Indie
[Fantastic Fest Review] Somber ‘The Void’ is Both Stunning and Disturbing
The struggle of filmmaking is trying to find your audience. Who exactly is your movie for? Astron-6 makes no apologies for their dark and somber The Void, which is strictly for the hardcore horror fanbase.
Directed by Jeremy Gillespie and Steven Kostanski of Astron-6 (which also include Adam Brooks, Matt Kennedy, and Conor Sweeney), The Void begins when an officer happens upon a blood-soaked figure limping down a deserted stretch of road, which leads him to a rural hospital that is a facade for something sinister.
Having previously helmed Father’s Day, Manborg and The Editor, The Void is the troupe’s first foray into serious filmmaking, channeling John Carpenter’s The Thing and Clive Barker’s Hellraiser. It’s a self-contained horror film where people are trapped in a hospital with horrifying creatures – and a crazy doctor pulled straight from Hellbound: Hellraiser II‘s Dr. Channard. And while many have tried before, Astron-6 is one of the few independent filmmakers who actually pull off the body horror insanity we’ve seen in The Thing, delivering some of the most bizarre and grotesque creatures to have ever graced the screen.
[Related] FULL Fantastic Fest Coverage on Bloody Disgusting
While the creature effects will be what wins the hearts of horror fans, the most striking aspect of The Void is the visual effects work (by Intelligent Creatures) that take Barker and Tony Randel’s interpretation of Hell to another level. The CGI is stunning, if not disturbing, and mixed with the gorgeous cinematography it most definitely will leave some viewers with an intense feeling of dread in the pit in their stomach.
The Void is more of a work of art than a great horror film, however, since it’s sprinkled with questionable acting, a weak screenplay, and is so incredibly dense that it will be hard to warrant multiple viewings. Thankfully, the The Void‘s craft is so spectacular that it carries the film on its back.
In the end, there’s something moderately annoying about filmmakers copying great films/filmmakers of the past, but The Void manages to get away with it (probably because Astron-6 take many things from Carpenter, Barker, and even Fulci, and make it their own). Astron-6 have announced themselves with The Void, a dark, demented, and disgusting horror film that’s going to live among the greatest body horror films of all time.
The Wayans are out to cancel the Cancel Culture with Scary Movie, and the cast assures it will do just that.
“They sort of have an across-the-board style,” Anna Faris tells EW. “It’s always been a part of the Wayans Brothers, their electricity. ‘Can we offend you? Will you still love us? Come on, you still love us, don’t you?'”
Regina Hall concurs, promising the “boundary-pushing” sixth installment in the horror parody franchise will “offend everyone.”
EW has shared a batch of behind-the-scenes images from Scary Movie, which hits theaters June 5 via Paramount.
Faris and Hall are joined by fellow franchise favorites Marlon Wayans, Shawn Wayans, Dave Sheridan, Lochlyn Munro, Cheri Oteri, Chris Elliott, and Jon Abrahams in the legacy sequel.
The ensemble includes Damon Wayans Jr., Gregg Wayans, Kim Wayans, Benny Zielke, Cameron Scott Roberts, Heidi Gardner, Olivia Rose Keegan, Ruby Snowber, Savannah Lee Nassif, Sydney Park, Kenan Thompson, and Felissa Rose.
Michael Tiddes (A Haunted House) directs from a script by Marlon Wayans, Shawn Wayans, original Scary Movie director Keenen Ivory Wayans, Craig Wayans (Scary Movie 2), and Rick Alvarez (A Haunted House).
The film will slash through reboots, remakes, requels, prequels, sequels, spin-offs, elevated horror, origin stories, anything with the word legacy in it, and every “final chapter” that absolutely isn’t final.
Scary Movie launched in 2000, followed by Scary Movie 2 in 2001. The Wayans’ involvement ended there, but the series continued with 2003’s Scary Movie 3, 2006’s Scary Movie 4, and 2013’s Scary Movie 5.
Regina Hall & Marlon Wayans on the set of ‘Scary Movie.’ Credit: Paramount Pictures.
Anna Faris on the set of ‘Scary Movie.’ Credit: Paramount Pictures.
Marlon Wayans & Regina Hall on the set of ‘Scary Movie.’ Credit: Paramount Pictures.
Michael Tiddes & Anna Faris on the set of ‘Scary Movie.’ Credit: Paramount Pictures.
Marlon Wayans on the set of ‘Scary Movie.’ Credit: Paramount Pictures.
Regina Hall & Anna Faris on the set of ‘Scary Movie.’ Credit: Paramount Pictures.
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