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Taylor Sheridan has carved a very specific niche for himself at Paramount. He's the mastermind behind "Yellowstone" and its myriad spinoffs like "1883" and "1923," which remain some of the best shows in the creative's oeuvre. All of his other shows, like "Landman" and "Tulsa King," have a distinctly neo-western vibe to them, which has clearly resonated with audiences. But before he was a taste maker, Sheridan tried to make a living as an actor, something that was easier said than done. 

Sheridan still acts too. In fact, he had a supporting role as Travis Wheatley in "Yellowstone," but his bread and butter comes from behind the camera with his responsibilities as a writer, director, and producer. But acting used to be his main gig, showing up in episodes of "Walker, Texas Ranger," "Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman," and "Party of Five," to name a few. 

However, his worst project, according to reviews on IMDb,...

43 years ago, the runaway box office success of "48 Hrs.," in which Nick Nolte and Eddie Murphy bickered and brawled as they attempted to track down a couple of vicious escaped convicts, turned the buddy-cop subgenre into a formula goldmine. Before the 1980s drew to a close, films like "Running Scared," "Beverly Hills Cop," "Lethal Weapon," and "Red Heat" were able to work profitable variations on this very simple dynamic. Even though cops have never been more difficult to root for, the subgenre, as evidenced by the 2024 success of "Beverly Hills Cop: Axel Foley," is still commercially appealing today.

While movies like "48 Hrs." and "Lethal Weapon" were powered by tightly constructed screenplays, the vast majority of buddy cop films got by on comedic anarchy. They actually had more in common with Richard Rush's gloriously shaggy "Freebie and the Bean" from 1974; two partners exchange profane repartee for a couple...

Arnold Schwarzenegger was, for a time, one of the biggest action stars in Hollywood. He still carries this reputation with him now at 77 years old, and many of his action flicks from the '80s and '90s have stood the test of time. Schwarzenegger's action hero tenure largely started with Conan the Barbarian in 1982, but it was 1984's The Terminator and his role as the T-800 that cemented him as a staple of the genre.

Movies from the '80s like Predator (1987) and The Running Man (1987) remain Scharzenegger action classics, as does 1990's Total Recall. The 90's saw the Austrian actor's domination of the action space continue with movies like Kindergarten Cop (1990), Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991), Last Action Hero (1993) and True Lies (1994). There's one title from the '80s, however, that also lives on as not just a quintessential Schwarzenegger action movie, but as one that is emblematic of...

Peter and Bobby Farrelly's 2005 romantic comedy "Fever Pitch," based on the Nick Hornby novel, was about the relationship travails of a level-headed businesswoman named Lindsey (Drew Barrymore) as she attempted to date a funny and charming schoolteacher named Ben (Jimmy Fallon). Ben admits early in their courtship that he is a fan of the Boston Red Sox. Nay, not just a fan, but an embarrassingly devoted superfan who attends all their games. Lindsey doesn't know much about baseball, and she has to accept that, if she wants to keep seeing Ben, she'll have to attend many, many baseball games with him. She'll also have to follow his emotional ups and downs as his favorite team wins or loses.

Curiously, Hornby's original book wasn't about a baseball team, but Arsenal, an English football club. The title "Fever Pitch" makes more sense with baseball.

"Fever Pitch" was fine, and nothing more.

Stephen King wrote his conspiracy thriller "Firestarter" in 1980, and it lodged itself in the mass consciousness. The novel was about a shadowy government organization called the Shop that was injecting volunteers with a mysterious drug called Lot 6. The drug imbued subjects with eerie psychic powers. The book's protagonist, Andy, was able to invade people's minds and "push" them into doing his will. 

Andy fled the Shop with his telekinetic wife, went into hiding, and had a daughter named Charlie. Charlie was born with the psychic ability to start fires with her mind. For years, Shop agents are on their tail, including an unbalanced, obsessed assassin named Rainbird. As one might predict, the story ends in a fiery conflagration between Charlie and a battalion of tanks. 

"Firestarter" was first adapted to film in 1984 by director Mark L. Lester. A young Drew Barrymore played Charlie, David Keith played Andy, and George C. Scott played Rainbird.

Cinderella carves a bloody warpath of revenge in the horror movie Cinderella’s Revenge, which is now playing in theaters nationwide beginning today, April 26, 2024.

To whet your appetite, watch a masked Cinderella begin her bloody vengeance in an exclusive clip down below. You’ll also find the film’s previously released official trailer underneath.

The Wrap recently reported, “The film stars Lauren Staerck as the famed young lady who finds freedom from her wicked stepmother with the help of her fairy godmother. Only this time, instead of sending her to a ball to find her prince, the godmother (Natasha Henstridge) helps Cinderella unleash a plan of bloody vengeance.”

Stephanie Lodge, Beatrice Fletcher, Megan Purvis and Darrell Griggs also star.

Cinderella’s Revenge is produced by Mark Amin, Mark Lester, Cami Winikoff and Jessica Mathis.

“I’m so excited for audiences to see this newly imagined horror version of Cinderella in theaters. The...

Lauren Staerck and Natasha Henstridge lead a twisted update on a classic fairytale in Cinderella's Revenge, due out on April 26th. Ahead of the movie's release, we have an exclusive clip, just for Daily Dead readers!

"Cinderella’s wicked stepsisters and stepmother push her too far, leading her to swap her glass slippers in pursuit of blood-soaked vengeance with the help of her Fairy Godmother."

Starring: Lauren Staerck, Natasha Henstridge, Stephanie Lodge, Beatrice Fletcher, Megan Purvis & Darrell Griggs Release Date: April 26, 2024 Directed by: Andy Edwards Produced by: Mark L. Lester & Jessica Mathis

The post Watch an Exclusive Clip from Cinderella’S Revenge appeared first on Daily Dead.

Blacktop International has announced major territory sales here on horror Cinderella’s Revenge starring Lauren Staerck and Natasha Henstridge from Species.

Deals have closed for German-speaking Europe (Tiberius Film), Latin America (Great Movies), Nordics/Scandinavia (NjutaFilms), Middle East (Phoenicia Pictures), and Cis (Movie Distribution Network).

Jd Beaufils of Blacktop International negotiated the deals on behalf of the filmmakers and is continuing talks at the EFM.

Andy Edwards (Zombie Spring Breakers) directed the film from Sobini Films and Tital Global Entertaiment in which the beloved fairytale character turns the tables on her wicked stepsisters and stepmother with the help of her...

We exclusively shared the trailer for Cinderella’s Curse last week, but that’s just one of two Cinderella horror movies on the way this year. The other is titled Cinderella’s Revenge.

Cinderella gets her revenge in theaters on April 26, 2024, and Entertainment Weekly has shared the official trailer along with new info this week. Watch the trailer down below.

The Wrap recently reported, “The film stars Lauren Staerck as the famed young lady who finds freedom from her wicked stepmother with the help of her fairy godmother. Only this time, instead of sending her to a ball to find her prince, the godmother (Natasha Henstridge) helps Cinderella unleash a plan of bloody vengeance.”

Director Andy Edwards (Zombie Spring Breakers) tells EW this week, “We have Cinderella, we have the evil stepmother, we have the two evil sisters, and they treat her pretty badly. But there’s a few twists in it and a few surprises.

About eight months ago, we heard that Natasha Henstridge of the first two Species movies and John Carpenter’s Ghosts of Mars, among other credits, had signed on to star in Cinderella’s Revenge, which gives the classic fairy tale a horror twist. Last week, it was announced that the film is set to receive a theatrical release on April 26th, courtesy of Iconic Events. Now a trailer has arrived online to offer a glimpse of what this film has in store for us when it reaches the big screen, and you can check it out in the embed above.

This theatrical release is part of an exclusive deal with Regal, with Quiver Distribution handling all other rights in North America.

Starring Lauren Staerck (Curse of Jack Frost) as Cinderella, this gory twist on the fairy tale will show us what happens when Cinderella’s wicked stepsisters and stepmother push her too far,...

Mark L. Lester's ultra-violent 1985 actioner "Commando" is entertainingly ridiculous and ridiculously entertaining. Few films of the era reflect on the ultra-violent military fantasies of Reagan's America better than "Commando," an irony to be sure, as it stars a massive Austrian actor. Arnold Schwarzenegger plays a former Special Forces Colonel named John Matrix who is attempting to live a quiet life with his sweet daughter Jenny (Alyssa Milano). When Jenny is kidnapped by a vengeful villain played by Dan Hedaya, it gives John the moral license to murder about a thousand people in a violent quest to rescue her. John Matrix shoots, explodes, cuts, stabs, and buzzsaw-frisbees his way through Hedaya's minions without a scratch, a military superman with untouchable skill and an unslaked bloodlust. 

The violence in "Commando" is horrifying and spectacular. Looking over the film's parental advisory on IMDb may sell the film better than any conventional advertisement.

About eight months ago, we heard that Natasha Henstridge of the first two Species movies and John Carpenter’s Ghosts of Mars, among other credits, had signed on to star in Cinderella’s Revenge, which gives the classic fairy tale a horror twist. The film was in production in the UK at the time, with Andy Edwards (Zombie Spring Breakers) directing for Sobini Films. Cinderella’s Revenge has since made its way through post-production, and now The Wrap reports that it’s set to receive a theatrical release on April 26th, courtesy of Iconic Events. They note that this theatrical release is part of an exclusive deal with Regal, with Quiver Distribution handling all other rights in North America.

Starring Lauren Staerck (Curse of Jack Frost) as Cinderella, this gory twist on the fairy tale will show us what happens when Cinderella’s wicked stepsisters and stepmother push her too far,...

Cinderella is set to spill blood on the big screen, with The Wrap reporting today that Iconic Events is bringing the public domain horror movie Cinderella’s Revenge to theaters.

Cinderella gets her revenge in theaters on April 26, 2024.

The Wrap details, “The film stars Lauren Staerck as the famed young lady who finds freedom from her wicked stepmother with the help of her fairy godmother. Only this time, instead of sending her to a ball to find her prince, the godmother (Natasha Henstridge) helps Cinderella unleash a plan of bloody vengeance.”

Andy Edwards (Zombie Spring Breakers) directed for Sobini Films.

Stephanie Lodge, Beatrice Fletcher, Megan Purvis and Darrell Griggs also star.

Cinderella’s Revenge is produced by Mark Amin, Mark Lester, Cami Winikoff and Jessica Mathis.

“I’m so excited for audiences to see this newly imagined horror version of Cinderella in theaters. The picture is scary and fun at the same time,...

Intro: If there’s one word that perfectly sums up the bombastic nature of 80s action cinema, it has to be ‘excess’. Action behemoths, big hair, muscles, fantastical landscapes, and arm-wrestling matches that could be won by the simple flip of your favourite cap. It was an amazing decade for movies, and for action movie icons. Looking back on the early career of one of the era’s most iconic megastars, Arnold Schwarzenegger, there’s one thing that jumps out like doomed cannon-fodder from one of his movies; they were never dull. After having successfully conquered the world of bodybuilding, and subsequently the glitz and glamour of Hollywood, with career defining roles in Conan the Barbarian, Conan the Destroyer, The Terminator and Red Sonja, it’s clear that going bigger would be better for his career. Those movies highlighted how Arnie’s impressive physique could be utilised for maximum effect,...

Spooky Season is now well underway, and that means a deluge of new horror movies for the next two months straight. Today alone, Eight new horror movies have just been unleashed.

Here’s all the new horror that released for September 8, 2023.

For daily reminders about new horror releases, be sure to follow @HorrorCalendar.

First up, the darkest – and most financially successful – chapter in The Conjuring Universe continues in The Nun II, which is now playing in theaters nationwide.

Valak returns in The Nun II from director Michael Chaves (Curse of La Llorona, The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It), and you can read Meagan’s review right here.

Taissa Farmiga will be back as Sister Irene, with Bonnie Aarons again playing the demonic nun known as Valak. Storm Reid (“Euphoria”) will also star in the film.

Here’s the first The Nun II plot synopsis: “1956 – France. A priest is murdered.

47 years ago, Brian de Palma directed Carrie, Stephen King’s bone-chilling first novel, and moviemaking was never the same. Since that time, more than 50 directors have adapted the king’s books in 80 films and series. And rightly so. The man is considered the master of horror, after all. Still, that 50/80 feat makes Stephen King the most adapted living author in the entire world.

All that makes for a fitting documentary, and Daphné Baiwir (Deauville and the American Dream) was eager to spotlight the icon in King on Screen, a compelling new documentary that unpacks the man, the horror he brought to the screen, and the unique talent that never faded.

The outing features insights from King collaborators and enthusiasts Frank Darabont, Mick Garris (The Stand miniseries), Mike Flanagan (Doctor Sleep), Tom Holland, Vincenzo Natali (Cube), Greg Nicotero (The Walking Dead), Mark L. Lester (Firestarter), Dee Wallace, Tim Curry (Pennywise in 1990's It), Taylor Hackford,...

This summer has been packed with horror on the big screen, with films including Insidious: The Red Door, Talk to Me, Haunted Mansion and Meg 2: The Trench currently playing in theaters nationwide. This week, one of horror’s classic icons joins them at the box office.

Here’s all the new horror releasing August 8– August 13, 2023!

For daily reminders about new horror releases, be sure to follow @HorrorCalendar.

First up from Dread is the horror movie Island Escape, the latest feature film from prolific indie creature feature director Bruce Wemple (Monstrous, Dawn of the Beast).

Island Escape is available On Demand today, and it’s hitting Blu-ray on September 12.

In the film, “After a mysterious accident at a research camp on the Isle of Gran Manan, a CEO hires a team of blue – collar mercenaries to extract his daughter, a scientist working at the camp. Upon arrival, the team soon...

Published in 1974, it was just two years before Brian De Palma brought Stephen King’s Carrie to the big screen, the very first adaptation of a King tale. Needless to say, the movie was a total game-changer in the world of Stephen King and horror at large, paving the way for countless other King adaptations that have never really slowed down in the decades since.

In this exclusive clip from the upcoming documentary King on Screen, masters of horror including Mick Garris and Frank Darabont spotlight the importance of Carrie to King’s career.

“It all started with Carrie,” Mick Garris explains in the clip. “The book was not well known until De Palma’s movie came out. And the movie blew me away. It was so great.”

Frank Darabont adds, “It was the movie that really brought a lot of attention to Steve’s work.”

Dark Star Pictures has...

The horror film Ouija Witch is now available to watch through all major digital and cable platforms, and to help you decide whether or not this a movie you’d like to check out, we have the trailer embedded above!

Directed by Robert Michael Ryan (Dark Revelations) from a screenplay by John Doolan (Steve Niles’ Remains), based on a story Ryan crafted with Cuyle Carvin (Dark Corners Horror Anthology), Ouija Witch centers on a young woman who summons an evil witch to get revenge on the men who attacked her.

The film stars Miley Rose (Asteroid), Jeremy Dean (The Thing About Pam), Cheyenne Phillips (Outlaws and Angels), Ryan M. Shaw (Bring Him Back Dead), LeJon Woods (The Tomorrow Job), Rivera Reese (FBI: Most Wanted), Maggie Wagner (The Talent Given Us), Mattie Jo Cowsert (Slumber Still: Dawn of Shadows), Mabel Thomas (The Resonator), Sara Frankino (Riding Waves), Chris Jehnert (Teacher Shortage...

Stephen King is among history’s most frequently adapted writers, up there with Charles Dickens, the Brothers Grimm, and William Shakespeare for inspiring the most successful page-to-picture creations. From Rob Reiner and David Cronenberg to Mike Flanagan and Andy Muschietti, genre filmmakers have clamored to take on King’s words for decades.

There’s no shortage of material to go around, of course. Horror’s reigning titan of literary terror has written more than 60 books and 200 short stories: many of them rooted in King’s signature strangeness and the believable humanity that turned 2017’s “It” into a global sensation. King has teamed up with his son Joe Hill to produce even more cinematic fodder in recent years. The pair’s “In the Tall Grass” novella became a Netflix movie in 2019, and Hill enjoyed his own success with Scott Derrickson’s 2022 “The Black Phone” adaptation.

Almost all of King’s titles...

The ending of Commando would have been quite a bit different, if not for Sylvester Stallone. While Stallone had nothing to do with the hit action movie, its ending is said to have changed due to the Rocky star's rivalry at the time with Arnold Schwarzenegger. Back in the 1980s, both Schwarzenegger and Stallone had been on the rise in the action genre, each determined to be the very best. This meant frequently paying attention to what the other one was doing and then trying to top that.

In a new interview with Radio Times, screenwriter Steven E. de Souza recalled working on Commando in commemoration of the film having a special screening on June 25 at the London Action Festival. De Souza remembers Schwarzenegger sharing with him his belief that Commando would be more successful than Rambo, as the former took itself less seriously than the latter.

"I concurred with Arnold [that the film would be a success]," de Souza says.

Commando remains one of the quintessential Arnold Schwarzenegger action movies. There are the incredible set pieces and the one-liners and the scene where he feeds a deer for some reason. But major changes had to be made when it came to the ending due to the rivalry between Schwarzenegger and Sylvester Stallone.

Screenwriter Steven E. de Souza – who was one of the go-to action writers for a stretch, also penning The Running Man, Die Hard and Judge Dredd – sat down with Radio Times to let off some steam about how his script was changed following the release of Rambo: First Blood Part II, which had come out while Arnold was filming Commando. “I concurred with Arnold [that the film would be a success]. At the time it was Rambo versus Commando and those two had a rivalry for a long time, but Arnold predicted that people would still be talking about this film because it did not...

The writer of Arnold Schwarzenegger’s Commando explains how the star’s rivalry with Sylvester Stallone led to the action movie being changed. Coming off Conan the Barbarian and The Terminator, Schwarzenegger had his first chance to star as a classic militaristic action hero in the 1985 movie Commando. In that very same year, Schwarzenegger’s chief action movie rival Stallone released his own gung-ho shoot-em-up in Rambo: First Blood Part II, the sequel to his 1982 hit First Blood.

Commando vs. Rambo II was to audiences an epic showdown between ‘80s action stars, and it turns out people working behind-the-scenes on Commando saw things in these terms too, at least according to Commando writer Steven E. de Souza. Speaking to Radio Times, de Souza talked at length about how the desire to match the violence in Rambo II led to changes in the Commando script, and explained how these changes, through the domino effect,...

Natasha Henstridge of the first two Species movies and John Carpenter’s Ghosts of Mars, among other credits, has signed on to star in Cinderella’s Revenge, which gives the classic fairy tale a horror twist. Filming is already underway in the UK, with Andy Edwards (Zombie Spring Breakers) directing for Sobini Films.

Starring Lauren Staerck (Curse of Jack Frost) as Cinderella, this take on the fairy tale will show us what happens when Cinderella’s wicked stepsisters and stepmother push her too far, leading her to swap her glass slippers in pursuit of blood-soaked vengeance with the help of her Fairy Godmother.

My immediate assumption was that Henstridge would be playing the wicked stepmother, but she’s actually taking on the role of the Fairy Godmother.

Henstridge and Staerck are joined in the cast of Cinderella’s Revenge by Stephanie Lodge (Jack & Jill: The Hills of Hell), Beatrice Fletcher...

For the past half-century, the adaptations of Stephen King's written works have been as prolific as the legendary writer himself, and in her new documentary, King on Screen, Daphné Baiwir talks with the filmmakers behind these adaptations to explore the enduring appeal of bringing King's prose to life on screen.

Ahead of the film's August 11th theatrical release and September 8th On Demand and Blu-ray release, we have a look at the documentary's official trailer, and in case you missed it, be sure to read Heather Wixson's Fantastic Fest interview with Daphné Baiwir!

Directed by Daphné Baiwir, King on Screen features interviews with Frank Darabont, Mick Garris, Mike Flanagan, Tom Holland, Vincenzo Natali, Greg Nicotero, Mark L. Lester, Dee Wallace, Tim Curry, and James Caan.

Synopsis: "1976, Brian de Palma directs Carrie, the first novel by Stephen King. Since then, more than 50 directors have adapted the master of horror's books,...

"It's an idealized America, but then it's ripped apart and sent to hell." Dark Star Pictures has unveiled an official trailer for the documentary film King on Screen, about the acclaimed "master of horror" novelist Stephen King. This doc first premiered at last year's Fantastic Fest and the Sitges Film Festival in the fall, the two top genre festivals in the world. It'll get a proper theatrical release before hitting VOD in the US at the end of the summer this year. In King on Screen, directors who adapted Stephen King stories will discuss why Stephen King is not only the King of Horror, but the Master of Characters psychology, and way more than that. The purpose of this film is to "seek out stories to make an exciting tribute to Stephen King, to his deep knowledge of the human psychology through the characters he created, and to his mastery of narrative and suspense,...

Dark Star Pictures has acquired North American rights to Daphné Baiwir’s feature documentary King on Screen, and today the official trailer has been unleashed

Additionally, we’ve learned that the documentary, approved by Stephen King, will get a limited theatrical release on August 11 followed by On Demand and Blu-ray on September 8.

“1976, Brian de Palma directs Carrie, the first novel by Stephen King. Since then, more than 50 directors have adapted the master of horror’s books, in more than 80 films and series, making him the most adapted author alive in the world. What’s so fascinating about him that filmmakers cannot stop adapting his works?

“Director Daphné Baiwir’s King on Screen reunites the filmmakers that have adapted Stephen King’s books for cinema and TV, including Frank Darabont, Tom Holland, Mick Garris and Taylor Hackford. It is a movie made for the fans and with the fans, led by an international ambition.

Jeff Howard to write and Executive Produce Fangoria Studios’ live-action feature film adaptation of “Junji Ito’S Bloodsucking Darkness”: "Legendary Japanese horror mangaka/manga author and artist Junji Ito and Fangoria Studios are set to produce Bloodsucking Darkness; a vampire tale from the beloved master of horror’s hit manga Smashed: Junji Ito Story Collection. Executive Producer and screenwriter Jeff Howard has been tapped to develop the screen adaptation on behalf of Fangoria Studios. Bloodsucking Darkness, a live action feature film of Ito’s acclaimed works, is set to be the first of three stories that Fangoria Studios plans to adapt from Smashed.

“Fangoria Studios is going to adapt my manga! I'm so excited to see how it will turn out,” said Ito. “I hope I get to see the trailer in my dreams tonight!,”said Junji Ito.

Junji Ito began his career as a manga horror writer while working as a dental technician.

Last July, we heard that production had wrapped on Hunt Club, a thriller starring Casper Van Dien (Starship Troopers), Mena Suvari (American Beauty), Mickey Rourke (The Wrestler), Maya Stojan (Newness), Will Peltz (13 Minutes), and Jessica Belkin (The Orville). Now The Hollywood Reporter has broken the news that Hunt Club has secured a distribution deal with Uncork’d Entertainment – and along with that news comes the unveiling of a trailer, which you can watch in the embed above.

Directed by Elizabeth Blake-Thomas (The League of Legend Keepers: Shadows) from a script by David Lipper and John F. Saunders, Hunt Club puts its own twist on Richard Connell’s 1924 short story The Most Dangerous Game by telling the following story: A group of male hunters routinely lure women to their island with the chance to win 100K in a hunt, only to find that they are the hunted. But this time, the...

Last Christmas, we heard that Patrick Bergin (EastEnders) had signed on to star in a holiday horror film called Nutcracker, which Rebecca Matthews (The Gardener) was directing from a screenplay by Joe Knetter (Blind) that was based on a story by executive producer Jeff Miller (Once Upon a Time in Deadwood). That movie has now been released through the Tubi streaming service under the even more appealing title Nutcracker Massacre. To help you decide whether or not you’ll want to head over to Tubi and watch the movie as soon as possible, we have the trailer embedded above.

Executive produced by Commando director Mark L. Lester, Nutcracker Massacre follows a struggling novelist who visits her family for Christmas and finds a mysterious, life-size Nutcracker doll, which soon becomes possessed and wreaks havoc.

Bergin plays “a shopkeeper who knows much about the dark history of the doll”. He is joined...

In the 1985 action film "Commando," Arnold Schwarzenegger stars as John Matrix, a retired U.S. Army Colonel who has just 11 hours to rescue his daughter, Jenny (Alyssa Milano), from a group of mercenaries. Along the way, Matrix carjacks and forces help from Cindy (Rae Dawn Chong), a flight attendant and pilot-in-training. Finding the right actress to play the character was a challenge for the casting team.

The role of Cindy was originally written for a white actress. The film's director, Mark L. Lester told Yahoo Entertainment that 40 white actresses -- including Sharon Stone and Brigitte Nielsen -- auditioned for the role; "the usual suspects" he called them. However, it was Rae Dawn Chong, a Black Canadian woman who stood out. "She was the most comedic, and did the best reading," he said. "We were way ahead of our time in that way." Lester didn't know that behind Chong's comedic display during...

As required for any men over the age of 18 in his native Austria, action film icon Arnold Schwarzenegger served in the country's military in 1965. He, along with several other actors, were cast in the 1987 science fiction action film "Predator" due to having military experience. Two years prior, the eventual California governor starred in "Commando," in which he plays John Matrix, a retired U.S. colonel whose daughter gets kidnapped by a group of mercenaries. Matrix puts his military training to use one last time to save his daughter, Jenny (Alyssa Milano).

"Commando" is a cheesy, quippy, one-liner factory that still gets a few laughs out of me today; Schwarzenegger's comedic timing really shines in this one. Coming off the successes of "Conan the Barbarian" and "The Terminator," the film was his first big movie role in which he plays a human being with relatable human connections, highlighted by his character's bond with his daughter.

The 1990s had a plethora of action films, and movies in general, released direct-to-video. The film rental business was booming, and some video stores even hosted signing events with the stars to promote the films and their business. Direct to video action films were the most popular Dtv genre (next to soft-core erotica) and they were produced by the ton. Every week brought a new bunch of options to your local Blockbuster or Mom & Pop store. For the purpose of this list, the titles selected are fun watches even now, that were released direct-to-video for the majority of the population, and they were decently popular on the video store shelves. Without further ado, here are 5 of our favorites!

Lady Dragon (1992)

Let’s start with the Queen of 90s action in the US, the one, the only, the kickass Cynthia Rothrock. This woman is the real deal, with many martial arts...

Tobe Hooper.

At the mere mention of his name, which of the late filmmaker’s works leap to mind?

The Texas Chain Saw Massacre, of course. Certainly his most iconic film, and surely his masterpiece.

How about that film’s gonzo 80s sequel? Or perhaps Eaten Alive, his EC-tinged grindhouse film featuring a maniacal hotel proprietor and his pet crocodile? Maybe your mind leaps to his blockbuster spook story Poltergeist, his nightmarish alien invasion remake Invaders from Mars, or his superb television miniseries adaptation of Stephen King’s Salem’s Lot?

But what of The Funhouse, Hooper’s stylish, scary entry in the then-burgeoning teen slasher boom? Released in 1981, a golden year for releases in that subgenre, The Funhouse stands as a vital entry in the filmmaker’s canon, marrying his penchant for dark humor and grisly horror with a studio budget, paving the way for much of his work throughout the next decade.

In his latest video review, Kev checks out the Brian Austin Green starring Last the Night, which not only features references to the pandemic but also gun violence in schools And feels very much inspired by the likes of Mark L. Lester’s Class of 1984!

During the pandemic, a burned out teacher on the verge of a breakdown overhears his students making fun of him in a zoom class and vows revenge.

Directed by Nick Leisure, Last the Night was released in cinemas and on digital in the US on July 1st by Vertical Entertainment.

There’s a thin, blurry line between remake and adaptation. Keith Thomas’ Firestarter is both an adaptation of Stephen King‘s incendiary novel and a remake of Mark L. Lester‘s 1984 adaptation with the same name. Any crossover depends on how screenwriters take creative liberties with King’s source or how strictly each title follows the horror author’s […]

The post How ‘Firestarter’ Fails to Clear Even a Low Bar for Stephen King Adaptations [Revenge of the Remakes] appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.

“Firestarter”, the new science fiction horror feature, directed by Keith Thomas, starring Zac Efron, Ryan Kiera Armstrong, Sydney Lemmon, Kurtwood Smith, John Beasley, Michael Greyeyes and Gloria Reuben, has fizzled out at the box office earning only 3.8 million domestic and 5.8 million worldwide over the weekend:

The original "Firestarter" feature starred Drew Barrymore as 'Charlie McGee', who develops 'pyrokinesis':

"...score 'Andrew' and 'Charlie McGee', are a father-daughter pair on the run from a government agency known as 'The Shop'. During his college years, Andy had participated in a Shop experiment dealing with 'Lot 6', a drug with hallucinogenic effects similar to LSD. The drug gave his future wife, 'Victoria Tomlinson', minor telepathic abilities, and him an autohypnotic mind domination ability known as 'the Push'.

"Both his and Vicky's powers are physiologically limited. In his case, overuse of the Push gives him crippling migraine headaches and minute brain hemorrhages,...

Did we really need a new take of Stephen King’s 1980 novel Firestarter? The 1984 movie starring Drew Barrymore was reasonably compelling in that way that most early King movies were, if not particularly exceptional or memorable. (Aside from the highly unfortunate “red-face” casting of George C. Scott as a Native American government hit man, which, yikes!) And some may remember that John Carpenter had originally been set to direct that first adaptation of King’s story about a young girl with a penchant for psychokinetic pyrotechnics, yet was removed from...

Firestarter is not often mentioned in lists of Stephen King’s classic novels; although it was his sixth published novel (under his own name) and came out during his initial decade of phenomenal success, it’s not exactly held up there with landmarks like The Shining or The Stand.

Of course there was still the inevitable movie, released in 1984 when it seemed like there was a new King adaptation hitting screens every month. Directed by Mark L. Lester (replacing John Carpenter early in development), with a screenplay by Stanley Mann, the ’84 Firestarter is actually very faithful to the book in terms of narrative and incident.

What it lacks, however, is any kind of soul. The ’84 Firestarter is an utterly mechanical effort, with the director putting the actors through their paces in workmanlike fashion and just jumping from plot point to plot point without any sense of the inner workings of...

Exclusive: Screen icon Sean Young has signed on for a role in the horror film Ouija Witch, which is currently in production. She’s set to star alongside Miley Rose, Jeremy Dean, Cheyenne Phillips, Ryan M. Shaw, LeJon Woods, Rivera Reese, Maggie Wagner and Sean Michael Conway.

The film concerns a young woman who summons an evil witch to get revenge on the men who attacked her. Young will play the mysterious shopkeeper who helps summon the evil spirit.

Ouija Witch is a co-production of Millman Productions, Titan Global Entertainment, Salem House Films and Otsego Media. Robert Michael Ryan is directing from a script by John Doolan, which was based on a story by Ryan and Cuyle Carvin. Ryan, Carvin and Korey Rowe are producing, with Jeff Miller (The Toybox) and Mark L. Lester (director of the original Firestarter) exec producing, and Alysa Blasetti serving as co-producer.

Director Keith Thomas’ “Firestarter” is simply a substandard movie. What more can be said that wouldn’t belabor the point? A remake of Mark L. Lester’s kitschy film adaptation of Stephen King’s same-titled sci-fi horror novel; Thomas’ version, heading straight to Peacock, doesn’t have Drew Barrymore or Martin Sheen or even Tangerine Dream’s music.

Continue reading ‘Firestarter’ Review: A Remake So Loathsome & Embarrassing It Should Be Immediately Extinguished at The Playlist.

Of all the Stephen King adaptations, Mark L. Lester’s “Firestarter” is hardly the most celebrated. The 1984 original, starring a young Drew Barrymore as a pyrokinetic child, has some impressive visual effects, but it’s narratively thin, thematically clunky, and marred by the offensive casting of George C. Scott as Rainbird, a Cherokee assassin.

Needless to say, remaking “Firestarter” is not, in itself, such a bad idea. There was certainly room for improvement.

One can only applaud the new filmmakers for casting indigenous actor Michael Greyeyes in the Rainbird role, but somehow the improvements stop there. The new “Firestarter” is a lot like the old “Firestarter,” if the old “Firestarter” was duller, cheaper, and devoid of almost all meaning.

Ryan Kiera Armstrong (“Black Widow”) stars as Charlie McGee, a young girl with a big secret: She can make fire with her mind. Her parents Andy (Zac Efron) and Vicky also...

Nearly 40 years after the release of Mark L. Lester’s Firestarter adaptation, we have a new take on Stephen King’s classic story, this time with Keith Thomas (The Vigil) at the helm. And while this new iteration effectively modernizes some of the concepts and themes at the heart of King’s story and features several killer set pieces that showcase Thomas’ capabilities as a director to boot, where Firestarter (2022) falls short is in its screenplay by Scott Teems that never quite nails the heart of the characters that originally made King’s story so compelling in the first place. Ryan Kiera Armstrong definitely makes for a compelling Charlie McGee this time around—I just wish we were given more reason to root for her character than what we see in this version of Firestarter, resulting in an adaptation that is solid overall, but does feel like it falls short in some ways as well.

Stephen King's "Firestarter" is getting a new shot at life in Hollywood as Universal Pictures and Blumhouse Productions have delivered a brand new adaptation of the famed author's 1980 novel. As horror fans will surely recall, the book was previously adapted in 1984 (an adaptation King is not fond of) with Mark L. Lester in the director's chair and a young Drew Barrymore in the lead as Charlie, the young girl with pyrokinetic powers that causes a whole lot of trouble whilst making a whole bunch of fire. But there's a new Charlie in town with Ryan Kierra Armstrong playing the part in this latest...

The post Firestarter's Young Star Already Had A Stephen King Pedigree appeared first on /Film.

“Firestarter” is the new Blumhouse Productions science fiction horror feature, directed by Keith Thomas, based on the novel of the same name, rebooting the 1984 film adaptation, starring Zac Efron, Ryan Kiera Armstrong, Sydney Lemmon, Kurtwood Smith, John Beasley, Michael Greyeyes and Gloria Reuben, with a new score by John Carpenter, opening May 13, 2022 in theaters with same date streaming on Peacock:

The original "Firestarter" feature starred Drew Barrymore as 'Charlie McGee', who develops 'pyrokinesis':

"...score 'Andrew' and 'Charlie McGee', are a father-daughter pair on the run from a government agency known as 'The Shop'. During his college years, Andy had participated in a Shop experiment dealing with 'Lot 6', a drug with hallucinogenic effects similar to LSD. The drug gave his future wife, 'Victoria Tomlinson', minor telepathic abilities, and him an autohypnotic mind domination ability known as 'the Push'.

"Both his and Vicky's powers are physiologically limited.

Stephen King does not mince words when it comes to movies adapted from his novels. Indeed, the prolific author is famously a vocal critic of Stanley Kubrick's "The Shining," a film that is widely regarded as one of the greatest horror movies ever made. King undeniably has his reasons for dismissing it, however, and even the most staunch fan of Kubrick's film can understand where King is coming from.

Less understandable is King's on-the-record distaste for director Mark L. Lester and producer Dino De Laurentiis' 1984 adaptation of "Firestarter," starring Drew Barrymore as Charlie McGee. While the author's criticisms of "The Shining" revolved around the film making major changes to...

The post Here's Why Stephen King Hated 1984's Firestarter appeared first on /Film.

“Firestarter” is the new Blumhouse Productions science fiction horror feature, directed by Keith Thomas, based on the novel of the same name, rebooting the 1984 film adaptation, starring Zac Efron, Ryan Kiera Armstrong, Sydney Lemmon, Kurtwood Smith, John Beasley, Michael Greyeyes and Gloria Reuben, opening May 13, 2022 in theaters with same date streaming on Peacock:

The original "Firestarter" feature starred Drew Barrymore as 'Charlie McGee', who develops 'pyrokinesis':

"...'Andrew' and 'Charlie McGee', are a father-daughter pair on the run from a government agency known as 'The Shop'. During his college years, Andy had participated in a Shop experiment dealing with 'Lot 6', a drug with hallucinogenic effects similar to LSD. The drug gave his future wife, 'Victoria Tomlinson', minor telepathic abilities, and him an autohypnotic mind domination ability known as 'the Push'.

"Both his and Vicky's powers are physiologically limited. In his case, overuse of the Push gives...

“Firestarter” is the new Blumhouse Productions science fiction horror feature, directed by Keith Thomas, based on the novel of the same name, rebooting the 1984 film adaptation, starring Zac Efron, Ryan Kiera Armstrong, Sydney Lemmon, Kurtwood Smith, John Beasley, Michael Greyeyes and Gloria Reuben, opening May 13, 2022 in theaters with same date streaming on Peacock:

The original "Firestarter" feature starred Drew Barrymore as 'Charlie McGee', who develops 'pyrokinesis':

"...'Andrew' and 'Charlie McGee', are a father-daughter pair on the run from a government agency known as 'The Shop'. During his college years, Andy had participated in a Shop experiment dealing with 'Lot 6', a drug with hallucinogenic effects similar to LSD. The drug gave his future wife, 'Victoria Tomlinson', minor telepathic abilities, and him an autohypnotic mind domination ability known as 'the Push'.

"Both his and Vicky's powers are physiologically limited. In his case, overuse of the...

(Welcome to The Daily Stream, an ongoing series in which the /Film team shares what they've been watching, why it's worth checking out, and where you can stream it.)The Movie: "Firestarter" (1984)Where You Can Stream It: HBO Max

The Pitch: Mark L. Lester's "Firestarter" arrived amid a tempest of King-to-screen adaptations. The previous year brought the releases of "Christine," "Cujo," and "The Dead Zone," while "Children of the Corn" would get the big-screen treatment in 1984. So many of King's stories have been adapted that they sit among a hierarchy, from Oscar-nominated fare to straight-to-video sludge. Centered around a young girl with pyrokinetic powers, "Firestarter"...

The post The Daily Stream: Firestarter Is A Movie In Need of A Reboot appeared first on /Film.

"I don't want to hurt anyone, but it feels kind of good." Baby kicks some tires and lights some fires in the new adaptation of Stephen King's 1980 sci-fi/horror novel "Firestarter," updating it from the 1984 Mark L. Lester adaptation of a generation past. Universal Pictures just dropped an official trailer, and the hottest new revelation is the attachment of John Carpenter to handle the musical score, joining his fellow "Halloween" (2018) composers Cody Carpenter and Daniel Davies. There's a slight irony here: Carpenter was originally hired to helm the 1984 "Firestarter" adaptation. But when his film "The Thing" flopped at the...

The post The Legendary John Carpenter is Doing the Musical Score For the Firestarter Remake appeared first on /Film.