Elizabeth Banks' new film "Cocaine Bear" was indeed inspired by true events. In 1985, a drug smuggler dropped a duffel bag containing $15 million worth of cocaine from a plane into the woods below. There, it was found by a 175-pound black bear, who proceeded to consume the cocaine. Unlike in Banks' movie, where the bear eats the cocaine and goes on a killing spree, the real-life bear wasn't known to have killed anyone. The bear simply died of a drug overdose. Because it was so well-preserved, the bear was taxidermied and subsequently passed around among various owners, not all of whom knew its cause of death. Waylon Jennings owned the Cocaine Bear at one point. These days, one can visit the Kentucky Fun Mall in Lexington, Ky, and visit the bear's taxidermied body. Its current owners, Whit Hiler and Griffin VanMeter, have cleverly named their prize "Pablo Escobear."
Banks' film is refreshingly uncomplicated.
Banks' film is refreshingly uncomplicated.
- 2/24/2023
- by Witney Seibold
- Slash Film
If you didn’t know Erik Bloomquist’s She Came from the Woods loves the 80s like Pac-Man loves Mrs. Pac-Man, the first few minutes should sell a tubular on-screen time warp. Hormonal camp counselors in short shorts prepare for summer’s end while Kim Wilde’s “Kids In America” blares over opening credits like any other Camp Crystal Lake or Camp Arawak copycat. Bloomquist imbues a love of 80s sleepaway horror titles into a contemporary take on Friday the 13th, The Burning, Madman — some titles are even name-dropped in dialogue. It’s hardly a modern satire like Cabin in the Woods but avoids feeling redundant through recreations of golden-age genre magic that’s gone out of style. There’s a passionate attempt to prove life can find new ways in a decade’s old slasher formula, and She Came from the Woods keeps the beat(ings) alive for now.
- 2/9/2023
- by Matt Donato
- bloody-disgusting.com
IMDb.com, Inc. takes no responsibility for the content or accuracy of the above news articles, Tweets, or blog posts. This content is published for the entertainment of our users only. The news articles, Tweets, and blog posts do not represent IMDb's opinions nor can we guarantee that the reporting therein is completely factual. Please visit the source responsible for the item in question to report any concerns you may have regarding content or accuracy.