News

It is exceedingly rare in today's IP-dominated movie marketplace to see an original film spawn a long-running franchise. Granted, these motion pictures aren't always wholly original. But while they tend to be derivative of narrative formulas that have worked in the past, they are at least written from scratch with no significant assistance from a novel or a comic book or a video game or, nowadays, the origin story of a popular brand.

So, kudos to Gregory Widen and Paul Maslansky for possessing the creative chutzpah to launch two very successful franchises in, respectively, "Highlander" and "Police Academy." The former gave fans four feature installments over a 14-year-span, while the latter rattled off six entries once a year between 1984 and 1989 (and a late-in-the-day seventh with much of the same cast in 1994).

"Police Academy" was especially zeitgeisty, trafficking in the zany spoof gags made popular by the Zaz team of David Zucker,...

Intro: When you’re a hugely successful bodybuilder from a small village in Austria, and you’ve not only managed to successfully make the transition from pumping iron to pumping lead pipes into Aussie bad guys, the world is seemingly very much your oyster. Or so they say. As you’ll no doubt know nothing was standing in the Austrian Oak’s way when he set his mind to prove people wrong. Nobody, especially the studios, were convinced that he could win audiences over as a believable comedy performer, yet his unlikely partnership with the diminutive and awesome Danny DeVito in Twins proved that not only could Arnie bring the gags, but that he could also bring the box-office numbers to satiate the stuffy studio heads.

So, just where did his career go next? Now that Arnie had proved to people that he was box office gold for comedy, as well as action and sci-fi,...

Deep within the wilderness of Tibet, a warlord called Ying Ko dominates the villagers and consolidates all power for himself. But one day, Ying Ko is captured by a holy man and taken to a mystical temple. The holy man dazzles Ying Ko with displays of magic, none more chilling than when he refers to the warlord, a white American, by his true name: Lamont Cranston.

For all the strange choices that director Russell Mulcahy and writer David Koepp make for their 1994 film The Shadow, the titular hero’s origin might be the best. After all, Koepp created this backstory for the Shadow’s all by himself, a bold move when bringing to life a character who has been around for 60 years. Imagine if Superman: The Movie began with Clark Kent getting dosed with wonder drugs instead of fleeing Krypton, or if 1989’s Batman said that Bruce Wayne’s parents...

Aquatic horror season is in full swing, though the horror release slate is surprisingly slight on new offerings so far. Netflix’s Under Paris unleashed shark attack mayhem and carnage amidst a huge sporting event in the Seine, but there’s far more to aquatic horror than sharks.

This week’s streaming picks are dedicated to the dangers of the sea, from the fantastical, like killer mermaids, to realism-based horrors like oxygen deprivation. When the sun is scorching, these five horror movies will make you afraid to go into the water.

Here’s where you can stream them this week.

For more Stay Home, Watch Horror picks, click here.

Bait – freevee, Hoopla, Plex, Starz

In this Australian-Singaporean disaster horror film, it’s a tsunami that leaves a group of people stranded in a flooded grocery story. The devastation to the building, flooding, and volatile tensions between people would be enough...

In deciding on our next Wtf celebrity to cover, we passed around several names but in the end we all decided that: There could be only One! Despite being basically blind, Christopher Lambert made a name for himself as the king of Sci-Fi action films. One could say he single-handedly kept Blockbuster Video in business as most of his output in the 90’s debuted on the bottom shelves of the video rental chain. But few performers have made their mark on the international stage like Christopher Lambert, alternating between North American schlock and more prestigious French fare. Despite most of us knowing Lambert mainly for two iconic roles, there is much more to know about this American-born French actor; it’s time we find out just Wtf Happened to Christopher Lambert.

Greystroke: The Legend of Tarzan, Lord of the Apes

But as always, we must begin at the beginning, and...

What’s the saying? Oh yeah… third times the charm and the Resident Evil series is no exception. For our third outing we’re here to explore the aftermath of the apocalypse with Resident Evil: Extinction (watch it Here). This one is pretty divisive with the consensus being some people, like myself, loved this film while others felt this was the beginning of the downward slope of sequels of the franchise. Hear me out as to why I sing its praises. For one, it tells a cohesive story and gives us a side of Alice that we’ve been dying to see. We get more new characters that bring gravitas to the story as well as a fully fleshed out villain and it’s a lot of fun. Plus, its pays homage to The Road Warrior in the best way. So, let’s hit up the Sand Dunes of Vegas,...

A lot of really fun movies from the eighties and nineties are tough to get decent copies of. While some of the stories have happy endings, other films seem all but doomed to languish until a niche label like Arrow Video, Kino Lorber, or Unearthed Films gives them the TLC they deserve. So, what’s the title we’re worried is Gone Forever here at JoBlo? A cool little thriller (which I previously wrote up for Best Movie You Never Saw) from 1991 called Ricochet has a pretty impressive pedigree. The movie stars Denzel Washington, John Lithgow, Ice-t, Kevin Pollack and The Bionic Woman herself, Lindsay Wagner, while Highlander’s Russell Mulcahy directs it, is produced by Joel Silver, and is written by Die Hard’s Steven E De Souza. In fact, Ricochet takes place in the same universe as Die Hard, with Mary Ellen Trainor reprising her role as snoopy TV reporter Gale Wallens.

Months ago, we here at JoBlo started writing about an issue near and dear to the hearts of film fanatics everywhere – the resurgence of physical media. After being shocked by how difficult it was to find the Ron Howard movie Cocoon, I decided to make a list of 10 movies that were difficult to find, but the comments on the article clued me into the fact that the issue of out-of-print classics is far more widespread than I assumed. Last week, I did an article about how movies like The Cannonball Run and Dogma are missing, and in that vein, here are five more cult classics that are surprisingly tough to find.

Ricochet:

This 1992 action film was an early attempt to turn Denzel Washington into an action star. Despite stylish direction by Russell Mulcahy and an unforgettable turn by John Lithgow as the movie’s villain, it was only a modest success.

Ahead of the Jan 20 launch of Frightfest Saturday Scares With Alan Jones on Fast TV channel Nyx, Alan recounts his rise to journalistic prominence – from stealing shocker posters and partying with Abba to falling out with filmmakers and writing his upcoming autobiography.

Did you know from a young age that you wanted to be a journalist?

No, I loved horror and fantasy movies from the age of ten, or rather the idea of them because obviously I couldn’t go to the cinema and see anything of that nature. I read horror novels nonstop, stole shocker posters pasted up on the billboards at the end of my street, cut out all the wonderfully lurid adverts from newspapers and pasted them into scrapbooks. I was literally waiting for the moment I could pass for sixteen so I could get into X films and start watching all the movies I was desperate to catch up on.

One of the more iconic elements of “Highlander,” the high-concept fantasy adventure from 1986 that went on to spawn a long-running franchise, is the movie’s songs, written and performed by Queen. And Chad Stahelski, who will be directing the remake for Lionsgate, says that those songs will return for the new movie.

“Yes,” Stahelski told TheWrap while talking about the Oscar chances for “John Wick: Chapter 4.” “Probably in a different way than you think, but hardcore yes.”

Queen wrote and recorded songs for the original “Highlander” and released an album, “A Kind of Magic,” in 1986 that served as an official soundtrack to the movie.

The songs were perfect for the movie, which depicted a battle between immortal beings known as Highlanders in modern day Manhattan. Instead of Scottish moors, they battle in underground parking garages. That kind of thing. Queen’s songs were wedged in among Michael Kamen’s...

It was announced back in 2021 that Henry Cavill (“The Witcher”) was in talks to star in a Highlander reboot from director Chad Stahelski (John Wick), but it’s now been two years since we’ve heard a peep about the project. That long period of silence has been shattered, however, as Deadline reports that Lionsgate is bringing the project to the American Film Market.

Deadline details, “For the first time, Lionsgate will be launching sales at the AFM on their long-gestating fantasy reboot. We hear this will be a big-budget proposition, north of $100M. Stahelski himself has previously talked about it as akin to John Wick with swords.”

“The team is eyeing a 2024 start,” Deadline also notes in their report.

Mike Finch wrote the current draft of the Highlander reboot screenplay.

The original movie, directed by Russell Mulcahy, was released in 1986. Christopher Lambert starred as Connor MacLeod, “an immortal Scottish...

Killer Collectibles highlights five of the most exciting new horror products announced each and every week, from toys and apparel to artwork, records, and much more.

Here are the coolest horror collectibles unveiled this week!

The Warriors 4K Uhd from Arrow Video

The Warriors will come out to play on 4K Ultra HD on December 12 from Arrow Video. Both the 1979 theatrical cut and the 2005 alternate version have been newly restored in 4K from the original camera negative with Dolby Vision.

The action thriller is directed by Walter Hill from a script he co-wrote with David Shaber (Nighthawks), based on Sol Yurick’s 1965 novel. Michael Beck, James Remar, Deborah Van Valkenburgh, Marcelino Sánchez, and David Harris lead the ensemble cast.

The limited edition set comes with a 100-page book featuring new writing by film critic Dennis Cozzalio plus archival material, a double-sided poster with Laurie Greasley’s new artwork and the original key art,...

This article contains spoilers

It may seem hard to believe, but at one stage Resident Evil was not only the highest-grossing film series based on a video game, but also the highest-grossing horror film series period. Consisting of six movies and a reboot, the Resident Evil movies just kept making money even while they were being bashed by critics. Most of those critics arguably had valid points, but the arrival of a new Resident Evil movie simply became oddly comforting somewhere along the way.

Thanks to the creative voices of Event Horizon director Paul W.S. Anderson and his Fifth Element actress wife Milla Jovovich, six of the seven Resident Evil movies feature the character of Alice (Jovovich firing on all cylinders), a former security specialist and covert operative who initially has amnesia but eventually remembers she’s out to take down the insidious Umbrella Corporation, a global company responsible for Earth’s weirdest zombie apocalypse.

When someone says “There can be only one” what immediately pops into your head? For just about everyone it will be the movie Highlander. That’s how ingrained into pop culture the franchise has become. It’s impressive considering that the original film was actually a massive flop. Yep, the first film died at the box office and seemed destined to fall into obscurity. But just like the immortals in the film, it would rise from the dead and live on. The path to the first film wasn’t without its own pitfalls and near-death experiences. Let’s find out what happened to the 1986 film Highlander here on Wtf Happened To This Movie.

W​riter Gregory Widen was on a vacation in Scotland where he visited a museum. When he happened upon a suit of armor, he began to wonder about the man that had originally worn it. What would...

The 35th edition of Discovery Channel’s Shark Week is officially underway, marking the return of the annual fan-favorite weeklong shark celebration. Shark Week began in 1988 as a fun means of educating audiences on the aquatic predator, counteracting the negative representations of sharks in popular culture that began with the seminal aquatic horror feature Jaws (now available to stream on Peacock).

Jaws didn’t just make people afraid to go into the water; its massive blockbuster success inspired an enduring wave of “sharksploitation” horror that’s become a summer mainstay. Naturally, in celebration of Shark Week, this week’s streaming picks bring the aquatic terror. Shudder’s new documentary Sharksploitation breaks down this subgenre further, packed with insights from filmmakers and scientists alike, for further viewing to complete your Shark Week watchlists.

Whether you’re in the mood for killer shark horror dripping with cheese or genuinely unsettling Jaws riffs,...

The MTV series Teen Wolf – which was loosely inspired by the 1985 comedy film Teen Wolf (watch our Awfully Good video on that movie Here) – wrapped up its six season run back in 2017, and back in January it got a feature film follow-up on the Paramount+ streaming service. (Read our review of Teen Wolf: The Movie at This Link.) Now Paramount+ is hoping that movie is going to rack up multiple Primetime Emmy Awards nominations.

Variety reports that the streaming service has submitted Teen Wolf: The Movie for Emmys consideration in the following categories: Outstanding Television Movie, Lead Actor in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie (Tyler Posey), Directing (Russell Mulcahy), Writing, Prosthetic Makeup and Original Music and Lyrics (“Lemon” by Tyler Posey).

Since Posey was also a producer on the film, Variety notes that these submissions give him three chances to earn an Emmy nod.

Teen Wolf: The Movie...

The wolf pack is hoping for Emmys love.

“Teen Wolf: The Movie,” Paramount+’s adaptation of the MTV supernatural-thriller series, has been submitted for the Primetime Emmy Awards for outstanding television movie, Variety has learned exclusively.

Moreover, the streamer also submitted the film in five other categories: lead actor in a limited or anthology series or movie (Tyler Posey), directing (Russell Mulcahy), writing, prosthetic makeup and original music and lyrics (“Lemon” by Tyler Posey). This provides Posey, who plays the True Alpha werewolf Scott and produces the film, three chances for recognition.

Read: Variety’s Awards Circuit for the latest Emmy predictions in all categories.

An unlikely contender to receive recognition, primarily based on the Academy ignoring the MTV original series, it’s fun to see networks throw hail marys for its genre programming. This year, the TV movie race is expected to have an abundance of genre films such...

In the article series Sound and Vision we take a look at music videos from notable directors. This week we look at The Tubes' Mondo Bondage, directed by Russell Mulcahy. Vulgar auteurism is the idea that there is a certain strand of mostly work-for-hire directors who make loud, frantic movies in such a recognizable way, that the films and filmmakers themselves become auteurist. I am not the biggest fan of the auteur theory in general myself, seeing film ultimately as a collaborative effort, which might be surprising coming from a person showcasing the unique style of directors. But vulgar auteurism in my eyes has merits, in that it breaks away from some of the...

[Read the whole post on screenanarchy.com...]...

The making of Rambo III had a tumultuous production that saw numerous firings and hirings, with some, like director Peter MacDonald, making out far better than his predecessor, Russell Mulcahy, whose canning gave the second unit director a shot at helming his first feature. But Mulcahy was far from being the only production member who was sent home…

In an excerpt (via Vanity Fair) from the new book The Last Action Heroes: The Triumphs, Flops, and Feuds of Hollywood’s Kings of Carnage, Peter MacDonald recalled stepping in for Rambo III after Mulcahy miscast several Russian troops, which lead Sylvester Stallone called “third-rate male models” and “two dozen blond, blue-eyed pretty boys that resembled rejects from a surfing contest.”

But it wasn’t just adults that got to Stallone. In one of the more amusing anecdotes from the set of Rambo III, Peter MacDonald recalled an instance where one child...

Because we love theming everything around horror and Easter arrives this weekend, this week’s streaming picks belong to horror movies perfect for your holiday viewing.

These five titles center around Easter yet explore the holiday in vastly different ways, from discomforting folk horror to raucous horror comedies – and of course, creepy bunnies.

Here’s where to watch these five Easter horror movies on streaming.

For more Stay Home, Watch Horror picks, click here.

Critters 2 – Hoopla, Tubi

If there’s a quintessential Easter horror movie to watch this week, it’s Critters 2. Plucky hero Brad (Scott Grimes) returns to the small town of Grover’s Bend to visit Grandma just in time for the town’s Easter celebration. Too bad someone mixed up Crite eggs for regular Easter eggs. The pint-sized critters set their sights on the Easter bunny before letting loose their insatiable appetite on the town. Think...

Screambox has revealed the new films that are joining the horror streaming service in April, including the 1982 classic Creepshow, Child’s Play doc Living with Chucky, the brand new Japanese remake of Cube, Stephen King masterpiece Needful Things, Aussie-set wild boar horror Razorback, found footage favorite Hell House LLC, and Night of the Living Dead-inspired Screambox Original Shifted.

From the masters of the macabre, George A. Romero and Stephen King’s preeminent horror anthology Creepshow is now streaming on Screambox! After enjoying five jolting tales of terror, viewers can go behind the scenes with the Screambox Exclusive documentary Just Desserts: The Making of Creepshow.

Also joining Screambox today are Needful Things, the 1991 Stephen King adaptation starring Ed Harris (The Abyss) and Max von Sydow (The Exorcist); The Borrower, a sci-fi horror hybrid from Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer director John McNaughton; and Razorback, an ’80s killer boar movie directed by Russell Mulcahy.

The MTV series Teen Wolf – which was loosely inspired by the 1985 comedy film Teen Wolf (watch our Awfully Good video on that movie Here) – wrapped up its six season run back in 2017, but last month it got a feature film follow-up on the Paramount+ streaming service. (Read our review of Teen Wolf: The Movie at This Link.) And now that Teen Wolf has made its return, stars Tyler Posey and Crystal Reed said they would like to see it keep rolling with feature sequels.

Speaking with Screen Rant, Posey said he wants to work on Teen Wolf: The Movie 2 and possibly more sequels because, “(The Movie) is definitely not the perfect ending. I think it lends itself to more, I want more. I think it would be interesting to now see how they live their lives as adults. We got to see them as teenagers. We got to see them for two days as adults,...

Teen Wolf: The Movie is a movie directed by Russell Mulcahy starring Tyler Posey, Crystal Reed and Holland Roden.

This is a film produced by MTV especially oriented for teenagers and which features elements of recent successes and scenees from similar horror movies.

Enjoyable for its audiencde and intelligently “designed” (its production).

About the Movie

Films like Teen Wolf: The Movie, have their day. In mine we had the original Teen Wolf with Michael J. Fox and I enjoyed it equally with all its obvious lackings. It works for its audience and knows how to please its viewers, having done so generation after generation in MTV and in its speciality MTV is a master with plots that are especially thought out for segments of people in their twenties and with just enough complexity to not stand apart.

By the way, it is better if you saw the series before watching...

Arden Cho, who played Kira on the MTV series Teen Wolf but does not appear in the new sequel film, took to social media on the day of the movie’s Paramount+ release to give an update on her mind-set.

After a Twitter user posted Thursday that he was thinking of Cho that day because it was “probably a bit of a rough time for her,” the actress replied to seemingly assure fans she had no regrets about skipping director Russell Mulcahy’s Teen Wolf: The Movie, although she did not specifically mention the project by name.

“Don’t worry babies,” she tweeted. “Thanks for your support. Looking forward to better in 2023! Don’t be scared to walk away or turn down an opportunity if you know it’s not fair and it won’t make you happy! You deserve better. Don’t let anyone tell you otherwise! Love you all,...

TV often turns to tried-and-true genres to create an instant connection with viewers. But no one would expect teenage werewolves to occupy the same space as procedural dramas and workplace sitcoms. Yet, that seems to be the case with the new Paramount+ show, Wolf Pack. The series follows in the footsteps of MTV’s Teen Wolf series. But here’s how it’s different.

‘Wolf Pack’ has a connection to another werewolf series The cast of “Wolf Pack” appear onstage during at New York Comic Con I Eugene Gologursky/Getty Images for Paramount+

While Teen Wolf and Wolf Pack might seem like they have loosely similar premises, and its true shows have the same mastermind behind them both: Producer Jeff Davis. In fact, his work on Teen Wolf nearly led him to reject Wolf Pack. Davis shed some light on his decision to join the new show during an interview...

Plot: A full moon rises in Beacon Hills, and with it, a terrifying evil emerges. The wolves are howling again, calling for the return of banshees, werecoyotes, hellhounds, kitsunes, and every other shapeshifter in the night. But only a werewolf like Scott McCall (Tyler Posey), no longer a teenager yet still an alpha, can gather new allies and reunite trusted friends to fight back against what could be the most powerful and deadliest enemy they’ve ever faced.

Review: Airing for six seasons on MTV, Teen Wolf filled the hole left by Buffy the Vampire Slayer as a teen-centric genre full of supernatural beings and soapy melodrama. Despite trading vampires for werewolves, Teen Wolf followed a familiar formula for teen shows despite being significantly better than most of the series on MTV. With a dedicated fanbase following stars Tyler Posey, Tyler Hoechlin, and Dylan O’Brien, the series went off the...

Tyler Posey and Crystal Reed in Teen Wolf: The Movie Photo: Curtis Bonds Baker/MTV Entertainment Teen Wolf: The Movie is many things, but despite veteran director Russell Mulcahy’s brisk professionalism, a movie is not one of them. Like the series it’s based on, this fantasy project about...

John Wick‘s Chad Stahelski is locked and loaded for Paramount‘s adaptation of Rainbow Six starring Michael B. Jordan. Details about the plot remain in shadow. Still, we’ve got word Stahelski is directing the film based on Tom Clancy’s extensive military franchise. Paramount Pictures is still determining if Rainbow Six will debut in theaters or on Paramount+. Jordan is reprising his role as the CIA operations officer and former Navy Seal, John Clark, born John Terrance Kelley. Jordan’s Clark was featured in 2021’s Without Remorse, directed by Stefano Sollima.

Jordan and Elizabeth Raposo produce through Outlier Society, with Akiva Goldsman and Greg Lessans for Weed Road Pictures and Josh Appelbaum and Andre Nemec for The Saw Mill. Finally, Stahelski, Jason Spitz, and Alex Young executive produce via 87Eleven Entertainment.

Stahelski is one of Hollywood’s busiest filmmakers. In addition to launching John Wick: Chapter 4 in March,...

Killer Collectibles highlights five of the most exciting new horror products released each and every week, from toys and apparel to artwork, records, and much more.

Here are the coolest horror collectibles unveiled this week!

Friday the 13th Shirt from Cavity Colors

It wouldn’t be Friday the 13th without new Jason merch! A ton of great companies are dropping stuff today, but I have to give props to Cavity Colors for showing love to the 2009 reboot. Puis Calzada’s design gets extra points for focusing on sack-head Jason.

Long sleeve shirts – which feature unmasked Jason on one sleeve and a burning sleeping bag on the other – are available for 40. The artwork also comes on T-shirts for 30. Orders close after 72 hours and will ship the week of February 6.

Be sure to check out Fright Rags, Gutter Garbs, Terror Threads, Theatre of Creeps, Inked Up Merch, Terror Vision Records, and Pizza...

“Teen Wolf: The Movie", directed by Russell Mulcahy, stars Ian Bohen, Tyler Hoechlin, Shelley Hennig and Seth Gilliam, streaming January 26, 2023 on Paramount+:

“…a new evil has emerged, the wolves howl once again, but only a ‘Werewolf’ like ‘Scott McCall’ can gather both new allies and reunite trusted friends to fight back against what could be the most powerful and deadliest enemy of all…

Click the images to enlarge…...

Five years after the MTV series Teen Wolf – which was loosely inspired by the 1985 comedy film Teen Wolf (watch our Awfully Good video on that movie Here) – came to an end, most of the cast has come back together for Teen Wolf: The Movie, which will be released through the Paramount+ streaming service on January 26th. With that date coming up fast, a trailer for the movie has arrived online and can be seen in the embed above.

Directed by Russell Mulcahy from a script written by Jeff Davis, the creator of the MTV series, Teen Wolf: The Movie has the following synopsis:

A full moon rises in Beacon Hills, and with it a terrifying evil has emerged. The wolves are howling once again, calling for the return of Banshees, Werecoyotes, Hellhounds, Kitsunes, and every other shapeshifter in the night. But only a werewolf like Scott McCall, no longer a teenager yet still an Alpha,...

Click here to read the full article.

The pack is back and the wolves are howling once again.

The newly released trailer for Teen Wolf: The Movie reveals the return of the wolfpack, Scott McCall (Tyler Posey) and his long-lost, not-so-dead lover, Allison Argent (Crystal Reed).

Written and produced by Jeff Davis, the movie, a revival of MTV’s Teen Wolf, brings back many of the original stars, including Posey, Reed, Holland Roden, Shelley Hennig, Colton Haynes, Ian Bohen, Tyler Hoechlin and Seth Gilliam.

The trailer, which was released Sunday at the Teen Wolf: The Movie and Wolf Pack panel at Comic Con Experience in São Paulo, shows McCall and other shapeshifters return to Beacon Hills after a terrifying new evil emerges. And while McCall isn’t a teen anymore, he is still the Alpha and calls on his pack. “I’m still standing. I’m still the Alpha,...

“Teen Wolf: The Movie", directed by Russell Mulcahy, stars Ian Bohen, Tyler Hoechlin, Shelley Hennig and Seth Gilliam, streaming January 26, 2023 on Paramount+:

“…a new evil has emerged, the wolves howl once again, but only a ‘Werewolf’ like ‘Scott McCall’ can gather both new allies and reunite trusted friends to fight back against what could be the most powerful and deadliest enemy of all…

Click the images to enlarge…...

Eleven years ago, Jeff Davis took the basic concept of the 1985 comedy film Teen Wolf (watch our Awfully Good video on that movie Here) and turned it into a supernatural teen drama series for MTV. The show ran for six seasons, wrapping up in 2017. Five years later, much of the show’s cast has been brought back together for the Teen Wolf franchise’s return to the world of feature films, a project appropriately titled Teen Wolf: The Movie. The new movie is going to be released through the Paramount+ streaming service on January 26th, and today they unveiled a poster for it. You can take a look at the poster at the bottom of this article.

Directed by Russell Mulcahy from a script written by Jeff Davis, Teen Wolf: The Movie has the following synopsis:

A full moon rises in Beacon Hills, and with it a terrifying evil has emerged.

Russell Mulcahy's 1986 film "Highlander" is a fantasy mish-mash about a race of immortals who have been duking it out for dominance for centuries. The main character Scottish immortal -- a Highlander -- named Connor MacLeod (Christopher Lambert) who is alive in 1986, but who first discovered his immortality in the 1530s. The rules of immortals are a little opaque. For instance, an immortal can be killed if they are decapitated, so they tend to carry swords. If their decapitator is also immortal, the killer absorbs their strength in a process called the Quickening. When there is only one immortal left on Earth, they will be granted one wish, called the Prize. When there are only a few immortals left, they will gather for the Gathering.

A lot of the "Highlander" mythos is explored in depth -- and with much-added confusion -- in "Highlander: The Series" (1992 - 1998) and the additional films that spun off from it.

I was 13 years old in 1984, and MTV was less than two years old. My friends and I were captivated by “music TV,” and never more so than when British band Duran Duran, which was composed of five good-looking men, captivated Americans with their exotic videos. “New Moon on Monday” was the first song that garnered my attention, and I joined millions of other screaming girls across the globe to become a “Durannie.” And now after a lengthy, undeserved wait, the band enjoys induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

Formed in 1978 in Birmingham, England, by guitarist John Taylor and keyboardist Nick Rhodes, along with another friend, Duran Duran named themselves after the villain in the 1968 sci-fi movie “Barbarella.” Band members changed over the next couple of years, and Taylor eventually switched to bass, teaching himself to play. By May of 1980, they had formed the lineup that would soon...

I was 13 years old in 1984, and MTV was less than two years old. My friends and I were captivated by “music TV,” and never more so than when British band Duran Duran, which was composed of five good-looking men, captivated Americans with their exotic videos. “New Moon on Monday” was the first song that garnered my attention, and I joined millions of other screaming girls across the globe to become a “Durannie.” And now after a lengthy, undeserved wait, the band enjoys induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

Formed in 1978 in Birmingham, England, by guitarist John Taylor and keyboardist Nick Rhodes, along with another friend, Duran Duran named themselves after the villain in the 1968 sci-fi movie “Barbarella.” Band members changed over the next couple of years, and Taylor eventually switched to bass, teaching himself to play. By May of 1980, they had formed the lineup that would soon...

Benjamin Franklin once famously claimed “in this world, nothing is certain except death and taxes.” That might have been true in 1789 but, in 2022, it should probably be amended to include “remakes and reboots.” Remakes, reboots or whatever your preferred term may be, are increasingly commonplace in the world of moviemaking. It’s more common than most realize too. All that obscures that fact is that many have simply proven so bad that, without a VHS/DVD bargain bin to go to, they’ve been consigned to nothing more than distant memory. Who remembers the remakes of Jacob’s Ladder or Point Break, for example?

So when news first broke that Highlander was set to become the latest beloved cult classic to get rebooted for a modern audience, there was understandable apprehension. After all, there was an undeniably unique alchemy to the success of the original film. Something that’s never quite...

There are several films in Hollywood's history that started their lives as original concepts, but were later incorporated into extant franchises. Briefly, some of the more famous examples include John McTiernan's "Die Hard With a Vengeance," which started as a thriller sans John McClane called "Simon Says." That film was meant to star Brandon Lee but was reworked after his death. Additionally, "Ocean's Twelve" was once meant to be a John Woo film about only two -- and not twelve -- rival thieves, but was repopulated to serve as a sequel to Steven Soderbergh's hit heist movie. And there is, of course, Russell Mulcahy's baffling sequel "Highlander 2: The Quickening," which, thanks to a quick repurposing of an original script, transformed a tale of magical immortals into a bizarre dystopian sci-fi film set in the future. 

The same is true of Darren Lynn Bousman's 2005 sequel "Saw II,...

Genre: Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi

Rating: R

On 4K Ultra HD: December 13, 2022

Running Time: 117 minutes

Cast: Christopher Lambert, Roxanne Hart, Clancy Brown, and Sean Connery

Written by: Gregory Widen, Peter Bellwood, and Larry Ferguson

Directed by: Russell Mulcahy

Produced by: Peter S. Davis, William N. Panzer

Executive Producers: E.C. Monell

Associate Producers: Eva Monley, Harold Moskovitz, John H. Starke

Director of Photography: Gerry Fisher

Production Designer: Allan Cameron

Edited by: Peter Honess

Casting by: Diane Dimeo, Anne Henderson, Michael McLean

Costume Designer: Jim Acheson

Synopsis:

The original Highlander, in electrifying 4K! When Connor MacLeod (Christopher Lambert) is slain in battle in the Scottish Highlands, his kinsfolk don’t mourn the tragedy of his death – they mourn the seeming witchcraft that’s brought him back to life. But MacLeod can’t die, and neither can Juan Ramírez (Sean Connery), who befriends Connor and shows him what it means to be immortal. Time dissolves,...

There ought to be an obscure, multisyllabic German word for the very specific feeling of pride one can take in discovering cinema through one of the medium's more highly regarded classics. There are those among us who had something of a cinematic awakening while watching an indelible classic such as, say, "Citizen Kane," "2001: A Space Odyssey," "Persona," "The Rules of the Game," or "The General." Conversely, there ought to be a similar term for the mixture of pride and embarrassment one feels when their cinematic awakening is instigated by something obscure or unknown. "2001" may be a great piece of cinema. But surely someone in the world fell in love with movies the first time they saw Tony Richardson's 1961 film "A Taste of Honey," or Russell Mulcahy's "Highlander 2: The Quickening." 

Actor Ben Kingsley, to offer a brief introduction, is undoubtedly one of the best actors of his generation...

The 1990s had a plethora of action films, and movies in general, released direct-to-video. The film rental business was booming, and some video stores even hosted signing events with the stars to promote the films and their business. Direct to video action films were the most popular Dtv genre (next to soft-core erotica) and they were produced by the ton. Every week brought a new bunch of options to your local Blockbuster or Mom & Pop store. For the purpose of this list, the titles selected are fun watches even now, that were released direct-to-video for the majority of the population, and they were decently popular on the video store shelves. Without further ado, here are 5 of our favorites!

Lady Dragon (1992)

Let’s start with the Queen of 90s action in the US, the one, the only, the kickass Cynthia Rothrock. This woman is the real deal, with many martial arts...

(Welcome to SlashClips, a series where we bring you exclusive clips from hot new Digital, Blu-ray, and theatrical releases you won't see anywhere else!)

In this edition:

Wire RoomThe Horror CrowdWire Room

Our first clip is from Lionsgate's new hard-hitting action flick "Wire Room," and features Kevin Dillon of "The Blob" and "The Doors" fame as a Homeland Security agent squaring off (virtually) with an arms dealer played by Oliver Trevena. Also featuring Bruce Willis, the film arrives in select theaters and on demand September 2, 2022.

Here is the official synopsis:

Action legend Bruce Willis comes out with guns blazing as Shane Mueller, a Homeland Security agent who runs the Wire Room, a high-tech command center surveilling the most dangerous criminals. New recruit Justin Rosa must monitor arms-smuggling cartel member Eddie Flynn — and keep him alive at all costs. When a Swat team descends on Flynn's home, Rosa breaks protocol...

"The horror crowd helps each other out." Buffalo 8 has revealed an official trailer for documentary The Horror Crowd, another documentary about the film community and how vibrant and exciting it is. After premiering back in 2020 it's finally getting a VOD release this September. Director Ruben Pla assembled an all-star cast of actors and filmmakers to discuss the Hollywood horror community, covering such wide-ranging topics as women in horror, race relations, "being the weird kid," and film festivals, as well as the unique community and support that exists within the space. Among the near-40 people who appear are Lin Shaye (Insidious), Director Russell Mulcahy, Producer / Director Oren Peli (Paranormal Activity), Brea Grant (12 Hour Shift), Director Ernest R. Dickerson ("The Walking Dead"), Director Adam Robitel (Escape Room), Clare Kramer ("Buffy the Vampire Slayer"), Blumhouse’s Director of Development Ryan Turek, Greg Grunberg (Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker), Director Chelsea Stardust...

Exclusive: Buffalo 8 has announced that it will release Ruben Pla’s feature directorial debut The Horror Crowd on digital and VOD on September 2nd.

The doc brings together an all-star cast of actors and filmmakers to discuss the Hollywood horror community, covering such wide-ranging topics as women in horror, race relations, “being the weird kid,” and film festivals, as well as the unique community and support that exists in the space. Among the near-40 people who appear are filmmakers Russell Mulcahy (Highlander), Oren Peli (Paranormal Activity), Ernest R. Dickerson (The Walking Dead), Adam Robitel (Escape Room), Chelsea Stardust (Satanic Panic) and Darren Lynn Bousman (Saw franchise), as well as actors Lin Shaye (Insidious), Brea Grant (Dexter), Greg Grunberg (Star Wars: Episode IX) and Clare Kramer (Buffy the Vampire Slayer), and Blumhouse’s Director of Development Ryan Turek.

The Horror Crowd has played to film festivals like FrightFest and Grimmfest and...

In this episode of Fantasizing About Fantasy Films, we take a look back at one of the biggest cult classics of the eighties, Russell Mulcahy's Highlander. Although a flop upon its initial release, at least domestically, significant box office receipts in Europe, as well as fantastic home video sales, propelled this to franchise status. However, besides the TV show (starring Adrian Paul), none seem to hold a candle to the original film. It starred Christopher Lambert as Connor MacLeod,…...

Henry Cavill is in early talks to star in one of the two lead roles in Chad Stahelski’s “Highlander” reboot, an individual with knowledge of the situation told TheWrap.

Neal H. Moritz and Josh Davis are producing, while Amanda Lewis, Patrick Wachsberger and Gregory Widen will executive produce.

The original 1986 “Highlander” film starred Christopher Lambert, Sean Connery and Clancy Brown, and was directed by Russell Mulcahy. It chronicled the ages-old war between immortal warriors. The film had four sequels and three TV series, including USA’s “Highlander: The Series” starring Adrian Paul.

Cavill was most recently seen in “Zack Snyder’s Justice League” and “Enola Holmes.” His other credits include “Mission: Impossible — Fallout,” “Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice,” “The Man from U.N.C.L.E.” and “Man of Steel.”

On the TV side, Cavill stars in Netflix’s fantasy drama series “The Witcher,” and also starred in “The Tudors.

Thomas Jane is returning as a gun man for hire in the upcoming sequel to 2009’s “Give ‘Em Hell, Malone.” Mark Hosack, the screenwriter for the first film, is returning to pen the follow-up.

Renegade Entertainment, the production company co-founded by Courtney Lauren Penn and Jane, is teaming up with Richard Rionda Del Castro’s Hannibal Media for the still-untitled sequel. Penn, Jane and Rionda are producing. Hannibal Media is fully financing the film, as well as handling worldwide sales and co-representing North America rights with Paradigm.

Principle photography is slated to begin in the third quarter of 2021.

“Malone has always been one of my favorite characters and we’re all thrilled that the original film found such a devoted fanbase,” said Jane. “I couldn’t stop thinking about where Malone would be now and where he is headed.”

Described as an “against-the-clock” thriller, the upcoming installment picks up as...

Written by Jeff Lemire | Art by Andrea Sorrentino, Jordie Bellaire | Published by DC Black Label | Format: Hardback, 144pp

When DC Comics announced their Black Label offshoot many though it would be a replacement for the Vertigo line, telling all-new stories and creating all-new characters and universes. But in the end it turned out to be something more interesting – a place where writers could explore the familar characters of DC’s stable in new and intersting ways. Sort of an “Elseworlds” universe, only one where writers were free to target a more mature audience and tell more adult stories in a premium format… And it’s turned out to be something of a huge success; right from the get-go with the controversial Batman Damned and it’s bat-dong, to the likes of Superman: Year One and Harleen – a look at the Joker’s sidekick-come-love interest.

Joker: Killer Smile not...

Scottish actor Sean Connery has died at the age of 90. His son Jason Connery told the BBC his father had died peacefully in the Bahamas after a long illness.

Famous for his dashing good looks, strapping physique and abundance of charisma, Connery was the first actor to portray James Bond in film, starring in seven entries in the franchise from Dr No to Never Say Never Again. He was also an Oscar-winner for his supporting turn in Brian De Palma’s The Untouchables, his sole nomination from the Academy, and he received two BAFTAs including an honorary Fellowship Award. He was awarded a knighthood in 2000.

Early years

Born in Edinburgh in 1930, Connery joined the Royal Navy at the age of 16 before being discharged three years later on medical grounds. He took numerous other jobs including being a lifeguard, lorry driver and an artist’s model before his bodybuilding led him...