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Bob Dylan Praised Timothée Chalamet’s Acting Ahead of ‘A Complete Unknown’

Emma McKee — Mon, 23 Dec 2024 17:07:00 +0000

This December, Timothée Chalamet will portray Bob Dylan in the film A Complete Unknown. The actor spent years preparing for the role and said he became a Dylan fanatic in the process. It seems that Dylan has also become a fan of Chalamet’s work. In a post on social media, Dylan praised Dylan’s skill as an actor.

Bob Dylan spoke highly of Timothée Chalamet’s acting

When director James Mangold began working on A Complete Unknown, he had a conversation with Dylan.

“The first time I sat down with him, Bob said, ‘What’s this movie about, Jim?’” Mangold said in a separate interview with Rolling Stone. “I said, ‘It’s about a guy who’s choking to death in Minnesota, and leaves behind all his friends and family and reinvents himself in a brand new place, makes new friends, builds a new family, becomes phenomenally successful, starts to choke to death again — and runs away.”

Dylan approved of this take on his early years. He later gave his stamp of approval on the actor who would portray him.

“Timothée Chalamet is starring in the lead role,” Dylan wrote in a post on X (formerly Twitter). “Timmy’s a brilliant actor so I’m sure he’s going to be completely believable as me. Or a younger me. Or some other me. The film’s taken from Elijah Wald’s Dylan Goes Electric – a book that came out in 2015. It’s a fantastic retelling of events from the early ‘60s that led up to the fiasco at Newport. After you’ve seen the movie read the book.”

Chalamet responded to Dylan’s post with gratitude.

“Floored,” he posted. “I am so grateful. Thank you Bob.”

Timothée Chalamet said he fully immersed himself in the role

Chalamet said he took his role as Dylan very seriously. He often went to bed in a panic over his portrayal.

“It was something I would go to sleep panicked about, losing a moment of discovery as the character — no matter how pretentious that sounds — because I was on my phone or because of any distraction,” he told Rolling Stone. “I had three months of my life to play Bob Dylan, after five years of preparing to play him. So while I was in it, that was my eternal focus.”

He said he wanted to do right by Dylan in the film.

“He deserved that and then more … God forbid I missed a step because I was being Timmy,” he said. “I could be Timmy for the rest of my life!”

He impressed his co-stars

According to Chalamet’s co-stars, his arduous preparation paid off. Edward Norton, who plays Pete Seeger, spoke highly of Chalamet’s performance. Elle Fanning, who plays Dylan’s girlfriend Sylvie Russo, said his singing voice took her breath away.

“We were in an auditorium, and I was sitting amongst all these background artists,” she said. “[Director James Mangold] would let Timmy come out and give the crowd a whole concert. He was singing ‘Masters of War’ and ‘A Hard Rain’s A-Gonna Fall,’ and I was like, ‘Jesus.’”

Timothée Chalamet | Gotham/GC Images

She thought it was a perfectly done take on Dylan’s singing.

“All of us were kind of shaking, because it was so surreal hearing someone do that,” she said. “So perfectly done, but it wasn’t a caricature. It was still Timmy, but it’s Bob, and this kind of beautiful meld. That gave me chills.”

A Complete Unknown comes to theaters on Dec. 25.

‘Elf’: Will Ferrell Roasted James Caan With a Bold Wrap Gift

Mandi Kerr — Mon, 23 Dec 2024 13:14:00 +0000

When filming on the popular Christmas movie Elf wrapped, there was no Empire State Building snow globe or “Buddy the elf, wha’s your favorite color?” sweater for James Caan. Instead, the late actor received a sassy note as a wrap gift from his co-star Will Ferrell (Buddy).

James Caan didn’t find Will Ferrell funny on the ‘Elf’ set

Filming the 2003 Christmas comedy didn’t involve Caan, who played Buddy’s father, Walter Hobbs, constantly laughing at Ferrell’s jokes. “I like to do bits, but at the same time, I’m not like ‘on’ all the time,” Ferrell said during a July 2024 appearance on Christina Applegate and Jamie-Lynn Sigler’s “MeSsy” podcast.

Caan, who died in 2022, simply didn’t think the Anchorman star was funny, and he told him so. “In between setups, he’d be like, ‘I don’t get you. You’re not funny. You’re not funny,’” Ferrell recalled, saying Caan made the comments “with love.”

Ferrell’s response? “I’m like, ‘I know, I’m not Robin Williams.” At that, Caan shared, “‘People ask me, like, ‘Is he funny?’ I’m like, ‘No, he’s not funny.’”

Will Ferrell critiqued ‘The Godfather’ movies in an ‘Elf’ wrap gift note to James Caan

Speaking to Rolling Stone, Elf director Jon Favreau revealed that despite being “starstruck” by Caan on set, Ferrell joked with his co-star, even giving him a teasing note as a wrap gift about his turn in The Godfather movies. (Caan played Sonny Corleone.)

“Will would bust his balls a lot, which was fun, too,” Favreau said. “Will gave him, as a wrap gift, he wrote a note that said, ‘Great working with you. The first one is a little bit slow, but the second two are really good.’ And it was The Godfather trilogy.”

Favreau continued, explaining that Caan’s “great sense of humor” made it possible. “If you could make him laugh, all the tension disappears. We kept him laughing, and he kept us laughing,” he added, calling Caan “a lot of fun” on set.

Caan loved Ferrell’s performance as Buddy the elf

While Caan had doubts about the Saturday Night Live alum’s performance as Buddy, seeing Elf on the big screen changed his mind. In his podcast interview, Ferrell shared how Caan gave him the “best compliment ever” as they left Elf’s premiere.

“He was like, ‘I’ve got to tell you: I thought everything you were doing while we were filming was way too over the top. Now that I see it in the movie, it’s brilliant,’” Ferrell recalled his movie dad telling him.

Turns out, Walter’s hesitancy to embrace Buddy was Caan being “annoyed” with Ferrell.

“I love that the whole time, like, he’s not acting. He’s truly annoyed with me,” Ferrell said. “He’s like, ‘Can this guy shut the f**k up? Jesus.’ So I literally drove him crazy in that movie, just acting like that kid.”

“But that was so funny, he’s walking out, shaking his head and going like, ‘Great job, I thought you were way too over the top. But no it’s brilliant, it’s brilliant.’”

Stream Elf on Max and Hulu.

Taron Egerton Didn’t ‘Want to Go Full Tom Cruise’ in ‘Carry-On’

Mandi Kerr — Fri, 20 Dec 2024 02:45:00 +0000

Taron Egerton is in his action movie era in Carry-On but he’s not going “full Tom Cruise.” The actor didn’t want to emulate the Mission: Impossible star too much in Netflix’s new Christmas thriller. Egerton’s reason why, ahead.

Taron Egerton is a TSA agent trying to prevent a Christmas Eve disaster in ‘Carry-On’

Rejoice, Die Hard fans because Carry-On combines Christmas—it opens with Bruce Springsteen’s “Santa Clause Is Comin’ to Town”—and the excitement of an action movie with the gripping scenes of a thriller.

Directed by Jaume Collet-Serra (The Shallows), it follows Ethan (Egerton), a 30-year-old TSA agent who has to work on Christmas Eve. But it’s not like any other holiday shift.

Ethan tries to, as the movie’s logline says, “outsmart” Ozark alum Jason Bateman’s villain “who blackmails him into letting a dangerous package slip onto a Christmas Eve flight.” Ethan is told all he has to do is nothing. Simply let a certain carry-on bag with a tiny but festive red ribbon pass through security.

Spoiler: That’s not what he does. Ethan goes to great lengths in an effort to prevent mass casualties. Along the way, there are Christmas lights, festive music, loved ones (Sofia Carson), Santa hats, and other hallmarks of the season—long lines at airport security and stressed-out travelers.

Egerton didn’t want to be ‘too refined’ running like Tom Cruise in ‘Carry-On’

Speaking to ComingSoon, Egerton discussed his “Tom Cruise-style runs” in Carry-On. Spoiler: He does a lot of running through the airport—part of the movie was filmed at Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport in Louisiana—while trying to defeat Bateman’s mysterious character.

“Yeah,” Egerton said with a laugh when asked about his form and prep for the running scenes. “It’s so hard, running is really ingrained in you. I think your style of running, it’s hard to change, you know? It’s not an easy thing to alter.”

The 35-year-old continued, saying he didn’t want his running to look too picture-perfect. Why? Because of his character. Sure, Ethan’s a former high school track star but he’s also an “ordinary guy.”

“I did think about it a little bit. I wanted to not look too ridiculous doing it. But to be honest […] I also didn’t wanna look too refined doing it,” he said. “Because the movie kind of lives and dies on him seeming like he’s not that great at things.”

“You know, he’s an ordinary guy who’s a little bit useless in some respects, kind of rising to the challenge,” the actor explained. “So my vanity meant that I tried to make my run look not look too ridiculous, but my kind of creative hat also said, ‘Hey, you don’t want to go full Tom Cruise.’”

It’s all part of Egerton’s calling card as an actor. “I think I’m the guy you call if you want it to feel like a guy that you believe is real,” he told Variety. “I’m a bit more of an everyman. So I think when I read the script, I was like, ‘Yeah, I’m the right guy to do this.’ I hope that I’m someone that you relate to as an ordinary person.”

Taron Egerton in ‘Carry-On’ | Sam Lothridge/Netflix

Taron Egerton finds the Tom Cruise comparisons ‘very flattering’

Asked if his Carry-On character’s name, Ethan, is an homage to Mission: Impossible, Egerton shared that although he doesn’t know the answer “the same [thing] did occur to” him. “And people have asked me about my running, which has been very flattering. But I don’t know. I think probably a coincidence, but it may well be.”

As for how Cruise might feel about another action movie Ethan, Egerton doesn’t think he’s concerned. “I [have] got a feeling Tom Cruise isn’t going to be quaking in his boots about me playing another Ethan in an action film,” he added. “But I’m happy for you to draw the parallel.”

Carry-On is streaming on Netflix.

How ‘Friday the 13th’ Inspired a Movie About Santa Claus

Matthew Trzcinski — Tue, 17 Dec 2024 04:58:33 +0000

One of the most famous horror films of all time was Friday the 13th. While the movie was not a critical success, it inspired numerous slasher movies that came after it — including a Christmas horror movie about a killer Santa Claus. The film in question is very different from Friday the 13th in a lot of ways. It’s actually a lot better than its fore-bearer.

‘Friday the 13th’ was part of a wave of slasher films that inspired a killer Santa Claus movie

1980 was the year of the slasher film. Some of the slasher titles released that year include Christmas Evil, New Year’s Evil, Prom Night, Terror Train, He Knows You’re Alone, Funeral Home, Maniac, Mother’s Day, and Don’t Answer the Phone! While some of these films are underrated or have cult followings, the only slasher films from 1980 that spawned franchises are Friday the 13th and Prom Night — and the former series is so much more famous than the latter!

In a 2013 interview with The Duquesne Duke, producer Scott Schneid discussed the origin of his movie Silent Night, Deadly Night. “I received a screenplay from a former student from a college screenwriting course I taught,” he said. “It was called He Sees You When You’re Sleeping. It was very amateur: a slasher movie with a Santa Claus character in it.

“Even though the screenplay was unprofessional, there was an idea embedded in it — a psycho dressed in a Santa Claus suit — I felt was fantastic,” he added. “This was the time of the first Friday the 13th and Halloween, and I said, ‘Wow. No one’s done anything like this for a teen audience: what about a killer Santa?’ We threw the script out basically and developed a whole new project.”

‘Silent Night, Deadly Night’ was not the 1st flick about a murderous Santa Claus

Interestingly, Schneid was wrong about Silent Night, Deadly Night. It was not the first slasher movie about a killer in a Santa Claus suit. Christmas Evil and To All a Goodnight are both about murderers who dress like Jolly Old Saint Nicholas. However, both of those movies flew under the radar.

Writer Michael Hickey was brought in to pen a new screenplay for Silent Night, Deadly Night. Hickey discussed how the relationship between the final film and his script. “As for changes going into production, the movie as it stands, is at least 99% faithful to the script that was turned in,” he recalled. “The dialogue is all verbatim, except for that of one actor — the actor who played Andy, Billy’s boss in the stock room of the toy store, ad-libbed a couple of lines of dialogue.” Hickey said that he hates hearing the ad-libbed dialog when he watches the film.

Why ‘Silent Night, Deadly Night’ is a better movie than ‘Friday the 13th’

While Friday the 13th and Silent Night, Deadly Night are both slasher movies, they take very different approaches to the genre. The latter is a whodunnit with little to no character development. Meanwhile, Silent Night, Deadly Night is essentially a character study about its villain. While Silent Night, Deadly Night, is the more complex film, Friday the 13th is more famous. That’s because it was distributed by Paramount Pictures.

Love or hate Friday the 13th, its influence on the horror genre is hard to overstate.

This Santa Claus Horror Movie Was Hugely Controversial

Matthew Trzcinski — Sun, 15 Dec 2024 12:43:38 +0000

There are more holiday horror movies out there than you might think. Despite the religious connotations of the holiday, few Christmas horror movies have stirred up much controversy — but a Santa Claus horror movie proved there are exceptions to every rule. Here’s a look at a little slasher movie that started a moral panic because of its Yuletide trappings.

A Santa Claus horror movie was part of the wave of movies inspired by ‘Halloween’

After John Carpenter’s Halloween became a smash, several other filmmakers sought to cash in on it by making holiday slasher films. Christmas is the most lucrative holiday on the American calendar, so it’s no surprise that the 1980s saw a crop of Yuletide horrors. Some of those films include Christmas Evil, Don’t Open till Christmas, To All a Goodnight, and The Dorm That Dripped Blood.

One of the most brutal was Silent Night, Deadly Night. It centers on a young boy whose parents are killed by a man in a Santa Claus suit. As he grows up, he unwinds and becomes the very man who destroyed his childhood. The film’s exploration of sexual violence and religious abuse is surprisingly nuanced for an exploitation film.

However, some families were not having it. The fact that the movie depicted a killer dressed as Santa Claus was too far. During a 2013 interview with The Duquesne Duke, writer Michael Hickey discussed the controversy surrounding Silent Night, Deadly Night.

“It all happened at once, on the day that it opened, I guess,” he said. “I read about it [in] the newspaper, and we started calling each other to talk about it. We started to notice that it was getting a level of coverage that was completely out of proportion.”

The writer of the iconic Santa Claus horror movie said the controversy was ‘hilarious’

Hickey said one of the most prominent news personalities of the time spotlighted Silent Night, Deadly Night. “Dan Rather did a story about it on the CBS Evening News, People Magazine did a story on it … Entertainment Tonight interviewed me onscreen, and we all did radio interviews,” he recalled. “It snowballed: it became a thing of the moment; there must have been nothing happening with the news. It took over to a degree that I find astonishing and hilarious.”

Hickey noted that Santa Claus has a godlike power, as he judges children’s souls. “That’s why the concept is so workable: and why people get it immediately,” he said. “They’re being threatened with the Santa Claus myth: he knows if you have been bad or good, so be good for goodness’ sake. It sort of begs the question of, ‘For what?’ Our movie set out to answer that question.”

The legacy of ‘Silent Night, Deadly Night’

While other slasher movies like Psycho, A Nightmare on Elm Street, and Child’s Play have become iconic, Silent Night, Deadly Night is famous only to dedicated horror fans. That’s a real shame. If you have a taste for the macabre, penetrating character studies, or offbeat Christmas entertainment, Silent Night, Deadly Night is worth a watch. It’s provocative — but it’s not edgy for edge’s sake. The film is a lot more artistic than most exploitation pictures.

Controversy made Silent Night, Deadly Night notable — but its quality has helped it last for decades.

The Best Christmas Horror Movie Ever

Matthew Trzcinski — Sun, 15 Dec 2024 04:46:06 +0000

For a holiday that’s supposed to be about Jesus Christ and/or family (depending on your religious persuasion), Christmas has inspired a lot of horror films. The best Christmas horror film upset a lot of parents and children. That doesn’t change the fact that it’s a masterpiece.

The best Christmas horror film was part of the 1980s slasher trend

Why are there so many Christmas horror films? Perhaps it’s because the wholesomeness of the holiday lends itself to so much bloody subversion. Some Christmas horror films have been widely praised, including Gremlins, but the majority haven’t received their dues.

For example, the original Black Christmas from 1974 paved the way for the slasher boom, but few people who aren’t horror fans have heard of it. Similarly, Christmas Evil is a fascinating character study but it was overshadowed by Friday the 13th, another slasher flick that came out in 1980. Silent Night, Deadly Night wasn’t exactly ahead of the curve, but it was the best of its kind.

Released in 1984, the 1980s slasher craze had slowed down a bit by the time that Silent Night, Deadly Night entered theaters. The film focuses on Billy, a child who was traumatized when a man in a Santa Claus suit killed his parents. Subsequently raised in an abusive orphanage, he eventually gets a job in a toy store. When he’s asked to play the part of Old Saint Nick, his mind starts to unravel.

What makes ‘Silent Night, Deadly Night’ the best Christmas horror flick

Silent Night, Deadly Night sticks out from other slasher movies because it focuses on the life of the killer from his childhood to his eventual outburst of violence. The early scenes are harrowing. They make the later scenes feel more justified.

On top of that, the movie is more hardcore than most of its genre. The tone is meaner, the violence is more potent, and the dark humor is sharper. If you thought Gremlins was a good Christmas horror comedy, wait until you’ve seen Silent Night, Deadly Night spoof the Grinch.

The film was controversial before it found an audience

The Duquesne Duke reports the movie was inflammatory for portraying a killer Santa. In 2013, screenwriter Michael Hickey said it eventually found an audience. “To me, that’s a relatively recent occurrence,” he said. “I think it has to do partly with the big leap in video and the internet, which has allowed Silent Night, Deadly Night fans to come out of the closet, after seeing other people’s comments on YouTube, where somebody wrote on some of the clips as, ‘This is the greatest Christmas movie ever made!'”

Producer Scott Schneid said the controversy helped Silent Night, Deadly Night. “When there is a repression of something — and if that something is intended for a rebellious teenage audience, that increases its cult factor,” he opined. “If it is being repressed, people want to see it much more. It was banned in the U.K. until 2009. It was on video in the United States for a while, but then some of the video companies went out of business, and for a while, the only copy available was a big box VHS, which was selling on Amazon for $125. All of these amplified the cult significance of the film.”

Silent Night, Deadly Night is one of the biggest cult horror movies of the 1980s — and it deserves some more mainstream appreciation.

The Beatles: Some Fans Express Disappointment Over Paul Mescal and Barry Keoghan Biopic Casting

Emma McKee — Sat, 14 Dec 2024 00:26:00 +0000

Though not yet confirmed by the studio, Paul Mescal and Barry Keoghan appear to have roles in the upcoming films about each of the Beatles. Rumors about both actors’ connection to the films have swirled for months now, but sources outside of Sony Pictures have spoken about their casting. Some Beatles fans don’t seem all that happy with the casting of Mescal and Keoghan, who will play Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr, respectively.

Paul Mescal and Barry Keoghan have seemingly been confirmed to play The Beatles

Mescal recently starred in Gladiator II and is slated to work with director Ridley Scott again in The Dog Stars. When asked about Mescal’s involvement in the project, Scott wondered if another film might get in the way. He seemingly confirmed Mescal’s rumored role as McCartney.

“Yes,” Scott said, per The Hollywood Reporter, before amending, “Maybe. Paul is actually stacked up, doing the Beatles next. So I may have to let him go.”

Barry Keoghan, Paul Mescal, and Kerry Condon | Emma McIntyre/Getty Images

Starr himself appeared to confirm that Keoghan will play him when he was asked about the rumored casting.

“I think it’s great,” Starr told Entertainment Tonight. “I believe he’s somewhere taking drum lessons, and I hope not too many.”

Some fans don’t seem happy with the casting

While some have celebrated the fact that two Oscar-nominated actors might soon play Beatles, other fans are skeptical. When discussing Mescal’s role as McCartney, some fans said that he looks little like the round-faced, boyish McCartney.

“Looks nothing like Paul, sounds nothing like Paul,” one Reddit user wrote.

Another noted that Mescal looked more like Lennon than his bandmate. Others said that the looks didn’t matter as long as the performances were strong.

“I think that people are a little too caught up in the look of the actors,” another Reddit user wrote. “From what I’ve seen of their work, all four of them are good actors (especially Mescal and Keoghan), so even if they don’t look too much like the lads I don’t really mind.”

Others have complained about Keoghan’s casting as Starr, though many agreed that he looked the part.

“The Saltburn guy is an absolute no for me I don’t even care who he plays,” wrote one person.

Multiple other users expressed their desire to see new, unknown actors in the roles. Both Mescal and Keoghan have acted in a number of high-profile films in recent years.

“Okay, so over 60 years later, the Beatles are still four of the most famous people to have ever lived,” someone wrote. “I know [rumored John Lennon actor Harris Dickinson], Mescal, and Keoghan are ‘buzzy’ actors, but in my opinion, they are too well-known, and the whole time, I’d be thinking, for example, ‘that’s Barry Keoghan,’ not ‘that’s Ringo.’ People are going to be interested in these movies no matter who’s in them. Why not take the opportunity to cast actors who can really disappear into these roles?”

Paul Mescal once addressed the rumors about his role in the Beatles film

Unsurprisingly, Mescal has faced media questions about whether or not he has the part. He recently said the role would be a dream.

“It would be an incredible story to be attached to,” he told Entertainment Tonight. “The fact that Sam Mendes is attached to direct, like truly, it would be a dream come true.”

Paul Mescal | Slaven Vlasic/Getty Images for the American Museum of Natural History

He refused to comment on whether or not he officially had the part.

“No, no, no — we’re not going there,” he said.

The 5 Best Christmas Horror Movies Ever

Matthew Trzcinski — Fri, 13 Dec 2024 12:00:00 +0000

Christmas is supposed to be about joy, so it’s surprising that there are so many Christmas horror movies. Perhaps we need some darker movies to capture the downsides of the holidays. Furthermore, who would have guessed there are two good movies about killers dressed up as Santa Claus?

5. ‘Christmas Evil’

Harry is a down-on-his-luck toy factory worker. His childhood trauma has left him with an unnervingly intense obsession with Old Saint Nick. As his life gets worse, he starts to believe he’s Santa Claus himself. That doesn’t stop him from getting violent.

This little-seen gem was released at the height of the slasher film boom in 1980. While a movie like Friday the 13th goes for the jugular, Christmas Evil is a slow burn. It’s more about character and atmosphere than bloody violence. Stuff it in your stocking — if you dare!

4. ‘Gremlins’

Gremlins starts as a cute family film a la E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial — another Steven Spielberg project. It’s about a teen who comes into possession of an adorable creature called Gizmo. He just has to follow three rules: don’t get Gizmo wet, don’t let him go out in the sunlight, and don’t let him eat after midnight. Of course, this is a move, so things go awry and Gizmo ends up spawning hungry green monsters called gremlins.

Like Jaws before it, Gremlins married the plotline of a 1950s monster flick with hip humor and the best effects Hollywood could produce. While the film’s shift from being a family flick to being a horror film works, the movie is arguably at its best during its early, sentimental scenes.

3. ‘Krampus’

In German folklore, Krampus is a demon who aids Saint Nicholas by punishing naughty children. The film Krampus was the first major motion picture about the character. It was quite the debut. Like Gremlins, Krampus is an appetizing mix of the tropes we expect from Christmas movies, mayhem, and dark humor.

In the film, Krampus is terrifying, but he has an even more interesting cadre of demonic helpers. The group includes a razor-toothed teddy and a snake-like jack-in-the-box. If you have any love for monster movies, Krampus will go down as smooth as a glass of eggnog.

2. ‘Black Christmas’

The success of John Carpenter’s 1978 film Halloween started a wave of slasher movies, many of which were set around holidays. Black Christmas came out in 1974 and had many of the same tropes, including a final girl, a hidden killer, and a focus on promiscuous youths. Arguably, Black Christmas is the better-written film — even if it lacks a killer Carpenter score.

What makes Black Christmas so haunting is the way it handles its villain. I don’t want to spoil it. Once you watch the film, you’ll never look at glass unicorns the same way.

1. ‘Silent Night, Deadly Night’

After watching a criminal in a Santa suit murder his parents, Billy grows up traumatized in an orphanage. He starts integrating into society by getting a job in a toy store. When Billy’s boss forces him to play Santa, his mind begins to fracture.

Unlike most horror films of its era, Silent Night, Deadly Night fleshes out its killer to the degree that’s both fascinating and unnerving. The sex and violence take on a much nastier tone than genre fans expect. With its social commentary and twisted gags, Silent Night, Deadly Night might be the most underrated slasher film ever — and it’s the best of the Christmas horror movies.

Fiona Apple’s Father Is a Killer Santa Claus

Matthew Trzcinski — Fri, 13 Dec 2024 03:48:42 +0000

The best Christmas movies are full of surprises. For example, you wouldn’t expect to use the phrases “Fiona Apple” and “killer Santa Claus” in the same sentence. However, Apple’s father played a killer Santa in one of the most interesting horror films of the early 1980s. Here’s a look at a hidden Christmas chestnut of a movie that’s perfect for lovers of the holiday season and the macabre.

Michael Myers paved the way for Fiona Apple’s father to play a killer Santa Claus

Firstly, some background. In 1978, John Carpenter’s Halloween was a massive hit. In 1980, the film industry tried to cash in on its success by producing a glut of slasher films set around holidays and special events, including New Year’s Evil, Terror Train (which is also set on New Year’s Eve), Prom Night, Friday the 13th, and Mother’s Day. Perhaps the most unusual of the bunch was Christmas Evil, a film that has more in common with Martin Scorsese’s Taxi Driver than it has with A Nightmare on Elm Street.

Christmas Evil centers on Harry (played by Brandon Maggart), a low-level toy factory worker who is obsessed with Christmas. There’s more Santa Claus memorabilia in his home than in the Christmas decoration aisle at Home Depot. The film is a slow-paced character study depicting Harry steadily losing touch with reality. By the end, he believes he is Santa — and he goes on a killing spree.

Why this killer Santa Claus movie actually works

The premise of Christmas Evil could easily have descended into unintentional camp. Despite this, it’s actually pretty eerie. Maggart makes Harry feel real and sympathetic — up to a point. The entire film rests on his shoulders. Between Maggart and his daughter, artistic talent seems to run in the family.

The decision to make Christmas Evil a look into a tortured man’s psyche makes it more memorable than most of its peers. The film also has a bold ending that you’ll never forget.

Why Fiona Apple’s father was cast in the movie

Christmas Evil was directed by Lewis Jackson. During a 2005 interview with Film Threat, the director revealed why he cast Maggart as his killer Saint Nick. “Something about the way he pantomimed carrying the sack on his back,” Jackson revealed. “I was looking for something visual to connect it and he gave it to me. His background was in theatre and musical comedy on Broadway and comedians make good dramatic actors.

“Harry’s descent is expressed almost solely through nuances and facial expressions,” he added. “Was that hard to capture and convey? I only know one way to work and it’s mostly instinctive. I don’t think I was aware of anything more than the fact that I wanted to convey things visually. If possible I like the pictures to tell the story without the dialogue. Only later did I actually realize, when looking at the movie many years later, that much of what was happening seemed to be to possibly be all in Harry’s head.” Jackson said that he didn’t intend for the film to take place in Harry’s mind, with the exception of one crucial scene.

Whether you’re interested in Apple’s background, character studies, or Yuletide horror, Christmas Evil is well worth your time.

Will Smith Teases ‘I Am Legend 2’ Secrets: Only True Fans Will Fully Understand the Sequel

Ali Hicks — Mon, 09 Dec 2024 19:36:47 +0000

Will Smith recently attended the Red Sea International Film Festival. The 56-year-old made the rare appearance as he rebuilds his public image after the infamous 2022 Oscars incident where he slapped Chris Rock. In addition to addressing the “adversities” he’s faced over the past few years, Smith shared “too much information” about the I Am Legend sequel.

Will Smith revealed more than ever about the ‘I Am Legend’ sequel

Will Smith at the Opening Ceremony of The Red Sea International Film Festival 2024 | Arnold Jerocki/Getty Images

Smith recently sat down for an intimate conversation with Samira Turkestani at the Red Sea International Film Festival. The Q&A host hinted at I Am Legend 2, with Smith excitedly holding back a smile. The Men in Black star explained, via BRICS Global Television Network, that he has “a call with Michael B. Jordan tomorrow” as the large audience of journalists cheered.

Will Smith on December 5, 2024 in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia | Tim P. Whitby/Getty Images for The Red Sea International Film Festival

Smith elaborated, “The script just came in — I’m probably giving up too much information. Michael B. Jordan and I — you have to be a real I Am Legend buff, but in the first one in the theatrical version, my character died. And everybody’s like, ‘Wait a minute. How is he going to make a part two if his character [died]?'” Fans of the post-apocalyptic action thriller know about the heartbreaking scene where Smith’s character, U.S. Army virologist Robert Neville, kills both himself and attacking Darkseekers with a grenade, saving the cure for the lethal virus.

Will Smith and Alice Braga film ‘I Am Legend’ in New York City on October 15, 2006 | James Devaney/WireImage

If you’ve seen the tragic end to the theatrical version, you’ve got to check out the DVD ending of I Am Legend. Smith explained during his Red Sea Film Festival interview, “On the DVD, there was an alternate version of the ending of the movie where my character lived. So we’re going with the mythology for the DVD version where my character lived. And I can’t tell you anymore. But Michael B. Jordan is in, and we’re doing it.”

What motivated Will Smith to greenlight ‘I Am Legend 2’?

Vin Diesel and Will Smith at the Red Sea International Film Festival 2024 | Daniele Venturelli/Getty Images

In an age where it seems like every successful TV show and movie gets a sequel, prequel, or reboot, some wondered about Smith’s motivation for I Am Legend 2. However, the Bad Boys star told the Red Sea audience, “My thing with the sequel is I refuse to make one just to make a sequel. I’m always trying to figure out what is the elevation of the character? What is the new idea? What is the change that will match the changes in our lives?”

Will Smith poses with Abby, the dog from ‘I Am Legend,’ on December 10, 2007 | Kevin Winter/Getty Images

Smith promised attendees that Neville’s character will “grow and learn and expand as we’re learning and growing and expanding in our lives.” He stated he would make the I Am Legend sequel not just “because it would be cool to make a sequel,” but “make it because there’s something new to say and there’s something new to share.” What does this mean? Hopefully, a sequel of substance for fans of the 2007 film.