The new episode of the 80s Horror Memories docu-series looks at the short-lived 3-D boom that included Friday the 13th Part III and Jaws 3-D

CHECK OUT ALL OUR EPISODES OF ’80s HORROR MEMORIES HERE!

JoBlo.com recently launched a new weekly documentary series called 80s Horror Memories, and the first five episodes of the series were all dedicated to films that were released in 1980: 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. We started our look at 1982 with Conan the Barbarian and continued with The Thing. With the thirteenth episode of the series, we’re digging into the ’80s 3-D boom, which included movies like Friday the 13th Part III, Jaws 3-D, and Amityville 3-D, among others. To hear all about it, check out the video embedded above!

New episodes of 80s Horror Memories will be released through the YouTube channel JoBlo Horror Originals every Monday. 

Here’s the info on 80s Horror Memories: It’s been over 40 years that 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: In this episode of 80s Horror Memories we’re going to look back at the movies that tried to impress us by sticking things in our faces. So put on your 3-D glasses for absolutely no reason… because just like the VHS rentals of the time, this video is not in 3-D… and let’s talk about the 3-D Horror in our 80s Horror Memories.

This episode of 80s Horror Memories was written by Cody Hamman, narrated by Tyler Nichols, edited by Joseph Wilson, 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 guests in this episode include Darren Lynn Bousman (Mother’s Day) and Craig Perry (the Final Destination franchise).

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!

The indie biopic depicting the making of the indie film that defied the odds is set to premiere in Kevin Smith’s hometown theater.

Kevin Smith, who has recently been approved with a SAG waiver to make his new movie The 4:30 Movie, is one of the biggest pioneers in independent filmmaking in the 1990s. He joins Robert Rodriguez as someone who was able to make a feature film on a minuscule budget with basically no crew on a do-it-yourself mentality. Both directors would gain acclaim for their efforts as both Clerks and El Mariachi won over fans at film festivals and started a revolution of non-studio productions. Smith would go on to carry over the characters Jay and Silent Bob onto his other films, including their own spin-offs, and even made two sequels to the one that started it all.

It’s hard for aspiring filmmakers not to be inspired by the groundbreaking indie film, and in a bit of poetry, indie filmmakers have made a movie about Kevin Smith and the making of Clerks in the film from Auld Reekie Media and Pink Plaid Productions titled Shooting Clerks. The film is set to have its theatrical debut with a premiere at Kevin Smith’s recently acquired hometown theater SModcastle Cinemas in New Jersey on Sunday, August 13 at 2PM.

The synopsis from the press release reads,
“The true story of how convenience store clerk Kevin Smith made his grainy $27,000 film Clerks with maxed-out credit cards and the people who aided him in his indie crusade.”

The film’s director, Christopher Downie, is aiming to inspire other aspiring filmmakers to follow their dreams with this affectionate tribute. Downie states, “The tagline ‘It’s all about making a movie with your friends’ says it all for me, personally. I always had help from friends and family when making movies. It’s carried through my entire career because it makes the process an enjoyable experience. Those who we hired to work on the film, namely the cast and my producer Ryan James, have become close friends, mainly because they share the same sentiment. It truly is all about making a movie with your friends.”

Smith himself jumped on the project as an executive producer after the people behind the film had previously released shorts that had caught his attention. In true Smith fashion, the film would feature cameos such as TROMA’s Lloyd Kaufman (The Toxic Avenger), James Rolfe (The Angry Video Game Nerd), Sanjeev Kohli (Still Game, Filth), Matthew Postlethwaite (Peaky Blinders, The Great Artist).

According to the press release, immediately following the screening, the cast and crew, including Kevin Smith himself, the film’s director Christopher Downie and producer Ryan James will take to the stage for an all access Q & A.

You can head to the official site at shootingclerks.com to purchase tickets.

The R.L. Stine adaptation Zombie Town, starring Dan Aykroyd and Chevy Chase, has received a PG-13 rating from the MPA

More than nine months have passed by since author R.L. Stine shared an early poster for the upcoming adaptation of his novel Zombie Town, and now we finally have a new update to share. The finished film has been screened for the Motion Picture Association ratings board and has secured a PG-13 rating for “some language and bloody images“. Now we just need to hear when this movie is going to be released.

Stine’s Zombie Town sees a quiet town upended when 12-year-old Mike and his friend, Karen, see a horror movie called Zombie Town and unexpectedly see the title characters leap off the screen and chase them through the theater.

The cinematic adaptation was directed by animator Peter Lepeniotis. Marlon Kazadi (Child’s Play 2019) and Madi Monroe (Attaway General) are the leads in the film, which is described as “a mystery teen romancer”. Also in the cast are Henry Czerny (Mission: Impossible) and Kids in the Hall members Scott Thompson and Bruce McCulloch, plus Dan Aykroyd and Chevy Chase, who have worked together multiple times over the decades – Saturday Night Live, Spies Like Us, Caddyshack II, The Couch Trip, Nothing But Trouble, the music video for Ray Parker Jr.’s “Ghostbusters” theme song.

Zombie Town is executive produced by Trimuse Entertainment, Toonz Media Group, Lookout Entertainment, Viva Pictures, and actor Kim Coates

Zombie Town will receive a theatrical release in the United States, then move to the Hulu streaming service. It’s also expected to get a release through ABC Australia sometime before the end of the year.

Have you read the R.L. Stine novel Zombie Town, and are you looking forward to seeing how the movie version has turned out? What do you think of the reasons for the PG-13 rating? Let us know by leaving a comment below.

I haven’t read the book and can’t say I have particularly high hopes for the movie, but the presence of Aykroyd, Chase, and a couple of Kids in the Hall in the cast is enough to get me to watch it at least once. Here’s hoping a release date announcement isn’t far off.

In this episode of Gone But Not Forgotten, we look back at the iconic 80s TV show Magnum P.I. starring the great Tom Selleck!

One of the coolest guys of the eighties was Tom Selleck, and everyone absolutely loved him playing the laid-back Thomas Magnum on the classic series Magnum, P.I. Running from 1980 to 1988; the show proved to be a mixed blessing for its star, as Selleck had auditioned to play Indiana Jones in Raiders of the Lost Ark and was actually chosen to play the part. He had to pass because he had already shot the pilot for Magnum, P.I., and the network wouldn’t let him out of his contract.

While passing up the opportunity to play the whip-wielding archeologist must have stung, Magnum P.I. ran for eight years and was one of the biggest shows of the decade. Selleck became a household name and parlayed his success on the show into a series of film roles (including Best Movie You Never Saw fave Runaway), culminating with the release of Three Men and a Baby, which became the biggest hit of 1987.

In this episode of Gone But Not Forgotten, we take a look at the long-running Magnum P.I, which has since been rebooted yet lacks the magic of the original show, which sported a memorable supporting casting including Roger E. Mosley and Larry Manetti as Magnum’s NAM buddies T.C and Rick, as well as John Hillerman as Higgins, the estate manager for the elusive Robin Masters, who bankrolls Magnum’s adventures.

Are you a Magnum P.I. fan? Let us know in the comments!

Sharknado gets a two-day theatrical re-release and a Barbie-inspired poster to celebrate its 10th anniversary

2023 marks the 10th anniversary of the release of the first Sharknado, and so far celebrations have included a screening on legendary movie host Joe Bob Briggs’ Shudder series The Last Drive-In and an all-day Sharknado franchise marathon on Syfy. If that wasn’t enough, The Asylum has now announced that they’ll be giving the movie a two-day theatrical re-release on August 15th and 16th! A new, Barbie-inspired poster has been created to promote this theatrical re-release, and you can check it out at the bottom of this article. The Hollywood Reporter got the exclusive first look at the poster.

Sharknado has been “fully remastered with hundreds of new special effects” for this event. The trailer for the re-release, which you can watch in the embed above, promises this version of the movie will deliver new kills, new thrills, more sharks, and more ‘nado.

Directed by Anthony C. Ferrante from a screenplay by Thunder Levin, Sharknado has the following synopsis: Nature’s deadliest killer takes to the skies in the ultimate gill-ty pleasure as a group of friends try to save the Santa Monica coast from shark-infested tornadoes.

The film stars Ian Ziering, John Heard, Tara Reid, Cassie Scerbo, Jaason Simmons, Aubrey Peeples, Chuck Hittinger, Christopher Wolfe, and Robbie Rist.

Sharknado first aired on Syfy on July 11, 2013, and its initial airings caught enough attention and viewers that it spawned a franchise. Sharknado 2: The Second One followed on July 30, 2014, Sharknado 3: Oh Hell No! on July 22, 2015, Sharknado: The 4th Awakens on July 31, 2016, Sharknado 5: Global Swarming on August 6, 2017, and
The Last Sharknado: It’s About Time on August 19, 2018. Along the way, Ziering appeared in the 2015 movie Lavalantula as his Sharknado character, and there was a faux documentary spin-off called Sharknado: Heart of Sharkness. There was also a nod to Sharknado in the 2022 Asylum release 2025 Armageddon.

Are you a fan of Sharknado, and will you be heading out to see it on the big screen during the theatrical re-release? Let us know by leaving a comment below – and while you’re scrolling down, take a look at the Barbie-inspired poster:

While fans of the DCEU are hopeful for more extended cuts of the movies, David Ayer puts a stop to one recent rumor.

When the Snyder Cut of Justice League became a successful campaign, the DC film followers tried to manifest the release of another extended version of a project that had divided audiences, 2016’s Suicide Squad from David Ayer. Suicide Squad had a long list of talent going for it, and it seemed like it would deliver after an immensely popular trailer featuring Queen’s Bohemian Rhapsody was released. The reception upon the premiere failed to capture the excitement produced by the trailer, and fans have been somewhat recently clamoring for an “Ayer Cut” of the film. It has been rumored that James Gunn may be release the cut prior to his Superman: Legacy film restarts the universe of DC characters. David Ayer himself would put the kibosh on that rumor through his Twitter.

A trailer has been released for the thriller Control, starring Kevin Spacey as someone who traps a government official in a smart car

A couple weeks ago, Kevin Spacey’s sex offenses trial ended with the actor being found “not guilty of all nine charges related to sexual misconduct, including seven of sexual assault.” So now Cupsogue Pictures has gone ahead and unveiled a trailer for the upcoming low budget thriller Control, which happens to have Spacey in the cast. You won’t see him in the trailer embedded above, but his voice is quite prominent. According to Variety, Spacey’s performance in the film is entirely vocal.

Spacey’s Control character is a menacing presence who manages to hijack a government official’s smart car in order to exact revenge.

The government official, Home Secretary Stella Simmons, is played by Lauren Metcalfe, who has previously had small roles on Bridgerton and the TV series version of War of the Worlds that starred Gabriel Bryne. Mark Hampton (Liaison) is also in the cast as Prime Minister David Addams.

Control was written and directed by Gene Fallaize, who made his feature directorial debut with the 2017 horror film Cain Hill. Fallaize told Variety, “I don’t regret casting Kevin and I would do it all over again. When we met with Kevin, we said, you know, [the meeting] is for us as much as it is him. And we came away from there feeling nothing but good vibes and positivity and we didn’t get anything bad from him at all. So we said, ‘Okay, let’s go for it.’ It’s a risk but feel it’s a risk worth taking.“

Tricoast Worldwide represents the global rights to the film and is currently in negotiations with distributors to secure releases for Control in the UK and the US.

What did you think of the Control trailer? Does this look like a movie you would want to check out? Let us know by leaving a comment below – and let us know what you think of the possibility of a Kevin Spacey comeback. Do you welcome it now that the trial is over, or do you have a negative view of him?

We’ll keep you updated on Control as the movie makes its way out into the world.

Rob Zombie’s feature debut House of 1000 Corpses is getting a two-night theatrical re-release for its 20th anniversary

2023 marks the 20th anniversary of the release of writer/director Rob Zombie’s feature debut House of 1000 Corpses (watch it HERE), and to celebrate the occasion Lionsgate gave the film a new Blu-ray release and Trick or Treat Studios is selling a House of 1000 Corpses coloring book. Now Fathom Events has announced that they will be giving the film a theatrical re-release for two nights this Halloween season, on October 8th and October 11th.

House of 1000 Corpses has the following synopsis: Two young couples take a misguided tour onto the back roads of America in search of a local legend known as Dr. Satan. Lost and stranded, they are set upon by a bizarre family of psychotics. Murder, cannibalism and satanic rituals are just a few of the 1000+ horrors that await.

The film stars Sid Haig, Erin Daniels, Bill Moseley, Karen Black, Sheri Moon Zombie, Rainn Wilson, Dennis Fimple, Walton Goggins, Chris Hardwick, Jennifer Jostyn, Matthew McGrory, Robert Mukes, Walter Phelan, Michael J. Pollard, Tom Towles, Harrison Young, Irwin Keyes, and Jake McKinnon.

For the Fathom Events re-release, “each screening includes an exclusive featurette by writer/director Rob Zombie, providing unique insight into his directorial debut and this cult favorite that almost didn’t see the light of day.” As mentioned, House of 1000 Corpses did have trouble getting out into the world, but once it did it was successful enough to spawn a franchise, being followed by two sequels: The Devil’s Rejects and 3 from Hell.

I saw House of 1000 Corpses during its initial theatrical run, even though the closest theatre showing the movie was 80 miles away from my home. It’s crazy to think that was already 20 years ago. I was kind of disappointed with the movie at the time and greatly prefer the follow-up The Devil’s Rejects, but I have still watched House of 1000 Corpses many times over the decades.

Are you a fan of House of 1000 Corpses, and will you be attending the Fathom Events re-release in October? Let us know by leaving a comment below.

Tickets will be available through the Fathom Events website starting on August 11th.

Meg 2 director Ben Wheatley is ready to take his giant animals to land, as he has expressed interest in the Godzilla and King Kong franchises.

After exploring the world of mega sharks, it only seems natural to want to delve into kaiju and giant primates. And that’s just what Ben Wheatley, the director of Meg 2: The Trench, hopes to do some day, displaying an admiration for the likes of Godzilla and King Kong, two of the biggest and baddest beasts to walk the planet.

Meg 2 director Wheatley recently told Screen Rant that not only did his sequel take inspiration from movies like Jaws – the movie that essentially launched sharksploitation – but also those within the Godzilla universe. “I take a lot of influence from [Jaws]. And then I really love the kind of 70s Godzilla stuff, then Shin Godzilla, and the current cycle of legendary Godzilla movies. It’s all that stuff…” When asked specifically if he would want to direct a Godzilla or even King Kong movie, Wheatley bluntly said, “Yeah, of course. That’s one of the great series of movies that’s around. They’re always good; I always enjoy them. Definitely, there’s unfinished business for me with giant monsters. I’ll definitely return to that if I’m allowed.”

Whether or not Wheatley is “allowed” may partly depend a lot on how Meg 2: The Trench does at the box office. It opened with $30 million, which was enough to chomp at Oppenheimer but still considerably less than the original. That first movie was nominated for the Worst Remake, Rip-off or Sequel Razzie as a Jaws knockoff and, based on reviews, Meg 2 could follow suit.

Neither Godzilla nor King Kong has been featured in a major motion picture since, well, Godzilla vs. Kong (2021). But they will stomp their way back to theaters with Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire, with Adam Wingard returning to direct. As for Meg 2‘s Ben Wheatley, he might continue finding inspiration from the 24-hour Godzilla channel on Pluto.

Do you think directing something like Meg 2: The Trench sets you up to continue exploring giant monsters on the big screen? Do you think Ben Wheatley would be a good choice to direct an entry in either the Godzilla or King Kong franchises? Give us your take below!

Greta Gerwig’s Barbie cruises past a $1 billion-dollar milestone after an incredible third weekend in theaters.

Moviegoers brought plenty of Kenergy to theaters over the weekend, helping Greta Gerwig’s Barbie cross the $1B global mark! According to Box Office Mojo, Barbie rollerbladed past the milestone for a $1,031,481,000 worldwide total. The total finds Gerwig becoming the first woman to surpass the billion-dollar climacteric as a solo director.

“As distribution chiefs, we’re not often rendered speechless by a film’s performance, but Barbillion has blown even our most optimistic predictions out of the water,” said Warner Bros’ Jeff Goldstein, President of Domestic Distribution, and Andrew Cripps, President of International Distribution. “This is a watershed moment for Barbie, and no one but Greta Gerwig could have brought this cross-generational icon and her world to life in such a funny, emotional and entertaining story, one that is resonating with all four quadrants of moviegoers and literally turning the entire world pink. Long lines and repeat viewings prove that movies are back in a big, big way, and we look forward to seeing just how far Barbie can go in the real world.”

In addition to my $50 this past weekend, Barbie cruised in a pink convertible with $74M in the trunk from 20,335 screens in 69 overseas markets. There’s no telling how much the film could make before exiting theaters, though the total will be markedly higher by the end of such a successful run.

According to reports, Gerwig was approached about making a Barbie sequel months ago, but her team delayed negotiations until after the movie’s premiere. With the WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes ongoing, it could be a while before we hear about any movement on another Barbie Land adventure.

Greta Gerwig directs Barbie from a screenplay she wrote with Noah Baumbach, based on Mattel’s rich history with the Barbie toy brand. The film’s producers are Oscar nominee David Heyman (Marriage Story, Gravity), Robbie, Tom Ackerley, and Robbie Brenner, with Michael Sharp, Josey McNamara, Ynon Kreiz, Courtenay Valenti, Toby Emmerich, and Cate Adams serving as executive producers.

What do you think about Barbie reaching the $1B milestone? Would Gerwig, Margot Robbie, and Ryan Gosling sign for a sequel? Is it best to leave Barbie to stand on its tip-toes as a one-off cinematic gem? Let us know what you think in the comments section below.