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Editorials, News

‘Halloween Kills’ Trailer Is Here With The Return of Pure Evil!

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Evil returns this October as horror fans return back to Haddonfield, back to him, back to the Boogeyman. From the few glimpses we’ve seen of it Halloween Kills already shows lots of promise for horror fans.

image via Universal and Blumhouse

That’s right! At long last, we’ve seen the first trailer of the highly anticipated horror epic, Halloween Kills. And we are excited!

Following the immediate events of 2018’s triumphant Halloween, Michael Myers rises from the swirling inferno built to be his prison, like a demon emerging out of the fires of Hell.

image via Universal and Blumhouse

Fire trucks arrive at the scene and the Shape makes quick work of each one of them, proving no earthly flame or human force can stop the purest embodiment of Evil.

And, according to this trailer, they want to drive home that Michael truly is the very essence of evil. 

image via Universal and Blumhouse

More noticeably now are the empty depths of Michael’s eyes, both hollow as an open grave site, and giving us a phantasmal glimpse at the malignancy within him. It’s as if whatever humanity (however little remained) may have been lingering in the man’s soul is finally dissolved by the hate and rage swelling in his heart. This time around Michael is truly the Shape more than ever before.

And I love the burn marks scratched across the iconic mask now. It makes the Boogeyman that much more ghoulish and unsettling to see.

image via Universal and Blumhouse

And speaking of masks the movie teases at some (more) very familiar Easter Eggs and throw backs from movies past. I think Halloween III: Season of the Witch fans will readily recognize an iconic trio.

image via Universal and Blumhouse, zero days till Halloween, Silver Shamrock

The trailer also reveals how Michael thrives off each victim he kills. And given the brief glimpses we’re shown the Shape does look far more savage than ever. So I’m expecting some wild kills scenes from this one.

image via Universal and Blumhouse , Michael takes out the entire firefighter team

It’s fair to say there will be (blood) plenty here for fans to enjoy and we’re very, very excited by what we’ve seen so far. It’s shaping up to be a wicked witching season this October, my Nasties.  

image via Universal and Blumhouse

So enjoy the trailer as we all anxiously await the Witching Season slowly approaching, bringing with it the Boogeyman and all his violent evil.

Home Video Releases

PUBLIC ACCESS CHANNEL 43 IS A VHS AESTHETIC DREAM COME TRUE

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These people pretty much had me at VHS transfers.

Channel 43 is an online public access station streaming on Twitch that focuses on horror, science fiction, and all the glorious things we here at Nightmare Nostalgia soak up and live by. The back to the past channel features short form video work from various artists while taking on the format of a television broadcast complete with commercial breaks, bumpers, news stories, PSAs’ and of course, host segments. All of this content has been transferred to VHS, circuit bent, and converted back to digital to create a consistent aesthetic throughout the entire broadcast.

Take a gander at this stunning strip of VHS aesthetic.

Per the press release:

“Channel 43’s first showcase offers up an eclectic blend from both traditional filmmakers and conceptual video artists while maintaining a unified viewing experience. With video work by 20 artists from around the world, the project aims to bring a dose of variety to horror and sci-fi as well as expand the scope of what these genres can be.
Creator and director of programming, Sophia Gordon, has been blending analog and digital technology within her own video arts practice for over 7 years. Her first channel, Miller’s Grove Public Access, incorporated the style for a group exhibition in 2019. Since then, it has become a staple within her work as a curator. Working under the name TeleUphoria Media Network, Gordon’s main initiatives are to preserve a safe space for artists of all experience levels and to create more interesting opportunities for video makers. She runs annual open calls for her rotating lineup of channels and encourages a DIY sensibility that is lo-fi friendly.”

For more information and a downloadable TV guide with schedule, visit Telephoria.org/broadcasts!

Editorials

The Deleted Scene From “Poltergeist” That Almost Gave it An “R” Rating

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THE DELETED SCENE FROM "POLTERGEIST" THAT ALMOST GAVE IT AN "R" RATING
Credit: Poltergeist iii Fan Site

Photo Credits: Poltergeistiii.com

In keeping with the theme of celebrating Poltergeist‘s legacy on it’s last year before the film hits 40, I wanted to highlight a scene that although filmed, never made the cut into the final film. Poltergeist is rich in film lore history and the fascination surrounding the supposed curse, is just one piece of the horror puzzle that has captivated fans throughout it’s run in the 80s’ and beyond in the present. And if you’re a superfan like myself, you might know about this somewhat cringy bit that has since been lost to the abyss of the editing process. Let’s talk about that spider ceiling scene.

Tentacles have been an obvious theme in the first two films, albeit more pronounced in the second film, however here in what was to be an extended and more brutal scene involving Diane (JoBeth Williams) after her bath, it basically gives The Entity (released in the same year) a run for its money. The scene without the added context strongly suggests sexual assault, but the deleted scene takes it to full on rape.

Mike Wood, who served as mechanical effects supervisor for the film and Mitch Suskin, visual effects supervisor, remarked on the cut footage and what it was to entail in an old Cinefex article circa 1982:

“At times we got overwhelmed by fun effects and audacious ideas,” Mitch Suskin remarked, “possibly more than the film required. The one scene that sticks in my mind is where Diane is pulled up the wall, across the ceiling, and down the other side. During that, there was going to be a kind of ‘stain’ in her path-something foreshadowing the closet turning into a mouth. It was a pulsating, organic, ugly thing.” The concept was eventually discarded, but not before the physical effects crew had gone ahead and built it and it went before the cameras. “We made a large latex bladder for the stain,” Mike Wood related. “There were holes in the wall so we could actuate it manually from behind, and we had people strapped to the outside of the set, putting their hands through. During the scene, the stain was to have grown bigger and more amorphous, and the girl was supposed to roll through it from her bed.” A more risque notion was to be the violation of Diane Freeling by unseen forces as she involuntarily defied gravity in her upturned room. Wood contrived a special harness to facilitate “rape” movements in that position, but when the idea endangered the picture’s PG rating, it, too, was scrapped. An alternate scene of Jobeth Williams writhing in bed remains in the film, but its darker implications are less apparent.

poltergiestiii.com

Well, that alone would have indeed given the film a hard “R” rating and I can certainly appreciate why they made the decision they did. I for one, think it may have taken away some of the sophistication the movie has engraved in it with it already embodying plenty psychological scare tactics without all the gore, guts, and torture porn. Don’t get me wrong, I love me a good gorey trash flick. But with Poltergeist, it just doesn’t fit in well with the purity and horror innocence of the film; which is what makes it so damn great. Although I admit, I don’t think I’d be able to suppress the curiosity that resides in me if this footage is ever unearthed and released.

The above images credited to the ultimate Poltergeist fan site, poltergiestiii.com, are the first to my knowledge to have been displayed on the internet. It’s also a fantastic go-to for anything on the film(s) you would ever want to know- so I highly suggest rummaging through their web pages for some fun trivia and stills on the movies.