The Accursed Film and Bad Ass Women in Horror

Categories
Best Of Best of Movies Featured Reviews

The Accursed is a beautifully crafted folk horror tale of betrayal and a curse that spans generations. Hana spends twenty years suppressing a maleficent curse that was placed upon her bloodline, only to have a family member knowingly release it forcing her to kill or to be killed. This creeping darkness of a film is beautifully set, acted, and filmed. The music by Tasos Eliopoulos sets the mood perfectly behind the scenery. Fun fact – they did the entire music production over zoom. 10 extra stars for making it happen during a pandemic.

From witches to New Orleans based hexing the Accursed blends lore from different cultures to bring you one cohesive, scary storyline. Salting the earth to block evil from touching you – check, egg shells to protect against angry spirits – yep. It’s a well paced slow burner, but not without jump scares and some real graphic horror scenes in the end.

Who is Behind This Dark Horror Film?

The short answer is “bad ass women.” Almost Normal  Productions was born through relationships that span two decades back to 1999 in Chicago where founders Kathryn Michelle and Elizabeta Vidovic met in an acting class. Elizabeta’s daughter Izabela Vidovic is the third member of the team. She has her own history of acting in films and TV including horror shows such as Zombieland the series (a favorite around here) and iZombie. Switching from acting to producing was natural for Elizabeta and Kathryn as they sought to create films that were better content for themselves. Izabela who still does a lot of acting readily tackles a lead role in The Accursed. They are all on a mission to change how women are perceived in horror — they simply want “more women that save their own asses.”

Almost Normal Productions Crew Kathryn Michelle, Elizabeta Vidovic, and Izabela Vidovic

Elizabeta Vidovic brings in her roots from Bosnia into the feel of The Accursed with small details like traditional tattoos she recalls from her childhood. The setting and actors create a specific eerie tone and it feels like you are somewhere in Eastern Europe living the curse, with the family throughout the film.

This team is close and the entire time I spoke with them I felt like I was speaking to one extended family. Izabela has been working with Kathryn and Elizabeta since she was 7. They have worked through growing families, pregnancy during fundraising, and it all shows in the passion and connectedness they have on and off screen. The Accursed is just the beginning with horror for this group.

I’d be missing my right arm without Kathryn

Elizabeta Vidovic co-founder Almost Normal Productions

We explored their roots of horror, which included the classic 80’s and 90’s slashers like Halloween, Motel Hell and Scream to Guillermo Del Toro’s Pan’s Labyrinth. But, even with the usual classics in the arsenal they see women in horror making a different impact on the genre.

Female voice becoming more prevalent – We’re seeing a shift in horror because women are getting more opportunities. More and more female filmmakers are entering the genre. This will shift the industry. It’s a good time to be a female in the industry. Women simply explore different topics in horror.

Kathryn Michelle – co-founder Almost Normal Productions

The Accursed reached the #1 Indie Horror film spot on Apple TV soon after release, Nov 12th 2021. It remains popular and available on most streaming channels such as Amazon, Apple TV, and many more streaming options which you can view here.

When asked what to expect next from them.

You can expect Badass women

Izabela Vidovic co-founder Almost Normal Productions

With all up and coming artists we talk to the question of advice comes up. When asked what would you tell your past self heading into the daunting task of creating a film production company the group responded with wisdom that only real experience can bring.

Elizabeta – “This is going to take a minute” 

Kathryn — “It’s not as scary as you think, don’t let anybody tell you should not be in film making”

Izabela — “It’s not that complicated, so don’t stress so much”

This is a bright, talented, and energetic team and I for one cannot wait to see what they create next. I really hope it’s more horror!

blank

Advertisements

Join "The Horror List" for Weekly Horror in your inbox






Filmmaker Mike Schiff Live With Doug Bradley

Categories
Featured Horror News

Filmmaker Mike Shiff will be live on Down To Hell 8pm EST Thursday January 27th 2022 with Hellraiser Star (pinhead) Doug Bradley to talk horror, metal, and life. Mike Shiff’s documentary “The History of Horror and Metal” explores the originals and relationship between two genres that pair like a fine wine and cheese, horror and metal.

The Down To Hell Twitch show hosted by Doug Bradley has had some amazing guests in 2021 including Piggy D from Rob Zombie and Robert Englund who we all know as Freddy Krueger. Doug Bradley aka Pinhead and Steph Sciullo have been hosting the weekly show since the summer of 2021 featuring giveaways, horror influencers, musicians, actors and horror creators. Down To Hell never disappoints the discerning horror fan.

Director Mike Schiff

Mike was born and raised in The Bronx, NY. He has worked in film, video, and television production since the late 90’s, working at the Howard Stern Show for eight years and starting his own production company, M.A.S. Productions Inc. Mike has filmed and edited music videos for John Carpenter, Fozzy, and Charred Walls of the Damned. He also filmed John Russo’s latest feature, My Uncle John is a Zombie.

​Being a fan of both heavy metal and horror, Mike felt it was time to make a documentary exploring the reasons why the two genres go hand in hand. For The History of Metal and Horror, Mike also serves as producer, writer, director of photography, and editor. 

Mike Shiff reviews the history of heavy metal music and horror movies, and explores how the two genres have merged over time. Famous metal artists share their first introduction to the horror genre, while horror film icons discuss their connections, tastes and interests to metal artists.

The History of Horror and Metal features some of the biggest stars from each genre. Such as Alice Cooper, Rob Zombie, Dave Mustaine, Kurt Hammett, Corey Taylor, Jonathan Davis, Marky Ramone, Don Dokken and many more.

The History of Metal and Horror Trailer

blank

Advertisements

Join "The Horror List" for Weekly Horror in your inbox






Scream’s Ghostface Mask History and Variations

Categories
Featured Lifestyle Scary Movies and Series

Much as Jason Vorhees forever changed the hockey goalie mask Ghostface has brought fame and fortune to the Scream movie mask or is it the Ghostface mask, well really it was called “The Peanut-Eyed Ghost,” but we’ll get to that. Since the original Scream movie the mask has taken off in popularity and there are dozens of variations, fan versions, and remakes available. In the mid 1990s it is widely considered the highest selling Halloween mask and continues to sell thousands a month and even more in September and October.

History of the Ghostface Scream Mask

Scream was originally going to be called “Scary Movie,” but after the Scream’s Ghostface mask was discovered the movie title was eventually changed to “Scream.” Mostly likely due to mask’s inspiration from the impressionistic painter Edward Munch´s “The Scream” – 1893.

Edward Munch´s “The Scream" oil painting

Ghostface’s Scream mask was originally discovered at a scouting location once used by an Alfred Hitchcock film, by Marianne Maddalena. Much like there are different killers in the Scream franchise, there are different stories as to where the mask was found from a box to draped over a chair, but what remains consistent that it was discovered on a location scouting mission.

This is like the famous Scream painting

Wes Craven

After the generous home owner let them take the mask the production team set to making their own variation. The script called for a mask that you might find at a “dime store” and after 20 variation attempts the team was still not able to create something satisfactory.

They must’ve done 20 different designs. Every one of them was rejected by the studio, and finally we were like, why don’t we just get the rights to this mask?

Behind the Scenes Scream

Concept Art of the Variations

ghostface scream mask concept art
ghostface scream mask concept art two designs
ghostface scream mask concept art with scary teeth
ghostface scream mask concept art 12 variations

Finally, it was suggested that they simply get the rights to use the mask. The original mask was created by “Fun World” and it was called “The Peanut-Eyed Ghost.” Fun World currently sells 9 variations of the mask but they are a retail distributor so you cannot buy just one directly from them, sorry. The Ghostface scream mask was originally designed by Brigitte Sleiertin for the “Fantastic Faces” series somewhere around 1994. She noted that she was influenced by the Scream Painting but also:

I just loved all vintage animation and that fluid, almost rubbery movement

Brigitte Sleiertin original Scream Mask Designer

But the saga continues. Her boss at the time, Alan Geller, has claimed he actually created the mask, but nothing has surfaced to date to prove that.

Scream Behind The Scenes Documentary

Ghostface Scream Mask Variations

Fun World made a guide of many of the face mold options, but there is more than just the molds. There are color variations, themes, and anniversary editions all out there for your collection.

Scream mask variations

2022 Ghostface Mask Variations

The Patriot, Pumpkin, Pride, Blood, Dead by Daylight Ghostface mask and more. These Ghostface Masks are currently Available at Horror Hub Marketplace

Older Ghostface Mask Variations

2018 Ghostface Mask Variations

blank

2017 Ghostface Mask Variations

blank

Scream the Series Masks

MTV’s adaptation of the movie franchise ran for 3 seasons. For the first two seasons the series did not use the official Ghostface Mask. Instead it ran with a variant of sorts. More of a post surgical mask, but with some reference to the original. This did not go over well with die hard Scream fans so in season 3 MTV got the rights from Fun World to use a proper Ghostface mask.

Scream mask from MTV series with a man holding a knife

The future of the Scream mask seems certain, more variations! Until then stay creepy and enjoy the upcoming 5th release this week.

blank

Advertisements

Join "The Horror List" for Weekly Horror in your inbox






Two Cenobites Talk Horror and Life

Categories
Featured Horror News

Down To Hell hosted by Doug Bradley (Pinhead) and Barbie Wilde will be live on Horror Hubs Twitch Thursday January 13th, 2022 5pm PST – 8pm PST chatting live and answering questions from Fans.

Pinhead and the female cenobite from hellraiser 2 hellbound

Down To Hell enters its second year and the live show has already had some horror fan favorites including Robert Englund (Freddy Kruegar). Started in 2021 Doug Bradley and Co Host Steph Sciullo have been answer fan questions, hanging out with horror icons, and talking about everything from horror to how to say french fries in England (turns out it’s “chips”).

clive barkers pinhead character showing demon with pins in his face and head
Doug Bradley as Pinhead

Since his school days Bradley has been close friends with Clive Barker. In the seventies Bradley and Clive Barker founded the progressive theatre group “Dog Company”. While Barker worked on writing with his friend Peter Atkins (script-writer for several Hellraiser films), Bradley started acting. Bradley made it to the Movie Monster Hall Of Fame with his role as the cenobite, Pinhead, who he portrayed in eight of the Hellraiser movies.

Female cenobite from hellraiser 2 with blood on her face

In pursuit of an acting career, Canadian actress Barbie Wilde moved to London, England many years ago. Wilde has performed in cabaret in Bangkok; traveled to Bombay to appear in the Bollywood blockbuster, ‘Janbazz’, which also starred Anil Kapoor of ‘Slumdog Millionaire’ fame; robotically mimed with English TV legends Morecombe and Wise; and danced professionally at the top nightclubs of New York City, London and Amsterdam with the dance/mime group, Shock. She has also appeared as the Female Cenobite in the classic cult horror movie ‘Hellbound: Hellraiser II‘ and as a vicious mugger in ‘Death Wish III’.

blank

Advertisements

Join "The Horror List" for Weekly Horror in your inbox






Book Recommendation – “The Twisted Ones” by T. Kingfisher

Categories
Best Horror Books Best Of Featured

The Twisted Ones by T Kingfisher has some suggested reading before you dive in. You will want to go back to the 1890’s when the short horror story “The White People” was first written. This line, which will inevitably haunt you, “Then I made faces like the faces on the rocks, and I twisted myself about like the twisted ones, and I lay down flat on the ground like the dead ones” comes directly from “The White People.” The White People” is a short horror story by Welsh author Arthur Machen. Written in 1899 and first published in 1904 in Horlick’s Magazine, then reprinted in Machen’s 1906 collection The House of Souls.

The Twisted Ones carries forward this haunting tale. The original story was influential on some of the horror greats including H.P. Lovecraft.

“Machen’s narrative, a triumph of skillful selectiveness and restraint, accumulates enormous power as it flows on in a stream of innocent childish prattle”

H. P. Lovecraft

You can read “The White People” free here on Puzzle Box. It is a public domain work at this point in time.

The Twisted Ones Synopsis

When Mouse’s dad asks her to clean out her dead grandmother’s house, she says yes. After all, how bad could it be?

Answer: pretty bad. Grandma was a hoarder, and her house is stuffed with useless rubbish. That would be horrific enough, but there’s more—Mouse stumbles across her step-grandfather’s journal, which at first seems to be filled with nonsensical rants…until Mouse encounters some of the terrifying things he described for herself.

Alone in the woods with her dog, Mouse finds herself face to face with a series of impossible terrors—because sometimes the things that go bump in the night are real, and they’re looking for you. And if she doesn’t face them head on, she might not survive to tell the tale.

The Twisted Ones Review Quotes

This folk horror book has some great reviews.

Innovative, unexpected, and absolutely chilling, T. Kingfisher isn’t just breaking into the horror scene, she’s breaking it down.  With a hammer.

Hugo and Nebula Award-winning author Mira Grant

Laden with cosmic fright, The Twisted Ones connects the foreboding of ancient folklore with the horrors of modern life. But it does so with a sharp, witty voice and a compelling first-person protagonist who finds herself precariously straddling worlds she never knew existed.

Jason Heller ― NPR Books

We loved this book so it is our recommended read for this week.

Puzzle Box may earn a commission when you buy through links on our site.

The Twisted Ones book cover featuring a spooky house in dark woods
blank

Advertisements

Join "The Horror List" for Weekly Horror in your inbox






Join The Horror List