"They're here."
With those two words, the nebulous world of the supernatural, the ominous ambiguity of the paranormal, and the deep-seated terror that is inherent in the concept of ghosts were perfectly summed up by 1982's "Poltergeist." Despite the film being over 40 years old, it still holds up as one of the most modern movies about the paranormal ever made. Sure, there had been films about ghosts and hauntings before, but many of these tended to be set in remote, antiquated locations such as spooky old mansions and abandoned homes on a hill. More than even the well-regarded visual effects, the biggest innovation of "Poltergeist" is its quintessentially American suburban setting, the inherent message being that ghosts aren't merely sequestered in places that average people would never dare go; instead, they exist right next to us.
Released during the busy summer of '82, "Poltergeist" more than held its own, making $121.7 million over a $10.7 million budget.
With those two words, the nebulous world of the supernatural, the ominous ambiguity of the paranormal, and the deep-seated terror that is inherent in the concept of ghosts were perfectly summed up by 1982's "Poltergeist." Despite the film being over 40 years old, it still holds up as one of the most modern movies about the paranormal ever made. Sure, there had been films about ghosts and hauntings before, but many of these tended to be set in remote, antiquated locations such as spooky old mansions and abandoned homes on a hill. More than even the well-regarded visual effects, the biggest innovation of "Poltergeist" is its quintessentially American suburban setting, the inherent message being that ghosts aren't merely sequestered in places that average people would never dare go; instead, they exist right next to us.
Released during the busy summer of '82, "Poltergeist" more than held its own, making $121.7 million over a $10.7 million budget.
- 12/31/2023
- by Bill Bria
- Slash Film
Last year, Amazon closed an $8.5 billion acquisition of the film studio MGM, giving them ownership of the studio’s thousands of films and TV shows. Earlier this year, we heard that Poltergeist was one of the six MGM properties Amazon was most interested in doing something with… and now Variety has discovered that a Poltergeist TV series is in early development at Amazon MGM Studios! There are no plot details to share at this time, but Variety has been told “the show will be set within the world of the film”.
Darryl Frank and Justin Falvey are set to executive produce the series for Amblin Television.
Tobe Hooper, who had previously made The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, Eaten Alive, Salem’s Lot, and The Funhouse, directed Poltergeist from a screenplay Steven Spielberg wrote with Michael Grais and Mark Victor. Spielberg also crafted the initial story. The film has the following synopsis: Strange...
Darryl Frank and Justin Falvey are set to executive produce the series for Amblin Television.
Tobe Hooper, who had previously made The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, Eaten Alive, Salem’s Lot, and The Funhouse, directed Poltergeist from a screenplay Steven Spielberg wrote with Michael Grais and Mark Victor. Spielberg also crafted the initial story. The film has the following synopsis: Strange...
- 10/30/2023
- by Cody Hamman
- JoBlo.com
On Friday nights, IndieWire After Dark takes a feature-length beat to honor fringe cinema in the streaming age.
First, the spoiler-free pitch for one editor’s midnight movie pick — something weird and wonderful from any age of film that deserves our memorializing.
Then, the spoiler-filled aftermath as experienced by the unwitting editor attacked by this week’s recommendation.
The Pitch: Brad Pitt Wants to Fuck a Cartoon in “Cool World”
If Robert Zemeckis’ “Who Framed Roger Rabbit?” is one of the wonders of the cinematic world, then Ralph Bakshi’s “Cool World” is its under-trafficked, overly adult gift shop. The 1992 flop is worth walking through at least once — though I wouldn’t pick up anything from its metaphorical floor.
Embraced by lovers of animated baddies and so-wrong-it’s-right gems everywhere, this dark medium-blending fantasy film was intended to be Bakshi’s big comeback after a ten-year movie hiatus, arriving...
First, the spoiler-free pitch for one editor’s midnight movie pick — something weird and wonderful from any age of film that deserves our memorializing.
Then, the spoiler-filled aftermath as experienced by the unwitting editor attacked by this week’s recommendation.
The Pitch: Brad Pitt Wants to Fuck a Cartoon in “Cool World”
If Robert Zemeckis’ “Who Framed Roger Rabbit?” is one of the wonders of the cinematic world, then Ralph Bakshi’s “Cool World” is its under-trafficked, overly adult gift shop. The 1992 flop is worth walking through at least once — though I wouldn’t pick up anything from its metaphorical floor.
Embraced by lovers of animated baddies and so-wrong-it’s-right gems everywhere, this dark medium-blending fantasy film was intended to be Bakshi’s big comeback after a ten-year movie hiatus, arriving...
- 6/24/2023
- by Alison Foreman and Christian Zilko
- Indiewire
A new episode of The Arrow in the Head Show has just been released, and in this one hosts John “The Arrow” Fallon and Lance Vlcek are talking about Poltergeist – but not the Tobe Hooper / Steven Spielberg classic from 1982. The Poltergeist movie they’re focusing on in this episode is the 1986 sequel Poltergeist II: The Other Side (watch it Here), the one with the creepy reverend and the tequila worm. To find out what they had to say about it, check out the video embedded above!
Directed by Brian Gibson from a screenplay written by Michael Grais and Mark Victor, Poltergeist II has the following synopsis: The Freelings have escaped their haunted house, which is now being studied by paranormal investigators, including shaman Taylor. When Taylor realizes that the Beast, masquerading as the Reverend Kane, knows where young Carol Anne Freeling now lives, he goes to warn the family that...
Directed by Brian Gibson from a screenplay written by Michael Grais and Mark Victor, Poltergeist II has the following synopsis: The Freelings have escaped their haunted house, which is now being studied by paranormal investigators, including shaman Taylor. When Taylor realizes that the Beast, masquerading as the Reverend Kane, knows where young Carol Anne Freeling now lives, he goes to warn the family that...
- 5/19/2023
- by Cody Hamman
- JoBlo.com
Throughout his long career, Steven Spielberg has received a total of 19 Oscar nominations (and three wins) in the categories of Best Picture and Best Director. This year it looks like he’ll be recognized for the very first time as a writer in the category of Best Original Screenplay for “The Fabelmans.”
Spielberg’s latest film is loosely based on his childhood growing up in a post-World War II era Arizona. Shown from age 7 to 18, Sammy Fabelman (Gabriel Labelle) discovers a shattering family secret and explores how the power of movies help us see the truth about each other and ourselves.
SEEJamie Lee Curtis (‘Everything Everywhere All at Once’): 5 reasons why she could (and should) earn her first Oscar nomination
Writing screenplays is something Spielberg himself rarely does. He previously received story credit on 1973’s “Ace Eli and Rodger of the Skies” as well as 1985’s “The Goonies.” He...
Spielberg’s latest film is loosely based on his childhood growing up in a post-World War II era Arizona. Shown from age 7 to 18, Sammy Fabelman (Gabriel Labelle) discovers a shattering family secret and explores how the power of movies help us see the truth about each other and ourselves.
SEEJamie Lee Curtis (‘Everything Everywhere All at Once’): 5 reasons why she could (and should) earn her first Oscar nomination
Writing screenplays is something Spielberg himself rarely does. He previously received story credit on 1973’s “Ace Eli and Rodger of the Skies” as well as 1985’s “The Goonies.” He...
- 10/27/2022
- by Jeffrey Kare
- Gold Derby
Burbank, Calif., August 11, 2022 – Poltergeist, the 1982 classic horror film written by Steven Spielberg and directed by Tobe Hooper, will be released on Ultra HD Blu-ray Combo Pack and Digital on September 20, it was announced today by Warner Bros. Home Entertainment.
Directed by Spielberg and directed by Hooper, Poltergeist stars JoBeth Williams, Craig T. Nelson, Zelda Rubinstein, Beatrice Straight and Heather O’Rourke.
The screenplay for Poltergeist was written by Spielberg, Michael Grais, and Mark Victor, from a story by Spielberg. The film was produced by Frank Marshall and Spielberg.
Ultra HD* showcases 4K resolution with High Dynamic Range (Hdr) and a wider color spectrum, offering consumers brighter, deeper, more lifelike colors for a home entertainment viewing experience like never before.
Poltergeist will be available on Ultra HD Blu-ray Combo Pack for 24.99 Erp and includes an Ultra HD Blu-ray disc with the feature film in 4K with Hdr and a Digital download of the film.
Directed by Spielberg and directed by Hooper, Poltergeist stars JoBeth Williams, Craig T. Nelson, Zelda Rubinstein, Beatrice Straight and Heather O’Rourke.
The screenplay for Poltergeist was written by Spielberg, Michael Grais, and Mark Victor, from a story by Spielberg. The film was produced by Frank Marshall and Spielberg.
Ultra HD* showcases 4K resolution with High Dynamic Range (Hdr) and a wider color spectrum, offering consumers brighter, deeper, more lifelike colors for a home entertainment viewing experience like never before.
Poltergeist will be available on Ultra HD Blu-ray Combo Pack for 24.99 Erp and includes an Ultra HD Blu-ray disc with the feature film in 4K with Hdr and a Digital download of the film.
- 8/12/2022
- by ComicMix Staff
- Comicmix.com
There was never really a need to sequelize 1982’s Poltergeist. It told a complete story. It vanquished the evil spirit haunting the house by film’s end. Heck, it even vanquished the house itself. But because the original movie was a hit and it was the ’80s, the Tobe Hooper/Steven Spielberg collaboration got not just one sequel but two, despite the fact that it does not lend itself to being a franchise. New villains and new mythology—and eventually even new family members—were introduced to keep the story going, albeit with mixed results. And while the sequels have their fans, they’re hardly among the most beloved horror films of the decade. Thanks to Scream Factory’s new Collector's Editions of both, horror fans now have the chance to reevaluate them in the best possible format.
Though released four years after the 1982 original, Poltergeist II: The Other Side...
Though released four years after the 1982 original, Poltergeist II: The Other Side...
- 2/16/2017
- by Patrick Bromley
- DailyDead
If your home away from home in your formative years was the dentist’s office, then you know that braces can be hell. That teeth-centric fear was tapped into by the special effects team in Poltergeist II: The Other Side, and with the sequel coming out on a Collector’s Edition Blu-ray on January 31st from Scream Factory, we’ve been provided with an exclusive bonus features clip just for Daily Dead readers that goes behind-the-scenes of the movie’s intense braces scene.
Check out our exclusive bonus features clip of actor Oliver Robins reminiscing about the braces scene below, and be sure to visit Scream Factory to learn more about their Collector’s Edition Blu-rays of both Poltergeist II: The Other Side and Poltergeist III:
https://www.shoutfactory.com/film/film-horror/poltergeist-ii-the-other-side-collector-s-edition https://www.shoutfactory.com/film/film-horror/poltergeist-iii-collector-s-edition
Poltergeist II: The Other Side (Collector’s Edition Blu-ray...
Check out our exclusive bonus features clip of actor Oliver Robins reminiscing about the braces scene below, and be sure to visit Scream Factory to learn more about their Collector’s Edition Blu-rays of both Poltergeist II: The Other Side and Poltergeist III:
https://www.shoutfactory.com/film/film-horror/poltergeist-ii-the-other-side-collector-s-edition https://www.shoutfactory.com/film/film-horror/poltergeist-iii-collector-s-edition
Poltergeist II: The Other Side (Collector’s Edition Blu-ray...
- 1/30/2017
- by Derek Anderson
- DailyDead
Beginning January 31st, sinister spirits return to haunt the Freeling family on Scream Factory’s Poltergeist II: The Other Side Collector’s Edition Blu-ray, and we’ve been provided with three copies to give away to Daily Dead readers.
————
Prize Details: (3) Winners will receive (1) Collector’s Edition Blu-ray copy of Poltergeist II: The Other Side.
How to Enter: For a chance to win, email contest@dailydead.com with the subject “Poltergeist II Contest”. Be sure to include your name and mailing address.
Entry Details: The contest will end at 12:01am Est on February 3rd. This contest is only open to those who are eighteen years of age or older that live in the United States. Only one entry per household will be accepted.
————
Poltergeist II: The Other Side (Collector’s Edition Blu-ray): “In this thrilling follow-up to the smash hit Poltergeist, the Freeling family (JoBeth Williams, Craig T. Nelson,...
————
Prize Details: (3) Winners will receive (1) Collector’s Edition Blu-ray copy of Poltergeist II: The Other Side.
How to Enter: For a chance to win, email contest@dailydead.com with the subject “Poltergeist II Contest”. Be sure to include your name and mailing address.
Entry Details: The contest will end at 12:01am Est on February 3rd. This contest is only open to those who are eighteen years of age or older that live in the United States. Only one entry per household will be accepted.
————
Poltergeist II: The Other Side (Collector’s Edition Blu-ray): “In this thrilling follow-up to the smash hit Poltergeist, the Freeling family (JoBeth Williams, Craig T. Nelson,...
- 1/28/2017
- by Derek Anderson
- DailyDead
Scream Factory welcomes back the spirits that plagued the Freeling family with their respective Collector’s Edition Blu-rays of Poltergeist II: The Other Side and Poltergeist III, and to get you prepped for the January 31st releases, we have high-def clips and trailers from both films for you to enjoy.
Poltergeist II: The Other Side (Collector’s Edition Blu-ray): “In this thrilling follow-up to the smash hit Poltergeist, the Freeling family (JoBeth Williams, Craig T. Nelson, Heather O’Rourke, Oliver Robins) settles into a new home following the annihilation of their former residence by terrifying visitors from the netherworld. But the spirits of the dead are still hell-bent on luring the family’s clairvoyant daughter Carol Anne to “the other side.” This chilling sequel, directed by Brian Gibson (Breaking Glass) also stars Will Sampson (One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest), Julian Beck (The Cotton Club) and Zelda Rubinstein (Anguish) returns as Tangina.
Poltergeist II: The Other Side (Collector’s Edition Blu-ray): “In this thrilling follow-up to the smash hit Poltergeist, the Freeling family (JoBeth Williams, Craig T. Nelson, Heather O’Rourke, Oliver Robins) settles into a new home following the annihilation of their former residence by terrifying visitors from the netherworld. But the spirits of the dead are still hell-bent on luring the family’s clairvoyant daughter Carol Anne to “the other side.” This chilling sequel, directed by Brian Gibson (Breaking Glass) also stars Will Sampson (One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest), Julian Beck (The Cotton Club) and Zelda Rubinstein (Anguish) returns as Tangina.
- 1/27/2017
- by Derek Anderson
- DailyDead
Special mention: Häxan
Directed by Benjamin Christensen
Denmark / Sweden, 1922
Genre: Documentary
Häxan (a.k.a The Witches or Witchcraft Through The Ages) is a 1922 silent documentary about the history of witchcraft, told in a variety of styles, from illustrated slideshows to dramatized reenactments of alleged real-life events. Written and directed by Benjamin Christensen, and based partly on Christensen’s study of the Malleus Maleficarum, Häxan is a fine examination of how superstition and the misunderstanding of mental illness could lead to the hysteria of the witch-hunts. At the time, it was the most expensive Scandinavian film ever made, costing nearly 2 million Swedish krona. Although it won acclaim in Denmark and Sweden, the film was banned in the United States and heavily censored in other countries for what were considered, at that time, graphic depictions of torture, nudity, and sexual perversion. Depending on which version you’re watching, the commentary is...
Directed by Benjamin Christensen
Denmark / Sweden, 1922
Genre: Documentary
Häxan (a.k.a The Witches or Witchcraft Through The Ages) is a 1922 silent documentary about the history of witchcraft, told in a variety of styles, from illustrated slideshows to dramatized reenactments of alleged real-life events. Written and directed by Benjamin Christensen, and based partly on Christensen’s study of the Malleus Maleficarum, Häxan is a fine examination of how superstition and the misunderstanding of mental illness could lead to the hysteria of the witch-hunts. At the time, it was the most expensive Scandinavian film ever made, costing nearly 2 million Swedish krona. Although it won acclaim in Denmark and Sweden, the film was banned in the United States and heavily censored in other countries for what were considered, at that time, graphic depictions of torture, nudity, and sexual perversion. Depending on which version you’re watching, the commentary is...
- 10/27/2015
- by Ricky Fernandes
- SoundOnSight
Poltergeist
Written by Michael Grais, Steven Spielberg, and Mark Victor
Directed by Tobe Hooper
The original 1982 Poltergeist, directed by Tobe Hooper, opens with an apt image: an extreme close-up of a television set. Not only does the object prove pivotal to the film’s narrative, but the close proximity of the camera to the screen imbues the television with a strange, almost alien quality. Though it simply plays the national anthem over patriotic imagery, the signature sign-off for most TV stations in the 1980s, the close-up distorts the pictures and renders them wholly indeterminable. For a film that explores the dark unknowns that lie beneath the seemingly innocent and ordinary, Poltergeist certainly knows how to prime its audience for what’s to come.
As the channel transitions to the familiar static blizzard, five-year-old Carol Anne Freeling (Heather O’Rourke) awakens to the sound of voices emanating from the set. As...
Written by Michael Grais, Steven Spielberg, and Mark Victor
Directed by Tobe Hooper
The original 1982 Poltergeist, directed by Tobe Hooper, opens with an apt image: an extreme close-up of a television set. Not only does the object prove pivotal to the film’s narrative, but the close proximity of the camera to the screen imbues the television with a strange, almost alien quality. Though it simply plays the national anthem over patriotic imagery, the signature sign-off for most TV stations in the 1980s, the close-up distorts the pictures and renders them wholly indeterminable. For a film that explores the dark unknowns that lie beneath the seemingly innocent and ordinary, Poltergeist certainly knows how to prime its audience for what’s to come.
As the channel transitions to the familiar static blizzard, five-year-old Carol Anne Freeling (Heather O’Rourke) awakens to the sound of voices emanating from the set. As...
- 5/24/2015
- by Jacob Carter
- SoundOnSight
As Bruce Campbell proved to us all last week when he debunked the previous week’s announcement that Army of Darkness 2 was on its way, news of impending horror sequels should probably always be taken with a grain of salt. Countless sequels have been announced over the years, only to drop off the face of the earth shortly thereafter. It’s just the nature of the game, in a fickle business like the movie-making one.
Back in August we took a look at ten of those sequels that we’re still waiting to see, and today I’ve got ten more for ya. They were all planned, they were all announced, but none of them ever actually happened!
28 Months Later
A few months before the 2007 DVD release of 28 Days Later’s sequel 28 Weeks Later, the now defunct company Fox Atomic teased a third film, implying that the future of the...
Back in August we took a look at ten of those sequels that we’re still waiting to see, and today I’ve got ten more for ya. They were all planned, they were all announced, but none of them ever actually happened!
28 Months Later
A few months before the 2007 DVD release of 28 Days Later’s sequel 28 Weeks Later, the now defunct company Fox Atomic teased a third film, implying that the future of the...
- 11/14/2013
- by John Squires
- FEARnet
Every year, we here at Sound On Sight celebrate the month of October with 31 Days of Horror; and every year, I update the list of my favourite horror films ever made. Last year, I released a list that included 150 picks. This year, I’ll be upgrading the list, making minor alterations, changing the rankings, adding new entries, and possibly removing a few titles. I’ve also decided to publish each post backwards this time for one reason: the new additions appear lower on my list, whereas my top 50 haven’t changed much, except for maybe in ranking. I am including documentaries, short films and mini series, only as special mentions – along with a few features that can qualify as horror, but barely do.
Come Back Tonight To See My List Of The 200 Best!
****
Special Mention:
Wait until Dark
Directed by Terence Young
Written by Robert Carrington
USA, 1967
Directed by Terence Young,...
Come Back Tonight To See My List Of The 200 Best!
****
Special Mention:
Wait until Dark
Directed by Terence Young
Written by Robert Carrington
USA, 1967
Directed by Terence Young,...
- 10/31/2013
- by Ricky
- SoundOnSight
It had been known for a while that MGM was looking to reboot the 1982 classic fright-fest Poltergeist,and had gone through a cadre of writers, including Scott Derrickson, Juliet Snowden, Stiles White and Paul Harris Boardman -all screenwriters of recent horror films such as Sinister, The Possession, Boogeyman and The Exorcism of Emily Rose, respectively.
But when MGM went into bankruptcy in 2009, the plans stalled. When it finally emerged from that nightmare in February of 2011, they announced a list of five films that were high priority to make. One of those five films they felt they should do was the long-gestating remake of the Tobe Hooper classic.
Then quietness fell, as the studio ramped up other films, including The Hobbit (which they had the distribution rights to) and a remake of Robocop –which seems to have many issues during production.
So 14 long months would go by before MGM announced that,...
But when MGM went into bankruptcy in 2009, the plans stalled. When it finally emerged from that nightmare in February of 2011, they announced a list of five films that were high priority to make. One of those five films they felt they should do was the long-gestating remake of the Tobe Hooper classic.
Then quietness fell, as the studio ramped up other films, including The Hobbit (which they had the distribution rights to) and a remake of Robocop –which seems to have many issues during production.
So 14 long months would go by before MGM announced that,...
- 3/7/2013
- by spaced-odyssey
- doorQ.com
Cool World
Written by Michael Grais, Mark Victor
Directed by Ralph Bakshi
USA, 1992
Cool World is a fabulously fascinating failure of a feature film. Say that three times fast. There’s no beating around the bush, Cool World was a mature, perhaps even perverted, attempt at capitalizing on the eroticism of the character Jessica Rabbit from the underrated masterpiece Who Framed Roger Rabbit?. It’s truly amazing what Robert Zemeckis pulled off back in 1988. Aside from getting Bugs Bunny/Daffy Duck and Mickey Mouse/Donald Duck together in the same film and aside from seamlessly blending live-action and animation together, he also managed to introduce the concept of sex into a film with Dumbo and Yosemite Sam with zero people freaking out about it. Imagine if this film were released today! The eighties were an awesome time to be alive.
Jessica Rabbit is a flawless example of dancing a fine line.
Written by Michael Grais, Mark Victor
Directed by Ralph Bakshi
USA, 1992
Cool World is a fabulously fascinating failure of a feature film. Say that three times fast. There’s no beating around the bush, Cool World was a mature, perhaps even perverted, attempt at capitalizing on the eroticism of the character Jessica Rabbit from the underrated masterpiece Who Framed Roger Rabbit?. It’s truly amazing what Robert Zemeckis pulled off back in 1988. Aside from getting Bugs Bunny/Daffy Duck and Mickey Mouse/Donald Duck together in the same film and aside from seamlessly blending live-action and animation together, he also managed to introduce the concept of sex into a film with Dumbo and Yosemite Sam with zero people freaking out about it. Imagine if this film were released today! The eighties were an awesome time to be alive.
Jessica Rabbit is a flawless example of dancing a fine line.
- 2/25/2013
- by Matthew Younker
- SoundOnSight
Throughout the month of October, Editor-in-Chief and resident Horror expert Ricky D, will be posting a list of his favorite Horror films of all time. The list will be posted in six parts. Click here to see every entry.
****
Enjoy!
150: Session 9
Directed by Brad Anderson
Written by Stephen Gevedon and Brad Anderson
2001, USA
If there was ever a perfect setting for a horror movie, it would be the abandoned Danvers State Mental Hospital. Built in 1878 on an isolated site in rural Massachusetts, it was a multi-acre, self-contained psychiatric hospital rumoured to have been the birthplace of the pre-frontal lobotomy. The hospital was the setting for the 2001 horror film Session 9, where an asbestos clean-up crew discover a series of nine tapes, which have recorded a patient with multiple personalities, all of which are innocent, except for number nine. With a shoestring budget and no real special effects, Session 9...
****
Enjoy!
150: Session 9
Directed by Brad Anderson
Written by Stephen Gevedon and Brad Anderson
2001, USA
If there was ever a perfect setting for a horror movie, it would be the abandoned Danvers State Mental Hospital. Built in 1878 on an isolated site in rural Massachusetts, it was a multi-acre, self-contained psychiatric hospital rumoured to have been the birthplace of the pre-frontal lobotomy. The hospital was the setting for the 2001 horror film Session 9, where an asbestos clean-up crew discover a series of nine tapes, which have recorded a patient with multiple personalities, all of which are innocent, except for number nine. With a shoestring budget and no real special effects, Session 9...
- 10/3/2012
- by Ricky
- SoundOnSight
Imagine it's June 1982, and you're faced with a decision at the multiplex between two new movies, "Poltergeist" (released on June 4) and "E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial" (released a week later, on June 11). Which film about a suburban family whose lives are overturned by a supernatural alien presence do you want to see? At the time of their release, the horror/satirical approach of "Poltergeist" and the mythical/sentimental approach of "E.T." seemed to be at opposite ends of the spectrum. Yet, three decades later, the two movies have more in common than near-simultaneous release dates, suburban settings, and otherworldly fantasy/horror/sci-fi elements: they also sprang from the mind of Steven Spielberg and explored many of his signature themes. Spielberg himself noted the similarity in a June 1982 interview: "I think people lead lives where their deepest wish is that something would interrupt the mundane everyday routine," he told Michael Verona. "And...
- 6/5/2012
- by Gary Susman
- Moviefone
The popularity that continues to this day of Steven Seagal can be directly pointed at and summed up on his first four films. Usually playing cold, calculating tough guys that disobey their superiors to get the job or justice done, Seagal’s films were perfectly paced bone-snapping action films, that within these first few films established him as an action star along the sides of Sly Stallone, Jean-Claude Van Damme, and Arnold Schwarzenegger, who dominated the box office at that time in the early 1990s. Also of note, is that these films were related by their three word titles, something of which inspired this retrospective’s name.
Directed by Halloween 4: The Return of Michael Myers helmer Dwight H. Little in 1990, Marked for Death is our next Action Packed Flashback, as Killer Film chats with screenwriter Michael Grais, who was then coming off of the horror hit franchise in Poltergeist and Poltergeist II.
Directed by Halloween 4: The Return of Michael Myers helmer Dwight H. Little in 1990, Marked for Death is our next Action Packed Flashback, as Killer Film chats with screenwriter Michael Grais, who was then coming off of the horror hit franchise in Poltergeist and Poltergeist II.
- 6/2/2011
- by Jon Peters
- Killer Films
A pair of fright favorites have been announced for Blu-ray release later this year. Dark Sky Films gave Fango the word that Henry: Portait Of A Serial Killer will have its hi-def debut September 29, while Universal Home Entertainment issues the modern zombie-comedy classic Shaun Of The Dead (previously available on a now-out-of-print HD-DVD) on Blu-ray September 22. Contents have yet to be announced, but presumably these will contain all the previous DVD special features; retail price for each is $29.98.
Speaking of Dark Sky, the company also let us know that it has bumped its release of the British gorefest Gnaw to October 13, and confirmed that the much-lauded Deadgirl will hit disc September 15. You can find articles on both these films in Fango #285, which hits the stands any day now.
Anchor Bay issues the well-reviewed Australian psychological chiller Acolytes July 28. Directed by Jon Hewitt from a script he wrote with S.P. Krause and Shayne Armstrong,...
Speaking of Dark Sky, the company also let us know that it has bumped its release of the British gorefest Gnaw to October 13, and confirmed that the much-lauded Deadgirl will hit disc September 15. You can find articles on both these films in Fango #285, which hits the stands any day now.
Anchor Bay issues the well-reviewed Australian psychological chiller Acolytes July 28. Directed by Jon Hewitt from a script he wrote with S.P. Krause and Shayne Armstrong,...
- 6/16/2009
- by no-reply@fangoria.com (Michael Gingold)
- Fangoria
Variety brings us the scariest news of all: MGM has scared up the scripting team of Stiles White and Juliet Snowden ("Boogeyman") to pen its remake of “Poltergeist.”Studio’s seeking a director for the project. The 1982 horror pic, based on a script by Steven Spielberg, Michael Grais and Mark Victor, was directed by Tobe Hooper and starred JoBeth Williams and Craig T. Nelson. It spawned two sequels, released in 1986 and 1988. White and Snowden are specialists in horror projects. They co-wrote “Knowing,” starring Nicolas Cage and directed by Alex Proyas, for Summit, and “The Birds” remake for Universal. They recently completed “A Good and Happy Child” for Paramount Vantage.
- 8/21/2008
- UGO Movies
MGM has enlisted horror specialists Stiles White and Juliet Snowden ("Boogeyman") to script the "Poltergeist" remake. The studio is hunting for helmer of the reincarnation...possibilities? Gore Verbinski? Mikael Hafstrom? Who knows... The eerie original film of 1982 starred Craig T. Nelson and JoBeth Williams. Spielberg wrote the story and adapted alongside Michael Grais and Mark Victor. Tobe Hooper directed. Hooper is currently in production for "From a Buick 8" based on the Stephen King novel which Richard Chizmar is adapting for Amicus Entertainment and Nice Guy Productions.
- 8/20/2008
- Upcoming-Movies.com
MGM has enlisted horror specialists Stiles White and Juliet Snowden ("Boogeyman") to script the "Poltergeist" remake. The studio is hunting for helmer of the reincarnation...possibilities? Gore Verbinski? Mikael Hafstrom? Who knows... The eerie original film of 1982 starred Craig T. Nelson and JoBeth Williams. Spielberg wrote the story and adapted alongside Michael Grais and Mark Victor. Tobe Hooper directed. Hooper is currently in production for "From a Buick 8" based on the Stephen King novel which Richard Chizmar is adapting for Amicus Entertainment and Nice Guy Productions.
- 8/20/2008
- Upcoming-Movies.com
MGM has enlisted horror specialists Stiles White and Juliet Snowden ("Boogeyman") to script the "Poltergeist" remake. The studio is hunting for helmer of the reincarnation...possibilities? Gore Verbinski? Mikael Hafstrom? Who knows... The eerie original film of 1982 starred Craig T. Nelson and JoBeth Williams. Spielberg wrote the story and adapted alongside Michael Grais and Mark Victor. Tobe Hooper directed. Hooper is currently in production for "From a Buick 8" based on the Stephen King novel which Richard Chizmar is adapting for Amicus Entertainment and Nice Guy Productions. Snowden and White collaborated on Summit Entertainment's Alex Proyas' directed "Knowing" (Read the Alex Proyas Interview here) starring Nicolas Cage and Rose Byrn. They also wrote a remake of "The Birds" for Universal Pictures.
- 8/20/2008
- Upcoming-Movies.com
MGM has enlisted horror specialists Stiles White and Juliet Snowden ("Boogeyman") to script the "Poltergeist" remake. The studio is hunting for helmer of the reincarnation...possibilities? Gore Verbinski? Mikael Hafstrom? Who knows... The eerie original film of 1982 starred Craig T. Nelson and JoBeth Williams. Spielberg wrote the story and adapted alongside Michael Grais and Mark Victor. Tobe Hooper directed. Hooper is currently in production for "From a Buick 8" based on the Stephen King novel which Richard Chizmar is adapting for Amicus Entertainment and Nice Guy Productions.
- 8/20/2008
- Upcoming-Movies.com
These ''Sleepwalkers'' aren't the standard kind that go bump in the night and then toddle back to bed. They're feline-reptilian-human creatures who feast on the life force of young virgins. Columbia should wake up today with some lively opening weekend numbers from the latest from Stephen King's imagination.
His first work written directly for the screen is a weird and brainy genre transmutation that will have appeal beyond the usual bloodsuckers who require their periodic fill of gore and guts, namely among those who relish countercultural send-ups of Middle America.
In this skillfully executed horror piece, King slices weird and deep into the fabric of Smalltown USA and the Norman Rockwell lifestyle. He plays with popular taboos (sexual, mainly) and carves up civic practices.
For those well-versed in vampire iconography, sleepwalkers were the legendary inspirations for werewolves and vampires. Able to subsist only on the life force of virtuous young women, they have, as you might expect, a hard time finding sustenance in this day and age. As such, like the practitioners of certain religions, they're now few in number; as this story proclaims, they're down to two sleepwalker survivors, Charles Brady (Brian Krause) and his mother, Mary (Alice Krige).
Voraciously hungry, teen Charles and Mother Mary hightail it from Southern California to the land of plenty -- namely, the Midwest, where virginity does exist. The blond, angelic-looking Charles has little trouble in attracting female attention. He methodically woos Tanya (Madchen Amick), a comely National Merit finalist.
Like most young men, Charles receives mixed signals from Mom in carrying out his romantic game plan: In this case, these signals are particularly mixed since Charles and Mom sleep together and since Mom is real, real hungry. Mom wants to keeep Charles to herself, but if she doesn't share, she doesn't eat.
Which is stronger, jealousy or hunger? Admittedly, this storyline goes beyond even the daily dabbles into weirdo psychopathology that Phil, Oprah and Geraldo heave up. Better yet, it provides some real answers and establishes some real heroes, namely a hundred or so stray cats who do ultimate battle with the evil Sleepwalkers.
Throughout, King's macabre humor is nicely juiced by director Mick Garris' smooth and stylish direction. Garris adroitly blends the standard genre parts with the witty peculiarities of this storyline. Under his deft handling, the film's top-flight technical contributions, mainly Apogee Prods.' sizzling visual effects and Tony Gardner's seamless, scary makeup, conjure up the maximum in thrills and chills.
The players are similarly outstanding, particularly Krause and Krige for their eerily endearing and frightening performances as the sleepwalking Bradys. Top marks for Amick for her winning performance as the young damsel in distress, not willing to be just another morsel of this Bradys' brunch.
STEPHEN KING'S SLEEPWALKERS
Columbia Pictures
An ION Pictures/Victor & Grais Production
A Film by Mick Garris
Producers Mark Victor, Michael Grais, Nabeel Zahid
Director Mick Garris
Screenwriter Stephen King
Co-producer Richard Stenta
Director of photography Rodney Charters
Production designer John DeCuir Jr.
Editor O. Nicholas Brown
Executive producers Dimitri Logothetis, Joseph Medawar
Music Nicholas Pike
Casting Wendy Kurtzman, Lisa Mionie
Color/Stereo
Cast:
Charles Brady Brian Krause
Tanya Robertson Madchen Amick
Mary Brady Alice Krige
Ira Jim Haynie
Mrs. Robertson Cindy Pickett
Captain Soames Ron Perlman
Mr. Robertson Lyman Ward
Andy Simpson Dan Martin
Running time -- 91 minutes
MPAA Rating: R
(c) The Hollywood Reporter...
His first work written directly for the screen is a weird and brainy genre transmutation that will have appeal beyond the usual bloodsuckers who require their periodic fill of gore and guts, namely among those who relish countercultural send-ups of Middle America.
In this skillfully executed horror piece, King slices weird and deep into the fabric of Smalltown USA and the Norman Rockwell lifestyle. He plays with popular taboos (sexual, mainly) and carves up civic practices.
For those well-versed in vampire iconography, sleepwalkers were the legendary inspirations for werewolves and vampires. Able to subsist only on the life force of virtuous young women, they have, as you might expect, a hard time finding sustenance in this day and age. As such, like the practitioners of certain religions, they're now few in number; as this story proclaims, they're down to two sleepwalker survivors, Charles Brady (Brian Krause) and his mother, Mary (Alice Krige).
Voraciously hungry, teen Charles and Mother Mary hightail it from Southern California to the land of plenty -- namely, the Midwest, where virginity does exist. The blond, angelic-looking Charles has little trouble in attracting female attention. He methodically woos Tanya (Madchen Amick), a comely National Merit finalist.
Like most young men, Charles receives mixed signals from Mom in carrying out his romantic game plan: In this case, these signals are particularly mixed since Charles and Mom sleep together and since Mom is real, real hungry. Mom wants to keeep Charles to herself, but if she doesn't share, she doesn't eat.
Which is stronger, jealousy or hunger? Admittedly, this storyline goes beyond even the daily dabbles into weirdo psychopathology that Phil, Oprah and Geraldo heave up. Better yet, it provides some real answers and establishes some real heroes, namely a hundred or so stray cats who do ultimate battle with the evil Sleepwalkers.
Throughout, King's macabre humor is nicely juiced by director Mick Garris' smooth and stylish direction. Garris adroitly blends the standard genre parts with the witty peculiarities of this storyline. Under his deft handling, the film's top-flight technical contributions, mainly Apogee Prods.' sizzling visual effects and Tony Gardner's seamless, scary makeup, conjure up the maximum in thrills and chills.
The players are similarly outstanding, particularly Krause and Krige for their eerily endearing and frightening performances as the sleepwalking Bradys. Top marks for Amick for her winning performance as the young damsel in distress, not willing to be just another morsel of this Bradys' brunch.
STEPHEN KING'S SLEEPWALKERS
Columbia Pictures
An ION Pictures/Victor & Grais Production
A Film by Mick Garris
Producers Mark Victor, Michael Grais, Nabeel Zahid
Director Mick Garris
Screenwriter Stephen King
Co-producer Richard Stenta
Director of photography Rodney Charters
Production designer John DeCuir Jr.
Editor O. Nicholas Brown
Executive producers Dimitri Logothetis, Joseph Medawar
Music Nicholas Pike
Casting Wendy Kurtzman, Lisa Mionie
Color/Stereo
Cast:
Charles Brady Brian Krause
Tanya Robertson Madchen Amick
Mary Brady Alice Krige
Ira Jim Haynie
Mrs. Robertson Cindy Pickett
Captain Soames Ron Perlman
Mr. Robertson Lyman Ward
Andy Simpson Dan Martin
Running time -- 91 minutes
MPAA Rating: R
(c) The Hollywood Reporter...
- 4/13/1992
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
IMDb.com, Inc. takes no responsibility for the content or accuracy of the above news articles, Tweets, or blog posts. This content is published for the entertainment of our users only. The news articles, Tweets, and blog posts do not represent IMDb's opinions nor can we guarantee that the reporting therein is completely factual. Please visit the source responsible for the item in question to report any concerns you may have regarding content or accuracy.