Megalomaniac opens in select theaters on September 8, 2023. Photo: Pascal Bernaerts, used with permission.
In movie news today, there is a new horror movie coming out today, September 8 in select theaters. Megalomaniac opens in select theaters in New York City, Los Angeles, Columbus Ohio, and Rochester Minnesota on September 8 and in digital (iTunes, Amazon, Google Play, Vudu, and more) on September 26, 2023. So if you like violent, gory, horror movies and appreciate foreign films (it is subtitled), then check this one out.
Megalomaniac stars Eline Schumacher, Wim Willaert, Benjamin Ramon, Pierre Nisse, and Raphaëlle Lubansu. Directed by Karim Ouelhaj. (The Write Way, 2023)
Martha and Félix are the children of the Butcher of Mons, a notorious Belgian serial killer from the 1990s. Unstable and riddled with insecurities, Martha lives vicariously through social media. Her brother, crushed by the family legacy, takes over their father’s killings. Harassed and violently assaulted at work, the docile Martha falls into madness and goes through the looking glass into the strange and terrifying world inhabited by her brother.
“Writer/Director Karim Ouelhaj crafts extreme confrontational horror that aims to offend as much as it does evoke wrath and societal reflection. It’s at once compelling and uncomfortable to watch.” – Bloody Disgusting
“‘Megalomaniac’ is top-tier European arthouse feel-bad horror cinema that, paired with stunning cinematography, will thrill extreme horror fans.” – Dread Central
Poster for Megalomaniac. Courtesy photo, used with permission.
Clint Eastwood. Image by Brigitte Werner from Pixabay, used with permission.
Sometimes a certain type of movie becomes trendy. This leads to various film studios creating their own variations in order to cash in on this trend. Some trends last a couple years while others last a generation. In most cases, they have a certain decade in which they peak. Below are just some of the biggest trends that have taken over Hollywood throughout the years and what made them so popular.
1930s: Creature Features
Creature features are typically horror movies that revolve around a single monstrous creature. There have actually been many creature feature waves throughout cinema history – Hollywood went through a sci-fi alien monster phase in the 1950s with movies like Attack of the 50 Foot Woman and The Blob, while Japan released numerous movies about giant monsters (‘kaiju’) throughout the 1960s including the Godzilla and Gamera movies. However, the peak of creature feature movies was all the way back in the 1930s and included movies like Dracula, Frankenstein, The Mummy, King Kong and The Werewolf of London. Nowadays, creature features are rarer in favor of more supernatural horror movies or more human villains. Recent reboots of Godzilla and King Kong have typically been more action-oriented than horror-based.
1950s: Westerns
The most iconic movie trend is arguably the ‘western.’ These movies about cowboys and life on the frontier would gain popularity in the 1930s and reach their peak in the 1950s. The Gunfighter, Oklahoma, High Noon and The Searchers are some of the most iconic movies from this period. The success of westerns during this period is thought to be due to the nationalism and need for escapism caused by the Cold War. Ultimately however, the market would become saturated causing individual westerns to earn less money at the box office in the late 1960s, paving the way for a new style of action movies. Of course, the genre would never truly die – there have been many cowboy movies released since and every few years a director like Tarantino or the Coen Brothers will release an epic western blockbuster.
1960s: Beach party films
In 1963, AIP released a movie titled Beach Party which would spawn a series of beach-themed comedies aimed at teen audiences (although you could argue Gidget in 1959 was the film that truly kickstarted the genre). The 60s was a period of teen rebellion and these movies appealed to the attitudes of the time by being centered around the adventures of teens. By the end of the 60s, beach party films were overdone however and biker movies briefly took over as the new teen-based movie of choice.
1970s: Disaster movies
The 1970s was the peak of disaster movies. Airport, The Towering Inferno, The Poseidon Adventure and Earthquake are just some of the classics produced during this decade. Why were disaster movies so popular in the 1970s? Some critics have suggested that it was a reflection of the political and economic chaos of the time. These movies played to audiences’ fears and made huge amounts of money at the box office, leading to increasingly bigger budget films until they became played out. Disaster movies would make a comeback in the 90s due to the birth of CGI, but became less popular after 9/11.
1990s: Teen ‘gross-out’ comedies
Teen comedies would gradually evolve from the fairly innocent beach party films of the 1960s to more overtly sexual movies (such as the ‘brat pack’ movies in the 1980s) and eventually gross-out comedies in the 1990s. These films relied on shock value and toilet humor to push the boundaries of comedy and included franchises such as Dumb and Dumber, American Pie and Scary Movie. These comedies would continue to remain popular in the 00s but increasingly began being aimed at young adults rather than teens.
2000s: Found footage horror
In 1999, The Blair Witch Project was released – a movie that would kickstart the found footage horror trend. This movie trend aimed to make horror movies feel more realistic by filming them in the style of a camcorder recording. Found footage horror movies peaked in the 00s with the release of films like Paranormal Activity, REC and Cloverfield. Endless sequels and reiterations of the genre have since reduced its novelty and nowadays found footage horror movies – while still continuing to be frequently made – don’t do as well at the box office.
2010s: Superheroes
The most recent notable movie trend has definitely been superhero movies. These movies dominated the 2010s – particularly superhero movies based on Marvel and DC comics. The creation of Marvel studios and its purchase by Disney in 2009 would ultimately lead to superhero movies being churned out at an alarming speed compared to previous decades. Avengers: Endgame in 2019 remains the highest grossing superhero movie and the second highest grossing movie of all time. Since then, superhero movies have been underwhelming at the box office and the likes of Disney have been slowing down releases. Is the superhero movie fad coming to an end?
Martin Simpson and Thomm Jutz’s generation collaborates for their upcoming album Nothing But Willow:The Songs of Mary Sands and Jane Gentry, out September 29, 2023. Courtesy photo, used with permission.
Martin Simpson is an English folk musician and guitarist, known for his innovative and eclectic approach to traditional music. In the mid-1980s, Simpson moved to the United States, where he came to the attention of a wide range of American artists with whom he then collaborated. Amongst the albums released during his US tenure, Cool & Unusual, won the Indie Award for best instrumental album in 1998. In addition to his work as a musician, Simpson has also been involved in music education, teaching at universities, and leading workshops and masterclasses around the world. (IV-PR, 2023)
Raised in the Black Forest of Germany, Thomm Jutz has become an American roots music treasure. His virtuosity, eloquence, and clarity of expression have made him a linchpin of Nashville’s creative community, and in 2020 his To Live in Two Worlds, Volume 1 was nominated for the Best Bluegrass Album Grammy, making him the first immigrant to receive a nomination in that category. He has written numerous Bluegrass number ones, and his songs have been recorded by John Prine, Nanci Griffith, The SteelDrivers, Balsam Range, and more. Jutz has a Master’s degree in Appalachian Studies from East Tennessee State University and wrote his thesis on Grammy-winner Norman Blake.
When Thomm Jutz got together with his latest trans-Atlantic collaborator, Martin Simpson, the pair bonded over their long-running obsession with Cecil Sharp’s 1916 and 1918 collection, “English Folk Songs from the Southern Appalachians;” particularly those tunes from singers Mary Sands and Jane Gentry. The longevity of the original songs drew the pair in but the latest single from their upcoming album Nothing But Green Willow: The Songs Of Mary Sands and Jane Gentry, pulls from generations of different versions of “The Wagoner’s Lad.”
Folk Alley gave fans an exclusive first listen to the single, writing, “Jutz’s and Simpson’s gem-like version shines in all its facets.” Fans can pre-save Simpson and Jutz’s version of “The Wagoner’s Lad,” check out the previously released album track “Come All You Fair and Tender Ladies” featuring Cara Dillon, and pre-order or pre-saveNothing But Green Willow ahead of its September 29 release via Topic Records.
Simpson and Jutz both clearly see the crucial need for each new generation to reinvent these folk songs. “I strongly believe that innovation requires preservation,” says Jutz. “How can we claim to play traditional music or write ‘Folk music’ without knowing the roots of it?” Fortunately for all involved, the pair found a host of others in agreeance and brought together a mix of roots artists from both sides of the pond—Sierra Hull, Angeline Morrison, Odessa Settles, Tim O’Brien, Tammy Rogers, Seth Lakeman, and more—to create an homage to the bridge from Appalachia to England and back, just as the songs of Sands and Gentry originally did.
Nothing But Green Willow track list: “Fair Annie” feat. Emily Portman “Geordie” feat. Sierra Hull & Justin Moses “Pretty Saro” feat. Odessa Settles “Edward” feat. Seth Lakeman “Edwin in the Lowlands Low” feat. Tim O’Brien “Jacob’s Ladder” feat. Dale Ann Bradley & Tim Stafford “Come All You Fair and Tender Ladies” feat. Cara Dillon “The Wagoner’s Lad” feat. Martin Simpson “Married and Single Life” feat. Tammy Rogers “The Gypsy Laddie” feat. Thomm Jutz “The Suffolk Miracle” feat. Angeline Morrison “I Whipped My Horse” feat. Fay Hield “Awake! Awake!” feat. Thomm Jutz
Eddy Lee Ryder’s new EP, Blue Hour, will be released September 15, 2023. Courtesy photo, used with permission.
Last time I wrote about this artist, it was with the news that her song Smoke and Mirrors was used in the hardcore slasher horror movie Terrifier 2. In today’s music news, Eddy Lee Ryder recently announced that her new EP, Blue Hour will be released on September 15, 2023. The announcement comes on the heels of her latest single, Holy S**t I Think I Love You, which the soulful rock belter calls her favorite song she has ever written. (Eddy Lee Ryder, 2023)
Singer, songwriter, and free spirit Eddy Lee Ryder creates haunting songs that tell dramatic stories through a slightly warped lens. Eddy’s unconventional, theatrical approach to songwriting explodes and sparkles with ‘70s good-time rock riffs, spiced with complex poetry. Proclaimed “demented pop,” her music is propelled by her charismatic voice and lyrics inspired by an intense bizarre world. Lonesome as she is wild, Ryder paints languid, sadly beautiful portraits of love and life on the margins with the moody and satirical depth of Father John Misty and the country-influenced textures of Roy Orbison or Glen Cambel but with a captivating voice all on her own.
The JL Bar Concert series continues this October with Randall King. Photo: JL Bar Ranch, Resort & Spa.
Coming up at the JL Bar Ranch, Resort & Spa this fall is a concert featuring Randall King on October 14, 2023. Garth Brooks expressed that Randall King “is what country music is all about.” This West Texas Plains native has been deemed the country artist to watch as he surpassed 120+ million career streams. King is taking Texas by storm in October after an extensive number of performances in places like Switzerland, Germany, Liechtenstein, and the UK. This JL Bar concert is currently his only West Texas scheduled event. Opening the night will be second-generation musician, Tyler Booth, who has performed with legendary country music stars such as Brooks & Dunn and Dwight Yoakam. This lineup will bring a concert like you have never seen before. (JL Bar Ranch, Resort & Spa, 2023)
Purchase your tickets now, for this exclusive pure Texas event. The venue doors and bar will open at 6p.m., the opening act will begin at 6:45p.m., and the headliner will take the stage at 8:30p.m. General admission tickets for on property guests are $35 while off property tickets are $45.
There is no need to drive hit the road after the concert. Not to mention, for astronomy buffs, the first of two solar eclipses is set to take place: The Ring of Fire – where the moon crosses in front of the sun during the daytime, casting a shadow that will turn light into darkness, for several minutes. Reserve a weekend staycation to unplug, relax, unwind, and recharge on this eventful fall weekend.
Make sure to browse through the extensive list of indoor and outdoor activities to plan an enhanced, customized experience during your stay. Use the BOOK NOWbutton to be directed to the online reservation system or you can contact Guest Service Team for an added personal touch: call (855) 414-3337 or email Guest Services.
Night of the Caregiver will be released August 15, 2023. Courtesy photo, used with permission.
ITN Studios has obtained the North American rights to the horror film Night of the Caregiver, directed by Joe Cornet and produced by Alexander Nevsky from a script by Craig Hamann. Stuart Alson negotiated the deal on behalf of ITN Studios along with BD Films Paul Hertzberg on behalf of the filmmakers. (October Coast, 2023)
Starring Eileen Dietz (The Exorcist), Natalie Denise Sperl (Mank), Eric Roberts (Dark Knight), and Cornet, it will get a theatrical and Video On Demand release on August 15 before rolling on digital and DVD platforms this fall.
The plot: Hospice nurse Julia Rowe is hired to be caregiver for Lillian Gresham, who lives in an isolated house in a remote area. Although she is terminally ill, the elderly Lillian is a cordial and sweet lady. However, as the night goes on, Julia suspects something demonic is also dwelling in the house causing she and Lillian to be in grave danger.
Alexander Nevsky produced the movie via his company Hollywood Storm. Joe Cornet, Eric Brenner, and Douglas “Fini” Finical served as executive producers. Sean Murray wrote the music.
“It is my pleasure to announce the release of my new horror film Night of the Caregiver, through ITN Distribution. I believe audiences will be thrilled by the film’s strange and bizarre story, think THE EXORCIST combined with the terrifying elements of a Dario Argento film!” – Joe Cornet.
Eileen Dietz in Night of the Caregiver. Courtesy photo, used with permission.
Lonesome Ace Stringband’s upcoming Try To Make It Fly follows the trio’s legendary live show energy into a new era of Americana-leaning lyricism. Courtesy photo, used with permission.
Lonesome Ace Stringband brings grit, skill, and abandon to Americana music, bridging old-time, bluegrass and folk traditions into a seamless hybrid of original material that is at once fresh and timeless. Instrumentation alone sets this Toronto-based trio’s sound apart: consisting simply of fiddle (John Showman), clawhammer banjo (Chris Coole), and upright bass (Max Heineman). Call Lonesome Ace Stringband whatever genre you want – they are just unorthodox enough to be brilliant. The spine-tingling harmonies and interchanging lead vocals only bring more magic to the equation. They have become festival favorites at Rockygrass, Celtic Connections, Winnipeg Folk Festival, MerleFest, and regularly tour the USA, UK, Germany and, of course, Canada. With more than a decade of group music-making under their belts, they are releasing their fifth album, a feisty and mighty collection of all-original material titled Try To Make It Fly on October 13, 2023. (IV-PR, 2023)
The release of their brand new album Try To Make It Fly marks not only their reinvigorated, live-on-stage sound but also a venture into more Americana-leaning songwriting. “We have a unique take on all of the traditional material we do and wanted to keep pushing our sound to new places,” says Showman—not unlike the paths taken by legendary predecessors like John Hartford or The Band. While Lonesome Ace Stringband’s finely tuned musicianship and command of the old-time and bluegrass music catalog has garnered new listeners and premier festival slots, the trio finds comfort in reaching out to a new, song-hungry audience. “It felt like a place where we could be ourselves as writers and craft music that would fit the genre regardless of what we found ourselves writing about lyrically.” Add that to the trio’s already dynamic concoction of fiddle, banjo, and bass, and the results reveal a bright future for the ever-evolving Lonesome Ace Stringband.
Folk Radio UK premiered the album-opening track, Sweeter Sound, which features the band’s inspired, layered harmonies. The song opens with Showman’s somber fiddle pull before Coole joins in on banjo, igniting the rollicking journey to “make a sweeter sound.” According to Malone, “The opening line of the chorus, ‘Try to make it better than the way we found,’ is something of a mantra for the band. Perseverance and belief in what you love to do and trying despite evidence of success is the essence of its message.”
Fans can stream or purchase Sweeter Sound, check out Lonesome Ace Stringband’s previously-released, BBQ-flavored single Smoke on the Shoulder music video and pre-order or pre-saveTry To MakeIt Fly ahead of its October release.
Try To Make It Fly track list: Sweeter Sound Praying For Rain You’ll Be There First Frost/Blue Grouse Midnight Band Come With Me Tonight Simply Going Sideways Crossing The Junction/Deer River Smoke On The Shoulder The Echo Country Mile Lonesome Ace Number 1
Catch Lonesome Ace Stringband on tour: August 26 – Sorrento, BC – Nimble Fingers Bluegrass & Old Time Workshop and Festival September 2 – Pilesgrove, NJ – Delaware Valley Bluegrass Festival September 15-16 – Flagstaff, AZ – Pickin’ In The Pines Bluegrass & Acoustic Music Festival September 19 – Nashville, TN – AMERICANAFEST October 18 – Cambridge, MA – Club Passim October 19 – Exeter, NH – The Wood Barn October 20 – Saratoga Springs, NY – Caffe Lena October 21 – Brownfield, ME – Stone Mountain Arts Center October 22 – Greenfield, MA – Hawks & Reed October 23 – New York, NY – City Vineyard at Pier 26 October 25 – Vienna, VA – Jammin’ Java October 26 – Oberlin, OH – Music at Riverdog October 28 – Manitowoc, WI – Sabbatical Brewing Co. October 29 – Holland, MI – Park Theatre October 30 – Ann Arbour, MI – The Ark November 1 – Toronto, ON – The Tranzac Club November 22 – Edmonton, AB – Northern Bluegrass Circle Music Society November 23 – Saskatoon, SK – The Bassment November 24 – Red Deer, AB – The Velvet Olive November 25 – Calgary, AB – Foothills Bluegrass Circle Music Society November 27 – Missoula, MT – Longstaff House November 29 – Sisters, OR – The Belfry December 1 – Portland, OR – McMenamins White Eagle Saloon & Hotel December 2 – Seattle, WA – Ballard Homestead December 3 – Victoria, BC – Victoria Event Centre December 4 – Vancouver, BC – The Anza Club December 5 – Oliver, BC – The Oliver Theatre
Listening Party’s new album Been A Long Time Comin’ will be out August 25, 2023. Courtesy photo, used with permission.
After years of performing live, Wisconsin-based folk-rock duo Listening Party—Jacob Wood and Weston Mueller—found themselves staring down a pandemic, down a band member, and contemplating whether to keep on track or give it up altogether. Fortunately for the group’s rabid and quickly growing fanbase, Wood’s and Mueller’s passion won out and the pair entered the recording studio with a catalog full of new stories to tell. Their latest album Been A Long Time Comin’ highlights Listening Party’s perseverance to carry on through the Covid-19 pandemic and mutually parting ways with a longtime bandmate and friend. Due out on August 25, the new album, their fourth full-length and first output in four years, is the product of this new journey. (IV-PR, 2023)
Recorded at Axis Studios, a converted 19th-century chapel that sits atop a hill in Hartland, Wisconsin, with studio owner Vinny Millevolte, Been A Long Time Comin’ takes the group’s folk, rock, and Americana influences to new horizons, the non-traditional recording space inspiring each new song in a way Listening Party had not experienced before. At the heart of the album, storytelling and melody reign supreme, while the songs seek to examine stories rooted firmly in the joys and perils of everyday life. The band seeks to capture “the bombastic attitude and instrumentation of Midwestern Folk/Americana.” The songs are accented and driven by a “howling” harmonica and a church piano. At their core, the band and album remain true to the “intimacy” of storytelling and melody.
Listening Party recently shared their first single from Been a Long Time Comin,’ the slow burning “Same Ol’ Problems.” The tune begins as a somber piano and guitar duet which crescendos to Mueller’s introductory lyrics: “Digging my grave before I’m gray, feels like I’m wasting my life away.” Written about moving on from a friend whose addiction has taken hold and changed them, fundamentally, the band says the song highlights the “hope of recovery balanced against the despair of relapse,” or put more simply in the song’s ultimate line, “It’s always the same ol’ problems.” Throughout, layers of new instruments build to emphasize Mueller’s reflective lyrics. The song closes in a self-described “upbeat cacophony of sound” driving through the final repetition of “the same ol’ problem” and arriving at the finish line feeling complete yet contemplative.
Fans can hear “Same Ol’ Problems” at this link and pre-order or pre-saveBeen a Long Time Comin’ ahead of its August release.
Been a Long Time Comin’ track list: It Ain’t So Bad Same Ol’ Problems All The Way Down Wastin’ Time Took a Walk Buck Moon 3 Eggs (Wisconsin Weather) Reckless Comin’ to Your Town Good Intentions Bad Luck
Catch Listening Party on tour: August 3 – Milwaukee, WI – Back Room at Colectivo* August 4 – Appleton, WI – Relay For Life Fundraiser August 5 – Appleton, WI – Mile of Music August 6 – Appleton, WI – Mile of Music August 7 – Milwaukee, WI – State Fair August 9 – Kenosha, WI – Bristol Woodstock August. 12 – Milwaukee WI – State Fair August 13 – Malone, WI – Ziegler Winery August 17 – Greenleaf, WI – Ledgestone Winery^ August 18 – Green Bay, WI – Badger State Brewery August 19 – Grafton, WI – Sahale Ale Works August 25 – Milwaukee, WI – Anodyne Coffee Co. August 26 – Germantown, WI – Old Germantown August 27 – Elkhart Lake, WI – Tiki Bar at Elkhart Lake September 2 – Mauston, WI – The Rock September 3 – Madison, WI – Twisted Grounds September 4- Kenosha, WI – Petrifying Springs Biergarten September 8 – Joliet, IL – Joliet Area Historical Museum September 9 – Menasha, WI – Heckrodt Wetland Reserve September 14 – Milwaukee, WI – Explorium Brewpub September 15 – Franksville, WI – Franksville Beer Garden September 17 – Valders, WI – Camp Sinawa
*Supporting The Brevet ^Supporting Them Coulee Boys
Listening Party. Courtesy photo, used with permission.
Enjoy a night of live music in the heart of the River Walk at the next Sips and Sounds of the West this Friday August 4, 2023. Photo: Briscoe Western Art Museum, used with permission.
Kick back and kick up your heels on the banks of the River Walk at the Briscoe Western Art Museum’s Sips and Sounds of the West. Filling the museum’s Jack Guenther Pavilion and McNutt Sculpture Garden, the evening features live music, drinks and food flowing through the pavilion and under the watchful eyes of the fantastic bronze sculptures that call the garden home on Friday, August 4. (Briscoe Western Art Museum, 2023)
San Antonio’s preeminent classic country cover band The Texases will fill the evening with your favorite country hits from ‘66 to ’96 for a great date night or a night out with friends. With the option to be in the garden or indoors enjoying a cool breeze thanks to air conditioning, the evening is the perfect summer treat. The ticketed event begins at 6:30p.m. with music from 7p.m. – 8:30p.m. and drinks and food until 9p.m. from La Gloria’s food and margarita truck.
Sips and Sounds of the West tickets are $15 for museum members and $20 for nonmembers. The event is for ages 18 and up. Tickets will be sold at the door as available. The Briscoe is located on the south end of the River Walk, near the Arneson River Theatre and La Villita, with convenient parking at the Riverbend Garage directly adjacent to the museum or one of many downtown surface lots.
Photo: Briscoe Western Art Museum, used with permission.
Til Death Do Us Part opens in theaters August 4, 2023. Courtesy photo, used with permission.
From the creator of Final Destination and Directed by Emmy® Award Winner Timothy Woodward Jr., Til Death Do Us Part portrays the grim reality that not every romance story ends with happily ever after. After running away on her wedding day, a bride-to-be must fight for survival against her former fiancé and his seven deadly groomsmen. In the ultimate horror showdown, the groomsmen soon discover that she has no intention of going back to the life she left behind. Releases Exclusively in Theaters Nationwide on August 4. (EG-PR, 2023)
Starring: Cam Gigandet, Jason Patric, Natalie Burn, and Orlando Jones. Directed by: Emmy® Award Winner Timothy Woodward Jr.
Key cities the film is opening in include New York, Los Angeles, Charlotte, Chattanooga, Columbus, Durham, Houston, Jacksonville, Kansas City, Knoxville, Las Vegas, Long Beach, Nashville, Ontario (Canada), Louisville, Miami, Oklahoma City, Portland (OR), San Diego, Tampa, Tucson, Wichita, Westbrook (CT) and many more.
Brimming with stylish violence and blood-soaked action, Til Death Do Us Part seamlessly blends the slick, kinetic thrills of John Wick with the dark, twisted revenge tale of Kill Bill.
Co-written by Chad Law and Shane Dax Taylor, Til Death Do Us Part also stars Ser’Darius Blain, D.Y. Sao, Neb Chupin, and Pancho Moler. The film is produced by Jeffrey Reddick, Woodward Jr./Status Media and Entertainment and Burn/Born To Burn Films. Reddick and Woodward Jr. previously collaborated on the popular horror films The Final Wish &The Call, both starring genre legend Lin Shaye. The film’s Executive Producers include Matthew Helderman and Luke Taylor, with Thomas Mann and Neb Chupin acting as Co-Executive Producers.
SA Examiner 