Does the 1999 remake of House on Haunted Hill stand the test of time 25 years later? Let’s dig into it and find out

From one 1999 horror remake to another. After rewatching The Haunting with eyes that were both more critical and 25 years older, it got me thinking about the other remake that came out that year. One that was a remake of a far sillier movie and that was the first effort from a new studio, namely Dark Castle Entertainment. The original was from a far less dark castle in that of schlock and gimmick purveyor William Castle and it starred Vincent Price as a man offering strangers money to stay in an allegedly haunted house for a night. While The Haunting failed on multiple levels to improve with age, how does House on Haunted Hill (watch it HERE) look after a quarter of a century? Does its cheesy yet graphic tone feel at home in the time of A24 and elevated horror or should it forfeit its 1 million dollar check and leave the cursed grounds forever. Close the shutters and let’s see if this movie stands the Test of Time.

Plot

In 1998, Robert Zemeckis, Joel Silver, and Gilbert Adler formed Dark Castle Entertainment with it being a subdivision of Silver Pictures with an eye for horror. While its first 3 movies are seen as a fun, unrelated trilogy in House on Haunted Hill, other remake 13 Ghosts, and Ghost Ship, House on Haunted Hill was decided as first with it being kicked around as early as 1997. In a neat touch, William Castle’s daughter served as an executive producer on the movie since it was the first for the company and one of Castle’s biggest movies from his run. William Malone served as the director and claims to have written about 20% of the screenplay but didn’t get his name in the writing credits. Malone was a huge fan of the original and got his start in horror with 1980’s Scared to Death and 1985’s Creature. While these may not be stone cold classics, they are much more fun than they have any right to be. After that he would do episodes in both Freddy’s Nightmares and Tales from the Crypt. This movie and Fear Dot Com would get him a spot in the Masters of Horror lineup, but he has been very quiet since then.

The credited writer on the movie is Dick Beebe whose other screenplays include an episode of Tales from the Crypt and Blair Witch 2: Book of Shadows. The cast is a fun and strange one that includes Oscar winner and scene stealer Jeffery Rush as Steven Price, a loving if not obvious nod to the original movie’s star, as well as Famke Janssen, Taye Diggs, Peter Gallagher, Ali Larter, Bridgette Wilson, Chris Kattan, and the great Jeffrey Combs. Rush, Diggs, Kattan, Gallagher, and Wilson don’t have much at all in the horror genre of note apart from Wilson’s minor role in I Know What You Did Last Summer. Ali Larter had a bunch of the Resident Evil movies and Final Destination while also appearing in an episode of the Creepshow series on Shudder. Combs is a damn legend, but Famke Janssen has much more horror in her resume than you’d expect. Lord of Illusions is an underrated Clive Barker flick, but she was also in The Faculty, Deep Rising, and Hide and Seek amongst others. The cast is held up wonderfully by Rush and Janssen’s hate chemistry as well as the horror presence, and I meant that spectrally, of Jeffrey Combs.

William Castle was the king of gimmicks for showing his movies in theaters and the original movie was no different with “Emergo” being the one to accompany it. This was a system of pulleys to have skeletons whoosh across the theater to scare and enthrall movie goers. In that spirit, the 1999 remake gave away scratch tickets to patrons in an attempt to have them win the same money that was being given away in the film. While critics didn’t care for the movie, it was a financial success for the studio with a 42 million gross on a 19-million-dollar budget. The movie would also get a straight to video sequel in 2007 that carried over Jeffrey Combs and gave him a much larger role this time.

The story for the movie starts with a scene from 1931 as the patients in a psychiatric hospital get loose and kill all of the staff except for 5. It is found that horrible methods and experiments took place and that Dr. Vannicut was probably one of the 20th century’s biggest killers. Cut to the present and we now follow fright mogul Stephen Price setting up a birthday party for his wife. She sends a list of guests which he promptly shreds before making one of his own. This list too is changed from an unseen presence on his computer and strangers show up to the now abandoned hospital and are given some history by the owner Pritchard. Nobody knows why they were invited as they don’t know each other or the hosts but they are given the enticement of a million dollars each to stay and survive the night. Price has some things set up and one of his engineers is there to oversee but the house locks itself off and eerie occurrences begin to happen.

They go to investigate and after one of the guests disappears and they all start seeing things, we learn that one of the guests is having an affair with Price’s wife Evelyn and they plan to kill him. Price knew from the start and even after being framed and apparently killed, shows his last trick and plans to kill Evelyn. The other guests find out that they were invited because they are descendants of the survivors of the incident in 1931 and Price inadvertently lets out one hell of a poltergeist. The survivors flee and find an exit in the attic while the ghosts reclaim some of their vengeance.

Signs of the Time

While there were remakes before with such masterpieces as The Fly or The Thing or even 1990’s Night of the Living Dead, most of the decade avoided the trend and it really didn’t take off until the beginning of the new millennium. Psycho would come out the previous year though and 1999 would have TWO remakes get released. While it’s a sign of the times, it’s also the beginning of an era for better and for worse. In the technology realm we have some very early looking laptops and cell phones to the degree that these phones don’t have the cameras that we have now and so one of the characters brings an actual video camera on the adventure and the writers use it to great effect. The house is old and big enough with tunnels that go deep enough that these early cell phones also don’t have the strength to get a signal out of the house. It’s a nice moment that a current screenwriter would have to come up with where in 1998 when it was written, that was just reality.

While there is something else that marks it squarely in the 90’s, that being the blockbuster tapes seen being used by the engineer that warms my heart, this is also a time capsule of CGI. We’ve discussed the ebbs and flows of good and bad CGI that happens in the lifetime of the use of it but sometimes we see a difference in the same year. I watched both this and The Haunting on Blu-ray and boy, with a couple of minor exceptions, do the ones here hold up a hell of a lot better than its 1999 remake brethren. It comes down to different effects teams, different budgets, and what you are trying to accomplish but this is an example of good 90s CGI that is a rare thing indeed.

What Holds Up

There is a lot here to like. First and foremost are the credits and opening scene that set up the tone of the movie wonderfully, at least where the scares are involved. The opening massacre is the best shot, scored, acted, and thematically relevant part of the movie and it makes you want to watch the rest of the movie without question. The mix of black and white camera footage with seeing it in real time and then the transition to an America’s Most Wanted type of video explaining what we just saw in a nice diegetic way. Some of the other behind the scenes things that still rule are the score, NOT the soundtrack, the set decoration, and the effects. The score does a good job of telling the story along with the characters while the set decoration and sets themselves are characters on their own. The physical effects that include the use of blood, fast shaking characters ala Jacob’s Ladder, and the makeup of the creatures and ghosts are still freaky and that includes the awesome saturation chamber segment with the two Jefferies. The little CGI used is actually good except for maybe when the house turns into a face, something that was just par for the course in 1999 horror remakes.

The Jefferies of Combs and Rush are the two pillars that hold the movie together from an acting standpoint with Combs leaning into the supernatural killer aspect like he’s mixing Dr. West and the weird FBI agent from Frighteners while Rush is the perfect stand in for Vincent Price and William Castle. Part showman, part snidely conman, and all charisma. It couldn’t be a better portrayal or even character. The other thing that holds up great is how this is as a remake. it pays homage to the originals with general premise and plot and even some character names while keeping itself very much its own thing. It sits in a great place, especially after Psycho was a shot for shot remake and The Haunting tried something different but failed on many levels. One of my favorite scenes is when Bridgette Wilson’s character is filming with her video camera, and she picks up stuff on the tape that she can’t see in real life. It’s a surgery happening, and all of the ghosts look up at her silently at the same time. There are a couple well executed things throughout that standout compared to other movies.

What Doesn’t Hold Up

I’m happy to report that far less doesn’t hold up than does. Some of the CGI is iffy at times like when the house turns into a face or a few of the shots with the evil ghost at the end. While the score is wonderful, the soundtrack doesn’t quite work for the movie even if I don’t hate the songs by themselves. I just find them distracting throughout the course of the actual movie especially compared to what the score brings to the table. Along those lines, while the performances of the two Jefferies and Famke Janssen are without flaw, the rest of the cast and the script in general are nothing special. Is it a case of the cast unable to elevate not great material or script bringing down the casts performances? Either way it’s noticeable. Chris Kattan is an interesting experiment and apparently let him improvise some and just be him, but it is distracting from the rest of the movie. He has a couple really good lines but other than that he is cringy at best and a detractor at worst.

Verdict

This has nothing to do with original vs remake but this movie, Vincent Price and William Castle pedigree aside, is far more watchable than the original. While it has some holes to poke in it, its easily one of the best horror movies of 1999. It predates the remake craze and gave a good schematic on how to do that right even if many of the studios failed to follow the plan. It started the studio off on the right foot and none of the movies that followed really captured the same lightning in a bottle the way it does, nor do they hold up as well as this does. House on Haunted Hill stands the Test of Time and is as strong as the haunted halls of the asylum it takes place in.

A couple of the previous episodes of The Test of Time can be seen below. To see more, click over to the JoBlo Horror Originals YouTube channel – and subscribe while you’re there!

Deadpool & Wolverine is already breaking Fandango first-day ticket sales as audiences gear up for the superhero tag-team of the century.

The third film in Marvel’s Deadpool franchise, Deadpool & Wolverine, is touching ticket buyers in the money maker ahead of its theatrical release on July 26. What? I’m talking about wallets! Get your head out of the gutter. According to Fandango, Marvel Studios’ upcoming Deadpool & Wolverine film has broken Fandango’s best first-day ticket sales record for 2024. The film is also the best first-day pre-seller from the Deadpool franchise, surpassing the first day of ticket sales for Deadpool and Deadpool 2.

“Deadpool and Wolverine are proving to be the dynamic duo, smashing records before appearing on the big screen,” said Jerramy Hainline, EVP of Fandango Ticketing. “The success of the film’s ticket pre-sales is a testament to the strong appeal and excitement these iconic characters bring to audiences across the nation.”

To mark the occasion of Wade Wilson’s team-up with James Howlett on the silver screen, Fandango offers fans a chance to pop their claws into Deadpool’s Premium Package. The bundle includes two tickets to see Deadpool & Wolverine in any format, official Best Friends necklaces, and entry for a chance to win a trip to the movie’s premiere!

Deadpool & Wolverine stars Ryan Reynolds and Hugh Jackman as Deadpool and Wolverine, respectively. In addition to featuring the superhero team-up of the century, the threequel finds Wade and Logan sticking their dirty fingers into the Marvel Cinematic Timeline, creating chaos while foiling a nefarious plot devised by Charles Xavier’s sister, Cassandra Nova (Emma Corrin). The MCU desperately needs a shake-up, and it sounds like Cassandra Nova and multiversal shenanigans could usher significant changes into the interconnected universe.

Morena Baccarin, Rob Delaney, Leslie Uggams, Karan Soni, and Matthew Macfadyen also star. The House of Ideas is teasing cameos across the Marvel Cinematic Universe, including Jennifer Garner, Ben Affleck, James Marsden, Halle Berry, Ian McKellen, Aron Stanford, Chris Hemsworth, and more. To be crystal clear, none of these cameos are officially confirmed. The list is based on trailer tidbits, rumors, and on-set paparazzi fodder.

Have you purchased your tickets to Deadpool & Wolverine yet? Are you surprised that Fandango pre-sales are blowing up? Let us know in the comments section below.

About the Author

Born and raised in New York, then immigrated to Canada, Steve Seigh has been a JoBlo.com editor, columnist, and critic since 2012. He started with Ink & Pixel, a column celebrating the magic and evolution of animation, before launching the companion YouTube series Animation Movies Revisited. He’s also the host of the Talking Comics Podcast, a personality-driven audio show focusing on comic books, film, music, and more. You’ll rarely catch him without headphones on his head and pancakes on his breath.

Scripted by the writer of Night of the Comet, the sci-fi horror film Menace, starring Isabel May, has landed at IFC Films and Shudder

Just ten days ago, we shared the news that Isabel May of Let’s Scare Julie and the Yellowstone spin-off 1883 has the lead role in the sci-fi horror film Menace, the first film to be written by Night of the Comet screenwriter Thom Eberhardt in over 20 years. Now Variety reports that Menace has landed a distribution deal with IFC Films and the Shudder streaming service, with the plan being for IFC and Shudder to release the film in North America, the U.K., Ireland, Australia, and New Zealand sometime in 2025. Variety also unveiled a lower quality image of May’s character in the film, which can be seen above.

Directed by Randall Okita, who previously worked with IFC Films on the thriller See for Me, Menace follows a research student (Isabel May), who has a psychotic breakdown and is remanded to the custody of her aunt and uncle in a small town. There, strange things begin to transpire and people start disappearing, leaving her uncertain about what is real or what is simply a figment of her imagination.

The film was produced by Roy Lee and Steven Schneider of Spooky Pictures, as well as Image Nation Abu Dhabi’s Derek Dauchy, The O Team’s Daniel Ostroff, and William Woods and Maddy Falle. May serves as an executive producer through her banner Una Vaca Productions Ben Ross, Rami Yasin, Tom Spriggs, and Stuart Ford also served as executive producers.

Emily Gotto, SVP of acquisitions and production for Shudder, had this to say about the distribution deal: “We are thrilled to reteam with the powerhouse producers at Image Nation Abu Dhabi and Spooky Pictures, marking our third collaboration and another opportunity to match the tremendous successes we’ve had with Watcher and most recently Late Night with the Devil. Randall Okita is a prolific filmmaker and we’re excited to join him again by bringing his imaginative work to audiences worldwide.“

Ben Ross, acting CEO of Image Nation Abu Dhabi, added, “After successful runs on both Watcher and Late Night with the Devil, we couldn’t be more excited to partner with IFC and Shudder for a third time on Menace. We appreciate the passion that Scott, Emily and the teams have brought to these projects and can’t wait to see the outcome of this latest collaboration.“

And Okita said, “I am thrilled to be working with IFC and Shudder to share Menace with audiences around the world. They are the perfect partner for our sci-fi horror and I look forward to embarking on this journey with them for this fantastic project.“

Are you interested in Menace, and are you glad it has found a home at IFC Films and Shudder? Let us know by leaving a comment below.

Dwayne Johnson becomes the iconic MMA fighter Mark Kerr in a first-look image for A24 and Benny Safdie’s The Smashing Machine.

Last Updated on May 22, 2024

Prepare for a double-take because Dwayne Johnson looks different without his signature bald head in a first-look image for A24‘s The Smashing Machine. Johnson plays MMA icon Mark Kerr in the upcoming drama from Benny Safdie (Uncut Gems, Oppenheimer, Go Get Some Rosemary), and today, he’s getting in the ring for what could be his most challenging role. In The Smashing Machine’s first-look image, Johnson’s Mark Kerr takes a seat to recuperate during a heated match. As a ring girl previews the fight’s next round, Kerr’s coach tells the fighter to breathe as a coach barks encouraging words.

First look at Benny Safdie’s THE SMASHING MACHINE starring @TheRock and Emily Blunt. pic.twitter.com/GVC2XIHwGV

— A24 (@A24) May 21, 2024

Mark Kerr is a former American wrestler and mixed martial artist. As a two-time UFC Heavyweight Tournament Champion, World Vale Tudo Championship tournament winner, a PRIDE FC Heavyweight Champion, 1992 NCAA National Wrestling Champion, 1994 National Freestyle Champion, and 4x ADCC World Submission Champion, Kerr is one of the biggest badasses to ever get into the ring.

In addition to his directorial duties, Safdie co-wrote the script, focusing on Kerr’s struggle with addiction, victory, love, and friendship in the year 2000. Likely to veer into more severe territory, The Smashing Machine gives Johnson a rare opportunity to flex his drama muscles for cameras. While some could be confused about what that looks like, Safdie is known for bringing the best out of his film stars.

“Dwayne and Benny are singular talents, and their shared vision for Mark’s inspiring story is electrifying,” said Noah Sacco of A24. “We are deeply honored to have their trust as collaborators in bringing this incredibly special project to life.”

It’s been ages since I’ve seen Dwayne Johnson with a full head of hair, and I’m not going to lie; it’s kinda freaking me out. It’s amazing how a quality hairpiece can change someone’s appearance. I wonder how long Johnson marveled at his fresh crop in the mirror after the hair and makeup team finished working their magic?

What do you think about Johnson’s look in The Smashing Machine image? Are you excited to see Kerr’s story come to life on the silver screen? Let us know in the comments section below.

About the Author

Born and raised in New York, then immigrated to Canada, Steve Seigh has been a JoBlo.com editor, columnist, and critic since 2012. He started with Ink & Pixel, a column celebrating the magic and evolution of animation, before launching the companion YouTube series Animation Movies Revisited. He’s also the host of the Talking Comics Podcast, a personality-driven audio show focusing on comic books, film, music, and more. You’ll rarely catch him without headphones on his head and pancakes on his breath.

Last Updated on May 22, 2024

While Stallone and Schwarzenegger took the 80s by storm with their famous brand of one-man-army spectacles, the latter part of the decade would also see a new breed of tough guys branch out into a different trend of action. It wasn’t only about the ripped muscles and the gunplay and explosions. After martial arts had gone mainstream, stars such as Chuck Norris, Jean-Claude Van Damme and Steven Seagal would carve out their own little place at the box office as they brought their expertise of hand-to-hand combat to the masses. 

Naturally, other studios would want to get in on the action and the best thing about jumping on this trend is the fact that there is still an aspect of originality since each star would be spotlighting a specific sect of martial arts. For example, Michael Dudikoff would showcase Ninjitsu, Seagal showcased Aikido, Phillip Rhee showcased Tae Kwan Do, and the new gun in town, Jeff Speakman, would show off his mastery in the art of Kenpo in the 1991 film The Perfect Weapon, which is the movie we take a look at in this episode of Reel Action.

The Perfect Weapon is a film that got lost in a sea of action B-movies from the late 80s/early 90s era. And it’s pretty to see why. The title is derivative of similar movies. The plot setup is a pretty run-of-the-mill revenge story. And while the newcomer star does an impressive job for his first time out, he wasn’t given the chance to bring anything particularly new to his character archetype. That being said, The Perfect Weapon is still an entertaining watch and provides you with ample action — enough to turn your brain off for 85 minutes. 

Who is Jeff Speakman?

The movie was an attempt at establishing Jeff Speakman as the new formidable martial arts star that could lead his own career of action films. Speakman had achieved a black belt ranking in a traditional Okinawan style of karate called Goju-ryu. After accomplishing this high order, he would go on to further his martial arts career by studying the art of American Kenpo under the tutelage of Master Ed Parker. American Kenpo was a style founded by Parker and he was a renowned figure in the combat sport world. Parker took his knowledge of ancient Kenpo traditions and modified them with modern tactics that would ideally be applied to street fighting. It’s not unlike what had also been achieved by a peer of Parker’s – someone you might’ve heard of…named Bruce Lee. While Lee had also modified ancient traditions for street fighting, his style of Jeet Kune Do was rooted in Chinese Kung Fu, while Parker’s American Kenpo is rooted in the ancient traditions of Karate. 

Parker would dabble in Hollywood himself, as he played intimidating figures in such films like the Pink Panther movies, where he would get to show off his fighting system. 

And it’s this style that’s being showcased in The Perfect Weapon. We are introduced to Speakman in a manner that aims to appeal to everyone. From the start, he’s shown as a humble, blue collar worker by day. Then, by night, he trains in his living room, showing off his forms and it would tease how fast his hand speed is. The movie unapologetically flaunts his rugged good looks that proves he has the image to be a leading man and the physique to go toe-to-toe with many combatants, as well as making an effort to compete with Van Damme’s sex appeal. One that continuously got him catcalls. This intro gives us a first look into the Kenpo form as Speakman performs his kata to an immensely popular 90s tune.

Speakman plays a character named Jeff Sanders. He embarks on a journey back home to LA to check in on a family friend. And during his drive, we’re treated to some background on his character via flashbacks. We learn that Jeff has had a bad temper as a teen. And as his policeman father nearly sends him away to the military academy, his old war buddy, Kim, instead has him enroll in a Kenpo school. We get a montage of Jeff’s progress in earning higher degrees and it’s here that the movie teaches the audience the basic principles of the art. Jeff’s teacher, Master Lo, describes it as “a combination of ancient fighting techniques and modern scientific principles. An unending flow of motion. A force, which can overwhelm any attacker. Every move creates a specific reaction in your opponent. Each reaction leads you to your next move. Every strike is a block. Every block, a strike. Each move flows into the next. This logical and sequential flow of action is the essence of Kenpo.”

It’s revealed that an incident at Jeff’s high school resulted in severed ties between him and his dad. During a pole vaulting training session (a skill that comes back later on), a particularly rowdy football player starts harassing Jeff and his younger brother Adam. It escalates to the point of physical violence, which makes Jeff’s temper flare and he responds in kind with his new found skill. After settling legal matters, Jeff’s dad throws him out of the house and Kim becomes his father figure. Which is why feels the need to reconnect with him. Lo and behold, Kim is facing trouble at his store when a local Korean mob is shaking him down for money. Jeff shows up just in time and beats on these goons. Usually in movies, you don’t see the fallout on the henchmen, but in the next scene, they hilariously show up in neck braces and arm slings.

The pleasantries with Jeff and Kim would be short-lived. The mob henchmen’s failure with Kim would have their boss bring in the big guns — a hulking enforcer named Tanaka, who kills his victims with blunt force and leaves a signature white flower behind. Unfortunately, Jeff arrives too late at Kim’s store, only to find that he’s been murdered and the flower was left on his body. Now, Jeff takes it upon himself to investigate who could’ve ordered this hit. The detective who simultaneously gets assigned to the case happens to be Jeff’s estranged little brother Adam. Adam is played by John Dye. And if Anthony Edwards and James Spader were cloned into a third person, it’d be John Dye. Martial arts film fans will probably recognize Dye from the first Best of the Best film as Virgil. 

Both brothers are now on a mission to find Kim’s killer. And both have their own ways of doing it. Adam’s light touch as a professional lawman gets him in comedic situations. There’s a particularly fun scene with a restaurant host that plays out like an Abbott & Costello routine. (“Kimchi!”) Meanwhile, Jeff’s head-on approach naturally gets him into fights. Much like the one in a scene that’s one of the film’s biggest highlights. Jeff fights three guys in a martial arts studio in exchange for some information. One of them, played by stuntman and actor James Lew, was someone I always thought closely resembled the Liu Kang sprite model from the first Mortal Kombat game. This scene gives you a good look at the fury of Kenpo and shows what Speakman can bring to the table. Van Damme’s fights were usually more leisurely-paced and full of dynamic single moves. Seagal’s fights were usually more efficient and very technical. Here, Speakman would pulverize his foes with lightning quick speed and multiple blows. 

Jeff’s investigation in Korea Town unknowingly gets him involved in a war with Korean mob rivals. One of the bosses, named Yung, points Jeff in certain directions as his vengeance blinds him from the bigger situation that’s building. The rabbit hole that Jeff finds himself in introduces us to characters that are portrayed by some recognizable faces in the genre. Yung is played by recent Hollywood Walk of Fame honoree James Hong, who audiences might know from Big Trouble in Little China, Wayne’s World 2, Seinfeld and Everything Everywhere All at Once. Yung is revealed to be a powerful figure in Korea Town. One with connections to the Yakuza. This explains why he has Tanaka at his beck and call. Tanaka is played by former professional wrestler, Professor Toru Tanaka, who is arguably more recognizable through his movie roles as he’s made impressions in films like Revenge of the Ninja, 3 Ninjas and as Sub-Zero in the Arnold Schwarzenegger movie, The Running Man. Another underling working for Yung is Kai, who is played by Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa. Viewers may recognize him as the villain from Showdown in Little Tokyo, Rising Sun and of course, as Shang Tsung in Mortal Kombat. 

Jeff’s allies in this movie are also portrayed by actors with some recognizable faces. His father figure, Kim, is played by Mako, who has history with legends in the genre. He fought Bruce Lee one-on-one in an episode of The Green Hornet. He played Jackie Chan’s uncle that taught him Kung Fu in Battle Creek Brawl and he was the Miyagi equivalent in the Chuck Norris/Jonathan Brandis movie, Sidekicks. Kim was a father figure to more than just Jeff as he is revealed to also be looking after a young orphan named Jimmy, who is played by Dante Basco, but he’s better known to a whole generation as Rufio.

One person you’d expect to see as another ally, as you see their name in the opening credits, is actress Mariska Hargitay. The flashbacks set her character up to be a romantic interest, but every scene with her features no dialogue and her appearances barely last 30 seconds. That’s because all her scenes were cut out of the movie. However, the TV broadcast cut reinstates her subplot and it’s revealed that she’s integral to Jeff’s character growth. The TV version is currently on YouTube, so if you’re curious, check it out.

Is The Perfect Weapon worth seeing?

The Perfect Weapon is directed by Mark DiSalle, whose only other directing credit is Van Damme’s Kickboxer. However, he would be a producer on a number of Van Damme’s early breakout movies. And the movie’s script was written by David C. Wilson, who also has a curiously thin filmography as his two other writing credits include the 2000 sci-fi Supernova and a “story by” credit on the 2015 Guy Ritchie movie, The Man from U.N.C.L.E.

Unfortunately, it wasn’t in the cards for this movie, and it would debut at number 6 on its opening weekend as Silence of the Lambs continued its box office reign for its sixth week. Jeff Speakman had signed a three-picture deal with Paramount, which would have included a sequel to The Perfect Weapon, but the studio would change regimes, and it never came to fruition. His deal ultimately fell through, but there was already development for his third movie, which would’ve been about a cop who fights a terrorist. That script eventually found its way to 20^th Century Fox and became the Keanu Reeves movie, Speed. Speakman continued acting until 2006, but it would mostly be straight-to-video titles. In 2013, he would fall ill due to throat cancer, but just as he does to the bad guys in this movie, he would beat that sickness into submission and make a full recovery. Speakman never stopped practicing his disciplines, and as recently as 2022, he would achieve a tenth-degree blackbelt in Goju-Ryu. 

While not groundbreaking, The Perfect Weapon still has a charm to it that elevates it above many titles that tried to compete in the genre. It never tries to be more than it is and it’s a brisk watch. So, if you can, check it out.

Barbara Crampton and Lin Shaye star in the horror film The Possession of Gladstone Manor, directed by K. Asher Levin

Filming is underway on The Possession of Gladstone Manor, the latest film from director K. Asher Levin – whose previous credits include the thriller Dig and the vampire movie Slayers, both of which starred Thomas Jane. Jane appears to be sitting this one out, but the cast does include horror icons Barbara Crampton (Re-Animator) and Lin Shaye (Insidious), as well as Caylee Cowan (Hypnotic), Jesse Metcalf (John Tucker Must Die), Charlotte Kirk (The Reckoning), Darren Weiss (Inside Man), and William Mapother (Blackhat). Production is taking place in Kansas City, utilizing the new Missouri state tax incentives.

Levin wrote The Possession of Gladstone Manor with Danny Matier (The Unborn), working from a story by Addam Bramich. The film has the following synopsis: When Jamie Black discovers her mother has gone missing, she resolves to investigate by applying for the same job her mother held at Gladstone Manor. Jamie soon finds evidence that her mother isn’t the only missing person, and that she may be dealing with sinister forces beyond this world. Desperate, she enlists the help of her brothers – Rupert and Chris – and Sam (Chris’ fiancée): all of whom are professional criminals and former marines. Once Jamie arrives at the house, she is immediately greeted by a mysterious and evil Nurse, and soon realizes the residents of Gladstone Manor are an enemy like no other, with a dark power she’s never faced. Trapped in the house, she must rely on her brothers and future sister-in-law to save her. 

Umbrelic Entertainment’s Brian Katz and Thomas Zambeck are producing alongside Jordon Rioux and Chris Knitter of Method Media. Cowan and Crampton serve as executive producers with Anish Gupta, as well as Sean Krajewski, Ronnie Exley, Jeremy Ross, and Theresa Wayman of Rabbits Black. Wayman, who is in the band Warpaint, is also composing the score.

Zambeck provided the following statement: “As die-hard fans of the horror genre, this project feels like a dream come true. We’re thrilled to bring this dark vision to life, and scare audiences with this timeless tale for years to come.”

Levin added: “I couldn’t be more excited to work with this amazing cast and my wonderful producing partners. Together we plan to create new nightmares that would make Wes Craven proud.“

And Knitter had this to say: “We are bringing big budget feature films to Kansas City, Missouri because both the state AND the city provide incentives to filmmakers. We can get up to half of our money back and provide jobs to hundreds of people. Kansas City’s production community is extremely strong, and the locations are very diverse.“

I’m a fan of Crampton and Shaye and enjoyed Levin’s films Dig and Slayers, so I’m looking forward to seeing how The Possession of Gladstone Manor is going to turn out. Does this one sound interesting to you? Let us know by leaving a comment below.

In Netflix’s hard-hitting Trigger Warning trailer, Jessica Alba uses her unique skills to turn her hometown upside down.

If you take any lessons away from today’s Trigger Warning trailer, it’s this: Don’t f**k with Jessica Alba. The L.A.’s Finest and Killers Anonymous star is coming hard and fast in a brutal look at the Mouly Surya-directed (Fisksi, What They Don’t Talk About When They Talk About Love) action film punching its way onto Netflix on June 21, 2024, and there’s no escape from her wrath.

In today’s Trigger Warning trailer, Jessica Alba is a Special Forces commando who returns home to investigate her father’s mysterious death. Not long before, she uncovers a nefarious plot and finds herself at the heart of a dispute and cover-up that inspires her to unleash her special skills. As the plot thickens, Alba’s character, Parker, summons the best of her abilities to lay waste to the people causing chaos in her hometown. No stone remains unturned, and no bones remain unbroken. Let’s f**king go!

Here’s the official synopsis for Trigger Warning:

Special Forces commando Parker (Jessica Alba) is on active duty overseas when she gets called back to her hometown with the tragic news that her father has suddenly died. Now the owner of the family bar, Parker reconnects with her former boyfriend-turned-sheriff Jesse (Mark Webber), his hot-tempered brother Elvis (Jake Weary) and their powerful father Senator Swann (Anthony Michael Hall), as she looks to understand what actually happened to her dad.

Parker’s search for answers quickly goes south, and she soon finds herself at odds with a violent gang running rampant in her hometown. Unsure of who she can truly trust, Parker draws on her commando training and proves herself a force to be reckoned with as she hunts down the truth and attempts to right what has gone wrong in Swann County with the help of her covert ops partner and hacker Spider (Tone Bell) and connected local dealer Mike (Gabriel Basso). Directed by Mouly Surya, written by John Brancato & Josh Olson, and Halley Gross, and produced by Erica Lee, Basil Iwanyk, and Esther Hornstein, Trigger Warning also stars Kaiwi Lyman and Hari Dhillon.

In addition to today’s Trigger Warning trailer, you can check out the official poster for the film below. Trigger Warning will be available on Netflix on June 21, 2024.

About the Author

Born and raised in New York, then immigrated to Canada, Steve Seigh has been a JoBlo.com editor, columnist, and critic since 2012. He started with Ink & Pixel, a column celebrating the magic and evolution of animation, before launching the companion YouTube series Animation Movies Revisited. He’s also the host of the Talking Comics Podcast, a personality-driven audio show focusing on comic books, film, music, and more. You’ll rarely catch him without headphones on his head and pancakes on his breath.

You season 5, the final season of the Netflix series, has added Anna Camp and Griffin Matthews to the cast, with Camp playing twins

One year ago, it was announced that the Netflix streaming service had renewed the serial killer thriller series You for a fifth season, which will also be the final one. We know Penn Badgley is coming back for You season 5 as the lead character Joe Goldberg, and it’s probably a good bet that season 4’s Charlotte Ritchie will continue to have a prominent role in this final season. (Ritchie plays heiress Kate Galvin, who ended up in a relationship with Joe at the end of season 4.) It has previously been announced that Madeline Brewer of The Handmaid’s Tale will have a series regular role in the new batch of episodes, and now Variety has broken the news that Anna Camp of the Pitch Perfect films and Griffin Matthews of The Flight Attendant have also been cast in series regular roles.

Camp will actually be playing two different characters, as she has been cast as both Raegan and Maddie Lockwood, twin sisters-in-law to Joe Goldberg. Here are their descriptions: “Raegan is the cunning, cutthroat CFO of the Lockwood Corp who has her eyes on the throne and will crush any adversary… be them family or not. Maddie, on the other hand, presents as the unserious twin, a thrice-divorced socialite whose job is ‘vaguely PR.’ But make no mistake, a master manipulator lies underneath Maddie’s frivolous façade.“

Matthews’ character is Teddy Lockwood, the “snarky yet loyal brother-in-law of Joe Goldberg. A confidante who was never fully accepted by the Lockwood family, Teddy brings authenticity and empathy to a family for whom such things are a foreign concept.“

The new character being played by Brewer is Bronte, an enigmatic and free-spirited playwright who comes to work for Joe Goldberg at his bookstore. As the two connect over literature and loss, she stokes in him a nostalgia for his former self, causing him to question everything his life has become.

While executive producers Greg Berlanti and Sarah Schechter said that You was always intended to be a “five season journey”, showrunner Sera Gamble decided not to guide the journey to its conclusion. Although she remains attached as an executive producer, she has passed showrunner duties over to fellow executive producers Michael Foley and Justin W. Lo. Thankfully, Foley and Lo are no strangers to You. They have been working on the series since season 1 and season 2, respectively.

Based on a series of novels by Caroline Kepnes (take a look at her work HERE), You was developed by Gamble and Berlanti. The show centers on Joe Goldberg, a man who will do just about anything when love is at stake.

Are you a fan of You? What do you think of Anna Camp and Griffin Matthews joining the cast? Let us know by leaving a comment below.

The first official image from director Steven Kostanski’s Deathstalker remake shows Daniel Bernhardt as the title character

Back in 1983, legendary producer Roger Corman brought the world a sword and sorcery film with an awesome title: Deathstalker. It was so successful, it paved the way for three sequels: Deathstalker II: Duel of the Titans (1987), Deathstalker and the Warriors from Hell (1988), and Deathstalker IV: Match of the Titans (1991). The franchise went dormant for more than thirty years, but earlier this year we learned that it’s being revived by filmmaker Steven Kostanski – whose previous credits include Manborg, Father’s Day, The Void, Leprechaun Returns, Psycho Goreman, and episodes of the short-lived Day of the Dead TV series. Kostanski is writing and directing a Deathstalker remake that has Daniel Bernhardt (John Wick) on board to play the title character… and today, Variety has unveiled the first official image of Bernhardt in character! You can check it out at the bottom of this article.

Here’s what the Deathstalker remake is about: The Kingdom of Abraxeon is under siege from The Dreadites, a mysterious horde of warriors, whose sudden appearance is rumored to foretell the return of Nekromemnon, an ancient sorcerer long thought dead. Such times of chaos are times of fortune for men like Deathstalker who, having broken ties with all guilds and banners, now ekes an existence from the spoils recovered in the wake of Dreadite attacks. Our story begins when Deathstalker unknowingly recovers an enchanted amulet from a corpse-ridden battlefield, and finds himself cursed by an arcane magick. Now pursued by a monstrous clan of assassins at the behest of the Dreadite scourge, Deathstalker is forced into a perilous quest to reverse the curse and rid the realm of evil. Death is just the beginning… of great adventure!

In addition to this film, there’s also going to be a Deathstalker comic book series from Vault Comics. Kostanski is on the comic’s creative team with writer Tim Seeley, artist Jim Terry, and Slash of Guns N’ Roses.

The Deathstalker remake is coming our way from Hangar 18 Media. Pasha Patriki, Avi Federgreen, and Michael Pazst are producing the film, with Slash and Rodrigo Gudiño of Berserkergang Films serving as executive producers alongside Andrew Thomas Hunt, James Fler, Josh Viola, and Peter Kuplowsky. Scott Weatherall is an associate producer and Melissa A. Smith a co-producer. Raven Banner will be handling international sales and Canadian distribution.

Are you looking forward to the Deathstalker remake? Let us know by leaving a comment below – and take a look at this image of Daniel Bernhardt as the title character while you’re scrolling down: