This year marks the 15th anniversary of the release of the 2009 version of Friday the 13th, which remains the most recent Friday the 13th movie. Yes, it has been 15 years since we’ve gotten a new entry in this franchise, and that’s shameful. But at least Arrow Video is going to be celebrating the 15th anniversary of Friday the 13th (2009) by giving it a 4K release on September 17th – and the 4K disc will include new bonus features! Copies are available for pre-order at THIS LINK.
The 4K release has the following description: In 2003, director Marcus Nispel made a lasting impression on horror fans with his box-office-topping remake The Texas Chainsaw Massacre. Six years later, he turned his camera to another slasher icon, none other than the hulking masked killer Jason Voorhees, in his gore-soaked remake of Friday the 13th.
A group of oblivious teenagers choose Camp Crystal Lake as the destination for a weekend getaway. Among them, the young Clay Miller (Jared Padalecki, Supernatural) is not looking for fun and frolics, but for his sister Whitney who disappeared around the lake six weeks earlier. The trip turns into a waking nightmare as the bloodthirsty Jason emerges from the shadows, wielding a deadly machete and out for blood. Cut off from civilization, these youths discover too late that Crystal Lake bears the scars of a violent past as they uncover the terrifying events that spurred the masked killer’s quest for violent vengeance.
Nispel’s taut direction and the stunning cinematography by Daniel Pearl – whose credits include the original Texas Chain Saw Massacre as well as the remake – bring a fresh and terrifying new perspective to the infamous hockey-masked maniac, sure to bring chills and thrills to even hardened horror veterans!
And here’s the list of product features:
4K ULTRA HD BLU-RAY LIMITED EDITION CONTENTS
Two cuts of the film, the Theatrical Cut (97 mins) and the extended Killer Cut (105 mins) Double-sided foldout poster featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Gary Pullin Limited edition Greetings from Crystal Lake Postcard Illustrated collector’s booklet featuring new writing on the film by Matt Konopka and Alexandra West Reversible sleeve featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Gary Pullin
DISC ONE: THEATRICAL CUT
4K (2160p) Ultra HD Blu-ray presentation in Dolby Vision (HDR10 compatible) of the Theatrical Cut Original 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio sound Optional English subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing Brand new audio commentary by director Marcus Nispel Brand new audio commentary by writers Mark Swift and Damian Shannon Brand new interview with director Marcus Nispel Brand new interview with writers Mark Swift and Damian Shannon Brand new interview with cinematographer Daniel Pearl A Killer New Beginning, an exclusive video essay about why horror fans shouldn’t fear remakes, what 2009’s Friday the 13th remake gets right, and why the film serves as a perfect template for future franchise remakes by film critic Matt Donato Excerpts from the Terror Trivia Track The Rebirth of Jason Voorhees archival featurette Hacking Back / Slashing Forward archival featurette The 7 Best Kills archival featurette Deleted scenes Original teaser, trailer and TV spots Electronic press kit Image gallery
DISC TWO: KILLER CUT
4K (2160p) Ultra HD Blu-ray presentation in Dolby Vision (HDR10 compatible) of the Killer Cut Original 5.1 DTSHD Master Audio sound Optional English subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing Brand new audio commentary by film critics Alexandra Heller-Nicholas and Josh Nelson
A new Friday the 13th release with new special features means this is a must-buy for me. Will you be picking up a copy of the 4K release of Friday the 13th (2009)? Let us know by leaving a comment below.
Eddie Murphy has one of the most distinct laughs in movies – or, should we say had? You may not have even noticed but at some point Murphy just stopped laughing like that. Turns out, it was a conscious decision he made once it became a trademark.
The problem for Eddie Murphy came when impersonations of him always worked in his laugh, which he was relatively unaware of up until that point. As he told CBR, “In the 80s, I was like, ‘I don’t want to be known for a laugh.’ That’s all [impersonators] did was that laugh…It was like, ‘Hey, you know what, I’m going to stop laughing.’ I forced myself to stop laughing, which is really an unnatural thing. You laugh, and it’s like, ‘I have to stop laughing like that.’ And now I don’t laugh like that anymore.”
Despite losing the laugh, it is still undoubtedly part of the Eddie Murphy routine when doing a proper impression. “We’re making too much of it. Even still! If you say, ‘Do an impression’, they’ll do that laugh. They’ll talk like me, and they’ll talk like the Donkey. If you say, ‘Do Eddie Murphy’, They talk, ‘Hey, how you doing!’ [Exaggerated laugh] And it’s like, that’s not me.”
So Eddie Murphy may try avoiding giving you the signature laugh, but he’s still delivering them, with Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F looking to be a worthwhile installment in the franchise. It won’t be hitting Netflix until next week (July 3rd) but it’s even great to see Murphy back in the form a lot of us grew up watching.
Eddie Murphy will no doubt continue bringing these laughs at a steady rate, as there are plans for a Beverly Hills Cop 5, he is looking to get a remake of It’s a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World to the screen and he has already recorded some dialogue for the next Shrek, even further teasing that Donkey will be getting his own spin-off. And in the morning, he’s makin’ waffles!
Which Eddie Murphy movie makes you laugh the most? Give us your favorite in the comments section below.
Former pro Gears of War player Nick “Nickmercs” Kolcheff received his first ever ban from Twitch after using a transphobic slur during a recent stream, commemorating another Pride Month with his annual anti-LGBTQ+ bullshit.
Former pro Gears of War playerNick “Nickmercs” Kolcheff received his first ever ban from Twitch after using a transphobic slur during a recent stream, commemorating another Pride Month with his annual anti-LGBTQ+ bullshit.
The marketing for Deadpool & Wolverine can rest on the strength of the two leads teaming up. However, much anticipation also stems from the fact that Marvel has a few new toys to play with since Disney absorbed Fox and their rights to certain characters. The secretive studio is known for throwing the audience some extra bit of tease in regard to cameos, like a Professor X reveal in the marketing for Doctor Strange and the Multiverse of Madness. Get ready for the rematch everyone’s been waiting for as Marvel releases a new short trailer for Deadpool & Wolverine reveals that Tyler Mane’s Sabretooth from the original X-Men film from 2000 steps up to fight Logan.
Although Deadpool pokes fun at X-Men continuity with meta jokes, it will be interesting to see how this appearance is address as the famous Wolverine rival was more recently portrayed in a different style by Liev Schreiber in X-Men Origins: Wolverine, where he was less beastly and more mustache-twirling. As Wade points out in the trailer, “People have been waiting decades for this fight,” and while there was an attempt at establishing a more personal relationship with Victor Creed aka Sabretooth in X-Men Origins: Wolverine, in the original 2000 film, Logan seemingly crosses paths with him for the first time and they had ultimately engaged in a battle atop the Statue of Liberty, where Sabretooth would fall to his demise after getting blasted by Cyclop’s eye beam. This will be the first time since then that Wolverine had tangled with this incarnation.
It was recently revealed that Ryan Reynolds and Shawn Levy were close to pulling the plug on Deadpool 3 until Hugh Jackman told them that he was in. The pair had been working on the script for several months with Paul Wernick, Rhett Reese, and Zeb Wells, but they were struggling to create a story that didn’t feel like a retread of the previous movies. “Ryan and I were right at the edge of saying to Kevin [Feige], ‘You know what? Maybe now is not the right moment because we’re not coming up with a story,’” Levy said. “And that is the moment when Ryan’s phone rang, and it was Hugh calling from his car.“
Reynolds couldn’t believe the timing of the call because they were just about to go into a meeting with Kevin Feige and didn’t know what to tell him. “On the Zoom with Kevin, we just cut right to the f***ing chase,” Reynolds explained. “We said, ‘Look, this call just came in. I feel like we’d be idiots to look this gift horse in the mouth and ignore it. This is a one-in-a-billion chance. I really feel like this is what we’ve been looking for.’” And thus, Deadpool & Wolverine was born.
The episode of WTF Happened to This Horror Movie? covering Seed of Chucky was Written and Edited by Jaime Vasquez, Narrated by Tyler Nichols, Produced by Andrew Hatfield and John Fallon, and Executive Produced by Berge Garabedian.
Along with most Horror franchises that skyrocketed in the ’80s, Child’s Play had plummeted by the mid ’90s. But in 1996, Scream became a pivotal moment for the genre. Wes Craven’s self-referential slasher helped revive mainstream interest in Horror. And it gave birth to a new wave of slashers that featured characters with smarter dialogue, who made less stupid decisions (for the most part), and delivered the all-important meta humor. That wave included a bride, mostly dressed in black leather. Bride of Chucky checked all the boxes of the updated slasher formula, especially when it came to the satire. In the opening scene of Bride, you can see Freddy’s glove, Leatherface’s chainsaw, along with Jason and Michael’s masks all in the same crime evidence lockers as the doll himself. The added dash of timely humor mixed with the stellar performances of series newcomer Jennifer Tilly and franchise vet Brad Dourif struck the right chord with audiences, becoming a solid financial success, earning a worldwide total of 50.7 million against its 25 million dollar budget. The new comedic element seemed to push the killer doll series in the right direction. And as most slasher icons do, Chucky returned in a new sequel. As outlandish and humorous as Bride of Chucky was, its successor, Seed ofChucky (watch it HERE), went further off the rails, and possibly off a cliff. But did it go too far? Find out on What the F*** Happened to Seed of Chucky.
Series creator Don Mancini began writing a follow-up to Bride of Chucky in the late ’90s. It was originally titled Son of Chucky, and a draft was submitted to Universal Studios in 1998. Mancini penned the journey of Chucky’s son to mirror his own struggles with coming out as gay. But the title of the movie would change to Seed of Chucky as it wouldn’t exactly introduce a son, but a young doll that would struggle with gender dysphoria, as a nod to 1953’s Glen or Glenda, with Mancini even using the titular names for the character and its alter ego. Directed by the infamously eccentric Ed Wood, the 1953 docudrama also starred Mr. Wood as the protagonist, crossdressing when playing the role of Glenda.
Unsurprisingly, Mancini’s script was rejected as the studio expected a more traditional slasher film. Instead, Focus Films, a division of Universal, agreed to finance the project in 2003 after their latest project, Eli Roth’s Cabin Fever was a success, with Roth joking that “for those who saw Cabin Fever and hated it should know that their dollars ultimately went to a good cause.”
Mancini had also written a more true-to-form script that ultimately never got made. Entitled Chucky Goes Psycho, it would once again feature his bride, but this time she’d be killed outside the infamous Bates Motel by a group of teenagers recklessly driving and hitting Tiffany. This would inevitably lead Chucky to go after them seeking revenge, a nod to I Know What You Did LastSummer. Clearly the sequel was always meant to continue the recently added meta approach.
In one of the early scenes of Seed of Chucky, there is a sequence with a man dressed as Santa who is killed in the snow by Chucky and Tiffany. It is revealed to be a movie set, with the camera eventually exposing the film crew and equipment. The movie they’re shooting is Chucky Goes Psycho. The man dressed as Santa is actor Jason Flemyng, who has since stated that Seed ofChucky is the only film that he regrets doing, saying he was “dressed as a Santa, getting killed by a doll on a set in Romania” and wondering “where did it go wrong?”
Character actor Joe Pantoliano was considered for the role that would eventually go to rapper Redman. Another actor considered for that role was Quentin Tarantino, who unfortunately turned it down, though the role was written with Tarantino in mind. The part of Pete Peters, the snooping sleazebag reporter, was written specifically for filmmaker and actor John Waters, as he was a fan of the Child’sPlay franchise. He would later return in the season 3 finale of the Chucky TV series as Wendell Wilkins, a doll maker with a sinister agenda.
Bringing the role of Jennifer Tilly to life is actress Jennifer Tilly, who pulls a double stint as the voice of Tiffany, Chucky’s wife and killing companion. Brad Dourif returns to voice the pint-sized predator Chucky. Playing the role of Jennifer Tilly’s assistant, Joan, is singer and actress Hannah Spearritt, who has the honor of best death in the movie. Playing himself is rapper turned actor Redman, who plays a rapper turned director. Actor Steve West portrays Stan, Jennifer’s limo driver, who spends the duration of the film trying to tell Jennifer he loves her, but constantly finds himself interrupted. Puppeteer Tony Gardner has a cameo as himself early on, and might just be runner-up for best death scene. The titular seed and son/daughter Glen/Glenda is played by musician and Lord of the Rings actor Billy Boyd.
Glen’s look and personality is based on a character Tim Burton might create, like Edward Scissorhands, according to Don Mancini. Mancini wanted to give Glen his own signature look, while a producer felt that he should resemble his father. Glen does possess blue eyes, red hair, and freckles, however, his hair and eyes are a different shade than Chucky’s. Glenda’s personality and the fact that the doll does the killing only while dressed in female clothing is inspired by Brian De Palma’s film Dressed to Kill.
Composer Pino Donaggio, who frequently collaborated with De Palma and scored Dressed to Kill, also composed the score for Seed ofChucky. He also worked on several horror films including Piranha, The Howling,Tourist Trap, and another De Palma classic, 1976’s Carrie.
Glen/Glenda’s journey begins as a recurring nightmare where he kills the parents of a little girl who owns him as a toy. Don Mancini originally wrote this scene with the characters of Jesse and Jade from the previous film as Glen’s victims. Glen wakes up to a berating ventriloquist with whom he puts on a show in London. Seeing his parents on TV prompts Glen to board a truck headed to Hollywood. He’s shipped to the set of Chucky Goes Psycho, and he woefully reads the voodoo chant on Chucky’s Heart of Damballa amulet, inadvertently bringing the dolls back to life. Soon enough, Chucky and Tiffany are back to killing before Glen’s eyes, which horrifies him. Or her.
The new parents check under Glen’s pants to find…no discernable reproductive organs. Tiffany wants a daughter and calls the doll Glenda, Chucky wants a son and refers to him as Glen. Chucky also wants his son to join the family business of viciously murdering people. This scares Glen and he hopes his parents can change their murderous ways.
Tiffany tries a 12-step program (which has her calling people to make amends, including the wife of the police officer she killed in the previous installment). Tiffany thinks of killing as an addiction that she can beat. Meanwhile, Glen takes after his father in regards to killing, but only if he can dress up as Glenda, who looks like a cross between Tiffany and Greta, the Gremlin “seductress” from Gremlins 2.
Meanwhile, Jennifer Tilly is desperately trying to revive her career and believes she can make a comeback by starring in Redman’s upcoming film The Virgin Mary. The dolls overhear her plans to seduce Redman. The “ever-conventional” murderess Tiffany disapproves of Jennifer using her body to advance her career, while Chucky wants to take over Redman’s body. They plan to ambush the pair to possess their bodies, and impregnate Jennifer with Chucky’s…seed via a turkey baster, and live as a family of humans.
It turns out Redman is no longer available to possess after Tiffany has what she calls a “slip,” deviating from her 12-step program by killing him. So they find a replacement in Stan, Jennifer’s limo driver. By the way, in case you’re wondering, none of these plans or plot points were a joke. This is what really happened on-screen.
Seed of Chucky opened in mid November of 2004, earning 8.7 million on its first weekend, debuting at #4 behind The Incredibles, The PolarExpress, and After the Sunset, respectively. It was the only Horror movie to debut that week. Oddly enough, it wasn’t released in time for Halloween. Though releases like Saw and TheGrudge both premiered in October and garnered impressive box office results.
During its theatrical run, the film grossed an estimated 17.1 million domestically, and an additional 7.7 million in other territories, for a worldwide total of nearly 25 million against its 12 million dollar budget. Despite earning double its budget costs, Seed of Chucky’s box office performance was seen as somewhat underwhelming. Also underwhelming were critic’s reviews which were mixed to negative, earning a 34% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes. The general consensus on the site reads, “Give Seed ofChucky credit for embracing the increasing absurdity of the franchise — even if the end results really aren’t all that funny or entertaining.” The audience approval score is at 43% based on over 100,000 ratings. Roger Ebert gave the film 2 out of 4 stars and remarked that “Seed of Chucky is actually two movies; one wretched, the other funny,” favoring the scenes with Jennifer Tilly. On Metacritic, the film holds a 46 out of 100 based on 17 critic reviews, and an audience score of 3.6 out of 10 based on over 100 ratings. On IMDb, users gave it an average 4.9 out of 10. Amongst critics and fans, Seed of Chucky is often ranked among one of the worst, if not the worst of the Child’s Play movies.
But like many derided or underappreciated slasher films, appreciation has grown for the film over time. Upon rewatching it, I found it entertaining and engaging thanks to its take on the harshness of Hollywood and the twisted family dynamic amongst the dolls. But it all boils down to expectations. If you’re expecting a horror movie, this will be a disappointment. The kills are brutal, but they’re mostly brutal for the sake of being comedic. With the combination of its notoriety and its upcoming 20-year anniversary, perhaps a reevaluation will earn the film some new fans. Its bad word of mouth could make it come off better than it’s been made out to be.
Another bright spot is the performance of Jennifer Tilly. Tilly showcases great range, from living a glamorous yet hectic Hollywood life, to dealing with industry sleazebags, and not to mention, reacting to the insanity of living dolls, running and screaming at the top of her lungs. She also takes on the task of talking so badly about herself via Tiffany, who calls her “fat,” and a “slut,” Insults that would land Tiffany in hot water in 2024.
The film also features a significant point in the series that comes just a moment before Tiffany and Chucky are about to carry out their twisted plan. Chucky gives up on the attempt to switch bodies altogether.
For the sequel that followed, the studio wanted a spinoff movie that featured a darker tone, with Glen as the main antagonist and a new slasher villain. Don Mancini agreed only to reintroducing the darker tone, but scrapped the idea of Glen and brought back the original Good Guy doll as the film’s central villain. In fact, Glen and Glenda are weirdly absent in sequels Curse of Chucky and Cult of Chucky, with Don Mancini stating that they were originally referenced in the script for Cult, however, most of the references were removed. They do, however, appear in the Chucky TV series, thanks to a variety of chaotic storylines.
After writing every script of the Child’s Play films, Seed of Chucky became Don Mancini’s directorial debut. Mancini as the director became a new staple for the franchise, as he would subsequently direct each Child’s Play film from that point on (save for the 2019 reboot) and even direct several episodes of Chucky.
In the grand scheme of things, Seed of Chucky introduced us to Glen and Glenda, love them or hate them…or maybe you’re just plain indifferent toward them. They’ve been a bit inconsequential and superfluous throughout the years. But some fans still wonder if and when they’ll reappear, which makes them unpredictable and even exciting. They may never be the central story again, but they’ll most likely return in some outrageous fashion.
In any case, between Seed of Chucky and Don’tBreathe, I can confidently say that I have absolutely no interest in ever using a turkey baster.
A couple of the previous episodes of WTF Happened to This Horror Movie? can be seen below. To see more, head over to our JoBlo Horror Originals YouTube channel – and subscribe while you’re there!
John Krasinski’s popular A Quiet Place franchise is one of those rare modern series that built a following as a newer IP with no previous existing source material. Just like John Wick, the first one was a simple but effective movie that was able to build additional lore around it for the sequels. The new installment, A Quiet Place: Day One, switches things up by being a prequel and having very little to do with the core characters of the original. Early reviews had a positive buzz, and the Thursday previews are now displaying a new peak for the series.
Deadline is reporting that A Quiet Place: Day One has surpassed the previous films in Thursday preview numbers. The prequel grows its scope by being set in New York City just as it gets invaded by the aliens, which may have, in turn, grown its appeal to the audience. The movie would bring in over $5 million at the box office in preview screenings. This sets a new record as the past figures on early Thursday night showings had $4.3 million brought in by the first film and the second would raise $4.8 million.
The reviews for Day One have been positive, with a Rotten Tomatoes rating of a certified fresh 86%. However, they are the lowest of the series as the first would sport a 96% and the second showcased a 91%. The CinemaScore is yet to be released until tomorrow, but the first earned a B+, while the sequel got an A-. In the review from our own Chris Bumbray, he mentions that “this is perhaps even more performance and character-driven than the other films in the franchise. […] While it’s the least of the series, it’s still quite good, and it feels like a franchise that could sustain another movie or two.”
The weekend estimates predict that the movie would bring in $40 million+ at the box office. The horror genre is generally pretty reliable, although many also predict that it will follow the trend of being frontloaded in its performance with a tapered drop-off in weeks to come. Deadline states, “The first movie’s previews repped 23% of its $18.8M Friday, heading to a $50.2M 3-day weekend, while the second installment’s previews repped 25% of its first Friday of $19.3M for a 3-day of $47.5M, 4-day of $57M over Memorial Day weekend. Too soon to tell if there’s a ‘5’ in front of Day One‘s opening.”
PLOT: An epic saga of the various groups who try to settle the ever-expanding horizon of the old West.
REVIEW: Kevin Costner’s Horizon might be the most ambitious movie undertaking since Lord of the Rings. Think about it – Kevin Costner has sunk a huge chunk of his own personal fortune into making an epic Western saga, with a second movie only weeks away from hitting theatres, regardless of whether or not the first makes him any money. If that weren’t enough, he’s already started shooting pieces of the third film, and he’s sworn he’ll be making a fourth film as well. Given the scope of his ambitions, it’s hard to truly judge Horizon – Chapter 1 as a standalone film, with it so clearly part of a much bigger whole.
Running three hours (with credits), Costner, who also directed, produced and co-wrote the film (with Jon Baird), has to do a lot of set-up here, with much of the movie devoted to establishing the many characters the saga is built around. Costner himself, who is front and center in the advertising, is only such one character, with him only entering the film about an hour in and having no more screen time than any of the other major roles. Even if it is largely a movie setting up further, presumably more action-packed instalments in the Horizon saga, it’s nevertheless the kind of compelling, old-fashioned epic they don’t make anymore.
Whereas most directors dipping their toe into Western cinema (as rare as it is) can’t help but emulate Sergio Leone or Sam Peckinpah, Costner’s influences go back further than that – to John Ford and Howard Hawks. Ford’s Calvary trilogy (Fort Apache, She Wore a Yellow Ribbon and Rio Grande) seem to be particularly heavy influences, especially on the parts of the film centring around Sam Worthington’s Army officer and his romance with a young widow, played by Sienna Miller.
It’s a risky move, as many younger moviegoers, whom Costner will have to appeal to for this to turn a profit, don’t really have this kind of moviemaking in their cinematic vocabulary, as he really does embrace a more classic style. Yet, for those willing to go along for the ride and maybe tolerate the occasional bit of obnoxious humour (something Ford was often guilty of) or schmaltz (complete with violins on the soundtrack), you might find that by the time the credits roll, you’ll be hungry to continue this journey with Costner and his well-chosen cast.
Costner plays Hayes Ellison, a wandering saddle tramp very much in the mould of the Western heroes once played by Gary Cooper or James Stewart (but not John Wayne, with him a lower-key character). He finds himself defending a young prostitute, Abbey Lee’s Marigold, who’s inadvertently found herself the caregiver for a young child, which puts the forced-together family in the crosshairs of a vicious family headed by Leave No Trace’s Dale Dickey and her demented son, played by Stranger Things’s Vecna, Jamie Campbell-Bower.
But, again, he’s only a small part of the story, with just as much time devoted to Sienna Miller’s Frances, who loses her husband and son in an opening massacre. With her remaining daughter in tow, she winds up living at a Calvary outpost manned by Sam Worthington’s upstanding First Lt. Gephardt and his earthy Sgt Riordan, with Michael Rooker channelling theon-com type of Irish non-com played by Victor McLaglen in the Ford movies. You really do invest in all the characters, even those who don’t get a ton of screen time, such as Jena Malone in a small but critical role as a hard-bitten pioneer woman, Danny Huston as the seen-it-all Calvary colonel, and perhaps best of all, the great Jeff Fahey as a sadistic scalp hunter who, in a standout scene, tries to make the young survivor of a massacre into a monster.
This brings me to how Costner handles the whole idea of manifest destiny as previously depicted in older Westerns. Anyone who’s seen Dances With Wolves can tell you that Costner is very aware of how complex a tale it is. He spends quite a bit of time taking on the Indigenous perspective here, with the movie bookended by atrocities, one committed upon the white settlers and one committed upon the native population. Both are given their appropriate weight. The fact is, Costner has spent decades making westerns and refining his take on the genre to make Horizon, and anyone who slams it as simplistic in its perspective hasn’t actually seen the movie. And, as we’re only getting one piece of the story right now, it’s hard to say definitively what he has or hasn’t accomplished.
Visually, Costner, who shoots in his favoured flat aspect ratio rather than scope, makes the most his gorgeous Utah scenery. Anyone who thought this would look like a TV series should think again. John Debney contributes a deliberately old-school, full orchestral musical score. While it lacks the power of John Barry’s exquisite music for Dances With Wolves, it proves to be an effective engine to drive the movie forward.
However, it can’t be denied that, as it is, Horizon feels like the appetizer before a main course, with it doing so much heavy lifting in terms of set-up that you walk out of the movie feeling like you have only gotten part of an experience. As such, I feel like this movie will fare much better once more instalments come out, but I still found myself thoroughly engaged from beginning to end. I’ll say this: if part two were open right now, as soon as the credits rolled, I would have walked right into a second film, and I’m eager to get more out of Costner’s epic saga.
A couple years ago, the term “nepo baby” took the internet by storm, with many latching onto the buzzword as a way to bash celebrities who have apparently benefited from their famous parents. Not surprisingly, it didn’t take long for things to turn ugly, with Jamie Lee Curtis – daughter of Janet Leigh and Tony Curtis – calling for peace. This lasted about as long as it took to read her quote. The nepo baby debate is still a hot one, but now Emma Roberts – daughter of Eric and niece to Julia – has a take that might open some more eyes…or piss more people off.
Appearing on Table for Two with Bruce Bozzi (via THR), Emma Roberts said that most nepo baby attacks are geared towards women in the industry despite there also being prominent males who could fall under the label. “I always joke I’m like, ‘Why is no one calling out George Clooney for being a nepo baby?’ [His aunt] Rosemary Clooney was an icon. Young girls, I feel like, get it harder with the nepo baby thing. I don’t really see people calling out you know, sons of famous actors. Not that they should be called that. I don’t think anyone should be called out wanting to follow their dreams.” Lily-Rose Depp (daughter of Johnny) has also previously called out the damage that the term can do.
While there are still a lot of men that we could say fall under the label – Clooney, Robert Downey Jr., Colin Hanks, Scott Eastwood, etc. – it does seem that more females could be deemed “nepo babies”, however derogatory the intent of the term is. I’m not sure there’s a particular reason for that but regardless of gender, one has to consider if there’s really anything wrong with embracing the leg up. Heck, Maya Hawke recognized that she only got her role in Once Upon a Time in Hollywood because of her mother Uma Thurman’s relationship with Quentin Tarantino.
Emma Roberts would go on to say that there are hidden challenges in being a so-called “nepo baby”. “People like to say, ‘Oh, you know, you have a leg up because you’re a family in the industry.’ But then the other side to that is, you know, you have to prove yourself more. Also, if people don’t have good experience being…with other people in your family, then you’ll never get a chance.”
Why do you think more females are called “nepo baby” than men? Is there a bias or are there just more women that meet the criteria? Give us your thoughts below.
Business partners are continuing to ditch Guy “Dr Disrespect” Beahm after multiple reports corroborated allegations that he “sexted” a minor through Twitch, and the streamer himself admitted to conversations that “sometimes leaned too much in the direction of being inappropriate” with someone who was underage. The…
