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Spooky season is coming early this year on Peacock. The classic horror film The Exorcist will be among the new titles added to the streaming service next month.

Beginning April 1, Peacock subscribers will be able to stream The Exorcist, the highly influential 1973 horror film that became the first of its genre to be nominated for the Academy Award for Best Picture.The Exorcist is based on the 1971 novel of the same name by the late William Peter Blatty, who wrote the screenplay for the 1973 adaptation. The movie follows a young girl named Regan MacNeil (Linda Blair) who becomes possessed by a demon, leading to her mother, Chris MacNeil (Ellen Burstyn), seeking out the help of two Catholic priests, Father Karras (Jason Miller) and Father Lankester Merrin (Max von Sydow), to rescue her daughter by performing an exorcism on her.

While Warner Bros. had low box office expectations for The Exorcist,...

Weird is wonderful. Weird is good. Weird films challenge expectations with disorienting elements like surreal imagery, non-linear plots, and dreamlike (or nightmarish) logic. So what defines 'weird?' Ambiguity, uncomfortable atmospheres, rejection of traditional narrative structures? The beauty of it lies in bypassing our rational mind and speaking directly to our subconscious. These films remain in our thoughts, revealing different meanings every time we watch them.

2019’s The Lighthouse, directed by Robert Eggers, owns its claustrophobic black-and-white cinematography, surreal mermaid visions, and descent into madness. Its obscure mythology and sexual imagery create an air of psychological horror and dread. Lead actors Willem Dafoe and Robert Pattinson deliver exceptional performances as isolated lighthouse keepers whose grip on reality deteriorates. With that in mind, if you like The Lighthouse, you'll love 1968'sHour of the Wolf.

Director Ingmar Bergman Ran So Others Could Walk

Directed by Ingmar Bergman, the Swedish classic Hour of the Wolf...

The hype surrounding Mike Flanagan’s upcoming Exorcist project gets more intense as days roll by, but there are also so many thoughts about the previous installments that heavily bombed at the box office. It took many years in between before the franchise produced follow-ups, simply because it wasn’t meant to be a cinematic universe.

Guillermo del Toro / Credits: BBC

What’s more upsetting is the fact that Guillermo del Toro almost helmed the unfortunate 2005 prequel movie, Dominion: Prequel to the Exorcist, which already leaves us fans thinking he could have singlehandedly saved it. The project eventually went to Paul Schrader.

Guillermo del Toro could have saved the Exorcist prequel movie

The ill-fated Dominion: Prequel to the Exorcist joined Guillermo del Toro’s list of unrealized projects despite it being his niche. The director, who is known for his love for monsters and all things gothic horror, turned down...

Imagine if, in modern times, the role of let’s say, DC’s Sgt. Rock went to the literal Rock, Dwayne Johnson. Imagine that he was given creative control over the high budget state of the art project despite having no idea who Sgt. Rock even was initially. Finally, imagine he decided to make it in the vein of all of his films, hiring Kevin Hart to be his sidekick, and royally pissing off fans of the source material along the way. That’s the best modern analogy I can come up with for what happened to 1995’s Judge Dredd. A film that had crew members allegedly taking bets on their director’s life expectancy, an NC17 rating, and Sylvester Stallone screaming I Am The Law!!! This is what happened to Judge Dredd.

Judge Dredd debuted in 1995; a year packed with iconic films. At the time, the superhero craze hadn’t fully kicked in,...

Exclusive: Ian Hamilton’s Ava Lee novels are being given the small screen treatment.

Robin Cass and Robert Munroe are behind the adaptation of the Canadian author’s books, with a writer still being sought.

The deal is with Cass & Co and Blacktop Recess for 17 Ava Lee novels plus four Uncle Chow Tung prequel books. A globe-traveling enigma, Ava Lee is an unexpected heroine – a formidable forensic accountant, a fearless sleuth and a master of an ancient martial artform, Bak Mei – historically taught only to males. She is a true original as she outruns, outsmarts and outpaces the most dangerous criminals in the world. The 17 books include The Water Rat of Wanchai, The Disciple of Las Vegas and The Fury of Beijing.

“From my first read of the first novel in the series, Ava firmly implanted herself in my imagination and my heart. Bond is one thing. Ava Lee is quite another.

In many ways, Hour of the Wolf (1968) is just like many other films directed by Ingmar Bergman,one of the greatest filmmakers of all time. It stars two of his most frequent collaborators, Max von Sydow and Liv Ullmann (the latter of whom was Bergman's partner at the time); it was filmed on the Swedish island of Fårö, where Bergman lived for much of his life; and its script was heavily inspired by Bergman's own life and relationships.

Even so, Hour of the Wolf is a unique entry in Bergman's acclaimed oeuvre for one simple reason: it's a horror film. While many of Bergman's films dealt with dark themes and featured Gothic imagery and foreboding atmospheres, Hour of the Wolf remains Bergman's only attempt to truly frighten his audience on a visceral level, taking heavy inspiration from his own nightmares. But Bergman didn't dabble in the horror genre just for shock value.

It's time to return to Shutter Island. The acclaimed 2010 psychological thriller starring Leonardo DiCaprio is now available to stream on Paramount+.

Directed by legendary filmmaker Martin Scorsese, Shutter Island stars DiCaprio as Deputy U.S. Marshal Teddy Daniels, who is investigating the mysterious disappearance of a patient from a remote psychiatric hospital. Mark Ruffalo, Ben Kingsley, Max von Sydow, and Michelle Williams co-star in the neo-noir psychological thriller, which was a commercial success upon its release in theaters in 2010, grossing $295 million at the worldwide box office. Shutter Island also received generally positive reviews from critics, with Rotten Tomatoes noting an approval rating of 69 percent.

RelatedMartin Scorsese Recruits Patrick Wilson to Star in Reboot of His Oscar-Nominated 34-Year-Old Film

Martin Scorsese's executive producing a new adaptation of his acclaimed 34-year-old film.

Shutter Island marked the fourth collaboration between Scorsese and DiCaprio, who have developed one of the most successful and enduring director-actor partnerships of the century.

In the majority of iconic horror movies, the film delivers a memorable antagonist who imposes a formidable presence on screen for audiences. Given how most horror villains traditionally frighten viewers with terrifying examples of murderous acts or unnerving personalities, these characters reveal a staggering amount of power that takes hold of fans, as well as becoming more fleshed-out within a larger franchise.

No matter the stakes in the plot or how many characters get in the way of these villains’ plans, each one possesses the raw might to deliver some unforgettable frights. As a result, these powerful antagonists stand out from their cinematic peers as true juggernauts of the horror genre.

Jason Voorhees Embodies a Frighteningly Determined Killer The Friday the 13th Franchise Creates Brutal Violence for Fans

Positioning himself as one of the premier horror villains in American cinema, Jason Voorhees has had an illustrious career slashing away his...

Before growing green muscles and joining the Avengers as Hulk in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Mark Ruffalo starred in Martin Scorsese’s 2010 psychological thriller, Shutter Island. Starring Leonardo DiCaprio as US Marshal Teddy Daniels and Mark Ruffalo as US Marshal Chuck Aule, the film depicts the partners’ investigation of the disappearance of Rachel Solando, a patient at the remote psychiatric facility Ashecliffe Hospital. Based on the 2003 novel by Dennis Lehane, who also wrote Gone Baby Gone, the film is a gripping mystery that explores the effects of trauma and grief on the human psyche.

Shutter Island is regarded as one of the best films of 2010, not only for its haunting atmosphere, but also for its hotly debated twist ending. Ruffalo’s performance throughout the film provides important clues for the big reveal, showcasing not only his talent for subtlety but his calm yet commanding presence that would later serve him...

Later this year, HBO will air the first season of A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms, its next Game of Thrones spinoff. Like House of the Dragon before it, A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms is a prequel series set long before the days of Tyrion Lannister, Jon Snow, and Daenerys Targaryen. But this one isn't set quite so far back in time; it's only around a century before Thrones, as opposed to two-ish centuries for House of the Dragon.

Since this is a big sprawling fantasy series with magic and mysticism, it's not out of the realm of possibility for these prequel shows to bring back characters from the original series. For example, House of the Dragon showed a brief flash of Daenerys during its second season finale. But any actual appearance in the flesh by a Thrones character still feels like a long shot in Hotd, since it's...

Back in 1977, Shelley Winters, Max von Sydow, Renato Pozzetto, and Alberto Lionello starred in a dark comedy called Black Journal (or Gran Bollito), which was directed by Mauro Bolognini and was loosely based on the true crime case of serial killer Leonarda Cianciulli. Now, Variety reports that Trouble Every Day director Claire Denis is in talks to direct a remake of that film, titled The Soap Maker.

The approach being taken this time around is to make this a cannibalistic elevated real crime drama in the vein of The Silence of the Lambs, Seven, and Get Out, “with a decidedly dark tone and a psychological thriller feel.” So we’re not getting a dark comedy from Denis. Variety notes that the producers hold the rights not only to the Black Journal screenplay but also to “a diary that Leonarda Cianciulli allegedly wrote in the psychiatric prison were she spent the...

Frank Herbert's 1965 "Dune" novel has been a colossal inspiration since its release, encouraging countless other authors and filmmakers. However, for years, a successful movie adaptation proved very hard to get it right. Over five decades later, we have Denis Villeneuve's "Dune: Part One" and "Dune: Part Two," satisfying critics, fans, and the Academy.

While we wait for "Dune: Part Three," what's a fan to do? Well, the influences of "Dune" go far and wide, as do the cinematic influences of director Villeneuve. From the movies that were inspired by Herbert's original novel, to other films that capture something of the spirit or style of the story, and even previous attempts at tackling the material, there's a lot of cinema out there to please fans of the young, selectively bred Messiah figure Paul Atreides (Timothée Chalamet), who joins the desert-dwelling Fremen on spice planet Arrakis and quells the feud...

Denis Villeneuve, the sci-fi visionary behind films like Blade Runner 2049, Arrival, and, of course, the modern adaptation of Frank Herbert's Dune, has paid tribute to David Lynch, his filmmaking colleague and partner in the rocky territory of Dune adaptations.

Lynch, who passed away recently, is credited with the first-ever adaptation of the literary sci-fi classic from 1965. In 1984, the surrealist master brought Duneto the big screen with mixed results. Starring Sting, Kyle MacLachlan, Brad Dourif, Max von Sydow, and Virginia Madsen, among others, the film was a box-office flop. Lynch was famously not happy with the studio's interference and spent decades distancing himself from the film. A few alternate cuts emerged over the years, but none of them matched Lynch's vision enough to make him stand behind the film.

Jump forward 37 years and Villeneuve makes a science fiction epic that checks every item in the list of "things from...

While Swedish classic Ingmar Bergman is known for his psychological dramas that explore the intricacies of human behavior, he also made a bunch of comedies, musical films, and one horror movie. Titled Hour of the Wolf, the 1968 film is simultaneously a Gothic tale, a psychological examination of a tortured mind, and a grim story of a relationship in trouble. The story revolves around Johan (Max von Sydow), an artist, and his wife Alma (Liv Ullmann), whose life deteriorates after Johan begins having visions of strange figures whom he becomes so familiar with, he gives them names and sketches them. What follows can be interpreted in many ways, including as a cautionary tale about literal monsters or an allegory about demons residing inside an artistic mind. But at its core, Hour of the Wolf is also a strangely realistic depiction of a dysfunctional relationship.

We’ve all got our favorites - The Others, The Sixth Sense, Fight Club, Seven - no matter which plot twist you’d consider to be your favorite in cinema, there’s certainly no lack of options. Right now, one of the wildest moments of “didn’t see that coming” has found a new streaming home, with Martin Scorsese’s Shutter Island currently streaming on Paramount+. The fourth movie to come from the collaboration between the famed director and one of his favorite actors, Leonardo DiCaprio, the psychological thriller is a rush of adrenaline from beginning to end. As one might expect from a Scorsese-helmed flick, the rest of the call sheet isn’t too shabby either, with Mark Ruffalo (Zodiac), Ben Kingsley (Schindler’s List), Michelle Williams (Manchester by the Sea) and Max von Sydow (The Exorcist) supporting DiCaprio in a fine piece of cinema.

The often forgotten and certainly underrated pulp action fantasy movie Solomon Kane has found itself at the top of the Freevee chart over 15 years after it was released. As a movie that failed to reach its potential at the box office, the film’s resurgence on free streaming is now giving it a second chance to make a first impression with many who missed it the first time around.

Based on the Puritan avenger created by Robert E. Howard – and who at one point became the subject of a run of Marvel Comics – James Purefoy delivered a brooding performance in the titular role, but never seemed to get the praise he deserved. Solomon Kane is depicted as a wanderer, walking the world destroying evil where he finds it. In the movie adaption, this included taking on a range of monsters created by the team behind Godzilla and Silent Hill, and...

Mike Flanagan has teased his ‘Exorcist’ reboot and ‘Carrie’ TV show will both have “unique takes” on the horror franchises.The 46-year-old director is due to helm a reimagining of the classic 1973 horror flick and a small-screen adaptation of Stephen King’s 1974 novel for Amazon MGM Studios, and has now hinted both his projects will offer audiences new spooky experiences that are “feeling surprisingly timely”.He told a fan on Bluesky: "Our unique takes on both The Exorcist and Carrie are feeling surprisingly timely..."Before Flanagan took over ‘The Exorcist’ franchise, director David Gordon Green was set to helm his own trilogy, though was dropped from the series after his 2023 movie ‘The Exorcist: Believer’ failed to impress commercially or critically.In September, Flanagan said he was looking to “add” something new to ‘The Exorcist’ mythology, and fought “very aggressively” to acquire the rights to the series.He told The Hollywood Reporter...

Sean Connery's James Bond films have a significant place in movie history, kicking off the long-running franchise in the early 1960s that has spanned decades with a total of 26 (1 being unofficial) Bond movies to date. Connery is arguably the most important actor in the franchise, being the first of six actors so far to take up the mantle of the iconic 007. His first appearance as the character was in Dr. No in 1962, which was also the first adaptation of the landmark novels by Ian Fleming.

Following his first film as James Bond, Connery starred in four more 007 films in the '60s, retiring briefly from the character, only to return in 1971. He finally came back once more in 1983 for Never Say Never Again, which officially marked the end of his career as 007. Not only was Sean Connery one of the most important James Bond actors, but he was also one of the best,...

Adaptation is tricky. Change too much, and you've lost the original fans. Stick too closely to the source material, and you miss out on the fun part of adapting one medium into another. Stephen King adaptations in particular can be extra tricky. So much of what works about the writer's work is the specific, King-ian way it's written. For example, his idiosyncratic dialogue makes sense as a literary device; still, it can sometimes sound strange coming out of the mouths of living, breathing actors. His evils can also be quite symbol-heavy in a way that works better as literature; we can believe in a writer haunted by malevolent flocks of sparrows for the length of a horror novel, but the less said about the film version of "The Dark Half," the better.

The fun part about King is that he considers his oeuvre to be a playground for anyone. For decades,...

Warning: This article discusses drugs and violence.

Author Stephen King has written some incredible stories over the years, but some are much better than their movie adaptations. Stephen King’s books and short stories make brilliant films and TV shows, but the King of Horror’s narratives are often so unique and complex that it’s hard for them to be translated to the screen properly. While many of Stephen King’s movies are legendary pieces of cinema, some just don’t hit the mark.

There are several reasons why these adaptations are worse than their book counterparts. Some are simply bad films, some fail to follow their source material properly, and there is even an instance of one tale being adapted so poorly that King’s work can’t be identified. Hopefully, the upcoming Stephen King movie and TV adaptations over the next few years can learn from these mistakes.

The French-Danish actor Niels Arestrup passed away on Sunday, Dec. 1, 2024, according to his wife, the actor and writer Isabelle Le Nouvel. While he may not be well-known by mainstream Western audiences, he holds the record in France for the most César Awards for Best Supporting Actor, and has starred in films by many of Europe's best directors — Alain Resnais, Chantal Akerman, Claude Lelouch, Marco Ferreri, Jacques Audiard, Julian Schnabel, Bertrand Tavernier, Volker Schlöndorff, and Albert Dupontel, not to mention American directors like Steven Spielberg and Angelina Jolie. His wife wrote in an Afp press release:

I am extremely sad to announce the death of my husband, the immense actor Niels Arestrup, after a courageous fight against illness. He passed away surrounded by the love of his family.

Born to working-class parents and spending his youth in public housing projects, Arestrup failed school and took on odd jobs until he found...

It’s always interesting to see big time directors go against type and into a genre we don’t necessarily associate them with. We have Mount Rushmore type horror directors like John Carpenter and Wes Craven giving us thoughtful entries into their catalogues like Starman and Music of the Heart. On the flip side of that, what happens when a director known for Oscar worthy drama, gangster, and period piece movies goes all in on a scary movie? How did that movie miss out on any major awards nominations even with it being considered prestige horror? How many different adaptations of Denis Lehane’s novel would we get? Take the boat over before the storm hits as we find out what happened to Shutter Island.

Denis Lehane is an American author who began writing in the early 1990s. While he had success with a series of novels with repeating characters early,...

When a horror movie is said to be based on a true story, the intended scary effect on the public is even more powerful. As a consequence, even in cases when the film is only loosely inspired by reality-or even urban legends that themselves borrowed some elements from ambiguous events-the label "based on a true story" is still worth using as a clever marketing tool. The possibility that the chilling story told on the screen could happen plays with the fear of the public, drawing them deeper into the narrative.

The horror genre is adept at reinventing history to suit its needs, exploiting the mysteries behind it and exaggerating the more alarming details. This ability to blur the line between fact and fiction and thrive into the unknown has created some famous horror movies that, although presumably based on a true story, can barely be called true.

The Exorcist Released...

The iconic horror film The Exorcist will arrive on Paramount+ on Dec 1. The film made history as the first horror film to get a Best Picture nod at the Oscars.

The 1973 film stars Linda Blair as a young girl named Regan MacNeil who becomes possessed by a demon. The movie follows the events that unfold after her possession as her mother, Chris (Ellen Burstyn), seeks the help of two Catholic priests, Father Karras (Jason Miller) and Father Lankester Merrin (Max von Sydow). Warner Bros. had low expectations for The Exorcist, a horror film without any major star power behind it. The success of the film came as a surprise, and The Exorcist set records in each of the theaters it was shown in during its first week, making for a historic run that heavily impacted the horror genre and pop culture.

Related Gladiator Fans Have Even More to Look Forward...

In an expansive world like Game of Thrones, there are numerous characters that fans get to fall in love with. However, the books series from which inspired the show is far more detailed than what is portrayed in the show. It is full of moving bits and pieces that relegate important roles to multiple smaller characters. While these individuals didn't really get any attention in the show, nor did they feature too prominently in the main books, their legacies and impact are still felt even in current day Westeros. After all, not every person of significance did their greatest deeds alone. Sometimes, they needed help or support.

One such character is Ser Oswell Whent. A member of the Kingsguard during the last years of the Targaryen Dynasty, Oswell was one of the last genuine representations of what it meant to be a member of order of the white cloak. Interestingly though,...

Director and producer George Nolfi offers a surprising update for Taika Waititi's Flash Gordon reboot after three years of silence. First created by Alex Raymond in 1934 for comics, Mike Hodges brought the character to the big screen in 1980 with Flash Gordon, starring Sam Jones, Melody Anderson, Brian Blessed, Timothy Dalton, and Max Von Sydow. Waititi was brought on board to write and direct an animated reboot for 20th Century and Disney, though it was later reconceived as a live-action project in 2021.

As Nolfi discussed his new action-thriller Elevation with Collider, the director opened up about his involvement with Waititi's Flash Gordon reboot. Nolfi was originally on board as a producer, but he indicated he's drifted away from it in recent years. He said:

I'm not too involved with that one. There are a couple of things coming up that I can't talk about that I'm humbled to be involved...

In HBO's Game of Thrones, Bran Stark is called North of the Wall by a mysterious voice visiting him in his dreams, a voice that often takes the form of a three-eyed raven. In the finale of season 4, Bran finally makes it to a large cave beneath a weirwood tree where he meets the Three-Eyed Raven, played by Struan Rodger. After briefly introducing the character, the showrunners recast Struan Rodger with the more well-known Max von Sydow, and redesigned the character's visual appearance, greatly impacting the direction of the show's fantasy elements in future seasons.

The Three-Eyed Raven is a mystical green seer, who draws his powers from the magical weirwood trees. Before becoming an embodiment of the Old Gods and green magic, he was a powerful leader in Westeros, known as Brynden Rivers, or Bloodraven. Bloodraven, getting his name from a red birthmark in the shape of a raven on his face,...

The Exorcist hit movie theaters in 1973 and established an immediate legacy. Today, more than a half-century since its release, tales of audience members vomiting and fainting in the cinema still abound. Linda Blair, who played possessed child Regan McNeil, became an instant horror icon. Critics polls often name The Exorcist as the Scariest Movie Ever. Not to mention, the movie became the highest-grossing movie of that year. Naturally, studio Warner Bros. salivated for a sequel, eventually getting one with Exorcist II: The Heretic in 1977.

It goes without saying that Exorcist II: The Heretic had a much different reception from its demonic predecessor. Despite a cast of acting legends and Oscar winners on both sides of the camera, including Deliverance and Excalibur director John Boorman at the helm, the sequel became an instant punchline. Critics savaged the film like a cloud of frenzied locusts, and though it does have odd defenders,...

Few movies redefined supernatural horror like The Exorcist. Its Oscar Best Picture nod was also major achievement in the genre, setting the benchmark for films like Get Out and The Sixth Sense.

Horror fans can now watch The Exorcist for free on Pluto TV. This 1973 film is largely considered the best exorcism-themed movie, a frontrunner to cult favorites The Witch, The Wailing, and The Conjuring. The Exorcist was a box office hit despite controversy and a clamor to ban it from theaters; produced with a $12 million budget, it earned $193 million at the end of its initial run (and a lifetime gross of $441 million from subsequent re-releases). It was also the first horror movie to receive an Academy Award nomination for Best Picture, which was a milestone for the genre. Its breakout success spawned a franchise with five sequels and one TV series released to date.

Related The Exorcist's Ending...

George Steven's 1965 Oscar-nominated film The Greatest Story Ever Told is one of Hollywood's grandest religious epics with a star-studded ensemble cast retelling the life of Jesus Christ (portrayed by Max von Sydow). Among its admirable huge ensemble are three legends Sidney Poitier, John Wayne, and Charlton Heston. In the film, Poitier is Simon of Cyrene, the man who helped Jesus bear the cross on his final journey to Calvary. Heston has his take on John the Baptist, the forerunner who prepared the way for Jesus' coming, while Wayne sheds his gruff Western roles for a smaller yet significant one, as a Roman soldier during the crucifixion. Wayne is best remembered for the delivery of his only line in the film, Truly, this man was the Son of God.

To celebrate the release of Exorcist II: The Heretic – out now on Blu-ray from Arrow Video – we have a copy up for grabs!

From John Boorman, the director of Point Blank and Deliverance, comes Exorcist II: The Heretic, a visionary metaphysical thriller that confounded audience expectation by delivering something unique and entirely unexpected.

It has been four years since the exorcism that saved the life of Regan MacNeil (Linda Blair) and caused the deaths of Lankester Merrin (Max Von Sydow) and Damien Karras, the priests who helped her. Regan remembers nothing, but her therapist Dr Tuskin (Louise Fletcher) believes those memories are simply repressed and waiting. Meanwhile, Father Philip Lamont (Richard Burton) – his own faith shaken by a failed exorcism – is tasked by the Vatican with investigating Father Merrin, who faces posthumous charges of heresy for his controversial writings. His investigation will lead him to Africa, New York and Georgetown...

To celebrate the release of Exorcist II: The Heretic – out now on Blu-ray from Arrow Video – we have a copy up for grabs!

From John Boorman, the director of Point Blank and Deliverance, comes Exorcist II: The Heretic, a visionary metaphysical thriller that confounded audience expectation by delivering something unique and entirely unexpected.

It has been four years since the exorcism that saved the life of Regan MacNeil (Linda Blair) and caused the deaths of Lankester Merrin (Max Von Sydow) and Damien Karras, the priests who helped her. Regan remembers nothing, but her therapist Dr Tuskin (Louise Fletcher) believes those memories are simply repressed and waiting. Meanwhile, Father Philip Lamont (Richard Burton) – his own faith shaken by a failed exorcism – is tasked by the Vatican with investigating Father Merrin, who faces posthumous charges of heresy for his controversial writings. His investigation will lead him to Africa, New York and Georgetown...

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The Shutter Island ending is still debated and discussed among fans and critics more than a decade after the movie was released. Martin Scorsese directs the period thriller in which Leonardo DiCaprio plays Tedd Daniels, a US Marshal investigating the disappearance of an inmate from a psychiatric facility on the titular island. However, the Shutter Island ending suggests Teddy is actually a patient at the facility and his "investigation" was designed by his doctors to guide him back to reality.

There is some discussion that Shutter Island is straightforward after it reveals the trick pulled at the psychological facility to try and treat DiCaprio's Andrew Laeddis for his profound condition. However, there are some who feel the movie is open to interpretation and Teddy is a real lawman who has been convinced by the doctors of the facility that he is a...

A great twist can enhance a movie in an instant, but the best filmmakers use foreshadowing to drop clues about their twists beforehand. While it's always shocking to add a huge twist at the end of a movie, it's important that a movie does the work to earn this moment. Otherwise, the twist can seem like a cheap stunt that comes out of nowhere. A good twist has to connect to the rest of the movie.

Directors and writers often play games with their audience if they know that a twist is coming at the end. This often means that they lead their audience to believe something false, so that they can cover their tracks. However, a confident filmmaker can often tell the audience what the twist is long before the dramatic reveal and still manage to get away with it. Many of the best and most satisfying twists in...

A film historian might argue that the modern notion of the "blockbuster" wasn't born until 1975. It was that year that Steven Spielberg's "Jaws" was booked to open in hundreds of theaters simultaneously, a practice that was still uncommon at the time. In so doing, "Jaws" essentially created the "opening weekend," a notion that Hollywood is still enamored of to this day. Additionally, "Jaws" ramped up the marketing blitz, flooding advertising spaces with the "Jaws" logo. Giant commercial entertainments haven't been the same since. "Jaws" kicked the door down.

Of course, two years before, "The Exorcist" had already helped get that door unlocked. It wasn't opened as widely as "Jaws," but "The Exorcist" had staying power. It opened the day after Christmas in 1973, and ran in theaters continuously for 105 straight weeks. It has the biggest Christmas opening weekend of all time, only beaten by "Titanic" 34 years later. The world, it seemed,...

An outstanding Star Wars cosplay expertly recreates the climactic duel between Rey and Kylo Ren in Star Wars: The Force Awakens. Lightsaber duels are always a highlight of the Star Wars movies, and fans had been waiting 10 years for a new live-action duel when The Force Awakens came out in 2015. Even more astounding than the duels themselves is the creative ways so many cosplayers and photographers capture the magic of lightsabers in their own way.

The Legion of Cosplayers Instagram page posted a truly incredible recreation of Rey and Kylo Ren's lightsaber duel back in 2017, just two months before the release of Star Wars: The Last Jedi:

View this post on InstagramA post shared by Legion Of Cosplayers (@legionofcosplayers)

Curiously, this version of the duel shows Kylo Ren wearing his helmet, unlike the original scene where his face is visible. Perhaps this takes inspiration from the movie's first teaser trailer,...

The Exorcist is my choice for the best horror movie of all time. Some may say Rosemary’s Baby or The Shining or Night of the Living Dead, but as a good Catholic boy, nothing has ever gotten under my skin the way William Friedkin’s original did. But, with great success comes the desire for Hollywood to make a hit into a franchise, but Friedkin was not a franchise director. He famously turned down French Connection II, but the studio, perhaps noticing how the second French Connection turned out decently, decided to go ahead and turn it into a franchise. Still, the results, with one notable exception were a disaster. So without any further adieu, here’s our list of Exorcist movies ranked – from worst to best.

Exorcist II: The Heretic (1977)

So, worst is a degree here rather than a black-and-white fact. All of the Exorcist sequels – with that one...

Usually, a big star's name guarantees their survival in a film. Being featured in the promotional material also sends the signal that they'll be the lead. This isn't always the case, especially when it comes to big franchises like Scream, Star Wars and Marvel movies. Sometimes, films cast a big star in a minor role without doing them justice.

From Drew Barrymore's shocking death in Scream to Bryan Cranston's missed opportunity in Godzilla, films sometimes waste big names just for a shock factor. While this can happen intentionally and unintentionally, sadly, not all cameo deaths are well justified. Scenes like these also leave fans feeling confused.

Drew Barrymore Fought to Be the First Victim in Scream

When the trailer and poster for Scream were released, everyone thought that Drew Barrymore had been cast in a prominent role. It certainly looked promising when the original 1996 film opened with Barrymore's...

After publishing a page-turning memoir – Runaway Train: The Story of My Life So Far – actor Eric Roberts is letting skeletons out of closets with stories and reveals related to his lengthy and storied career. Roberts’ book covers a lot of ground. Still, one story about a missed opportunity with Martin Scorsese is making the rounds online. Luckily, our Editor-in-Chief, Chris Bumbray, is quite the bookworm for reading about Hollywood’s inner workings and secret stories and is currently thumbing through Roberts’ memoir.

In the book, Roberts talks about rejecting a primary role in Scorsese’s 1988 drama The Last Temptation of Christ, in which the filmmaker offered him the role of Jesus.

“So when I was asked by Marty Scorsese to audition for the role of Jesus in The Last Temptations of Christ, I thought, Here’s my chance to break out of the straightjacket of typecasting and work with a master,...

One 80s movie which shows off Arnold Schwarzenegger's incredible physique as the seven-time Mr. Olympia winner just got a devastating streaming update. Netflix has officially announced that Conan the Barbarian, the 1982 fantasy action adventure flick which Schwarzenegger stars in alongside James Earl Jones and Sandahl Bergman, will leave the platform at the end of this month with no new streaming home in sight. The film follows a powerful warrior, Conan (Schwarzenegger), who seeks to avenge the genocide of his people and the murder of his parents at the hands of a snake cult. In addition to Schwarzenegger, Jones, and Bergman, Conan the Barbarian also stars Max von Sydow, Ben Davidson, and Cassandra Gava, and the film currently sits at a 67% score from critics and a 74% rating from general audiences on Rotten Tomatoes.

Arnold Schwarzenegger has commented on the passing of James Earl Jones. Both actors memorably appeared together in the 1982 film Conan the Barbarian.

On the social media platform X, Schwarzenegger shared a message of tribute in honor of Jones. The message was posted the day after it was announced that Jones had died at the age of 93. Like many other Hollywood stars in mourning, Schwarzenegger addressed the impact Jones had on the industry. Beyond his incredible work as an actor, Schwarzenegger also touted how wonderful Jones was as a human being as well.

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"James Earl Jones was an icon," Schwarzenegger said. "He will always live on with his legacy of playing some of the greatest characters of all time.

Mike Flanagan explains why he "very aggressively" fought to do his new take on The Exorcist. Five sequels and prequels would follow William Friedkin's seminal 1973 horror movie, the most recent being David Gordon Green's The Exorcist: Believer (2023). After Green's film disappointed critically and commercially, Flanagan, who is best known for projects like The Haunting of Hill House (2018) and Doctor Sleep (2019), is now taking the reins for the franchise in what has been described as a "radical new take" on the IP.

In a recent interview with THR, Flanagan shares more details about his upcoming Exorcist film, revealing that he pushed hard to be chosen as the filmmaker behind whatever project would follow Green's. According to the director, he passionately felt like his unique idea for the franchise was worth pursuing, and that it could up being "the scariest movie I've ever made." Check out his comment below:...

One of the most iconic horror films ever made is heading to Max, just in time for the Halloween season. The Exorcist is set to drop on Max on Sept. 1.

The horror classic is based on the novel of the same name written by William Peter Blatty, who also wrote the screenplay for the film. Directed by the late William Friedkin, The Exorcist centers around the demonic possession of 12-year-old Regan MacNeil. First believing her daughter was just experiencing a medical problem of some sort, Chris MacNeil takes her to be tested by medical professionals, though they find nothing physically wrong with her. In a last ditch effort to save her daughter, the mother seeks out two Catholic priests to perform an exorcism, to vanquish the demon before it's too late.

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Blink Twice is a psychological thriller film directed by Zoë Kravitz from a screenplay co-written by Zoë Kravitz and E.T. Feigenbaum. The thrilling new film follows the story of a cocktail waitress Frida as she gets invited for a dream on a private island by tech billionaire Slater King. But soon she finds herself losing her mind and experiences strange things that lead her to investigate the truth behind all of it. Blink Twice stars Channing Tatum, Naomi Ackie, Adria Arjona, Alia Shawkat, Haley Joel Osment, Levon Hawke, Christian Slater, Liz Caribel, Geena Davis, and Kyle MacLachlan. So, if you loved the thrilling mystery, complex characters, and the edge-of-the-seat experience in Blink Twice here are some similar movies you should check out next.

Don’t Worry Darling (Rent on Prime Video) Credit – Warner Bros.

Don’t Worry Darling is a psychological mystery thriller film directed by Olivia Wilde from a screenplay by Katie Silberman.

Quick Links Needful Things Plot and Cast Needful Things Performed Badly at The Box Office Needful Things Found a Second Life with a Cult Following

When it comes to horror, you would be hard-pressed to think of a name more influential than Stephen King, particularly in movie adaptations. With over 350 movies drawing influence from his original works, many projects are loved, and almost equal numbers are despised; for every Shining and Misery, you get a Dreamcatcher and The Lawnmower Man. Still, out of so many films, there are bound to be a few that fall through the cracks, deserving of greater attention but largely forgotten with time.

1993's Needful Things falls into the latter category. The movie was a box office flop and critically panned on release, pushing it to be a side note in the ever-growing list of Stephen King adaptations. However, with time, the movie has found a cult following,...

Game of Thrones recast several characters throughout its epic eight-season run. Many actors were recast due to changes in character importance and actor availability. Some recastings, like Daario Naharis and The Mountain, had noticeable aesthetic changes.

With an expansive cast of countless characters over the course of an epic eight-season run, Game of Thrones recast several notable characters. The world-building of George R.R. Martin's fantasy world relied heavily on the talented cast of actors to bring these characters to life. However, while there were many actors who came and went on the show due to the bloody nature of Game of Thrones, there were also a number of actors who were recast in their roles for one reason or another.

Because of Game of Thrones' estimated eight-year timeline, there were several characters who were introduced in minor roles and even non-speaking parts only for the character to become more...

Unplanned sequels often ruin characters by contradicting their established arcs. Continuity issues in sequels can anger fans when new writers prioritize their vision over established character development. Undesired sequels and reboots risk undoing years of character development and loyal fan investment.

Some character development is completely ruined by mishandled movie sequels. Essentially, movie sequels have ruined characters when they contradict, repeat, or otherwise completely ignore a character's arc from previous installments. Movie sequels that were not planned when the previous movie was in production are tricky, and it is difficult to write a continuation of a character arc that feels organic under these circumstances. If working against character development is inevitable, it's probably because the movie sequel is completely unnecessary.

Unwanted upcoming movie sequels and reboots run the risk of undoing years of development for beloved characters. Oftentimes, sequels that ignore character development also create continuity issues, angering the fandom even more.

The Force Awakens was based on Luke being "lost," leading to disappointment among audiences. The Mandalorian era has proven Luke will likely be "lost" again due to new characters and storylines. Star Wars needs to decide what to do with Luke as he's too important to continuously disappear.

Despite Luke Skywalker being the main character of the original Star Wars trilogy, recent projects have tended to quite literally lose this iconic character. As one of the best Star Wars characters, Lukes appearances throughout the franchise will always carry a heavy weight along with them. This has made it quite difficult to fold him into new stories, as his presence alone can easily dominate both the story thats being told and the characters within it.

There are, of course, ways around this, but it seems as if Disneys Star Wars has taken a rather unique (and unfortunately ineffective) approach. On two occasions now,...

Spoiler Alert: This story contains spoilers for HBO’s “House of the Dragon” Season 2 finale, titled “The Queen Who Ever Was,” now streaming on Max.

After wandering the corridors of Harrenhal and being haunted by ghosts from his past for the majority of the season, Daemon Targaryen (Matt Smith) has a different vision in the “House of the Dragon” Season 2 finale — one that ultimately convinces him to reaffirm his full allegiance to his wife/niece, Rhaenyra Targaryen (Emma D’Arcy).

In this vision, brought by Alys Rivers (Gayle Rankin) and a weirwood tree, Daemon is offered a glimpse into the future: He sees flashes of himself drowning, dead dragons, a White Walker leading an army of wights and Daenerys Targaryen (played by Emilia Clarke in “Game of Thrones”) with her three baby dragons.

Many viewers speculated that this vision of Daenerys finally settled a long-standing debate from the original series: that...

The words of House /Film are Fire, Blood, and Spoilers. Warning: This article discusses major events from the season 2 finale of "House of the Dragon."

How many Targaryens does it take to convince Team Black's biggest wildcard to simply support his wife? It's no fault of Rhaenyra's (Emma D'Arcy) that she couldn't do this on her own, given her husband Daemon's (Matt Smith) obnoxious ambitions to grab power for himself, but luckily an unexpected ally in Harrenhal swooped in to get our favorite rogue prince back on track. The secretive Alys Rivers (Gayle Rankin) has been messing with Daemon's head for practically the entirety of season 2 to this point and it's been heavily implied she's responsible for all the hallucinations and dreams that have plagued the Targaryen and given us several unexpected surprise cameos, such as young Rhaenyra played by Milly Alcock and even the return of Paddy Considine's King Viserys in recent episodes.