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March 31, 2004
Gugino Heading for Sin City? With her ABC series Karen Sisco now out of sight, Carla Gugino has been tapped by Robert Rodriguez to play a role in his Dimension Films drama Sin City, based on Frank Miller's graphic novels. [Source: Variety]
Jack Black Joins King Kong Redux Jack Black has been in cast in Peter Jackson's remake of King Kong for Universal Pictures. And Adrien Brody is in negotiations with Universal Pictures to join the cast as rescuer Driscoll.
Black will play Carl Denham, an adventurous filmmaker and showman trying to make a name for himself in 1930s New York. Robert Armstrong played the role in the 1933 original.
Black joins Naomi Watts, who is playing Ann Darrow, an American actress who makes a living performing in Broadway song and dance shows. Fay Wray starred as Darrow in the original. [Source: The Hollywood Reporter & Variety]
Deadwood Gets Early Renewal The Western drama Deadwood has earned its spurs early at HBO, notching a second-season renewal after just two episodes on the air. The premium channel has ordered 12 more episodes to begin production in July in anticipation of airing next year. [Source: The Hollywood Reporter]
Sneak Peek at Silent Hill 4: The Room Game Info Wire has some screen shots and he synopsis for the video game Silent Hill 4: The Room. Taking the series in a new direction, apprehension and fear immediately run high when the new main character, Henry Townshend, finds himself trapped in his own, cursed apartment.
Only by exploring mysterious portals leading into disturbing alternate worlds will Henry begin to uncover clues as to why he is trapped. However, in true Silent Hill fashion, mysterious new characters, horrendous creatures and the undead will use any means necessary to impede his progress. A tense atmosphere and grotesque enemies will keep the player on edge as Silent Hill 4: The Room delivers a gameplay experience that fans and newcomers will never forget.
The game is expected for a late 2004 or early 2005 release. Click here for the screen shots.
Keanu Reeves Joining A Scanner Darkly Keanu Reeves is set to star in a film adaptation of Philip K. Dick's A Scanner Darkly.
Richard Linklater is in talks to direct the pic, which will see Reeves playing Bob Arctor, an undercover officer in the future, where all people in such a position can change their faces and identities on a whim. Arctor, because of the use of the drug Substance D, has developed a split personality. One, "Fred," is the undercover officer that is supposed to spy on "Bob," the drug dealer.
The film will be shot live-action first, and then animated. [Source: Media Sharx]
Another Really Scary-ite Comes Through! We've gotten a second answer to Dragon Lady's movie question from another Really Scary reader, JOCKK, whose description of a second movie as the possible answer is pretty compelling.
"The movie dragonlady is describing is Burnt Offerings, 1976, with Karen Black, Bette Davis, and Oliver Reed. Reed was having nightmares from his mother's funeral that the driver was coming to get him. The Hearse is another rmovie entirely that featured no son or dad, and is from 1981. Trust me, it's Burnt Offerings, available from MGM DVD."
Thanks JOCKK, Burnt Offerings is a flick we've seen a good number of times here at Really Scary and your description sounds dead on. We haven't seen The Hearse so can't weigh in on that one.
March 29, 2004
Felissa Rose Joins Dead Serious Cast Moodude Films announced Felissa Rose (Sleepaway Camp) has signed on to star in the feature film Dead Serious.
"We are extremely excited to have Felissa cast in the lead role, the entire cast and crew is full of genre veterans and this will be a great project," said producer Michael J. Hein (Biohazardous).
Also on board are cinematographer Bud Gardner (The Curse) , FX man Anthony Pepe (Satan's Little Helper), and actor Tom Cahill (Shadow of Death, Biohazardous). Shooting for the film gets underway in May in NYC and will be directed by Joe Sullivan.
Riddick Flick Getting Animatrix-Like DVD Treatment Universal Home Video is putting together Dark Fury, an anime-style DVD coming in June to coincide with the theatrical release of The Chronicles of Riddick, starring Vin Diesel in the sequel to Pitch Black.
The DVD was conceived and directed by Peter Chung, who also headed up the Animatrix DVD. Diesel will voice star.
Really Scary Readers Come Through Again A big thanks to Jeffysan for passing along the name of that movie Dragon Lady was searching for a day or two ago. The flick she was describing was The Hearse. Proving once again that Really Scary readers know everything!
March 28, 2004
Haute Tension Trailer Online Bloody Disgusting found a set of links to the trailer for Haute Tension, the French horror flick recently getting a lot of buzz. Click here for the trailer links.
"Dracula, The Musical" Set to Open on Broadway A musical version of the Bram Stoker horror classic will open Aug. 5 at Broadway's Belasco Theatre. Casting will be announced shortly.
The show, which will be called "Dracula, The Musical," has a score by Frank Wildhorn and Don Black. Wildhorn wrote the music for "Jekyll & Hyde" and "The Scarlet Pimpernel," and Black did the lyrics for shows such as "Sunset Boulevard" and "Aspects of Love." The book for the musical is by Christopher Hampton, author of "Les Liaisons Dangereuses."
The director is Des McAnuff, who also directed "Big River" and "The Who's Tommy" on Broadway. Preview performances begin July 12. [Source: AP]
Horror Channel Names Head of Programming Digital Spy reports cult horror writer Jonathan Sothcott has been named as the head of programming for upcoming niche station 'the Horror Channel'.
Also a director and producer, Sothcott will have the responsibility of acquiring all movies and programming for the channel, which launches May 3rd on Sky (UK channel).
"Jonathan recognises exactly which films horror buffs want to see," said Horror Channel MD Tony Hazell. "His excellent contacts in the industry mean The Horror Channel has access to more of the best horror movies than anyone else."
No news on the proposed U.S. Horror Channel - although the website had been down for a while.
Universal Pictures Launching New Horror Label Focus Features, the Manhattan-based specialty film division of Universal Pictures, has started a new label to release more mainstream thrillers and horror movies.
Rogue Pictures will release three to four films in its first year, starting with Seed of Chucky. The latest title in the Chucky franchise will open on Halloween. [Source: Crain's New York Business]
Calling All Really Scary-ites Dragon Lady dropped us a line with a movie request. She describes pieces of a flick that we can't quite put our finger on. If this sounds familiar to you, please drop us a line here.
"There was a movie I saw back in the early 80's. I can't remember much of it besides the fact that it totally messed with my head. Has a mom, dad, and son in it. They are in a fairly large house. This hearse keeps passing by with this green looking mortician drivng.
Mom and dad break down on the road...when the dad gets out to push the car..the mom turns into the mortician briefly.
Jump to the end and the house is falling all to crap. Theres this old lady in the attic rocking in a rocking chair....Mom or the son (i cant remember which) walk into the attic and the old boney lady says 'I've been waiting for you.'"
March 26, 2004
Ray Garton's Bloodshot Eye Movie Reviews - THE BOOK! Here's something incredibly cool -- the very fine book purveyors and publishers over at Shocklines are collecting Ray Garton's fantastic movie reviews in one kickass collection. Ray's been writing these reviews for years and they've run everywhere from Cemetery Dance to right here at Really Scary in Ray Garton's Bloodshot Eye Movie Reviews.
And did we mention that it's a limited, signed edition? You can even get this baby inscribed to you, your mom, your zombie dog, whoever ya like!
Go here for all the details. And don't wait to order this - Shocklines really means it when they say limited. They will publish only as many editions as are pre-ordered. If you don't order it now, you'll pay dearly later.
March 25, 2004
CNN Reviews Monteleone's M.A.F.I.A. Thomas F. Monteleone's fantastic nonfiction column collection The Mothers and Fathers Italian Association has gotten a nice review from CNN. Check it out here.
More Bat Casting Tom Wilkinson and Rutger Hauer have joined the cast of Batman Begins. Christopher Nolan is directing the latest incarnation of Warner Bros.' superhero franchise, which stars Christian Bale as the Caped Crusader.
Wilkinson plays Falcone, one of the leading crime figures in Gotham City, while Hauer portrays Earle, a business contemporary of Bruce Wayne's murdered father who has designs on the Wayne corporate empire.
Michael Caine stars as Wayne's trusted butler, Alfred; Katie Holmes as a childhood friend of Wayne's; Liam Neeson as Wayne's mentor, Henri Ducard; Morgan Freeman as Lucius Fox, a former board member and sidelined employee of Wayne Enterprises; Gary Oldman as Lt. James Gordon; and Ken Watanabe as the villainous Ra's Al Ghul. [Source: The Hollywood Reporter]
Skeleton Key Casting Antwone Fisher star Joy Bryant has signed onto Skeleton Key alongside Kate Hudson and Peter Sarsgaard.
The Universal Pictures project follows a young woman (Hudson) who begins to experience spooky things in the home of the elderly couple for whom she's caring. Bryant plays the friend and roommate of Hudson's character.
It is scheduled to start next month with Iain Softley at the helm. [Source: The Hollywood Reporter]
Sony Already Says Yes to Spider-Man 3 Even before comic book hero Spider-Man can weave his crime-fighting web in movie theaters for a second time, Sony Pictures Entertainment on Wednesday set a May 2007 launch date and star lineup for Spider-Man 3.
Returning for a third film in the hit series will be Tobey Maguire as the man with the powers of a super spider and Kirsten Dunst as his love interest, Mary Jane Watson. Sam Raimi will be back to direct, Sony Pictures Entertainment Vice Chairman Jeff Blake said here at the ShoWest convention for movie theater owners.
Blake added that Sony is "so excited" about "Spider-Man 2," the sequel to the 2002 box office smash "Spider-Man," that it is debuting the second film on June 30 this year, two days earlier than planned. [Source: Reuters]
March 23, 2004
R.L. Stine Nightmare Hour Adapted for DVD Series The Hatchery, the new production venture of Margaret Loesch and former Mattel CEO Bruce Stein, has cut a deal with author R.L. Stine and Universal Home Entertainment Prods. to produce a series of direct-to-DVD features based on Stine's horror anthologies Nightmare Hour and The Haunting Hour.
Writer-producers Dan Angel and Billy Brown, Emmy winners for the 2002 TNT telepic Door to Door, will adapt Stine's stories and executive produce the productions along with Loesch and Stein.
The deal marks a reunion for Loesch, R.L. Stine, Angel and Brown. The foursome worked together in the early 1990s on the successful Goosebumps TV series, based on a Stine property, that aired on Fox Kids Network when Loesch was head of Fox's children's programming division. [Source: The Hollywood Reporter]
Parker Posey Joins Frankenstein TV Series Parker Posey has landed a lead role in the two-hour pilot for Dean Koontz's Frankenstein, a USA Network series with Koontz, Martin Scorsese and Tony Krantz aboard as executive producers.
An indie-film favorite poised for her first regular TV role, Posey (House of Yes) will play a police detective in this update of the horror classic, which is scheduled to go into production in Toronto in May. Lions Gate Television will produce Frankenstein in association with Krantz's Flame Television.
The pilot will be written by best-selling author Koontz and directed by Marcus Nispel (The Texas Chainsaw Massacre remake). USA has not yet committed to additional episodes, but the total order would not likely exceed 13 hours. Frankenstein is expected to debut in the fall. In addition to Frankenstein, Scorsese also is executive producing another TV project at Sci Fi Channel, miniseries The Twelve. [Source: The Hollywood Reporter]
New Hellboy Webisodes & Cell Phone Program The Hellboy promos continue to pour in. First, we have four more Hellboy webisodes with behind-the-scenes look at the making of the film. Also, they've launched a text messaging program. The program allows people to sign up for Hellboy updates, publicity alerts and BPRD info direct to their cell phone.
HELLBOY WEBISODES:
Webisode 4 - "The Visionary"
High Res
Low Res
Webisode 5 - "Battle With Sammeal"
High Res
Low Res
Webisode 6 - "The Look"
High Res
Low Res
Webisode 7 - "The Father"
High Res
Low Res
HELLBOY TEXT MESSAGING PROGRAM:
THe Hellboy mobile text messaging program allows people to sign up for Hellboy updates, publicity alerts, and BPRD info directly to their cell phone. Additionally, people will get their theater show times to the nearest theater playing the film on the Thurs before opening. Subscribers are then encouraging to click "buy" on their phone, sending them directly to Fandango to purchase.
This program is live on the official site.
Director Discusses Creep Creature Corner interviewed U.K. filmmaker Chris Smith about his upcoming horror flick Creep, starring Franka Potente (Run Lola Run). Here's a bit about the film from Smith:
"The basic back story is that under London there are hundreds of miles of disused tracks, old war rooms, laboratories. In World War II, for example, hundreds of thousands of American soldiers were kept in these huge catacombs under London. Before D-Day they were brought to the surface and shipped off to fight. All these old areas that were once going to be used for lines are still down there. So if you venture off the track of the London underground and you get out of a train and go through one of the little cubbyholes, you're going to find yourself in a maze. And they are genuinely there, we went down there. I know a movie like 'Deathline' kind of touched on the idea of people being trapped underground but they only showed a small side of it. What I thought I'd do was a story about this orphanage, or hospital, where experiments were done on people with disabilities - where medical research crossed the line in human experimentation. And the idea of 'Creep' is that in the '60s this underground laboratory was closed down...and someone was left behind down there. This character has had no human nurture for the last forty years and lived on his own since a toddler. The only nurture he's had is what he's seen the doctors do. So there's your basic kickoff for a horror film!"
Click here for the Corner's full interview.
Horror Authors to Chronicle Red Sox Season It began as an email exchange last summer. Filled with the heady mix of exhilaration and frustration familiar to all Boston Red Sox fans, writer Stewart O'Nan (The Night Country) fired off a note to a fellow fan, Stephen King, who responded with his thoughts on Pedro, Nomar, Manny, Mueller, and Theo.
O'Nan and King, lifelong Red Sox addicts, will chronicle the season from spring training and Opening Day through to the highly anticipated events of the fall, in a hardcover book that Scribner will publish in late '04. They'll go to some games together and each will keep a diary. They'll argue or agree about plays and trades, and the result will be a fan's notes for the ages.
"The idea of a book about this year's Red Sox by Stewart O'Nan with participation by Stephen King is the best thing next to a season's ticket to Fenway. I know no true baseball fan will be able to resist this classic book," said Susan Moldow, Executive Vice-President and Publisher of Scribner (and Red Sox fan).
"I just got back from spring training," O'Nan says, "and the guys are ready. I'm ready. Everyone's ready. This is the year. It's do-or-die time."
Dawn of the Dead International Poster
Here's a cool international version of the Dawn of the Dead poster. All Posters has this one for sale - somewhere around $24. If you pick it up via this image link, then you also toss a buck Really Scary's way. Thanks!
Hellboy Sneak Previews On Friday night, March 26, Hellboy will be screening for a one show only preview in New York and Los Angeles. In Manhattan, the show will be at 7:30 PM at the Lowes E-Walk. In Los Angeles, the screening begins at 7:30 PM at Universal Citywalk.
Here is the link to purchase tickets and be among the first to enter
Hellboy's gates.
March 22, 2004
Really Scary Photo of the Day Ok, we don't really have a Really Scary Photo of the Day feature but we couldn't pass this up. Take a gander at this Dawn of the Dead photo and then give it a moment and think, 'what is wrong with this picture.' Then come back...we'll wait.
Nothing's really wrong with it, we just thought it was kind of funny that a rotting corpse zombie with such a cool looking gray, crumbling head has great tanned abs. Zombification only affects heads and hands -- not so bad a deal.
Save Angel Campaign Taking Off? Angel acolytes are nothing if not devoted, determined and organized. Fans of Joss Whedon's soon-to-be-canceled WB Network drama series sprung into action last month once it became official that the spawn of "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" would be cancelled in May.
The Save Angel postcards and full-page ads have been flowing into The Hollywood Reporter and other publications for weeks, but "Angel" fans distinguished themselves from past fan-fueled salvage initiatives last week by hiring (at $700 a day) a billboard truck to drive around Los Angeles and park at strategic locations (including THR's Wilshire Boulevard offices, Warner Bros. and the WB, Paramount, UPN, HBO and 20th Century Fox) for maximum impact and, of course, free media exposure. ("We will follow 'Angel' to hell . . . or another network," the billboard promises.)
Theresa Fortier, one of the creators of the http://www.SavingAngel.org Web site, said the group has raised some $22,000 from several hundred donors in just a few weeks. The truck will cruise around for at least another week, and more print ads are likely to be placed.
"We've made it clear to (donors) that what we're doing wouldn't necessarily save the show, but if no one was gonna go broke, we'd appreciate whatever they could give," Fortier said. "We just want it known that we're concerned that the end seems near for quality TV drama. We don't want to lose the one last tie we have to the Joss Whedon universe." [Source: The Hollywood Reporter]
Zombies Knock Jesus from Box Office Top Spot Can't think of when we got to write a headline quite like that one. Anyhoo, audiences feasted on zombies as the fright flick "Dawn of the Dead" ruled the box office, debuting with $27.3 million and bumping "The Passion of the Christ" from the top spot.
"The Passion" took in $19.2 million, slipping to second place. Opening in third place with $11.4 million was the serial-killer thriller "Taking Lives," starring Angelina Jolie in a tale of an FBI profiler tracking a murderer who assumes victims' identities.
In narrower release, Jim Carrey's "Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind" premiered at No. 6 with $8.6 million. Carrey plays a man reliving recollections of a soured romance after he hires a company to erase his memories of his lover, played by Kate Winslet. [Source: AP]
March 21, 2004
Ray Garton's Bloodshot Eye Movie Review Be sure to check out Ray Garton's latest movie review for Really Scary. This time out Ray takes a look at director Stuart Gordon's next venture into H.P. Lovecraft-land with Dagon. How does it compare with his earlier Lovecraft adaptation, Re-Animator? Find out here.
Star Wars DVD Art Described The Digital Bits described the packaging for the Lucasfilm and 20th Century Fox's Star Wars Trilogy 4-disc box set. The title become available for pre-order (for a 9/21 street date).
If you're a paid member of Star Wars.com's Hyperspace fan club, you can sign in and see the final art right now but if you don't want to drop the dough for that, words will have to do. The packaging features a metallic slipcover, platinum for the widescreen editions and gold for the full frame. It's embossed on one side with the heroes of the original films (positioned to recall the original film's theatrical release poster), and on the other side with the mask of Darth Vader. This holds four keep cases (one each for the films and one for the bonus disc), the cover art for which is styled to match the previous Episode I and Episode II DVDs, so they'll all fit together on your video shelf.
Latest Van Helsing Trailer Apple Trailers page has the full Van Helsing trailer. Click here to check it out.
Latest Hellraiser Flick Gets an 'R' Film Jerk reports Hellraiser: Deader (Buena Vista Home Entertainment) has received an R for strong graphic violence, sexual content, language and some drug use.
March 20, 2004
Squirm Director Returns with Satan's Little Helper Jeff Leiberman, the director of classic horror flicks Squirm and Blue Sunshine, dropped us a line about his latest genre work.
Just thought you guys might want to pass on that I've just completed my return to the horror genre with 'Satan's Little Helper' and it will be premiering at the Tribeca Film Festival in New York the first week of May. Calling all horror fans, come on down!
Thanks,
Jeff Lieberman
Anchor Bay Remastering Dead Next Door Tempe Entertainment announced that their 1990 underground film The Dead Next Door has been acquired by Anchor Bay Entertainment for release as a Special Edition DVD to mark the film’s 20th anniversary in 2005.
Despite the film’s spotty distribution over the last 15 years, The Dead Next Door has found a loyal and steadily-growing fan base worldwide that has allowed Bookwalter to keep making films.
Director J.R. Bookwalter is supervising an extensive remastering of The Dead Next Door from the original Super-8mm film elements, complete with a 5.1 surround remix and a long list of all-new extras documenting the film’s 20-year history. "This will be what I like to call the 'proper burial' of this film," Bookwalter laughs. "When this work is finished, all that will be left to do is to answer the fans’ other question and get that sequel made at long last."
Anchor Bay expects the feature-packed Dead Next Door Special Edition DVD to arrive during the first quarter of 2005 at a collectible price. For updates on the progress of the remastering and release, stay tuned to the film’s official website at http://www.deadnextdoor.com.
Former S Club Singer Joins Chucky Former S Club singer Hannah Spearritt is to star on the big screen with killer doll Chucky. Filming for Seed Of Chucky began in Romania earlier this week, centering on Glen, the son of deadly dolls Chucky and Tiffany, who inadvertently brings them back to life.
The singer will play the personal assistant to Jennifer Tilly, who plays herself in the film-within-a-film and provides the voice for Tiffany. [Source: Irish Examiner]
BBC Casts New Dr. Who Actor Christopher Eccleston has been named by the BBC as the new Doctor Who to front the cult science-fiction television series when it returns next year. Eccleston, who was cast alongside Nicole Kidman in the horror movie The Others, will be the ninth TV Time Lord to control the Tardis in a 13-part series.
"It signals our intention to take Doctor Who into the 21st century, as well as retaining its core traditional values - to be surprising, edgy and eccentric," executive producer and writer Russell T Davies said late on Friday.
British-born Eccleston, 40, also starred in Shallow Grave.
The hugely-popular Doctor Who show ran for 26 years from 1963. The new series will be filmed in Cardiff later this year. [Source: London Reuters]
Kingdom Hospital Losing Viewers The show that ABC has pinned its ratings hopes on -- Stephen King's Kingdom Hospital -- is losing viewers in large numbers just after three weeks on the air. Preliminary data from Nielsen Media Research on Thursday showed Kingdom Hospital down 16 percent in total viewers and about 19 percent among adults ages 18 to 49 in its 10 p.m. slot over a week earlier.
The drama series from the prolific horror author debuted strongly two weeks ago but has slid in the ratings since. ABC placed high hopes on the program to help with its efforts to turn around a lackluster season.
Kingdom Hospital drew 7.14 million average total viewers Wednesday night, third in the hour. Among adults ages 18 to 49, the audience most prized by advertisers, the show drew a 3.0 rating, second in the period. Each ratings point represents one percent of homes with television sets. [Source: Reuters]
More House of Wax Casting Jared Padalecki (Gilmore Girls) is joining the House of Wax cast, a remake of the 1953 horror classic starring Vincent Price.
The Warner Bros. film starts shooting in May in Australia, with director Jaume Collet-Serra at the helm.
Padalecki will join Elisha Cuthbert, Chad Michael Murray and Paris Hilton in the remake. He would play the love interest of Cuthbert's character. [Source: The Hollywood Reporter]
March 18, 2004
Lions Gate Release Info for High Tension & Saw The very fine folks at Lions Gate sent along their latest release schedule and there is some great stuff updated here including a new date for Open Water, which will be opening in select cities Aug. 6 and then opening wide Aug. 20.
They've also added the two indie horror films that are getting a lot of recent praise, High Tension and Saw. The French horror flick High Tension received an NC17. Saw's rating is still pending. [Source: ReallyScary.com]
George Romero Talks Zombies The Dawn of the Dead, remaking George Romero's classic flick, will probably bank a big box office this weekend but what some fans may not realize is Romero has a fourth Dead film, titled Dead Reckoning, which he is struggling to get made.
"People are a little afraid of me," the filmmaker tells USA Today, ever the proud Pittsburgh-based outsider. "They still think I have fangs. They don't see me on the tennis courts in L.A."
Romero still considers horror "as just a platform to say something about what's going on." His new story "is about ignoring the problem" - meaning, the zombies - "and trying to live a normal life around the problem." Sounds like a post-9/11 situation if there ever was one.
Romero hasn't caught the Dawn remake yet. But he's fine with how his zombies have become perennial favorites, like vampires. "They're blue-collar," he states like a proud parent. "They are the Democrats of monsters." Though he still prefers them to be "slow and inexorable. We don't need ninja zombies." He likes frights on an intimate scale, too, "not over the top or worldwide. It's too big to be scary."
Besides, Romero says, "what scares me most is what is outside the window." [Source: USA Today]
Exorcist Demon Voice Silenced You may not recognize her face, but Mercedes McCambridge's voice is in your nightmares. McCambridge, whose pipes provided Linda Blair's demonic utterances in The Exorcist, died of natural causes March 2 in San Diego at the age of 87.
While Linda Blair got an Oscar nomination for her head-spinning role in 1973's The Exorcist, it was McCambridge's vocal skills that made the girl's foul-mouthed demon voice as memorable as the pea soup projective vomit she spewed.
McCambridge said she burst into tears at the preview screening when her name didn't appear among the credits and she demanded an onscreen listing, even though her contract had not called for one. With some legal arm-twisting Warner Bros. did insert her name on later prints, but she wanted more. She held back permission for her voice to be used on the soundtrack album, which eventually did lead to her getting more money, a portion of the royalties and billing as "The Voice of the Demon."
Charlotte Mercedes Agnes McCambridge was born March 17, 1917 to an Irish farming family in Joliet, Illinois. She graduated from Chicago's Mundelein College and began acting in local radio. Moving to New York she became a regular on the I Love a Mystery series and worked often with Orson Welles' Mercury Theater (Welles would soon dub her "the world's greatest living radio actress." [Source: E! Online]
Donnie Darko Up for the Green Hornet? Kevin Smith has met with Jake Gyllenhaal (Donnie Darko) about taking the Green Hornet title role in the Miramax project.
Thanks to a positive chat with the actor about the famed character and the direction of the potential franchise, Smith is now interested in casting Gyllenhaal as the crime-fighting superhero who also doubles as Daily Sentinel publisher Britt Reid.
Other names may still be in the mix, but sources said Gyllenhaal appears to fit Smith's current conception of the character. If all works out, it would be Gyllenhaal's second brush with a superhero suit: He had been put on standby to step in as Peter Parker/Spider-Man last year when, for a brief time, it looked as if Tobey Maguire might be exiting the Sony franchise.
Gyllenhaal next stars in director Roland Emmerich's apocalyptic thriller The Day After Tomorrow, set for a May 28 release via Fox. [Source: The Hollywood Reporter]
Robert Rodriguez Casting Frank Miller's Sin City? Filmmaker Robert Rodriguez is loading up on top talent in hopes that they'll move into "Sin City" and put on film what Frank Miller put in his classic comic series.
According to multiple sources, Leonardo DiCaprio, Bruce Willis, Elijah Wood, Mickey Rourke, Brittany Murphy, Kate Bosworth and Jaime King have been targeted for the Dimension Films project. Some of the actors have already signed on for parts, while others are only in discussions or have just received offers to join the cast.
Other names being bandied about include Benicio Del Toro and Maria Bello, though offers had not yet gone out to either as of late Wednesday. Set to start shooting shortly, "Sin City" will be composed of three intertwining vignettes revolving around a dark set of characters that call the fictional corrupt town home. [Source: The Hollywood Reporter]
March 16, 2004
Zed's Still Dead Baby NECA has posted some pics of their Pulp Fiction GEOMS (think cute blocky little action figures) - these are insane, and did we mention awesome. Where else you gonna get a playset with the gimp (in full black leather and hood) Marsellus with the rubber ball shoved in his mouth and John Travolta's Vince complete with hypo to save the overdosing Uma. Check 'em out here.
Species 3 Currently Filming in LA Fangoria reports Species 3 is shooting now in the Los Angeles area. Brad Turner, who has directed for numerous horror and sci-fi TV shows like the '80s Twilight Zone and '90s Outer Limits, is directing, while Frank Mancuso Jr. returns as executive producer. MGM Home Entertainment will be handling the release.
This time around multiple alien offspring on Earth prove susceptible to common diseases. Two scientists attempt to use genetics to create a pure extraterrestrial strain, with plenty of bloody "mating" scenes along the way. Robert Knepper and Robin Dunne star, with Sunny Mabrey and Savanna Fields as the two incarnations of the most prominent alien and a brief appearance by original star Natasha Henstridge.
Dennehy & Byrne Join Precinct 13 Cast Brian Dennehy and Gabriel Byrne are now a part of the cast of Assault on Precinct 13, reports The Hollywood Reporter (via Cinescape). Unfortunately the trade doesn't say what roles the two veteran actors are playing. They join Ethan Hawke, Laurence Fishburne, John Leguizamo, Maria Bello and Drea de Matteo on the project. Filming begins on the new Assault in three weeks.
John Waters & Redman Join Seed of Chucky Cast Hip-hop star Redman, filmmaker John Waters and actor Billy Boyd have signed onto "Seed of Chucky," the fifth pic in the "Chucky" horror film series, which started production Monday in Romania for Focus Features.
Boyd will voice the character of Glen, the orphan doll offspring of Chucky (Brad Dourif and his bride Tiffany (Jennifer Tilly). Redman co-stars as a rapper-turned-director and Waters as a sleazy tabloid paparazzo.
Don Mancini, franchise creator and writer of all five films, is directing the pic. David Kirschner and his producing partner Corey Sienega are producing. [Source: Variety]
March 12, 2004
Side Streets and Back Alleys: The Festival of Film Noir Shady Ladies, Gangsters and Gumshoes conquer the Egyptian's giant screen when the American Cinematheque presents Side Streets and Back Alleys: The 6th Annual Festival of Film Noir (April 1 - 11, 2004).
Nineteen sexy, sinister mystery and crime films from the 1940s & 1950s will be shown over 8 nights. The series is highlighted by in person appearances by actresses Patricia Morison, Marsha Hunt, Joan Leslie and screenwriter Stanley Rubin as well as by Tributes to novelists and screenwriters James M. Cain, Dashiell Hammett, Raymond Chandler, Cornell Woolrich, Dorothy B. Hughes, W.R. Burnett, Harry Kleiner, Eric Ambler, David Goodis, Steve Fisher, William P. McGiven and John C. Higgins, plus a brand-new noir short, "Lonely Place," based on a classic 1965 short story. Author and film noir expert Eddie Muller will once again host programs, offering historical background on the productions, filmmakers and actors that brought the films to life. All guests are subject to their availability.
All screenings are at the newly renovated Lloyd E. Rigler Theatre at the historic 1922 Grauman's Hollywood Egyptian (6712 Hollywood Boulevard between Highland and Las Palmas) in Hollywood. Visit http://www.egyptiantheatre.com for more information.
I, Robot Trailers Live Ain't It Cool News posted the trailer links for the Will Smith starrer I, Robot. AICN made a good point about it though, seems like Isaac Asimov's classic may clash with Will Smith's MIB schtick. Check 'em out here - these are quicktime links:
Large version
Medium version
Small version
Charlize Theron is Aeon Flux Several months ago we ate our words when we saw Charlize Theron's version of serial killer Aileen Wuornos in Monster. If you remember back about a year or so ago, we pounced on that casting announcement as ludicrous -- in our defense, who knew she could be so damn ugly? We kid because we love. She was phenomenal in that movie, it wasn't just her appearance, her acting was amazing and trust us when we say the flick definitely ranks as horror.
Anyways, it looks like her next movie should kick ass -- she'll be starring as the futuristic assassin Aeon Flux in the live-action movie (remember that amazing animated series?).
As prep continues for the production's start of filming in July, Theron is taking three months to get into shape for the part. She's being trained in acrobatics, one of the physical traits that the animated Aeon is known for. [Source: Variety]
Release Details Changed for Constantine & Man-Thing Superhero Hype reports Lions Gate Films corrected last week's removal of the Man-Thing from their theatrical schedule. The Marvel Studios film is now scheduled for sometime this fall.
Meanwhile, Warner Bros.' Constantine, starring Keanu Reeves, has been moved back from September 17 to February 11, 2005.
Chronicles of Riddick Action Figures Figures.com reports that to coincide with the June 11th debut of the Chronicles of Riddick, SOTA Toys will introduce a full assortment of extremely articulated and detailed action figures. Laser scanned for accurate likeness, SOTA's Riddick collection will consist of the following Universal Pictures approved collectibles:
*Riddick (Heavily case packed. Will also feature removeable goggles with Riddick's shining metallic eyes beneath.)
*Lord Marshal
*Lensing Necro
*Vaako
*Kyra
There'll also be a Riddick Box Set containing Riddick in "Battle Gear" and a "Hellhound" creature. Click here to get a look at Figures.com
Haute Tension at City of Lights Film Fest In you're in the LA area, French horror thriller "Haute Tension" will be aired at the eighth annual City of Lights, City of Angels film fest in Hollywood, which is kicking off March 29 and running at the Directors Guild through April 3.
Rossellini Joins Sci Fi Project Isabella Rossellini has been cast in the Sci Fi Channel miniseries Earthsea, the epic chronicle of a young wizard in a mystical land.
She will play High Priestess Thar, a pivotal role in the four-hour project, which is scheduled to air over two nights in December.
The miniseries is adapted from author Ursula K. Le Guin's "Earthsea" novels. The first in the series, "A Wizard of Earthsea," was published in 1968. [Source: The Hollywood Reporter]
March 11, 2004
Paris Hilton in House of Por..., er, um Wax Well, if you thought the remake of House of Wax stood a chance of being any good, those hopes may be evaporating faster than the publicity you get from a home porn movie filmed in romantic night-vision goggle green.
Home video starlet Paris Hilton is in final negotiations to join the cast, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
The original film, House of Wax 3-D, centered on a mad professor who used wax-covered human bodies in his wax museum. The new version will retain the gruesome "human bodies in wax" element and focus on a group of friends who fall prey to demented killers. Hilton will play one of the friends, joining Elisha Cuthbert.
Scheduled for an October release, the film will shoot in May in Australia. The Warner Bros. project marks the feature directing debut of commercials veteran Jaume Collet-Serra.
Mid-Atlantic Horror Professionals Book Signing The Mid-Atlantic Horror Professionals are holding a book signing April 17, from 2 to 4 p.m., at Burke Used Books in Falls Church, Va., to benefit Parkinson's disease research. Authors scheduled to attend are:
Steven Spruill, author of 13 novels, including Daughter of Darkness, Sleeper, and My Soul to Take
Douglas E. Winter, author of Run and biographies of Clive Barker and Stephen King
Matthew Warner, author of The Organ Donor
L. Marie Wood, author of Crescendo and Caliginy
A. B. Wallace, author of Mark of the Werewolf
F. Paul Wilson, Bram Stoker Award-wining author of the acclaimed Repairman Jack series, which is being adapted into a movie by Touchstone Films
Elizabeth Massie, Bram Stoker Award-winning Buffy the Vampire Slayer novelist
Brian Keene, Bram Stoker Award-winning author of the bestselling new novel, The Rising
J.F. Gonzalez, author of Clickers and Maternal Instinct
Mary SanGiovanni, author of Under Cover of Night
A portion of their sales proceeds will be given to the Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research (www.michaeljfox.org). For more information: www.midatlantichorror.org.
March 10, 2004
Gary Braunbeck Reviews Monteleone, Wilson & Lebbon Author Gary Braunbeck has written several book reviews covering writers Mehitobel Wilson, Thomas F. Monteleone and Tim Lebbon. They're posted over on his newly redesigned website (awesome work from Deena Warner). Check 'em out here.
Also, don't miss Gary's incredible A Little Orange Book of Odd Stories - what this man can do with a couple hundred words is staggering stuff.
Kidman Headed to Narnia? Three New Zealand newspapers have been excitedly reporting a spotting of Nicole Kidman on their islands as rumor mills go into overdrive that Kidman has signed up as the White Witch in Disney's upcoming Narnia movie.
The actress arrived at the town of Canterbury last week and spent a few days touring the area. During that time she took a helicopter trip around the area's ski district, supposedly one of the proposed locations for the $100m movie, and perfect for scenes involving the White Witch and her wintry domain.
The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe, which is being directed by Shrek's Andrew Adamson, is expected to begin shooting this summer in New Zealand and the Czech republic. [Source: Empire Magazine]
Lost Boys Special Edition & More Warner Bros. DVD News A Warner Bros. rep visited the fine folks at the Home Theater Forum and talked about some upcoming DVD releases:
The original "V" miniseries is being worked on.
Lost Boys: Special Edition set for this year.
Return of the Living Dead II will be out by Halloween, in widescreen with commentary.
Fearless Vampire Killers is set for later this year.
Other titles they hope to have out by Halloween include The Hunger, It's Alive 1-3, Village of the Damned, Dead Ringers, Freaks, and The Bad Seed. [Source: Creature Corner]
Brand New Alien vs. Predator Trailer Check out the trailer for Alien vs. Predator exclusively on the Apple Trailers site. Click'm!
Tony Todd Describes Fourth Candyman Flick At a London convention, Fangoria recently talked with Tony Todd (Candyman) about a fourth Candyman movie. Todd says right now they're prepping it and that it's going to have a budget in the $25 million range.
"There have been a lot of successful horror films made since we did the last movie," Todd said, "and Clive [Barker] and I have had three or four meetings about the film, talking about storyboarding ideas.
"It's going to be set in New England, and the initial image will be of Candyman in a blizzard. The story is about a double identity. I can tell you that it's set at an all-girls college where there is a descendant of Candyman, a professor who doesn't actually know who or what Candyman is."
Todd also told Fango that the film will have nothing in common with 1999's badly received, straight-to-video entry Candyman: Day of the Dead, which the actor himself admits some disappointment with.
As for Barker's involvement, Todd explains that the best-selling novelist will be "absolutely hands-on" with the movie, adding that "he's a story consultant and an executive producer." [Source: Fangoria]
Review of Takashi Miike's Zebraman Variety's Deborah Young reviewed Takashi Miike's Zebraman.
Billed as "the first Takashi Miike film the whole family can enjoy," "Zebraman" sets aside the gore of this prolific young director's horror, gangster and slasher films to embrace, Tarantino-like, a story of a caped crusader who saves the world from aliens. The special effects are quality fun, the humor only a little Japanese, and the story boasts the offbeat genre twists Miike lovers clamber for. Whether this entertaining, madcap comic book spoof will be a crossover picture outside Asia remains to be seen, though Miike's army of fans will want to give it a look...[Click here for full review]
Review of the Indie "The Last Horror Movie" Variety's Dennis Harvey reviewed The Last Horror Movie.
The unsettling "The Last Horror Movie" treads ground already bloodied by "Man Bites Dog," "American Psycho" and other serial-killer fictions, but leaves its own distinctive mark nonetheless. This third feature by Welsh-born helmer Julian Richards stars Kevin Howarth as a perversely debonair mass murderer who's all too happy to share his videotaped "work" with the viewer. Sharply handled pic is worthy of limited theatrical distrib, though there's a nasty sting at the end designed to rob home viewers of a good night's sleep...[Click here for full review]
Stephen King Thanks Fans for Kingdom Hospital Numbers Brian Freeman's excellent StephenKingNews.com reports this note was sent to the official Stephen King mailing list from StephenKing.com:
Dear Constant Reader:
Thanks for making episode 1 an excellent success! The premiere of Kingdom Hospital did better than any ABC dramatic series in over 5 years! But we don't want to drop the ball now, so stick with us for episode 2 (Wed. March 10th at 10 PM). Remember that Kingdom Hospital is a "novelization for television". Like a novel, it will pay back dividends but you will have to give it a little bit of time.
Best wishes,
Stephen King
USA Airing First 10 Minutes of Dawn of the Dead Remake In a promotional move billed as the first of its kind, cable television's USA Network said on Monday it will air the first 10 minutes of the Dawn of the Dead remake on TV before the movie hits theaters.
USA said it would air the uncut clip March 15 between 10 p.m. and 10:30 p.m., ahead of the film's March 19 opening. Both USA and the film's distributor, Universal Pictures, are units of Vivendi Universal Entertainment. The network will air the clip toward the tail end of its broadcast of Final Destination.
Michele Ganeless, executive vice president and general manager of USA Network, said that it was the first time, to her knowledge, any network had ever done this kind of promotion.
"This is the first time it was ever brought to us," she said. She also said the network would run warnings about the content of the clip.
"It certainly is gory, and we are showing it after 10 o'clock, but it's not unlike other thrillers you see on television every day," she said. [Source: Reuters]
Rookie Director Leaves Ring 2 Commercials director Noam Murro will no longer make his feature debut with the sequel to DreamWorks' hit thriller The Ring, stepping aside after nearly five months of development because of "creative differences" with the studio.
"This is a mutual parting based on two creative differences," DreamWorks co-head Walter Parkes said.
It's unclear how Murro's departure will affect the start date or the involvement of Naomi Watts, who is attached to star in The Ring 2. [Source: Reuters/Hollywood Reporter]
March 09, 2004
Newfangly Stuff for Really Scary We're trying out a newfangled (ok, maybe not that new, but new to us) web posting method using Blogger. This should help us out with faster archiving and a means to syndicate this here super duper Really Scary content out to the masses -- or at least to our cousin's web site. If you're running into any troubles reading or accessing our schtuff - please drop us a line and let us know. Sankuberrymucho.
"Do you know what's Really Scary? You want to forget something. Totally wipe it off your mind. But you never can. It can't go away, you see. And... and it follows you around like a ghost."
--Eun-ju, A Tale of Two Sisters
'Well, we need to nip this thing in the
bud. I mean, otherwise, things are going to get Really Scary.'
--Cordelia Chase, Buffy the Vampire Slayer
'From here on, it gets Really Scary.'
--Geoffrey Rush, House on Haunted Hill
'Wanna see something Really Scary?'
--Dan Aykroyd, Twilight Zone The Movie
Thanks for visiting Really Scary. If you have any news or scoops, e-mail us here. To submit items for review, please e-mail us and we'll pass along the editorial address...we really like movies, toys, music, um comics, and books, did we mention video games...actually, we really like everything.
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