One of the stars from the 1999 horror film “<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/horror-movies">The Blair Witch Project</a>” is speaking out against Lionsgate after the studio announced a forthcoming <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/hollywood">reboot</a>.
<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/entertainment">Actor</a> Joshua Leonard said he felt “frustration” upon hearing the news because of how he felt the studio treated him after the original film’s release. Leonard detailed some of his complaints in a lengthy Instagram post.
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&#8220;The WEIRD PART is that I didn&#8217;t know anything about it until a friend sent me a &#8216;congrats&#8217; screenshot yesterday,&#8221; he wrote of the reboot announcement, which was shared at CinemaCon on April 10. &#8220;I&#8217;ve been thinking a lot about this time, after seeing my BWP collaborators recently and sharing memories… sweet AND f***ed-up ones.&#8221;
Leonard also alleged in the post that he and his co-stars were paid much less than $4 million, which is what an anonymous &#8220;Hollywood insider&#8221; said they received. &#8220;We made [$300,000]… and NEVER saw another dime,&#8221; the actor insisted.
“The Blair Witch Project” is a fictional story about three student filmmakers who hike into the Black Hills near Burkittsville, Maryland, to make a documentary about a local figure known as “The Blair Witch.” The students all disappear, but their footage is found a year later.
The movie was shot in Maryland over eight days and cost around $60,000 to make, per <a href="https://ew.com/original-blair-witch-star-blasts-25-years-of-disrespect-reboot-8633963">Entertainment Weekly</a>.
It premiered at the Sundance Film Festival in 1999 and was purchased for $1.1 million by Artisan Entertainment, which was acquired by Lionsgate in 2003. “BWP” earned close to $250 million worldwide, making it one of the most successful independent films of all time. 
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Leonard also claimed that because the actors used their real names in the movie, &#8220;the studio claimed copyright. We had to take them to federal court to win OUR NAMES back.&#8221;
He said, &#8220;There were many factors that made BWP a success: timing, marketing, etc. But there was also the FACT that us weirdos got together, with virtually no resources, AND MADE A FILM THAT WORKED! Can we just go on record and say that the film itself is a huge part of why we&#8217;re still talking about it 25 years later?”
Leonard concluded, “I&#8217;m so proud of our little punk-rock movie, and I LOVE the fans who keep the flames burning. But at this point, it&#8217;s 25 years of disrespect from the folks who&#8217;ve pocketed the lion&#8217;s share (pun intended) of the profits from OUR work, and that feels both icky and classless.&#8221;

Blair Witch Project

Original ‘Blair Witch Project’ Actor Blasts Lionsgate Amid Remake Announcement: ’25 Years Of Disrespect’

Original 'Blair Witch Project' Actor Blasts Lionsgate Amid Remake Announcement: '25 Years Of Disrespect'

Entertainment

Hollywood

Horror Movies

Movies

U.S.

Director <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/tim-burton">Tim Burton</a> will team up with best-selling “Gone Girl” author Gillian Flynn to remake the 1958 sci-fi horror <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/movies">film</a> “Attack of the Fifty Foot Woman.”
The <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/entertainment">project</a> will be released with Warner Bros. Studios, according to a report from <a href="https://variety.com/2024/film/news/tim-burton-gillian-flynn-remake-attack-fifty-foot-woman-1235894570/">Variety</a>. The outlet noted how Burton will serve as the film’s director while Flynn is responsible for crafting the script. 
In the original movie, a woman grows to gigantic proportions after an encounter with an alien, and she uses her new size to get revenge on her unfaithful husband.
The original 1958 “Attack of the Fifty Foot Woman” featured Allison Hayes, William Hudson, and Yvette Vickers in leading roles. It had a production of $88,000, the outlet noted. The original film currently has a 71% critic score and 21% audience rating on <a href="https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/1001323-attack_of_the_50_foot_woman">Rotten Tomatoes</a>.
It’s also not immediately apparent what changes will be incorporated into the remake. The movie was remade in 1993 by HBO with Christopher Guest serving as director. There were also several failed or abandoned remakes prior to that, and a few spinoffs, including a parody called “Attack of the 60 Foot Centerfold” (1995) and a 3D film called “Attack of the 50 Foot Cheerleader” in 2012.
Flynn is no stranger to Hollywood. The 52-year-old author wrote and produced the HBO limited series adaptation of another one of her books, “Sharp Objects,” which earned her an Emmy nomination and the Writers Guild of America Award. Flynn was also co-writer on the screenplay for “Widows” (2018) and wrote the screenplay for David Fincher’s 2014 thriller “Gone Girl,” which was based on her book.
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Burton, 65, is a Hollywood mainstay known for his gothic horror and fantasy films. He rose to fame with projects such as “Beetlejuice” (1988) and “Edward Scissorhands” (1990). He has directed a host of other films, including “Batman” (1989), “Batman Returns” (1992), “Corpse Bride” (2005), “Frankenweenie” (2012), “Mars Attacks!” (1996), “Planet of the Apes” (2001), “Sleepy Hollow” (1999), “Big Fish” (2003), “Alice in Wonderland” (2010), “Dark Shadows” (2012), “Dumbo” (2019), plus the musicals “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory” (2005) and “Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street” (2007).
The director is currently working on the “Beetlejuice” sequel.

Attack Of The 50 Foot Woman

Tim Burton Will Team Up With ‘Gone Girl’ Author For Remake Of Classic ’50s Sci-Fi Movie

Tim Burton Will Team Up With 'Gone Girl' Author For Remake Of Classic '50s Sci-Fi Movie

Tim Burton

Warner Bros

It’s been many years since the famed <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/movies">filmmakers</a>, the Coen brothers, teamed up for a movie. 
Joel and Ethan Coen haven’t <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/entertainment">collaborated</a> on a new project since the American Western anthology film, “The Ballad of Buster Scruggs,” in 2018. Now they’re getting together once again for what Ethan confirmed would be a “very bloody” <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/horror-movies">horror movie</a> that’s also humorous.
The brothers have been working separately lately, with Joel putting out an adaptation of Shakespeare’s “Macbeth” starring Denzel Washington in 2021. Ethan will soon release the comedy “Drive-Away Dolls,” which was co-written with his wife Tricia Cooke and stars Margaret Qualley, Geraldine Viswanathan, and Beanie Feldstein.
At a “Drive-Away Dolls Q&amp;A” event in Tromsø, Norway, Ethan shared that he and Joel had written a new script together and would also direct it together. 
“It’s a pure horror film, and it gets very bloody,” Ethan said. “If you like ‘Blood Simple,’ I think you&#8217;ll enjoy it,” he added, referencing the brothers’ first film, a violent neo-noir which premiered in 1984.
He also called the script for the new project “horribly funny.”
Ethan had previously talked about his decision to make films separately from his brother after years of them being thought of as a single entity in Hollywood, per <a href="https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/films/news/coen-brothers-horror-film-2024-b2486964.html">The Independent</a>. 
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“You start out when you’re a kid and you want to make a movie. Everything’s enthusiasm and gung-ho, let’s go make a movie. And the first movie is just loads of fun,” he said in 2022 while promoting “Jerry Lee Lewis: Trouble in Mind,” which he also made with Cooke.
“And then the second movie is loads of fun, almost as much fun as the first. And after 30 years, not that it’s no fun, but it’s more of a job than it had been. Joel kind of felt the same way but not to the extent that I did.”
He continued, “It’s an inevitable by-product of aging. And the last two movies we made, me and Joel together, were really difficult in terms of production. I mean, really difficult. So if you don’t have to do it, you go at a certain point: Why am I doing this?”

Coen Brothers

Coen Brothers To Reunite For ‘Very Bloody’ Horror Film

Coen Brothers To Reunite For 'Very Bloody' Horror Film

Celebrities

A new horror movie featuring the “Steamboat Willie” version of <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/mickey-mouse">Mickey Mouse</a> is currently in the works, per a Variety <a href="https://variety.com/2024/film/news/steamboat-willie-horror-film-mickey-mouse-public-domain-copyright-1235849861/">report</a>.
<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/disney">Disney&#8217;s</a> copyright to “Steamboat Willie” expired Monday, along with its right to the original versions of Mickey and Minnie Mouse, though the company still holds <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/copyright">copyrights</a> for more modern versions of these iconic characters. &#8220;Steamboat Willie&#8221; is an animated short from 1928 that is widely considered the debut of Mickey and Minnie Mouse characters, however, Mickey doesn&#8217;t look the same as the modern versions of the cartoon. <a href="https://www.npr.org/2024/01/01/1221606624/mickey-mouse-public-domain-disney">According</a> to NPR, &#8220;he&#8217;s more rascally and rough.&#8221;
Independent filmmaker Steven LaMorte released a statement announcing his intentions to capitalize on this new development by making Mickey the main character in a horror flick.
“Steamboat Willie has brought joy to generations, but beneath that cheerful exterior lies a potential for pure, unhinged terror,” LaMorte said in a press release, per the outlet. “It’s a project I’ve been dreaming of, and I can’t wait to unleash this twisted take on this beloved character to the world.”
LaMorte also directed “The Mean One” (2022) a horror film starring the Dr. Seuss character The Grinch. The movie grossed $1 million in theaters.
“It all comes from our love of these characters,” he said in an interview. “Filmmakers — we’re all kids in the sandbox. We love taking them and playing with them in different ways. It’s not a desire to ruin these characters or make a quick buck, but to love them and honor them and show them in a new light.”
“We are doing our due diligence to make sure there’s no question or confusion of what we’re up to,” LaMorte added. “This is our version of a public domain character. It’s a scary thrill ride with heart and humor, based on this character that everybody knows.” He also said that the film&#8217;s producers are working with a legal team to ensure the film version of Mickey is compliant.
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Disney said in a statement last month the company would be diligent about protecting the copyright-protected version of Mickey Mouse. 
“We will, of course, continue to protect our rights in the more modern versions of Mickey Mouse and other works that remain subject to copyright, and we will work to safeguard against consumer confusion caused by unauthorized uses of Mickey and our other iconic characters,” the company said. 
This development is similar to what happened when the children’s storybook characters Winnie the Pooh and Piglet became public domain property last year. The horror film “Winnie the Pooh: Blood and Honey&#8221; featuring Pooh and Piglet as deranged serial killers was released last January to mixed reviews.
The “Winnie the Pooh” character Tigger also entered the public domain on January 1, 2024.

Mickey Mouse

Mickey Mouse Horror Film Announced As ‘Steamboat Willie’ Enters Public Domain

Mickey Mouse Horror Film Announced As 'Steamboat Willie' Enters Public Domain

copyright

Disney

Actress <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/celebrities">Linda Blair</a> said she was surprised by the success of her most famous <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/movies">movie</a>, “The Exorcist,” which debuted in theaters 50 years ago on December 26, 1973.
The star was just 14 years old when she was cast in the lead part of the <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/entertainment">horror film</a> about a young girl who becomes possessed by a demon. She spoke with <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/entertainment/exorcist-star-linda-blair-no-idea-movie-would-be-cult-classic">Fox News Digital</a> about her experience filming the movie and how she reacted to the unexpected attention the film received around the world.
&#8220;For me, it was so not Hollywood. I had no idea,&#8221; Blair told the outlet. &#8220;Mom and I just thought, ‘Oh, you know, your project, if it gets a little airing, the commercial runs,’ and that wasn&#8217;t the case. The case was it became an international controversial sensation around the world.&#8221;
Blair said the movie studio sent her on tour in part to prove that she was just acting and not actually possessed.
&#8220;It&#8217;s a very intense movie. My hope is that people would realize it&#8217;s about good and evil, and that is playing out right now on the planet with the war in Israel, and we can do better. We can absolutely do better,&#8221; she continued.
The 64-year-old star also talked about the conditions on the movie set.
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&#8220;The temperature, which people forget because we didn&#8217;t have all of the incredible magic that we now have with filmmaking,&#8221; Blair revealed to Fox News. &#8220;So it was 17 below in the morning, and then it was zero when we were filming and very uncomfortable and the makeup was such cutting edge, like pieces are glued on my face and the contacts were very uncomfortable.&#8221;
She also discussed how it was uncomfortable to say swear words which were in the script for her character.
&#8220;[Director] Billy Friedkin rewrote a lot of the script, my dialogue, and would tell me in secret the night before. I&#8217;d say, &#8216;Well, I can&#8217;t say that,&#8217; and he&#8217;d say, ‘No, no, you can.’ So he&#8217;s the culprit behind all that nasty language and I had to do it,&#8221; Blair said. &#8220;That was hard for me because I wasn&#8217;t raised to be like that.&#8221;
Overall, the actress’s feelings about the movie are positive. 
&#8220;Of course, anybody can reflect back on things that are painful to them and uncomfortable memories, but you have to try to compartmentalize and move forward,&#8221; Blair said. 
“The Exorcist” had mixed reviews but still managed to nab $193 million during its theatrical run. It was the first horror film nominated for the Best Picture Oscar. It was nominated for a total of 10 Academy Awards, winning for Best Adapted Screenplay and Best Sound.

The Exorcist

Linda Blair Says She Had ‘No Idea’ That ‘The Exorcist’ Would Be So Popular

Linda Blair Says She Had 'No Idea' That 'The Exorcist' Would Be So Popular

Parents of students in a <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/florida" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Florida</a> charter <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/public-schools" target="_blank" rel="noopener">school</a> are upset that their fourth graders were shown a&#8221;Winnie the Pooh&#8221;-themed <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/watch/movies" target="_blank" rel="noopener">horror movie</a> in class and that the teacher allegedly refused to turn it off even as the students were begging him to.
Michelle Diaz said her twins were deeply affected by seeing the horror film “Winnie the Pooh: Blood and Honey” at their school, The Academy of Innovative Education in Miami Springs. She said their math teacher put on the movie during class time. 
The film is unrated and contains graphic depictions of violence, murder, torture, nudity, and profanity. 
Diaz said the students’ pleas for the teacher to turn it off went unanswered. “He didn&#8217;t stop the movie, even though there were kids saying, ‘Hey, stop the movie, we don&#8217;t want to watch this,’” the mom told <a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/miami/news/parents-horrified-after-teacher-shows-inappropriate-movie-at-local-school/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">CBS News</a> of the incident. 
While she says some students picked the movie, she didn’t see that as a valid reason for showing it in school. “It&#8217;s not for them to decide what they want to. It&#8217;s up to the professor to look at the content,” Diaz told the outlet.
“Blood and Honey” is a British indie film and features the children&#8217;s book characters Pooh and Piglet going on a murderous rampage, which includes smashing a victim&#8217;s head with a sledgehammer, decapitating a person, and feeding a woman into a woodchipper, among other horrific scenes.
The school issued a statement regarding the incident, saying some students had met with a counselor after viewing a portion of the film. 
&#8220;The Academy for Innovative Education has become aware that a segment of a horror movie was shown to fourth graders, Monday, October 2, 2023, that was not suitable for the age group,&#8221; the statement said.
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“Our administration promptly addressed this issue directly with the teacher and has taken appropriate action to ensure the safety and well-being of students.”
Head of School Vera Hirsh told <a href="https://www.miaminewtimes.com/news/winnie-the-pooh-horror-movie-shown-to-children-in-florida-school-18006345?fbclid=IwAR1vrGPBJie2G5d2U---jgCVFo5aJKHzLTq_t5gOKeb2aKtDJsNk05ZboIg" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Miami New Times</a> that “as soon as the teacher realized what was being shown, the movie was turned off.”
She also said only twenty to thirty minutes of the film was seen and that, “Most of the film&#8217;s grisly murder scenes take place later in the movie.”
Hirsch said the incident had been “thoroughly addressed with teachers, students, and parents” and that the students who saw the horror movie were “in school and doing fine.”
This incident is reminiscent of a Tennessee teacher who was <a href="https://ew.com/article/2016/04/29/human-centipede-2-high-school/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">suspended in 2016</a> for showing his high school class the graphic and violent horror film “Human Centipede 2: Full Sequence” during class.

Kid TV

Florida Parents Furious Their Fourth Graders Were Shown ‘Winnie The Pooh’ Horror Film In School

Florida Parents Furious Their Fourth Graders Were Shown 'Winnie The Pooh' Horror Film In School

Charter Schools

Children

Education

Florida

Public Schools

Remember the scariest movie from your childhood? Chances are it’s “The Exorcist.”
The 1973 classic starred Ellen Burstyn as a mom trying to save her daughter Regan (Linda Blair) from demonic possession.
Heads spin. Pea soup flies. The power of Christ compels you to watch it every Halloween.
<div id="attachment_631167" style="width: 881px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img aria-describedby="caption-attachment-631167" decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="size-large wp-image-631167" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2023/10/GettyImages-607435710-871x576.jpg" alt="Swedish actor Max von Sydow and American actress Linda Blair on the set of The Exorcist, based on the novel by William Peter Blatty and directed by William Friedkin. (Photo by Warner Bros. Pictures/Sunset Boulevard/Corbis via Getty Images)" width="871" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2023/10/GettyImages-607435710-871x576.jpg 871w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2023/10/GettyImages-607435710-300x198.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2023/10/GettyImages-607435710-768x508.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2023/10/GettyImages-607435710.jpg 1024w" sizes="(max-width: 871px) 100vw, 871px" />Warner Bros. Pictures/Sunset Boulevard/Corbis via Getty Images</div>
Now, we’re getting yet another film in the “Exorcist” saga — this, after two other “Exorcist” projects fell so far under the radar they barely merit a mention. There was the forgettable 1977 sequel and a shockingly effective third go-round in 1990 starring George C. Scott. 
The new sequel, as you might predict, is both unnecessary and ultimately woke. 
The good news? Burstyn returns for “The Exorcist: Believer,” brought to us by the same folks who rebooted “Halloween” in 2018, Blumhouse Productions.
Leslie Odom, Jr. of “Hamilton” fame plays Victor, a single father who enjoys a close, and meaningful bond with his pre-teen daughter Angela (Lidya Jewett). The girl meets with a fellow classmate one fateful afternoon, and the duo goes missing for three days.
When they return, they begin to act differently, and painful scars appear on their bodies. Why, it’s as if something demonic took over their souls.
<div id="attachment_631245" style="width: 874px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img aria-describedby="caption-attachment-631245" decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="size-large wp-image-631245" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2023/10/Picture1-864x576.jpg" alt="Leslie Odom Jr. in 'The Exorcist: Believer.' Universal/Blumhouse" width="864" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2023/10/Picture1-864x576.jpg 864w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2023/10/Picture1-300x200.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2023/10/Picture1-768x512.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2023/10/Picture1.jpg 1152w" sizes="(max-width: 864px) 100vw, 864px" />Leslie Odom Jr. in &#8216;The Exorcist: Believer.&#8217; Universal/Blumhouse</div>
Victor dismisses any such talk at first, but when he realizes there may be no other explanation, he reaches out to the only person who might feel his pain. That’s Burstyn’s Chris MacNeil, who famously battled Beelzebub in the 1973 original.
The first half of “Believer” is both restrained and effective. Odom has serious screen presence, and director David Gordon Green’s days as an indie film darling roar back with positive results. The visual cues start to stack up, and Green’s knack with his young cast members makes their pain palpable.
It’s eerie that Angela’s friend Katherine (Olivia O’Neill) looks like a young Blair – hardly a coincidence.
So we have not one but two possessed children, and we all know what happens next. Except we’ve seen exorcism after exorcism on screen since the 1973 original, and no film has measured up to its excellence.
Add “Believer” to the list. But that’s not the only bad news.
The film’s third act is a mess, neither scary nor spiritually significant. In fact, the sequel has a beef with the faith behind the original masterpiece. The Catholic Church.
<h4>Mild Spoilers Ahead:</h4>
The Church refuses to help Victor and Katherine’s parents (one-dimensional Christians), referring the matter to psychiatric professionals.
Talk about cutting a franchise off at the knees. It’s like making a new James Bond movie and having him reject both the Crown and MI-6 entirely.
The attempt to save the poor girls turns into a Kumbaya affair, with different faiths gathering to beat the demon back. It takes a village to exorcise your children, apparently.
We’re even treated to a girl power moment where a secondary female character steps in to save the day when a man refuses to do the job.
It’s at least different than the 1973 version, but it’s neither frightening nor sensible. The detour also deconstructs the powerful good versus evil narratives that anchored the first “Exorcist” film.
Who needs God when you’ve got a can’t miss IP (Intellectual Property). Producer Jason Blum, notorious for keeping film budgets as low as possible, <a href="https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/exorcist-believer-reviews-trilogy-400-million-1235608583/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reportedly shelled out $400 million</a> for the rights to &#8220;The Exorcist” franchise.
Yikes.
<div id="attachment_631165" style="width: 929px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img aria-describedby="caption-attachment-631165" decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="size-large wp-image-631165" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2023/10/GettyImages-1485639135-919x576.jpg" alt="LAS VEGAS, NEVADA - APRIL 26: David Gordon Green (L) and Jason Blum speak onstage as they promote the upcoming film &quot;The Exorcist: Believer&quot; during the Universal Pictures and Focus Features presentation during CinemaCon, the official convention of the National Association of Theatre Owners, at The Colosseum at Caesars Palace on April 26, 2023 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Gabe Ginsberg/WireImage)" width="919" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2023/10/GettyImages-1485639135-919x576.jpg 919w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2023/10/GettyImages-1485639135-300x188.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2023/10/GettyImages-1485639135-768x482.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2023/10/GettyImages-1485639135.jpg 1024w" sizes="(max-width: 919px) 100vw, 919px" />Gabe Ginsberg/WireImage</div>
The film’s setup avoids the “woke mind virus” entirely at first. We’re lulled into a false sense of security. To paraphrase Admiral Ackbar from “Return of the Jedi” &#8212; “It’s a trap!”
That spell is shattered when Chris is asked why she wasn’t allowed in the room all those years ago when two male priests battled to save Regan’s soul.
“It must have been the patriarchy,” she mutters, which might be the clunkiest sequence on screen this year. Or next.
The 90-year-old Burstyn still brings a welcome heft to the proceedings, her presence softening the vehicle’s cash-grab DNA. The screenplay, by Green and Peter Sattler, doesn’t know what to do with Chris, sadly, shackling her with a silly encounter with her old nemesis.
Why bother inviting a Hollywood legend back to the franchise if you can’t give her anything meaty to chew on?
Woke helps explain why “The Exorcist: Believer” plays down the Catholic faith and puts both character diversity and multiple religions front and center.
We can’t celebrate Catholicism in 2023, and to risk doing so might offend other religions.
So we get a cultural stew, one that adds little to the film’s dramatic weight. Had the story taken its spiritual cues from the effective prologue, set during a Haitian earthquake, we might have had a fresh cultural spin on good vs. evil.
That’s not the case.
<div id="attachment_631267" style="width: 874px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img aria-describedby="caption-attachment-631267" decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="size-large wp-image-631267" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2023/10/55-864x576.jpg" alt="Leslie Odom Jr. and Ellen Burstyn in 'The Exorcist: Believer.' Universal/Blumhouse" width="864" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2023/10/55-864x576.jpg 864w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2023/10/55-300x200.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2023/10/55-768x512.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2023/10/55.jpg 1152w" sizes="(max-width: 864px) 100vw, 864px" />Leslie Odom Jr. and Ellen Burstyn in &#8216;The Exorcist: Believer.&#8217; Universal/Blumhouse</div>
The recent “Nefarious” featured a far more captivating battle between good and evil, powered not by special effects but a strong script and a killer turn by Sean Patrick Flanery.
Nothing in “Believer” comes close.
We’d forgive plenty if the battle for the girls’ souls brought something terrifying to the table. Instead, it’s a hodge-podge of warmed-over scares with a predictable nod to the original’s signature twist.
Ooh, another Easter Egg! That’s great for memes but hardly the stuff of nightmares.
The only thing scary about “The Exorcist: Believer” is that the studio has more sequels in the works.
<a href="https://onelink.to/dwapp" target="_blank" rel="noopener">CLICK HERE TO GET THE DAILY WIRE APP</a>
Christian Toto is an award-winning journalist, movie critic and editor of <a href="http://www.hollywoodintoto.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">HollywoodInToto.com</a>. He previously served as associate editor with Breitbart News’ Big Hollywood. Follow him at <a href="https://twitter.com/HollywoodInToto?lang=en" target="_blank" rel="noopener">@HollywoodInToto</a>.
The views expressed in this piece are those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.

Odom Screen-Shot-2023-07-25-at-8.48.48-AM-e1690300402586

Strong Performances Can’t Revive New Woke ‘Exorcist’ Franchise Extension

Catholic Church

Readers Pass

Sean Patrick Flanery doesn’t mince words about previous faith-based movies.
The vast majority have been almost unwatchable, the veteran star of franchises like “Saw” and “The Boondocks Saints” said.
He argues more recent fare, like the 2023 hit “Jesus Revolution,” reveal how the genre has matured over time. These stories embrace studio-level production values and feature recognizable talents like “Frasier” alum Kelsey Grammer.
Now, Flanery is taking a personal stake in the genre’s growth. He plays the title character in “Nefarious,” a psychological horror film with more than a dash of spirituality.
“I feel like this one is so well crafted it could have come from 20th Century Fox, or Sony, or Paramount,” the actor said.
The story follows a death row inmate named Edward (Flanery) who says the devil made him commit a string of murders. A psychiatrist (“Entourage” alum Jordan Belfi) must examine the killer to see if he’s sane enough to be executed by the state.
The alleged demon’s name? Nefarious.
<div id="attachment_527883" style="width: 874px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img aria-describedby="caption-attachment-527883" decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="wp-image-527883 size-large" src="https://dailywire.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/GettyImages-1386766504-864x576.jpg" alt="Actor Sean Patrick Flanery at Fandemic Tour." width="864" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2023/04/GettyImages-1386766504-864x576.jpg 864w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2023/04/GettyImages-1386766504-300x200.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2023/04/GettyImages-1386766504-768x512.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2023/04/GettyImages-1386766504-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2023/04/GettyImages-1386766504-2048x1365.jpg 2048w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2023/04/GettyImages-1386766504-1800x1200.jpg 1800w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2023/04/GettyImages-1386766504-1200x800.jpg 1200w" sizes="(max-width: 864px) 100vw, 864px" />Actor Sean Patrick Flanery speaks onstage during 2022 Fandemic Tour at Georgia World Congress Center on March 20, 2022 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Paras Griffin/Getty Images)</div>
“This is one of the scripts that you move to L.A. for and find a roommate on Craigslist,” the actor said of the film, written and directed by Chuck Konzelman and Cary Solomon of “God’s Not Dead” fame.
He read the script, hoping he would be cast as Edward, or perhaps it’s Nefarious.
“Whoever gets this role is the luckiest S.O.B. I ever met,” he recalled saying at the time.
It’s an actor’s dream gig, no doubt. Flanery’s character gets reams of dialogue, and the story focuses on the battle of wills between the inmate and his interrogator. Even leading roles rarely offer such meaty material and screen time.
That challenge didn’t scare the black belt-winning actor, though, who teaches Brazilian jiu-jitsu to students at his academy in between acting gigs.
“I’ve been a competitive athlete since I was a kid. There’s no glory in the defeat of an unworthy opponent,” he said. “I don’t wanna be undefeated and know I fought scrubs.”
<div id="attachment_527857" style="width: 877px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img aria-describedby="caption-attachment-527857" decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="size-large wp-image-527857" src="https://dailywire.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/GettyImages-566008667-867x576.jpg" alt="" width="867" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2023/04/GettyImages-566008667-867x576.jpg 867w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2023/04/GettyImages-566008667-300x199.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2023/04/GettyImages-566008667-768x510.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2023/04/GettyImages-566008667-1536x1021.jpg 1536w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2023/04/GettyImages-566008667.jpg 2000w" sizes="(max-width: 867px) 100vw, 867px" />Photo by Al Seib/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images</div>
The film is inspired by the book series by Blaze TV personality Steve Deace. “Nefarious” serves as a prequel to Deace’s “A Nefarious Plot” and “A Nefarious Carol,” which focus on a demon with dreams of world domination.
Many actors intensely research a given role before the cameras roll. For Flanery, he said the “Nefarious” script did the leg work for him.
“My preparation is in the script, between fade in and fade out. The more well written a script is, the less work you have to do,” said Flanery, who previously penned the 2016 coming of age novel “Jane Two.”
“Nefarious” joins a long list of horror films tied to demonic possession. “The Exorcist” remains the sub-genre’s masterpiece, with recent fare like “The Pope’s Exorcist” tapping similar themes.
Flanery said he didn’t consider past genre efforts while shooting “Nefarious.”
“When you start steering your performance based on previous performances, it’s a little artificial,” he explained. “Trying to replicate something somebody else did on the screen is two degrees removed from reality. The best I can hope for is my one degree of fake to be so minimally fake as to be seen as reality.”
“Nefarious” may resemble a mainstream horror affair at first blush. The imagery and trailer suggest just that. Looks, once again, deceive. The story touches on the death penalty, abortion, and other issues, along with the eternal battle between good and evil.
<iframe loading="lazy" title="Nefarious Official Trailer (2023) - In Theaters April 14th" width="500" height="281" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/l2pBvEfdDm0?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen></iframe>
The story introduces those elements organically, not with the rhetorical sledgehammer seen in some faith-friendly fare.
“Some films can shout so loudly you can‘t hear what they’re saying … [‘Nefarious’] isn’t shouting at all … it’s just painting a picture,” he said.
Said picture lacks the gratuitous blood and gore of most horror films.
“There’s the old, ‘a picture paints a thousand words.’ The right assembled five words can paint a thousand pictures,” he said of the film, which earned an R-rating for its disturbing content. “We could almost do this as an audiobook and it would be equally as powerful … you don’t need big bangs or explosions times ten if the dialogue aspect of the story is so powerful.”
Flanery, 57, takes his craft in stride after decades in the business. As a father of two who works primarily in independent features, he understands his place in show business. He’s also giddy to be steadily working in a demanding, often cruel, industry.
<div id="attachment_527865" style="width: 874px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img aria-describedby="caption-attachment-527865" decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="wp-image-527865 size-large" src="https://dailywire.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/GettyImages-1479874985-864x576.jpg" alt="" width="864" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2023/04/GettyImages-1479874985-864x576.jpg 864w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2023/04/GettyImages-1479874985-300x200.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2023/04/GettyImages-1479874985-768x512.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2023/04/GettyImages-1479874985-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2023/04/GettyImages-1479874985-2048x1365.jpg 2048w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2023/04/GettyImages-1479874985-1800x1200.jpg 1800w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2023/04/GettyImages-1479874985-1200x800.jpg 1200w" sizes="(max-width: 864px) 100vw, 864px" />PLANO, TX &#8211; APRIL 04: Sean Patrick Flanery and guests attend the &#8220;Nefarious&#8221; screening at Cinemark West Plano XD and ScreenX on April 4, 2023 in Plano, Texas. (Photo by Omar Vega/Getty Images)</div>
“I’ve made a career doing movies nobody sees &#8230; I haven’t done any big-budget films that have heavy-handed studio involvement,” he said.
“The worst film I’ve ever done is better than any of the real jobs I ever had. I used to change the deep-fat fryer at Church’s Fried Chicken,” he added, noting with a laugh that no one ever circled back to the restaurant to praise the perfectly crispy chicken.
Some stars might have a hard time shaking a role like “Nefarious’” Edward, given the intensity of the presentation.
The grounded actor left the character on the set.
“When they say, ‘cut,’ it stops. I don’t take any of the work home with me. There’s no baggage to unpack,” he said.
Christian Toto is an award-winning journalist, movie critic and editor of <a href="http://www.hollywoodintoto.com/">HollywoodInToto.com</a>. He previously served as associate editor with Breitbart News&#8217; Big Hollywood. Follow him at <a href="https://twitter.com/HollywoodInToto?lang=en">@HollywoodInToto</a>. 
The views expressed in this piece are those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.

Nefarious Premiere

Actor Sean Patrick Flanery Relishes New Role In Psychological Thriller ‘Nefarious’

Actor Sean Patrick Flanery Relishes New Role In Psychological Thriller 'Nefarious'

Christianity

The producers of Sci-Fi cult favorite &#8220;Sharknado&#8221; have a new creature feature in the works — featuring a drug-addled alligator: &#8220;Attack of the Meth-Gator.&#8221;
The low-budget production company behind the project, The Asylum, specializes in what they refer to as &#8220;mock-busters&#8221; — movies that mock the larger-budget blockbusters in both title and plot. For example, 2009&#8217;s &#8220;Transmorphers: The Fall of Man&#8221; was a callback to &#8220;Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen&#8221;; and the company released &#8220;Titanic II&#8221; in 2010.
The new project, scheduled for release over the summer of 2023, gives a convenient recall to the recent hit film &#8220;Cocaine Bear&#8221; — but the production company says they already had &#8220;Meth-Gator&#8221; in the works prior to its release.
&#8220;Hold our bear &#8230; I mean, beer,&#8221; The Asylum tweeted on Friday. &#8220;Coming for your life this summer.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Hold our bear… I mean, beer. 
Coming for your life this summer. 
🧪🐊🌨️🧸 <a href="https://t.co/8V0WlPq8GY">pic.twitter.com/8V0WlPq8GY</a>
&mdash; The Asylum (@theasylumcc) <a href="https://twitter.com/theasylumcc/status/1629195412036014080?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 24, 2023</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
The promotional imagery showed a large alligator with razor-sharp teeth and wild, glowing red eyes. Behind the monster stood several tall buildings and a few palm trees. The movie apparently centers around an alligator that was exposed to the drug through the fresh water supply.
&#8220;Please tell me this is real and not a joke,&#8221; an entertainment blogger begged, prompting a response from The Asylum confirming that the project was, in fact, real.
<a class="c-link c-link--focus-visible" href="https://onelink.to/dwapp" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-stringify-link="https://onelink.to/dwapp" data-sk="tooltip_parent" aria-describedby="sk-tooltip-107819">CLICK HERE TO GET THE DAILY WIRE APP</a>
&#8220;This is real! We’re pumping the meth into Floridas fresh water reserves as we speak!&#8221; they said.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
This is real! We’re pumping the meth into Floridas fresh water reserves as we speak! 😍
&mdash; The Asylum (@theasylumcc) <a href="https://twitter.com/theasylumcc/status/1629197292766126082?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 24, 2023</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Responding to a comment from a fan, Asylum CEO David Michael Latt said that a sequel would be titled &#8220;Crackodile.&#8221;
&#8220;For everyone peeing in their panties over Crackodile. Dad said yes,&#8221; Asylum tweeted back. &#8220;And @DaivdMLatt NEVER breaks a promise.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
For everyone peeing in their panties over Crackodile. Dad said yes 🥹🥳😍 
And <a href="https://twitter.com/DavidMLatt?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@DavidMLatt</a> NEVER breaks a promise <a href="https://t.co/DeS6eszd14">https://t.co/DeS6eszd14</a>
&mdash; The Asylum (@theasylumcc) <a href="https://twitter.com/theasylumcc/status/1629371969039929345?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 25, 2023</a></blockquote>
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Asylum offered one more teaser tweet on Saturday, showing some of the cast members complaining about one of their fellow actors being a difficult. &#8220;There&#8217;s that one drugged out diva on set that&#8217;s always late, ate half the crew, and leaving teeth all over the place.&#8221;
&#8220;We’ll give you no guesses to figure out who the cast of #MethGator is complaining about,&#8221; the tweet read. &#8220;Last day on set of Attack Of The Meth Gator! Our star will be entering rehab immediately after we wrap. We appreciate all your thoughts &amp; prayers for his full recovery.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
We’ll give you no guesses to figure out who the cast of <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/MethGator?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#MethGator</a> is complaining about 👀🧪🐊💅🏼
Last day on set of Attack Of The Meth Gator! Our star will be entering rehab immediately after we wrap. We appreciate all your thoughts &amp; prayers for his full recovery 🥹🙏🏼🧪🐊🚑🏥 <a href="https://t.co/xdCPEniXs1">pic.twitter.com/xdCPEniXs1</a>
&mdash; The Asylum (@theasylumcc) <a href="https://twitter.com/theasylumcc/status/1629663535826599936?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 26, 2023</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

The Honda Classic – Round Three

‘Sharknado’ Producers Will Bring Drug-Addled Killer Reptile To Life In New Summer Flick

'Sharknado' Producers Will Bring Drug-Addled Killer Reptile To Life In New Summer Flick

Drugs

Methamphetamine

Sharks

Actor John Larroquette admitted that he once took a role in a horror movie in exchange for &#8220;a matchbox&#8221; of marijuana.
According to a recent <a href="https://parade.com/tv/john-larroquette-got-paid-in-marijuana-for-texas-chainsaw-massacre" target="_blank" rel="noopener">interview</a> for Parade Magazine, the &#8220;Night Court&#8221; actor explained that he had taken on the role — narrating the opening sequence of 1974&#8217;s &#8220;The Texas Chainsaw Massacre&#8221; — as a favor to his friend, director Tobe Hooper, and that he hadn&#8217;t expected to be paid for the work.
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John Larroquette confirmed the rumor that Tobe Hooper paid him in weed to narrate his 1974 film &#39;The Texas Chain Saw Massacre.&#39; <a href="https://t.co/mFTeL8as7q">https://t.co/mFTeL8as7q</a>
&mdash; Entertainment Weekly (@EW) <a href="https://twitter.com/EW/status/1614005627524730893?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 13, 2023</a></blockquote>
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Larroquette told Parade that he had actually met Hooper several years earlier when he was working as a bartender in Colorado — and when he later moved to Los Angeles to pursue a career in acting, Hooper called him and asked if he could spare an hour to narrate the beginning of his latest project.
&#8220;Tobe heard I was in town and asked for an hour of my time to narrate something for this movie he just did. I said ‘Fine!’ It was a favor,&#8221; Larroquette said — but he admitted that, on his way out the door, Hooper had slipped him a little something for his trouble.
&#8220;Totally true. He gave me some marijuana or a matchbox or whatever you called it in those days. I walked out of the [recording] studio and patted him on the back side and said, &#8216;Good luck to you!'&#8221; the actor added.
According to <a href="https://botanical.com/botanical/mgmh/h/hemp22b.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Botanical.com</a> — which has published a lengthy list of street-terms for marijuana and other related paraphernalia — a &#8220;matchbox&#8221; refers to approximately &#8220;1/4 ounce of marijuana or 6 marijuana cigarettes,&#8221; or the amount of marijuana that might fit in a matchbox.
The Louisiana native said that he has never even seen &#8220;The Texas Chainsaw Massacre,&#8221; explaining that horror movies are not really his thing — but he did appreciate the fact that the movie did well and netted him roles narrating sequences in the sequels as well.
&#8220;You do something for free in the 1970s and get a little money in the ‘90s,&#8221; he said.
Larroquette, who is part of the NBC &#8220;Night Court&#8221; reboot, famously withdrew himself from contention after four consecutive <a href="https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0488662/awards/?ref_=nm_awd" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Emmy wins</a> for Best Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series — from 1985-1988, during the show&#8217;s original run.
He was <a href="https://screenrant.com/night-court-john-larroquette-emmys-wins-consideration-end/#john-larroquette-wasn-t-the-only-star-who-withdrew-from-emmy-nominations" target="_blank" rel="noopener">not the only star</a> to take that step either — Candice Bergen bowed out after winning five times between 1989-1995 for her role in &#8220;Murphy Brown,&#8221; and Oprah Winfrey withdrew her name after winning seven times in 12 years.

2023 TCA Winter Press Tour – NBCUniversal

John Larroquette Admits He Got Paid A Box Of Marijuana For Role In 70s Slasher Flick

John Larroquette Admits He Got Paid A Box Of Marijuana For Role In 'Texas Chainsaw Massacre'

Marijuana

Hollywood &#8220;nepo babies&#8221; <a href="https://dailywire.com/news/jamie-lee-curtis-says-she-assumed-ana-de-armas-was-an-inexperienced-unsophiscated-young-woman-when-they-first-met-on-set/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Jamie Lee Curtis</a> and <a href="https://dailywire.com/news/were-killing-it-kate-hudson-says-co-parenting-with-3-different-fathers-is-going-great/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Kate Hudson</a> hit back at critics who appeared to suggest that the film industry — and other arenas as well — gave deference to the children of celebrities.
The topic graced the <a href="https://nymag.com/press/2022/12/extremely-overanalyzing-hollywoods-nepo-baby-boom.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">latest cover</a> of New York Magazine, along with the headline, &#8220;Aw, Look! She Has Her Mother&#8217;s Eyes. And Agent: Extremely Over-analyzing Hollywood&#8217;s Nepo-Baby Boom.&#8221;
And while Curtis was not mentioned in the article herself, she appeared to feel singled out due to her own close ties to the theme of being an actress who was raised in a family of Hollywood stars. The daughter of Academy Award nominees Tony Curtis (&#8220;The Defiant Ones,&#8221; 1959) and Janet Leigh (&#8220;Psycho,&#8221; 1960), Curtis described herself in an Instagram <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/Cmgx-KRLwlJ/">post</a> as &#8220;an OG Nepo Baby.&#8221; She went on to criticize the term, however arguing that it was being used to devalue people like her who, through no fault of their own, simply happened to have famous parents.
&#8220;I have been a professional actress since I was 19 years old so that makes me an OG Nepo Baby,&#8221; Curtis began. &#8220;I&#8217;ve never understood, nor will I, what qualities got me hired that day, but since my first two lines on &#8216;Quincy&#8217; as a contract player at Universal Studios to this last spectacular creative year some 44 years later, there&#8217;s not a day in my professional life that goes by without my being reminded that I am the daughter of movie stars. The current conversation about nepo babies is just designed to try to diminish and denigrate and hurt.&#8221;
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Curtis went on to explain that she had always been aware that the &#8220;reflected fame&#8221; from her parents could have brought her certain advantages, but that did not mean that she had no value or worth of her own.
&#8220;It&#8217;s curious how we immediately make assumptions and snide remarks that someone related to someone else who is famous in their field for their art, would somehow have no talent whatsoever. I have come to learn that is simply not true,&#8221; Curtis continued. &#8220;I have suited up and shown up for all different kinds of work with thousands of thousands of people and every day I&#8217;ve tried to bring integrity and professionalism and love and community and art to my work. I am not alone. There are many of us. Dedicated to our craft. Proud of our lineage. Strong in our belief in our right to exist.&#8221;
Curtis concluded with a note to her followers — and to herself — saying that it was important to simply &#8220;be kind.&#8221;
Academy Award nominee <a href="https://dailywire.com/news/may-we-all-today-sing-for-olivia-actress-kate-hudson-belts-out-newton-john-tune-in-touching-tribute/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Kate Hudson</a> (&#8220;Almost Famous,&#8221; 2000) was raised by her mother, actress Goldie Hawn, and her stepfather, actor Kurt Russell — and <a href="https://pagesix.com/2022/12/26/kate-hudson-sees-nepo-babies-way-more-in-other-industries/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">she argued</a> that the influence of nepotism seemed to be far more prevalent in other industries.
&#8220;I see it in business way more than I see it in Hollywood,&#8221; Hudson said during an <a href="https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/films/features/kate-hudson-interview-glass-onion-knives-out-b2250000.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">interview</a> with The Independent on Sunday. &#8220;Sometimes I’ve been in business meetings where I’m like, &#8216;Wait, whose child is this?&#8217; Like, &#8216;This person knows nothing!'&#8221;
Hudson went on to say that, at least in her family, the correlation might have more to do with a common personality type than nepotism.
&#8220;It’s definitely in our blood. People can call it whatever they want, but it’s not going to change it,&#8221; she said. And at the end of the day, she argued that it all came down to who was willing to put in the work. &#8220;I don’t care where you come from, or what your relationship to the business is … if you work hard and you kill it.&#8221;

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Every Christmas brings toys, treats, and a dozen (or more) sticky-sweet films.
You know the favorites by heart (like “Elf”), but every December delivers dozens of wannabe classics brimming with Christmas cheer. Think “Three Wise Men and a Baby,” “Santa Bootcamp,” and “Haul Out the Holly,” from this year’s haul alone.
For some, though, the movie parade can be a mite too merry. It’s why Hollywood’s counter-programming gurus give us darker tales to balance out the cinematic eggnog.
The 1984 classic “Gremlins” may have unofficially started this bleak Christmas tradition. Director Joe Dante’s romp follows Zach Galligan and Phoebe Cates as they battle a town full of, well, gremlins.
The film is set during the holidays, and one scene pushed the boundaries of its PG rating.
Cates’s character recalls how her father tried to surprise the family one Christmas by sneaking down the chimney, Kringle style. Except he broke his neck during the descent and died. The family found out when they tried lighting the fireplace and smelled something odd.
The scene <a href="https://screenrant.com/gremlins-movie-classic-santa-scene-almost-cut/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">nearly got sliced by nervous Warner Bros. suits</a>, but Dante insisted it matched the film’s creepy tone.
Consider that the grandaddy of all dark and gloomy holiday films. Here are the others:
<h2>“Fatman” (2020)</h2>
Mel Gibson, of all people, stars as Ol’ Saint Nick in this bleak, bloody thriller. Gibson’s character &#8216;Chris Cringle&#8217; is burned out, but that’s not the worst of his problems. A disgruntled child can’t forget the lump of coal that greeted him one bitter Christmas morning.
So the lad hires a hitman (Walton Goggins) to take out the “fatman” once and for all. What follows is bleak, bloody, and not nearly as edgy as it wants to be.
It’s hardly Gibson’s fault, but he should have waited for a script rewrite before pulling on that famous red suit.
<h2>“Bad Santa” (2003)</h2>
It’s the ultimate black Christmas comedy, and it saves its sentimental side for the very end. Billy Bob Thornton stars as a department store Santa who uses the guise to rob department stores to his heart’s content. 
His thievery hits a snag when he bonds with a wayward teen in desperate need of a father figure. Good luck, kid.
The film’s finale showcases the beating heart that was there all along, buried under vulgar language, out-of-wedlock sex, and other R-rated shenanigans. Few actors portray flawed souls you can’t help rooting for quite like Thornton, and the story’s redemptive arc proves surprisingly solid.
<h2>“Christmas Bloody Christmas” (2022)</h2>
The story: A military grade Santa Claus robot goes rogue, slicing and dicing its way through an unsuspecting town. It’s up to a record store owner and her hipster employee to stare down the robot threat before it can paint the town red … with blood.
This uber-low-budget affair offers little wit to lighten the seasonal bloodshed.
<h2>“Violent Night” (2022)</h2>
David Harbour of “Stranger Things” fame gets a crack at playing the big guy. His Santa is fed up with ungrateful kiddos, and he’s been around the block a time or two. One flashback shows him in a former life as a Viking warrior who has a way with a sledgehammer.
Why? To explain how Harbour’s Santa stands up to a team of mercenaries, led by John Leguizamo, hoping to steal a rich family’s fortune. The action is relentless, and so is the ultra-violence. The screenplay proves routinely witty, though, which leavens the mayhem.
What might surprise viewers is the subplot involving an ex-couple who may reunite before the final credits roll. Their child, delightfully played by young Leah Brady, gives this Santa hope for the future.
<h2>“Black Christmas” (1974, 2019)</h2>
Director Bob Clark directed 1983’s “A Christmas Story,” arguably the definitive movie for the season. Eleven years earlier, Clark uncorked “Black Christmas,” one of the first slasher films. A group of sorority sisters face a serial killer in their midst, and the body count quickly starts to rise.
The 2019 remake leaned heavily into woke, drawing the ire of even liberal film critics who roasted its faux feminist trappings.
<h2>“The Night Before” (2015)</h2>
This very stoner Christmas stars Seth Rogen, Anthony Mackie, and Joseph Gordon-Levitt as three chums who spend each December searching for the best yuletide bash. That tradition is threatened by them aging out of their youthful shtick, but not before a final round of drinking, drugging, and other controlled substances.
The comedy is pure Rogen – R-rated high jinks with plenty of pot gags to wash it all down.
<h2>“Anna and the Apocalypse:” (2017)</h2>
You can never get too many zombie musicals set around the holidays. Anna (Ella Hunt) is in her final year of high school when an undead outbreak happens around the school’s Christmas pageant.
The usual mayhem occurs, from brain-chomping sequences to teen alliances gone awry. The big wrinkle? The engaging cast breaks into song now and then, bouncy numbers that make the horror tropes easy to digest.
<h2>“The Ice Harvest” (2005)</h2>
This Christmas alternative boasts a serious creative pedigree. It’s directed by Harold Ramis, the Ghostbuster who previously helmed “Groundhog Day” and “Caddyshack.” Co-screenwriter Richard Russo penned the novel-turned Paul Newman drama “Nobody’s Fool.”
John Cusack and Billy Bob Thornton star as morally dubious souls who steal $2 million from a mob boss around Christmas time. Now, they’ll have to stay alive long enough to spend it.
Iconic critic Roger Ebert gave the film <a href="https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/the-ice-harvest-2005" target="_blank" rel="noopener">his inimitable thumbs up,</a> comparing the story to tales spun by crime guru Elmore Leonard.
<h2>“Die Hard” (1988)</h2>
It’s a Christmas movie. ‘nuff said. 
* * * * *
Christian Toto is an award-winning journalist, movie critic and editor of <a href="http://www.hollywoodintoto.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">HollywoodInToto.com</a>. He previously served as associate editor with Breitbart News&#8217; Big Hollywood. Follow him at <a href="https://twitter.com/HollywoodInToto?lang=en" target="_blank" rel="noopener">@HollywoodInToto</a>. 
The views expressed in this piece are those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.

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