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Back in 1986, David Cronenberg directed a remake of Kurt Neumann’s 1958 sci-fi horror classic The Fly (which was based on George Langelaan’s short story) – and the result is considered to be one of the best remakes of all time. 20th Century Fox, now the Disney subsidiary 20th Century Studios, has been wanting to replicate that success with another remake for a couple of decades now… but the project has never managed to escape from development hell. Cronenberg wanted to come back and make another Fly movie, but it fell apart over budgetary issues. Screenwriter Todd Lincoln wrote a remake of The Fly that he described as a “dark, twisted, grounded re- imagining… Part Val-Lewton, part J.G. Ballard, part Neal Stephenson with some Horror Manga touches.” The studio wasn’t into it. J.D. Dillard was attached to direct a new version of The Fly for years, then stepped away from it.

Be afraid. Be very afraid.

A new movie set in the same universe as David Cronenberg's '80s body-horror masterwork, The Fly, is in development.

Deadline reports that Nikyatu Jusu is set to write and direct the project for 20th Century Studios and Chernin Entertainment. The movie is not expected to be a reboot or a direct sequel, and there's no word on casting.

Jusu garnered acclaim for her work on 2022's Nanny, and also has a sequel to George A. Romero's classic Night of the Living Dead in the works with The Walking Dead‘s Latoya Morgan penning the script.

“The original version of Night of the Living Dead is still so resonant to this day,” said Jusu when the project was first announced. “Every era has the zombie that it needs and right now, zombies reflect the ways that humans treat each other and show us who is truly the monster.

The director of The Nanny, Nikyatu Jusu, is reportedly working on a continuation of David Cronenberg’s 1986 body horror, The Fly.

It’s been a couple of years since writer-director Nikyatu Jusu made her debut with The Nanny, a social thriller with horror elements that was an absorbing watch, if a little tonally uneven. Our review at the time stated that The Nanny ‘combines social commentary, drama and horror – but doesn’t quite balance them.’ But the beautifully made film made one thing clear: Jusu is a filmmaker with bags of potential and we’ve been eagerly waiting to see what she’d turn her hand to next.

At the time of The Nanny's release, Jusu was quickly attached to two prestigious horror projects, with public announcements stating that she would be working on a vampire film produced by Jordan Peele. If that wasn’t exciting enough, the filmmaker...

In addition to a new take on Romero’s Night of the Living Dead that’s coming soon from MGM, Nikyatu Jusu (Nanny) is also venturing into the world of David Cronenberg’s The Fly.

Deadline reports this afternoon that Nikyatu Jusu’s upcoming installment in the body horror franchise is “based on David Cronenberg’s masterwork,” being positioned not as a remake of Cronenberg’s memorable upgrade of the ’50s movie but rather a new movie that’s set in the universe of the 1986 body horror masterpiece that starred Jeff Goldblum and Geena Davis.

Deadline details, “While the film’s plot is under wraps, sources stressed that it’s set in the universe of Cronenberg’s film, rather than a straightforward remake.”

Jusu is writing and directing the film for 20th Century Studios and Chernin Entertainment. Chernin Entertainment’s Peter Chernin and Jenno Topping are producing the new movie.

I first discovered After Midnight (1989) during my freshman year of college. There at I Luv Video was this VHS tape that gave me nostalgia for a movie I actually hadn’t seen yet. The woman on the cover, a character played by Jillian McWhirter, was quite literally trapped in time, and the tagline beneath her fiery fate read: “Anything Can Happen in the Dark.” As it turned out, my little case of memory distortion was rather fitting; this movie starts off with someone having a vague recollection, albeit of a terrible event.

Growing up I had passed by After Midnight many times at my local video shop, but it wasn’t until some years later that I gave it a watch. And after witnessing the nightmarish fate of those college students enrolled in The Psychology of Fear, I was hooked. Jim and Ken Wheat’s movie — their horror debut as...

Frank Darabont's 1994 prison drama "The Shawshank Redemption," based on a novella by Stephen King, experienced a type of slow success that films don't seem capable of achieving anymore. Released in theaters in late September, "Shawshank" didn't open to huge numbers, and it didn't cause much of a stir in the culture. Reviews were generally quite positive, with many critics praising the film's central performances from Tim Robbins and Morgan Freeman, and others liking the tenderness of the screenplay. The film currently boasts an 89% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes.

The film was ultimately nominated for seven Academy Awards, but it won zero, crowded out in a year that included "Forrest Gump," "Pulp Fiction," "Quiz Show," and Krzysztof Kieślowski's "Red." It wasn't until "Shawshank" was released on VHS that it began to find an audience. Indeed, audiences grew by leaps and bounds, with some coming to consider it one of...

Writer/Director Calvin Lee Reeder’s dark, goopy sci-fi horror comedy The A-Frame dangles the potential for a medical miracle when a quantum physicist’s machine opens a portal to a subatomic universe. Things, of course, go awry.

The A-Frame introduces Donna (Dana Namerode) at one of the lowest points in her life as a musician with bone cancer that will require the amputation of her most crucial tool: her arm. But then Donna meets Sam (Johnny Whitworth), a quantum physicist with a groundbreaking machine that could save her limbs and career. But in their desperation for a scientific breakthrough and miracle cure, the blurred ethical lines lead to catastrophic consequences.

The film made its premiere at the Tribeca Film Festival (our review), where Bloody Disgusting spoke with filmmaker Calvin Lee Reeder and stars Dana Namerode and Johnny Whitworth about the characters and goopy sci-fi horror.

“I wanted to explore...

Many people would claim that Frank Darabont has made the best Stephen King adaptations ever put on film, but did you know that over a decade before making The Shawshank Redemption, it would be Stephen King himself who helped Frank Darabont become a filmmaker? Frank would use one of Stephen King’s infamous “Dollar Babies” where King would allow aspiring filmmakers to license one of his short stories for just $1. Darabont would adapt King’s short The Woman in the Room which would be short-listed for an Academy Award for Best Live Action Short film in 1983. Despite not getting the nomination, and not even particularly liking the short, King was a fan and for $5,000, granted Darabont the rights to adapt another of his short stories: Rita Hayworth and Shawshank Redemption.

Of course, Darabont wasn’t quite ready to tackle something as massive as that story just yet, so he made...

Primetime Emmy-nominated composer Christopher Young has one hell of a resume in the horror world, lending his musical talents to fan-favorite films including A Nightmare on Elm Street 2: Freddy’s Revenge, Hellraiser, Hellbound: Hellraiser II, The Fly II, Tales from the Hood, Urban Legend, Drag Me to Hell, Sinister, and more recently 2020’s The Empty Man.

The legendary composer is back here in 2024 with Christopher Young’s Nosferatu – A Symphony of Horror, taking to Kickstarter to fan fund a Double CD release of his own award-winning orchestral score for the 1922 horror classic directed by F.W. Murnau.

The Kickstarter campaign previews, “In 2022, Christopher Young was engaged by Europäische FilmPhilharmonie to compose original music for the film in celebration of its 100th anniversary…the results were spectacular. Inspired by the story’s gothic DNA, Young composed what can only be described as a dramatic, visceral, and utterly terrifying response to the...

The horror genre is one that frequently insists upon sequels and franchises, even when they’re woefully misguided endeavors. There are too many sequels that are set up to fail and seem financially driven and creatively bankrupt, whether it’s Book of Shadows: Blair Witch 2, The Rage: Carrie 2, or American Psycho II: All American Girl. However, it’s always electric when one of these sequels does something special, different, and audiences are left with a Psycho II or The Exorcist III scenario on their hands. The Fly II is a horror sequel that was largely written off the moment that it was announced, sans David Cronenberg, even if its existence makes sense. The Fly II isn’t superior to its predecessor, but it does excel in many areas that are absent in the original. It brings something new to the table and marks a unique voice in body...

John Carpenter's "The Thing" is a movie so cold and miserable you feel it in your bones as you watch it. 

Pitting a group of U.S. civilians at an Arctic research station against a shape-shifting alien that can convincingly imitate other living organisms, Carpenter's 1982 sci-fi/horror flick notoriously bombed upon its initial release in theaters. Over 40 years later, though, it's now justly regarded as a masterclass in genre filmmaking. With its incredibly gory practical creature effects (which are as gross as they ever were) and bleak-as-hell atmosphere, Carpenter's nihilistic exercise in paranoia has aged far more gracefully than the gung-ho Reagan-era entertainment the masses were flocking to at the time it was made.

As a film ahead of its time that would go on to find a much larger fanbase thanks to home media, it was inevitable that Carpenter's "The Thing" would return in some new form...

Earlier this year, Max announced it would be housing over 200 episodes of AMC Networks’ television at no additional cost to subscribers beginning in September.

That two-month window is coming to an end, so you’ll want to catch up on “Anne Rice’s Interview with the Vampire” Season 1; “Dark Winds” Season 1; “Gangs of London” Seasons 1 and 2; “Fear the Walking Dead” Seasons 1-7; “Killing Eve” Seasons 1-4; “A Discovery of Witches” Seasons 1-3; and “Ride with Norman Reedus” Seasons 1-5 while you still can.

A number of great horror titles are leaving at the end of October as well, including: “A Cabin in the Woods,” “Beetlejuice,” “Eight Legged Freaks,” “From Hell,” “It” and “It: Chapter 2,” and several more. They’ll be great to put on while you host your Halloween bash.

Here’s everything leaving Max in October 2023.

October 3

Rx Early Detection: A Cancer Journey with Sandra Lee (2018) (HBO)

October...

The episode of The Test of Time covering Motel Hell was Written by Andrew Hatfield, Narrated by Niki Minter, Edited by Mike Conway, Produced by John Fallon and Tyler Nichols, and Executive Produced by Berge Garabedian.

Copycat movies have been a thing forever. You can look at the broader scope and consider that most slasher movies became copycat in one way or another. A supernatural killer, excessive gore and nudity, and even the high body counts. That style of horror movies could become a dime a dozen. Twin films are similar, but they are made at roughly the same time and actually trying to release first to beat the other to market so as to not be seen as an attempted clone of the other studios idea. Boiling it down even further, some copycats go beyond just the themes and even try to take direct elements from the previous movie that made money.

The Scanners III: The Takeover episode of The Black Sheep was Written and Narrated by Andrew Hatfield, Edited by Brandon Nally, Produced by Lance Vlcek and John Fallon, and Executive Produced by Berge Garabedian.

Scanners is one of those seminal 80’s sci fi horror flicks. It’s also done by the master of body horror David Cronenberg. It’s a great flick that didn’t need any sequels and just by saying that I have unleashed the probability of a remake and more sequels coming our way. It’s the rule of horror flicks. Cronenberg isn’t immune to sequels either, especially ones he had no involvement in like The Fly 2. Nothing wrong with that movie, it’s actually a lot of fun, but The Fly absolutely didn’t need a sequel. While The Dead Zone was eventually turned into a TV show starring Anthony Michael Hall, that...

A new episode of The Arrow in the Head Show has just been released, and in this one hosts John “The Arrow” Fallon and Lance Vlcek are revisiting the 1989 body horror sequel The Fly II (watch it Here). To find out what they had to say about this story of a boy becoming a fly – the latest in a long line of people becoming flies in this franchise – check out the video embedded above!

The Fly franchise began with a short story written by George Langelaan. That story served as a basis for a film that was released in 1958 and spawned two sequels: Return of the Fly (1959) and Curse of the Fly (1965). David Cronenberg’s 1986 remake of The Fly is one of the most popular remakes ever made, and it was soon followed by The Fly II. Directed by Chris Walas from a screenplay by Mick Garris, Frank Darabont, Jim Wheat,...

As we have seen in years past, it isn't exactly easy to replicate the appeal and artistry of David Cronenberg. This is especially true when his work gets remade or reworked, such as 1989's "The Fly II" or 2019's "Rabid." As such, the idea of remaking "Dead Ringers," which is primarily considered one of the director's best works and features one of star Jeremy Irons' best performances, is equally weird and intriguing. However, thanks to Prime Video and showrunner Alice Birch, a new reimagining starring Rachel Weisz is here.

"Dead Ringers" is technically an adaptation of both Cronenberg's 1988 thriller and the book it is based on, "Twins: Dead Ringers" by Bari Wood and Jack Geasland. However, to call it a direct adaptation of either would be disingenuous. While some elements are maintained sporadically, its primary storylines are different enough for one to argue that it's doing its own things — for example,...

Movies That Made Me veteran guest and screenwriter Dan Waters discusses his favorite year of cinema (1989) with Josh Olson and Joe Dante.

Show Notes: Movies Referenced In This Episode

The Phantom Carriage (1921)

Love At First Bite (1979)

Hudson Hawk (1991)

Demolition Man (1993)

Heathers (1989)

Warlock (1989)

The Matrix (1999)

Johnny Mnemonic (1995)

Barry Lyndon (1975)

Jaws (1975)

Dog Day Afternoon (1975)

One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest (1975)

Nashville (1975)

Born On The Fourth Of July (1989)

Dead Poets Society (1989)

Driving Miss Daisy (1989)

Field Of Dreams (1989)

My Left Foot (1989)

Crimes And Misdemeanors (1989)

Do The Right Thing (1989)

Drugstore Cowboy (1989)

Sex Lies And Videotape (1989)

Easy Rider (1969)

Midnight Cowboy (1969)

The Wild Bunch (1969)

Apocalypse Now (1979)

All That Jazz (1979)

Hair (1979)

Alien (1979)

Fight Club (1999)

Office Space (1999)

Magnolia (1999)

The Sixth Sense (1999)

The Blair Witch Project (1999)

American Pie (1999)

The Iron Giant (1999)

All About My Mother (1999)

Being John Malkovich (1999)

The Breakfast Club (1985)

Pretty In Pink (1986)

Dr. Strangelove (1964)

Say Anything… (1989)

Miracle Mile (1989)

True Love (1989)

Powwow Highway (1989)

Lawrence Of Arabia (1962)

Southside With You...

When you think of body horror, "The Fly" is easily a Top 10 contender among the most influential entries. Both the 1958 original and the '86 remake thrilled audiences in very different ways. While the original relied on costuming and admittedly shoddy (by today's standards) visual effects, the remake arrived in a decade famously known for its stomach-turning practical effects. Yet both managed to push the envelope on horror storytelling that often went over the edge, perhaps even taking things way too far.

The first film, directed by Kurt Neumann, was based upon a 1957 short story of the same name. It became a box office success and spawned two sequels, 1959's "Return of the Fly" and "Curse of the Fly" in 1965. Despite a rough road from idea to creation, director David Cronenberg's 1986 remake flipped everything about the original on its head. A sequel, simply titled "The Fly II," followed three years...

David Cronenberg's "The Fly" (1986) is one of the most fondly remembered remakes in the history of cinema. The film revamps the original "The Fly" franchise, which first began with a trilogy of films spanning from 1958 to 1965. The original '50s film was popular enough to warrant two sequels, but the remake was an even bigger hit. To this day, the 1986 sci-fi-horror remains a cult classic and is one of David Cronenberg's most recognizable works.

The success of the remake prompted Fox to order a sequel. However, creative differences ultimately prevented the director from working on the subsequent project....

The post David Cronenberg And Mel Brooks Had Very Different Visions For The Fly 2 appeared first on /Film.

Josh Brolin may now be a widely beloved performer known for his work on major projects with the Coen Brothers, Denis Villeneuve, and in the Marvel Cinematic Universe as the Big Bad, Thanos, but Brolin's early auditions weren't always the slam-dunk they are now (despite his extreme dedication to the craft). One of Brolin's earliest auditions was for the sequel to a body horror classic, and it didn't go quite how he hoped.

In a new interview with "Hot Ones," Brolin waxes poetic about auditioning for 1989's "The Fly II," the sequel to David Cronenberg's 1986 "The Fly" remake. You'd think that the right way to...

The post Josh Brolin Had a Ridiculous Failed Audition for The Fly 2 appeared first on /Film.

On this episode of Daily Dead's official podcast, Horror BFFs Heather Wixson and Patrick Bromley celebrate the 35th anniversary of David Cronenberg's The Fly and discuss Chris Walas' The Fly II.

You can listen to the new episode of Corpse Club right now on iTunes, Google Play, Spotify, iHeartRadio, Stitcher, TuneIn, YouTube, Pandora, and SoundCloud.

Looking for more scary good Corpse Club content? Be sure to check out our Corpse Club website and memberships. Not only can you view past episodes, but you can also sign up to be an official Corpse Club member to enjoy a wide range of rewards, including a shirt and pin that are to die for, access to bonus content, and the ability to suggest an episode topic!

Missed out on our previous episodes? Don't despair, our entire backlog is waiting for you on our website!

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Go Here to catch up on all...

It’s a common misconception that women are only in horror films to scream. Not so – the genre has put women front and centre for decades, showing men a trick or two about conquering evil. In the terrifying new online seance chiller Host, a group of female friends are left to deal with a malevolent spirit, while the sole male cast member runs shrieking into the night. Here’s a collection of some of the best fright flicks featuring fantastic female ensemble casts. Ladies, your time is now!

We Summon The Darkness (2019)

Alexandra Daddario stars in this rollicking Satanic panic horror thriller, about a trio of female heavy metal fans who, during an after party in a secluded mansion, dabble in deviltry and literally raise Hell. At one point Daddario says to a man telling her to be careful, “You don’t think we can fend for ourselves?” You go girl!

Just in time for Halloween, Post Mortem with Mick Garris kicks off its fifth season with special guest Joe Hill!

"Burbank, California – October 22, 2020 – For more than three decades, Mick Garris, the award-winning filmmaker, podcaster and writer has been behind countless memorable projects for both the big and small screens including Hocus Pocus, The Stand, Sleepwalkers, The Fly II, *batteries not included, Riding the Bullet, Psycho IV, Critters 2, Nightmare Cinema, Tales from the Crypt, Amazing Stories, Freddy’s Nightmares, Masters of Horror and so many more.

Having just won a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Grimmfest Film Festival, and also the Master of Horror Award from the Overlook Film Festival, Garris knows a thing or two about making scary movies. So, it comes as no surprise that the master of horror’s hit podcast, Post Mortem with Mick Garris, is returning for a fifth season with a whopping 30 episodes, plus several Ask Me Anything editions.

Virtually every classic horror movie under the sun has been the subject of a remake over the last couple of decades, so it comes as a surprise that The Fly has so far remained untouched. David Cronenberg’s 1986 classic was itself a remake of the 1958 original, and remains a stomach-churning watch to this day thanks to the Academy Award-winning makeup effects.

Cronenberg’s movie may have spawned a sequel of its own, but it would be an understatement to say that 1989’s The Fly II failed to recapture the magic. Over the years there have been several attempts at mounting a new take on the story, with Cronenberg himself even writing an outline that ultimately stalled over budget concerns, but we’ve now heard that the long-delayed follow-up is reportedly back on the table.

According to our intel – which comes from the same sources who told us Scream is being...

For a director with such a distinctive and influential visual style, Guillermo del Toro’s filmography is not as extensive as you might think, but it could have been much larger were he not so selective about the jobs he takes on.

In an interview with IndieWire, he revealed that he’s been offered an extensive range of projects, the meetings for some of which went better than others.

“I’ve been offered, from the largest superhero franchise to Seed of Chucky. I’ll tell you one of the worst pitch meetings I’ve ever had. It was for The Fly II. And it was super early in my career, it was ‘92 or something like that. I get in and I sit down and they say, ‘What do you think about The Fly II?’ and I said, ‘I think you shouldn’t make it.’ And they said, ‘Why?’ and I said,...

Adding to their tradition of releasing box sets of beloved horror franchises, Scream Factory's five-disc The Fly Collection comes out on December 10th, and ahead of its holiday season release, we've been provided with the massive list of full special features.

Press Release: Los Angeles, CA -- Get ready for hours of skin-crawling terror as you witness a transformation like no other – from man to fly. On December 10, 2019, Scream Factory proudly presents the insect-morphing horror set The Fly Collection in a definitive Blu-ray™ release. This massive 5-disc set consists of the chilling original trilogy, the eye-popping 80s remake and its terrifying sequel, and is packed with hours of fascinating special features.

The complete list of bonus features includes a bevy of new interviews and audio commentaries with cast and crew, including with producers Mel Brooks and Stuart Cornfeld, screenwriter Mick Garris and composer Howard Shore. The Curse of the Fly...

Initially announced at their Comic-Con panel, Scream Factory's five-disc The Fly Collection now has a December 10th release date and new cover art, adding to their tradition of releasing box sets of beloved horror franchises.

Special features for The Fly Collection have yet to be announced, but Scream Factory promises hours of bonus goodies for fans to enjoy, and in the meantime, you can view the box art and read Scream Factory's official announcement below:

From Scream Factory: "Experience the ultimate in horror with The Fly Collection, featuring the chilling original trilogy, the eye-popping '80s remake and its terrifying sequel. Packed with hours of fascinating special features (in progress and to be announced later), this 5-disc set includes 1958's The Fly starring Vincent Price; The Return Of The Fly, in which the son of the original scientist continues his father's work; and The Curse Of The Fly, in...

Every year, Scream Factory gives horror fans a bunch of new home media releases to look forward to at their annual Comic-Con panel, and this year is certainly no exception, as they've announced an exciting slate of horror Blu-rays on the horizon, including Collector's Editions for Silver Bullet, Big Trouble in Little China, Pet Sematary II, and My Bloody Valentine (1981), as well as The Fly Collection and new Neca figure collaborations for Night of the Demons (1988) and The Slumber Party Massacre.

Complete special features will be revealed at later dates, and we'll be sure to keep Daily Dead readers updated as more details are revealed. In the meantime, we have a look at Scream Factory's full announcement and images of their exclusive Neca figures for Night of the Demons and The Slumber Party Massacre. For more Comic-Con news, visit our online hub to catch up on all of our convention coverage!

I first watched Pet Sematary on a family vacation when I was 11 years old—well, watched may be a bit of an exaggeration. My older sister and I made it through the second appearance of Pascow’s rotting corpse before we retreated beneath the hotel bed’s comforter. I eventually braved the entirety on my 13thbirthday, a memorable sleepover double feature with The Fly II. No movie ever scared me more than Pet Sematary. But while other horror flicks that sent me scuttling under the blankets as a kid now seem almost comically unthreatening in adulthood—your Silver Bullets and My Bloody Valentines—the themes of […]...

I first watched Pet Sematary on a family vacation when I was 11 years old—well, watched may be a bit of an exaggeration. My older sister and I made it through the second appearance of Pascow’s rotting corpse before we retreated beneath the hotel bed’s comforter. I eventually braved the entirety on my 13thbirthday, a memorable sleepover double feature with The Fly II. No movie ever scared me more than Pet Sematary. But while other horror flicks that sent me scuttling under the blankets as a kid now seem almost comically unthreatening in adulthood—your Silver Bullets and My Bloody Valentines—the themes of […]...

The Walt Disney Company is soon to conclude its merger with Fox, the most attention-grabbing feature of which will be Marvel Studios being able to use the X-Men and Fantastic Four characters in the McU. But that’s just the tip of the iceberg.

On top of that, the company is also getting an enormous amount of rights to classic properties that sound like an odd fit for the House of Mouse. For instance, can you imagine Disney’s Alien? Donald Duck vs. Predator? Goofy teaming up with Mulder and Scully to investigate a seriously weird crime? Perhaps the strangest is that it seems that Disney will soon be releasing a remake of The Fly.

Though the story was first published in Playboy in 1957 and the first movie adaptation in 1958 was moderately successful, contemporary audiences are much more familiar with David Cronenberg’s absolutely astonishing take on the concept in 1986’s The Fly.

Spooky Empire has announced that Sophia Lillis, Jaeden Lieberher, Jeremy Ray Taylor, and Wyatt Oleff from the new It movie will be special guests at the Orlando convention this fall. In addition to the It (2017) cast's attendance, the convention will also celebrate a special 30th anniversary of Joel Schumacher's The Lost Boys, and more:

Press Release: Orlando – Spooky Empire, who hosts one of the most coveted and recognizable thriller conventions in the nation, announces the reunion of the Hollywood classic, Sixteen Candles, with the attendance of Molly Ringwald, John & Joan Cusack and Anthony Michael Hall on October 27 – 29, 2017 at The Hyatt Regency Orlando. The convention will also celebrate the 30th anniversary of iconic American horror comedy The Lost Boys with the attendance of Billy Wirth, Jamison Newlander and G Tom Mac. The convention has also added an array of new activities for guests to enjoy including a Charity Casino Night,...

Author: Cai Ross

With more TV channels then there are bacteria on a lab technician’s wellington boot, and with social media weaponising opinions en masse, these days everyone is a critic. But as far as British TV audiences in the 70s, 80s and 90s were concerned, there was only really one film critic, Barry Norman Cbe, who has sadly passed away this weekend at the age of 83.

Between 1971 and 1998, Norman’s was the positive verdict every studio wanted on their film poster. With a sprightly, conversational style that sounded like audible handwriting, and a dependable selection of comfortable jumpers to hand, Barry Norman was the nation’s film critic: our Gene Siskel & Roger Ebert rolled into one package.

Coming up through the ranks the old fashioned way, Norman ended up at the BBC via early work as a jobbing journalist and a film critic for various national newspapers. He...

I'm a huge fan of David Cronenberg's 1986 remake of The Fly. To this day is still grosses me out when I watch it. Not a lot of films still have that effect on me. In 1989 a sequel was released, and I didn't really care for it. The movie was directed by special effects artist Chris Wales from a script written by Mick Garris, Jim Wheat, Ken Wheat and Frank Darabont (The Mist, The Walking Dead).

As it turns out, Evil Dead and Spider-Man director Sam Raimi almost directed the film and he wrote a co-wrote a script for it with his brother Ted. I can't help but think a sequel to The Fly directed by Raimi would have been awesome!

This little bit of trivia was recently revealed in the latest episode of the Post Mortem With Mick Garris podcast. Bryan Fuller (American Gods) was a guest on the show.

David Cronenberg’s The Fly is an all-time horror classic and might just be the finest body horror film ever made. Even three decades after it was released, its gross practical special effects still astonish, as does Jeff Goldbum’s twitchily committed performance as the unfortunate Seth Brundle. Despite its firm place in the cinematic canon, however, few recall its sequel, The Fly II.

Released in 1989, the film follows the orphaned Martin Brundle, Seth’s son, as he discovers that he’s got his own special kind of buzz about him. Directed by Chris Walas, the makeup and animatronics director on the original, the film features only one returning cast member (Geena Davis is replaced by Saffron Henderson) and the general consensus is that it’s an entirely unnecessary footnote to the original. It’s not all bad though, as it’s got a totally sweet gore moment where a...

This week, Cinematic Sound Radio presents another program from the archives. This program, which originally aired in August 2014, featured the music from the filmography of the versatile composer Christopher Young. We will be featuring music from some well-known films as well as music from some obscure gems. You'll hear music from Runaway Jury, The Shipping News, Murder At 1600, Swordfish, The Big Kahuna, The Fly II and Getting Even. Listen on PodTyrant

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Ryan Lambie Published Date Friday, September 2, 2016 - 17:36

Wears a hoodie. Plays her music at an excruciatingly high volume. Fed up of being cooped up indoors. Glowers at authority figures with simmering hostility. Yes, Morgan’s just your average teenager, really - apart from the small detail that she’s a genetically-engineered super-being with powers of precognition and an unaccountable affinity for martial arts.

Morgan, played with pleasing intensity by Anya-Taylor Joy, resides behind bullet-proof perspex in a concrete bunker deep underground. Created for hazy purposes by a futuristic corporation, Morgan’s only five years old, but her rapid rate of growth means she looks much older. Over those five years, the scientists charged with looking after and monitoring Morgan have formed an emotional attachment to the super-powered youth; among them you’ll find Dr Simon Ziegler (Toby Jones), her surrogate father figure, and Amy (Rose Leslie), who becomes a kind of big sister.

Don Kaye Aug 15, 2019

How Stephen King may have helped David Cronenberg make a masterpiece with The Fly.

The Fly arguably remains David Cronenberg’s masterpiece, over 30 years after its release. Loosely based on a 1957 short story by French writer George Langelaan, the movie transcends the story’s pulpy origins and the well-known images of a man with a fly’s head (and vice versa) from the 1958 film version starring Vincent Price to become a somber meditation on disease and aging and a tragic love story, not to mention one of the most effective horror/sci-fi films of its time. It also marked a summation and endpoint to the first phase of Cronenberg’s career, while investing his work with a new emotional maturity and thematic resonance.

Producer Kip Ohman first had the idea of remaking The Fly in the early 1980s, recruiting screenwriter Charles Edward Pogue to write the script.

Den Of Geek Staff Sep 21, 2018

We have the highlights of what's coming and going from HBO Now and HBO Go in October 2018.

You may or may have not noticed it but HBO's horror options have gotten pretty grim. Not grim as in scary but grim as in incredibly sparse.

Thankfully the cavalry is arriving in HBO New Releases for October 2018. This is a company that wisely realizes the importance of scary movies around Halloween time. 18 scary movies are coming to HBO Now and HBO Go streams this October. Cool! The catch is that they'll all be gone by month's end. Not cool! Oh well, it's better than nothing. The Descent will also be arriving at the beginning of the month for a much longer stay.

In terms of non-horror programming, HBO has plenty to offer in October. Recent favorites The Post and Game Night make their debut while slightly older classics Dances with Wolves,...

It’s almost July and that means Netflix is about to give their content a refresh. Some of the notable titles leaving include: Super Troopers, Descent, and The Muppets take Manhattan. So if you haven’t seen some of these titles, plan your nights accordingly. We of course can look forward more than a few new titles including the premiere of Bojack Horseman’s second season (voiced by Will Arnett) and one of my favorite movies Alive, pictured above.

We also get the return of Wet Hot American Summer: First Day of Camp; the eight-episode series is a prequel to Wain’s 2001 film Wet Hot American Summer. The series will launch July 31.

Available July 1

Alive (1993)

An Honest Liar (2014)

Bad Hair Day (2015)

Bionicle: The Legend Reborn (2009)

Bulworth (1998)

Dave Attell: Road Work (2014)

Death in Paradise: Season Three (2014)

Grandma’s Boy (2006)

Hostage (2005)

Invizimals: The Alliance Files (2014)

La Reina del Sur (2011)

Octonauts:...

Want to revisit "Terminator 2: Judgment Day" before "Terminator: Genisys" opens? Better do it before July 1, when Netflix says "Hasta la vista" to the 1991 sequel.

If you have a hankering to watch "Four Weddings and a Funeral," "Moonstruck," "Cast Away," or "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon," get on it, because those are also disappearing in July.

And start marathoning these TV classics before they go poof: "Leave it to Beaver," "Dragnet," "Mission: Impossible," "Hawaii Five-o," "Magnum P.I.," "Miami Vice," "Knight Rider," "Melrose Place" and "Wings." Also bid goodbye to the Stephen King miniseries "The Stand" (1994) and "The Langoliers" (1995).

Below is a complete list of the movies that Netflix is pulling from your streaming list. And, just so you're not left empty-handed, here's a list of what's new on Netflix in July 2015. (All titles and dates provided by Netflix and subject to change.)​

Leaving July 1

"Beauty and the Beast" Seasons 1-...

From a crazy early Nic Cage role to a lesser-known film starring Robert De Niro, here's our pick of 25 underappreciated films from 1989...

Ah, 1989. The year the Berlin Wall came down and Yugoslavia won the Eurovision Song Contest. It was also a big year for film, with Indiana Jones And The Last Crusade topping the box office and Batman dominating the summer with its inescapable marketing blitz.

Outside the top 10 highest-grossing list, which included Back To The Future II, Dead Poets Society and Honey I Shrunk The Kids, 1989 also included a plethora of less commonly-appreciated films. Some were big in their native countries but only received a limited release in the Us and UK. Others were poorly received but have since been reassessed as cult items.

From comedies to thrillers, here's our pick of 25 underappreciated films from the end of the 80s...

25. An Innocent Man

Disney, through its Touchstone banner, had high hopes for this thriller,...

Our non-interactive letters page is back, with more of your missives. And some of our answers...

And we're back! You've sent in lots more letters and we have carefully and cunningly put together answers for them. Considering we didn't expect this letters page to take off, we might just be lumbered with it now.

Details of how you can get involved are down at the bottom. In the meantime, here's the latest postbag....

Underappreciated Sequels

I have just watched 28 Weeks Later, and I was wondering if there were any other underappreciated sequels. Especially ones with random future stars in e.g. Jeremy Renner and Walt's dad from Lost.

Thanks

Jonathan.

Simon writes: John Locke from Lost was blown up by a vending machine in the original X-Files movie. Does that count?

Further underappreciated sequels? I'd go for A Very Brady Sequel (one of the best comedies of the 1990s full stop), My Girl 2 (genuinely!

It’s no secret that our beloved horror movies are often snubbed at the Academy Awards. The horror genre as a whole just doesn’t get all that much respect in the world of cinema, which is why it’s so important for us fans to support and spread the word on the movies we love. Quite frankly, if we're not doing it, nobody’s going to do it for us.

That said, there are a handful of horror movies over the years that have defied tradition, and have actually managed to snag themselves those little golden statues. With the 86th Academy Awards heading our way this weekend, today we shine the spotlight on 10 of those movies, which made all of us horror fans proud!

Dr. Jekyll And Mr. Hyde

Though the Academy Awards ceremony wasn’t televised until 1953, it actually began way back in 1929, held at a private dinner party.

Filmmaker Ryan Meade has directed a new documentary about the making of the Evil Dead series, focusing in particular on F/X artist Tom Sullivan. The new film, entitled Invaluable, is scheduled to be released on January 29th.

In addition to the Evil Dead films, Sullivan also worked on movies like The Fly II and The Dread, but Invaluable focuses on Sullivan's work helping to make the insane world of demons tormenting Ash come alive. The documentary features contributions from Bruce Campbell, Betsy Baker, Ted Raimi, and Sullivan himself.

For more info visit the official Invaluable Facebook page.

Visit The Evilshop @ Amazon!

Got news? Click here to submit it!

Be invaluable in the comments section below!

It’s that wonderful, frightful, cool and creepy time of year again, when everything including the leaves on the trees are dying and our taste buds are craving sugary sweets and pies made from the guts of our jack-o-lanterns. It’s October, which means Halloween is nearly upon us! Get you costumes completed, your home haunts constructed and your candy collected for trick’r treaters, because you have to make time to watch some of the scariest movies this time of year.

In an effort to assist you in your cinematic scare-fest, we’ve come up with a list of the scariest movies to watch on Halloween… with one caveat. We have excluded virtually all “slasher” flicks. Why? Well, let’s just say we all know them, we all love them on some level, but really… don’t we all want something more in our scary movies? In honor of...

Odd List Ryan Lambie 14 Aug 2013 - 07:45

When an actor can't reprise their role in a sequel, how do you fill the gap without the audience noticing? Here are a few solutions...

Filmmaking's a tricky business, and creative decisions are often informed by pesky details like conflicting schedules, retirement plans and pay disputes. So when studio executives give the greenlight to a film sequel, and an actor in a major role suddenly can't - or won't - appear, filmmakers often have to come up with some creative ideas to make sure their star's absence doesn't distract cinemagoers too much.

From recycling snippets of old stock footage to the strategic application of eye patches, here's a selection of the clever things directors, writers and producers have done to cover the absence of an actor in a sequel. And we start with an infamous case that prompted a fairly major change in...

Original airdate: April 24th, 1990

Voodoo and zombies. If ever there was a cocktail inherent to fit the mold of a Tales From the Crypt episode, that’d be it. Hell, there was even a film called “Ritual” released a while back that was all about the voodoo they do. It’s the first episode of the season that’s expressly about the supernatural and monsters and works as a cracking, fast paced zombie tale that never bores from the first frame because it actually works to earn the story it tells.

The first scene sets up everything: a voodoo ritual complete with snake handling and bloodletting over a picture of our lead character Logan, played by the smugly un-likeableish D.W. Moffett. It gives just enough over to you to satiate the appetite for what’s to come. And while the majority of the first act sets up just how corrupt...

News Ryan Lambie Jan 24, 2013

With Frank Darabont now working on the new script for Godzilla, he's been talking about his ideas for the forthcoming monster flick...

As you've probably already read, screenwriter Frank Darabont's been hired to provide a rewrite for Gareth Edwards' Godzilla reboot, which is due to start shooting in the spring. Darabont, of course, is no stranger to great genre material, with Trancers, The Blob and The Fly II counting among his early writing, and The Shawshank Redemption, The Green Mile and The Mist being his acclaimed forays into both screenwriting and directing.

As for Godzilla, he's been talking to io9 about the creature's legacy, and what he wants to bring to his version of the script.

"What I found very interesting about Godzilla is that he started off definitely as a metaphor for Hiroshima and Nagasaki," Darabont said. "And some of the atom bomb...

Back in October, producer Kathleen Kennedy said work was still under way on coming up with "a story that makes sense" for Jurassic Park 4.

Signalling that progress is being made, Box Office Mojo has reported that Universal has booked a release date of June 13, 2014, for the fourth instalment in the dinosaur franchise.

That ties in with reports in July 2012 that promised the film would arrive "within two years.".

There are no details yet of a director or cast or what the plot might entail. But we may hear more during publicity interviews for the re-release of the first Jurassic Park - this time in 3D - on April 5. The upcoming fourth film will also be in 3D.

There's more monster movie mayhem on the way with the Godzilla reboot and Deadline reports that Frank Darabont, former showrunner on TV zombie hit The Walking Dead, will do a final rewrite on...