Exclusives
Patrick Lussier on ‘Halloween 3-D’: ‘Scream 4’ Part of the Reason Behind Hold-Up?
During our recent exclusive chat with Patrick Lussier to discuss the release of his latest film, the Nicolas Cage vehicle Drive Angry 3D, we simply couldn’t let the MBV3D director go without first asking for an update – any update – on Halloween 3-D, which has seemingly gotten this close to production several times in the past before being put squarely on the Weinsteins’ back-burner once again. Interestingly, Lussier seems to think that the studio’s laser-focus on the make-or-break release of Scream 4 may be part of the reason for that.
“Yeah, well, [we’ve got] the [‘H3’] script sitting there,” said Lussier. “We would make that in a hearbeat…[The Weinsteins’] focus has shifted onto ‘Hellraiser’, and they obviously want to focus on ‘Scream 4’…[their] sort of “slasher mind” is probably very, very focused on that film and the release of that film. So I can’t really speak for them, you know?”
In other words, the Weinsteins are only able (willing?) to focus on reviving one slasher franchise at a time.
“I wish I had more to tell you,” offered Lussier, obviously passionate about the project. “I know Todd and I would love to shoot that, love to shoot the script [that was] so much fun to write and delve into that Carpenter world.”
Notice he said that “Carpenter” world, not that “Zombie” world. For lack of any other ray of hope to really latch onto, that’s gonna have to be enough to keep old school-oriented Halloween fans satisfied for the moment. Let’s hope once Scream 4 comes out we’ll see more movement on this.
Exclusives
‘The Haunting of Pennhurst’ Exclusive Clip Trains Scare Actors For Historic Haunt in Tribeca Doc
The past and present collide in haunting, poignant ways in the genre documentary The Haunting of Pennhurst, which sees a Halloween haunt serve as a reclamation of true historic horrors.
Ahead of its world premiere at the 25th Tribeca Film Festival, we have an exclusive clip that sees scare actors in training for the Halloween season. The catch? This haunt is opening at the historic Pennhurst State School & Hospital site, a facility that caused immense harm to its disabled patients over decades of its operation.
In the documentary, “For over seventy years, Pennhurst State School & Hospital was called a place of care. What happened inside killed over half its population. It closed in 1987, leaving behind unmarked graves and an unresolved history. Today, on those same grounds, disabled performers – many living with the same conditions that once sent people to Pennhurst – put on their makeup, pull on their costumes, and prepare to scare people for a living.
“Through grit, compassion, and buckets of blood, the eclectic performers of the Pennhurst Asylum haunted attraction are wrestling with a space that is at once a lucrative business and a gravesite.”
The upcoming documentary hails from directing trio Nathan Stenberg, Mike Attie, and Katarina Poljak, who explore their socially-relevant subject through archival footage, first-hand accounts, and an immersive verité.
“Pennhurst has haunted us since we first passed through its dragon-tooth gates; the horrors of the institution echo through the site today. We are so grateful to bring this film to the Tribeca Festival, particularly the Escape from Tribeca section, which feels right for a story where past and present bleed together. We hope audiences leave unnerved and asking the same uncomfortable questions we did,” Attie, Stenberg, and Poljak said in a statement.
Watch the clip below that sees disabled and neurodivergent scare actors learning the ropes of a Halloween haunt, reclaiming the site’s grim history in the process.
Tribeca Screenings:
- Public 1 (Premiere) Screening – Friday, June 5 at 9:15PM at Village East by Angelika
- Public 2 Screening – Sunday, June 7 at 3:15PM at Village East by Angelika
- Public 3 Screening – Tuesday, June 9 at 6:15PM at Village East by Angelika