Movies
‘Friday the 13th’/’Texas Chainsaw’ Director Conjures Up ‘Backmask’
Just announced in time for Cannes is Conan the Barbarian, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre and Friday the 13th director Marcus Nispel‘s latest genre offering: Backmask, which will be produced by Steven Schneider (Paranormal Activity, Insidious, The Lords of Salem, The Bay).
“During a sex, drugs, and rock-fueled party, six small-town teenagers find an old vintage record and decide to play it backwards in order to listen for any subliminal/satanic messages. Lo and behold, a seemingly malevolent spirit quickly infiltrates the group, wreaking havoc as it moves from one body to another. Eventually, however, it’s revealed that the spirit in question is actually trying to convey a message….and that the real source of horror isn’t particularly paranormal, but rather something (or someone) much closer to home.”
Sounds like a new spin on the classic ’80s flick Night of the Demons. While Nispel is known as a difficult director, all of his features have looked pretty good. But I’m not quite sure he “understands” the horror audience. We can only hope the experience of horror guru Schneider can help…
Movies
Julia Garner Joins Horror Movie ‘Weapons’ from the Director of ‘Barbarian’
In addition to Leigh Whannell’s upcoming Universal Monsters movie Wolf Man, Julia Garner (The Royal Hotel) has also joined the cast of Weapons, THR has announced tonight.
Weapons is the new horror movie from New Line Cinema and director Zach Cregger (Barbarian), with Julia Garner joining the previously announced Josh Brolin (Dune 2).
The upcoming Weapons is from writer/director Zach Cregger, who will also produce alongside his Barbarian producing team: Roy Lee of Vertigo and J.D. Lifshitz and Raphael Margules of BoulderLight Pictures. Vertigo’s Miri Yoon also produces.
The Hollywood Reporter teases, “Plot details for Weapons are being kept holstered but it is described as a multi and inter-related story horror epic that tonally is in the vein of Magnolia, the 1999 actor-crammed showcase from filmmaker Paul Thomas Anderson.”
Cregger was a founding member and writer for the New York comedy troupe “The Whitest Kids U’Know,” which he started while attending The School of Visual Arts. The award-winning group’s self-titled sketch comedy show ran for five seasons on IFC-TV and Fuse. He was also a series regular on Jimmy Fallon’s NBC series “Guys with Kids” and the TBS hit series “Wrecked,” and was featured in a recurring role on the NBC series “About a Boy.”
Weapons will be distributed worldwide by Warner Bros. Pictures.