Happy New Year horror fans! Welcome back to Horror Junket! If you're here for your weekly refresher of some of the horror that occurred last week, then you've come to the right place. I happen to have a new Horrific Recap for you that will put a chill in your new year. If you haven't done so already grab your item of comfort tight—tighter, as we dive into the horror that was last week.
January 2 - Sunday
Nicolas Cage sat down with Variety's Awards Circuit podcast to discuss his latest role as Dracula in the upcoming Universal film, Renfield.
The Face/Off actor is no stranger to playing vampires, having done so in Vampire's Kiss, a horror comedy directed by Robert Bierman and also starring Maria Conchita Alonso and Jennifer Beals. Cage, even with his experience, has been looking at other film versions of the Count for inspiration.
“I looked at Bela Lugosi’s performance, and then I looked at Frank Langella’s performance, I looked at Gary’s performance in uncle’s movie, which I think it’s just so sumptuous. Every frame is a work of art,” says Cage about his preparation for the upcoming role. "I want it to pop in a unique way from how we’ve seen it played, so I’m thinking to really focus on the movement of the character. You know, I saw Malignant and I thought what she did with those moves—and even Ringu with Sadako… I want to look at what we can explore with this movement and voice."
Nicolas Cage will star alongside Nicholas Hoult, Awkwafina and Ben Schwartz in the horror comedy, Renfield, directed by Chris McKay and written by Robert Kirkman and Ryan Ridley.
January 3 - Monday
Vampfather is ready to sink its teeth into audiences when it releases tomorrow across various digital platforms.
Written and directed by Stuart Paul, Vampfather is a low-budget horror film that tells the story of a vampiress, suffering from the loss of her family, who becomes embroiled in a fight to catch a killer before the blame falls on her.
Starring Danny Trejo, Tom Sizemore, Alix Villaret, Stan Harrington and Julia Conley, Vampfather is set to enjoy its US premiere tomorrow, available through Video On Demand.
January 4 - Tuesday
Resident Evil: Village takes Game of the Year at the 2021 Steam Awards, beating out competition like the flawed Cyberpunk 2077, and the latest drop in the always beautiful looking car franchise, Forza Horizon 5.
In its sixth year running, the Steam Awards continue to give honors and awards to games it feels have earned the respect of gamers worldwide. While Forbes announced It Takes Two as its GOTY, and PCGamer did the same with Valheim, Steam Awards did right by honoring a truly horrifying Resident Evil experience.
The action horror that is Resident Evil: Village, the eighth game in the series, keeps consistent with the first-person shooter POV of Resident Evil 7. The award-winning game drops the player into a world that is right out of some similar Resident Evil 4 lore, continuing the story of Resident Evil 7 protagonist Ethan Winters, as he battles werewolves, hot vampires and the unfriendly, weapon-wielding undead.
I remember the dread-filled hours I enjoyed with Resident Evil: Village--and smile now at the thought of hours still to come. It is reassuring to know that those over at Steam possibly enjoyed the same experience I did. Resident Evil as a franchise continues along on their hot streak, having just released a new film, Resident Evil: Welcome to Raccoon City, and two new fan-made VR experiences that drop the player into the worlds of the Resident Evil 2 and Resident Evil 3 remasters. It is a good time to be a Resident Evil fan, indeed!
January 5 - Wednesday
Peacock is set to premiere a fun, new original that has some fur and a bite.
Hitting the internet via YouTube, a first look at the upcoming show Wolf Like Me, is looking like it will provide the perfect mix of comedy, drama and thrills.
Starring Isla Fisher, Josh Gad, Emma Lung and Madeleine Wilson, Wolf Like Me will tell the story of a father and daughter who are still trying to cope with their tremendous loss. Enter Mary, a woman with a horrifying secret who is only looking for someone to love and trust. Brought together by a twist of events, can Gary and Mary get over their pasts, in order e=to enjoy a future together. From creator Abe Forsythe, the six-episode series Wolf Like Me will premiere on Peacock later this year on March 22.
January 6 - Thursday
Peter Bogdanovich, acclaimed Hollywood director, writer and producer has passed away today at the age of 82.
Born in Kingston, New York in the year 1939, Peter Bogdanovich's youth would be spent in the theater watching films, enjoying the works of John Ford and Howard Hawks. On his way to adulthood, Bogdanovich would become fascinated with writing, later becoming a writer at Esquire magazine. Later he would blend his love for writing with his newfound love for films.
Peter Bogdanovich may not be the biggest name in horror, but he has put his touch on the genre as the writer and director of the 1968 thriller Targets. The film features a war veteran who is not in the best state of mind, and decides to go on a killing spree, much like Charles Whitman, and the DC Snipers decades later. Very much inspired by Orson Welles, Bogdanovich would blaze a similar path in Hollywood, his films becoming coveted works of art, some the subjects of film study classes across the educational spectrum.
A Hollywood legend much like Orson Welles, Peter Bogdanovich will live on through his writings, features and his numerous film appearances. Be sure to keep an eye out for Peter Bogdanovich's small cameo in It Chapter Two, as the director of Audra's film.
January 7 - Friday
The closest he may have gotten to the genre of horror was his 1990 film Ghost Dad, but that does not mean that Horror Junket will not celebrate the legacy created by legendary actor and director Sidney Poitier.
Born in 1927 in Miami, Florida, Sidney Poitier would get an early start in acting by securing his first role in Blackboard Jungle, in 1955 at the age of 28. After playing a teenager, Poitier would go on to star in the 1958 film The Defiant Ones, a role that would earn him his first Oscar nomination and his first BAFTA win for Best Actor.
Poitier was a groundbreaking actor who broke a lot of color barriers along his way to becoming the Hollywood icon he is. He would win a Tony award for his role in 1959's A Raisin in the Sun at the Ethyl Barrymore Theatre, and a Golden Globe for his role in Porgy and Bess in the same year. 1963 would see Sidney Poitier win the Oscar for Best Actor for Lilies of the Field. A lifetime of accolades and awards would follow in the life of Sidney Poitier, not only for acting and directing but for his activism as well. An outspoken and supportive voice in the Black community, Sidney Poitier would be ordained a knight by Queen Elizabeth II in 1974, and given the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2009.
Sidney Poitier's star will burn bright amongst the Hollywood icons gone but never forgotten, his legacy a reminder of the struggles one must endure before finding success, and then using that success to keep up the good fight for the ones he loved, and the many he came to represent. Sidney Poitier was 94 when he passed.
Disney+ has tweeted a sneak peek at what they have coming in 2022, and eagle-eyed horror fans can get an early glimpse at a well known witchy trio.
The Sanderson sisters return in Hocus Pocus 2, ready to bring chaos once again to Salem after being brought back to life by three young women.
Directed by Anne Fletcher and written by Jen D'Angelo, Hocus Pocus 2 will see the return of Bette Midler, Kathy Najimy and Sarah Jessica Parker, along with fan favorite Doug Jones, for a much anticipated sequel to one of Disney's beloved spooky tales.
Also starring Tony Hale, Whitney Peak, Hannah Waddingham and Froy Gutierrez, Hocus Pocus 2 is expected to release later this year on Disney+.
January 8 - Saturday
The beautifully made Frank Darabont adaptation of Stephen King's The Green Mile is getting the 4K UHD treatment available to own next month.
Originally released on December 10, 1999, The Green Mile instantly became a favorite with movie audiences, an odd occurrence due its three hour runtime. The film would go on to be nominated for many awards in the year 2000, including Oscar's Best Supporting Actor for Michael Clarke Duncan as John Coffey, an award he was robbed of by Michael Caine in The Cider House Rules.
Starring Tom Hanks, David Morse, Bonnie Hunt, James Cromwell, Michael Jeter, Sam Rockwell and Barry Pepper, The Green Mile will include many special features to help you better connect with the film. Featurettes will include Walking the Mile: The Making of The Green Mile, a documentary on the film, and a gallery featurette called Miracles and Mystery: Creating The Green Mile. Including a commentary by the director, the 4K version of The Green Mile will also include behind the scenes looks at casting, make up tests and more.
Fans of one of the more faithful Stephen King adaptations, can get their hands on the ultimate version of The Green Mile, when it becomes available on 4K UHD on February 22.
Thank you again horror fan, for stopping by Horror Junket today. I'm afraid that's all the horror I have for you this week but don't let that get you down, I'll have a brand new Horrific Recap waiting for you next week, with some more frights to get your week started off right. Until next time horror fans, take care and don't forget to put your neighbors on edge with a loud, bloodcurdling scream in the wee hours of the night.
