of Melbourne, if you will. It just so happened that I shot my student film at The Tote, when I was nineteen. It was called The Demise of Fallon Thomas, and it wasn’t very good. I remember thinking, during the making of this student epic, that perhaps directing wasn’t for me. On the first night of shooting Upgrade at this back-lot, I got to set early and snuck off to The Tote for a drink. I was sitting at the bar and just thinking of that younger version of me—so nervous and convinced that I was terrible at filmmaking—and contrasting it with the fact that I was now shooting a sci-fi movie with a crew of hundreds right next door! It was a moment of true perspective—about how far I’d come and how lucky I was. It brought a smile to my face and a tear to my eye. Upon telling the story to the bartender, the drink was on the house.”

Upgrade is scheduled for theatrical release on June 1, 2018.

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Movies

Trailer for ‘The Exorcism’ Has Russell Crowe Possessed

Published

15 hours ago

April 25, 2024

Timothy Rawles

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.

'Civil War' Review: Is It Worth Watching?

News

Win a Stay at The Lizzie Borden House From Spirit Halloween

Published

16 hours ago

April 25, 2024

Timothy Rawles

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.

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.”

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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.

'Civil War' Review: Is It Worth Watching?

Movies

’28 Years Later’ Trilogy Taking Shape With Serious Star Power

Published

18 hours ago

April 25, 2024

Timothy Rawles

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.