Welcome back for another daily horror digest from Creepy Catalog. Today I have for you a decent amount of news, a few great personalities in the birthdays, and some movie and TV shows released on this day in history that I’m excited to share. But before all that, I take a look at a new sci-fi thriller that starts strong but tires out before the finish.
Movie of the Day
Today’s movie is The Protos Experiment. It’s listed as a science fiction and horror film in many places. Science fiction is correct, but it’s more of a thriller with a few horror elements. It also gets a bit philosophical and political as the initial mystery of the story is revealed.
The Protos Experiment begins with a man, John, waking up with a chain attached to his neck. The other end of the chain is connected to the back of a large man with a strange device on his head. As the device lights up, the large man tries to kill other people chained in the same room, but he doesn’t pay attention to John. At least, not at first. The scene comes to an end with everyone who is still alive blacking out, then another scenario begins with the same people plus a few more. It’s not a bad way to begin a movie.
As the story progresses, we get to know a few of the people. They are being held captive and forced to participate in different violent situations. Their memories are fragmented, but one of them, Kyra, is starting to remember certain things. After a while we learn that the people we’re watching are all part of an experiment, but I won’t say what that experiment is. The first half of the movie is all about trying to piece together the identities of the captives and figure out why they’re being held against their will. It’s fairly interesting during this section.
Surprisingly, the mystery is completely revealed about halfway through the story. It’s a storytelling choice that leads to a fair amount of exposition which changes the pacing we’ve experienced up until that point. When everything is explained, it also greatly reduces the feeling of danger because we know everything is being controlled. For these reasons, the first half of the movie is much better than the second half. The truth of the situation is interesting at a conceptual level, but practically, it takes away from the film’s suspense and drama. I definitely felt my interest dipping steadily during the final 45 minutes.
If you’re really into low-budget sci-fi, you might want to give The Protos Experiment a try. If you’re only mildly curious, or if you’re expecting a lot of horror, wait until it lands on Tubi or a streaming app you subscribe to. If you do want to watch, it’s a cheap rental on Prime Video.
In the News
There’s a decent amount of news today, so it’s time for a bullet-list speedrun:
- Seth Hoffman will take over as showrunner for season three of AMC’s Walking Dead: Dead City. Hoffman was a producer and writer on The Walking Dead. (Variety)
- Shudder has acquired Mother of Flies, the upcoming movie from The Adams family (Hellbender, Where the Devil Roams, Hell Hole). (Variety)
- Ryan Murphy’s TV adaptation of the novel The Shards added Igby Rigney, Homer James Jigme Gere, and Graham Campbell to the cast. (Variety)
- Jonah Hauer-King (I Know What You Did Last Summer 2025) said that he will appear in The Face of Horror, the upcoming film from Anna Biller (The Love Witch). (Deadline)
- Black Swan will be re-released in IMAX theaters for its 15th anniversary. It will be on over 200 screens on August 21st and 24th. (Variety)
Birthdays
Scream queen Heather Langenkamp was born on July 17th, 1964. Heather starred as Nancy Thompson in A Nightmare on Elm Street parts one and three, and she played a fictionalized version of herself in Wes Craven’s New Nightmare. She most recently appeared in Mike Flanagan’s The Midnight Club (2022) and The Life of Chuck (2024).
Also born on this day, in 1950, is P.J. Soles. She was “totally” Laurie’s friend Lynda in Halloween (1978), and she had a cameo forty years later in Halloween (2018) as a teacher. P.J.’s movie credits are expansive, and some of her other horror movies include Carrie (1976), Uncle Sam (1996), and The Devil’s Rejects (2005). She embraces her status as a scream queen, and she gives back to her fans by appearing at many horror conventions every year.
Donald Sutherland was born on July 17th, 1935. He sadly passed away just over a year ago in June of 2024, but the body of work he left behind in his more than six decades as an actor is truly remarkable. His best horror movie is Don’t Look Now (1973), a film with a nerve-shattering ending. He was also in Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1978), The Puppet Masters (1994), Mr. Harrigan’s Phone (2022), and he was Merrick in Buffy the Vampire Slayer (1992).
Also celebrating a birthday today, born in 1965, is Alex Winter. Alex is best known as Bill in Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventure (1989) and its sequels, but before that he was the vampire Marko in The Lost Boys (1987). He was also Vlad in Destroy All Neighbors (2024), and I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention Freaked (1993) which he co-wrote, co-directed, and appeared in as Ricky. Alex has also directed a number of documentaries, including Zappa (2020) and Showbiz Kids (2020).
Events on This Day
My absolute favorite episode of Tales from the Crypt first aired on July 17th, 1990. Titled “Television Terror,” it’s about a snarky tabloid TV show host named Horton Rivers who investigates a haunted house on live television. He doesn’t take the job seriously, but the ghosts put on a terrifying show for Horton and his audience.
Another personal favorite released on this day, in France in 2002, is Bloody Mallory. The movie is a mashup of horror, fantasy, and action, and it’s presented with loud colors and ridiculous characters. It’s about a team of agents with supernatural powers who battle the forces of darkness. A mission goes badly, and the leader of the group, Mallory, has to take the fight to an ancient vampire who plans to plunge the world into darkness. I first saw the movie on DVD sometime around 2005, but you can rent it on Prime Video.
Eight Legged Freaks was released in theaters on July 17th, 2002. I didn’t see this movie when it came out because I thought it looked dumb. I watched it many years later and, sure enough, it is dumb, but it’s also decently fun. It’s about spiders that get really big after coming into contact with toxic waste, and yeah, it goes about how you’d expect. It’s available to rent on Prime Video.
Other notable horror movies released in July 17th include:
- Suddenly in the Dark (in South Korea in 1981)
- Jaws: The Revenge (1987)
- Mimic 2 (video, 2001)
Thanks for reading! Now go watch something horrific!
