Poltergeist Tagged Articles at Cinematical
Wait, Now Heath Ledger Has a DirecTV Commercial?
Filed under: Celebrities and Controversy », Trailers and Clips »
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If you've been watching playoff baseball these past few weeks, you've probably come across the Tommy Boy DirecTV commercial about, say, 176,000 times. About a week after it began airing, the satellite television company came under fire for a second time for airing parody commercials featuring actors or actresses who died tragically at a young age. The first was a commercial featuring Poltergeist actress Heather O'Rourke, and now folks are really pissed DirecTV is using Chris Farley in a commercial that stars David Spade (who reprises his character from Tommy Boy in a parody of the "Fat Guy in a Little Coat" scene).
If you want my personal opinion, I think DirecTV does this sort of stuff on purpose -- claiming to be "celebrating" the life of a dead celebrity, though what they're really hoping for is that people like us (and several other sites) will give them a bunch of free publicity by writing attacks on their ads. But back to my original point: The folks over at Landline TV have put together a spoof of the DirecTV dead celebrity spoofs -- this time including folks like Heath Ledger, John F. Kennedy and Jesus Christ. Honestly, I'm surprised Michael Jackson hasn't made an appearance yet ... or, heck, how long before DirecTV butchers a scene from Dirty Dancing and craps all over Patrick Swayze?
What do you think about these commercials? Yes, they're annoying (believe us we know), but are they in the wrong for featuring dead celebrities? Or what about celebrities who died tragic deaths at an early age? Is there a difference? Anyone canceling their DirecTV service because of this?
Chime in below, and watch the video after the jump.
Cinematical Seven: Great Horror Themes
Filed under: Horror », Fandom », Cinematical Seven »
This month is all about villains on Cinematical, and thankfully, October seems flush with folks who fit the bill: horror movies, often released in anticipation (if not exploitation) of Halloween, usually offer at least one person, creature or entity that qualifies as an adversary to be fled from or feared. But the sad truth is that not a whole lot of them have particularly great theme music, which brings us to this week's Cinematical Seven.
To be fair, these folks don't often have the luxury of choosing said music themselves, so if they get a crappy rock song or some kind of dumbass lullabye, it's not their fault. But after revisiting a number of classic horror series and the movie monsters they immortalized, we've put together what we think is a pretty good collection of themes that folks can and will still find scary. (And while some of this music may or may not be specifically associated with the individual character or creature, the guideline to which we held ourselves was the association of the music with that particular monster.)
Suffice it to say there are a number of other great horror movie themes, and we're just scratching the surface with a list of seven, but check our list of some of the most famous, memorable, and yeah, terrifying, with or without some dude in a mask bearing down on the bathroom door where you've found temporary safe haven.
Five Horror Movies You Can Show Your Kids
Filed under: Horror », Fandom », Family Films », Lists »
As 'secular' holidays go, Halloween is easily my favorite. You can keep your Valentine's Day hearts and your St. Patrick Day benders, and give me a jack o' lantern any day of the week. It's a holiday that I never fail to celebrate with too much candy and as many horror movies as I can get my hands on, and even though I may not trick or treat anymore, I am highly observant when it comes to All Hallows' Eve. Maybe my love for the season is that it really is the perfect holiday for the movie lover, and I always remember gearing up for the big day as a kid by watching scary movies. I still keep that tradition alive as an adult, but like they say; it's all about the kids -- unfortunately for parents, most horror movies aren't.
There is plenty of horror for the grown-ups of the world, and we've got our choice from everything to high concept ghost stories to so-called torture porn, but it's a lot trickier when you start to look for something for something that is a little more family-friendly. So there has to be some middle-ground between G-rated fare like The Great Pumpkin and a Dario Argento splatter fest, right? Well, of course there is, so I thought I'd share five movies that you could show kids without worrying about dooming them to a lifetime on a therapist's couch:
After the jump; my recommendations for kid-friendly scares...
'Poltergeist' Remake Held Up ... Again
Filed under: Horror »
By Brad McHargueRemakes of classic horror films are a divisive subject among horror fans. While some consider them nothing more than a harmless nuisance, others are far more passionate in their vitriol for what some claim to be the desecration of classic films. While I personally don't like the idea of a remakes -- only because the time and money could be better spent making original films -- their existence is merely a blip on my radar.
Those with the opposing viewpoint, however, might be happy to learn that Arrow in the Head reported that MGM has delayed the remake of the classic Tobe Hooper-directed Poltergeist until the less-than-specific date of 2011. This changes the original November 24th, 2010 date reported in August. The cause for the delay is unknown.
Read more at Horror Squad!
'The Changeling' Doesn't Scare Me Anymore!
Filed under: Horror », Fandom »
Like most of you, I abandon watching "normal" movies in October, and stack the deck with horror movies. One of the first out of the gate was The Changeling as per the request of my sister. It's one of those quirks of family history that she saw it long before I did (during a slumber party, no less!) and rented it for me, insisting that it would scare the crap out of me. It did. It's been awhile since I saw this last, and I fully expected to go to bed with all the lights on. Ghost movies are one of the few that can eat at me during the long nighttime hours when I'm up writing, even when I've seen them before. But this time? Nothing. A few jumps, but I could leave the lights off pretty comfortably.
It's not a surprise that The Changeling has lost its effect on me after so many years. It's the kind of thing you see on Ghost Hunters nowadays (doors opening mysteriously, ghostly voices on a tape recorder), and no jump factor holds up through multiple viewings. No, what startled me was how upsetting I found the film to be. Perhaps I've grown older and more sensitive, but now I find Joseph's whispery voice to be a different kind of nightmare, and one that tugs on my heartstrings more than my fear factor. I'll admit it: I actually got a little choked up when he pleads for help. His end is tragic, his ghostly demands are pathetically simple, and it's hard to be scared of him. I don't even feel fear when he tears apart the house in the end. He's a kid. When they're angry and upset, they'll lash out at anyone and that's all the finale is.
The Winners of Our Ultimate Fan Polls Revealed!
Filed under: Horror », Sci-Fi & Fantasy », Fandom », ComicCon », Polls »
We asked, and you delivered. After counting more than 100,000 votes, we can reveal the winners of our super-duper, stunningly creative Ultimate Fan Polls! (Cue drum roll.) May I have the envelopes, please?
Winners of The Ultimate Horror Movie Fan Poll:
- What is the best horror movie franchise of all time? Nightmare on Elm Street.
- Which horror movie classic deserves a reboot? Poltergeist (narrowly edging The Shining).
- Who is the best all-time scream queen? Jamie Lee Curtis (with a decisive 51% of the vote).
- Who is your favorite slasher of all time? Freddy Krueger.
- Who would you like to see take a turn as a scream queen? Megan Fox (ahem).
Winners of The Ultimate Sci-Fi Fan Poll:
- What is the best sci-fi movie franchise of all time? Star Wars (decisively).
- What is the best sci-fi film of 2009 so far? Star Trek (with 69% of the vote; no robots for you).
- What is your most anticipated upcoming sci-fi film? District 9 (beating out Avatar).
- Who is the all-time best sci-fi action heroine? Ripley (Alien).
- What is the greatest all-time sci-fi creature/alien? Alien (Alien). (Sorry, Chewbacca.)
Big thanks to everybody who voted. You can view all the nominees and the breakdown of votes at Horror Squad and Sci-Fi Squad. In addition, Reuters has a nice story on the poll results. I'm glad to see Jamie Lee Curtis recognized for her multiple roles, but a bit startled that the Star Wars franchise still holds sway. Any big surprises for you? Outrage? Joy?
Discuss: Should DirecTV Use 'Poltergeist' Kid to Make Money?
Filed under: Celebrities and Controversy », Trailers and Clips »
As we all know by now, the Poltergeist series brought eeriness both on and off the screen with the Poltergeist Curse. Real human skeletons were used, exorcisms were performed, props malfunctioned, fire blazed, and of course, people died -- the most infamous being the passing of the cute, tow-headed Heather O'Rourke.
And now she's being used to sell DirecTV units. Classy. Craig T. Nelson is back to give the spiel, but the above commercial also uses her famous "They're here!" line and a little girl to pose as O'Rourke to walk to the foot of the bed (O'Rourke's voice is apparently dubbed in).
In a world where even impassioned musical critiques can be turned into patriotic anthems, it's not completely surprising that this is happening. But still -- using a little girl who died way too young to make money -- it's not the best decision, and it certainly isn't a twist that inspires me to want to buy this. But what do you think?
Is this perfectly acceptable, or did DirecTV cross some sort of marketing line?
Fanboy Bites: 'Persia' Pics, 'Poltergeist' Remake and 'Guitar Hero: The Movie'??
Filed under: Action », Sci-Fi & Fantasy », Deals », RumorMonger », Fandom », Newsstand », Steven Spielberg », Comic/Superhero/Geek », Games and Game Movies »
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While you suffer through those back to school blues ...
Guitar Hero: The Movie -- I have to start with this one. Have to! Because not only are we talking about a possible big-screen movie based on the popular video game, but we're also about to tell you who wants to direct the thing. Can you guess? Here's a hint: It's not Uwe Boll. And if it's not Boll, it has to be ... Ratner! YES! (I really do think I love this maniac in a totally platonic, yet sadistic way -- sorta how you love a great movie villain.) Anyway, Brett Ratner tells MTV that he'd love to make a Guitar Hero movie, possibly about "a kid from a small town who dreams of being a rock star and he wins the 'Guitar Hero' competition. One of these dreams-[come-true] kind of concepts." Ratner adds, "I would love to do a 'Guitar Hero' movie, if Activision would ever let me. I'm trying to convince them, but why would you have a movie screw up such a huge franchise? Not that I would make a bad movie. So that would be cool, to do a 'Guitar Hero' movie. " I'm leaving this one to you, folks -- have at it!
Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time: In case you're interested in seeing what a standard Persian-esque set looks like, Korben.info has put up a few select shots (see one above) of the Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time set. Based on the popular video game (hurray for themes in posts!), Prince of Persia stars Jake "I didn't know he was Persian" Gyllenhaal as a young prince who teams up with a hottie princess (Gemma Arterton) to stop an evil ruler from doing evil things.
A director has been chosen to remake Poltergeist and Cinematical says we likey him ... after the jump ...
Vadim Perelman in Talks to Direct 'Poltergeist' Remake?
Filed under: Horror », Deals », RumorMonger », Remakes and Sequels »
I haven't quite processed the notion of a Poltergeist remake just yet -- it still seems more conceptual than actual to me. Yet the fact that they've picked a pair of screenwriters, and that the late Heather O'Rourke has condemned the remake from the grave, tell me that it's about as actual as it gets. Now Bloody-Disgusting has started a rumor that Vadim Perelman -- quasi-arthouse director of House of Sand and Fog and The Life Before Her Eyes -- is in "heavy talks" to direct the new movie. That would be a heck of a contrast to the screenwriters of Boogeyman.I'm as down on this project as everyone else -- the original film is a moment in time that ought not be disturbed -- but I like the idea of Perelman, mostly because I like the notion of otherwise "respectable" directors trying their hand at genre films. His brooding, portentous style might be a good fit for Poltergeist, I guess. And maybe this will wind up like the doomed adaptation of The Talisman, to which Perelman was attached for a while (and which he seems far better suited to), never making it past the development stage.
Anyway, I emphasize that I'm commenting on a rumor, not relaying hard news. Make of it what you will.
Fanboy Bites: 'Dark Knight' Script, 'Poltergeist' Remake and 'The Hobbit'
Filed under: Action », Deals », Fandom », DIY/Filmmaking », Newsstand », Peter Jackson », Comic/Superhero/Geek », Remakes and Sequels »
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Today will be partly cloudy with a chance of kick ass!
The Hobbit: Not long ago Guillermo Del Toro told fans that his next move was to begin work on The Hobbit script very soon. Well guess what? To our complete shock and surprise, the dude actually followed through on all this "writing script nonsense" and -- wait for it -- started working on the script (along with LOTR partners Frank Walsh and Philippa Boyens). YES! And this is, like, the BIGGEST news online today. "NEWSFLASH: Del Toro is on page 12 and he's already introduced 750 new creatures!" I give up ... call me in 12 years when the film is finally complete and ready to hit theaters.
The Dark Knight: You've watched the movie countless times, followed hundreds of viral sites, read thousands of stories on Heath Ledger and why he deserves to square off against Jesus up in heaven for a chance to be God's new (and much more well-liked) son -- so, what's left? Well, if you still haven't overdosed on The Dark Knight and/or are in desperate need of another Batman fix, feel free to feast your eyes on the film's script. Yes, JoBlo managed to snag a copy of the entire thing (read it here) for you to save, print out and do whatever it is you freaks do with stuff like that. Personally, I enjoyed reading it to see where they trimmed and cut and called Wonder Woman a whore. Kidding! Just wanna make sure you're paying attention.
Poltergeist remake: Because in this one she's watching a reality show, gets pulled into the television and subsequently bores herself to death. [Writes down notes for Poltergeist 2 pitch ...] Anyway, THR tells us that Boogeyman writers Juliet Snowden and Stiles "I wonder how many Teen Wolf jokes he got growing up" White will pen the script for the remake of this classic spooky flick. "Too soon!" yelled a nobody movie blogger, but alas it was too late.
Peter Jackson Says Spielberg's 'Tintin' is Done Filming, but...
Interracial Harmony: 'Ninja Assassin' vs. 'Blind Side'
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Exclusive 'Nine' Poster Premiere!
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