URHorror Newsletter: Week of 4.19
ABIGAIL Review; Aerophobia in Horror; A24 X IMAX; CHUCKY Recap
Hello all my horror friends and fiends. Summerween is revving up with non-stop releases and announcements. The First Omen came out last week and Abigail releases today. It’s only just beginning!
What are your most anticipated releases for the summer? Let me know in the comments or on social.
The Unbound & Rewound Horror Podcast turned 2 this month! I want to do a little giveaway on Instagram to celebrate, so stay tuned for that. Thank you so much for your support and love for horror! Without you, I wouldn’t be in Dread Central’s Black Horror Directory AHHHHHH
Horror News
A24’s Hereditary Comes Back To Theaters
The Ari Aster horror classic that rocked the genre is making its way back into theaters on April 24th for only one day! This time, you’ll get a never-before-seen IMAX viewing. This is the second screening for the partnership of A24 and IMAX. If you were one of the unlucky viewers who first caught it on streaming or wish to see it on the big screen again, grab your tickets!
Chuck S3: EP 5 Recap
Part 2 of the Chucky series kind of made me sad for Chucky. His cancer has significantly progressed since the last time we saw him. It’s clever the way that Don Mancini is drawing parallels between the aging of men and Chucky’s experience as a killer doll. For example, his erectile dysfunction (16:00):
This season, more than anything, reminds you of Chucky’s humanity: whatever he has left of it. Don still has some tricks and treats up his sleeve for the franchise. Though the series hasn’t been renewed for another season yet, there’s hope on the horizon!
ABIGAIL Review
A vampire ballerina with daddy issues feels like something on the whiteboard from Cabin In The Woods. Leave it to Radio Silence to execute it well. Abigail is a great example of how the horror genre’s foundation isn’t based on making you jump or giving you nightmares. It can be fun and thrilling and gross.
This will mostly be compared to M3GAN for their shared tones and dancing killers. However, the scoring of Swan Lake created a gothic atmosphere with the backdrop of the aged mansion. They brought the Nosferatu-look back for this creature design which made Abigail much more menacing. Who is Radio Silence without a little meta-humor though? The nods to vampire media serve as a reminder that this isn’t an attempt to build something new but to enhance what already exists.
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The cast was phenomenal: Melissa Barrera and Kathryn Newton stole the show of course. The black guy doesn’t die first (but second)! However, Angus Cloud’s character (or was it just him lol) gave the narrative a classic 90’s arc with the stoner archetype. Sadly, this was his first and last horror movie.
This doesn’t go without saying that the movie didn’t lack in an area or two. It’s an absolute blood fest, but it throws you right into the middle of the action which later sets it up to lose its thrill a bit. I kind of wish they had maintained the secrecy of Abigail’s vampirism. At least that way, the anticipation we feel in the beginning isn’t solely based on the fact that they’re gonna get killed eventually.
Make sure to get your tickets and support Melissa Barrera for her support of Palestine!
It’s Not That Deep…
But it always is, isn’t it? This week’s topic of discussion is a societal fear that manifests in horror films from the late 90’s to the early 2000s: aircraft incidents. I was watching Urban Legend: Final Cut (2000), which opens with a scene reminiscent of the first Final Destination.
It’s possibly my favorite installment to the cult slasher. I had to look up what year the film came out because I figured it was an aftershock of 9/11 trauma. However, the fear of flying existed before the fear of hijacks. From the 1996 TWA Flight 800 explosion to 1972 Uruguayan Air Force Flight 571 disaster that inspired Showtime’s Yellowjackets, the unpredictability of airplanes is something you try not to think about as you board your flight. 47,719 fatal injuries were reported in 2019 and dated back to 1982. The Boeing 737 airliners make up 6,000+ of that total number. Sam Salehpour, a former Boeing employee, spoke against the company and its faulty manufacturing of a different aircraft. And that is what you would call the crux of capitalism.
That’s a wrap!
That’s all I’ve got for you this week. We’re only two weeks out from Season 7 of the podcast! Catch up on Season 6 and mark your calendars. I’ve got some great summer book picks, a super gay Pride series, and lovely guests planned.
oh my god congrats on being in the Dread Central directory! that is so exciting!! :) are you going to see hereditary next week?