Our weekly column features artwork from fans and pros alike. This week features interpretations of Blade, Dune, Godzilla, The Lion King, A Quiet Place and more!

Some cliche somewhere said that ‘a picture is worth a thousand words.’ This has proven to be the case for me and especially when it comes to fan art. I have always sought out great fan art and have wanted to share it with as many people as possible. “Awesome Art We’ve Found Around The Net” is the outlet for that passion. In this column, I will showcase the kick-ass artwork of some great artists, with the hopes that these artists get the attention they deserve. That’s the aim. If you have any questions or comments, or even suggestions of art or other great artists, feel free to contact me at any time at [email protected].

Blade by Sahin Düzgün

Dune Part One by Waxbones

Fantastic Four by Nick Low

Final Fantasy IX by Drake (Winson) Tsui

Godzilla by Matt Frank

Highlander by Adrien Noterdaem

The Lion King by Traci Easterday

A Quiet Place: Day One by Samer Alkaabi

Rambo: First Blood Part II by – Yvan Quinet

Terminator 2: Judgement Day by Dan Hipp

Neon’s Longlegs is looking at a $20 million plus opening, while the $100 million Fly Me to the Moon may not even make half that.

Longlegs is living up to the hype. One of the best-reviewed horror films in years (one I went absolutely nuts over) is giving indie distributor Neon the best box office opening they’ve ever had. According to Deadline, the film is on track for a $20 million plus opening, with some thinking it could even hit the $22-23 million range. While the C+ CinemaScore is nothing to write home about, horror titles such as this one are bound to be divisive, and it’s quickly becoming a much-discussed film on social media. It’s becoming one of those movies everyone simply has to see and something horror fans can’t wait to weigh in on, whether they like it or not.

Of course, Despicable Me 4 is still going to take the top spot this weekend, with it grossing an excellent $40 million plus, but against all odds, Longlegs could come in second place over Inside Out 2, with the smash hit Pixar sequel on track for a $19-20 million weekend. If Longlegs wins, it’ll be quite the coup, but it will be a narrow win and likely will be too close to call until the official numbers drop tomorrow. 

However, one new release that’s falling flat in theatres is the period rom-com Fly Me to the Moon. Despite the combined star power of Scarlett Johansson and Channing Tatum, the movie is unlikely to make much more than $10 million this weekend (which is about what I predicted earlier this week). With an A-minus CinemaScore, it’s clear that audiences are liking the film, so what gives? Simple – this is an Apple Original Films production, so savvy audiences know the movie will be streaming before long. People won’t shell out cash for something they know they can watch on a streaming service in just a few weeks unless it’s an event. While this seems like a charming rom-com, it’s also the kind of movie folks don’t mind waiting for. Industry forecasters will bemoan the $100 million budget and call it a flop. Still, in reality, these theatrical runs are almost just publicity for the eventual streaming release, where it should rake in plenty of views.

We’ll be back with the full box office report tomorrow, but in the meantime, what did you see this weekend?

Our horror critic chooses the best horror flicks of 2024 – so far!

I hate when people claim “nothing has come out this year” when it’s more a matter of access versus lack of great content. 2024 has already seen a slew of fantastic horror films released. And yet, I’m still hearing the same sentiment. “Nothing has been released.” “The year is trash.” We must be looking at completely different years because not only has this year been killer, but we’ve received some films that transcend labels. Chris Bumbray recently revealed his own favorites of the year, so I felt it was time to focus on the horror side. So join me as I look back on the best horror films of the first half of 2024.

Rarely does a film live up to the hype when said hype is astronomically large. Yet Longlegs managed to come along with absolutely tremendous performances and a terror that emanates every bit of celluloid. Writer/Director Osgood Perkins knows precisely how to draw your attention and build tension. His command of the frame and use of sound design over score make him one of the most intriguing filmmakers today. And the film serves as a lesson on how to correctly market a film and leave your villain in the shadows. I hardly ever give perfect scores on a first viewing but Longlegs is an easy 10/10.

Nell Tiger Free absolutely stuns in this The Omen prequel that, minus a few scenes, completely stands on its own. I’ve seen this film no less than four times since release (two of those being in theaters) and I’m blown away every time. The narrative is so perfectly concocted and the performance by Free is utterly fantastic.

I’m not going to let a few pieces of AI get in the way of this fantastic story. I feel most of us have been waiting for Dastmalchian to get his due and he’s finally given a role he can sink his teeth into. On Halloween Night, talk show host Jack Delroy is desperate for ratings and will do anything to be number 1. What results is a night full of terror and mayhem, with some of the better low-budget effects out there.

Not since Arachnophobia has a film handled spiders in such a terrifying way. Following a rundown apartment in France, a mysterious spider who continues to grow in size starts breeding and taking over the building. The dwellers must band together in order to survive. I don’t know about anyone else but I was very disappointed with Sting, so it’s nice that this was able to deliver all the spider goods that the film promised.

Last year’s Infinity Pool ended up being my favorite horror film of the year. So when I heard that Brandon’s sister Caitlin would be joining the family business and releasing a film of her own, my ears perked up. Add in a realistic look at a climate-riddled world, and we get to examine the human conflicts that can spring up on both a global and individual scale.

Something about cult stories have always appealed to me. The way that a charismatic leader is able to brainwash impressionable groups is a truly horrifying prospect. Sadie Sink and Sylvia Hoeks deliver phenomenal performances in what is sure to be an underseen film.

Overshadowed by The First Omen, there’s still a lot to like about Immaculate. Sydney Sweeney seemed to be just about everywhere this year and her love for the genre is likely to make her a genre staple. And if this film is any indication, she’s definitely going to be putting in the work. Sweeney plays Cecelia, a nun at a new convent who is up to dark and nefarious things. Her faith is tested as she discovers more and more unsavory things about the place that was supposed to be her haven.

Depression and suicide are already some pretty tough topics to touch upon. But The Devil’s Bath takes the actual history of Austria where women would murder children in order to then be put to death and makes it into a compelling narrative. There are several moments in this film that left my mouth on the floor in shock. From the filmmakers of Goodnight Mommy, don’t let the subtitles sway you away from this terrifying time.

Horror comedies can be hard to pull off but when they’re done well, they’re an absolute blast. Following Jonah Ray’s struggling musician character, he ends up getting a neighbor from Hell. Featuring some great rock music and some incredible practical effects, this works as a great double feature with star Alex Winter’s Freaked.

Shudder continues its awesome streak with this slow burn about a girl searching for identity. After being forced on her mother’s path for so long, she finally decides she want to forge her own path. Her mother guided every aspect of her life so through her art she tries to break free and satiate her own desires. The stop-motion animation is beautifully disgusting with its fleshy appearance.

MaXXXine:

Color me shocked. As a big hater of both X and Pearl, I went into this with extremely low expectations. What I didn’t expect was a fantastic homage to films like Maniac Cop and one utterly killer performance from Mia Goth. With some incredible side characters and great practical effects, this feels like the 80s movie we never received but always thought we had.

What are some of your favorite horror films of the year? What did I miss? Let us know in the comments! (And no, In A Violent Nature won’t be on any list with my name on it.)

The Crow star Bill Skarsgård says he wishes his version of Eric Draven wasn’t in such great shape because it doesn’t fit the character.

You can’t train all the time…Reactions to even the announcement of a new version of the classic comic (don’t call it a remake!) of The Crow were negative, but when we got our first look at Bill Skarsgård as Eric Draven, then the movie was really shredded. As it turns out, Skarsgård himself isn’t all that happy with the updated image, either, although it has nothing to do with the Joker-esque face tats.

Speaking with Empire (via Slash Film), Skarsgård said that it’s not the ink on his Eric Draven that he regrets but rather the totally ripped physique. “I felt very strange being in great shape for Eric…I wanted him to be really skinny!” This would have been more in line with Brandon Lee, although we would hardly say he was merely skinny – Lee was in stunning shape, as brief moments in 1994’s The Crow show. But Skarsgård’s Eric Draven looks closer to wrestler Finn Balor than anything. He added, “He was not a person that worked out, ever…In a perfect world he would have been a lot less fit in the first half of the movie.”

The look of Eric Draven ‘24 hasn’t just been blasted by fans of the Lee film but even original The Crow director Alex Proyas, who wrote, in part, “I guess he’s supposed to be a bad mofo with all those tats and werewolves and skulls on his jacket…Well at least the stills gave me a good laugh. I thought they were going to take a dump on Brandon Lee’s legacy for a moment.” Even still, it’s probably worth noting that John Wick director Chad Stahelski – who served as Brandon Lee’s stunt double – has lent his support to the movie.

Bill Skarsgård’s displeasure about Eric Draven’s fit bod is just his latest gripe, as he has been open about other problems with The Crow, chiefly the ending, which he is bent about because it seems to be trying to set up a sequel instead of being “definitive.”

Do you think Bill Skarsgård’s Eric Draven look has any redeeming qualities or is it as bad as most say? Will you be bothering to see it in theaters?

Pirates of the Caribbean actor Geoffrey Rush knows how Barbossa can come back…but what about Johnny Depp?

For too long, fans of the Pirates of the Caribbean series have been parched of thirst and unable to quench it. And while that’s a pretty complicated matter, one thing is for sure: Captain Hector Barbossa is no more. Unless, of course, Disney finds a way to bring him back…But what about Johnny Depp? Barbossa himself, Geoffrey Rush, has taken the helm to comment on both and the future of Pirates.

Speaking with Collider, Geoffrey Rush said that even though Barbossa sacrificed himself in 2017’s Dead Men Tell No Tales, it’s not out of the realm of possibility that he returns if a sixth Pirates entry does in fact get made. “I did come up with a good idea, which is classically based. Hamlet’s father comes back as a ghost, and I just said, ‘I can come back…’” Considering the number of ghosts who show up, Barbossa’s fate may not be entirely sealed up in Davy Jones’ locker.

But the key Pirates casting decision – all due respect to Geoffrey Rush – is that of Johnny Depp. A number of names have circled the deck as far as who could take over the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise if Depp doesn’t return, with rumors hitting everyone from Austin Butler to Edebiri, with Margot Robbie evidently poised to lead a seventh entry. If it is in fact someone other than Depp, Rush sees it as a monumental challenge. “Whoever takes over from Johnny, I don’t know what’s gonna happen there. He’s irreplaceable. Jack Sparrow is the new Robert Newton,” referring to the British actor best known for helping popularize the Aarr, matey!-type “pirate speak” we all know thanks to his portrayals of Long John Silver in Treasure Island and Blackbeard in Blackbeard the Pirate.

As with Newton, Depp found his signature character on the high seas – which is saying something considering his astounding filmography. Depp has been committed to the character in a way like so few other actors have, appearing as Captain Jack Sparrow at events for children and even turning up at Disneyland in character. On his commitment to bringing the pirate to life, Geoffrey Rush remembered, “He was already talking about pop stars like Keith Richards having that kind of visceral identity that you knew. He said, ‘I’m just fascinated that this character, Jack, spends half his life on land and half his life on water. What if he never really gets his sea legs?’ And that’s where that whole war came from.”

Do you think the future of the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise needs the likes of Johnny Depp, Geoffrey Rush, Orlando Bloom, and Keira Knightley to succeed?

Director Adam McKay encouraged Will Ferrell and Christina Applegate to ad-lib while making Anchorman, leading to some of its funniest bits.

We all know that San Diego comes from the German for whale’s vagina, but did you know that a lot of the banter between Ron Burgundy and co-anchor Veronica Corningstone was off the cuff? As much as TV anchors need their scripts to deliver the news, Will Ferrell and Christina Applegate were encouraged to venture far off of theirs when making 2004’s Anchorman.

Ferrell and Applegate recently got together on the latter and Jamie-Lynn Sigler’s joint podcast, MeSsy (via EW), to reflect on their time filming Anchorman, particularly how director Adam McKay would make frantic calls from behind the camera. As Ferrell put it, “A lot of that stuff, Christina and I going back and forth insulting each other, some of that was scripted, but so much of that was like, ‘Just keep going!’ Adam just wouldn’t yell cut, so you just had to keep going. At first it feels like a burden, but then it unlocks a part of your brain to where now you’re going into a whole other area that you didn’t even know.”

Applegate – who broke out as a true comedic talent on Married…with Children – held her own against Ferrell on Anchorman, matching wits and timing to great satisfaction once she got used to the style. “When he wouldn’t cut, my hands would get sweaty. I was like, ‘No, I can’t, please cut.’ Sometimes he would just yell out lines. Remember he would yell out the most bizarre sh*t?…In the middle of the scene, he was just like, ‘Call her a pirate hooker!’ Just bizarre stuff!”

So it seems like we can pretty much thank Adam McKay for encouraging such a loose attitude when making Anchorman, which in turn led to some of the movie’s funniest moments, especially between Ferrell and Applegate, an experience the actress has spoken highly of before. While the 2013 sequel was a disappointment, the original stands as peak Will Ferrell – in movies, at least; we’ll always love him on SNL the most.

What is your favorite scene from Anchorman? Were you surprised at Christina Applegate’s holding her own against Will Ferrell?

Richard Simmons, the beloved fitness guru, and a key figure in the 80s workout zeitgeist, has passed away at 76.

Less than 24 hours after his seventy-sixth birthday, Richard Simmons, the beloved weight loss guru, has passed away. TMZ was the first to report the news, with them noting that authorities responded to a call from Simmons’s housekeeper this morning and that he was pronounced dead on the scene. No cause of death has been reported, but according to a report obtained by the site, foul play isn’t suspected, and his death is being treated as natural.

Simmons publicly posted to his social media just hours earlier, thanking fans for all of their birthday messages. Simmons hadn’t been seen in public for about a decade, largely retreating from public life in 2014. Wild rumours ran rampant about his health and safety, but Simmons clapped back at any such rumours. Simmons recently voiced his displeasure over a planned biopic that’s to star Pauly Shore. 

Simmons rose to fame in the 1980s as the energetic host of a series of best-selling workout videos called Sweatin’ to the Oldies. Along with Jane Fonda, he was seen as one of the pioneers of aerobics on video. The home video revolution allowed him to reach millions of people looking to get in shape, and his videos were among the best-selling workout tapes of the decade. 

Throughout his career, Simmons remained a tireless advocate of physical fitness and was a frequent guest on Oprah and the Rosie O’Donnell Show. His flamboyant personality was often satirized, but Simmons always had a good sense of humour and often poked fun at himself on The Howard Stern Show and Late Night with David Letterman. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Simmons made all of his old workout videos free to view on YouTube to encourage people to stay in good shape even if they were stuck at home.

Indeed, while people often made fun of him, Simmons really did make a lot of people’s lives better, with him often sharing an account of how he himself lost 123 pounds as a young man, which he managed to keep off. As for myself, my parents owned one of his tapes, and I worked out to it all the time as a kid, so I have a lot of affection for him. From all of us here at JoBlo – may he rest in peace. 

Shannen Doherty, the iconic star of Beverly Hills 90210, Mallrats and Charmed, has died following a long battle with cancer.

Shannen Doherty, one of the most iconic TV stars of the 90s, has passed away following a long battle with cancer. Doherty’s publicist broke the news via a statement to People Magazine, in which she said, “It is with a heavy heart that I confirm the passing of actress Shannen Doherty. On Saturday, July 13, she lost her battle with cancer after many years of fighting the disease.” Doherty had been publicly waging a battle against the disease since 2015 when she was first diagnosed with Breast Cancer. 

Doherty is best known for her roles in two long-running TV shows. However, she first arrived on the scene playing one of the titular characters in the classic black comedy Heathers, opposite Winona Ryder and Christian Slater. She then starred as Brenda Walsh on Beverly Hills 90210 from 1990 to 1994, before leaving the show mid-run. After a series of films, including Kevin Smith’s iconic Mallrats, Doherty returned to TV to star in the long-running series Charmed opposite Alyssa Milano and Holly Marie Combs. She also left that show mid-run but would return to TV for two Beverly Hills 90210 revivals, the first being in 2008 and most recently in the reality spoof hybrid BH90210 in 2019.

Throughout her career, Doherty was frequently a target of the tabloids because she left her two hit shows relatively early in their run. In recent years, she hosted a podcast called Let’s Be Clear in which she opened up about her experiences on both shows, often interviewing former co-stars like Brian Austin Green and Holly Marie Combs. She also documented her various health challenges and remained an inspiring figure to many for how courageously she faced her cancer diagnosis and battle. 

Sadly, another 90210 co-star, Luke Perry, died in 2019 at only 52.

Suffice it to say that Doherty, through her many TV shows and films, more than made her mark, and she will be missed.