News
Within The Woods: The Precursor to the Evil Dead
In 1978 three friends in their early twenties shot a short film called Within The Woods. This film was used as a selling tool for investors in order to get funding for a feature length film. It was made for almost no money and was never intended to be seen outside of friends and investors. Luckily, investors loved the short and the three friends were able to make the feature that would go down in horror history. The friends? Robert Tapert, Sam Raimi, and Bruce “The Chin” Campbell. The film? Evil Dead. Since writing my review for The Evil Dead Anthology back in January, where I talked about how the set didn’t include this short, I have been asked a few times if it is available to watch somewhere. Well, we did the digging for you and here is the NSFW video below:
[youtube id=”_WjQTMvyJWw” align=”center” mode=”normal” autoplay=”no”]
It always blows my mind watching this, not only seeing very young versions of Bruce Campbell and Ellen Sandweiss, but also seeing the seed that would become Evil Dead and Evil Dead 2. Everything from the ominous camera staggering fluidly through the woods, to the creepy sound design, Bruce Campbell being abused at Sam Raimi’s delight, and even Scotty still kind of being useless. There are shots/sequences the would be reused for the rest of the franchise and an ending that is both ambiguous and dark that would later become a franchise trademark.
It is great to see the genesis of what would be my favorite film series starting here. Admittedly, the quality isn’t the best for this video and it never will. The short was never intended to be seen publicly and few copies remain of it. In fact, this version was taken from a 16mm print of it that was transferred to VHS that was then digitized. Through of it the print was beaten and handled roughly. With transfer issues aside, its still awesome seeing the seed that will grow into the Evil Dead series and a good way to get pumped for ASH VS. THE EVIL DEAD!
To learn more about the history and making of Within The Woods and the other Evil Dead movies buy The Evil Dead Companion
Check out the latest on Ash VS. The Evil Dead HERE
And don’t forget our recent interview with Tom Sullivan!
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News
Russell Crowe To Star in Another Exorcism Movie & It’s Not a Sequel
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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Movies
New F-Bomb Laden ‘Deadpool & Wolverine’ Trailer: Bloody Buddy Movie
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.
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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News
Original Blair Witch Cast Ask Lionsgate for Retroactive Residuals in Light of New Film
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.
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.”
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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