Director Samuel Gonzalez Jr. (The Retaliators) is paying tribute to the slashers of the 1980s with Stiletto, and Bloody Disgusting has scored some more exclusive imagery this week.
In the upcoming horror movie, “A year after the grisly murder of a local exotic dancer, the victim’s sister, Lyric [Gigi Gustin], searches for the serial killer responsible as he stalks and kills his favorite dancers on the night of the anniversary.”
Preview the film with exclusive images above and below. And stay tuned for a trailer.
The mask worn by the film’s slasher, dubbed The Stiletto Killer, was created by Jason Baker. Famous for designing the mask that Ethan Hawke wore in The Black Phone, Baker is the owner of Callosum FX Studios, which is the creative brainchild of legendary special effects master Tom Savini and renowned artist and effects creator Jason Baker himself.
Gonzalez Jr. teases, “When I was a kid I would venture into the back section of the video store to find the most obscure 80s horror flicks I could find. I was fascinated with the ‘strange and unusual’ but most specifically, the early slasher cinema of that period. Stiletto follows in the bloody footsteps of those films we love so much but also pushes it to the cinematic limit, with memorable kills and a diverse cast of both up and comers and legends alike. It’s a true love ‘obituary’ and we can’t wait to introduce the world to The Stiletto Killer.”
The film’s cast includes AEW pro wrestling star Stephon ‘Swerve’ Strickland. Strickland can currently be seen in Night of the Missing, now streaming on SCREAMBOX.
Gigi Gustin (Night of the Missing) will also star alongside Charlotte McKinney (Fantasy Island), Colleen Camp (Amsterdam, American Hustle), Pancho Moler (3 from Hell), Tyler Abron (Fear), Stephen Blackehart (Guardians of the Galaxy), Meghan Carrasquillo (Four), Russell Todd (Friday the 13th Part 2) and Mia Challis (FBI: International).
“You’ll never watch Aliens the same way again.” That’s the promise of upcoming documentary Aliens Expanded, which aims to be the ultimate companion piece to the 1986 classic.
Bloody Disgusting has exclusively learned this week that a brand new, extended interview with James Cameron heads up the revolutionary documentary experience Aliens Expanded!
Helmed by the creators of ‘In Search of Darkness’, Aliens Expanded brings fans on an unparalleled journey into the extraordinary cinematic legacy of the greatest sequel of all time – Cameron’s 1986 genre masterpiece Aliens. Coupled with interviews with Michael Biehn (as Corporal Hicks), Lance Henriksen (as Bishop) and many more cast and crew, Aliens Expanded is a first-of-its kind scene-by-scene analysis of Aliens with James Cameron leading the conversation.
Pre-sale of Aliens Expanded opens on April 9, 2024 and until May 5, 2024.
Writer and director Ian Nathan, author of Alien Vault and James Cameron: A Retrospective, teams up with the award-winning CREATORVC to explore Cameron’s finest film to date. The ultimate celebration of a classic, the film is centered on an in-depth analysis as well as a wealth of memories, stories, facts, revelations, never-before-heard stories from set and discussion over the massive cultural impact the film had and still has today.
“This is the opportunity of a lifetime,” says writer and director Ian Nathan. “I have been gripped by Aliens from the day I saw it and it has never let me go. I delved for the roots of what makes it so addictive. With a wealth of incredible, fresh insight from cast and crew, as well as experts and critics, and above all from the fans, I think this is the definitive statement on one of the greatest films of all time.”
Made by fans for fans, Aliens Expanded supporters can be a part of history-in-the-making with pre-order packages made available at www.aliens-expanded.com. Offering unique opportunities for limited run merchandise, limited Blu-ray editions of the film and credits in the film, fans can get their hands on their own piece of Aliens Expanded, slated for limited release in June 2024.
The Curb Your Enthusiasm finale presents Seinfeld’s infamous finale as a mistake to be atoned for when Larry David should’ve gone in the opposite direction.
Rebecca Henderson is starring in Star Wars: The Acolyte as Vernestra Rwoh, a Jedi who’s appeared as a much younger character in the High Republic novels.
Younger comic-book fans might be surprised to learn that there was once a time when Marvel Comics was on its last legs and willing to do anything to keep the company afloat. Before underdog blockbusters like the X-Men and Blade films put Marvel heroes back on the map, they were desperately trying to experiment with their comics in order to attract a wider audience.
One such experiment was the Marvel Knights imprint, a collection of stand-alone stories that initially focused on less-marketable heroes and gave artists free-reign to tell unique and more adult-oriented stories unshackled by decades of garbled continuity issues. While these stories didn’t always succeed in revitalizing characters for a new generation (and often contained the worst kind of late-90s/early 2000s edge), they were almost always incredibly stylish and memorable.
That’s why I think it’s very appropriate that Neveldine & Taylor’s film Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance opens on a Marvel Knights logo instead of the traditional red intro that we’ve seen since the ’90s – almost as if the film itself is trying to let viewers know that this is meant to be a different take on a familiar property. And while the completed project wasn’t anything groundbreaking, I do think that the filmmakers having the guts to try something different makes this 2011 sequel worth revisiting.
Despite the first Ghost Rider’s middling critical reception, Nicolas Cage’s memorable performance and the character’s popular appeal basically guaranteed a sequel to the 2007 adaptation. However, Spirit of Vengeance was originally meant to be an R-rated thriller that would address complaints about the first movie’s goofy tone and put our favorite flaming skull in a high-octane story. That’s why the studio looked towards Crank directors Mark Neveldine and Brian Taylor to helm the sequel and take it in a darker direction.
However, like many Sony projects about horror-adjacent comic-book characters, producers inevitably got cold feet after having already commissioned the script (which was penned and reworked by Scott M. Gimple, Seth Hoffman and David S. Goyer) and ended up scrapping many of the flick’s edgier elements while also slashing the budget to about half that of the original. Thankfully, they didn’t completely get rid of the edge, with the finished film still following a haunted Johnny Blaze (Cage) in Eastern Europe as he reluctantly partners with alcoholic French priest Moreau (Idris Elba) in order to protect a child from the latest incarnation of the devil, “Roarke” (with Ciarán Hinds replacing Peter Fonda).
AND WHY IS IT WORTH WATCHING?
With such a rocky road towards the big screen, it’s easy to assume that Spirit of Vengeance became yet another Marvel-based misstep in Sony’s catalogue (and you wouldn’t be completely wrong, judging by the flick’s 19% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes), but while I admit that a large part of the sequel’s negative reception is likely due to a half-baked script filled with embarrassing dialogue, I also think that 2011 simply wasn’t a great time to be a unorthodox comic-book movie. With the Dark Knight films redefining what audiences wanted from adaptations and The Avengers looming on the horizon with promises of comic-accurate fun, a horror-inspired standalone B-movie was never going to be a critical darling.
This is a huge shame, as there’s a lot to love about this incarnation of Ghost Rider even if it’s not a revolutionary thriller or a faithful love-letter to the comics. For starters, the flick is absolutely bursting with style, making frequent use of odd angles, humorous cutaways, exaggerated split-screen effects and even bizarre Mortal-Kombat-Fatality-inspired shots where we focus on certain action-heavy moments against a black background. It doesn’t always work or even feel coherent (especially when it comes to the humor), but it is consistently interesting to look at.
Obviously, the cool visuals also extend to the film’s action scenes. While there’s a recurring issue where both the main hero and main villain are so ridiculously overpowered that some of the so-called “fights” become awkward (which was also a recurring problem in the comics), the imagery almost always kicks ass and I appreciate the use of practical effects-work during vehicle chases – especially that last one.
And while Spirit of Vengeance benefits greatly from its cast, with Elba, Johnny Whitworth and an unexpected Christopher Lambert standing out as exaggerated yet fun caricatures, we all know that the real star of the show here is Nicolas Cage. The filmmakers really decided to let the man loose here as he portrays Blaze as a traumatized maniac desperately trying to contain an eldritch force that’s burning him alive from the inside. From his over-the-top line delivery to his cartoon-like mannerisms once the flaming skull takes over (you can easily tell that it’s still Cage during the motion-capture sequences), I can’t imagine not being entertained by this wild performance.
AND WHAT MAKES IT HORROR ADJACENT?
Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance may have been billed as a superhero flick, but you only need to watch a few minutes of it to realize that this is really a monster movie disguised as an action-heavy thriller. I mean, the first half of the film presents the Rider as an unstoppable killing machine striking fear into the hearts of criminals, with Whitworth’s Carrigan even going so far as to quote Bruce Campbell before shooting at the demon with a shotgun.
And though it’s a shame that Sony ended up neutering the film’s gore and more overt horror elements, there’ still plenty of genuinely horrific imagery to be found here – and almost all of it revolves around the titular character and his grisly transformations. In fact, Cage actually seems to be channeling The Wolfman throughout the flick, with Blaze knowing that an uncontrollable dark force lurks inside of him and could escape at any moment to hurt those he cares about the most.
Blackout’s decay powers are genuinely terrifying even if the film decides to mostly play them for laughs, and the idea that Blaze is actually protecting the possible antichrist is a fun horror-adjacent premise. Plus, I’m a big fan of the reveal that the “demon” inside the Ghost Rider is actually an angel that was driven mad after being exposed to hell.
Ultimately, Spirit of Vengeance is a midnight B-movie in every sense of the word. The script may be about as deep as a kiddie pool and only Cage really gets the chance to shine, but the stylish presentation and a handful of poignant moments like Blaze confessing his sins to Moreau or bonding with Danny make this a much better experience than you might initially expect.
And while I’m still waiting on a proper Robbie Reyes Ghost Rider movie where Cage returns as an older Blaze to pass the proverbial torch onto the younger hero, I’m glad that there’s at least one fun Ghost Rider adaptation out there. I can’t exactly call Spirit of Vengeance a great movie, but if you ask me if it’s worth experiencing at least once, my answer is yes. Hell, yes.
There’s no understating the importance of a balanced media diet, and since bloody and disgusting entertainment isn’t exclusive to the horror genre, we’ve come up with Horror Adjacent – a recurring column where we recommend non-horror movies that horror fans might enjoy.
These days it seems like everyone is on TikTok or has a YouTube channel. Simply talking to a camera and posting the video online will get you likes and follows and can also be your ticket to being an internet celebrity, which may or may not be a good thing. Far too many people are willing to do whatever it takes for online fame. There have been countless internet challenges leading people to film themselves doing all sorts of outrageous things, sometimes resulting in injury or death. In the age of internet culture, people have no shame and no fear, especially if it will make them famous.
In Epic Pictures’ Ghost Game, not too long after meeting on a dating app, deciding they were compatible and moving in together, Vin (Zaen Haidar) discovers his new girlfriend, Laura (Kia Dorsey), has been secretly breaking into houses at night to play the Ghost Game internet challenge. Vin isn’t thrilled to learn that Laura’s partner in the game, Adrian (Sam Lukowski), is an obnoxious asshole willing to do anything for views and likes, maybe even commit violence. The game consists of a dare to break into a house, called a haunt, and film yourself trying to make the homeowner think their house is haunted, while also living in the house undetected. While playing the game, participants wear different kinds of scary masks, with Laura donning a glow-in-the-dark devil mask and Adrian choosing a Lucha Libre mask to hide his identity. Vin doesn’t feel any better about Laura playing the game when she tells him she looks up to the mysterious online community leader Mr. Whatley, who sets the rules for the game and encourages players to take their hauntings to the next level.
Ghost Game boasts a powerhouse creative team, who are all well-known in the world of independent genre film. Ghost Game is written by Adam Cesare (Last Night at Terrace Lanes, Clown in a Cornfield), and directed by Jill “Sixx” Gevargizian, known for the excellent short films 42 Counts (2018) and One Last Meal (2019), as well as the short film turned feature film The Stylist (2020), with Eduardo Sánchez (The Blair Witch Project) serving as executive producer.
When Laura tells Vin about her plans to break into Halton House, a home that is believed to be haunted by the family who tragically died there, he insists on playing Ghost Game with her. The new owners of Halton House, Pete Trammel (Michael C. Williams), his wife Meg (Emily Bennett), and their daughter Sam (Vienna Maas) are about to move in, so Laura and Vin will have to break in and get cameras set up around the house without being caught. This is a much more dangerous version of the game than Laura has ever played before and the first time she has played in a haunted location. What Laura and Vin don’t know is that they aren’t just playing for likes and follows online, they’re playing for their lives.
Ghost Game features an engaging story and impressive performances from the entire cast, but Haidar and Dorsey are especially notable as Vin and Laura, who seem to have a genuine camaraderie. Halton House has all the necessary components of a haunted house and even a few jump scares; there is an abundance of cobwebs; doors slam on their own; the lights flicker.
Spectacular bloody practical effects, a foreboding score, and uncertainty about what will happen next contribute to the consistently unsettling mood of the film.
Ghost Game benefits from exceptional direction and timely commentary about the dangers of trusting everyone you meet online. Ultimately, Ghost Game is an effectively spooky haunted house movie which warns that it might not be the things that go bump in the night we should be afraid of; sometimes people are much scarier.
Ghost Game had its World Premiere at Panic Fest 2024, which offered a hybrid festival this year.
Horror trends ebb and flow, but slashers never truly go out of style.
Take the recently debuted trailer for the upcoming A24 horror movie MaXXXine, for example. There’s something oddly comforting about the slasher subgenre, beholden to its rules and its commitment to racking up an impressive body count, that we just can’t get enough of. So, this week’s streaming picks belong to one of the most beloved subgenres of horror.
Only this time, because the slasher subgenre is vast and endless with no shortage of hidden gems, we’re highlighting five underseen slashers you may not have watched yet.
Also known as Witch Bitch in Europe, this wacky ‘80s slasher movie takes aim at the decade’s fitness craze in the most entertaining way. Michael Evans (William Bumiller) owns and runs a high-tech health club, but it soon becomes plagued by a series of freak accidents and bizarre deaths. It turns out his deceased wife holds a massive grudge and has taken to possessing the facility and gym equipment to torment Michael from beyond the grave. A ghost that kills out of jealousy through gym equipment is every bit as silly and as entertaining as it sounds.
Dr. Giggles – freevee, Plex, the Roku Channel, Shout TV, Tubi
There’s an urban legend feel to writer/director Manny Coto’s slasher comedy. The plot introduces Larry Drake (Dark Night of the Scarecrow, Darkman) as the eponymous character, a murderous madman who escapes from a mental institution and fixates on a teen with a heart condition. It’s the type of slasher that isn’t afraid to let its characters get silly, as evidenced by Dr. Giggles’ penchant for deranged giggle fits when committing murder. It’s matched by fun kills with some great gore. The real reason to check out this zany ’90s slasher, though, is star Larry Drake. The horror stalwart ensures his manic killer stands out among the crowded pantheon of slashers.
Evil Dead Trap – AMC+, Fandor, freevee, Night Flight, Plex, Prime Video, SCREAMBOX, Shudder
This Japanese giallo-style slasher is for fans that love over-the-top plot reveals and an extra helping of sleazy gore and inventive, gruesome kills. The plot follows a late-night talk show host, Nami (Miyuki Ono), and her crew as they investigate the origins of a snuff film shot at a nearby facility. The atmospheric setup eventually goes off the rails most unpredictably, but director Toshiharu Ikeda wastes no time acclimating viewers with a gnarly burst of ocular trauma straightaway. It signals precisely the type of bloody madness in store. That the killer employs elaborate traps to commit murder means that someone beat Saw to the punch by over a decade. Fans of Malignant will want to check this one out.
Grave Robbers – AMC+, Shudder
Filmmaker Rubén Galindo Jr. delivered a trio of solid horror movies in the ’80s worth checking out. The first was the supernatural Halloween gem Cemetery of Terror, followed by Nightmare on Elm Street riff Don’t Panic. Galindo Jr.’s third horror feature, Grave Robbers, offers a Satanic slasher with an imposing Jason Voorhees-like killer. Teens embarking on a camping getaway wind up unleashing the spirit of an evil Inquisition executioner when they come upon his recently robbed tomb. It begins a supernatural induced bloodbath. Grave Robbers closes out Galindo Jr.’s ’80s horror trilogy with a bang, delivering plenty of fun kills and a wild plot to usher in the Antichrist.
Trick or Treat – SCREAMBOX
The pinnacle of heavy metal horror, Trick or Treat, is finally available on streaming. Considering it’s halfway-to-Halloween month, that makes now the perfect time to watch. Following the death of his heavy metal idol, a bullied teenage boy inadvertently discovers a way to resurrect the rocker. After hearing the news of his hero’s death, Eddie Weinbauer (Marc Price) finds himself in possession of a one-of-a-kind item, the final recording of Sammi Curr (Tony Fields). When Eddie plays the record backward, unwittingly unleashing his idol’s demonic side. Sammi Curr delivers retribution upon Eddie’s bullies in his unholy bid for heavy metal dominion. With an earworm score and Halloween heavy metal mayhem, throw up some devil horns and enjoy the ride.
