Cody

The What Happened to This Horror Movie episode on Hatchet II was written by Jaime Vasquez:

When Hatchet II hit theaters, it crashed and burned. Writer and director Adam Green set out to make a movie for the fans who had turned the original Hatchet into a cult hit, with one simple goal: give them more of what made the first film special. Sounds easy enough, right? But theaters and some moviegoers treated it less like a celebration and more like something to avoid.

Controversial for its excessive gore, the sequel reunited most of the original cast and crew, though with some notable exceptions. Why was actress Tamara Feldman replaced by scream queen Danielle Harris? Why did a crew member walk off set shortly after filming began? And how did exhibitors and rental companies react to the film’s extreme violence?

Grab an assortment of weapons and some bug spray. We’re headed to Honey Island Swamp to hunt down Victor Crowley and find out what happened to Adam Green’s Hatchet II.

From Cult Favorite to Sequel

Green had already made a name for himself in horror with the well-received survival thriller Frozen and, of course, 2006’s Hatchet.

The marketing for the original Hatchet was just as straightforward as the movie itself, proudly declaring that it was “not a remake, not a sequel, and not based on a Japanese horror movie,” a direct jab at the trends dominating the genre at the time. Another tagline described it as “old school American horror,” which was pretty accurate. Hatchet was designed as a throwback to the slashers of the 1980s, where the stories were simple and the blood flowed freely.

While the movie wasn’t a major box office success, it quickly developed a devoted cult following, leaving horror fans eager for more of Victor Crowley and his swamp-soaked carnage.

Recognizing that demand, Anchor Bay announced plans for a follow-up in November 2008, even releasing teaser artwork through MySpace and Ariescope, Adam Green’s production company.

However, the road to a second installment wasn’t nearly as simple as it seemed. Between contractual obligations and Green’s own reluctance to immediately revisit the franchise, development moved slowly. The filmmaker later revealed that he turned down the opportunity to direct Hatchet II five different times, feeling that the original project had consumed so much time and energy that he needed some distance before fully committing again.

Keeping Hatchet II Secret

The script’s final draft was dated December 7, 2009, and, in keeping with the production’s rapid pace, the cast assembled for a table read just over a week later on December 15.

To prevent details from leaking, crew members weren’t given copies of the screenplay, while most actors received only the pages relevant to their scenes. The secrecy extended even further, with fake scripts, false endings, and fabricated plot points deliberately circulated while visitors were barred from the set.

One of the biggest changes involved the role of Marybeth Dunston.

Why Danielle Harris Replaced Tamara Feldman

Actress Tamara Feldman, who played Marybeth in the original Hatchet, did not return for the sequel, prompting Adam Green to cast Halloween veteran Danielle Harris instead.

Interestingly, Harris had nearly landed the role the first time around. However, with Tony Todd, Robert Englund, and Kane Hodder already in the cast, Green felt adding another well-known horror icon might be overkill. Instead, he opted for Feldman, who was a much fresher face at the time.

Another complication was that Feldman and Green reportedly had different ideas about where the sequel should take Marybeth, something that became increasingly difficult to work around considering the character had survived the first film.

Despite the noticeable physical difference (Feldman stands roughly eight inches taller than Harris), Danielle stepped into the role with confidence. She later joked that her only stipulation was that Green admit he had been wrong for not casting her the first time around.

Whichever performance you prefer, each actress brings something different to the character. Feldman has that classic “final girl” energy, while Harris brings years of horror experience and the attitude of someone who’s simply finished being afraid of Victor Crowley. Both performances work well for the stories they’re telling.

Kane Hodder Takes on Two Roles

Green wanted Kane Hodder to return as Victor Crowley, but this time he challenged the horror legend to do more than stunt work.

Having seen how expressive he could be beneath Jason Voorhees’ hockey mask, Green believed Hodder had untapped dramatic potential. To showcase that side of him, Hodder pulled double duty by also portraying Victor’s father, Thomas Crowley, in several key flashbacks.

The role gave him the opportunity to perform emotional scenes without heavy makeup hiding his face.

Victor Crowley’s makeup was also redesigned to be softer and less restrictive than it had been in the original film, giving Hodder greater freedom with both his movements and facial expressions.

Tony Todd Returns as Reverend Zombie

Returning as Reverend Zombie was the late, great Tony Todd, though this time the character would play a much larger role.

Todd reportedly became so invested in Reverend Zombie that Adam Green claimed he received text messages from the actor at all hours of the night, sometimes as late as three in the morning, asking detailed questions about the character’s motivations and backstory, including whether Reverend Zombie actually possessed magical abilities.

In the film, Reverend Zombie assembles a group of locals with the promise of $500 (later increased to $5,000) if they’ll accompany him into Honey Island Swamp to hunt down Victor Crowley.

As usual, Todd elevates every scene he’s in. Even while playing an underhanded, money-hungry schemer, there’s still part of you rooting for him to somehow make it out with his spine intact.

AJ Bowen Nearly Left Acting

AJ Bowen’s character, Layton, was written specifically with Bowen in mind, allowing Adam Green to tailor the role around him as a performer. The gamble paid off.

According to Bowen, Hatchet II ultimately helped save his career. After years of nonstop promotional work for previous films, he had become burned out and was seriously considering leaving acting behind altogether. Before Green called, Bowen was even thinking about attending culinary school.

When he wasn’t in front of the camera, Bowen still showed up on set during his days off to help however he could. Despite saying he had very little free time during production, that lack of downtime was largely by choice. He found himself drawn to the family atmosphere surrounding the cast and crew.

Tom Holland Joins the Cast

Tom Holland and Adam Green were already friends, having met through one of Mick Garris’s famous Masters of Horror dinners. Even so, Holland was surprised when Green asked him to appear in the film, as the filmmaker hadn’t acted on screen in several years despite originally beginning his career as an actor.

To connect with the role of Marybeth’s Uncle Bob, Holland credited Danielle Harris with helping restore his confidence. Her emotional performance pulled him into the scene and even helped him recover dialogue that he had briefly forgotten.

Feeding off Harris’s energy, Holland delivered a convincing performance as the protective Uncle Bob.

Horror Icons, Extreme Gore, and a Brutal Production

Leatherface vs. Jason

R.A. Mihailoff plays Trent, arguably the physically strongest member of Reverend Zombie’s hunting party. He brought even more genre credibility to the production, having previously portrayed Leatherface in Leatherface: Texas Chainsaw Massacre III.

At Kane Hodder’s suggestion, Mihailoff performed his own stunts during their fight sequence, something he was more than happy to do. So when you watch these two square off, you’re essentially watching Leatherface versus Jason Voorhees, a pretty incredible piece of horror history.

Green later explained that Trent’s death was inspired by the infamous curb stomp scene in American History X, though somehow it ends up looking considerably less painful.

Familiar Faces Return

Also returning are visual effects artist John Carl Buechler as Jack Cracker and Perry Shen, this time playing Justin after portraying Justin’s brother Shawn in the first movie, because… why not?

Adam Green, who briefly appeared in the original film, once again pops up as the “guy who throws up on the sidewalk,” although the role officially remains uncredited.

Making Hatchet II

Shot on location in Louisiana, with additional material filmed in California, Hatchet II was completed in an impressive seventeen and a half days.

The production pushed its practical effects to even greater extremes than the original. According to horror outlet Bloody Disgusting, approximately 136 gallons of fake blood were used during filming, more than double the reported 55 gallons used on the first Hatchet.

The crew reportedly drenched the set in fake blood fired from mortar cannons, creating some of the sequel’s most outrageous kill sequences.

The excessive gore was apparently too much for one returning crew member. A boom operator who had previously worked with Green on Frozen reportedly left after only two days due to moral concerns over the film’s graphic content. Fortunately for Green, that sentiment wasn’t shared by most of the returning crew.

Bringing back much of the original team was reportedly one of Adam Green’s biggest conditions during negotiations with the production company. Dark Sky Films not only agreed to reunite his crew but also resisted any pressure to make the sequel more mainstream.

Instead, Green was given considerable creative freedom, allowing Hatchet II to function not just as a direct continuation of the original film, but as a spiritual extension of everything fans loved about it.

Wearing Multiple Hats

The film’s modest budget meant many cast and crew members had to take on multiple responsibilities.

Producer Sarah Elbert even helped with wardrobe decisions whenever extra hands were needed, illustrating the collaborative, independent spirit that defined the production.

Much of the movie was shot in the Louisiana swamps, but portions of the swamp environment were also recreated on a soundstage.

Unfortunately, many of the plants had been grown indoors. Bacteria reportedly spread throughout the artificial swamp, creating unpleasant working conditions at the same time swine flu was already making its way through the production. Several cast and crew members eventually became sick.

Danielle Harris Pushed to Her Limits

The difficult conditions took a particular toll on Danielle Harris. Between the heavy smoke effects, constant exposure to special effects materials, long twelve-hour shooting days, and the physically demanding nature of the role, Harris often found herself completely exhausted.

She later recalled reaching the point where she simply couldn’t continue filming additional takes and occasionally had to wrap for the day because her body had reached its limit.

Building Victor Crowley’s World

Production designer Bryan McBrien returned after earning his first design credit on the original Hatchet. For the sequel, he constructed Victor Crowley’s house entirely from the ground up.

Although much of the swamp environment blended practical locations with stage work, Crowley’s house itself was a fully realized structure that actors could freely move through, helping create a more immersive environment for the cast.

Green also encouraged visual effects artist Robert Pendergraft to become the film’s Practical and Creature Effects Department Head. Initially hesitant, Pendergraft eventually accepted after Green convinced him he was ready for the challenge. The best workspace available for building the film’s elaborate practical gore effects turned out to be… his aunt’s garage.

Green loved the detail because it perfectly reflected the scrappy, do-it-yourself attitude that had always defined the Hatchet series.

The NC-17 Problem

Hatchet II premiered at London’s FrightFest in late August 2010 before receiving its American red carpet premiere one month later at Hollywood’s Egyptian Theatre.

Securing a theatrical release, however, proved far more difficult than making the movie itself. The Motion Picture Association repeatedly assigned the film an NC-17 rating due to its extreme violence. After learning how much gore would need to be removed to receive an R rating, AMC ultimately agreed to release Hatchet II in its unrated form. That decision made it the first horror film since George A. Romero’s Dawn of the Dead in 1978 to receive a wide unrated theatrical release.

Green maintained that while the movie was undeniably violent, its gore was intentionally exaggerated and cartoonish. Rather than glorifying suffering, he viewed the film as a tongue-in-cheek response to the so-called “torture porn” movement popularized by movies like Hostel and Saw. He also pointed to audience reactions during screenings in the United Kingdom and Germany, where crowds reportedly laughed, cheered, and treated the outrageous violence as part of the fun.

Unfortunately, ratings boards and theater chains didn’t see it the same way.

Pulled From Theaters

Theaters and ratings boards ultimately disagreed with Adam Green’s approach. Following its opening weekend, Hatchet II was reportedly pulled from most theater schedules by Monday morning.

Similar problems emerged in Canada, where planned October 2010 engagements in Toronto and Montreal were halted after the film failed to receive classification from the provincial ratings boards.

According to reports, theaters were warned they could face fines if they continued screening the film, leading to its removal from those markets as well. +Green found the entire controversy so baffling that the stress reportedly caused him to lose eleven pounds.

Despite those extraordinary release circumstances, Hatchet II still managed respectable business for the kind of release it received. The film opened in just 68 theaters and remained in most of them for only a single weekend, earning roughly $53,000 domestically and nearly $104,000 overseas for a worldwide total of approximately $156,000.

Those numbers would be disastrous for a major studio release. In the context of an unrated independent horror film that effectively disappeared from theaters after one weekend, however, they’re considerably more impressive.

Critics Couldn’t Agree

Critical reception was noticeably weaker than it had been for the original Hatchet, but the sequel still earned praise from some surprisingly prestigious publications, including The New York Times, The Los Angeles Times, and The Hollywood Reporter. Green later admitted those positive reviews genuinely surprised him, noting that low-budget horror films are rarely embraced by mainstream critics.

The film currently holds a 43% critics score on Rotten Tomatoes, alongside a slightly lower 36% audience score.

Ironically, the very element that divided audiences also united critics: the gore. Negative reviews frequently criticized the relentless violence as excessive and repetitive, while many of the positive reviews celebrated those exact same qualities as part of the film’s over-the-top appeal. For horror fans, that’s probably the least surprising twist in the entire story.

Redbox Censored the Movie

The home video release came with its own set of challenges. While most retailers carried the Director’s Theatrical Unrated Cut, rental giant Redbox would only distribute a version edited down to what would essentially qualify as an R-rated release. The most significant changes involved several of the movie’s death scenes.

Green understood Dark Sky Films’ decision to create an edited version for Redbox, noting that it wasn’t much different from preparing a television cut. Even so, he felt the censorship went too far and fundamentally changed the tone of the movie.

One example particularly stood out to him. According to Green, Chad’s death scene originally featured roughly 30 hatchet blows to the face. The Redbox version reduced that number to just three.

Green also found the backlash surrounding Hatchet II confusing, especially when films like Alexandre Aja’s The Hills Have Eyes remake and the Piranha remake, both of which he considered even more graphic in different ways, escaped similar levels of controversy.

Keeping Victor Crowley Alive

Fortunately, horror fans showed up. Despite its turbulent theatrical run, Hatchet II performed well enough with its target audience to keep the franchise alive, leading to two additional installments: Hatchet III and Victor Crowley.

So what’s next for everyone’s favorite swamp-dwelling slasher? According to Green, he and his creative team would gladly return to the series under the right circumstances. In 2019, Danielle Harris also discussed the possibility of making two additional sequels.

However, Green has since suggested that any future installments would likely need to happen under new management before the franchise moves forward.

Final Thoughts

Hatchet II may have disgusted and alienated some audiences, but it also delivered exactly what fans of the original wanted.

The sequel doubled down on everything that made Hatchet a cult favorite: outrageous practical gore, memorable kills, colorful horror icons, and a deeper exploration of Victor Crowley’s mythology.

Adam Green’s name appears above the title for good reason. Few modern horror franchises feel as personal to their creator as Hatchet does to him.

Whether you love it or hate it, Hatchet II succeeds at exactly what it set out to do. It expands the legend of Victor Crowley, transforms Marybeth from survivor into hunter, and dismembers bodies with the kind of gleeful excess that only practical-effects horror can deliver.

And that, my friends, is what happened to Adam Green’s Hatchet II.

A couple of previous episodes of this show can be seen below. For more, check out the JoBlo Horror Originals YouTube channel—and don’t forget to subscribe!

The post What Happened to Hatchet II? Inside Adam Green’s Bloody Cult Horror Sequel appeared first on JoBlo.

Robert Eggers does it again

If there’s anything Robert Eggers does well, it’s macabre history with authentic era language. Focus Features has just unveiled the terrifying new trailer for Werwulf, which Eggers claims is his darkest movie to date. He reunites with his Nosferatu cast — the hyphenate duo of Aaron Taylor-Johnson and Lily-Rose Depp. Bodhi Rae Breathnach, who is on the rise after movies like Hamnet, Shelter and Sense and Sensibility, also joins the period horror film. Eggers’ good luck charm, Willem Dafoe, also appears in the film.

Bad Moon Rising

Eggers has written the screenplay for Werwulf with Sjón, his co-writer on the Viking saga The Northman. Details are being kept under wraps, but The Hollywood Reporter’s sources told them “the story is set in 13th century England. The script also features dialogue that was true to the time period and has translations and annotations for those uninitiated to Old English. Initially, Eggers was planning on shooting the feature in black and white, but that is no longer the case. Suffice to say that considering the setting and the dialect, Eggers is promising another deep dive into a muddy, costumed, and violent time period consistent with his oeuvre which has earned him a loyal film following.“ Screen Daily adds that the story centers on a mysterious creature who stalks a foggy countryside as local folklore becomes a terrifying reality for the villagers.

Eggers and Sjón are producing Werwulf with Focus Features. Chris and Eleanor Columbus, who worked with Eggers on Nosferatu, will serve as executive producers.

During a recent Q&A event, Eggers told the audience that his “medieval werewolf movie” is, “the darkest thing I’ve ever written, by far.” 

A whole other level of terror

As with Eggers’ other films, the trailer for Werwulf gives you an incredibly dreadful feeling and Focus Features chairman Peter Kujawski tells us to expect something on a “whole other level” from the writer/director. He says that Eggers has “such a specific and unique vision, and he has found a way to balance truly horrifying images with deep, singular aesthetics. Like all of his films, this has high-level terror and anxiety, but it’s done in a way that gives you these weird shafts of light and hope. For example, in Nosferatu, you don’t necessarily expect that you’re going to have a pretty deeply emotional experience by the end, right?“

Werwulf hits theaters on Christmas Day.

The post Do not dread the darkness. Embrace it. Robert Eggers’ Werwulf trailer has arrived appeared first on JoBlo.

PLOT: After becoming lost in the Louisiana swamplands, a group of holidaymakers must fight for their lives against a rampaging hippo on the loose.

REVIEW: This year in particular, we have been absolutely inundated with shark movies. Thrash, Deep Water, and Chum have all been released in the past couple of months, with more on the horizon. When you want a killer animal, sharks are the obvious answer, despite not actually being man-eaters in real life. But there’s one animal that I’ve always felt would be perfect for this, since they kill significantly more people annually than sharks: Hippos. They are the absolute king of their domain, and can attack both by land and sea, making it the perfect horror villain. Hungry takes this concept and takes a much more serious route than you would expect.

Hungry follows a group as they head out in the Louisiana Bayou to see Alligators. Unfortunately for them, a deadly hippo has taken over part of the swamp, and is very territorial. They must fight to survive as they get picked off one by one. It’s the same setup we’ve seen for these kinds of movies time and time again. So it’s very important that the execution works. And the acting from the likes of Madison Davenport, Tracey Bonner, and Joaquim de Almeida is better than you would expect.

This takes the Jaws approach of not showing us the Hippo until well into the proceedings. I’m sure this was a budgetary decision, but it does help with the tension. I was actually surprised at just how long they wait to show the creature, and it doesn’t make much impact when it does actually appear. The kills are so quick and don’t have much impact. The Hippo just simply takes them down into the water. I feel like it’s a pretty big missed opportunity. The problem is that when the Hippo does show up, it never feels like an actual presence in the world. There’s no physical weight to it, and it feels disconnected from the characters themselves. Essentially dissipates the tension.

Despite taking place in the Louisiana swamps, Hungry was filmed in Malta in water tanks, and it’s very obvious. As someone who lived in Louisiana briefly, there is not one single moment where this feels like the bayou. It’s far too beautiful and doesn’t have nearly enough bugs. Most movies like this are filmed in water tanks, so I won’t hold that against it. In fact, it’s mostly handled pretty well in terms of the FX. It’s just hard not to notice the fact that they’re mostly in one location, with two fake trees.

I think when you go into a horror movie with a killer hippo that uses Hungry, Hungry Hippos in its marketing, you kind of expect some fun to be had. But Hungry always takes things very seriously and doesn’t seem to understand the absurdity of the situation. Adding a little bit of levity would have gone a long way but the film seems to think that being serious is more important than anything.

The worst thing that a killer animal movie can be is boring, and unfortunately, Hungry lacks a certain spark. The characters aren’t very interesting and the hippo feels very limited. I wish more movies would use Crawl as an example of how to make something serious that still knows how to have fun. Because with the concept of a hippo in the bayou, realism is already out the window, so why not lean into it? Instead, it seems to focused on staying in its lane

Hungry is now available to watch on VOD.

The post Hungry Review: A killer hippo film that takes itself too seriously appeared first on JoBlo.

Cody

The Millennium era of the Godzilla franchise ran from 1999 to 2004 and consists of six films released by Toho Studios: Godzilla 2000, Godzilla vs. Megaguirus, Godzilla, Mothra and King Ghidorah: Giant Monsters All-Out Attack, Godzilla Against MechaGodzilla, Godzilla x Mothra x MechaGodzilla: Tokyo S.O.S., and Godzilla: Final Wars. Unlike the interconnected Heisei era that came before it, most Millennium-era entries function as standalone stories that ignore previous sequels and branch off from the events of the original 1954 Gojira. This approach allowed filmmakers to experiment with different versions of Godzilla, new interpretations of classic monsters, and wildly different tones from one film to the next. Some of those experiments worked better than others. To see how the entire era stacks up, here’s our ranking of all six Millennium-era Godzilla movies, from worst to best.

Millennium Era Godzilla Movies (1999–2004)

1. Godzilla 2000 (1999)
2. Godzilla vs. Megaguirus (2000)
3. Godzilla, Mothra and King Ghidorah: Giant Monsters All-Out Attack (2001)
4. Godzilla Against MechaGodzilla (2002)
5. Godzilla x Mothra x MechaGodzilla: Tokyo S.O.S. (2003)
6. Godzilla: Final Wars (2004)

6. GODZILLA: FINAL WARS (2004)

• Release Year: 2004
• Director: Ryûhei Kitamura
• Main Monsters: Godzilla, Monster X/Keizer Ghidorah, Gigan, Mothra, Rodan, Anguirus, King Shîsâ, Kumonga, Kamacuras, Ebirah, Zilla, Minilla
• Why It’s Ranked Here: Ambitious and packed with fan service, but the story is overlong, overly chaotic, and burdened by distracting Matrix-inspired elements.
• Best Feature: The sheer scale of the monster roster and Godzilla’s dominance over classic foes.
• Biggest Weakness: The human storyline and mutant/Xilien plot often overshadow the kaiju action.

As Toho prepared to celebrate Godzilla’s 50th anniversary in 2004, they recognized that box office returns for the Millennium era films were declining and decided the franchise should once again go dormant. To mark the occasion, they hired director Ryûhei Kitamura to craft Godzilla: Final Wars into an all-star celebration of the franchise. Conceived as the cinematic equivalent of a greatest-hits album, the film combines monsters, characters, and concepts from across Godzilla and Toho’s broader kaiju catalog with the largest budget in series history. Set in an alternate 2004 where decades of wars and environmental damage have led to frequent monster attacks, the story introduces the Earth Defense Force and its mutant-powered Organization M. Godzilla, a recurring threat since 1954, is imprisoned beneath Antarctic ice by the drill-equipped submarine Gotengo.

The plot follows a soldier as he becomes entangled in a global alien conspiracy. While investigating a 12,000-year-old mummified creature that turns out to be Gigan, he learns from Mothra’s Shobijin that Earth’s mutants share a genetic link with both Gigan and the alien Xiliens. Soon afterward, monsters begin attacking cities across the world, including Rodan, Anguirus, King Shîsâ, Kamacuras, Kumonga, Ebirah, and even Zilla, the creature from the 1998 American Godzilla. The Xiliens claim they have come to save Earth from the approaching asteroid Gorath, but their true goal is to conquer humanity, manipulate Earth’s mutants through their shared genetic heritage, and harvest human life. Godzilla has to be freed from his icy prison so he can be unleashed against the alien-controlled kaiju. What follows is an extended victory lap for the King of the Monsters, who dispatches a parade of classic foes with ease before facing upgraded versions of Gigan and Monster X, which eventually transforms into a new incarnation of King Ghidorah. Mothra joins Godzilla in the climactic battle and our soldier hero, who happens to be a mutant/human hybrid, confronts the Xiliens.

Godzilla: Final Wars didn’t fare well with Japanese audiences. The movie was designed to be a bigger and better Godzilla movie, shot at locations around the world with a lot of monsters and action, and moviegoers didn’t turn out for it. It had the highest budget of the series and at the box office it was the least successful Godzilla film since Terror of MechaGodzilla. This definitely proved to Toho that they needed to let the franchise rest for a while. And it’s not difficult to see why the film failed. It’s goofy and scattered, too long with too many moments influenced by The Matrix. Still, there is some fun to be had here. There are a lot of callbacks to the great Godzilla movies and other Toho tokusatsu/kaiju movies of the past. Even though the story is told in a very 2004 way, it is a classic Godzilla set-up, and Goji himself is treated with respect. Godzilla is the only thing that can save us in a world that’s being destroyed by monsters that can’t stand up to him at all. That’s a very honorable take.

5. GODZILLA VS. MEGAGUIRUS (2000)

• Release Year: 2000
• Director: Masaaki Tezuka
• Main Monsters: Godzilla, Megaguirus, Meganulon, Meganula
• Why It’s Ranked Here: Filled with intriguing concepts and alternate-history ideas, but the execution never lives up to its potential.
• Best Feature: Creative science fiction concepts like Dimension Tide and the alternate Godzilla timeline.
• Biggest Weakness: The story makes many of its most interesting ideas feel inconsequential.

Godzilla vs. Megaguirus doesn’t just continue the Millennium era’s approach of discarding continuity, it goes even further by existing in its own alternate universe. Directed by Masaaki Tezuka in his feature directorial debut and written by Hiroshi Kashiwabara and Wataru Mimura, the film rewrites Japan’s history with Godzilla. In this version, Godzilla first attacked Tokyo in 1954, returned in 1966 to destroy Japan’s first nuclear power plant, and later resurfaced in 1996 to attack Osaka after the development of plasma energy. By 2001, Japan has abandoned both nuclear and plasma power and formed a specialized anti-Godzilla military force called the G-Graspers.

The G-Graspers are working on Dimension Tide, an experimental weapon designed to open a black hole and trap Godzilla forever. During a test firing, a wormhole briefly opens and allows a prehistoric giant insect to emerge and lay an egg. That egg hatches large, bloodthirsty insects called Meganulon, which then molt into winged Meganula, a type of dragonfly. These monsters are a new take on the prehistoric pests that first appeared in 1956’s Rodan. These bugs multiply rapidly, eventually swarming Godzilla, draining energy from him so they can transform their queen into Megaguirus.

As with Godzilla 2000, the monster battle in this film ends with Godzilla pulling off a finishing move that is cheer-worthy. Unfortunately, the movie around that moment isn’t cheer-worthy. There are some very interesting ideas in Godzilla vs. Megaguirus, but the execution of them is dull and lifeless and the fights aren’t very good. Nearly everything in the movie feels like it’s rendered pointless by the storytelling. The alternate history created is intriguing, but has no real bearing on what happens. Dimension Tide is an intriguing idea, but it really accomplishes nothing. This isn’t a bad movie, it’s kind of fun, but it comes off like a missed opportunity. If you’re going to build an alternate universe for a Godzilla movie, you can do more with it than this.

4. GODZILLA 2000 (1999)

• Release Year: 1999
• Director: Takao Okawara
• Main Monsters: Godzilla, Orga
• Why It’s Ranked Here: An important franchise relaunch that successfully restored Godzilla’s image after 1998, but it lacks the creativity and depth of the era’s stronger entries.
• Best Feature: Bringing the Japanese Godzilla back with a striking redesign and classic monster action.
• Biggest Weakness: A simplistic story and an antagonist that never becomes particularly memorable.

When Godzilla was killed off in Godzilla vs. Destoroyah (1995), Toho intended to keep the Japanese version of the character off screens until his 50th anniversary in 2004 while TriStar pursued a planned trilogy of American films. However, the poor reception of TriStar’s Godzilla (1998) inspired Toho to fast-track a new Japanese production so they could restore Godzilla’s reputation. They brought the King of the Monsters back to theatres just nineteen months after the disappointment of TriStar’s movie. Directed by Takao Okawara from a screenplay by Hiroshi Kashiwabara and Wataru Mimura, a creative team that all had credits in the Heisei era, Godzilla 2000 launched the Millennium era of the franchise, and a different approach was taken to this one, as the films of the Millennium era largely throw continuity out the window. Their stories may harken back to the original Gojira, but all of the other movies are ignored. Only two entries in this era even have continuity with each other.

The story follows reporter Yuki Ichinose and members of the Godzilla Prediction Network, Yuji Shinoda and his daughter Io, who track Godzilla’s movements across Japan. They’re basically the Godzilla version of storm chasers. Their work coincides with the discovery of a mysterious object on the ocean floor that turns out to be an ancient alien spacecraft. After scanning humanity and studying Godzilla’s biology, the alien within becomes fascinated by the regenerative “Organizer G1” cells that allow the monster to heal rapidly. It reveals plans to transform Earth into its own “Millennium Kingdom,” and ultimately attempts to use Godzilla’s genetic material to create a physical body for itself. The alien evolves first into Millennian (looking like an alien octopus) and then into the kaiju Ogra (which has some Godzilla to its appearance), leading to the film’s climactic battle with Godzilla in Tokyo.

Godzilla 2000 received a wide theatrical release in the United States, making it the first Japanese Godzilla film to do so since Godzilla 1985. For that fact, and because it brought the real Godzilla back to the screen after he had seemingly been “killed off,” Godzilla 2000 is a somewhat special installment in the franchise. However, it’s not one of the best. There’s not much to this film. It was a rushed production, and that shows through. The story is as simplistic as it gets and, for a lot of the running time, rather dull. The saucer/Millennian/Ogra isn’t a particularly interesting opponent for Godzilla to face off with, either. The old school effects on display are great, but the CG is lacking. It’s adequate overall, but there’s not much in there that goes beyond adequate.

3. GODZILLA AGAINST MECHAGODZILLA (2002)

• Release Year: 2002
• Director: Masaaki Tezuka
• Main Monsters: Godzilla, Kiryu (MechaGodzilla)
• Why It’s Ranked Here: Delivers some of the best action in the Millennium era and introduces an excellent new version of MechaGodzilla, but its story feels incomplete.
• Best Feature: The concept of Kiryu being built around the skeleton of the original 1954 Godzilla.
• Biggest Weakness: Thin character development and a plot that feels like setup for a larger story.

Following the Millennium-era introductions of Mothra and King Ghidorah in Godzilla, Mothra and King Ghidorah: Giant Monsters All-Out Attack, Toho turned to another fan-favorite monster: MechaGodzilla. Written by Wataru Mimura and directed by Masaaki Tezuka, Godzilla Against MechaGodzilla continues the Millennium tradition of ignoring all previous Godzilla films except the original Gojira (1954). In this continuity, Godzilla was killed by Dr. Serizawa’s Oxygen Destroyer and reduced to a skeleton resting in Tokyo Bay. While other giant monsters have wreaked havoc in Japan (the original Mothra film and 1966’s The War of the Gargantuas are both included in this movie’s cherry picked continuity) there was never another appearance of Godzilla… until 1999. After a battle with the Anti-Megalosaurus Force, the new Godzilla returned to the sea.

To prepare for Godzilla’s inevitable return, the Japanese government creates Kiryu, a new MechaGodzilla built around the skeleton of the original 1954 Godzilla. Designed as a “bio-robot” that combines advanced technology with Godzilla’s DNA, Kiryu takes four years to complete, but it’s ready when Godzilla shows up again. The robot appears capable of defeating him until Godzilla’s roar awakens the memories embedded within the original skeleton, causing Kiryu to go berserk and attack Tokyo itself. Luckily, the robot is brought back into working condition in time for an extended climactic showdown – and when Godzilla manages to fry its remote control system, an Anti-Megalosaurus Force soldier takes manual control of the robot to avenge fallen comrades.

Godzilla Against MechaGodzilla is about as simplistic as a Godzilla movie can get. It’s basically three action sequences strung together with some sparse character work. It felt like Mimura and Tezuka were trying to get by with the bare minimum of character stuff so they could really focus on MechaGodzilla/Kiryu. Because of this, the film moves through its 88 minute running time very quickly. There’s never a dull moment, things are always getting propelled toward the next battle. So it’s a very fun movie that provides exactly what you really want when you put in a Godzilla movie. (Unless you don’t like the entries in which Godzilla is a villain and want to stick with his more heroic adventures.) Monsters fight, miniatures are destroyed, things blow up, and the viewer is entertained. Still, in the end it feels sort of lacking, like only half of a story was told here. It’s no surprise it got a direct sequel.

2. GODZILLA x MOTHRA x MECHAGODZILLA: TOKYO S.O.S. (2003)

• Release Year: 2003
• Director: Masaaki Tezuka
• Main Monsters: Godzilla, Kiryu (MechaGodzilla), Mothra, Mothra Larvae
• Why It’s Ranked Here: Builds on the Kiryu storyline while adding stronger thematic material through Mothra and the legacy of the 1954 Godzilla.
• Best Feature: The conflict over whether humanity should continue using the remains of the original Godzilla.
• Biggest Weakness: Minimal character development outside of the central Kiryu storyline.

Although Godzilla Against MechaGodzilla was originally conceived as a standalone film, director Masaaki Tezuka felt there was more story to tell and successfully pushed for a direct sequel. Co-writing the screenplay with Masahiro Yokotani, Tezuka crafted Godzilla x Mothra x MechaGodzilla: Tokyo S.O.S., the only Millennium-era film to directly continue the events of its predecessor. Set just months later, the film largely leaves behind the previous movie’s main characters and instead focuses on a Kiryu ground crew mechanic, who is determined to repair MechaGodzilla despite concerns that the bio-robot may not want to fight Godzilla again.

As Kiryu’s repairs near completion, Mothra returns to Japan accompanied by the Shobijin, who deliver a warning to the mechanic’s uncle, who happens to be Shin’ichi Chūjō from the original Mothra (Hiroshi Koizumi reprises the role). According to the fairies, building Kiryu around the bones of the 1954 Godzilla was a violation of nature, and the remains must be returned to the sea. If humanity refuses, Mothra will defend Japan from Godzilla herself, and may even declare war on mankind. The warning is ignored, and when Godzilla begins moving toward Japan, it becomes clear that he is being drawn to the bones of his predecessor. Mothra teams with Kiryu in a battle with Godzilla that dominates the running time – and along the way, the spirit of the original 1954 Godzilla awakens within Kiryu and is able to communicate with the mechanic.

Like the movie it follows, Tokyo S.O.S. is exceptionally simplistic. The filmmakers got by with doing as little character work as they had to in Godzilla Against MechaGodzilla, and that approach carries over into this film. It’d be impossible to do less with some of these characters and still be able to call them characters. The bulk of what you can call story happens in the first half hour; the remaining hour is nothing but battle. Still, what’s in that first half hour is more interesting than anything in Godzilla Against MechaGodzilla, largely because it feels like a welcome return to the Shōwa-era style. More than forty years had passed, but it plays like a solid follow-up to the 1961 Mothra. Mothra being upset about the desecration of a fellow kaiju’s bones makes total sense – and, unlike in Giant Monsters All-Out Attack, Mothra is classic Mothra here. Then the action begins and never lets up. This is a good movie and quite entertaining; it could have been better and the structure could have been improved, but it’s an enjoyable way to spend an hour and a half as it is.

1. GODZILLA, MOTHRA AND KING GHIDORAH: GIANT MONSTERS ALL-OUT ATTACK (2001)

• Release Year: 2001
• Director: Shûsuke Kaneko
• Main Monsters: Godzilla, Mothra, King Ghidorah, Baragon
• Why It’s Ranked Here: The boldest and most creative film of the Millennium era, reimagining Godzilla and his fellow monsters while delivering strong themes and spectacular action.
• Best Feature: Its unique portrayal of Godzilla as a supernatural force fueled by the spirits of the war dead.
• Biggest Weakness: The reworked versions of Mothra and King Ghidorah may frustrate viewers who prefer traditional continuity.

For the third Millennium-era film, Toho brought in director Shûsuke Kaneko, who had previously earned acclaim directing a trilogy of Gamera films for Daiei. After abandoning an early concept involving a virus-mutated astronaut battling Godzilla, Kaneko developed a more ambitious story that returned Godzilla to his villainous roots while pitting him against three guardian monsters. His original lineup of Baragon, Varan, and Anguirus was altered at Toho’s request, with Mothra and King Ghidorah replacing Varan and Anguirus. The result was Godzilla, Mothra and King Ghidorah: Giant Monsters All-Out Attack (GMK), a film that completely reboots continuity, acknowledging only the original Gojira (1954) while taking a playful jab at the 1998 American Godzilla movie. It establishes that Godzilla did attack Tokyo in 1954, but that attack has been followed by nearly fifty years of peace and prosperity in Japan. A monster attacked New York in 1998 and Americans claim it was Godzilla, but Japanese officials have doubts about that.

The story follows television reporter Yuri Tachibana as she investigates strange events linked to ancient legends of Japan’s Guardian Monsters. As Godzilla reemerges from the sea and marches toward Tokyo, Yuri learns that this version of the monster is far more than a prehistoric creature empowered by radiation. He is possessed by the restless souls of those who died during World War II, returning to punish a nation that has forgotten the suffering of the past. Opposing him are Baragon, Mothra, and King Ghidorah, reimagined as mystical protectors of Japan whose spirits are awakened by an elderly doomsayer. Unlike the heroic portrayal seen in other films, GMK‘s Godzilla is depicted as a force of pure evil, with blank white eyes and a willingness to kill civilians at every opportunity – and Baragon, Mothra and King Ghidorah are the heroes that have to stop him.

If you’re a stickler for continuity and consistency in characters, GMK is not going to be the movie for you. If you can accept that it completely reworks the origins of the monster characters, it’s quite an enjoyable monster movie, even if it does go on for too long. The “inhabited by spirits” angle is an interesting approach, and the attempt to return to the roots of the franchise is an admirable one. There are nice references to Gojira ’54 throughout, and the special effects are incredible. This is an installment that goes all out in trying something new, taking full advantage of the Millennium era’s “do whatever you want” style, which is respectable. Kaneko committed to making the movie as if no other Mothra or King Ghidorah story had been told before, while also including nods here and there to show he knew what came before. His creation of an alternate history for these creatures makes sense for his story. It works, and the film is a commendable effort.

Millennium Era Godzilla Movies FAQ

What is the Millennium era of Godzilla?

The Millennium era refers to the six Japanese Godzilla films released by Toho between 1999 and 2004. Unlike the Heisei era, most Millennium films ignore previous sequels and function as standalone continuities that branch off from the original 1954 Gojira.

What is the best Millennium-era Godzilla movie?

In this ranking, Godzilla, Mothra and King Ghidorah: Giant Monsters All-Out Attack (2001) takes the top spot thanks to its unique story, darker portrayal of Godzilla, strong themes, and creative reinvention of classic monsters.

What is the worst Millennium-era Godzilla movie?

Godzilla: Final Wars ranks last in this list. While its massive monster roster and ambitious scope are impressive, the film’s lengthy runtime and chaotic storytelling prevent it from reaching the heights of the era’s strongest entries.

Which Millennium-era Godzilla movies are connected?

Only Godzilla Against MechaGodzilla (2002) and Godzilla x Mothra x MechaGodzilla: Tokyo S.O.S. (2003) share a direct continuity. The other Millennium films largely function as standalone stories.

Why did the Millennium era end?

After the release of Godzilla: Final Wars in 2004, Toho placed the franchise on hiatus due to declining box office returns. The series remained dormant until the release of Shin Godzilla in 2016.

All 15 Shōwa Era Godzilla Movies Ranked Worst to Best

Every Heisei Godzilla Movie Ranked, From Worst to Best

MonsterVerse Movies Ranked: From Worst to Best

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Just over a year ago, we learned that Saturday Night Live‘s Kenan Thompson is executive producing a campy horror comedy film called Halloween Store. That film has since made its way through production, and while a release date hasn’t been announced yet, a trailer has dropped online to give us an early preview. Check it out in the embed above!

What is Halloween Store about?

Director Shane Dax Taylor, whose previous credits include the Stephen Lang thriller Isolation, the Bella Thorne horror thriller Masquerade, the Dolph Lundgren action film The Best Man, and the Kelsey Grammer war movie Murder Company, is at the helm of Halloween Store, working from a script written by Chad Law and Josh Ridgway. The story follows a group of people who find themselves trapped inside a costume store on Halloween night with a mysterious killer on the loose.

Law and Ridgway have previously written the mystery film Miss Willoughby and the Haunted Bookshop, the Dolph Lundgren action thriller Section 8, the alligator thriller The Flood, and the shark thriller Into the Deep.

Who’s in the cast?

Halloween Store stars

• Simon Rex (Red Rocket)
• Natalie Alyn Lind (Pet Sematary: Bloodlines)
• Kai Caster (Yellowstone)
• Anthony Michael Hall (Halloween Kills)
• Lindy Booth (Wrong Turn)
• Thomas Dekker (Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles)
• Grace Van Dien (Stranger Things)
• Nicholas Hamilton (Brave the Dark)
• Sydney Park (The Walking Dead)
• Jorge Lendeborg Jr. (American Carnage)
• Drew Ray Tanner (Riverdale).

We’ve previously heard that Caster is playing Brock, “the boyfriend of the lead character, Amy (Lind), and a star quarterback with alternative motives. At first glance, Brock is the epitome of an all-American good boy, but he may just have a dark, sinister side.”

Deadline revealed that Hall was cast as Hollis, “the sharp-witted sheriff of this quiet small town, always a step ahead and never missing a detail. But when terror takes hold, he’ll have to trust his instincts, push his limits, and fight to restore order before it’s too late.”

Booth is Claudia, “once the town’s golden girl—prom queen, head cheerleader, and Wes’s (Rex) wife—who is back on the market and ready to remind everyone exactly what they’ve been missing. Beneath her flawless exterior lies a woman who never forgets a grudge, and she makes sure everyone around her knows it. Charming yet ruthless, Claudia isn’t just here to reclaim her spotlight—she’s here to settle scores.”

Dekker’s character is Hunter, “a customer at the Shriek Shack. Though he’s a little bit older than the kids who work there, Hunter’s charming and flirtatious demeanor catches the eye of Amy (Lind) when she offers to help him find exactly what he’s looking for the day before Halloween. At first glance, he’s a kind and well-meaning shopper who only poses a threat to Amy’s jealous boyfriend Brock (Caster). Hunter’s importance and place as a piece of the story’s puzzle, however, remains to be seen…”

Van Dien portrays Heather, “the girl everyone wants to be—or be with. Radiating confidence and knowing exactly what she’s worth, she commands attention the moment she walks into a room. She’s not just all talk, either—mess with her, and you’ll quickly learn that her bite is just as fierce as her bark.”

Hamilton plays Zack, “a brooding and enigmatic employee of the Shriek Shack, a loner by choice who always lingers in the shadows. He watches, listens, and absorbs more than anyone realizes, using his quiet nature as a weapon. Beneath his dark and intimidating exterior lies a web of secrets—ones that may be far more terrifying than they seem.”

Park is Zoe, “Amy’s confident, outspoken and unapologetically loud best friend. As Shriek Shack’s worst employee, she’s a walking disaster on the clock—but her undeniable charm keeps her from getting the boot. A true horror fanatic, Zoe knows everything there is to know about the genre. But when the nightmare becomes real, she’ll have to put her knowledge to the test and fight to survive the horrors of Halloween night.”

Lendeborg plays Julio, “a soft-spoken but smooth-talking employee of Shriek Shack. Julio is a lover, not a fighter. One of the older employees, he tries to be part of the group and finally make Zoe his girlfriend, but his countless efforts are continuously shut down. When terror arises on Halloween night, he must conjure up strength and rise to the occasion.”

Tanner is Dave, “the effortlessly cool, yet undeniably quirky security guard of Shriek Shack. While his skills might be questionable, his fashion game is unmatched. Charismatic and confident, he’s the last guy you’d want around your girlfriend—because he just might steal her heart. But when terror strikes, Dave faces a choice: keep up the act or step up and become the hero he’s always dreamed of being.”

An Artists for Artists, Big Bad Pig Productions, and Racer Entertainment production, Halloween Store is being produced by Lind, Kenneth Burke, and Andrey Romanyuk. Taylor serves as an executive producer alongside Steven Schneider, John Lind, and Bradley Sloan. Kenan Thompson and John Ryan Jr. are executive producing through their Artists for Artists banner. Filming took place in Hawaii.

Are you interested in Halloween Store? Check out the trailer, then let us know by leaving a comment below!

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Writer/director Zach Cregger’s horror film Barbarian was a financial success when it was released by 20th Century Studios back in 2022, and it also received a lot of positive word-of-mouth. New Line Cinema was so impressed by it, they forked over $38 million to pick up Cregger’s Weapons. They also signed a first look deal with BoulderLight Pictures, the production company behind the film, resulting in (so far) Companion. Cregger is currently working with Sony on a new Resident Evil movie – but while all of this has been going on, there’s also been something strange lurking in the background: 20th Century Studios never gave Barbarian a physical media release. No DVD, no Blu-ray, nothing. Thankfully, this wrong will soon be made right. On August 11, Barbarian arrives in physical format for the first time on 4K Ultra HD + Blu-ray SteelBook. A press release lets us know “the creepy, evocative, and stunningly packaged SteelBook features brand-new art by Creepy Duck Design.”

What is Barbarian about?

Cregger, who co-created the TV series The Whitest Kids U’Know, crafted a story for Barbarian that begins when a young woman traveling to Detroit for a job interview books a rental home. But when she arrives late at night, she discovers that the house is double booked, and a strange man is already staying there. Against her better judgement, she decides to spend the evening, but soon discovers that there’s a lot more to fear than just an unexpected house guest.

The film stars Georgina Campbell (Krypton), Bill Skarsgård (It), Justin Long (Tusk), Matthew Patrick Davis (Dwight in Shining Armor), Jaymes Butler (Spides), Kurt Braunohler (The Big Sick), J.R. Esposito (Pandora), Devina Vassileva (Memory), Kalina Stancheva (Assassin’s Bullet), Sophie Sörensen (The Tales of Toverud), Trevor Van Uden (A Drunk Scorpion Will Sting Itself to Death), and Richard Brake (31).

What bonus features will the physical media release have?

Here’s the details:

4K ULTRA HD BONUS FEATURES

• Audio Commentary – View the film with audio commentary by writer-director Zach Cregger and producer Roy Lee.

Blu-ray BONUS FEATURES

• Behind Barbarian – Director Zach Cregger and the title cast and crew discuss both the unique and familiar horror elements that make Barbarian terrifying, and reveal the inspiration behind the horrific tale.
• Audio Commentary – View the film with audio commentary by writer-director Zach Cregger and producer Roy Lee.
• Deleted Scenes

Are you a fan of Barbarian, and have been you been hoping to add the film to your physical media collection? Let us know by leaving a comment below.

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A couple of years ago, Curry Barker wrote, directed, and starred in the found footage horror movie Milk & Serial, which is said to have had a budget of $800. Baker then released the movie through YouTube, where the free-to-watch video has racked up more than 3 million views. Even though he already made Milk & Serial, it’s his new horror movie, Obsession, that has been billed as his feature directorial debut – and it has turned out to be a massive box office success. Surpassing $220 million at the domestic box office and another $117 million internationally, Obsession is now the most successful festival acquisition ever – and soon, horror fans will be able to watch it at home. Obsession is reportedly set to receive a VOD and digital release on Tuesday, June 30th.

What is Obsession about?

Starring Michael Johnston and Inde Navarrette, Obsession is a story about a hopeless romantic who makes a wish that his long-time crush falls in love with him. A sinister enchantment ensues. Here’s the official synopsis: After breaking the mysterious “One Wish Willow” to win his crush’s heart, a hopeless romantic finds himself getting exactly what he asked for but soon discovers that some desires come at a dark, sinister price. Cooper Tomlinson, Megan Lawless, and Andy Richter are also in the cast.

James Harris of Teashop Productions produced the film with Haley Nicole Johnson of Under the Shell, Christian Mercuri of Capstone Pictures, and Roman Viaris. Blum’s fellow executive producers are Leonora Darby (Teashop), Mark Lane (Teashop), David Haring (Capstone), and Ruzanna Kegeyan (Capstone Pictures).

Barker has already made another feature, he’s in post-production on a project called Anything but Ghosts, and has lined up a couple more projects: he’ll be making an original horror film for Blumhouse, Atomic Monster, and Universal, and he has been hired to write and direct a reboot of The Texas Chainsaw Massacre. It looks like he’ll be making the Blumhouse movie before he gets around to working with Leatherface.

Are you glad to hear that Obsession is set to receive a digital release next week? Let us know by leaving a comment below.

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