Silent Night, John Woo’s first American action movie in twenty years, has been slated for a 2023 release by Lionsgate.
Believe it or not, but it’s been twenty years since the release of John Woo’s last American movie; That would be Paycheck starring Ben Affleck for those keeping track. The iconic director is finally back with Silent Night, an action-thriller devoid of dialogue that stars Joel Kinnaman. Lionsgate announced today that they will release Silent Night on December 1, 2023.
“From legendary director John Woo and the producer of John Wick comes the gritty revenge tale of a tormented father (Joel Kinnaman) who witnesses his young son die when caught in a gang’s crossfire on Christmas Eve,” reads the official synopsis. “While recovering from a wound that costs him his voice, Kinnaman makes vengeance his life’s mission and embarks on a punishing training regimen in order to avenge his son’s death. Full of Woo’s signature style, Silent Night redefines the action genre with visceral thrill-a-minute storytelling.“
John Woo directed Silent Night from a script by Robert Archer Lynn. In addition to Joel Kinnaman, the film also stars Scott Mescudi, Harold Torres, and Catalina Sandino Moreno.
A dialogue-free action movie certainly sounds interesting, and producer Erica Lee told Collider earlier this year that her reaction to the script was, “This is either going to be a genius move or a disaster, there’s no in between.” I’ve got faith in John Woo. The director commented on the project while speaking with Vulture this summer.
“Very interesting movie,” Woo said. “The whole movie is without dialogue. It allowed me to use visuals to tell the story, to tell how the character feels. We are using music instead of language. And the movie is all about sight and sound. The budget was a little tight, and the schedule was tight, but it made me change my working style. Usually, for a big movie, a studio movie, we shoot a lot of coverage, then leave it to the cutting room. But in this movie, I tried to combine things without doing any coverage shots. I had to force myself to use a new kind of technique. Some scenes were about two or three pages, but I did it all in one shot.” Now that a release date has been nailed down, we should hopefully get to see the first trailer for Silent Night before too long.
Specialty pharmaceutical research company’s new retinal vascular dysfunction model can have a major impact on research and development of new drugs for retinal vascular diseases.
ALBANY, N.Y., September 26, 2023 (Newswire.com)
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Humonix Biosciences, Inc., has developed a new 3D human tissue model, called the retinal vascular dysfunction model.
Humonix’s new model is a physiologically relevant 3D model of the blood-retinal barrier. This model expresses key physiological and biological characteristics, providing a platform for testing therapies related to retinal vascular dysfunction.
Humonix’s new model incorporates two cell types, whereas most current in vitro models utilize a single cell type, thereby missing important determinants of barrier function. Humonix’s retinal vascular dysfunction model can recapitulate organ-specific vascular dysfunction, and therefore be applied to diseases such as macular edema and diabetic retinopathy.
This novel model can aid in the drug development process and expedite progress of life-changing therapies for patients living with retinal vascular diseases.
"During discussions with key opinion leaders and drug developers, we saw a trend that in vitro models and, to a certain extent, animal models are not good at narrowing down the best clinical candidates. The significant lack of models of the blood-retinal barrier that incorporate human retinal cells and mimic the pathophysiology of diabetic retinopathy and diabetic macular edema hampers the chances of identifying high-potential candidates to move forward in the drug development pipeline. We at Humonix are proud to have engineered a 3D human tissue model of the blood-retinal barrier that can accelerate the development of new and improved therapies."
"A reproducible and approachable model of the blood-retinal barrier needs to be more complex than a monolayer of cells; interactions between endothelial cells and pericytes are central to the development and maintenance of barrier function, a fact well recapitulated in the Humonix model."
- Patricia A. D’Amore, PhD, MBA, Associate Chief for Basic and Translational Research, Mass Eye and Ear and Humonix Scientific Advisor
Read our poster about our new Retinal Vascular Dysfunction Model presented at the Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology Conference in 2023 here: https://www.humonixbio.com/presentations-arvo-2023
Contact Information:
George Torrejon
Senior Director [email protected]
(631) 487-5553
Director Fede Alvarez’s new Alien film has been given a 2024 theatrical release date despite originally being planned for Hulu.
Director Fede Alvarez should now be in production on the new movie in the Alien franchise, a project which may or may not be called Alien: Romulus. Originally designed to debut on Hulu, Disney recently announced an August 16, 2024 theatrical release date for the movie, which bodes well for its quality. So as a filmmaker who’s known for moments of brutal, cringe-inducing violence works to bring the Xenomorphs back to our screens, we decided it was time to put together an article that keeps track of Everything We Know About Fede Alvarez’s New Alien Movie.
(WORKING?) TITLE
First, we have to address whether or not Alien: Romulus is really the movie’s title. The fact is, we don’t know. It could very well be a working title or a codename title that will end up being changed down the line. The first time we ever saw the Alien: Romulus title was on a production listing that was posted by the Film & Television Industry Alliance. That listing also said the movie would begin filming in Budapest, Hungary on February 6th… and while the production start date got pushed back to March 9th, filming is indeed taking place in Budapest, Hungary. The location information was correct, now we’ll have to wait and see if the title sticks as well. “Romulus” brings to mind two things, neither of which are likely to have any bearing on what the movie is about: Romulus was the name of the founder and first king of Rome, and it’s the name of a planet in the Star Trek universe.
YOUNG CHARACTERS IN PERIL
Alvarez put young characters through the wringer in his films Evil Dead (2013) and Don’t Breathe, and it looks like he’s going to be doing exactly the same thing in his new Alien movie. Every announced cast member in this film seems to be in their 20s (going by birthdates available online), and The Hollywood Reporter says that “as opposed to the other movies which focused on adults in corporate, militaristic and scientific roles, this now-ninth installment of the franchise will focus on a group of young people. On a distant colony, the group finds themselves in a fight for their lives with the titular alien, a creature known as a Xenomorph, whose race propagates by implanting eggs into people’s stomachs via face-huggers, with the juveniles eventually violently bursting out of the host’s chest.” Will this be the Alien equivalent of a slumber party slasher?
The cast consists of Cailee Spaeny (Mare of Easttown), David Jonsson (Industry), Archie Renaux (Shadow and Bone), Spike Fearn (The Batman), Aileen Wu (Away from Home), and Isabela Merced (Rosaline).
THE OTHER IDEAS
There were several directions the Alien franchise could have gone after the release of 2017’s Alien: Covenant. Although that film didn’t go over well with fans or critics, it did okay at the box office ($240 million worldwide) and Alien director Ridley Scott wanted to make a direct sequel. A chance to wrap up the Alien prequel trilogy he had begun with Prometheus and continued with Alien: Covenant. So that could have happened. Alternatively, the studio could have chosen to revive the Alien 5 project Neill Blomkamp had been developing, which would have brought Sigourney Weaver back as franchise heroine Ripley and given Michael Biehn’s Hicks character from Aliens a different fate than the one we had seen in Alien 3. Blomkamp’s ideas had a lot of fan support (and support from Weaver and Biehn), but it was put on ice because Scott wanted the focus to be on his prequel trilogy. Which ran into a dead end anyway. Another filmmaker who wanted to make an Alien sequel that would have brought Weaver back as Ripley was Walter Hill, who has been a producer on every Alien movie (and got writing credits on Aliens and Alien 3). Hill wrote a 50-page Alien 5 treatment with fellow franchise producer David Giler, who has since passed away, but somehow it didn’t gain any traction. So by getting his Alien movie into production, Alvarez has beaten competition from the likes of Ridley Scott, Neill Blomkamp, and Walter Hill.
THE PITCH STUCK WITH RIDLEY SCOTT
We may not know exactly what Alvarez’s story is, but we do know the pitch made an impact on Ridley Scott, who is producing the movie that could be called Alien: Romulus. Apparently Alvarez told Scott his idea for how to approach a new Alien movie years ago and it was stuck with him. In 2021, Scott called Alvarez and asked him if he was still willing to make that Alien movie. Obviously he was. 20th Century Studios president Steve Asbell had said that they decided to move forward with the project “purely off the strength of Fede’s pitch”, as it’s “just a really good story with a bunch of characters you haven’t seen before.”
NO CONNECTION TO OTHER ALIEN FILMS
Sources say that the script Alvarez has written with his frequent collaborator Rodo Sayagues doesn’t have any connection to the previous Alien movies – except, of course, for the presence of the Xenomorph. So we shouldn’t expect to see any tie-ins with the Scott prequels, the adventures of Ripley, or the Predator crossovers. However, doesn’t the story about a distant colony being stricken with a Xenomorph problem sound a lot like what happened on LV-426 before Ripley and the Colonial Marines showed up in Aliens? This is only speculation, but Alvarez could be cooking up a surprise “mid-quel” that takes place within the timeframe of Aliens. The story of the downfall of LV-426. But, maybe it really is a completely different colony. Maybe the sources aren’t trying to throw us off the trail and the movie really doesn’t have any connection to previous installments.
THEATRICAL RELEASE
Unlike last year’s new Predator movie Prey, the new Alien movie is going to be released theatrically, with the Mouse House giving the film an August 16, 2024 date. This is similar to what the studio did with Barbarian, which grossed $45 million on a $4.5 million budget, and their recent The Boogeyman, which has already raked in $25 million and counting. Many think Prey would have been a blockbuster had it gotten a theatrical release, as people still prefer to see their scary movies in a dark theater. As anyone who’s ever watched an Alien film theatrically can tell you, that’s always the best way.
THE SAG STRIKE
The film was able to complete principal photography before the SAG/AFTRA strike was called, so it likely will not be delayed, although certainly anything is possible.
TV SERIES
While the movie may be hitting theaters, we’ll still be getting some xenomorph content on Hulu, with Noah Hawley’s (Fargo) Alien TV series having recently cast its lead, Sydney Chandler. That show is set on Earth, with FX CEO John Landgraf teasing that the series takes place about seventy years from now, and will not feature any characters from the movies. However, the infamous Weylan-Yutani corporation will still be involved. Currently, the show has no release date and likely will only premiere after the new Alien movie comes out.
Are you looking forward to watching a new Alien movie that leans into pure horror territory as Fede Alvarez sets the Xenomorph lose on a group of young colony residents? Share your thoughts on this project by leaving a comment below.
You Are Not Alone: Call the National Suicide Hotline’s Veterans Crisis Line at 988 (Press 1), Chat Live or Text 838255 for 24/7 Confidential Crisis Support for Veterans and Their Loved Ones
WASHINGTON, September 26, 2023 (Newswire.com)
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The first year out of the service – a period known as the “deadly gap” – is a particularly vulnerable time as new veterans navigate location, employment and identity changes. In this “deadly gap,” the risk of suicide increases. During September’s Suicide Prevention Month, when mental health advocates, prevention organizations, survivors, allies, and community members unite to promote suicide prevention awareness, Onward Ops is highlighting its mission of providing timely support, meaningful connections and valuable tools so all transitioning service members and new veterans can experience a successful transition into civilian life.
“While there is no shortage of resources available to assist veterans, transitioning service members and new veterans are often left to navigate access on their own. The process is unwieldy and overly bureaucratic. No one’s coming to them and saying, ‘Just check this block and we’ll get you enrolled in the VA’ or ‘Sign here and we’ll process your disability,’” said retired Army Brigadier General Michael Eastman, executive director of the Expiration Term of Service Sponsorship Program (ETS-SP), a national non-profit organization bridging the gap between military and civilian life, and its Onward Ops (OnwardOps) military transition support program. “Compounded by limited support and the lack of clear pathways to accessing resources, ‘deadly gap’ stressors contribute to a less-than-ideal adjustment out of the military. Early on, we dug into transition challenges new veterans face and found one outcome of poor transition preparation was suicide.”
In the “deadly gap,” veterans no longer have access to Defense Department resources and may not yet have access to Department of Veteran Affairs (VA) resources, leaving them with limited mental health support. VA research shows the suicide rate among new veterans during the “deadly gap” is more than double that of their civilian peers and almost twice as high as the general veteran population. The VA also found that many “deadly gap” difficulties can be eased by community interventions that promote connectedness and strengthened with the help of sponsors.
Through its certified sponsors, community integrators and partnerships nationwide, Onward Ops – available at no cost to all transitioning service members – assists with employment, benefits, care, housing, and more, to assist in a successful move into civilian life. When service members enroll, they connect with a sponsor and community integration coordinator in their destination communities or guide themselves through the process with the help of the organization’s tools.
“If each of the military branches encouraged its people to enroll with us a year before they completed their tour of duty, spending that time preparing for transition and working with a sponsor if they wanted one, and then attending their mandatory transition class, we would reverse many of the negative outcomes we see with the system as it exists today.”
As a social welfare organization, Onward Ops also provides access to organizations and charities that address critical needs like housing and food insecurity, and conducts a risk assessment, created in partnership with Harvard Medical School, with all enrollees. “If someone scores high enough that the algorithm indicates they are at risk for suicide, we have the ability to connect them within 24 hours to a VA person, then a behavioral health provider.”
Through major partnerships including Google and USAA’s Face the Fight Foundation, Onward Ops has expanded its presence to all 50 states in two years, and its transitioning service members and new veteran enrollments have increased from 20-30 a month to 800-1,000 a month.
“In this month dedicated to suicide prevention,” Eastman said, “we wanted to reinforce that with positive community engagement and the efforts of volunteer sponsors, it is possible to reduce the unacceptable loss of our country’s newest veterans.”
People can give back to transitioning service members and military spouses by volunteering as an Onward Ops sponsor at OnwardOps.org. Communities interested in joining our network can connect via [email protected]. For news and updates, follow on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and LinkedIn.
Contact Information:
Mike Eastman
Executive Director / Brigadier General, U.S. Army (ret) [email protected]
703.399.4679
NEW YORK, September 26, 2023 (Newswire.com)
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Castle Connolly today announced the release of Castle Connolly Top Hispanic & Latino Doctors 2023. It’s the first time Castle Connolly has recognized exceptional doctors within the Hispanic and Latino communities who have demonstrated outstanding expertise, patient care, and contributions to the field of healthcare. There are 234 doctors represented, across 32 states and 60 specialties.
The new distinction is part of Castle Connolly’s Diversity Equity and Inclusion (DEI) Initiative designed to honor top clinicians and enable patients to find Castle Connolly Top Doctors who have shared backgrounds and experiences. As part of this initiative, Castle Connolly surveyed its current Top Doctors (top 7% of physicians in the U.S., all nominated by peers), to share information about their race/ethnicity, gender identity, and sexual orientation.
For the Top Hispanic & Latino Doctor list, Castle Connolly has partnered with National Latino Physician Day, to bring awareness of the underrepresentation of Latino physicians, as well as encourage the next generation of Latino and Latina students to go into medicine. “We know that having concordance with ethnicity can improve outcomes for patients. Having an understanding of the culture and the language is also an important way to provide the best patient care,” says Dr. Michael Galvez, Director of Pediatric Hand Surgery at Valley Children’s Hospital and co-creator of National Latino Physician Day.
Today, the U.S. Latino population is at 19%, while only 6% of physicians across the country are Latino or Latina. By 2050, it is projected that one out of three Americans, and one out of two Californians will be of Latino background. “This large population is severely underrepresented among physicians and is also suffering from poor healthcare outcomes,” says Dr. Cesar Padilla, Clinical Associate Professor in Obstetric Anesthesiology at Stanford University and co-creator of National Latino Physician Day. “This is more than just a DEI (Diversity, Equity and Inclusion) issue - it’s an issue of population health.”
“By releasing the list of Castle Connolly Top Hispanic & Latino Doctors, our goal is to enable patients to easily find high-quality care from a provider who shares both a language proficiency as well as a cultural background,” said Steve Leibforth, Managing Director, Castle Connolly. “We are proud of this list of exceptional Latino and Latina doctors, and will continue to grow all of our DEI lists in 2024 and beyond.”
All Castle Connolly Top Hispanic & Latino Doctors are nominated by their peers, and then the Castle Connolly research team evaluates important criteria, including professional qualifications, education, hospital and faculty appointments, research leadership, professional reputation, disciplinary history, interpersonal skills and outcomes data (where available).
About Castle Connolly
With over 30 years' experience researching, reviewing and selecting Top Doctors, Castle Connolly is a trusted and credible source. In fact, a study published in the Journal of Medical Research found that across several specialties evidence indicates that Castle Connolly's peer-reviewed directory is methodologically more reliable than sites that just relied on patient reviews when it came to identifying quality care. Our mission is to help people find the best healthcare by connecting patients with best-in-class healthcare providers. For more information, visit https://www.castleconnolly.com.
About Everyday Health Group
The Everyday Health Group is a recognized leader in patient and provider education, attracting an engaged audience of over 76 million health consumers and over 890,000 U.S. practicing physicians and clinicians to its premier health and wellness digital properties. Our mission is to drive better clinical and health outcomes through decision-making informed by highly relevant information, data and analytics. We empower healthcare providers and consumers with trusted content and services delivered through the Everyday Health Group's world-class brands. Everyday Health Group is a division of Ziff Davis, Inc. (NASDAQ: ZD).
Contact Information:
Caroline Baron
Senior Director [email protected]
(212) 367-8400
Mean Girls: The Musical has shifted from streaming to theaters as Paramount announces 2024 release date for the movie.
Mean Girls: The Musical was initially developed for a streaming debut on Paramount+, but the studio has now decided to give the movie a theatrical release. Mean Girls: The Musical will hit theaters on January 12, 2024.
Paramount pulled a similar move last year with Smile, a horror movie also developed for the streaming service before positive test screenings led them to release it in theaters. That proved to be the right choice, as the movie went on to gross over $200 million with a sequel on the way. Paramount must be hoping for a repeat of that success by pushing the release of Mean Girls: The Musical to theaters.
Mean Girls: The Musical stars Angourie Rice, Auliʻi Cravalho, Reneé Rapp, Jaquel Spivey, Jenna Fischer, Busy Philipps, and Jon Hamm. Tina Fey and Tim Meadows have also reprised their roles from the original film as Ms. Norbury and Principal Duvall.
Mean Girls: The Musical was directed by Arturo Perez Jr. and Samantha Jayne from a screenplay by Tina Fey, who also wrote the original movie as well as the stage musical of the same name. The movie features music by Jeff Richmond and lyrics by Nell Benjamin.
“I’m very excited to bring ‘Mean Girls’back to the big screen,” said Tina Fey when Mean Girls: The Musical was first announced. “It’s been incredibly gratifying to see how much the movie and the musical have meant to audiences. I’ve spent sixteen years with these characters now. They are my Marvel Universe and I love them dearly.” Lorne Michaels, who produced the project alongside Tina Fey, added, “It has been a joy to work on ‘Mean Girls’ and to watch it go from film, to musical, and now to musical film. I am very proud that Tina’s story and characters continue to resonate with new generations. We are all excited to continue to work with Sonia Friedman and her team as we prepare for London.“
The forward-thinking, planet-positive brand creates footwear made with purpose in Annapolis, Maryland
Made Plus Debuts The SKIFF The SKIFF is a tribute to Annapolis' rich boating history. Ethically engineered, forward-thinking fashion made with purpose.
ANNAPOLIS, Md., September 26, 2023 (Newswire.com)
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Made Plus, a pioneering footwear brand founded by industry veteransTrey Hentz, Kevin Fisher, and Alan Guyan, officially sets sail today. Headquartered in Annapolis, Maryland, at 190 Admiral Cochrane Dr. STE 170, Made Plus marks a new era of personalized “planet-positive” footwear proudly made in the United States. With Made Plus, every step matters, which is why the brand has reduced a complex manufacturing process from 300 steps to less than 50 – significantly eliminating negative outputs on the environment.
Having collectively contributed their designs to industry-disrupting products for athletic footwear giants such as Under Armour, Nike, and Sketchers, the trio of Guyan, Fisher, and Hentz now embark on an extraordinary journey to redefine the traditionally tedious, outdated, and wasteful shoe manufacturing process. What started in a garage in Annapolis is now a micro-factory where the team passionately advocates for a sustainable future and a reimagined approach to crafting “made-to-order” footwear.
Local production and a relentless focus on an environmentally conscious lifestyle fall at the heart of Made Plus' identity, positioning the brand as a trailblazer in the footwear landscape. “Our core mission revolves around reducing our carbon footprint, minimizing waste, and championing ethically viable practices. Every step matters, from sourcing components to the production process to the elevated performance our customers experience,” said Alan Guyan, Founder and CEO of Made Plus. “We are also focused on maintaining a local-first approach, crafting products for locals by locals, fostering a strong sense of community and connection right here in Annapolis.”
Unlike conventional shoe manufacturing, Made Plus employs a revolutionary made-to-order business model, significantly reducing waste while providing a design-thinking customization experience. By leveraging cutting-edge technologies, including 3D printing, knitting, and digital modeling, Made Plus offers personalized footwear tailored to each individual's needs – a shoe made just for you.
Guyanexpressed his enthusiasm, stating, "We are thrilled to have the freedom to focus on our mission while doing what we love best - designing and innovating in a way that raises the bar for the footwear industry while delivering customized, elevated experiences for our customers."
The debut offering from Made Plus is the "SKIFF" lifestyle shoe, a loving tribute to Annapolis' rich boating history, specifically inspired by the small boat that shares its name. Showcasing ethically engineered performance UPKNT technology, each pair is upcycled from six plastic water bottles, free of excess foams and linings, and incorporates Azo-free dyes and upcycled components such as laces, webbing, and support structures. “The 'SKIFF' encapsulates our dedication to crafting contemporary, high-quality footwear from recycled materials, embodying our vision of forward-thinking fashion made with purpose,” added Guyan.
About Made Plus Inc.
Made Plus is a visionary footwear brand founded by industry veterans who have honed their craft at major companies, including Under Armour, Nike, New Balance, and Sketchers. Steadfast in its vision to revolutionize the footwear industry, Made Plus is committed to purpose-led design thinking rooted in simplified shoe science. The brand is making a positive impact through ethical manufacturing and using high-quality, sustainable materials. Headquartered in Annapolis, Maryland, every pair of Made Plus shoes is made-to-order and crafted with care in the U.S. To learn more, please visit https://www.madeplus.com/.
Contact Information:
Caitlin Wolf
PR Consultant [email protected]
410-935-2363
PLOT: A detective (Benicio del Toro) living in New England with his wife (Alicia Silverstone) investigates the gruesome death of a local real estate magnate’s (Justin Timberlake) wife.
REVIEW: There’s a version of Reptile that could have been a standard cop noir. After all, how many movies have we seen about a rumpled detective investigating a murder that implicates a well-connected family? Yet, director Grant Singer seems less interested in making the straight-laced neo-noir this could have been and instead turns this into a quirky, darkly comedic riff on the genre that almost functions as a spoof at times. After all, a movie that uses Bob Dylan’s ‘Knocking on Heaven’s Door” for a gunfight can’t expect us to take it entirely seriously.
Reptile is a weird but wonderful surprise. The odd vibe will turn some off, and it took me about thirty minutes to finally give up and allow myself to enjoy the madness. Singer, who makes his feature debut (he also co-wrote the movie), seems to have a whole raft of inspirations, ranging from David Fincher to Sam Peckinpah to Werner Herzog, with a liberal dose of camp ladled in to give us the strangest cop movie since Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call New Orleans.
It offers Benicio del Toro a terrific showcase, with him subverting all the expectations of your typical cop movie hero. Most cops in these things are loners, but here, he’s a popular member of the force and the life of every party. He and his upbeat wife (played by a terrific Alicia Silverstone) fit right into the New England cop community, with her uncle, played by a cast against-type Eric Bogosian, as his beloved captain. They like to square dance so much that the rest of the department calls him “Oklahoma.” Del Toro’s character sports an earring and dresses like a gangster, with his loud suits and leather jacket, and seems more interested in the designer kitchen he finds at the crime scene than in solving a murder. All of this is a facade, of course, as he turns out to be incorruptible, and over the lengthy but still fast-moving 142-minute run time, the movie’s genre changes from potboiler to neo-noir to all-out action thriller and still manages to work. Well, it works as long as you don’t mind that the movie is constantly winking at you whenever there’s a cliche, right down to the deliberately obvious song selections on the soundtrack.
In many ways, the movie seems less interested in the mystery than examining the cop community del Toro’s character finds himself a part of, with them mostly all family men in happy marriages and living comfortably in their idyllic town. That it all comes crashing down is a given, but you won’t mind the movie taking its time. If the film has a failing, it’s that the red herrings, such as Justin Timberlake’s real estate guy and Michael Pitt’s scuzzy witness, are never as interesting as the cops, who include The Wire’s Domenick Lombardozzi and an amusing Ato Essandoh as the deadpan new guy. It’s also fun to see del Toro and Silverstone reteam more than a quarter century after Excess Baggage with their top-notch chemistry. It’s nice to see her in such a prominent role again, and she gets some scenery to chew.
One thing is sure – Reptile could have only ever been made at Netflix. Any studio would have had them significantly reduce the quirkiness (and the running time) to the point that it would have been a routine thriller. Currently, it subverts, plays with, and rewards audience expectations. Those who want a straight-laced meat-and-potatoes cop movie won’t like it. Still, if you like stranger cop fare like the underrated Miami Bluesor the aforementioned Port of Call New Orleans, you might find this a very entertaining watch.
Reptile is now playing in limited release and hits Netflix on October 6th.
PLOT: In this wicked series based on the works of Edgar Allan Poe, ruthless siblings Roderick and Madeline Usher have built Fortunato Pharmaceuticals into an empire of wealth, privilege and power. But past secrets come to light when the heirs to the Usher dynasty start dying at the hands of a mysterious woman from their youth.
REVIEW: Since the premiere of Before I Wake and Hush on Netflix in 2016, Mike Flanagan has called the streaming platform his creative home. But, it was not until The Haunting of Hill House that Flanagan became a recognizable name to the masses. With an original film and four series for Netflix, Mike Flanagan’s final project under his overall deal may be his most ambitious until he rolls on his potential adaptation of Stephen King’s The Dark Tower. Drawing inspiration from another master of the macabre, Flanagan’s The Fall of the House of Usher is an unconventional twist on the iconic short story of the same name. Bringing together his repertory players from virtually all of his films and series to date, Flanagan’s version of The Fall of the House of Usher is a grand guignol blend of gothic horror with the cutthroat world of the ultra-wealthy. Consider it Succession if Edgar Allan Poe wrote it, and you know what you are in for. This is a spooky series with some truly innovative takes on the source material that will please fans of Flanagan and Poe alike.
Knowing what Flanagan has done with the classic stories of Shirley Jackson and Henry James, I expected a contemporary twist on The Fall of the House of Usher. Instead of updating that single Poe yarn, Flanagan took a cue from last year’s Christopher Pike mash-up The Midnight Club and modernized multiple tales from the classic author. At its core, the Fall of the House of Usher tells the story of Roderick Usher (Bruce Greenwood), a rich man whose crumbling manse represents his own downfall. But, by widening the scale of the story, Flanagan inserts a greatest hits compilation of Edgar Allan Poe stories organically into the narrative structure. From the trailer alone, you can tell that Usher includes riffs on “The Masque of the Red Death,” “The Black Cat,” “The Tell-Tale Heart,” “The Murders at Rue Morgue,” “The Raven,” and many more. The sheer number of Poe references in this series is staggering and goes beyond full stories into names pulled from the author’s poems and contemporaries from his life. Short of a true biopic, The Fall of the House of Usher is the ultimate homage to one of the icons of horror literature.
The Fall of the House of Usher begins with Roderick Usher’s six children dead without divulging how each Poe story factors into the overall narrative. Amid a massive lawsuit against his company, Fortuna Pharmaceuticals, Roderick invites prosecutor C. August Dupain (Carl Lumbly) to his home, where he plans to tell the lawyer his confession. Over the eight-episode series, Usher’s tale includes a chapter focused on the demise of each of his kids and flashbacks to what set this entire series of events in motion. By allowing each chapter to connect to the next and serve as a partially standalone story, The Fall of the House of Usher works as both an anthology and a singular tale anchored by the central conversation between Usher and Dupain. Bruce Greenwood, who stepped in for Frank Langella early in production, previously worked with Flanagan on the Stephen King adaptation of Gerald’s Game. Usher is a triumphant role for the veteran actor who has appeared in everything from J.J. Abrams’s Star Trek to playing John F. Kennedy in the film Thirteen Days. While spending most of his time with Lumbly, a veteran of Flanagan’s Doctor Sleep, Greenwood is astoundingly good as the patriarch watching his empire and family crumble before him.
As much as The Fall of the House of Usher is a greatest-hits compilation of Poe stories, it is also a mega-cast of Mike Flanagan’s extended roster of talent. The main cast includes actors from multiple of the director’s projects, including Carla Gugino as Verna, Henry Thomas as Frederick Usher, Kate Seigel as Camille L’Espanaye, Samantha Sloyan as Tamerlane Usher, T’Nia Miller as Victorine LaFourcade, Rahul Kohli as Napoleon Usher, Sauriyan Sapkota as Prospero Usher, and Ruth Codd as Juno Usher, Amongst the supporting cast are Katie Parker from Flanagan’s Absentia, Michael Trucco from Hush, Annabeth Gish from Before I Wake, Lulu Wilson from Ouija: Origin of Evil, Kyleigh Curran from Doctor Sleep, Robert Longstreet from The Haunting of Bly Manor, as well as Crystal Balint, Matt Biedel and Zach Gilford from Midnight Mass, and Igby Rigney and Aya Furukawa from The Midnight Club. New additions to Flanagan’s world are Willa Fitzgerald and Mary McDonnell as Madeline Usher, Mark Hamill as Arthur Pym, and Paola Nunez as Alessandra Ruiz. Everyone in this cast is well-suited for Flanagan’s style, which the series’ tone accentuates. A pitch-black sense of humor pervades the somber themes, but it never boils over into pulp or melodrama. That being said, this series is closer to The Midnight Club than Midnight Mass.
Based on the character names listed, you could dig through Poe’s bibliography to determine which stories they are connected to. Still, Flanagan and co-writers Justina Ireland, Dani Parker, Jamie Flanagan, Emmy Grinwis, Matt Johnson, Rebecca Klingel, and Kiele Sanchez are not beholden to the source material. The core of the stories are translated here, but the narrators and victims from the written page are switched around often to keep the viewer on their toes. But, as each Usher family member meets their untimely demise, you will make no mistake as to which Poe story their comeuppance was sourced from. Flanagan, who directed half of the series and handed the other four episodes to his long-time cinematographer Michael Fimognari, takes a cue from his idol Stephen King in imbuing real-world events into the mix. The Ushers are responsible for the opioid epidemic in this tale, a timely connection to current news. There are also many jabs at political figures who remain nameless, but an astute viewer will know exactly who the writers are mocking.
As a big Flanagan fan, I cannot help but find parts of this series uneven. So many of these performances are excellent, especially Bruce Greenwood, Carl Lumbly, and the always great Carla Gugino, but there are also some odd missteps along the way. Ruth Codd, who rose to fame on social media and stood out in The Midnight Club, is oddly cast here as Roderick Usher’s new wife, Juno. The role feels somewhat forced and didn’t entirely work for me as Juno seems more comic relief than a vital part of the tale. Mark Hamill is good in an understated role as the Usher’s primary attorney and fixer. Still, Mary McDonnell’s awful wig often overshadows him when they share scenes together. Rahul Kohli and Samantha Sloyan own their scenes as two Usher siblings. However, their performances sometimes feel like takes on Kieran Culkin and Sarah Snook in Succession rather than original creations. These are nitpicks in the grand scheme of things, as The Fall of the House of Usher is built around the main characters being on the brink of death. We have a front-row seat to their karmic retribution, but I could not help but feel that many character traits are introduced that do not get explained in a worthwhile manner as the series heads toward the big reveal at the end.
The Fall of the House of Usher does not quite reach the level of The Haunting of Hill House or Midnight Mass. I expect fans will find this series closer to The Haunting of Bly Manor, which I do not mean as a slight in any way. Like Edgar Allan Poe’s tales, this series focuses on short stories with romantic and gothic tones that feature a main character getting their just desserts. Flanagan brings his eye for the macabre and injects the right amount of blood and guts to make this a ghoulish experience. Most of these characters deserve what is coming, so witnessing them suffer is a cathartic experience. By incorporating Poe’s poetry and figures from the author’s real life, Mike Flanagan and his writing team have built a beautiful ode to Poe and one that should open a whole new generation to check out his writing. The Fall of the House of Usher is a haunting and beautiful series. While a few characters and subplots do not quite work, the vast majority of them do. This is not as scary as Hill House, but it is every bit the worthy Halloween binge this October.
The Fall of the House of Usher premieres on October 12th on Netflix.
Preparing for Saw X, the latest episode of the WTF Happened to This Horror Movie video series looks back at 2005’s Saw II
It’s time for another episode of the WTF Happened to This Horror Movie? video series, and with this one we’re preparing for the September 29th theatrical release of the latest Saw sequel, Saw X, by looking back at the first Saw sequel: 2005’s Saw II (watch it HERE). To hear all about it, check out the video embedded above.
Directed by Darren Lynn Bousman, who also wrote the screenplay with Leigh Whannell, Saw II has the following synopsis: On the hunt for the twisted vigilante and serial killer Jigsaw, Detective Eric Matthews and his team must apprehend the elusive murderer to rescue eight people trapped in an abandoned house, before they succumb to his torturous and murderous games. One twist to this task is that Matthews’ own son, Daniel, is among the eight people Jigsaw has chosen to test for their lack of morality. With nerve gas pumping through the house, every second counts.
The film stars Tobin Bell, Shawnee Smith, Donnie Wahlberg, Erik Knudsen, Franky G, Glenn Plummer, Emmanuelle Vaugier, Beverley Mitchell, Timothy Burd, Dina Meyer, Lyriq Bent, Noam Jenkins, Tony Nappo, Kelly Jones, Vincent Rother, and Arrow in the Head founder John Fallon.
This is what the WTF Happened to This Horror Movie series is all about: Hollywood has had its fair share of historically troubled productions. Whether it was casting changes, actor deaths, fired directors, in-production rewrites, constant delays, budget cuts or studio edits, these films had every intention to be a blockbuster, but were beset with unforeseen disasters. Sometimes huge hits, sometimes box office bombs. Either way, we have to ask: WTF Happened To This Horror Movie?
The Saw II episode of WTF Happened to This Horror Movie? was Written, Narrated, and Edited by Tyler Nichols, Produced by Lance Vlcek and John Fallon, and Executive Produced by Berge Garabedian.
A couple of the previous episodes of the show can be seen below. To see more, head over to our JoBlo Horror Originals YouTube channel – and subscribe while you’re there!
What do you think of Saw II, and are you looking forward to Saw X? Let us know by leaving a comment!
