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Universal Confirms Two More ‘Halloween’ Films

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In a huge announcement for film fans the world over, Universal Studios has confirmed that we will be getting at least two more movies full of Michael Myers. Deadline has reported today that October 16th, 2020 is the official release date for Halloween Kills and October 15th, 2021 will be the date for Halloween Ends.

Jamie Lee Curtis will be back in the role of Laurie Strode while Danny McBride and David Gordon Green will be working on the script. Both films will be directed by Green and produced by Malek Akkad, Jason Blum and Bill Block. While John Carpenter is listed as an executive producer, there is no work yet on what other roles he will have in the next installments. read more

John Carpenter Takes on The Joker

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DC announced today that horror legend John Carpenter will be teaming up with Anthony Burch (Borderlands 2) for the 40-page one-shot The Joker: Year of the Villain. Philip Tan and Marc Deering will be the artists bringing to life Carpenter’s foray into the DC Universe.

“The Joker is the greatest villain in comics,” said Carpenter.  “I’m proud to be reunited with Anthony on this project,” as the two have previously collaborated on BOOM! Studios’ Big Trouble in Little China: Old Man Jack miniseries. read more

The Next ‘Halloween’ Installment Inches Closer

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No official word yet from the folks over at Blumhouse or Universal, but Collider is reporting today that multiple sources are saying that Halloween 2 is set to begin shooting after Labor Day and looking at an October 2020 release. It should come as no surprise to anyone that a film that grossed upwards of 250 million on a budget of 10 million is getting a sequel; especially with the recent rise in popularity of horror films; particularly “remakes” and “re-imaginings”.

Word is that Jamie Lee Curtis, Judy Greeg and Andi Matichak are all expected to return in the roles they played in the 2018 blockbuster surrounded by a new cast of victims. Again, no formal announcements have been made but supposedly the new script was penned by David Gordon Green (Halloween 2018) who is also expected to direct again. Once the announcements are made, I’m sure we’ll also see funnyman Danny McBride back to produce alongside Malek Akkad (son of long-time Halloween franchise producer Moustapha Akkad). read more

‘Blood on Black Wax: Horror Soundtracks on Vinyl’ Authors Jeff Szpirglas and Aaron Lupton: The Horror News Network Interview

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One of the hottest collectibles in recent years for fans of horror films have been the numerous limited edition re-issues of classic horror film soundtracks with new cover art and deluxe packaging.  This trend also sent many fans back to their local record stores and ebay in search of some of  their favorite films that were immortalized on black plastic.

Two fellow fans (and journalists for Rue Morgue), Jeff Szpirglas and Aaron Lupton, decided to take it one step further and have just released a gorgeous book dedicated to the subject and it is clear that there is much to learn about the previously undocumented world of horror vinyl.  In this exclusive interview, HNN speaks to Szpirglas and Lupton about their new book, which is bound to keep you spinning through numerous undiscovered gems and old favorites. read more

‘Halloween: The Changing Shape of an Iconic Series’: The Horror News Network Review

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Fans and critics were certainly split over last October’s Halloween reboot.  While critics gave the film praise for updating the franchise for a modern audience, fans who have followed the series since John Carpenter’s original were less impressed, finding the film to be derivative and (the cardinal sin of any horror film) not scary enough.

Despite the mixed feelings about 2018’s version of Michael Myers tale, fans still hold the series in high regard, including some of the questionable later entries in the series.  Author Ernie Magnotta is one who certainly hold the films near and dear to his heart, but he also approaches the many Halloween films with a critical perspective in his new book Halloween: The Changing Shape of an Iconic Series. read more

Donald Moffat, Star of ‘The Thing’, Passes Away at 87

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Veteran actor Donald Moffat, who’s long and distinguished Hollywood career spanned six decades, passed away on Thursday, December 2oth.  According to his daughter Lynn, the star of stage and screen suffered complications from a stroke at his home in Sleepy Hollow, NY.  He was 87.

Moffat was born in the England in 1930, and moved to the United States in 1956 prepared to taking his acting career to the next level.  He found success on Broadway, having been nominated for two Tony Awards.  The highlight of  his Hollywood career would be portraying Lyndon B. Johnson in 1983’s The Right Stuff, along with recurring roles in the TV series Logan’s Run and Dallas.  His IMDB credits include 121 acknowledged roles, spanning an incredible 49 years.  He retired from acting in 2005, with his final role being that of a judge on the hit series Law & Order: Trial by Jury. read more

Universal Shares ‘Halloween’ Deleted Scene

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Mere weeks before the home video release of the latest entry in the Halloween franchise, an early glimpse of one of the special features is now streaming on YouTube.

From Universal Home Entertainment’s YT channel, the deleted scene features Aaron Korey (Jefferson Hall) and Dana Haines (Rhian Rees), the documentary filmmakers who are researching the masked killer Michael Myers, during a pretty solid faux scare.

Reprising her iconic role from the original 1978 film, Jamie Lee Curtis comes to her final confrontation with Michael Myers, the masked killer who has haunted her since narrowly escaping the night he went on a killing spree forty years prior on Halloween night. read more

‘Halloween’s’ Voice of Dr. Loomis Colin Mahan: The Horror News Network Interview

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Casual fans of  horror movies, and Halloween in particular, always assume that the hardcore fans love Michael Myers or Laurie Strode the best.  But real fans love one man and one man only when it comes to the original Halloween films: the maniacal and hysterical Dr. Loomis (played by the inimitable Donald Pleasence).

When news of the remake started to circulate through the horror community, many fans wondered if the legacy of the great actor and his portrayal of Loomis would be honored.  Thankfully, Loomis’ voice made it into the film, but was the audio captured from a previous film or outtakes?  As it turns out, the recording of “the good doctor” was performed by voice actor and comedian Colin Mahan.  In this exclusive interview, Mahan discusses how he landed the job, the pressure involved in recreating the classic voice, and how comedy and horror are not too far apart on the entertainment spectrum. read more

‘Halloween’ Chops the Box Office to Pieces With a $77.5 Million Dollar Debut

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Expectations were high for the long-awaited reboot of John Carpenter’s Halloween, and it is safe to say that the film didn’t disappoint at the box office with a $77.5 million three-day debut.  The total was the second largest October opening weekend of all-time, coming less than $3 million shy of the record set by Sony’s Venom (early reports had the film beating Venom, but that slippery symbiote held on to his title, at least for now).

With a $10 million dollar production budget, Halloween (2018) was a major success for Universal and Blumhouse, and the film is sure to add to its total over the next few weeks with little horror competition on the horizon. Halloween (2018) fared well with critics (currently 80% fresh on Rotten Tomatoes) and a good, but not great B+ Cinemascore with fans.  The horror community has been less than impressed with the film, which could add up to a larger drop-off than expected next week (look no further than HNN’s John Evans, whose 2000 word plus review gives you every reason to wait to see Halloween at home at best, and perhaps skip it at worst). read more

‘Halloween (2018)’: The Horror News Network Review

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Halloween fans are used to being disappointed. However, after decades of false starts, inconsistency, and mind-bending retcons, our love of the original 1978 masterpiece has remained steadfast and our optimism for an effective follow-up has never been affected by a long line of attempts which never quite hit the high watermark that John Carpenter established with Halloween and arguably maintained with 1981’s Halloween II. Halloween (2018) was supposed to change everything. Directed by David Gordon Green and based on a script by Green and Danny McBride- the duo known for dark and complex non-horror titles such as Eastbound & Down and Vice Principals– the early hype for the film focused on a concerted effort to return to the franchise’s roots, both thematically and narratively. This mission was reinforced by another return of Jamie Lee Curtis as the iconic Laurie Strode, a guest appearance by Nick Castle as The Shape, and John Carpenter’s direct involvement in the franchise by acting as executive producer and providing music for the new film. And then came the trailer- a nearly perfect study in the recreation of the visual and auditory style of the original movie- which resulted in a fever pitch of anticipation for fans who were eager to believe that it was finally happening… he was finally going to come home in style! Unfortunately- and it brings me no pleasure to say this- the greatest moments of the film were all featured in that fateful trailer, and the new Halloween movie suffers greatly due to baffling choices with both story and character. There are fleeting moments in the film which will inspire even the most orthodox Halloween fan, but those moments are earned by the legacy of the franchise rather than the merits of the movie itself. read more