Stephen King Says the New It Movie Exceeds Expectations

It’s Sunday, which means it’s time for the horror haul, our weekly round-up and one-stop-shop for all things horror. This week in horror, we celebrated the 20th anniversary of Joss Whedon's Buffy the Vampire Slayer, one of the most influential horror shows of all time. It was a big week for sneak peeks, with new images for Shane Black's The Predator, Preacher Season 2 and Jurassic World 2, an extended clip from Life, and a new featurette for Alien: Covenant introducing Michael Fassbender's new synthetic, Walter.

Elsewhere, Saw: Legacy landed an unsurprising R-rating, Friday the 13th: The Game dropped a brutal and very kill-centric trailer out of PAX East 2017, Danny McBride and David Gordon Green offer updates on how they're approaching Blumhouse's new Halloween (and some early thoughts on Luca Guadagnino's Suspiria), and trashterpiece Basket Case has been added to MOMA's permanent film collection with a restoration planned in the coming months.

For all the horror news we’ve already covered on the site, you can click through the links below. Then, check out other genre highlights from the week and finish it all up with a rundown of the week in horror movie trailers. Thanks for tuning in, and sound off in the comments with your thoughts, questions, and other horror musings.

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Stephen King Says the New 'It' Movie Succeeds Beyond Expectations

The new IT movie is a Thing. Stephen King's brilliant and beloved horror novel has been adapted only once, with the 1990 TV mini-series that wasn't particularly good but boasted an iconic performance from Tim Curry that burned Pennywise the clown into the terrified minds of kids everywhere. Now, the novel is getting a proper film adaptation at the hands of Mama helmer Andy Muschietti, and folks are seriously eager to see how it turned out, especially since we still haven't seen a trailer.

There's been some trepidation around the new adaptation since True Detective helmer Cary Fukunaga dropped out the project due to creative differences with the studio -- a huge disappointment to many, including yours truly, and a result that could be interpreted as a studio being unwilling to take risks. However, the It remake has officially received the biggest seal of approval it could ask for -- the approval of King himself.

The author caught an early cut of the film, which he clarified is titled It: Part 1-- The Losers' Club (a title that lends credence to reports that New Line is already moving ahead with the sequel). Taking to twitter, King said, "Andy Muschietti's remake of IT... succeeds beyond my expectations. Relax. Wait. And Enjoy." So that's fine news indeed! Check out the tweet for yourself below.

[EMBED_TWITTER]https://twitter.com/StephenKing/status/839233720280309761[/EMBED_TWITTER]

'Buffy the Vampire Slayer' Is 20: All Hail a TV Legend

angel-buffy-image — Image via 20th Century Fox

How influential can a single television series be? In the case of Joss Whedon's Buffy the Vampire Slayer, immeasurably. Ostensibly a poppy teenage soap with monsters and sexy vampires, Buffy the Vampire Slayer surprised the world with rich characters, immersive story arcs, and consistently clever creature creations that carried the beloved series through seven seasons and two networks.

On a personal level, the show was influential to me in a way I can't express in a quick weekend summary blurb. I simply wouldn't be the person I am today without the Scooby Gang to show me how. On a creative level, Buffy set the template, not only for the rash of teen vampire romances that would follow, but on a broader level, for the narrative structure of genre television that we still see to this day. More importantly, it redefined the space of women on television, became an early adopter of queer representation, and just generally created a space where the underdogs and oddballs of the world could find themselves celebrated.

Three cheers for Buffy the Vampire Slayer, one of TV's all-time greats. A game-changer no one saw coming that endures two decades later. There was a whole lot of amazing content that came out of the 20th anniversary, and I've put together some of my favorites in the links below, and be sure to check out Aubrey's ranking of the big bads.

New 'Friday the 13th: The Game' Trailer is Gory & Glorious

PAX East 2017 brought us a new, kill-filled trailer for Friday the 13th: The Game, an upcoming third-person survival game that puts you in the shoes of a camp counselor and pits you against Jason Voorhees himself. Or, for the first time, you can play as Voorhees himself, If you're into that kind of thing. The Kickstarter-funded project from developers Gun Media and Illfonic lands later this year on PC, Xbox One and PS4, Friday the 13th: The Game features asymmetrical multiplayer that casts one player as Jason and the rest as campers, and will later release a single-player component.

I gotta be honest. The emphasis on kills here combined with the fact that this game boasts the first time players can play as Jason kinda wigs me out a little. But I get that that's what sells the tickets. However, I'm super excited that we're going to get a proper return to Camp Crystal Lake, even if the film and TV reboots have stalled in their tracks. This game looks like classic Friday the 13th, a franchise that has never been particularly complicated. It's simple and direct, and it looks like it's got the graphics and sense of gravity to make this some gnarly, immersive gameplay. Watch the trailer above.

We also got our first clean look at the custom Jason skin from horror effects legend Tom Savini, inspired by Jason Goes to Hell (Via the game's Facebook page). Check out the images below.

friday-the-13-game-tom-savini-skin-2 — Image via Gun Media

friday-the-13-game-tom-savini-skin-3 — Image via Gun Media

friday-the-13-game-tom-savini-skin-4 — Image via Gun Media

friday-the-13-game-tom-savini-skin-5 — Image via Gun Media

friday-the-13-game-tom-savini-skin-6 — Image via Gun Media

friday-the-13-game-tom-savini-skin-7 — Image via Gun Media

friday-the-13-game-tom-savini-skin — Image via Gun Media

You can pre-order the game here.

The Museum of Modern Art is Restoring 'Basket Case'

Basket Case, Frank Henenlotter's 1982 trash masterpiece and midnight movie extraordinaire, has officially joined the ranks of high art. The Museum of Modern Art has added the firm to their permanent film collection and, even better, they're giving Basket Case an all new restoration.

If you're unfamiliar, the horror cult classic follows a young man who carries around a mysterious basket wherever he goes. Why? Because it holds his severely malformed siamese brother and the two are out for vengeance on the surgeons who separated them.

Here's Henelotter's full Facebook statement.

Hey, "Basket Case" fans. I'm both humbled and proud to announce that "Basket Case" is now part of the permanent film collection of the Museum of Modern Art. (And, yes, I asked them if they actually watched the film and they assured me they did.) It's quite an honor and one that I'm still trying to wrap my head around. I've already given them all the film elements for preservation, and they'll be doing an all new restoration in the upcoming months. Amazing, yes? Congratulations to producer Edgar Ievins, actors Kevin Vanhentenryck and Beverly Bonner, as well as everyone else who helped make this crazy little movie a reality way back when. Thank you, Moma.

Watch one of Basket Case's most iconic scenes, showing off the film's campy creature effects and stop motion animation in the clip below.

'Saw: Legacy' Rated R for "Grisly Bloody Violence and Torture"

In news that will surprise no one who's ever seen and/or heard about a Saw movie, Saw: Legacy has been handed an R-rating. Per Bloody Disgusting, the film has been rated R for "Grisly Bloody Violence and Torture." Yep, sounds about right.

Here's Legacy's plot description from a previous report.

Saw: Legacy will begin with bodies turning up around the city, each having met a uniquely gruesome demise. As the investigation proceeds, evidence points to one man: John Kramer. But how can this be? The man known as Jigsaw has been dead for over a decade. Or has an apprentice picked up the mantle of Jigsaw, perhaps even someone inside the investigation?

Neither Costas Mandylor nor Cary Elwes, both of whom played Jigsaw’s apprentices, are expected to return for the new film. The new cast includes Mandela Van Peebles, Hannah Anderson, Laura Vandervoort, Brittany Allen, Callum Keith Rennie, Matt Passmore, Hannah Emily Anderson, Josiah Black, Shaquan Lewis, Michael Bolsvert, and James Gomez..

Danny McBride & David Gordon Green Talk Reimagining 'Halloween' and 'Suspiria'

halloween-movie-image — Image via Compass International

When John Carpenter announced that David Gordon Green was going to direct Blumhouse's new Halloween movie from a script he co-wrote with Danny McBride, I think I blew a gasket with excitement. It's just the kind of unexpected, left-of-center move that signals the studio wants to try something new, and Carpenter's blessing (and possibly music!) gives it that magic touch.

Naturally, Green and McBride are going to be pretty tight-lipped about the details of how they're resurrecting the iconic franchise for a while, but while speaking with IndieWire, the duo spoke a little bit about their approach to the material, and where they're at in the process. Green says they're just now writing the script, and he also had some enthusiastic words for the Suspiria remake he spent years developing with Luca Guadagnino (which is just finishing production), saying "it's going to be incredible." Check out the full quotes below.

McBride: We can’t talk for too much about the “Halloween” reboot, but David and I had a long talk with each other about when people do these with movies, where it goes wrong. What pisses me off when it comes to something I like? We all came to the decision that remaking something that already works isn’t a good idea. So we just have a reimagining instead.

Green: Jason Blum came to me. I’m a huge horror fan and I’ve never made one. I developed “Suspiria” for several years with Luca Guadagnino, who’s finishing directing it. It’s going to be incredible. I woke up at a hotel and had this email from Jason that said, “Halloween reboot. You get it. What do you say?” I was just like, “What the fuck does this mean?” I wrote him back and said, “Call me immediately, my body is reacting to this,” because “Halloween” is one of those influential movies that I was never allowed to see and lied about having not seen to my parents for years. It hit all the right taboos, and it had a lore to it. We’re just writing it now.

McBride: The coolest part about that was going to John Carpenter and pitching him. If he didn’t like the take, it wouldn’t bode well. He’s one of my biggest heroes. I think we were just so concerned about getting the job that we didn’t think about how fucking scary that was to go sit down in front of him to tell him how we’d continue the story he’d created. It wasn’t until afterward that I realized, “Fuck, this could go so badly. We’ll be really hurt if he schools us right now.”

Trailer Trash: Prevenge; The Transfiguration

PREVENGE https://www.youtube.com/embed/UjL_KKxX_yE

Ruth is seven months pregnant when, believing herself to be guided by her unborn baby, she embarks on a homicidal rampage, dispatching anyone who stands in her way.

THE TRANSFIGURATION https://www.youtube.com/embed/sLXiyMbLR30

In the Cannes Festival-screened horror-thriller The Transfiguration, a troubled teen named Milo hides behind his fascination with vampire lore. When he meets the equally alienated Sophie, the two form a bond that begins to challenge Milo’s dark obsession.

ONE OF US https://www.youtube.com/embed/Y0EWx_5xCEY

On a mission to find her friend, Haley, investigative journalist, Melanie Roberts, tracks down the Ascension Family Commune and goes undercover to discover what’s happening there. Under the pretense of joining, Melanie meets Brent, the magnetic leader of the group, and charms her way in. But, the women living on the farm are silent about Haley’s disappearance. When Melanie begins losing control and having nightmarish visions, the journey down the rabbit hole might be a trip she won’t return from.

LIKE ME https://www.youtube.com/embed/ohF5iqfdoTU

After posting a video of herself robbing a convenience store, Kiya (Addison Timlin) amasses a huge social media following. A reckless loner, she seeks some form of genuine human connection. Through her travels, she encounters a drifter, an Internet troll and a paint huffing outsider who are all pulled into her circle of chaos, junk food, and drugs. In a world of fabricated personalities, Kiya is intent on exposing something gutturally truthful about humanity, but ultimately, she must confront herself.