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Brad Dourif Is Still Creepy, and How to Make a Great Movie Poster

By TK | Posted Under Trailers | Comments (59)



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Is there anyone creepier than Brad Dourif these days? Don’t say Crispin Glover — I said creepy, not bugfuck crazy. Dourif, known to most folks these days as Grima Wormtongue in the Lord of the Rings trilogy and as Doc Cochran in “Deadwood,” is a fascinating, if inconsistent actor. He’s been amazing in some amazing films. He’s also been in some real crap. Also? He was the voice of Chucky in the Child’s Play movies. I did not know that until now. It makes me like him a little more, actually.

His newest film seems to be capitalizing on the creepiness factor. Death and Cremation, helmed by first-time director Justin Steele and also starring Jeremy Sumpter (“Friday Night Lights”), is about:

A typical American suburb filled with middle class morals, a lonely 59-year-old, Stan, contributes to society by offering cremation services from his basement. In fact, Stan murders neighbors he perceives to be social bullies. Jarod, a fatherless 17-year-old high school outcast, lands an after-school job in Stan’s cremation house and the two develop an unusual working relationship that quickly evolves into a partnership. As detective Matt Fairchild puts together clues from local disappearances, Stan must decide if protecting his newfound trainee is worth killing for.

Yeah. Like I said — creepy. It’s got a trailer and a poster, and is scheduled to be released some time this year, though no firm date is attached yet. It doesn’t strike me as a wide-market release, but that doesn’t mean I’m not interested. The trailer is below, but first, take a look at the poster (click to enlarge):

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Seriously, that’s a sweet poster. Why can’t we get more like that? More and more, I feel like posters, and trailers for that matter, are something of a dying artform. Trailers give everything away in two minutes, and posters are just glitzy photo ops for the stars coupled with brain-punchingly dumb slogans. I don’t know if Death and Cremation is going to be any good, but they at least deserve credit for solid marketing. Anyway, here’s the trailer as promised.

(Source: Bloody Disgusting)









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Comments

"A cremator is an industrial furnace capable of generating temperatures of 870–980 °C (1,598–1,796 °F) to ensure disintegration of the corpse."

-- Wikipedia

And he has this IN HIS BASEMENT? Seriously?

Posted by: , at April 8, 2010 11:07 AM

I find Cillian Murphy completely creepy. Really hot too. Which makes it even more creepy.

*shudder*

I was introduced to Brad Dourif in an X-Files episode "Beyond The Sea" in 1994. He seems like a nutter to me. Maybe 75% nutter and 25% creep.

Posted by: Scully at April 8, 2010 11:08 AM

I can't watch the trailer at work, unfortunately, but that is one awesome poster. I love its subtlty.

Posted by: lubeg at April 8, 2010 11:09 AM

TK, you seriously didn't know that?? I can't even believe it. I feel like my faith in you and your horror expertise is a little shaken.

Ever since 1988, I will see almost anything if he's in it. I love him to death. Though I must admit I did not know he was in Deadwood. Yet another reason I should really watch that show, huh?

Posted by: Anna von MEGA-SHARKTOPUS at April 8, 2010 11:10 AM

"A cremator is an industrial furnace capable of generating temperatures of 870–980 °C (1,598–1,796 °F) to ensure disintegration of the corpse."

-- Wikipedia

And he has this IN HIS BASEMENT? Seriously?

Posted by: , at April 8, 2010 11:07 AM

You clearly are not familiar with the various pocket dimensions that invariably exist in the basements of crazy people. It's a pretty well documented phenomenon (see, e.g., Bill, Buffalo).

Posted by: Forbiddendonut at April 8, 2010 11:11 AM

Also, IMDb tells me they're RE-MAKING Child's Play?? With Catherine Hicks and Dourif and Jennifer Tilly? And trying to get away from the "comedic side which took control"?? By casting Jennifer Tilly?

Huh.

Posted by: Anna von MEGA-SHARKTOPUS at April 8, 2010 11:14 AM

That is a fucking cool trailer!

Posted by: Magiel at April 8, 2010 11:18 AM

Though I must admit I did not know he was in Deadwood.

Anna, you seriously didn't know that?? I can't even believe it. I feel like my faith in you is a little shaken.

I keed, I keed. Out of love, it is.

Posted by: Skewicide Blonde at April 8, 2010 11:18 AM

That poster is excellent and I want it right now. The trailer has a really creepy vibe that I find extremely enticing.

Comma, Modern cremators are extremely efficient, well insulated and produce very few emissions. Having one in a basement isn't out of the realm of possibility. I know of two that are in a very slightly modified garage. My job is interesting like that.

Posted by: admin at April 8, 2010 11:20 AM

A cremator is an industrial furnace capable of generating temperatures of 870–980 °C (1,598–1,796 °F) . . . . .

IN MY PANTS!!!

Posted by: Kballs at April 8, 2010 11:23 AM

But I don't have HBO! It's too expensive! And they sell their DVD sets for ridiculous amounts of money, which is why I don't own Rome. $100 a season? Um, no. (To be fair, I haven't checked the prices recently. Perhaps they've come down?) And I've only had Netflix for a few months!

Posted by: Anna von MEGA-SHARKTOPUS at April 8, 2010 11:29 AM

Shhh, it's OK honey. I was merely pointing out, you know, stones and glass houses and whatnot. Or is it glass and stone houses? No, that doesn't make any sense.

Posted by: Skewicide Blonde at April 8, 2010 11:31 AM

"A cremator is an industrial furnace capable of generating temperatures of 870–980 °C (1,598–1,796 °F) to ensure disintegration of the corpse."

-- Wikipedia

And he has this IN HIS BASEMENT? Seriously?

Posted by: , at April 8, 2010 11:07 AM

Your local junior college probably has a ceramic kiln that gets hotter than that. And they aren't that big. Seriously, you cut up a body and you can fit it in one of those things, easy. I've only got a crawl space but that shit could fit in my garage with room to spare (clearly I am not a serial killer or I would have a nice roomy basement for it instead).

Posted by: Anne (in Reno) at April 8, 2010 11:31 AM

Brad Dourif/Stephen Dorff

How did two people with last names patterned after Tim Conway's watershed "Dorf on Golf" instructional videos end up with long-term careers in Hollywood? Those commercials made my pre-adolescent ass cackle like a loon. Now these knuckleheads are around as a reminder of the innate hilarity of a kneeless, toupee-wearing, lispy golf instructor with a your-dad-has-given-up-on-life moustache swinging golf clubs sized for students at Zoolander's School for Ants. (Yeah, this comment derailed somewhere around the word "knuckleheads.")

Posted by: Kballs at April 8, 2010 11:33 AM

I did not know that until now.

He's IN THE MOVIE, he's not just the voice!


That looks like Alex Ross's Uncle Sam, and I like it.

Posted by: Jay at April 8, 2010 11:38 AM

KBalls, Brad Dourif has been around since the mid-70s. I think he came first.

Stephen Dorff, though, he totally stole it.

I'm alright, Skewicide. I'm just... I'm a little embarrassed by my lack of Deadwood-viewing, so I get a little het up.

Posted by: Anna von MEGA-SHARKTOPUS at April 8, 2010 11:41 AM

I agree, the poster looks cool. Except for the part where the crosswords reflected in his glasses should be backwards. If you want to get technical.

Posted by: Xtreme at April 8, 2010 11:41 AM

Best poster since Moon. Seriously, that's fucking ART right there.

Posted by: ChristianH at April 8, 2010 11:41 AM

My creepy list:
Christopher Walkin (duh)-"lovably" creepy
Kevin Spacey-"you think he's normal but he's not" creepy
Ted Levine-"always on the edge of sawing your head off" creepy
Steve Buscemi-"looks creepy so he's gotta be" creepy

Posted by: jen at April 8, 2010 11:45 AM

Brad Dourif is one of my very favorite character actors. "It is by will alone I set my mind in motion..."

Posted by: The Kilted Yaksman at April 8, 2010 11:46 AM

The Bodies
Must Never
Be Found

Posted by: Jay at April 8, 2010 11:51 AM

Finally someone mentions his Mentat role as Piter De Vries in 'Dune.' He was also in 'One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest,' one of his first roles. Good actor- I'm interested!

Posted by: EJ at April 8, 2010 12:07 PM

Brad Dourif reminds me of Bud Cort -- except you're afraid Dourif might kill you, not himself.

He's had the creepy thing nailed for 30+ years now. I HIGHLY recommend Wise Blood. Flannery O'Connor via John Huston, also featuring Harry Dean Stanton and William Hickey. Oh yeah, it's creepy as all get out.

Posted by: sansho1 at April 8, 2010 12:10 PM

AVM-S,
Stuff is way less fun if you think about it too much. They both named themselves after Dorf. Say it with me. They both named themselves after Dorf.

SAY IT GODDAMN YOU!!!!

Posted by: Kballs at April 8, 2010 12:11 PM

except you're afraid Dourif might kill you

...making my bizarre and inexplicable crush on him all the more disturbing.

STOP SHOUTING AT ME, KBALLS! I will NOT say it! WHY IS EVERYONE SHOUTING AT ME TODAY?!

Posted by: Anna von MEGA-SHARKTOPUS at April 8, 2010 12:24 PM

What was disturbing was the SuperSamElliott mustache he had in the "Two Towers" interviews.

Posted by: Jay at April 8, 2010 12:27 PM

Anna:
I share your Deadwood-free existence. It's on the list. Behind...so many others. But knowing Brad Dourif is in Deadwood makes it more appealing strangely. Get Rome first. I can vouch for that one. Truly great.

Posted by: TylerDFC at April 8, 2010 12:31 PM

Doc Cochran was a fabulous composite of the drunken pharmacist in "It's a Wonderful Life" and Jimmy Stewart's clown in "The Greatest Show on Earth". Plus a poster that features a crossword. I'm in.

Since you mentioned dealing with bullies, anybody see the opening scene of this week's "Justified" where the dentist takes on the bully? Awesome! That's exactly how I would behave if I were a dentist.

Posted by: PaddyDog at April 8, 2010 12:31 PM

Goddamn you people. I will say this once more for you idiots in the back:

WATCH FUCKING "DEADWOOD!" RIGHT NOW. STOP WHATEVER WORTHLESS ENDEAVOR YOU'RE CURRENTLY ENGAGED IN -- IT'S LIKELY FUCKING POINTLESS ANYWAY -- AND GO WATCH IT.

That is all.

We now return to your comment thread, already in progress.

Posted by: TK at April 8, 2010 12:35 PM

Just to be completely pedantic (since Xtreme mentioned that the words should read backwards in his glasses), the section reflected in his right eye and the section reflected in his left eye couldn't possibly have come from the same crossword. Crosswords are perfectly symmetrical and must be by rule and the two sections here couldn't logically appear in the same crossword, even if it were a super-sized Sunday NYT.

Posted by: PaddyDog at April 8, 2010 12:36 PM

If you're going for the creepy guy may I also toss in Michael Massee & Leland Orser. Both of those guys were in Se7en. Massee as the guy who was in the booth at the "massage parlor" and Orser as the man who wore the sword cock.

You may also know Massee as FunBoy in The Crow and Orser as the killer in The Bone Collector.

Posted by: DeistBrawler at April 8, 2010 12:38 PM

Amen, TK.

It boggles my mind how someone could exist happily in this world without having seen Deadwood. It would seem to put a person at an extreme social disadvantage, sort of like having grown up without ever having been potty-trained.

Posted by: PaddyDog at April 8, 2010 12:40 PM

*pisses on self*

I'm sorry, what were you saying?

Posted by: Kballs at April 8, 2010 12:42 PM

TK what about Shawshank Redemption, eh?

Posted by: Scully at April 8, 2010 12:45 PM

Depends, Kballs, Depends!!

Posted by: PaddyDog at April 8, 2010 12:49 PM

I love Brad Dourif and his creepy weird thing. Some clever filmmaker once cast him in a movie as NOT the/a villain; I don't remember what movie it was anymore, just that he was in it and we all expected him to be the villain and then it turned out he wasn't. Everyone in the room with me was fooled. I was fooled. BRAD DOURIF AND HE'S NOT A BAD GUY? I DID NOT SEE THAT COMING.

Now THAT was a twist, M. Night Shyamalan.

Posted by: Nat Kittyface at April 8, 2010 12:51 PM

Was that a fuckin Baldwin brother?

Posted by: sad rockstar at April 8, 2010 1:01 PM

Jeremy Sumpter? At first I just wanted to think of this as a sequel to 2001's "Peter Pan." Then I remembered him in "Frailty" with Bill Paxton. If he can retain that creepiness he had ten years ago, this movie will be fucking awesome.

Posted by: ShagEaredVillain at April 8, 2010 1:05 PM

Did... did TK just call me an *idiot*?! Oh, young man, I will butter your necktie BUT GOOD for that. BUT GOOD. I don't care how big and girlie you are.

T-DFC, I did see some of Rome before I lost my HBO (I canceled and stopped paying for it, and good old Cablevision didn't shut it off for like 8 years). I very much enjoyed it. Which was why I kept looking for the DVDs, which are now $80 for the complete series, so maybe. But, I also have Netflix now so YAY.

I've also STILL never seen It's A Wonderful Life.

Posted by: Anna von MEGA-SHARKTOPUS at April 8, 2010 1:07 PM

I will butter your necktie BUT GOOD for that.

Now that sounds like something geep would do. Butter sounds messy though.

Posted by: Xtreme at April 8, 2010 1:15 PM

what about Shawshank Redemption, eh?

What the fuck about it?

Posted by: Jay at April 8, 2010 1:16 PM

I would like to include a shout out to Brad for his recurring role in Star Trek: Voyager...shitty series that it was, he played a disturbed killer who was also a crew member, an angle I don't think ST had explored before. He was in two, maybe three episodes, worth watching if you happen to catch a rerun. Does anyone bother to show Voyager in syndication?

Posted by: janetfaust at April 8, 2010 1:47 PM

Oh Jeremy Sumpter, you mouth-breather. Why do you keep getting jobs?

Posted by: coveredinbees at April 8, 2010 1:50 PM

Wow Jay. Does my dislike of Sheryl Crow really piss you off so much? I brought up The Shawshank Redemption because it’s a great movie not (yet?)">http://www.pajiba.com/comment_diversions/someday-maybe.php”> watched by TK.

Posted by: Scully at April 8, 2010 1:51 PM

I swear the html code worked in the preview.

Posted by: Scully at April 8, 2010 1:53 PM

Your local junior college probably has a ceramic kiln that gets hotter than that. And they aren't that big. Seriously, you cut up a body and you can fit it in one of those things, easy. I've only got a crawl space but that shit could fit in my garage with room to spare (clearly I am not a serial killer or I would have a nice roomy basement for it instead). -Anne (in Reno)


I hear the best way to get rid of a body is to chop it up into 6 evenly distributed pieces. Just sayin'


Posted by: bananapanda at April 8, 2010 1:56 PM

Scully: If it's any consolation, I laughed at your "Shawshank" comment. Ball's in your court, TK. At least we are not refusing to go to "Deadwood". Just a delay is all.

Posted by: TylerDFC at April 8, 2010 1:56 PM

AvB,

I won't yell at you. I'll stroke your hair and tell you I love you. Further proof we're the same person: although this movie sounds awesome, the main thing I took from this post was: "TK didn't know that Brad Dourif was the voice of Chucky?!!!???!!"

Also, I haven't seen Deadwood either. Ssshhhh..... {backs out of the thread slowly}

Posted by: MM at April 8, 2010 2:01 PM

Does my dislike of Sheryl Crow really piss you off so much?

Oh, didn't notice that was you, but how did you get a defense of Sheryl Crow from me? I was saying you weren't looking far enough back at all in Bond themes. Sheryl's was possibly the worst Bond song ever.

I do, however, have a long-held, like TK, defiance of "The Shawshank Redemption". Nobody is gonna make me watch that movie...cause I just don't give a shit.

Posted by: Jay at April 8, 2010 2:16 PM

All this talk of Deadwood makes me want to start screaming 'COCKSUCKER' at people. I'm pretty sure my co-workers would not be amused, so I'm refraining, but it's tough.

Posted by: Jeni at April 8, 2010 2:24 PM

"Deadwood" I haven't damned because, despite the eternal throat-shoving, it does look interesting.

Posted by: Jay at April 8, 2010 2:32 PM

I'm surprised that no one's mentioned that Brad Dourif was nominated for an Academy Award for One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest. Just about the only award it didn't win.

Posted by: kyle at April 8, 2010 5:45 PM

Amen TK.

Creepy is just Dourif's default setting, Deadwood is the first time I saw him break type and he was fantastic. Doc's scenes is the last two eps with Jewel and the Reverend are alternately heartbreaking and heartwarming which is the last thing I ever expected from him.

OK I lied. Exorcist 3 was a similarly touching tale of a young man and his efforts to integrate back into society, albeit via the use old folks and large, sharp looking medical instruments. "Good night Amy" still brings a tear [sniff[]

Posted by: Squirrelgripper at April 8, 2010 5:46 PM

Brad Dourif shits his pants when Doug Hutchison is in town. FACT.

Eugene Tooms ruined my ability to sleep during middle school.

Posted by: D-Day at April 8, 2010 8:47 PM

you know what completely random role I remember Brad Dourif from? The stuttering gas station attendant in Urban Legend. Completely random, minor role, but I always think of it when I see him.

Anna, I've never seen Rome or Deadwood or It's a Wonderful Life either. I'm a disgrace to Pajiba.

Posted by: Even Stevens at April 9, 2010 2:00 AM

jiminy butterknifes! i always love me some Brad Dourif, and it could be said that if you are making a horror movie, nothing needs to work or be any good as long as you have Mr. Dourif, as he is scary as shit.

but that trailer looked right fuckin on, and better than anything i have seen since John Carpenter ruled the silver screen.

Posted by: idleprimate at April 9, 2010 5:34 AM

Interesting trailer. Anyone know what the music is?

Posted by: andrew at April 9, 2010 3:32 PM

Hey, this is Eshwin Dhir, Illustrator of the poster and also lead concept artist/art director on Death and Cremation. Thanks for the props. It keeps me going :)

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