Tom Sturridge’s Dream is on the path to rebuilding as he re-acquaints with his siblings and meets new characters.
Season 2 of the The Sandman went into production last year, then had to be put on pause for a while due to the writers and actors strikes. Thankfully, The Sandman season 2 was able to resume production as soon as those strikes came to an end, and a couple months ago we heard that new cast additions include Esmé Creed-Miles (Hanna) as Delirium, Adrian Lester (Hustle) as Destiny, and Barry Sloane (Pleasureland) as The Prodigal. When Netflix ordered season 2, they said, “The Sandman will return with new episodes based on multiple volumes of the Neil Gaiman graphic novel to explore even more stories of the Endless.“
Netflix has shared a new behind-the-scenes clip from the upcoming episodes and shared by Deadline. In the new look, Tom Sturridge‘s character, Dream (aka Morpheus), is seen bonding with his siblings. Plus, the eponymous character meets a few other familiar faces from Neil Gaiman‘s comic book series. Sturridge explains, “Now we know who Dream is and the world he exists within, it’s possible to open up, and Season 2 definitely does that. I think one of the most thrilling things about this season is, for the first time, to have the siblings of the Endless together in one room and to see this extraordinary family exist onscreen together.”
Showrunner Allan Heinberg reveals, “We have entirely new casts, entirely new worlds and historical periods we are exploring. We are introducing the rest of the Endless family.” He also enthusiastically proclaims, “I am very excited for audiences to see the banquet that Dream throws for all the visiting deities and gods and fairies and season mists. It’s your introduction to Thor, it’s your introduction to Loki, Odin. It really is just a showstopper. Everywhere you look, something interesting and horrible is happening.”
The new cast members join the returning Tom Sturridge as Dream, Kirby as Death, Mason Alexander Park as Desire, and Donna Preston as Despair. Other returning cast members include Patton Oswalt, Vivienne Acheampong, Gwendoline Christie, Jenna Coleman, Ferdinand Kingsley, Stephen Fry, Asim Chaudhry, Sanjeev Bhaskar, Vanesu Samunyai, and Razane Jammal.
The Sandman was developed for Netflix by Neil Gaiman, David S. Goyer, and Allan Heinberg, all of whom serve as executive producers on the show. Heinberg is also the showrunner. Every episode of season 2 is being directed by Jamie Childs.
Halle Berry anchors Never Let Go with a typically potent performance, although the two kids playing her sons steal the show.
PLOT: A mother (Halle Berry) and her twin sons (Percy Daggs IV and Anthony B. Jenkins) are tormented by a malicious spirit. They can only survive if they remain connected to their home, a remote cabin in the woods. But when one of the sons starts to question whether or not the evil really exists, the family finds itself in greater danger than ever.
REVIEW: Alexandre Aja has easily established himself as one of the most unique voices in horror, famously willing to try his hand at just about every aspect of the genre. He’s made hardcore horror (High Tension), funny horror (Piranha 3D), contained horror (Crawl – which is getting a sequel) and even romantic horror (Horns). With Never Let Go, he dips his toe into the elevated facet of the genre, weaving a highly allegorical yarn that ties in themes of motherhood, brotherhood, repressed trauma, and more.
As such, Never Let Go might not have the same kind of easy mainstream hook some of Aja’s other movies have had, but kudos to him for never repeating himself. Aja has a superb cast in this one, written by Kevin Coughlin and Ryan Grassby. It is mostly a three-hander surrounding Berry’s character and the two actors playing her sons.
In it, Berry’s character keeps her sons, Samuel (Anthony B. Jenkins) and Nolan (Percy Daggs IV), safe from an evil spirit who torments her by taking the form of her dead parents and husband. They show up to mock her constantly, warning that if they somehow make contact with the boys while they’re not connected to the home (mostly by long ropes_, it will get into their heads, and the family will descend into madness. However, only Berry can see the spirits and her sons start to wonder whether or not this is all in her head.
Of the two sons, Daggs’s Nolan is the more rebellious one. He is convinced his mother prefers the quieter Samuel, who never questions her. But Nolan wonders whether or not there’s a world around them, and once they begin to starve due to a lack of food and his beloved pet dog becomes a potential source of nourishment, he starts to rebel.
To Aja’s credit, the film takes a big twist about an hour into the movie that I didn’t see coming, and Never Let Go’s last act is the best part of the film. You assume it’s going in one direction, but then it takes a risky left turn, allowing the director to play with genre expectations. If you’ve seen the trailer and think you have it all figured out, think again.
Berry anchors the movie in a typically excellent performance. Berry doesn’t make a ton of horror movies, but when she dips her toe into the genre (such as with The Call and Gothika) she tends to deliver A-level work, and certainly that’s true of this one. In it, she has to walk a tightrope in some ways, as she has to be convincing as both a devoted mother and leave some element of doubt in there for the audience as to whether she’s mentally ill or not.
The two youngsters playing her sons deliver outstanding performances, with Daggs especially good as the rebellious Nolan. Much of the film revolves around them, and Daggs and Jenkins, despite their young ages, deliver utterly convincing and grounded performances. It helps that they play off Berry so well, whose affection for them is never in doubt.
As usual, Aja also made Never Let Go a great-looking film, although the darker lensing was seriously marred in the screening I attended, where the lamps on the projectors seemed to have been too dim. This is sometimes an issue in run-of-the-mill theatres, so you might have to hit up a premium screen to see Never Let Go looking its best. The soundtrack by Robin Coudert (billed simply as ROB) is also a treat, with him quickly becoming one of the genre’s most prolific composers.
A trailer has been released for the horror film Mr. Crocket, which will be released through the Hulu streaming service in October
Back in 2022, Brandon Espy wrote a short horror film called Mr. Crocket for the Hulu streaming service’s Bite Size Halloween series. Now the Mr. Crocket concept has been expanded into a feature length film that is set to be released through Hulu on October 11th, and a trailer for the film has arrived online. You can check it out in the embed above.
Scripted by Espy and Carl Reid, this longer take on Mr. Crocket has the following synopsis: In 1993, a mysterious children’s show host, Mr. Crocket, magically emerges from television sets to kidnap young children, brutally slaying their parents in the process. After Mr. Crocket snatches her son, one determined mother embarks on a perilous quest to track down the demonic entertainer and rescue her boy.
Jerrika Hinton (Grey’s Anatomy), Elvis Nolasco (Godfather of Harlem), Ayden Gavin (Big George Foreman), Kristolyn Lloyd (The Bold and the Beautiful), Alex Akpobome (Twenties), Akim Black (City on a Hill), Gina Jarrin (Learning to Drive), Melanie Christine Leon-Soon (The Saint of the Impossible), and newcomers Lyla Randall, Jabari Striblin, and Riley Vinson star.
A press release notes that this is part of WorthenBrooks’ first-look horror slate with Hulu Originals. Mr. Crocket was developed by WorthenBrooks, with David Brooks, Arbi Pedrossian, Jenna Cavelle, and Carl Reid serving as lead producers. Miles Alva is an executive producer. Sean King O’Grady, Josh Feldman, and Jesse Ford co-produced.
Before the Hulu release, Mr. Crocket will be having its premiere at Fantastic Fest next Thursday, September 26th. The festival’s Austin King wrote, “In the summer of 1993, Summer (Jerrika Hinton) is trying to start over after the sudden death of her husband. Her son Major (Ayden Gavin) is having trouble processing his feelings and acting out, and a mysterious VHS tape for a children’s television show called Mr. Crocket’s World is left in their mailbox. The good news is Major starts to behave, quietly watching his new favorite TV program; the bad news is Mr. Crocket’s World opens a portal for a maniacal killer to kidnap children and brutally murder their parents.
Based on his own short film produced as a part of Hulu’s BITE SIZE HALLOWEEN, director Brandon Espy makes the jump to feature filmmaking with an ode to ‘90s childhood, parental struggles, and bloody camp. What would it look like if the delightful puppet creatures populating BLUES CLUES came to life to eat you?
MR. CROCKET struck the Fantastic Fest programming team for set pieces reminiscent of the NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET franchise and the tone of TALES FROM THE HOOD. Espy’s directorial debut is a fun nightmare slasher with a real emotional core. Elvis Nolasco’s performance as the titular villain, Mr. Crocket, alternates between charming host and sociopathic murderer. A terrifying mashup of Freddy Krueger and Mr. Rogers, he owns the frame whenever he is onscreen as a charismatic and demented personality that will enrapture you just as much as he does the children he kidnaps. So grab some popcorn and strap in for the world premiere of this kids TV show from hell, MR. CROCKET.“
What did you think of the Mr. Crocket trailer? Will you be watching this movie on Hulu next month? Let us know by leaving a comment below.
Craig Zobel was very impressed with The Batman and he took the liberty of praising Reeves directly for his approach.
Colin Farrell‘s reign as the famous Gotham gangster is about to begin with HBO’s The Penguin, which spun off from Matt Reeves’ film The Batman. The latest interpretation of the DC iconic superhero was praised by many, and one fan in particular now gets to helm The Penguin. The Hollywood Reporter has shared that Craig Zobel, who directs episodes of The Penguin, was so impressed with the 2022 Dark Knight movie that he sent Matt Reeves a letter, thanking him.
Zobel told THR, “I happened to have his email. So I reached out to say, ‘Hey, not for nothing, [The Batman] was the superhero movie I wanted to see right now. You killed it.’ That was my first time saying anything to Matt at all.” When it came to emulating Reeves’ style for the show, Zobel explained, “We talked with Matt and [The Batman DP] Greig Fraser a good bit before starting the show, and we asked them questions just on a very technical level. So we used all of the same camera gear and lenses that are in the movie, and as far as lighting styles and stuff like that, I would say that we carried that through, even if the scenarios were slightly different.”
Recently, Colin Farrell spoke candidly about the revealing bodysuit he had to display on the upcoming spin-off. While speaking with People, Farrell explained that one scene in the series called for his character to appear naked. “Marino is so twisted and brilliant. He was like, ‘I made you a penguin penis,’” Farrell said. “I said, ‘Really? They’re not even going to see it. I don’t know if I want to walk on set with a penguin penis.’ And he was like, ‘No, no, no, dude. It’s detachable, it’s Velcro. It’s got a beak at the end of it.’ So I had a penguin penis.“
Farrell went on to credit Marino for making the whole thing work. “If it wasn’t for Mike’s design, I’m telling you now, if it was just me with a f—ing cigarette and a top hat and a bit of a limp and an umbrella that was a machine gun, we wouldn’t have had the HBO show.” The complete transformation covers just about every part of Farrell’s body. “Only things that were me were my hands and feet,” he said. “Everything else, including ears, were pieces. Everything was covered.“
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.
Focus Features is celebrating Pharrell Williams’ Piece By Piece‘s arrival with a fun Lego Minifigure Generator! Piece By Piece is a musically-charged Lego movie delving into the extraordinary life and career of cultural icon Pharell Williams. Focus’ Lego Minifigure Generator invites fans to embark on their own creative journey, allowing them to build and customize their very own digital LEGO minifigures to resemble whoever they want to be—piece by piece. With a commitment to inclusivity, the generator boasts an impressive array of options, including seven skin tones, over 60 hairstyles, and more than 90 outfit choices, including exclusive pieces from Pharrell’s renowned fashion brand, Billionaire Boys Club. Pharrell Williams and his creative collective i am OTHER made the film with director Neville’s company Tremolo Productions, Focus Features, Pure Imagination Studios, and creator platform Tongal. Nearly 100 Tongal Creators worldwide worked on the film, building Pharrell’s world in LEGO bricks since 2020, from animating the greenlit proof of concept to contributing hundreds of character designs and locations to the innovative, feature-length documentary.
I made a Lego Minifigure of myself with the generator (pictured above) as part of a preview for the mix-and-match event. While I can never quite find my hairstyle with generators, I was pleased to see the beard option included in the package. My beard is far more lustrous, but what can you do? I keep my face fur burly and tight, like a stoner lumberjack with a bit of salt steadily creeping into the mix.
Piece by Piece is produced by Morgan Neville and Caitrin Rogers (Tremolo Productions) alongside producers Pharrell Williams, Mimi Valdés, and Shani Saxon (i am OTHER). Jill Wilfert and Keith Malone are executive producing for the LEGO Group.
Speaking with Deadline in January, Peter Kujawski, the chairman of Focus Features, shared his excitement about the project, saying, “Pharrell Williams is a true trailblazer whose influence across music, art and fashion continually reshapes global culture with an undeniable sense of joy. In partnering with the inimitable Morgan Neville and the limitless creativity of the LEGO brand his visionary spirit comes to life in a wholly unique and uplifting way that will inspire everyone to dance, to sing, and to use their voice to build the world they want to see, brick by brick, and piece by piece.”
Neville would add, “Five years ago, Pharrell Williams approached me with the idea of helping him tell his story through LEGO animation. It was one of those rare moments where I knew in a second that this was a journey I wanted to go on. I’m grateful to our partners at Focus Features and at the LEGO Group for their belief in our crazy mission. We assembled an incredible team of creative collaborators to help make a new type of film. I can’t wait for people to see it.”
Born and raised in New York, then immigrated to Canada, Steve Seigh has been a JoBlo.com editor, columnist, and critic since 2012. He started with Ink & Pixel, a column celebrating the magic and evolution of animation, before launching the companion YouTube series Animation Movies Revisited. He’s also the host of the Talking Comics Podcast, a personality-driven audio show focusing on comic books, film, music, and more. You’ll rarely catch him without headphones on his head and pancakes on his breath.
Creature Commandos star Frank Grillo says he was “almost fired” 36 times by Marvel for unintentionally sharing spoilers about the MCU.
Loose lips sink ships, but Frank Grillo still sails the superhero seas after hitting rough waters with Marvel Studios on multiple occasions. Speaking with Comicbook.com for his upcoming film Long Gone Heroes, Grillo spoke about joining DC’s Creature Commandos, where he plays Rick Flag Sr. The animated monster mash launches DC Studios‘ new direction for the DCU, and the studio is serious about keeping spoilers under wraps. Grillo, who plays Brock Rumlow (Crossbones) in the MCU, has an unfortunate habit of unintentionally breaking the rules and was almost fired by Marvel 36 times for opening his mouth too wide. With Creature Commandos rising from the grave in December, DC wants to ensure Grillo doesn’t spill any beans before sharing the series with fans.
When asked if he could share any details about Creature Commandos, Grillo paused before carefully wording his response, saying, “You know, unfortunately, there’s nothing I can really say that wouldn’t get me in trouble. So I kind of have to step back and go, ‘I take the fifth,’” Grillo told Comicbook.com. “I am so bad at this. Like, Marvel almost fired me 36 f—ing times because I don’t know. I never want to lie. And so, I do that a little too much. But I’ve been warned.”
It’s understandable why Grillo wants to remain mum about Creature Commandos after angering the mouse multiple times. You want to keep that relationship clean once you’re “in like Flint” with blockbuster outfits like Marvel and DC.
Speaking of Marvel, Comicbook.com asked Grillo if he would reprise his Crossbones role if the opportunity arose. In so many words, Grillo said he’s thankful for his time at Marvel and would be ready to get back in front of the camera if there’s a place for him.
Premiering December 5 on Max, the first entry in James Gunn and Peter Safran’s “Gods and Monsters” arc, Creature Commandos, finds Amanda Waller (Viola Davis) with her hands tied, operationally, meaning that she’s no longer able to get away with putting human lives on the line to carry out her clandestine morally questionable missions. Instead, she recruits a ragtag band of misfits, not unlike the Suicide Squad and Peacemaker. Her new team is a collective of literal monsters, bringing tooth and claw to the DCU with unpredictable tempers and tantrums that could change how Waller wins the day.
The cast of Creatures Commandos includes Frank Grillo as Rick Flag Sr., David Harbour as Eric Frankenstein, Indira Varma as The Bride, Maria Bakalova as Princess Ilana Rostovic, Alan Tudyk as Dr. Phosphorus, Zoe Chao as Nina Mazursky, and Steve Agee as John Economos, and Sean Gunn as Weasel.
Can you keep a secret? Are you excited for Frank Grillo to play Rick Flag Sr. in DC’s Creature Commandos? Let us know in the comments section below.
About the Author
Born and raised in New York, then immigrated to Canada, Steve Seigh has been a JoBlo.com editor, columnist, and critic since 2012. He started with Ink & Pixel, a column celebrating the magic and evolution of animation, before launching the companion YouTube series Animation Movies Revisited. He’s also the host of the Talking Comics Podcast, a personality-driven audio show focusing on comic books, film, music, and more. You’ll rarely catch him without headphones on his head and pancakes on his breath.
JoBlo Media and Octane Multimedia Media are launching the JoBlo TV YouTube channel, which will feature free movies 3 times a week!
Last week, we launched a new page at JoBloYouTubeNetwork.com, where you can access all of our YouTube channels from one place. Now we have some very cool news to share about our YouTube network, as JoBlo Media and Octane Multimedia are partnering on a new channel named JoBlo TV, which will host feature films to watch for free every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday! The channel launches TODAY, and the genres we’ll be focusing on are Action, Horror, Sci-Fi, Fantasy, and Thrillers.
The first free-to-watch movie to be featured on JoBlo TV will be the Russian sci-fi action film A Rough Draft. Check it out:
Directed by Sergey Mokritskiy, who also crafted the screenplay with Maksim Budarin, Denis Kuryshev, and Olga Sobenina (based on a novel by Night Watch author Sergey Lukyanenko), A Rough Draft has the following synopsis: A video game designer is stripped of his identity and recruited by a mysterious force to be the gatekeeper of a multi-dimensional portal.
The film stars Nikita Volkov, Severija Janusauskaite, Vilen Babichev, Olga Borovskaya, Irina Demidkina, Oleg Feoktistov, Sergei Kapkov, Irina Khakamada, Andrey Merzlikin, Mikhail Parygin, Anna Peresild, Yuliya Peresild, Aleksandr Plyushchev, Yola Sanko, Nikita Tarasov, Evgeniy Tkachuk, Evgeniy Tsyganov, and Matvey Yakubov.
Here’s some information on our JoBlo TV partner: Octane Multimedia brings you an exciting world of movies and TV shows, offering a diverse selection of entertainment across multiple genres. We focus on delivering high-quality, engaging content that keeps audiences on the edge of their seats. From action-packed blockbusters to mind-bending sci-fi adventures, and thrilling series, Octane Multimedia curates a unique viewing experience for film and TV lovers alike.
We’re looking forward to presenting you guys will all kinds of cool movies over the next few months (stay tuned for a full month of HORROR in October!) so please check ‘em out if you get the chance and be sure to share with any other movie fans that you think might enjoy the films as well. We appreciate your support!
Paramount’s first animated Transformers film in almost 40 years, Transformers One, rolls out to $3.3M at the box office.
Paramount and Hasbro Entertainment’s TransformersOne is shifting into high gear at the box office with $3.3M in Thursday preview screenings. The “More Than Meets the Eye” premiere began on Wednesday, with fan screenings at 7 pm and Thursday previews starting at 5 pm. The first Transformers animated film in nearly 40 years (God, I feel so old) is performing better than other family-oriented films this year, including Paramount’s IF ($1.75M), The Garfield Movie ($2.3M), and Trolls Band Together. Transformers One even drove past Travis Knight’s live-action Bumblebee film, which bowed to $2.15M.
With Transformers One rolling out to 3,978 domestic theaters, including IMAX and PLF screens, the animated origin story could burn enough rubber to reach $34M over its opening weekend. According to analysts, if positive word of mouth spreads and parents want to beat what remains of the heat in some areas, Transformers One could collect $40M or more. It’s worth noting that reviews for Transformers One are impressively positive, with an 87% Fresh score on Rotten Tomatoes after 98 reviews.
Our Editor-in-Chief, Chris Bumbray, gave Transformers One an 8/10 in his review. He said his audience laughed and cheered throughout the adventure. There was a massive round of applause at the end, which you don’t typically get at free screenings. Chris says the film is “goregous to look at,” while the animation feels fresh and distinctive.
On the horror end of the film spectrum, Demi Moore’s body horror film The Substance earned $512K in previews, comprised of Wednesday 7 p.m. showtimes in 785 theaters and another $327K in previews from 1,455 theaters last night from 4 p.m. showtimes.
We raved about The Substance during TIFF, saying the satiric and disturbing thriller would become highly controversial. There’s a chance it won’t play with older audiences, but younger genre audiences will eat it up. Some critics left the screening toward the end as the film’s contents became even more extreme.
Are you going to the movies this weekend? I’ve tickets for a 9:30 showing of The Substance tonight and hope to catch Transformers One on Saturday or Sunday. We’ll see. Let us know what your plans are in the comments section below.
About the Author
Born and raised in New York, then immigrated to Canada, Steve Seigh has been a JoBlo.com editor, columnist, and critic since 2012. He started with Ink & Pixel, a column celebrating the magic and evolution of animation, before launching the companion YouTube series Animation Movies Revisited. He’s also the host of the Talking Comics Podcast, a personality-driven audio show focusing on comic books, film, music, and more. You’ll rarely catch him without headphones on his head and pancakes on his breath.
A trailer has been released for the new Texas Chainsaw Massacre video game mode Rush Week, coming next week
The new Texas Chainsaw Massacre video game from Gun Interactive was just released for PC, PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X|S, and Xbox One last year, and the developers have been keeping a steady flow of updates coming ever since. Last month, we learned that a new game mode called Rush Week would be part of a Content Pass will go on sale for the price of $19.99 on September 26th – and now a trailer for that game mode has been unveiled! You can check it out in the embed above.
The game’s developers provided the following information on the new game mode: Rush Week takes its inspiration from the late 70’s Giallo-inspired Slasher films. The love for that subgenre of cinema gives you a clearer vision for the horror film that you can cast yourself in with this 1v6 multiplayer mode. Taking place after the events of The Texas Chain Saw Massacre, Johnny is off wreaking havoc to unsuspecting Victims. Landing at the Omega Sigma Theta Sorority House, we set our scene with Johnny attempting to break in. The goal for the Sorority Girls? Survive and make it out alive.
Johnny and six new playable Sorority Girls will be randomly assigned at the start of the match. This two-story Sorority House features multiple spots to run and hide in, including a locked basement that can be explored. Traversal is similar to the original game, with multiple windows that can be jumped out of, ladders to climb, and even an attic area with its own unique escape option. While the Sorority Girls will not have any perks, there are key items scattered throughout the house to help them escape. A pair of car keys can be found to unlock a car where you can radio to the police to get help. Secondarily, players can also complete a fuse objective to use a phone in the house to call the police, as well. If the police have been called successfully, players have a limited amount of time to survive in the Sorority House with Johnny. There is an Attic Pole that can be used to make your final escape via an attic hatch, but be warned, at most only two Sorority Girls can escape through that exit. Johnny players can also break the ladder to prevent their escapes. The Sorority Girls can buy themselves time by using various weapons and distractions like the wrench, the knife, and the pepper spray, as well as an all new mechanic using perfume that can be thrown at him to reveal his location.
Johnny’s objective is to Hunt. With each execution, he will get stronger, making him more lethal the longer a match goes. Within Rush Week there will be a Fear system in place where if a Sorority Girl has a high level of Fear, Johnny can smell that fear and find them easier. So, it’s important for the Sorority Girls to complete objectives in order to lower their amount of fear or Johnny is going to get them.
Rush Week kicks off our new era of The Texas Chain Saw Massacre. With the blessing of (franchise co-creator) Kim Henkel himself, we are exploring and creating within the world of Texas while still adhering to the authenticity of our game.
The usual matches of the Texas Chainsaw Massacre video game pit 4 victim characters against 3 killer characters. The story of the game has the following set-up: When Maria Flores went missing, and local law enforcement seemed to stall out in their search, her younger sister Ana teamed up with some of Maria’s friends from college to pick up the trail. The game takes place before the events of director Tobe Hooper’s 1974 classic The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (watch it HERE).
Kane Hodder (who also worked on Leatherface: Texas Chainsaw Massacre III) did the motion-capture performance for Leatherface in the game, as well as the Grandpa character. Other motion-capture performers include Sean Whalen (The People Under the Stairs) as The Hitch-hiker; Troy Burgess (Swedish Dicks) as The Cook; Kristina Klebe (Don’t Kill It) as new killer character Sissy; and Dove Meir (Dig) as new killer character Johnny. Scout Taylor-Compton (Rob Zombie’s Halloween) did the mo-cap for all of the female victim characters while Hunter C. Smith (Lucky) did the mo-cap for all of the male victim characters. Although Whalen did the mo-cap for the Hitch-hiker, Edwin Neal, who played the character in the original Texas Chainsaw Massacre, provided his voice for the game. Damian Maffei (The Strangers: Prey atNight) provided the voice of Johnny, and Michael Johnston of Teen Wolf did the same for Danny. BAFTA winner Cissy Jones did the mo-cap and vocal performance for Nancy. Robert Mukes (House of 1000 Corpses) brought Hands to life. Barbara Crampton provided the voice and likeness of a character named Virginia. You can find out more about the killer characters at THIS LINK and the victim characters HERE. To learn more about the voice cast, head over HERE.
Ronnie Hobbs, Creative Director, Gun Interactive, had this to say about Rush Week: “Being able to explore our own canon in Rush Week let me answer the question, why isn’t Johnny in the first Texas Chain Saw Massacre or any of the other films? Being able to create a new time frame for Johnny to exist lets us play around with that idea. This new game mode takes place five years later and gives you a clue as to what Johnny is up to in his new life on the run.“
Wes Keltner, CEO and President, Gun Interactive, added: “The goal with Rush Week was to create a unique, and new way to play Texas, while also exploring one of the new family members. Internally we asked the question ‘If Johnny is in our game, why does he not appear in the ‘74 film? Where did he go?’ This game mode allows us to explore that storyline a bit. At the same time it allows me to selfishly incorporate a film genre I love; Giallo. If you haven’t watched a 70s era Italian horror film, please do. There’s really nothing else like it, and honestly Giallos crawled so western slashers could walk. It was fun to be inspired by that film genre, while also looking at other very early slashers and figure out a way to make it work within the world of Texas. I can’t wait for players to check it out!“
Rush Week looks and sounds very cool to me. That trailer makes me want to play it right now – or, if it was a movie, I would be wanting to watch it right now. Do you play The Texas Chainsaw Massacre video game, and will you be trying the Rush Week game mode? Let us know by leaving a comment below.
The Full Moon movie Quadrant, the first in the company’s Pulp Noir line, is getting a black & white release this Friday
Earlier this year, Full Moon founder Charles Band announced that his company was launching a new production label called Pulp Noir, which will focus on “edgier, weirder, darker horror and dark fantasy films.” They also set up a Patreon account where fans can subscribe and show their support for the company while getting a behind-the-scenes look at the making of these films. The first movie in the Pulp Noir line, a female serial killer story called Quadrant, was given a Blu-ray, DVD, limited edition VHS, and streaming release (on Amazon Prime Video, Full Moon Features, and Tubi, among others) on August 23rd… and now, on September 20th, a black & white “noir version” of Quadrant is set to start streaming on Full Moon Features and Prime Video. UPDATE: The noir version of Quadrant has now been released! A black and white trailer can be seen in the embed above.
As Band says in the latest episode of his Full Moon Universe show, “I shot (the Pulp Noir movies) with the black & white in mind, so may be interesting, if you like Quadrant, to check it out in the black & white.” He has already made the second Pulp Noir movie, the vampire tale Death Streamer, and says it will have the same release strategy as Quadrant: a color version, followed by a black & white version. That movie, which Band thinks is one of the best movies he has made “in a lot of years,” is scheduled to be released on October 11th.
Quadrant was written by C. Courtney Joyner and is described as being an unholy blend of steampunk terror and sci-fi slasher, with a female serial killer using the titular VR device to stalk her prey and channel the legacy of Jack the Ripper, and another heroic woman entering the ether-verse to bring her down!
Promotional art features a more in-depth synopsis: Developed by scientists Harry and Meg, the Quadrant helmet allows your mind to transport you into a world where all your phobias and nightmares are real, while also granting you the strength to defeat them, liberating you from their control forever. But the Quadrant experiment is about to go terribly wrong. When Erin, a young girl who’s obsessed with Jack the Ripper, uses the device to actually become the Ripper, she unleashes a reign of terror, first in her mind in an AI version of old London created by the Quadrant, and then in reality, where she now stalks the contemporary city streets, seeking out victims for her blade. The only way to stop this savage new Ripper is for an even more vicious killer to enter the artificial Quadrant-verse and bring her down. What ensues is a brutal, bloody battle, murderer against murderer, both in this world and the surreal, dangerous, synthetic world of Quadrant!
Quadrant stars Shannon Helene Barnes, Emma Reinagel, and Christian Carrigan.
Have you seen Quadrant? Will you be checking out the black & white version this weekend? Let us know by leaving a comment below.
