Ask Bruce Campbell, and he’ll tell you he’s “sick of over-trained heroes. I’m really bored with that. Guys that are just ripped to shreds and, you know, full of skills. That’s boring to me. Give me the mechanic that picks up a weapon, you know? Now I’m interested. That’s my hero. That could be me.”

Ash Williams of the Evil Dead franchise is that hero. Part of the lasting appeal of the best character Bruce Campbell has ever played is that the audience can see themselves in him, like if they were pressed into fighting an army of Deadites, they could take up the mantle, the chainsaw, the boomstick, and mow down wave after wave of the undead masses.

He is a man that should have been an A-List superstar and in the eyes of his fanbase he is…. which is all that really matters in the end. Movies are supposed to be fun and you can always feel that when Bruce is on the screen because he legitimately seems to be enjoying the cards he has been dealt in life and is playing them passion.

Bruce would also tell you: “All men think they’re fascinating. In my case, it’s justified.” So what makes Bruce Campbell so fascinating? To learn that, let’s take it back to the beginning where the beginning began to begin beginning where it began to begin.

Bruce Lorne Campbell was born on June 22″, 1958, in Royal Oak, Michigan, USA. His journey into acting was sparked by watching his father act in community theater. He formed a fruitful lifelong friendship in high school when he met Sam Raimi. They’d collaborate on the short horror film Within the Woods in 1979 as part of their pitch to fund a feature film. I’m sure Campbell’s trademark charm went a long way toward getting them the funds they needed to make 1981’s The Evil Dead.

The Evil Dead stands as a triumph in tight-budget filmmaking, owed in large part to its innovative storytelling and practical effects. However, Bruce Campbell’s iconic performance contributes equally to its enduring legacy. His portrayal of the lead character Ash Williams showcased remarkable range, vulnerability, unwavering commitment, and physicality—in defiance of his relative inexperience. Bruce wore many creative hats during the production and wasn’t above getting his hands dirty to make the production work. After having seen the movie or even just a screenshot, would you believe Bruce Campbell hates fake blood? I’d say he picked the wrong line of work, if he wasn’t so good at it.

Evil Dead legitimized Bruce Campbell as a leading man, and he would go on to get top billing in the 1984 coming-of-age film Going Back. The film, shot and partially set in Michigan, showed Campbell’s pride in his roots as well as his natural, believable approach to acting.

Campbell reunited with his friend Sam Raimi for 1985’s Crimewave. Raimi reportedly expanded the role of Renaldo “The Heel” in the Coen Brothers-penned flick for his buddy Bruce. The film doesn’t necessarily live up to the brilliance of the creative forces behind it or Raimi and Campbell’s first effort, but Campbell offers a memorable and quirky performance in a movie that has gone on to cult status.

Campbell and Raimi bounced back strong in 1987 with perhaps their most beloved collaboration: Evil Dead 2: Dead By Dawn. The sequel/partial retelling trades the camp of the original for full-on dark humor and is all the better for it. Campbell’s performance takes the audience on a rollercoaster of terror and absurdity while the character grows from victim into victorious hero. He expertly balances the humorous and the horrific and wholeheartedly immersed himself in the physical demands of the role. His delivery of his trademark “groovy” and his iconic demented laugh are forever etched in the minds of audiences.

Bruce Campbell battles not only a relentless killer but also the very system that betrayed him as Officer Jack Forrest in 1988’s Maniac Cop. He would reprise the role in Maniac Cop 2 in 1991. The movies are pretty typical of B-movie slashers of the time but are worth seeing for Campbell’s portrayal of fragility and resilience.

Campbell featured in 1989’s Sundown: The Vampire in Retreat as a descendent of the legendary Van Helsing. Let’s see: a corrupt hierarchy of vampires struggling to adapt to a modern setting by consuming manufactured blood. And a full 12 years before Dead Until Dark, the novel that inspired True Blood, released? Interesting. Campbell admits he took the role because he was desperate for money’, but it has turned into one of his bigger cult hits.

He played astronaut Ray Tanner in 1989’s Moontrap, who got… trapped on the moon if you can believe it. Campbell brings his characteristic charm to the sci-fi horror before undergoing a genuinely scary, if all-too-brief, transformation.

Not for the last time, Campbell reunited with his buddy Sam Raimi for a superhero flick in 1990’s Darkman. Think if Liam Neeson played RoboCop meets Batman with a Sam Raimi flair. Campbell makes a comedic cameo, livening the otherwise dour tone.

In 1992’s Mindwarp, Bruce Campbell plays Stover, a drifter suffering under a post-apocalyptic society ruled by Al. Maybe this is a more of a preview of what’s in store for us. Mindwarp is a less-refined exploration of some of the same themes that The Matrix would explore 7 years later. Instead of fighting simulations, Campbell as Stover helps protagonist Judy fight mutant cannibals. You can decide which is more fun.

Campbell and Raimi bookended the original Evil Dead trilogy with 1992’s Army of Darkness. While the first two movies set a high bar, Army of Darkness took the series in a unique direction: back in time to the medieval age. If Evil Dead is a campy horror and Evil Dead 2 is a dark comedy, then Army of Darkness is an action-comedy that ratchets up the scope and scale of the conflict with some impressive set pieces. Because it’s still an Evil Dead movie, it doesn’t lack for gore. Campbell’s Ash Williams completes his journey into full on Deadite conqueror, perhaps best represented by his triumphant decree “This is my boomstick!”? Fittingly, the boomstick hails from southern Michigan, just like Bruce himself.

Bruce Campbell made a mark on television in the mid-90s, first with The Adventures of Brisco County, Jr. in 1993, wherein he played lawyer-turned-bounty-hunter Brisco County. Yeah, that’s the character’s name, not a place. The western with sci-fi elements earned a passionate fanbase that was unfortunately not consistent enough to earn the show a second season.

Campbell played another Jr. in the form of antagonist Bill Church Jr. on Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman in the mid-90s. Think like a more charming but less resourceful Lex Luthor. He famously leverages
Red Kryptonite to give Superman a serious case of the fuck-its.

Campbell was in The Hudsucker Proxy, written and directed by the Coen Brothers, in 1994. Critics would find the movie more stylistic than substantive, but Campbell does his part as an offbeat member of a loaded ensemble cast.

His character Autolycus, the “King of Thieves” spanned across both Xena: Warrior Princess and Hercules: The Legendary Journeys starting in 1995. Campbell brought believability to the confident flair of the skilled master thief with a penchant for wordplay. His charisma stole scenes faster than he swiped treasures.

Campbell had a recurring guest role on the sitcom Ellen in 1996 and 1997. He portrayed Ed Billik, who became the titular Ellen’s boss when she sold her bookstore. Their interactions showcased a delightful contrast: Ellen’s quirky and often uncertain demeanor juxtaposed with Ed’s self-assured and assertive personality. This dynamic added humor and depth to the series, making their scenes memorable for viewers.

In 1996’s Escape from L.A., Bruce Campbell portrayed the character Surgeon General of Beverly Hills. Under layers of makeup, he became a wrinkleless, cap-toothed, doll-haired, dimpled-chinned monster—a twisted vision of Michael Jackson with a turned-up nose. Despite the film’s poor initial critical and commercial reception, it has since gained a cult following, and Campbell’s medical office from hell remains a standout moment in the movie.

In 1997, Campbell featured in the TV movie Menno’s Mind as Mick Dourif, Rebel Leader. You don’t need to go out of your way to see it. I’m only mentioning it because it’s another Matrix-adjacent outing years before. I’m not sure there’s such thing as an original idea.

Campbell appears briefly in the unfortunate 1999 direct-to-video sequel From Dusk Till Dawn 2: Texas Blood Money, perhaps as a way to grant the film some legitimacy. It didn’t work.

2000’s Icebreaker features a bald Bruce Campbell as a terrorist leader against action star Sean Astin.

Campbell played lead in Jack of All Trades for 2 seasons starting in 2000. The Napoleon-era period action-comedy features Bruce as Jack Stiles. The character rivals Forrest Gump for the number of historical events and famous figures he is in the proximity of, and his alter-ego “the Daring Dragoon” is a blend of Zorro’s flair, Batman’s mystery, and a dash of James Bond’s wit.

Jim Carrey ventured into drama with 2001’s The Majestic, and a pivotal moment for his character comes when he watches Bruce Campbell in a movie within the movie as Roland the Intrepid Explorer. Campbell perfectly embodies the look and delivery of a golden era action star.

Bruce Campbell released his autobiography: If Chins Could Kill: Confessions of a B Movie Actor in 2002. The New York Times Bestseller is essential reading for fans of his, and anyone interested in the movie-making process can get something from it. He followed it up in 2017 with Hail to the Chin: Further Confessions of a B Movie Actor, another Bestseller that picks up where the first book left off and covers the cool stuff he’d been up to, since, cool stuff like…

Reuniting with his friend Sam Raimi for his Spider-Man movie series. In the 2002 original, Campbell plays the ring announcer for Peter Parker’s wrestling bout against “Macho Man” Randy Savage as Bonesaw McGraw and is responsible for coining the “Spider-Man” name. In 2004’s Spider-Man 2, he portrays a snooty usher who, after helping Peter Parker fix his appearance, still won’t let him late into Mary Jane’s performance.

For Spider-Man 3 in 2007, Campbell returned to the service industry as The Maitre d’ of the restaurant where Peter Parker attempts to propose to Mary Jane. Rumor has it that these cameos were set to be paid off in a big way in the cancelled Spider-Man 4, with Campbell returning as the villain Mysterio and being revealed to have been disguising himself as the other characters as part of his surveillance of Spider-Man. Bruce Campbell denies these rumors.

Bruce Campbell returned to his absurdist B-movie comfort zone with 2002’s beloved cult hit Bubba Ho-Tep. In it, he played a man who probably was Elvis Presley and teamed with a man who probably wasn’t JFK to fight a murderous mummy. Oh, and he may have had dick cancer. For all its oddity, Bubba Ho-Tep is a poignant and endearing film about growing old in a society where the old are mistreated and facing death both literally and metaphorically.

Campbell directed and starred in 2005’s Man With the Screaming Brain. The concept is interesting, but the movie doesn’t really do much with it. While a lot of the B-movies Campbell features in compensate for a small budget with passionate execution, this one has little redeeming value apart from being a part of Campbell’s storied career.

Campbell played Coach Boomer in 2005’s much more family-friendly Sky High. His superpower is a powerful voice, which is fitting. He also serves as the movie’s sorting hat for prospective superheroes and sidekicks.

The cast and crew list for The Ant Bully from 2006 is chock-full of Hollywood royalty. Tom Hanks was on as a producer, and the animation featured the voice talents of Julia Roberts, Meryl Streep, Nicolas Cage, Paul Giamatti, Regina King, Ricardo Montalban, and, of course, Bruce Campbell. Campbell as Fugax acts as a confident and kind guiding force to the main character.

Campbell will always be known first as Ash Williams, but his second most beloved character just might be Sam Axe of the show Burn Notice, whom he played starting in 2007. The character is the skillful, loyal, and grounded companion of the main character. Campbell’s portrayal was so beloved by fans as to inspire the spinoff prequel movie Burn Notice: The Fall of Sam Axe in 2011.

He directed and starred in My Name is Bruce in 2007. Obviously, the movie is a bit self-indulgent, but it’s a marked improvement over Man With the Screaming Brain, and there’s a lot of meta humor to appreciate, especially for the target audience of Bruce Campbell’s fanbase. If you love Bruce, you probably like this movie, and if you don’t, I’m surprised you made it this far into this video.

Campbell voiced Mayor Shelbourne in 2009’s Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs. He’s a master of subtlety to begin the movie, masking his harmful ambition behind kindness and charisma before leveraging that same charisma to manipulate the other characters, with catastrophic results.

Sam Raimi directed Oz the Great and Powerful for a 2013 release, so of course he brought his friend Bruce in for a cameo, this time as The Winkie Gate Keeper. He’s hard to recognize under the makeup and prosthetics, but | think that chin is mostly his.

Bruce Campbell produced the 2013 Evil Dead reboot and appeared in a brief teaser post-credits. It was initially thought to tease his involvement in another Evil Dead feature film, but his next Evil Dead involvement would be Ash vs Evil Dead, a television series that ran from 2015-2018. In the show, Bruce as Ash, after spending 30 years in relative obscurity, haplessly unleashes another Deadite threat upon the world and is obviously best-suited for the job of stemming the tide. The show and Campbell’s performance are loved by critics and audiences for respectfully modernizing what made the original series so special. It unfortunately released on a premium channel in a tough television environment and was cancelled after 3 seasons. An animated continuation of the show has been hinted at as recently as 2023.

Campbell had a recurring voice role in Disney’s Rapunzel’s Tangled Adventure series starting in 2018 as King Edmund and as Chef in The Last Kids on Earth starting in 2020.

He served as executive producer and host for Travel Channel’s Ripley’s Believe It or Not! Reboot in 2019. Reviews are mixed on whether the show lives up to the legacy of Ripley’s or its host.

Campbell voiced Richard Nixon in the audiotapes featured throughout 2021’s 18 1/2. This was actually the second time be portrayed a former president, having been Ronald Reagan in the television show Fargo in 2015.

Bruce Campbell’s latest cameo in a Sam Raimi Marvel movie is as Pizza Poppa in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness in 2022. He’s morally absolute, if a bit misguided and overmatched, and is responsible for the funniest moments in the largely depressing film.

In 2023’s Evil Dead Rise, Campbell has a voiceover cameo as a recorded priest that warns against the dangers of the Necronomicon. A fun fan theory posits that the priest is actually Ash Williams on another time traveling adventure.

In late 2023, Bruce Campbell hosted Discontinued, a show that take a nostalgic look at trends and products that have become obsolete. Campbell keeps the tone tight but humorous.

Bruce Campbell’s not just a B-list actor; he’s a B-movie legend. He’s also a producer, a director, a bestselling author, and an ordained minister. He frequently and passionately performs for members of the United States military both stateside and abroad. Despite his bravado, he’s universally described by those who know him as humble, kind, loyal, and dedicated. These days, when he’s not still acting, you can find him on the Comicon circuit, hosting his own digital film festival “BruceFest”, or, if you pull up to your favorite streaming service, embodying one of the most iconic horror heroes of all time. And he’s said he’d be happy to return to the role of Ash Williams, which I’m sure fans would love to see. The story of Bruce is a simple one: one day he and his friends made a cool movie and that allowed him to go on a make a bunch of other cool movies for the rest of his life. Never really rising to the top of the industry – never really having any major ups and downs when it came to respect for his skills just consistently maintaining his perfect level of coolness. Maybe he never reached the heights of A-list superstardom, but he made millions of people happy with his talents. And isn’t that what it’s all about? Bruce Campbell is not just great, he’s groovy. Hail to the King, Baby!

Showrunner Eric Kripke says The Boys season 4 is finished and ready for its June premiere, and it may be the best season yet

A couple months ago, Prime Video announced that The Boys season 4 is set to start streaming on June 13th – and this season is getting started with a three episode premiere! The first three episodes will be available to watch as of June 13th, then the remaining five episodes will be released on a weekly basis, concluding with the epic season finale on July 18th. With two months to go until the premiere date, showrunner Eric Kripke has taken to social media to announce that the season 4 is completely finished now – and it may be the best season yet!

Kripke wrote, “As of today, The Boys season 4 is completely, totally, absolutely DONE. I’m really grateful & so proud of this cast & crew. Could be our best yet. Can’t wait to unleash it onto the world.” He is obviously very proud of the new season, as he previously tweeted, “I was in post today, working on a season 4 scene that miiiiiiight be the batshit craziest thing we’ve ever done. Like I truly can’t believe we got away with it.“

Here’s the official synopsis: In Season Four, the world is on the brink. Victoria Neuman is closer than ever to the Oval Office and under the muscly thumb of Homelander, who is consolidating his power. Butcher, with only months to live, has lost Becca’s son and his job as The Boys’ leader. The rest of the team are fed up with his lies. With the stakes higher than ever, they have to find a way to work together and save the world before it’s too late.

The Boys stars Karl Urban, Jack Quaid, Antony Starr, Erin Moriarty, Jessie T. Usher, Laz Alonso, Chace Crawford, Tomer Capone, Karen Fukuhara, Colby Minifie, Claudia Doumit, and Cameron Crovetti. New additions to the season 4 cast include Susan Heyward, Valorie Curry, and Jeffrey Dean Morgan.

The show is executive produced by Kripke, along with Seth Rogen, Evan Goldberg, James Weaver, Neal H. Moritz, Pavun Shetty, Ori Marmur, Dan Trachtenberg, Ken F. Levin, Jason Netter, Craig Rosenberg, Phil Sgriccia, Rebecca Sonnenshine, Paul Grellong, David Reed, Meredith Glynn, Garth Ennis, Darick Robertson, and Michaela Starr.

Are you a fan of The Boys, and are you looking forward to watching season 4 in June? Let us know by leaving a comment below.

Once released through and removed from Paramount+, the thriller series The Killing Kind is now heading to Hulu

Emma Appleton (The Witcher) and Colin Morgan (Humans) star in the thriller series The Killing Kind, which has just been acquired by the Hulu streaming service… and if the show sounds familiar to you, like it’s something you might have seen while browsing the Paramount+ service, there’s good reason for that. As Deadline explains, “The Killing Kind was originally a Paramount+ Original and commissioned out of the UK. It was one of several local Paramount+ dramas that launched only to be yanked from the streamer overnight earlier this year, much to the ire of viewers.” The shows were removed from Paramount+ as the streamer sought to cut costs and shift to “favoring its Hollywood-style content.”

Now the show has a new home, and it will be available to watch on Hulu as of May 14th.

Based on the novel of the same name by Jane Casey (pick up a copy HERE), The Killing Kind is a six hour adaptation that follows Ingrid Lewis, a successful defense attorney who successfully defends a client, John Webster, against stalking charges. They subsequently have a brief relationship, which ends badly, only for him to come back into her life a year later. When a colleague is run down, Webster claims he is the only one who can protect her from the killer, setting up a deadly game of cat and mouse.

The book is said to tell the story of “a breathless game of cat and mouse” with “heart-stopping twists.” It has the following description: As a barrister, Ingrid Lewis is used to dealing with tricky clients, but no one has ever come close to John Webster. After Ingrid defended Webster against a stalking charge, he then turned on her – following her, ruining her relationship, even destroying her home. Now, Ingrid believes she has finally escaped his clutches. But when one of her colleagues is run down on a busy London road, Ingrid is sure she was the intended victim. And then Webster shows up at her door… Webster claims Ingrid is in danger – and that only he can protect her. Stalker or savior? Murderer or protector? The clock is ticking for Ingrid to decide. Because the killer is ready to strike again.

The Killing Kind comes our way from Eleventh Hour Films, which is backed by Sony Pictures Television. Zara Hayes directed the show, and also wrote the adaptation with Jonathan Stewart.

Eve Gutierrez and Paula Cuddy of Eleventh Hour Films had this to say about the Hulu deal: “We are delighted that The Killing Kind is set to launch on Hulu in the U.S. It’s the perfect home for our sexy, edge of the seat, rollercoaster thriller – with mesmerizing performances from Emma Appleton and Colin Morgan.“

Are you glad to hear The Killing Kind has found a new home at Hulu? Share your thoughts on this one by leaving a comment below.

Josh Gad’s Chris Farley biopic is in the works with Cobra Kai’s Paul Walter Hauser, who is starring as the legendary comedian.

Cruella and Cobra Kai actor Paul Walter Hauser is going from voicing Embarrassment in Pixar’s upcoming sequel Inside Out 2 to living in a van down by the river for the lead role in Josh Gad’s Chris Farley biopic. Hauser is stuffing himself into a little coat to play the legendary comedian, Saturday Night Live alum, and star of comedies like Tommy Boy, Black Sheep, and Beverly Hills Ninja. Josh Gad directs the Chris Farley biopic, with Lorne Michaels producing through his Broadway video studio.

Scott Neustadter and Michael H. Weber will pen the script based on the New York Times best-selling biography The Chris Farley Show: A Biography in Three Acts by Tom Farley Jr. and Tanner Colby. Chris Farley’s family is excited about who’s attached to the project. I’m officially dying to see Hauser’s portrayal of Farley, the energetic, unpredictable master of comedy, taken too soon from this world.

Chris Farley and his collaborative film partners David Spade and Adam Sandler burned like the North Star as Saturday Night Live cast members. Whether Farley delivered motivational speeches as his character Matt Foley, ate fries at the Food Court as a mall girl, or shook what his mama gave him alongside Patrick Swayze as a Chippendales dancer, Farley brought smiles to audiences worldwide.

Sadly, Chris Farley died of an overdose of a combination of cocaine and morphine in 1997. He was 33 years old. His passing sent shockwaves throughout Hollywood, with fellow SNL members and fans devastated by the loss. I can still recall the day Farley died and how tragic and sad it was. Later that evening, my friends and I held a movie marathon with Tommy Boy, Black Sheep, Airheads, and Coneheads in the rotation.

Meanwhile, Paul Walter Hauser continues to impress after fantastic performances in BlacKkKlansman,  Richard Jewell, Cruella, and more. Cobra Kai fans know Hauser as Raymond ‘Stingray’ Porter from Netflix’s Karate Kid sequel series. This summer, you can catch Hauser as the voice of Embarrassment in Pixar’s highly-anticipated sequel Inside Out 2.

Are you intrigued by Paul Walter Hauser starring in Josh Gad’s Chris Farley biopic? 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.

The spy thriller series The Night Manager is returning for season 2 and season 3, with Tom Hiddleston remaining in the lead

More than thirteen months have gone by since we heard that a second season of the Prime Video and the BBC series The Night Manager was in the works, being developed under the codename of Steelworks. At the time, there were rumblings that The Night Manager might even receive a two-season order… but season 2 and season 3 had not officially been given the greenlight yet at that time. That green light is shining now, though. Deadline broke the news that Prime Video and the BBC are officially moving forward with two more seasons of the show, with Tom Hiddleston remaining in the lead role.

Created by David Farr and based on a 1993 novel by John le Carré, the first season of The Night Manager saw Hiddleston taking on the role of Jonathan Pine, the night manager of a luxury hotel in Cairo and a former British soldier. Pine is recruited by Angela Burr, the manager of a Foreign Office task force investigating illegal arms sales, to infiltrate the inner circle of arms dealer Richard Roper. Season 2 will pick up eight years after the events of the first season, moving beyond the story told in the novel.

Hugh Laurie played Richard Roper in the first season and was also an executive producer on the show. While Laurie remains on board as executive producer for seasons 2 and 3, it’s not clear if he’s going to be showing up on screen. Hiddleston is also an executive producer on the series, and season 2 is set to be directed by I Hate Suzie’s Georgi Banks-Davies.

The Night Manager comes to us from The Ink Factory, in association with Character 7, Demarest Films and 127 Wall, and in co-production with Spanish partner Nostromo Pictures. The Ink Factory is headed up by le Carré’s sons Simon Cornwell and Stephen Cornwell, and they provided the following statement: “Season 1 of The Night Manager proved a landmark moment for the golden era of television – uniting on-screen and behind-the-camera talent at the top of their game – and an audience reception which was beyond our wildest imagining. Revisiting the story of Pine also means going beyond the events of John le Carré’s original work: that is a decision we have not taken lightly, but his compelling characters and the vision David has for their next chapter were irresistible.“

Amazon MGM Studios Head of Television Vernon Sanders added: “We are elated to bring additional seasons of The Night Manager to our Prime Video customers. The combination of terrific source material, the wonderful team at The Ink Factory, a great writer in David Farr, an award-winning director in Georgi Banks-Davies, as well as the talented cast truly make the series the full package.” BBC content boss Charlotte Moore said, “After years of fervent speculation I’m incredibly excited to confirm that The Night Manager is returning to the BBC for two more series.“

Hiddleston had this to say: “The first series of The Night Manager was one of the most creatively fulfilling projects I have ever worked on. The depth, range and complexity of Jonathan Pine was, and remains, a thrilling prospect.“

Are you a fan of The Night Manager, and are you glad to hear Tom Hiddleston is coming back for both a season 2 and a season 3? Let us know by leaving a comment below.

The 80s Horror Memories docu-series digs into the career of FX artist Tom Savini, who worked on Friday the 13th, The Burning, and much more

JoBlo.com recently launched a new weekly documentary series called 80s Horror Memories, where each year of the 1980s has five episodes dedicated to it. Looking back at 1980, we discussed Maniac, Dressed to Kill, Alligator, Friday the 13th, The Shining, Prom Night, and The Fog. The second five episodes were a journey through 1981, covering The Funhouse, The Burning, Friday the 13th Part 2, My Bloody Valentine, Halloween II, The Evil Dead, The Howling, and An American Werewolf in London, as well as the careers of horror hosts Elvira and Joe Bob Briggs. The next five were, of course, all about movies that came out in 1982: Conan the Barbarian, The Thing, Halloween III: Season of the Witch, and Poltergeist, with an examination of the short-lived 3-D boom along the way. For 1983, we talked about a trio of Stephen King adaptations, Jaws 3-D, Sleepaway Camp, the rise of TV horror anthologies, and Psycho II. 

For 1984, we covered the creation of the PG-13 rating, The Terminator, Gremlins, Ghostbusters, and A Nightmare on Elm Street. Our trip through 1985 included Teen Wolf, Re-Animator, A Nightmare on Elm Street Part 2: Freddy’s Revenge Friday the 13th: A New Beginning, Fright Night, Lifeforce, Day of the Dead, and The Return of the Living Dead. For 1986, we covered David Cronenberg’s The Fly, the horror comedies that were released during the year (including Jason Lives: Friday the 13th Part VI and The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2), Aliens, the connection between horror movies and heavy metal, and David Lynch’s Blue Velvet. For our trip through 1987, we looked at Hellraiser, RoboCop, Predator, Evil Dead II, and The Lost Boys. And of 1988’s horror offerings, we examined They Live, The Blob, Beetlejuice, A Nightmare on Elm Street 4: The Dream Master, and Child’s Play.

Now we’re making our way through the final year of the decade, and we got our look at 1989 started with an episode about the first movie from Charles Band’s legendary company Full Moon, Puppet Master, and followed that up with a discussion of the underwhelming sequels released that year. The latest episode is all about legendary FX artist Tom Savini – and you can hear about him in the video embedded above!

New episodes of 80s Horror Memories are released through the YouTube channel JoBlo Horror Originals every Friday. 

Here’s the info on 80s Horror Memories: It’s been over 40 years since the decade that shaped the horror movie industry began and having lived through most of those years personally, we at JoBlo/Arrow in the Head have decided to create a 10-part documentary series in which not only cover every nook and cranny of the biggest horror themes from 1980 to 1989 but also what was happening in the world at the time. Join us as we walk down Horror Memory Lane!

And here’s the info on this particular episode: Grab a machete, or whatever your stabbing implement of choice is, and walk down memory lane as this edition of 80s Horror Memories takes a look at the legacy of Mr. Tom Savini.

This episode of 80s Horror Memories was written by Eric Walkuski, narrated by Tyler Nichols, edited by Mike Conway, produced by Berge Garabedian and John Fallon, co-produced by Mike Conway, and executive produced by Berge Garabedian. The score was provided by Shawn Knippelberg. Special Guest: Greg Nicotero (Creepshow).

Let us know what you thought of this episode, plus share some of your own ’80s horror memories by leaving a comment!

Two of the previous episodes of 80s Horror Memories can be seen below. To see more of our shows, head over to the JoBlo Horror Originals channel – and subscribe while you’re at it!

Alex Garland’s Civil War sparks debate and dollars with nearly $3M in Thursday night previews at the box office.

Alex Garland’s Civil War could make A24 history by becoming the studio’s biggest earner out of the gate at the box office. The doom-tinged drama marched on $2.9M during Thursday night previews and could secure $20M throughout the weekend. Civil War gives A24 its best preview number, doubling Hereditary’s preview take of $1.3M. While theater owners and A24 are excited by the film’s early earnings, the film’s good fortune must continue to gain the project’s expenses back.

Civil War reportedly cost north of $50M, with an estimated $20M in promotional materials. Garland’s divisive film plays in 3,800 theaters, with IMAX screens as an additional option. Interestingly, reactions to the Civil War’s subject matter are mixed, with some viewers reporting disturbances in theaters as people get riled up. With social tensions in a fragile place within the United States, Garland’s film can send the wrong message to some. Garland says he wants the movie to be an eye-opener and conversation starter, though we’ll need to wait to see if his intended message is received. To find out what our editor-in-chief, Chris Bumbray, thought, read his review here.

In Civil War, “19 states secede from the United States, with factions forming in the West and Florida. Meanwhile, the President says the conflict will be dealt with swiftly, but are things already impossible to control? While some choose to engage with the catastrophe head-on, others prefer to pretend like it’s not happening right outside their door. As the President sends the American military out to “resolve” matters in the West, people are left to despair as the world burns around them. Meanwhile, Kirsten Dunst’s character appears to be leading a team of journalists toward the U.S. Capitol, presumably to get answers about how they plan to quell the ongoing violence.”

Meanwhile, Nicolas Cage’s Arcadian is looking at a low single-digit start. In Arcadian, a father and his twin teenage sons fight to survive in a remote farmhouse at the world’s end. Critics enjoyed the Benjamin Brewer-directed drama, but audiences could have been kinder.

As totals roll in, we’ll update you about Civil War‘s weekend box office numbers. In the meantime, will you go to the movies this weekend? I hope to catch Monkey Man or Civil War on Sunday, but we’ll see. Tell us about your theater plans 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.

Emma Stone is in talks to team up with her filmmaker husband, Dave McCary, for an untitled film project at Universal Pictures.

When she’s not busting a move in the latest teaser trailer for Yorgos Lanthimos’s Kinds of Kindness, Emma Stone is adding an untitled Universal film to her Hollywood dance card. The Oscar-winning actress is in talks to join Brigsby Bear director Dave McCary for a forthcoming feature. McCary is in negotiations with Universal Pictures about helming the mysterious project. Stone and McCary tied the knot in 2020, making this union a couple’s venture.

Patrick Kang and Michael Levin, the supervising producers of NBC and UTV’s Young Rock, wrote the original spec screenplay for the untitled project. Shawn Levy, Dan Cohen, and Dan Levine will produce via 21 Laps alongside Micheal H. Weber. Emma Stone, McCary, and Ali Herting could join the production effort through Fruit Tree.

After dazzling audiences with her strange and increasingly horny performance in Yorgos Lanthimos’s Poor Things, Stone is teaming up with the Greek filmmaker for Kinds of Kindness, a comedic drama about a man seeking to break free from his predetermined path, a cop questioning his wife’s demeanor after her return from a supposed drowning, and a woman’s quest to locate an extraordinary individual prophesied to become a renowned spiritual guide. Lanthimos directs Kinds of Kindness from a script he co-wrote with Efthimis Filippou. Jesse Plemons, Willem Dafoe, Margaret Qualley, Hong Chau, Hunter Schafer, Joe Alwyn, and Mamoudou Athie star as primary cast members.

Emma Stone will also star in Ari Aster’s mysterious Western, Eddington, alongside Austin Butler, Pedro Pascal, Joaquin Phoenix, Luke Grimes, Michael Ward, and more. Eddington is in production while Disney continues pre-production on Cruella 2, a sequel to the studio’s live-action crime comedy prequel focusing on the fashionista and Dalmatian dog-hater Cruella de Vil. Finally, Stone is again teaming up with Yorgos Lanthimos for an untitled remake project. The remake’s plot revolves around a young man who captures and interrogates a businessperson he believes is an alien invader. The captor, his girlfriend, the businessman, and a private detective engage in a tense psychological battle.

Are you curious about what Emma Stone and Dave McCary are working on? It’s funny to think Emma Stone was “the girl from Superbad” at one point in her career. Look at her now! All she does is win!

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.

Daniel Roebuck has been cast to play Santa Claus in writer/director Damien Leone’s Terrifier 3, which reaches theatres in October

Daniel Roebuck has racked up over 250 credits over the course of a career that has lasted nearly 40 years so far, and our friends at Bloody Disgusting have just broken the news that one of his next credits will be on writer/director Damien Leone’s Terrifier 3, which is set to receive a theatrical release on October 25th. According to the site, Roebuck will be appearing in the film as Santa Claus. It seems fitting, because Roebuck was already in Santa mode for a family-friendly movie called Saint Nick of Bethlehem, which he co-wrote and co-directed. That movie will be released later this year as well.

Roebuck provided the following statement: “I’ve been holding this secret for a long time! I’ve been really excited about it. I’m actually entering into the movies that I watch. It’s extraordinary. This is Terrifier bigger, badder, best.“

Leone had a budget of around $55,000 to work with on his breakout horror film Terrifier, and a budget of “a little over” $250,000 for Terrifier 2, which was a massive hit when it was released last year, earning $15.1 million at the box office. Since the second film did so well, Terrifier 3 has a substantially higher budget. A “couple million” is going into this one. It has the following synopsis: Art the Clown is set to unleash chaos on the unsuspecting residents of Miles County as they peacefully drift off to sleep on Christmas Eve. 

David Howard Thornton is reprising the role of Art the Clown, a character who was first introduced in Leone’s 2013 anthology All Hallows’ Eve. Lauren LaVera is back as Terrifier 2 heroine Sienna and Elliot Fullam returns as Sienna’s brother Jonathan. Samantha Scaffidi is returning as Terrifier and Terrifier 2 character Victoria Heyes. Chris Jericho, who had a cameo in Terrifier 2, is also back in Terrifier 3 – but he has let everyone know that his appearance in the film won’t last very long.

Leone has said that this new sequel will be going back to the tone of the first movie, as he’s aiming to make the third film the scariest, goriest, and most depraved of the bunch. He’ll be pulling back on the mystical/fantasy element that was so prevalent in the second film, and is also aiming to make sure this one will be less than two hours long, since the second one surpassed the two hour mark. If you’re worried that Terrifier 3 might wrap the franchise up as a trilogy, have no fear. Leone knows that horror franchises always continue, and anything’s possible once the supernatural gets involved. So even if he brings a sequel to a satisfying conclusion for himself as the creator of the franchise, the door can always be opened to more sequels.

Among Roebuck’s many credits are The Fugitive, The Last Shift, Final Destination, Nash Bridges, Bubba Ho-Tep, Lost, John Dies at the End, Phantasm: Ravager, 9-1-1, and multiple Rob Zombie movies: The Devil’s Rejects, Halloween, Halloween II, The Haunted World of El Superbeasto, The Lords of Salem, 31, 3 from Hell, and The Munsters.

What do you think of Daniel Roebuck joining the cast of Terrifier 3? Share your thoughts on this one by leaving a comment below.