Review: "HELLRAISER III: Hell on Earth" Raises Fresh Hell

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 59 of 2022 (No. 1871) by Leroy Douresseaux

Hellraiser III: Hell on Earth (1992)
Running time:  93 minutes (1 hour, 33 minutes)
MPAA – R for strong violence and sexuality, and for language
DIRECTOR:  Anthony Hickox
WRITERS:  Peter Atkins; from a story by Peter Atkins and Tony Randel (based on the characters created by Clive Barker)
PRODUCER:  Lawrence Mortorff
CINEMATOGRAPHER:  Gerry Lively (D.o.P.)
EDITORS:  James D.R. Hickox and Christopher Cibelli (supervising film editor)
COMPOSER:  Randy Miller

HORROR/FANTASY

Starring:  Terry Farrell, Doug Bradley, Paula Marshall, Kevin Bernhardt, Ken Carpenter, Peter Atkins, Peter G. Boynton, and Ashley Laurence

Hellraiser III: Hell on Earth is a 1992 supernatural horror and dark fantasy film directed by Anthony Hickox.  The film is based on characters and concepts taken from the 1986 novella, “The Hellbound Heart,” which was written by Clive Barker, who is the executive producer of this film.  Hell on Earth is also the third film in the Hellraiser film franchise.  Hellraiser III focuses on a young reporter who finds herself taking on the most powerful of the Cenobites.

Hellraiser III: Hell on Earth opens in the wake of the incidents depicted in Hellbound: Hellraiser II.  The Cenobite (demon) called “Pinhead” (Doug Bradley) has been split into two entities:  his former human self, World War I British Army Captain Elliot Spencer (Doug Bradley) and the manifestation of Spencer's id that has taken on the form of Pinhead.

In modern day New York City, J.P. Monroe (Kevin Bernhardt) visits the “Pyramid Gallery,” a creepy art gallery where he buys an intricately carved pillar, “the Pillar of Souls,” which depicts writhing figures and distorted faces etched into its surface.  J.P. installs the pillar at his popular nightclub, “The Boiler Room.” What Monroe does not know is that Pinhead is one of the figures trapped in the pillar, along with one of those puzzle boxes used to summon the Cenobites.

Meanwhile, Joanne “Joey” Summerskill (Terry Farrell), an ambitious young television reporter, is struggling to get respect and attention at the station for which she works, Channel 8.  However, an incident at a local hospital brings her into contact with Terri (Paula Marshall), a young homeless woman who has had a relationship with J.P. Monroe.  As Joey delves deeper into the the hospital incident, she learns that Terri has a puzzle box in her possession.  Now, the box is diving into Joey's dreams.  Trapped in limbo, Elliot Spencer needs Joey's help, because he is depending on her to send Pinhead and his new Cenobites back to Hell.

Hellraiser III: Hell on Earth is a direct sequel to the second film in the series, Hellbound: Hellraiser II.  That surprised me, as I have only seen Hell on Earth once, and that was when it was first release to theaters – 30 years ago!  I remember not liking it, but now, I can honestly say that Hellraiser III is much better than Hellraiser II.

The third film was the first to be filmed in the United States (specifically North Carolina), and it is more action-oriented than the previous films, including the original, Hellraiser (1987).  Hell on Earth also emphasizes that the Cenobites are denizens of Hell and are demons.  Previously, the Cenobites' “home” was a dimension called “Labyrinth,” and they could be angels or demons – depending upon the point of view.  The third film also has something the first two films did not have – a thumbing soundtrack full of good rock and heavy metal music.

The film has some interesting characters, especially the human characters:  Joey, Terri, and J.P., but it really does not do much with them.  As Joey, Terry Farrell does her best with weak character material, and Kevin Bernhardt adds a jolt to the film as the arrogant womanizer, J.P.  Doug Bradley does his best work in his dual role as Pinhead and as Capt. Elliot Spencer.  If there were ever any doubt, Hellraiser III makes it clear that Pinhead is the true star of this franchise, although Kirsty Cotton (Ashley Laurence), who makes a cameo here, is the film's “other star.”

To this day, Hellraiser III: Hell on Earth is the last film in the series that I have seen.  When I originally saw it, I did not care for it, and it finished the series for me.  Three decades later, I like it, and I really like the new Cenobites.  We are awaiting the debut of the franchise reboot, entitled Hellraiser, in early October 2022 on the streaming service, Hulu.  So, I feel comfortable recommending the heavy metal Hellraiser III: Hell on Earth for those interested in the original movies.

6 of 10
B
★★★ out of 4 stars

Monday, October 3, 2022


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Review: Gory "HELLBOUND: Hellraiser II" is More Weird Fantasy Than Horror

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 58 of 2022 (No. 1870) by Leroy Douresseaux

Hellbound: Hellraiser II (1988)
Running time:  97 minutes (1 hour, 37 minutes)
Rated – R
DIRECTOR:  Tony Randel
WRITERS:  Peter Atkins; from a story by Clive Barker
PRODUCER:  Christopher Figg
CINEMATOGRAPHER:  Robin Vidgeon (D.o.P.)
EDITOR:  Richard Marden
COMPOSER:  Christopher Young

HORROR/FANTASY

Starring:  Clare Higgins, Ashley Laurence, Doug Bradley, Kenneth Cranham, Imogen Boorman, William Hope, Barbie Wilde, Nicholas Vince, Simon Bamford, Sean Chapman, and Oliver Smith

Hellbound: Hellraiser II is a 1988 British supernatural horror and dark fantasy film directed by Tony Randel.  The film is a direct sequel to the 1987 film, Hellraiser.  Like the first film, Hellbound is based on characters and concepts taken from the 1986 novella, “The Hellbound Heart,” which was written by Clive Barker, one of the people behind this film.  Hellbound is also the second film in the Hellraiser film franchise.  Hellbound finds the survivor of the first film, Kirsty, in a psychiatric hospital and dealing with a doctor who is obsessed with the sadomasochistic beings known as the “Cenobites” and the occult world from which they originate.

Hellbound: Hellraiser II opens shortly after the events of the first film.  Kirsty Cotton (Ashley Laurence) has been admitted into the Channard Institute, a psychiatric hospital.  She is still dealing with the terrible events surrounding the death of her father, Larry Cotton.  When she is interviewed by Dr. Phillip Channard (Kenneth Cranham) and his assistant, Dr. Kyle MacRae (William Hope), she gives her account of the events at her father's home (as seen in the first film).  Kirsty is shocked to discover that the bloody mattress upon which her murderous and wicked stepmother, Julia Cotton (Clare Higgins), died is in police custody, and she begs Channard and MacRae to destroy it.

What Kirsty doesn't realize is that Dr. Channard is secretly obsessed with the puzzle boxes that bring forth the Cenobites and with their occult, demonic underworld.  Taking possession of the mattress, Channard discovers that Julia is still inside it, waiting for the blood of fresh victims that will revive her.  Channard's plot involves another patient at his institute, a girl named Tiffany (Imogen Boorman).  Seemingly mute, Tiffany demonstrates an aptitude for puzzles, and Channard wants her to solve one of the three puzzle boxes that have come into his possession.

Now, Kirsty must enter the labyrinth-like world of the Cenobites because she believes that is where she can save her father.  However, both she and Tiffany will have to survive the Cenobites, Julia and Channard's schemes, and “Leviathan the Lord of the Labyrinth.”

The original Hellraiser was indeed a supernatural horror film.  Hellbound: Hellraiser II is more dark fantasy than horror.  In fact, it reminds me of a number of weird and unusual 1980s sci-fi and/or fantasy films that took readers on strange journeys, from 1981's Heavy Metal and 1983's Krull to 1985's Legend and 1986's Labyrinth.

Hellbound has good production values – not as good as Hellraiser, however.  Christopher Young, who scored the first film, provides the musical score for Hellbound, but this time, the music is a bit noisier than in the first film.  The costumes are still good, but mostly repeats the aesthetic of Hellraiser.  The make-up seems more tacky, and in some cases, needlessly gory and excessively bloody.

The story is odd, but has some interesting elements.  Unfortunately, the film does not have much of a plot, and there really isn't a beginning, middle, and end.  It is as if Hellbound is a slice of something larger.  Hellbound is more about shocking visuals and gruesome images than it is about plot.  Other than introducing the Cenobites' labyrinth-like dimension and its lord, Leviathan, the film tells us nothing in the way of details about it or its inhabitants.

The characters are intriguing, but the writer and director treat them like nothing more than bodies to be abused, tortured, and killed.  Still, I find myself fascinated by Ashley Laurence's Kirsty and newcomer Imogen Boorman's Tiffany.  In this film, I decided that Clare Higgins' Julia was more fascinating than she was in the original, although she was good in that, also.

Hellbound dimmed my enthusiasm for this franchise, and I had little patience for the next film in the series, Hellraiser III: Hell on Earth (1992).  Hellraiser wanted to tear your soul apart.  Hellbound: Hellraiser II only wants to cut your body to pieces … before the boredom sets in.

4 of 10
C
★★ out of 4 stars

Tuesday, September 27, 2022


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Review: Original "HELLRAISER" Will Still Tear Your Soul Apart

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 57 of 2022 (No. 1869) by Leroy Douresseaux

Hellraiser (1987)
Running time:  93 minutes (1 hour, 33 minutes)
Rated – R
WRITER/DIRECTOR:  Clive Barker
PRODUCER:  Christopher Figg
CINEMATOGRAPHER:  Robin Vidgeon (D.o.P.)
EDITOR:  Richard Marden
COMPOSER:  Christopher Young

HORROR/FANTASY

Starring:  Clare Higgins, Ashley Laurence, Andrew Robinson, Sean Chapman, Robert Hines, Doug Bradley, Nicholas Vince, Simon Bamford, Grace Kirby, Frank Baker, and Oliver Smith

Hellraiser is a 1987 British supernatural horror film written and directed by Clive Barker.  The film is an adaptation of Barker's 1986 novella, “The Hellbound Heart,” which was first published in the third volume in Dark Harvest's Night Visions anthology series.  This movie also launched the Hellraiser film series, which is currently comprised of eleven films, including an upcoming reboot film, entitled Hellraiser, to be streamed on Hulu.  The first Hellraiser movie focuses on a daughter, a father, his second wife, and his brother (who was his wife's lover), and a group of sadomasochistic beings known as the “Cenobites.”

Hellraiser introduces Frank Cotton (Sean Chapman), who searches the world for the greatest pleasures.  His travels take him to Morocco where he buys a strange puzzle box.  In the empty attic of his late parents' home, Frank solves the puzzle and opens the box.  From the box, hooked chains emerge and begin to tear Frank apart because he has fallen into the clutches of a group of extra-dimensional, sadomasochistic beings called the Cenobites.  Demons to some and angels to others, they offer the greatest pleasure … but also the greatest pain.

Some time afterward, Frank's brother, Larry Cotton (Andrew Robinson), moves into the house in a bid to rebuild his strained relationship with his second wife, Julia (Clare Higgins).  Larry's adult daughter, Kirsty (Ashley Laurence), decides to get a place of her own.  Larry is also unaware that shortly before they were married, Julia had a torrid affair with Frank.

While moving furniture into the house, Larry has an accident that leaves blood dripped onto the attic floor.  Beneath that floor are the desiccated remains of Frank, and Larry's blood begins to revive the tissue.  Soon, Frank has returned as a skinless corpse that is soon found by Julia.  In order to revive Frank, Julia begins luring men into the attic.  Julia and Frank's activities have not gone unnoticed and the puzzle box is still around.  And so are the Cenobites.

I first saw Hellraiser when it played at a local theater; my memory says 1988.  For me it was an unforgettable cinematic experience.  I saw it several times over the following years, but I have not watched it in well over two decades.  Seeing it again, I was surprised at how much of it I actually remembered correctly, which is not always the case when I haven't seen a movie in time that can be measured in decades.

Christopher Young's score is as great as I remembered it to be.  Bold and shamelessly intrusive, it is one of the best musical scores for a horror film that I have ever heard.  The make-up and costumes, especially the former, are still amazing and still seem imaginative, although much of it has been copied and replicated countless times since the original release of Hellraiser.  It is a shame that the committee that oversees the “best make-up” category of the Academy Awards isn't a bit more adventurous and imaginative in their choices.  Hellraiser deserved an Oscar nod for its make-up effects.

I like the performances.  When I see American actor Andrew Robinson on some television series, he usually looks as if he just killed someone, but here, he is convincing as Larry Cotton, loving father and determined spouse.  Claire Higgins looks as if she has a stick up her ass, but it serves her imperious ice queen character, Julia, quite well.  Sean Chapman is half-and-half as Frank, but Oliver Smith who plays the “monster version” of Frank, is excellent.  The best actor in this film, however, is Ashley Laurence, who comes across as genuine in the role of loving daughter and “final girl.”  I think the Hellraiser film franchise became low rent over time because she did not stick around past the second film in the series, Hellbound: Hellraiser II.

For me, Hellraiser works.  By the time I first saw it, I had read several of Clive Barker's short fiction via the American release of his Books of Blood short story collections.  I was familiar with his brand of horror and dark horror, which was deeply imaginative in terms of plot, setting, and characters and also in its depictions of violence.  Clive Barker is different, and so is his film, Hellraiser.  It is a viewing and storytelling experience like no other.  And almost four decades later, Hellraiser can still tear your soul apart, dear readers.

8 of 10
A
★★★★ out of 4 stars

Thursday, September 22, 2022


The text is copyright © 2022 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this blog or site for syndication rights and fees.

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Negromancer News Bits and Bites from October 1st to 9th, 2021 - Update #26

by Leroy Douresseaux a.k.a. "I Reads You"

You can support Leroy via Paypal or on Patreon:

ENTERTAINMENT AND CULTURE NEWS:

MOVIES - From Deadline:  Deadline is confirming that actor Cillian Murphy will play J. Robert Oppenheimer in Christopher Nolan's biopic, "Oppenheimer."  The film is due July 21, 2023.

MUSIC/CELEBRITY - From Variety:  Dwayne Johnson enters the rap game via Tech N9ine's new single, "Face Off."

NETFLIX - From THR:  Netflix has ordered a spinoff of Fox's late sitcom, "That 70's Show."  Creators Bonnie and Terry Turner and original cast members, Kurtwood Smith (Red Forman) and Debra Jo Rupp (Kitty Forman), are back for "That 90's Show."

POLITICS/TELEVISION - From Reuters:   How AT&T helped build far-right One America News (OAN).

From RollingStone:  "Fox News and OAN Were Deeper in the Bag for Trump Than Anyone Realized."

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TELEVISION - From Variety:  The cable net, Food Network, is reportedly parting ways with one of its most famous faces, superstar chef Bobby Flay, who has been with the network for 27 years.

SCANDAL - From YahooNews:  Rachel Lindsay, the first black woman to star on ABC's "The Bachelorette," tells a crazy story about ESPN's tragic mulatto, Sage Steele.

STREAMING - From THR:   Spyglass is rebooting the classic 1987 horror film, "Hellraiser," with "The L Word: Generation Q" actress," Jamie Clayton playing the iconic villian, "Pinhead."  The movie will debut on Hulu in 2022.  Clive Barker, the creator of Hellraiser and of its source material, the novella, "The Hellbound Heart," is one of the film's producers.

ANIMATION - From Deadline:  FXX's long-running animated series, "Archer," said good-bye to one of its main characters, "Malory Archer," voiced by Jessica Walter, in the Season 12 finale.  Walter died March 24th of this year at the age of 80.

AMAZON - From Variety:  Amazon has licensed “Hotel Transylvania: Transformania” from Sony Pictures Animation. The fourth (and final) installment in the blockbuster franchise will stream globally — excluding China — on Prime Video on Jan. 14, 2022. 

COVID-19 - From THR:   "Hollywood Battle Lines Emerge in Simmering Vaccine War." Without mandates to get a shot, some film and TV sets have been thrown into chaos as A-list holdouts have caused work stoppages while others say, “It’s not my place to police anyone.”

MOVIES - From THR:  On a recent episode of her talk show, "The Drew Barrymore Show," Drew talked about the infamous clash between her co-stars, Lucy Liu and Bill Murray, on the set of the 2000 "Charlie's Angels" film.

TELEVISION - From Deadline:  Actor Robert Carlyle is set to reprise his role as "Francis Begbie," a character he made famous in the film, "Trainspotting" (1996).  Begbie will return in a six-part series that is an adaptation of author Irvine Welsh's 2016 novel, "The Blade Artist," a sequel to "Trainspotting," Welsh's 1993 novel that became the beloved 1996 British film.

TELEVISION - From Deadline:  The former NBC legal drama, "L.A. Law" (1984-86), has taken another step in making a comeback.  ABC has ordered a pilot for a sequel series, and original series star, Blair Underwood, returns as his character, "Jonathan Rollins," in addition to being an executive producer.

BOX OFFICE - From BoxOfficePro:   The winner of the 10/1 to 10/3/21 weekend box office is "Venom: Let There Be Carnage" with an estimated take of 90.1 million dollars.

Negromancer:  My review of "Venom: Let There Be Carnage."

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NEWS - Truthout:  The United States Post Office (USPS) has started offering check-cashing services as part of a pilot program in four cities.  USPS customers are being given the opportunity to cash payroll or other types of checks, up to $500 in total, at single-branch post office locations in Washington, D.C., Falls Church, Virginia, Baltimore, Maryland, and the Bronx in New York City. 

ACADEMY AWARDS - From Deadline:   Will Packer has been named Producer of the 94th Annual Academy Awards, set for March 27, 2022.  Packer is a prolific producer of numerous films and TV projects including "Straight Outta Compton," "Ride Along," and "Girls Trip," to name a few.  He also produced the 2016, four-episode, remake of the television miniseries "Roots."

TELEVISION - From Deadline:  WarnerMedia has released the first teaser for "House of the Dragon," a spin-off from the Emmy-winning, "Game of Thrones."

COVID-19 - From YahooNews:   Trying to Make Sense of COVID's Mysterious 2-Month Cycle

MOVIES - From Deadline:  Universal has moved the Bluhouse horror flick, "The Black Phone," from Jan. 28th, 2021 to Feb. 4, 2022.

DISNEY - From Deadline:  Disney and Scarlett Johansson have settled their legal issues, and her projects with the studio are back on, including "Tower of Terror."  No terms of the settlement were made public, but Deadline estimates the multiple Oscar-nominated Johansson could get 40 million dollars.

DISNEY - From Deadline:  The Disney Channel favorite, "Raven's Home," has been renewed for a fifth season.  Actor Rondell Sheridan, who played Raven Baxter's father, "Victor Baxter," on the original series, "That's So Raven," will be one of the new series regulars.   However, the storyline moves to San Francisco and that results in the departure of several series regulars, Navia Robinson (Nia), Jason Maybaum (Levi), Sky Katz (Tess) and Anneliese van der Pol (Chelsea).

AMAZON - From THR:  Amazon is working on an update of the 1999 hit film, "Cruel Intentions," for its IMDb TV.

From THR:  Speaking of IMDb TV, the streamer is also interested in a greenlighting a second season of the cancelled ABC legal drama, "Rebel."  IMDb has the free streaming rights to the first season.

NFL - From Deadline:   Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg, Kendrick Lamar, Eminem and Mary J. Blige will perform during the 2022 Super Bowl Halftime Show (Sun., Feb. 13th, 2022) at SoFi Stadium near Los Angeles.  The five artists have never before appeared together onstage, according to the official announcement of the show. Among them, they have 43 Grammys and 22 No. 1 albums on the Billboard charts.

TELEVISION - From GoodHousekeeping:    The sister cable networks, "Hallmark Channel" and "Hallmark Movies & Mysteries" are debuting a combined 41 movies across both networks this holiday season.  "Good Housekeeping" has posted Hallmark Channel's "Countdown to Christmas" 2021 movie schedule and Hallmark Movies & Mysteries' "Miracles of Christmas" 2021 movie schedule.  Hallmark starts off with "You, Me & Christmas Tree" on Fri., Oct. 2nd.  HMM starts off with "Christmas in My Heart" on Sat., Oct. 23rd.

Review: CANDYMAN 2021 is a Good Horror Movie and an Even Better Black Movie

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 51 of 2021 (No. 1789) by Leroy Douresseaux

Candyman (2021)
Running time: 91 minutes (1 hour, 31 minutes)
MPAA – R for bloody horror violence, and language including some sexual references
DIRECTOR:  Nia DaCosta
WRITERS:  Jordan Peele & Win Rosenfeld and Nia DaCosta (based on characters created by Clive Barker and Bernard Rose)
PRODUCERS:  Ian Cooper, Jordan Peele, and Win Rosenfeld
CINEMATOGRAPHER:  John Guleserian (D.o.P.)
EDITOR:  Catrin Hedström
COMPOSER:  Robert Aiki Aubrey Lowe

HORROR/DRAMA/FANTASY

Starring:  Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, Teyonah Parris, Nathan Stewart-Jarrett, Colman Domingo, Kyle Kaminsky, Vanessa Williams, Brian King, Miriam Moss, Rebecca Spence, Carl Clemons-Hopkins, Rodney L. Jones III, and Tony Todd

Candyman is a 2021 supernatural horror and slasher film from director Nia DaCosta.  The film is written by DaCosta and Win Rosenfeld and Jordan Peele of Get Out fame.  This new film is adapted from the short story, “The Forbidden,” by Clive Barker and from the 1992 film adaptation of Barker's story, entitled Candyman, which was written and directed by Bernard Rose.  Candyman 2021 is also a “spiritual sequel” to the 1992 film and is set in the now-gentrified Chicago neighborhood where the legend of the notorious and murderous boogeyman began.

Candyman is set in the Cabrini neighborhood on the North Side of Chicago.  Visual artist and painter, Anthony McCoy (Yahya Abdul-Mateen II), lives and his girlfriend, Brianna Cartwright (Teyonah Parris), an art gallery director, live there, navigating the treacherous world of modern art.  But once upon a time, Cabrini was the infamous “Cabrini-Green Homes” (projects), which have now been gentrified beyond recognition.  Still, some sections of the old Cabrini-Green still exist near where Anthony and Brianna live.

Around Cabrini, there is a ghost story (of sorts) about a white woman, Helen Lyle, who went crazy and, among many things, kidnapped an African-American baby.  Anthony meets William Burke, a Cabrini-Green old-timer, and William informs Anthony of Cabrini-Green's true boogeyman, the supernatural killer, Candyman.  The story goes that if someone stares into a mirror and says Candyman's name five times, he will appear and kill that person.

With his art career seeming to stall, Anthony uses the horrific nature of the legend of Candyman as inspiration for a new series of paintings and art.  However, Anthony is unaware that he has unleashed something that will test his sanity and that has a shocking connection to his past.  And the brutal murders have begun.

Candyman is as much about African-American history and folklore as it is about the mythopoeia (mythology) of Candyman.  The writers focus on a world in which Black people, especially impoverished and powerless Black people, are moved around and used as pawns by the White supremacist power structure.  The history of the Cabrini-Green Homes is the perfect example.  For a long time it was low income housing i.e. the projects for African-American tenants, as seen in the original Candyman film.  Beginning in the mid-1990s, Cabrini gradually underwent a process of gentrification, and is now the setting of Candyman 2021.

The White power structure moved Cabrini-Green's poor and working class African-American tenants to other places in our world.  In the world of Candyman 2021, the great boogeyman of poor, Black folks that populated Candyman 1992 has been replaced by an urban legend of a new and incorrect boogeyman – Helen Lyle, who was really Candyman's ultimate victim in the original film.  Candyman 2021 corrects that, restoring Black folklore and stories via Anthony McCoy.

Director Nia DaCosta and her co-writers, Jordan Peele and Win Rosenfeld, as much as they deal with issues of cultural appropriation, Black art, and history, boldly tackle the racist violence of White supremacy, here, brazenly personified as White police officers and as over-policing.  Unlike the first film, which seems to (benignly) suggest that Black victims (Daniel Robitaille) become Black monsters (the Candyman), the victims in Candyman 2021 are mostly less sympathetic than Candyman.

As excellent as I think Candyman is as a “Black film,” it is less so as a horror movie.  The reason is that this new film does not play with the monster/victim dynamic, which the first film did via Helen Lyle and Candyman.  The victims are the bodies of Black folks, as seen in the scandalous shadow puppet animation (created by Manual Cinema) that plays across the end credits.  The monster is White racist and supremacist oppression of African-Americans.  In spite of this film's creepiness and weirdness, I still miss some old-fashioned final girl/slasher killer interplay.

In Candyman 2021, I didn't quite get the horror movie I thought I would get.  I got the Black movie that I very much needed to get.

A
8 out of 10

Friday, August 27, 2021


The text is copyright © 2021 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this blog or site for syndication rights and fees.

Read my review of the 1992 Candyman here.

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Negromancer News Bits and Bites from December 1st to 5th, 2020 - Update #24

by Leroy Douresseaux a.k.a. "I Reads You"

Support Leroy on Patreon:

ENTERTAINMENT AND CULTURE NEWS:

BLM - From TheNation:  51 years ago today (Dec. 4th, 1969), the police, the FBI, and the pigs murdered Black Panther leader, Fred Hampton. 

CELEBRITY - From ShadowandAct:   How did the late Chadwick Boseman ("Black Panther") and his wife-now-widow, Taylor Simone Ledward, meet?

MOVIES - From Collider:   Alex Winter talks about his Frank Zappa documentary and the possibility of he and Keanu Reeves returning for "Bill & Ted 4."

STREAMING - From Variety: Hollywood and movie theater owners sound off on Warner Bros.’ bold HBO Max move: "They’re Playing With Fire."

MOVIES - From ScreenRant:   The site has a list of every Warner Bros. movie that is scheduled to be released on HBO Max in 2021.

TELEVISION - From Deadline:  In the Season 11 debut episode of CBS' long-running cop drama, "Blue Bloods," Oscar-winning actress Whoopi Goldberg makes her debut as "City Council Speaker."

TELEVISION - From THR:  HBO gets "Nice White Parents" from producers Issa Rae and Oscar-winner Adam McKay.

MOVIES - From THR:  Oscar Isaac to star as "Solid Snake" in Sony Picture's film adaptation of the "Metal Gear Solid" movie.

CULTURE - From YahooNYT:  A Kamikaze pilot tells his story 70 years later.

CELEBRITY - From People:   John Boyega ("Star Wars") and Letitia Wright ("Black Panther") talk about their decade-long friendship and about breaking barriers in Hollywood.

POLITICS - From CookPolitical:   The popular vote count is President-Elect Joe Biden: 81,264,673; President Donald: 74,210,838.  The lead is over 7 million votes.

STREAMING - From Deadline:   Lenny Henry, Peter Mullan, and Cynthia Addai-Robinson are among 20 cast members added to Amazon's "The Lord of the Rings" TV series.

MOVIES - From Deadline:   WarnerMedia is sending its entire 2021 theatrical slate to its streaming service, HBO Max.  Each film will be released on HBO Max and to the international markets concurrently.  After a month, each film will leave HBO Max and move to U.S. theaters...

MOVIES - From Deadline:   Gal Gadot ("Wonder Woman 1984") will headline "Heart of Stone," a spy thriller in the mold of "James Bond 007" and "Mission: Impossible."

CELEBRITY - From YahooPeople:   Tyrese Gibson says his feud with Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson has ended.

MOVIES - From WeGotThisCovered:  Horror fiction legend Clive Barker has won the legal battle to retrieve the film rights to the story and characters from his beloved 1987 film, "Hellraiser," which was based on one of his short stories.

CELEBRITY - From Deadline:   Oscar-nominated actress Taraji P. Henson has signed with M88 to represent.

MOVIES - From Collider:  Universal Pictures will apparently reboot its 2004 film, "Van Helsing" (starring Hugh Jackman), with director Julius Avery ("Overlord")

DISNEY+ - From Collider:  Disney+ has announced new cast members of its TV series sequel to the 1988 fantasy film, "Willow."  Among the new cast is Erin Kellyman, the British actress who appeared in "Rogue One: A Star Wars Story."

ANIMATION - From SmallScreen:   Disney XD has reportedly cancelled "DuckTales" the 2017 revival of the popular 1987-90 original series.  The current series reportedly ends after the third season.

LGBTQ - From Deadline:  The actress formerly known as Ellen Page has announced that he is now know as "Elliot Page," a non-binary, transgender person.

MOVIES - From Deadline:   Emmy Award-winning actor, Peter Dinklage ("Game of Thrones") will star in the reboot of the cult superhero comedy, "The Toxic Avenger" (1984).

MOVIES - From TheAtlantic:  In the new horror movie, "The Nest," wealth is the demon.

OBITS: 

From Deadline:   The English-Australian actor, Hugh Keays-Byrne, has died at the age of 73, Tuesday, December 1, 2020.  Keays-Byrne was best known for the role of "Immortan Joe" in Oscar-winning film, "Mad Max: Fury Road" (2015).  He also appeared in the original 1979 "Mad Max" film and in the Sci-Fi TV series, "Farscape."

From Variety:  The American television actress, Abby Dalton, has died at the age of 88, Monday, November 23, 2020.  She was best known for her role as "Julia Cumson" from 1981 to 1986 on the CBS evening soap opera, "Falcon Crest."  In 1961, Dalton received a Primetime Emmy nomination for her work on the CBS sitcom, "Hennesey" (1959-62).

COVID-19:

From CDC:   The Centers for Disease Control has a "COVID Data Tracker."

From YahooNews:  Why does COVID-19 kill some people and hardly affects others?

From YahooNews:  Yahoo has a dedicated page of links updating news about COVID-19.

From Deadline:  The news site "Deadline" has a dedicated page for news about coronavirus and the film, TV, and entertainment industries.

From TheNewYorker:  The venerable magazine has a dedicate COVID-19 page free to all readers.

From YahooNews:  Re: the federal government's response to COVID-19: What if the most important election of our lifetime was the last one - 2016?

From YahooLife:  What is "happy hypoxia?"  And do you have this COVID-19 symptom?

From JuanCole:  Remember when President Donald went crazy and suggested that we ingest household cleaning supplies and UV light to fight COVID-19.  Here is the video and commentary from Juan Cole.

From TheIntercept:  The federal government has ramped up security and police-related spending in response to the COVID-19/coronavirus pandemic, including issuing contracts for riot gear, disclosures show. The purchase orders include requests for disposable cuffs, gas masks, ballistic helmets, and riot gloves...

From TheAtlantic:  The Coronavirus Was an Emergency Until Trump Found Out Who Was Dying. The pandemic has exposed the bitter terms of our racial contract, which deems certain lives of greater value than others.

From ProPublica:  Hospital's Secret COVID-19 Policy Separated Native American Mothers From Their Newborns

From TheGuardian:  More than 20 million Americans could have contracted COVID-19, experts say.

From RSN/WashPost:  The COVID-19 mutation that has taken over the world.

7/13 - From YahooSports:  Maybe a pandemic means that there will not be college football this fall.

7/13- From YahooNews:  The CDC adds four new symptoms (including nausea and purple or blue lesions on feet and toes) to the list of COVID-19 symptoms.

7/19 - From YahooFinance:  Harvard Public Health professor Dr. Howard Koh says the U.S. "needs to regroup" to find COVID-19.

7/22 - From YahooNews:  A public health employee predicted Florida's coronavirus catastrophe — then she was fired.

7/22 - From YahooLifestyle:  Florida mom loses son, 20, to coronavirus, and then days later, her daughter.

7/23 - From TheWrap:  The site has a list of movie and TV stars, entertainment and sports figures who have tested positive for COVID-19

From Bloomberg:  Will the COVID-19 pandemic turn Millennials into socialists?

7/27 - From CNN:   Chief of critical care at Baltimore's Mercy Medical Center, Dr. Joseph Costa, passes away due to Covid-19 complications... after treating the hospital's sickest COVID-19 patients.  He was 56 and leaves behind family, including a husband of 28 years.

7/31 - From Slate:  COVID-19 is airborne - for reals!

8/9 - From YahooAFP:  According to the real-time tally kept by John Hopkins University, the United States has hit 5 million cases of COVID-19.

8/16 - From Truthout: COVID Deaths Continue to Surge in Countries Led by Far Right Authoritarians

9/19 - From WashPost:  U.S. coronavirus death toll reaches 200,000

9/23 - From CNBC:  Mark Cuban, who owns the NBA's Dallas Mavericks and star of ABC's "Shark Tank," suggests that every household in American get a $1000 check every two weeks for the next two months.

11/7 - From YahooNews:  "It's a slaughter," doctors say of new coronavirus wave.

11/13 - YahooNews:  "We blew it": U.S. reaches 'explosive' COVID-19 spread as virus is nearly impossible to control, experts say.

11/29 From LATimes:  California sets record with most COVID-19 hospitalizations since pandemic began

BLACK LIVES MATTER:

From RSN:   Judge's Blistering Opinion Says Courts Have Placed Police Beyond Accountability

From TheGuardian:  Yusef Salaam, one of the "Central Park Five," says in an interview, "Trump would have had me hanging from a tree in Central Park."

From NPR:  Prosecutors' plea deal required drug suspect to name Breonna Taylor a "co-defendant."

From ChicagoSunTimes:  Rev. Jesse Jackson: America has millions of people in poverty because Americans choose not to demand the policies that would lift them out of poverty.

From APNews:  No one will be held accountable for the killing of Louisville African-American resident, Breonna Taylor.

From Channel4:  Revealed: Trump campaign strategy to deter millions of Black Americans from voting in 2016

From GuardianUK:  California is going to consider paying reparations to the descendants of African slaves after adopting a landmark law to study and to develop proposals around the issue.

From TheRoot:   What to Do When Your Country Turns Into a Dumpster Fire

From Vox:  It's True: 1 in 1,000 Black Americans Have Died in the Covid-19 Pandemic

From CBS:  Breonna Taylor's boyfriend certain cops didn't identify themselves

From DonaldTrump:  Well, because it has been in the news a lot lately (via Ice Cube and Li'l Wayne), here is "The Platinum Plan."  It is impressive, but no Republican Congress would go along with even 10 percent of this plan which is basically a long list of promises to the Black Americans - individually and as a group.

From Truthout:   Yes, 55 Percent of White Women Voted for Trump. No, I’m Not Surprised.

BOOM! Studios from Diamond Distributors for August 28, 2019

BOOM! STUDIOS

JAN199486    (USE JUL198300) ONCE & FUTURE #1 (OF 6) (2ND PTG)    $3.99
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IDW Publishing from Diamond Distributors for July 31, 2019

IDW PUBLISHING

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First Issue of "Harrow County" Comic Book Gets Second Printing

‘HARROW COUNTY’ #1 SELLS OUT, GOES TO SECOND PRINTING

DON’T MISS YOUR CHANCE TO VISIT ‘HARROW COUNTY’

MILWAUKIE, OR—Dark Horse Comics is pleased to announce that Cullen Bunn and Tyler Crook’s Harrow County #1 has sold out and will receive a second printing. Featuring a new cover by Crook, the new printing will give even more readers a chance to visit “the town that will make your skin crawl.”

Praised as “genuinely creepy and engaging” by Mark Millar and called “[a series] worth checking out” by master of horror Clive Barker, Harrow County follows the story of Emmy, who always knew that the deep, dark woods surrounding her home crawled with ghosts, goblins, and the restless dead. But on the eve of her eighteenth birthday, she learns that she is connected to these creatures—and to the land itself—in a way she never imagined.

Harrow County #1 is the latest of several sold-out creator-owned first printings from Dark Horse and follows in the footsteps of this year’s Lady Killer and EI8HT.

Don’t miss your chance to experience the series Bloody Disgusting calls “a masterful creation that lingers in the small moments of terror from our daily lives.”

For a closer look at Tyler Crook's Harrow County #1 second printing variant, head over to Comic Book Resources.

Harrow County #1 Second Printing (APR158284)
Cullen Bunn (W), Tyler Crook (A/Cover)
$3.99
On sale June 17; FOC June 1


About Dark Horse
Founded in 1986 by Mike Richardson, Dark Horse Comics has proven to be a solid example of how integrity and innovation can help broaden a unique storytelling medium and establish a small, homegrown company as an industry giant. The company is known for the progressive and creator-friendly atmosphere it provides for writers and artists. In addition to publishing comics from top talent, such as Frank Miller, Mike Mignola, Neil Gaiman, Brian Wood, Gerard Way, Felicia Day, and Guillermo del Toro, and comics legends, such as Will Eisner, Neal Adams, and Jim Steranko, Dark Horse has developed its own successful properties, such as The Mask, Ghost, Timecop, and SpyBoy. Its successful line of comics and products based on popular properties includes Mass Effect, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Aliens, Conan, EVE Online, Halo, Serenity, Game of Thrones, and Domo. Today Dark Horse Comics is the largest independent comic book publisher in the US and is recognized as one of the world’s leading publishers of both creator-owned content and licensed comics material.

---------------

Review: The "Candyman" Can... Still Scare

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 132 (of 2005) by Leroy Douresseaux

Candyman (1992)
Running time:  98 minutes (1 hour, 38 minutes)
MPAA – R
DIRECTOR:  Bernard Rose
WRITER:  Bernard Rose (based upon the story “The Forbidden” by Clive Barker)
PRODUCERS:  Steve Golin, Sigurjon Sighvatsson, and Alan Poul
CINEMATOGRAPHER:  Anthony B. Richmond, B.S.C.
EDITOR:  Dan Rae
COMPOSER:  Philip Glass

HORROR/THRILLER with elements of fantasy and mystery

Starring:  Virginia Madsen, Tony Todd, Xander Berkeley, Kasi Lemmons, Vanessa Williams, and DeJuan Guy

The subject of this movie review is Candyman, a 1992 horror film from director Bernard Rose.  The film is an adaptation of “The Forbidden,” a short story by Clive Barker that first appeared in Barker’s short story collection, Books of Blood Volume 5 (published in the United States as In the Flesh).  Candyman tells the story of a grad student who is skeptical of stories about a local boogeyman until the boogeyman attacks her.

Stand in front of a mirror and say his name five times, and Candyman (Tony Todd) will appear behind you.  When someone calls his name, Candyman usually arrives to gut his caller from groin to gullet, but it’s all a children’s ghost story – an urban legend to scare the simpleminded.  That’s what Helen Lyle (Virginia Madsen), a Chicago-based graduate student, believes when she comes across the tale of Candyman while doing research for her thesis on modern folklore.

However, when she hears that Candyman haunts Chicago’s notorious Cabrini Green projects, Helen thinks that she has a new angle for the thesis upon which she is working with her partner, Bernadette “Bernie” Walsh (Kasi Lemmons).  Still, Helen can’t really accept that Candyman exists.  Her actions and investigations also lead to an arrest that seems to put the Candyman tales to rest… until the legend himself appears and ignites a series of gruesome and bloody murders for which Helen gets the blame.

Thirteen years before earning the Oscar nomination that would revive her career (for 2004’s Sideways), Virginia Madsen was a scream queen – the heroine in a now-cult favorite horror movie entitled Candyman.  Based upon legendary horror/fantasy writer, Clive Barker’s, tale “The Forbidden,” Candyman took the unusual narrative approach that the final result of the film had to be that the heroine, in this case Helen Lyle, die in order to save the day.  Not only is Helen fighting a monster, but she’s also fighting a story that wants her dead.  Madsen was perfect as the doe-eyed beauty who swoons from one scene to the next, her plump, semi-Rubenesque body awaiting the fearsome savagery of Candyman’s hook.

Writer/director Bernard Rose (who would go on to direct Immortal Beloved, with Gary Oldman) moved the action from the housing projects of Liverpool, the original setting of Barker’s tale, to Chicago’s then-40-year old, decaying housing projects, Cabrini Green.  Rose’s choice was an excellent one, as he was able to make Cabrini an even more darkly mysterious setting for chills and thrills as good as any haunted house.  Rose makes the first half of the film a quietly, chilling suspense thriller, but he transforms the second half of the film into a dreamy and trippy dark horror/fantasy that only stumbles a little as it waltzes to the end.

The film also features a small role by Kasi Lemmons, who would make a name for herself in Hollywood as both a script doctor and as a director with the acclaimed, independent film hit, Eve’s Bayou.  Tony Todd became something of a horror movie/sci-fi cult actor (kinda like Bruce Campbell) appearing in episodes of “Stargate:  SG-1,” “Star Trek: The Next Generation” and “Star Trek:  Deep Space Nine” and also in the Final Destination horror film franchise.  Here, Ms. Madsen, Ms. Lemmons, Todd, and Rose put together a small, mesmerizing horror treat that bears many repeat viewings.

7 of 10
B+

Monday, August 22, 2005

Updated:  Sunday, October 13, 2013

The text is copyright © 2013 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this site for syndication rights and fees.

Review: "Nightbreed" Remains Unique (Happy B'day, Danny Elfman)

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 91 (of 2007) by Leroy Douresseaux

Nightbreed (1990)
Running time: 101 minutes (1 hour, 41 minutes)
MPAA – R
DIRECTOR: Clive Barker
WRITER: Clive Barker (based upon his novella Cabal)
PRODUCER: Gabriella Martinelli
CINEMATOGRAPHER: Robin Vidgeon
EDITORS: Mark Goldblatt and Richard Marden
COMPOSER: Danny Elfman

FANTASY/HORROR with elements of drama and thriller

Starring: Craig Sheffer, Anne Bobby, David Cronenberg, Charles Haid, Hugh Quarshie, Hugh Ross, Doug Bradley, Catherine Chevalier, Malcolm Smith, Bob Sessions, Oliver Parker, Debora Weston, Nicholas Vince, Simon Bamford, and Kim Robertson

The subject of this movie review is Nightbreed, a 1990 fantasy and horror film from writer-director Clive Barker. The film is based on Barker’s 1988 novella, Cabal, which was originally published as hardback book along with some of Barker’s short stories. The film follows a young man wanted for murder who joins a tribe of monsters and outcasts, called the “Nightbreed,” that also hides from humanity.

Nightmares of a place called Midian haunt the dreams of Aaron Boone (Craig Sheffer). His dreams tell him that Midian is the place of monsters, but his therapist, Dr. Philip K. Decker (David Cronenberg), tells Boone these dreams are the byproduct of a guilty conscience. You see, Decker insists that Boone is a serial killer, but the truth of the matter is that Decker is the real killer. He’s pinning the crimes on Boone, his vulnerable patient. A chance encounter with a raving madman, however, gives Boone directions to Midian, somewhere in rural Canada. What Boone finds is that Midian is a large and peculiar graveyard, and below its graves live strange and wondrous creatures and monsters. One of them attacks and bites Boone.

Decker’s deception leads to Boone’s death, but he arises to find himself back in Midian’s underworld, the lair of the Nightbreed. Now, he must save his new family and his girlfriend Lori Winston (Anne Bobby) from Decker’s elaborate fraud and murderous intensity. Meanwhile, the local law has gathered a gun-toting, bloodthirsty mob, and they’re on a hunt for Nightbreed trophies.

Clive Barker has stated in the past that his 1990 film, Nightbreed, was meant to be “the Star Wars of monster movies,” but disagreements with the studio producing the film meant that Nightbreed was not released to theatres in the version Barker wanted movie audiences to see. Still, what is on the screen is stylish and distinctive, and Danny Elfman’s score creates the perfect harmony for this dreamlike fairy tale. Barker’s vision of supernatural creatures and human freaks of nature living in a secret underground world (beneath a cemetery), right under the noses of normal human society is attractive to anyone with a vivid imagination or who feels vastly different from the mainstream.

The special effects and make-up effects seem dated 17 years later (as of this writing), but this concept’s blend of human drama, dark fantasy, weird horror, and social commentary (prejudice and intolerance) is worth a look by the adventurous, inspired movie lover.

6 of 10
B

Monday, June 11, 2007