1. Kevin McCallister is Jigsaw

This theory makes sense the more you think about it. Kevin was of course good at making improvised traps, thus with enough preparation, he could easily make the kind of torture devices seen in the Saw movies. Additionally, being separated from your parents twice and having to fend off dangerous robbers would severely impact your mental health. And he is a master manipulator so who’s to say he didn’t become John Kramer after Home Alone 2? I want to play a game ya filthy animals.

2. Pennywise and Mary Poppins Are The Same Creature

According to theorists, there are many explanations for why Mary Poppins is practically perfect in every way. These range from her actually being a time lord like the Doctor (her handbag being her Tardis) to Mary being a similar creature to Pennywise from It. Except she feeds on happiness instead of fear. Although that implies that she only left the Banks family because she was full from feasting on their energy. You’d need more than a spoonful of sugar to make that medicine go down.

3. Every Scott Bakula Role is actually Sam from Quantum Leap

Rarely has it been theorised that every role an actor plays, across TV and film, is actually a single character. Though, the fact that Quantum Leap was built around Scott Bakula’s Doctor Sam Beckett jumping into different bodies across time and space, all of which are seen by us as Bakula himself, it becomes incredibly easy to buy that theory. Let’s hope he eventually gets home.

4. Holly Martins and Harry Lime were Lovers

Apparently, this theory had some legitimate pull behind the scenes of The Third Man. Producer David O Selznick supposedly said that the only reason why Holly would care so much about Harry after not having seen him for a decade was because they were once lovers. And while said in a very homophobic context this nugget of info, plus the chemistry between Joseph Cotton (who played Holly Martins) and Orson Welles (who played Harry Lime), and Harry seeming to care more for Holly than his “girlfriend” Anna makes this theory seem quite plausible.

5. The Matrix and Terminators

Another franchise crossover theory. And while the Matrix series does not include time travel, and the expansion of the theory which says John Conner and Neo are the same person may stretch credibility, both franchises are about machines battling humanity to near extinction. So, seeing the Sentinals commanding T-800s during the human/machine war wouldn’t be unexpected.

6. Cobb Was Not Exiled From The US

It’s hard to deny the appeal of this popular Reddit theory. Inception already has many fan theories, but this perspective makes the film’s plot a metaphor for Cobb overcoming his emotional issues to be with his family again. This theory also brings Cobb and Mal closer thematically. Showing that fiction can be preferable to reality (Mal) But that it can also help people (Cobb). It’s a theory that works on many levels and deserves to be cannon.

7. Han Solo Triggered Kylo Ren’s Lightsaber

Han Solo’s death already hurt but this theory adds something else to proceedings. Stating that Han knew the only way his son Ben could eventually come back to the light was if he was no longer there. And that Han triggered the lightsaber to start Ben on that path. The surprise on Han’s face indicates this was not the scene’s intention. But that can also be blamed on the pain inflicted by Kylo’s lightsaber. Nevertheless, if you subscribe to this theory it adds an extra tragic layer to Kylo’s arc.

This concludes our foray into the land of film theories. Let us know your favourite movie theories and if any of these have caused you to view certain films differently.

Also Read: Seven Creative Movies Dealing With Memory Loss

Your contribution to Big Picture Film Club will allow us to continue to produce content. No matter the amount your contributions are greatly appreciated.

The post 7 Interesting Movie Theories From Reddit appeared first on Big Picture Film Club.

Horror cinema has many iconic villains and today we’ll be counting down 10 of the greatest merchants of menace. I will choose a single villain from each decade, look at a bit of the villain’s background and how they managed to traumatize audiences who watched their films. So, let’s get spooky.

1920s: Count Orlok – Nosferatu (1922)

Originally made as a Dracula stand-in, Count Orlok has become a great villain in his own right. With actor Max Schreck’s towering frame, creeping shadow, sharp teeth, and keen unblinking eyes Orlok has become an instantly recognizable cinematic predator that has lasted almost a century. Not even Stoker’s estate could prevent him from becoming a cinematic nightmare.

1930s: Frankenstein’s Monster – Frankenstein (1931)

The archetypal mad scientist creation. The monster isn’t necessarily evil but because of continual abuse and a lack of moral guidance, he begins violently lashing out at the world. Frankenstein’s Monster has a legendary look courtesy of makeup artist Jack Pierce. And thanks to Boris Karloff’s animalistic performance, which makes the character threatening and sympathetic, Frankenstein’s Monster has been cemented as one of horror’s most tragic monsters.

1940s: The Wolf Man – The Wolf Man (1941)

Like Frankenstein’s Monster, the Wolf Man garners great sympathy because of host Larry Talbot’s (Lon Chaney Jr’s) inability to control the monster within him. But unlike Frankenstein the Wolf Man is vicious. Murdering innocent people and leaving Larry to deal with the consequences. With Jack Pierce’s brilliant makeup making the monster the midpoint between man and beast, the Wolf Man is an iconic example of the darkness in all men.

1950s: Godzilla – Godzilla Series

Cinema’s biggest monster. Starring in 35 films since 1954 Godzilla is a Japanese icon. He’s a prehistoric monster awakened by hydrogen bomb testing and was created as a symbol for the destructive powers of the atomic age, though lately, he has become a metaphor for nature striking back at humanity. He’s the embodiment of destruction and for 66 years he’s shown that for all our advances annihilation is never far away.

1960s: Norman Bates – Psycho (1960)

The grandfather of all slasher villains. While seemingly normal, Norman hides another personality that forces him to kill anyone who threatens the illusion that his mother is still alive. Thanks to Anthony Perkins’ understated performance and Alfred Hitchcock’s direction Norman Bates (based on murderer Ed Gein) terrified audiences by showing that even the quiet good-looking boy next door could turn out to be a murderer.

1970s: The Caller – Black Christmas (1974)

Black Christmas‘ sorority house killer remains perhaps horror’s most terrifying villain. Because nothing about him is explained. His victims are random. The only insights we get into him are his disjointed, threatening ramblings. And his appearance, voice; name remain a mystery. Inspired by the urban legend of “the babysitter and the man upstairs” the Caller embodies the fear that you’re never safe. Even in your own home.

1980s: Freddy Krueger – The Nightmare on Elm Street Series

The burnt, razor glove wielding, Christmas sweater and fedora sporting dream killer has been scaring viewers since his 1984 debut. Inspired by stories about young people suddenly dying in their sleep and brought to life in skin-crawling fashion by Robert Englund, Krueger takes sadistic pleasure in twisting his victim’s dreams into nightmares. And the sheer glee he takes in his cruelty is what makes him cinema’s most iconic bogeyman.

1990s: Candyman – Candyman Series

Originally, Daniel Robitaille, Candyman became a vengeful spirit after he was killed over a 19th-century interracial love affair. His hand was mutilated, his body smothered in honey and he was stung to death by bees. Now he kills anyone who dares say his name five times in a mirror. With his imposing figure, hooked hand and Tony Todd’s intimidating voice, Candyman is a true terror titan.

2000s: Jigsaw – Saw Series

Jigsaw is the horror villain of the 2000s. Embodying post 9/11 anxieties about the morality of torture Jigsaw, aka John Cramer managed to carve out a gruesome legacy for himself. His use of ironic traps to reform/eradicate those who he believes don’t appreciate life, Tobin Bell’s commanding voice and his animatronic mascot made him the face of torture horror. And his legacy has continued through multiple accomplices and successors.

2010s: It/Pennywise – It (2017)

Stephen King’s iconic horror creation made a huge impact with Its 2017 reimagining. The creature that haunts Derry, Maine can change into many forms that will give anyone nightmares. His most recognizable form is Pennywise The Dancing Clown (Bill Skarsgard) whose smile hides a desire to devour children. It exploits our fear of the unknown and attacks the sanctity of childhood innocence all at once. Making It the perfect modern horror villain.

So ends my list of horrors 10 best villains. Which horror villains did I miss? Let me know in the comments.

Also Read: 7 Reasons Characters Die In Horror Films

The post The Greatest Horror Villain of Each Decade appeared first on Big Picture Film Club.

*SPOILERS AHEAD*

IT (2017) Summary

Primarily set in 1989, IT told the story of seven children in the town of Derry. Following them as they came of age, found friendship, love and confronted their fears. Which included various Derry citizens and a child-snatching, shapeshifting creature that took the form of both the kids worst fears and a demonic clown called Pennywise.

Each child had their own goals. Bill Denborough (Jaeden Martell), wanted to know the fate of his younger brother Georgie. Beverly Marsh (Sophia Lillis) had to escape from her abusive father and come to terms with growing into womanhood. Eddie Kaspbrack (Jack Dylan Grazer) needed to break away from his overprotective mother and overcome his fear of germs. Ritchie Tozier (Finn Wolfhard) had to battle his self-centred nature and prove himself as a true friend. Ben Hanscome (Jeremy Ray Taylor) and Mike Hanlon (Chosen Jacobs) had to deal with horrific abuse regarding race and weight and prove themselves as people. Ben by confessing his love for Beverly and Mike by standing up to injustice. And Stan Uris (Wyatt Oleff) had to learn that not everything has a logical explanation.

By the end, all the kids achieved closure. Bill accepted Georgie’s death, Beverly and Eddie stood up to their parents, Mike stood up to school bully Henry Bowers, Ben confessed his feelings for Beverly. Ritchie fought for his friends in the face of certain death and Stan accepted the surreality of the threat they were facing. Allowing the kids to defeat Pennywise, though he disappeared soon after. The children then made a pact that if It ever resurfaced, they would come back and destroy it together. The film ended with everyone going their separate ways and Bill and Beverly confessing their love for each other.

IT Chapter 2: The Cast

As the new movie takes place 27 years later all our principal characters have new actors to play their older counterparts. James McAvoy and Jessica Chastain will be taking over the roles of Bill and Beverly. Bill Hader is taking on the role of Ritchie. Eddie will be played by James Ransone. Jay Ryan will take over for Ben. Mike will be played by Isaiah Mustafa and Stan by Andy Bean. But Bill Skarsgard will be returning to continue his portrayal of Pennywise.

McAvoy, Chastain, and Hader are the standouts in the new cast purely for both their marketability and how well their star images fit with their characters, the likeable relatable leader, the driven and charismatic leading lady, and the lovable buffoon. But the other actors have all done respectable work in film and television, which suggests these characters are in safe hands. And of course, everyone is looking forward to seeing Skarsgard return to his iconic turn as Pennywise.

IT Chapter 2: Other

Behind the scenes, director Andy Muschietti and writer Gary Dauberman are both returning. Although this time there is no writing input from Cary Fukunaga or Chase Palmer, who wrote the early script that the first film was based on. Hopefully, the new film will retain the same quality writing as the first without their involvement.

And with a reported 169-minute runtime, Chapter 2 looks set to explore a lot. Including potentially what happened to Henry Bowers, with actor Teach Grant playing the older Bowers. And the trailers have teased that we could get to see Pennywise’s backstory. Or at least the basis for him. Which could be a good or bad thing, depending on how mysterious you like your villains.

Conclusion

With a solid foundation, a good cast, the same director and one of the same writers as the first movie and some intriguing mysteries in the marketing, IT: Chapter 2 looks set to continue the first movies prestige as one of the best Stephen King adaptations in recent years. Will it stick the landing? We’ll just have to wait until September 6^th to find out.

Also Read: 5 Horror Films And The Real Events Behind Them

The post IT: A Recap and Exploration appeared first on Big Picture Film Club.

Stephen King – a name synonymous with frightening fiction. Though primarily known for writing horror, he’s had an incredible impact on popular culture since he released his first novel in 1974. He is a regular fixture of the New York Times Best Seller list and has influenced generations of creatives in many different mediums. And one medium that certainly has a fascination with King is film.

Stephen King movie adaptations are currently experiencing a resurgence. With IT parts 1 and 2, Pet Sematary (2019), The Dark Tower, Geralds Game and 1922 proving that King’s name can still attract new talent and audiences. But this is no new thing. Film adaptations of King’s work have been a fixture of release schedules ever since the late 1970s.

So today I am going to look at what I consider to be the five best film adaptations of King’s work. But because there’s over four decades worth of material to choose from, to make things more interesting I will be picking only one film per decade. So let’s see which Stephen King adaptations manage to float above the rest.

1970s – Carrie (1976)

Although there aren’t many 70s Stephen King movies to choose from, Brian De Palma’s adaptation of King’s first novel is still a true classic. And deserves mention on any best adaptations list.

Carrie tells the tragic story of Carrie White (Sissy Spacek). A shy, introverted girl who is bullied at school and lives under the control of her religiously fanatic mother (Piper Laurie). One day, however, Carrie learns that she has telekinetic abilities. As she begins to discover more about herself her sympathetic classmate (Amy Irving) gets her a date for the school prom. But some of the girls want revenge on her for putting them in detention. Leading to a prom that no one will ever forget.

Carrie is iconic. The prom scene is permanently etched into our culture. But many often forget how good the rest of the movie is. All the performances are incredible. Sissy Spacek is, of course, the standout. She is incredibly sympathetic and easy to relate to as Carrie. But there are so many subtleties to the rest of the performances that make everyone feel real and not like caricatures, which many lesser quality King works often fail to do. Then there’s De Palma’s direction that wrings incredible suspense from every situation and makes everything flow so naturally. Topped off with beautiful visuals and a mesmeric score, you have a movie that set the bar high for all king adaptations to come.

1980s – The Shining (1980)

The 80s is where selecting a single film becomes difficult. Many 80s King adaptations including Stand By Me, Christine and Pet Sematary are remembered fondly. So some may disagree with this selection. Especially given King’s open dislike of this particular adaptation. But for the best 80s Stephen King movie, the honour has to go to The Shining.

The Torrance family are looking after the Overlook hotel for the winter. They have all the food they can eat, space for young Danny (Danny Lloyd) to play and a lot of time for Jack (Jack Nicholson) to work on writing his novel. But as isolation sets in ghostly apparitions start appearing, affecting Jack’s sanity. Eventually, Jack breaks down and decides to “correct” his family, chasing them through the hotel with an axe. With the winter snows closing the place off, can Danny and his mother Wendy (Shelley Duvall) escape?

Like Carrie, I can say nothing about the Shining that hasn’t already been said. King purists will protest its deviations from the source material but for me, it does what good adaptations are supposed to do. Take what works about the source material and add a new distinct voice to it. And you can’t get more distinct than Stanley Kubrick. The film is a marvel of atmosphere. The lingering camera, some of the most disturbing images ever captured on film, the unnerving score, the cold lonely location and performances that feel just a little too real. It all goes together to create a haunting portrait of madness and generational guilt that lingers in your mind long after the credits have rolled.

1990s – The Shawshank Redemption

Again the 90s had several films that could have filled this spot. Including Green Mile, Misery or the IT mini-series. But I would be lying if I didn’t put The Shawshank Redemption in this spot on the list.

Red (Morgan Freeman) is a prisoner at Shawshank penitentiary. He’s spent a long time inside. But despite his placid nature, he’s never made parole. He seems to be ready to just run out the clock in Shawshank. But when he meets Andy Dufresne (Tim Robbins), he begins to rediscover what it means to feel human again. Only Andy doesn’t intend to stay inside. With the corrupt system poised against them will the two men ever be able to find a way to escape the harsh reality of Shawshank?

The Shawshank Redemption is not only a testament to King’s adeptness at writing in genres other than horror, but it’s also one of the most beloved movies of all time. It has held the number 1 position on IMDb’s top 250 films since 2008 and it’s not hard to see why. It’s a film that takes the audience on an emotional rollercoaster ride. The story of escaping the prisons we make for ourselves is one that we can all relate to. All the actors are also fantastic. Tim Robbins and Morgan Freeman give career-best performances and manage to make you empathize with criminals of dubious moral fibre, Which is no small task. And when combined with Frank Darabont’s confident direction and incredible character interplay, the result is a genuine classic, that will enchant many generations to come.  

2000s – The Mist

This is both Frank Darabont’s second appearance on this list and yet another no brainer for the time period. After Darabont’s success adapting Green Mile and Shawshank he proved himself yet again as possibly the best director to put King on the screen with The Mist.

The Mist concerns a family in a small Maine town. One day the town is engulfed by thic fog. Which wouldn’t normally be a problem but inside the fog are otherworldly creatures intent on killing all in their path. The family hold up in a supermarket with most of the town and what follows is a two-hour meditation on the nature of humanity in crisis.

The main reason why the Mist is so effective is because it keeps it simple. For most of the movie, we are trapped inside the supermarket with our main characters. And as the film progresses we slowly learn more about them and the situation. This intrigue coupled with the tension brought by the agendas of the other captives and the monsters outside helps keep the audience on the edge of their seat as the movie heads towards an ending that will play on your mind for a long time.

2010s – IT (2017)

As the 2000’s went on King film adaptations began to decrease. His stories became more the domain of TV shows. But in 2017 King came back in a big way with two Netflix original movies (Geralds Game & 1922) and two theatrical releases (IT & The Dark Tower). And of those releases, IT was definitely the most significant.

It concerns a group of friends called the losers club. Over the course of one summer, we follow Bill, Eddie, Richie, Ben, Stan, Mike and Bev as they form lasting friendships with one another and battle the dark forces that hide in their home town of Derry. All of which are linked to a child-snatching spectre. Which mostly manifests in the form of Pennywise the dancing clown (Bill Skarsgard).

IT accomplished a lot. Not only did it prove that a remake can in many ways improve on its predecessor. But it also proved to be a very fun movie in its own right. With fantastic performances from the child cast, inventive ideas and cinematography and an incredibly creepy turn from Bill Skarsgard as Pennywise who managed to equal the iconic nature of Tim Curry’s performance from the 1990 mini-series. IT also managed to tap into the nostalgic magic that made properties like Stranger Things popular. And acted as both an affectionate tribute to and critique of people’s nostalgic memories for the 1980s; because of IT we can look forward to many more adaptations of King’s work on the big screen.

Conclusion

So ends our list of the top 5 Stephen King movie adaptations. As I said many times throughout this list, it was incredibly hard to narrow down my choices when there are so many good movies based on Stephen King’s books. So please let me know your opinions.

Do you agree with my choices? What are some of your favourite King films that I missed? Sometimes, other opinions are better.

Also Read: Netflix Horror Movie Written Entirely Using Artificial Intelligence

Your contribution to Big Picture Film Club will allow us to continue to produce content. No matter the amount your contributions are greatly appreciated.

The post Top 5 Stephen King Movies Adaptations appeared first on Big Picture Film Club.