Writer/director Damien Leone had a budget of around $55,000 to work with on his breakout horror film Terrifier, and a budget of “a little over” $250,000 for Terrifier 2, which was a massive hit when it was released in 2022, earning $15.1 million at the box office. Since the second film did so well, Terrifier 3 has a substantially higher budget. A “couple million” is going into this one, and we’re going to get the chance to see how that translates to the screen when the film receives a theatrical release on October 11th. With that date right around the corner, our friends at Bloody Disgusting have unveiled six new posters from the film, all of which were designed by Creepy Duck. You can check them out at the bottom of this article.
Terrifier 3 has the following synopsis: Art the Clown is set to unleash chaos on the unsuspecting residents of Miles County as they peacefully drift off to sleep on Christmas Eve. Here’s some more information: After surviving Art the Clown’s Halloween massacre, Sienna and her brother are struggling to rebuild their shattered lives. As the holiday season approaches, they try to embrace the Christmas spirit and leave the horrors of the past behind. But just when they think they’re safe, Art the Clown returns, determined to turn their holiday cheer into a new nightmare. The festive season quickly unravels as Art unleashes his twisted brand of terror, proving that no holiday is safe.
Speaking with USA Today, Leone revealed that the new sequel takes place five years after the events of Terrifier 2.
David Howard Thornton reprises the role of Art the Clown, a character who was first introduced in Leone’s 2013 anthology All Hallows’ Eve (although Thornton didn’t start playing him until Terrifier). Also in the cast are Lauren LaVera, who’s back as Terrifier 2 heroine Sienna; Elliot Fullam returns as Sienna’s brother Jonathan, Samantha Scaffidi is returning as Terrifier and Terrifier 2 character Victoria Heyes, and Daniel Roebuck, who has been cast in the role of Santa Claus. FX legend Tom Savini will also be showing up, in an unspecified role. The same goes for Jon Abrahams, Antonella Rose, Krsy Fox, and legendary character actor Clint Howard. Chris Jericho, who had a cameo in Terrifier 2, is back in Terrifier 3 – but he has let everyone know that his appearance in the film won’t last very long.
Are you looking forward to Terrifier 3? Take a look at the new poster, then let us know by leaving a comment below.
The roaring has begun yet again for Lioness, the Paramoint+ thriller from one of the current kings of television, Taylor Sheridan. Today, Paramount+ released the trailer for season 2 of Lioness, which will bit the streaming service on October 27th.
Lioness — which you may have also seen as Special Ops: Lioness – had a wildly successful debut season last year, proving to have Paramount+’s most-watched premiere at that time. With that — and the massive fanbase Sheridan has amassed — no doubt there is hype for season two. Heck, the follow-up season was confirmed before the first even premiered, just to give an idea of how much stake Paramount has in Sheridan.
As per Paramount+: “In season two, as the CIA’s fight against terror moves closer to home, Joe (Zoe Saldaña), Kaitlyn (Nicole Kidman), and Byron (Michael Kelly) enlist a new Lioness operative to infiltrate a previously unknown threat. With pressure mounting from all sides, Joe is forced to confront the profound personal sacrifices she has made as the leader of the Lioness program.” The cast also features Laysla De Oliveira, Genesis Rodriguez, Dave Annable, Jill Wagner, LaMonica Garrett, James Jordan, Austin Hébert, Jonah Wharton, Thad Luckinbill and Hannah Love Lanier.
Like the debut season, season two of Lioness will consist of eight episodes.
Our own Alex Maidy praised Lioness last year in an 8/10 review, concluding it with, “Few series have hooked me after one episode the way Special Ops: Lioness has and I cannot wait to see more.”
Outside of Lioness, Taylor Sheridan of course is keeping extremely busy, as he not only has his ever-expanding Yellowstone saga but also Mayor of Kingstown and Tulsa King, both of which have proven hits with and solidified his relationship with Paramount+. Season three of Mayor of Kingstown wrapped last month, while season two of Tulsa King debuted just this week and is set to conclude in mid-November. As for Yellowstone, the final episodes are set to air beginning on November 10th.
Are you a fan of Lioness? Will you be checking out the sophomore season? Chime in in the comments section below.
As Jason Reitman’s film about the chaotic first episode of Saturday Night Live premieres this year, the show itself returns for its 50th season. There may likely be some meta-humor displayed to coincide with the release of the film, Saturday Night, as it celebrates its origins and is getting early positive buzz. In his review, our EIC, Chris Bumbray stated, “For a movie that’s so short, Saturday Night has a lot to unpack in it, as there’s just so much going on at every second. It’s a somewhat stressful movie to watch, but its frenzied energy makes it the perfect big-screen version of the show, and a movie I’m sure most SNL players, both past and present, will praise as being pretty accurate. It’s one of Reitman’s best movies.”
The NBC sketch comedy institution has recently announced its slate of hosts this season, per Variety. As Beetlejuice Beetlejuice becomes an early hit for the spooky season, Michael Keaton has been tapped to host the show for the fourth time. Keaton first hosted back in 1982 and would be back in 1992, presumably to promote Batman Returns. Then, Keaton’s resurgence in the past few years got to bring him back to host in 2015. This year, Keaton’s appearance capitalizes on Beetlejuice Beetlejuice, while he also has a new film, Goodrich, which is set for release on October 18. Keaton’s musical guest will be Billie Eilish as she promotes her 2024 album Hit Me Hard and Soft.
Jean Smart is set to open the season on September 28 with musical guest Jelly Roll. Other hosts this year will include Ariana Grande, who will have Stevie Nicks as her musical guest. Comedian Nate Bargatze will be hosting the show amid his fall comedy tour, the “Be Funny Tour,” with Coldplay providing the musical segments. And John Mulaney is also set to return and host this November as his musical guest is Chappell Roan. This will be Mulaney’s sixth time hosting after serving as a writer on the show. He will be promoting his newly opening Broadway play, All In: Comedy About Love, which is due to start on December 11.
When we think of monsters on this channel, most of the time its from a fictional, mythical, or legendary monster like the Mummy, Wolfman, Dracula, or Frankenstein’s Monster. On this specific show, however, a Monster can take on a whole new meaning. I joke that half of these episodes will be about reportedly true possessions and while that will probably hold fast, there is another type of monster we have discussed a few times. The guy that loosely inspired the Scream killings, Henry from Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer, and today’s subject Aileen Wuornos. The movie made about her is literally called Monster and put director Patty Jenkins and star Charlize Theron, at least in terms of her being seen as an A list actor who can actually act, on the map. It’s a straightforward telling of a murderer that of course adds nuance and even audience empathy to the cinematic version. It has the vaunted “Based on a true story” moniker slapped on to it but how accurate is the tale of the tape vs the real events? Be careful who you pick up hitchhiking as we find out what REALLY happened to Monster.
Relative unknown Patty Jenkins had only 2 short films to her name when she decided to write a screenplay based on Aileen Wuornos who was one of the most notorious female serial killers of the 20th century. She wrote the script in only seven weeks and then was on the hunt for who could play her characters. Even though the movie came out AFTER Wuornos was executed, Jenkins was able to speak with her and was even given access to hundreds of letters. This was a huge get for the production and writing as Wuornos was usually very uncooperative. To play this powerful character, Jenkins had a few options in mind. She screen tested Kate Winslet, Heather Graham, Brittany Murphy, and Kate Beckinsale. Reese Witherspoon made her intentions known that she wanted to play the role, but the decision came down to a fateful late-night movie that was playing when Jenkins woke up.
Seeing Charlize Theron’s performance in The Devil’s Advocate sealed the deal for Jenkins and Theron was taken aback but very excited to play the part. She would even founded Denver and Delilah Films to help produce the movie. This would pay off in spades as the movie was made for 1.5 million and brought back a whopping 64 million at the box office. Mix that in with rave reviews and Oscar gold for Charlize and I’d say that was a great decision. While this movie is horrifying, Theron has other traditional horror movies to her name like the previously mentioned Devils Advocate, The Astronaut’s Wife, and her first movie was one of those damned straight to video Children of the Corn sequels. Oh, and Prometheus.
For the role of Wuornos’s girlfriend and unwitting pawn, Kate Hudson was originally offered the role but turned it down. Cristina Ricci was cast and she had already done a good job shedding her child acting perception with movies like Buffalo 66, The Opposite of Sex, and Prozac Nation, but this movie showed her ability to act. It didn’t garner the same awards as Theron but Roger Ebert called it brilliant. Other horror under her belt includes Sleepy Hollow, Bless the Child, Cursed, and After Life. Of course, she is also an icon as Wednesday Addams in her two live action portrayals. The rest of the cast is no slouch either with Bruce Dern, Lee Tergesen, Scott Wilson, and Pruitt Taylor Vince in smaller roles. Heck, we even get none other than Kane Hodder as an undercover agent. It was released on Christmas Eve in 2003 and as stated killed it for audiences and critics alike.
The movie opens with Aileen narrating about her early life and her dreams. On the screen we see a far less positive portrayal of Aileen’s troubled home and school live followed by prostitution at a young age. It cuts to present day Aileen who has a few dollars in one hand and a gun in the other thinking of ending it all. She ends up in a gay club to get a beer and meets Selby Wall. She says she has a pressure washing business but is visibly offended by Selby’s companionship and makes her pay for their booze. They end up having a great time together and close the place down. Aileen has nowhere to go and ends up staying at Selby’s house before she ruses out in the morning when Selby’s family almost catches them. Aileen agrees to meet up with Selby at the Moonlight later that day.
(Factometer 50%) The movie’s goal is to show just before Aileen went on her killing spree all the way up to her capture and incarceration but it does have hints of what happened to her beforehand. Aileen was born in Michigan in 1956 but never met her father who was put in jail for life and hung himself while there. Aileen and her brother Keith were abandoned and left with their grandparents who unfortunately were both alcoholics and had other problems as well. As early as the age of 11 she began trading sexual favors for food, money, and cigarettes and even began having intimate relations with her own brother. Her own grandfather would also assault her in the same way as well as beat her and eventually kicked her out of the house after she became pregnant from a family friend. She gave birth in a women’s home and gave the child up for adoption. Just like the movie states, she moved throughout the country supporting herself via prostitution. There was a marriage that we never heard about and a lot of other incidents before she finally met 24-year-old Tyria Moore who was a hotel maid. This is who is portrayed as Selby in the movie, but Moore was very private and didn’t want anything to do with the movie.
Aileen heads to a storage unit that she is living out of and is fed by Thomas who may be her only real friend besides Selby. The two meet up at a roller-skating rink where Aileen tells Selby all about her prostitution and what men want. They skate together and eventually kiss but someone staying with Selby sees them. Aileen turns some tricks to get money after promising Selby she would see her later and eventually is picked up at 545 pm by one last john. His name is Vincent Corey and instead of just sex, he violently assaults her. Selby waits for Aileen who never comes, and Aileen is able to turn the tables and kill Vincent and take his car. This ends up being the first victim of her spree and completely changes the trajectory of her life.
(Factometer 50%) There is quite a bit in this section that is true to life. Wuornos did live out of a storage shelter for a little bit but while it’s only seen once in the movie, she actually stored some of her victims’ items there before she sold them. Selling the belongings to a pawn shop and having her thumb print taken played a part in her eventual capture. While Aileen was a habitual liar and it was hard to tell fact from fiction from her, its entirely possible that her first victim, real name Richard Charles Mallory, did assault her as she says. He was convicted in the state of Maryland for a similar crime as Wuornos stated happened to her.
Aileen makes it back to Selby and apologizes for not meeting up sooner. Eventually the two leave together and live out of a hotel while dating. They go out, spending the money Aileen made from her work as well as what she stole from the body of her first victim and the two are very much in love. Aileen talks about the baby she had to give up and tries to get a real job from various companies who all turn her down as she has no experience. One man in particular shuts her down in a really rough way which sets her off. She lies to Selby about the experience and about having other opportunities lined up before she is picked up by a cop who makes her pay him back for letting her go in a specific way. She sees a newspaper that shows a picture of the man she killed and that the police have no leads. Aileen Tells Selby what she did because Selby thinks she is using her and says she is going to take care of them.
(Factometer 25%) The two stayed in a hotel and spent money together all-around Florida. It is unknown if Aileen actually attempted employment at the places she claimed because she was a pathological liar and much of her version of things could be hard to prove one way or the other. The police did find the body of the first victim and didn’t have any leads on who the murderer was early on.
Aileen continues he work as a prostitute but now in addition to money, she has made it her mission to kill these men and sees them all as violent monsters. Her second victim is Will followed by a few more. She and Selby go out but have an incident at a restaurant. Selby, who feels isolated and always worrying about Aileen goes out and makes a group of friends at the gay club from the first part of the movie. Aileen is worried at home and is upset that Selby took a car that could be identified but calms down and tries to understand. They go to a carnival where Selby hangs out with friends and mostly ignores Aileen until they ride the Ferris wheel together. The next day while Selby is driving, the car crashes and two elderly witnesses see the pair run off.
(Factometer 50%) Director Patty Jenkins agreed to change Tyria Moore’s name and likeness for her participation. Much of Selby’s character in the movie, apart from being in a relationship with Wuornos was made up to give Ricci more to do. The two did have incidents like the restaurant scene but Moore was a bit of a recluse and didn’t make friends easily. The car being crashed and the two being identified by eyewitnesses is fairly accurate with a woman named Rhonda Bailey seeing the two women abandon the car, a car owned by one of Aileen’s victims, and giving a description to the police.
Selby justifiably freaks out that the cops are coming for them, but Aileen convinces her that they are fine and continues to kill men that pick her up including a retired cop. She has Selby convinced that the killings are self defense and justified. Aileen goes back out and is picked up by a genuinely nice man who isn’t looking for sex. Because Aileen is so self-convinced that all of these men are trying to assault her, she still kills him even when he begs not to. The Police are in hot pursuit now after having a sketch and a general idea of who the two women are. Aileen sends Selby home on a bus to protect her and ends up getting taken into custody by two bounty hunters, one played by Kane Hodder. Aileen confesses that she alone was involved in the murders and during the trial, Selby testifies for the prosecution. The trial ends in a verdict of guilt and a sentence of death by lethal injection.
(Factometer 90%) Wuornos would end up killing 7 men including a retired chief of police, similar to that in the film. She was also arrested in a biker bar in real life similar to what is seen on film and Moore was also brought in to testify so she could save her own name. She was ok with Moore’s seeming betrayal as she truly believed that what they had was love. Wuornos was convicted of 6 counts of murder and sentenced to death where she was killed via lethal injection on October 9th, 2002.
Patty Jenkins changed a handful of details but kept a lot of the tone of Wuornos and her crimes true. Who she was, what she did, and how her life ended were all captured faithfully and Theron more than earned her Oscar for her brilliant and dour portrayal of the serial killer. The movie is a must watch and one of the great depictions of a famous killer ever filmed. Watch the movie and then check out any of the multitude of books and documentaries on the true Florida Monster.
A couple of the previous episodes of What Really Happened to This Horror Movie? can be seen below. To check out the other shows we have on the JoBlo Horror Originals YouTube channel, head over to the channel – and subscribe while you’re there!
The A24 horror film Heretic, which is coming our way from the writing and directing duo of Scott Beck and Bryan Woods, is set to receive a wide theatrical release on November 15th. The first trailer for the film made its way online a few months ago, and now that we’re just two months away from the release date, a second trailer has now been unveiled. You can check it out in the embed above.
Hugh Grant – whose credits include Notting Hill, Love Actually, Wonka, and Unfrosted – stars in Heretic, which has the following synopsis: Two young missionaries are forced to prove their faith when they knock on the wrong door and are greeted by a diabolical Mr. Reed (Hugh Grant), becoming ensnared in his deadly game of cat-and-mouse.
Grant has previously said that he finds villain roles to be “more fun” to play, explaining why he has chosen to play the villain in this scenario. It should be very interesting to watch him take on a diabolic role in a horror movie, and the trailers give a nice preview of the performance he has delivered. He is joined in the cast of Heretic by Chloe East (The Fabelmans) and Sophie Thatcher (Yellowjackets) as the missionaries.
Grant hasn’t done much horror in his career, but he did have a role in Ken Russell’s Bram Stoker-inspired supernatural horror comedy The Lair of the White Worm back in 1988.
Beck and Woods’ previous credits include A Quiet Place (they wrote the original script), Haunt (as writers/directors), Nightlight (writers/directors), Spread (writers/directors), the “Adam Driver vs. dinosaurs” movie 65 (writers/directors), and an episode of 50 States of Fright (writers/directors). They also (alongside Mark Heyman) received writing credits on the Stephen King adaptation The Boogeyman – which happened to star Sophie Thatcher, who turned in a great performance in a movie I thought was just okay overall.
JoBlo’s own Chris Bumbray had the opportunity to watch Heretic earlier this month and gave the movie a 7/10 review that can be read at THIS LINK. He said Grant “radiates fiendishly clever intelligence, and he’s given a sadistic streak I didn’t see coming, which feels bold for a mainstream horror flick.”
What did you think of the second trailer for Heretic? Will you be watching this movie when it’s released in November? Let us know by leaving a comment below.
Earlier this year, a sad truth for fans of Monty Python was unveiled when a feud between members Eric Idle and John Cleese was made public. Idle would profess that the brand had been mismanaged due to Cleese firing former manager Jim Beach and appointing Terry Gilliam’s daughter, Holly, in the position. Eric Idle revealed that funds have dried up from his Monty Python days, writing, “I don’t know why people always assume we’re loaded. Python is a disaster. Spamalot made money 20 years ago. I have to work for my living. Not easy at this age.”
Back in February, Idle made it clear on social media when he posted, “I don’t mind but once they put Gilliams daughter in as Manager and Cleese fires Jim Beach, well it’s over.” A fan responded to the situation by inquiring why other members didn’t get a say on the management replacement decision. Deadline reports that recently, Cleese fired back by saying Idle’s explanation was invented by him. Cleese posted, “This is an invention. Jim, who was an old friend of mine from Cambridge days, became Python manager after the O2 show. About four years ago he suffered a bad stroke and subsequently resigned as our manager. His number 2, Holly Gilliam, automatically took over as Python manager.”
This is an invention
Jim, who was an old friend of mine from Cambridge days, became Python manager after the O2 show
About four years ago he suffered a bad stroke and subsequently resigned as our manager
His number 2, Holly Gilliam, automatically took over as Python manager https://t.co/SsucYmnXkQ
Idle had elaborated on his comments from February, saying, “We own everything we ever made in Python and I never dreamed that at this age the income streams would tail off so disastrously. But I guess if you put a Gilliam child in as your manager you should not be so surprised. One Gilliam is bad enough. Two can take out any company.” Idle also confirmed that it was indeed Gilliam that forbids a Spamalot movie from happening.
Monty Python would have numerous reunions following their official 1983 split, including Monty Python Live (Mostly): One Down, Five to Go in 2014, which was notably missing Graham Chapman (as alluded to in the title). Terry Jones would pass away in 2020, leaving just four original members today. That event would also mark one of the last times Eric Idle spoke to John Cleese. As he also wrote, “I haven’t seen Cleese for seven years…It makes me happy.”
How would you define “locked in”? Sure, we know it’s a matter of staying focused on the task and letting nothing get in your way. But how would we describe that in movies and TV? What examples would you give? Well, in a recent social media trend, fans are putting their money on some of the biggest names in the history of entertainment.
Last week, X user jayjjalen asked followers to “define ‘locked in’”, resulting in millions of views and thousands of replies. The real catch here is that the “locked in” phase must have been consecutive and uninterrupted. In other words, if there was one slip-up via a box office bomb or creative flop, it doesn’t count – that is, they weren’t truly “locked in.”
There have been a lot of awesome answers in the thread, with some saying Jim Carrey’s 1994 triple header of Ace Ventura, The Mask and Dumb and Dumber is unbeatable in the discussion of “locked in”. Those more on the fringe went with John Carpenter’s 1976-1988 run (sorry, Dark Star!), which kicked off with Assault on Precinct 13 and concluded with They Live.
As far as actors go, no doubt Tom Cruise has to be in the running, with Risky Business, All the Right Moves, Legend, Top Gun, The Color of Money, Cocktail, Rain Man, and Born on the Fourth of July all released consecutively. One could also make the argument that Days of Thunder also deserves mention, but no doubt the streak stalled with 1992’s Far and Away. And with Cruise being Cruise, he went on another tear immediately after, kicking it off with A Few Good Men and carrying that through to at least Magnolia.
Another Tom (that is, Hanks) went wild in the ‘90s and into the early ‘00s, kicking off his run with 1992’s A League of Their Own and ending it with Catch Me If You Can through a series of box office hits and Oscar nominations.
On the director side of things, who would be against putting James Cameron in the “locked in” conversation with The Terminator, Aliens, The Abyss, T2, True Lies, and Titanic? And, really, the only reason not to include Avatar is because it came more than a decade after Titanic, which is far from feeling “locked in”. A similar case could be made for Stanley Kubrick, whose entire filmography is nearly flawless but he wasn’t exactly the most prolific guy. Also on the classic front, I’ll toss in the 1951-1963 run for Alfred Hitchcock, especially by releasing Vertigo, North by Northwest, Psycho, and The Birds within a five-year span.
There are a lot of different avenues to explore in the discussion of most “locked in” actors and directors. So, give us your picks and defend your choices in the comments section below!
How would you define “locked in”? Sure, we know it’s a matter of staying focused on the task and letting nothing get in your way. But how would we describe that in movies and TV? What examples would you give? Well, in a recent social media trend, fans are putting their money on some of the biggest names in the history of entertainment.
Last week, X user jayjjalen asked followers to “define ‘locked in’”, resulting in millions of views and thousands of replies. The real catch here is that the “locked in” phase must have been consecutive and uninterrupted. In other words, if there was one slip-up via a box office bomb or creative flop, it doesn’t count – that is, they weren’t truly “locked in.”
There have been a lot of awesome answers in the thread, with some saying Jim Carrey’s 1994 triple header of Ace Ventura, The Mask and Dumb and Dumber is unbeatable in the discussion of “locked in”. Those more on the fringe went with John Carpenter’s 1976-1988 run (sorry, Dark Star!), which kicked off with Assault on Precinct 13 and concluded with They Live.
As far as actors go, no doubt Tom Cruise has to be in the running, with Risky Business, All the Right Moves, Legend, Top Gun, The Color of Money, Cocktail, Rain Man, and Born on the Fourth of July all released consecutively. One could also make the argument that Days of Thunder also deserves mention, but no doubt the streak stalled with 1992’s Far and Away. And with Cruise being Cruise, he went on another tear immediately after, kicking it off with A Few Good Men and carrying that through to at least Magnolia.
Another Tom (that is, Hanks) went wild in the ‘90s and into the early ‘00s, kicking off his run with 1992’s A League of Their Own and ending it with Catch Me If You Can through a series of box office hits and Oscar nominations.
On the director side of things, who would be against putting James Cameron in the “locked in” conversation with The Terminator, Aliens, The Abyss, T2, True Lies, and Titanic? And, really, the only reason not to include Avatar is because it came more than a decade after Titanic, which is far from feeling “locked in”. A similar case could be made for Stanley Kubrick, whose entire filmography is nearly flawless but he wasn’t exactly the most prolific guy. Also on the classic front, I’ll toss in the 1951-1963 run for Alfred Hitchcock, especially by releasing Vertigo, North by Northwest, Psycho, and The Birds within a five-year span.
There are a lot of different avenues to explore in the discussion of most “locked in” actors and directors. So, give us your picks and defend your choices in the comments section below!
Plot: After traveling to Jötunheimr in search of his brother Loki and finding the giants uncooperative, Thor lays waste to the entire population, save for the human-sized giant Sigrid and her fabled warrior lover, Leif. Together, they vow revenge against the gods, sparking a war that brings about the death of the Æsir and Vanir in the ultimate battle against evil.
Review: Have you ever watched superhero movies and thought, “Sure, those Norse gods seem cool, but I really expected them to be… I don’t know… bloodier?” Forget Chris Hemsworth’s jubilant quips and Mimir’s witticisms from Sony’s God of War: Ragnarok. The gods, born from humankind’s imaginations and stories, reflect our lust for power, carnal desires, and hubris. Whereas most of Hollywood’s portrayal of the gods offer tempered, toothless, and sanitized versions of literature’s all-powerful chess pieces made flesh, Twilight of Gods reminds us of how cruel, cocksure, and Machiavellian Odin and his offspring can be.
Allow me to cut to the quick here. Twilight of the Gods hits like a mighty strike from Brokkr’s enchanted blacksmithing hammer. Created by Zack Snyder, Eric Carrasco, and Jay Oliva, with animation by Xilam Animation, Twilight of the Gods tells the epic saga of Sigrid (Sylvia Hoeks), a human-sized giant from the frostbitten crags of Jötunheimr. When Thor, searching for his brother Loki, massacres Sigrid’s people in a fit of rage, unknowingly leaving Sigrid and her beloved Leif (Stuart Martin) to the crows, the God of Thunder sparks a war to rival Ragnarok as Sigrid seeks revenge.
To help bring about the end of Thor’s miserable life, Sigrid assembles a team of gifted warriors, beginning with Egill (Rahul Kohli), a talented storyteller and magic user with an open mind concerning pleasures of the flesh, Hervor (Birgitte Hjort Sørensen), a battle-hardened warrior with a mouth like a sailor who longs to reunite with her fallen sons in Valhallah, Seid-Kona (Jamie Clayton), a witch and seer with immense power, Ulfer (Peter Stormare), a fierce and feral warrior in wolf’s clothing who longs for a better end to a life drenched in blood and sorrow, Andvari (Kirstopher Hivju) the Dwarven blacksmith out to avenge his fallen friends, and Thyra (Thea Sofie Loch Næss) the surrogate daughter of the leader of the Vanir.
One of the highest compliments I can pay Twilight of the Gods is the writing team’s execution of character. Every member of Sigrid’s party is enigmatic, engaging, and given multiple times to shine across the eight-episode saga. Whether it’s Sigrid struggling to balance her sense of duty to her people with her loyalty and longing for Lief, Ulfer contemplating the sins of his past, Egill and Seif-Kona battling against fate to remain together, or Hervor looking to earn her way into the heavens for reunion and redemption, all are fully fleshed out characters worth investing in.
Loki (Paterson Joseph) is a personal favorite character of mine. Never to be trusted, Loki represents a tragic figure among the gods, forever scheming but with noble cause for his deceit. Fittingly, Loki is at the source of every lie, every hot-blooded longing to bury a blade, and the one who whispers to strike when we hold the life of another in our hands. Loki’s complex storyline is one of the best threads to follow throughout Twilight of the Gods, with his and Sigrid’s plotting and deception resulting in some of the show’s best twists.
The animation in Twilight of the Gods is staggeringly beautiful at all times. While the series boasts a unique look, its style combines elements of Samurai Jack and Cartoon Saloon’s The Secret of Kells. The result is something memorable, vibrant, and bold. Regardless of what realm you visit, there’s a gorgeous atmosphere, wondrous creatures and deities to behold, and enemies lurking and listening from within the shadows.
Understand this: Twilight of the Gods is not for the faint of heart. This animation is as mature as it gets, with gory violence, full-frontal nudity, coarse language, and sex scenes unafraid to give another meaning to “thrusting one’s blade.” However, it’s with an overwhelming amount of surprise that I say the show presents all matters concerning sex, nudity, and open relationships with care, inclusivity, and passion. In Twilight of the Gods, the adult elements are respectfully portrayed and non-gratuitous, with some being as hot as Hel.
Speaking of violence, let us talk of Thor (Pilou Asbæk), the God of Thunder and an unrelentingly repugnant villain in Twilight of the Gods. You won’t find Marvel’s Seductive Lord of Thunder here. Instead, Asbæk’s Thor is a hedonistic, self-absorbed, and abusive figure whose ability to inflict pain on others knows no bounds. Thor destroys Sigrid’s entire family and community without batting an eye. For Thor, this unfathomable slaughter is another easily forgotten act in a busy week of excessive drinking and spreading his seed. For Sigrid, voiced to perfection by Sylvia Hoeks, it’s the beginning of her quest to kill a god and anyone who stands in her way. Perhaps the cruelest part is that when Sigrid catches up to Thor, he no longer remembers who she is or why she wants his head. The butchering of Sigrid’s people is smoke on the wind for Thor. He has to die.
While lighting the pyres of praise for this series, I take issue with its audio design. Screeners rarely arrive slightly lower in quality than the final product. Still, if Twilight of the Gods debuts in a similar quality, you could find yourself turning on the subtitles. The accents and pronunciation could have thrown me off, but the audio mix was uneven. Names and dialogue became lost when the action took center stage or music overpowered the narrative. Again, these audio hiccups could easily result from a rough file, and in no way did this detract from my enjoyment of the series overall. The whole experience is a wicked ride!
When credits rolled for the final episode in the series, I raised a clawed hand to the sky and cursed the Netflix gods above. I was ready to keep going. Twilight of the Gods is devoid of Snyder’s patented slo-mo, features characters worth caring deeply about, includes carnage on a grand scale, and aptly balances themes of love, sacrifice, revenge, deceit, and determination. The series serves as a reminder that many gods were not kind and mortals are stronger than arrogant deities give them credit for. Snyder fans will binge this series in the blink of an eye, while those who actively avoid his work could find themselves sucked into the madness. I think there’s something here for everyone with an affinity for Norse mythology, especially once the mission to kill Thor truly begins. I went into this assignment guarded and somewhat cynical. Still, I emerged from the experience with a rekindled interest in the gods and hope to hear the show’s praises sung by the loudest of Synder’s die-hard supporters.
PLOT: The infamous Agatha Harkness finds herself down and out of power after a suspicious goth Teen helps break her free from a distorted spell. Her interest is piqued when he begs her to take him on the legendary Witches’ Road, a magical gauntlet of trials that, if survived, rewards a witch with what they’re missing. Together, Agatha and this mysterious Teen pull together a desperate coven, and set off down, down, down The Road…
REVIEW: When WandaVision premiered three years ago, it ushered in the Disney Plus era of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. A unique series that explored the MCU in a way never before seen on the big screen, WandaVision was a direct tie-in to Doctor Strange and the Multiverse of Madness. Introducing the Darkhold and the idea of the Scarlet Witch, the series also showcased the breakout character of Agatha Harkness. Played by the great Katherine Hahn, it was quickly announced that the witch villain would get her own spin-off. Agatha All Along connects the supernatural elements of the MCU with a fun, horror-tinged concept that plays like a cross between the tone of the MCU’s Werewolf By Night and the sassy humor of Disney’s fan-favorite Hocus Pocus. With a great ensemble of actors playing a ragtag coven, Agatha All Along is a fun foray into a different side of the Marvel Cinematic Universe that does not require knowledge of the comics or the preceding films and series to enjoy it.
Agatha All Along debuts tonight with two episodes followed by weekly premieres, and it concludes with a two-episode finale right before Halloween. I got the chance to watch the first four episodes of the series for this review and feel confident that the series has a fun formula that will carry it through to the series finale. Without divulging any spoilers, I can say that Agatha All Along opens with a return to the fake television series spell that bound Wanda Maximoff and Vision through the decades of iconic sitcoms but now has Agatha locked in a blend of True Detective and Mare of Easttown. At first, I was worried that the shtick that made WandaVision unique would not work a second time, but the spell is quickly broken and sets Agatha (Katherine Hahn) on the path to find the Witches’ Road. The Road is a mythical place where Agatha believes she can regain the powers stolen by Wanda. Despite her infamous legacy, Agatha must assemble a coven of witches willing to join her. Joined by a teen familiar named Teen (Joe Locke), Wanda sets off to pull her team together.
With a credit sequence full of references to pop culture witches through the ages, Agatha All Along strives to be a darkly fun outing that is decidedly within Marvel’s wheelhouse but aims for a wider target audience that may not be comprised of comic book aficionados. As Agatha collects her coven-mates, we meet potions witch Jennifer Kale (former SNL castmember Sasheer Zamata), fortune-teller Livia Calderu, protector witch Alice Wu-Gulliver (Ali Ahn), and fellow Westview victim of Wanda Maximoff, Sharon “Mrs. Hart” Davis (Debra Jo Rupp). Aubrey Plaza plays Agatha’s nemesis and green witch, Rio Vidal, and her path to joining the coven is better left unsaid. Because of Agatha’s past atrocities against witches, her escape from Westview puts the sinister Salem Seven (Okwui Okpokwasili) on track to hunt her down and kill her. The first two episodes show Agatha’s escape and journey to take the coven on the Witches’ Road, with the subsequent episodes diving into the tasks they must all complete to regain their powers. This journey means we get to learn backstory facts for all of the witches and learn of the past events that led to Agatha becoming the despised character everyone in the series knows her to be.
Non-comic fans may be somewhat confused by references to Scarlet Witch and Mephisto, the latter a major character that Marvel stalwarts have been waiting to see and who may appear in Agatha All Along. Still, this ensemble makes it easy to quickly understand the general structure of witch society in the MCU. Kathryn Hahn continues her whipsmart delivery as the caustic Agatha and also has the first nude scene in Marvel Studios’ history in the first episode. The connections to WandaVision are significant, and watching that series right before Agatha All Along would boost your background knowledge, but it is unnecessary. I would not even consider this series to be a comic book or superhero show, but definitely more of a horror-themed comedic series. The formula follows the characters completing tasks, each of which is catered to their skillset and shows that Agatha may not be entirely evil. The visuals range from horrifying designs that are not for the faint of heart. I found a couple of surprisingly dark designs to be much scarier than I expected from a series like this, but it still aims to be inclusive of a teen and older audience. The first four episodes skew towards a more mature audience with some creepy moments and more mature subject matter, but nothing that the average thirteen-year-old can handle.
Created by WandaVision showrunner Jac Schaeffer, Agatha All Along is directed by three filmmakers, each of whom helms three episodes. Schaeffer directed the first two and the seventh episodes while also writing two chapters. Rachel Goldberg (Gen V) and Gandja Monteiro directed the remaining episodes. The series boasts multiple aesthetics that range from surreal to downright scary. The special effects work looks good throughout the series, with some creative camera work adding to the eerie feel of the Witches’ Road locations. Laura Donney, Cameron Squires, Giovanna Sarquis, Laura Monti, Jason Rostovsky, Gia King, and Peter Cameron wrote the episodes alongside Schaeffer, with several of them returning from scripting WandaVision. The series boasts new music from Kristen Anderson-Lopez and Robert Lopez, including the key “Ballad of the Witches’ Road,” which is key to the series narrative. Music is key to the series as much as the typically top-notch production values Marvel Studios has been known for over the years.
Agatha All Along is a nice change of pace from prior Disney+ MCU series. While some may point to the predominantly female-led cast and creative team being a reason this will not appeal to a wide audience, I would counter that fans of horror and spooky fare that does not rely on gore or disturbing imagery but still manages to be exceptionally creepy and unsettling are in for a fun surprise with this series. Kathryn Hahn never disappoints, and her chance to dig into Agatha’s backstory in a way similar to how Tom Hiddleston explored Loki in his namesake series is a fun tangent to the ever-growing MCU. Agatha All Along is a nice entry for new fans and longtime Marvel fans alike to enjoy an engaging series that boasts solid special effects, creepy visuals, crackling dialogue, and a unique foray into the supernatural that will have ripples for the Marvel Cinematic Universe for years to come. Agatha All Along is a solid outing from the uneven recent phases of the MCU that works because it does not require a backlog of research to enjoy it.
Agatha All Along premieres with two episodes on September 18th on Disney+
