Coronavirus Mortality Updates: 2020 - 2023 |
MARCH 5 |
81 Years of FRANKENSTEIN MEETS THE WOLFMAN
"Meets" being the key word, nearly a misnomer, here. After all, "Meets" implies meeting each other, as in "A cordial meeting."
HA!
This was no polite introduction over drinks at a party. There's no, "Oh, how do you do?" and "Charmed, I'm sure!"
No, this was all ARGH! GRR! ROAR! and
"YOUR MOTHER!"
Yet, for a Universal Pictures sequel at that time in their history, FRANKENSTEIN MEETS THE WOLF MAN is surprisingly good and this why.
And -
71 Years of CREATURE FROM THE BLACK LAGOON
Like many movie franchise monsters (FRANKENSTEIN, GODZILLA, HALLOWEEN, FRIDAY THE 13th), more than one actor played the Creature in its run.
Ricou Browning played the Creature in the water in all three movies and Ben Chapman played the Creature on land in the first one.
Ricou also paid the rent and put food on the table by being the creator and writer of the popular Flipper movies and TV shows.
In case you hadn't already guessed, the Creature design inspired Director Guillermo Del Toro (MIMIC, THE DEVIL'S BACKBONE, BLADE II, HELLBOY, PAN'S LABYRINTH) when he made THE SHAPE OF WATER. Del Toro's "creature" was actor Doug Jones (HELLBOY, UNIVERSAL DEAD, PAN'S LABYRINTH). While Creature Feature fans wait for an amazing reboot, this is what created the enduring legacy of THE CREATURE FROM THE BLACK LAGOON.
Plus -
15 Years of ALICE IN WONDERLAND
Whew! If any story could could find a home in Tim Burton's wheelhouse, it had to be this one.
Although this is a third and different nearly Lewis Carroll tale of what happened after all of the adventures Through The Looking Glass and in ALICE IN WONDERLAND.
Finale -
HAPPY HORROR THRILLER BIRTHDAYS TO -
By E.C. McMullen Jr.
Actor Samantha Eggar (DR. CRIPPEN, PSYCHE 59, THE COLLECTOR, RETURN FROM THE ASHES, THE DEAD ARE ALIVE, A NAME FOR EVIL, THE SEVEN-PER-CENT SOLUTION, WELCOME TO BLOOD CITY, THE UNCANNY, THE BROOD, THE EXTERMINATOR, DEMONOID: MESSENGER OF DEATH, CURTAINS, INEVITABLE GRACE, THE PHANTOM, THE ASTRONAUT'S WIFE) is 86.
Movie Producer David Fury (BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER [TV], ANGEL [TV], LOST [TV], 24 [TV], FRINGE [TV], 24: LIVE ANOTHER DAY [TV], SECOND CHANCE [TV], THE TICK [TV], 9-1-1 [TV]) is 65.
Actor Hanna Mangan Lawrence (THE SQUARE, ACOLYTES, LUCKY COUNTRY, X: NIGHT OF VENGEANCE, SPARTACUS: WAR OF THE DAMNED [TV], THE RECKONING, THE REACH, CONTAINMENT [TV], SWEETHEART) is 34.
Horror Writer and Feo Amante alumni, Mike Oliveri (DEADLIEST OF THE SPECIES, WEREWOLVES: CALL OF THE WILD, SINS OF BLOOD AND STONE [w/John Urbancik], RESTORE FROM BACKUP [w/J.F. Gonzalez], THE PACK: WINTER KILL, BRAVO FOUR) is 49.
Visit him at Michael Oliveri.com.
Horror Writer R.H. Stavis (DANIEL'S VEIL, DEMON'S MERCY, THE ORDER OF SOULS) is 43.
Horror Writer Nicholas Alan Tillmans (HARDBALL, ACETONE ENEMA, INVISIBLE CHILDREN'S BOOK INSTRUCTION MANUAL) is 49.
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MARCH 4 |
RINGU Turns 27
This movie has reached the age where you're not a kid anymore and you're closing in on 30 so get your act together!
The masterful novel by Author Kôji Sozuki (HONOGURAI MIZU NO SOKO KARA aka DARK WATER, JU-ON aka THE GRUDGE) has always had its act together. Made as a TV and movie franchise in Japan, it launched franchise remakes in other countries from the U.S. to South Korea. Its become at least two Video Games and its powerful influence still echoes in non-Sozuki work ranging from 2013's EVIL DEAD to 2022's SMILE. This is the frightening magic of 1998's RINGU.
And -
THE BATMAN is 3
This baby hasn't had a chance to have any history yet, but this is what I thought of 2022's THE BATMAN.
Plus -
HAPPY HORROR THRILLER BIRTHDAYS TO -
By E.C. McMullen Jr.
Writer / Director / Producer, Paul W.S. Anderson (MORTAL KOMBAT, EVENT HORIZON, RESIDENT EVIL, RESIDENT EVIL 2, ALIEN VS PREDATOR, RESIDENT EVIL: EXTINCTION, DEATH RACE, PANDORUM, DEATH RACE 2, RESIDENT EVIL: RETRIBUTION, DEATH RACE INFERNO, RESIDENT EVIL: THE FINAL CHAPTER, DEATH RACE 4: BEYOND ANARCHY, MONSTER HUNTER) is 60.
Look for Paul's upcoming 2024 Thriller, IN THE LOST LANDS.
Actor Frank Novak (SILENT NIGHT DEADLY NIGHT PART II, SLEEPWALKERS, CARNOSAUR, STEPMONSTER, WATCHERS III, RAPTOR, THE FALL OF NIGHT, NECESSARY EVIL, WATCHMEN) is 70.
Actor/Writer/Director Daniel Roebuck (NIGHT SCHOOL, RIVER'S EDGE, PROJECT X, TERROR EYES, THE FUGITIVE, FINAL
DESTINATION, THE VAMPIRE HUNTERS CLUB, THE NAKED MONSTER, BUBBA HO-TEP, THE DEVIL'S REJECTS, Rob Zombie's HALLOWEEN [both], THE HAUNTED WORLD OF EL SUPERBEASTO, TRAIL OF THE SCREAMING FOREHEAD, INSIGHT, JOHN DIES AT THE END, AT THE DEVIL'S DOOR, COMPOUND FRACTURE, 31, PHANTASM: RAVAGER, THE MAN IN THE HIGH CASTLE [TV], DEAD NIGHT, 3 FROM HELL, WILD BOAR [all], PENANCE LANE) is 61.
Look for Daniel in the 2023, 2024 Horror Thriller, LAS VEGAS FRANKENSTEIN.
Horror Writer Jen Whildin (Various short stories) is 55.
Writer, Director, Producer Len Wiseman (UNDERWORLD [all], TOTAL RECALL [2012], SLEEPY HOLLOW [TV], LUCIFER [TV], THE GIFTED [TV], SWAMP THING [TV]) is 53.
Look for Len's work in the upcoming John Wick Spin-off, BALLERINA.
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MARCH 3 |
YOU DUG IT
Good 2 Know: Any weekend box office drop of less than 50% is good. Any weekend B.O. drop smaller than 30% of the previous is excellent.
General Rules:
A. Theaters get approximately 50% of the gross in North American B.O. (negotiable).
B. Distributors omitting budget figures believe the movie will under perform.
C. Total gross by the 3rd weekend accounts for at least half of movie's total theater ticket sales regardless of length of stay.
D. After the 3rd weekend, as screens drop, theaters 50/50 B.O. split rises about 10% each weekend, favoring the theater, until it stops at 80/20 (negotiable).
1. CAPTAIN AMERICA: BRAVE NEW WORLD holds onto #1 for the third weekend in a row, but with an additional 47% drop in ticket sales after last week's huge loss. This weekend it cost the movie 300 screens! Despite that, it remains the biggest box office per screen
2. LAST BREATH debuts in second place earning nearly $8 million on 3,018 screens
3. THE MONKEY steps down one place despite a major 54% drop in ticket sales for its second weekend. It added 27 screens to its talley which makes the steep Box Office drop worse.
8. HEART EYES dips two places from last weekend's #6 in its 4th weekend against a 597 screen cut. Despite its four weekends on the top ten it still is in the loss category despite only having a low $18 mill. big studio (Sony) production budget. I wasn't exactly wowed by the movie trailers and some audience might be sitting the theater experience out. Hopefully this will find an audience in the home market.
YOU BURIED IT
19. LOVE HURTS from Universal, went into a 63% free fall in box office, falling off the Top Ten in its 4th week by nine place. Despite its heavy losses, its actually performing better than expected.
Horror Thriller audiences are not happy with the weak offerings from the major studios.
Figures calibrated from reporting by Box Office Mojo and The Numbers. Should there be differences between the two, I err on the side of caution and post the most positive numbers.
And -
HAPPY HORROR THRILLER BIRTHDAYS TO -
By E.C. McMullen Jr.
Actor Jessica Biel (THE TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE [2003], CELLULAR, BLADE: TRINITY, STEALTH, THE ILLUSIONIST, NEXT, THE A-TEAM, THE TALL MAN, TOTAL RECALL [2012], HITCHCOCK, EMANUEL AND THE TRUTH ABOUT FISHES, LIMETOWN [TV], CANDY [TV]) is 43.
Actor Eric DaRe (SILENT NIGHT DEADLY NIGHT III, TWIN PEAKS [TV], TWIN PEAKS: FIRE WALK WITH ME, CRITTERS 4, DEAD CONNECTION, NUMBER ONE FAN, PLAYING GOD, STARSHIP TROOPERS, LURED INNOCENCE, TED BUNDY, TWIN PEAKS: THE MISSING PIECES) is 60.
Eric shares a March 3 birthday with his SILENT NIGHT DEADLY NIGHT III almuni...
Actor Laura Harring (SILENT NIGHT DEADLY NIGHT III, DEAD WOMEN IN LINGERIE, MULHOLLAND DR. [TV - 1999], MULHOLLAND DRIVE [2001], JOHN Q, DERAILED, WILLARD [2003], THE PUNISHER [2004], ALL SOULS DAY: DIA DE LOS MUERTOS, INLAND EMPIRE, GHOST SON [2007], NANCY DREW [2007], THE CALLER [2008], KLUGE, ICE SCREAM, THE THINNING: THE NEW WORLD ORDER) is 61.
SUNDAY -
Actor Ingrid Bolsø Berdal (COLD PREY, CODENAME HUNTER, COLD PREY 2, BETRAYAL [2009], CHERNOBYL DIARIES, THE ABCs OF DEATH, ESCAPE [2012], HANSEL & GRETEL: WITCH HUNTERS, WESTWORLD [TV], WITCH HUNT [TV], BLASTED, THE SEED [TV]) is 46.
Actor Bryce Dallas Howard (THE VILLAGE, THE LADY IN THE WATER, SPIDER-MAN 3, TERMINATOR: SALVATION, THE TWILIGHT SAGA: ECLIPSE, JURASSIC WORLD [all],) is 45.
Writer, Director, Producer, Jeff Wadlow (CRY WOLF, PREY, KICK-ASS 2, BATES MOTEL [TV], THE STRAIN [TV], TRUTH OR DARE, FANTASY ISLAND, BLOODSHOT, ARE YOU AFRAID OF THE DARK? [TV], THE CURSE OF BRIDGE HOLLOW) is 51.
And as Writer, Producer, and Director, Look for Jeff's work in the upcoming 2024 Horror Thriller, IMAGINARY. Also Produced by Jason Blum (PARANORMAL ACTIVITY, SPLIT, GET OUT, UPGRADE, M3GAN).
AUDITION Turns 26
For me, this is the movie where Director Takashi Miike gained enough critical mass in the U.S. that when I spoke of him, other people recognized the name.
It drove me crazy that nearly every poster and every trailer was full of spoilers. So while you can find those online, this is why you shouldn't before you see AUDITION.
ULTRAVIOLET Turns 19
This Milla Jovovich starring role was...
Was...
in a very Milla Jovovich movie: ULTRAVIOLET.
SATURDAY -
Actor Jensen Ackles (DARK ANGEL [TV], DEVOUR, MY BLOODY VALENTINE 3D, SUPERNATURAL [TV], THE BOYS [TV], THE WINCHESTERS [TV]) is 46.
Actor Jack Davenport (MACBETH, TALE OF THE MUMMY, ULTRAVIOLET [TV], THE WISDOM OF CROCODILES, THE TALENTED MR. RIPLEY, THE BUNKER, PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN [all], MARPLE: THE BODY IN THE LIBRARY, FLASH FORWARD [TV], THE KEY MAN, KINGSMAN: THE SECRET SERVICE, THE TANK, DECEPTION [TV], DR. DEATH [TV]) is 50.
Writer, Director, Producer Zack Snyder (SILENCE, DAWN OF THE DEAD [2004], 300, WATCHMEN, SUCKER PUNCH, 300: RISE OF AN EMPIRE, MAN OF STEEL, ARMY OF THE DEAD, ARMY OF THE DEAD: LOST VEGAS [TV]) is 58.
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