Jack Black and Paul Rudd star in the Anaconda reboot, and a new music video shares the names of their co-stars
Four and a half years ago, Sony’s Columbia Pictures announced that they were developing a reboot / reimagining of the 1997 “nature run amok” thriller Anaconda (watch it HERE), with the intention of “taking what was a simple and relatively cheap programmer with a B-movie concept and event-izing it in scope and budget.” Back in 2023, we heard that Tom Gormican would be writing and directing the film as his follow-up to the well-received action comedy The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent. Now, Gormican’s Anaconda reboot, which takes a meta approach, is in production with a cast that includes Jack Black (School of Rock), Paul Rudd (Ant-Man), Thandiwe Newton (Westworld), Daniela Melchior (The Suicide Squad), Steve Zahn (Joy Ride), Selton Mello (Bury Your Dead), and Ione Skye (Zodiac). During some downtime on set, Black, Rudd, and Mello decided to come up with a song that confirms most of the casting announcements (only Ione Skye doesn’t get a reference, so apparently she doesn’t have a lead role), and you can hear that song in the video embedded above.
The new Anaconda movie “involves a group of friends facing mid-life crises who are remaking their favorite movie from their youth. They head to the rainforest only to find themselves into a fight for their lives against natural disasters, giant snakes and violent criminals.“ Gormican wrote the screenplay with Kevin Ettin.
Black plays an “erstwhile director, a man stuck in his job as a wedding videographer,” with Rudd playing “an actor who did a stint on a cop show but sees his Hollywood dreams slipping further and further away.” Newton and Zahn play the pair’s childhood friends who join them on this adventure, with Mello playing a Brazilian animal wrangler and Skye playing the wife of Black’s character.
The original Anaconda movie, which starred Jennifer Lopez, Ice Cube, and Jon Voight, spawned a handful of sequels, including Anacondas: The Hunt for the Blood Orchid, Anaconda 3: Offspring, and Anacondas: Trail of Blood, plus the crossover Lake Placid vs. Anaconda. There was also a Chinese remake released last year, which centered on a group of circus performers as they battle a giant snake.
Are you looking forward to seeing Jack Black, Paul Rudd, and the other cast members in the Anaconda reboot? Let us know by leaving a comment below. The film is set for a Christmas 2025 release.
Steven Yeun leads a great season full of humor and superhero action in Prime Video’s comic book extravaganza.
Plot: Based on the award-winning comic book series by Robert Kirkman, co-creator Cory Walker, and contributing creator Ryan Ottley, Invincible follows 17-year-old Mark Grayson, as he inherits his father’s superpowers and sets out to become Earth’s greatest defender, only to discover the job is more challenging than he could have ever imagined. Everything changes as Mark is forced to face his past, and his future, while discovering how much further he’ll need to go to protect the people he loves.
Review: The popular indie comics often get left out of the conversation in a world of Marvel and DC cinematic universes. While Prime Video’s The Boyshas cornered the market in live-action comic book adaptations, their animated series Invincible remains one of the best superhero stories on the small screen. Based on the comic book from The Walking Dead creator Robert Kirkman, Invincible has delivered two stellar seasons so far, giving the mainstream a boost of unique villains led by Omni-Man. While the title character has been the series’ focus, the ensemble of great comedic and dramatic actors has lent a quality to this series that few live-action shows can compete with. For the third season, Invincible continues to bring a balance of action, humor, and violence, which is even more nuanced with solid character work from everyone, including some supporting characters you may not expect to become so invested in.
Having seen six of the eight episodes of Invincible‘s third season, fans must temper their expectations regarding the series’ momentum. The first season dropped a massive plot-bomb in the first episode that Omni-Man (J.K. Simmons) was a monster and not the hero many thought he was. Mark Grayson (Steven Yeun) had to step up with his new powers to go against his father, Omni-Man while balancing his new alter ego. In season two, the fallout of Omni-Man’s actions echoes through the world, in alternate timelines and outer space. Coming into season three, Mark has found a new direction in his life, which includes deciding to pursue a relationship with Atom Eve (Gillian Jacobs) while contending with his younger brother Oliver (Christian Convery) and his new abilities and the fate of the world as more villains, new and returning, threaten the safety of Earth. Yes, we get to see Mark, Eve, and Oliver battle epically, but this season hinges on the smaller moments rather than big battle sequences. This is also the funniest season to date, with some of the most memorable laughs coming from characters you least expect.
The first two seasons of Invincible maintained a consistent story structure that found Mark getting his butt handed to him time and again as he grew into his powers. Each season had a clear direction it was headed towards, with the finales of both capitalizing on the episodes that preceded them. It is more challenging this season to see where Invincible is taking us, with the momentum brought down to a much more deliberate pace. Across the first six episodes, we see the biggest rift between Mark and Cecil Stedman (Walton Goggins), the head of the Global Defense Agency. As evident in the poster and trailer for this season, Mark does not take kindly to Cecil using technology developed by some villainous characters like D.A. Sinclair. The lack of a “villain of the week” from each episode means they have a significant impact when bad guys show up. The most surprising character this season debuts in the sixth episode. Voiced by Aaron Paul, Scott Duvall (aka Powerplex) plays a role in one of the most emotionally powerful episodes of this entire series. Still, it feels like a standalone chapter rather than an episode with only two more to follow. If Invincible does anything this season, it is to keep the audience guessing about what is coming next.
While Mark does get to don his new costume this season and Oliver comes into his own as a hero, the series also spends a good amount of time with supporting characters like Jason Mantzoukas’ Rex Splode. In the first two seasons, Rex was played mostly for comedic effect, but he has a strong arc this season that grows him from a recurring joke to one of my favorite characters. Sandra Oh and J.K. Simmons continue to get consistent screen time. Still, the massive voice cast grows with great vocal work for Zachary Quinto, Chris Diamantopolous, Ben Schwartz, Kate Mara, and Simu Liu. The most impressive feat is that, with a limited episode count, this series provides a satisfying narrative for every character. The use of flashbacks and backstories this season is another great touch that builds out characters with motivations that add context to the first two seasons in a way that made me want to go back and revisit earlier episodes.
This season continues to mine the Invincible comic book for storylines and will make fans of the source material very happy. Robert Kirkman’s comic has always played well in science fiction, multiverses, and other genre tropes, but in translating it from page to screen, Invincible does a great job that could not be achieved in live action. I have been critical of this animation style in the past, but where I find fault when used for DC or Marvel projects, it works perfectly for Invincible. The use of music and the recurring gag involving the title card continues to pay off even three seasons in. The series also packs a punch with life-or-death stakes that other shows would not be willing to attempt. Kirkman and his executive producers, including Seth Rogen, David Alpert, Catherine Winder, Simon Racioppa, Margaret M. Dean, and Evan Goldberg, keep giving Invincible the room it needs to tell a story without guardrails, which also helps it feel more genuine.
While I am still not sure where this season of Invincible will end, I already know it ranks as my favorite. There is still enough destruction and action to accommodate the fans who want to see heroes face off against villains, but the focus on humor and character has trumped punching and lasers. Yes, this is still a true comic book story, and the action is great, but I love how much this series has evolved over three seasons to become more than just a work of animation. There is a lot more opportunity to keep this series going since it relies on voice talent, but Kirman and his creative team are not deviating much from the comic, leaving an end date in sight. If you have not given Invincible a shot yet, now is a great time to go back and binge the first two seasons and prepare for the sensational third.
Invincible premieres on February 6th on Prime Video.
We take a deep dive into the epic, Luc Besson-financed Parkour flick, District 13 aka Banlieu 13.
In the mid-2000s, you could be forgiven for thinking action films had gotten a little stale. The genre tends to go in waves; whenever something hits in a big way, you get derivative, increasingly stale copies. Think about all the Die Hard rip-offs or the way every movie tried to copy The Matrix with bullet time and wire-work post-1999. Heck, we’re experiencing it right now with superhero movies and John Wick clones. Whenever this happens, it’s more-or-less left to international cinema to come along and shake us up with something different, done far outside the mainstream, to revitalize the genre. That happened in 2004, when a small movie from France, District 13, introduced Parkour to mainstream audiences.
So, what’s Parkour? Think of it as free running in an urban setting mixed with acrobatics and martial arts. It was founded by the star of District 13, David Belle, a Parisian who came from a line of highly skilled rescuers in the Paris fire brigade, whose skills rubbed off on David, along with a degree of military training running obstacle courses. He founded a group called Yamakasi, which took a page from Asian martial arts disciplines and the cinematic kung fu prowess of Bruce Lee, Jackie Chan and other Hong Kong martial arts action film stars. Eventually, the group drummed up some notoriety in France, with action director and producer Luc Besson bankrolling a 2001 film called Yamakasi.
Belle himself wasn’t featured in the film, but he became much in demand doing his stunts in commercials. He also started coordinating stunts for various Besson movies, leading to District 13. The film is a small-scale action film, shot in French, that features Belle as Leito, a resident of District 13, which is a ghetto of 2 million people that has been sealed off by the government and essential been allowed to govern itself – shades of Escape from New York, a movie producer Luc Besson was a little too fond of ripping off, as years later when he made too close of a copy with Lockdown, he wound up sued by John Carpenter – who won.
But back to District 13. At the time, Besson ran a studio called EuropaCorp, which specialized in churning out movies for the international market. Their international hits included the Jet Li vehicles, Kiss of the Dragon and Unleashed, the Transporter series, and eventually the Taken films. Some of their biggest hits were explicitly for the French market, with the Taxi franchise especially popular. District 13 was made for that market, with it designed as a vehicle for Belle, as well as Cyril Raffaelli, who plays an undercover cop sent into the district to disarm a bomb that’s been planted on a missile aimed at Paris. Belle’s Leito is a Robin Hood type figure who runs afoul of the District’s primary enforcer, K2, who kidnaps his sister. Thus, the two pair up to infiltrate the ghetto.
District 13 was the first film for director Pierre Morel, who would later helm Taken. One thing about the film is that it was shot with a relatively low budget, so instead of CGI, it’s done in an old school way, jampacked with fight sequences that are tinged with parkour. The best is the first big action sequence, where Leito uses Parkour to escape an apartment building overrun with thugs. Running a tight 86 minutes, it must be said that the movie never quite reaches the heights it does during this first action scene as the movie goes on, but it remains a tight, engaging action flick, with Belle so good in the lead that it’s crazy his career never quite took off.
Part of this might be due to his heavy French accent. District 13 was given a virtual shot-for-shot remake in English called Brick Mansions, which co-starred the late Paul Walker, with Belle reprising his role, but he wound up dubbed in the final cut. Nevertheless, he has a solid career as an actor and choreographer in France.
One interesting thing worth noting is that while District 13 was only a modest success in France, it became a cult hit in North America, with parkour suddenly showing up in movies like Casino Royale, with former Yamakasi member Sébastien Foucan memorably going up against Daniel Craig’s James Bond, in a sequence that solidified the later as the new 007 in the minds of many. District 13 eventually got a sequel, District 13: Ultimatum, but it’s not as good as the original. District 13 – or Banlieu 13 as it’s called in French, is relatively easy to find and a must-watch for action fans. But, if you’re gonna try parkour at home – be careful. It’s a good way to break bones.
The Black Sheep series looks back at the Clive Barker adaptation The Midnight Meat Train, starring Bradley Cooper
Is there anyone as disappointed in their adaptations as master of horror Clive Barker? Okay, part time Wizard and full-time curmudgeon Alan Moore is probably the most upset at his work being adapted but Clive is a close second. The sad part is that while he has had fewer of his novels or short stories adapted than someone like Stephen King, he has played a part in more of them and been let down more often than not. He also didn’t have a great beginning with film as his first screenplay Transmutations or Underworld he ended up hating. He first adapted his own work with Rawhead Rex in 1986 and hated the end product there too. Other than 1987’s Hellraiserwhich he wrote and directed, there hasn’t been something that he was disappointed in or was butchered by the studio and he has become a bit jaded. His films run the gamut from fun to bonafide classics, but some just miss out on their audiences completely. 2008’s The Midnight Meat Train, based on a short story that was included in Barker’s anthology Books of Blood, was a blink and you’ll miss it experience that was released in only 100 theaters and then straight to DVD in most other countries. Its not Hellraiser or even as well known as Candyman, Nightbreed, or even Rawhead Rex but that just makes it the black sheep of Barker’s catalogue waiting to pull into your station.
The Midnight Meat Train was originally going to be made in 2005 under director Patrick Tatopoulos, with filming to take place in New York City and Montreal, but he left after some delay in 2006. Tatopoulos is primarily a production designer and special effects guru who has had a stellar career in that realm with credits like The Super Mario Bros Movie and Spawn all the way up to The Last Voyage of the Demeter. He would eventually direct a movie in 2009 with taking the reigns of Underworld: Rise of the Lycans. The script, this time with nothing from Barker, was written by Jeff Buhler in what was his first movie. He has gone on to write a lot more with 2019 being a massive year for him. The Pet Sematary remake, the Jacob’s Ladder remake, The Grudge reboot, and a movie called The Prodigy were all his credits and all came out that year. Replacing director Tatopoulos would be Japanese director Ryuhei Kitamura who was already a success in his native market with cult hit Versus and even Godzilla: Final Wars. The movie, which ended up filming in Los Angeles, has some similarities to J-horror of the time and the direction here is really good. He has made a few more American movies including a segment of the horror anthology Nightmare Cinema.
The cast of The Midnight Meat Train is an interesting collection with the main 4 being Bradley Cooper, Vinnie Jones, Brooke Shields, and Leslie Bibb. Cooper in 2008 wasn’t the 12 time, yes that’s TWELVE TIME, Oscar nominee that he is today but he wasn’t an unknown persona either. He had shown up in Wet Hot American Summer back in 2001 as well as a ton of TV like Alias and Kitchen Confidential. He had also ramped up before this movie with larger roles in comedies like Failure to Launch and Wedding Crashers. This wasn’t even his first horror movie as that distinction belongs to My Little Eye from 2002. It wouldn’t be his last either as he showed up in Case 39 and as a voice in 10 Cloverfield Lane. Shields is a surprise to see here even if she had done horror before like Alice Sweet Alice and an episode of Tales from the Crypt. Bibb as Cooper’s girlfriend was making it big around this time with roles in Iron Man and in horror had just done Trick r Treat. Finally, Vinnie Jones had been a steady presence since impressing in Lock Stock and Two Smoking Barrels and Snatch and continues to bounce between straight to video, theatrical, and TV work.
The cast is an important part of the movie and does what good Clive Barker projects do. It mixes stars both current and former with solid character actors to give a believable atmosphere. Jones is an imposing presence who only has one word of spoken dialogue at the very end of the movie. Cooper plays his photographer as a flawed character that asks the audience if we really want him to be our avatar and force us to ask if we would do the same things he is doing. Bibb and Shields play the devil and angel on the shoulders of cooper with one pushing him to be more successful and self-interested and the other trying to pull out his logic and humanity. While Barker had nothing to do with the script process or movie in general, the character traits come out in both his heroes and villains.
The Midnight Meat Train follows the overall plot of the story well. It’s a relatively quick read that focuses heavily on the main character and what he sees and even though that story on its own is over 200 pages, the movie still expands on it. Cooper is Leon Kaufman, a struggling photographer who is being turned down for not going far enough in his art. He starts to live a little more dangerously, even not interfering with an assault until he absolutely must and eventually suspects a butcher named Mahogany of killing missing persons over the past few years. He does do the right thing and goes to the police first who of course don’t believe him. They actually question his character and both his profit seeking and voyeurism in general but send him on his way. Leon becomes obsessed as he is driven to get great pictures but also prove he is right about the killer.
He also has strange dreams and hallucinations of both the killer and himself. One of the times he is able to follow Mahogany and witnesses’ brutal killings and even the process that Mahogany goes through. We also see that the conductor of the train is in on killings as he shoots a passenger who is able to fight back the assault. Leon fights Mahogany but is knocked out and wakes up with his body beaten and strange symbols now carved into his chest. While Jones doesn’t have any lines until the end, he does a great job acting with both his physically menacing body and his facial expressions. He doesn’t seem to get any joy out of the acts of violence but is driven to complete his task at hand. He has strange growths that he has to cut off and isn’t particularly bothered by this fact. It’s good story telling without overly explaining anything. even at the end, which we are getting to, there are explanations but not everything.
Leon struggles with his girlfriend who tries to help him but also doesn’t fully believe him either. She and her friend do find Mahogany’s apartment before she only barely makes it out with evidence dating back over a century linking killings in the underground. The police don’t believe Maya either but then finally tell her to take the subway to find her friend. Leon follows Mahogany through the slaughterhouse and onto the train. We get the full display of depravity with multiple bodies hanging and a full knock down drag out fight between Leon and Mahogany. Maya’s friend ends up being collateral damage in the fight and other bodies are ripped apart, knocked over, or even used in the scuffle. I’m not the biggest fan of CGI blood and there is quite a bit of that but I also don’t know what the budget or post production issues were either.
The gore that is used is great though and we see it all when Mahogany takes apart a few of the bodies that he has killed. Teeth are pulled out with pliers, eyes are scooped out with spoons, and fingernails are ripped off one at a time to show us that these bodies will never be identified let alone found. The reverse of this is the overuse of slow-motion effects during the kills. Mahogany uses a giant meat hammer as his primary weapon and it is suitably cool, but when he hits people, or even when someone’s eye is shot out, yeah we have a lot of eye trauma here, its always in that action movie slo-mo style. The brutality of these kills would be much more effective through a cold, real time lens.
The fighting continues on the train until it reaches its last stop, and the two men brawl it out in brutal fashion until Leon is told to finish off Mahogany. There seems to be a sense of relief from the butcher as he utters his only line of the movie before dying. The conductor applauds Leon and recognizes he has the ability to get done what needs to be done. Leon attacks him and his tongue is removed before he has to watch his beloved girlfriend be killed. Creatures have lived underground long before the subway was built, and Leon is to be their new caretaker. They are to be fed so that most of the population will be safe during the day but sacrifices still need to be made. The police officer hands Leon the schedule the next day revealing an illuminati like group who understands the greater good and Leon boards the train looking for the next victims, and possibly his replacement as we have seen happens to this assignment.
The Midnight Meat Train isn’t Barker’s best adaptation or most well-known story for that matter, but it was absolutely buried on its release. Putting it on 100 screens in theaters that weren’t playing the newest blockbusters killed its chances at making an impact. I saw it as most people did, when it came to Blockbuster in a very generic cover. I liked it then and I like it now even if I still prefer the Hellraisers and Lord of Illusions of the world. This isn’t on the same level as those but that’s what makes it a great black sheep. Its not really talked about or thrown into the straight to video avoid pile. While it will never compete with the all-time classics, it’s a great suggestion to those looking for something different, lovers of Barker’s unique brand of horror, and gorehounds alike.
A couple of the previous episodes of The Black Sheep can be seen at the bottom of this article. To see more, head over to the JoBlo Horror Originals YouTube channel – and subscribe while you’re there!
Ke Huy Quan’s debut as a lead isn’t tracking well with Super Bowl weekend and a continued strong showing from Dog Man.
Last weekend, Dog Man easily topped the box office, with the Captain Underpants spin-off outperforming all expectations – including our own. The Universal/Dreamworks animated film made a solid $36 million in the beginning of February, paving the way for a long run at the box office, with not too much in the way of competition for family audiences coming out until Captain America: Brave New World, which comes out on the President’s Day holiday weekend.
Variety reports that Dog Man is estimated to win the weekend again with a prediction of $19 million to $22 million. Although it will see a bit of competition this time around, the new releases are not looking to be much of a match. One of the releases is the Ke Huy Quan action comedy Love Hurts. The film sees Quan leading a movie for the first time and Quan brings the martial arts action again courtesy of David Leitch’s 87North. “Quan stars as Marvin Gable, a realtor working the Milwaukee suburbs, where ‘For Sale’ signs bloom. Gable receives a crimson envelope from Rose (Ariana DeBose), a former partner-in-crime that he had left for dead. She’s not happy,” reads the Love Hurts synopsis. “Now, Marvin is thrust back into a world of ruthless hitmen, filled with double-crosses and open houses turned into deadly warzones. With his brother Knuckles (Daniel Wu), a volatile crime lord, hunting him, Marvin must confront the choices that haunt him and the history he never truly buried.”
The other new release is the horror film, Heart Eyes, whose description reads, “When the Heart Eyes Killer strikes Seattle, a pair of co-workers pulling overtime on Valentine’s Day are mistaken for a couple by the elusive couple-hunting killer. Now they must spend the most romantic night of the year running for their lives.” Both Love Hurts and Heart Eyes (two movies somewhat capitalizing on the Valentine’s Day holiday) are not tracking as well as Dog Man as they both are estimated to start off in the single digits with just $7 million to $8 million.
Both new movies also compete with Super Bowl Sunday as the big championship event usually takes the weekend as the most-watched television event of the year and often doesn’t encourage as much movie-going from the public.
About the Author
E.J. is a News Editor at JoBlo, as well as a Video Editor, Writer, and Narrator for some of the movie retrospectives on our JoBlo Originals YouTube channel, including Reel Action, Revisited and some of the Top 10 lists. He is a graduate of the film program at Missouri Western State University with concentrations in performance, writing, editing and directing.
Returning from the previous two sequels, Mason Gooding revealed that Scream 7 has a brutal Ghostface and gross gore effects
Spyglass Media and Paramount Pictures once intended to make a Scream 7 that would have starred Scream (2022) and Scream VI leads Melissa Barrera and Jenna Ortega, with Freaky and Happy Death Day director Christopher Landon at the helm. But then Ortega allegedly asked for a substantial pay raise – and as we saw when Neve Campbell dropped out of Scream VI due to a pay dispute, these pay issues don’t tend to work out. Then Barrera was fired from the project after comments she made about the Israel-Hamas war didn’t go over well with executives at Spyglass. Landon dropped out the of the project soon after. So Scream 7 has been re-developed, Campbell has signed on to return as franchise heroine Sidney Prescott, back in the lead role, while Kevin Williamson, who wrote the screenplay for the original Scream, directs the film from a screenplay by 2022’s Scream and Scream VI writer Guy Busick, who crafted the story with his co-writer on the fifth and sixth films, James Vanderbilt. (Vanderbilt is also a producer on the most recent sequels.) Although two of the “core four” characters established in the previous two movies are no longer around, Mason Gooding and Jasmin Savoy Brown are back as Chad Meeks-Martin and Mindy Meeks-Martin, and during an interview with Variety, Gooding promised that Scream 7 will deliver a brutal Ghostface and some gross, gory special effects.
Gooding said this new sequel “feels like an amplification of what’s came before, and there’s no better indication of that than Kevin Williamson, who wrote the original, coming back now to direct. I think that Ghostface is absolutely the most brutal he’s been. I don’t want to spoil anything, but there’s some stuff that they do to the human body that I feel like Kevin is breaking new ground with. There was a prosthetic that sat in the makeup trailer that actually turned my stomach over. You’ll know what I’m talking about when you see it, but it’s incredible stuff. They really have an incredible effects team over there and they’re working overtime.” He said the movie will be “gross, but in a good way.“
Neve Campbell, Gooding, and Savoy Brown are joined in the cast by Isabel May of the Yellowstone prequel 1883, who has signed on to play Sidney’s daughter; Mckenna Grace of the Ghostbusters franchise, Grace’s Ghostbusters co-star Celeste O’Connor, Gen V‘s Asa Germann, The Fabelmans‘ Sam Rechner, Pitch Perfect‘s Anna Camp, Riverdale‘s Mark Consuelos, fellow franchise star Courteney Cox, who reprises the role of reporter / author Gale Weathers, Joel McHale (Community) as Sidney’s husband Mark Evans, and Ethan Embray (The Devil’s Candy). Oddly, Matthew Lillard and Scott Foley, who played Ghostface killers in the original Scream and Scream 3, respectively, and did not appear to make it out of those movies alive, are also in the cast.
Gooding recently called Campbell “the godmother of the genre” while talking to Entertainment Tonight, and during his conversation with Variety he mentioned, “I get to work with Neve [in Scream 7], who I didn’t get a great opportunity to see and talk to on a personal level [on Scream 5]. So in this case, even just getting to be around her feels like I’m getting part of that history and I feel better for it.“
What do you think of what Mason Gooding had to say about Scream 7 being brutal and gross? Share your thoughts on this one by leaving a comment below.
A new trailer has been released for the Popeye the Sailor horror comedy Shiver Me Timbers, which is set for an April release
It’s trendy these days to take a character from popular children’s stories and given them a horror twist. Lately we’ve been hearing about horror movies based on the likes of Winnie the Pooh, Mickey Mouse, Sleeping Beauty, Cinderella, Peter Pan, Bambi, Pinocchio, Three Blind Mice, and Goldilocks and the Three Bears, and recently Alpeke Entertainment revealed that they’ve made a slasher horror comedy called Shiver Me Timbers, which puts a horror twist on Popeye the Sailor. The film is expected to be released in the US and Canada on April 1st (courtesy of Gravitas Ventures), and this week a new trailer has dropped online to promote that release. You can check it out in the embed above.
Directed by Paul Mann and produced by Alpeke Entertainment, Shiver Me Timbers will be marketed at the upcoming European Film Market in Berlin, where EuroObscura will handle international sales.
In Shiver Me Timbers, Olive Oyl, her brother Castor and friends, go on a camping trip to see the meteor shower with Halley’s Comet. But the night turns into horror as a meteor transforms Popeye into an unstoppable killing machine. With thrilling 80s slasher references and comedic twists, the film combines elements of horror and comedy in a fresh take on both genres. Shiver Me Timbers pays tribute to classic slasher films while delivering hilarious moments, shocking scares, and nostalgic nods that will delight both horror and Popeye fans alike. Here’s another synopsis: In Northern California during the summer of 1986, Olive Oyl, along with her cinema-obsessed friends and brother Castor, embark on a once-in-a-lifetime camping trip to witness the dazzling meteor shower accompanying the arrival of Halley’s Comet. But what starts as a serene evening of stargazing quickly turns into a harrowing nightmare when a meteor from the comet transforms Popeye, into a terrifying and unstoppable killing machine.
Made in the UK, the film has a running time of 75 minutes. A press release notes that Shiver Me Timbers promises a thrilling viewing experience, enhanced by a recognizable character who brings a dose of humor and heroism to the horror genre. With a blend of adventure and suspenseful fun, the film delivers a rollercoaster of a plot that will leave audiences “shivering in their timbers.”
What did you think of the new Shiver Me Timbers trailer? Will you be watching this movie in April? Let us know by leaving a comment below.
Jay Leno has had a legendary career in entertainment but one part he’ll never explore is the world of Netflix stand-up specials.
Jay Leno performed around 150 shows in 2024. Mind you, this is the year after he received horrific burns from a garage accident, and the same year that he suffered injuries after a nasty-looking fall (which had no ties to the mob – at least that’s what he tells us…). Love him or be a proud member of Team Coco, Leno is a machine. But that’s really just part of the comedian DNA: it’s constant work and, even when you get to your 70s, that’s really no excuse to stop. And as much as the world has shifted since Leno emerged, he’s only willing to adjust so much. For example, Jay Leno insists he’ll never do a special for Netflix.
Speaking with People, Jay Leno said that his time on the road is far more valuable to him than anything Netflix could offer. “You know, I like it. I like to tell jokes. People [say,] you should do like a Netflix special. I don’t wanna do it once and get a big check. I’d rather do it a hundred times and get a bunch of smaller checks, you know what I mean? It’s more fun for me. That’s what I like.”
Netflix is doing its damndest to put itself as the premiere streaming spot for stand-up comedy. Last year, there were over 60 specials, with everybody from Pete Davidson to Ellen DeGeneres to Joe Rogan to Jamie Foxx getting in on the action – and paycheck. Go back to 2023 and you’re looking at Chris Rock, Dave Chappelle and John Mulaney. But one fish Netflix will never snag is Jay Leno, who, yes, is in the position to turn down anybody he wants, I think is missing out on a huge opportunity. Forget the cash and the cars he could buy with it; it’s just kind of that next evolutionary step right now for a stand-up comedian.
Then again, despite his stand-up career going back 50 years, Jay Leno has never been known for his stand-up specials (you’d be hard-pressed to name a single one) so it’s not like he feels obligated to hit Netflix next. So, objectively, good for him for not giving into that premiere spotlight. Instead, this month you can catch him in Port Chester…
While it might be too light for hardcore horror fans, Heart Eyes is still a fun horror/comedy mash-up.
PLOT: The infamous Heart Eyes killer has been targeting couples on Valentine’s Day for many years. Soon, two co-workers (Mason Gooding and Olivia Holt) mistaken for a couple find themselves spending what’s supposed to be the most romantic night of the year running for their lives.
REVIEW: Watching Heart Eyes, I wondered why there haven’t been more romantic comedy/ horror mash-ups. After all, the horror genre is a perennial date night staple, as nothing breaks the ice on a date like being frightened and clutching your date’s arm when a jump scare happens. Director Josh Ruben, who previously helmed the well-received Scare Me and Werewolves Within, dives head-first into both genres with a gory slasher film that leans more heavily into the rom-com aspects than you might expect, given the film a unique flavour.
To be sure, Ruben and his team of writers (including Happy Death Day’s Christopher Landon) purposefully lean into all the rom-com tropes with their two leads. Olivia Holt’s Ally is a driven career woman with a broken heart and no time in her life for romance. Mason Gooding’s Jay is her new, high-flying co-worker who, despite his ladykiller vibe, wants to settle down and find “the one.” They work for a fashion brand trying to build a campaign around romance, so to do some “research,” they book a table at the most romantic restaurant in town. Alas, the Heart Eyes killer, who we learn has been terrorizing couples for years, has recently arrived in their city, mistakes them for a particularly happy couple, and becomes focused on doing away with them.
Now, Heart Eyes may not be for the more hard-core horror fan. While some nifty gore moments earn it a hard-R rating, the vibe is kept light throughout. Even when running for their lives, Gooding and Holt, a likeable pair, trade quips and never seem especially afraid, even if a maniac is chasing them. Gooding is a rising star in the genre thanks to his role in the Scream movies and he settles nicely into a leading man part. While newer to the genre, Holt makes for a solid final girl, and their chemistry is strong enough that you hope they’ll end up together in true rom-com fashion by the time the credits roll.
However, it should be said that the Heart Eyes killer’s reign is definitely secondary to the romance. I’d definitely classify Heart Eyes as a rom-com that just happens to have horror elements, and despite the high body count, the killer’s reign never seems to be taken too seriously. Given that it’s a comedy, all the side characters are played for laughs, with Devon Sawa and Jordan Brewster’s Heart Eyes-hunting cops knowingly named Hobbs & Shaw in a cheeky nod to Brewster’s most popular franchise. Sawa chews the scenery as the ultra-macho Hobbs, while Brewster’s Shaw complains about never being able to find a man (a bit of a stretch given how jaw-droopingly gorgeous she is). Neither is played straight, but they have bigger roles than you’d think, with mistaken identity and a violent trip to the police station ranking among the film’s goriest highlights.
Heart Eyes should prove to be a solid sleeper when it comes out, as it is perfect for the audience it’s targeting – couples. Hard-core horror aficionados might be more challenging to please, but if you don’t mind the heavy emphasis on comedy and romance, you’ll still find plenty to like about the slasher flick, including practical gore effects and a superb design for the killer’s mask. I had a good time with it and wouldn’t be adverse to seeing this turn into a perennial Valentine’s Day tradition, where the killer stalks a new couple in each sequel.
Captain America: Brave New World director discusses the reshoots that removed Seth Rollins’ character and added Giancarlo Esposito’s
The Marvel Cinematic Universe has hit some speed bumps recently. Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania and The Marvels under-performed at the box office and some of the Disney+ shows were poorly received… but the universe rebounded with the success of Deadpool & Wolverine last year, and the next addition to the MCU, Captain America: Brave New World, is set to reach theatres on February 14th. The film went into production in March of 2023, with filming lasting through June. In December of ’23, another screenwriter was brought onto the project to write new material for reshoots, which seemed to be quite substantial. It was said that the reshoots were primarily done to rework three major action sequences – and this included adding Giancarlo Esposito into the mix as Sidewinder, the leader of the Serpent Society, while also dropping a Serpent Society character that was played by wrestler Seth Rollins. During an interview with ComicBook.com, director Julius Onah said that shake-up was part of the creative team figuring out how they should present the Serpent Society on screen.
Here’s the official information on the film, straight from Marvel: Anthony Mackie returns as the high-flying hero, who’s officially taken up the mantle of Captain America. Harrison Ford makes his Marvel Cinematic Universe debut as newly-elected U.S. President Thaddeus Ross, a role originated by the late William Hurt. Ross and Sam have a bit of a history: In his previous role as Secretary of State, Ross was responsible for arresting Sam and his fellow Avengers during the events of Captain America: Civil War. Now as president, Ross is eager to work with Sam, hoping to make Captain America an official military position. But that tentative alliance is jeopardized when Sam finds himself in the middle of an international incident, with friend and retired super-soldier Isaiah Bradley (Carl Lumbly) as the prime suspect. Sam’s investigation send him on a dangerous chase, and (leading to) a deadly showdown and a tease of the menacing Red Hulk. Danny Ramirez returns as former Air Force lieutenant Joaquin Torres, who’s picked up Sam’s old wings and taken on the role of Falcon. Tim Blake Nelson is also back as Samuel Sterns, AKA The Leader, appearing in the MCU for the first time since 2008’s The Incredible Hulk. New to the cast is Shira Haas, who joins as Ruth Bat-Seraph. A former Black Widow, Ruth is now a high-ranking U.S. government official who has the trust of President Ross. Giancarlo Esposito, Liv Tyler, and Xosha Roquemore also star. The film is directed by Julius Onah and produced by Kevin Feige and Nate Moore. Louis D’Esposito and Charles Newirth serve as executive producers. Malcolm Spellman, Dalan Musson, and Rob Edwards crafted the story for the film. Onah receives screenplay credit alongside Peter Glanz and Matthew Orton (Orton being the writer who was brought on for the reshoots).
Onah told ComicBook.com, “When you’re taking characters like Serpent Society from publishing, who, as you know, are individuals dressed up as snakes and have snake-adjacent powers, you’re always iterating and trying to figure out the version that totally works best in a movie like this. I love Seth Rollins, Seth’s incredible. But as we were evolving and we knew we had an additional photography period, just one that we did early on in the process that’s planned, we were trying to figure out, ‘Hey, who’s somebody that can bring a very specific kind of gravitas that works with this tone?’ And when Giancarlo Esposito became available, it was such a no-brainer. I have a very particular history with him. He’s iconic for working with Spike Lee. I interned with Spike Lee when I was 19 years old. And of course, fans have been fan-casting him for a long time in the MCU. So it’s really about making sure that all the elements worked in the grounded tone and vision that I have for this film. And as we evolved and iterated, Giancarlo just made sense. And what a blessing to have in this film.“
Are you looking forward to Captain America: Brave New World? What do you think of Seth Rollins being cut and Giancarlo Esposito added? Let us know by leaving a comment below.
