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The King Kong movies were fish-out-of-water stories that explored heavier issues on race and environmentalism. Mighty Joe Young toned down these themes, offering a more family-friendly alternative.

Disney's Mighty Joe Young streams for free on Tubi this December. A remake of the 1949 film, it's a heartwarming story about an enduring friendship between a giant mountain gorilla and the woman who raised him in a wildlife preserve. It's a toned-down version of monster films like King Kong, especially the 1933 classic. Mighty Joe Young's main draw was its creature design, which earned an Oscar nod in for Best Visual Effects in 1999. Released on Christmas Day 1998, the film was a box office disappointment, grossing $50 million against a $90 million budget. Mighty Joe Young was Charlize Theron's next big break after The Devil's Advocate.

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Despite being a much more niche piece of pop culture, the oft-forgotten '90s Disney film Mighty Joe Young is arguably a superior adaptation of the Kong narrative compared to the more modern takes on this particular story. Unlike the MonsterVerse's focus on spectacular battles and grandiose special effects, Mighty Joe Young centers on the bond between humans and the titular giant gorilla, emphasizing themes of compassion, loyalty, and the moral dilemmas associated with captivity and freedom. This human-animal relationship is portrayed with a tender authenticity, providing a richer and more nuanced version of what is basically the legend of Kong.

Beyond this, the film's pacing allows for a more intimate exploration of the characters and their motivations, presenting a story where the giant gorilla's size and strength are secondary to his gentle nature and the ethical questions his existence raises. This approach contrasts sharply with the MonsterVerse's tendency to prioritize spectacle over substance,...

A full Free Movie of the Day is posted on the JoBlo Horror Movies YouTube channel every day of the week – but on Fridays things get even freakier and a little more fun. Get your weekend started the right way by indulging in Friday Fright Nights! Every Friday, we’ll be taking a look at another genre movie you can watch in its entirety, free of charge, either on the YouTube channel linked above or in the video embed here.

The Friday Fright Nights feature we have for you this week is writer/director Neil McCay’s Trip, which was just released into the world back in May of 2022. This movie was described in one review as “a cross between a haunted house film, a psychological thriller, and a drugsploitation film”, which – along with the title – gives away the fact that there are going to be a good amount of...

Stars: Akasha Villalobos, Jill Young, Major Dodge, Peggy Schott, Bjorgvin Arnarson | Written and Directed by Neil McCay

Trip has barely begun when a conversation about softball and scholarships between Ally and her daughter Samantha takes a horrific turn. The girl starts talking about a mysterious figure, has a meltdown, and then kills herself by tearing her eyes out.

Needless to say, this takes quite a toll on Ally who blames herself. Her husband Michael isn’t the most supportive of partners and she’s soon a shut-in living on booze and pills. Eventually, she falls under the influence of Jan a somewhat unorthodox therapist who gives her a hallucinogenic tea that will allow her to see Samantha again and find closure. Unfortunately, it also means she can see other spirits as well, including the one that pushed her daughter to kill herself.

Writer/director Neil McCay sets up a scenario...

Sorrow and despair are the villains in the frightening Trip, on Terror Films AVOD Channel Friday, May 13th before a wide digital on Friday May 20. From writer/director Neil McCay, Trip stars Akasha Villalobos (Last Girl Standing), Major Dodge (“Cobra Kai”), Peggy Schott (“Fear the Walking Dead”), Jill Young, and “Chucky” star Björgvin Arnarson. Following …

The post Official Trailer : Chucky’s Björgvin Arnarson stars in Terror Films’ Trip appeared first on Horror News | Hnn.

"There's a door to the other side – this opens that door." Terror Films has revealed an official trailer for an indie horror titled Trip, from indie filmmaker Neil McCay (also of Eleven previously). This is heading to streaming right away on the AVOD channel Terror Films in early May, if anyone is interested. "Sorrow and despair are the villains in the frightening Trip." Following her daughter's suicide, a grief-stricken mother is visited by an unconventional therapist who offers a hallucinogenic drug that will allow communion with the dead. Desperate to understand her daughter's psyche, she accepts the offer and soon finds herself terrorized by her daughter's identical experiences. This also sounds like a cautionary tale about how bad hallucinogens can be. The film stars Akasha Villalobos, Major Dodge, Peggy Schott, Jill Young, and "Chucky" star Björgvin Arnarson. Visually this film looks quite bland, but maybe there is something more to the story.

"There's a tiny home on the line, let's not play around." Gravitas Ventures has debuted an official US trailer for an indie comedy called The Tiny Life of Butcher Duke, made by filmmaker Mike Apel, who writes, directs, produces, and stars in this. The film first premiered at the Cinequest Film Festival and Hill Country Film Festival back in 2019, and is finally getting a VOD release this spring. The Tiny Life of Butcher Duke is an indie comedy about retired tennis "legend" who attempts to win his life back by competing in a tennis rematch to win his very own tiny home. Aside from Apel as Duke, the cast includes Chad Werner, Emily Hiott, Jeff McQuitty, Jill Young, Emma Rappold, Jon Michael Simpson, Shane Pederson, and Gary Teague. This almost plays like a sports mockumentary, but also just looks like some kooky indie fun. Here's the official trailer (+ poster) for...