News

Billy Corgan is looking to take home a very personal piece of alt-rock history — Courtney Love’s handwritten lyrics for Hole’s “Violet,” which were partly inspired by their relationship.

Love donated the lyrics to be raffled off as part of a fundraiser for the Ellis Park Wildlife Sanctuary in Indonesia (co-founded by Bad Seeds member and Nick Cave collaborator, Warren Ellis). Raffle tickets are currently on sale for £10 a pop (or £20 for three) through Dec. 15. Corgan, for his part, shared a video on social media boosting the fundraiser and...

The concept of vampires has been a part of the entertainment industry for the longest time. Among the vampires, the strongest one is called Dracula, and he has been interpreted multiple times in all kinds of anime series, live-action adaptations, games, TV series, etc. However, all of those interpretations have a lot of differences, so fans get confused about what the real interpretation of Dracula would look like.

Dracula in Castlevania | Credit: Credit: Powerhouse Animation Studios

While fans have argued about the most perfect interpretation of Dracula, a popular content creator on Instagram known as @imtropicaljoe has revealed the answer to this debate. According to him, the best Dracula interpretation has been featured in the popular anime series Castlevania created and written by Warren Ellis for Netflix.

Although, just like any other interpretation, the Dracula of Castlevania is also a villain, his story is more profound and intense than the rest.

Blonde presents a singular vision of Norma Jeane Baker, the troubled soul who played host to Marilyn Monroe. The film makes no claim to being the definitive account of her life. Instead, in adapting Joyce Carol Oates’ novel of the same name, director Andrew Dominik tells the story of a tragic figure who died by overdose at the age of 36.

Dominik presents the threads of this death in an experimental, expressionistic nightmare. The aspect ratio is redrawn throughout, narrowing and widening. The palette alternates between full colour and stark monochrome. There are numerous handheld moments, too, as well as various effects that range from the ghoulish to the arrestingly beautiful. All of this gothic visual splendour is scored by Nick Cave and Warren Ellis, whose work is hauntingly ambient. Blonde is a truly aesthetic experience and perhaps the greatest example of Dominik’s dark, inventive artistry.

Again, it must be...

Nick Cave confirmed his favorite movie of all time is none other than “Blonde.”

The Bad Seeds frontman and frequent Andrew Dominik collaborator recorded the soundtrack for the Marilyn Monroe reimagining alongside Warren Ellis. In a “The Red Hand Files” newsletter post, Cave answered a fan question as to what his “favorite movie of all-time” is, writing, “Dear Sourav, ‘Blonde.’ Love, Nick.”

The controversial Nc-17-rated Netflix film stars Ana de Armas as Monroe, along with Bobby Cannavale, Adrian Brody, and Julianne Nicholson. Writer-director Dominik previously said that the film captures the trauma of “what it’s like to go through the Hollywood meat-grinder.”

Dominik added that the film “has very little dialogue in it” and the emphasis is on the music and “an avalanche of images and events” harkening back to the iconography of Monroe.

Musician Cave and director Dominik previously collaborated on 2007 film “The Assassination Of Jesse James By The Coward Robert Ford,...

Nick Cave has said Blonde is his “favourite film of all time”, disregarding the largely damning critical response surrounding the new Marilyn Monroe biopic.

The 65-year-old Australian singer worked alongside Warren Ellis to record the soundtrack for the Ana de Armas-led adaptation of Joyce Carol Oates’s novel of the same name.

And despite “disgusted” viewers having already branded it “unwatchable” since its release on Netflix last month, Cave has proudly proclaimed it his “favourite” film.

In the latest edition of the singer-songwriter’s newsletter The Red Hand Files – in which fans can send questions to the star – he was asked: “What is your favourite film of all time?”

“Dear Sourav, Blonde. Love, Nick,” he responded.

In her one-star review, The Independent’s Jessie Thompson wrote that director Andrew Dominik’s movie “is degrading, exploitative and misogynist, yet mercilessly boring”.

The Independent’s Amanda Whiting agreed, adding that Marilyn...

"Werewolf By Night" has arrived on Disney+ just in time for the spooky season and luckily, it rules/ The Marvel special stars Gael Garcia Bernal as Jack Russell, a man who transforms into the titular beast under the light of the full moon. Other notable Marvel characters appearing in the special are Elsa Bloodstone (Laura Donnelly) and Ted Sallis (Carey Jones), aka Man-Thing — who looks amazing by the way. The special is a bold swing for the Marvel Cinematic Universe, something that has felt increasingly rare as of late, and director/composer Michael Giacchino has brought this formerly unexplored corner of Marvel Comics to brilliant life.

Comics got increasingly weird throughout the '50s and '60s as creators struggled to work around the harsh restrictions imposed by the Comics Code Authority — seriously, some of those stories are wild! By the '70s, the Cca had relaxed a bit and...

If someone told me a decade ago that the woman who would play Marilyn Monroe in a fictionalized biopic of her life would have the best chance of being the one Latina woman nominated at this year’s Oscars for best actress, I would have asked, “where is Ashton Kutcher? Because clearly, I’m on ‘Punk’d’?”

But what could have seemed like a fever dream may soon become reality, Ana de Armas has done the impossible with her intoxicating portrayal of the classic starlet in Andrew Dominik’s “Blonde,” and the Academy Awards may fall under her spell.

If she is nominated for best actress, she would be only the fifth Latina ever to be nominated in the category in 95 years. She would follow Brazilian Fernanda Montenegro for “Central Station” (1998), Mexican Salma Hayek for “Frida” (2002), Colombian Catalina Sandino Moreno for “Maria Full of Grace” (2004) and Mexican Yalitza Aparicio for...

Ryan Murphy’s “Dahmer” Netflix series just launched to some impressive premiere numbers, and considering how many people checked out the true crime limited series in its first week, its ’80s and ’90s-infused soundtrack is no doubt of interest.

Jeffrey Dahmer was one of the most notorious serial killers in American history. In the 1980s and early 1990s, he committed a series of brutal murders, often dismembering his victims and keeping body parts as souvenirs. His crimes horrified the nation and captivated the media.

The Netflix limited series “Dahmer – Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story” chronicles Dahmer’s childhood and early adulthood, leading up to the first of his murders in 1978. It explores the events that shaped him into a serial killer, and the police investigation that eventually led to his capture. It’s hard to believe that he evaded escape for so long, given the lack of complexity in planning and executing his crimes.

Plot: An impressionistic depiction of the life of Marilyn Monroe (Ana de Armas), from her early days as Norma Jeane Mortenson to her eventual crowning as perhaps the biggest sex symbol of the 20th century.

Review: Andrew Dominik’s Blonde is a movie to wrestle with. It’s a work of art whose craft cannot be diminished, but it’s also an incredibly tough watch, ranking as one of the most intense, upsetting films in recent years. While the Nc-17 rating is ridiculous, it’s still not for the faint of heart, shining a light on the lurid side of celebrity and the psychological and physical cost of being a sex goddess.

One thing Blonde is not is a fact-based account of Marilyn Monroe’s life. Like the book by Joyce Carol Oates that it’s based on, the movie is an impressionistic fictionalization of Monroe’s life. Some of the more provocative moments,...

Nick Cave and Warren Ellis have once again collaborated with director Andrew Dominik — this time for the score to the filmmaker’s upcoming Marilyn Monroe movie Blonde.

The Bad Seeds duo have shared their opening piece from the upcoming Netflix film, which arrives on the streaming service on Sept. 28; their Blonde score will also be released that day.

Like Cave’s recent LPs Ghosteen and Carnage, the ethereal “Pearly” is largely synthesizer-based, with the piece ebbing and swelling over the course of its nearly seven minutes. The title of many...

Has the theme tune for this year’s Conservative Party conference been picked yet? Because it’s hard to see how they could do better than our original doomsday prophet: the moon-faced grinch Nick Cave and his discordant orchestra of deliverance.

This is the age of the dog-house-fire meme, after all. There’s a cost of living crisis, an energy crisis, a political crisis, and a total lack of urgency from our chillaxing, trainer-wearing leaders. And nobody finds comfort in chaos quite like Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds. At his best, Cave’s back catalogue is a cosmic blend of the funereal and the enraptured – both elegy and ecstasy. For this two-hour performance at All Points East festival in east London’s Victoria Park, Cave has brought along the gospel choir that now accompanies so many of his live performances.

He kicks the air to start a set of back-to-back bangers.

Written by Phillip Kennedy Johnson | Art by Marco Finnegan | Published by Dynamite Entertainment

I must be on something of a subconscious James Bond kick at the moment. I’ve just finished re-watching the Daniel Craig Bond films, and then this book caught my eye. Dynamite’s had the rights to do James Bond for a while now, and in general they’ve been doing a decent job. They’ve certainly attracted some great writers along the way, names like Warren Ellis, Christos Gage, and Greg Pak have all graced the pages of 007’s adventures. This time it’s the turn of Phillip Kennedy Johnson, no slouch himself. Eisner-nominated, he has worked for Marvel and DC for small books like Avengers and Superman. I’m expecting good things.

Let’s take a look.

First things first. As good as a story is or is not, often the cover and interior page...

It’s another eclectic month for Mubi releases as they’ve announced their July 2022 slate. When it comes to new releases, highlights include Albert Birney and Kentucker Audley’s inventive Sundance hit Strawberry Mansion, Andrew Dominik’s new Nick Cave and Warren Ellis documentary This Much I Know to Be True, Camilo Restrepo’s Los conductos, Laura Wendel’s Oscar-shortlisted drama Playground, and Lucrecia Martel’s new short North Terminal.

They’ll also be featuring Johnnie To’s Drug War, King Hu’s Raining in the Mountain, Terence Davies’ Sunset Song, Bertrand Bonello’s Zombi Child, a pair of features from both Diao Yi’nan and Athina Rachel Tsangari, and much more.

Check out the lineup below and get 30 days free here.

July 1 – Strawberry Mansion, directed by Albert Birney, Kentucker Audley | Mubi Spotlight

July 2 – The Wild Goose Lake, directed by Diao Yi’nan | The Electric Dark: Two Neo-noirs by Diao Yinan

July 3 – Little Girl,...

Narrative filmmakers don’t always make the best documentary filmmakers. And vice versa. However, in the case of Andrew Dominik, he’s pretty damn capable of doing both. And his latest doc, “This Much I Know To Be True” showcases just how skillful he is when creating a film, regardless of the subject matter.

Read More: ‘This Much I Know To Be True’ Review: Andrew Dominik Captures Another Moody, Deeply Human Portrait of Nick Cave [Berlin Film Festival]

Music fans have likely heard the names Nick Cave and Warren Ellis.

Continue reading ‘This Much I Know To Be True’ Trailer: Andrew Dominik’s Doc Featuring Nick Cave & Warren Ellis Hits Mubi Next Month at The Playlist.

Earwig Trailer — Lucile Hadzihalilovic’s Earwig (2021) movie trailer has been released by Juno Films. The Earwig trailer stars Paul Hilton, Romola Garai, Alex Lawther, Romane Hemelaers, Peter Van den Begin, Michael Pas, Marie Bos, and Anastasia Robin. Crew Geoff Cox and Lucile Hadzihalilovic wrote the screenplay for Earwig. Nicolas Becker, Warren Ellis, and Augustin [...]

Continue reading: Earwig (2021) Movie Trailer: A Caretaker Looks After a Girl with Ice Teeth in Lucile Hadzihalilovic’s Thriller Film...

Jeff Tweedy, Nick Cave & Warren Ellis, Karen O, Flaming Lips, Animal Collective, and Danielle Haim are among the hundreds of artists, actors, and authors that have contributed new work to For the Birds: The Birdsong Project, a five-volume collection of over 242 recordings inspired by birdsong.

The first volume in the yearlong rollout arrived on streaming services Friday, with Beck, Unkle, Beach House, Kurt Vile, Jarvis Cocker, Jim James, and Mark Ronson with Damon Albarn and Wale among the initial wave of artists in the charitable project. All proceeds from For...

There’s good news and bad news for fans of “The Assassination of Jesse James By The Coward Robert Ford,” the 2007 Western from filmmaker Andrew Dominik starring Brad Pitt and Casey Affleck and featuring a gorgeous score by Nick Cave and Warren Ellis. While the film was a flop at the time at the box office— it made 15 million worldwide on a budget said to have been 30 million and made all of 3 million domestically— the film has since gone on to become a huge cult classic, routinely listed on many Best Films Of The Decade lists (including ours).

Continue reading Andrew Dominik Dispels Myth Of 4-Hour ‘Jesse James’ Cut, But Says His Longer Version Is “Better” at The Playlist.

This article contains Moon Knight episode 2 spoilers.

Moon Knight Episode 2

So far, Marvel’s Moon Knight hasn’t exactly been as heavy on the Marvel Comics and MCU references as some of the other Disney+ shows have been. The first episode was a pretty standalone affair, and one which made it clear that it was departing from the traditional comics vision of Moon Knight in some pretty substantial ways.

But Moon Knight episode 2 drops a couple of interesting ones if you know where to look. They aren’t Earth-shattering, and they aren’t the kind that are going to change the face of the MCU, but if you’re a Moon Knight fan, there are some really fun nods in here.

Crawley

Ok, technically this happened in episode one, as well, but I didn’t catch it at the time. The gold statue performance artist? If you check the closing credits,...

This review contains spoilers for Marvel’s Moon Knight

Moon Knight Episode 2

“Is Marc Spector just imagining all this?” has been a question that Marvel Comics has waltzed with before, and episode two of Moon Knight, “Summon the Suit”, also decides it’s fair game via his alternate identity. As such, we join Steven Grant after his encounter with the jackal while he attempts to figure out how much of the horrifying experience was caught on camera. The answer is none, bar Steven pelting it about the museum with the wind up his arse, but at the end of the footage we see Marc give the camera a surly look, and Steven is understandably upset.

The damage to the museum’s toilets is certainly very real. Steven is summarily fired for his part in their destruction while his Hr manager offers him an opportunity to attend a mental health group.

The power of Nick Cave had forever hinged on summoning the spirits of the dark.

Be it his time as frantic frontman to the clamorous Birthday Party, or since the 1984 start of a menacing solo career with the floating membership of the Bad Seeds by his side, Cave’s catalog of violence-driven characters and furiously dire narratives cut like a knife, fresh with blood and amped-up with post-punk gospel fervor.

That all of this changed in 2015, with the tragic accidental death of Cave’s 15-year-old son, Arthur, exemplified “the crack in everything” that Leonard Cohen, a noted inspiration to Cave, wrote of on “Anthem”: “That’s how the light gets in.”

From Cave’s family tragedy, a second family emerged: that of a devoted fan base who showered the singer and author with warmth and comfort beyond fandom.

“Nick saw this incredible outpouring of love and concern for him...

Three singers huddle and lean forward, their long, sparkly garments dangling before them as they chant in staccato unison: “Hand-of-God! Hand-of-God! Hand-of-God!” Warren Ellis, meanwhile, sits stationary except for his hands, which run windmills around his Gandalf beard as he closes his eyes tight and chants along with them, completely entranced. All the while, Nick Cave — the rangy leader of this ad-hoc religious sect — leaps from one side of the stage to the other. He crouches, poses in crucifixion stances, and celebrates the might and mysteries of faith like a man possessed.

New Zealand-born Australian filmmaker Andrew Dominik might be on the precipice of a banner year. His long-awaited Marilyn Monroe film starring Ana de Armas, “Blonde,” just received an Nc-17 rating from the Film Ratings board, something of a first for Netflix, and should make its world premiere later this year. But that’s not all the filmmaker has coming this year, as he’s also delivering a Nick Cave doc called “This Much I Know To Be True.”

Read More: ‘This Much I Know To Be True’ Review: Andrew Dominik Captures Another Moody, Deeply Human Portrait of Nick Cave [Berlin Film Festival]

Fans of Cave and Dominik should be ecstatic at the prospect.

Continue reading ‘This Much I Know To Be True’ Trailer: Andrew Dominik’s New Nick Cave & Warren Ellis Doc Arrives In May at The Playlist.

Shot back in 2019, it’s been a long wait for Andrew Dominik’s Marilyn Monroe drama Blonde to see the light of day, but it looks like 2022 is finally the year. While the director’s dreams of going to Cannes are reportedly dashed, the film has now, as expected, officially been rated Nc-17 for “some sexual content.” The director previously confirmed his adaptation of the Joyce Carol Oates novel, led by Ana de Armas, includes a rape scene.

“It’s a demanding movie. If the audience doesn’t like it, that’s the fucking audience’s problem. It’s not running for public office,” Dominik said last month. “It’s an Nc-17 movie about Marilyn Monroe, it’s kind of what you want, right? I want to go and see the Nc-17 version of the Marilyn Monroe story.”

While we wait to see when Netflix will actually debut the film,...

The film debuted as a Berlinale Special title last month.

UK-based event cinema specialist Trafalgar Releasing has boarded Andrew Dominik’s Berlinale documentary This Much I Know To Be True.

Trafalgar will release the film in cinemas worldwide via a global event on May 11.

This Much I Know To Be True debuted as a Special title at last month’s Berlinale; it centres on the partnership between Nick Cave and his musical collaborator Warren Ellis, as the pair record live performances of songs from the last two albums of Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds.

It is the fifth Nick Cave film released by Trafalgar,...

This Much I Know to Be True, the latest feature from Andrew Dominik which recently debuted at the Berlin Film Festival, has been set for a May theatrical release by Trafalgar Releasing.

The company will put on a one-day global cinema event for the film on May 11, with tickets going on sale from March 23.

Shot on location in London and Brighton, the doc captures musicians Nick Cave and Warren Ellis’ creative relationship as they bring to life the songs from their last two studio albums, Ghosteen (Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds) and Carnage (Nick Cave & Warren Ellis). It was filmed in spring 2021 ahead of the pair’s UK tour.

The project is director Dominik’s latest collaboration with Cave following The Assassination Of Jesse James By The Coward Robert Ford and the 2016 doc One More Time with Feeling.

Marc Allenby, CEO of Trafalgar Releasing, said, “We’re honoured to be...

Following its world premiere at the Berlin Film Festival, Trafalgar Releasing has set a May worldwide cinema release for Andrew Dominik’s “This Much I Know to Be True.”

Shot on location in London and Brighton, the film captures the creative relationship of revered musicians Nick Cave and Warren Ellis’ as they bring to life the songs from their last two studio albums, “Ghosteen” (Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds) and “Carnage” (Nick Cave & Warren Ellis). The film serves as a document of their first ever performances of these albums, filmed in spring 2021 ahead of their U.K. tour, as the two musicians, accompanied by singers and string quartet, nurture each song into existence. The film also features a special appearance by their close friend and long-term collaborator, Marianne Faithfull.

The deep friendship and personal relationship between Nick Cave and Warren Ellis was glimpsed in Iain Forsyth and Jane Pollard’s...

Two cameras orbit a grand piano on a circular track. Sometimes one will catch sight of the other, passing behind the black-haired singer at the keyboard, flashing between the session violinists or gliding beyond the bearded man crouched low over his synthesizer. Though this visible stagecraft draws attention to the fabrication — stage lights pop; grips wander through, adjusting the wiring — somehow the effect of Andrew Dominik’s “This Much I Know to Be True” is floaty, disembodied, hypnotic. Illuminating tracks from the superb 2019 Bad Seeds album “Ghosteen” and Cave’s 2021 collaboration with Warren Ellis, “Carnage,” .

In a ballroom clad in crumbling plasterwork (actually a disused Bristol factory space) Dominik stages the musical sections that make up most of the film, each one a bouquet of barbed wire, sung by Cave — with his ever-witchy charisma — like it’s the last song anyone will ever hear. In between are occasional off-the-cuff interviews,...

Copenhagen Intl. Documentary Film Festival (Cph:Dox), which runs in-person March 21-April 3, has revealed the lineup for its music program, Sound & Vision.

Highlights of the program, which contains 18 films, include a Nick Cave documentary, a look at the rise and fall of Sinéad O’Connor’s music career, the story behind Leonard Cohen’s hit “Hallelujah,” and an examinations of an album composed by artificial intelligence. The music of Leonard Bernstein, Stockhausen, Xxxtentaction and a feminist metal band from Lebanon will also feature.

Although people have been singing along to Cohen’s “Hallelujah” for more than 40 years, it flopped when it was first released in 1984. The documentary “Hallelujah: Leonard Cohen, a Journey, a Song” takes us through Cohen’s career and the creation of “Hallelujah,” which he worked on for seven years.

Cave’s film “This Much I Know to Be True” focuses on an intimate concert experience, and also provides...

Polished in all the ways its predecessor was rough, “This Much I Know to Be True,” Andrew Dominik’s second film about Nick Cave, offers nothing close to the acute emotional experience of his previous effort — and that’s the best news of all. In 2016, the rocker and the “Assassination of Jesse James” filmmaker teamed on “One More Time with Feeling,” an ash-toned music doc that followed the singer as he grieved an incomprehensible personal loss, resulting in a roundabout portrait of raw nerves and confusion that remains a high watermark of the genre.

Unable to go on tour in early 2021 (guess the reason why), Cave re-teamed with Dominik to make big screen magic, setting up shop in an abandoned Bristol factory to record tracks from Cave’s most recent albums “Ghosteen,” with his band The Bad Seeds, and “Carnage,” with long-time collaborator Warren Ellis.

Elegant simplicity was the name of the game,...

I think it is fair to say after eleven years and twenty two movies the McU very much became its own entity. It was successful enough and brave enough to tell its own stories. While Avengers: Endgame is busy making millions I have seen lots of tweets reminding people not to forget the comic book roots of these characters and the creators or created them for so little pay and credit. So what I want to do here is give some reading suggestions for stories that inspired important moments in the McU. Also it will give me a chance to talk about the pricing up Tpb’s or hardcovers on eBay, because so far a lot of my time has been spent focusing on single issues. I did have a very cool idea to highlight some single issues that are key to Avengers: Endgame but as we are still in...

Source: Courtesy of Serial Podcast

A docuseries about Adnan Syed, whose story rose to fame through the Serial podcast, is coming to HBO. The Case Against Adnan Syed is directed by Oscar-nominated filmmaker Amy Berg and will trace "how the rush to justice and Syed's conviction in 2000 raised more questions than answers about what happened to Hae Min Lee, underscoring the instability of memory and conflicting eyewitnesses," Entertainment Weekly first reported.

The Serial podcast rose to popularity beginning in 2015 by reexamining Syed's Baltimore murder case, which was closed. He was convicted of murdering his ex-girlfriend, Hae Min Lee, and sentenced to life in prison in 2000. The four-hour-long documentary series will feature interviews with Syed, his family, friends of Syed and Lee, and members of the Baltimore law enforcement. Musicians Nick Cave and Warren Ellis will produce the score.

According to the latest trailer, above, the series will be released on HBO on March 10. Currently,...

The case of Adnan Syed gets a fresh look as it continues to evolve in the trailer for filmmaker Amy Berg’s upcoming HBO docuseries, The Case Against Adnan Syed.

Syed was famously the subject of the first season of the podcast Serial in 2016, which examined his conviction for the 1999 killing of Hae Min Lee. Serial brought national attention to both Syed and the many inconsistencies and deficiencies that marked his prosecution, though it stopped short of providing any kind of exculpatory evidence.

The Case Against Adnan Syed examines the...

HBO has unveiled the first trailer for The Case Against Adnan Syed, a years-in-the-making docuseries that continues the investigation launched by the Serial podcast.

The first look at the four-part docuseries provides an overview of Syed’s conviction for the murder of his ex-girlfriend Hae Min Lee, the renewed interest in the case following the Serial podcast and Syed’s pending retrial.

The teaser also suggests that The Case Against Adnan Syed filmmakers, including Oscar-nominated documentarian Amy Berg, unearth new evidence in the case, though it’s unclear whether the...

Nick Cave lends his vocals to “Our Lady of Light,” a slow-building duet with author-writer-actor Larry “Ratso” Sloman that will appear on the latter’s debut album, Stubborn Heart, due out April 5th. The song has an orchestral backdrop, an easy tempo and dreamy, Fifties-style backup vocals — it all sounds a bit similar to Cave’s music (thanks to the humming organ in the background) — as Sloman and Cave tell the story of a big-spirited woman at a wedding. In an uncharacteristically short statement, Cave said, “I’m proud to...

While not quite as good as the remarkable first season, Castlevania season 2 is still an excellent adaptation of the video game classic.

TV

This Castlevania review contains spoilers.

Castlevania Season 2

In 2017, writer Warren Ellis, director Sam Deats, and producer Adi Shankar accomplished the impossible. Like a lone Belmont entering Dracula's castle armed with nothing but a whip, this team set out on a mission many thought would end in failure: to create a worthy video game adaptation that celebrated the source material while also taking it seriously. But when Castlevania season 1 dropped on Netflix last year, it defied the odds and became the first truly great video game adaptation.

With Castlevania season 2, the show continues its excellent adaptation of the classic platformer series, as Trevor Belmont (Richard Armitage), Sypha Belnades (Alejandra Reynoso), and Alucard (James Callis) prepare to storm Dracula's castle while the Count (Graham McTavish) readies his forces to obliterate the world of man.

Michael Ahr Oct 26, 2018

With Castlevania season 2 premiering on Netflix, showrunner Adi Shankar reflects on the Bootleg Universe short films that got him here.

Castlevania season 2 is appropriately releasing on Netflix today, the weekend before Halloween, and viewers who enjoyed the series’ summer 2017 debut will no longer have to wait for the continuation to the all too short quartet of episodes of season 1. With eight more installments coming in the sophomore season, we wanted to get showrunner Adi Shankar’s take on the success of video game adaptation thus far and get some hints as to what we can expect to see in the upcoming season.

Shankar acknowledges that none of this would have been possible had he not left Hollywood in 2015 with one parting shot via his “Bootleg Universe” YouTube channel. “I ended up putting out this ten-plus minute short film that reimagined the Power Rangers as a hard-r franchise...

Madame Tussauds Hollywood's new "Illusions of Horror" experience is opening this month. Also in today's Horror Highlights: Netflix's Castlevania TV series collectibles by Diamond Select Toys, The Shed production details, Mara Blu-ray/DVD release details, and a new trailer for Followed.

New Horror Attraction at Madame Tussauds Hollywood: "Just in time for Halloween, Madame Tussauds Hollywood is excited to launch a New fully immersive and selfie-ready Illusions Of Horror - set to debut this month. Family, friends and wicked minds alike are welcome to delight in delusion and indulge in deception as nightmares come to life!

The world-famous attraction will be transformed into an interactive space, themed with various creepy installations unlike any other - perfect for that epic scary selfie. Guests are invited to pucker up to Dracula, cuddle in a coffin with your mummy, and indulge in Chianti with Hannibal Lector. To add to the fury of fear,...

UK comic con Thought Bubble started life in November 2007 as a one-day event in the basement of Leeds Town Hall and has grown in status and stature over the years. The festival celebrates the full breadth of sequential art as an important cultural art form – from comic art, illustration and storytelling to graphic novels, posters and animation.

We’ve attended the event for a number of years; with one of our team, Jack Kirby, even attending as a creator with his book Aliens in the Outfield – check out our coverage of Thought Bubble 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 – but distant and time have put a kibosh on being there the past couple of years. However that doesn’t stop us from previewing the event and letting you know what to expect should you be in Leeds this weekend…

Now in its twelfth year, Thought Bubble is the largest event of its kind in the UK,...

Marianne Faithfull and Nick Cave channel William Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream on their enchanting new song, “The Gypsy Faerie Queen.” The track will appear on Faithfull’s upcoming album, Negative Capability, out November 2nd via BMG.

“The Gypsy Fairie Queen” finds Faithfull singing from the perspective of Puck, the famous sprite from the Shakespeare comedy. Faithfull’s vocals fall like a fog over the track, which begins as a sparse ballad, with Cave providing the piano. Soon, the song settles into a steady shuffle that crackles with...

Ahead of the second season's October 26th premiere on Netflix, Castlevania is teased in a new trailer that raises some hell.

"Castlevania Season 2: Returning to Netflix for a second season, Castlevania, inspired by the classic videogame series, is a dark medieval fantasy following the last surviving member of the disgraced Belmont clan, trying to save Eastern Europe from extinction at the hand of Vlad Dracula Tepes himself. Trevor Belmont, last survivor of his house, is no longer alone, and he and his misfit comrades race to find a way to save humanity from extinction at the hands of the grief-maddened Dracula and his sinister vampire war council."

Directed by Sam Deats and written by Warren Ellis, Castlevania is executive produced by Adi Shankar, Fred Seibert, Kevin Kolde, and Ellis.



The post Watch the Trailer for Castlevania Season 2 appeared first on Daily Dead.

There are dozens of “Castlevania” games, so it only stands to reason that the animated series based on them would last longer than one season. Netflix’s small-screen adaptation of the celebrated franchise will indeed return just in time for Halloween this year, and there’s a trailer to prove it. Avail yourself of said preview below.

Here’s the log line: “Returning to Netflix for a second season, ‘Castlevania,’ inspired by the classic video game series, is a dark medieval fantasy following the last surviving member of the disgraced Belmont clan, trying to save Eastern Europe from extinction at the hand of Vlad Dracula Tepes himself. Trevor Belmont, last survivor of his house, is no longer alone, and he and his misfit comrades race to find a way to save humanity from extinction at the hands of the grief-maddened Dracula and his sinister vampire war council.”

In his B- review of the first season,...

Producer Adi Shankar has released the first trailer for Netflix's Castlevania Season 2 and it looks awesome! The trailer came with the following note from the producer:

"We did not set the bar at 'good enough/... We're here to create the greatest videogame adaptation of all time. Who's with us?"

Well, they certainly did a great job with the first season and, as you'll see, Season 2 is looking pretty damn great as well!

The anime series is based on the 1989 game Castlevania III: Dracula's Curse, which takes place in 1476. The story follows a hunter named Trevor Belmont who tries to take out Dracula.

Inspired by the classic video game series, Castlevania is a dark medieval fantasy following the last surviving member of the disgraced Belmont clan, trying to save Eastern Europe from extinction at the hand of Vlad Dracula Tepe himself. The animated series is from Frederator Studios, a Wow!

National Geographic has brought Emmy award-winning composers Kyle Dixon and Michael Stein on board to score its upcoming docudrama “Valley of the Boom,” Variety has learned exclusively.

Dixon and Stein are best known for their work on the soundtrack of “Stranger Things,” for which they received two Grammy nominations as well as an Emmy for outstanding main title theme music.

“We have long been inspired by the rich history and bright music from the 1990s, so when we learned of National Geographic’s ‘Valley of the Boom,’ we were thrilled to be collaborating,” said Dixon and Stein. “Sound shapes story, and we want this soundtrack to reflect the unconventional yet exhilarating era Matthew Carnahan exposes in the series.”

These are the latest celebrated composers to work with Nat Geo. The network previously collaborated with Hans Zimmer for “Genius,” Nick Cave and Warren Ellis for “Mars,” Philip Glass for “Janes,” and...

Netflix continues to give anime fans plenty to look forward to in the following months, as they recently revealed the premiere dates for Godzilla: City on the Edge of Battle (the sequel film to Godzilla: Planet of the Monsters) and Castlevania Season 2:

From the Press Release: "Los Angeles, Calif. - July 5, 2018 - Today, as part of their Netflix❤Anime panel at Anime Expo, Netflix announced two new anime series, along with the renewal of popular series Aggretsuko for a second season, as well as date announcements and first look images for upcoming titles in their growing anime slate, including the following:

New Series Ultraman will launch in Spring 2019 New Series Kengan Ashura will launch in 2019 Aggretsuko will return for a second season in 2019 Godzilla: City on the Edge of Battle will launch on July 18, 2018 Dragon Pilot will launch on September 21, 2018 Castlevania Season 2 will launch on October 26, 2018 Cannon Busters...

The comics world mourned one of the last living legends of comics’ Silver Age with the news of Steve Ditko’s death. The writer-artist co-created “Spider-Man,” “Doctor Strange,” “The Question,” and many more.

Through a career that spanned more than six decades, Ditko’s trippy art and uncompromising ideas influenced generations of comics writers and artists and made publishers and movie studios rich. Though he died in June, at 90, news of his death didn’t come until Friday. Fans and former colleagues came out in force on social media to say goodbye.

Also Read: Steve Ditko, 'Spider-Man' and 'Doctor Strange' Co-Creator, Dies at 90

One tribute came from his former employer, Marvel, home of “Spider-Man” and “Doctor Strange.”

Today, the Marvel family mourns the loss of Steve Ditko. Steve transformed the industry and the Marvel Universe, and his legacy will never be forgotten. Our thoughts are with his family,...

For those of you who are fans of Netflix's Castlevania animated series, you'll be happy to learn that Season 2 will premiere on the streaming service on October 26th, right before Halloween.

If you haven't watched Season 1 of the series yet, there are only four episodes so you can easily catch up before Season 2 hits. It's definitely worth checking out! It's actually a solid animated series that was met with great reviews from both fans and critics.

The news of the Season 2 release date came from producer Adi Shankar during the Anime Expo. He is also one of the showrunners overseeing work on Castlevania. Season 2 will consist of eight episodes.

The anime series is based on the 1989 game Castlevania III: Dracula's Curse, which takes place in 1476. The story follows a hunter named Trevor Belmont who tries to take out Dracula.

Inspired by the classic video game series, Castlevania is a...

Netflix’s cutest death-metal fan is returning for more face-melting good times. The streaming service announced Monday at Anime Expo it has renewed “Aggretsuko” for Season 2.

The charming anime series follows 25-year-old red panda Retsuko, who works an oppressive office job by day and vents her frustrations through death metal karaoke at night. The series examines micro-aggressions, sexism, and the pressures society puts on people to conform to a specific “good” person image.

In the Season 1 review, IndieWire noted, “As it stands, this delightful season is more like filling up on Costco samples than a more substantial series binge. That’s no doubt part of its charm. If Netflix sees fit to renew it for another season, however, there’s definitely an appetite for meatier fare.”

Watch the sizzle reel below:

“Castlevania” Season 2

At the expo, Netflix also revealed “Castlevania” Season 2’s release date in addition to some first-look photos below.

It’s a busy Fifth of July for Netflix on the animation front. The streamer has ordered a pair of new anime series — Ultraman and Kengan Ashura — renewed rookie Aggretsuko and set premiere dates for three other new series and one sophomore.

Season 2 of Castlevania will kick off October 26, and launch dates are final for the new series Godzilla: City on the Edge of Battle (July 18), Dragon Pilot (September 21) and Cannon Busters (April 1). Read their descriptions below.

Ultraman, which will launch in the spring, is an action drama centered on a man possessing the spirit and DNA of the legendary hero Ultraman as he wears a metallic ultra suit and fights against evil. Kenji Kamiyama and Shinji Aramaki direct the series from Production I.G and Sola Digital.

Kengan Ashura, from Larx Entertainment, follows Kazuo Yamashita is an ordinary 56-year-old man who one day is summoned by the chairman of his...

Following the news of writer Harlan Ellison’s death on Thursday at the age of 84, celebrities took to social media to express their condolences.

In the news first tweeted by Christine Valada, who was asked by Ellison’s wife, Susan, to make the announcement, Valada shared that the author died in his sleep. Quoting Ellison, she penned, “For a brief time I was here, and for a brief time, I mattered.”

Susan Ellison has asked me to announce the passing of writer Harlan Ellison, in his sleep, earlier today. “For a brief time I was here, and for a brief time, I mattered.”—He, 1934-2018. Arrangements for a celebration of his life are pending.

— Christine Valada (@mcvalada) June 28, 2018

Stephen King took to Twitter to express his admiration for Ellison. “There was no one quite like him in American letters, and never will be,” he wrote. “Angry, funny, eloquent, hugely talented.

HBO and Sky today announced The Case Against Adnan Syed, a four-hour documentary series directed by Academy Award® nominee Amy Berg. The series will explore the 1999 disappearance and murder of 18-year-old Baltimore County high school student Hae Min Lee, and the subsequent conviction of her ex-boyfriend, Adnan Syed, a case brought to global attention by the hugely popular “Serial” podcast. Working Title TV and Instinct Productions are producing and NBCUniversal International Studios are distributing the follow-up to the case, which will debut on HBO in the U.S. and on Sky Atlantic in Europe.

In production since 2015, The Case Against Adnan Syed closely re-examines the events leading up to Hae Min Lee’s disappearance, from high school romance, forbidden love and cultural conflict, to the aftermath of her disappearance, the original police investigation and the present day, when Syed awaits a new trial. Presenting new discoveries, as well as groundbreaking...