When Stephen King takes to Twitter to rave about a horror movie, horror fans across the world scramble to get their hands on it. The latest King-approved horror movie is titled The Rule of Jenny Pen, and while King wants you to watch it, that’s not actually possible… yet.
Stephen King took to Twitter this week to rave about The Rule of Jenny Pen, a psychological thriller that just premiered at Fantastic Fest last week. The good news? It’s coming to Shudder in 2025, with the streaming service just announcing the news a couple weeks back.
King tweets, “I watched one of the best movies I’ve seen this year. It’s called The Rule Of Jenny Pen, and I urge you to watch it when it appears on Shudder. Geoffrey Rush stars, with John Lithgow as a geriatric psychopath with an evil hand puppet.”
Check out King’s...
Stephen King took to Twitter this week to rave about The Rule of Jenny Pen, a psychological thriller that just premiered at Fantastic Fest last week. The good news? It’s coming to Shudder in 2025, with the streaming service just announcing the news a couple weeks back.
King tweets, “I watched one of the best movies I’ve seen this year. It’s called The Rule Of Jenny Pen, and I urge you to watch it when it appears on Shudder. Geoffrey Rush stars, with John Lithgow as a geriatric psychopath with an evil hand puppet.”
Check out King’s...
- 9/25/2024
- by John Squires
- bloody-disgusting.com
Horror has always had an issue with old people. The genre tends to view the geriatric body as an object of fear rather than tackling the realities of the aging process itself in all its complexity. For every Relic (2020), a film that treats the ravages of time and decay with respect, there’s The Front Room (2024), a horror yarn predicated on the seemingly acceptable prejudice that old people are just plain scary and gross. But James Ashcroft’s Fantastic Fest opener, The Rule of Jenny Pen, is the all-too-rare horror thriller that treats aging with all the dignity it deserves without ignoring the abject, all too relatable terror of losing yourself to the relentless march of time.
The film opens with Judge Stefan Mortensen (Geoffrey Rush) suffering a public stroke as he’s handing down a sentence. Humiliated, but in need of rehabilitation, he checks into Royale Pine Mews, an...
The film opens with Judge Stefan Mortensen (Geoffrey Rush) suffering a public stroke as he’s handing down a sentence. Humiliated, but in need of rehabilitation, he checks into Royale Pine Mews, an...
- 9/24/2024
- by Rocco T. Thompson
- DailyDead
When recommended a beach-read by a roommate he doesn’t want, the academic Judge Stefan Mortensen (Geoffrey Rush) scoffs, “All those books say the same thing.”
10 years after Julianne Moore won her Oscar for “Still Alice,” moviegoers could argue something similar about an indie drama casting an elite actor as a dementia patient in rapid decline. Those audiences will be the least prepared for “The Rule of Jenny Pen” and may feel its singular wrath stronger than most. That’s an enviable position to be in for one of recent memory’s more unusual thrillers — even if its lack of narrative convention veers more vexing in the end.
Directed by James Ashcroft, this punishing dark genre blend recently acquired by Shudder forces a marriage between the psychological eldercare drama you think you know and a toxically masculine “What Ever Happened to Baby Jane?” The script is co-written by the filmmaker and Eli Kent,...
10 years after Julianne Moore won her Oscar for “Still Alice,” moviegoers could argue something similar about an indie drama casting an elite actor as a dementia patient in rapid decline. Those audiences will be the least prepared for “The Rule of Jenny Pen” and may feel its singular wrath stronger than most. That’s an enviable position to be in for one of recent memory’s more unusual thrillers — even if its lack of narrative convention veers more vexing in the end.
Directed by James Ashcroft, this punishing dark genre blend recently acquired by Shudder forces a marriage between the psychological eldercare drama you think you know and a toxically masculine “What Ever Happened to Baby Jane?” The script is co-written by the filmmaker and Eli Kent,...
- 9/20/2024
- by Alison Foreman
- Indiewire
Shudder has announced today that they’ve acquired the rights to psychological thriller The Rule of Jenny Pen, directed by James Ashcroft and co-written by Eli Kent and Ashcroft, and starring John Lithgow and Geoffrey Rush.
The rights will cover North America, UK and Ireland. The Rule of Jenny Pen will world premiere at Fantastic Fest 2024 later this month, and will debut on the streamer in 2025.
The film follows “arrogant Judge Stefan Mortensen (Rush), who suffers a near-fatal stroke, leaving him partially paralyzed and confined to a retirement home. Resistant to the staff and distant from his friendly roommate, Mortensen soon clashes with seemingly gentle resident Dave Crealy (Lithgow) who secretly terrorizes the home with a sadistic game called “The Rule of Jenny Pen” while wielding his dementia doll as an instrument of cruelty. What begins as childish torment quickly escalates into far more sinister and disturbing incidents. When Mortensen...
The rights will cover North America, UK and Ireland. The Rule of Jenny Pen will world premiere at Fantastic Fest 2024 later this month, and will debut on the streamer in 2025.
The film follows “arrogant Judge Stefan Mortensen (Rush), who suffers a near-fatal stroke, leaving him partially paralyzed and confined to a retirement home. Resistant to the staff and distant from his friendly roommate, Mortensen soon clashes with seemingly gentle resident Dave Crealy (Lithgow) who secretly terrorizes the home with a sadistic game called “The Rule of Jenny Pen” while wielding his dementia doll as an instrument of cruelty. What begins as childish torment quickly escalates into far more sinister and disturbing incidents. When Mortensen...
- 9/12/2024
- by Meagan Navarro
- bloody-disgusting.com
Shudder has acquired the rights to “The Rule of Jenny Pen,” a thriller about a stroke-ridden judge trying to stop an elderly psychopath that stars Oscar-nominee John Lithgow and Oscar-winner Geoffrey Rush. The film was directed by James Ashcroft, who co-wrote the screenplay with Eli Kent.
The deal covers distribution in North America, the U.K. and Ireland. Shudder is owned by AMC Networks and is a streaming service focused on horror, thriller and supernatural movies and shows. “The Rule of Jenny Pen” will have its world premiere at Fantastic Fest 2024 later this month, and will debut on the streamer in 2025.
Ashcroft made his feature debut with “Coming Home in the Dark,” which world premiered at the Sundance Film Festival. Lithgow has appeared in such films as “Terms of Endearment,” “Cliffhanger” and “The World According to Garp.” On TV, he won Emmys for his work on “Dexter,” “Third Rock From the Sun” and “The Crown.
The deal covers distribution in North America, the U.K. and Ireland. Shudder is owned by AMC Networks and is a streaming service focused on horror, thriller and supernatural movies and shows. “The Rule of Jenny Pen” will have its world premiere at Fantastic Fest 2024 later this month, and will debut on the streamer in 2025.
Ashcroft made his feature debut with “Coming Home in the Dark,” which world premiered at the Sundance Film Festival. Lithgow has appeared in such films as “Terms of Endearment,” “Cliffhanger” and “The World According to Garp.” On TV, he won Emmys for his work on “Dexter,” “Third Rock From the Sun” and “The Crown.
- 9/12/2024
- by Brent Lang
- Variety Film + TV
It is New Zealand-based Māori filmmaker James Ashcroft’s second feature following his debut.
Geoffrey Rush and John Lithgow are set to star in James Ashcroft’s thriller The Rule Of Jenny Pen, based on the short story by New Zealand author Owen Marshall, that will shoot later this year. Charades is handling international sales and CAA Media Finance domestic rights.
Set within the confines of a aged care facility, Rush stars as a conceited judge who suffers a near fatal stroke that sees him placed in convalescence where he refuses to cooperate with the facility’s staff or communicate with his roommate.
Geoffrey Rush and John Lithgow are set to star in James Ashcroft’s thriller The Rule Of Jenny Pen, based on the short story by New Zealand author Owen Marshall, that will shoot later this year. Charades is handling international sales and CAA Media Finance domestic rights.
Set within the confines of a aged care facility, Rush stars as a conceited judge who suffers a near fatal stroke that sees him placed in convalescence where he refuses to cooperate with the facility’s staff or communicate with his roommate.
- 5/16/2023
- by Rebecca Leffler
- ScreenDaily
Millie Lies Low Review — Millie Lies Low (2021) Film Review from the 29th Annual South by Southwest Film Festival, a movie directed by Michelle Savill, written by Michelle Savill and Eli Kent, and starring Ana Scotney, Rachel House, Sam Cotton, Jillian Nguyen, and Chris Alosio. No one can fully anticipate how they might react [...]
Continue reading: Film Review: Millie Lies Low: Story Ending Goes Flat After Karma Goes Haywire [SXSW 2022]...
Continue reading: Film Review: Millie Lies Low: Story Ending Goes Flat After Karma Goes Haywire [SXSW 2022]...
- 3/21/2022
- by David McDonald
- Film-Book
Millie Lies Low SXSW Film Festival Narrative Spotlight Section Reviewed for Shockya.com by Abe Friedtanzer Director: Michelle Savill Writer: Michelle Savill, Eli Kent Cast: Ana Scotney, Rachel House, Sam Cotton, Jillian Nguyen, Chris Alosio Screened at: SXSW Film Festival Online, LA, 3/16/22 Opens: March 13th, 2022 Everyone experiences disappointments in their lives. The impact of […]
The post SXSW 2022: Millie Lies Low Movie Review appeared first on Shockya.com.
The post SXSW 2022: Millie Lies Low Movie Review appeared first on Shockya.com.
- 3/20/2022
- by Abe Friedtanzer
- ShockYa
Stars: Daniel Gillies, Matthias Luafatu, Miriama McDowell, Erik Thomson, Billy Paratene, Frankie Paratene, Alan Palmer | Written by James Ashcroft, Eli Kent | Directed by James Ashcroft
From Black Sheep to Deathgasm to Housebound, New Zealand has a pretty good relationship with horror, even if it leans towards the comedy side sometimes (this is no bad thing of course!) but Coming Home In The Dark is anything but a comedy movie.
It doesn’t take long to realise this either as the opening scenes show two guys come across a family in the beautiful but scarcely populated New Zealand wilderness. These two guys aren’t very nice people and are soon taking the family on a terrifying road trip.
Coming Home In The Dark is brutally violent but you’ll never numb to this violence. It isn’t plastered across every minute of the movie, there’s meaning, thought and reasoning behind each and every hit.
From Black Sheep to Deathgasm to Housebound, New Zealand has a pretty good relationship with horror, even if it leans towards the comedy side sometimes (this is no bad thing of course!) but Coming Home In The Dark is anything but a comedy movie.
It doesn’t take long to realise this either as the opening scenes show two guys come across a family in the beautiful but scarcely populated New Zealand wilderness. These two guys aren’t very nice people and are soon taking the family on a terrifying road trip.
Coming Home In The Dark is brutally violent but you’ll never numb to this violence. It isn’t plastered across every minute of the movie, there’s meaning, thought and reasoning behind each and every hit.
- 9/13/2021
- by Alain Elliott
- Nerdly
New Trailer Available For Sundance Shocker Coming Home In The Dark – In Theaters And VOD October 1st
Coming Home In The Dark Directed by James Ashcroft Written by Eli Kent and James Ashcroft Starring Daniel Gillies, Erik Thomson, Miriama McDowell, Matthias Luafutu Dark Sky Films Will Release Coming Home In The Dark In Select Theaters and VOD On October 1st **Sundance Film Festival 2021 – Official Selection** “As an exploration of the …
The post New Trailer Available For Sundance Shocker Coming Home In The Dark – In Theaters And VOD October 1st appeared first on Horror News | Hnn.
The post New Trailer Available For Sundance Shocker Coming Home In The Dark – In Theaters And VOD October 1st appeared first on Horror News | Hnn.
- 8/22/2021
- by Adrian Halen
- Horror News
Perhaps the most surprising thing of Coming Home in the Dark is seeing Daniel Gillies with a Kiwi accent and appearing to pull it off. Not as surprising is that he appears to be playing a bad guy with some nuance; something the actor has done very effectively for much of his career.
James Ashcroft's feature film debut, which he co-wrote with Eli Kent, stars Erik Thomson and Miriama McDowell as Hoagie and Jill respectively. The couple is on an idyllic outing at an isolated coastline with their sons when they are taken hostage by a pair of drifters, Mandrake and Tubs (played by Gillies and Matthias Luafutu).
While at first Hoagie and Jill assume the encounter was random, it soon becomes clear that Mandrake and Hoagie have history and the encounter was not accidental.
::...
James Ashcroft's feature film debut, which he co-wrote with Eli Kent, stars Erik Thomson and Miriama McDowell as Hoagie and Jill respectively. The couple is on an idyllic outing at an isolated coastline with their sons when they are taken hostage by a pair of drifters, Mandrake and Tubs (played by Gillies and Matthias Luafutu).
While at first Hoagie and Jill assume the encounter was random, it soon becomes clear that Mandrake and Hoagie have history and the encounter was not accidental.
::...
- 8/10/2021
- QuietEarth.us
Coming Home in the Dark Trailer — James Ashcroft‘s Coming Home in the Dark (2021) movie trailer has been released. The Coming Home in the Dark trailer stars Daniel Gillies, Erik Thomson, Miriama McDowell, Desray Armstrong, and Matthias Luafutu. Crew James Ashcroft and Eli Kent wrote the screenplay for Coming Home in the Dark. Matt Henley [...]
Continue reading: Coming Home In The Dark (2021) Movie Trailer: A Family is Kidnapped on Vacation in James Ashcroft’s Thriller Film...
Continue reading: Coming Home In The Dark (2021) Movie Trailer: A Family is Kidnapped on Vacation in James Ashcroft’s Thriller Film...
- 7/20/2021
- by Rollo Tomasi
- Film-Book
James Ashcroft, the Māori Kiwi actor-turned-director who made a splash with horror flick Coming Home in the Dark, has signed on to direct Devolution, Legendary’s adaptation of the Bigfoot horror novel written by World War Z author Max Brooks.
Ashcroft will also polish the script with his writing partner Eli Kent.
With Devolution, Legendary is hoping to make horror piece that has something to say about the state of humanity when the veneer of civility is stripped away and nature takes over.
The story sees a tech-focused, “green” community in the deep forests of Washington State that is left isolated by a natural disaster. The social ...
Ashcroft will also polish the script with his writing partner Eli Kent.
With Devolution, Legendary is hoping to make horror piece that has something to say about the state of humanity when the veneer of civility is stripped away and nature takes over.
The story sees a tech-focused, “green” community in the deep forests of Washington State that is left isolated by a natural disaster. The social ...
- 6/25/2021
- The Hollywood Reporter - Film + TV
James Ashcroft, the Māori Kiwi actor-turned-director who made a splash with horror flick Coming Home in the Dark, has signed on to direct Devolution, Legendary’s adaptation of the Bigfoot horror novel written by World War Z author Max Brooks.
Ashcroft will also polish the script with his writing partner Eli Kent.
With Devolution, Legendary is hoping to make horror piece that has something to say about the state of humanity when the veneer of civility is stripped away and nature takes over.
The story sees a tech-focused, “green” community in the deep forests of Washington State that is left isolated by a natural disaster. The social ...
Ashcroft will also polish the script with his writing partner Eli Kent.
With Devolution, Legendary is hoping to make horror piece that has something to say about the state of humanity when the veneer of civility is stripped away and nature takes over.
The story sees a tech-focused, “green” community in the deep forests of Washington State that is left isolated by a natural disaster. The social ...
- 6/25/2021
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
An expensive new car slouches on the side of a deserted country road, unoccupied and unattended, while one passenger door hangs open, creaking disconsolately in the afternoon breeze. It’s the kind of opening image that immediately warns you the film to come is up to nothing good, or at least nothing pleasant: “Coming Home in the Dark” never tells us who was behind the wheel of that abandoned car, though it gives us enough indirect detail to paint a pretty vivid, stomach-turning picture of what went down. At first glance, New Zealand filmmaker James Ashcroft’s unforgiving, tightly wound debut appears to be a nihilistic horror excursion in the blood-leaking vein of “Wolf Creek,” before its torture-porn trappings give way to a moral weight as unanticipated by the characters as it is by the audience.
Though it’s plenty nasty and nervy enough to earn its spot in Sundance’s Midnight program,...
Though it’s plenty nasty and nervy enough to earn its spot in Sundance’s Midnight program,...
- 2/5/2021
- by Guy Lodge
- Variety Film + TV
In rural New Zealand, Hoaggie (Erik Thomson) rides in the passenger seat. His wife, Jill (Miriama McDowell), is driving and their sons Maika (Billy Paratene) and Jordan (Frankie Paratene) are in the back. It’s the middle of nowhere in New Zealand: scenic, sure, but totally isolated. It’s a good place for a family picnic too, and it fits the bill for a few minutes. That’s when a greasy dude named Mandrake (Daniel Gillies) and his mute lackey, Tubs (Matthias Luafutu), show up. Mandrake seems to know that Hoaggie is a teacher, and he seems a little too laid back as he attacks the family with pure, unhinged sadism. The fact that he goes on to take the family for an all-night joyride from hell is just a way to salt the wounds.
For a while, Coming Home in the Dark works because it doesn’t just lean into the brutality.
For a while, Coming Home in the Dark works because it doesn’t just lean into the brutality.
- 1/31/2021
- by Matt Cipolla
- The Film Stage
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