After opening all over the rest of the world, Joe Dante's PG-13 horror feature The Hole is finally coming to theaters in the US. Here the man who helmed such menacing classics as Gremlins and The 'Burbs offers a freaky feature filled with fuel straight from your worst nightmares. Twisted girl with long, dark, string hair? Check. Demonic doll? Check. A merciless creature dedicated solely to your destruction? Double check.
Chris Massoglia, Nathan Gamble, and Haley Bennett star as two brothers and their new neighbor who innocently unlock a strange door on the floor of the boys' basement, accidentally opening a portal to their own personal hell. The last trailer laid out the premise while tapping into an enticingly nostalgic tone, but the latest clip gives us a closer look at Gamble's personalized antagonist, and offers a behind-the-scenes peek at his battle with the creepy clown toy. Check it out below, courtesy of Yahoo:
Is it just me, or does this malicious plaything owe a credit to R.L. Stine's Slappy of Goosebumps fame? Intentional or not, it's a well-designed puppet that's perfectly designed to scurry and menace a young kid. Special effects artist Roy Knyrim, who has worked on a long line of horror movies, discusses the intricacies of the specially made marionette, and Gamble gives some insight on what's it's like to battle an animatronic puppet. Personally, I'm pumped at seeing the pride the team's crew has in the feature's practical effects. And rightly so, even in the rough green screen footage that doll is incredibly unnerving.
The Hole opens in 3D in limited release on September 28th.
