2023 was another great year for television. Despite streaming beginning to show some wear and tear and the delays caused by the WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes, we got a ton of new series and returning favorites over the last twelve months. We could barely watch everything from event series to revivals, comedies, dramas, and genre offerings. With hundreds of shows to choose from and thousands of hours of programming, here is our list of the best TV shows of 2023.
Being the entertainment gluttons that we are, we put together a nice video of the Top 10 series of the year, while the full-text list of the 25 best is ranked below.
Honorable Mentions
Perry Mason (HBO), Yellowjackets (Showtime), The Power (Prime Video), Citadel (Prime Video), The Righteous Gemstones (HBO), Star Trek: Strange New Worlds (Paramount+), The Witcher (Netflix), Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan (Prime Video), The Afterparty (AppleTV+), Foundation (AppleTV+), Archer (Fxx), One Piece...
Being the entertainment gluttons that we are, we put together a nice video of the Top 10 series of the year, while the full-text list of the 25 best is ranked below.
Honorable Mentions
Perry Mason (HBO), Yellowjackets (Showtime), The Power (Prime Video), Citadel (Prime Video), The Righteous Gemstones (HBO), Star Trek: Strange New Worlds (Paramount+), The Witcher (Netflix), Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan (Prime Video), The Afterparty (AppleTV+), Foundation (AppleTV+), Archer (Fxx), One Piece...
- 12/28/2023
- by Alex Maidy
- JoBlo.com
This article contains spoilers for The Changeling
In 1999, Irish director Neil Jordan released a movie called In Dreams. Having already found success with The Crying Game and Interview with the Vampire, people were curious about this new Robert Downey Jr.-led psychological thriller based on the book Doll’s Eyes by Bari Wood (stay with me). The film, which tells the story of what happens after a little girl is suddenly murdered, ended up being critically panned and a massive flop at the box office. Later, Jordan would say that one of the main issues with his film was that audiences really struggle to get over the death of a young child in the first act.
Apple TV+‘s The Changeling is just the latest project to challenge audiences with a similar kind of horror, except it asks even more of viewers by spinning a folklore mystery around the reason for a child’s death,...
In 1999, Irish director Neil Jordan released a movie called In Dreams. Having already found success with The Crying Game and Interview with the Vampire, people were curious about this new Robert Downey Jr.-led psychological thriller based on the book Doll’s Eyes by Bari Wood (stay with me). The film, which tells the story of what happens after a little girl is suddenly murdered, ended up being critically panned and a massive flop at the box office. Later, Jordan would say that one of the main issues with his film was that audiences really struggle to get over the death of a young child in the first act.
Apple TV+‘s The Changeling is just the latest project to challenge audiences with a similar kind of horror, except it asks even more of viewers by spinning a folklore mystery around the reason for a child’s death,...
- 9/9/2023
- by Kirsten Howard
- Den of Geek
The Dead Ringers episode of Wtf Really Happened to This Horror Movie was Written and Narrated by Andrew Hatfield, Edited by Mike Conway, Produced by Lance Vlcek and John Fallon, and Executive Produced by Berge Garabedian.
“There’s nothing the matter with the instrument, it’s the body. The woman’s body is all wrong!”
We’ve discussed how vulnerable it can be to be under the bright lights of the dentist’s chair but how about the doctor, particularly a specialty doctor that’s job is to deal with our most private of parts. David Cronenberg is the master of turning our bodies into horrible things that seek to hurt us, perfecting the use of the term “body horror”. So, what happens when Cronenberg makes a movie about twin gynecologists that begin to lose their grip on reality, and did you know that this is actually based on true events?...
“There’s nothing the matter with the instrument, it’s the body. The woman’s body is all wrong!”
We’ve discussed how vulnerable it can be to be under the bright lights of the dentist’s chair but how about the doctor, particularly a specialty doctor that’s job is to deal with our most private of parts. David Cronenberg is the master of turning our bodies into horrible things that seek to hurt us, perfecting the use of the term “body horror”. So, what happens when Cronenberg makes a movie about twin gynecologists that begin to lose their grip on reality, and did you know that this is actually based on true events?...
- 5/26/2023
- by Cody Hamman
- JoBlo.com
In early September 1975, the decaying bodies of twin brothers Stewart and Cyril Marcus were found in their apartment on the Upper East Side of Manhattan by a repairman following up on complaints about the smell of the place. Both had worked as gynaecologists at New York Hospital and their deaths were eventually attributed to a misguided attempt to go cold turkey after prolonged use of drugs to which this career had given them access. The story caught the public imagination and led to the publication of a book, Twins, by Bari Wood and Jack Geasland. David Cronenberg’s film (itself now the inspiration for a mini-series starring Rachel Weisz) draws partly on the book and partly on the brothers’ real story, with moments from their lives – such as a shocking incident in an operating room – woven into his fiction.
There is a public fascination with twins which, where women...
There is a public fascination with twins which, where women...
- 5/10/2023
- by Jennie Kermode
- eyeforfilm.co.uk
Once upon a time, there were two real-life identical-twin gynecologists. The brothers worked together at one of the finest hospitals in New York City and were a prominent part of Upper West Side high society. One of them, Cyril, was characterized as slightly more socially awkward than his sibling, Stewart; both were often referred to as “icy,” “aloof,” “remote.” It was rumored that the pair would sometimes switch places during the middle of exams with patients, one pretending to be the other. They would eventually be found together in a filthy apartment,...
- 4/24/2023
- by David Fear
- Rollingstone.com
Twins have been a captivating subject in the Hollywood industry. As difficult as it is to shoot one actor playing two roles simultaneously, it is probably that much more exciting. In 1988, Cronenberg was able to create a masterpiece with Jeremy Irons playing the Mantle twins, based on the 1977 novel “Twins” by Bari Wood. While the film is eerie in the way it presents its twins to us and their overly close relationship as the most conflicting part of their journey, in the series, we see a different turn of events play out because of the hunger for success and happiness… or so we think. Let’s figure it out through a recap of the Amazon Prime series “Dead Ringers.”
Spoilers Ahead
The Mantle Twins
“Dead Ringers” follows female gynecologist twins Beverly and Elliot, who are on a mission to make birthing easier, more comfortable, and more bespoke. The Mantle twins...
Spoilers Ahead
The Mantle Twins
“Dead Ringers” follows female gynecologist twins Beverly and Elliot, who are on a mission to make birthing easier, more comfortable, and more bespoke. The Mantle twins...
- 4/21/2023
- by Ruchika Bhat
- Film Fugitives
Weisz and Birch talk technical tricks and infusing fun into the horror of the Prime Video series.
Prime Video’s new series Dead Ringers reimagines David Cronenberg’s 1988 twisted psychological thriller as a female-powered tale starring Rachel Weisz in a double role as the infamous Mantle twins.
Oscar-winner Weisz joined the series’ showrunner Alice Birch and actress Britne Oldford to world premiere the series at Canneseries ahead of its six-episode rollout on April 21. The series earned cheers from the audience inside Cannes’ Lumiere theatre in the Palais des Festivals during its opening scene and a standing ovation following its screening in Competition at the event.
Prime Video’s new series Dead Ringers reimagines David Cronenberg’s 1988 twisted psychological thriller as a female-powered tale starring Rachel Weisz in a double role as the infamous Mantle twins.
Oscar-winner Weisz joined the series’ showrunner Alice Birch and actress Britne Oldford to world premiere the series at Canneseries ahead of its six-episode rollout on April 21. The series earned cheers from the audience inside Cannes’ Lumiere theatre in the Palais des Festivals during its opening scene and a standing ovation following its screening in Competition at the event.
- 4/21/2023
- by Rebecca Leffler
- ScreenDaily
"Dead Ringers" tells the story of two gynecologists, Beverly and Elliot Mantle, whose obsession with each other - and their patients - leads them down a destructive path. Rachel Weisz stars as both Beverly and Elliot in her TV remake, which hits Prime Video on April 21. Back in 1988, David Cronenberg directed the original "Dead Ringers," which stars Jeremy Irons as the central identical twin doctors. That film was in turn based on a 1977 book called "Twins" by Bari Wood and Jack Geasland.
In both the TV and movie versions of "Dead Ringers," Beverly - the quieter, more reserved twin - falls for a patient, making Elliot extremely jealous and leading her, to wreak havoc on their medical practices and lives. Eerily, all the versions of "Dead Ringers" are based on disturbing real-life events.
In 1975, identical twin doctors named Stewart and Cyril Marcus were found dead in one of their New York City apartments,...
In both the TV and movie versions of "Dead Ringers," Beverly - the quieter, more reserved twin - falls for a patient, making Elliot extremely jealous and leading her, to wreak havoc on their medical practices and lives. Eerily, all the versions of "Dead Ringers" are based on disturbing real-life events.
In 1975, identical twin doctors named Stewart and Cyril Marcus were found dead in one of their New York City apartments,...
- 4/20/2023
- by Eden Arielle Gordon
- Popsugar.com
Amazon’s six-episode limited series adaptation of David Cronenberg’s 1988 feature Dead Ringers isn’t a perfect series, but in at least three key ways it’s a perfect piece of intellectual property mining.
First, series creator Alice Birch (Normal People) has a clear reason for wanting to tackle Cronenberg’s twisted tale of identical twin gynecologists, using the added narrative real estate of television and the passing of 35 years as fodder for an examination of reproductive freedom and the fertility industry that’s entirely its own. It’s a spectacular thematic vehicle.
Of equal importance, Dead Ringers is a spectacular acting vehicle, and in Elliot and Beverly Mantle, Rachel Weisz has the best role, or dual roles, of her decorated career, a mixture of uncompromising intensity, bleak humor and extended heartbreak that’s as satisfying to watch as it clearly was to play.
And, finally, and this might be...
First, series creator Alice Birch (Normal People) has a clear reason for wanting to tackle Cronenberg’s twisted tale of identical twin gynecologists, using the added narrative real estate of television and the passing of 35 years as fodder for an examination of reproductive freedom and the fertility industry that’s entirely its own. It’s a spectacular thematic vehicle.
Of equal importance, Dead Ringers is a spectacular acting vehicle, and in Elliot and Beverly Mantle, Rachel Weisz has the best role, or dual roles, of her decorated career, a mixture of uncompromising intensity, bleak humor and extended heartbreak that’s as satisfying to watch as it clearly was to play.
And, finally, and this might be...
- 4/19/2023
- by Daniel Fienberg
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Showrunner Alice Birch (Lady Macbeth, The Wonder) and actor/executive producer Rachel Weisz (Constantine, The Mummy, The Lobster) give a contemporary, gender-swapped spin on David Cronenberg’s psychological thriller Dead Ringers, based on the novel Twins by Bari Wood and Jack Geasland. Weisz assumes the dual role of twin gynecologists Elliot and Beverly Mantle, played to creepy perfection by Jeremy Irons in the 1988 film, signaling a vastly different take on the source material. While Birch and Weisz maintain respect for Cronenberg’s work throughout, “Dead Ringers” establishes it has no interest in retreading the same path.
Beverly and Elliot Mantle share everything. They do everything together, right down to their ambitious career pursuits in blazing a path forward for women’s health, namely reproductive health, even if their methods can be risky or boundary-pushing in their experimentation. Yet they couldn’t be further apart in personality, reflected in their style choices.
Beverly and Elliot Mantle share everything. They do everything together, right down to their ambitious career pursuits in blazing a path forward for women’s health, namely reproductive health, even if their methods can be risky or boundary-pushing in their experimentation. Yet they couldn’t be further apart in personality, reflected in their style choices.
- 4/17/2023
- by Meagan Navarro
- bloody-disgusting.com
As we have seen in years past, it isn't exactly easy to replicate the appeal and artistry of David Cronenberg. This is especially true when his work gets remade or reworked, such as 1989's "The Fly II" or 2019's "Rabid." As such, the idea of remaking "Dead Ringers," which is primarily considered one of the director's best works and features one of star Jeremy Irons' best performances, is equally weird and intriguing. However, thanks to Prime Video and showrunner Alice Birch, a new reimagining starring Rachel Weisz is here.
"Dead Ringers" is technically an adaptation of both Cronenberg's 1988 thriller and the book it is based on, "Twins: Dead Ringers" by Bari Wood and Jack Geasland. However, to call it a direct adaptation of either would be disingenuous. While some elements are maintained sporadically, its primary storylines are different enough for one to argue that it's doing its own things — for example,...
"Dead Ringers" is technically an adaptation of both Cronenberg's 1988 thriller and the book it is based on, "Twins: Dead Ringers" by Bari Wood and Jack Geasland. However, to call it a direct adaptation of either would be disingenuous. While some elements are maintained sporadically, its primary storylines are different enough for one to argue that it's doing its own things — for example,...
- 4/17/2023
- by Erin Brady
- Slash Film
Oscar winner Rachel Weisz, and Rachel Weisz, dominated Canneseries on Saturday, as the audience gathered at the Lumière Auditorium in Cannes broke into spontaneous applause after the first scene of her new show “Dead Ringers.”
Premiering in main competition, the six-episode limited Prime Video series – created by Alice Birch – played with the viewers’ emotions all throughout its first two episodes, eliciting frequent laughs and delivering more expletives than Logan Roy monologues, but also causing a few walk-outs, seemingly provoked by its detailed depictions of childbirth and medical procedures.
“Dead Ringers” sees Rachel Weisz play twin sisters Beverly and Elliot.
A brand new take on the novel “Twins” by Bari Wood and Jack Geasland, later adapted by David Cronenberg in 1988 and starring Jeremy Irons, “Dead Ringers” sees Weisz as ambitious New York obstetricians – and twin sisters – Beverly and Elliot.
Introduced while verbally destroying an especially clumsy suitor they viciously nickname as...
Premiering in main competition, the six-episode limited Prime Video series – created by Alice Birch – played with the viewers’ emotions all throughout its first two episodes, eliciting frequent laughs and delivering more expletives than Logan Roy monologues, but also causing a few walk-outs, seemingly provoked by its detailed depictions of childbirth and medical procedures.
“Dead Ringers” sees Rachel Weisz play twin sisters Beverly and Elliot.
A brand new take on the novel “Twins” by Bari Wood and Jack Geasland, later adapted by David Cronenberg in 1988 and starring Jeremy Irons, “Dead Ringers” sees Weisz as ambitious New York obstetricians – and twin sisters – Beverly and Elliot.
Introduced while verbally destroying an especially clumsy suitor they viciously nickname as...
- 4/16/2023
- by Marta Balaga
- Variety Film + TV
Take a look at more new images of Brit actress Rachel Weisz, playing a dual role in the new TV series "Dead Ringers" streaming April 21, 2023 on Amazon Prime Video, in the latest edition of "Emmy" magazine, photographed by Robert Ascroft:
"...originally based on the true story of twins Stewart and Cyril Marcus and the novel 'Twins' by Bari Wood and Jack Geasland...
"...the plot follows indentical female twins (Weicz), who operate as gynecologists in a highly successful clinical practice, specializing in treating fertility problems.
"The more confident and cynical of the two, seduces patients who come to the 'Mantle Clinic'.
"When tired of them, women are passed onto the shy and sister...
"...while the women victims remain unaware of the substitution..."
Click the images to enlarge...
"...originally based on the true story of twins Stewart and Cyril Marcus and the novel 'Twins' by Bari Wood and Jack Geasland...
"...the plot follows indentical female twins (Weicz), who operate as gynecologists in a highly successful clinical practice, specializing in treating fertility problems.
"The more confident and cynical of the two, seduces patients who come to the 'Mantle Clinic'.
"When tired of them, women are passed onto the shy and sister...
"...while the women victims remain unaware of the substitution..."
Click the images to enlarge...
- 4/10/2023
- by Unknown
- SneakPeek
"Dead Ringers" is the new suspense drama TV series, based on the novel 'Twins' by Bari Wood and Jack Geasland, starring Rachel Weisz, Michael Chernus and Poppy Liu, streaming April 21, 2023 on Amazon Prime Video:
"...originally based on the true story of twins Stewart and Cyril Marcus the plot follows indentical twins 'Elliot' and 'Beverly Mantle', who operate as gynecologists in a highly successful clinical practice, specializing in treating fertility problems.
"Elliot, the more confident and cynical of the two, seduces patients who come to the 'Mantle Clinic'.
"When tired of them, the women are passed on to the shy and passive Beverly, while the women remain unaware of the substitution..."
Click the images to enlarge...
"...originally based on the true story of twins Stewart and Cyril Marcus the plot follows indentical twins 'Elliot' and 'Beverly Mantle', who operate as gynecologists in a highly successful clinical practice, specializing in treating fertility problems.
"Elliot, the more confident and cynical of the two, seduces patients who come to the 'Mantle Clinic'.
"When tired of them, the women are passed on to the shy and passive Beverly, while the women remain unaware of the substitution..."
Click the images to enlarge...
- 3/29/2023
- by Unknown
- SneakPeek
"Dead Ringers" is the new suspense drama TV series, based on the 1988 feature directed by David Cronenberg, starring Rachel Weisz, Michael Chernus and Poppy Liu, streaming April 21, 2023 on Amazon Prime Video:
"...originally based on the true story of twins Stewart and Cyril Marcus and the novel 'Twins' by Bari Wood and Jack Geasland, the plot follows indentical twins 'Elliot' and 'Beverly Mantle', who operate as gynecologists in a highly successful clinical practice, specializing in treating fertility problems.
"Elliot, the more confident and cynical of the two, seduces patients who come to the 'Mantle Clinic'.
"When tired of them, the women are passed on to the shy and passive Beverly, while the women remain unaware of the substitution..."
Click the images to enlarge...
"...originally based on the true story of twins Stewart and Cyril Marcus and the novel 'Twins' by Bari Wood and Jack Geasland, the plot follows indentical twins 'Elliot' and 'Beverly Mantle', who operate as gynecologists in a highly successful clinical practice, specializing in treating fertility problems.
"Elliot, the more confident and cynical of the two, seduces patients who come to the 'Mantle Clinic'.
"When tired of them, the women are passed on to the shy and passive Beverly, while the women remain unaware of the substitution..."
Click the images to enlarge...
- 3/18/2023
- by Unknown
- SneakPeek
A couple weeks ago, Prime Video released a teaser trailer for their upcoming series Dead Ringers, which was inspired by David Cronenberg‘s 1988 film of the same name (get it Here). Now a short clip from the series has arrived online to preview a moment where the lead characters – twins played by Rachel Weisz – interact with each other. You can watch the clip at the bottom of this article.
This six-episode version of Dead Ringers is scheduled to be released through Amazon Prime Video on April 21st. All six episodes will be available to watch on that date.
Based on the novel Twins by Bari Wood and Jack Geasland (pick up a copy at This Link), the original film starred Jeremy Irons as twin gynecologists Beverly and Elliot Mantle. In the show, it’s Weisz who will be playing the Mantle twins, the most successful, brilliant and extraordinary people you’ve never met.
This six-episode version of Dead Ringers is scheduled to be released through Amazon Prime Video on April 21st. All six episodes will be available to watch on that date.
Based on the novel Twins by Bari Wood and Jack Geasland (pick up a copy at This Link), the original film starred Jeremy Irons as twin gynecologists Beverly and Elliot Mantle. In the show, it’s Weisz who will be playing the Mantle twins, the most successful, brilliant and extraordinary people you’ve never met.
- 3/15/2023
- by Cody Hamman
- JoBlo.com
"Dead Ringers" is the new suspense drama TV series, based on the 1988 feature directed by David Cronenberg, starring Rachel Weisz, Michael Chernus and Poppy Liu, streaming April 21, 2023 on Amazon Prime Video:
"...originally based on the true story of twins Stewart and Cyril Marcus and the novel 'Twins' by Bari Wood and Jack Geasland, the plot follows indentical twins 'Elliot' and 'Beverly Mantle', who operate as gynecologists in a highly successful clinical practice, specializing in treating fertility problems.
"Elliot, the more confident and cynical of the two, seduces patients who come to the 'Mantle Clinic'. When tired of them, the women are passed on to the shy and passive Beverly, while the women remain unaware of the substitution..."
Click the images to enlarge...
"...originally based on the true story of twins Stewart and Cyril Marcus and the novel 'Twins' by Bari Wood and Jack Geasland, the plot follows indentical twins 'Elliot' and 'Beverly Mantle', who operate as gynecologists in a highly successful clinical practice, specializing in treating fertility problems.
"Elliot, the more confident and cynical of the two, seduces patients who come to the 'Mantle Clinic'. When tired of them, the women are passed on to the shy and passive Beverly, while the women remain unaware of the substitution..."
Click the images to enlarge...
- 3/1/2023
- by Unknown
- SneakPeek
David Cronenberg‘s 1988 film Dead Ringers (get it Here) was seared into Oscar winner (for her role in The Constant Gardener) Rachel Weisz’s memory from the moment she first saw the film, as she found it to be “deeply psychological, deeply twisted, perverse and thrilling”. So when Megan Ellison of Annapurna Pictures asked Weisz if there were any projects she was keen to make, Weisz brought up the idea of a TV series version of Dead Ringers where she would play the twin lead characters. The project started moving forward in that moment, and Alice Birch – whose credits include Lady Macbeth, The Wonder, Normal People, and Conversations With Friends – was soon brought on board to write (along with an all-women writing team), serve as showrunner, and executive produce the series with Weisz and Ellison. We’ll get to see the result of their collaboration when this six-episode version of...
- 2/14/2023
- by Cody Hamman
- JoBlo.com
Despite what popular perception might be, a lot of horror fans watch scary movies to get away from life’s harsh realities. So in a way, basing a horror on something that actually happened defeats the point. But the fact is it’s all in the telling. We’ve been quite strict about not including things that were just loosely inspired by a real event, with the majority of the story a fiction. So no Psycho or Texas Chain Saw Massacre (both inspired by Ed Gein) and no The Exorcist (the book was inspired by a real boy) etc.
Without further ado, here are our favourite horrors based on real events.
Dead Ringers (1988)
Arguably the last flat-out masterpiece of David Cronenberg’s exceptional mid-1970s/late-1980s run of films, Dead Ringers also marked a transitional moment for the filmmaker as he ventured beyond the visceral body horror he was...
Without further ado, here are our favourite horrors based on real events.
Dead Ringers (1988)
Arguably the last flat-out masterpiece of David Cronenberg’s exceptional mid-1970s/late-1980s run of films, Dead Ringers also marked a transitional moment for the filmmaker as he ventured beyond the visceral body horror he was...
- 10/25/2022
- by Rosie Fletcher
- Den of Geek
Rachel Weisz has joined the cast for an adaptation of David Cronenberg’s film ‘Dead Ringers’ at Amazon.
Weisz, who also serves as an executive producer on the series, originally pitched the idea for the adaptation at Annapurna Television. ‘Normal People’ scribe is attached to write and executive produce the series.
“I am so lucky to have such brilliant partners in Annapurna and Amazon Studios, and I’m thrilled to be collaborating with the exceptionally talented Alice Birch,” Weisz said. “I can’t wait to go on this journey with all of them.”
The 1998 original film starred Jeremy Irons in a dual role as identical twin gynaecologists. The film followed Elliot (Jeremy Irons), a successful gynaecologist who works at the same practice as his identical twin, Beverly (also Irons). Elliot is attracted to many of his patients and has affairs with them. When he inevitably loses interest, he will give the woman over to Beverly,...
Weisz, who also serves as an executive producer on the series, originally pitched the idea for the adaptation at Annapurna Television. ‘Normal People’ scribe is attached to write and executive produce the series.
“I am so lucky to have such brilliant partners in Annapurna and Amazon Studios, and I’m thrilled to be collaborating with the exceptionally talented Alice Birch,” Weisz said. “I can’t wait to go on this journey with all of them.”
The 1998 original film starred Jeremy Irons in a dual role as identical twin gynaecologists. The film followed Elliot (Jeremy Irons), a successful gynaecologist who works at the same practice as his identical twin, Beverly (also Irons). Elliot is attracted to many of his patients and has affairs with them. When he inevitably loses interest, he will give the woman over to Beverly,...
- 8/19/2020
- by Zehra Phelan
- HeyUGuys.co.uk
Normal 0 false false false En-us X-none X-none
“Twins And Stirrups”
By Raymond Benson
Okay, David Cronenberg has made some creepy-ass movies in his career, but there may not be one as icky as the 1988 Dead Ringers.
Cronenberg’s horror films seem to always deal with the human body in some grotesque fashion, whether it be mutant babies being born outside of the womb (The Brood), heads exploding (Scanners), or a man turning into an insect (The Fly)… and Dead Ringers fits the bill. It is a movie guaranteed to give women nightmares, for it’s about insane gynecologists. Identical twins, in fact. Twin gynecologists with stirrups, strange probing devices, and killer looks. Let that sink in for a moment.
Dead Ringers is somewhat based on a true story about real twin gynecologists, Stewart and Cyril Marcus, who lived and practiced in New York City in the late 60s and early 70s.
“Twins And Stirrups”
By Raymond Benson
Okay, David Cronenberg has made some creepy-ass movies in his career, but there may not be one as icky as the 1988 Dead Ringers.
Cronenberg’s horror films seem to always deal with the human body in some grotesque fashion, whether it be mutant babies being born outside of the womb (The Brood), heads exploding (Scanners), or a man turning into an insect (The Fly)… and Dead Ringers fits the bill. It is a movie guaranteed to give women nightmares, for it’s about insane gynecologists. Identical twins, in fact. Twin gynecologists with stirrups, strange probing devices, and killer looks. Let that sink in for a moment.
Dead Ringers is somewhat based on a true story about real twin gynecologists, Stewart and Cyril Marcus, who lived and practiced in New York City in the late 60s and early 70s.
- 8/3/2020
- by nospam@example.com (Cinema Retro)
- Cinemaretro.com
Welcome back for Day 12—The Final Day!—of Daily Dead’s fourth annual Holiday Gift Guide, readers! Once again, our goal is to help you navigate through the horrors of the 2016 shopping season with our tips on unique gift ideas, and we’ll hopefully help you save a few bucks over the next few weeks, too. For our final Gift Guide of the year, we’re putting the spotlight on some upcoming horror Blu-ray releases, Star Wars gifts for kids, shirts from NeatoShop, an assortment of enamel pins and horror toys, and more!
This year’s Holiday Gift Guide is sponsored by several amazing companies, including Mondo, Anchor Bay Entertainment, DC Entertainment, and Magnolia Home Entertainment, who have all donated an assortment of goodies to help get you into the spirit of the season. Daily Dead also recently teamed up with Texas-based artist Dustin Pace of Duddy in Motion to...
This year’s Holiday Gift Guide is sponsored by several amazing companies, including Mondo, Anchor Bay Entertainment, DC Entertainment, and Magnolia Home Entertainment, who have all donated an assortment of goodies to help get you into the spirit of the season. Daily Dead also recently teamed up with Texas-based artist Dustin Pace of Duddy in Motion to...
- 12/9/2016
- by Heather Wixson
- DailyDead
Chucky’s back and better than ever… Mezco Toyz presents their newest Chucky doll based on his likeness in the first Child’s Play movie. Also: Wizard World and Crypt TV’s eight-city video showcase, Mondo’s Cronenberg vinyls, the Screamfest 2016 announcement, and over 10 photos from Shortwave.
Photos of Mezco Toyz’s New Chucky Doll: From Mezco Toyz: “Unlike the scarred and battle-damaged look Chucky normally bears (people have tried to destroy him in six films so far), this version represents the cleaner, earlier Chucky. His trademark outfit is un-slashed, his face is not yet mauled.
Just as he did in his films, Chucky has lots to say from his trademark “My name is Chucky” to far more sinister phrases.
The star of the Child’S Play films, Chucky stands fifteen inches tall and features real cloth Good Guys clothing, eleven points of articulation, his trademark orange hair and realistic glass-like eyes.
Photos of Mezco Toyz’s New Chucky Doll: From Mezco Toyz: “Unlike the scarred and battle-damaged look Chucky normally bears (people have tried to destroy him in six films so far), this version represents the cleaner, earlier Chucky. His trademark outfit is un-slashed, his face is not yet mauled.
Just as he did in his films, Chucky has lots to say from his trademark “My name is Chucky” to far more sinister phrases.
The star of the Child’S Play films, Chucky stands fifteen inches tall and features real cloth Good Guys clothing, eleven points of articulation, his trademark orange hair and realistic glass-like eyes.
- 5/25/2016
- by Tamika Jones
- DailyDead
Special Mention: Dead Ringers
Directed by David Cronenberg
Written by David Cronenberg and Norman Snider
Canada, 1988
Genre: Thriller / Drama
Dead Ringers is one of David Cronenberg’s masterpieces, and Jeremy Irons gives the most highly accomplished performance of his entire career – times two. This is the story of Beverly and Elliot Mantle (both played by Irons), identical twins who, since birth, have been inseparable. Together, they work as gynecologists in their own clinic, and literally share everything between them, including the women they work and sleep with. Jealousy comes between the two when Beverly falls in love with a new patient and decides he no longer wants to share his lady friend with Elliot. The twins, who have always existed together as one, have trouble adapting and soon turn against one another. Unlike the director’s previous films, the biological horror in Dead Ringers is entirely conveyed through the psychological...
Directed by David Cronenberg
Written by David Cronenberg and Norman Snider
Canada, 1988
Genre: Thriller / Drama
Dead Ringers is one of David Cronenberg’s masterpieces, and Jeremy Irons gives the most highly accomplished performance of his entire career – times two. This is the story of Beverly and Elliot Mantle (both played by Irons), identical twins who, since birth, have been inseparable. Together, they work as gynecologists in their own clinic, and literally share everything between them, including the women they work and sleep with. Jealousy comes between the two when Beverly falls in love with a new patient and decides he no longer wants to share his lady friend with Elliot. The twins, who have always existed together as one, have trouble adapting and soon turn against one another. Unlike the director’s previous films, the biological horror in Dead Ringers is entirely conveyed through the psychological...
- 10/29/2015
- by Ricky Fernandes
- SoundOnSight
Every year, we here at Sound On Sight celebrate the month of October with 31 Days of Horror; and every year, I update the list of my favourite horror films ever made. Last year, I released a list that included 150 picks. This year, I’ll be upgrading the list, making minor alterations, changing the rankings, adding new entries, and possibly removing a few titles. I’ve also decided to publish each post backwards this time for one reason: the new additions appear lower on my list, whereas my top 50 haven’t changed much, except for maybe in ranking. Enjoy!
****
Special Mention:
Shock Corridor
Written and directed by Samuel Fuller
USA, 1963
Shock Corridor stars Peter Breck as Johnny Barrett, an ambitious reporter who wants to expose the killer at the local insane asylum. To solve the case, he must pretend to be insane so they have him committed. Once in the asylum,...
****
Special Mention:
Shock Corridor
Written and directed by Samuel Fuller
USA, 1963
Shock Corridor stars Peter Breck as Johnny Barrett, an ambitious reporter who wants to expose the killer at the local insane asylum. To solve the case, he must pretend to be insane so they have him committed. Once in the asylum,...
- 10/28/2013
- by Ricky
- SoundOnSight
Photo: 20th Century Fox Release Year: 1988 Studio: 20th Century Fox Director: David Cronenberg Screenwriter: David Cronenberg and Norman Snider based on the book "Twins" by Bari Wood and Jack Geasland Starring: Jeremy Irons as Beverly and Elliot Mantle and Genevieve Bujold as Claire Niveau Cinematographer: Peter Suschitzky (Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back, Eastern Promises, Cosmopolis) Note: Today's entry is yet another installment contributing to Nathaniel's "Hit Me With Your Best Shot" series at TheFilmExperience where several others have contributed their favorite shots from Dead Ringers as well. Photo: 20th Century Fox Photo: 20th Century Fox Photo: 20th Century Fox Photo: 20th Century Fox Photo: 20th Century Fox Photo: 20th Century Fox Photo: 20th Century Fox Photo: 20th Century Fox Photo: 20th Century Fox Photo: 20th Century Fox Photo: 20th Century Fox Photo: 20th Century Fox Photo: 20th Century Fox This is probably my favorite overall shot...
- 7/10/2013
- by Brad Brevet
- Rope of Silicon
Jeff Goldblum, Al Pacino and Christopher Walken were among the big names who turned down the lead in David Cronenberg's controversial 1988 movie Dead Ringers until Jeremy Irons signed up.
Irons played identical twin gynaecologists in the dark, twisted David Cronenberg thriller adapted from Bari Wood and Jack Geasland's book Twins - and even he wasn't sure he wanted to be attached to the film.
Director Cronenberg flew to Britain to convince Irons to take the role a decade after he started casting.
He tells The Hollywood Reporter, "It was a tough sell. I literally went to 30 of the best American and Canadian actors... and they all said no.
"William Hurt said it would literally drive him over the edge of madness. You'd think playing twins would be a no-brainer, but they were based on real people... and that is hard to play.
"Jeremy Irons was the first slightly positive response. But it still took a year before we could get it together, at which point he was cooling and I went to London to talk him into it."...
Irons played identical twin gynaecologists in the dark, twisted David Cronenberg thriller adapted from Bari Wood and Jack Geasland's book Twins - and even he wasn't sure he wanted to be attached to the film.
Director Cronenberg flew to Britain to convince Irons to take the role a decade after he started casting.
He tells The Hollywood Reporter, "It was a tough sell. I literally went to 30 of the best American and Canadian actors... and they all said no.
"William Hurt said it would literally drive him over the edge of madness. You'd think playing twins would be a no-brainer, but they were based on real people... and that is hard to play.
"Jeremy Irons was the first slightly positive response. But it still took a year before we could get it together, at which point he was cooling and I went to London to talk him into it."...
- 9/12/2011
- WENN
Versatile filmmaker Neil Jordan is no stranger to the psychological thriller, having intelligently dabbled in the genre with 1984's "The Company of Wolves" and 1994's "Interview With the Vampire".
Of course, there was also that 1988 haunted castle misfire known as "High Spirits", which unfortunately will be more closely associated with his latest otherworldly excursion.
Loosely based on the novel "Doll's Eyes", by Bari Wood, "In Dreams" is an annoyingly overwrought affair, riddled with logic holes and more than just a little derivative, conjuring up the likes of Nicolas Roeg's "Don't Look Now" and Samuel Fuller's "Shock Corridor", not to mention "Eyes of Laura Mars" and virtually any installment of "A Nightmare on Elm Street".
Even with a commendable is-she-or-isn't-she crazy turn by Annette Bening as a mother whose disturbing, prescient dreams start hitting tragically close to home, you don't need a clairvoyant to assess this DreamWorks release's boxoffice future.
It will be considerably less than dreamy.
Bening is Claire Cooper, a children's book illustrator whose persistent, nocturnal visions of a missing girl and lots of apples prove to foretell the abduction and subsequent murder of her own child, Rebecca (Katie Sagona).
But that's just the beginning. It seems Claire has melded minds with Rebecca's psychotic, serial killer (a way-over-the-top Robert Downey Jr.), who initially manifests his presence as voices in her head and messages on her computer monitor.
Alas, to the average onlooker, including her well-meaning pilot husband, Paul (Aidan Quinn), Claire appears simply crazy, and is subsequently checked into the loony bin. As fate and the unsubtle script would have it, she finds herself in the very same ward that housed her tormentor years earlier, when, as a child he went nuts after being chained to his bed just before his quaint New England town was evacuated and immediately flooded to make way for a new reservoir.
Don't ask.
The whole concept of deliberately burying a town under water with its buildings unrazed and their contents unremoved may look cool as a ghostly opening sequence, but it immediately sets the head-scratching tone that only intensifies as co-screenwriters Jordan and Bruce Robinson pile on the implausibilities.
As a director, Jordan certainly has a commanding visual style, and the picture is not without its impressive set-pieces -- that surreal opening, however ludicrous, and a tightly choreographed traffic accident come to mind -- but the overall atmosphere is ridiculously amped-up, even by horror standards.
Bening's reasonably grounded performance aside, the acting runs the gamut from Downey's bug-eyed tribute to Norman Bates to Jordan regular Stephen Rea's miscast turn as a melancholy psychiatrist with a tentative New York accent.
Production values are similarly uneven. Cinematographer Darius Khondji ("Evita", "Seven", "Alien Resurrection") does a nicely eerie job with all that murky, metaphysical stuff; while production designer Nigel Phelps goes overboard with the apple imagery and Elliott Goldenthal's score is all shrill symphonic hysteria.
IN DREAMS
DreamWorks
Director: Neil Jordan
Screenwriters: Bruce Robinson and Neil Jordan
Based on the novel "Doll's Eyes" by: Bari Wood
Producer: Stephen Woolley
Director of photography: Darius Khondji
Production designer: Nigel Phelps
Editor: Tony Lawson
Costume designer: Jeffrey Kurland
Music: Elliot Goldenthal
Casting: Janet Hirshenson and Jane Jenkins
Color/stereo
Cast:
Claire Cooper: Annette Bening
Vivian Thompson: Robert Downey Jr.
Dr. Silverman: Stephen Rea
Paul Cooper: Aidan Quinn
Detective Jack Kay: Paul Guilfoyle
Dr. Stevens: Dennis Boutsikaris
Rebecca Cooper: Katie Sagona
Ruby: Krystal Benn
Running time -- 100 minutes
MPAA Rating: R...
Of course, there was also that 1988 haunted castle misfire known as "High Spirits", which unfortunately will be more closely associated with his latest otherworldly excursion.
Loosely based on the novel "Doll's Eyes", by Bari Wood, "In Dreams" is an annoyingly overwrought affair, riddled with logic holes and more than just a little derivative, conjuring up the likes of Nicolas Roeg's "Don't Look Now" and Samuel Fuller's "Shock Corridor", not to mention "Eyes of Laura Mars" and virtually any installment of "A Nightmare on Elm Street".
Even with a commendable is-she-or-isn't-she crazy turn by Annette Bening as a mother whose disturbing, prescient dreams start hitting tragically close to home, you don't need a clairvoyant to assess this DreamWorks release's boxoffice future.
It will be considerably less than dreamy.
Bening is Claire Cooper, a children's book illustrator whose persistent, nocturnal visions of a missing girl and lots of apples prove to foretell the abduction and subsequent murder of her own child, Rebecca (Katie Sagona).
But that's just the beginning. It seems Claire has melded minds with Rebecca's psychotic, serial killer (a way-over-the-top Robert Downey Jr.), who initially manifests his presence as voices in her head and messages on her computer monitor.
Alas, to the average onlooker, including her well-meaning pilot husband, Paul (Aidan Quinn), Claire appears simply crazy, and is subsequently checked into the loony bin. As fate and the unsubtle script would have it, she finds herself in the very same ward that housed her tormentor years earlier, when, as a child he went nuts after being chained to his bed just before his quaint New England town was evacuated and immediately flooded to make way for a new reservoir.
Don't ask.
The whole concept of deliberately burying a town under water with its buildings unrazed and their contents unremoved may look cool as a ghostly opening sequence, but it immediately sets the head-scratching tone that only intensifies as co-screenwriters Jordan and Bruce Robinson pile on the implausibilities.
As a director, Jordan certainly has a commanding visual style, and the picture is not without its impressive set-pieces -- that surreal opening, however ludicrous, and a tightly choreographed traffic accident come to mind -- but the overall atmosphere is ridiculously amped-up, even by horror standards.
Bening's reasonably grounded performance aside, the acting runs the gamut from Downey's bug-eyed tribute to Norman Bates to Jordan regular Stephen Rea's miscast turn as a melancholy psychiatrist with a tentative New York accent.
Production values are similarly uneven. Cinematographer Darius Khondji ("Evita", "Seven", "Alien Resurrection") does a nicely eerie job with all that murky, metaphysical stuff; while production designer Nigel Phelps goes overboard with the apple imagery and Elliott Goldenthal's score is all shrill symphonic hysteria.
IN DREAMS
DreamWorks
Director: Neil Jordan
Screenwriters: Bruce Robinson and Neil Jordan
Based on the novel "Doll's Eyes" by: Bari Wood
Producer: Stephen Woolley
Director of photography: Darius Khondji
Production designer: Nigel Phelps
Editor: Tony Lawson
Costume designer: Jeffrey Kurland
Music: Elliot Goldenthal
Casting: Janet Hirshenson and Jane Jenkins
Color/stereo
Cast:
Claire Cooper: Annette Bening
Vivian Thompson: Robert Downey Jr.
Dr. Silverman: Stephen Rea
Paul Cooper: Aidan Quinn
Detective Jack Kay: Paul Guilfoyle
Dr. Stevens: Dennis Boutsikaris
Rebecca Cooper: Katie Sagona
Ruby: Krystal Benn
Running time -- 100 minutes
MPAA Rating: R...
- 1/15/1999
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
IMDb.com, Inc. takes no responsibility for the content or accuracy of the above news articles, Tweets, or blog posts. This content is published for the entertainment of our users only. The news articles, Tweets, and blog posts do not represent IMDb's opinions nor can we guarantee that the reporting therein is completely factual. Please visit the source responsible for the item in question to report any concerns you may have regarding content or accuracy.