These past few years Shudder has become the number one stop for streaming great horror content. One of the most popular shows on the service has been Cursed Films, a series that examines the many myths, legends, and tales about some of Hollywood’s most iconic horror films and franchises. All of these have had numerous issues prior to and during filming, featuring conversations with cast and crew who were there to witness these tragedies firsthand and some still bear the weight of them to this very day.
Today Shudder releases its anticipated second season as Cursed Films returns with a whole new 5-part documentary focusing on more notoriously “Cursed” productions. When people look at films that are super beloved, and when they hear stories about the difficulties or tragedies that happened on set they then go on to ascribe that production as a “Cursed Film”.
All the films in this new season have a darker thread but Cursed Films 2 gives viewers a great look into the world of factory filmmaking and also an eye-opening dissection of the many deep tragedies of some of Hollywood’s most beloved films.
Episode one of season II takes us further down the yellow brick road than ever before and showcases an emotional, nostalgic, and troubled examination of one of Hollywood’s greatest Achievements, The Wizard of Oz. Released back in 1939 on the cusp of WW2 and post The Great Depression created an illusion of a hopeful, brighter future. It’s a story about good vs evil, wanting more, and longing to go home that features a variety of colourful characters, dazzling effects and a pleasant soundtrack of gleeful songs. To this very day, The Wizard of Oz is still treated as an iconic family film and is preserved in the library of congress in the United States Film Registry for being culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant.
But what if I told you that The Wizard of Oz is one of the most infamous cursed films of all time and has been the subject of more speculation as the film suffered from many bizarre, horrific moments during production. Episode 1of Cursed Films II dives into the stories that are outside the box and showcases the good which unfortunately behind the scenes was terrible working conditions and the treatment of its cast. The show ultimately makes it more about the people they’re interviewing and how their experiences have changed them, such as showcasing Judy Garland’s unintentional addiction mirroring her own daughter overcoming hers and the unfortunate event during filming where Margaret Hamilton sustained 3rd-degree burns whilst filming her exit as The Wicked Witch of the West in MunchkinLand and the efforts she took. Hearing her son tell during the interview that she made up a story about dressing up In a Mummy costume for a role so that he wouldn’t be scared when she came home with bandages from the injuries she suffered.
The large portion of the first episode showcases the tarnished legacy surrounding the Munchkin cast as rumours began to pour through Hollywood of drunken and sexual behaviour which was started unintentionally by Garland herself. These words plagued the cast for years and ruined their reputation and turned them into laughingstocks. Throughout the episode, Hollywood and the production are described as a factory with dangerous working conditions due to the ignorance of the studio.
With many of the children of the actor’s being interviewed with their own insights, we also see a Wizard of Oz theme park with character actors who took on these roles after becoming inspired by what they saw growing up. This episode’s roster also includes Mythbusters host Adam Savage and Gregg Turkington, both offering insights into the mysteries of the hanging Munchkin and the make-up poisoning of Jack Haley who was supposed to play the Tin Man.
VERDICT
I’m officially hooked on the returning series it highly produces an examination of the many myths and tales of horror classics with a pure cinematic lense. Director Jay Creel’s second season maintains its focus on the film and its stories.
The following piece was written during the 2023 Writers Guild of America (WGA) and Screen Actors Guild and American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA) strikes. Without the labor of the writers and actors currently on strike, the movie material being covered here wouldn’t exist.
Genre: Horror
Release Date: 6 October 2023 in theaters / 27 October 2023 on Shudder
Director: Demián Rugna
Writer: Demián Rugna
Distributed by: IFC Films & Shudder
Production Companies: Shudder, Aramos Cine & Machaco Films
Thanksgiving | Official Trailer — In Theaters November 17, 2023
After a Black Friday riot ends in tragedy, a mysterious Thanksgiving-inspired killer terrorizes Plymouth, Massachusetts – the birthplace of the infamous holiday.
The following piece was written during the 2023 Writers Guild of America (WGA) and Screen Actors Guild and American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA) strikes. Without the labor of the writers and actors currently on strike, the movie material being covered here wouldn’t exist.
Genre:
Horror, Mystery, Thriller
Release Date:
November 17, 2023
Director:
Eli Roth
Cast:
Patrick dempsey, Rick Hoffman, Gina Gershon, Addison Rae
Plot Summary:
After a Black Friday riot ends in tragedy, a mysterious Thanksgiving-inspired killer terrorizes Plymouth, Massachusetts – the birthplace of the infamous holiday.
The following piece was written during the 2023 Writers Guild of America (WGA) and Screen Actors Guild and American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA) strikes. Without the labor of the writers and actors currently on strike, the movie material being covered here wouldn’t exist.
Plot
When a group of friends discover how to conjure spirits using an embalmed hand, they become hooked on the new thrill, until one of them goes too far and unleashes terrifying supernatural forces.
Sophie Wilde as Mia (A24)
Movie Review
The movie starts off with quite a shocker, leaving you with a few questions. It doesn’t take too long to get into the action and soon you realize you are in for quite a scare. In a nutshell, the movie is about a group of friends playing a timed game where the communicate with the dead using an embalmed hand, and allow the dead to speak through them, with the emphasis on timed. However, as with all rules, some end up broken, and when the game goes on a little too long things go south, resulting in far reaching consequences. The main protagonist in the story Mia plays this game of talking with the dead, while at the same time working through the loss of a loved one as well. As a viewer I experienced her feelings of grief and it felt real because her performance was just next level.
Both Sophie Wilde and Joe Bird‘s performance as Mia and Riley really grips you, making the feelings of fear on-screen real for the audience. The make-up and effects throughout the movie was really done brilliantly. The ending delivers a unique twist making you hungry for more action and story. The cast really brought life in a horror story focusing around the dead.
Talk To Me (A24)
There is no post-credits scene, so no need to wait to the end. Trailer is amazing and delivers an even greater scare and doesn’t spoil any important parts of the movie. My rating for Talk To Me is 5 out of 5. Talk To Me is a bone-chilling supernatural horror that delivers a real scare on-screen, hands down. I’m all for seeing a possible sequel of Talk To Me one day, or even a prequel where the origin of the embalmed hand is unpacked. But the movie is still brilliant as a stand-alone movie.
Make sure to catch it at a cinema near you or watch online.