Everything Old is New Again
Volume 44 - October, 2022
By “Doc” Hunter Bush, Podcast Czar
Whew! We did it! We made it another year! No, sorry, not to the end of the calendar, but to the best time of year. There’s a chill in the air, I’ve had to switch to a full on slippers-and-robe ensemble when lounging around the house, and I have to bring my herb garden inside at night. That’s right - it’s finally actually autumn, and the Spooky Season has come once again! Maybe you want a peek at some of the movies & TV coming in October? Maybe you specifically want to know about projects based on previously existing stories, movies or other intellectual properties?
If that’s the case you have, and I cannot stress this enough, come to the right place. This is Everything Old is New Again, a monthly column devoted to exactly that. Herein I will watch the available trailers, and let you know what I think. Am I excited? Is this remake, adaptation, or long gap sequel based on something I’m familiar with? I will let you know. My hope is that I help you find your way to something you’re excited to see.
In addition to that, down at the bottom I’ve included a SPOTLIGHT section highlighting another EOINA-friendly film or series that’s not brand new, but maybe one that went under your radar. I hope you enjoy, now let’s get spooky!
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PREMIERES - Brand new to screens large and small
October 2nd
An Interview with the Vampire (series)
Where: AMC
Based on Anne Rice’s 1976 debut novel that set the literary world (not to mention millions of loins the world over) on fire. I attempted to read one of Rice’s vampire novels once but it quickly became obvious that whichever one I’d picked was not a particularly good jumping-on point and I abandoned it, but various of my respected big reader friends have largely positive, if somewhat complicated feelings on this particular area of Rice’s career.
From what I know, this series adapting Interview more accurately captures the innate horniness and queerness of early Rice. Having only recently watched the 1994 film adaptation of Interview all the way through in a single sitting (having previously caught snippets here and there over the years) I can say - it’s not like that one ISN’T horny or ISN’T queer, it’s just the 1994 major theatrical release version of those things; mostly longing and yearning. But it’s 2022 now and I’m ready to embrace the horniness! Embrace the queerness! Embrace the …hunger!
The trailer doesn’t really give too much away plot wise, in the present day, a journalist (Eric Bogosian!) interviews Louis (Jacob Anderson - Grey Worm from Game of Thrones!), a man claiming to be a vampire, who spins a lengthy tale of the aforementioned hunger(s), beginning at the tail end of the 18th century in New Orleans when he encounters Lestat (Sam Reid). Both of these characters appear in numerous books across Rice’s Vampire Chronicles, a series of dozens of titles published over 40+ years, so there’s almost no end to where this series could go.
The production design looks good, the tone feels right and I for one am extremely on board.
4th
Hellraiser (dir.David Bruckner)
Where: Hulu
Finally. The Hellraiser film franchise - beginning in 1987, with some soft reboots attempted here and there up through 2018 - has largely been spinning its wheels. In all iterations of Hellraiser, someone encounters a puzzle box, solves it and encounters the Cenobites: otherworldly beings that describe themselves as travelers and collectors of experience; “Angels to some, demons to others”. Having done a (nearly) complete series rewatch a few years ago, one thing that becomes readily apparent is that almost no one, aside from original director and author of the source material Clive Barker could conceive of the Cenobites as anything other than your garden variety demons. But what made them so impactful originally is that they are much stranger than that.
The team bringing the 2022 Hellraiser to us knows about strangeness. Director David Brucker, along with writers Ben Collins and Luke Piotrowski most recently delivered 2020’s The Night House, a film about loss and grief with a supernatural angle that feels unlike many other haunted house style films in recent years. I won’t spoil it but their conception of- and approach to the supernatural in the film is truly unique and unsettling.
Right off the bat in this trailer, they’re dodging expectations. A young man named Joey (Brandon Flynn) is invited by Mr. Voight, who is potentially an art collector (?) (Goran Visnjic) to approach the puzzle box, sitting on a display pedestal. As the camera moves up, we realize that it is not in its usual Rubik’s-Cube-from-Hell configuration, but a different orientation not unlike an angular hourglass. “If I solve it, do I get a prize?” Joey asks, to which Voight replies “I do.” As you’d expect, Joey solves the box and then is presumably killed because he doesn’t seem to be the main character and we’re introduced to Riley (Odessa A’zion) who, counter to Joey’s apparent ignorance, seems to know what the box is and might intentionally be looking for it? Obviously the trailer is playing things close to the vest, so these are guesses, but that’s the nature of the beast.
A big part of Hellraiser lore is their hub world - an endless labyrinth overseen by a geometric entity called Leviathan that is somehow connected to the Cenobites’ whole deal. It originally didn’t make an appearance until Hellbound: Hellraiser II (1988), as a greater expansion on the eldritch nature of these beings, before (as I said above) largely being ignored because I guess nobody knew how to work with that level of weirdness (?). But I’m thrilled to say it makes an appearance here, with one of the Cenobites (presumably Pinhead played by Jamie Clayton) saying “Feed it. Their blood. Their pain. All for us.”. A sacrifice, perhaps? But to what end?
Let’s talk about Pinhead briefly. This is, honestly, the part of this column I’ve been looking forward to for about 2 months. And no, I don’t care that Pinhead is now being portrayed by a woman. Who could possibly care? That’s a dumb thing to argue about, not to mention that the character upon which Pinhead is based is described as if not actually genderless then at least of an unconfirmable gender due to the …Cenobite-ness of their clothing and adornment. Moving on: What I *actually* want to talk about is that I think the writers may be leaning into having a brand new take on Pinhead and that is just so fucking exciting to me! If you’re going to remake something, make it new! Have fun with it! Make it interesting!
This new Pinhead’s design in general and the pins specifically, seem much more fashionable and fashion designer-y than the 1980’s fetish bar Goth aesthetic of the original (not that there’s anything wrong with that). I’m wondering if, instead of some kind of disillusioned soldier-turned-Cenobite backstory, they may be laying groundwork for a completely new origin based in some way around fashion? Perhaps a designer or tailor of some kind? The pins seem to have little pearls on their heads, which remind me of tailor’s pins and the overall design is much more elegant. So yes, that’s my big theory on this Pinhead. I hope I’m right - for the clout - but I won’t be particularly bummed to be wrong. I’m just happy there’s a new, interesting and exciting looking take on Hellraiser. They have such sights to show us and I can’t wait to see them!
8th
Bring It On: Cheer or Die (dir. Karen Lam)
Where: SyFy
This will be the 7th film in the Bring It On franchise, which began in 2000 with the original rival-cheerleading-troupes-competing-for-the-something-something romcom starring Kirsten Dunst & Gabrielle Union (among others). But. Now. They’re really swinging for the fences and making a slasher movie!
I know!
How fun is that? Now, does it look especially interesting? Not really, but to be fair the trailer spends most of its time hammering home “Yes, this is the same franchise. We’re just taking it for a walk.” which - again - I LOVE. So you’ve got a bunch of teenage cheerleaders and cheerleader-adjacent folks trying to avoid getting stabbed by the team mascot (the Diablos, btw - so a fun devil costume) and yadda yadda yadda.
Just a few years ago, a similar esoteric horror approach to a familiar property dropped: The Banana Splits Movie (2019) directed by Danishka Esterhazy. It could have been nothing; a blip, an oddity quickly forgotten. But it was actually quite well-done and in 2021 Esterhazy brought a similar approach (if not quite as off-kilter) to the remake of Slumber Party Massacre! Similarly, with Cheer or Die, it will all come down to the execution. If this were coming to a theater (especially in our current societal situation) I wouldn’t seek this out, but since it will just appear on the SyFy Channel (home of the Chucky series, see next entry), I surely will. Can’t wait!
10th
Chucky (series) Season 2
Where: SyFy
The first season of SyFy’s Chucky series, from character co-originator Don Mancini, was fantastic. It did TV of this stripe exactly the way you want it to be done: excellent stunt casting; fun, likeable (or hateable) characters; lots of creative scares and kills; and solid production values. Additionally it added to the franchise and the world of the titular serial-killer-in-a-doll’s-body in meaningful ways. Most importantly, it references the character’s past without feeling heavily beholden to it.
After the events of the first season, we find the series main kid characters Jake, Devon, and Lexy (Zackary Arthur, Bjorgvin Arnarson, and Alyvia Alyn Lind respectively) sent up river to a religious juvenile rehabilitation center, Incarnate Lord, to pray away the cray so to speak. Of course they’re not safe from Chucky there and we get to see the Chuckster (voiced by Brad Dourif) choking a priest out with a rosary!
This season also folds in references to the further corners of the Chucky lore map and seems to have a major side plot following Jennifer Tilly (who if you don’t know, is playing a semi-fictional version of herself because Chucky is a beautifully chaotic franchise) and her relationship with Chuck.
I’m super excited for this. I had an absolute b-l-a-s-t with the first season and, miracle of miracles, they’ve decided to bring back Devon Sawa in a completely new role despite him having been killed off (twice) in season one! You have to love the commitment to unconventional genre filmmaking.
14th
Halloween Ends (dir. David Gordon Green)
Where: in theaters
The final film in the current Halloween trilogy (begun in 2018, long gap sequels to the 1978 original), this looks ostensibly decent. I was cautiously optimistic for the 2018 entry, and left the theater completely entertained, but last year’s Halloween Kills was a shitshow that started off strong but devolved into goofy wheel spinning that felt directionless and was genuinely boring to watch.
If you’re unfamiliar with the plot of Halloween (1978): as a child, Michael Myers killed his sister. He was then institutionalized for many years before escaping and attempting to kill his other sister, Laurie (Jamie Lee Curtis). Yadda yadda yadda, he was then institutionalized again until 2018 when he escaped and attempted to kill Laurie and her daughter and granddaughter. She lured him into a trap and burned her home down around him. Halloween Kills followed immediately afterwards with the entire town slowly slipping into mass hysteria and hilariously chanting “Evil dies tonight!” over and over. Having killed Laurie’s daughter (Judy Greer) Michael manages to evade capture in the end.
And also if you’re unfamiliar with Halloween (1978): SEE HALLOWEEN (1978)! IT IS QUITE GOOD!
Anyway, apparently four years have passed since the end of Kills, and it seems like Michael Myers has been living in the sewers? Ok. There’s a hilarious (to me) moment where Myers menaces somebody who wandered into the wrong viaduct or whatever, and Michael pulls his kitchen knife just out of the raw earth of the surrounding tunnel? Like, that’s just where he keeps it? So weird.
I’m definitely seeing this, but almost begrudgingly. I am genuinely curious if the trailer’s implication that Laurie thinks she must die to truly kill Michael will be seen through to its obvious conclusion.
20th
V/H/S/99 (dirs. Flying Lotus, Maggie Levin, Tyler MacIntyre, Johannes Roberts, Joseph Winter, Vanessa Winter)
Where: Shudder
The V/H/S anthology series is always going to be a bit of a mixed bag. Anthologies always are. Even in whatever your favorite anthology film is, I’m sure you have favorite segments or ones that took you longer to warm up to. The initial V/H/S (2012) featured a wraparound segment of criminals breaking into a location to steal a specific video tape only to find the house filled with them.
The trailer available currently is just a teaser, so it’s hard to figure out what footage might go together, or what the framing device might be, but there’s definitely something like a seance, someone offscreen being decapitated with a shovel, a nude human(oid) in the desert, someone with a spider crawling on their face, a guy about to have a big green needle shoved into his head, and some kind of audience for a show called Ozzy’s Dungeon.
I overall really enjoyed the original V/H/S but honestly haven’t kept up with the series as much as I’d like. Maybe I’ll marathon them all as we get near Halloween. Anybody wanna join?
21st
Black Adam (dir. Jaume Collet-Serra)
Where: in theaters
Anymore, these big tentpole comic book movies feel like those “food dare” style videos. The era of introducing a central character through storytelling and reasonable conflict are l-o-n-g gone. Now it’s all a triple-decker taco pizza with bacon cheeseburgers for the crust! To wit: this is the introduction to Black Adam, which seems to span over 5000 years from ancient Egypt to modern day wherever in the DCU world. On top of that we’re introducing a version of the Justice Society (a comparable organization to the Justice League), with this incarnation featuring Dr. Fate (Pierce Brosnan) - DC’s Doctor Strange, Atom Smasher (Noah Centineo) - kind of DC’s Ant-Man, Hawkman (Aldis Hodge) - a space cop believe it or not, and Cyclone (Quintessa Swindell) - she has wind powers.
That’s a lot of brand new characters, but we’re not done. There are also a ton of super solder-looking guys in the trailer that I think are supposed to be Intergang foot soldiers (Intergang are a crime syndicate with alien weapons and technology) AND the demonic Sabbac, who will definitely be the “real” villain that allows the antihero Black Adam and the purely heroic Justice Society to find a common enemy.
My big question after watching all three of these trailers is: Where’s Shazam? In the comics, Black Adam’s origin is as an early chosen bearer of the Shazam powers who used them for revenge due to his tragic backstory and became a despotic ruler of his fictional home country. Part of the voice over said something about Adam’s son sacrificing himself, but I don’t remember that from anything I have ever read (Adam had a nephew, with whom he shared his powers, so Adam killed him to become more powerful). To be fair though, Black Adam was created in 1945 (by Otto Binder and C.C. Beck) so I could easily have missed something in his 80+ year existence.
Anyway, much like the triple-decker taco pizza with the bacon cheeseburger crust, this movie (and this overall more-is-more instant franchise approach) leaves me uninterested, disappointed and a little queasy just looking at it.
SPOTLIGHT - Not new, but if you haven’t seen it, it’s new to you!
October 20th
Annabelle: Creation (2017) (dir. Davd F. Sandberg)
Where: Hulu
Annabelle is a spooky haunted doll who originated in The Conjuring films (I mean, she’s actually based on a real spooky haunted doll but I digress) and Creation - as you might expect - tells her origin story. The story itself isn’t any great or original stuff, but the details and the ways in which all the scares are doled out really worked for me. There’s a genuinely frightening scarecrow (a fave monster subgenre of mine), numerous ghostly activities, and even one sequence that echoes one of the best scenes in Jaws. I loved it and the finale actually got me really excited to see the implied next installment (which as it turns out, I had actually missed when it came out in 2014 whomp-whomp ¯\_(ツ)_/¯). I cannot recommend Creation enough, but with the caveat that you are likely to be let down by both 2014’s Annabelle and 2019’s Annabelle Comes Home.
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So there you have it. Some of it at least. I’d like to give an additional recommendation for the Shudder Ghoul Log (a jackolantern version of the Christmas seasonal Yule Log you may be more familiar with), which is a perfect accompaniment to costume construction, treat baking, decorating, or even just giving your spooky playlist a test-listen.
Thank you for reading! I hope you may have found something you’re excited to watch this month, and if you have please let me know! Thanks to MovieJawn for hosting and posting! If you’d like to listen to my podcast - the Hate Watch/Great Watch podcast - which I cohost with Allison Yakulis, we have two spooky season appropriate episodes this month. On the 5th we’re joined by guest Nicole “Bottle” Carter to discuss Bong Joon-ho’s 2006 eco-horror kaiju movie The Host, and then on the 19th we dive into the legacy of 1989’s under-seen Phantom of the Opera adaptation starring genre mainstay Jill Schoelen and Freddy Krueger himself Robert Englund! This episode ties directly into my article in the Fall 2022 MovieJawn Zine, so make sure to order one or subscribe!
Have a safe and happy spooky holiday and until next time, Long Live the Movies!
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