INSIDIOUS – Cinefantastique

INSIDIOUS: CHAPTER 2: CFQ Spotlight Podcast 4:36

Posted on September 16, 2013 by Dan Persons

There's absolutely nothing wrong with Patrick Wilson in INSIDIOUS: CHAPTER 2.

Oh yeah, kid, you’ve got a bad case of sequelitis right there. Technically polished with occasional striking moments, INSIDIOUS: CHAPTER 2 picks up the story of the Lambert family — Patrick Wilson as daddy Josh, Rose Byrne as mother Renai, plus kids including Ty Simpkins as the psychically tuned-in Dalton — immediately after their disastrous sojourn in the netherworld in the first film, and then pretty much repeats the beats with some painful expository writing and awkward retconning to explain why the story didn’t just stop while it was ahead.
Cinefantastique Online’s Steve Biodrowski, Lawrence French, and Dan Persons have no shortage of opinions on how things went wrong (or in some cases, right) with INSIDIOUS: CHAPTER 2, and sit down to talk about how supposedly scary spirits wind up looking silly instead, why it may not be a good idea to take inspiration for your Big Reveal from MOMMY DEAREST, and, once again, why the police in horror movies are so dumb.
Plus: What’s coming to theaters next week.

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Here’s What’s Going On: 06/07/2013 Video News Update

Posted on June 6, 2013 by Dan Persons

Michael Fassbender tries out his Magneto powers… Director James DeMonaco discusses THE PURGE… Trailer for INSIDIOUS CHAPTER 2 seeks to unsettle…
Direct from the lavish Cinefantastique Studios in NYC, Dan Persons brings you up-to-date on what’s happening in genre media.

CFQ Round Table Podcast 2:18.3

Posted on May 20, 2011 by Steve Biodrowski

Cinefantastique’s Round Table Podcast – the podcast of horror, fantasy, and science fiction films – adjusts its schedule to make room for CFQ’s Spotlight Theatrical Podcast (Sunday/Monday) and the Laserblast Home Video Podcast (Tuesday). From now on, expect the Round Table to appear later in the week; also expect the Black Hole Ultra-Lounge to be re-incorporated into the Round Table, which will now feature both a look at the week’s news and a free-from meditations on whatever fascinating topics occur to Lawrence French, Dan Persons, and Steve Biodrowski.
This week looks at word that rights have been secured for two TERMINATOR sequels; DARK TOWER stays at Universal Pictures; Miramax plans to revive the AMITYVILLE HORROR franchise; Lionsgate plans to give us LEATHERFACE 3D. And we bid farewell to Dana Wynter, the lovely female lead of the 1956 classic, INVASION OF THE BODY SNATCHERS.
And what’s up with those final words each week? Anyone catch all the references so far?

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The Governator, Insidious & Rubber: CFQ Round Table Podcast 2:13

Posted on April 4, 2011 by Steve Biodrowski

The rubber hits the road in this episode of the Cinefantastique Round Table, the Podcast with a Sense of Wonder. Dan Persons, Lawrence French, and Steve Biodrowski offer commentary on the week’s news (Stan Lee and Arnold Schwarzenegger team up to make THE GOVERNATOR; the uncut ending of HORROR OF DRACULA has been unearthed) and provide capsule reviews of two horror films that opened this weekend: INSIDIOUS, the supernatural thriller from the SAW team of James Wan and Leigh Whannell; and RUBBER, an indie horror-comedy about – believe it or not – a homicidal tire with SCANNERS-like telekinetic ability. Plus, the usual rundown of upcoming theatrical events and home video releases, followed by a Black Hole Ultra-Lounge discussion of the Greatest Cinematic Cheats in Horror, Fantasy, and Science Fiction Films.

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Insidious: April 1

Posted on February 18, 2011 by Steve Biodrowski

FilmDistrict releases this supernatural shocker the vein of PARANORMAL ACTIVITY, about a family battling demonic forces intent on whisking their comatose child into another dimension (dubbed “The Dark Realm”). That Oren Pelli (writer-director of PARANORMAL ACTIVITY) is on board as a producer should be no surprise, considering the spooky tone of the trailer; what is surprising is the presence of writer of Leigh Whannell and director James Wan – the godfathers of torture porn, having launched the genre with SAW (2004) – who apparently have forsaken gory mayhem for a subtler brand of shocks. Patrick WIlson, Rose Byrne, and Barbara Hershey head the cast.

Byrne and Wilson Cast in The Astral

Posted on April 23, 2010 by Dennis Routledge Tizzard

Bloody Disgusting have the scoop that director James Wan’s (SAW, DEAD SILENCE) next horror film is coming together as Patrick Wilson (WATCHMEN, HARD CANDY), Rose Byrne (28 WEEKS LATER, SUNSHINE) and Barbara Hershey (THE PORTRAIT OF A LADY, FALLING DOWN) have now all been cast in THE ASTRAL.
THE ASTRAL (previously known as INSIDIOUS) sees Wan re-teaming with his SAW co-writer Leigh Whannell and follows a young family which makes the terrifying discovery that the body of their comatose son has become a magnet for malevolent entities. Meanwhile his consciousness lies trapped in a dark and insidious realm known only as ‘The Further’.
The film has a great cast (especially Wilson, who recently impressed me in both WATCHMEN and LITTLE CHILDREN) but nothing that Wan has done since SAW has been anywhere near as good as his début. Hopefully the fact that he’s back working with Whannell will change things and make THE ASTRAL a return to form for the director.
THE ASTRAL has no definitive release date but expect to see it appear sometime in 2011.