The 1987 horror classic Hellraiser (watch it HERE) is set to return to theatres next month, as Fathom Events will be bringing a newly remastered 4K version of the film to the big screen on February 5th and 6th – and these screenings will also include an archival interview called Under the Skin: Doug Bradley on Hellraiser, where the iconic actor discusses his first appearance as Pinhead. To see if Hellraiser will be showing in your area, head over to the Fathom Events link.

Written and directed by Clive Barker (based on his own novella The Hellbound Heart), Hellraiser has the following synopsis: Sexual deviant Frank inadvertently opens a portal to hell when he tinkers with a box he bought while abroad. The act unleashes gruesome beings called Cenobites, who tear Frank’s body apart. When Frank’s brother and his wife, Julia, move into Frank’s old house, they accidentally bring what is left of Frank back to life. Frank then convinces Julia, his one-time lover, to lure men back to the house so he can use their blood to reconstruct himself. Here’s the Fathom Events description: Go back to where it all started. Stephen King was once famously quoted as saying, “I have seen the future of horror… his name is Clive Barker.” That future was realized in 1987 with the release of Barker’s directorial debut Hellraiser. Based on his own novella The Hellbound Heart, Barker’s Hellraiser sees Larry (Andrew Robinson) and his wife Julia (Clare Higgins) move into their new home, unaware that something evil lurks beneath the floorboards of the dilapidated house – something that wants human blood… Introducing the world to the iconic Pinhead and his sadistic band of Cenobites, Hellraiser became an instant genre classic upon release and remains one of the most frighteningly original visions in horror. This release will feature the newly remastered 4K version of the film, as well as an archival interview Under the Skin: Doug Bradley on Hellraiser where the iconic actor discusses his first appearance as ‘Pinhead.’

The film stars Clare Higgins, Ashley Laurence, Andrew Robinson, Sean Chapman, Robert Hines, Nicholas Vince, Simon Bamford, Grace Kirby, and Oliver Smith, with Doug Bradley as Pinhead.

Are you a fan of Hellraiser, and will you be catching it on the big screen when Fathom Events brings it back to theatres next month? Let us know by leaving a comment below.

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The last few years have seen Pamela Anderson making headlines for her makeup-free looks but this Awards season has been all about the star’s turn in Gia Coppola’s The Last Showgirl. Playing an aging Vegas showgirl, there are plenty of parallels between Anderson’s own life and the character she’s portraying. It allows her to pull from experience and really bring forth a heartbreaking performance (even if it’s probably not quite good enough to be winning any awards). You can check out Alex’s review HERE.

I was able to talk to the stars of the film, Kiernan Shipka and Brenda Song, to discuss the whirlwind of The Last Showgirl. With the generational theme of the movie, it was interesting to hear their takeaways and what hard truths they had to face. The set really seemed like there was a lot of female empowerment going on, which shouldn’t be a surprise when Jamie Lee Curtis is around. They were both absolutely ecstatic at the praise that Anderson has been getting for the film. But being the massive horror fan that I am, I also had to be sure to congratulate Kiernan on her fantastic turn in Longlegs.

THE LAST SHOWGIRL IS IN THEATERS EVERYWHERE!

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Netflix was building up their series The Witcher, which is inspired by a series of novels by Andrzej Sapkowski, to be a major franchise. In addition to the flagship show, they made the anime film The Witcher: Nightmare of the Wolf and a prequel mini-series called The Witcher: Blood Origin, with another anime movie called The Witcher: Sirens of the Deep and a couple other spin-offs in the works… but now it looks like it’s all winding down. The Witcher season 4 recently wrapped production with Liam Hemsworth taking over the role of Geralt of Rivia from former star Henry Cavill, Netflix announced that season 5 will be the end of the show. And while The Witcher: Sirens of the Deep is set to be released on February 11th, it’s rumored that it might be the last of the spin-offs, with two others, one called The Rats and another a show that would have been aimed at younger viewers, having apparently been scrapped. We’ll have to wait and see if Sirens of the Deep does indeed end up being the last Witcher spin-off, but in the meantime, a trailer for the anime has arrived online and can be seen in the embed above.

The Witcher: Sirens of the Deep is an adaptation of Andrzej Sapkowski’s short story A Little Sacrifice. The movie follows Geralt as he’s hired to investigate a series of attacks in a seaside village, where he finds himself drawn into a centuries-old conflict between humans and merpeople that threatens to erupt into all-out war. The voice of Geralt of Rivia is provided by Doug Cockle, who voiced the character in the Witcher video games. Also in the voice cast are Anya Chalotra as Yennefer, Joey Batey as Jaskier, and Christina Wren as Essi Daven. The film was directed by Kang Hei Chul and written by Mike Ostrowski and Rae Benjamin.

When the project was first announced, Cockle provided the following statement: “I am super excited to announce my return to the world of the Witcher voicing Geralt of Rivia once again, but this time in the upcoming animated feature The Witcher: Sirens of the Deep. It’s been an honor to work with Studio Mir and Netflix on this new animated film, and I’m thrilled to be able to share this next chapter of the White Wolf’s journey with fans of the Witcher universe. Mire taedh aen stráede!”

Are you looking forward to The Witcher: Sirens of the Deep? Take a look at the trailer, then let us know by leaving a comment below.

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The horror thriller The Woman in the Yard, which is coming our way from Blumhouse Productions, Universal Pictures, and director Jaume Collet-Serra, was once set to reach theatres on January 10, 2025, but then it bumped off the Universal release slate entirely to make room for another Blumhouse / Universal collaboration, the Wolf Man reboot directed by Leigh Whannell. Wolf Man is now scheduled for a January 17 release, with The Woman in the Yard following on March 28th – and with that date just a couple of months away, the trailer for The Woman in the Yard (which will probably be attached to Wolf Man as well) has dropped online. You can watch it in the embed above.

The Woman in the Yard has been written by Sam Stefanak, who was previously a staff writer and story editor on the Netflix animated series F Is for Family. Details on the story have been kept under wraps but, as the trailer confirms, the film will show us what happens when a woman in black appears on a family’s front lawn and delivers a chilling warning. No one knows where she came from, what she wants, or when she will leave.

Danielle Deadwyler of The Devil to Pay and Till, Okwui Okpokwasili of The Exorcist: Believer and I Am Legend, and Russell Hornsby of The Hate U Give and Fences star.

Blumhouse founder Jason Blum told Variety that he has been looking for the right project to do with Collet-Serra for over a decade. He said, “The Woman in the Yard is the perfect match, a film that’s ambitious in scope but modest in budget that combines Jaume’s vision with the incomparable Danielle Deadwyler.“

Blum and Stephanie Allain are producing the film, while Collet-Serra and Deadwyler executive produce alongside Gabrielle Ebron, Scott Greenberg, and James Mora. Haley Pigman and Jungyoon Kim are overseeing the project for Blumhouse.

Collet-Serra has previously directed the DC Comics-inspired superhero movie Black Adam, Jungle Cruise, The Commuter, The Shallows, Run All Night, Non-Stop, Unknown, Orphan, Goal II: Living the Dream, and the 2005 version of House of Wax. His most recent film was the Netflix thriller Carry On, which was a big hit for the streaming service and also happens to have Deadwyler in the cast.

What did you think of the trailer for The Woman in the Yard? Will you be catching this movie on the big screen in March? Let us know by leaving a comment below.

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Netflix has now dropped the second trailer for Back in Action, which stars Jamie Foxx and Cameron Diaz as Matt and Emily, two ex-CIA spies who find themselves dragged back into the world of espionage when their cover is blown. The streaming service also revealed the release date for Back in Action, with the action comedy flick set to premiere on January 17. In this trailer, a family trip gets interrupted as a quick stop turns into a fight for survival and Matt and Emily’s children are now exposed to the life that their parents had before they were born.

The official synopsis from Netflix reads,
“Years after giving up life as CIA spies to start a family, Emily and Matt find themselves dragged back into the world of espionage when their cover is blown. Back in Action is directed by Seth Gordon (Horrible Bosses, Baywatch), from a script he co-wrote with Brendan O’Brien.” In addition to Jamie Foxx and Cameron Diaz, Back in Action also stars Glenn Close, Kyle Chandler, Andrew Scott, Jamie Demetriou, McKenna Roberts, and Rylan Jackson.

After working together on Any Given Sunday and Annie, Foxx has said that he was eager to team up with Diaz once more. “A lot of people don’t know this, but after Cameron and I did Any Given Sunday and Annie together, we became friends in real life — and I’ve been begging her to come play with me again,” Foxx said. “We all know there’s just something about her…” Diaz responded, “I couldn’t have asked for a better partner, on-screen and off.“

Back in Action is Cameron Diaz’s first movie in a decade. The actress hasn’t appeared in a movie since the Annie remake in 2014 (which also starred Jamie Foxx), as she had decided to retire from the industry to focus on her family. Although there were rumblings that she might step back into retirement following this movie, she did take a role in Outcome, a black comedy starring Keanu Reeves and Jonah Hill for Apple TV+.

During the final week of production on Back in Action, Jamie Foxx experienced a “medical complication” and was rushed to hospital. Foxx has since partnered with Netflix to tell his story in a newly released comedy special, What Had Happened Was…

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Seven years went from the time when director Coralie Fargeat made her feature directorial debut with a very cool revenge movie that was appropriately titled Revenge – you can read our 8/10 review of the film at THIS LINK – and when she came back with an “explosive feminist take on body horror” called The Substance, which stars Demi Moore (Ghost) and Margaret Qualley (Once Upon a Time in Hollywood). Fargeat’s second movie was worth the wait (you can read our 9/10 review HERE), and has been streaming on the MUBI service since Halloween. Now, MUBI has shared a making-of featurette that goes behind the scenes for The Substance for 28 minutes, and you can check it out in the embed above!

The film is gory, but also humorous, and it’s quite a wild ride. Here’s the official synopsis: It generates another you. A new, younger, more beautiful, more perfect you. And there’s only one rule: You share time. One week for you. One week for the new you. Seven days each. A perfect balance. Easy. Right? If you respect the balance… what could possibly go wrong? The Substance has been rated R for strong bloody violent content, gore, graphic nudity and language.

A press release provides more information: Demi Moore gives a career best performance as Elisabeth Sparkle, a former A-lister past her prime and suddenly fired from her fitness TV show by repellent studio head Harvey. She is then drawn to the opportunity presented by a mysterious new drug: THE SUBSTANCE. All it takes is one injection and she is reborn – temporarily – as the gorgeous, twentysomething Sue (Margaret Qualley). The only rule? Time needs to be split: exactly one week in one body, then one week in the other. No exceptions. A perfect balance. What could go wrong? Deliriously entertaining and ruthlessly satirical, Coralie Fargeat’s Cannes sensation turns toxic beauty culture inside out with a be-careful-what-you-wish-for fable for the ages. Explosive, provocative and twisted, THE SUBSTANCE marks the arrival of a thrillingly visionary filmmaker.

Moore and Qualley are joined in the cast by Dennis Quaid (Lawmen: Bass Reeves), who plays the studio head Harvey. At one point, Ray Liotta was attached to appear in the film as well, but he passed away soon after his casting was announced. He was replaced by Quaid, who dedicated his performance to Liotta.

Eric Fellner and Tim Bevan produced The Substance for the company Working Title. Alexandra Loewy of Working Title and Nicolas Royer of A Good Story serve as executive producers.

If you’d like to catch The Substance on the big screen, you’ll have another chance soon, as the film is returning to US theatres this Friday, January 17th. Are you a fan of this film, and will you be watching the full making-of featurette? Let us know by leaving a comment below.

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Back in 1984, writers Stephen King and Peter Straub collaborated on the fantasy novel The Talisman, in which a 12-year-old boy named Jack Sawyer goes on a cross-country journey to save the life of his ailing mother – a journey that takes him not just through the American heartland but also through a parallel universe called The Territories. In 2001, King and Straub reteamed for the sequel Black House, which found an adult Jack Sawyer working for the LAPD and travelling to Wisconsin to bring down a serial killer called The Fisherman. There have been rumblings of a third book in the series for a decade now… and even though Straub passed away in 2022, King is sticking with the plan to finish the Jack Sawyer trilogy. Back in October, he wrote on social media, “I’m back in Mid-World…and the Territories. Don’t know if it will develop into anything–I never know–but it’s good to be back.” Now, he has written on Threads, “Beavering away on Talisman 3.“

King went on to add, “Peter Straub had a terrific idea (for The Talisman 3) before passing away. Dual credit, as on The Talisman and Black House. But as always, I can never be sure a book will be done until it is. This one has a long way to go.” When a fan asked if he’s going to be channeling his “inner Straub” while writing this book, King said, “Absolutely.“

Several years ago, it was said that Straub and King knew exactly what the third book in the Talisman series was going to be, and the idea was something related to a famous real world story that both authors kept scrapbooks about when they were young. The specifics have never been revealed, and it’s not clear if that’s the same idea King is pushing forward now.

The adaptation rights to The Talisman have been in the hands of Steven Spielberg for more than forty years, ever since Spielberg got a look at the manuscript when it was still a work-in-progress and talked Universal Pictures into buying him the rights forever, not just an adaptation option that would eventually expire. At one point, Spielberg was planning to direct the adaptation himself, but he eventually decided he would just produce it. In the early 2000s, the project was set up as a six-hour TNT miniseries with Ehren Kruger (Reindeer Games) writing the scripts… but TNT wasn’t comfortable with the high budget. At another point, Josh Boone (the recent The Stand miniseries) was attached to write and direct. Then Chris Sparling (Buried) was writing the screenplay for a feature film adaptation, with Mike Barker (The Handmaid’s Tale) on board to direct. For the last few years, Stranger Things creators The Duffer Brothers have been developing a series adaptation of The Talisman for the Netflix streaming service.

King has previously said that if he did write The Talisman 3, it would be “a long book”. Which makes sense, because its predecessors The Talisman and Black House were both over 600 pages. Since he’s in the early stages of it now, it might be a while before we hear anything more about the book… although, with King tending to write 6 pages / 2000 words a day, it might not take him as long to knock this one out as you might expect.

Are you glad to hear that Stephen King is writing The Talisman 3? Let us know by leaving a comment below.

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The comedy improv game show Whose Line is it Anyway? became a big hit in the States in the late 90s. So much so that ABC was confident enough to put up against the sitcom juggernaut Friends at one point. The show continued on with a revival on The CW, but some audiences may remember its origin in the UK that was shown on the BBC, which also played on Comedy Central before it was remade on this side of the pond. One of the standout comedians in the UK version was British comedian Tony Slattery. Deadline is now reporting that Slattery has died at the age of 65 due to a heart attack.

His passing would be confirmed by his family to the BBC. His partner, Mark Michael Hutchinson, would release a statement that reads, “It is with great sadness we must announce actor and comedian Tony Slattery, aged 65, has passed away today, Tuesday morning, following a heart attack on Sunday evening.” Slattery is survived by Hutchinson, who was his partner for more than three decades.

American audiences may be familiar with the Whose Line cast, which includes Ryan Stiles, Colin Mocherie, Brad Sherwood and Greg Proops. These cast members would also appear in the original Whose Line incarnation, which was hosted by English chat show host Clive Anderson. For those who are familiar with the performers’ talent at improv, Slattery was a comedian who could match his wits with them in every chaotic scenario in any given game. He was a frequent “host” of the Party Quirks segment, where his confusion from the other performers’ prompts would elicit large laughs from the audience. Slattery had appeared on Britain’s version of Whose Line is it Anyway? for seven seasons.

Slattery was on a path to success as he joined the comedy Footlights group when he attended Cambridge University and eventually became the president. He would work with notable names in that group, which included Stephen Fry, Hugh Laurie and Emma Thompson. Slattery would break into TV work on shows like O.T.T., Saturday Stayback and also went on to appear on a number of panel shows before becoming a regular performer on Whose Line is it Anyway? He also made appearances in films like The Crying Game, To Die For, Peter’s Friends, The Wedding Tackle and How to Get Ahead in Advertising.

The comedian had also garnered an Olivier Award nomination for Best Comedy Performance, thanks to his role as Gordon in Tim Firth’s Neville’s Island. Slattery had recently been touring with a comedy show and hosting a podcast, Tony Slattery’s Rambling Club.

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On January 1, 2024, the earliest versions of Mickey Mouse – seen in the animated shorts Plane Crazy, The Gallopin’ Gaucho, and most famously Steamboat Willie – became public domain… which, of course, means we’re now going to get multiple horror movies that feature characters inspired by Mickey Mouse. Within the first three days of the year, we saw the short film The Vanishing of S.S. Willie, a trailer for the slasher movie Mickey’s Mouse Trap, and an announcement that Terrifier 2 producers Steven Della Salla and Michael Leavy and director Steven LaMorte, who previously made the Grinch-inspired horror movie The Mean One, were teaming up for a Steamboat Willie-inspired horror flick that we now know is titled Screamboat. The film had been aiming for a January 2025 release, but now Iconic Events Releasing has announced (through Variety) that they’ll be releasing it sometime in April – and while doing so, they revealed an image of the killer Steamboat Willie / Mickey Mouse! You can check it out at the bottom of this article.

David Howard Thornton, who plays Art the Clown in the Terrifier films and brought the horror version of the Grinch to life in The Mean One, is playing the horror version of Steamboat Willie in Screamboat. Thornton is joined in the cast by Allison Pittel (Stream), Amy Schumacher (The Mean One), Jesse Posey (Teen Wolf), Jesse Kove (Cobra Kai), Rumi C Jean-Louis (Hightown), Jarlath Conroy (George A. Romero’s Day of the Dead), and Charles Edwin Powell (The Exorcist III). Filming is set to take place this summer, and the press release promises the movie will “feature a number of yet-to-be-announced cameo appearances.”

Screamboat will tell the story of a mischievous mouse that stalks a group of New Yorkers on a late night ferry ride, unleashing murderous mayhem on a relaxing commute. Can the ship’s motley crew of travelers find a way to stop a killer creature who has developed a taste for tourists? A previous press release told us LaMorte and the producers are “promising buckets of blood and unhinged chaos as their miniature mouse attacks a group of ferry commuters against the unmistakable backdrop of New York City’s iconic skyline. Screamboat will feature a mix of practical creature effects, miniatures, and cutting edge virtual production to showcase its very mischievous monster slashing his way through a ferry of fear.”

LaMorte is producing Screamboat with Amy Schumacher, Martine Melloul, and the previously mentioned Steven Della Salla and Michael Leavy. Kali Pictures, Sleight of Hand Productions, Reckless Content, and Julien Didon serve as executive producers. The director provided the following statement: “I’m thrilled to be working on Screamboat with such a killer cast from horror legends to comedy icons. David Howard Thornton is bringing our mischievous and murderous take on Steamboat Willie to life like never before. I can’t wait for audiences to laugh and scream with us onboard Screamboat!“ Thornton added: “I’m beyond excited to join this incredible cast and bring Steamboat Willie to life with a horror twist. Screamboat is going to be a horrific and hilarious big screen thrill ride that fans won’t want to miss.“

Speaking with Variety, LaMorte said, “I’m so excited to share our mischievous monster mouse with the world. Screamboat is my way of paying homage to Disney while putting a sinister, yet comedic twist on the classic. Watching David Howard Thornton bring Steamboat Willie to life with the magicians at Quantum Creation FX has been nothing short of amazing — he’s hilarious and murderously entertaining. I can’t wait for audiences to meet Willie and experience the chaos we’ve created.” Variety notes that the practical effects used to transform Thornton into the murderous mouse were designed by Christian Cordella and built by Quantum Creation.

While we wait for Iconic Events Releasing to confirm the specific release date for Screamboat, Variety has been able to learn that several pre-screening events will take place across the U.S. before we reach the April release date, and the movie will also be promoted at various horror conventions.

Are you looking forward to Screamboat? Take a look at the image of the killer mouse, then let us know by leaving a comment below.

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“Live from New York, it’s Saturday night!” The iconic line has been said by countless people, but not once has Michael Shannon delivered it on SNL. That would seem just about right, but as it turns out, Shannon isn’t against the idea of hosting should Lorne Michaels ever actually ask.

Michael Shannon recently sat down for Interview alongside Austin Butler (who hosted SNL in 2022), with the latter saying that Jeff Nichols (a frequent Shannon collaborator who recently directed both men in The Bikeriders) told him he was an excellent improviser, thus making him a good fit for Saturday Night Live. But as Shannon pointed out, “They have never asked me…They’ve never asked me once…I mean, at this point, I’m like, there’s a statute of limitations, man. If I did do it, I’d have to bitch about how long it took for them to ask me to do it. But yeah, I’d do it.” For what it’s worth, Shannon has no relation to former SNL cast member Molly Shannon, so so much for that in.

Michael Shannon also noted that his Chicago ties (he grew up around the ‘burbs) might lend to an SNL gig. “I mean, I know so many people that have been on that show, and I came up acting in Chicago. My theater that I’m a member of is a block away from Second City, and we all used to go to the same bar, all them improv folks.” Remember, Shannon made his big screen debut in Groundhog Day alongside SNL alum Bill Murray…but we see him more excited for WrestleMania tickets than hosting Saturday Night Live. If he did get the job, Shannon could even double up his duties and also serve as musical guest, as he plays in an R.E.M. cover band.

You might not immediately think of comedy — let alone SNL — when you think of Michael Shannon (maybe it’s the face or menacing voice?) but the guy has popped up in movies like The Night Before and They Came Together and you get a pretty good idea that he’s got the chops. He could definitely play off of his trademark style in some sketches, too.

Do you think Michael Shannon would make a good SNL host?

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