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1984's "Gremlins" was a surprise hit for several reasons. For one, it was a horror comedy which managed to appeal to a wide range of moviegoers, and held its own against another trailblazing horror comedy which was released on the very same day: "Ghostbusters." For another, it was marketed heavily on the name of producer Steven Spielberg, with the ad team for Warner Bros. leaning on the adorable Mogwai, Gizmo, as a way of enticing the public who had gone gaga for Spielberg's "E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial" two years prior. Though Gizmo was indeed as cuddly as E.T., "Gremlins" was not, as it famously became one of two horror-infused Spielberg productions that year (the other being "Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom") which helped usher in the PG-13 rating, allowing for films that were more intense than a PG but not quite as adult as an R.

I assure you, this movie is real.

In 1986, Sondra Locke made her directorial debut with "Ratboy," a ridiculous fantasy film about Nikki (Locke), a former window dresser who discovers an unusual rat-person living in the landfills outside of Los Angeles. The rat boy, named Eugene, has large fuzzy ears, all-black eyes, whiskers, ratlike claws, an elongated snout, and mighty, ever-growing incisors. The makeup effects for Eugene were conceived by creature mastermind Rick Baker, while the actual character was physically played by actor Sharon Baird and voiced by Gordon Anderson, Locke's husband. The movie follows Nikki's attempts to pull Eugene out of his dump-dwelling life and, like in "The Elephant Man," into polite society. Eugene is depicted as skittish but sensitive, while the tone of "Ratboy" is weirdly melancholy. The film also starred Robert Townsend, Gerritt Graham, Louie Anderson, John Witherspoon, and Bill Maher.

Critics hated "Ratboy." Roger Ebert gave the...

Werewolf films have been a fairly ubiquitous presence in the horror genre for decades, but only a handful have really broken through to mainstream audiences. There are several reasons for that lack of popularity, but quality isn't necessarily one of them, as our list below will attest.

Like most horror subgenres, there isn't a single element that needs to go right for a werewolf film to work, but the transformation sequence and creature design are certainly up there. Even then, though, a big budget and Academy Award-winning makeup by the legendary Rick Baker couldn't save Joe Johnston's "The Wolfman" or earn it a spot below. Instead, it's a combination of factors that make a werewolf movie succeed, from nailing the tropes to displaying originality, and all the titles below find that right balance in one way or another.

When talking werewolf movies, it's worth pointing out that we're not...

Batman Forever writer Akiva Goldsman gets candid about Joel Schumacher's original cut of the DC superhero film. One of the actors who had a short run playing the Dark Knight in live-action was the late Val Kilmer, who took over for Michael Keaton after Tim Burton's Batman Returns, before George Clooney took over the gig in Batman & Robin.

While Batman Forever was a box office hit, raising $336.9 million at the worldwide box office, there was initially a different iteration of Schumacher's movie, which was said to be a lot darker. Fans have attempted to get the Schumacher cut of Batman Forever released, with a screening almost happening for the film this year.

In a recent interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Goldsman explained how he tried to get Warner Bros. to allow fans to finally see Schumacher's original Batman Forever cut. However, the screenwriter got candid about...

Joel Schumacher’s career as a whole is actually more impressive than his infamous association with the Batman movies. The late director’s credits include The Client, A Time to Kill, The Lost Boys, Phone Booth and more, but his name seems to be synonymous with either Batman Forever or Batman and Robin. Schumacher had also helmed 8Mm from Seven scribe Andrew Kevin Walker, so the director was certainly capable of making a dark, gritty movie. And movie lore has revealed that a darker cut of Batman Forever does exist, even if Warner Bros. keeps blocking its release.

The writer of Batman Forever and Batman and Robin, Akiva Goldsman, recently sat down with The Hollywood Reporter, where the publication asked him if he thinks it will ever see the light of day. Goldsman explained, “After Joel died [in 2020], I reached out to Warners and said, ‘There’s a darker version of this movie.

Batman Forever screenwriter Akiva Goldsman has not given up on the hope of seeing the much-talked-about "Schumacher Cut" released. Joel Schumacher was brought in to revamp the Batman movie franchise after Tim Burton's dark sequel, Batman Returns, scared off parents and younger audiences. Batman Forever was a box office smash hit, but some fans took issue with the change in tone from Burton's movies. For nearly five years, talk about a fabled, darker director's cut, known as "The Schumacher Cut," has circulated, and the film's writer isn't giving up on it seeing the light of day.

Speaking with The Hollywood Reporter, Akiva Goldsman was asked about the recent attempt to screen Batman Forever that Warner Bros. shut down. Goldsman said the idea of releasing the director's cut gained some momentum after Joel Schumacher passed away in June 2020, but since then, Warner Bros. has largely seemed uninterested. Goldsman said:...

Two of the best classic horror movies of the 1980s will be screening soon in a double feature that no fan of the genre should miss. 1981's An American Werewolf in London and 1987's The Lost Boys will be playing at Los Angeles' Hollywood Forever Cemetery, as part of Cinespia's curated program that often includes genre classics. The one-night-only event is called Full Moon Slumber Party and will take place on Saturday, August 9.

As reported by Fangoria, the double-bill event will start at 6:45 Pm when the doors of the classic location open and fans enter the venue. As expected, the show doesn't only include the two screenings. Costumes are encouraged, and usually, there are surprise guests. A DJ will play music while guests can purchase items from the concession stands and take pictures in the photo booth. Per Cinespia's note:

Picnic all day and slumber party ’til the creatures...

When Quentin Tarantino emerged on the scene with "Reservoir Dogs" in 1992, he proudly wore his influences on his sleeve. Tarantino is as much of a student of the screen as he is a creator of movies for it, marrying the cinematic language of the violence in exploitation and martial arts films with the character-driven writing of high-art, American auteurism. All of the trademarks of Tarantino's filmography were on display in his debut feature, like eclectic soundtracks, non-linear storytelling, and buckets of blood. Even before the film was released, Hollywood legends like Don Coscarelli were baffled by the brilliance on display from a first-time filmmaker.

Tarantino had made a crime thriller, but instead of it being about a group brought together to carry out the crime in the climax, it focused on the aftermath when six individuals operating under pseudonyms — Mr. White (Harvey Keitel), Mr. Orange (Tim Roth), Mr. Blonde (Michael Madsen), Mr.

The George A. Romero / Stephen King horror anthology Creepshow is one of my all-time favorite movies – and so is the Michael Gornick-directed sequel Creepshow 2, which I’ve probably watched even more times than its predecessor. I love everything about Creepshow 2, so I was very glad to hear the news that Arrow Video is giving the film a 4K Uhd release in the US, the UK, and Canada. The release date is September 30th, and copies can be pre-ordered through a variety of links (check out the list on Arrow Video’s Facebook page), including This One.

Directed by Gornick from a screenplay by George A. Romero (based on stories written by Stephen King), Creepshow 2 has the following synopsis: Join our old friend, the rotting Creep himself, as he introduces this horror anthology which presents gruesome looks at three tales of horror: a hit-and-run driver in “The Hitchhiker...

Creepshow 2 will bring three blood-curdling tales of terror to 4K Ultra HD on September 30 via Arrow Video.

The 1987 horror anthology sequel has been newly restored in 4K from the original camera negative with Dolby Vision.

Special features:

4K restoration by Arrow Films from the original negative (new) 4K (2160p) Uhd Blu-ray presentation in Dolby Vision (HDR10 compatible) Original lossless mono, stereo and 5.1 DTS-hd Ma surround audio options Audio commentary with director Michael Gornick Screenplay for a Sequel – Interview with screenwriter George A. Romero Tales from the Creep – Interview with actor and make-up artist Tom Savini Poncho’s Last Ride – Interview with actor Daniel Beer The Road to Dover – Interview with actor Tom Wright Nightmares in Foam Rubber – Special effects featurette with FX artists Howard Berger and Greg Nicotero My Friend Rick – Howard Berger on his special effects mentor Rick Baker Behind-the-scenes footage Image gallery Trailers & TV spots Original screenplay...

Killer Collectibles highlights five of the most exciting new horror products announced each and every week, from toys and apparel to artwork, records, and much more.

Here are the coolest horror collectibles unveiled this week!

Nosferatu Print by Rick Baker

Special effects legend Rick Baker has made prints of his Nosferatu painting available through Copro Gallery.

16×20 giclee prints on masonite wood or stretched canvas, signed and numbered out of 30 by Baker, are available for $300.

Terminator 2 Plush from Toy Snobs

Toy Snobs’ annual Terminator 2 Father’s Day drop includes a T-800 pillow buddy.

The soft but deadly plush costs $49.99. Pre-orders end on June 19 and will take 6-8 weeks to produce.

Bubba Ho-Tep Shirt from Fright-Rags

There’s no shortage of Bruce Campbell merch from the Evil Dead franchise, but there’s not enough featuring the horror icon as geriatric Elvis.

Take care of business with Fright-Rags’ Bubba Ho-Tep shirt designed by Zachary Jackson Brown.

Rock legend Brian Wilson, one of the founding members of The Beach Boys, passed away on June 11, 2025, at the age of 82. Wilson was instantly praised by musicians and fans everywhere, who admired his career that stretched back to the early 1960s. Wilson, as many know, struggled with mental health all his life, eliciting an even deeper sympathy and understanding from his millions of devotees. The world lost a giant. Rock 'n' roll wouldn't have been the same without him.

While Wilson was a musical prodigy, when it came to movies, he was a little less well-versed. As part of The Beach Boys, he performed in a few whimsical, kid-friendly films like 1965's "The Girls on the Beach" and the Disney flick "The Monkey's Uncle" the same year. On film, Wilson was more frequently seen giving interviews for documentaries like 1994's "Theremin: An Electronic Odyssey" and the Bruce Willis mockumentary "The Return of Bruno.

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(Welcome to Tales from the Box Office, our column that examines box office miracles, disasters, and everything in between, as well as what we can learn from them.)

"In every frame, it aspires to be a theme park." Those are the words of critic Hal Hinson writing in 1995 for The Washington Post about director Frank Marshall's "Congo." Hinson was certainly not alone in his dismissal of the film, which was met with scathing reviews upon its release 30 years ago. Ironically, the film in question was made in direct response to the success of "Jurassic Park," a movie about making a dinosaur theme park, one also based on the works of Author Michael Crichton.

If there is one thing Hollywood will reliably do just about 100% of the time, it's attempting to recapture success. Because "X-Men" was a big hit in...

It’s shocking that it took over forty years for an American Godzilla movie to be produced… but when one arrived, many were left wishing it had taken longer. The movie didn’t even deliver the Godzilla we were familiar with. The iconic monster was completely re-designed – and not for the better. So the film immediately earned a bad reputation. And now, we’re going to dig into What Happened to Godzilla ‘98.

American distributors bought the rights to show kaiju movies made by Japan’s Toho Studios in the States and Hanna-Barbera made a Godzilla cartoon, but studios took their time deciding to make their own live-action Godzilla movie. Hollywood had their first chance in 1983. Toho gave director Steve Miner, fresh off of making two Friday the 13th sequels, permission to shop around his own Godzilla project. It was to be a 3-D movie set in the San Francisco area during the Cold War.

Can an even meaner “Carrie” actually end well for the prom queen? In Netflix’s new “Fear Street” adaptation, Matt Palmer argues yes and no with a whip-smart teen horror movie co-written by the director and Donald McLeary. An even gorier “Heathers” crowned in the pitch-black comedy era of “Bottoms,” “Fear Street: Prom Queen” is anchored in the same vicious and girly roots as the original film trilogy from 2021 — albeit missing some of the scope and style inherent to Leigh Janiak’s three-part slasher epic. Still, Palmer and McLeary’s take is giddy and gruesome, a clever next chapter with a fresh killer whose bloody raincoat isn’t the only detail to scream “I Know What You Did Last Summer.”

References don’t make a good movie any more than they make a good movie review, but “Fear Street: Prom Queen” successfully uses genre homage to carbonate R.L. Stine’s...

Greg Cannom, a renowned figure in cinematic makeup and prosthetics, has died at the age of 73. The news was confirmed Friday by longtime colleague and industry legend Rick Baker, who worked closely with Cannom in the early stages of both their careers. Cannom leaves behind a filmography spanning more than four decades and a legacy deeply imprinted on some of Hollywood’s most recognizable transformations.

Known for his precision and innovation, Cannom earned widespread recognition for makeup effects that redefined what was possible in film. He received four Academy Awards for makeup artistry, recognized for his work on Bram Stoker’s Dracula (1992), Mrs. Doubtfire (1993), The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (2008), and Vice (2018). He was nominated for six additional Oscars and received five Emmy nominations throughout his career.

Cannom’s ability to craft believable transformations set new standards in character realism. His work involved extensive preparation, including sculpting prosthetics, testing materials,...

Greg Cannom, the four-time Oscar-winning makeup and prosthetics artist behind such seminal films as Dracula, Mrs. Doubtfire, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button and Vice, has died at the age of 73.

Rick Baker, a longtime colleague and frequent collaborator, announced the news yesterday on Instagram, writing, “I just heard the sad news of the passing of one of the great make up artists. Greg Cannom. Greg started with me in the 70’s; his first job with me was the sequel to It’s Alive where he not only assisted me in making the baby but also played one of the baby monsters. When I moved out of my first garage workshop Greg moved in. When I out grew my first industrial unit Greg took that over. His work will be remembered long after his passing. Sad news indeed. Rip Greg, you and your work will be missed.”

Per a GoFundMe launched...

Greg Cannom, a makeup and prosthetics artist whose Oscar-winning work can be seen in “Mrs. Doubtfire,” “Bram Stoker’s Dracula,” “Vice” and “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button,” has died. He was 73.

Frequent collaborator, Rick Baker, confirmed Cannom’s death in an Instagram post on Friday. Together, the pair worked on films like “Cocoon,” “The Howling, ” “The Fury” and the music video for Michael Jackson’s 1983 hit “Thriller.”

“I just heard the sad news of the passing of one of the great makeup artists. Greg Cannom,” he wrote. “Greg started with me in the 70s, his first job with me was the sequel to ‘It’s Alive’ where he not only assisted me in making the baby but also played one of the baby monsters. When I moved out of my first garage workshop, Greg moved in. When I outgrew my first industrial unit, Greg took that over. His work will be remembered long after his passing.

Greg Cannom, Oscar-winning prosthetics and makeup specialist whose skills were called upon for some of the greatest challenges in film including “Mrs. Doubtfire,” “Bram Stoker’s Dracula” and “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button,” has died. He was 73.

Cannom’s death was revealed Friday by fellow makeup artist Rick Baker in an Instagram post. No other details were immediately available.

Cannom won Oscars for the aforementioned films, as well as for “Vice.” He was also nominated for his work in “Titanic,” “Hook,” “A Beautiful Mind,” “Hoffa,” “Roommates” and “Bicentennial Man.”

Cannom’s work stretched deeply into popular culture across decades, with credits on dozens of visually iconic films like “The Lost Boys,” “The Mask,” “Hannibal and “The Passion of the Christ.” His particular expertise at aging actors – both before and after the digital effects revolution – was on display in several films, including “The Whole Ten Yards,” “Babel,” and “Bicentennial Man.” He...

Greg Cannom, the masterful prosthetics and makeup specialist who received Oscars for his work on Bram Stoker’s Dracula, Mrs. Doubtfire, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button and Vice, has died. He was 73.

Cannom worked often with makeup maestro Rick Baker early in his career, and Baker on Friday reported his death in an Instagram post. “His work will be remembered long after his passing,” he wrote. No details were immediately available.

In March 2023, a GoFundMe page was set up to help Cannom with expenses as he battled diabetes and a staph infection that led to one of his legs being amputated below his knee.

In addition to his four wins, Cannom received six other Oscar makeup noms: for Hook (1991), Hoffa (1992), Roommates (1995), Titanic (1997), Bicentennial Man (1999) and A Beautiful Mind (2001).

He and Wesley Wofford shared an Academy Award for Technical Achievement in 2005 for “the development of their special modified silicone material...

We’re sad to report that Oscar-winning makeup artist Greg Cannom, whose career spans over four decades as a prosthetics and SFX master, has passed away.

Fellow SFX legend Rick Baker shared a touching tribute on Instagram, honoring Cannom’s early career start working alongside him on films like The Incredible Melting Man and It Lives Again.

In Cannom’s impressive career, the legendary artist was nominated for 14 Academy Awards and won four Oscars for his work on Bram Stoker’s Dracula, Mrs. Doubtfire, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, and Vice.

In 2005, Cannom and Wesley Wofford won a Technical Achievement Award for “the development of their special modified silicone material for makeup applications used in motion pictures,” a proprietary modified silicone makeup system that advanced makeup appliance techniques in film. The accolades didn’t stop there, either, as he was a 2019 recipient of the Make-Up Artists and Hair Stylists Guild’s Lifetime Achievement Awards.

Performers have the uncanny ability to embody a character with nothing more than their acting talents. But sometimes, a role requires the skills of a makeup artist. Throughout film history, there have been many instances when an actor became unrecognizable for a project. In recent years, that has become easier, thanks to motion capture technology and visual effects. For example, Josh Brolin was wearing tennis balls and a bodysuit -- not purple paint -- while playing Thanos in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, which made the character much less terrifying behind the scenes.

However, it's always more impressive when the work is a combination of an actor's abilities and the makeup team's prowess. Whether they turned into a creature of the night or a real-life serial killer, the actors on this list are just some of the stars who became unrecognizable for one of their roles.

Read more: 10 Completed Movies That...

Beware the moon, because Rucking Fotten‘s has released an American Werewolf in London collection.

It includes T-shirts ($33.99-34.99), long sleeves ($43.99), all-over print tees ($59.99), zip-up hoodies ($74.99), embroidered dad hats ($36.99), and 60×50 woven blanket tapestries ($62.99).

“An American Werewolf in London set the standard for werewolf movies for the next 4+ decades and will be a staple in the horror genre for the rest of our lives. I remember seeing it for the first time as a child and the transformation that Rick Baker created terrified me to my core. I still get chills when I watch that scene,” Rucking Fotten wrote.

“This movie was classic before it was even released, and 41 years later it’s standing the test of time. We wanted to revamp our original design released in 2019 and bring to life new designs that capture what this movie has meant to us over the years. We hope everyone loves it as much as we do!

Quick LinksThe Original Emperor Was Not Played By Ian McDiarmidWhy George Lucas Removed The Original EmperorThe Californian and Kiwi that Created The Ominous Emperor

Star Wars has seen its fair share of casting variations for its side characters, as well as re-edits to update effects, formats, and continuity moments. The fandom doesn't always enjoy these changes, creating entire forums dedicated to making high-quality versions of older editions so they can enjoy the films the way they want. An interesting part about the casting bits in particular is that, for most, actors who played popular background creatures eventually got to show their faces or showcase their voices for future Star Wars movies and shows. However, some voices and actors have been cut out completely.

This complete cut-out of certain actors does not refer to the typical removal of scenes with tertiary characters with speaking roles, but rather long-standing scenes in the...

Not all of the classic Universal Monsters were based on classic stories. While Frankenstein and Dracula came from the minds of Mary Shelley and Bram Stoker, The Wolfman, and previously Werewolf of London, was based on folklore dating back centuries rather than fiction. While the character has had a hard time coming back into the limelight with the disappointing Wolfman from 2010 and even more disappointing Wolf Man from 2025, the myth has done well for itself even while not being as in the public favor as the Zombie or Vampire. Those original films may not be based on books but that didn’t stop writers from creating their own stories or studios from adapting them. This includes the likes of Hammer Studios Curse of the Werewolf being adapted from The Werewolf of Paris and The Wolfen getting turned into the 1981 movie Wolfen. Speaking of 1981, there were two other rather small werewolf...

Following a successful reinvention of The Invisible Man, writer-director Leigh Whannell set his sights on another classic Universal monster with Wolf Man.

Among the special features on the newly released physical media editions is an audio commentary by the ever-jovial Whannell, with much of the insight directed toward aspiring filmmakers.

Here are nine things I learned from the Wolf Man commentary track…

1. Blue Velvet influenced the opening shot.

The opening shot of the movie, in which ants attack a wasp, proved to be difficult both logistically and practically.

“Quite difficult to wrangle insects. We had to get an insect wrangler in New Zealand,” which stood in for Oregon. “And of course, these ants are attacking this wasp, but this wasp has to live. You have to free the wasp. It was definitely one of those shots that you have to fight for in a movie.”

Whannell was inspired by the...

This list includes descriptions of violent and graphic movie scenes that may be disturbing to some readers.

In horror movies, the gore isn't just blood and guts designed to repulse — on the contrary, it's an effective storytelling device to convey the consequences and brutality of a scene. It's also a beautifully disgusting art form with superstars as important as scream queens and slashers in horror films. Makeup artists like Rick Baker and Tom Savini have taken the genre from cheesy to realistically gory with a chef's kiss.

To a true gore aficionado, the decapitations and disembowelments are just as key to the movie as the plot or casting. CGI can create everything from the fantastic to the mundane, but it still can't generate believable gore. The best, goriest movies ever made have terrifying, compelling stories and buckets of practical effects, blood, and innards.

Updated on March 6, 2025, by Robert Vaux: The...

There was no Oscar crafts juggernaut at the 97th Academy Awards Sunday night, despite both “Wicked” and the embattled “Emilia Pérez” coming in with seven nominations. Instead, the winners were spread out with two Oscars apiece going to “The Brutalist” (cinematography and original score), “Wicked” (costume design and production design), and “Dune: Part Two” (visual effects and sound). This was expected, as they were the standout spectacles demonstrating epic work.

The remainder of the awards went to Best Picture winner “Anora” (editing), “The Substance” (makeup/hairstyling), and “Emilia Pérez”.

‘Flow’ Sideshow and Janus Films

The Oscar for animated feature, meanwhile, was awarded to underdog “Flow” over presumptive favorite “The Wild Robot” from DreamWorks. The wordless cat survival adventure from Latvian director Gints Zilbalodis is not only the second consecutive indie win, it’s also a landmark indie triumph for the category (distributed by Sideshow and Janus Films). This means that...

The Academy Award for Best Makeup is one of the youngest Oscars. It was first handed out in 1981, one year after the Academy took heat for not having a specific award that could recognize Christopher Tucker's remarkable work for David Lynch's "The Elephant Man." Really, though, there had been mounting pressure on the Academy to honor makeup effects since the early 1970s, when Dick Smith helped Marlon Brando become Don Vito Corleone in "The Godfather" and transformed young Linda Blair into a demon in "The Exorcist."

The first Oscar for Best Makeup went to the great Rick Baker for "An American Werewolf in London," and it felt like validation for horror fans the world over. Our genre would probably never be deemed worthy of major Oscars, but here was a category that it would likely own for decades to come, because no one was doing more revolutionary work...

The Academy Awards aren’t exactly an objective measure of cinematic quality, but it’s always gratifying to see hard-working artists be rewarded for their output – especially when those artists happen to work in the horror genre. And in honor of Coralie Fargeat’s The Substance being nominated for a whopping five Oscars this year, we’ve decided to look back on the small selection of horror movies that have managed to win Academy Awards.

Of course, the lines separating one genre from another can sometimes be hard to define, so don’t be surprised if we end up disagreeing on what does or doesn’t count as a proper horror picture. That being said, don’t forget to comment below with your own Oscar-winning favorites if you think we missed a particularly good one.

With that out of the way, onto the list…

14. Rosemary’s Baby (1968)

Often cited as one...

Colin Farrell has received major accolades for his performance in The Penguin, but the actor is in no hurry to return for season 2.

“I don’t want it. I don’t not want it,” Farrell told Variety at the SAG Awards (where he picked up another award). “We all left it in the ring in those eight hours. I would hate to, just because of a quote-unquote success, have to go again and for it to be a diluted version of what people seem to feel it is, majoritively. So I’m in no rush. I have no deep desire to do it. … Sure, if they think of something that works in conjunction as a parallel to Matt Reeves’ cinematic universe and it’s a good idea, I’m open it. But it’s not something concerning me.“

Related Anora, A Real Pain, Shōgun, The Penguin and more among the...

At the SAG Awards on Sunday night, Colin Farrell may have picked up yet another honor for his work as the villainous titular character in “The Penguin,” but the actor insists he isn’t currently inclined to do a second season.

“I don’t want it. I don’t not want it,” he told me exclusively backstage at the SAG Awards. “We all left it in the ring in those eight hours. I would hate to, just because of a quote-unquote success, have to go again and for it to be a diluted version of what people seem to feel it is, majoritively. So I’m in no rush. I have no deep desire to do it. … Sure, if they think of something that works in conjunction as a parallel to Matt Reeves’ cinematic universe and it’s a good idea, I’m open to it. But it’s not something concerning me.

When it comes to slasher films, the iconography of the killer is often more important than the story. As long as fans are being given the chance to watch Michael Myers show up in his white-painted Captain Kirk finest to slaughter anyone who gets in his way, no one cares about trying to make sense of the the nonsensical and convoluted timeline of the "Halloween" franchise. Even people who have never watched a horror movie in their life could probably identify Jason Voorhees from "Friday the 13th" in his iconic hockey mask, or clock Leatherface from "The Texas Chain Saw Massacre" even without his titular weapon. The look of a slasher villain should strike fear into the hearts of the audience ... but it should also be memorable enough to be marketable.

It's a delicate balance, and it's not the easiest thing in the world to pull off. The basic "sackhead...

“I’m basically a storyteller, just with the skin on a character’s face,” explained Mike Marino, the prosthetics maestro whose reputation is fast becoming as lauded as movie makeup legends Rick Baker and Stan Winston.

At this year’s Golden Globes, Marino was acknowledged not once, but twice by winning actors on stage: First by Colin Farrell, who is unrecognizable in HBO’s “The Penguin”; and then by Sebastian Stan, who won for his role in the dark indie comedy about disfigurement and self-acceptance, “A Different Man.”

“That was a huge compliment,” Marino told TheWrap of the shoutouts. “People were texting me that night — producers and actors and heroes of mine like Rick Baker — joking, ‘These are the Marino Globes.’ I’ve been doing this for my whole life and I’m just super thankful and fortunate to do what I do. Prosthetics work isn’t the crazy, booming business it once was,...

Exclusive: Sean Baker’s latest Anora has won Best Picture at this year’s Online Film Critics Society Awards. Scroll down for the full list of winners.

Anora also won Best Actress for star Mikey Madison and Best Screenplay while Coralie Fargeat’s The Substance also took home three awards for Best Director, and Best Supporting Actress for Margaret Qualley alongside a Technical Achievement Award for Makeup/Hairstyling.

Comprised of nearly 300 voting members from around the world, the Online Film Critics Society was founded in 1997. Members include writers from outlets such as Variety, The Hollywood Reporter, Slant, Paste Magazine, AARP, and Sight & Sound.

In addition to the 2024 top film honors, the Online Film Critics Society hands out Special Achievement and Lifetime Achievement Awards. This year the body honors Ava DuVernay with a Special Achievement Award for her “brilliant work and for supporting a new generation of female filmmakers.” This year...

Werewolves are one of the most foundational horror monsters. More flexible in their definition than a vampire, werewolves can appear as large wolves, hulking and salivating beasts, or half-men, half-wolves. No movies are synonymous with the half-man/half-wolf look more than the 1941 classic The Wolf Man and its 2010 remake, The Wolfman. The iconic feral man-beast design was originally created by makeup artist, Jack Pierce, and later recreated by the king of werewolf makeup himself, Rick Baker. Baker’s involvement with The Wolfman was unfortunately limited in post-production. However, he still managed to assemble a wolfman costume that perfectly represented the suffocating gothic horror of the film.

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Ishiro Honda's original "Gojira" was released in Japan in 1954, and helped popularize a genre of giant monster movies that remained ascendant for seven decades. Godzilla movies are still being made to this day, with Toho's most recent film, "Godzilla Minus One" coming out in 2023, and Legendary's "Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire" hitting in 2024. Godzilla has been part of the cinematic landscape for so long, his popularity has risen and fallen and risen again. There have been multiple "finales" in the Godzilla series, and just as many reboots. He's more pliable and more prone to restarts than James Bond.

From 1954 until 1975, Godzilla more or less followed a single continuity, and the 15 films released during this period are said to be of the Showa era. From 1975 to 1983, there would be no theatrical Godzilla movies, with the series rebooting in...

When Leigh Whannell took on the assignment of directing a new “Wolf Man” movie, he knew that creating a werewolf that could stand apart from the creatures of films past was paramount — yet he also knew he had to satisfy genre enthusiasts who might be coming to “Wolf Man” as fans of everything from Lon Chaney Jr.’s original to John Landis‘ “An American Werewolf in London.”

“I guess I approached it first from the standpoint of, ‘What haven’t I seen yet?'” Whannell told IndieWire’s Filmmaker Toolkit podcast. “When you’re adding this face to the whole hallway of portraits, you want it to have a distinctive look that is yours.” In figuring out how to thread the needle, Whannell looked to what Christopher Nolan and Heath Ledger did with the character of the Joker in “The Dark Knight.”

“That’s a character that’s so iconic,...

The allure of the werewolf has persisted for centuries, rooted in mythology that speaks to our darkest fears and primal instincts. Representing a loss of control and a descent into savagery, werewolves embody the tension between humanity and beast. In cinema, these themes have been explored in a variety of ways, from tragic tales to gory thrill rides.

With the release of Leigh Whannell’s Wolf Man (2025) today, the werewolf genre has received a modern update that honors its roots while exploring the emotional depths of family, sacrifice, and monstrous transformation. To celebrate, we’ve compiled the ultimate list of the best werewolf films ever made, ranked by acclaim and legacy.

10 Great Werewolf movies 1. An American Werewolf in London (1981)

Dir. John Landis

This groundbreaking horror-comedy follows two American backpackers, David and Jack, as a werewolf attack in the Yorkshire moors leaves one dead and the other cursed. David’s...

Despite a recently released featurette from Leigh Whannell’s Wolf Man seemingly giving away the werewolf transformation, the truth is that Whannell’s reimagining of the 1941 Universal Monsters classic doesn’t feature a transformation at all, at least not in the conventional sense.

That’s because the entire film, set over the course of one harrowing night, centers on a man grappling with a long, painful transformation. Instead of turning into a wolf by the full moon, Christopher Abbott’s Blake instead finds himself losing his humanity as strange DNA brutally reshapes his body. Bringing this monstrous, body horror-fueled vision to life on screen was Prosthetics & Special Makeup Effects Designer Arjen Tuiten.

Tuiten’s task was daunting: designing a Wolf Man that looks nothing like his cinematic counterparts, and one that would slowly transform in stages over one night. Whannell envisioned his Wolf Man as more diseased than canine. Luckily,...

The internet is filled with facts, both true and otherwise. In Film Trivia Fact Check, we’ll browse the depths of the web’s most user-generated trivia boards and wikis and put them under the microscope. How true are the IMDb Trivia pages? You want the truth? Can you handle the truth?...

Inside every man lies a beast, waiting to be unleashed — that’s the central conceit behind most werewolf movies, be they horrifying (The Howling), sexy (the Twilight movies), or occasionally, both (the Jack Nicholson/Michelle Pfeiffer potboiler Wolf). Sometimes this full-moon fever is seen as liberating. Other times it’s a painful affliction. Rarely is it subtext. And since the gory glory days of 1980s horror, artists like Rob Bottin and Rick Baker have turned those lupine transformation scenes into special-effects showstoppers. Next to their creature-of-the-night cousins, a.k.a.

It began with the spark of a candle in 1941 related to the Max Fleischer Superman cartoons. Wait, a comic book genre?! No one was certain what to think about pages coming to life. The comic book genre has been under siege during "Awards Season" since 1978 when Christopher Reeve made the world believe a man could fly.

Recently, a different Bat signal had been emblazoned across Hollywood's sky, and it is solid gold. Can we stop hating on this genre now?

It probably won't happen as long as people like Francis Ford Coppola, Martin Scorsese, Ridley Scott, Roland Emmerich, and David Cronenberg are helming Hollywood. They're so influential and vociferous against the comic book genre that it tends to make the award bureaus reconsider a person acting in spandex really isn't "acting." As if cosplay doesn't involve imagination.

And so, hate continues against any visual entertainment from comic books and graphic novels.

This article contains spoilers for "Star Wars: Skeleton Crew" episode 7, "We're Gonna Be In So Much Trouble."

"Skeleton Crew" is a huge breath of fresh air for the "Star Wars" franchise. The series is as far removed from "Andor" as you can get, showing the versatility of the galaxy far, far away to support all kinds of tones and stories. Though "Skeleton Crew" is full of terrifying moments and dark imagery, it is very much a coming-of-age adventure for audiences of all ages -- not to mention a series that looks at a vast galaxy full of Jedi, X-Wings, and pirates with a sense of wonder that's been missing from the franchise since Luke Skywalker first stared at the binary sunset of Tatooine in "A New Hope."

One aspect where "Skeleton Crew" stands out compared to most "Star Wars" projects in recent years is how many non-human creatures are in the show.

Wolf Man's gory practical effects get a detailed look in a new video from Leigh Whannell's upcoming horror movie. Co-written and directed by Whannell – also known for Saw, Insidious, and 2020's The Invisible Man – the upcoming horror movie is a reboot of the classic 1941 film, following a family man who moves into his inherited childhood home and is attacked by a werewolf during a full moon, leading to his terrifying transformation that endangers his wife and daughter. Wolf Man's cast includes Christopher Abbott in the titular role alongside Julia Garner, Matilda Firth, and more.

Now, shared by Universal Pictures, a new behind-the-scenes video provides a detailed look at the gory practical effects in the upcoming Wolf Man. The video features co-writer–director Leigh Whannell and special make-up effects designer Arjen Tuiten explaining why practical effects were the right choice for the film, along with its stars Julia...

John Stamos got the chance to tell the Grinch himself that he nearly portrayed the Christmas villain in the famous 2000 biopic How the Grinch Stole Christmas, directed by Ron Howard and ultimately starring Jim Carrey.

Ok, that’s not technically what happened, but Stamos did say the part would’ve been his were he not allergic to the prosthetics. And he revealed this on the ’Tis the Grinch Holiday Podcast, hosted by Saturday Night Live’s James Austin Johnson, in character as the famous Dr. Seuss creation.

“Here’s an...

George R.R. Martin is best known as the author of the series of epic fantasy novels A Song of Ice and Fire, which were adapted into the popular Emmy-Award-winning HBO television series Game of Thrones and its prequel series House of the Dragon. Martin is also a co-executive producer of the two shows, and for the former, he had an additional role as a member of the writing team, crafting the plots and dialogue for the episodes, "The Pointy End," "The Bear,” "Blackwater," “The Maiden Fair," and "The Lion and the Rose."

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Beauty and the Beast DramaCrimeFantasy

Release Date September 25, 1987Cast Dean Norris, Ignatius Wolfington, Linda Hamilton, Piper Laurie, Ron Perlman, Benjamin Agosto, Bernie Pock, Roy Dotrice, Jay Acovone, Ren Woods, Ellen Geer, Ritch Brinkley, Stephen McHattie, Edward Albert, Jo Anderson, Alex Datcher, Robert Pastorelli, Rutanya Alda,...

A couple of leaked screenshots from The Invisible Man director Leigh Whannell's Wolf Man reboot have found their way online (via Reddit), and they reveal our first glimpse of the movie's other werewolf.

Our first look at what was assumed to be the titular Wolfman via an actor in a costume at Universal Orlando's Halloween Horror Nights was met with a lot of backlash, but the most recent trailer appeared to confirm that this will be the creature responsible for the initial attack, leaving Christopher Abbott's Blake to change into a different beast altogether.

Whannell addressed the negative response during an interview with NME.

“The marketing department for a movie is so huge,” he said, “it’s really impossible to keep tabs on every single thing. So when something comes out that maybe the internet decides they don’t like, the only thing I can think is: ‘Well,...

Jim Carrey was recently asked by ComicBook.com if there was one character from his beloved movie career that he’d love the opportunity to play again. His answer? The Grinch, but only if he did it via motion capture. The comedian is not interested in being in the makeup chair for hours undergoing an “excruciating” transformation.

“Oh, gosh, you know, if we could figure out the Grinch,” Carrey said. “The thing about it is, on the day, I do that with a ton of makeup and can hardly breathe. It was an extremely excruciating process. The children were in my mind all the time. ‘It’s for the kids. It’s for the kids. It’s for the kids.’ And now, with motion capture and things like that, I could be free to do other things. Anything is possible in this world.”

Carrey played the title character in Ron Howard...

Ever since King Kong swatted biplanes from the top of the Empire State Building in 1933, hairy creatures have occupied a place of honor in the cinematic pantheon. And in many cases, the Academy has recognized that fact: The original “King Kong” was shamefully overlooked at the Oscars, but the second-ever special award for makeup was given out in 1968 to “Planet of the Apes” — and the first time the award existed as a regular competitive category, the winner was Rick Baker for “An American Werewolf in London,” with subsequent winners including “Quest for Fire” (hairy cavemen!), “Harry and the Hendersons” (Bigfoot!), “The Wolfman” (another werewolf!) and, um, “Frida” (unibrow!).

On the visual effects side, meanwhile, the “Kong” successor “Mighty Joe Young” won in 1949, Peter Jackson’s “King Kong” remake won in 2005 and the rebooted “Planet of the Apes” series won in… Oh, wait, it shockingly never won, though its astonishing motion-capture...