By MICHAEL GINGOLD
A Box, a dog, a snake and, um, franks and beans are showcased in the video previews released today.
• VICIOUS (pictured), the latest from writer/director Bryan Bertino (THE STRANGERS, THE DARK AND THE WICKED), begins streaming on Paramount+ and becomes available for digital purchase October 10. The cast is headed by Dakota Fanning, Kathryn Hunter, Mary McCormack, Rachel Blanchard, Devyn Nekoda, Klea Scott and Emily Mitchell. The synopsis: “When Polly [Fanning] receives a mysterious Box from an unexpected late-night visitor, it comes with a simple instruction: Place three things inside–something you need, something you hate, and something you love. What begins as a strange ritual quickly unravels into a waking nightmare. Trapped in a terrifying world where reality bends and memory betrays, Polly must navigate a series of impossible choices. As time slips away, she’s forced to confront the darkness not just around her, but within her—before it consumes everything and everyone she’s ever known.”
• The Independent Film Company and Shudder have unleashed the final trailer for GOOD BOY, which is coming to theaters October 3; you can find venues near you and order tickets here. Directed by Ben Leonberg and written by Alex Cannon and Leonberg, it stars Indy the Dog, Shane Jensen, Arielle Friedman and Larry Fessenden. The synopsis: “Our canine hero, Indy, finds himself on a new adventure with his human owner–and best friend–Todd [Jensen], leaving city life for a long-vacant family home in the country. From the start, two things are abundantly clear: Indy is wary of the creepy old house, and his affection for Todd is unwavering. After moving in, Indy is immediately vexed by empty corners, tracks an invisible presence only he can see, perceives phantasmagoric warnings from a long-dead dog, and is haunted by visions of the previous occupant’s grim death. When Todd begins succumbing to the dark forces swirling around the house, Indy must battle a malevolence intent on dragging his beloved Todd into the afterlife.”
See our review of GOOD BOY here.
• Columbia Pictures releases ANACONDA, the meta remake of its 1997 snake-amok epic, exclusively to theaters on Christmas Day, December 25. Directed by Tom Gormican and scripted by Gormican and Kevin Etten, it stars Jack Black, Paul Rudd, Steve Zahn, Thandiwe Newton, Daniela Melchior and Selton Mello. The synopsis: “Doug (Jack Black) and Griff (Paul Rudd) have been best friends since they were kids, and have always dreamed of remaking their all-time favorite movie: the cinematic “classic” ANACONDA. When a midlife crisis pushes them to finally go for it, they head deep into the Amazon to start filming. But things get real when an actual giant anaconda appears, turning their comically chaotic movie set into a deadly situation. The movie they’re dying to make? It might just get them killed…”
• Bleecker Street has unveiled a sneak peek at the uncensored first scene from its upcoming BONE LAKE, which opens in theaters nationwide October 3. Directed by Mercedes Bryce Morgan from a screenplay by Joshua Friedlander, it stars Alex Roe, Maddie Hasson, Marco Pigossi, Andra Nechita, Eliane Reis and Clayton Spencer. The synopsis: “A couple’s romantic vacation at a secluded lakeside estate is upended when they are forced to share the mansion with a mysterious and attractive couple. In this darkly hilarious and seductive horror story, a dream getaway spirals into a nightmarish maze of sex, lies, and manipulation, bringing terrifying secrets to light and triggering a bloody battle for survival.”
Watch the clip (which can’t be embedded due to its graphic nature) here.
