It’s Sunday, which means it’s time for the horror haul, our weekly round-up and one-stop-shop for all things horror. This week in horror,Alien: Covenant’s promo blitz continues with a new clip unleashing some Facehugger chaos andJeremy Slater’sThe Exorcistseries finally gets that Season 2 renewal from FOX.
Elsewhere,Michael Rookerwill reunite with hisHenry: Portrait of a Serial KillerdirectorJohn McNaughtonand a new behind-the-scenes video from the set ofPuppet Master: The Littlest Reichreveals details on the killer puppet reboot. Plus, a new trailer for the festival zombie hitIt Stains the Sand Redand A24’s horror thrillerWoodshock.
For all the horror news we’ve already covered on the site, you can click through the links below. Then, check out other genre highlights from the week and finish it all up with a rundown of the week in horror movie trailers. For more, be sure to hit upCollider Nightmaresor our round-up of thebest horror movies on Netflix. Thanks for tuning in, and sound off in the comments with your thoughts, questions, and other horror musings.
Interviews:
‘Alien: Covenant’ Clip Unleashes a Facehugger
At last,Alien: Covenantis almost in theaters. And it’s good! Kind of. Maybe. Depending on who you ask. It also might be horrible. Again, depends on who you ask. One thing’s for sure, this movie is going to rile up some fantastic debates among fans of the franchise. For what it’s worth, I both loved and hatedCovenant, whichyou can read all about in my full review.
Personally, I’d recommend steering clear of allAlien: Covenantpromo from this point out because they’re spoiling the shit out of the movie (and have been for a while). But alas, here’s a video of a Facehugger attack. It’s also got some sweetDemian Bichiraction, which is always welcome.
Covenantarrives in US theaters May 19. Here’s the official synopsis:
Ridley Scott returns to the universe he created, with ALIEN: COVENANT, a new chapter in his groundbreaking ALIEN franchise. The crew of the colony ship Covenant, bound for a remote planet on the far side of the galaxy, discovers what they think is an uncharted paradise, but is actually a dark, dangerous world. When they uncover a threat beyond their imagination, they must attempt a harrowing escape.
‘The Exorcist’ Renewed for Season 2 at FOX
Jeremy Slater’sThe Exorcistseries took a lot of people by surprise when the TV adaptation ofWilliam Peter Blatty’s 1971 novel andWilliam Friedkin’s iconic 1973 film debuted on FOX last year. What seemed like a dreadful idea on paper turned out to be one of the best horror shows in recent memory, and the network has kept folks on pins and needles since the Season 1 finale last December waiting for a Season 2 renewal.
If you thought hope was lost, surprise! FOX has renewedThe Exorcistfor Season 2. No official details on whenThe Exorcistwill return (though if it follows last year’s pattern, you should look for it in the fall) or where Season 2 will pick up.
Speaking withBloody Disgustinglast year, Slater warned that fans shouldn’t expect to see much of the Rances in Season 2 (they’ve been through enough, guys), teasing the introduction of a new case.
A potential season two would find Marcus, Tomas and Bennett tasked with helping a new family or a new case of possession… That doesn’t mean we’ll never see any of the Rances again, but I think the fans would feel disappointed and cheated if we simply brought Captain Howdy back for round three. The Rances have escaped this legacy of terror–for the time being, anyway–and it seems cruel to immediately drag them back for ten more episodes of suffering. Our challenge now is to create a new family that you care about just as much as the Rances, and to find ways to make their story feel just as compelling and unique as what came before.
You ‘Better Watch Out’ Because There’s One Effed Up Christmas Horror Coming This Fall
In the mood for a deeply fucked up Christmas movie? Get ready forChris Peckover’sBetter Watch Out. I caught this one at Fantastic Fest last year when it was going by the name ofSafe Neighborhood, and had a very intense reaction to the movie. The trouble is that it’s almost impossible to talk about this movie without spoiling it, but let’s just say it’s definitely not what the crowd was expecting and different people in the audience had very different responses to the film. While plenty of folks in my theater were guffawing and having a blast, I was thoroughly disturbed and writhing in my seat. It’s a nasty, visceral little number worth checking out and it’s sue to spark an interesting dialogue.
And now we’ve finally got some details on when you can see it. Well Go USA (who also recently acquired Aaron Moore and Justin Benson’s Tribecca hitThe Endless) have picked up the film, retitled it toBetter Watch Outand slated it for an June 30, 2025 theatrical and VOD release. Personally, I’m a fan of the new title. It instantly sells the film as a holiday horror movie. October 6 is a bold release date for an independent genre film (the market is pretty flooded with studio horror at that time), but it could pay off since it allows the film to target the HalloweenandChristmas crowds with time for a holiday friendly home video release.
Here’s the official synopsis from the press release:
Better Watch Out(formerly known asSafe Neighborhood) stars Olivia DeJonge (The Visit) as a babysitter who, one snowy night on a quiet suburban street, must defend her twelve-year-old charge (Levi Miller, Pan) from intruders… but quickly learns that this is one extraordinary home invasion that demands an equally extraordinary response. Co-starring Virginia Madsen, Patrick Warburton, Ed Oxenbould (The Visit), Aleks Mikic and Dacre Montgomery (Power Rangers),Better Watch Outwill surprise and delight anyone who not only loves a good holiday movie, but also wishesHome Alonehad a lot more blood in it.
New ‘Puppet Master: The Littlest Reich’ Video Heads Behind the Scenes
Behind The Scenes of Puppet Master: The Littlest ReichfromExploredinaryonVimeo.
ThePuppet Masterreboot is shaping up to be quite the unanticipated bit of awesomeness. The film is reportedly set in a parallel universe to the original (a nice way out of having to be a sequel/prequel/remake) and will have a darker tone. But best of all, they’re going full practical for the film, and from the look of the video, they’re killing it.
Puppet Master: The Littlest Reichis directed bySonny LagunaandTommy Wiklundfrom a script byBone Tomahawkwriter/directorS. Craig Zahler. The film starsBarbara Crampton. Thomas Lennon, Udo Kier, Michael Paré, Jenny Pellicer, Nelson Franklin, Alex Beh, Tina Parker, Skeeta Jenkins,andCharlyne Yi.
A recently divorced young man who discovers a mint condition Blade doll in his deceased brother’s closet and plans to sell the toy at a convention in Oregon celebrating the 30th anniversary of the infamous Toulon Murders. All hell breaks loose at the Postville Lodge during the auction when a strange force animates all of the various puppets throughout the convention as they go on a bloody killing spree.
Michael Rooker Reteaming with ‘Henry’ Director John McNaughton
Michael Rookeris following up that mother of a performance inGuardians of the Galaxy Vol.2 by reteaming with the man who helped make his career. Rooker will reunite withHenry: Portrait of a Serial KillerdirectorJohn McNaughtonfor an adaptation ofFlannery O’Connor’s 1953 short storyA Good Man is Hard to Find, which should be just about as fun to watch asHenryif they’re hewing close to the source material. The story follows a family who crosses paths with a dangerous man called The Misfit, who’s a bit too keen on murderin'. The screenplay comes fromThe Passion Of The ChristscribeBenedict Fitzgerald.
Trailer Trash: ‘It Stains the Sand Red’, ‘Woodstuck
It Stains the Sand Redhttps://www.youtube.com/embed/QxCHyWjXasU
In the throes of a zombie apocalypse, Molly, a troubled woman from Las Vegas, finds herself stranded in the desert with a lone ravenous zombie on her trail. At first, she’s easily able to outpace her undead pursuer, but things quickly become a nightmare when she realizes the zombie doesn’t need to ever stop and rest. Running low on supplies and beat down by the harsh environment, Molly will have to summon the strength she never knew she had to ultimately face both the zombie and the demons that have chased her all her life. The film will play this year’s LA Film Festival and will be released in theaters by MPI Media Group’s genre division, Dark Sky Films in Summer 2017.
Woodshockhttps://www.youtube.com/embed/RpscZ_YD-ns
Written and directed by Kate Mulleavy and Laura Mulleavy and starring Kirsten Dunst, Joe Cole, and Pilou Asbæk. WOODSHOCK – In Theaters September 15.
The Limehouse Golemhttps://www.youtube.com/embed/MCJp8-MebGY
Set on the unforgiving, squalid streets of Victorian London in 1880, our tale begins in the baroque, grandiose music hall where the capital’s most renowned performer Dan Leno (Douglas Booth) takes to the stage. The whimsical thespian performs a monologue, informing his dedicated audience of the ghastly fate of a young woman who had once adorned this very stage, his dear friend Elizabeth Cree (Olivia Cooke); for the beguiling songstress is facing up to her forthcoming death by hanging, having been accused of murdering her husband John Cree (Sam Reid). Lizzie’s death seems inevitable, until Detective Inspector John Kildare (Bill Nighy) is assigned to the case of the Limehouse Golem – a nefarious, calculating serial killer, murdering innocent, unconnected victims, leaving behind barely identifiable corpses – and his distinctive signature in blood. All is not what it seems and everyone is a suspect and everyone has a secret.
