News
Revisiting Clive Barker’s ‘The Scarlet Gospels’ and the End of Pinhead
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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Movies
Trailer for ‘The Exorcism’ Has Russell Crowe Possessed
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.
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News
Win a Stay at The Lizzie Borden House From Spirit Halloween
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.”
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.
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Movies
’28 Years Later’ Trilogy Taking Shape With Serious Star Power
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.
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.
The original film followed Jim (Cillian Murphy) who wakes from a coma to find that London is currently dealing with a zombie outbreak.
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