What Could Have Been: It Came from Beneath the Sea

A new feature that will appear from time to time, ‘What Could Have Been’ will look at movies that had a chance of being something special, but, due to script, production, budgetary, or any other type of issue, it does not reach its full potential. . . first up, Brian De Palma’s 2019 Danish (though English language) crime thriller Domino. When it comes to Brian De Palma, you tend to fall into two camps. . . defender or trasher. I have long been a huge fan, so when you hear that he is finally filming a new movie some seven years after his last picture, it is cause for excitement. Though, soon after, rumblings were heard. . .problems with the producers, the budget, the script. . . making everyone, even ardent De Palma fanatics, a tad apprehensive.

Predicted winners, who should win, and my favourites from this year's Oscars (the 91st Academy Awards). Catch up on all the buzz before the big event.

This second Missed the Bloody Cuts feature of 2018 (which follows the article posted on September 23rd) will also be the closing chapter of this year’s run of horror movies leading up to Halloween. And it has been nothing but a violently good run – spooky comedies from the Golden Age of Hollywood, cult classics, B horror flicks, British takes on the genre and everything in between. . . and this second set of reviews (which falls just below the 7.0 rating) resuscitates two lesser known 1970's motion pictures back from the grave. 1972's Season of the Witch (originally released as Hungry Wives and then re-released as Jack’s Wife) is the third film from zombie mastermind George A. Romero, a witch-tinged drama with horror themes. Following housewife Joan Mitchell (Jan White), the woman is haunted by her subconscious. . . living in a sedate marriage with a controlling husband who is oft on the road, Jack (Bill Thunhurst), the troubles of her bland life come out in her peculiar, disorienting dreams.

A tradition that started last year, I decided that I would highlight some of the horror movies that did not meet my strict criteria (a rating of 7.0 or higher). . . as I realized that they are still entertaining films (horror fanatics may enjoy) that do not deserve to be left behind like the weakest link in a group of friends in a slasher flick – and that they are definitely worth a watch (just maybe not several re-watches). As you can imagine, I’ve been powering through a plethora of horror features as we speed towards Halloween, and, instead of posting one massive selection of Missed the Bloody Cut reviews at the end of October, I have decided to break it into two parts.

With a horror-rock tinged twist, this year’s CAPE – Cornwall and Area Pop Expo (the fourth iteration), was a huge success. Uniting aficionados of motion pictures, comics, collectables, costumes and music (everything under the pop culture umbrella) together, the Benson Centre, usually a chilly ice rink, was hot with bodies, eager event goers, ranging from wide-eyed children to decades long collectors, exploring the varied booths, finding treasures for their homes, meeting friends old and new. Gracing the floor were three horror related actors: Ari Lehman, Jayson Warner Smith, and Randy Havens. Ari Lehman can be best described as the “First Jason”, Voorhees, that is. . . playing the small but integral part in the first feature of the franchise, 1980's Friday the 13th, directed by Sean S. Cunningham. He is part of one of the greatest jump scare moments ever caught on film (the genesis of a character that would become, by the third motion picture, the masked murderer that has been ingrained in the minds of countless generations of movie watchers). He has also frequented many Indie horror flicks, The Barn, Pi Day Die Day, Terror Tales and this year’s yet unreleased Rock Paper Dead (co-written by original Friday the 13th scribe Victor Miller and directed by Fright Night and Child’s Play director Tom Holland), to name but a few.

A few nights ago, I had a rather interesting brainstorm: for a change of pace (as most of my reviews are more seriously constructed), I would, from time to time, post completely fabricated facts revolving around the movie world. Some will poke fun at silly aspects found (or ignored) in films, while others will satirize the supposedly real happenings of the movie world behind the scenes. Just in case you haven’t seen the films joked at below, a very short synopsis has been added next to its bolded/italicized title. So, this is my first go at it. . . feel free to let me know what you think in the comments section below (and why not try your hand at creating something fun revolving around a feature you’ve recently seen).