Is Avengers: Endgame Opening Early In China?

Is Avengers: Endgame Opening Early In China?

Audiences are a month away from Avengers: Endgame, and anticipation has reached a fever pitch. With Captain Marvel in the rear view, all eyes are on what The Russo Brothers will bring to the table when Endgame finally arrives in theaters, and catches us up on the world after Thanos' finger snap of death. Luckily, some brief trailers and epic posters have been provided to help satiate the hunger of the rabid fanbase.

After a series of character posters were released (and revealed the fate of certain characters), the next bit of marketing material to drop was the poster for Endgame's Chinese release. Aside from how epic the poster was and its inclusion of the dusted characters, there's one thing that fans noticed: an earlier release date. You can check out the poster below, which indicates the blockbuster will arrive in theaters on April 24th, two days before its set to arrive in the US.

Does anyone else have chills? This poster is an epic way to represent the full cast of Infinity War and Endgame, while also highlighting the focus on the surviving heroes. After all, they'll have to unite in order to fight Thanos and hopefully reverse the affects of The Decimation. But that release date is new, which may indicate that international audiences will get access to the Marvel blockbuster before domestic moviegoers.

The Chinese poster for Avengers: Endgame arrived on the internet today, and quickly became viral on social media. While fans' first reaction was to enjoy the epic visuals of the art and the inclusion of new characters, the truth bomb about the film's release date had fans in the US going through some serious FOMO. After all, two days is just too long to wait for the epic conclusion of Marvel's Phase Three.

Alas, cinephiles in the states will just have to grin and bear it, as Endgame is set to arrive in just a month's time. Until then, fans will have to continue debating and theorizing what might come when The Russos final Marvel blockbuster is finally here. And this poster might tease some new developments, as supporting characters from various franchises pop up that are new.

Marvel fans will immediately spot Tessa Thompson's Valkyrie, who made her debut in Thor: Ragnarok. Valkyrie made a serious splash in her first appearance, but was noticeably absent from Avengers: Infinity War. And considering that the blockbuster opened on the Asgardian ship, her absence was suspect But Val finally popped up in the new character posters, confirming she survived The Snap. And now it looks like she'll have a role in the upcoming battle against Thanos.

Doctor Strange's Wong is also in this new poster, after also being left out of the first round of marketing material. Wong managed to make out Infinity War without turning to dust, and it likely guarding the Sanctum Sanctorum. And with Doctor Strange no longer with us, Wong's role in the mystical world of the MCU may be all the more important.

Despite being mostly blacked out, the fallen heroes are arguably the star of the new Avengers: Endgame poster. The upcoming blockbuster is focused on the heroes who made it out of Infinity War alive, but the dusted characters are still very much apart of the film's blood. The latest trailer for Endgame paid tribute to the dusted characters, and the countless fatalities that Thanos took throughout the course of his mission for galaxy-wide genocide.

The dusted characters' silhouettes are shown at the bottom of the poster, including characters who weren't featured much throughout the course of Infinity War. For instance, Samuel L. Jackson's Nick Fury is center stage, even though he didn't pop up until his iconic mid-credits scene. Joining him in the front row are Spider-Man, Doctor Strange, Star-Lord, and Vision.

The second row features more dusting characters, and the far left of the poster features Letitia Wright's Shuri. Shuri made her debut in Black Panther, and quickly became a fan favorite character. She had a tertiary role in Avengers: Infinity War, attempting to free Vision's consciousness from the Mind Stone. She eventually took arms against Corvus Glaive, but Thanos' child remained completely focused on the android. Seeing her use her signature gauntlets was the last time Shuri was seen onscreen, and her fate was left unclear in the wake of Thanos' snap. But it was sadly revealed last week that Shuri also faded to dust, putting Wakanda's future in more jeopardy.

From looking at the dusted characters in a row, it's highlighted just how hard the Guardians of the Galaxy were hit by Thanos' assault. In the end of Avengers: Infinity War, only Rocket and Nebula were left alive. Gamora was killed by her adopted father in the movie's second act, so he could acquire the Soul Stone from Red Skull. And when the Mad Titan eventually collected all the Infinity Stones, audiences were left to watch in horror as Mantis, Drax, Star-Lord, and Groot all faded to dust before our eyes. As such, something big is going to need to happen in order for Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 to go forward.

Of course, most moviegoers assume that the surviving Avengers will find a way to reverse the affects of Thanos' snap. With the OG Avengers coming to the end of their contracts, the future of the Marvel Cinematic Universe presumably lies in the new class, including the likes of Spider-Man, Black Panther, and Doctor Strange. But that trio of characters are dust, as are other fan favorites like Falcon, Scarlet Witch, and Bucky. So unless Phase Four will be set in alternate dimension (not out of the question), the dusted characters will need to be revived somehow. But the question is: how?

All will be revealed when Avengers: Endgame finally arrives in theaters on April 26th. Or if you're in China, you get lucky and can see the blockbuster on the 24th. In the meantime, check out our 2019 release list to plan your next trip to the movies.

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Clint Eastwood's Best Movies, Both As An Actor And As A Director

Clint Eastwood's Best Movies, Both As An Actor And As A Director

Clint Eastwood’s incredible career as an actor and director goes back almost seven decades, spanning from his early days in the spaghetti westerns directed by Sergio Leone to the modern-day masterpieces that he has directed. While many Hollywood stars have been both actors and directors, Clint Eastwood shines alone in his incredible success at both.

As a director, his movies have won multiple Academy Awards and he was won four individually, two for directing and two for Best Picture. He’s been nominated for another seven, including twice for his acting. Plus, he was once considered for the role of James Bond, despite being American.

A list of Clint Eastwood's best movies could stretch for miles, but I’ve picked out what I think are five of his best performances as an actor in movies he did not direct and five of his directing jobs, some of which he also acted in. Take a look.

Clint Eastwood As A Director

The Good, The Bad And The Ugly (1966)

You can’t talk about Clint Eastwood without starting with the Sergio Leone-directed “Man With No Name” trilogy, starting with A Fistful Of Dollars, followed by For A Few Dollars More, and wrapping up with the most famous, The Good, The Bad And The Ugly. All three were released between 1964 and 1966 in Italy, but were all released in sequential order in the United States in 1967. The trilogy launched Eastwood into superstardom after his gritty, tough-guy performances as “The Man With No Name.”

Kelly’s Heroes (1970)

Kelly’s Heroes is a great heist/World War II flick that is often overlooked in Clint Eastwood’s stellar career, but looking back on it, it exemplifies just how big he had become by the time it was released in 1970. Eastwood stars as Private Kelly who leads an all-star cast on a hunt for Nazi gold, a cast that includes Telly Savalas, Carroll O’Connor, Donald Sutherland, and Don Rickles. The movie is full of military satire and it brilliantly walks a fine line between serious and ridiculous brilliantly. The tank scene as they approach the Nazi gold sets that tone perfectly.

Dirty Harry (1971)

Just like the spaghetti westerns of the sixties, the five Dirty Harry pictures in which Clint Eastwood played the title character would be enough for any normal actor to enter the pantheon of greats. For Eastwood, they are definitely a huge part of his legacy. His delivery of some of the most classic lines in cinema history, like “Go ahead make my day” and “Do you feel lucky?” are as much a part of the lexicon as anything Shakespeare ever wrote!

Escape From Alcatraz (1979)

For a certain generation, Escape From Alcatraz is one of those movies that seemed to always be on cable TV, like the Shawshank Redemption of the late '80s and early '90s. Based on a true story (though not very accurately), Clint Eastwood stars as Frank Morris, a prisoner at Alcatraz that organized the most infamous escape from the country’s most notorious prison. Was it successful? The film’s ending is somewhat ambiguous in answering that question because the truth is a mystery, Morris and the others were never seen again, nor were their bodies ever found.

In The Line Of Fire (1993)

In The Line Of Fire is a little bit of a rarity in that it is a later-era Clint Eastwood movie that he starred in, but didn’t direct. In it, Eastwood is washed-up Secret Service agent who was on the Presidential detail when Kennedy was assassinated and thirty years later finds himself working on another Presidential detail in light of information that a serious threat is being made on the President’s life. The antagonist, a would-be assassin played brilliantly by John Malkovich, taunts Eastwood with the past until it all leads to a climatic showdown between the two.

Clint Eastwood As A Director

The Outlaw Josey Wales (1976)

Clint Eastwood’s career as a director goes much further back than most people realize. While the Outlaw Josey Wales wasn’t the first film he directed, it was the one that really got his career as a director off the ground. It was a huge hit, wildly popular with the public and critics alike. Of course, Eastwood also stars in the movie as Josey Wales, a farmer hellbent on revenge for his wife’s killing by a Unionist during the Civil War.

Unforgiven (1992)

Unforgiven was a BIG deal. For starters, it marked Clint Eastwood’s return to the genre that first made him famous, both as an actor and as a director, the western. It was also a fantastic movie with top notch performances by Eastwood, Gene Hackman, Morgan Freeman, and Richard Harris. It is another revenge story with Eastwood, as Will Munny, going after a bounty set up by a group of prostitutes to avenge the beating of one of their own. For the film, Clint Eastwood won his first two Oscars, one for Best Picture and one for Best Director with this winner.

Million Dollar Baby (2004)

The second Oscar winner of Clint Eastwood’s directing career came for Million Dollar Baby. A deeply melancholy film, it tells the story of Eastwood as a washed up boxing trainer that gets one more shot with a gritty, down on her luck woman that wants to be a champion, played by Hilary Swank. It’s a tragic story and one that took years to make, as no studio initially wanted to make it. Eastwood proved them all wrong though, as the film pulled in four Academy Awards, including Best Picture, Best Director and Best Actress for Swank.

Letters From Iwo Jima (2006)

Letters From Iwo Jima is unique for a number of reasons. First, it’s an American movie that is almost entirely in Japanese. It is also the companion piece to Flags Of Our Fathers, which is the story of the Battle Of Iwo Jima from the America perspective while Letters From Io Jima is from the Japanese side. The two films were shot back to back in an incredibly ambitious project that you would expect from a younger, less accomplished director, not a 76-year-old will a huge bucketful of past laurels, like Eastwood. Sadly, neither movie did well at the box office, but no matter, just the ambitiousness and uniqueness of the two movies is worth seeking them out. Letters From Iwo Jima is definitely the better of the two, though both are excellent.

American Sniper (2014)

American Sniper is a movie that causes some division among viewers. In general, it has received rave reviews over the years and it was nominated for multiple awards, but it’s also pretty controversial, both for its subject matter and for Clint Eastwood’s filmmaking. The film stars Bradley Cooper as Navy SEAL sniper Chris Kyle, a veteran of the Iraq War who was killed by a fellow soldier in 2013, just a year before the movie was released. The movie found a groundswell of support from veterans both for Cooper’s portrayal and Kyle’s story. Love it or hate it, it’s incredible to think that even at age 84, Eastwood was still putting out masterful films like this, just as he is today.

The word “icon” is thrown around a lot in Hollywood, often about people that while great, may not deserve the moniker. Clint Eastwood deserves it. Maybe moreso than anyone else. His incredible career has spanned multiple generations and multiple genres and even at age 88, he doesn’t appear to be slowing down. As long as he isn’t yelling at empty chairs.

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Sinemia Has A New Plan With No Restrictions

Sinemia Has A New Plan With No Restrictions

Movie subscription services have come a long way since MoviePass was the first, and only, game in town, allowing it to make whatever bold choices and/or mistakes that were felt needed in order to survive. With each new competitor like AMC Stubs’ A-List or Sinemia entering the ring, what’s being offered and the going rate for said services are subject to the slightest wind of change. And the winds are a’blowing again, as Sinemia has just announced yet another new plan in their arsenal, one that makes a promise in two simple words: “Always Unlimited.”

Clocking in at $14.99 a month, the Always Unlimited plan from Sinemia offers the subscribers that sign up one 2D movie a day. In addition to that wonderful foundation of worth, this subscription also does not restrict audience members to specific showtimes, and allows tickets to be purchased as far out as 30 days in advance. And as usual, Sinemia offers service to any movie theater, which may lure some folks away from theater specific subscriptions if they feel the offerings currently being provided are too expensive or not worth signing up for in the first place.

Previously, Sinemia only offered tiered plans that offered 1-3 movies a month to their subscribers; with monthly costs depending on format and number of persons on the plan. But in the last few months, the service provider looks to be getting more and more experimental with what it’s offering the public. This was seen in last month’s announcement of the Sinemia Limitless plan, which saw moviegoers paying a flat fee for a “limitless moviegoing experience.” Now, it looks like Sinemia users are going to have another option that’ll allow their experience at the movies to be even more convenient.

The competition isn’t sleeping on such recent developments either, as MoviePass recently announced that it was bringing back its own unlimited plan as well. Titled MoviePass Uncapped, that plan is normally offered for $19.95 a month, with unlimited 2D movies in a month. However, the caveat of no repeat viewings is integrated into this option, much like all other MoviePass tiers of subscription.

While it’s not specified in Sinemia’s big unveiling of the Always Unlimited plan, it looks like that clause about no repeated viewings of the same film might not be present. So if you’re looking to test your bladder strength with multiple showings of Avengers: Endgame, you might be able to do just that during its opening weekend.

Movie subscription services are still a market of volatility, with some potentially huge shifts still to come in the next year or so. While there’s no clear path to victory for any one playing the game, Sinemia is definitely making a bold move forward that could pay off. We’ll see how this pans out in the near future, but for now, our eyes will be peeled as to how existing providers adapt to this change, and whether or not this competing plan can gain some market share at the hands of Always Unlimited.

If you’re curious as to what Sinemia is offering with their plans, both old and new, you can visit its official website to research accordingly.

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Jaimie Alexander Reveals Lady Sif's Marvel Undergarments

Jaimie Alexander Reveals Lady Sif's Marvel Undergarments

Jaimie Alexander’s Lady Sif hasn’t been seen on the big screen in the MCU since Thor: The Dark World and as far as we know, she isn’t in this weekend’s Avengers: Endgame. Many fans would probably like to see more of Sif in the MCU. But while we wait for that to happen, Jaimie Alexander is happy to show us, well, more of Lady Sif. Specifically, the actress has revealed the Marvel heroine’s undergarments. Take a look:

Jaimie Alexander clearly had some fun with this tweet, pairing a devil emoji with what could be called a rhetorical question. Yes, I’m pretty sure at least a few people have wondered what is under Lady Sif’s armor. Here we get to see that what is beneath that armor is a tight-fitting all black outfit that looks more like it belongs to Black Widow in Iron Man 2 than an Asgardian warrior.

It definitely makes sense that you’d want something tight, lightweight and easy to move in before loading up with all that armor. Regardless, you remove Lady Sif’s armor, bracelets and greaves and Jaimie Alexander’s character still looks every bit as beautifully badass as she does in her full battle attire. Greaves or not, you definitely don’t want to get kicked with the boots this Goddess of War is wearing.

Sadly, it’s been a while since we’ve seen Jaimie Alexander kicking ass in the MCU in any outfit. After Thor: The Dark World, the actress reprised her role as the character in two episodes of Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. but hasn’t been seen since. While it initially seemed like she might get a bigger role in Thor: Ragnarok, the actress couldn’t join the film because of scheduling conflicts with her NBC show Blindspot.

After Avengers: Infinity War it was revealed that Lady Sif, like so many others was snapped out of existence by Thanos. But with the Decimation expected to be reversed in Avengers: Endgame, could she finally make her return?

Blindspot is currently in its fourth season but it has not yet been renewed for a fifth season, nor has it been cancelled. If it is cancelled, that would presumably free Jaimie Alexander up to rejoin the MCU, if there was a place for her character of course. To that end, a few months back, we heard a rumor that Lady Sif could get her own limited series on Disney+.

Disney’s upcoming streaming service is handing out series to plenty of MCU characters and the messaging has been that these series will have real integration with the film universe and influence one another in a big way (unlike Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.).

Given that she is Asgardian, Lady Sif would definitely be one of the more interesting characters a series could follow. She arguably hasn’t gotten her due or been fleshed out enough in the movies yet and a series could remedy that. Even if she doesn’t get her own series perhaps there would be an opportunity for Jaimie Alexander to play the character in Loki’s Disney+ series.

You can see Lady Sif’s fellow Asgardian Thor in Avengers: Endgame, in theaters this weekend. Check out our 2019 Release Schedule to see what’s headed your way this summer and for all your movie news stay tuned to CinemaBlend.

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Brightburn Ending: What Happened, And What It Means

Brightburn Ending: What Happened, And What It Means

Warning: Spoilers for Brightburn are in play. If you haven’t seen the film yet, turn around before it’s too late, and come back once you’ve caught up.

When writers Brian and Mark Gunn’s Brightburn was first announced, it looked like a thrilling cross between Superman The Movie and The Omen was about to head our way. And sure enough, the David Yarovesky directed film played out just as we’d hoped it would, right down to its uber-bleak ending.

But there’s more to Brightburn’s finale than just what happened, as a mid-credits sequence opens the door to a wider world of havoc and mayhem. So we’d like to break down Brandon Bryer’s fate at the end of the film, and ask some questions about what it means and what the future could hold for Brightburn.

If you haven’t seen the film yet, this is your last chance to turn away before spoilers are in full effect. But if you’re ready to jump into the Brightburn fray, let’s start with talking about what the ending entailed.

The Ending To Brightburn

After an increasingly disturbing pattern of behavior, Brandon Bryer (Jackson A. Dunn) makes his full turn into becoming the superpowered villain he was seemingly always meant to be. Using his powers to intimidate and murder those who would try to make him answer for his deeds, Brandon eventually kills his parents.

He kill his father Kyle (David Denman) on what’s supposed to be a camping trip, but was secretly Kyle’s attempt at killing his son. Kyle tries to kill Brandon with a hunting rifle, but Brandon’s invulnerability sees him safe and sound. The son kills the father with his heat vision, and returns home just as his mother, Tori (Elizabeth Banks) accepts the fact that her adopted alien son is, in fact, evil.

Brandon returns home after Tori makes a call to Kyle, siding with him on the issue of their son’s villainy, which leads to Brandon’s greatest outburst. He destroys the family home, kills a couple of police officers, and eventually drops his mother from the sky after she tries to stab him with the only thing that could hurt him: the glass from the spaceship he crashed in.

Though he told his mother he wanted to do good, that’s no longer an option at the end of Brightburn, as we see Brandon Bryer wreck a commercial airliner to cover his tracks, and allow himself to go on to commit unspeakable acts. As the world starts to learn of his misdeeds, and his infamous reputation as a menacing force grows, he’s branded with a new name: Brightburn.

Could Brightburn Ever Become A Force For Good?

With Brandon becoming the all punishing villain at the heart of Brightburn’s super-powered universe, there’s still a question of whether he could become a force for good. As a young child, he’s still kind of in that phase where he doesn’t want anyone to tell him what to do, and seeing as he has the ability to use Superman-like powers with a moral code similar to Damien from The Omen, it’s a question that could pan out either way.

On one hand, Brandon could find himself mentored by someone down the road who could keep him in check. Maybe someone else out there will give him the patience and time that it needs to reform a child of his temperament, and humanity could be spared.

Then again, even Tori, his own mother, eventually turned to trying to kill her baby boy. So if your own mother tries to take you out, your position on your adopted species might be a little less than optimal.

It could be hard, but there’s always a slim possibility that Brandon/Brightburn could run into someone else that would change his worldview; but it all depends on how long he holds onto his superiority complex, and how long it’s allowed to grow unchecked by parental or societal figures.

Is There Really A Team Of Super Powered Villains/Heroes In The Brightburn Universe?

During the mid-credits sequence that sees Brightburn’s world turned upside-down by his heel turn, there’s a familiar face spouting conspiracy theories on the internet. He’s credited as a character known as “The Big T,” as played by Gunn family friend Michael Rooker. And in what looks like a rant in full-on meltdown mode, The Big T theorizes that Brandon might not be the only super in the Brightburn universe.

We see a quick glimpse of six supposedly super-powered menaces, and The Big T warns the audience that if they aren’t quickly dealt with, the world could be overtaken by them. While this feels like a natural setup for another entry in the Brightburn universe, there are two things that make this feel like this small moment is an extra bit of seasoning for this mid-credit roll.

First, one of the heroes in the six figure lineup happens to be Rainn Wilson’s Frank Darbo/Crimson Bolt from director James Gunn’s movie Super. While that movie set up its own problems for its central hero, having actual super powers and/or invulnerability was never in the cards. And seeing as he kind of owns the diner in the Brightburn universe, we’re not so sure he’s using that location as a hero base of sorts.

But the second, and more doubtful, proposition is the fact that Michael Rooker’s Big T comes off as an Alex Jones/InfoWars type personality, who really likes a conspiracy theory, but doesn’t provide a lot of evidence to support it. This isn’t a wholesale write-off of there being more supers in Brandon Bryer’s world, but until we see hard proof, we’re going to say that there’s no superteam awaiting the future of Brightburn. But it’d be kind of cool if there eventually was.

Where A Potential Brightburn Series Could Go From Here

There are several distinct paths that the Brightburn series could take from this point. The first of which is a possible super-villain team lead by Brandon Bryer. With Jackson A. Dunn’s ultimate bad seed being a creature of unknown planetary origin, there’s always a possibility that more like him are on this planet, waiting for a leader.

Of course, if Brian and Mark Gunn really wanted to go full Omen with their potential scripts for Brightburn sequels, we’d see Brandon wrestle with the quandary of being good versus being bad, ultimately siding fully and firmly on the villain’s side of the fence and trying to seize ultimate power. Which honestly, isn’t a bad option at all, because it’d be compelling to see a supervillain’s rise to power.

Ultimately, there’s no real limit to where Brightburn could go. The real question is which path the audience, and the creative team behind any hypothetical sequel, would find more rewarding. In which case, continuing the hybridization of The Omen and Superman franchises might be the best option; with the possibility of Brandon being adopted by a Lex Luthor-esque figure offering a hell of a sequel premise.

Seeing another Brightburn film would be a real reward, as this homage to two of director Richard Donner’s best films is a thrilling surprise at the summer box office. But it can’t remain a surprise if it wants to ever see another installment. Audiences attendance will be the key to whether or not Brandon Bryer’s story continues, and with Brightburn currently in theaters, we’ll have to wait to see if this evil is vanquished into cinematic obscurity, or allowed to flourish into something more menacing.

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The 14 Best Horror Movies Based On A True Story

The 14 Best Horror Movies Based On A True Story

I know what you're thinking: Horror movies that are "based on a true story" are bologna. Well, of course, Hollywood has a way of stretching the truth, especially when scaring audiences is involved, but that does not mean the claim is always a lie either.

Some of the best horror movies of all time have fact-based origins. For instance, the creepy child's plaything from Annabelle Comes Home, the latest upcoming entry in The Conjuring Universe, was inspired by an allegedly possessed Raggedy Ann doll. That is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to art imitating bizarre, disturbing reality.

But of these films that sport the "inspired by true events" claim, which can also claim to be the best horror movies around? I have chosen 14 of some of the best films that made a scary movie-going experience out of a true disturbing event.

The Strangers (2008)

Let me clear this up for you right off the bat: No, The Strangers is not based on a specific, true story of a young married couple teasingly stalked and killed by masked assailants.

While many have speculated what famous murder cases could have inspired this gorefest starring Liv Tyler and Scott Speedman, director Bryan Bertino claims the inspiration was a group of mysterious strangers who knocked on the door of his childhood home in Texas, who turned out to be looking for empty houses to rob.

Bryan Bertino decided to flip that idea on its head by making the thieves masked serial killers and changing the purpose of their shocking, gory visit into, as what is now regarded as one of the best horror movie quotes in recent memory reveals, “because you were home.” So, it's based on a true story, perhaps just not what you would guess.

It does make sense that The Strangers is really just inspired by a plausible concept based on something that happened to the director, because I cannot imagine a trio of killers preying on two helpless victims in a cabin in the middle of nowhere taking that long to finish the job.

The Entity (1982)

In The Entity, single mother of four Carol Moran (Insidious star Barbara Hershey) is a victim of sexual assault. As if that could be any worse than it already is, her attacker is an invisible apparition of great evil and unstoppable strength.

Fusing a very real and prevelanet horrific crime with supernatural elements is creepy enough, but what makes the story of The Entity even more shocking is that it is inspired by the case of Doris Bither, who in 1974 claimed she suffered physical attacks from not one, but three ghosts that also attacked her children.

Without considering the bizarre origins of the story, The Entity remains a shocking and thought-provoking story, as the best horror movies tend to be, about a woman’s struggle to prove that the terrifying, violent offenses committed onto her are real.

Fire in the Sky (1993)

Say what you want about UFOs and alien abductions, according to Travis Walton, it happened to him.

The 1993 film Fire In The Sky is based on the memoir of the same name and recounts the most famous and best-documented alien abduction in history. In 1975, Arizona logger Travis Walton went missing for five days. When he returned, he claimed that he was taken by extraterrestrials.

D.B. Sweeney portrays Walton in the film, which does not take the concept of alien abduction lightly. It shows in graphic detail the torturous experience Walton alleges that he endured in traumatically graphic detail. It just barely earns its PG-13 rating.

The Girl Next Door (2007)

Not to be confused with the 2004 comedy about a high schooler in love with an adult film star, The Girl Next Door is based on Jack Ketchum’s novel, which was inspired by the tragic story of Sylvia Likens.

In 1965 in the state of Indiana, Likens was subjected to almost three months of abuse, neglect, humiliation, and torture by her sociopathic caregiver. She eventually succumbed to her injuries and died at just 16.

The events depicted in the The Girl Next Door are just as unsettling and unspeakable as the original shockingly sadistic case. While a fan of the genre would say that is a key point of acclaim for the best horror movies, I would say you may be better off reading about it than seeing it. It is not for the faint of heart.

The Amityville Horror (1979)

One of the most prolific cases of supernatural haunting comes from one now legendary house in New York.

It inspired the 1977 novel The Amityville Horror, which was made into a film two years later, starring James Brolin and Margot Kidder as George and Kathy Lutz, who find a great deal on a house after a man murdered his family in it years earlier. Soon, they begin to conspire that the crime was influenced by a demonic presence in the house and worry they will fall victim to it next.

While there is truth to the story of a man murdering his family in the infamous Amityville house, there is no real evidence to support an actual haunting occurred there. Yet, that has not stopped Hollywood for continuing to use the story as franchise material.

The original film, however, still pops into conversation as one of the best horror movies, mostly by those who still believe in its ghostly legend.

Child’s Play (1988)

Before there was Annabelle, there was Chucky. However, did you know that both of these fearful playthings are inspired by alleged fact?

In Child’s Play, regarded as one of the best horror films of all time, serial killer Charles Lee Ray (Brad Dourif) inserts his soul into a cute, red headed doll to continue his murderous tirade after death. The inspiration was a doll of unnerving design named Robert, owned by then six-year-old Gene Otto in 1906.

Robert the Doll was made for Gene by his family’s Bahamian servant, who happened to be skilled in voodoo. Her skills apparently proved effective as Robert would take enjoyment in taunting children and mutilating Gene’s other toys, among other unexplainable phenomena.

With the technophobic Child’s Play remake on the horizon, I now wonder what is scarier: stuffed doll possessed by evil or robotic doll with fatally faulty programming?

Wolf Creek (2005)

While Crocodile Dundee was a film that greatly helped the tourism industry in Australia, Greg McLean’s 2005 cult slasher film was the film that could have come close to ruining it.

Wolf Creek, about three travelers terrorized by a crazed pig hunter, claimed to be based on true events when first released. While not entirely a lie, the real Australia-based hitchhiker murders that inspired the film occurred far from the scenic national park the title borrows from… and misspells (Wolfe Creek).

Nevertheless, the film has earned acclaim as one of the best horror movies of its kind for its ultra realistic depictions of violence and, especially, for its sinister antagonist, Mick Taylor (John Jarratt).

The Conjuring (2013)

Famed paranormal investigators Ed and Lorraine Warren’s most famous case is, most likely, the case that inspired The Amityville Horror.

Of course, no confirmed evidence of that haunting exists (as I have mentioned) and the story has already been done to death in Hollywood. Thus, James Wan thankfully chose the Warrens’ 1971 investigation of the Perron Family’s house as inspiration for The Conjuring.

Featuring interviews with the actual Perron Family in the film’s marketing is what helped convince audiences to buy into its “based on a true story” claims and made it one of the highest-grossing horror movies of all time.

The Conjuring would spin off its own universe, which has gone on for some time. However, the one that started it all is still regarded as one of the best horror movies in recent memory.

A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984)

Wes Craven was smart to not market his slasher-fantasy hit as inspired by true events because no one would have believed that a badly burned, clawed, wisecracking boogeyman would be real.

That being said, claiming it to be based on true events still, technically, would not have been a lie.

Wes Craven wrote the script for A Nightmare on Elm Street after reading an L.A. Times article about a teenage boy suffering from nightmares that kept him desperate to stay awake, until he eventually died in his sleep.

Craven took the concept of a fatal nightmare, added villain Freddy Krueger (Robert Englund) as an antagonist, and one of the best horror movies of all time was born.

The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1974)

A large part of the appeal of the late Tobe Hooper’s breakout hit was the claim in the marketing and in the film’s opening narration that the events depicted in the movie actually happened. No, there is no record of a massacre involving a chainsaw that took place in Texas in the early 1970s.

Instead, Tobe Hooper’s initial inspiration came from the cruel and gross crimes of Ed Gein, who has inspired several antagonists on film. Yet, Leatherface may be the killer’s most iconic cinematic counterpart due to his weapon of choice.

So, where did the chainsaw element in The Texas Chainsaw Massacre come from? Tobe Hooper and his wife were in a crowded department store when he saw the bladed tool on a shelf and thought to himself, I bet I could use that to get through this crowd a lot easier.

Jaws (1975)

Steven Spielberg’s masterful creature feature (and the first blockbuster) was inspired by Peter Benchley’s novel, Jaws. But even Benchley needed inspiration from somewhere.

Benchley stated in the introduction of his man vs. shark novel that his initial inspiration was a 1964 newspaper article about a fisherman who caught a 4,500-pound great white off Long Island. The story got him to wonder what would happen if such an animal became a more local nuisance.

Many also cite the infamous 1916 shark attack off of Jersey Shore. While the incident is mentioned in both the book and movie, Peter Benchley has said that the mere reference of the event should is not to be taken as a sign that it inspired the plot of Jaws.

Or, perhaps, he and Steven Spielberg would rather one of the best horror movies of all time, and one of their most iconic creations, not be linked to tragedy. That is quite challenging for a shark movie.

Psycho (1960)

Leatherface is not the only killer on our list to be inspired by Ed Gein. The prolific murdered also paved the way for Alfred Hitchcock’s most iconic creation.

Much like Norman Bates (Anthony Perkins’ bone chilling role in Psycho), Ed Gein was very close to his mother Augusta, who sealed him off from the rest of the world for much of his life. After she died, leaving him a state of crippling loneliness, he eventually began identifying as a woman, taking up cross dressing and skinning female victims to create a bodysuit to help assume his gender of choice.

All I can say, in regards to the life of Ed Gein AND the plot of Psycho, mothers, please be careful how you raise your children. They may end up inspiring some of the best horror movies of all time.

Nosferatu (1922)

You may recognize Count Orlok from Nosferatu by his brief cameo in a SpongeBob Squarepants episode, or by the name of his original source material: Bram Stoker’s Dracula.

Believe it or not, Count Dracula was an actual person: a Romanian prince named Vlad who took on the name Dracula, which meant “son of Dracul,” his father. Of course, he was Drac was not an undead creature of night, but he apparently did have a taste for human blood.

F.W. Murnau, unable to obtain the rights to the name Dracula, adapted Stoker’s novel into the 1922 silent film Nosferatu, which I still believe is one of the best horror of all time and my top pick for vampire movies.

The Exorcist (1973)

Director William Friedkin never regarded his Oscar-nominated adaptation of William Peter Blatty’s novel as a horror film, despite being regarded now as one of the best horror movies ever.

What interested Friedkin about The Exorcist, inspired by the actual exorcism of 14-year-old boy Roland Doe in a St. Louis hospital, was the unique opportunity he saw in it. He wanted to use the fictionalized take of the St. Louis possession (changed to a 12-year-old girl played by Linda Blair) and make a film that commented on the mystery of faith.

Perhaps that unique approach to the thriller, as well as its fact-based origin, is what has kept audiences intrigued and in fear more than 40 years since The Exorcist was first released.

What do you think of our list? Can you think of more horror movies "based on a true story" that deserve a spot? There are plenty more out there, but hopefully this provides a few for you to choose from.

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Disneyland Mishap Prompts Boat Evacuation

Disneyland Mishap Prompts Boat Evacuation

If you're looking for a thrilling experience at the Disneyland Resort, I would suggest checking out Space Mountain or perhaps the Incredicoaster. However, earlier this week guests found themselves having an unexpectedly exciting time in probably the least likely of locations, Fantasyland. While the Storybook Land Canal Boats are traditionally a pretty relaxing attraction, that changed for about 10 guests, a combination of adults and children, as one of the boats began to take on water.

Nobody was injured during the incident and guests were transported from one boat to another before being transported to dry land. The attraction then went down for inspection. It has since resumed normal operation, so whatever the issue was, has apparently been cleared up.

It sounds like everybody made it through the ordeal without issue. The situation may have actually been a serious gain for the affected guests. According to the Orange County Register, affected guests were provided with dry clothes and shoes by Disneyland, which likely means they got some free park merchandise out of the deal.

The attraction takes guests on a slow boat ride past miniature versions of many classic Disney movie locations, like Toad Hall and Geppetto's Workshop. A guide drives the boat around while pointing out the tiny buildings and you get to sit back and rest your feet for a few minutes while checking out the intricate work on display. It's basically the Jungle Cruise, but without animitronics or jokes.

The ride was part of Disneyland's opening day in 1955 and has remained in operation ever since. Although, like the park itself, it sees regular replacements and updates. While potentially overlooked by some, the Storybook Land Canal Boats represent an important part of Disney history. Miniatures were a particular passion for Walt Disney and he once planned to create a traveling exhibition of Americana which he called Disneylandia. Eventually, the exhibition was deemed too costly an impractical, but many of the concepts behind Disneylandia were incorporated into Main Street U.S.A. and miniatures themselves became part of the Canal Boats attraction.

Usually, the most important thing to worry about on that ride is proper weight distribution on the boat, as it does need to be properly balanced for a smooth ride, but it's difficult to imagine that had anything to do with a boat actually taking on water.

It's good to know that everybody is ok and that there's nothing seriously wrong with the attraction. It may have been that one of the boats was simply in need of repair and that the problem had been missed on a previous inspection. Considering how few accidents, even of this relatively small size, take place at Disneyland, and considering how long the park has been around, the cast members clearly do an amazing job keeping things in working order.

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