Hollywood has always loved sequels. But the early 2000s saw studios pursue a new direction for franchise-building – prequels or origin stories. Ever want to know why Hannibal Lecter is a cannibal? How about Michael Myers’ childhood? Or what about Father Merrin’s first encounter with The Exorcist demon, Pazuzu? Though Rob Zombie’s Halloween has its […]
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When Stephen Sommers (Deep Rising) re-imagined The Mummy as a mix of flashy CGI horror and swashbuckling Indiana Jones–esque adventure, it became a surprising box office smash. Anyone who saw Tom Cruise’s Mummy knows Sommers’ approach wasn’t a sure thing in 1999. Following a successful sequel, Sommers opted to take on a handful of Universal […]
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Following Francis Ford Coppola’s successful updating of Bram Stoker’s Dracula, it’s not surprising that Hollywood would go back to the same grave … or well. After all, this was the same decade that gave us two volcano movies and two killer asteroid movies. And so Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein was pegged for a glossy, big budget […]
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Recently, Universal Studios announced another Wolfman remake starring Ryan Gosling. After the failures of the last remake and The Mummy, however, Universal’s announcement wouldn’t normally inspire excitement. Then along came the recent The Invisible Man remake and suddenly a remake of The Wolf Man has potential. Either way, now feels like as good a time […]
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Nearly two years after The Mummy failed to kick off the ‘Dark Universe’, Leigh Whannell (Upgrade) and Blumhouse Productions have resurrected the Universal Monsters. This isn’t the first time Blumhouse has re-ignited a dormant franchise. And Whannell is no stranger to mixing horror and science fiction. While The Mummy was a bloated combination of horror […]
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Universal Studios and the Universal monsters of the 1930’s and 1940’s are the template for our Halloween. Mad scientists and hunchback assistants. Angry villagers with pitchforks and torches. Shuffling monsters with electrodes their neck. Full moons and werewolves. Aristocratic vampire in capes. During their nearly two decade reign over horror, Universal created much of the […]
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It’s that time of year. Stuck in the desolation that falls between Christmas and Easter, Valentine’s Day is back. But fear not. Love isn’t just for Hallmark Channel subscribers. Yes, people find love even in horror movies. Of course, it’s usually tragic, cursed, or undead. Nevertheless, horror fans have plenty of options for curling up […]
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Vampires are a horror staple. They have been since Bela Lugosi brought Dracula to life in the Universal Monsters classic. So of course horror’s undisputed master would have to pen a vampire story, right? In fact, Salem’s Lot was Stephen King’s second major novel. Four years after King published it, horror maverick Tobe Hooper adapted […]
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