Chapter 31
THE SPRINKLER Chapter Thirty-One
3.1.2026
Editor – Mykal - Content – Technical - Layout
Research & Editor – Mike - Content - Layout
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Chapter 31
A Monthly Film-First Dispatch
Psycho Studios (Phoenix)
Film Image of the Month
Frankenstein 1931: Mykal brought the iconic behind the scenes image to a modern visualization. Colin Clive and Boris Karloff spend some downtime between scenes, 1931.
EDITOR’S NOTE
We are embarking on a new layout and content for our newsletter The Sprinkler. Mykal was instrumental with editing our previous format which had too many irons in the fire. This chapter and moving forward will include:
Film: New – Newer releases. Reviews.
From the Vault: Films from the 1930s through the 1980s. Retrospect.
VHS Corner: Talk about cool and obscure films that are available only on videotape.
Some TV: Looking at one to two current TV series, that resonate with us.
Music: This is about music that is directly linked to a film or films.
Psycho Studio’s Spotlight: We look at icons of the horror film genre; directors, actors and their fictious counterparts.
The Sprinkler evolves into something that packs more punch with less. We focus on our core strength and interest, film. We keep it interesting, unique and free from politics and the world at large. This month’s mood is one of appreciation, prosperity and creativity that moves us to success in 2026!
Mykal’s and my journey has been one of beauty, courage, strife and creativity at a level I never imagined we would achieve. We are here; this is our year! I want to acknowledge Mykal, and his brilliance with creativity and technology. He is an amazing young man and I’m proud to call him my son.
**We use the Psycho Scale when reviewing with a score, it is 0-Psycho (10) and these scores are real and true.
FILM
New Release
28 Years Later 2025 Rated R – runtime 1h 55m
28 Years Later: The Bone Temple 2026 Rated R – runtime 1h 50m
By the Numbers:
28 Years Later 2025 Budget - $60 million – Box Office $150 million
28 Years Later 2026 Budget - $63 million – Box Office $58 million
The original 28 Days Later, from 2002 is a classic U.K. horror film. Grossing over $80 million on a low budget of just over $8 million. I remember seeing it for the first time, and totally digging it! Cillian Murphy led a great cast, that included amazing special effects and cinematography. The infected – zombie-like creatures were different. They were fast as hell and that was a game changer for this genre. The scene I always harken back to is when Cillian’s character leaves the hospital, and is walking near the Tower of London with literally no one in sight. Eerie, gory and well-acted, it set a standard for a different kind of horror film.
We fast forward after almost two decades since we last visited 28, and experience 28 Years Later at the end of 2025 and an immediate sequel at the beginning of 2026, 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple. No Cillian Murphy in the first one, he appears in the second.
It’s been nearly three decades after the so-called Rage Virus overran Great Britan from an infected standpoint. Small survivor groups try to live with some normalcy as the infected wander the quarantined island. A generation has been born into the apocalypse with no memory of what the world use to be like. This new generation starts to push the boundaries of the safety area and uncover the infected and their evolution, as well as how humanity is changing. It was once a fight for survival, now it is a battle over their identities, their morals and what civilization will look like in the not-too-distant future.
The new generation’s journey leads them to a mysterious cult deep inside the infected area. This cult is a group that believes the virus is a means to purify the country and the world. They do not see the virus as a plague, which of course it was and is.
Tensions ignite between the strong-willed survivors and those crazy cultists. The story continues to get bigger and bigger going from a survival-based horror film to what they wanted to display: a psychological horror film. The cult and their beliefs are as dangerous as the virus.
Together the two films dive into how time doesn’t just spread the disease it changes beliefs and the definition of what it means to be human.
Sitting here proofing this summary of the two films, it reads like they were good movies. The first one grossed a shit ton of money. Regardless, these movies stink. They make no sense at several points throughout their runtime, acting is suspect across the entire cast and the musical score and cinematography are dubious to say the least. Give me Zach Snyder’s Dawn of the Dead any day over these plagued films! Lame to their fullest and mildly entertaining at their best.
Psycho Scale: 2 out of 10 for both films.Stick with the original!
Breaking News: Heat 2 the movie has been confirmed! Christian Bale and Leonardo DiCaprio to lead!
FROM THE VAULT (1930s–1980s)
Let’s take a look at a classic horror film. We will kick off the second chapter under the new format with this unforgettable film:
The Wolf Man 1941 Not Rated - runtime 1h 10m
Released in 1941 by Universal Studios, The Wolf Man is part of the Universal Classic Monsters.
This is not you’re atypical monster movie as it is filled with tragedy and fate. This is a horror movie that spoke to the human condition before that was even a thing in film.
This classic was directed by George Waggner and stars Lon Chaney Jr. as the ill-fated Larry Talbot. A great cast top to bottom including Claude Rains as Larry’s father.
The film is full of amazing atmosphere and is mild for a horror film considering how that genre has evolved. The movie is set in the Welsh countryside, but was shot in a Universal Studio’s backlot. The fog, the lighting and the sets give a cursed dream vibe. The fate of Larry Talbot is decided when he tries to help a woman being attacked by a large dog. That’s no dog! It’s a werewolf! This of course is how Larry becomes The Wolf Man.
Jack Pierce became a legendary makeup effects man, and it was his vision that brought the look of The Wolf Man to life. As groundbreaking as the make-up effects were, it’s the story and sadness that makes this film so unique. The heartfelt doom of Chaney’s character ironically mirrored Lon’s haunted personal life. We feel for Larry and how fate did him in when it seemed he had reconciled with his father and found himself a girl.
Even a man who is pure in heart..
Psycho Scale? We refrain from sharing that with the Classic Vault. I will say it is: classic, influential and brilliant.
This is one of the foundational Universal horror films along with Dracula, Frankenstein, The Mummy and Creature from the Black Lagoon.
A must watch and rewatch for all horror fans! This is one of our favorite classic or otherwise horror films of all time!
Bark at the moon the next time it’s full, I know I will!
VHS CORNER (Available only on videotape)
I remember vividly, the trips to the small video rental stores. F Blockbuster! We will share some cool tales about those excursions to the celluloid palaces of yesteryear in future chapters.
Spookies 1986 Rated R – runtime 1h 25m (Technically released 1988)
Budget is unknown for this film. Box office is listed just under $18K.
This VHS only horror film was completed in 1986, but technically released in January of 1988. The movie is a perfect slice of 80’s horror. It is grainy, gritty and the editing comes across awkward and choppy. That’s its charm!
Believe it or not the plot centers on a group of teens, that come across an old dilapidated mansion. We may have heard that one before? The mansion is located in a dense wood, so far, the teens have two strikes against them! There is a sinister sorcerer, somewhat unique for 80’s horror, who unleashes monsters as part of a supernatural death game. There are mud-creatures, spider-women, kind of a Grim Reaper vibe and some weird random cat-thing. The special effects for the creatures are cool and also at times weak as hell. This is a weird yet interesting watch!
During the production of the film the directors were changed in the middle of shooting. The switch along with the editing make a story line that barely makes sense. This was VHS gold, with a great cover and hopes for a hidden gem inside. The practical effects are solid; there’s goo, smoke and synthesized music making one wonder if they are supposed to be watching this movie! Spookies is far from a polished horror classic, but it’s the nostalgia and love for campy horror that reigns supreme.
This would have been a perfect Friday rental, the movie is literally insane!
SOME TV
We will focus on smart dramas, twisted thrillers - comedies and horror.
Curb Your Enthusiasm Rated TV MA - 2000 12 Seasons
Curb your Enthusiasm aired on HBO from 2000-2024, what a run! Created by Larry David who also is the show’s star, writer and producer.
I never watched this series when it was current and most popular. I rarely watched or watch TV as it is. Mykal suggested this brilliant, awkward and politically incorrect series. (Given the state of things in the country and the world.) I’m so glad he did! We are both huge Seinfeld fans, and with David being a co-creator of that unforgettable comedic tour de force, it stands to reason ‘Curb would be amazing.
The show reminds me of climbing a rope in gym class, its uncomfortable and at the same time enjoyable! The show is a slow burn, and I imagine it is clearly not for everyone. There are so many episodes that I relate to, and wonder if Larry and I are kindred spirits on some higher plane.
David moves through his everyday life in Los Angeles playing himself. He has zero filters and leaves any reservations he has about interacting with people at home. He is offensive to most in some way, shape or form and therein lies the comedy. The annoyances in day-to-day life are like that thread on the sweater and once the thread is pulled all hell breaks loose.
The series was known for using some improvised dialogue along with Seinfeld-like humor from observations of the activates in normal life.
The casting and the characters are an interesting mix of actors playing themselves as well as actors playing David created characters. It’s a who’s who of character actors from decades ago as well as those faces, we recognize from the many seasons of Seinfeld.
No subject, no group of people are safe, and Larry roasts himself in just about every episode. The average runtime for the episodes comes in around 28 minutes, and it is a perfect way to watch something without having to pay close attention or dissect every episode. There are highs and lows within each season with some episodes crushing it and others falling a little flat. It’s rare for Mykal and I to laugh out loud at most things, this show brought that back. Who couldn’t use a good laugh right now? An amazing watch for those like us that are experiencing it for the first time, and I bet a great rewatch too!
Few TV series have taken frustrations and exposed them in an honest and awkward fashion like Curb Your Enthusiasm! Well, except for Seinfeld.
MUSIC (That collides with film)
SAW Soundtrack (Films 1-6)
The Saw films are a centerpiece for 2000’s horror as well as near and dear to us. The first film in 2004, changed the game for graphic violence coupled with a unique story line. The cast, the story and an almost exclusive interior shooting schedule rocked horror audiences everywhere. The orchestrated music is excellent and many horror fans can hear that music as Billy rolls in his red trike or the climax speeds up the ending of the films. The original music by varying artists rocks hard and is often found as the credits roll.
There are over 50 songs related to the SAW films, and the list expanded considerably given the fact that the SAW franchise consists of 11 films!
The ones that resonate with me and Mykal are the rock-centric songs from some of our favorite groups. They are hard charging songs with deep and dark lyrics. We put together a playlist that consists of a small fraction of the total songs to choose from, 13 tracks coming in at 48 minutes of runtime.
Some of the groups highlighted:
Mudvayne
Queens of the Stone Age
Sevendust
Disturbed
Static-X
Helmet
Avenged Sevenfold
Filter
And Type O Negative
My all-time favorite track from the films comes courtesy of Saw II, as the screen goes black and the audience comes to grips with the aftermath of the movie, Mudvayne’s Forget to Remember blasts its way into the audience’s psyche. Not only does that song fit the film from it’s hard rock sound, but it fits from the dark and foreboding nature of the lyrics themselves.
Mykal and I listen to and build playlists on Spotify Premium
Psycho Studio’s SPOTLIGHT
Wes Craven
The Architect of Post 1970’s Fear
Wes Craven was a pioneer of the horror genre. 1972 brought his stark and twisted nature to light in the controversial Last House on the Left. He was considered radical and beyond intelligent. If you dig deep enough, you’ll find he started out making X-rated films. Thankfully for horror movie fans he shifted from that genre rather quickly. His style was gritty, raw and hard to watch at times. He made several small horror films, and in 1977 he brought us The Hills Have Eyes. This film mirrored the grit and gore of Last House. Funny enough, Craven evolved into more mainstream horror if you will and in 1984, he scared and engrossed horror audiences everywhere with A Nightmare on Elm Street!
Freddy Krueger was unlike any character we had seen in modern horror. He was killing his victims in their dreams which opened up an array of options for Wes and film crews to run roughshod on pace and violence. Freddy was a cultural icon and he came from a horror movie based on real events that took place in an Asian country. Wes was well read and came across a story about men dying in their sleep, and the rest was history.
Horror seemed to be getting stale, and in 1996 Craven found a way to incorporate horror tropes and a smart story and amazing tone and pace. Scream was born, and audiences kept asking: What’s your favorite scary movie?! Another iconic killer was born, and the Ghost Face mask exploded into sequel after sequel.
Wes was different because he clearly respected his audience. He was also known to be a kind and gentle man even on the movie sets. He drove the psychological aspects of horror which bled into the physical violence. Craven knew horror films could be scary as hell and also self-aware.
Wes Craven became the master of the blueprint for smart and creative horror films that lived on for decades. Mykal and I hold his films near and dear, with A Nightmare on Elm Street in our Mount Rushmore of horror history!
CLOSING THOUGHT
We refrain from speaking to politics, religion and the strife across the globe. Film has been an incredible connection and enthusiastic distraction, hobby and life pursuit. 2026 is Psycho Studio’s year, and we look forward to sharing thoughts, experiences and the like. We will pull the curtain back and review our progress, our amazing intellectual property (IP) as well as the special journey we are on. We wish everyone a positive 2026!
Horror Films don’t create fear, they release it!
Wes Craven
END
Mykal and I shared this credo with one another a couple years ago; it was poignant then & surely is today!
Be cool to one another
Please subscribe to our newsletter; back issues available with some great content!
We have thoroughly enjoyed writing this newsletter each month for the last 29 months. We will continue with our unique voice in a sea of sameness and will do so through 2026 with a newly streamlined format. Less is more!
Mykal and I wish everyone a cool February! Be safe and stay psycho! We would love to hear from our audience. Comments, feedback and suggestions are welcome!
Email us at - psychostudios66@gmail.com
Reach us at our website: www.psycho-studio.com
Find cool stuff on our website! We make announcements on Instagram, Bluesky and X
The Sprinkler is dropped on the first of each month.
Mike & Mykal - Psycho Studios Phoenix – 3.1.2026
Thank you, psychos! Chapter 31
