Editorials
[Interview] Stuart Gordon On ‘Dolls,’ ‘Re-Animator’ and More!
Yesterday I was allotted the chance to spend a few minutes on the phone with Dolls director Stuart Gordon on the latest Blu-ray release from Scream Factory.
In the 1987 classic, a group of people stop by a mansion during a storm and discover two magical toy makers, and their haunted collection of dolls.
Here’s what he had to say about the new release.
What are your thoughts on Scream releasing Dolls? Was it something you had been waiting for?
I’m so happy it’s available on Blu-ray now. There was so much work that was involved, detail I mean. A lot of the animation is more noticeable.
Were all of the dolls made specifically for the movie?
Most of them were, a lot were characters. There were a lot that were just for background purposes. One time both of my daughters are on set and my youngest asked “Are all these dolls bad?” and I said, “Yeah, they all are” and she asked “Even this one?” and pointed to the doll with the white buttons. I asked if she wanted that one and she nodded so I told her, “That one isn’t bad, it just fell in with the wrong crowd.” So she took it home and named it Violet. She still has it.
Are you hoping to get any other films you worked on released through Scream?
[Excitedly] I just heard that next year they are going to be releasing Robot Jox! So I’m pretty happy about that, there is a lot of animation in that one too. That’s sort of an unknown one.So what have you been working on lately? Any hope for a new movie soon?
Well, I’ve been doing a lot of work on the Re-Animator musical, we are going to be in Las Vegas coming up in January. I’m hoping to take it on a tour, we may be in New York again.
Any chance Jeffery Combs would do a special appearance?
[Laughs] No, he’s not in it. He still does a lot of acting in films.Are you planning any other stage adaptations? From Beyond maybe?
Actually, I’ve been told to do a From Beyond musical before. Right now I want to focus on Re-Animator but it would definitely be interesting to do something for From Beyond.
Obviously you are known for your great adaptations of HP Lovecraft stories. Is there one in particular that you are still trying to get made?
I do have a script for “The Thing on the Doorstep” and I’d love to get that made. There just isn’t money for it right now.
Have you considered crowdfunding?
I have but I think it’s just too big of a movie to raise money for. We would like to get a wide release of it when/if it gets made. Hopefully one day.
Re-Animator is your most well-known movie in the genre but what do you consider your most successful?
Well people usually forget that I was involved with Honey, I Shrunk The Kids. It was the biggest success financially and I consider it a sort of horror movie. There are giant bugs and a mad scientist type character. It’s more of a family friendly horror. Even Honey, I Blew up the Kid has a Godzilla aspect to it, and then there is the question of how to stop a giant baby.
I never thought of them as horror movies but you make a good point. The ant scene still haunts me today.
[Laughs]To wrap up, where can we find you in the near future?
Well, I’ll be in Las Vegas in January for Re-Animator and in March I will be in Ohio at Horror Hound with my wife. You should come introduce yourself!
Thank you! I will. Thanks for taking the time to speak with me and I’ll be keeping my fingers crossed for another movie.
Thank you, me too!
In addition to being an awesome filmmaker, Stuart Gordon is also the nicest guy in the world. I’ll be going out to see him in March for HorrorHound but in the meantime I must read “The Thing on the Doorstep” and get out to see Re-Animator the Musical. Has anyone seen it? And here is the trailer for Robot Jox, apparently heading to Scream! Factory next year.
A new month means a new guide as titles are added (and dropped) from streaming services. Let’s unpack the most exciting titles that are available to watch on Tubi in July 2026.
New to Tubi July Horror Films
Deep Blue Sea (1999)
- Premise: Searching for a cure to Alzheimer’s disease, a group of scientists on an isolated research facility become the prey as a trio of intelligent sharks fight back.
- Why Watch It? Let’s be frank: Director Renny Harlin has made some absolute dogs in the last few years (the less said about The Strangers trilogy the better, though this year’s Deep Water was actually ok). Deep Blue Sea remains one of the Finnish director’s best contemporary efforts, though. Between the great cast (Samuel L. Jackson, Saffron Burrows, Stellan Skarsgård, Michael Rapaport, LL Cool J, Thomas Jane, and Jane’s sleeveless wetsuit), the ridiculous premise, and that damn/dumb song (“My hat is like a shark’s fin”), you basically can’t go wrong with Deep Blue Sea. It’s one of two great shark films gliding onto Tubi this month, so why not stay out of the water and watch this instead?
- Streaming: July 1
Exorcist II: Heretic (1977)
- Premise: Reagan (Linda Blair), a girl once possessed by a demon, finds that it still lurks within her. Meanwhile, Father Lamont (Richard Burton) investigates the death of the priest who performed her exorcism.
- Why Watch It? August sees the release of documentary Boorman and the Devil, which is about the troubled production of this sequel. The notoriety surrounding Heretic has undoubtedly kept plenty of horror fans away from the sequel, but this truly is a “seeing is believing” kind of film. Real talk: it’s undeniably a disaster, but the John Boorman film has also become a minor cult film. Don’t you want to see it to make up your own mind?
- Streaming: July 1
Hostel: Part III (2011)
- Premise: Four men attending a bachelor party in Las Vegas fall prey to the Elite Hunting Club, who are hosting a gruesome game show of torture.
- Why Watch It? What does Hostel look like without Eli Roth? Part III kinda answers the question. Technically Roth is still a writer, but he hands over the directorial reins to Scott Spiegel (best known for acting in Evil Dead films). The result is a film with a terrible pedigree; it’s also the first (and last) entry to skip theatres before the franchise was permanently shelved (until that TV show with Paul Giamatti shows up?). For some horror fans, however, there’s something exciting about a bad low-budget sequel. Just bear in mind that the Hostel: Part III‘s biggest star is Kip Pardue…so adjust your expectations accordingly before hitting play.
- Streaming: July 1
Insidious 1-3 (2010/2013/2015)
- Premise: A family looks to prevent evil spirits from trapping their comatose child in a realm called The Further.
- Why Watch It? It’s hard to believe that the sixth (!) Insidious movie is coming out in a month and a half, but James Wan and Leigh Whannell‘s other horror franchise has been steadily chugging along for sixteen years. It’s a shame that Tubi doesn’t have all five films available to watch, but in terms of quality, you can do far worse than the original trio. The first film is iconic, and the second is basically an extended coda (with some admittedly problematic stuff going on). I’ll go to bat for Whannell’s 2015 directorial debut, though: there’s a few banger sequences in that film that people slept on.
- Streaming: July 1
Man Finds Tape (2025)
- Premise: After finding mysterious video clips, siblings investigate the strange recordings and uncover a disturbing secret spreading through their Texas town.
- Why Watch It? Writer/directors Paul Gandersman and Peter S. Hall‘s well-received found footage film did an extensive tour of the festival circuit, so now is a great time to check out one of the most contemporary titles debuting on Tubi this month. Surely a title that hails from producers Justin Benson and Aaron Moorhead (Spring and The Endless) is worth a free look?
- Streaming: July 2
Only Lovers Left Alive (2013)
- Premise: A depressed musician Adam (Tom Hiddleston) reunites with his lover Eve (Tilda Swinton). However, their romance, which has already endured several centuries, is disrupted by the arrival of her uncontrollable younger sister Ava (Mia Wasikowska).
- Why Watch It? This beautiful, melancholy vampire film is courtesy of writer/director Jim Jarmusch, who doesn’t often dabble in genre fare. As always, some will quibble if this artsy drama qualifies as horror, but the existential ennui of an eternal life certainly qualifies (bonus: there’s also something inherently sexy about watching Hiddleston and Swinton just lay about). Plus: if Leviticus has you hankering for more Wasikowska, this is an under the radar pick.
- Streaming: July 1
The Shallows (2016)
- Premise:A mere 200 yards from shore, surfer Nancy (Blake Lively) is attacked by a great white shark, with her short journey to safety becoming the ultimate contest of wills.
- Why Watch It? What better time to watch a shark movie than July? The temperatures are soaring and the idea of escaping into the water is so tantalizing. This tight, contained thriller features a great performance by Lively (and that damn seagull!), but it’s the direction from genre fave Jaume Collet-Serra (Orphan; the House of Wax remake) that keeps the movie clicking along like clockwork. At 86 minutes, this is a perfect summer flick.
- Streaming: July 1
Vacancy (2007)
- Premise: Stranded in an isolated motel, a couple (Luke Wilson and Kate Beckinsale) become the unsuspecting subjects of a snuff film.
- Why Watch It? I’m not going to pretend that this Nimród Antal-directed home invasion film is high art, but it is a good time. You’ll likely wish there were deeper characterizations for Wilson and Beckinsale’s David and Amy in Mark L. Smith‘s screenplay, but this mid-aughts thriller is tense, exciting, and just the right amount of grimy. Plus: another short runtime, clocking in at an expeditious 85 minutes!
- Streaming: July 1
July Tubi Originals
The One Next Door (2026)
- Premise: When a mysterious stranger moves in next door to Robert and Tabitha, boundaries are tested, loyalty is questioned, and danger comes for all.
- Streaming: July 10
I Know Where You Live (2026)
- Premise: Sarah thinks she’s found “the one” until his flaws emerge. When she pulls away, chilling threats suggest he’s watching her from inside her own home.
- Streaming: July 24
What’s your favorite from the list above? Will you check out the new Original? Sound off in the comments below
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