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Buy / Wait / Rent: July 2019 Blu-Ray Releases

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We sift through the new release heap so you don’t have to!

Welcome to Horror News Network’s Buy / Wait / Rent, a monthly article devoted to the most highly-anticipated horror releases on blu-ray. Here you will find the best home video releases of each month, along with our opinion on whether each film is a must-own on the first day of release, something you should wait to buy until it goes on sale, or something you’re better off renting for a one-time watch. And now, on to the notable new releases of July 2019! read more

‘The Curse of La Llorona’ Weeps All the Way to Number One at Weekend Box Office

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The Curse of La Llorona didn’t have any problem scaring the competition away at this weekend’s box office, finishing first with a estimated $26.5 million.

La Llorona acted as perfect counter-programming to the new family and religious based films that entered theaters this weekend such as Disney’s Penguins (which couldn’t even crack the top ten) and Breakthrough (which finished in third place with an estimated $10 million).  The debut performance for “The Weeping Woman” is somewhat similar to Pet Sematary’s opening frame earlier in the month (which also brought in close to $25 million), although the film wasn’t as well-liked by critics, with a Rotten Tomatoes score of 32% (vs Sematary’s 58%).  On the other hand, when compared to Sematary’s C+ grade from Cinemascore, audiences seemed to prefer La Llorona slighlty better (director Michael Chaves’ Curse received a grade B- from the same polling service). read more

‘Hellboy’ Burned at Weekend Box Office

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Much to the chagrin of Hellboy fans, Neil Marshall, David Harbour, and Mike Mignola (to say nothing about the financial stake holders at Lionsgate and Summit Entertainment), the much-hyped Hellboy reboot failed to deliver at the box office, or in the eyes of critics and fans.

Expectations were gauged as cautiously optimistic for the latest adventures of Dark Horse Comics “Big Red” (especially when it was clear that Hellboy would be entering a crowded scene with the continued success of Shazam, Us, Captain Marvel, and last week’s Pet Sematary remake), but no one involved could have prepared for the anemic box office returns, as the film earned only an estimated $12 million in its first weekend of release. read more

‘Pet Sematary’ Climbs into Second Place at Weekend Box Office, ‘Us’ Passes $150 Million Mark

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The pulse for Pet Sematary has been running high over the past few months (and the film delivered a second place finish at the weekend box office to the tune of $25 million), but  just like the optimism of Dr. Louis Creed, the end result may not be what Paramount expected.

Pet Sematary’s debut is a healthy one for a horror remake, but all of the analytics associated with the film point to a sharp decline in ticket sales next week.  Sematary’s Rotten Tomatoes score has steadily fallen from the mid-80s to a current score of 61% fresh.  While this is an admirable number for any horror film, the fan metrics are more disturbing.  Only 49% of fans on Rotten Tomatoes liked the film (according to their Audience Score) and film-goers polled by Cinemascore gave the remake an ultra low C+.  With Hellboy opening next week, followed quickly by The Curse of La Llorona weeping into theaters two weeks later, Pet Sematary could easily drop 65% at next week’s box office, signaling an early exit from theaters. read more

Horror News Network’s Spring 2019 Movie Preview

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Spring brings warmer weather, longer days, and seasonal allergies to one and all, but it is also brings a healthy amount of horror films in the season of rebirth.  While the fall is the traditional season for all things that go bump in the night, there are enough horror films in April and May to satisfy fans of all persuasions, whether you are in the mood for some highly anticipated remakes and reboots (Pet Sematary, Hellboy), ghostly women (The Curse of La Llorona), super-powered, evil children (Brightburn), stalkers (The Intruder, Ma), or giant lizards (Godzilla: King of the Monsters). read more

Buy / Wait / Rent: March 2019 Blu-Ray Releases

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We sift through the new release heap so you don’t have to!

Welcome to Horror News Network’s Buy / Wait / Rent, a monthly article devoted to the most highly-anticipated horror releases on blu-ray. Here you will find the best home video releases of each month, along with our opinion on whether each film is a must-own on the first day of release, something you should wait to buy until it goes on sale, or something you’re better off renting for a one-time watch. And now, on to the notable new releases of March 2019! read more

Second Trailer Arrives for ‘Pet Sematary’

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“Sometimes dead is better.” The much anticipated second trailer for Paramount’s Pet Sematary has arrived. The new preview gives us a glimpse of the dread that awaits the Creed’s as they move to Ludlow.

Directed by Kevin Kolsch and Dennis Widmyer, Pet Sematary stars John Lithgow, Amy Seimetz, Jason Clarke, Hugo & Lucas Lavoie, and Jete Laurence.

The official synopsis for the film is as follows:

Based on the seminal horror novel by Stephen King, follows Dr. Louis Creed (Jason Clarke), who, after relocating with his wife Rachel (Amy Seimetz) and their two young children from Boston to rural Maine, discovers a mysterious burial ground hidden deep in the woods near the family’s new home. When tragedy strikes, Louis turns to his unusual neighbor, Jud Crandall, setting off a perilous chain reaction that unleashes an unfathomable evil with horrific consequences. read more

HNN Staff Discuss What to Expect in 2019

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The upcoming year is shaping up to be quite a significant one for horror fans, with numerous film and television projects scheduled to premiere across many different platforms.  From Pet Sematary to It: Chapter Two to yet another promising Jordan Peele production, there is reason for both optimism and skepticism within the genre.

Join HNN’s Christine, Larry and Sean as they discuss and critique what to expect in 2019.

Visit our YouTube channel (and the video below) for the entire episode, and check out our Patreon page for even more exclusive videos and content that you can’t get anywhere else (https://www.patreon.com/horrornewsnetwork). read more

First Official Trailer for 2019’s ‘Pet Sematary’ Released

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Stephen King fans are in their glory right about now.  Following the recent release of the first movie poster and still images for next year’s remake of the 1989 film (and 1983 novel) Pet Sematary, Paramount Pictures has unveiled the first official trailer earlier today.  The trailer can been seen below.  This news, of course, is on the heels of another of King’s novels being turned into a huge Hollywood hit (2017’s IT.)

The new Pet Sematary, starring Jason Clarke (Zero Dark Thirty) and Amy Seimetz (Stranger Things), will be a remake of the 1989 film.  After opening to mixed reviews (favored by horror fans, dismissed by film critics), it would go on to gross around $57 million at the box office to be considered a mild hit.  The original movie spawned a 1992 sequel unaffiliated with King’s novel, but that proved to be a critical and financial flop.  The late Fred Gwynne was stellar in the original film as Maine local and neighbor Jud Crandall, a role to be played by the great John Lithgow in the new version.  Let’s hope his Maine accent isn’t quite as over-the-top as Gwynne’s was at times. read more

John Lithgow Will Portray Jud Crandall in ‘Pet Sematary’ Remake

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According to a report from EW, John Lithgow will play friendly country neighbor Jud Crandall in the new film adaptation of Stephen King’s Pet Sematary.

Lithgow will join actor Jason Clarke (Zero Dark Thirty, Dawn of the Planet of the Apes) in the film (which is set to be released on April 19, 2019) who has already been cast as Louis Creed, the unfortunate father of the tragic and frightening story.

As EW points out “The role of Jud Crandall was previously played by the late Fred Gwynne in the 1989 adaptation of King’s novel. At 72, Lithgow is a decade younger than the character of Jud, who was 83 in the book, but a decade older than Gwynne, who was only 62 at the time he played the role.”  All horror fans also remember Gwynne as the lovable patriarch of the Munster Family, Herman Munster.  The new version of the film will be directed by the Starry Eyes team, Dennis Widmyer and Kevin Kolsch, with a script by Jeff Buhler (Nightflyers.) read more