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‘Dream House’ Director Jim Sheridan Attempted to Remove His Name From Film

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As it wasn’t screened for critics, Bloody hit up a midnight showing of Universal Pictures’ Dream House in order to bring you an early AM review of the long-delayed psychological thriller starring Daniel Craig, Naomi Watts and Rachel Weisz. It wasn’t very good, in fact, you might say it was erratic.

A week after it’s theatrical demise ($9 million at the boxoffice) director Jim Sheridan has decided to speak out. The six-time Oscar nominee was in fact so displeased with the finished film he sought to have his name removed from it, says the LA Times.

This summer, Sheridan went to the Directors Guild of America with the aim of striking his name from the credits (hoping to use the infamous “Alan Smithee” instead)…[but] the bid was dropped after a series of events that included the company that was financing the film, Morgan Creek Productions, agreeing to a new set of reshoots.

According to a person familiar with production, Sheridan began deviating from David Loucka’s script early on, using an improvisational method he favors. That was followed by a disastrous test screening, rampant anxiety at Morgan Creek, a first round of reshoots, and the production company ultimately taking control of the film in the edit room.

So there you go – and for those of you paying attention, Sheridan’s name is still gracing big screens across the country. I’d be embarrassed too.

Horror movie fanatic who co-founded Bloody Disgusting in 2001. Producer on Southbound, V/H/S/2/3/94, SiREN, Under the Bed, and A Horrible Way to Die. Chicago-based. Horror, pizza and basketball connoisseur. Taco Bell daily. Franchise favs: Hellraiser, Child's Play, A Nightmare on Elm Street, Halloween, Scream and Friday the 13th. Horror 365 days a year.

Books

Don Coscarelli’s ‘PHICTION: Tales from the World of Phantasm’ Now Available in Paperback!

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This year marks the 45th anniversary of Don Coscarelli’s horror classic Phantasm, and Coscarelli returns to that iconic universe with his brand new book PHICTION: Tales from the World of PhantasmPHICTION explores characters and stories from the Phantasm universe, with an introduction by best-selling author Joe R. Lansdale (Bubba Ho-Tep).

In the wake of a hardcover limited edition version of PHICTION being put up for grabs at a special event back in March, the paperback version of the book is now available.

You can grab your paperback copy from Amazon today!

Coscarelli notes within the pages of the book that his days of directing Phantasm movies are behind him, but PHICTION is without question the next best thing. What you’re getting here are SIX brand new stories written by Coscarelli himself, each of them expanding upon characters from the movies. The stories wonderfully add to the lore of the Phantasm Universe, and since they’re entirely in-canon, they’re guaranteed to change the way you watch the movies.

If you’re a Phantasm fan who’s hungry for more, PHICTION essentially delivers an entire anthology series of fresh tales, straight from the creator’s mind. It’s an absolute must-read.

Here’s everything you need to know about the new book…

In 1979, filmmaker Don Coscarelli (Bubba Ho-tep, The Beastmaster) wrote and directed what became one of the seminal sci-fi/horror films of that era, Phantasm. The film was a worldwide theatrical success and spawned four acclaimed sequels.

For the first time in the history of horror cinema, a celebrated filmmaker of a cult-classic horror film series has continued the adventure by swapping mediums and personally authoring a series of fictional works exploring in detail the characters he originally created. Coscarelli has now returned to the world of Phantasm to tell more tales of these inspiring phantasmic heroes.

PHICTION comprises six stories set in the expansive Phantasm world that have never been told before…

In Life and Death in the ‘Nam, we explore the origin story of our favorite ice cream vendor hero Reggie and his first encounter with the supernatural forces of evil in the jungles of the Vietnam war. It’s a two-fisted tale of a young man enduring the horrors of war and at the same time facing down the horrors of the unknown.

In Behind the Mortuary Door, we learn the secrets of the embalming trade from one of the most memorable characters from the original film.

In He Was Home Alone, we revisit the young boy Tim, prior to the events from Phantasm III, and how, using only his wits and guile, he survives against unspeakable horrors.

In Tobe, we follow the trail of one of Phantasm’s forgotten characters as he witnesses the key events of that film from an entirely different perspective.

In The Rocky Road, we track the events of one of the Phantasm saga’s fan-favorite characters, the nunchuck-wielding Rocky as she’s mustered out of the armed services and travels the backroads of the rural South in the early 90’s. In a desperate search to find her family she encounters love, vengeance and horror, frequently reacting in the only way she knows how, with her fists and her feet.

And finally in Escape From New York, we join another Phantasm fan-favorite character, the diminutive Chunk from Phantasm Ravager as he attempts to flee his home in the big city from the horror of an oncoming apocalypse. Along the way he bonds with some unexpected allies on a thrilling quest for survival.

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