Latest news with #Scooby-Doo
UPI
a day ago
- Entertainment
- UPI
Famous birthdays for June 1: Nikki Glaser, Willow Shields
Entertainment News // 5 hours ago Lillard: 'Chuck' is a beautiful articulation of the wonder of life NEW YORK, May 31 (UPI) -- "Five NIghts at Freddy's," "Scream" and "Scooby-Doo" icon Matthew Lillard says he has found a kindred spirit in "The Haunting of Hill House" creator Mike Flanagan.
UPI
a day ago
- Entertainment
- UPI
Matthew Lillard: 'Chuck' is a beautiful articulation of the wonder of life
1 of 2 | Matthew Lillard can now be seen in Mike Flanagn's film "The Life of Chuck," which is based on a Stephen King novella. File Photo by Chris Chew/UPI | License Photo NEW YORK, May 31 (UPI) -- Five NIghts at Freddy's, Scream and Scooby-Doo icon Matthew Lillard says he has found a kindred spirit in The Haunting of Hill House creator Mike Flanagan. Lillard met Flanagan about two years ago through a mutual friend and his since gone on to co-star in the writer-director's celebrated movie, The Life of Chuck, as well as collaborate with him on a unique venture in which Flanagan penned, "Rare Fine & Limited," an exclusive novella, to pair with a high-end liquor from LIllard's horror-themed Find Familiar Spirits line of libations. The actor recently told UPI at New York Comic Con that he wasn't familiar with Flanagan's work before he went out to lunch with him and his friend. "We got along great, and at the end of it, he was like, 'We're going to work together some day,' and I was like, 'Cool,'" Lillard recalled. "I was dropping my middle child off at Carnegie-Mellon [University] and I get a phone call and he's like: 'Hey, I have this opportunity. It's very small, but a piece I'm passion about. it's not going to define our relationship. I do not expect you to take it,'" the actor said, referring to the role in Chuck. "And I was like, 'I'll take the shot. I'm in.'" He ended up binging Flanagan's work, which also includes The Haunting of Bly Manor, Midnight Mass and The Fall of the House of Usher. "I fell in love with him and I fell in love with the way he works," Lillard said. "He's doing really cool things I want to be a part of." When he actually read the script for Chuck, Lillard was glad he didn't hesitate to say "yes." "I have a 5-minute piece. It's very small, but I found something in it that I fell in love with," Lillard said, noting he really believed in the movie and was happy it was a hit at last year's Toronto Film Festival. "I think the most profound thing for me -- other than sitting behind Stephen King and Mark Hamill [at the screening] -- was it is a three-act movie, going backwards and, in between the two acts, there's a 15-second run of black and, in a theater of 2,000 people, you can hear a pin drop and the standing ovation afterwards was one thing, which I sort of would expect, but the quiet, profound silence and the darkness was unforgettable." Despite its unique story-telling devices, the film -- in theaters Friday -- is a meditation on humanity, according to Lillard. "It's a little weird and awkward, outside the box. There's so much Doom's Day talk [in reality]," he said. "Here's this movie that is this beautiful articulation of the wonder of life." Because of his talent and sensibilities, Flanagan was a natural choice as a partner for Lillard's high-concept spirits company, which tells an ongoing story through 16 different product drops. "Each bottle has the next chapter of the story," Lillard added. "The whole thing is not what do we sell to a community, but what do we bring to the idea of literary horror, combined with a really delicious, hand-selected Sotol. It's a love language to horror films." Lillard said he and his partners asked Flanagan, who is sober, to be the first "voice of this brand," by writing a story that would be between 10,000 and 12,000 words. "He ended up writing just over 80,000 words," the actor added. Looking back on his career, Lillard said he is grateful that, for the past 30 years or so, he has been able to work consistently in projects he's proud of and that audiences of all ages let him know how much they enjoy. "People have always rooted for me," he said. "I feel like I've gotten a little bit of a comeback and it's really humbling and lovely to have that opportunity and I have been super-lucky," Lillard added. "I really thought I would end up doing Renaissance fairs for the rest of my life [when I was younger]. I really thought I would be the Green Knight at Medieval Times."
Yahoo
4 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Common Cause: GOP-led citizenship requirement may upend Michigan voting protections
Ned Oliver/States Newsroom Michigan has been fortunate to have few recent attacks on voting rights from the state Legislature, but a House Republican-led initiative calling for proof of citizenship to vote could curtail newly adopted constitutional protections, Common Cause Michigan said Thursday. The assessment of Michigan's voter protections came during a virtual press call hosted by the national branch of Common Cause, which featured updates on legislative voting rights attacks in Florida, North Carolina, Michigan and Texas. Quentin Turner, executive director of Common Cause Michigan, said the fundamental right to vote in Michigan is mostly secure thanks to constitutional protections passed by voters in recent years. Those protections, however, could be at risk with House Republicans pushing for a constitutional amendment requiring proof of citizenship in order to register to vote. If the effort prevails and a potential voter cannot produce those documents, they would be denied registration in the state. Turner said House Joint Resolution B, put forward by Rep. Bryan Posthumus (R-Rockford), was one legislative avenue Republicans used to try and institute the change. Turner said Posthumus' resolution was 'an attempt at Scooby-Doo level villainy.' 'It wears the mask of election security, but when you pull it off, you see it's been voter suppression the whole time,' Turner said. The measure needed a two-thirds majority vote of the House to pass, but it failed to meet that threshold when it came to the House floor earlier this month, with Republicans only able to muster a simple majority. The measure is pretty much dead in the water legislatively, Turner said, but the threat has not passed. Two approved ballot measures mirror the resolution and its requirement for proof of citizenship to register to vote, and the groups behind them could start collecting signatures soon. '[The resolution and the ballot measures] would cause several problems for current and future eligible voters, including additional red tape, additional financial burden, delays, confusion within clerks' offices and [voters] potentially being removed from voter rolls with minimal warning,' Turner said. 'It would block access to the ballot for millions of Michiganders who lack the right documents to comply, but are American citizens eligible to vote, nonetheless.' The effort would cut across wide swaths of the voting public here in Michigan, but would be especially harmful to rural voters, voters who've changed their name from their birth name for any reason, student voters, Black and brown voters and elderly voters, Turner said. Common Cause Michigan mobilized hundreds of its members to urge representatives against Posthumus' resolution when it was moving through the House. That included an email writing campaign directed at legislators on both sides of the political aisle. The same effort would be put toward educating citizens on the ballot measures, Turner said. 'Just like we did with [the resolution], Common Cause Michigan is going to educate, organize and mobilize Michiganders so we can take the mask off these two-faced ballot measures and hinder efforts from those who attack our fundamental right to vote,' Turner said. Turner was asked about the Michigan Department of State's recent report on the number of non-citizens who were found to have voted illegally in 2024, which totaled 16 individuals. The department has since referred 13 of those cases to the Michigan Department of Attorney General for possible criminal charges. Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson said then that the issue was serious but one that needed to be addressed 'with a scalpel, not a sledgehammer,' referring to Posthumus' resolution and the efforts to put proof of citizenship on the ballot. A reporter asked Turner what a scalpel approach would look like as opposed to the alleged sledgehammer proposed by Republicans. Although Turner did not give a clear example, he said he agreed with Benson's assessment. 'If you're trying to put a nail into your wall, you don't take a sledgehammer to it and destroy the wall. And this is exactly what this type of policy is doing,' Turner said. 'This is an overreaction that would put millions of legal Michigan votes in jeopardy. And I think we've shown time and time again, over many, many years, that elections in Michigan are free, fair and safe, and there is no exceptional voter fraud that's happening in the state. And this legislation is attempting to continue this narrative that just doesn't exist in Michigan.' In response, Posthumus told Michigan Advance that the characterization of his resolution and the ballot measures was 'ridiculous,' and that he believed 85% of the state's population agreed that only U.S. citizens should vote in Michigan elections. That includes support for a requirement for presenting photo identification when appearing at a polling place to cast a ballot. 'This is absolutely a no-brainer,' Posthumus said. Although his resolution failed when it came up for a vote on the House floor, Posthumus said the caucus left open the option to bring it back. Whether that occurs is still an open question, but Pothumus said a legislatively-approved constitutional amendment would have to go before the voters, either way, and that there was more than one way to get there. As to the idea that non-citizens voting in Michigan elections was not a major issue for the state, Posthumus said the story keeps changing when convenient for the Michigan Department of State. 'A year ago, our secretary of state said that there's no evidence that any non-citizens voted in our elections. Then, in October, it was, 'OK, but it's only one [non-citizen] voting in our election,'' Posthumus said. 'Now it's 16. The fact of the matter is, we still don't know that [total number], and there is no mechanism by which we can know with any certainty how many non-citizens are voting in our elections.' Posthumus said that was besides the point because the 2000 presidential election was decided by just over 500 votes and, more recently, a Michigan House election was decided by less than 20 votes. 'Every single legal vote matters, and every single illegal vote shouldn't be counted,' he said. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
Metro
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- Metro
Free streaming service adds iconic 90s horror before remake hits cinemas
If you're a staunch believer that the original is always better than the modern day remake, it might be time to check out this classic 90s horror film before the new version hits cinemas this year. Time and time again, production studios aim to capitalise on the success of an earlier film by updating its storyline for today's audiences. But all too often, fans are let down as the new film struggles to find its own voice. Ahead of this year's release of I Know What You Did Last Summer, starring Madelyn Cline and The Studio star Chase Sui Wonders, you can decide for yourself after Tubi added the original slasher flick to its completely free streaming service. As part of a new release of titles coming to Tubi in the UK this June, Jim Gillespie's iconic horror film is available to watch. Released in 1997, it follows four teenage friends who are stalked by a hook-wielding killer after they accidentally ran over a man and dumped his body to conceal their secret. Starring Scooby-Doo and Buffy the Vampire Slayer star, Sarah Michelle Gellar, and her husband Freddie Prinze Jr., the film has become a beloved staple of the horror genre. In 2021, Amazon Prime Video created a TV series based on the original film which starred Madison Iseman. But, in 2022 director Jennifer Kaytin Robinson and screenwriter Leah McKendrick successfully pitched an idea for a new installment in the franchise to Sony Pictures. Action Accident Man: Hitman's Holiday Redemption (2013) River Wild Southern Comfort Takers (2010) Comedy Bad Neighbours Bad Neighbours 2 Cuckoo Employee of the Month Julie & Julia The Dick Van Dyke Show The Munsters Walk of Shame Documentary Horror I Know What You Did Last Summer Romance Sci-Fi and Fantasy The new film will be the fourth in the I Know What You Did Last Summer franchise and will serve as a direct sequel to the previous 1997 version. This time around, five friends similarly kill a pedestrian in a car accident and cover up their involvement. However, after a stalker becomes hell-bent on killing them, they seek help from the survivors of the infamous Southport Massacre of 1997. Among the other titles coming to Tubi this month are several films from the Resident Evil Franchise, along with Priest (2011) and The Mist. Based on the popular Japanese video game franchise, Tubi is boasting 'Resident Evil', 'Resident Evil: Apocalypse', 'Resident Evil: Extinction', 'Resident Evil: Afterlife', 'Resident Evil: Retribution' and 'Resident Evil: The Final Chapter' on its platform from June 1. More Trending Numerous other hits, such as Bad Neighbours, River Wild and Employee of the Month will be coming to the site. In the sci-fi region, District 9 and Elysium, which stars Matt Damon, will also be available for you to binge. Tubi is a free streaming service. Got a story? If you've got a celebrity story, video or pictures get in touch with the entertainment team by emailing us celebtips@ calling 020 3615 2145 or by visiting our Submit Stuff page – we'd love to hear from you. MORE: Here's what we know about the new horror movie leaving people 'fainting in cinemas' MORE: The completely free streaming service with 80,000,000 users that's 'better than Netflix' MORE: This cult classic horror would work perfectly as a TV show
Metro
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- Metro
Friday the 13th is getting a TV series, and this supernatural chiller should too
The Friday the 13th TV series, Crystal Lake, has risen from the depths once more since A24 and Peacock have reportedly begun production after months of doubt. Series creator Brad Caleb Kane recently posted a photo of a Crystal Lake production draft script on Instagram, and not long after, it was announced that Scooby-Doo's Linda Cardellini would be playing Mrs Voorhees. Crystal Lake joins the likes of The Exorcist, Scream, Child's Play, Psycho, and Evil Dead making the leap from the big screen onto our televisions. It's not the only huge horror franchise making its way to TV in the near future, as HBO's Welcome to Derry is set to explore the origins of Stephen King's IT. With various horror films being transformed into TV series which explore their lore, there is one underrated gem that seems perfect to binge-watch on a streaming service. 2001's Thirteen Ghosts. Based on the 1960 film of the same name by William Castle, Thirteen Ghosts begins with ghost hunter Cyrus Kriticos (F. Murray Abraham) and his psychic assistant Dennis Rafkin (Matthew Lillard) trying to capture a spirit – but it kills Cyrus in the process. We then skip to Cyrus' nephew Arthur (Tony Shalhoub), his children Kathy (Shannon Elizabeth) and Bobby (Alec Roberts), and their nanny Maggie (Rah Digga), learning that Arthur has inherited Cyrus' mansion. Dennis, who tracks them to the house, recognises barrier spells on the glass, deducing that 12 angry ghosts of the Black Zodiac have been trapped in the house. Unbeknownst to the family when they enter, the house contains a machine powered by the ghosts, which allows whoever uses it to see the past, present, and future – they later find out it is fueled by the creation of a 13th ghost. Cyrus' estate agent Ben (JR Bourne) accidentally triggers a mechanism that unleashes the ghosts. And with that, chaos ensues. My best friend introduced me to the film during a sleepover when we were both 10 years old, and I instantly became obsessed with the quirky, camp chiller blending heart-pumping jump scares, witty one-liners, and a gripping backstory that hooks you in and keeps you seated. We poured over the DVD extras long after we'd told her mum we'd go to sleep, learning all about the backstories of the weird and terrifying ghosts stalking Cyrus' home. While Thirteen Ghosts doesn't reinvent the haunted house genre – it certainly didn't do well at the box office nor make a splash among critics – Steve Beck's fun, frightening flick has what it takes to grip the hearts of a brand new generation of TV lovers. One common comment from fans of the cult film is that there is a real interest to learn more about the ghosts, which have so far only been elaborated on in the DVD's special features. The feature-length film doesn't give us enough time to understand their lives before the afterlife, what exactly led to their untimely demise or how they were captured by Cyrus. We could have an anthology-style series, with each episode focusing on a different ghost from the Black Zodiac, or cutting between their backstory and the mysteries in the present as Dennis, Arthur, and his family become trapped. The film told us that the ghosts died across history, from the Pilgrims through to modern day, covering everything from serial killers getting their comeuppance to tragic accidents and sinister murders. But delving into them individually could be a perfect way to learn more. It could create settings and character types to suit all types of horror fans, whether you opt for a classic slasher, a true crime thriller, or a gooey creature feature. These ghosts have origin stories that cover several themes still prevalent today, such as The Hammer being a Black man whose wife and children were brutally killed by racists, forcing him to take revenge in his grief. The Angry Princess took her own life as she could never truly be happy with her appearance following a cosmetic surgery gone wrong, and The Pilgrimess was tortured to death on the suspicion that she was a witch. The First Born Son /Billy Michaels, a child accidentally shot in the head with an arrow /Billy Michaels, a child accidentally shot in the head with an arrow The Torso /Jimmy 'The Gambler' Gambino, a gambling addict murdered by a mobster, loosely based on the real-life Cleveland Torso Murders /Jimmy 'The Gambler' Gambino, a gambling addict murdered by a mobster, loosely based on the real-life Cleveland Torso Murders The Bound Woman /Susan LeGrow, a woman murdered by her boyfriend for cheating /Susan LeGrow, a woman murdered by her boyfriend for cheating The Withered Lover /Jean Kriticos, the wife of Arthur, who died in a house fire /Jean Kriticos, the wife of Arthur, who died in a house fire The Torn Prince /Royce Clayton, a high school student who drove off a cliff in a drag racing accident when his brake line was cut /Royce Clayton, a high school student who drove off a cliff in a drag racing accident when his brake line was cut The Angry Princess /Dana Newman, a woman suffering from Body Dysmorphia Disorder, who takes her own life following a cosmetic surgery gone wrong /Dana Newman, a woman suffering from Body Dysmorphia Disorder, who takes her own life following a cosmetic surgery gone wrong The Pilgrimess /Isabella Smith, a woman confined to the stocks to starve to death after being accused of being a witch /Isabella Smith, a woman confined to the stocks to starve to death after being accused of being a witch The Great Child and The Dire Mother /Harold and Margaret Shelbourne, sideshow workers with a tragic backstory. Margaret is suffocated to death by the carnival workers, while Harold is executed after taking revenge /Harold and Margaret Shelbourne, sideshow workers with a tragic backstory. Margaret is suffocated to death by the carnival workers, while Harold is executed after taking revenge The Hammer /George Markley, a man brutally tortured and murdered by racists who also tormented and killed his family /George Markley, a man brutally tortured and murdered by racists who also tormented and killed his family The Jackal /Ryan Kuhn, a terrifying sexual predator who died in a fire at the asylum he was eventually committed to /Ryan Kuhn, a terrifying sexual predator who died in a fire at the asylum he was eventually committed to The Juggernaut/Horace 'The Breaker' Mahoney, a serial killer gunned down by a SWAT team during his eventual capture Racism, violence against women, and impossible beauty standards are themes we can still connect to now, just like we could in the 2000s. Aside from the backstory of the ghosts, the idea of a group trapped in a strange home with supernatural beings they can only see through specialist goggles is a recipe for tense scares and intrigue. Ghostly thrillers in a simple location have proved a hit on streaming services – look at Haunting of Hill House – thanks to the nerve-shredding atmosphere where malevolent spirits invade a space that should feel safe. As well as the mystery of the undead, there is a survival thriller element, with our subjects trying desperately to uncover the purpose of the house – and find out where exactly the 13th Ghost is. Then, there's Cyrus Kriticos himself – the enigmatic villain. More Trending Thirteen Ghosts currently sits at a 19% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, and made a lowly $68 million (£51 million) at the box office, yet it has gained an avid cult following over the years, dubbing it a classic horror film. Film franchises with far less source material have made multiple seasons of television, and yet Thirteen Ghosts has lore stretching through centuries, ready to terrify a new generation. If any horror film deserves to be turned into a TV series, it's the laugh-out-loud yet jump scare-laden Thirteen Ghosts – Netflix, if you're reading, let's make it happen. View More » Thirteen Ghosts is available to rent or buy on Amazon Prime Video, Apple TV+, and the Sky Store Got a story? If you've got a celebrity story, video or pictures get in touch with the entertainment team by emailing us celebtips@ calling 020 3615 2145 or by visiting our Submit Stuff page – we'd love to hear from you. MORE: Donald Trump will soon learn the EU is no pushover MORE: I'm a terrible mum – and proud of it MORE: Viewers have unsettling Final Destination experience after life imitates art in cinema
