Latest news with #horror
Gizmodo
25 minutes ago
- Entertainment
- Gizmodo
‘Suzzanna: The Queen of Black Magic' Is a Colorful Portrait of a Cult Horror Legend
Suzzanna: The Queen of Black Magic offers an excellent introduction to the Indonesian movie legend, but it's a fun watch even if you're already familiar with her work. Just about the only prerequisite for enjoyment is being a horror fan, because David Gregory's documentary is packed with clips from Suzzanna's gloriously over-the-top filmography, especially her much-loved early-'80s entries. 'The Queen of Indonesian Horror,' as she came to be known, was born during World War II; she knew from an early age that she wanted to be a movie star. When she was just a teen, her first film role brought her critical acclaim. But she didn't truly ascend to her genre throne until the 1980s, when she starred in a series of gruesome shriekers playing characters—inevitably, a woman who rises from the grave in search of vengeance—based on well-known monsters from Indonesian folklore. As you'd expect, Suzzanna: The Queen of Black Magic explores the life and career of Suzanna Martha Frederika van Osch—she was half-Dutch, which explains the last name. But it also digs into her impact on Indonesian cinema by touching on the country's complicated political and cultural history, particularly as it ran alongside her rise to fame. It's context that adds so much more to her story—as does the film's inclusion of her personal struggles, especially the death of her son when he was just a teenager, to help us understand the emotions that guided her performances. And speaking of those performances, while Suzzanna—as she was credited on-screen; she added a 'z' to make her name sound more mysterious—had beauty and talent, she also had an inherent spooky quality that, as contemporary Indonesian horror director Joko Anwar says in the documentary, puts her on a level with Boris Karloff, Vincent Price, and Bela Lugosi. Her eyes—haunting, mournful, electric—were her trademark, and as a fan points out here, 'She could play a role with just her gaze.' Suzzanna cultivated an off-screen mystique that paralleled the roles she chose; she conducted magical rituals as she was getting into character, and many fans believed she herself had supernatural powers, an outlook she seems to have encouraged. She was unusually dedicated to her craft; at one point we hear from a makeup artist who recalls Suzzanna specifically wanting to use living snakes in a headdress she wore in Nyi Blorong to ensure maximum authenticity. Throughout the documentary, it's emphasized how Indonesian culture is strongly influenced by its legends and ghost stories. Among the producers, scholars, admirers, friends, and family members who show up as talking heads, there's also a Javanese mythology professor. This perspective helps viewers who aren't Indonesian understand the significance of Suzzanna portraying traditional folklore characters, most of whom have the same long, dark hair and high-pitched cackle-laughs and are motivated by themes revolving around pregnancy, childbirth, and revenge. Usually, it's revenge against a particularly deserving man, but Indonesia's cruel upper classes also felt the sting of her wrath, which further elevated her to hero status among her fans. Seemingly few interviews with Suzzanna exist; what we see of her beyond film clips is taken from press conferences, where she avoided discussing her personal life. But Suzzanna: The Queen of Black Magic does dig into a late-in-life scandal revolving around her second husband. We meet him early in the film as he shows us around the home they shared, including the room where Suzzanna died in 2008. If you notice he still looks rather young, that's because, as we later find out, they met when he was playing her teenage son in Sankuriang. They married despite their significant age difference—and then co-starred in another film, again as mother and son!—and the romance led to inheritance-adjacent tension with Suzzanna's daughter and son-in-law. That rift later erupted into violence and what appears to be an ongoing feud even after her death. It's messy drama—with Suzzanna's reaction to it captured by an emotional showing for the press—that still can't overshadow what's contained in Suzzanna's filmography. But it does make Suzzanna: The Queen of Black Magic a documentary that has more twists and turns than your typical restrospective. Along with the documentary now streaming on Shudder, the horror platform has added four of cult-favorite films that are prominently mentioned in it: Sundelbolong (1981), The Queen of Black Magic (1981), Nyi Blorong (1982), and Sankuriang (1982). It'll be difficult to resist immediately diving right into them after you glimpse all the clips teasing their lurid delights. Want more io9 news? Check out when to expect the latest Marvel, Star Wars, and Star Trek releases, what's next for the DC Universe on film and TV, and everything you need to know about the future of Doctor Who.
The Sun
an hour ago
- Entertainment
- The Sun
I visited grim, gory London Dungeons & was frightened out of my wits – it's a perfect day out with teenage kids
THE door slams shut as we enter the waiting lift . . . Everything goes black and starts to shake. 3 3 Could we actually be stuck here? After a bit too long, the door creaks open and we pile out with relief. My 15-year-old daughter Dulci and I have come to The London Dungeon for the afternoon to be frightened out of our wits! We start by moving through a dense corridor where we are stalked by some eerie screams. We're scared already, so link arms. Then the 90-minute tour begins. As we enter a series of rooms, the grimmest, goriest stories of London's history are played out before us, by actors who are more convincing than they need to be. We're in London's notorious Newgate prison, where a witch in a cage is loudly proclaiming her innocence. It's not the most salubrious of places. But wait, it's pitch black again. Oh no, now what's going on? Well, that would spoil it, wouldn't it? Let's just say it's an immersive experience. 3 Dulci deals with it by keeping her eyes firmly shut. By now we are holding hands — very tightly. We find ourselves in Mrs Lovett's pie shop. She is besties with Sweeney Todd, the crazed and murderous demon barber. Her hearty-looking pies are filled with . . . no, let's not go there. But the blood and gore theme has just got started. There is a dead body before us lying on a slab. Who knew an audience at an autopsy of a plague victim with a deranged surgeon could be so much fun? In fact, it is the highlight of the afternoon for Dulci. What is so glorious about The London Dungeon experience is that you know something scary is around the corner, but you can't figure out what. You can't even get any respite in the loos — as there are screams and wails in there, too. We had a memorable experience and Dulci said it was just the right level of scariness. Afterwards, it was surreal emerging into the light on the South Bank, with the Houses of Parliament standing serene across the river.
CNN
4 hours ago
- Entertainment
- CNN
Coroner says ‘Annabelle' doll was not present in the hotel room where paranormal investigator Dan Rivera suddenly died
A Pennsylvania coroner is revealing new details surrounding the sudden death of Dan Rivera, a noted paranormal investigator who was on tour with the Raggedy Ann doll known as Annabelle, made famous by 'The Conjuring' horror film franchise, when he died. Francis Dutrow, coroner in Adams County, PA, told CNN on Thursday that the doll was not present in the hotel room where Rivera died earlier this week in Gettysburg. He was reportedly 54. Ever since the death was reported by the New England Society for Psychic Research (NESPR) via a press release posted to Facebook on Tuesday, horror and supernatural fans have theorized about a possible connection between the Annabelle doll, which Rivera was seen handling during the 'Devils on the Run Tour' over the weekend, and his death. The case remains an'active investigation,' according to the coroner, with autopsy results expected in eight to ten weeks. Pennsylvania State Police public information officer Megan Frazer shared a report on Wednesday citing details that match Rivera's case, and stated that 'nothing unusual or suspicious was observed at the scene.' On Tuesday, NESPR posted to social media announcing 'the sudden and heartbreaking loss of our dear friend and colleague' Rivera. 'Dan was not only a vital part of our team for over a decade, but also a deeply compassionate, loyal, and dedicated friend.' Rivera was affiliated with the Warren Occult Museum in Connecticut, which shared on its Facebook page that he 'played a vital role in the museum's operations, often responsible for transporting and safeguarding Annabelle during public appearances and private events.' 'He was respected for his careful approach and deep respect for the artefact's (sic) alleged supernatural reputation. Rivera's sudden passing has shocked both colleagues and paranormal enthusiasts worldwide.' NESPR's statement also said Rivera was a US Army veteran, and that he 'worked closely with' Lorraine Warren – the late famed paranormal investigator who determined that the real-life Annabelle doll was demonically possessed in 1968. Warren was portrayed by actor Vera Farmiga in the 'Conjuring' films, an immensely successful horror franchise that has also seen sequels and standalone spinoffs, including 2014's 'Annabelle' and 2018's 'The Nun.' A new sequel starring Farmiga and Patrick Wilson, titled 'The Conjuring: Last Rites,' is due in September.
Yahoo
7 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
'I have great plans and ambitions': Noah Hawley's multi-season vision for 'Alien: Earth' has me counting down like it's Christmas
When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. Ask literally anyone in my life what I talk about most, and I'd bet 100 facehuggers they'll say 'Alien.' Considering this is my favorite franchise and a full-blown obsession at this point, 'Alien: Earth' is naturally my most anticipated series of the year. The sci-fi horror show is fast approaching. We're now just under a month out and with the world premiere happening at San Diego Comic-Con next week, the marketing has kicked into high gear. That includes the latest issue of SFX magazine, which features 'Alien: Earth' on the cover and showrunner Noah Hawley sharing more about his vision for the series' future. He said (h/t GamesRadar Plus): 'With Legion, I had a three-act structure. I didn't know if that was going to take three seasons or five seasons, but I knew what the three major thoughts of the story were. And here, I feel like I have that as well." Hawley continued: 'We created it as a recurring series, and I have great plans and ambitions for it as such. On the film side, I've had some conversations with them. 'This is not a Kevin Feige Marvel Universe moment. I'm not saying that in success, that we shouldn't be coordinating or thinking big picture about that – the show has to be a hit before you can really have those conversations.' I didn't know my excitement could grow for 'Alien: Earth,' but here we are. The fact that Hawley has long-term plans already shows he has faith in the series, where it's headed, and how it can tie into the larger universe. In fact, when speaking with Vanity Fair about the possibility of it merging with the original source material, he stated, 'I do know that at a certain point, the Weyland-Yutani Corporation is going to divert the Nostromo to that planet [LV-426].' You know, the charming little rock where curiosity gets you violently killed. Honestly, I feel like a kid counting down to Christmas. Only instead of presents, I'm waiting for Xenomorphs, corporate cover-ups, and even more otherworldly threats. If I could climb into a hypersleep pod and wake up on release day, I would. 'Alien: Earth' is set to premiere on FX on Hulu in the U.S. on August 12, and Disney Plus in the U.K on August 13. Follow Tom's Guide on Google News to get our up-to-date news, how-tos, and reviews in your feeds. Make sure to click the Follow button. More from Tom's Guide How to watch the 'Alien' movies in order 5 new to Hulu movies with 90% or higher on Rotten Tomatoes The most surreal noir thriller of the year landed on Hulu
Yahoo
9 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
After creepily mastering vampires with his hit Nosferatu remake, director Robert Eggers will reportedly bring back its stars Aaron Taylor Johnson and Lily-Rose Depp for his new werewolf movie
When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. Director Robert Eggers is bringing back Aaron Taylor-Johnson, one of the stars of his hit Nosferatu remake, for his new werewolf movie, Werwulf, and Lily-Rose Depp may also be coming along for the ride, according to Variety. Eggers is also bringing back Sjón, his co-writer from The Northman, which again makes sense given the historical origins of the werewolf myth, which takes some cultural inspiration from the concept of the berserker, viking warriors who entered animalistic states of frenzy in battle. The Northman was praised by Viking historians for its accuracy and attention to detail (with some caveats about the larger-than-life action sequences), qualities Eggers also brought to the design and dialogue of his first film The Witch, its follow up The Lighthouse, and of course, Nosferatu. It seems that will also be a priority for Werwulf. Stories of humans that become savage animals through magical means are common throughout many cultures the world over, but the specific concept of the werewolf evolved from the Anglo-Saxon myth of the 'werwulf,' translated from Old English as 'man-wolf,' a term which of course lends itself to the title of Eggers' film. I'm personally extremely excited to see Eggers offer up a historical werewolf movie that taps into the same spirit of The Witch, a personal favorite of mine, and Nosferatu, to create a horror movie soaked in atmospheric terror. A dash of The Norseman's famed historical accuracy also feels like the perfect touch for a werewolf movie which Eggers has said is the "darkest" thing he's ever written. Eggers has just about the best track record of any director going right now in terms of cranking out movies that hit just right, and I have all faith Werwulf will also hit the mark. Following in the tradition of Nosferatu, Werwulf is currently scheduled for release on Christmas Day 2026. Stay up to date on all our horror movie news, and keep your eyes peeled for more info about Robert Eggers' in-development sequel to Jim Henson's The Labyrinth. Solve the daily Crossword
