Posts by Jeremy Butler

Here comes the second addition to this sequel weekend, as well as another welcome addition to the 31 Nights of Terror. Welcome back, ladies and gentlemen, to Zombieland, and it’s like we never left. True, ten years have passed since we last saw Tallahassee, Columbus, Wichita, and Little Rock, and I was beginning to believe that the likelihood of a sequel was low given the rising profiles of each of the actors involved, but I can happily say that it is here, and it was worth the wait. When last we saw this makeshift family, they were leaving Pacific Playland amusement park after annihilating a zombie horde; romance was brewing between Columbus and Wichita, and Tallahassee finally got their hands on his beloved Twinkie. Had this been the last time we saw the group, I would have been content, but the unwritten law of Hollywood is to never let go of a profitable franchise. Now, this unwritten law can be both good and bad, as it could result in a film that is on par or better than its predecessor, or the result could be a product of the law of diminishing returns. Lucky for us, Zombieland: Double Tap is the former instead of the latter.

Double Tap picks up ten years after the events of the first film. The merry band is still together and has taken up residence in the White House of all places. Keeping their distances from other survivors, they have fallen into familiar patterns. This appears to sit well with everyone but Little Rock, who has now become a teenager and seeks a connection with people of her own age. Around the same time, Wichita begins to feel pressure in her relationship with Columbus, leading to the sister deciding to go off on their own. Both Tallahassee and Columbus are devasted by the lost of the two and handle it in their own fashion: Columbus pines, while Tallahassee provides no real comfort, deciding that it may be time to hit the road himself. It then they come across a distraction in the form of Madison (Zoey Deutch), a gorgeous albeit ditzy young woman who proves it does not take brains to survive the zombie apocalypse. She quickly annoys Tallahassee, but you can guess who is looking for a rebound.

Well, well ... it would appear that this weekend is the weekend of sequels with two movies worthy of 31 Nights of Terror. First is the return of Angelina Jolie as Maleficent. When we last saw the Mistress of Evil (which also happens to be the title for the sequel) she was more of a hero rather than villain. However, the sequel sees her return to her previous status as the feared fairy that ruled the Moors. How quickly people forget her contributions. Though not traditionally scary, the film features plenty of magic and carnage courtesy of Jolie. Additionally, the film features the return of Elle Fanning, Sam Riley, and Harris Dickson as Aurora, Diaval, and Prince Philip. With the addition of Chiwetel Ejofor and Ed Skrein, as well as Michelle Pfeiffer as Queen Ingrith, Philip’s mother, who gives Maleficent a run for her money for the title of Mistress of Evil.

In the five years that have passed since then the original film, Aurora has continued to reign as Queen of the Moors and is beloved by her subjects, and especially by Prince Phillip who works up the courage to propose marriage. Aurora accepts, but then comes the hard part: telling their parents. For Phillip the difficulty comes from her mother, who feels that their people have a right to pillage the Moors and worries about losing her son to Aurora, who rules the land she would like to acquire. For Aurora, the difficulty is much more challenging, as she has the unfortunate task of telling her Godmother, the protector of the Moors, Maleficent. Though initially apprehensive about the idea, Maleficent grants her permission. However, this is only the beginning of their troubles.

“They're creepy and they're kooky, Mysterious and spooky, They're altogether ooky, The Addams Family.”

That is for those who read my Addams Family Double Feature post regarding the Addams Family theme song. Of course that is merely the first verse of the song. Have no fear, as the animated film features the full version. It must be kismet, as I had the privilege of reviewing the animated film so soon after reviewing the double feature, though I suspect that this was by design. It is also kismet that this film comes in time to be part our 31 Nights of Terror. Though this cartoon does not fit the traditional view of what a horror film is, I would argue that the subject matter is more than enough to grant it entry. Featuring a lighter tone than its subject material, this incarnation is an enjoyable experience that can be shared with the whole family, which was my experience as I was able to bring my daughter to the film with me, and I’m happy to say it got her stamp of approval.

You know a movie’s bad when Brad Pitt isn’t enough to save it. However, where Ad Astra falls down is in execution of story rather than a failure on the part of Mr. Pitt. The premise was interesting: a son follows in the footsteps of his hero astronaut father to learn that his father, who was previously believed to be dead, may be responsible for catastrophic events plaguing the Earth. There is depth to the story, and the idea of human beings colonizing other planets was shown in a truly interesting and realistic manner, but instead of this being the forefront of the film, the story focuses primarily on a emotional journey that never pans out. The film also features a cast of superstars whose performances were little more than cameos. A waste of talent if you ask me. I mean, why put together a cast that includes Tommy Lee Jones, Donald Sutherland, Liv Tyler, and Ruth Negga, just to have their contributions be the length of a commercial. Yes, I know that was an exaggeration, but it just seems wasteful.

Ad Astra follows Major Roy McBride as he plummets back to Earth from an apparent space ladder (interesting idea; wish they would have spent more time explaining it), when a power surge of unknown origin destroys portions of the spacecraft. Upon landing safely, McBride is informed that the source of the surges have been traced back to the Lima Project, a 30-year-old highly classified mission tasked with looking for intelligent life; this mission has significance to McBride because the mission was led by his father, Space Command legend Clifford McBride, who was thought to be dead up until this point. In that moment, McBride learns that not only is his father alive, but he is believed to be responsible for a event that resulted in the loss of thousands of lives. McBride is tasked with the mission of travelling across an unforgiving solar system in hopes of making contact with his father, as well as discovering the truth of his father’s wayward mission thirty years earlier.