Netflix gives us the first look at the upcoming limited series Eric. The suspense drama stars Benedict Cumberbatch, Gaby Hoffman, McKinley Belcher III, Dan Fogler and Clarke Peters. Stills from the movie have been released with a trailer presumably following soon. The thriller is inspired by a true story and will feature six episodes as it premieres on the streaming platform on May 30.
The official synopsis from Netflix reads, “Set in 1980s New York, Eric is a new emotional thriller from Abi Morgan following the desperate search of a father when his nine-year-old son disappears one morning on the way to school. Vincent, one of New York’s leading puppeteers and creator of the hugely popular children’s television show, ‘Good Day Sunshine,’ struggles to cope with the loss of his son, Edgar, becoming increasingly distressed and volatile. Full of self-loathing and guilt around Edgar’s disappearance, he clings to his son’s drawings of a blue monster puppet, ERIC, convinced that if he can get ERIC on TV then Edgar will come home. As Vincent’s progressively destructive behavior alienates his family, his work colleagues, and the detectives trying to help him, it’s Eric, a delusion of necessity, who becomes his only ally in the pursuit to bring his son home.”
The creative forces behind Eric include Lucy Forbes (This Is Going To Hurt, The End of the F***ing World), who directs the series. Morgan, Cumberbatch, and Forbes executive produce alongside Jane Featherstone (Chernobyl, This Is Going to Hurt) and Lucy Dyke (The Split, Black Mirror), with Holly Pullinger (This Is Going to Hurt, Don’t Forget the Driver) producing. Eric is produced by Sister (Chernobyl, This Is Going to Hurt, Landscapers)and co-produced by Little Chick (The Split).
Executive producers Featherstone and Dyke told Netflix, “When Abi first pitched Eric to us, it gave us goose bumps. It’s an extraordinary piece of writing, inspired by Abi’s experience of New York in the mid-1980s, a city rotten to its core but on the cusp of change.”
Benedict Cumberbatch as Vincent / Ivan Howe as EdgarMcKinley Belcher III as Detective LedroitBenedict Cumberbatch as VincentGaby Hoffman as CassieIvan Howe as Edgar
Since Van Damme and Seagal hit big in the late 80s and early 90s, martial artists started to come out of the woodwork with their own unique brand. As we’ve covered recently on Reel Action, Van Damme collaborator Sheldon Lettich attempted to introduce audiences to both the style of Capoeira and the star power of Mark Dacascos in Only the Strong. Another martial artist that tried his hand at the action title and came away with a cult following was Jeff Speakman as he demonstrated his Kenpo skills in the 1991 film The Perfect Weapon.
Blu-ray.com has the details on a new special edition Blu-ray of The Perfect Weapon. The release will come from Kino Lorber, who will also release Cannon’s Revenge of the Ninja. This upcoming Blu-ray will have an all-new 4K remaster of the film and is set to hit the market on May 21.
The plot description reads, “One man becomes a deadly strike force in this crackling action-thriller starring martial arts sensation Jeff Speakman (The Expert). Speakman plays a drifter and Kenpo karate expert who returns home to discover his mentor has been murdered by a ruthless drug lord. Determined to avenge the killing, he must contend with the cop assigned to the case—his long-estranged brother (John Dye, Best of the Best). Caught between the arm of the law and his own code of honor, Jeff heads toward a final showdown with a sadistic assassin (Professor Toru Tanaka, Revenge of the Ninja).
Directed by Mark DiSalle (Kickboxer) and supervised by Kenpo karate Grand Master Ed Parker (Revenge of the Pink Panther), The Perfect Weapon features black belt Speakman in the most dazzling karate sequences ever captured on film. Anytime…Anywhere…Anyplace…Jeff Speakman is The Perfect Weapon. Featuring Mariska Hargitay (TV’s Law & Order: SVU) and Dante Basco (Hook) with screen legends Mako (An Eye for an Eye), James Hong (Missing in Action) and Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa (Mortal Kombat).”
The special features and technical specs include:
EXCLUSIVE NEW 4K RESTORATION FROM THE ORIGINAL CAMERA NEGATIVE
NEW Audio Commentary by Director Mark DiSalle and Action Film Historian Mike Leeder
NEW Street Speed: Interview with Star Jeff Speakman (23:18)
It’s finally here. MAX has finally released the trailer for their much-anticipated The Batman spin-off series, The Penguin, teeing up its fall release date. Overall, it looks highly reminiscent of Matt Reeves’ film, with the cinematography very much in the Grieg Fraser mode. But what else do we know about The Penguin? More than you may think.
The Penguin is set after The Batman.
The plot of The Penguin is set to follow the title character, once again portrayed by Colin Farrell, as he rises through the ranks of the Gotham City criminal underworld. After the events of The Batman and the flooding of Gotham, including the death of Carmine Falcone, Cobblepot desperately wants to fill the power vacuum. Colin Farrell has also indicated that the film will serve as an origin story for the Penguin, something we have seen twice on screen before in Tim Burton’s Batman Returns, played by Danny DeVito. and on FOX’s prequel series Gotham portrayed by Robin Lord Taylor. While the term “origin” does not necessarily mean we will get flashbacks to Cobblepot’s childhood, it is possible the series may go back that far. Farrel’s comments have stated that The Penguin will definitely explore the character’s “awkwardness, and his strength, and his villainy” and the “heartbroken man inside there.”
Matt Reeves is not writing but will serve as producer.
With The Batman Part IIpushing a full year to October 2026, Matt Reeves will have spent four years working on the Robert Pattinson-led sequel. That means while Reeves has been working alongside writer Mattson Tomlin to perfect the feature film sequel, he did not have time to step behind the camera on The Penguin. Reeves anointed Lauren LeFranc to write and showrun The Penguin. LeFranc’s experience writing for the small screen includes the short-lived Christian Slater series My Own Worst Enemy, the Zachary Levi spy comedy Chuck, Eli Roth’s horror series Hemlock Grove, the series Impulse, and a stint on Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. That final project likely gave the writer some insight into superhero storytelling, but it remains to be seen if she brings the same gritty edge to The Penguin.
Who is directing them?
The eight-episode series has not announced the full roster of helmers, but we know that Craig Zobel will be directing at least three episodes. Zobel has extensive small-screen experience directing episodes of Westworld, The Leftovers, American Gods, Outcast, and the entire series of Mare of Easttown. Zobel also directed the indie film Z for Zachariah and the Blumhouse movie The Hunt. Alongside Zobel, reports have former actress-turned-director Helen Shaver on board, but her episode count remains unknown. Without Matt Reeves behind the camera, it is tough to tell whether the series will maintain the same cinematic quality as The Batman. Still, from the footage released so far, it looks like a solid companion piece.
Who is starring in the series?
Much of the cast of The Penguin has been announced, but not who they will be playing. Alongside Farrell, we do know that Cristin Milioti will portray Sofia Falcone, daughter of the late Carmine Falcone. Michael Zegen will play Alberto Falcone, Sofia’s brother. Clancy Brown, the fan favorite star of everything from The Shawshank Redemption to a recent appearance on The Boys spin-off Gen V, will play Salvatore Maroni, a rival gangster Carmine Falcone informed on. Maroni was previously played by Dennis Paladino in Batman Returns, David Zayas in Gotham, and Eric Roberts in Christopher Nolan’s The Dark Knight. It is worth noting that Maroni and Falcone have a close connection to Harvey Dent (aka Two Face), so it is possible we may see an expansion of characters in this version of the DC universe. Other cast members include Michael Kelly as Johnny Vitti, underboss of the Falcone crime family, as well as undisclosed characters for Rhenzy Feliz, Shohreh Aghdashloo, Dierdre O’Connell, James Madio, Scott Cohen, Theo Rossi, Carmen Ejogo, Francois Chau, David H. Holmes, Craig Walker, and Jared Abrahamson.
How does it connect to James Gunn’s DCU?
The short answer is that it doesn’t. When James Gunn came aboard to shepherd Warner Bros’ full relaunch of the DC Cinematic Universe, he revealed which projects were done and which were still going ahead. With the massive critical and fan reaction to The Batman, it was guaranteed that the franchise would continue, but Gunn indicated that it falls within the new “DC Elseworlds” banner. Elseworlds is a long-running concept in DC Comics to indicate stories that exist in alternate universes or standalone storylines that do not connect to the main franchise. That means that The Penguin, like The Batman and Joker film series, is not going to feature characters from Gunn’s announced projects Superman, The Authority, The Brave and the Bold, Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow, Swamp Thing, and more. While this means Joaquin Phoenix will not appear in The Penguin or The Batman Part II, it also means we could see any character the creators would like without worrying about continuity with the flagship movies.
When will we see it?
The first trailer for The Penguin debuted on March 21, 2024, at the Series Mania TV festival in France, and made it online the following day. All of the production efforts wrapped in February 2024, after being delayed by the 2023 SAG-AFTRA and Writer’s Guild strikes. Post-production is underway, and the teaser trailer touts a Fall 2024 release.
Do you think The Penguin will be a worthy follow-up to The Batman? Let us know in the comments!
In the summer of 1996, the World Wrestling Federation held its annual King of the Ring tournament. After weeks of matches, the semis and finals were set for June 23rd, 1996, with Stone Cold Steve Austin facing Jake “The Snake” Roberts for the crown later in the night. Roberts, then known for working from a Christian angle, would cut a promo before the match doing just that. Just before Austin took the ring and pinned Roberts, he was tipped about the promo’s contents.
After the five-minute match, Austin stood next to the same man who tipped him off, Michael Hayes. And it was there that a legend and a catchphrase were born, and an entire industry was born again. With a mouth full of blood, Stone Cold Steve Austin told his defeated opponent: “You sit there and you thump your Bible, and you say your prayers, and it didn’t get you anywhere! Talk about your Psalms, talk about John 3:16…Austin 3:16 says I just whipped your ass!”
But it could have never happened. Stone Cold wasn’t supposed to win; neither was Jake Roberts. The King of the Ring prestige – a launching point for a budding career – was meant to go to Hunter Hearst Helmsley, but this was yanked when he took the fall for the infamous “Curtain Call” incident, paving the way for a revolution in the WWF.
From there on out, Stone Cold Steve Austin would take what was his. But that’s hardly the bottom line…So let’s find out: WTF Happened to…STONE COLD STEVE AUSTIN?
But to truly understand what the fuck happened to Stone Cold Steve Austin, we go back to the beginning. And the beginning began when he was born on December 18th, 1964 in, yes, Austin, Texas (birth name: Steve Anderson). Dreams of being a football player were sidelined after an injury; fortunately, Austin had access to regional pro wrestling, and after bouncing around low-level promotions and studying under anybody he could, Austin hit the mat for WCW in 1991, winning the World Television Championship and United States Championship soon after. Here he was already “Stunning” Steve Austin, changing his name from Steve Williams because “Dr. Death” already used it. He also had a run as one member (with Brian Pillman) of the Hollywood Blondes, leading to tag titles in 1993.
But his run would be short, getting fired in 1995 while he was out with an injury he suffered in Japan, a common stop for wrestlers at the time. Clearly, WCW head Eric Bischoff didn’t know who or what he had; and neither did the WWF, joining the promotion in 1995 under Ted DiBiase as The Ringmaster, an awful gimmick where he held the Million Dollar Championship, a meaningless, practically non-competitive belt that was given to him. But Austin would never merely receive; he would have to take. But first, he had to shave his head.
In 1996, he went completely bald and had a match at WrestleMania XII, his first at the storied event. By this time, he would go as Stone Cold, a moniker partly inspired by real-life killer Richard Kuklinski aka The Iceman and even a cool cup of tea! The next year, he won his first Royal Rumble, stealing his victory after having already been thrown over the top rope; he would win again the following year and once more in 2001, becoming the only person to win the contest three times. He next launched into his first notable feud, with Bret Hart, hitting its peak at Wrestlemania 13 in what is widely considered one of the greatest matches in WWF/WWE history. That night, a bloody star was born. The villain had become the face, the seller of merchandise, the name on homemade signs. Austin’s next high-profile match came at WrestleMania XIV, winning his first world title against Shawn Michaels (not long after having the balls to give Mike Tyson the middle finger).
This was the Austin Era. But we couldn’t have had that without a match with another Hart, when Owen temporarily paralyzed him after a botched piledriver at Summerslam 1997. (Yes, Austin still won, because when you give him a stinger, he still takes the win.) Vince McMahon wouldn’t let him wrestle and forced him to vacate the Intercontinental Championship, thus launching perhaps the greatest feud in WWE history…and it started with a Stone Cold Stunner. As much as it was the Austin Era, it was also the Attitude Era, the same one that would soon enough end the WCW. That’s right, Stone Cold was embarrassing his current boss while simultaneously ruining his old one. Now that’s worthy of a Hell Yeah!
Austin going after McMahon and those that wronged him let every lower- and middle-class man not only vicariously give the middle finger to their boss but also stomp a mudhole in ‘em and drench ‘em in beer and wallop ‘em over the skull with a bedpan and hold a gun to their head until he pisses his pants. This man was a hero to the masses, somebody who could get away with flipping off authority, chugging beers while on the job (yes, they were all real; and how many celebrities get their own beer brand?) and doing what he wanted when he wanted. This was the star the WWF needed, like nobody since Hulk Hogan; everybody knew who he was – and that was the bottom line because he said so, not anybody else!
But there was an alleged dark side to Stone Cold Steve Austin, too. In 2002, domestic abuse charges against Austin’s wife, valet Debra, were reportedly covered up by the WWE, which we all know now had a decades-long habit of doing. It would end in divorce, and he would also later be accused of assaulting another girlfriend. He would plead no contest in the Debra case.
Even with the revelation, it hasn’t tarnished Stone Cold’s reputation; after all, how do you cool a Texas Rattlesnake? There was too much going on for him through his history. Even the low points in WWE haven’t shaken. Consider this: at WrestleMania 17, after one of the greatest main events in Mania history against long-building nemesis The Rock, he and Vince McMahon shook hands and shared a nice cold Steve-weiser! As quickly as he moulded it, Stone Cold Steve Austin helped kill the Attitude Era.
He had betrayed the character, teaming again with McMahon as part of the Alliance faction. Soon and sure enough, Austin grew truly unhappy with the creatives in 2002, snubbing a new storyline that had him lose to one of the future faces of WWE, Brock Lesnar, knowing he was far better than being pinned on network TV with no story – and not enough money – attached. So he left, with contempt for the WWE and a newfound reliance on alcohol.
And this is what happens when you try to give Austin material: his character gets warped and watered down. Developing his own angles and nurturing his trademark badassery, he was a 30-pack; being tossed into suit roles like general manager and nonsense like “sheriff”, he’s a non-alcoholic beer. No wonder one of his mottos, “Don’t Trust Anybody”, stemmed from his real life. Today, however, we can’t help but welcome his special guest referee spots and cameos because they invariably end how they should: with a can of whoop-ass called the Stone Cold Stunner.
And so Stone Cold tried out acting, making his big screen debut in 2005’s The Longest Yard remake before landing supporting or lead roles in some theatrical but mostly DTV shit: The Condemned (2007), Damage (2009), The Expendables (2010) (in which he had a brutal fist-fight with Stallone), The Stranger (2010), Hunt to Kill (2010), Recoil (2011), Knockout (2011), Tactical Force (2011), Maximum Conviction (2012), The Package (2013), Grown Ups 2 (wait, what?). There was also an arc on Nash Bridges (1999-2000) and a strange one-off on Chuck (2010). On the small screen, Austin had a much better grapple on reality competition shows, namely Tough Enough: Redneck Island (2012) and Steve Austin’s Broken Skull Challenge (2014).
In 2009. Stone Cold was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame, and in 2013 he launched a podcast like pretty much every other celebrity with some spare time in their week. In 2022, he returned for a no-holds-barred beating of Kevin Owens at Wrestlemania 38, beating the man who “borrowed” his finisher.
Stone Cold Steve Austin transformed sports entertainment in an insurmountable way, so much so that later eras would have to work with new norms to undo so much of what he did. And he did a lot, much by his own fist. Look at the circumstances he found himself in and how he not only made them work for Stone Cold but better the entire industry. Triple H screwed his King of the Ring chances; Austin didn’t only win, he cut the most revelatory promo ever. Owen Hart paralyzed him, forcing him to give up the belt; Austin didn’t only press on, he created both the biggest superstar in modern wrestling and its most evil villain, Mr. McMahon. He was eliminated from the ‘97 Royal Rumble; he didn’t just win, he won by cheating, stealing not just the match but the show. Austin did things the Stone Cold way, including agreeing to finally lose to The Rock in what would be his last “real” match, at WrestleMania XIX.
Today, Stone Cold Steve Austin is more ambassador than badass (although he’s that, too), having retired from in-ring action and kicked his beer habit (not quit, come on!). And he is widely considered one of the greatest, most iconic wrestlers ever, up there with Hulk Hogan and Ric Flair. But neither one of these legends had what he had and nobody ever will. You can say your prayers and eat your vitamins and Woooo! all you want, but we all know that when you hear the glass, your ass is grass. Now, lemme get a Hell Yeah!
The Ghostbusters: Afterlife (watch it HERE) sequel Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire (which, of course, also serves as a sequel to the original Ghostbusters and Ghostbusters II) is now in theatres – and in the review of the film that was written by JoBlo’s own Chris Bumbray (you can read it at THIS LINK), Bumbray said that it feels like it was “aimed at building the franchise out more extensively.” While talking to The Hollywood Reporter, franchise co-creator Dan Aykroyd hinted that we could see the franchise expand with globe-trotting adventures.
Aykroyd said, “We like New York, but that’s not to say that we couldn’t make New York the base and travel off somewhere else. But… hey, there are ghosts around the world.“
While the first two films and Frozen Empire are set in New York, Afterlife took place in Oklahoma. It sounds like Aykroyd wouldn’t mind seeing the Ghostbusters travel even further away from home base than Oklahoma.
Ghostbusters: Afterlife stars Finn Wolfhard and Mckenna Grace are back for Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire, reprising the roles of Trevor and Phoebe. They’re joined in the cast by Carrie Coon, playing Trevor and Phoebe’s mom Callie; Paul Rudd, back as his Afterlife character Gary Grooberson; William Atherton as Walter Peck, the antagonistic EPA inspector from the first Ghostbusters film; Celeste O’Connor as Trevor’s friend Lucky Domingo; Logan Kim as Phoebe’s friend Podcast; Annie Potts as Janine Melnitz; and new additions Kumail Nanjiani (The Big Sick), Patton Oswalt (The King of Queens), James Acaster (Hypothetical), and Emily Alyn Lind (Doctor Sleep). And yes, original Ghostbusters Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd, and Ernie Hudson are in the film as well, and it looks like they have more prominent roles than they had in the previous movie – in fact, the director has said they’re “actual characters” in this one. You can watch our interviews with some of the cast members HERE.
At first, Afterlife director Jason Reitman was expected to take the helm of Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire, once again directing from a screenplay he was writing with Gil Kenan – but then it was revealed that Kenan would actually be directing the new film. He previously directed the animated movie Monster House, the live-action films City of Ember, A Boy Called Christmas, and the remake of Poltergeist, and an episode of the Scream TV series. Kenan has said that he drew inspiration from the Real Ghostbusters animated series and its willingness to be weird and wild when they were coming up with the ghostly threats in this film. Reitman decided to step back from directing the film because he was mourning the death of his father, Ghostbusters and Ghostbusters II director Ivan Reitman, who passed away in February of 2022.
Will you be watching Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire this weekend? And if the franchise does feature some globe-trotting adventures in the future, where in the world would you like to see the Ghostbusters go? Let us know by leaving a comment below.
Dragon’s Dogma 2, the sequel to Capcom’s 2012 cult RPG, is out now and critics have been raving about the game’s expansive world and intricate systems. But some fans that have purchased the game aren’t too happy, and on Steam, user reviews currently have it sitting at a rating of “Mixed.” The cause for many of the…
Dragon’s Dogma 2, the sequel to Capcom’s 2012 cult RPG, is out now and critics have been raving about the game’s expansive world and intricate systems. But some fans that have purchased the game aren’t too happy, and on Steam, user reviews currently have it sitting at a rating of “Mixed.” The cause for many of the…
Image Nation Abu Dhabi and Spooky Pictures recently teamed up to produce the horror film Late Night With the Devil, headed up by the Australian writing and directing duo of Colin and Cameron Cairnes (100 BloodyAcres) and starring David Dastmalchian – whose previous credits include The Boogeyman, The Last Voyage of the Demeter, and The Suicide Squad. For a good number of genre fans, including myself, it’s one of the most highly anticipated horror releases of the year. The film has gotten positive reviews from the likes of Stephen King and Kevin Smith, not to mention JoBlo’s own Tyler Nichols (you can read his 9/10 review at THIS LINK), and it’s now playing in theatres, courtesy of IFC Films. But as Late Night With the Devil reaches the big screen, it’s also stirring up controversy, as it has been revealed that the movie features a few pieces of art that were created with AI.
With viewers pointing out and complaining about the AI on social media, the directors released a statement to Variety to explain why they decided to drop some AI art into the movie: “In conjunction with our amazing graphics and production design team, all of whom worked tirelessly to give this film the 70s aesthetic we had always imagined, we experimented with AI for three still images which we edited further and ultimately appear as very brief interstitials in the film. We feel incredibly fortunate to have had such a talented and passionate cast, crew and producing team go above and beyond to help bring this film to life. We can’t wait for everyone to see it for themselves this weekend.“
Late Night With the Devil is a “supernatural chiller” that tells the story of the live broadcast of a late-night talk show in 1977 that goes horribly wrong, unleashing evil into the nation’s living rooms. Dastmalchian plays Jack Delroy, the host of the show Night Owls.
Colin and Cameron Cairnes previously provided the following statement: “In the ’70s and ’80s there was something slightly dangerous about late-night TV. Talk shows in particular were a window into some strange adult world. We thought combining that charged, live-to-air atmosphere with the supernatural could make for a uniquely frightening film experience.”
Late Night With the Devil has been making the festival rounds, racking up awards as it goes. The film had its premiere South by Southwest, won best screenplay at Sitges Film Festival, and won both best feature film and best lead performance (for Dastmalchian) at Toronto After Dark.
Spooky Pictures was founded by It producer Roy Lee and the Paranormal Activity franchise’s Steven Schneider. They are producing Late Night With the Devil alongside John Molloy, Derek Dauchy, and Future Pictures’ Mat Govoni and Adam White. Dastmalchian serves as an executive producer with Rami Yasin and Lake Mungo director Joel Anderson.
I have seen some horror fans who were looking forward to the movie say they’re going to skip it, or at least knock it way down their “to see” list, just because it has a few AI images in it. To me, it seems like the issue is being blown out of proportion – especially since, as the Cairnes pointed out, they did already have a graphics and production design team working on the film when they decided to drop a few pieces of AI art in there as well. AI art was then edited by humans.
What do you think of Late Night With the Devil using AI art? Are you completely against the use of AI art under any circumstances? Share your thoughts on this issue by leaving a comment below.
Once Late Night With the Devil wraps up its theatrical run, it will be heading to the Shudder streaming service on April 19th.
Michel Gondry is about to make a lot of people happy, teaming with Pharrell Williams, Kelvin Harrison Jr. and recent Oscar winner Da’Vine Joy Randolph for Atlantis, a new film that is partly inspired by Williams’ upbringing.
While no plot details have been unveiled, according to Deadline, Atlantis is “a coming-of-age musical, set in 1977 Virginia Beach, which draws inspiration from Williams’ childhood growing up in the city’s Atlantis Apartments.” In addition to Gondry signed on as director, screenwriters on board are Toy Story 4’s Martin Hynes and Tick, Tick…Boom’s Steven Levenson.
Atlantis was revealed back in 2017. While Hynes was attached even as far back as then, originally Michael Mayer – who won the Tony Award for Best Direction of a Musical for Spring Awakening – was set to direct.
Pharrell Williams has been all-in on telling his life story, even in Lego form, as Focus Features will release Piece By Piece later this year. Honestly, that seems like the project Gondry should have directed considering his Lego-centric video for the White Stripes’ “Fell in Love with a Girl”, which stands as one of the more clever music videos of the century. Even without the iconic bricks, certainly Gondry will be making Atlantis a visually inventive feast.
Michel Gondry is due for a rediscovery. He has still been putting out extremely quality work – 2015’s Microbe & Gasoline in particular was fantastic and the Jim Carrey-starring Kidding (in which he directed nearly half of the episodes) should have continued past its two seasons – but it has been quite some time since he reached a wider audience, keeping a much lower profile after the sting of The Green Hornet.
Atlantis cast member Kelvin Harrison Jr. has been blowing up over the last few years, riding a wave that truly came with 2017’s It Comes at Night. He recently played Martin Luther King Jr. in anthology series Genius. Randolph herself is looking to capitalize on her recent Best Supporting Actress win for The Holdovers.
To date, Williams has 13 Grammy Awards, two of which are for his trademark song “Happy”, which also earned an Oscar nomination for Best Original Song.
Are you looking forward to Atlantis? Drop your thoughts below.
JoBlo.com recently launched a new weekly documentary series called 80s Horror Memories, where each year of the 1980s has five episodes dedicated to it. Looking back at 1980, we discussed Maniac, Dressed to Kill,Alligator, Friday the 13th, The Shining, Prom Night, and The Fog. The second five episodes were a journey through 1981, covering The Funhouse, The Burning, Friday the 13th Part 2,My Bloody Valentine, Halloween II, The Evil Dead, The Howling, and An American Werewolf in London, as well as the careers of horror hosts Elvira and Joe Bob Briggs. The next five were, of course, all about movies that came out in 1982: Conan the Barbarian, The Thing, Halloween III: Season of the Witch, and Poltergeist, with an examination of the short-lived 3-D boom along the way.
For 1983, we talked about a trio of Stephen King adaptations, Jaws 3-D, Sleepaway Camp, the rise of TV horror anthologies, and Psycho II. For 1984, we covered the creation of the PG-13 rating, The Terminator, Gremlins, Ghostbusters, and A Nightmare on Elm Street. Our trip through 1985 included Teen Wolf, Re-Animator, A Nightmare on Elm Street Part 2: Freddy’s RevengeFriday the 13th: A New Beginning, Fright Night, Lifeforce, Day of the Dead, and The Return of the Living Dead. For 1986, we covered David Cronenberg’s The Fly, the horror comedies that were released during the year (including Jason Lives: Friday the 13th Part VI and The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2), Aliens, the connection between horror movies and heavy metal, and David Lynch’s Blue Velvet. For our trip through 1987, we looked at Hellraiser, RoboCop, Predator, Evil Dead II, and The Lost Boys.
Now we’ve reached 1988, and so far we’ve looked at They Live, The Blob, Beetlejuice, and A Nightmare on Elm Street 4: The Dream Master. With the latest episode, we’re digging into a film that introduced an unlikely horror icon: a foul-mouthed killer doll called Chucky. It’s a film that has (so far) spawned six sequels, a remake, and three seasons of a TV series. It’s Child’s Play, and you can hear all about it in the video embedded above.
New episodes of 80s Horror Memories are released through the YouTube channel JoBlo Horror Originals every Friday.
Here’s the info on 80s Horror Memories: It’s been over 40 years since the decade that shaped the horror movie industry began and having lived through most of those years personally, we at JoBlo/Arrow in the Head have decided to create a 10-part documentary series in which not only cover every nook and cranny of the biggest horror themes from 1980 to 1989 but also what was happening in the world at the time. Join us as we walk down Horror Memory Lane!
And here’s the info on this particular episode: Throughout this series, we have discussed many subgenres of horror and the monsters within them. Masked killers, vampires, werewolves, dream killers, and even a shark…in 3D. But there’s one genre we haven’t touched up because, well, quite frankly, none of them quite matched the magnitude of impact it had on me: the killer doll. So, if you ever shop for birthday presents in a dark alley, make sure you double-check to see if batteries are included with Child’s Play, on our 80s Horror Memories.
This episode of 80s Horror Memories was written by Mike Conway, narrated by Tyler Nichols, edited by Mike Conway, produced by Berge Garabedian and John Fallon, co-produced by Mike Conway, and executive produced by Berge Garabedian. The score was provided by Shawn Knippelberg. Special Guests: Darren Lynn Bousman (Saw II) and Craig Perry (Final Destination).
Let us know what you thought of this episode, plus share some of your own ’80s horror memories by leaving a comment!
Two of the previous episodes of 80s Horror Memories can be seen below. To see more of our shows, head over to the JoBlo Horror Originals channel – and subscribe while you’re at it!
