Square Enix’s pledge to end all its console exclusivity nonsense is already bearing fruit. As spotted by the eagle eyes at Gematsu, beloved RPG Octopath Traveler has been rated in Taiwan for PlayStation, and Octopath Traveler II—previously announced for Xbox—could appear as soon as this month.
Square Enix’s pledge to end all its console exclusivity nonsense is already bearing fruit. As spotted by the eagle eyes at Gematsu, beloved RPG Octopath Traveler has been rated in Taiwan for PlayStation, and Octopath Traveler II—previously announced for Xbox—could appear as soon as this month.
I’ve been on a bit of a Larry Fessenden kick lately either intentionally or by circumstance. I really wanted to talk about the movie Late Phases which has a cameo from the man and his name in the produced by section. This led to one of our favorites in Danielle Harris wishing that more people knew about a movie she did called Stake Land. While this had a six degrees of separation angle attached to it with Late Phases star Nick Damichi also starring and writing Stake Land, it also brought back Fessenden in his comfortable producer role, oh and another cameo. We’ve gone down another rabbit hole and heard from the man himself that The Last Winter (watch it HERE) is a movie of his that he wishes had been seen by more people. This movie see’s Larry in not only his producing and cameo roles that he is known for but also in the hats of Director, Writer, and Editor. We here at JoBlo Horror Originals happen to agree with the man that The Last Winter in one of the Best Horror Movies You Never Saw.
Larry Fessenden is a wonderful writer and director even if by far and away he has the most credits in acting and producing. He started out with short films as early as the late 70s and in 1982 made a short vampire film called The Habit. 3 years later, he would create his own production company called Glass Eye Pix that is still around today and churning out movies from both Fessenden himself and the young directors he mentors. Jim Mickle of Stake Land and Ti West of House of the Devil amongst others are two of the directors he has mentored and taken a chance on. On the acting side, he has worked with high profile directors such as Jim Jarmusch and the legendary Martin Scorsese. As one of the big gamer guys here at JoBlo, I’d also be remiss if I didn’t mention his role in one of the greatest horror games that also plays out like a choose your own adventure horror movie, Until Dawn. Why are we talking about Larry so much before we get into today’s movie you ask? Let me explain.
Larry may be the closest thing we have to a modern-day Roger Corman, and I say that with all due respect. Low budget movies that take on lives of their own? Check. Giving aspiring directors a chance that end up having nice careers of their own? Check. Being much more known as a producer than writer and director which he is more than capable of? Check. Check. Check. While the comparison is a clear one, Fessenden doesn’t just hold Corman’s torch, he took it and lit his own fire that still burns brightly today. The Last Winter is only his fifth feature film as a director, but it takes everything he has learned from producing and working with other creators and works perfectly. While it is an environmental horror at heart, it takes the Wendigo lore from his previous movie starring Jake Weber called, appropriately, Wendigo.
The Last Winter was partially inspired by the true story of the Shackelton expedition but has enough yelling and paranoia that you can see the influence from The Thing as well in all the right ways. It was originally conceived as a group consisting of Muslim and non-Muslim factions having to work together. As politically charged as that would have been, Fessenden and co-writer Robert Leaver turned it into big corporate vs the environmentalists which works great. The movie falls under the little seen and rarely executed well environmental horror category that includes such wonders as The Bay and Prophecy. Leaver has only written this and 2015’s Amok but his skill from this movie alone is clear.
The movie opens with one of the employees from the K.I.K Corporation getting ready to head out into the frozen tundra of Alaska as he has a promotional video of his own company rolling in the background. This employee, Max, is played by Zach Gilford which I didn’t notice back in the halcyon days of Blockbuster but is unmistakable now. Not only is he one of our favorite quarterbacks from Friday Night Lights, but he has also inserted himself nicely in the Mike Flanagan troop of actors starting with his wonderful turn in Midnight Mass. The next morning, a very small plane lands to drop off site boss Ed Pollack who is played by the great Ron Perlman. Perlman was sought out by Fessenden after seeing him light up the big screen as unconventional superhero Hellboy. Perlman is not new to horror in both the main and indie scenes with roles in things like Blade 2 and Cronos among many, many others.
Pollack is on site to make sure both operations are going smoothly and to check out his government liaisons who he has both some control over but also would rather be able to play nice with. We get to meet the rest of the crew which include Elliot and Hoffman who are the environmental team, as well as Abby, Motor, Lee, and Dawn. They seem to get along like a team stuck together in a place that feels like it has no escape. There is a clear division between the work crew and environmental team, well, except for Hoffman and Abby who are sleeping together. We get some built in tension as we quickly learn that Abby and Pollack also used to be romantically involved. Abby is played by Connie Britton who, coincidentally, is also a main character from Friday Night Lights but her horror output also includes the Nightmare on Elm Street remake and a run on American Horror Story. Hoffman is played by James LeGros who Fessenden was a big fan of. He has been around since the early 80s and I first noticed him as Roach in Point Break, but he has also done horror like Phantasm 2 and the Psycho remake.
Strange things start to happen as members of the team start seeing or hearing strange things out on the frozen tundra including what looks and sounds like galloping hooves. Hoffman seems tired and on edge and won’t sign off on Pollacks plan as it will hurt the surrounding area even though the company pushes its own agenda. Max goes missing during the day and when they are about to go out and get him, he shows up back at base with his tracker clocking an outlandish 300 miles. Pollack has pulled his political strings to get Hoffman removed from his post and the tension continues. What the movie does incredibly well is use its character building and slow burn atmosphere to catch you off guard when it seemingly decides to change genres from political intrigue to flat out horror. The catalyst is the finding of what is essentially found footage followed by a body that nobody expects to look like it does.
The close quarters of the base juxtaposed with the blinding white and seemingly endless outdoor areas create a sense of confusion, claustrophobia, and even an overwhelming sense of loss in all the right ways. While most of the horror is seen on screen be it from characters going crazy and killing each other or horrific accidents like a plane crash, the real horror is seen in the mind of one man. Hoffman, who is supposed to be a world-renowned brain on all things environment and what we are doing to the earth, has clearly broken. His partner finds his journal and its an erratic mess of scribbles, fear, and paranoia that warn of the titular last winter where mother nature has decided to fight back and clean its surface for good. This ties into the Wendigo angle of the film too as that is a spirit manifestation of fighting back. While Fessenden aimed for it to be seen as not literal monsters and all in Hoffman’s head, the other events that happen are too physical and real for it to only exist inside Hoffman.
The last third of the movie plays out at a much more brisk pace than before and we get a combination of the paranoia, beliefs, and selfishness that usually ends up being the downfall of mankind. Is it just the arctic base and the surrounding area or is this truly the last winter? The score, cinematography, and, yes, editing from Fessenden himself all stand out from start to finish and the cast excels with great acting performances all the way around. The movie came out in 2007 though and that was a busy year for both mainstream horror and smaller scale fare as well. You had things like I Am Legend, 28 Weeks Later, The Mist, and new entries in both the Saw and Hostel franchises on the bigger side and even smaller entries like The Poughkeepsie Tapes, Rogue, and Feast that seemed to last longer on the independent side.
The movie was released in theaters on the festival circuit in September of 2006 and then received a small wider release in September of the following year. Its budget was 7 million dollars which is not bad when you include the actors in it and all of the places, they shot but sadly it only made 33 thousand domestically and an additional 64 thousand internationally. That sub 100k total would seem like a failure but it received great reviews from those that saw it and I remember being a huge proponent of this movie when we got our 4 copies at blockbuster. It was an easy recommend and I was happy when people came back and found it to be fun and different.
Fun and different seems to be Larry’s stock and trade. Even when he makes vampire or werewolf movies which he was heavily inspired by with the Universal monsters or two straight horror movies involving the tale of the Wendigo, you will still get something a little bit different each time. While it’s easy to recommend nearly anything he puts his name on, The Last Winter fell through the cracks more than most. Give Larry a little more peace of mind and check this movie out and cross it off your list of Best Horror Movies You Never Saw.
A couple previous episodes of the Best Horror Movie You Never Saw series can be seen below. To see more, and to check out some of our other shows, head over to the JoBlo Horror Originals YouTube channel – and subscribe while you’re there!
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A little over a year ago, Showtime announced that they were ordering a series – then known as Dexter: Origins, now known as Dexter: Original Sin – that would serve as a prequel series to their popular show Dexter, which finished its eight season initial run back in 2013, then recently came back for a new season (called Dexter: New Blood) that appeared to wrap things up for good… for the title character, anyway. Now they’re assembling the cast for Dexter: Original Sin, and The Hollywood Reporter reveals that Christina Milian (Falling Inn Love), James Martinez (Love Victor), Alex Shimizu (The Blacklist), and Reno Wilson (Mike & Molly) have all been cast as characters with names that will be familiar to Dexter fans.
Milian, Martinez, and Shimizu are all playing younger versions of characters that viewers have met before. As The Hollywood Reporter explains, “Milian will portray Maria LaGuerta, the role previously portrayed by Lauren Velez. The character is Miami Metro’s first female homicide detective. Martinez will take over the role of Angel Batista, played in the original series by David Zayas. In Original Sin, Angel is an up-and-coming homicide detective who leads with his heart. Shimizu steps into the witty role of Vince Masuka, a forensic analyst who eagerly shares his expertise while relishing the chance to boss around his new intern, Dexter Morgan. C.S. Lee previously played Masuka.” Wilson’s character is someone who was referenced but never seen on the original series, “Bobby Watt, the longtime partner and confidant of Dexter’s adoptive father, Harry.”
Milian, Martinez, Shimizu, and Wilson join previously announced cast members Patrick Gibson of Shadow and Bone (as the young Dexter Morgan), Christian Slater of Mr. Robot (as Dexter’s dad, Harry Morgan), and Molly Brown of Senior Year (as Dexter’s younger sister, Debra Morgan.)
Dexter: Original Sin follows Dexter in 1991 Miami, as a student transitioning into a serial killer in training. When his bloodthirsty urges can no longer be ignored, Dexter finds solace and understanding in Harry. As his only confidant, he teaches Dexter a Code that’s designed to help him find and kill people who deserve to die—all while avoiding getting caught by law enforcement. This is a particular challenge for young Dexter as he begins a forensics internship at the Miami Metro Police Department.
Played by Michael C. Hall in the nine seasons of Dexter, the title character is “a serial killer with a code which directs his compulsions to kill only the guilty. As a blood spatter analyst for the Miami police, he has access to crime scenes, picking up clues and checking DNA to confirm a target’s guilt before he kills them.“
Dexter: Original Sin will be available from Paramount+ with Showtime. The first season of the show is expected to consist of 10 episodes.
Clyde Phillips, who served as showrunner on the first four seasons of Dexter and returned to the job for Dexter: New Blood, serves as showrunner on this new show as well. Phillips is also executive producing alongside Scott Reynolds, Mary Leah Sutton, Tony Hernandez, Lilly Burns, and Michael C. Hall. Robert Lloyd Lewis is producing with Showtime Studios and Counterpart Studios. Michael Lehmann, who directed Slater in the cult classic film Heathers, will serve as directing executive producer. The show is being creatively overseen by Gary Levine and Urooj Sharif for Showtime Studios, with production supervised by Tara Power. It will be distributed by Paramount Global Content Distribution outside of Paramount+ markets.
Last we heard, Dexter: New Blood is also expected to continue on Showtime, now shifting the focus to Dexter’s son Harrison. Phillips is overseeing the expansion of the Dexter franchise, with other possibilities in the line-up including “spinoffs that trace the back stories of some of the show’s most iconic characters. This includes John Lithgow’s memorable Trinity Killer.”
Are you interested in Dexter: Original Sin? What do you think of Christina Milian, James Martinez, Alex Shimizu, and Reno Wilson being added to the cast? Let us know by leaving a comment below.
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The 1989 action classic Road House (watch it HERE) recently got a decent enough Prime Video remake that’s set to receive a sequel – which is something the original movie should have gotten around 1991 or so. But no matter what other movies use the Road House title, nothing will ever compare to that ’89 movie… which I have vivid memories of watching at a drive-in during its initial release. To celebrate the 35th anniversary of Road House, the estate of musician Jeff Healey has announced that they’re teaming up with Sony Music and Mondo Music to bring us Road House: The Lost Soundtrack, the complete, previously unreleased soundtrack that Healey recorded for the film.
Road House: The Lost Soundtrack is available to pre-order from the Jeff Healey Estate’s official website and will also be available on all major streaming platforms on June 7th, courtesy of Sony Music. This release features “all twelve songs used in the film itself (eight of which were previously unreleased) as well as seven additional bonus tracks… songs recorded during the Road House sessions, that have never before been released in any format.”
Here’s the track list: 1. On the Road Again – 2. Confidence Man – 3. Long Tall Sally – 4. One Foot on the Gravel – 5. Hear That Guitar Ring – 6. Knock on Wood (feat. Kathleen Wilhoite) – 7. I’m Tore Down – 8. Roadhouse Blues – 9. Travelin’ Band – 10. White Room – 11. Hoochie Coochie Man – 12. When the Night Comes Falling from the Sky – Bonus Tracks: 13. Killing Floor – 14. I Just Want To Make Love To You – 15. Red House – 16. Around & Around – 17. Foxey Lady – 18. Back In The USA – 19. Angel
Directed by Rowdy Herrington from a screenplay by R. Lance Hill (credited as David Lee Henry) and Hilary Henkin, Road House has the following synopsis: Dalton is a lightning quick martial arts expert and the best bouncer in the business. He has been shot, stabbed and kicked around all in the line of duty, and may be in line for more punishment on the door when he gets hired to transform the Double Deuce from a seedy joint into a sophisticated night-club. First he must tackle the ambitions of a ruthless crime boss, whose greed and lust for power are legendary.
The film stars Patrick Swayze, Kelly Lynch, Sam Elliott, Ben Gazzara, Kevin Tighe, Red West, Sunshine Parker, Marshall Teague, John Doe, Kathleen Wilhoite, Terry Funk, Anthony De Longis, Travis McKenna, Keith David, John William Young, Julie Michaels, and Michael Rider, with Jeff Healey as musician Cody.
The Estate of Jeff Healey (who, sadly, passed away in 2008) provided the following statement about Road House: The Lost Soundtrack: “This project has been simmering for well over a decade, and a great deal of blood, sweat and tears have been poured into this one. We’re beyond thrilled that is it finally making its way into the light. With Sony’s blessing (and endless support), we did a deep dive into their vaults. We were given full access to all the original tapes, the original dozen that were in the film, and an additional seven bonus tracks that were recorded in the same sessions. All have been painstakingly remixed and remastered from the original multi-track elements (except for two songs in which the master tapes had been lost to the sands of time – these required some extra love to bring up to the standards of the rest…). This is a Healey Estate joint from top to bottom; from audio production and restoration, to extensive liner notes and rare photos. We poured our hearts into this project and we hope you enjoy it.“
Will you be buying Road House: The Lost Soundtrack? Let us know by leaving a comment below.
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We have reached a point in cinema where two upcoming Disney movies have officially been rated R and it has interestingly come as no surprise. According to FilmRatings.com, Alien: Romulus has officially received its R rating for bloody violent content and language, while Deadpool & Wolverine has also been rated R for strong bloody violence and language throughout, gore and sexual references. More adult-oriented movies with stronger ratings have been released by Disney in the past. However, they would usually be released under different banners like the now-defunct Touchstone Pictures or Hollywood Pictures instead of the actual Magic Kingdom castle.
These two films being given their natural R ratings was expected as their usual nature and tone in past films would naturally be capitalized on for appeal. Interestingly, both franchises have dabbled in PG-13 territory as the Alien films would get a more adventure-filled entry with the film Alien vs. Predator, as Paul W.S. Anderson would give audiences a more comic-booky installment with the crossover gimmick. Fans of both franchises have criticized that film for being a watered-down version of both properties. So much so that 20th Century Fox would release a hard R sequel that went full on with the horror violence that many came to expect from an Alien and a Predator movie.
Meanwhile, Fox also experimented with a PG-13 cut of Deadpool 2 with a re-edited version that was released in theaters called Once Upon a Deadpool. It was an attempt by Fox to milk more money out of the popular franchise and the sequel that had already been a hit in theaters with its R rating. Deadpool & Wolverine is a pretty special case as its the first R-rated movie in the MCU.
Reynolds admitted he was “surprised” Disney allowed them to be the first R-rated movie in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. “I hope it doesn’t sound condescending, I’m really proud of them for doing this. I think it’s a huge step for them,” Reynolds said. “I mean, it adds a whole other color to this kaleidoscopic wheel that is that company and the different people that they have been entertaining forever.“ Reynolds continued, “I was surprised though, that they let us go as hard R, but very grateful. I mean there’s no other way to do it.” The actor added that the R rating allowed them “to do anything and everything in a world where anything and everything is possible.”
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MaXXXine, the sequel to director Ti West‘s films Pearl and X, is swiftly approaching its July 5th theatrical release date – and with exactly one month to go before we reach that date, a new trailer for the film has arrived online! You can check it out in the embed above.
MaXXXine is written and directed by West. Mia Goth reprises the role of X survivor Maxine Minx, a burlesque performer and adult film actress with the goal of being a star. The film has the following synopsis: In 1980s Hollywood, adult film star and aspiring actress Maxine Minx finally gets her big break. But as a mysterious killer stalks the starlets of Hollywood, a trail of blood threatens to reveal her sinister past. As you can see in this trailer and the previous trailer, the Hollywood setting even allows for a visit to the Bates Motel.
Goth and singer Halsey are joined in the cast by Kevin Bacon (Tremors), Elizabeth Debicki (Tenet), singer Moses Sumney, Michelle Monaghan (Kiss Kiss Bang Bang), Bobby Cannavale (Netflix’s The Watcher), Lily Collins (Emily in Paris), and Giancarlo Esposito (Breaking Bad. The Hollywood Reporter noted that Esposito is playing an agent for adult film and Z-list movie actors, Debicki’s character is a film director, Monaghan and Cannavale play LAPD detectives, and Bacon plays a private detective.
MaXXXine is being produced by A24, Ti West, Jacob Jaffke, Kevin Turen, and Harrison Kreiss. Mia Goth serves as executive producer.
If you want to see a preview of MaXXXine before July, A24 will be bringing franchise starter X back to theatres for one night only, on June 18th, and movie-goers who attend those June 18th screenings (tickets are available at THIS LINK) will get to see a preview of MaXXXine after the end credits roll.
There have been rumblings of a fourth movie in this franchise, but this new trailer for MaXXXine calls the film the final chapter in the series… Which, of course, doesn’t mean much when you’re talking about a horror franchise. We’ve seen plenty of “final chapter” movies that weren’t final at all.
Will you be catching MaXXXine on the big screen next month? What did you think of the new trailer? Let us know by leaving a comment below.
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For those about to rock…We encourage you to turn that amp down, because there has yet to be a guarantee that a sequel to School of Rock is taking the stage anytime soon. Now, director Richard Linklater isn’t against the idea –things just have to be right.
Speaking with UNILAD, Richard Linklater said of the potential for a School of Rock sequel, “It has been a long time. There was talk of it years ago but I’d love to work with Jack [Black] again. But there’s got to be a reason. There’s got to be something.” For what it’s worth, Linklater has worked with Black twice since: 2011’s Bernie and 2022’s Apollo 10 1⁄2: A Space Age Childhood. From there, he mentioned the Before movies, saying, “Don’t do it unless there’s an idea, the reason we did two Befores is there was a good idea screaming out, there’s something to express about this.”
On whether or not too much time has passed for people to truly care about a School of Rock sequel, Linklater said, “There’s another type of sequel I usually call the ‘victory lap sequel’. They’re usually out pretty quick, they’re economic, and everyone knows it…We’re way beyond that, so why would you do it unless there’s something specific to tell…There’s always a good idea to be had.” On such ideas, Black did say he would be down to play Dewey Finn again, so long as original writer Mike White was on board. But could he find the time with all that vacationing at the White Lotus?
While we wait for official news on whether or not a School of Rock sequel will ever happen, there have been reunions between the cast and similar celebrations of the movie. That seems like an easy enough launching point for a plot right there…although we know that Linklater, Black and White wouldn’t settle for something so simple.
Do you think there is a big enough audience to warrant a School of Rock sequel or has it just been too long? Let us know if it’s time to rock or not in the comments section below!
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Everywhere you look, everywhere you go, there’s a…joint? Dave Coulier recently revealed how Joey Gladstone – his woodchuck-loving would-be comedian on Full House – got his name. And it is far from being as family-friendly as the Tanner clan was.
Speaking on his Full House rewatch podcast, Dave Coulier said he was given the freedom to add to his character, who helps raise DJ, Stephanie and Michelle. “I got to pick my own last name, did you know that? My character last name…Yeah, Jeff [Franklin, the series’ creator] said ‘I’m trying to get a last name for your character,’ and I said, ‘How about Gladstone?’ and he laughed and goes, ‘All right, sounds good.’” So what’s the origin there? “I always thought it was a funny name. It was almost like, ‘I’m glad that I’m stoned.’ You know, I’m a comedian, so that was what I thought. And so Jeff laughed, and that was it.” Cut. It. Out!
It would have been a little too wholesome for Full House to not have had some behind-the-scenes tales such as Dave Coulier’s…and it has plenty of them. John Stamos, who played Jesse Katsopolis, once revealed that he actually got the Olsen Twins fired because they kept screaming on set, although he later had mercy and requested they be brought back. If you want some other juicy pieces – whether they’re completely true or not – it’s worth checking out the rather laughable The Unauthorized Full House Story, which stars a Temu version of the core cast…although it might take a little gladstoning to really get a kick out of.
Of course, Dave Coulier has some other fun tidbits surrounding his personal life: you oughta know by now that Alanis Morissette found inspiration in their relationship for one of her biggest songs.
Dave Coulier would later reprise Joey Gladstone for a recurring part in sequel series Fuller House, even directing a handful of episodes during seasons two through five.
Full House may have been on the air for eight seasons and nearly 200 episodes, but it was far from being an awards darling. Nearly 20 years after it went off the air, the TV Land Awards rightly nominated it for Quintessential Non-Traditional Family.
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Eric Kripke had originally said that he envisioned The Boys lasting “five seasons total,” but the Prime Video series was renewed for a fifth season last month, with no indication it would be the last. Plans obviously change, and while Kripke may not know when The Boys will conclude, he does have an ending in mind for when that day comes.
“You can’t build a show that’s about these two forces of Homelander and Butcher slowly closing in on each other without bringing that to a head,” Kripke told Empire. “Whenever that last episode occurs, I know what happens.” The Boys has been a big success for Prime Video, turning into a full-on franchise with various spin-offs, including Gen V, The Boys: Diabolical, and the upcoming The Boys: Mexico. As the franchise expands, Kripke says he knows how important it is “that we don’t f***ing sell out.“
In a separate interview with Inverse, Kripke acknowledged that he should stop trying to guess how many seasons his shows will last. The most noteworthy example is Supernatural. Kripke had a five-season plan for the series, but it wound up lasting a whopping fifteen seasons. “I have learned since then to not try to call the seasons as the person who, and this is without hyperbole, is literally the most wrong in entertainment history of how many seasons their show should go,” Kripke said. “Someone pointed that out to me and I was like, ‘You’re right. That’s ridiculous. I need to keep my mouth shut.’ And so I will.“
The official synopsis for The Boys season 4: “The world is on the brink. Victoria Neuman is closer than ever to the Oval Office and under the muscly thumb of Homelander, who is consolidating his power. Butcher, with only months to live, has lost Becca’s son and the rest of The Boys are fed up with his lies. With the stakes higher than ever, they have to find a way to work together and save the world before it’s too late.” The new season will premiere on Prime Video on June 13th.
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