The Easy-Bake Oven gave countless kids a much-needed loophole. Hungry for a snack before dinner, but mom says the cookies are off limits? No problem. Just toss some brownie mix in your miniature pan and cook up a little treat while playing in the other room. So functional is the Easy-Bake Oven that you'd likely find it in the occasional dorm room... at least back in the day. And if zombies really do take over the world in the future, you might see Nerdist's recently revealed faux product, the Easy Brains Oven, become a sought-after item for shambling shoppers. We take a look at the living-dead-themed toy in our latest horror round-up, along with XLrator Media's new "Macabre" collection of films on Hulu and a casting update on Fox's Lucifer pilot.
Easy Brains Oven: Revealed by Nerdist in anticipation for the March 17th premiere of The CW's iZombie, the Easy Brains Oven substitutes brownie mix for brain powder that's cooked up in a cranium rather than an oven. If Return of the Living Dead’s Tarman had kids, this would likely make its way under their Christmas tree one year.
"They say that you are what you eat, and if that's true your little zombie must be one smart cookie. Surely there has to be an easy way to satisfy your insatiable hunger for human flesh than chasing down survivors! Now there is, thanks to the all-new Easy Brains Oven! This hot, new kitchen playset is so simple that even shambling corpses can use it. Simply insert the Easy Brains™ Human Brain mix, wait sixty minutes, and presto! You have freshly baked human brains that'll drive your little undead monsters wild. Some adult supervision required."
Video via Nerdist:
XLrator Media's "Macabre" Collection on Hulu: Press Release - "LOS ANGELES (March 10, 2015) – XLrator Media today announced it will launch a destination for XLrator Media’s large and growing library of top genre films and other enthusiast content on Hulu, starting with the debut of the “MACABRE” collection which will begin streaming content on March 15, 2015. The announcement was made today by XLrator Media CEO Barry Gordon.
“MACABRE” will be a destination for some of the top independent horror and genre films from around the globe, and will be the first of several “premium-content” destinations to be launched this year by XLrator Media in the fast-growing “over-the-top” (OTT) distribution space. The company is seeking to develop a myriad of bespoke “OTT carriage deals” with leading digital and legacy platforms. Future enthusiast destinations coming to Hulu and other platforms in 2015 include “TURBO” for action film fans and offerings for fans of multi-cultural films and documentaries.
“With some of the top entertainment brands such as HBO, Showtime, CBS, Nickelodeon, and others having recently made announcements that they are going over the top (OTT), this is a clear sign that mainstream consumers are now ready for this new way to receive and view content. With this validation of the OTT delivery space, we saw an opportunity to develop a network of “narrow-casted” content destinations for high-quality independent films that appeal to enthusiast audiences,” said XLrator Media CEO Barry Gordon.
“We are launching our company’s OTT initiative with the ‘MACABRE’ Collection on Hulu. It’s taken us four years to cultivate the MACABRE brand to the genre community. With so many horror and genre films out there, consumers value a highly curated label like MACABRE that represents the best of breed,” said Gordon."
Fox's Lucifer Pilot: Deadline reports that Lauren German (Xavier Gens' The Divide, Chicago Fire) has been cast as the female lead in Fox's Lucifer pilot. German will play "Chloe Dancer, an LAPD homicide detective who finds herself both repulsed and fascinated by Lucifer. As they work together to solve a murder, Lucifer is struck by Chloe’s inherent goodness. Used to dealing with the absolute worst of humanity, Lucifer begins to wonder if there’s hope yet."
A collaboration between Fox and Warner Bros. TV, the Lucifer pilot is based on the comic book character of the same name from Neil Gaiman's The Sandman and its spin-off series, Lucifer (both of which were published under DC's Vertigo imprint), the latter penned by Mike Carey.
Tom Ellis (Rush TV series, Victor Frankenstein in Gothicka TV movie, Robin Hood in Once Upon a Time TV series) will play the fallen angel opposite German.
Tom Kapinos, whose other current pilot, Dead People, is in production at The CW, wrote the pilot and has teamed up with Jerry Bruckheimer and Len Wiseman (Underworld films, Sleepy Hallow) to bring it to fruition, with the latter directing the debut episode.
The series "centers on Lucifer who, bored and unhappy as the Lord of Hell, resigns his throne and abandons his kingdom for the gorgeous, shimmering insanity of Los Angeles, where he gets his kicks helping the LAPD punish criminals."