If you are a horror fan then you might have heard about the director duo of Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett, who gave us brilliant horror films like 2022’s Scream and 2019’s Ready or Not and now they are back with their new and even campier horror film Abigail. Written by Stephen Shields and Guy Busick, the new horror film is a reimagining of the 1936 Universal Classic Monsters film Dracula’s Daughter and it follows the story of a group of kidnappers who are told to kidnap the daughter of a very powerful man and keep her in the house for 24 hours, but they quickly realize that the daughter might not be what she seems. Abigail stars Alisha Weir, Melissa Barrera, Dan Stevens, Will Catlett, Kathryn Newton, Kevin Durand, Angus Cloud, Giancarlo Esposito, and Matthew Goode. So, if you loved the horror, survival, and gory elements of Abigail here are some...
- 4/21/2024
- by Kulwant Singh
- Cinema Blind
It’s been almost exactly one year since Columbia Pictures / Screen Gems brought The Pope’s Exorcist (read our review Here), a supernatural thriller starring Russell Crowe, to theatres. Just two weeks after the film was released, our friends at Bloody Disgusting heard that a sequel was in development… but everything has been quiet since then. During a recent interview with The Six O’Clock Show, Crowe confirmed that a sequel is in development – and that The Pope’s Exorcist was actually meant to be chapter one in a trilogy!
As it turns out, things have been quiet on the Pope’s Exorcist front because there was a behind-the-scenes shake-up with the studio executives, but it sounds like Crowe still has hopes that the trilogy is going to happen. He told The Six O’Clock Show (with thanks to MovieWeb for the transcription), “(A sequel) is in discussion at the moment. The...
As it turns out, things have been quiet on the Pope’s Exorcist front because there was a behind-the-scenes shake-up with the studio executives, but it sounds like Crowe still has hopes that the trilogy is going to happen. He told The Six O’Clock Show (with thanks to MovieWeb for the transcription), “(A sequel) is in discussion at the moment. The...
- 4/2/2024
- by Cody Hamman
- JoBlo.com
Sydney Sweeney‘s second film of 2024 is finally here, let’s hope that it doesn’t turn into a disaster like the first one. Produced by Sweeney herself, Immaculate is a psychological horror film and it follows the story of a young nun who joins a convent in the Italian countryside. Her quiet life quickly turns into a nightmare because of the horrific secrets hidden in the convent. Directed by Michael Mohan, Immaculate also stars Simona Tabasco, Benedetta Porcaroli, and Álvaro Morte. So, if you loved Sweeney’s horror film here are some similar movies you should check out next.
The Convent
Co-written and directed by Paul Hyett, the 2018 film British horror film titled The Convent gives a similar atmosphere to Sweeney’s Immaculate. The Convent tells us the story of a group of young women seeking refuge from the turmoil of World War II in an isolated convent in the countryside.
The Convent
Co-written and directed by Paul Hyett, the 2018 film British horror film titled The Convent gives a similar atmosphere to Sweeney’s Immaculate. The Convent tells us the story of a group of young women seeking refuge from the turmoil of World War II in an isolated convent in the countryside.
- 3/24/2024
- by Kulwant Singh
- Cinema Blind
Stars: Russell Crowe, Franco Nero, Ralph Ineson, Daniel Zovatto, Paloma Bloyd | Written by Michael Petroni, Evan Spiliotopoulos | Directed by Julius Avery
In 2020, Screen Gems acquired the rights to the story of Father Gabriele Amorth, the Italian priest who reportedly performed over 100,000 exorcisms for the Vatican. Ángel Gómez was originally hired as director, although the project would see changes in 2022, as Julius Avery took over directorial duties while Michael Petroni and Evan Spiliotopoulos would offer script revisions. Now, The Pope’s Exorcist sees a horror film made around the man apparently known as ‘the James Bond of exorcists.’
In 1987, an Italian village is visited by Father Amorth (Russell Crowe), the pope’s personal exorcist. His arrival involves investigating a man’s apparent possession by a demon, which Amorth taunts by claiming it could not even possess a pig. This is all part of the exorcist’s plan as, once the pig is possessed,...
In 2020, Screen Gems acquired the rights to the story of Father Gabriele Amorth, the Italian priest who reportedly performed over 100,000 exorcisms for the Vatican. Ángel Gómez was originally hired as director, although the project would see changes in 2022, as Julius Avery took over directorial duties while Michael Petroni and Evan Spiliotopoulos would offer script revisions. Now, The Pope’s Exorcist sees a horror film made around the man apparently known as ‘the James Bond of exorcists.’
In 1987, an Italian village is visited by Father Amorth (Russell Crowe), the pope’s personal exorcist. His arrival involves investigating a man’s apparent possession by a demon, which Amorth taunts by claiming it could not even possess a pig. This is all part of the exorcist’s plan as, once the pig is possessed,...
- 10/27/2023
- by James Rodrigues
- Nerdly
Cinephiles tend to be reluctant to call a new movie a favorite, instead favoring tried and true paradigms, but It Follows is a rare contemporary film that immediately struck a wide swath of viewers — myself included — as a modern classic upon its release in 2014. Comfortingly familiar yet invigoratingly fresh, I’ve only come to appreciate it more since, and Second Sight Films’ new 4K Ultra HD edition proves it hasn’t lost any staying power after nearly a decade.
The plot is deceptively simple: after a sexual encounter, 19-year-old Jay begins being followed by… something. The supernatural force takes a human form but never sticks to one for long; it could be a familiar face, an obscene stranger, or anyone in between. The only recourse seems to be passing it on to someone else via sexual intercourse. Otherwise, it will kill her, then the person who gave it to her,...
The plot is deceptively simple: after a sexual encounter, 19-year-old Jay begins being followed by… something. The supernatural force takes a human form but never sticks to one for long; it could be a familiar face, an obscene stranger, or anyone in between. The only recourse seems to be passing it on to someone else via sexual intercourse. Otherwise, it will kill her, then the person who gave it to her,...
- 10/2/2023
- by Alex DiVincenzo
- bloody-disgusting.com
Plot: The true story of an actress (Anna Kendrick) who, in the seventies, went on The Dating Game and was matched with Rodney Alcala (Daniel Zovatto), who was later revealed to be a serial killer that may have murdered up to 130 women.
Review: The story behind Woman of the Hour is pretty wild, even as far as true crime goes. While the movie takes several significant liberties with her story, a young actress named Cheryl Bradshaw really did go on The Dating Game in 1978 and chose serial killer Rodney Alcala as her match. While the premise is thin, as there wasn’t much to Bradshaw’s interactions with Alcala beyond the show, Anna Kendrick, who makes her directorial debut from a Black List script by Ian MacAllister McDonald, has put together a chilling film.
Much of the film enters around Alcala’s murder spree, focusing on the young women he...
Review: The story behind Woman of the Hour is pretty wild, even as far as true crime goes. While the movie takes several significant liberties with her story, a young actress named Cheryl Bradshaw really did go on The Dating Game in 1978 and chose serial killer Rodney Alcala as her match. While the premise is thin, as there wasn’t much to Bradshaw’s interactions with Alcala beyond the show, Anna Kendrick, who makes her directorial debut from a Black List script by Ian MacAllister McDonald, has put together a chilling film.
Much of the film enters around Alcala’s murder spree, focusing on the young women he...
- 9/14/2023
- by Chris Bumbray
- JoBlo.com
This year's Toronto International Film Festival was filled with actors turned directors, which is always a big gamble. Not every actor-filmmaker is a Jordan Peele or a Clint Eastwood, and just because you spend a lot of time on set watching the director and the crew do their job doesn't mean you have a vision. Interestingly enough, the best and most confidently made of these movies at the festival was not some prestige drama, but "Woman of the Hour," a thriller and the directorial debut of Anna Kendrick.
Even if the script suffers from some issues — mostly framing and structure — Kendrick has a clear vision for the film, a terrifying stranger-than-fiction retelling of the time a serial rapist and killer went on national TV and participated in a dating show. With some interesting visuals, tense set pieces, and fantastic performances by Kendrick and Daniel Zovatto, who plays the killer, Rodney Alcala,...
Even if the script suffers from some issues — mostly framing and structure — Kendrick has a clear vision for the film, a terrifying stranger-than-fiction retelling of the time a serial rapist and killer went on national TV and participated in a dating show. With some interesting visuals, tense set pieces, and fantastic performances by Kendrick and Daniel Zovatto, who plays the killer, Rodney Alcala,...
- 9/13/2023
- by Rafael Motamayor
- Slash Film
“The Fall of the House of Usher” Official Trailer Out Now
The first official trailer is out for Netflix’s latest horror miniseries “The Fall of the House of the Usher.”
The horror series comes from Mike Flanagan and is based on the works of Edgar Allan Poe, where ruthless siblings Roderick and Madeline Usher have built Fortunato Pharmaceuticals into an empire of wealth, privilege and power, but past secrets come to light when the heirs to the Usher dynasty start dying at the hands of a mysterious woman from their youth.
Watch the “The Fall of the House of Usher” trailer below:
The ensemble cast includes Bruce Greenwood, Carla Gugino, Mary McDonnell, Carl Lumbly, Mark Hamill, Michael Trucco, T’Nia Miller, Paola Nuñez, Henry Thomas, Kyleigh Curran, Samantha Sloyan, Rahul Kohli, Kate Siegel, Sauriyan Sapkota, Zach Gilford, Willa Fitzgerald, Katie Parker, Malcolm Goodwin, Crystal Balint, Aya Furukawa, Daniel Jun, Matt Biedel,...
The first official trailer is out for Netflix’s latest horror miniseries “The Fall of the House of the Usher.”
The horror series comes from Mike Flanagan and is based on the works of Edgar Allan Poe, where ruthless siblings Roderick and Madeline Usher have built Fortunato Pharmaceuticals into an empire of wealth, privilege and power, but past secrets come to light when the heirs to the Usher dynasty start dying at the hands of a mysterious woman from their youth.
Watch the “The Fall of the House of Usher” trailer below:
The ensemble cast includes Bruce Greenwood, Carla Gugino, Mary McDonnell, Carl Lumbly, Mark Hamill, Michael Trucco, T’Nia Miller, Paola Nuñez, Henry Thomas, Kyleigh Curran, Samantha Sloyan, Rahul Kohli, Kate Siegel, Sauriyan Sapkota, Zach Gilford, Willa Fitzgerald, Katie Parker, Malcolm Goodwin, Crystal Balint, Aya Furukawa, Daniel Jun, Matt Biedel,...
- 9/13/2023
- by Ashley Steves
- The Streamable
Fresh out of its world premiere at TIFF, the Anna Kendrick-directed thriller Woman of the Hour has been sold to Netflix for a staggering eight figures, Variety reports this week.
Variety details, “The streamer is paying in the $11 million range for the ripped-from-the-headlines thriller, making it the first major sale of the festival. The deal covers the U.S. and several international territories including France, Italy, Japan and South Korea.”
Meagan Navarro explains in her four-star review for Bloody Disgusting, “Anna Kendrick takes aim at the true crime serial killer story in her feature directorial debut, Woman of the Hour. A charming, kitschy ’70s set exploration of gender dynamics quickly gives way to an unnerving, suspenseful stranger-than-fiction tale of serial killer and rapist Rodney Alcala and his bizarre appearance as a bachelor on “The Dating Game.” Kendrick’s incisive vision, blending horror and humor with nonlinear storytelling, makes for an unshakable debut.
Variety details, “The streamer is paying in the $11 million range for the ripped-from-the-headlines thriller, making it the first major sale of the festival. The deal covers the U.S. and several international territories including France, Italy, Japan and South Korea.”
Meagan Navarro explains in her four-star review for Bloody Disgusting, “Anna Kendrick takes aim at the true crime serial killer story in her feature directorial debut, Woman of the Hour. A charming, kitschy ’70s set exploration of gender dynamics quickly gives way to an unnerving, suspenseful stranger-than-fiction tale of serial killer and rapist Rodney Alcala and his bizarre appearance as a bachelor on “The Dating Game.” Kendrick’s incisive vision, blending horror and humor with nonlinear storytelling, makes for an unshakable debut.
- 9/12/2023
- by John Squires
- bloody-disgusting.com
Last year, Anna Kendrick starred in Mary Nighy’s disquieting drama of abuse Alice, Darling. The actress played a woman undone by her partner’s psychological manipulations, pulling from her own experiences in an abusive relationship to shape the character. Her performance — sensitive, gripping — sustained the film’s atmosphere of dread.
In Woman of the Hour, Kendrick builds on the work she started in Alice, Darling — but now she is also behind the camera for this unnerving dramatization of serial killer Rodney Alcala’s appearance on a dating game show while in the midst of his murder spree. Woman of the Hour, which premiered at TIFF before its Netflix acquisition, is an ambitious attempt to subvert true-crime genre expectations by giving voice to the survivors and victims of Alcala’s rampage.
The film experiments with time jumps and perspective shifts to create an impressionistic portrait of the murders. Its action kicks off in 1977 with Rodney,...
In Woman of the Hour, Kendrick builds on the work she started in Alice, Darling — but now she is also behind the camera for this unnerving dramatization of serial killer Rodney Alcala’s appearance on a dating game show while in the midst of his murder spree. Woman of the Hour, which premiered at TIFF before its Netflix acquisition, is an ambitious attempt to subvert true-crime genre expectations by giving voice to the survivors and victims of Alcala’s rampage.
The film experiments with time jumps and perspective shifts to create an impressionistic portrait of the murders. Its action kicks off in 1977 with Rodney,...
- 9/12/2023
- by Lovia Gyarkye
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
The Toronto International Film Festival is off and running. Netflix has just made its first major purchase of a feature film at the film event. The streaming giant has chosen its contestant with a new thriller starring Anna Kendrick called Woman of the Hour. Not only does the film star Kendrick, but the movie is also the Pitch Perfect star’s directorial debut. Deadline is reporting that Netflix has initiated the film festival acquisitions with this title at an estimated $11 million.
According to Deadline, the plot of Woman of the Hour “tells the stranger-than-fiction story of a young woman who actually won a date on The Dating Game with a man who turned out to be a notorious serial killer. Rodney Alcala was convicted or murdering at least eight women, but investigators believe the number could be as high as 130. The handsome and charming Alcala lured women by posing as a photographer looking for models.
According to Deadline, the plot of Woman of the Hour “tells the stranger-than-fiction story of a young woman who actually won a date on The Dating Game with a man who turned out to be a notorious serial killer. Rodney Alcala was convicted or murdering at least eight women, but investigators believe the number could be as high as 130. The handsome and charming Alcala lured women by posing as a photographer looking for models.
- 9/12/2023
- by EJ Tangonan
- JoBlo.com
Netflix pounces on US, remaining international rights at TIFF to Anna Kendrick’s ‘Woman Of The Hour’
France, Italy, Japan also sell.
In the first major on-site deal at TIFF Netflix has pounced on US and remaining international rights to Anna Kendrick’s directorial debut Woman Of The Hour following overwhelmingly positive reviews from Friday’s world premiere.
‘Woman Of The Hour’: Toronto Review
Screen understands the deal was vauled at $11m. Netflix also acquired rights for France, Italy, Monaco, San Marino, Vatican City, Andorra, Benelux, Japan, Macau, South Korea, Switzerland, Hungary, Hong Kong, Romania, Bulgaria, Indonesia, Singapore, Philippines, and West Indies.
Woman Of The Hour was originally set up at the streamer based on Ian MacAllister’s Black List screenplay,...
In the first major on-site deal at TIFF Netflix has pounced on US and remaining international rights to Anna Kendrick’s directorial debut Woman Of The Hour following overwhelmingly positive reviews from Friday’s world premiere.
‘Woman Of The Hour’: Toronto Review
Screen understands the deal was vauled at $11m. Netflix also acquired rights for France, Italy, Monaco, San Marino, Vatican City, Andorra, Benelux, Japan, Macau, South Korea, Switzerland, Hungary, Hong Kong, Romania, Bulgaria, Indonesia, Singapore, Philippines, and West Indies.
Woman Of The Hour was originally set up at the streamer based on Ian MacAllister’s Black List screenplay,...
- 9/12/2023
- by Jeremy Kay
- ScreenDaily
Netflix has picked up Anna Kendrick’s directorial debut, Woman of the Hour, for around $11 million after a world premiere at the Toronto Film Festival, The Hollywood Reporter has confirmed.
The streamer nabbed the U.S. and the remaining international rights to the true-life thriller. Woman of the Hour was first pitched a year ago at TIFF by Kendrick and AGC Studio’s CEO Stuart Ford, who are producing and fully financing the film.
CAA Media Finance handled U.S. sales on the project, which is based on The Black List script by Ian MacDonald, and is understood to have received multiple offers for the thriller. Netflix also picked up the film for France, Italy, Benelux, Japan, South Korea, Switzerland, Hong Kong, Indonesia and a host of other international territories.
In addition to producing and directing Woman of the Hour, Kendrick also stars in the stranger-than-fiction true story as Cheryl Bradshaw,...
The streamer nabbed the U.S. and the remaining international rights to the true-life thriller. Woman of the Hour was first pitched a year ago at TIFF by Kendrick and AGC Studio’s CEO Stuart Ford, who are producing and fully financing the film.
CAA Media Finance handled U.S. sales on the project, which is based on The Black List script by Ian MacDonald, and is understood to have received multiple offers for the thriller. Netflix also picked up the film for France, Italy, Benelux, Japan, South Korea, Switzerland, Hong Kong, Indonesia and a host of other international territories.
In addition to producing and directing Woman of the Hour, Kendrick also stars in the stranger-than-fiction true story as Cheryl Bradshaw,...
- 9/12/2023
- by Etan Vlessing
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Netflix has acquired Anna Kendrick’s directorial debut following a buzzy premiere for the acclaimed dark dramedy at the Toronto Film Festival, TheWrap has learned. “Woman of the Hour” is based on a true story concerning a serial killer who appeared as a guest on a dating game show.
The film will stream on Netflix in the United States, France, Italy, Monaco, San Marino, Vatican City, Andorra, Benelux, Japan, Macau, South Korea, Switzerland, Hungary, Hong Kong, Romania, Bulgaria, Indonesia, Singapore, Philippines, West Indies and their territories & possessions.
It marks the first big-deal acquisition at this year’s TIFF, with Deadline reporting an $11 million pricetag. This marks, thus far, an exception to the rule this festival season, which has been low on sales. As previously discussed in TheWrap, this is partially due to uncertainty concerning the strikes, as well as hesitancy from studios and streamers to buy films made or promoted amid interim agreements.
The film will stream on Netflix in the United States, France, Italy, Monaco, San Marino, Vatican City, Andorra, Benelux, Japan, Macau, South Korea, Switzerland, Hungary, Hong Kong, Romania, Bulgaria, Indonesia, Singapore, Philippines, West Indies and their territories & possessions.
It marks the first big-deal acquisition at this year’s TIFF, with Deadline reporting an $11 million pricetag. This marks, thus far, an exception to the rule this festival season, which has been low on sales. As previously discussed in TheWrap, this is partially due to uncertainty concerning the strikes, as well as hesitancy from studios and streamers to buy films made or promoted amid interim agreements.
- 9/12/2023
- by Scott Mendelson
- The Wrap
Anna Kendrick’s directing debut “Woman of the Hour” has been acquired by Netflix after its Toronto premiere on Friday. The streamer is paying in the $11 million range for the ripped-from-the-headlines thriller, making it the first major sale of the festival. The deal covers the U.S. and several international territories including France, Italy, Japan and South Korea.
Sources tell Variety that Netflix won out in a competitive situation after the film garnered multiple offers.
In the movie based on a true story, Kendrick plays a contestant on “The Dating Game” in 1978, who picks Rodney Alcala as her potential date. Alcala, who died in prison in 2021, turned out to be a serial killer of at least eight victims but possibly over a hundred. The “Dating Game” contestant, Cheryl Bradshaw, never went on the date with Alcala, who had already been convicted of being a sex offender. Daniel Zovatto plays the killer,...
Sources tell Variety that Netflix won out in a competitive situation after the film garnered multiple offers.
In the movie based on a true story, Kendrick plays a contestant on “The Dating Game” in 1978, who picks Rodney Alcala as her potential date. Alcala, who died in prison in 2021, turned out to be a serial killer of at least eight victims but possibly over a hundred. The “Dating Game” contestant, Cheryl Bradshaw, never went on the date with Alcala, who had already been convicted of being a sex offender. Daniel Zovatto plays the killer,...
- 9/12/2023
- by Pat Saperstein and Angelique Jackson
- Variety Film + TV
Exclusive: In the first major acquisition deal on the ground here at the Toronto Film Festlval, Netflix is closing on Woman of the Hour, the fact-based thriller that marks the directing debut of Anna Kendrick. We’re hearing the deal is for around $11 million.
While some festival-bound pictures signed SAG-AFTRA Interim Agreements so cast members could make the trip, many didn’t. That’s because signatories especially streamers would not make quick deals on films when they are battling both WGA and SAG-AFTRA on a new deal. Woman of the Hour did not sign the Ia, which is why this deal happened in the first weekend of the festival.
Pic tells the stranger-than-fiction story of a young woman who actually won a date on The Dating Game with a man who turned out to be a notorious serial killer. Rodney Alcala was convicted or murdering at least eight women,...
While some festival-bound pictures signed SAG-AFTRA Interim Agreements so cast members could make the trip, many didn’t. That’s because signatories especially streamers would not make quick deals on films when they are battling both WGA and SAG-AFTRA on a new deal. Woman of the Hour did not sign the Ia, which is why this deal happened in the first weekend of the festival.
Pic tells the stranger-than-fiction story of a young woman who actually won a date on The Dating Game with a man who turned out to be a notorious serial killer. Rodney Alcala was convicted or murdering at least eight women,...
- 9/11/2023
- by Mike Fleming Jr
- Deadline Film + TV
Almost every woman has a story: A stranger who followed her through a parking garage. A cab driver who asked uncomfortably personal questions. A date who became frighteningly obsessive. A friend who wouldn’t take no for an answer. The frightening banality of these events is the engine that drives “Woman of the Hour,” the directorial debut from actress Anna Kendrick.
Based on the true story of serial killer Rodney Alcala — who was convicted in 1980 for the murders of seven women and girls, but is suspected of killing more than 100 — “Woman of the Hour” is a more mainstream study of the tension between heterosexual desire and implied violence also evoked in Jane Campion’s “In the Cut.” Unlike that film, however, “Woman of the Hour” leaves the erotics of this dilemma unexplored from the female point of view. The women in this film are not trying to square their attraction...
Based on the true story of serial killer Rodney Alcala — who was convicted in 1980 for the murders of seven women and girls, but is suspected of killing more than 100 — “Woman of the Hour” is a more mainstream study of the tension between heterosexual desire and implied violence also evoked in Jane Campion’s “In the Cut.” Unlike that film, however, “Woman of the Hour” leaves the erotics of this dilemma unexplored from the female point of view. The women in this film are not trying to square their attraction...
- 9/10/2023
- by Katie Rife
- Indiewire
The logline of a serial killer and rapist taking part in a television dating game show sounds like a high-concept pitch so fabricated it couldn’t possibly be founded in any veracity. Yet, in 1979, Rodney Alcala––whose victims are believed to be as many as 130––was a bachelor on The Dating Game. For her directorial debut, Anna Kendrick expands the 30 minutes of airtime into an inquiry of misogyny and the everyday silencing of women, exploring both Alcala’s shocking murders and the story of a fledging actress hoping for a big break. With a careful threading of humor and horror, it’s an ambitious, slightly strained gamble that Kendrick mostly manages with a formally precise vision and script that doesn’t rely on platitudes.
A photographer and film enthusiast who studied under Roman Polanski at NYU and throws out references to Days of Heaven, Alcala woos victims by cajoling them...
A photographer and film enthusiast who studied under Roman Polanski at NYU and throws out references to Days of Heaven, Alcala woos victims by cajoling them...
- 9/10/2023
- by Jordan Raup
- The Film Stage
This article contains some spoilers for "The Nun II."
If horror has a name, it must be ... Indiana Jones? Scoff if you must, but the first three cinematic adventures of Henry Jones Jr. contain numerous horror movie bonafides, from the melting faces of "Raiders of the Lost Ark" to the heart-ripping terror of "Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom" and, of course, the rapid-aging transformation seen in "Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade."
Honestly, though, it'd be fair if you did scoff, because Indiana Jones has become a little less synonymous with religion-inspired horror imagery thanks to his latter-day sequels, "Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull" and "Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny." Supposedly the last ever Indy installment (certainly the last with star Harrison Ford), this year's "Dial of Destiny" sent Dr. Jones off with what I consider to be a clever, insightful, and richly layered adventure film.
If horror has a name, it must be ... Indiana Jones? Scoff if you must, but the first three cinematic adventures of Henry Jones Jr. contain numerous horror movie bonafides, from the melting faces of "Raiders of the Lost Ark" to the heart-ripping terror of "Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom" and, of course, the rapid-aging transformation seen in "Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade."
Honestly, though, it'd be fair if you did scoff, because Indiana Jones has become a little less synonymous with religion-inspired horror imagery thanks to his latter-day sequels, "Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull" and "Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny." Supposedly the last ever Indy installment (certainly the last with star Harrison Ford), this year's "Dial of Destiny" sent Dr. Jones off with what I consider to be a clever, insightful, and richly layered adventure film.
- 9/10/2023
- by Bill Bria
- Slash Film
Anna Kendrick takes aim at the true crime serial killer story in her feature directorial debut, Woman of the Hour. A charming, kitschy ’70s set exploration of gender dynamics quickly gives way to an unnerving, suspenseful stranger-than-fiction tale of serial killer and rapist Rodney Alcala and his bizarre appearance as a bachelor on “The Dating Game.” Kendrick’s incisive vision, blending horror and humor with nonlinear storytelling, makes for an unshakable debut.
Kendrick pulls double duty for her debut, also starring as Cheryl Bradshaw, a struggling actress trying to carve out a career in California. Cheryl’s failed attempts to win over casting directors and gently rebuff her pushy neighbor put her at her wit’s end. That’s when her agent decides to land her a spot as the bachelorette on the popular live TV show “The Dating Game.” But it’s not just the typical stressors and anxieties...
Kendrick pulls double duty for her debut, also starring as Cheryl Bradshaw, a struggling actress trying to carve out a career in California. Cheryl’s failed attempts to win over casting directors and gently rebuff her pushy neighbor put her at her wit’s end. That’s when her agent decides to land her a spot as the bachelorette on the popular live TV show “The Dating Game.” But it’s not just the typical stressors and anxieties...
- 9/10/2023
- by Meagan Navarro
- bloody-disgusting.com
Due to the SAG-AFTRA strike, Anna Kendrick couldn’t make it to Friday’s TIFF world premiere of her feature directorial debut, Woman of the Hour.
The film did not have a SAG-AFTRA interim agreement. Kendrick also stars in the movie, which follows Rodney Alcala (Daniel Zovatto), a killer in the midst of a killing spree when he brazenly took part and won a date on the popular TV game show The Dating Game. In the pic, Kendrick plays bachelorette Cheryl Bradshaw, who appears on the dating show.
The producers read the following statement from the Oscar nominee before the start of the pic:
“[This] film festival has proven time and time again that it is an artist-driven festival, and it has been my absolute honor to have TIFF as part of my career for the last 14 years,” read Kendrick’s statement.
“I truly can’t express how proud...
The film did not have a SAG-AFTRA interim agreement. Kendrick also stars in the movie, which follows Rodney Alcala (Daniel Zovatto), a killer in the midst of a killing spree when he brazenly took part and won a date on the popular TV game show The Dating Game. In the pic, Kendrick plays bachelorette Cheryl Bradshaw, who appears on the dating show.
The producers read the following statement from the Oscar nominee before the start of the pic:
“[This] film festival has proven time and time again that it is an artist-driven festival, and it has been my absolute honor to have TIFF as part of my career for the last 14 years,” read Kendrick’s statement.
“I truly can’t express how proud...
- 9/9/2023
- by Anthony D'Alessandro
- Deadline Film + TV
Had things gone according to plan, Anna Kendrick would be attending the Toronto International Film Festival in support of her directorial debut, “Woman of the Hour”, which is making its world premiere at the film fest.
However, because Kendrick is a proud member of SAG-AFTRA, she’s abiding by strike regulations prohibiting union members from promoting their projects.
“I am heartbroken to not be with you all in this moment.”
As People reported, prior to the film’s premiere screening at TIFF, the audience was read a special message from Kendrick.
“[This] film festival has proven time and time again that it is an artist-driven festival, and it has been my absolute honour to have TIFF as part of my career for the last 14 years,” Kendrick said in the statement, which was read by one of the movie’s producers.
Read More: Anna Kendrick Can’t Stop Giggling While Eating The...
However, because Kendrick is a proud member of SAG-AFTRA, she’s abiding by strike regulations prohibiting union members from promoting their projects.
“I am heartbroken to not be with you all in this moment.”
As People reported, prior to the film’s premiere screening at TIFF, the audience was read a special message from Kendrick.
“[This] film festival has proven time and time again that it is an artist-driven festival, and it has been my absolute honour to have TIFF as part of my career for the last 14 years,” Kendrick said in the statement, which was read by one of the movie’s producers.
Read More: Anna Kendrick Can’t Stop Giggling While Eating The...
- 9/9/2023
- by Brent Furdyk
- ET Canada
For her directorial debut, Anna Kendrick chose a particularly daunting task in tackling the story of the notorious serial killer Rodney Alcala, who staged a terrifying murder spree in the ’70s in which he is thought to have killed upwards of 130 people. The center of Kendrick’s movie, Woman of the Hour, focuses on his appearance in plain sight on a 1978 episode of ABC’s The Dating Game, in which he was the bachelor that contestant Cheryl Bradshaw wound up choosing to go on a date with, not knowing that this was a period in the middle of his murderous spree.
ABC’s 20/20 devoted a full hour in May 2021 to the story of the cold-blooded killer who died in incarceration, but Kendrick’s film version has more on its mind that just the facts. It had its world premiere Friday as a Special Presentation at the Toronto Film Festival.
ABC’s 20/20 devoted a full hour in May 2021 to the story of the cold-blooded killer who died in incarceration, but Kendrick’s film version has more on its mind that just the facts. It had its world premiere Friday as a Special Presentation at the Toronto Film Festival.
- 9/9/2023
- by Pete Hammond
- Deadline Film + TV
Anna Kendrick’s directorial debut, “Woman of the Hour,” is one of the trickiest balancing acts at this year’s Toronto International Film Festival. You could call the film, which premiered Friday at the Princess of Wales Theatre, a black comedy — but that term usually suggests a seriocomic tone running through the film.
“Woman of the Hour,” by contrast, is humorous sometimes and not funny at all at others. It can be amusing when portraying kitschy ’70s pop culture shot through with casual sexism, but it is simply horrifying when sexism turns to rape and murder.
It’s the kind of tonal schizophrenia that would be a challenge for an experienced director to pull off, but first-timer Kendrick manages to make her film both weirdly entertaining and thoroughly disturbing.
The premise itself is completely bizarre, not least because it’s true. In 1978, serial killer Rodney Alcala was a contestant on “The Dating Game,...
“Woman of the Hour,” by contrast, is humorous sometimes and not funny at all at others. It can be amusing when portraying kitschy ’70s pop culture shot through with casual sexism, but it is simply horrifying when sexism turns to rape and murder.
It’s the kind of tonal schizophrenia that would be a challenge for an experienced director to pull off, but first-timer Kendrick manages to make her film both weirdly entertaining and thoroughly disturbing.
The premise itself is completely bizarre, not least because it’s true. In 1978, serial killer Rodney Alcala was a contestant on “The Dating Game,...
- 9/8/2023
- by Steve Pond
- The Wrap
Trap House is a horror thriller film directed by Nicholas Humphries with a screenplay by Jordan Robinson. The thriller follows a detective trapped in a house equipped with all kinds of sadistic gadgets to maim and dismember uninvited guests. So, if you loved Trap House here are some similar movies you could watch next.
Escape Room (Hulu & Rent on Prime Video) Credit – Sony Pictures
Synopsis: An intriguing invitation brings six strangers together. Initially, they think they have gathered for a highly immersive escape room, but they soon make the sickening discovery that they are pawns in a sadistic game of life and death. Together, they move from one terrifying scenario to the next as they find clues and solve puzzles. But the players soon learn that exposing their darkest secrets may hold the key to survive.
Hostel (Hulu Add-On & Rent on Prime Video) Credit – Lionsgate Films
Synopsis: Presented by Quentin Tarantino...
Escape Room (Hulu & Rent on Prime Video) Credit – Sony Pictures
Synopsis: An intriguing invitation brings six strangers together. Initially, they think they have gathered for a highly immersive escape room, but they soon make the sickening discovery that they are pawns in a sadistic game of life and death. Together, they move from one terrifying scenario to the next as they find clues and solve puzzles. But the players soon learn that exposing their darkest secrets may hold the key to survive.
Hostel (Hulu Add-On & Rent on Prime Video) Credit – Lionsgate Films
Synopsis: Presented by Quentin Tarantino...
- 9/6/2023
- by Kulwant Singh
- Cinema Blind
Now available on PVOD and digital services, The Pope's Exorcist will be heading to Blu-ray and DVD on June 13th. In support of the home media release, I had an opportunity to have a spoiler-filled chat with Daniel Zovatto, who told me all about playing Father Esquibel, working with Russell Crowe, and more!
"Inspired by the actual files of Father Gabriele Amorth, Chief Exorcist of the Vatican (Academy Award®-winner Russell Crowe), The Pope’s Exorcist follows Amorth as he investigates a young boy’s terrifying possession and ends up uncovering a centuries-old conspiracy the Vatican has desperately tried to keep hidden."
Directed by: Julius Avery, Screenplay by: Michael Petroni and Evan Spiliotopoulos, Screen Story by: Michael Petroni and R. Dean McCreary & Chester Hastings, Based on the books “An Exorcist Tells His Story” and “An Exorcist: More Stories” by: Fr. Gabriele Amorth, Produced by: Doug Belgrad, Michael Patrick Kaczmarek, Jeff Katz,...
"Inspired by the actual files of Father Gabriele Amorth, Chief Exorcist of the Vatican (Academy Award®-winner Russell Crowe), The Pope’s Exorcist follows Amorth as he investigates a young boy’s terrifying possession and ends up uncovering a centuries-old conspiracy the Vatican has desperately tried to keep hidden."
Directed by: Julius Avery, Screenplay by: Michael Petroni and Evan Spiliotopoulos, Screen Story by: Michael Petroni and R. Dean McCreary & Chester Hastings, Based on the books “An Exorcist Tells His Story” and “An Exorcist: More Stories” by: Fr. Gabriele Amorth, Produced by: Doug Belgrad, Michael Patrick Kaczmarek, Jeff Katz,...
- 6/5/2023
- by Jonathan James
- DailyDead
The supernatural thriller The Pope’s Exorcist has been available to watch through Vudu, Fandango’s premium on-demand video service, since the start of this month. The film has now been given a wider digital release (you can check it out on Amazon at This Link), and is set to reach DVD and Blu-ray on June 13th.
A few years ago, The Exorcist director William Friedkin made a documentary about Father Gabriele Amorth (and you can read our review of The Devil and Father Amorth at This Link), who passed away in 2016 at the age of 91. According to The Hollywood Reporter, Screen Gems acquired the rights to tell the story of the exorcist’s life from Michael Patrick Kaczmarek and faith-based media company Loyola Productions. That deal included rights to Amorth’s two international bestselling memoirs An Exorcist Tells His Story and An Exorcist: More Stories, as well as other “detailed...
A few years ago, The Exorcist director William Friedkin made a documentary about Father Gabriele Amorth (and you can read our review of The Devil and Father Amorth at This Link), who passed away in 2016 at the age of 91. According to The Hollywood Reporter, Screen Gems acquired the rights to tell the story of the exorcist’s life from Michael Patrick Kaczmarek and faith-based media company Loyola Productions. That deal included rights to Amorth’s two international bestselling memoirs An Exorcist Tells His Story and An Exorcist: More Stories, as well as other “detailed...
- 5/30/2023
- by Cody Hamman
- JoBlo.com
"The Pope's Exorcist" is a new supernatural horror feature, directed by Julius Avery, starring Russell Crowe, Daniel Zovatto, Alex Essoe and Franco Nero, now available on Amazon Prime Video:
"...'Father Gabriele Amorth' (Crowe), the real-life chief exorcist for the Vatican, battles hellish creatures...
"...in a detailed portrait of a priest who performed more than 100,000 exorcisms in his lifetime..."
Click the images to enlarge...
"...'Father Gabriele Amorth' (Crowe), the real-life chief exorcist for the Vatican, battles hellish creatures...
"...in a detailed portrait of a priest who performed more than 100,000 exorcisms in his lifetime..."
Click the images to enlarge...
- 5/28/2023
- by Unknown
- SneakPeek
A new video series called Modern Horror Movie Talk recently made its premiere on the Arrow in the Head Show YouTube channel, and with each episode of this show we’ll be joining host Tyler Nichols as he covers all new horror releases, the latest horror movie news, and new horror trailers. Films discussed in previous episodes of Modern Horror Movie Talk include Cocaine Bear, Eli Roth’s Thanksgiving, The Pope’s Exorcist (a couple times!), the newly released entry in the Children of the Corn franchise, The Blackening, Scream VI, 65, Infinity Pool, Terrifier 2, Knock at the Cabin, Renfield, and Evil Dead Rise. Now, for the eleventh episode, Tyler is joined by special guest Andrew Hatfield to discuss a trio of horror films that are currently available to watch on the Netflix streaming service: Mike Flanagan’s Stephen King adaptation Gerald’s Game, Gareth Evans’ Apostle, and David Robert Mitchell’s It Follows.
- 5/8/2023
- by Cody Hamman
- JoBlo.com
The Pope’s Exorcist is the latest horror film from director Julius Avery, starring Russell Crowe. With Alex Essoe, Franco Nero and Laurel Marsden. Based on the two memoirs written by Father Gabriele Amorth: An Exorcist Tells His Story and An Exorcist: More Stories.
An extravagant horror movie that goes absolutely nowhere, but turns out entertaining and amusing, in part thanks to Russell Crowe who somehow saves the day.
We are not going to get into controversies about the supposed “realism” of the proposal.
Within the genre, decent.
The Pope’s Exorcist Movie review
The best: Russell Crowe and his Italian accent speaking English. It is even “funny” that someone has taken this “seriously” which, apparently, has gone unnoticed.
The movie begins with a warning “be careful, he’s speaking in English”, so we must come to the logical conclusion: he’s possessed. Then there’s the good performance of the...
An extravagant horror movie that goes absolutely nowhere, but turns out entertaining and amusing, in part thanks to Russell Crowe who somehow saves the day.
We are not going to get into controversies about the supposed “realism” of the proposal.
Within the genre, decent.
The Pope’s Exorcist Movie review
The best: Russell Crowe and his Italian accent speaking English. It is even “funny” that someone has taken this “seriously” which, apparently, has gone unnoticed.
The movie begins with a warning “be careful, he’s speaking in English”, so we must come to the logical conclusion: he’s possessed. Then there’s the good performance of the...
- 5/3/2023
- by Martin Cid
- Martin Cid Magazine - Movies
Academy Award winner Russell Crowe plays real-life exorcist Father Gabriele Amorth in The Pope’s Exorcist, which is now available to watch on PVOD ($24.99) at home.
Bloody Disgusting has been provided with an exclusive featurette video this afternoon, teasing the film’s at-home release and featuring insights from star Russell Crowe and more.
“It’s very hard to make original exorcism-based material,” producer Jeff Katz notes. So how did the filmmakers go about bringing something different to the exorcism arena?
“There’s definitely levels of intrigue and investigation in the movie which feel different from what you might find in another type of horror film,” Russell Crowe explains in the video.
Julius Avery (Overlord) directed The Pope’s Exorcist.
In The Pope’s Exorcist, “Gabriele Amorth, the Vatican’s leading exorcist, investigates the possession of a child and uncovers a conspiracy the Vatican has tried to keep secret.”
Franco Nero (Django, John Wick:...
Bloody Disgusting has been provided with an exclusive featurette video this afternoon, teasing the film’s at-home release and featuring insights from star Russell Crowe and more.
“It’s very hard to make original exorcism-based material,” producer Jeff Katz notes. So how did the filmmakers go about bringing something different to the exorcism arena?
“There’s definitely levels of intrigue and investigation in the movie which feel different from what you might find in another type of horror film,” Russell Crowe explains in the video.
Julius Avery (Overlord) directed The Pope’s Exorcist.
In The Pope’s Exorcist, “Gabriele Amorth, the Vatican’s leading exorcist, investigates the possession of a child and uncovers a conspiracy the Vatican has tried to keep secret.”
Franco Nero (Django, John Wick:...
- 5/2/2023
- by John Squires
- bloody-disgusting.com
This week is all about horror at home, as all of this week’s new releases can be watched from the comfort of your couch. The list includes the home debuts of three of this year’s big theatrical releases. Here’s all the new horror releasing May 2 – May 7, 2023!
For daily reminders about new horror releases, be sure to follow @HorrorCalendar.
Universal’s brand new horror-comedy Renfield has been playing in theaters since April 14, and the film is now available on at-home VOD ($24.99) beginning today.
Meagan wrote in her review of Renfield, “It won’t reignite fervor for a new Universal Monsters resurgence, but Renfield makes for an entertaining enough time at the movies.”
Nicolas Cage sinks his teeth into the most iconic bloodsucker of all time in Renfield, playing Count Dracula alongside Nicholas Hoult’s fly-eating henchman, Renfield.
“In this modern monster tale of Dracula’s loyal servant, Nicholas Hoult stars as Renfield,...
For daily reminders about new horror releases, be sure to follow @HorrorCalendar.
Universal’s brand new horror-comedy Renfield has been playing in theaters since April 14, and the film is now available on at-home VOD ($24.99) beginning today.
Meagan wrote in her review of Renfield, “It won’t reignite fervor for a new Universal Monsters resurgence, but Renfield makes for an entertaining enough time at the movies.”
Nicolas Cage sinks his teeth into the most iconic bloodsucker of all time in Renfield, playing Count Dracula alongside Nicholas Hoult’s fly-eating henchman, Renfield.
“In this modern monster tale of Dracula’s loyal servant, Nicholas Hoult stars as Renfield,...
- 5/2/2023
- by John Squires
- bloody-disgusting.com
Academy Award winner Russell Crowe plays real-life exorcist Father Gabriele Amorth in The Pope’s Exorcist, which will be available to watch at home beginning this week.
The Pope’s Exorcist hits at-home PVOD on Tuesday, May 2, 2023.
You can rent the film for $19.99 or buy it for $24.99 over on Vudu.
Screen Gems may very well have a hit franchise on their hands with The Pope’s Exorcist, as Bloody Disgusting recently learned that a sequel is already in early development.
Julius Avery (Overlord) directed The Pope’s Exorcist.
In The Pope’s Exorcist, “Gabriele Amorth, the Vatican’s leading exorcist, investigates the possession of a child and uncovers a conspiracy the Vatican has tried to keep secret.”
Franco Nero (Django, John Wick: Chapter 2) stars as the titular pope. Laurel Marsden (Ms. Marvel), Cornell S. John (Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald), Peter DeSouza-Feighoney, Alex Essoe (Doctor Sleep) and Daniel Zovatto (It Follows) also star. Ralph Ineson (The Witch,...
The Pope’s Exorcist hits at-home PVOD on Tuesday, May 2, 2023.
You can rent the film for $19.99 or buy it for $24.99 over on Vudu.
Screen Gems may very well have a hit franchise on their hands with The Pope’s Exorcist, as Bloody Disgusting recently learned that a sequel is already in early development.
Julius Avery (Overlord) directed The Pope’s Exorcist.
In The Pope’s Exorcist, “Gabriele Amorth, the Vatican’s leading exorcist, investigates the possession of a child and uncovers a conspiracy the Vatican has tried to keep secret.”
Franco Nero (Django, John Wick: Chapter 2) stars as the titular pope. Laurel Marsden (Ms. Marvel), Cornell S. John (Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald), Peter DeSouza-Feighoney, Alex Essoe (Doctor Sleep) and Daniel Zovatto (It Follows) also star. Ralph Ineson (The Witch,...
- 5/1/2023
- by John Squires
- bloody-disgusting.com
A new video series called Modern Horror Movie Talk recently made its premiere on the Arrow in the Head Show YouTube channel, and with each episode of this show we’ll be joining host Tyler Nichols as he covers all new horror releases, the latest horror movie news, and new horror trailers. Films discussed in previous episodes of Modern Horror Movie Talk include Cocaine Bear, Eli Roth’s Thanksgiving, The Pope’s Exorcist, the newly released entry in the Children of the Corn franchise, The Blackening, Scream VI, 65, Infinity Pool, Terrifier 2, Knock at the Cabin, Renfield, and Evil Dead Rise. Now, for the tenth episode, Tyler is joined by special guest John “The Arrow” Fallon to discuss The Pope’s Exorcist, a film that pits Russell Crowe against the forces of evil! You can read our review Here, and to find out what Tyler and Lance thought of the movie,...
- 5/1/2023
- by Cody Hamman
- JoBlo.com
Bad news for demons, good news for fans of ridiculous but entertaining horror schlock: Father Amorth, aka the Pope’s Exorcist, will return… in a sequel to The Pope’s Exorcist. It’s been a few weeks since Julius Avery as a Vespa-riding, one-liner grumbling, demon-busting Father Amorth – a real-life figure whose exploits inspired (how loosely depends on your own personal opinion on this whole ‘demons and exorcisms’ thing) the first film’s story – and it seems it’s been a hit for Screen Gems and Sony Pictures. Enough so that more Amorth looks to be on the horizon.
According to Bloody Disgusting, early development has begun on a sequel, expected to see Russell Crowe return in the lead role. And if you have a problem with that, take it up with his boss: The Pope. It’s clear that Crowe was having a blast playing a larger-than-life demon-slayer, his...
According to Bloody Disgusting, early development has begun on a sequel, expected to see Russell Crowe return in the lead role. And if you have a problem with that, take it up with his boss: The Pope. It’s clear that Crowe was having a blast playing a larger-than-life demon-slayer, his...
- 4/26/2023
- by Ben Travis
- Empire - Movies
Made on a budget of $18 million, the supernatural thriller The Pope’s Exorcist (read our review Here), which stars Russell Crowe as real-life exorcist Father Gabriele Amorth, has racked up over $52 million at the global box office since its release earlier this month. Columbia Pictures / Screen Gems must be very satisfied with how well the movie is doing, because our friends at Bloody Disgusting have been informed that a sequel to The Pope’s Exorcist is now in early development!
Details on the sequel aren’t available yet, but it looks like Crowe is going to have a rematch with the forces of evil.
A few years ago, The Exorcist director William Friedkin made a documentary about Father Gabriele Amorth (and you can read our review of The Devil and Father Amorth at This Link), who passed away in 2016 at the age of 91. According to The Hollywood Reporter, Screen Gems acquired the...
Details on the sequel aren’t available yet, but it looks like Crowe is going to have a rematch with the forces of evil.
A few years ago, The Exorcist director William Friedkin made a documentary about Father Gabriele Amorth (and you can read our review of The Devil and Father Amorth at This Link), who passed away in 2016 at the age of 91. According to The Hollywood Reporter, Screen Gems acquired the...
- 4/25/2023
- by Cody Hamman
- JoBlo.com
Academy Award winner Russell Crowe plays real-life exorcist Father Gabriele Amorth in The Pope’s Exorcist, the brand new horror movie from director Julius Avery (Overlord). The Screen Gems horror movie has thus far scared up $52 million worldwide, and Bloody Disgusting can exclusively report that a sequel to The Pope’s Exorcist is now in early development.
Bloody Disgusting’s sources indicate that development is underway on The Pope’s Exorcist 2, but we don’t have any further details at this time. We do expect Crowe to return.
Stay tuned for more as we learn it.
The smart thing about The Pope’s Exorcist is that the production budget was quite low, reportedly just $18 million. This set the horror movie up for success, allowing it to become profitable in theaters after just one week of release. The same can’t be said about Universal’s Renfield, which reportedly cost $65 million and has thus far made just $17.9 million.
Bloody Disgusting’s sources indicate that development is underway on The Pope’s Exorcist 2, but we don’t have any further details at this time. We do expect Crowe to return.
Stay tuned for more as we learn it.
The smart thing about The Pope’s Exorcist is that the production budget was quite low, reportedly just $18 million. This set the horror movie up for success, allowing it to become profitable in theaters after just one week of release. The same can’t be said about Universal’s Renfield, which reportedly cost $65 million and has thus far made just $17.9 million.
- 4/25/2023
- by John Squires
- bloody-disgusting.com
Spoiler Alert: This story discusses major plot points, including the ending for “The Pope’s Exorcist” currently playing in theaters.
Director Julius Avery has “only seen parts” of William Friedkin’s classic “The Exorcist.”
“I’m not a massive aficionado of exorcist movies,” he tells Variety.
Yet despite that, his latest release, “The Pope’s Exorcist,” which is based on Gabriele Amorth’s books “An Exorcist Tells His Story” and “An Exorcist: More Stories,” follows the Vatican’s chief exorcist to Spain. Played by Russell Crowe, Father Amorth teams up with a priest, Father Esquibel (Daniel Zovatto), to investigate a young mother, Julia (Alex Essoe), and her children, who have recently become possessed by a powerful demon.
Avery says of Amorth, the Catholic priest who served for 30 years as the head exorcist of the Diocese of Rome, “I found it interesting that this was a real job, that there is a chief exorcist at the Vatican.
Director Julius Avery has “only seen parts” of William Friedkin’s classic “The Exorcist.”
“I’m not a massive aficionado of exorcist movies,” he tells Variety.
Yet despite that, his latest release, “The Pope’s Exorcist,” which is based on Gabriele Amorth’s books “An Exorcist Tells His Story” and “An Exorcist: More Stories,” follows the Vatican’s chief exorcist to Spain. Played by Russell Crowe, Father Amorth teams up with a priest, Father Esquibel (Daniel Zovatto), to investigate a young mother, Julia (Alex Essoe), and her children, who have recently become possessed by a powerful demon.
Avery says of Amorth, the Catholic priest who served for 30 years as the head exorcist of the Diocese of Rome, “I found it interesting that this was a real job, that there is a chief exorcist at the Vatican.
- 4/17/2023
- by Jazz Tangcay
- Variety Film + TV
"The Pope's Exorcist" is a new supernatural horror feature, directed by Julius Avery, starring Russell Crowe, Daniel Zovatto, Alex Essoe and Franco Nero, now playing in theaters:
"...'Father Gabriele Amorth' (Crowe), the real-life chief exorcist for the Vatican, battles hellish creatures...
"...in a detailed portrait of a priest who performed more than 100,000 exorcisms in his lifetime..."
Click the images to enlarge...
"...'Father Gabriele Amorth' (Crowe), the real-life chief exorcist for the Vatican, battles hellish creatures...
"...in a detailed portrait of a priest who performed more than 100,000 exorcisms in his lifetime..."
Click the images to enlarge...
- 4/16/2023
- by Unknown
- SneakPeek
Universal and Illumination’s The Super Mario Bros. Movie is a bona fide blockbuster.
The Nintendo video game adaptation is now on course to gross $80 million in its second weekend of play at the domestic box office from 4,371 theaters, notably more than expected and representing a drop of just 45 percent. By the end of Sunday, the PG pic will sit at a projected $340.8 million domestically and $318.6 million overseas for a jaw-dropping global tally of $659.4 million.
The animated sensation smashed numerous records in its launch over the long Easter holiday. And by mid-week, Mario zoomed past Marvel’s Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania to rank as the top-grossing movie of the year to date at the domestic, international and worldwide box office. It’s also now the No. 1 video game adaptation of all time after passing up Warcraft ($439.4 million) and Pokémon: Detective Pikachu ($449.8 million).
A plethora of new movies are opening...
The Nintendo video game adaptation is now on course to gross $80 million in its second weekend of play at the domestic box office from 4,371 theaters, notably more than expected and representing a drop of just 45 percent. By the end of Sunday, the PG pic will sit at a projected $340.8 million domestically and $318.6 million overseas for a jaw-dropping global tally of $659.4 million.
The animated sensation smashed numerous records in its launch over the long Easter holiday. And by mid-week, Mario zoomed past Marvel’s Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania to rank as the top-grossing movie of the year to date at the domestic, international and worldwide box office. It’s also now the No. 1 video game adaptation of all time after passing up Warcraft ($439.4 million) and Pokémon: Detective Pikachu ($449.8 million).
A plethora of new movies are opening...
- 4/15/2023
- by Pamela McClintock
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Spinning heads, seared flesh, holy incantations in Latin: could it be… Satan? We have reached the 50th anniversary of The Exorcist, William Friedkin’s blockbusting, genre-transforming horror landmark that has been parodied, sequelized (on multiple occasions), and firmly embedded in the collective cultural consciousness. And now along comes The Pope’s Exorcist, a passable little supernatural horror spectacle starring a big, bearded Russell Crowe trying on an Italian accent as Father Gabriele Amorth, apparently a real-life exorcist of some renown.
Yes, there are real-life exorcists, and this was actually key to...
Yes, there are real-life exorcists, and this was actually key to...
- 4/15/2023
- by Chris Vognar
- Rollingstone.com
Julius Avery’s bucket list is now a little bit shorter.
The Australian director behind The Pope’s Exorcist has wanted to work with the New Zealand-born, Australian-raised Russell Crowe since he first saw the actor’s breakout performance in Romper Stomper (1992). The Australian drama earned Crowe the attention of Hollywood, and he’s since gone on to have a storied career that includes an Oscar win for Ridley Scott’s Gladiator (2001).
Crowe’s latest role as Father Gabriele Amorth in Avery’s The Pope’s Exorcist is based on the real Father Amorth’s memoirs that chronicle his time as the Chief Exorcist to the Vatican. But similar to James Wan’s The Conjuring franchise, Avery merely used real life as a jumping-off point for his heightened genre picture about a young boy’s possession.
Avery, who’s perhaps best known for directing Bad Robot’s World War II action-horror film...
The Australian director behind The Pope’s Exorcist has wanted to work with the New Zealand-born, Australian-raised Russell Crowe since he first saw the actor’s breakout performance in Romper Stomper (1992). The Australian drama earned Crowe the attention of Hollywood, and he’s since gone on to have a storied career that includes an Oscar win for Ridley Scott’s Gladiator (2001).
Crowe’s latest role as Father Gabriele Amorth in Avery’s The Pope’s Exorcist is based on the real Father Amorth’s memoirs that chronicle his time as the Chief Exorcist to the Vatican. But similar to James Wan’s The Conjuring franchise, Avery merely used real life as a jumping-off point for his heightened genre picture about a young boy’s possession.
Avery, who’s perhaps best known for directing Bad Robot’s World War II action-horror film...
- 4/14/2023
- by Brian Davids
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Five wide releases hit theaters this weekend, but Illumination and Universal’s Super Mario Bros. Movie will reign supreme with a second weekend, -60% of $58M. Already the plumbers have plunged a running stateside total through nine days of $260M, with $300M+ this weekend in sight.
Super Mario Bros grossed $9.4M yesterday at 4,343 locations, -13% from Wednesday’s $10.7M.
Two genre films aimed at dudes over 25 are battling it out, one funnier than the other in the face-off between Universal’s Nicolas Cage vampire comedy, Renfield, and Sony/Screen’s Gems Pope’s Exorcist starring Russell Crowe.
Renfield did $900K in previews last night to Pope’s Exorcist‘s $850K. Both were projecting $8M-$10M, however, Renfield looks to be at the top of that range. Renfield, at 62% fresh on Rotten Tomatoes with critics (82% with moviegoers), is booked at 3,300 theaters, while Pope’s Exorcist is at 3,100 sites, saddled at 48% Rotten...
Super Mario Bros grossed $9.4M yesterday at 4,343 locations, -13% from Wednesday’s $10.7M.
Two genre films aimed at dudes over 25 are battling it out, one funnier than the other in the face-off between Universal’s Nicolas Cage vampire comedy, Renfield, and Sony/Screen’s Gems Pope’s Exorcist starring Russell Crowe.
Renfield did $900K in previews last night to Pope’s Exorcist‘s $850K. Both were projecting $8M-$10M, however, Renfield looks to be at the top of that range. Renfield, at 62% fresh on Rotten Tomatoes with critics (82% with moviegoers), is booked at 3,300 theaters, while Pope’s Exorcist is at 3,100 sites, saddled at 48% Rotten...
- 4/14/2023
- by Anthony D'Alessandro
- Deadline Film + TV
The Pope’s Exorcist draws basis from the books An Exorcist Tells His Story and An Exorcist: More Stories, penned by Catholic priest and exorcist Gabriele Amorth. Screenwriters Michael Petroni (The Rite) and Evan Spiliotopoulos (The Unholy), along with director Julius Avery (Overlord), eschew the biopic approach when exploring Amorth’s tenure as an exorcist in favor of a by-the-books horror movie. Russell Crowe is the sole saving grace in this diluted and often silly entry in exorcism horror.
Avery’s latest introduces his rebellious Gabriel Amorth (Crowe) in a rural village in 1987. Amorth walks in with remarkable confidence and jovial mischief in his eyes as he quickly exposes a case of psychosis, not possession, leaving the local priest splattered in blood and the family shocked. Amorth barely has time to cuckoo at nuns and get scolded by higher-ups at the Vatican before he’s summoned to a crumbling abbey in Spain.
Avery’s latest introduces his rebellious Gabriel Amorth (Crowe) in a rural village in 1987. Amorth walks in with remarkable confidence and jovial mischief in his eyes as he quickly exposes a case of psychosis, not possession, leaving the local priest splattered in blood and the family shocked. Amorth barely has time to cuckoo at nuns and get scolded by higher-ups at the Vatican before he’s summoned to a crumbling abbey in Spain.
- 4/14/2023
- by Meagan Navarro
- bloody-disgusting.com
It is hard to look at any movie with “Exorcist” in its title and not immediately think of William Friedkin’s eternal 1973 Oscar-winning horror classic that is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year. Nevertheless there have been dozens of films of various stripes that have tried to conjure their own magic in this sub-genre, but none that have managed to surpass what Friedkin and screenwriter William Peter Blatty did with that brilliant film.
Now though, with a bit of a twist we have a new entry, The Pope’s Exorcist, which is hoping to lure audiences with the promise of the story of an actual exorcist — and not just any run-of-the-mill demon slayer but rather Father Gabriele Amorth, who for 36 years plied his trade at the Vatican, rising to chief exorcist there in 1992 until his death in 2016. Along the way he wrote books, “good ones” as this film notes, An Exorcist...
Now though, with a bit of a twist we have a new entry, The Pope’s Exorcist, which is hoping to lure audiences with the promise of the story of an actual exorcist — and not just any run-of-the-mill demon slayer but rather Father Gabriele Amorth, who for 36 years plied his trade at the Vatican, rising to chief exorcist there in 1992 until his death in 2016. Along the way he wrote books, “good ones” as this film notes, An Exorcist...
- 4/13/2023
- by Pete Hammond
- Deadline Film + TV
Before we begin, let’s make something clear: Russell Crowe’s Father Gabriele Amorth is a cool priest. How cool is he? He’s so cool that whenever he exits Vatican City he rides a vespa while bathed in perpetual sunset. How cool is he? When that vespa crosses the Ponte Sant’Angelo his film throws up a title card that reads “Rome, Italy”. How cool is he?! When he speaks with an Italian accent, it’s like Chico Marx has risen from the grave and come back with the swagger of Serpico.
This call and response is necessary because you need to know that Crowe’s exorcist is the most Bde exorcist we’ve had onscreen in ages. He’s also something of a saving grace for The Pope’s Exorcist, a movie that could be the stuff of fire and brimstone with a lesser lead performance.
For this writer,...
This call and response is necessary because you need to know that Crowe’s exorcist is the most Bde exorcist we’ve had onscreen in ages. He’s also something of a saving grace for The Pope’s Exorcist, a movie that could be the stuff of fire and brimstone with a lesser lead performance.
For this writer,...
- 4/13/2023
- by David Crow
- Den of Geek
The Exorcist rerun as a Tiktok video is a papal potboiler saved from eternal damnation by Crowe, who is no doubt eyeing a late-career franchise
Hustled out over Easter, Julius Avery’s papal potboiler derives brisk if well-trodden hokum from the writings of Father Gabriele Amorth, the Vatican’s demonslayer-in-chief between 1986 and 2016. The film’s Amorth is a wry old pro, finding the levity in a devilishly tricky day job; not unhelpfully, he’s played by Russell Crowe, alternating gruff Italian and Italianate English, and possibly eyeing the prospect of a late-career franchise-slash-retirement plan. Crowe is by far the film’s strongest suit, pre-empting (some of) our gigglier responses and mitigating against (some of) the material’s flimsiness. We still have movie stars, even if the pictures thrown up around them are getting smaller, staler and sillier.
Crowe’s Amorth is pulled away from Dan Brown-ish Vatican politicking to...
Hustled out over Easter, Julius Avery’s papal potboiler derives brisk if well-trodden hokum from the writings of Father Gabriele Amorth, the Vatican’s demonslayer-in-chief between 1986 and 2016. The film’s Amorth is a wry old pro, finding the levity in a devilishly tricky day job; not unhelpfully, he’s played by Russell Crowe, alternating gruff Italian and Italianate English, and possibly eyeing the prospect of a late-career franchise-slash-retirement plan. Crowe is by far the film’s strongest suit, pre-empting (some of) our gigglier responses and mitigating against (some of) the material’s flimsiness. We still have movie stars, even if the pictures thrown up around them are getting smaller, staler and sillier.
Crowe’s Amorth is pulled away from Dan Brown-ish Vatican politicking to...
- 4/10/2023
- by Mike McCahill
- The Guardian - Film News
On the face of it, “The Pope’s Exorcist” would have you believe that it’s rooted in the real-life experiences of the late Father Gabriele Amorth, the Catholic priest who served for 30 years as the head exorcist of the Diocese of Rome. Its screenwriting credits proclaim as much, for starters, while a surfeit of onscreen dates and locations in the early going lend proceedings the faintest of docudrama veneers; moreover, the film is backed by the non-profit production arm of the Jesuit research university Loyola Marymount, with Loyola rector Father Edward J. Siebert among its executive producers.
Even Catholics in high places, it turns out, have a sense of humor: You needn’t wait for the “work of fiction” disclaimer in the closing credits to discern that “The Pope’s Exorcist” is ripely fantastical trash, inspired by Amorth’s work in much the same way that SunnyD is inspired by Florida oranges,...
Even Catholics in high places, it turns out, have a sense of humor: You needn’t wait for the “work of fiction” disclaimer in the closing credits to discern that “The Pope’s Exorcist” is ripely fantastical trash, inspired by Amorth’s work in much the same way that SunnyD is inspired by Florida oranges,...
- 4/7/2023
- by Guy Lodge
- Variety Film + TV
The return of The Exorcist film franchise isn’t the only exorcism horror on the way here in 2023. Julius Avery, the director of 2018’s Overlord, is back with The Pope’s Exorcist, and Fandango has debuted a clip from the movie today. Additionally, tickets are now on sale.
In the clip, which you’ll find below, Father Amorth (Russell Crowe) meets with a very curious group of clergy. He explains that he refers the vast majority of cases to secular doctors… but then there are those cases where he comes face-to-face with true evil.
Bloody Disgusting recently reported that Ralph Ineson (The Witch, The Green Knight) has joined Russell Crowe in the film. Ineson has been cast as the voice of the demon.
Franco Nero (Django, John Wick: Chapter 2) recently joined the cast as the titular pope, starring alongside Russell Crowe as real-life exorcist Father Gabriele Amorth. Laurel Marsden (Ms.
In the clip, which you’ll find below, Father Amorth (Russell Crowe) meets with a very curious group of clergy. He explains that he refers the vast majority of cases to secular doctors… but then there are those cases where he comes face-to-face with true evil.
Bloody Disgusting recently reported that Ralph Ineson (The Witch, The Green Knight) has joined Russell Crowe in the film. Ineson has been cast as the voice of the demon.
Franco Nero (Django, John Wick: Chapter 2) recently joined the cast as the titular pope, starring alongside Russell Crowe as real-life exorcist Father Gabriele Amorth. Laurel Marsden (Ms.
- 3/29/2023
- by John Squires
- bloody-disgusting.com
Russell Crowe plays real-life exorcist Father Gabriele Amorth in the upcoming supernatural thriller The Pope’s Exorcist, which is coming to us from Columbia Pictures / Screen Gems and is set to reach theatres on April 10th… and a new ad for the film features footage from a real exorcism that was performed by Father Amorth! You can check it out in the video embed at the bottom of this article.
A few years ago, The Exorcist director William Friedkin made a documentary about Father Gabriele Amorth (and you can read our review of The Devil and Father Amorth at This Link), who passed away in 2016 at the age of 91. According to The Hollywood Reporter, Screen Gems acquired the rights to tell the story of the exorcist’s life from Michael Patrick Kaczmarek and faith-based media company Loyola Productions. That deal included rights to Amorth’s two international bestselling memoirs An Exorcist...
A few years ago, The Exorcist director William Friedkin made a documentary about Father Gabriele Amorth (and you can read our review of The Devil and Father Amorth at This Link), who passed away in 2016 at the age of 91. According to The Hollywood Reporter, Screen Gems acquired the rights to tell the story of the exorcist’s life from Michael Patrick Kaczmarek and faith-based media company Loyola Productions. That deal included rights to Amorth’s two international bestselling memoirs An Exorcist...
- 3/27/2023
- by Cody Hamman
- JoBlo.com
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