Movies
Kill of the Week: Skinned Alive in ‘Dagon’
Every week, we spotlight a kill that we just can’t get enough of. This is Kill of the Week.
Stuart Gordon sure has brought some unforgettable horror to the screen over the years, huh? Much of Gordon’s work has drawn direct inspiration from the writings of H.P. Lovecraft, including standout gems Re-Animator, From Beyond and Castle Freak.
And then there’s Dagon, released in 2001 and recently crowned by our resident Lovecraft expert Luiz H.C. as his “personal favorite Cthulhu-Mythos-inspired film.”
An adaptation of Lovecraft’s The Shadow Over Innsmouth, the film unleashes full-on Lovecraftian horror on a young man and woman when their boat crashes off the coast of Spain and forces them to seek refuge in a small fishing village… which they discover is in the grips of an ancient sea god and its monstrous half-human offspring.
Eventually, main character Paul meets up with Ezequiel, the last surviving human in the village. Both Paul and Ezequiel are soon captured by the worshipers of Dagon, who chain them up and demand they join the cause. When Ezequiel refuses, well, things don’t turn out so well for him.
In a highly disturbing display of hard-to-watch practical effects, the old man is literally unmasked; his face is carved up and pulled clean off his skull.
When Gordon adapted Lovecraft, things always got pretty gruesome!
“Tell Me Lies” actor Sonia Mena is joining the recently announced Chase Yi on Paramount and Blumhouse’s new Paranormal Activity movie, Deadline reports this afternoon.
Ian Tuason (Undertone) will direct the eighth installment in the Paranormal Activity film franchise, set to release in theaters May 21, 2027.
Plot and character details remain tightly guarded at this stage, but the original Paranormal Activity, created by Oren Peli, first hit theaters in 2007. Its groundbreaking minimalist approach to found-footage ghost stories has spawned a seven-film franchise that’s grossed nearly $900 million worldwide.
It followed a couple terrorized by a strange presence shortly after moving into their suburban home.
While we wait for further news on plot or whether the demonic Toby will reappear, Tuason previously revealed to Bloody Disgusting that technology will play a huge role in his vision: “Technology — camera technology — has advanced to a point where it’s become a big part of the film and what I want to do there.”
That brings this project full circle for Tuason, as it was the original Paranormal Activity that inspired the filmmaker’s haunting debut, undertone.
Franchise originator Oren Peli will produce for Solana Films, with James Wan and Jason Blum producing for Blumhouse Atomic Monster. Michael Clear and Judson Scott will exec produce for Blumhouse Atomic, with Alayna Glasthal overseeing the project for the company. Other exec producers include Steven Schneider for Room 101, Inc., Dan Slater and Cody Calahan.
While we wait to learn more, a Paranormal Activity stage play arrives this summer.