Tag: halloween

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Actor Malcolm McDowell Through the Years

 

 

At 75 years old, actor Malcolm McDowell has had an intensely unique and successful career. His boisterous, sometimes controversial roles have led to vast experience in various genres. McDowell has been best described as a character actor and first gained recognition 50 years ago in the film titled, If. Directed by Lindsay Anderson, this feature became a landmark of British counter culture cinema and became the 12th greatest British film of the 20th century. Just three years later, he played the sinister Alex DeLarge in the classic A Clockwork Orange (1971). He is perhaps best known for that role to this day.

Actor McDowell’s following feature works included Tinto Brass’s Caligula (1979), Time After Time (1979), Star Trek Generations (1994), remakes of the Halloween films, Easy A (2010), and The Artist (2011). In 2003, he starred in the Irish feature, Red Roses and Petrol which was distributed by World Wide Motion Pictures Corporation. McDowell has also had a string of television roles in shows such as Entourage (2009-2011) and Heroes (2007-2008). He has also become a prolific voice actor for video games and other animations like Fallout 3 (2008), God of War III (2010), Call of Duty: Black Ops III (2015), and the Walt Disney Studios film Bolt (2008). The British actor began his training at the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Arts. He received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame back in 2012. His profound ability to succeed in a variety of roles and film genres is what makes his career truly impressive. Happy birthday, Malcolm! We wish you many more successes and triumphs throughout the years and projects to come!

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HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

 

We’re creeping towards Halloween again, and that means it is time to start finding scary movies to watch. With the amount of horror films that get released each year, it is easy to fall behind, and trying to look for the right film can get overwhelming. Here is a list of must-watch movies and TV shows for Halloween.

STRANGER THINGS 2

Stranger Things season 2 begins nearly a year after the first installment, on Halloween in Hawkins, Indiana. Will has rejoined his pals after being rescued from the show’s alternate dimension, the Upside Down. I recently finished watching season 1 of Stranger Things on Netflix and I was hooked from the opening scene. If you haven’t already watched it, I would recommend starting season 1 now. Season 2 of Stranger Things is set to be released exclusively on Netflix on October 27.   

Twin Peaks: The Return

Set 25 years after the original Twin Peaks, the new series focuses on a number of storylines, many which are connected through association with FBI Special Agent Dale Cooper. Twin Peaks is unlike any show on television and if you haven’t seen it yet, you need to stop what you’re doing right now and go watch it. It is by far my favorite TV show of the year (possibly of all time). Seasons 1 and 2 of Twin Peaks are currently available on Netflix, and the new season 3 is available on Showtime.  

Nosferatu

An absolute classic! In this highly influential 1922 silent horror film, the mysterious Count Orlok summons Thomas Hutter to his remote Transylvanian castle in the mountains.  After Orlok reveals his vampire nature, Hutter struggles to escape the castle. It is no wonder the film considered an all-time great. I first watched Nosferatu at a film class in college and I couldn’t believe how many themes in this film are still used today. We are proud to have this film in our collection. A must-watch for film lovers everywhere.

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Remake of Stephen King’s IT

 

Coming out September 8th, IT is definitely one of the most highly anticipated horror films of the year. Based on the novel by Stephen King, IT was first adapted as a TV mini-series in 1990. The story is about a group of kids who band together when a monster in the shape of an evil clown returns to their hometown and starts hunting children. IT is now being remade as a feature film, directed by Andy Muschietti, and fans are excited.

Would the original fans go see the IT remake? The IT television series has held up pretty well amongst horror fans considering it was made almost thirty years ago. However, IT director Andy Muschittei has come out and said that he is “not a fan” of the TV mini-series, stating that he was not a child anymore when the IT television series was released and was more of a fan of the book.

 

Still, the excitement is high for a good film to make up for this summer’s slew of below average blockbusters. Adding to the hype is a new IT movie haunted house that has popped up in Hollywood, giving fans the IT experience as they navigate through the house while being terrorized by Pennywise the evil clown. If you are not one of the few people banned by Stephen King from seeing this movie (in other words if you are not Donald Trump) then make sure you check out IT coming out in theaters September 8th!

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Revisit STRANGER THINGS this Halloween

 

It’s the spookiest time of the year and it is hard for us not to reminisce about one of the hottest sci-fi horror shows of Summer 2016. When the government starts performing some lab tests in secrecy and a small town boy goes missing, we’re usually in for a fishy scenario yet thrilling plot for a show. A mysterious sci-fi horror, with a retro feel, throwing it back to 1983, Stranger Things injected new life to a generally predictable genre. The root of their success was derived from the little things that they did throughout the show. With a constant flow of references to some of our favorite and most memorable 80’s movies such as E.T., Star Wars, Alien, and plenty more, it was hard not to feel a sense of nostalgia and reminisce about the past. With a more than competent cast, beautiful cinematography, and an engaging plot which was well-paced throughout the show, Stranger Things did not disappoint and had fans asking for more.

stranger-things

Now if you felt that there were still some questions that were left on the table unanswered, or if the eight-episode season just seemed too short to fully immerse yourself in the show, worry not because your wishes have come true, my friend. Stranger Things is now approved and working towards a second season, and the producers have mentioned that it would be more of a sequel to the first season rather than a continuation of the current storyline. This should allow for explanation and revelation of some of the mysteries that were left unanswered by the end of season one.

If you enjoyed this thrilling horror series, go check out one of WWMPC’s own thrillers in the form of a mysterious horror film that is Real Killers, where the James brothers are on the loose again, out and about trying to claim new victims.

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Halloween: The Time of Fear

 

Halloween, also known as All Hallows’ Eve or All Saints’ Eve, is a celebration remembering the dead. Over time, it has formed many different traditions. People of all ages dress up in many types of costumes and are able to be whomever they want. If you’d like to be a gladiator for the day, then go for it. A person can be a clown, a famous celebrity, a firefighter, a ghost, or a combination of sell three; the possibilities are endless. You can hear the sounds of children going house to house collecting candy from their neighbors with the shrieks of “trick or treat!”. Many college students use this holiday as an excuse to dress up in revealing costumes and to drink copious amount of alcoholic beverages. Another normative tradition during this time is the viewing of horror and thriller films. Some people really enjoy the feeling of fright and being terrified. They usually watch these films in the dark which enhance the feelings of terror and suspense. There are people who enjoy watching these films in a comedic sense to see what the characters will do, often with those so-bad-it’s-good movies. Others watch it with the goal of being spooked and having lingering paranoia and series of nightmares days. One dictionary defines fear as an unpleasant emotion caused by the belief that some person or thing is dangerous, likely to cause pain or a threat. These type of movies use the different fears that people have to power their films. For example, the new film entitled Lights Out, uses the fear of the dark for their premise.

Here is a list of horror and thriller films that you can watch to get in the Halloween mood:

kill

The psychological/horror film Real Killers is about two brothers, who killed their parents in cold blood, that are taken them in after escaping death row. The film is available on DVD courtesy of World Wide Motion Pictures Corporation.

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Five Family Friendly Halloween Films to Watch (And Five Not So Family Friendly Movies)

 

It’s that spooky time of year again, and are you having trouble deciding what movies to watch with your family and loved ones during Halloween? There’s fun, wacky, happy (sometimes even magical) Halloween films out there that make us feel good about the holiday season. But then there are some films that are just filled with too much terror, death, and are way too gross to watch for the young ones. Here are five must watch movies on the list, as well as five movies to avoid viewing with your children, listed in no particular order.

Hocus Pocus (1993)

This movie really proves that any demonic entity (witches, goblins, ghouls etc.) can be portrayed as lovable protagonists.There isn't too much violence, and the witches' magic that takes place is more mischievous and good natured than it is malicious or diabolical. This film is not too creepy for the scaredy cat of the family. Fire this movie up, and cast a magical spell on the little ones with this enthralling tale.

Ernest Scared Stupid (1991)

Ernest is about as goofy as it gets. This movie is so vanilla, even grandma can watch it without being offended by any of Ernest's eccentric antics. This movie is a good tool to get hyperactive children to sit down and watch a character who is more spazzed out than they are.

The Monster Squad (1987)

This 80's film captures what it really was like to grow up during Dracula's rise back into power, which was easily thwarted by a group of Goonies wannabes. The whole family can enjoy this film, especially when the fat kid kicks the Wolfman in the "nards". Nards was probably the first slang word some people learned that described a certain part of the human anatomy. This film was as educational as it was entertaining. Try to watch it at least once with a little brother or cousin!

Casper: The Friendly Ghost (1995)

Casper: the Friendly Ghost. What could possibly be scary in this film, knowing that Casper is friendly right off the bat? Ghosts usually are pretty angry over something they can’t let go of, but not Casper! I don't know, but that fact alone makes this an easy watch with the rest of the family. The audience probably won't remember the plot of it a week later, but it is good harmless fun for the viewers during the month of October.

The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993)

If you can't trust Disney to get a family cartoon about Halloween right, who can you trust?Jack Skellington is as lovable as Rocky Balboa, and I really can't think of a character who has cleanly gotten away with ruining Christmas for everyone around him besides the Grinch. There is no reason why families shouldn't watch this with their loved ones. Even if all the clay monsters makes them feel a bit uneasy at first.

 

Five Not So Family Friendly Halloween Films

Killer Klowns from Outer Space (1988)

This movie seems cute and cuddly at first, but it takes a very dark turn when the clowns decide to exterminate all the earthlings. One of the most traumatic moments had to be the cotton candy cocoons the Clowns were trapping their victims inside. Films like this are the reasons why parents and their children develop severe cases of clown phobia.

Hellraiser (1987)

“Hellraiser” is one of those movies that one friend tricks another friend into viewing, just to watch them squirm. Nothing is creepier than intergalactic demons whose sadistic intentions are equally as disturbing as the cinematography and set design. The weird zombie husband protagonist is absolutely morbid. Pinhead might look funny, but there is nothing to laugh about in this film at all.

Halloween - Rob Zombie Remake (2007)

John Carpenter’s original film, "Halloween" was scary, but there was something about mega rockstar/director Rob Zombie's vision of a troubled child's mind was just really unsettling. Malcolm McDowell plays Michael Myers' criminal psychiatrist, and his character added the unusual element that even the protagonists in the film are creepy as hell. Go watch “Friday the 13th” instead.

The Thing (1982)

The fact that a shapeshifter was killing the entire cast in the Antarctic tundra wasn't the part that was disturbing about this film. It was the high quality animatronics which makes this film almost unbearable to watch for small, impressionable children. The human-spider head that runs around like a chicken on fire is a good enough reason to pass on this horror flick. It’s no doubt the most horrible scene in a film ever created with muppets.

Cube (1997)

This movie really did mess up my head growing up. The best way to describe "Cube" to those unaware is a futuristic version of the horror flick "Saw", but very little questions are answered about it. Usually films like this give some sort of closure at the end, but just thinking about it makes me feel as uneasy as the first time I remember watching it. “Cube” is a movie about a death trap filled labyrinth, which random acts of violence happen, underlined by the feeling of no hope of escaping. Family members should not watch "Cube" unless there was something more comfortable to view, like "Hostel" or "The Human Centipede". This film was more mentally exhausting than both those films combined. Don’t even think about watching it.